I am Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes.

A non-human heretical existence has emerged.

It resembled a black skeleton shrouded in thick, dark fog.

His eye sockets were filled with endless darkness, and his eyes emitted an eerie and ominous red light.

"Hmm... as expected, they're no good..." Artoria's disgust deepened. "Demons and heretics, die!"

And so, the golden longsword flashed with a cold light once more.

The black knight roared as he charged toward Artoria!

The golden knight and the black knight charged at each other, their blades clashing and sparks flying!

Chapter 248 The So-Called Salvation

boom!

Artoria once again blocked the Black Knight's demonic sword, Excalibur, which brought up a hurricane and fierce winds, shattering the Black Knight's demonic sword.

"Roar ah ah ah!"

The Black Knight suddenly let out a huge roar.

Then the Black Knight’s massive body began to tremble.

The jet-black armor covering his entire body gradually turned into black mist and disappeared into the sky.

A thick, ghostly polymer seeped from the vanished armor.

The materialized Netherworld had no fixed form and constantly wriggled. No… that thing still managed to maintain a shape that was somewhat similar to a human's.

The chilling skull emitted red light from the hollows in its eyes, and muttered eerie, curse-like sounds.

Artoria frowned.

Is that guy... hiding something? Or did he not finish what he was saying?

The skull statue was ecstatic about being freed; it trembled and emitted black breath from its face.

At this moment, Artoria finally realized—

That suit of armor—it wasn't some kind of protective gear, it was more like a seal—

"Tch, did you accidentally break the seal? What a mistake. We should have just wiped them out in one strike." Artoria frowned.

The Black Knight let out a terrifying roar, and dark polymers resembling sludge dripped continuously from his body.

At this moment, countless black tentacles sprouted from the ground and wrapped themselves around Artoria.

"How infuriating! Ever since I ran into that guy, why are there always these dark things around!" Artoria complained, her golden sword flashing as it tore apart all the surrounding dark tentacles with a single strike.

For some reason, the Black Knight began to tremble and then burst into maniacal laughter.

"Is that monster happy because it has gained freedom? It's disgusting—" Artoria frowned.

"Then, I'll finish you off with one strike—"

The gust of wind that had been wrapped around Excalibur dispersed, revealing the golden blade.

Countless tentacles suddenly lashed out at Artoria, but were blocked by something unknown around them.

"Farewell, you heretics!" Artoria raised her sword. "Oath—Excalibur!"

The golden beam of light instantly engulfed the black knight—

Artoria defeated the Black Knight, Roya.

"Mission complete... What about the other two sides..." Artoria immediately set off for the battlefield on the Dragon Emperor Knights' side.

There's absolutely nothing to worry about regarding the King of Heroes.

After all, the King of Heroes can be said to be—

……

"Clang!" Rubia had many wounds on her body.

After all, Rubia is currently in a one-on-two situation—

If Rubia were only facing Gilles, who could only use sword dance techniques, she could at least maintain a balance and wouldn't look so bad.

However, things changed after Enkidu chose to hand over the Chains of Heaven to Gilgamesh.

The two friends launched an attack with absolutely insane behavior.

Rubia had to fend off Jill's attacks while also keeping an eye on her surroundings to prevent sudden attacks from the chains.

Because of this, Rubia's clothes were torn in many places.

"Gil, you seem to be enjoying this?" Enkidu frowned and asked Gil telepathically, "Are you doing this on purpose?"

“Nonsense, I’m such an upright person.” Gil frowned. “Enkidu, haven’t you noticed?”

"..." Enkidu remained silent for a moment.

"Hey, I said it's about time to give up," Jill said, looking at Rubia, who had just slashed her arm. "It's time to abandon your unrealistic ideas and face reality, isn't it?"

“Shut up… You’re only saying that because you’ve never experienced despair…!” Rubia struggled to her feet.

"..." Jill also had several burn marks on her upper body, which were wounds inflicted by Laevatain.

“Despair…” Jill slowly tossed her loose hair back. “Do you know what despair is?”

"Unable to protect what I want to protect, unable to protect my dearest friend, watching helplessly as my only, my one and only best friend is separated from me!" Jill's eyes turned ferocious. "I've seen despair before."

“Hey, I’m asking you, do you have any friends?” Jill asked, gripping the Demon Slayer sword in one hand.

"...I don't need friends."

"You just don't know the weight of a friend."

Gilles and the Wise King actually share memories.

The Wise King can see Jill's memories, and Jill can naturally see the Wise King's memories as well.

That memory—

……

After Gilgamesh and Enkidu slew the Bull of Heaven, Enkidu was punished by the gods for disobeying them and slowly returned to his former earthen form.

Gilgamesh held me tightly, clinging to the crumbling clods of earth with all his might.

"Unforgivable... Unforgivable...! Why must you die! If it is divine punishment, then punish me! It should be me who is punished! Wasn't all of this just my unreasonable behavior?!"

Even though he couldn't see the faces of the people around him, Enkidu still offered advice to Gilgamesh.

"Please don't be sad. I am merely a weapon. Just one weapon among your countless treasures. In the future, many more treasures, far superior to mine, will surely appear. Therefore, I... have no reason or value to make you shed tears..."

……

Jill gripped her sword. "After my only true friend died, I began to hate the gods, very, very much."

Jill slowly raised her sword. "What kind of salvation is this if you can't even protect the people you cherish most? Do you know how much pain your so-called 'betrayal' caused that foolish girl Claire? Have you considered how your family feels?"

"In other words, for everything you cherish, can you turn a blind eye to the whole world, to all of humanity?!" Rubia struggled to her feet and questioned.

"...Ha, the way you are reminds me of a rather stubborn guy." Jill chuckled, then suddenly raised her head and looked directly into Rubia's eyes. "Of course I can! If those humans are just worthless trash, what's wrong with me ignoring them!?"

Gil's cold, almost ruthless words made Rubia struggle even harder to her feet.

“As expected… I still tried to believe you, but it’s no use, you… you’re really heartless…” Rubia gripped Laevatain tightly.

“Likewise, Miss Calamity Elf,” Jill said sarcastically, gripping the Demon Slayer sword tightly.

Both sides mustered their divine power.

The next strike will be the final strike, the last round—

P.S.: Bonus chapter for reader "Heartbreak" who donated.

Chapter 249 The Rampaging Flame Elf

“Last Round—” Jill raised her sword, and her divine power and magic began to flow into the Demon Slayer.

"..." Rubia remained silent, then raised her Laevatain and pointed it at Jill.

In an instant, a massive vortex of fire bursts forth, radiating across the sky, centered on the crimson blade.

"Demon Armor Unfurled - Infinite Purgatory!"

Rubia Elstein unleashed her most powerful crimson flames.

The terrifying heat even evaporated the water in the lake, and Jill felt the scorching heat, sweating profusely.

That was a strike infused with all divine power—

Is failure absolutely unacceptable...?

Jill saw that special emotion in Rubia's eyes.

It should be described as a sense of mission.

Does this girl see saving the world as her duty...?

“…In another situation, maybe I would still like you quite a bit…” Jill sighed.

Facing the raging crimson flames, Jill took a step forward and plunged into the crimson inferno.

"Soul Flash - Breaking Army!"

At that moment—the silvery-white blade, like a crescent moon, inflicted a huge wound on Rubia's body.

Soul Flash - Breaking Army, a slash that transcends time—

Shift your attack from "before being attacked" to "after being attacked" —

It can be said that the swordsmanship has reached the level of "magic".

Jill still had burn marks on his body, but he didn't care about them and looked at Rubia instead.

“You lost.” Jill said, taking out burn ointment and healing her burns.

“…No, I haven’t lost yet—” Rubia covered her wound and stood up.