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

Chapter 427 "I Bet It on the New Era"

"What?! Shanks, you can actually cook? I had no idea!"

Drake nearly spat out her drink. She widened her eyes slightly and took a closer look at the red-haired man who seemed to have a free and easygoing demeanor. It was really hard to associate him with the image of a professional chef with superb culinary skills.

Emiya shrugged. Recently, Plerati's illusion magic has become more and more proficient. The disguise she applied to him not only perfectly transformed his appearance, but even his temperament was almost identical to the fictional character Shanks. So, no matter who looked at him, Emiya looked like a leisurely smiling pirate, as if he had been sailing the sea for many years and had experienced many storms, a mature man who would strike up a conversation with a question like, "I have a story, do you have any wine?"

Stheno chuckled and covered his face with his hands.

"Wouldn't that be a fantastic opportunity? How about we do as I suggest—Mr. Shanks join my crew, or we could simply merge with Shanks's pirate crew. As for this unknown pirate over there, how about we just steal her key and kick her off the ship?"

"Huh? Another one of these boring provocations? Do you think I really have no experience dealing with gods?"

Drake put down his glass, his face hardening, and gripped the pistol at his waist. "Don't think I'm really that good-tempered. Even Poseidon of Olympus or something, I still managed to take him down!"

"..."

Medusa, the silent younger sister, noticed Drake's movements and became alert, almost drawing her scythe. But then Mary and Anne made gestures as if preparing to draw their weapons. ...Sitting so close, any tactless actions between them would be easily noticed. Fortunately, the red-haired man was there to keep things under control, so a fight didn't break out.

"...Wait, what the heck is Poseidon?"

Emiya was startled, noticing the key point in the others' words. He seemed to have suddenly heard some incredible term, and the development seemed somewhat familiar.

He only remembered the Okeanostra Singularity from the original FGO storyline, where Drake was a main character. Did she defeat Poseidon at the beginning of the game? He'd kind of forgotten…

“Is that so?” Even the eldest of the three Gorgon goddesses’ provocation couldn’t completely dampen Drake’s enthusiasm for conversation. She recounted her previous experience with great interest and without any reservation:
"That was when I dug out the 'key' and discovered the 'elemental authority' on it. At the time, I was sailing the ship to the 'Sea of ​​the Eye of the Tide' in the southwest. Then a huge creature emerged from the sea, claiming to be Poseidon, the god of Atlantis, saying, 'The time has come. In the name of the twelve Olympian gods, I will once again summon a mighty flood to wipe out civilization...'"

"Hahaha, how could I, a sailor, easily let off a guy who calls himself the sea god? So I tried using my newly acquired 'authority' and took down that big toy!"

Drake's boisterous laughter caused discomfort across from him. Stheno frowned, shifting her glass as if worried about spittle flying towards her, while her older sister Euryale playfully interjected:

"Hey! You're taking all the credit for yourself. Without our Gorgon's later support, your giant toy Golden Hind would have been dragged into the sea by Atlantis."

"So this is how shameless the goddess is?" Drake retorted on the spot. "You guys just interfered when the battle was almost over, and then you even looked at that big guy's piece of junk with great interest!"

“Hehehe, the ‘scrap metal’ you’re talking about is actually ‘Olympus Divine Steel,’ the best basic material for building temples,” Euryale said mockingly, shaking her finger. “Since you, a pirate merchant, can’t see the value of the goods, it’s only right that you let us have them. Consider it helping to build the Gorgon.”

The second sister raised her chin, her long, thin pigtails swaying gently to her feet. Her delicate and beautiful face, apart from her temperament, was almost identical to Stheno's.

Clearly, she meant that the Gorgon's massive size was not just a facade; the ship, incorporating "divine steel," might even contain a functioning temple of the goddess.

"Wait a minute, you mean that both of you encountered Poseidon, who claimed to be an Olympian god, and that the opponent's form was a large... metal structure?"

Although he knew the reason why Drake and the three sisters had a falling out, Emiya still felt a bit confused. Where did true mechanical gods come from these days?

Is this the Black King's lair, or has it actually become the ancestral home of Greek mythology, or did the Black King create some ancient secret weapon, Poseidon, during his fall?
Should we ask Xia Mi and Constantine about this another day, once all the dragons have arrived, whether or not such a thing really happened...?

"Ah, more or less! Anyway, I got here first, and those goddesses over there just cut in line and snatched a few metal blocks!"

Drake tried to recall what the thing looked like. "But I've never seen such a strange structure before, like a large iron ship made up of intricate alchemical components? Hmm, it looked bigger than an entire fleet, but it had no masts or sails, and I couldn't see any compartments, yet it could rise freely from the seabed and create tsunamis..."

Emiya roughly understood Drake's description; it was basically what a futuristic technological ship looked like, and it could be confirmed that it was just a shell of a machine god. He remembered that Poseidon from Greek mythology, who appeared in FGO, also had another real name: "Planetary Environment Modification Engineering Ship".

Moreover, it's not just Poseidon; all the Greek gods appearing in FGO have extraordinary origins. Unlike the native Earth gods who are worshipped by humans, they are basically high-tech machines that traveled from space. They possess power comparable to gods and were worshipped by humans after landing in Atlantis, which is how Greek mythology came about.

But then another problem arises. According to him… to be precise, according to Norton and the other Dragon Kings, no alien beings have ever visited this world, unless the oldest Black King and White King deliberately concealed an earlier secret history. After all, the four monarchs and their first generation were created after the Black King had "executed" the White King.

So where did this machine god Poseidon come from?
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.

A deserted island in a stormy sea.

Ashiya Dōman was soaked to the bone from the rain, his breathing heavy. It took him a while to regain his strength before he took out paper talismans from his pocket and set up a hidden spell among the dark rocks and cliffs.

In this way, even if the potential mental surveillance from this singularity is blocked, one can contact someone with greater peace of mind.

While waiting for contact, the Onmyoji subconsciously tilted his head, tugged at his tattered monk's robe, revealing a round core radiating a bright blue light at his feet, as if it had been urgently disassembled from some huge machine.

His face, which always wore a hateful fake smile, revealed a look of regret.

[Finally connected! You've kept me waiting, Mr. Limbo.]

A face that was both alluring and extremely impatient appeared out of the void.

"Ahem, Miss Koyanskaya, it's easy for you to talk when you're not in the same boat... This humble monk has gone through countless hardships and struggled to make ends meet in this dangerous world for the great mission of my god."

That's what he said, but Ashiya Dōman's expression was full of satisfaction, clearly indicating that he had also gained a lot.

[Hehehe, enough with the fake sob story, NFF doesn't offer a single discount for crocodile tears,] Koyanskaya sneered. [Since you contacted me, does that mean the task assigned by the Alien God has been successfully completed?] "At most, it was 'barely completed'," Ashiya Michi glanced at the core at his feet without leaving a trace. "Our God requested that the so-called 'True Machine God Poseidon' be tested according to the design of the Singularity Emperor Karl's 'Mobile Fortress'... It was successful, but unfortunately, it was attacked by two lucky pirate groups, and I was almost swept away by the tsunami."

[Oh? Even a complete Mechagod can be at a disadvantage against a regular Servant? The quality of the Alien God's experimental subjects is questionable... I risked being discovered by Chaldea back then to transport some mobile fortress wreckage for the boss! So, does this result warrant some after-sales service?]

"Hmm, no need. It was just an experiment to test the feasibility of this structure and to fill in the data for 'Lossbelt cultivation'. We didn't invest much in the strength of the Machine Gods, so it's normal for them to be defeated by stronger Heroic Spirits."

Ashiya Dōman's eyes flashed with thought, "My god warned me that if I'm too high-profile, I'll be 'watched' in this singularity."

[Oh? I'm curious who's paying attention to—the demons?]

"It's not simply that. Before the experiment, I specifically used my shikigami to investigate and found a strange spiritual field active in this sea area. It's even causing various anomalies in reality over time. This is likely caused by the Holy Grail holder of the singularity. I don't have the means to find out if this spiritual field is spying on us, but the Holy Grail holder must have a way to secretly sense us..."

【Eh, Mr. Limbo, since you're making it sound so dangerous, I think I'll just cut off the communication.】

That slippery vixen!
Ashiya Michimitsu was inwardly annoyed, but still spoke politely, "It's not that bad, it's not that bad. I specially set up a spell to isolate the communication, so the communication is safe and reliable... It's a pity that Miss Koyanskaya didn't come, otherwise the risk of communicating face to face would be even lower."

"Then forget it. Your singularity is all water and fish. The NFF's operations are limited for now, and I'm not interested in hairless creatures. Let's meet in Britain!" Koyanskaya made a move to cut off the communication.

“Wait a minute! My God has something else to tell Miss Koyanskaya,” Ashiya Dōman said hurriedly. “Be careful at the next singularity, my God is about to take action.”

【Hmm? You mean... Britain, where I am?】

Koyanskaya originally wanted to collect some species suitable for bringing back to her homeland for breeding on the island of Britain, but the so-called actions of the alien god made her subconsciously feel a sense of crisis.

"I don't know the specifics, but I imagine it will be interfered with by the Lostbelts! My God judges that it is an excellent place to ambush both Chaldea and the Demon King at the same time."

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.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Emiya managed to steer the conversation between the people on the Golden Deer and the Gorgon from their attempts to settle personal scores to the main topic of temporarily setting aside their conflicts and dealing with the mystery surrounding the Endless Sea Singularity.

"...So, although we don't know the specific methods of this conspiracy, based on our brief experience dealing with it, that being must be skilled in mental abilities."

Emiya briefly stated, "Considering the omnipresent mental field in the Endless Sea, including the various anomalies such as the mental suggestion Drake received, it's a conservative estimate that the other party might be using some kind of mysterious mental interference to exert some kind of unexplained effect on the entire world!"

In reality, Emiya probably already knew what it was going to be through: either the Black King's corpse or the Holy Grail, or both.

"To counter their interference, I have an idea that will not only maximize the use of this mental field but also enhance your strength, like this—"

Emiya briefly displayed the longsword in his hand. A "Conqueror's Haki" mixed with immense spirit and power coiled around the blade, ready to strike. It crackled and exploded with terrifying lightning in the void, its intense aura like an ancient beast baring its fangs and aiming straight for the throat.

Medusa, seeing her instantly bristle and grab her scythe, and Mary, so shocked she almost hid behind Anne, both involuntarily thought of the scene when Emiya drew his sword and the sky split open.

pat.

The aura was released for only a moment. Emiya pressed down the raised sword, and before the sharpness could be released, it was drawn back into the scabbard. The terrifying aura disappeared instantly.

"Of course, since we haven't let others try it much yet, there is some risk involved. It depends on whether you're willing to take the gamble."

After saying that, Emiya shrugged. He had already received Norton's reply and the news that it was being rushed to completion. However, given the lack of crucial field investigation and control test data, Norton, out of a rigorous scientific attitude, still informed him of the risks of testing "Spirit Reconstruction"... that is, "Spirit Origin Ascension" technology at the Singularity.

But what does risk matter to Emiya? He can easily crush it with his powerful Godslayer physique.

For pirates, risk is nothing. Anyone who dares to go out to sea to plunder is prepared to risk their life. Adventure is adventure; what kind of adventure is it without risk?
"Ha, if I can teach that annoying guy hiding behind the scenes a lesson, what's a little risk!"

As expected, Drake was very decisive. Once she realized she had been subjected to psychological manipulation, she knew she had no choice, and the situation couldn't get any worse. "I'll take the gamble!"

With that, she flicked her wrist, and a dragon claw encased in a sphere of light appeared. "This 'key' should be a rare wager of equal value, right? If Shanks, you're right, and you can really teach me that method to become stronger, then this thing is yours. As for the elemental authority, we don't need it."

“Hehe, then I agree,” Steno nodded slightly. “Let’s wager the ‘Temple of Ten Thousand Demons’ made of Olympian steel from the Gorgon.”

Drake looked up in surprise. "You're actually willing to give up your own ship?"

Without the temple, the so-called Gorgon is just a huge wooden ship with nothing else to offer, and it can't compare to the ship-shaped Noble Phantasms of pirate Servants like Drake.

"Don't underestimate the Pirate Empress's ambition," Stheno chuckled, covering her face. A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes, as if she were plotting something sinister.

"Then I..."

Emiya subconsciously raised his arm to "call," but he immediately realized that their bet was actually supporting his Spirit Origin Ascension technique.

"In that case, you can all look forward to it... I'm betting it on the coming new era!"

A new era for pirates!

(End of this chapter)