Episode 228: The Young Maiden’s Final Farewell: Farewell! Fujimaru-dono!

『 When the last remaining shield stood alone, King Leonidas lightly shook the spear in his hand. In an instant, a powerful energy field enveloped the light that was about to strike.

This sudden turn of events caused the Demon Beast Goddess, who was pouring all her effort into releasing magical power, to lose the ability to sustain the attack immediately. With no other choice, she had to retract the beams shooting from her eyes.

However, the snake heads behind her were still struggling with all their might, attempting to counterattack.

"How is this possible... My Mystic Eyes actually..."

"Who exactly are you?!"

Shocked by the mystery of the opponent’s identity, the Demon Beast Goddess began to tremble slightly. Her eyes, already full of menace, suddenly widened further, her expression becoming exceptionally ferocious and filled with disbelief.

"I am the descendant of the great hero Heracles—the inheritor of the bloodline of the Son of Zeus."

"What... So you are one of the descendants of the Olympian gods!"

"Correct. More importantly, I am the King of Sparta, the land protected by the God of War, Ares—Leonidas!"

As his voice fell, the mask covering his face shattered, revealing Leonidas’s true appearance.

"As for your true face... Avenger!"

Leonidas was practically roaring: "I have never heard of Tiamat being able to use this kind of petrification skill, let alone knowing the names of our gods! The evil existence capable of turning people to stone has long been known to every household!"

Unfortunately, even after speaking the truth, the beams emitted by the nine snake heads began to teeter and eventually disintegrate, vanishing completely. 』

『 .....』

〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜

[ Tohsaka Rin (Type-Moon): "The King of Sparta, even an existence like that can’t do it?" ]

[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "After all, the opponent is a god." ]

[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "To be able to achieve this much is already very good, right?" ]

[ Gabriel (Gabriel DropOut): "Oh my, oh my, the shield has disappeared." ]

[ Gabriel (Gabriel DropOut): "Next, the true damage is about to begin." ]

[ Silver Wolf (Honkai: Star Rail): "Giving you a like." ]

[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Eh? What is this talking about?" ]

[ Oyama Mahiro (Onimai): "Restless and eager for action." ]

[ Ryuga Banjou (Kamen Rider): "Even like this, he can’t defeat that person." ]

[ .....]

『 As the shield gradually vanished, the Demon Beast Goddess’s fatal strike rushed violently toward Leonidas at the same time.

"THUD—!"

Leonidas swiftly raised his shield high, trying his best to withstand that beam of light.

However, the situation was not optimistic...

Various parts of Leonidas’s body began to slowly turn into hard stone statues, and the areas not yet affected were severely grazed by the massive impact force within the beam.

The shield, at this moment, had slowly turned into a stone work of art...

Clearly feeling his stamina about to run out, Leonidas gritted his teeth, used the last bit of his strength, and hurled the spear in his hand with sudden force.

The direction the spear pointed was exactly where the Demon Beast Goddess stood, not far away, exuding a terrifying aura!

It could be seen that this thrown spear continuously cut through all the rays coming from the opposite side, approaching its target—the Demon Beast Goddess—with astonishing speed.

Because its flight speed was simply too fast, the friction with the air caused the entire surface of the weapon to be wrapped in a layer of raging red flames.

"BANG—!"

Under the focus of all gazes, the spear, embodying the beauty of strength, finally pierced through Gorgon’s chest, tearing a shocking, massive rift in her body.

"You monster, feared and hated by people, GORGON!"

Hit by such a strike, Gorgon immediately felt an unprecedented wave of intense pain, and her body became even weaker and more powerless.

"I really didn’t expect you to mention that title."

Leonidas struggled to stand up, but at this moment, he had completely lost the function of his legs—they had already been transformed into cold stone.

"As a member of the descendants of Greece, how could I easily forget such a name!"

Just as he wanted to stand again, he found that his feet could no longer provide support.

"Leonidas!"

At this critical moment, Fujimaru Ritsuka finally arrived at the scene and shouted this name with extreme anxiety.

And over there, Gorgon, who had fallen into a state of extreme weakness, responded:

"I express my respect for the powerful fighting you have displayed; I hope you can at least depart with the posture of a hero, without having to personally experience this apocalyptic scene."

"Hahahaha..."

This was the most resolute answer from the depths of a warrior’s heart: "That is absolutely impossible."

At this very moment, although his legs were powerless and he collapsed onto the earth, Leonidas still slowly closed his eyes and declared with steady power:

"Just like our immortal souls, humanity will also never head towards extinction."

Leonidas’s body began to petrify gradually from his feet up. This change was like a slowly spreading curse, progressively eroding his entire body.

At this moment, he struggled to open his eyes. Although the intense pain brought by the petrification made it almost impossible for him to breathe, he still endured it, looking up at Gorgon before him, a trace of fortitude and determination flashing in his eyes.

"I leave the rest to you." Leonidas’s words carried determination and trust.

He believed that Fujimaru Ritsuka, behind him, could shoulder this heavy responsibility and continue fighting.

After saying this to Fujimaru Ritsuka behind him, Leonidas’s body was completely replaced by a stone statue. Then, with a loud noise, this stone statue instantly shattered into crushed stones, scattering across the battlefield, leaving a void that was difficult to fill.

Accompanied by a dazzling flash of golden light, Leonidas’s figure completely disappeared. At this very moment, the originally heavily injured Gorgon miraculously vanished as well, as if everything before had never happened. 』

『 .....』

〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜

[ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail): "He, is this?" ]

[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Is this, already, gone?" ]

[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "That’s not right. Didn’t he say he had already died before? How can he die again?" ]

[ Mash Kyrielight (Type-Moon): "It’s not like that. After they disappear, under normal circumstances, they will return to the Throne of Heroes. It is not death in the true sense." ]

[ Yanqing (Honkai: Star Rail): "That’s good. Otherwise, it would be too pitiful for such a hero." ]

[ Qingque (Honkai: Star Rail): "That statement isn’t quite right. Those who can become Heroic Spirits have all died before, so this should be considered returning with honor." ]

[ Fu Xuan (Honkai: Star Rail): "I didn’t expect that you, Qingque, could say such words." ]

[ Qingque (Honkai: Star Rail): "Hehehe, it’s all because the Master Diviner taught me well." ]

[ .....]

『 "That is impossible!" Immediately after, Gorgon reappeared before everyone’s eyes as if she had never been injured, her face filled with anger and ferocity.

"Humanity is finished, because you, the strongest guardian, have died so meaninglessly." Her tone was cold to the extreme, as if mocking the sacrifice Leonidas made at the end as worthless.

Faced with this series of changes, everyone present felt extreme confusion and shock. It seemed that everything they experienced exceeded the scope of what common sense could understand.』

『 .....』

〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜

[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "No way, absolutely nothing happened to her." ]

[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "I thought at least it could cause a little damage." ]

[ Genos (One Punch Man): "A, meaningless death?" ]

[ Nobi Nobita (Doraemon): "She’s probably too big. Would shrinking the opponent work?" ]

[ Doraemon (Doraemon): "....." ]

[ .....]

『 "Actually... not injured...!" Amidst this astonishment was mixed a trace of unspeakable despair.

The ground of the entire battlefield was littered with messy debris, and that patch of petrified land appeared exceptionally desolate and hopeless.

Looking at it now, it seemed there really was no person or power left that could stop the Gorgon before them.

"Meaningless... death?" Ushiwakamaru repeated this word, her voice small but full of contemplation.

"I see..." She muttered to herself.

"Gorgon, was it? You’re an amateur when it comes to warfare!" Finally, Ushiwakamaru, who had been lying on the ground seemingly on the verge of death, slowly struggled to stand up, clutching a sharp blade tightly in her hand at some unknown point.

"Ushiwaka... can still fight..." Although every step was a huge test for her, she still barely supported her body, and a smile full of profound meaning appeared on her face.

"You..." Seeing this, Gorgon simply couldn’t believe her eyes, staring at Ushiwakamaru in surprise: "How is it possible that you can still stand up? You should have been critically injured by me."

Every step seemed extremely difficult but exceptionally determined as Ushiwakamaru advanced in the direction of Gorgon.

"Dadadada... Atop the bridge of Gojyo in the Capital! The great man named Benkei! We are Heroic Spirits! Shadows of humans who once existed... engraved into human history. Our reward for the restoration of humanity will be our continued history." With her steps, the air seemed to echo with the war songs of a distant era.

"Don’t...!!" Fujimaru Ritsuka, seeing this scene from the side, couldn’t help but let out a sorrowful cry, because he knew clearly what would happen next.

Ushiwakamaru stopped her steps, turned, and gave Fujimaru Ritsuka one last gentle look, "That’s right... Since there are children a thousand years later who still admire Ushiwakamaru, based on this fact alone, I can still fight!!"

As her words fell, she suddenly gripped the weapon in her hand tighter, "It is worth betting this illusory life of mine!"

In an instant, an incomparably sharp light rotated around her body, miraculously restoring all the surrounding petrified areas to their original state!

"The Wandering Tales of Shana-oh, Act four..."

"DAN-NO-URA - EIGHT BOAT LEAP—!"

Just as the voice fell, seven avatar-like warriors flew towards the enemy like lightning to launch an attack.

Facing the sudden offensive, "Deceptive tricks!" Gorgon, with a mix of anger and shock, reacted quickly. The nine snake heads behind her immediately initiated a frantic counterattack covering a massive area.

But under such an extremely rapid offensive, let alone hurting Ushiwakamaru, for such attacks to even lightly touch her once would be an incredible feat.

"BOOM—!"

The attack of Gorgon’s snake heads instead gave Ushiwakamaru the moment to seize the opportunity. She leaped up fiercely, her body rushing towards the opponent like an arrow leaving the string.

At this time, the snake heads became her stepping stones. During the leap, every clone accurately sliced off a snake head in mid-air.

Despite this scene, the speed at which the snake heads regenerated was still unbelievable, so much so that Gorgon’s attacks on Ushiwakamaru never ceased.

When the deadly purple rays shot towards the target from all directions once again, Ushiwakamaru used her extraordinary physical prowess to quickly dodge these dangerous beams. At the same time, she constantly sought the best timing to continue launching counterattacks.

Every Ushiwakamaru, after creating a clone, appeared extremely decisive and heroic, approaching the enemy with large strides at lightning speed.

Their movements were both fluid and full of power; every step was so firm and full of threat as they closed in on the enemy.

"USHIWAKA!!!"

Witnessing this fierce clash, Fujimaru Ritsuka couldn’t help but exclaim, feeling exceptionally anxious deep inside.

He knew that the battle his friend was currently engaged in was tantamount to exhausting the very last bit of strength in her life.

And if this attempt ultimately failed to achieve victory... then it would not only mean the plan failed, but it might also take away that brave girl’s young life.

At this moment, following a roar that resounded through the skies, Ushiwakamaru fell from mid-air like a meteor, transforming into a fireball burning with scorching light the instant before making contact with the ground. Facing the countless twisted and deformed arms coming towards her and the intense impact they brought, Ushiwaka showed not the slightest fear or hesitation, but calmly used the sharp sword in her hand, which had already transformed into a form of red flames, to neutralize them one by one.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

Accompanied by a series of shouts filled with passion but mixed with a bit of despair, one could see the ordinary long sword, once made of cold metal, now radiating dazzling colors like lava.

Under the girl’s control, it was like a whirlwind, constantly cutting and destroying the epidermis and flesh tissues surrounding the giant monster.

"BOOM—!"

Immediately after, another incredibly violent collision sound rang out.

In that rapidly changing instant just now, the two powerhouses once again unfolded an unprecedented confrontation;

And at the point where the two collided, what followed was a burst of intense light sufficient to cover the entire range of the battlefield.

Regardless of what tragic or fortunate story would happen next, all the experiences of this moment would be forever branded in Fujimaru Ritsuka’s memory.

"Farewell! Fujimaru-dono!"

The phrase uttered at this final moment perhaps meant something that needed no further explanation, right?

Perhaps it was precisely because she had some degree of foresight regarding her future fate that prompted this girl to gaze at her most important partner’s impending final battle with such focused eyes.

She hoped to deeply engrave the image of this hero in her heart through this method, as the most direct and meaningful affirmation of the fact that she once existed.

In fact, Fujimaru Ritsuka, who had sensed early on what situation might occur in the future, stared so seriously at every minute and second before him precisely because he wanted to ensure he could firmly preserve this precious memory.

To engrave this scene deep in the soul as an eternal witness, this could be considered leaving the most precious memory and respect for this comrade who had once fought alongside him.

As the explosion gradually dissipated, the image originally obscured by smoke and dust began to clear up. 』

『 .....』

〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜

[ Ryuga Banjou (Kamen Rider): "Will it succeed?" ]

[ Fujimaru Ritsuka (Type-Moon): "Both of them are like this." ]

[ Mash Kyrielight (Type-Moon): "Senpai, are you alright?" ]

[ Fujimaru Ritsuka (Type-Moon): "I’m fine, I’m fine, Mash." ]

[ .....]

『 "Did it succeed?" That person muttered softly to himself, his eyes filled with apprehension and anticipation.

He wasn’t sure if this effort would truly change the situation, but he held a faint hope in his heart.

After the smoke and dust completely dispersed, the massive figure appeared once again, shocking the heart as if it were an evil beast walking out of hell.

"How can this be... She took the powerful Noble Phantasm attacks of two Heroic Spirits head-on, yet she is actually unharmed."

Someone whispered in disbelief, their voice full of incredulity and despair. This completely exceeded the scope of their cognition.

"Is this... the legendary power of a Goddess?" Another warrior sighed in a tone full of awe, his eyes containing both shock and a trace of fear. They realized the opponent they faced might be far more powerful than they had imagined.

At this moment, that suffocatingly massive figure once again occupied the center of everyone’s vision.

After having lost two capable generals, the pressure that had been suppressed deep in the soldiers’ hearts reached its peak, and everyone’s mood plummeted to rock bottom.

"No... Look over there..."

Merlin suddenly pointed to a certain place in the distance and spoke loudly, trying to attract his companions’ attention.

And right in the central area of Gorgon’s massive body, something flickering with a dazzling golden glow appeared, particularly conspicuous in the dim environment.

Following the direction of Merlin’s gesture, the others involuntarily shifted their gazes over as well. 』

『 .....』

( Translator-kun: Press "F" )