Long Live Money in Anime Crossover

"Wait, Momo, wait! Let me see that person, let me take a closer look..."

030 I will bring her back.

Inside Valhalla, Momo's clone, who was beside Artoria, looked at Artoria with some surprise as she suddenly tensed up and her voice trembled slightly. He asked softly, "What did you discover?"

This was the first time Momo had ever seen Artoria like this. Even when Momo had used all his skills to force Artoria to beg for mercy with tears in her eyes, he had never seen Artoria tremble like this.

This trembling was a trembling of fear, a sign of cowardice. And for such a sign to appear in Artoria was simply unbelievable.

But of all things, this kind of thing just happened...

However, Momo chose to gently stroke Artoria's smooth back, giving her enough time. Momo believed that no matter what she faced, Artoria would eventually find her footing.

"Mo Mo, let me take a closer look at that person."

With Momo's gentle reassurance, Artoria, though not completely recovered from her sudden trembling, managed to regain her composure. Although Artoria and Momo were now huddled together, Artoria remained focused on the situation Momo was experiencing on the other side.

After all, in terms of combat and organization, she was the top leader of the entire Hall of Heroes, and she was always preparing, unless she temporarily closed her eyes to rest for some reason.

"This person..."

Momo did as she was told, sharing everything that the other Momo had faced with Artoria without reservation. Strangely, Artoria seemed to pay no attention to the dangerous environment Momo was in, but instead stared blankly at a figure slowly emerging from the black mud.

It seems this person is even more important than Momo.

This made Mo Mo feel a little jealous.

Although Artoria doesn't always listen to Momo and has a strong sense of self, Momo knows that Artoria's feelings for him go beyond the affection other girls have for her; she also possesses a knightly loyalty. This strengthens their relationship, allowing Momo to rely on Artoria's abilities and talents.

But now, what exactly attracted Artoria and made her shift her attention from Momo to someone else?

"Hmm, could this figure be..."

The corrupted heroic spirits all turned black, making it difficult for Momo to tell them apart at a glance, unless the person had appeared in the original work and had a distinctive appearance.

Following Artoria's gaze, Momo finally spotted the person she was looking at. It was a warrior clad in armor and wielding a greatsword. His armor had turned completely black, and he wore a menacing bull-horn mask, making it impossible for Momo to recognize him.

However, since Artoria knows them so well...

Lancelot?

No, Lancelot's armor is not like that.

Gawain?

Bedivere?

Or perhaps the rest of the Knights of the Round Table, or even Artoria's former rivals?

No, that's not right...

Since it wasn't Lancelot, then no matter what kind of enemy it was, or which other Knight of the Round Table, none of them could make Artoria tremble. There were only a few people and things that could shake Artoria's heart. After using a simple process of elimination, and combining this with what Momo knew, Momo felt that he had discovered the truth.

"So that's it. It wasn't him, it was her... Artoria, that figure, isn't it Mordred?"

Artoria gradually calmed down in Mordred's warm embrace. She kept looking at Mordred's figure and whispered, "It's her...it's that child. I didn't expect her to still be alive..."

"I understand, no further explanation is needed."

Momo gently sealed Artoria's lips with his, understanding the reason for her trembling. There were only a few things in her dark history that could shake Artoria's will, and without exception, all of them were closely connected to Mordred, the cursed child.

Although Artoria was the King of Knights and the Queen of Great Britain, she was, after all, a woman. Therefore, her relationship with Queen Guinevere was merely a formality.

This seemingly solid relationship ultimately crumbled due to the affair between Lancelot, Artoria's strongest Knight of the Round Table, and Queen Guinevere. This directly led to a duel between Artoria and Lancelot, damaged Artoria's reputation, and caused a split within the Knights of the Round Table.

Although Lancelot was eventually forgiven by Artoria in the original story, he could not forgive himself for his actions. The alternation between honor and guilt plunged Lancelot into eternal self-blame, ultimately causing him to be tormented by madness even after his death.

Furthermore, Artoria and Queen Guinevere were destined to have no children. Therefore, Mordred was born. Some say she was a homunculus created by Artoria's sister Morgan using Artoria's blood; others say Mordred was created by Merlin. Regardless of the version, Mordred's purpose was to be Artoria's successor.

Mordred is Artoria's daughter, and Artoria is Mordred's father and mother.

However, Mordred's identity destined her to not be easily accepted by the world, especially when Artoria herself did not accept Mordred. All Mordred could do was endure everyone's strange looks, put on a mask to cover her face which was exactly the same as Artoria's, and taste the flavor of despair alone.

When boundless reverence and worship turned into boundless despair, Mordred swung her sword at Artoria.

Mordred seized the opportunity to launch a coup. Her sword pierced Artoria's body, severely wounding her, but she herself was killed by Artoria. This civil war resulted in mutual destruction, directly leading to the annihilation of the country Artoria was protecting.

Of course, all of this could be attributed to Mordred. However, after becoming a Heroic Spirit, Artoria realized that everything she had done wasn't necessarily right. As for the current Artoria, she has shed the burden of being the King of Knights and become the Artoria of Mordred.

No longer a queen, Artoria was simply Mordred's father and mother. Reflecting on her actions as a father and mother, and experiencing Mordred's despair, how could Artoria find peace?

"sorry, I……"

Artoria couldn't help but apologize to Momo, but Momo took over the conversation, saying, "Don't worry, I understand. You only gave up everything as the Knight King, but Mordred is indeed closely connected to you, who is named Artoria."

Upon hearing this, the unease and fear in Artoria's eyes vanished, replaced by deep expectation. She whispered, "Then, I can..."

“It’s not just a matter of whether we can or not,” Momo laughed even more heartily, “Although it doesn’t quite fit my initial plan, it’s all worth it if I can bring Mordred back. After all, by seniority, Mordred should be considered my daughter, right?”

"A family should be together all the time!"

031 The Expected Guest

Although it didn't quite align with the plan, Momo decided to go along with Artoria's wishes. Almost simultaneously, all the girls in Valhalla learned of Momo's latest decision and began preparing for battle.

The girls who have gained new power from Gensokyo, the girls equipped with brand-new IS, and 20,000 fully armed sisters are ready to take to the battlefield for the first time as a whole.

This is not a battle fought by Momo alone.

If he could, Momo would like to single-handedly take on everything, using countless clones to sweep away all enemies. Unfortunately, the enemies are magic-based, and even Momo cannot guarantee a stable suppression of each one. Momo also understands that the girls around him are not just girls, but comrades-in-arms fighting alongside him, and do not need his unconditional protection.

And this is also the girls' wish, their own will.

"Welcome, Lord Alaya."

On the fiftieth floor of Aincrad, the recreational exploration team led by ⑨ had successfully liberated the area and was advancing towards higher floors. The Valhalla expansion mission, which Momo had once found impossible, was already more than halfway complete. Moreover, Momo was confident that it wouldn't be long before the Valhalla truly lived up to its name.

At this moment, Momo welcomed a distinguished guest, Alaya, dressed in an elegant long dress. She appeared as if out of thin air, standing beside one of Momo's clones. Momo seemed unsurprised, as if she had anticipated Alaya's arrival.

"First, I apologize to Lord Alaya," Momo bowed slightly and said, "Logically speaking, I should accept Lord Alaya's mission to conquer a certain world, but I have already acted without your permission."

According to the rules that Alaya initially set out with Momo, Alaya would have Momo complete a mission to conquer a world, and Momo's reward would be the freedom to move around afterward.

However, starting with IS and Academy City, these basic rules became somewhat chaotic. Momo, who was supposed to go to the IS world, fell into Academy City and even took over Academy City. In this way, Academy City should have been considered to have used up an opportunity for free movement, no matter what.

Therefore, after Academy City, Momo should have been carrying out the mission according to Alaya's orders. Instead, Momo went to the afterlife under Alaya's guidance, then to Gensokyo, and now she has even come to the world where Gensokyo originally existed.

In this process, let alone a single opportunity for free action, if we're being really serious, Momo has already used up at least two opportunities, and those were during rounds when he should have been carrying out his mission.

"It's alright, I understand the situation. Since you're targeting Reimu Hakurei, it's understandable that you'd join forces with her."

Alaya's voice remained cool and clear, but unlike the serious impression she usually gave Mo Mo, she appeared remarkably magnanimous. This prompted Mo Mo to immediately and respectfully thank Alaya, while simultaneously awaiting her next command quietly.

As a businessman and the beneficiary, Momo was naturally pleased. However, he was also very aware that unexpected wealth could pose a significant risk to a businessman. His relationship with Alaya was one of business cooperation; he had gained a large amount of profit for no apparent reason, and he would likely have to repay it later.

“I believe you are well aware of this as well,” Alaya said after a short silence, “You understand why I summoned you, you understand who your enemy is this time, and who your enemies will be in the future, right?”

"Um……"

Momo pondered for a moment, then said, "I only know that my enemy this time is Gilgamesh. As for the purpose of your meeting with me, is it to formally give me orders to go to war against Gilgamesh?"

"Is it possible?"

Mo Mo smiled wryly. In fact, he had already anticipated all of this before Alaya even appeared. He said, "Even without your orders, sir, he is an enemy I must face. Perhaps I am not ready right now, but most of life's challenges are faced when we are unprepared, aren't they?"

"It's best if you're mentally prepared. You've seen the damage these rioters have caused to the world of anime. This time, my order is for you to destroy their power and do your best to quell the world's pain."

Having officially confirmed this, Momo felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. Not only did Momo have no reason to refuse, but even if he truly wanted to, Alaya wouldn't allow it. Now Momo understood that the clash between himself and Gilgamesh had been orchestrated by Alaya from the very beginning.

Or, to put it another way, it was designed by Alaya.

Accelerated World, Afterlife, Gensokyo, and now, a direct confrontation with Gilgamesh—is it all just a series of coincidences?

To put it bluntly, could there be a powerful force manipulating Momo's clashes with the SOS Brigade during his journey to the IS world?

"I understand."

However, all of this flowed through Mo Mo's mind without her showing it at all.

"Is there anything else you want to ask?"

"No, carrying out your orders is my duty now. Of course, if you have any instructions for me, that would be an exception."

Upon hearing this, Alaya's lips seemed to twitch slightly, as if she were smiling. However, when Momo looked over, she found nothing there; it all seemed to be an illusion.

"Just say you want the benefits."

Hearing this seemingly playful remark, Momo grinned and said, "I don't have any demands, really. At most, Gilgamesh is too powerful and my side will be wiped out. What other difficulties could there be? Don't worry, Lord Alaya, I will do my utmost to help you until my dying breath!"

"Nobody wants you to die, and your death will not bring any meaning."

Alaya seemed to genuinely smile, yet it all seemed like an illusion. She looked up at the still towering Aincrad and said, "The original Aincrad had many unique designs, such as the palace beneath the Black Iron Palace, and the enhanced difficulty of each twenty-five-floor version."

"Yes, Lord Alaya."

“Originally, I didn’t have this design, because in my opinion, a hundred powerful warriors would be enough for you to command. However, because of your personal desires, a hundred powerful warriors did not appear, but I did see a warm crystal garden.”

Faced with Alaya's blunt accusations, Mo Mo was fortunate to have a thick skin, allowing him to smile and pretend nothing was wrong, as if Alaya wasn't criticizing him.

"Valhalla was originally intended for your use, and I didn't impose any restrictions on you. Now, it's time for Valhalla to undergo some changes."

"Even if I were to upgrade Valhalla, I would do it myself."

032 The Gift of Alaya

After Alaya finished speaking, the entire Hall of Heroes trembled slightly. It seemed as if some enormous force was pulling the entire Hall of Heroes, causing it to move rapidly.

That's really surprising!

The Hall of Heroes does not exist in any two-dimensional world; it is an existence created by Alaya, existing in the gap between the three-dimensional and two-dimensional worlds.

The Hall of Heroes, which is based on Aincrad, can connect with many worlds, including large areas such as Hourai Island, Academy City, and Gensokyo, which can be considered small worlds. It can be said that the Hall of Heroes is not just a palace, but a world with infinite possibilities.

Right now, the whole world is shaking, but Momo, the administrator of Valhalla, finds that Valhalla functions perfectly normally, and its connections with several worlds, Academy City, Hourai Island, and Gensokyo are perfectly normal, as if this shaking is meaningless.

However, Mo Mo soon realized the meaning of this shaking.

In the original afterlife, after Momo used Kayaba Akihiko's technology to connect with this world, Momo unknowingly became the sole will of this world. The entire world became Momo's energy source, and Momo even became the creator of this world.

Therefore, even the slightest movement in the afterlife could not escape Mo Mo's consciousness. Soon, the clone beside Alaya disappeared. When it reappeared, it was already on a vast and boundless sea in the afterlife.

Looking up, a mirage-like image suddenly appeared in the azure sky. And as time passed, and as Valhalla trembled, this image became clearer and clearer, more and more like something familiar to Momo.