The Holy Grail War Blessed by the Gods

That land is undoubtedly moving towards the pinnacle of prosperity, with wealth piling up on the earth, before finally reaching the end of its desires.

The prosperous ideal city will cease to exist; what will truly emerge are only the already corrupted fruits, the already fallen sages, and the already decadent kings.

"Desire will pour forth; this is not something to be allowed to run rampant. My realm, my kingdom, prepare to rise!"

The Hanging Gardens, which form the foundation, exist as an aerial fortress. Although a towering tower was added to it, it is merely an imaginary tower with no weight, and the function of the aerial fortress can still be implemented.

As Manjusoo's voice rang out, bands of light, like magical circuits, surged forth from the floor, walls, and ceiling beneath the throne of his high palace, filling the space with intense magical light. (9)

In that instant, this astonishingly miraculous building was officially activated, the earth trembled slightly, and then the entire structure began to hum loudly. (4)

"Do not panic, this is a prayer for an attack on the Lion King. Rejoice, for your wishes will soon come true." (8)

The violent tremors generated when the Sky Gardens were activated could still cause panic among people working on the site. Manjuszt lowered his voice to calm any potential panic. (2)

The tremors gradually intensified until they suddenly stopped at a certain moment, at which point the Sky Garden, which was above the ground, completed its ascent and hovered above the earth below. (4)

“Very good, with the arrival of the distant star, the storm should finally dissipate completely.” (3)

Seeing that the treasure could be activated smoothly, Manjushri joyfully let out a sound to fully activate it. (3)

"Resurrect from my eyes, my beloved goddess! With your powerful and majestic form as an extension of my will, praise my glory and bless my radiant return!"

The sun's flames ignited in Manjusaka's eyes, and dazzling gold, carrying scorching heat, flowed from them. (5)

The powerful and majestic, shimmering figure of the goddess Sekhmet reappeared, landing on the ground in front of the throne of Manjushri in the size of a normal lion.

After his sacrifice, Sekhmet walked to the edge of the throne room, looked down at the land where the Hanging Gardens were located, and then looked up into the distance, in the direction that should be the location of Egypt, which Osmandis had summoned.

Golden sand flowed from beneath Sekhmet's feet, quickly transforming into a raging sandstorm that stretched from the tower downwards, stirring up a dust storm.

“Wait a minute, Sekhmet. Before the war begins, don’t raise your sandstorms. Just let the sun rise. There are still people who haven’t returned home. Do you intend to have Sekhmet guide them?”

Manju knew that Sekhmet's actions were fulfilling the words he had spoken when he called Sekhmet: to unleash a massive sandstorm, engulfing the surrounding land in the desert as a continuation of his will, and to bless Manju's arrival.

People believe that the desert of Upper Egypt is the result of the breath of the goddess Sekhmet, who uses her power to protect the kingship, but her power often goes out of control.

Upon hearing Manshu's call, the flowing sand controlled by Sekhmet stopped instantly. Sekhmet opened her mouth and inhaled deeply, drawing all the sand into her mouth.

After retracting his actions, Sekhmet shook himself off and turned to walk towards Manshu.

在赛赫迈特抖2动的行为下，9她身上那如黄4金般的0毛发正在渐4渐脱落，而她3的身体也随5着掉6落的毛发在4渐渐缩小。

Beneath that thick, flowing gold fur lies a deep, dark coat, as dark as the night sky. Once the golden fur is removed, the majestic lion transforms into a gentle cat.

Upon reaching Manju's feet, Sekhmet, transformed into a black cat, leaped up, jumped onto Manju's lap, and curled up into a ball.

The shed golden hairs did not fall to the ground, but instead gathered together and eventually transformed into a sphere that shimmered with a sacred golden light.

The golden sphere began to rise, passing through the ceiling of the throne room and reaching the top of the tower, where it then emitted light and heat.

That was Sekhmet's power as the sun. She raised the sun according to Manju's words and commands, and she herself transformed from the lion incarnate of the sun into the cat of the moon.

The goddess Sekhmet is often confused with Bastet. When Bastet was originally depicted as a lion-headed human, she and other lion goddesses were regarded as the Eye of Ra.

During the Hellenistic period, the Greeks confused the goddess Bastet with the goddess of the hunt, Artemis. In the late Classical period, Artemis was confused with the moon goddess Selene, so Bastet also acquired the attributes of the moon.

Before this, Bastet was still regarded as the incarnation of the sun god Ra, until the Hellenistic era brought about this change.

"Well done. Sekhmet, my beloved goddess, just as you once surveyed the land of Egypt on behalf of Ra, go and rule this land for me, so that the high sun may forever watch over this place, and that this towering tower may be free from external harm!"

Manjushri's words did not stop at mere words; she also bestowed upon Sekhmet the protection and power of this land, enabling her to truly accomplish this task.

(2) As he spoke, Manshu reached out his right hand and stroked Sekhmet's dark fur.

(iv) Unlike the fiery, golden waves of fur, the pitch-black moonlight is tranquil and cool, as if it were the final resting place of the human soul, which has a unique charm.

The goddess with black hair simply raised her head and agreed to Manjusaka's words. The sand did not appear on the tower or the ground beneath her feet, but began to slowly accumulate at the edge of the Hanging Gardens. This land, which was mixed with many divine elements, gained an even more strange aura.

(iii) This place is completely a hybrid of different deities, with Marduk, Ishtar, Ereshkigal, Baal, Anat, Teskalipoka, and Sekhmet, each with the attributes of a god from a different region being applied.

What is about to fall is clearly not just these, but also much more that is deliberately imposed and created to create connections.

5. "I already knew that Cursed Arm had returned with a few Chaldea members. Hundred Faces, go ask him. The Lion King has gathered her Knights of the Round Table and all her soldiers to completely flatten the mountains. What does he plan to do?"

"What did you say?"

When Bai Mausolean came to report the news, she was shocked and instinctively asked a question, but she quickly realized what was going on.

U: "I was foolish. After such a defeat, the Knights of the Round Table will surely use all their strength to launch another attack. I will go and inform the Cursed Arm now."

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Pace

"Oh my, it actually floats directly into the air. Only when you get close can you truly appreciate the magnificence of this treasure."

"The thriving gardens and cities, and the towering pagoda at its center, possess a divine magic even more concentrated than in the desert."

The group that arrived at Higashi no Village looked at the scene of this originally desolate mountainous area with astonishment.

Even Hassan, the Cursed Arm, who lived locally, was no exception; the changes in the village exceeded his expectations.

The entire land has changed, except for the verdant greenery left by the abundant power that he left behind when he departed.

Under the influence of the towering pagoda that stands in the center of the Sky Garden, the surrounding land is also changing, being transformed by the ever-spreading and permeating divine energy.

"Cursed Wrist, you're back. Prepare for battle. The fortresses for the battle are complete and airborne. War is on the horizon."

One of Hassan's avatars jumped down from the Sky Gardens to guide the people.

"This day should have come long ago, but it came so quickly that I was not mentally prepared."

Hassan the Cursed Arm said with a smile that he longed to launch a counterattack, for the people he knew were suffering on this land.

Has the time been set?

"The holy king only told me that the Lion King and her Knights of the Round Table had gathered all their strength and prepared their army to sweep across the mountainous region and destroy any obstacles that would prevent her from completing her plan."

Bai Mao shook his head, turned around and raised his hand. Golden, fine sand flowed out from the sky garden behind Bai Mao, forming sand steps under the influence of magic.

"Come up first. The great king awaits the arrival of the distant stars on the high tower. The two girls following behind the cursed arm must be the Master and her Servant from Chaldea."

The King has invited you to come with me to his throne to hear his decision, and he has asked me to convey to you: If you wish to repair this singularity, both the Lion King's holy city and the crimson forces lurking deep beneath the earth must be eradicated. Therefore, he allows you to join this battle.

Having said that, Bai Mao climbed the sand steps first and went up to the sky garden.

"It seems that Bai Mao has seen quite a lot these past few days. Although she is humble in this attire, she is not the kind of person who would serve so wholeheartedly. Even I feel a little unfamiliar with her."

As he spoke, Zhou Wan followed behind Bai Mao, urging everyone to come up together without any worries.

"Don't worry. As I said before, that king just doesn't seem that approachable. If he intends to refuse your request to remove Morai's lightning, it won't only affect Morai."

Bedivere reached out and helped Fujimaru Ritsuka up into the sky garden. The view above was far more astonishing than the silhouettes visible below.

As described earlier, the Sky Gardens, which form the foundation, are also dotted with a considerable number of buildings, which are given various functions and storage capacity.

Most of them are used as defensive structures, but in the event of war, they are used as small artillery emplacements to launch anti-aircraft attacks capable of shooting down enemies.

"You previously referred to this place as the Hanging Gardens? The surrounding carvings are indeed in the Babylonian style, although there are also contemporary Egyptian influences. However, cultural exchange between the two sides is a normal phenomenon."

Dr. Roman kept observing the situation of the buildings above.

"However, this should confirm the identity of this king. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. And the owner of the Hanging Gardens was none other than Nebuchadnezzar II, the second monarch of the Neo-Babylonian Empire."

Hmm? Wait…㈨↓］寺∵⑧~⒉■＋牭【三∈弎lin∞5蒐索、〉：…The buildings there look like they're in the American style, and the stone carvings and murals seem to depict Aztec gods?”

Just as Dr. Roman was speaking eloquently, as they walked deeper into the building, the interior became filled with more elements, making him less certain of his judgment.

The Canaanite and Egyptian gods did indeed belong to the nearby region, so their appearance wouldn't be too surprising. However, the Aztecs were too far removed in both time and place.

"There is no need for speculation. This is a truly holy king. The Almighty has entrusted the power to rule the world to His servant. This is the king chosen by God."

That is why this king came here. The Lion King placed her words and her power above God, expressing her disobedience to God. God then sent the Great King, who is His sword, to protect the Almighty's devout people and destroy the Almighty's enemies.

Those pagan gods are nothing but fallen angels and demons; if they do not repent before the holy king who carries out divine punishment, then only destruction awaits them.

Hearing Dr. Roman's question from behind, the clone of Bai Mao, who was walking in front, spoke again.

"……is that so?"

"Yes. Ahead lies the core area of ​​this fortress, where the blazing sun of the Holy King shines eternally. Please be mindful of your words and actions."

Although the king is benevolent, he will also show a cruel side to his enemies, wielding the sword of God to inspire awe in the people.

Bai Mao's words were well-intentioned, because if they walked a few more steps forward, they would be able to see the golden sun shining at the top of the tower.

Sekhmet is fulfilling the task entrusted to him by Manshu, overseeing this land as an extension of Manshu's will and as Manshu's agent.

Although Sekhmet has transformed into the dark Moon Cat, she has shed her cruel and destructive nature, replacing it with gentleness and protection.

This does not mean that Sekhmet will show mercy; it simply means that he will not be unable to control his anger and killing as in the legends, and even Ra will not be able to dissuade him.

“A very strong divine quality of the sun, is that the sun of Shamash?”

It appears that the person acting as a judge of Shamash is constructing the rules and regulations for the Hanging Gardens, and their behavior certainly needs to be carefully considered.

However, it wasn't entirely a strict law; it also seemed to possess a restorative power, nourishing the human body and bringing about recovery.

Dr. Roman analyzed, and then remained silent, silently contemplating the situation.

Upon arriving here, one can see the figures of the mountain people. Most of the outer buildings are complete, but the interiors are still mostly illusory.

The group quickly arrived at the foot of the tower. In front of the tower sat two monsters with scales all over their bodies, eagle claws, deer legs, lion forelimbs, long necks, thin tails with scorpion stingers at the end, horns on their heads, and snake-like tongues and feathered crests.

Chapter Twenty-Eight Statement

"It seems my guess was correct, though it may differ somewhat from what I imagined. The divine beast ahead is a symbol of Marduk, the chief god of Babylon, and his son Nab, the god of wisdom, and one of Marduk's eleven sons, the 'Angry Serpent' Mushhushu."

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was undoubtedly a king deeply loved by Marduk and his son Nabu. The name Nebuchadnezzar means the eldest son protected by Nabu. Nebuchadnezzar is also considered to have played a very important role in the Marduk worship in Babylon.

The raging serpent ahead was a genuine divine beast, its terror even surpassing that of the Sphinx they had encountered before.

Dr. Roman's voice quietly reached Fujimaru Ritsuka's ears, mainly expressing concern about Hyakuma's previous warning.

"I've experienced this firsthand; it's an uncontrollable shiver that you feel when it's close to your whole body."

Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded and replied softly. The Hundred Faces in front took out items representing their identities and rose up, and then the two angry snakes guarding the gate made way for the guards.

"Don't stray too far from my position. The bestial nature within the great dragon heart that was conquered by the king has not been completely eliminated. That's why the king had them guard the gate here to wear down their rage."

Bai Mao turned his head and gave a brief instruction before continuing to lead the way. The closed gate opened automatically, revealing only a pristine white staircase.

"Go up to the throne room where the king resides, but please be careful not to fall down the steps. If you deviate from the passage, you will fall directly into the tower's defense mechanism."

That was a desolate land piled high with countless bones and shrouded in endless curses; those who fell into it could only wait for the king to learn of their plight and take pity on them.

The passageway ahead skips directly over the lower and middle levels of the tower, leading straight to the throne room near the top, thus obscuring much of the tower's interior.

To truly witness the many layers of defense, one must step inside as an intruder.