“But it’s still not enough!”

Time Alter was only a fragment of a Reality Marble, equivalent to about 20% of a complete one.

As for the battle between Gilgamesh and Shion, the expenditure of Gate of Babylon was still insufficient, yielding only 15% analysis progress.

Moreover, the further the analysis went, the more data was needed.

For Gilgamesh, without forcing out his Enkidu and Ea, the analysis of Gate of Babylon would never reach 100%.

“This needs a long-term strategy.” Damien mused.

“Well, tonight’s goals are achieved. Let’s head back.”

“Oh, right.”

Damien stood, patting Kiritsugu’s shoulder. “Thanks for your gift. See you next time, Kiritsugu Emiya.”

The Ice Empress followed Damien’s lead.

Before leaving, she shot Kiritsugu a chilling glance.

Her icy stare was like a blade, ready to pierce his heart at any moment.

Damien wasn’t surprised by her reaction.

Kiritsugu Emiya was a dangerous man.

Even the Ice Empress, a soul beast, instinctively sensed something off about him, urging her to eliminate him.

Beastly intuition?

Kiritsugu recognized this, his heart growing heavier. It’s like facing an ancient predator…

Fortunately, the one commanding these ‘Demon God Pillars’ was King Solomon.

And he was someone Kiritsugu could still communicate with.

Phew…

Realizing Damien had truly left and that he’d survived, Kiritsugu let out a relieved breath.

“Maiya!”

His taut nerves relaxed, and he immediately contacted her.

“I’m fine. He’s gone.” Maiya replied.

“Is that so?” Kiritsugu said. “It seems he doesn’t consider us a threat.”

Despite the slight, Kiritsugu felt no resentment… only gratitude.

As expected of the legendary King of Magecraft.

Such magnanimity was admirable.

He was also thankful for his and Maiya’s insignificance.

“So, who is that Heroic Spirit…?”

“If I’m not mistaken, he’s likely the king who commanded the seventy-two Demon God Pillars.”

“!!!”

At the mention of the seventy-two Demon God Pillars, anyone versed in occult knowledge would know his story.

“King Solomon?” Maiya asked.

Prompted by Kiritsugu, she recalled the recent events.

The girl with the strange giant hammer, the tall purple-haired woman with a horn, the silent shadow assassin who nearly slit her throat.

And not long ago, the incident that reduced the Matou residence to icy shards.

If Damien was behind that, it made sense.

“With so many powers, if they stem from Solomon’s Demon God Pillars, it’s not surprising.” Maiya said, fully endorsing Kiritsugu’s theory. Only that identity explained why Damien was surrounded by so many powerful entities.

“Those aren’t Heroic Spirits but something like magical beasts or familiars… Demon God Pillars.” Kiritsugu reasoned.

Restricted by the Holy Grail War, they couldn’t fully unleash their power, appearing in humanoid forms instead.

Kiritsugu’s speculation convinced not only himself but Maiya as well.

It was hard to argue otherwise.

The pressure from the Ice Empress’s parting glance was overwhelming.

Kiritsugu was certain she wasn’t any historical Heroic Spirit.

She lacked any human traits.

Her judgment was purely that of an ancient predator hunting prey.

No other reason.

A dangerous entity had to be devoured.

That was all!

“Time to go.” Shion said, approaching Fran and vanishing with her in a shimmer of golden particles.

“Hm.”

Fran felt a twinge of regret.

She’d wanted to fight Gilgamesh too.

But she knew her limits and was no match for him.

“Ah, aaah~~”

“No need to thank me.” Shion said, understanding Fran’s cries and smiling. “We’re comrades, so of course we help each other!”

“Hm.”

Fran followed Shion obediently.

The girl’s heroic rescue under the Noble Phantasm barrage had captivated her.

A new Master and the first comrade she’d ever met.

“Com…rade… Fran… likes…”

“Oho!” Shion laughed, slinging an arm around Fran’s shoulders as they walked. “You’re talking now? Haha, that’s great!”

With that, the two women’s figures dissolved into golden particles, fading into the distance.

Their departure didn’t ease the tension among the remaining Heroic Spirits.

On the contrary, their curiosity about the duo’s origins and identities intensified.

First, they were undeniably Heroic Spirits.

The others, as Heroic Spirits themselves, couldn’t mistake that.

So, the question was: if the less rational Fran was the Berserker, what was Shion?

Caster?

Based on the Heroic Spirits present… Saber (Artoria), Rider (Iskandar), Archer (Gilgamesh), Lancer (Diarmuid), Berserker (Fran), and the earlier Assassin… the only remaining class was Caster.

But a Caster this combat-proficient?

With the terrifying defense and melee prowess Shion displayed against Gilgamesh, even the strongest class, Saber, wouldn’t dare claim victory over her.

“Strength, Endurance, Agility… all above A-rank.”

“That can’t be a Caster’s stats.”

Had they been deceived?

Was Fran not the Berserker, and Shion was?

“Kid, did you pick up on anything?” Iskandar asked, turning to Waver for clues.

“The first one, the girl with the giant hammer, is definitely Berserker.” Waver said of Fran. “But the other one, I could only see her stats, not her class.”

Masters could glimpse basic information about Heroic Spirits through specific magecraft.

True Names, Noble Phantasms, and abilities, however, remained hidden.

“What do you mean?” Iskandar asked, puzzled. “You can see her stats but not her class?”

“Uh…”

As a half-baked magus, Waver could only relay what he saw.

“!!!”

Other Heroic Spirits might not grasp the significance of Waver’s report, but Iskandar was different.

Is it an ability like mine?

In an instant, he considered a possibility: A subordinate Servant with stats but no class, yet able to rival other Heroic Spirits.

Wasn’t that exactly like the soldiers in his Ionian Hetairoi?

The only difference was that Shion was stronger.

—

Hi guys, Elenea here! I just want to announce that starting now I’ll be trying to focus on my own original fanfic, which I’ve been thinking about for the past few days (lol I really mulled this over briefly for a few days and decided I’m going to make it a full novel).

[Worse Than the Devil (DxD)]

Synopsis:

Devil.

An evil and chaotic creature, born from hell, which are often a scapegoat for humans. Blamed for the atrocities they themselves commit.

“The devil made me do it.”

A phrase always uttered by humans after committing crimes, casting blame and responsibility for their wrongdoings onto the devil.

But not all humans are like that, for there is one man who would gleefully commit atrocities that would be condemned by all of human history and accept the blame and responsibility for those wrongs with open arms.

His name is Michael, but in stark contrast to the meaning of his name ‘Who is like God’ he is not a devout man who draws near to God’s embrace. Instead… he is the one who sends lost sheep to meet God’s embrace much faster.

—

Btw, a quick note before you decide to read, if you have a heart as pure as glass, I suggest you don’t read this because it REALLY gets dark to early. The first chapter will give you a little idea of what I might explore later on in this fanservice harem-themed world like DxD.

Adios!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep