Chapter 726: The Battle Begins, Disciple Zero!
Imagine this scene at dawn, as the sun rises and all things awaken.
The burliest man in Ur, a warrior capable of slaying magical beasts, is draped in the finest ceremonial robes by the citizens and offered the most delicious food.
Then he is sent up to the high altar.
Looking back, he sees the usually revered priests, even his beloved wife and children, all wearing expressions of utmost piety. His hands and feet turn cold, yet he still forces a smile. Further back in the procession, countless people watch this brave man—this living sacrifice—with barely concealed satisfaction in their eyes.
Grateful that they have survived another day.
In an instant, golden light descends like a divine messenger in the form of a tiger or leopard, sweeping the man away to vanish without a trace.
Or—before everyone's eyes, he is brutally torn apart by black light, his blood raining down upon the altar, nourishing the crimson patterns below.
Thus, they purchase one more night of peace.
"'The Qin soldiers' have come again," Sakatsuki spreads his hands and sighs under the citizens' gazes, some ashamed, some furious. "No matter the era or nation, human folly knows no bounds..."
"There's no other way!"
The woman who spoke first trembles uncontrollably, shouting as if unable to contain herself: "To survive in Ur, living sacrifices are a necessary price! Everyone agrees to this system before selections are made!"
As if pouring out all their accumulated cowardice and fear, more citizens begin speaking one after another, their voices filled with indescribable bitterness:
"As long as we send one person each day to the Eridu temple, those demons will be satisfied—"
"So... you've been protecting yourselves this way all along?!" Fujimaru says coldly. "Neither fighting nor going to Uruk!"
"What would an outsider know?!"
The argument grows louder until finally, the high priestess of Ur steps forward—an elderly woman with graying hair, her face lined with wrinkles, yet her eyes still shine with unwavering resolve.
She approaches silently and embraces the weeping woman: "Outsiders, you speak this way because you've never seen those terrifying gods. It's not that we haven't thought of resisting... but against those two evil deities, we weak humans are utterly powerless."
"All we can do is live in fear of when our turn will come, enduring day by day...!"
"Hah..." Sakatsuki shakes his head. "Even now, you insist your choices were without fault."
He seems about to say more, but the dark-haired youth steps forward silently, placing himself between Sakatsuki and the citizens of Ur.
"Fujimaru?"
"Can you understand us, messenger of Uruk?" The priestess extends her bony hand toward the sorrowful Fujimaru Ritsuka, but the youth does not take it.
"I understand you, but don't expect my approval."
Drizzling rain begins to fall, the oppressive heat giving way to showers that dampen Fujimaru's hair. Lightning splits the clouds above, casting the lonely silhouette of the boy against the sky.
So alone, yet refusing to fall.
"Don't glorify your actions, High Priestess of Ur." As humanity's last Master, the lone survivor who had braved six Singularities without yielding, he delivered his verdict:
"Without striving for anything yourselves, relying solely on others to make sacrifices... You're nothing but ghouls surviving by feeding on the corpses of your comrades."
In that instant, not only did the High Priestess freeze in place, but even Sakatsuki and Merlin behind Fujimaru pressed their lips together tightly.
They saw Fujimaru's clenched fist, a thin trail of blood seeping between his fingers to drip onto the ground, reflecting his face contorted with overwhelming emotion.
This wasn't right.
If it were Ritsuka, she would never say such things. She would remain silent while seeking understanding.
Ah, so this is what happens when someone loses their pillar of support—they can only persist by voicing their convictions aloud.
Even at the cost of mutual pain.
"Let's go, Fujimaru." Sakatsuki took the trembling boy's hand, green light swirling to heal his wounds as he led the distraught youth away. "It seems we're not welcome here."
"Indeed, you should all leave now." The High Priestess had already withdrawn her hand, averting her eyes numbly. "Concepts like human compassion died long ago in Mesopotamia."
Thus did Ur reject the hope brought from Uruk, and as the envoy party disappeared into the curtain of heavy rain, stifled sobs began rising from behind them.
This city was weeping.
"...I'm sorry."
In their makeshift camp outside Ur's walls, Fujimaru bowed his head in apology. "I spoke without thinking, completely disregarding our future plans or the feelings of Ur's citizens..."
"Those weren't thoughtless words, Fujimaru," Anna murmured, hugging her knees with her chin resting atop them. "I felt the same way."
"But I still hurt Ur's people." Fujimaru took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "They must be suffering the most in this situation, yet I..."
"Here, have some coffee. I ground the beans myself."
Sakatsuki offered the drink at just the right moment. Cradling the steaming cup, Fujimaru took a sip and gradually emerged from his gloom.
Then, steeling himself once more, he turned his thoughts to their next steps.
"We've confirmed why Uruk's investigation team disappeared, and Ur has outright refused Uruk's assistance... As for that Axe of Marduk, where could it be?"
"These matters are best asked of locals—or perhaps local gods?" Merlin suggested with a smile.
Remembering the scatterbrained Jaguar Warrior and Ur's living sacrifices, Fujimaru massaged his temples. "Both options sound equally unappealing in completely different ways..."
Just then, Sakatsuki suddenly looked up toward the distant city's hazy outline.
"Let's return to Ur first, Fujimaru," he said abruptly. "Perhaps meeting both extremes will make things easier to accept."
"...Huh?"
And so they hurried back through the unpleasant downpour to Ur.
No sooner had they entered than they saw Jaguar Warrior chasing Ur's citizens through the streets.
"Meow-hahahaha!" A golden-orange beastly figure burst through the rain like a meteor crashing to the ground, sending citizens fleeing in terror. "Loves birds! Loves fish! And also eats humans! The Jaguar Warrior—"
[SET (Load)]
[Caster, Charles Babbage]
As the prompt sounded, Fujimaru didn't dare let his guard down against a genuine Divine Spirit-class Servant. At the same time, the Jaguar Warrior clenched one hand at her waist while slowly sweeping the other forward.
Unintentionally, both struck a pose simultaneously.
"Descend here!"
"Henshin (Transform)!"
Watching the two mirror each other's movements, Sakatsuki blinked and turned to Merlin.
"Did we walk into the wrong scene? Is this a Kamen Rider transformation sequence now?"
Merlin: "???"
"Jaguar Warrior!" Fujimaru Ritsuka demanded. "Why did you suddenly attack the citizens of Uruk?"
"Isn't it obvious? Haven't you already learned how Uruk survives?" Golden light flashed as the Jaguar Warrior summoned a massive cat-claw staff. With just a light tap, the ground beneath them collapsed. "Today's sacrificial offering hasn't been presented to me and Quetzalcoatl yet!"
"Quetzalcoatl?" Merlin's eyes gleamed thoughtfully.
"We deeply apologize, revered Nahual god!" The high priestess pleaded frantically to the mighty deity. "Quick, bring forth the man from the Utulu family (the sacrifice)!"
"N-no, High Priestess!" came a tearful reply. "That man… he ran away!"
"What?!" The high priestess's eyes widened in horror, an expression mirrored by the citizens of Uruk. "He already agreed! How could he flee at the last moment…?"
"Oh? My ears caught something troubling!"
Delighted by the panic of Uruk's people, the Jaguar Warrior grinned. "Does that mean I get to pick today's sacrifice myself?"
"That's perfect! No more watching Quetzalcoatl enjoy the offerings, no more obeying her 'one per day' rule—woohoo!"
Licking her lips, her predatory joy radiated like a massive jaguar's shadow, claws outstretched to seize one trembling citizen after another.
Her tongue flicked out greedily.
Clearly, she now saw every human present as her prey.
With a thud, the high priestess collapsed to her knees, despair filling her eyes.
"How… could this happen?"
She never imagined Uruk's covenant with the gods would be broken today—in such a ridiculous way!
That man… that cowardly sacrifice!
Why did he run? If he had just given his life, the entire city would have been spared!
Where could he even go? The South American jungle kills anyone who tries to leave!
Why… couldn't he just obediently offer himself?
Someone… someone, please save me, save the people of Uruk!
Almost instinctively, the high priestess turned to Fujimaru and the others, a faint glimmer of hope flickering in her eyes—but recalling their earlier confrontation, that light faded.
If she could turn back time, she would strangle the version of herself who had personally rejected the envoy from Uruk with her own hands.
Now, having actively refused that king's goodwill, what right did the city of Ur have to seek help from the envoys who had come so far?
Moreover, would those envoys even respond to her plea? Even if they did, how could mere fragile humans hope to rescue Ur from the grasp of a deity?
Watching the leopard-clad goddess stand with hands on hips, laughing wildly, the high priestess let out a bitter chuckle.
"There's... no hope left."
"Anna!"
Alongside her voice of despair rang the clear call of a young man.
In the next instant, a scythe swung, its chain rattling crisply as it carved a sharp arc of cold light through the air!
The leopard goddess yelped and dodged. Under the stunned gaze of the high priestess, Fujimaru stepped forward with the Round Table's shield in hand, unhesitatingly placing himself between her and danger: "Sakatsuki, I'm counting on you! Merlin, cover us!"
"Anna, let's go!"
The very one who had expressed disappointment in Ur was now shielding all its people when crisis struck.
"You... no, my lord..." The high priestess stared at Fujimaru in disbelief, her voice breaking. "Why...?"
She saw the young man glance sideways as if sensing something—those clear blue eyes harboring an unshakable resolve.
"No matter what, you are humans—people I should, and must, protect," he declared. "Even if I don't agree with your actions, this grudge, this sin... it shouldn't be trampled upon by the gods."
Protect humans... protect... us...
The high priestess stood dumbfounded. Then, suddenly, she fell to her knees, bowing deeply toward Fujimaru.
Like a withered leaf about to be blown away by autumn winds, or stubborn roots pushing through harsh soil.
But regardless, no one paid attention to whether her gesture was born of remorse or gratitude now.
"Tsk tsk, so scary~ My gorgeous fur almost got chopped off!" The leopard goddess landed lightly, pouting at Fujimaru. "Hey, you! Don't you know every strand of a maiden's hair is precious?!"
"Worried about going bald in middle age, granny?" Fujimaru fired back without mercy.
"Wha—?!" The words seemed to pierce the goddess's heart. She staggered back, wide-eyed and shaken. "No way... Have I really reached the age where people call me 'granny'? Waaah...!"
As she wailed, tears even sprouted from the seams of her leopard-styled mascot suit. "I know this world is fleeting as morning dew, and yet, and yet—"
"Now she's reciting poetry?! And aren't you a South American deity?! Since when did you learn Far Eastern haiku?!The doctor slammed his fist on the command room desk, unable to suppress his complaints.
"Hmph, don't sweat the small stuff! Anyway, you've succeeded in angering a youthful, eighteen-year-old goddess of beauty!"
With a swing of her cat-paw staff, she whipped up a gale that forced everyone to squint. After Fujimaru's relentless provocations, the leopard goddess finally abandoned her game of chasing civilians, turning her full attention to them:
"Guess I'll have to kick you out by force! Wait for it—I'll wrap this up with a super cool one-liner!"
Suddenly, the usually comical Jaguar Warrior turned serious. With an unseen beastly roar, her golden eyes locked onto Fujimaru, who held the Round Table's shield:
"This is our world, the serpent's land that draws the spiral. You humans who cannot comprehend the definition of gods, begone! With the forest's protection, our sun is invincible!"
"To put it simply—at least bring some gifts when you visit, you idiot!"
As her roar echoed and Fujimaru calmly issued commands, two streaks of light pierced through the rain curtain, launching their attacks against this South American deity with their respective weapons.
The battle against the divine had officially begun!