Chapter 8: Absolute Demonic Front
"The 'Chains of Heaven,' right?" Shirou replied.
"Yes, that's correct." 'He' nodded.
At this moment, Dr. Roman's voice came through the communicator.
"Judging by the appearance and the Noble Phantasm, could you be Enkidu?"
Roman had also witnessed the scene where those chains wiped out the surrounding Demonic Beasts in one go.
"If Gilgamesh is the Wedge of Heaven, a half-human, half-divine being created by the gods, then Enkidu is the 'Chains of Heaven' created by the gods to bring the Wedge back to their side. The two of them are beings that connect humanity and the divine," Roman explained to the still-confused Gudako and Mash. "At the same time, Enkidu is a hero possessed of morals and an upright heart, whom even Gilgamesh could not destroy."
"To be praised so highly by you, it makes me feel a bit embarrassed." 'He' narrowed his purple eyes slightly and said, "Then, let us be on our way."
Gudako and Mash immediately followed behind him. Shirou threw a casual glance at the man wearing Enkidu's face before following along.
Enkidu had already died long ago.
The person occupying the body of the late Enkidu was a new soul—formed after the Mage King Solomon (Goetia) stole the deceased Enkidu's remains and resurrected them using the power of the Holy Grail. Therefore, his actual age should be less than one year.
However, Shirou did not expose his true identity at this moment; instead, he watched quietly as he continued his performance. His authenticity, or lack thereof, could also be seen through by Gilgamesh at a single glance.
"By the way, Enkidu, do you know about our situation?" On the way, Gudako asked Enkidu out of curiosity.
"Well... I suppose I have some understanding. You are acting to resolve the Holy Grails that the Mage King sent to various eras, right?"
"I also know that you have previously experienced six Singularities. I was sent by the High Priestess of Uruk to protect the guests from afar," Enkidu answered unhurriedly.
"However, in the High Priestess's instructions, there was no mention of this gentleman."
As he spoke, Enkidus' eerie purple eyes shifted toward Shirou, clearly feeling somewhat suspicious of his presence.
"Perhaps your High Priestess doesn't have enough ability," Shirou shrugged.
"..." Enkidus' expression stalled for a moment. Then, he withdrew his gaze and continued walking forward. "Perhaps you are right. Even gods cannot do everything."
"This era hasn't collapsed yet, has it?" Mash asked immediately after.
"Indeed. Humans in the Age of Gods do not give in so easily. However, the current situation in Mesopotamia is still extremely dangerous. The road to Uruk could have been taken directly south, but now it would lead into the territory of other factions. Cities are being destroyed one by one, and surviving humans are fleeing to the city of Uruk for refuge."
"Is this the work of the Holy Grail's holder?" Gudako asked, her brow furrowed. The ruins they had just passed appeared to be a city that had been annihilated; it was exactly as the mass-produced Demonic Beasts Orihara-senpai spoke of, Gudako thought.
"No... the Holy Grail has not fallen into anyone's hands yet. Our enemy... is the gods," Enkidu uttered a term that immediately caused a sense of pressure to rise in Gudako and Mash.
"It's actually... the gods!?" Mash was stunned. The very word "gods" was synonymous with power.
"The Three Goddess Alliance. Currently, 60% of Mesopotamia's land has been seized by them," Enkidu nodded and said.
"This... since they are... goddesses... aren't they allies of humanity!?" Mash asked, looking somewhat surprised.
"Gods have never been allies of humanity." Hearing this, Enkidus' expression became cold. "The alliance formed by the three pillars of goddesses—their goal is... the eradication of humanity!"
Gudako's expression grew tense.
"Then... doesn't that make them just like the Mage King Solomon...!?"
The three arrived at the edge of a lake. In the clear water reflecting the sunlight, one could occasionally see schools of fish swimming happily. Shirou stood with his arms crossed, silently watching those two simple-minded fools being frantically manipulated by Kingu's words.
Seeing that Gudako and Mash had taken the bait, Enkidu immediately continued to instill his preconceived notions into them.
"The three goddesses are each ravaging this land using their own methods. One of them is the Goddess of Demonic Beasts. The beasts she created, including those we encountered near the ruins earlier, have flooded the north. To oppose these beasts, humanity built something..."
Enkidu stopped his footsteps and stared intently at Gudako with his purple eyes, extending a feigned, casual invitation.
"Would you like to go and take a look halfway there?"
"Of course." Gudako wanted to see what it was that he claimed could oppose the Demonic Beasts, so she agreed immediately.
Then, the three (and the beast) followed in Enkidu's footsteps, walking along a cliff above a mountain range. Noisy sounds drifted up from the surroundings—some sounded like the roars of Demonic Beasts, others like screams of agony.
After following him all the way to the edge of the cliff, the group finally saw the scene in the distance.
Dozens of kilometers away, a massive, magnificent wall stood tall, and countless Demonic Beasts on the ground were throwing themselves at the giant wall in wave after wave.
"This is the last and greatest fortress protecting the last hope of humanity: The Absolute Demonic Front—Babylonia!" Enkidu said, his tone rising slightly as he looked at the massive fortress in the distance.
"These are... the same Demonic Beasts we encountered earlier? Whoa, there are so many of them!" Gudako exclaimed in shock.
"No, there are more than that. In the north, there are magical energy readings dozens of times higher... It's unbelievable." Mash was also somewhat surprised to see the dense army of at least hundreds of thousands of Demonic Beasts.
"Is that wall holding back the Demonic Beasts' offensive?" Gudako couldn't help but gasp.
"Mere trifles, nothing to be surprised about," Enkidus' words drew the attention of Gudako and Mash. "After all, they have maintained that wall for half a year already."
"Half... half a year!?"
"That's right. The relentless attacks of the Demonic Beasts, and the soldiers who continue to repel them... yet the casualties on the human side are even lower than those on the side of the Demonic Beasts."
"Indeed..."
Gudako looked in the direction Enkidu pointed with his hand.
"Yes, although there is a massive disparity in fighting strength, what kind of person is responsible for commanding that fortress?" Mash asked, puzzled.
"I imagine it must be an outstanding general," Gudako replied, somewhat moved.
At Gudako's statement, Enkidu sneered.
"Heh... they are also spilling pointless blood; there was no need for total annihilation at all." Enkidu turned around and walked toward the other side. "They would have all died out even if left alone. Honestly."
No one knew whether he was referring to the Demonic Beasts or the humans who were fighting to the death to defend the city.
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