Chapter 317: The Divine Rod of the Gods

Archer, I remember you said you were the strongest, right…

"Rin…"

"Those two monsters in the sky—you can beat them, right?"

Sakura Rin stared blankly, her expression filled with profound confusion; her clear blue eyes met Archer's, her lips still curved in an elegant smile:

"You can do it, right? After all, you're the strongest!"

Archer looked up at the sky—if he were in his own Reality Marble, he could indeed achieve such a flood of swords.

Without using his Reality Marble, to stand his ground against thousands of weapons firing at once from the King's Treasure—could that really be Emiya Shirou, and not something else entirely?

Such a monster…

"Illya, that thing up there—are you certain it's Emiya Shirou and not something else?"

Archer did not answer Rin's question; instead, his gaze turned to Illya, who stood with her right hand raised to her forehead as if gazing into the distance.

Saber asked in confusion: "Archer, what do you mean?"

"I've heard that certain beings can possess human hosts," Archer said, his clairvoyance clearly observing Emiya Shirou standing unmoved amid Gilgamesh's bombardment of treasures.

Add to that his flight ability, the never-before-seen type of treasure, and those techniques resembling Eastern sorcery—

He suspected Emiya Shirou might be possessed by some immortal or deity-like Servant.

"Shirou is Shirou, and there's nothing else mixed in," Illya said, her hands behind her back, speaking with a proud tone:

"My Shirou is the strongest. Beating a golden prick is nothing special, right? This is the transformation that comes from choosing Illya's route—Archer, even if you regret it now, it's too late."

"What?" Archer froze.

"Four days ago he was still an ordinary man who could be killed by Lancer—even your Berserker cut him clean in half!" Rin's voice trembled with unstable emotion as she shouted at Illya:

"Are you kidding me?! That's a Heroic Spirit!"

"To grow from a novice magician to this level in just a few days? It outright denies evolution itself!"

"Kid, tell us what you did to Emiya!"

To Rin, the Shirou she had saved after Lancer nearly killed him in school was still the same man—though she'd noticed his recovery rate exceeded normal human limits, she never imagined he could reach this level.

Illya tilted her head, tapping her chin with a finger, wearing an adorable yet troubled expression:

"It's a secret between Shirou and me. Though I understand why you're so curious, Rin."

"Ah yes, yes—just assume Shirou remembered his past life. You know what 'past-life wisdom' is, right?"

"Shirou and I were together a very, very long time ago. None of you can ever say 'I was here first' again."

Everyone present was baffled. Rider glanced at Sakura Matou beside him; her eyes were filled with bewilderment.

"I've heard of magicians summoning their past selves to regain skills from previous lives," Archer's brow twitched violently as Emiya Shirou's weapons now nearly covered the entire sky—a ceaseless river of steel coiled into a dragon above:

"But this level? No amount of past-life wisdom can explain it. Those wings—he possesses power that does not belong to him."

Suddenly, changes came one after another.

Golden light like the rising sun spilled across the sky; spears of rock rained down, piercing the clouds like falling meteors.

Emiya Shirou stood atop the clouds, like a god descending divine punishment.

"He's insane! Is he trying to erase all of Fuyuki and the surrounding cities from the map?!"

Space shattered.

Without warning, the moment Gilgamesh reached into the King's Treasure, the world tore like fragile glass—accompanied by a blade without conventional edges, a head without a blade tip, a thing that could not be called a sword—the "sword" in Gilgamesh's hand swung, shredding the flood into fragments and creating a vacuum zone.

Over a dozen Divine Ruler weapons flew back, encircling Emiya Shirou; at this moment, his goal was finally achieved.

That was the sword named by Mesopotamian mythology, existing before the birth of the planet, the Sword that Cuts the World—Enkidu.

For Gilgamesh, regardless of whether his mind had been corrupted by Black Mud, he could now confirm: the opponent's intention to summon the Holy Grail was to reduce humanity's excessive, useless numbers, and to create hardship as a beacon for mankind—to awaken them from complacency.

Thus, whether or not Emiya Shirou's ideal would ever be fulfilled through the Holy Grail, the moment he spoke it aloud, it became the most detested, most reviled "filth" Gilgamesh wished to erase utterly.

It was a false blueprint, naturally opposed to his purpose, painted with impractical fantasies.

To this king who had witnessed the Age of Gods, Shirou's cries of "equality for all," "no sacrifices," and "the weak shall survive" were unbearably dull, so hollow and false they made him sick.

"Stop talking nonsense," Gilgamesh raised Enkidu above his head, his voice icy: "Be grateful, filth!"

Space rippled around Emiya Shirou; the Heavenly Chains shot out from all directions, binding him tightly.

Enkidu seemed to respond to Gilgamesh's rage—its three cylindrical blades rotated, each turning toward a different direction: Heaven, Earth, and the Underworld—revealing the true form of the world.

"Humanity is a beast whose life is sung only through sacrifice. Such lofty words as 'equality' are merely the desperate excuses of the weak."

"Your ridiculous ideal has no value. Disappear."

Magical pressure gathered within Gilgamesh's Enkidu; countless winds overlapped, compressed into the blade's fissures, squeezing relentlessly.

The layer of air, exceeding physical limits and continuously increasing in density, finally became a weapon capable of shredding all things—and began devouring space itself.

Light and sound, like objects caught in a black hole, were twisted, pulled, and ultimately swallowed by the blade.

"Speak the Origin: Heaven and Earth divide, no praise opens creation."

The world emitted a mournful cry, like a sobbing heart; the immense force triggered a flow of time and space, altering space itself.

"The Sword that Cuts the World is mine—Enkidu. It whirls the celestial mortar; Heaven and Hell are the end before Creation's night—fallen by death!"

Emiya Shirou's eyes locked onto the weapon. Now, Enkidu seemed transformed into a dying star, drawing all things into its vortex.

What would be reborn was the power that severed nothingness to forge the sky, pierced the sky to return to nothingness—the symbol of beginning and end.

"Heaven and Earth, Severed and Opened Star! Tear apart even your existence!"

Condensed to its limit, the myriad phenomena of reality, restored in this instant, unleashed the power to overturn the world.

The slash that tore everything apart ravaged the world with countless cracks; the rock spears in the sky shattered completely; darkness descended, all things fell silent—and swallowed Emiya Shirou, his lips still curled in a smile as if he had abandoned all resistance.

When all dust settled, the sky stretched clear and cloudless; the stars above shimmered once more.

Gilgamesh stood where he was, his expression devoid of any joy.

"Boring."

He frowned, seeing the two weapons left behind; he was about to investigate when countless swords and daggers materialized around him, sealing the surrounding space from top to bottom.

Blue sword shadows converged from all directions into the sky, forming together a colossal blue sword the size of a mountain range.

Gilgamesh turned and looked back, seeing numerous particles coalesce into the form of Weigong Shilang.

"Those weapons, and this kind of technique—what god is behind you, you bastard?"

Fantasy Collapse

In an instant, ten thousand zhang of radiance surged into the heavens!

Light illuminated the heavens; unlike the previous pitch-black apocalyptic scene, it was as if daylight had descended. As the flawed royal weapon exploded, the Dao principles became the sharpest blades, tearing the sky apart along with the fragments.

At that moment, numerous shield-type artifacts appeared before Gilgamesh, but the royal weapons cultivated by Li Huowang through "Zhen" instantly materialized, their strikes warping space. With the explosive force of two other weapons breaking through layer upon layer of seals, Weigong Shilang, in a prodigal manner, released part of the stored "Dao" principles.

For other cultivators in Ye Fan's world, one could use divine power to activate royal divine weapons—but for Weigong Shilang, this was his most efficient method of utilization.

Heaven and earth seemed shattered, everywhere filled with energy storms—until the radiance faded, leaving a disheveled figure at the center.

Gilgamesh's armor was cracked in countless places; he discarded a small crystal vial, and his blood and wounds healed at an astonishing speed.

The Enkidu was raised again; this time, the power emanating from it far surpassed the last. Gilgamesh had used some method to increase the power supplied.

"I've waited a long time for this moment, Hero-King," Weigong Shilang's voice appeared beside Gilgamesh's ear. "Your rage is worthless."

"." The Weigong Shilang before Gilgamesh gradually dissolved. He blinked, glancing at his right arm—only emptiness remained, blood dripping steadily.

Weigong Shilang had appeared nearby on his right side, holding a simple, natural wooden whip—more like an unopened sword than a whip—and in his other hand gripped a severed arm; beside him, a blue teleportation gate appeared.

Weigong Shilang hurled the severed arm along with the Enkidu into the teleportation gate, then swung his wooden whip again toward Gilgamesh.

His movement was slow, like that of an ordinary person—but the wooden whip struck like a ten-thousand-jin tripod, warping the void with each swing.

"Your remaining value is negligible. Disappear."

"You bastard!!!!"

A piercing pain struck his soul, and Gilgamesh's rage burned—so intense it nearly made him forget the pain, driving him to kill this vile thief!

Weigong Shilang's long whip swung through empty air. He glanced around, then retracted the Divine Beating Whip.

"Yanfeng Qili."

Though unexpected, the variation of targeting Gilgamesh's Enkidu was understandable.

"After all, it's Gilgamesh—caution is needed. Tomorrow, I'll spend some time returning to replenish my reserves."

The protective shield guarding Yuwen Mushi also flickered out at this moment. Weigong Shilang flew back as a blade of light to the street before the Yantong Manor gate, retrieved the Guan Hong Spear sealed with spells by Zhongli, and turned to face the others.

"Shilang, did that guy get away?" Illya asked.

"Yeah, but we got the Enkidu—still a decent haul." Weigong Shilang smiled faintly, then noticed the strangers' gazes fixed on him—even Saber's. He sighed. "It's hard to explain, but in short—"

"I understand. You've awakened memories from your past life, right?" Yan Song Lin nodded in sudden realization, then patted Dada Liya's shoulder. "So this is your past-life appearance? Definitely ancient-style."

"I understand—you've awakened memories from your past life, right?" Yanbei Lin nodded in sudden realization, then patted Duan Dao on the shoulder: "So this is what you looked like in your past life? Indeed, it's very ancient in style."

"That's right, by the way," Illya pulled out a robe from nowhere—a pure white, sacred long gown. "This was my past-life clothing! Found it in an ancient ruin!"

"Illya, don't say misleading things like that," Weigong Shilang sighed. "Yan Song Lin, why do you believe this?"

This robe wasn't just a prop; as a ritual garment, it was inscribed with formidable defensive arrays. In Song Hang's world, its value was quite high—around fifth-rank. Before returning, Heihuang had even engraved additional array patterns onto it.

"Because nothing else makes sense—this is the only plausible explanation!" Yan Song Lin rubbed her temples, opening weary eyes. "You've transcended humanity, and with your faction's strength, if we fought, I'd have zero chance of winning."

"So if you're going to do something, just say it outright."

She didn't press further. Weigong Shilang's transformation could be investigated later—right now, the priority was determining how his current form would alter this Holy Grail War, and what threats he might pose.

Though somewhat diminished, the Yan family still managed the Yuwen Mushi spiritual vein and bore the duty to safeguard this land to the utmost.

Archer remained silent, his gaze fixed on Weigong Shilang. From Illya's attitude, his identity was likely already known to them.

"Is his goal to seize the Hero-King's Enkidu?"

He probably knew far more about this Holy Grail War than he'd imagined.

The array set up before arriving at the Yantong Manor was specifically designed to lure out the Hero-King—and from the start, the target was Gilgamesh's Enkidu.

What does he intend to do?

"As I said before," Weigong Shilang smiled, "to prevent this Holy Grail War from ending in tragedy, to make all Masters and Servants cease their killing. Except for Gilgamesh—whom I must erase—I've already succeeded completely."

Weigong Shilang paused, then said: "Saber, let's go to the church."

Yanfeng and Gilgamesh likely fled, but the church basement still holds a group of children.

They are like me—survivors of the fire ten years ago—but became the magical energy source sustaining Gilgamesh in this world.

Yanfeng and Gilgamesh have likely already fled, but there should still be a group of children in the church's basement.

Weigong Shilang opened his hand, clenching it, staring at his palm, feeling this dreamlike reality he had personally brought into being.

He cast one final glance toward Liudong Temple—then a colossal sword appeared beneath his feet.

Weigong Shilang opened his hand and clenched it, staring at his palm, feeling this reality—dreamlike yet achieved by his own hands.

"Ugh… I'd say he did pretty well this time," Su Lin stared at the severed arm on the coffee table, his lip twitching. "I'm full. You guys eat."

Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan: "."

On the pile of chips, popcorn, fries, fried noodles, fried rice, and dishes lay a severed arm still oozing blood.

"This is my home," Kleen glanced at the blood splattered on the pure white sofa. "Don't forget to settle the sanitation fee later."

"Looks like he's become Weigong Aotian now," Zhang Chu'an watched as Weigong Shilang picked up a fry, unable to tell if the red substance was ketchup or blood. "This is settled."

"What do we do with this arm?" Ye Fan removed the Enkidu from his hand and addressed Su Lin. "You want to keep it as a collection?"

He'd intended to tease Su Lin about his odd collecting habit.

"Hmm, not bad," Su Lin considered. "It's got memorial value. I'll give it to you as a prize for a Heavenly Dao wonder. Maybe if we surgically reattach it, we can get free access to Wang Zhi's Treasure."

He had intended to tease Su Lin about his strange collecting habit.

"Hmm, it's not impossible," Su Lin thought for a moment and said. "It's quite memorable. I'll give it to you as a reward for a Heavenly Dao artifact—maybe with surgery, you can reattach this severed arm and get Wang Zhi's Treasure for free."

Sizzle—!

Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan burned the Heavenly Dao artifact "Ji An's Arm" to ashes with a single flame.

"Aowu! Just watching isn't enough—can we find a way to raid… I mean, tour one of these worlds?" The Purple Gold Divine Dragon flipped through the setting notes with its claw, plotting quietly in its mind.

Song Shuhang shook his head and said with a sigh: "I suggest you repeat those words right before the Three Pure Ones when the time comes."

The Purple Gold Divine Dragon first shrank back, curling its body into a knot, then asked: "Aren't we got a Three Pure One in our group?"

Su Lin: "."

Blind student, you've found the key point.

How do you know if these Three Pure Ones are the same one?

Song Shuhang retorted: "You can't possibly send Master Meng Qi over to test the waters?"

"Meng Qi won't be in danger, but the world where Weigong Shilang resides might be at risk," said Zhongli, a smile tugging at his lips. "Even after Meng Qi severs the connection, traveling to Weigong Shilang's world could still trigger unforeseen changes."

Chaldea

On the observation model, a faint red light flickered on, then…

The entire Chaldea's alarm blared!

"Anomaly detected!"

"Anomaly confirmed!"

"Retrieving coordinates and timeline!"

"Coordinates confirmed, timeline confirmed!"

"Not part of our current timeline—could it be a Parallel World?!!"

"Dongmu City, time: February 6, 2004!"

"Analyzing situation—prepare all departments… Huh? It vanished."

All fell silent; the observation model returned to a blank, white expanse.

"We've never encountered anything like this before."

"Record this incident: 23:07, anomalous detection occurred."

"First back up this information. We'll investigate after Tengwan returns."

(End of Chapter)