One-way traffic

This is almost completely pure black coffee, which is something that Accelerator has always made a point of drinking, no matter what brand they switch to.

In my mind, beverages should be very sweet, something that makes me feel happy and satisfied with my taste buds.

But why... is this thing called coffee so bitter?!

"Kid, you should avoid bitter things. This stuff is not suitable for you at all."

"...I don't like sweets."

"Then you shouldn't have drunk this stuff at all, damn it."

Too lazy to bother with the coffee issue, Accelerator walked away without looking back and stood a short distance away.

Anna was the only one left sitting by the campfire.

Anna had always believed that she was inherently averse to humans.

…But why am I talking so much tonight?

And it was with, a human…

"It's really bitter..."

After taking a few more sips, Anna realized that this was not a drink that could be enjoyed by the taste buds... Was this really a drink?

And what kind of person is Accelerator who keeps drinking this stuff?

Its origins are completely unknown, and even the power it uses has nothing to do with mystery, and...

"That kind of human being actually knows those kinds of stories..."

It wasn't until a few minutes later that Anna was able to calm down her doubts.

This is so unlike me... I should hate humans and dislike talking to them.

Thinking this, she pulled her hat down again, allowing herself to... completely revert to her past indifferent demeanor.

The first night after the group arrived in Mesopotamia was about to pass.

———————————————————————————————————

then.

The figure that had already appeared once during the day was now active again at night.

Enkidu walked through the deserted wasteland. It was nighttime, and the monsters were becoming more active.

However, the monsters in this wasteland will not attack him.

This was an inevitable result, because—he could be considered their commander, and they had no reason to attack him.

Moreover, they are not human, and although they are just magical beasts, they certainly do not want to do something that would lead to their own demise.

The important thing is that we need to do a thorough statistical analysis of what we've seen today when we get back.

"..."

At some point, Enkidu stopped in his tracks.

Then, he looked at a certain spot ahead.

——Bang! ! !

The spear tip exploded and pierced.

The space rippled, and a chain with a sharp tip shot out, piercing straight towards the hill.

It's like stabbing someone.

However, Enkidu's attack missed its target.

Rather, it was as if the other party's body had forcefully intercepted it.

"..."

That was a shadowy figure that emitted a silent roar.

It stared in their direction, its eyes displaying a hollowed-out, flame-like appearance, and then—

"Don't do anything, Elherut."

The voices stopped the figure from moving.

A being that resembled a human stopped its attack, kneeling on one knee and looking at the person who emerged from behind the hill.

"This is an important ally of ours, how can we treat him recklessly?"

A young man of about nineteen years old with short purple hair.

Enkidu recognized the person who had arrived and clicked his tongue slightly.

"I thought it was the Chaldea guys ahead, but it's you."

"Judging from what you're saying, you must have already met the people you wanted to see."

Enkidu, having retrieved his chains, walked towards the other man, and the purple-haired youth followed.

Three figures stood together. One of them remained kneeling on the ground, not uttering a sound, while the other two were Enkidu and the purple-haired youth.

They checked each other's information.

"The modules' reactions have been arranged, and the Chaldea Masters and Servants have all regrouped. Everything should proceed as planned, and the modules should be successfully discovered by them..."

"It's not quite the same as the actual situation."

Enkidu suddenly interrupted the other person.

"Among these people, two unexpected individuals have emerged."

"..."

"One was a white-haired, red-eyed creature whose gender was indistinguishable, and the other was definitely female with blue hair. Both were human... What they had in common was that the power they used was unlike any power I had ever seen before."

After he suddenly said those words, the purple-haired youth fell silent for a moment and raised his eyebrows.

"Really? So those are the two people. It seems their reactions match up with mine."

"...?"

"It's nothing, just some things you could never know, and you wouldn't understand even if I told you."

These words made Enki frown, but the other party didn't seem to care.

Instead, they continued talking about topics that even Enki found somewhat offensive.

"Those two guys I was talking about... it looks like you fought them before, and got badly beaten up, right?"

“…Watch your tone. Even if you are currently an ally of me and Mother, speaking without restraint will only bring you death.”

"It's nothing. I think this is just stating the facts, right? Admitting your defeat is much better than pointless arrogance. If you can't beat someone, you can't beat them. There's nothing shameful about it, young man."

Enkidu still wanted to change the other party's story, because he had not used his full strength, but only the power of this body.

Within his body lies a massive, magical furnace-like entity, something of paramount importance to this entire era.

—If I were to use that, I could definitely take down even that white-haired, red-eyed human who wields some unknown power in an instant.

"However, from this perspective, I have at least a general idea of ​​the strength composition of that faction... although it is only a rough estimate, and further testing is needed to determine the specifics."

The man in front of me—was indeed plotting his own scheme.

Enkidu also noticed this.

So, he then spoke in a threatening tone.

"Then let me reiterate, lest you forget everything in your moment of triumph... Although we are allies, don't forget why my mother and I allied with you, and why you are standing here with me—"

"Of course I haven't forgotten, and I understand what you're trying to say—the being who possesses the body of all the gods."

This time, it was I who was interrupted.

In front of Enkidu, the purple-haired youth spoke his mind without any restraint.

"You're fighting for your mother, who hasn't been 'awakened' yet, and I... am also acting for someone. We're both acting for a certain being, and we both have the same enemy. At least for now, our goals are the same. More fighting power means a greater chance of success, right?"

"How boring... So what if it's just me alone? The power of the three goddesses is enough, and I am the strongest weapon of this era. The reason I agreed to your request is not because of your combat strength."

Enkidu… no, someone possessing Enkidu's body continued speaking.

"Why...why did you choose to ally with us? You don't belong to this era, nor were you summoned by the Holy Grail. You're just like those guys...what exactly are your motives?"

The other party did indeed say that they were fighting for "someone".

Who exactly is this person? From beginning to end, the young man in front of them did not reveal a single piece of information.

"Everyone has secrets after all. Look, I have secrets I can't tell anyone, and so do you, don't you?"

"Don't lump me in with those boring old humans and their views... idiots."

Even so, you still can't escape the category of "human," right?

The young man continued to look at him.

"Am I right? The divine weapon of this era, Enkidu... no."

"The one who calls himself a 'New Human,' Kingu."

Enkidu… no, the one known as Jingu did not deny it.

The young man waved his hand, and the figure that had been kneeling beside him disappeared as well.

"They should arrive in Uruk by tomorrow morning."

"That's impossible; at their walking speed, it would take them at least a day—"

"No, no, I said they will arrive in Uruk first thing tomorrow morning."

Completely ignoring Enkidu's meaning, the young man continued to express his own views.

It was as if they had already seen the future, an absolute certainty.

"At the beginning, those two guys on the other side, as well as the people from Chaldea, won't make any rash moves. I hope you can use this time to solidify your plans."

When Jingu raised his head again, the figure from before was no longer there.

They came and went without a trace... just like when they first met.

Dawn will come soon.

As the night's splendor faded, Jingu stood in the darkness, waiting for the sunlight to bathe him.

But that was... the situation belonging to Enkidu's body.

As for his own consciousness, it is unknown what he is thinking.

Chapter 592 The City of Uruk

A night has passed.

Then, the western forest was bathed in the first light of dawn, around seven o'clock in the morning.

No one intended to stay in such a dangerous place any longer, and they quickly made preparations.

"Alright! Shouldn't we move on now?"

"Uruk should be located in the exact opposite direction from this forest, right?"

Because the person disguised as Enkidu brought them to this place yesterday, the already long journey is about to become even more difficult.

"Doctor, you should have found Uruk by now, right?"

"Just to the east, opposite to your direction, if you walk that way, you'll see the city wall that Enkidu showed you yesterday. A short distance further ahead is Uruk's entry zone."

It can be said to be the most ancient king, Gilgamesh, whose country was Uruk, the most famous state of the Mesopotamian civilization.

However, Fujimaru Ritsuka also clearly had the same idea in mind.

"Eh... if that's the case, how long would it take us to walk from here?"

"Uh... well, it's tough on your legs, Fujimaru, but it'll take at least a day to walk."

"That's way too tiring!"

The thought of walking non-stop for almost a whole day is already giving me a headache.

"Hang in there for one more day, senior... As long as we reach Uruk, we can finally rest!"

"Oh dear, if only it were that easy! The person we're going to meet next is King Gilgamesh! No matter how you look at it, it's going to be very difficult for us to get along!"