The infinite sword system has been mastered, and you say this is the dragon clan?

Chapter 420 "The Grand Line"

Regina Leif couldn't hide her surprise. It seemed that she had only sensed her grandmother Maria's information from the ground beneath her feet when Nono mentioned some key words.

Emiya was the first to notice, "What did you remember?"

"This is the Black King's incubation ground. His unconsciously dispersed spirit has interfered with the entire sea area, disrupting the magnetic field and interfering with the ocean currents!"

Regina seemed to be talking to herself, her expression filled with a strange sense of reminiscence, as if she were experiencing it from her grandmother Maria's perspective:
"The Black King's remains and flesh nourished the sea creatures, thus raising a large number of giant sea monsters! The original exploration team passed through quite a few islands... the process was very dangerous... many crew members fell into the trap and became sacrifices for the Black King's resurrection, never to return!"

It's not surprising that Regina Leif sensed her grandmother before arriving at the singularity, and gained more information upon arrival.

Emiya's expression tightened slightly. He glanced around and called over BB, who was enthusiastically directing his Servants, to ask about the situation.

BB shrugged. "Currently, Shadow Border has also detected magnetic field disturbances at the singularity, and there are indeed large monsters underwater. However, senior, so far there haven't been any deadly traps that interfere with mental activity or lure humans, have you?"

She pointed to the native inhabitants who were still thanking the Chaldea Servants profusely, and said, "Look, senior, they've lived here for generations, and they're all doing just fine, aren't they?"

"That's true—"

"No, they all ceased to exist later!"

Regina Leif lowered her head and spoke softly, her tone carrying a certain certainty and a chilling fear, “I sensed that when my grandmother came to the island to explore this place, it was already deserted. They could only explore a pile of ruins. According to the timeline, that was 370 years after the current singularity.”

"In the past three hundred years, this hatchery has experienced a calamity that came from the sea. It was very likely a sacrifice caused by the Black King's corpse 'feeding'!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Calamity comes from the sea, and enemies come from the sky..."

With a worried look on his face, Draco, whose body appeared somewhat frail to others, muttered to himself as he arranged the rows of seats in the stands.

Every time she heard Nero and Elizabeth's ghostly songs, she felt excruciating pain, wishing she were dead. In an attempt to distract herself and avoid this pain, she repeatedly recalled the days when she was at the peak of her life, passionately battling Michael the Emperor... Well, at least back then she held on until the very last moment and lost with dignity.

At least a satisfying battle is much better than being tormented by Hellsong day and night, isn't it?
Draco, having finished her work in one area, walked out. She glanced at the thronging crowd in the distance. The disheveled pirates were scrambling around outside the concert area, laughing and joking carefree, thinking they'd gotten concert tickets for nothing, completely unaware of the suffering that awaited them...

Draco gave a mocking sneer. "You don't actually think your singing is the worst, do you? Soon you'll get to see the Red-Haired Pirates' 'Red-Haired Diva'!"

"Little piglets, shine the spotlight on me!...OK!"

She glanced up at the dazzling stage, illuminated by the thick beams of the spotlight. The first to appear, a witch-like songstress with bright red hair and a striking outfit, was already testing her voice with her lizard-like tail wrapped around the microphone pole…

No, I have to get out of here. I need to find the best distance within the allowed range. After suffering so much, Draco finally figured out how to choose a position with the lowest possible sound transmission while still bound to Nero.

This is her struggle to survive!
"Oh, so you're here."

A voice said lightly.

Draco turned around and bumped into a suspicious-looking nun—oh, it was the wretched Roman god Amor.

"It's you. What's wrong? It's been a while. Are you here to see me now? Is this the victor's triumphant desire to humiliate the loser?"

Draco knew that Amor, as a divine servant, had been treated well after entering Chaldea, and Emiya had also fulfilled his promise of rewards for the Roman singularity. As a result, Amor, who had opened a private treatment room, lived a life completely different from Draco's.

"Huh? What does that mean? What's the origin of this statement?"

Amor waved his hand in surprise, "I just came to ask you a few questions. I still have to go to the northwest end of the island to continue enjoying the swimsuit party. Why would I waste my time here?"

These words made Draco feel an even stronger, unintentional, palpable contempt. The swimsuit party was a temporary holiday activity for the female Servants, and the location was far away from the concert venue at the southern end of the island, which was specially set up for Nero and Elizabeth, so they couldn't be combined at all.

Amor's suggestion was merely meant to fuel Draco's envy and jealousy.

"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Let me ask you something: can you sense the presence of your 'kind'? Are there any of your kind in this world?"

"The same kind?" Draco noticed that Amor emphasized the word.

If we're talking about dragon-blooded kin, aren't the members of Shadow Border everywhere? Leaving aside Nero herself, there's Kiyohime, Elizabeth, Regina, Melyuchina…

“Mmm,” Amor smiled, “They’re a very special kind of one of our kind!”

Draco suddenly realized something, and his little face instantly darkened. Unfortunately, his tender face couldn't reveal any sinister or fierce expression; instead, he looked cute and fierce.

No. Not even a tiny bit.

"Hmm, remember to let me know when you feel it, okay? That's all, goodbye." As if she had completed a task and gotten rid of a burden, the nun decisively turned and left.

"Never again."

Draco kept a straight face, trying hard not to look back at the image of Amor smiling broadly as she lifted her tight nun's habit to reveal a cool swimsuit and ran towards the other side of the beach, returning alone to the Hellsong venue.

The so-called "kind" clearly refers to the kind of "beast".

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

She said no.

"No? Then perhaps it's still early."

Emiya nodded, as if relieved after confirming some information.

Amor tilted his head and pondered for a moment, "Could it be that beasts can also appear in this singularity? Is the ultimate goal of the eight hundred nuns who coveted this place to be transformed into beasts?"

Curiosity shone in her eyes.

"It's uncertain, it's still just a guess, but the possibility is very high."

Emiya's guess wasn't entirely based on his impression of Sesshouin Kiara from Type-Moon; it was also due to the previous Rome Singularity. Chaldea had already largely deduced that Draco was a beast intentionally created by the Demon King's side. Given this, would they repeat their tactics in this Singularity?
It's quite possible, and to put it bluntly, that if an even more powerful beast hadn't emerged this time, then this Yaobikuni would have been nothing more than a weakling who didn't live up to her name. In a specially designated area not far away, swimsuit-clad Melyuchina was playing beach volleyball. A pair of tiny, quietly unfolding dragon wings propelled her into the air, making her leap as if flying, and her volleyballs flew like a rapid-fire machine gun. Krimhild, on the other side, frowned and protested, asking if taking off while playing volleyball wasn't a foul?
Before anyone could respond, Kiyohime, who was holding a grudge against Meiliu Qina, shouted, "This humble woman is here to help you!" She also took off her kimono, revealing her swimsuit, and took out a sharp spear to fight back. Jeanne Alter excitedly found a katana, and a group of other Servants also joined in with great interest.

As a result, the atmosphere gradually heated up and became increasingly noisy, with elements that should not appear in a volleyball match, such as the "Three Flavors of Fire," the "Orleans Barbecue Grill," and the "Paris Guillotine," appearing wildly.

"..." Shirou watched speechlessly as Leonardo da Vinci and Plerati set up a protective barrier for the volleyball court. Mashu sat nervously in the referee's chair, staring intently at the "volleyball" flying back and forth with its afterimages of flames, lightning, and frost, almost overloading her brain with the effort of keeping score for both sides.

With the way you guys play, it's a real shame you're not on the set of The Prince of Tennis next door!

"Aren't you going to join in?" Amor asked, stretching and lying down on a beach chair.

"Are you kidding me? You want me to join in this nonsense?"

"Phew. You're right. Those who aren't assigned to your team will probably start a fight on the spot."

Amor took a sip of the juice and found the taste strangely delicious. "Huh, where is this fruit from? Chaldea doesn't have this flavor, does it?"

Emiya glanced up and said, "It's from this island. The natives gave us some gifts to thank us for making Blackbeard and his pirate gang spit out what they had eaten."

"Oh? Locals also have this kind of freshly squeezed specialty product?"

"No, what they mean is that we are free to move around from the primeval forest outside the town to the coast, including gathering resources such as picking fruit. The juice and the little cake you're enjoying are things I made on the spur of the moment. As for the fruit that this drink comes from, Erii found it in the forest."

Emiya swirled his wine glass, then stood up. "It's almost time. I need to go find her and Nono. This expedition should be yielding results soon."

Emiya wasn't just having fun these past few days; he also had to stay on this island because there was important information that needed to be confirmed over some time.

Lately, Nono, who specializes in profiling, has been searching for traces of Star Maria's exploration throughout the island with Regille. Because Star Maria hasn't arrived yet during this singularity, Nono can't directly profile future information and can only rely on Regille's senses of Maria to conduct indirect investigations.

Emiya accompanied them throughout, while Erii simply went along to enjoy the sights and have fun.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The ancient stone walls form a broken concentric ring, with wave-shaped patterns and intricate twisted designs resembling mysterious dragon script. Unfortunately, after being ravaged by Blackbeard's cannon fire, many street scenes are now covered with charcoal-black cracks and missing door and window carvings.

The town's inhabitants quietly packed up their belongings and, under the arrangement of the local elders, temporarily settled in some newly built wooden houses. The architectural styles of the settlements on this island varied greatly; some were clearly ancient and magnificent complexes of metal and stone, hinting at a glorious past, while others were obviously newly built stone houses or even wooden huts. Emiya and his team's recent investigations had focused on those groups with a strong sense of antiquity.

A group of people moved through the ruins. Nono and Regille walked slowly in front, while Emiya and Amor followed closely behind, like personal guards protecting their commander on the battlefield.

"By the way, Amor, why did you come along?" Emiya asked in a low voice, gazing around.

“Oh, that young lady in front is also one of my patients. I’m just worried about her old illness recurring!” Amor said confidently.

"You're not satisfied with the consultation fee from last time?"

"Ah, this is what I call seeing things through to the end, a doctor's benevolence!"

Upon hearing this, Emiya immediately turned his head away. This shameless god Amor was saying things that even the fool Fenrir wouldn't believe.

"Come, come, seeing is believing, Lord Emiya, how about I, the goddess of love, share some images of their profiles with you for free?"

Amor gently patted Emiya's shoulder, and the latter felt a spiritual wavelength spreading out. He hesitated for a moment but did not refuse to connect. Then, the world quietly changed, and a buzzing noise of poor signal filled his ears. The ruins of ancient buildings were covered by a gray storm vortex.

Emiya struggled to open his eyes, only able to glimpse a few black figures of varying heights and builds amidst the fragmented scene, and the discordant, excited voices of others:
[Thank God, all our efforts so far have not been in vain! The Prince Gauguin, sponsored by Vincent, has lived up to expectations, so easily bringing us to the legendary Gate of God, Hibernius!]

It was a rugged, robust figure speaking, his voice deep and powerful, yet he was bowing, his gaze fixed on a woman in the distance with obvious infatuation.

"Come on, First Officer Jeffries! (Voice suddenly lowers) Vincent, that coward, he'll never deserve a word of praise from us. Just thinking about the way he'll eagerly steal the spoils of victory after we return makes me..."

[Ahem, Captain Perez, watch your words... The Saintess and that Vincent are—]

[Look at this stone wall, everyone! Sofia and I were the first to spot it!]

Emiya then heard a light and melodious girl's voice. If you removed the subtle differences in the timbre, it was almost a lively version of Reggie Love.

At the same time, he heard Regina exclaim beside him, "It's Maria in her youth!"

The shadows moved swiftly, and Emiya and the others followed closely with their vision. Before long, the scene changed to an underground stone chamber shrouded in gray dust.

Look! This ancient totem painting! ...I know, it's Oceanus! It must be Oceanus, revered by ancient civilizations! And the great ocean that encircles the world!

[Is that it? Oceanus, the primordial god of Greek mythology, and the river belt that encircles the universe, representing both the end and the beginning. The ancient Greeks imagined this great ocean flowing around the entire world. In the old versions of Homer's epics, Oceanus is also one of the creator gods. This is likely a belief inherited from an ancient civilization.]

Emiya suddenly realized that the island's inhabitants worshipped Oceanus, and these people ceased to exist more than three hundred years later.

[Look here! The true gate to the divine realm lies hidden deep within! You must embark on a voyage and collect four crucial 'landmarks'!]

Young Mary stroked the stone wall, her initially excited tone suddenly softening. "The formless and shapeless water is the currency of the divine kingdom; only by following the correct ocean currents can one reach the great being and behold the supreme throne!"

At this point, Maria no longer resembled a young girl but rather a mystical religious figure. The male figures beside her listened with rapt attention, echoing her sentiments. It was unclear whether they were genuinely shocked by her words or simply acting as sycophants to the Virgin Mary.

Emiya then heard Nono's slightly disdainful remark:

"In layman's terms, the water is the medium for the Nibelungen technology of the dragon race. To overcome the obstacles and reach the target, we must travel by water. The entrance to the hidden secret is sealed, and we need to collect four key imprints to open the door... Oh, I suddenly remembered the key to the Zero Viaduct back then. Only one key was needed to pass through, but here we need four!"

Emiya speculated, "Back then, the Black King was killed by the rebellion of all living beings during the 'Great War.' If there are four parts, does that correspond to the four elemental powers of earth, water, fire, and wind?"

"That's possible! Wow! Emiya, now that you mention it, it makes sense!"

"what?"

"Isn't this inevitable waterway the 'Grand Line'? And the four keys are the 'Road Poneglyphs'!"

(End of this chapter)