The place where the fortress had stood had turned into a vacant lot where cold winds blew, a vast land that could easily be called a new subdivision.
'Oh my goodness... The fortress that was established with such hard work is gone without a trace or shadow...'
Just as Orion lamented, there was no trace or shadow left of the fortress having ever existed there—
'Kyaa—! You did it! Ricca is amaaaazing!'
She returned a peace sign to the frolicking Artemis.
"As expected, Senpai!"
[I am humanity's final Master, after all. This much is expected, right? ————Mr. 'Arash'!]
"Gyatee... I can't believe a human could do something like this..."
While blushing at Mash's praise, she immediately moved to the next phase.
"Oh! As a fellow archer, I can't lose here, right!"
Responding immediately to Ricca's summons, the Archer among Archers, Arash, appeared on Vimana.
"Fire as planned! The point is right over there!"
Snap, the fingers clicked and the treasury unfolded. Ten treasures—spears and swords—pierced the place that must be bored, indicating the position.
"Air, you fired the lowest rank weapons!"
—Yes! But I'll retrieve them immediately! Disposables aren't good, you know!
(10 weapons. 2.5 Tokiomis.)
—What kind of unit is that?!
"My elegance gives you my whole heart and soul!"
"Right there, got it!"
By the skill Arrow Construction granted by the Goddess Armaiti—
[Howaaaaaaaaaa?!]
—He summoned and created tens of thousands of arrows filling the sky—
"My arrows—will split the earth!"
Following the single shot released from Arash's bow—they rained down like a raging billow!
The avalanche, the surge of tens of thousands of arrows gouged the earth, crushed it, dug through it, excavated it, and pierced it.
"Pharaoh Bro! Now!"
Responding to Arash's words—
"FUHA!! FUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Leave it to me, Brave Hero! The Pharaoh knows no setting sun! There is no shadow on his majesty!! —My Majesty!! Shall illuminate the world without reserve!!"
Kneading the maximum output of the 'Barque of the Dark Night', he irradiated a solar beam with condensed firepower and mana that would burn even a city to ash—!
"BE RELEASED!! 『The Barque of the Dark Night: Mesektet』!!!!"
The majesty that tore through the darkness was released beyond critical mass. It burned the pitiful earth that had been gouged out by arrows, melting it, dissolving it completely.
"FUHA!! HAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Ozymandias laughed loudly, pulling Nefertari close and putting his arm around Moses's shoulder.
How is it, am I not amazing? ...He showed his unadorned behavior, like an innocent boy boasting, only to those two.
"Rameses, if you laugh too much you'll hyperventilate. Please be careful..."
"No, no, a Rameses who doesn't laugh isn't Rameses. This is fine, Nefertari."
The two of them gazed warmly at such an Ozymandias... at Rameses.
"COME!! THE PATH IS OPEN! GO FORTH! BRAVE HEROES!!"
"—Mash, Master. Then, let us go."
Holding Ricca and Mash, the Knight King took flight.
[Gil! We're off!]
"The table is set. The desired treasure—reclaim it without fail!"
—Please be careful! Artoria!
"I'm off. Please await good news. —Princess."
"I'm going too—! Touta, I'm coming now—!"
Following the Knight King, Sanzaang also jumped and followed.
"Disciple~! How do I land~?!"
"Eh? Heh? —Hyaaaaaaaaa~!! Help me Moses~!!"
Watching his master's thoughtless blunder with affection, Moses ran.
"Can't be helped, I'll go too. I'll be right back."
"I mind not! Go! My friend!!"
Returning a blown kiss to Nefertari, Moses took off dashingly.
"Hya?! Goodness gracious! Goodness gracious, Moses!"
Catching Sanzaang in mid-air, Moses fell straight into the labyrinth through the black dot of the sun.
"Proud Dragon! We will search for her disciple! You guys search for your original target!"
[Okay! Let's go! Artoria! Mash!]
"High place, falling... Mr. Connla, give me courage...!"
'I'll navigate the path! Run immediately!'
The rescue squads began their action in a team of three and a team of two.
"—15 minutes, huh. Sufficient for a herald. As expected, moving numbers takes effort."
While acknowledging Iskandar, who had begun engaging the Knights created upon detecting abnormalities directly below, the King brought the Sky God's wine to his lips—
—Everyone, please be safe!
"Touta! Touta—!"
Having accomplished the infiltration, Sanzaang raised her voice, calling out to her disciple.
"Answer me, Touta~!! ...Ugh, don't tell me, maybe he's already been done in..."
Sanzaang teared up as she ran.
"It's my fault... Because I'm a useless master..."
"Hmm~, I won't dare deny the useless part, but isn't that a weak reason for a disciple to be defeated?"
"Gyatee?!"
Moses cut her down refreshingly. Sanzaang screamed.
"You're too pessimistic, you know? Thinking 'it's hopeless' just makes the journey painful. If you walk, if you advance, I think it's better to proceed thinking 'it'll be okay', don't you?"
"Moses..."
"There aren't many mistakes that are irreversible. Failures that ruin your life happen about as often as striking a staff twice, so being pessimistic is ridiculous, you know? Whatever, it's okay, it's okay! If it fails, it fails, and we'll deal with it then! It's not like we can't enter the Promised Land, let's go cheerfully!"
Slap, slap, he hit her back to encourage her.
Sanzaang felt like she had touched Moses's true heart... behind that freshness.
"...That's right! I have two disciples, after all! And a reliable disciple candidate too! I have to do my best! Right, Moses!"
"Oh, Mr. Toutaaaaa."
"Listen to me~?!"
Sanzaang shouted while being swayed by Moses, who encouraged her just enough and then switched gears quickly.
And then—
"—That restless, troubled voice! Is that you, Sanzaang?! Ooooiii!!"
At the fearless and hearty voice echoing from beyond the wall, Sanzaang's face brightened, expressing delight.
"Touta!! Yay! You were alive! Moses! Over he—!"
"I don't mind you coming, but be careful! There's a 'Gatekeeper'! The kick is strong, the kick! If you take it directly, your insides will do a somersault!"
Echoing footsteps, a massive physique, overpowering intimidation.
"Oh my, a soldier made by embedding a spirit root into a stone statue. Seems like something that would exist in Greece."
Moses muttered nonchalantly.
"Howaaaaaaaaaa?!"
Sanzaang was astounded—Moses moved quickly into action.
"Master, have a safe trip!"
Quickly grabbing Sanzaang's kasaya—
"Heave-ho!"
—he smashed the hidden wall, the obstacle blocking the space connecting to the cell, into smithereens and threw Sanzaang in.
"Moses—?!"
"Make sure to have a touching reunion. Master."
Bye-bye, Moses waved his hand and turned back to face the Spriggan.
"Now then. It's unconventional, but I have to show some disciple-like qualities."
He immediately approached the 'pivot leg' of the Spriggan that was raising its leg—
"So kind of you to stand on one leg for me."
Ducking, stepping in to close the distance—
"—Hup."
Measuring the distance with a left jab—
"—Torya."
Charging the right, adding a twist... no, a moderate corkscrew blow was slammed into the Spriggan—!
A hole the size of a right fist was bored into its left leg, the fist twisted in.
"So soft. Gotta rethink the materials properly. An Archangel didn't die unless I punched it for a whole day, you know?"
Zubori, the moment he pulled out his fist—light, radiance, holy light overflowed from the Spriggan's body—
"Dust to dust. Rest in peace. May you be reborn by the Lord's hand next time."
Explosion, then scattering. The Spriggan boasting a massive physique was summoned to heaven, shattered, and returned to the form it should be.
"Ah, found a root. Loot, loot."
Picking up the fallen root, Moses was pleased.
"Ooh! You defeated that stone statue alone! Are you the Lord Moses that Sanzaang spoke of! My, magnificent, magnificent! Hahaha!"
The green-haired samurai holding a rice bale, Sanzaang's disciple Touta, 'Tawara Touta', slapped his knee.
"Yup, yup, glad we could rescue you safely. Master."
"Umu... You, how did you persuade Sanzaang? As soon as we met, she said 'Thank you for everything'... I got goosebumps, you know?"
"What do you mean by that——!!?"
"Ahaha! Should I remain silent for the sake of Master's dignity? No, no, she swayed me a lot, swayed me a lot, and once in a while I swayed her!"
"You were aware?! That you were swaying him?!"
"Hahahahaha! Does that mean I was spoiling her too much?! Alright, maybe I should be strict too?"
"Gyateeeeeee—!! I'll cry! If you're strict I'll cry, okay——!!!"
Laughing disciple, crying master.
The unconventional Sanzaang party had finally reunited—
...At the same time.
"Over here, you three. Serenity is beyond this door."
While the Knight King kicked away spirits and vengeful ghosts along the way, receiving guidance from Cursed Arm Hassan, the group arrived.
"Everyone, please stand back—HAAH!!"
With a Shield Bash, they smashed the door and stormed into the room.
"—...Who? You still, haven't given up?"
Kneeling, a gray-skinned girl with both hands and legs bound by black chains, a masked assassin, muttered without raising her face.
"Hurry, take my head... You must understand. No pain, no suffering... can kill me..."
"...As usual, undertaking the dirty work, Agravain."
The Knight King muttered with a voice containing relief and sorrow.
"Master, please release those bindings. Those chains are Agravain's 'Black Bindings'. A restraint supremely effective against Servants, but to a human, just chains."
[Got it! ...You did well. Stay still!]
The Maiden of the Evil Dragon grabbed the chains and tore them apart with brute force.
'Ricca, at least, at least use a weapon...'
'Choosing bare hands without hesitation is supremely Ricca-kun!'
"Hahaha, modern maidens have truly changed."
Buchii, Gichii, the chains were torn apart with loud noises.
[Are you okay?! YOU FOOL.]
"Gh—?! Y-Yes..."
Grabbing her shoulders, Ricca stared at her. Serenity Hassan looked back with awe and confusion.
"Who, on earth are you..."
[I am Fujimaru Ricca! My likes are communication and subculture in general! My dislike is prejudice! My motto is 'If there is a will, I'll become friends even with God'!]
Placing hands on her shoulders, looking straight into her eyes.
"...You are... even if you touch me..."
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