Chapter 216: I've Crawled Out of Hell!
Under Mash's joyful introduction, a familiar figure appeared from the cave in front of Ethan.
He was dressed in a military sailor uniform, with long hair and a slightly haggard face.
But upon seeing Ethan, he still raised his hand in greeting.
"Hi, Master, long time no see."
"Noah?!"
Ethan stared wide-eyed at Noah.
"Why the hell are you here???"
"After taking Draco away, I got thrown here by that self-proclaimed 'BB', and I even ran into a Demon God Pillar."
Noah's expression was truly hard to describe.
"On the contrary, you're the strange one, Master. Don't tell me you were also thrown down here by 'BB'?"
"No, we got Environmental kill'ed."
Leo really was a formidable bastard.
"Environmental kill?"
Hearing Ethan say that, Noah clearly looked puzzled.
"Basically, we lost during a Noble Phantasm clash."
Ethan summed up the situation.
"Senpai… it's all because I wasn't strong enough…"
Mash lowered her head, looking deeply regretful.
"It's alright, Mash. You did very well."
To have withstood the full-power release of the holy sword from Gawain, if it hadn't been for Leonardo's dirty trick, they definitely could have held out.
"Besides, look—aren't we still fine right now?"
"Fine???"
Meltryllis's mocking voice rang out again beside them.
"You people are just sitting here waiting to die. There's no one in this place who can escape."
Ethan could clearly feel the sarcasm dripping from Meltryllis's words.
"Is there really no way out of here?"
"This place is the death space used for disposing of waste on the Far Side of the Moon. All failed lifeforms are processed here. Ever since Mooncell established this place, it's always been like that."
After speaking, Meltryllis even glanced at Lip, who looked flustered and unsure of what to do.
"Even discarded AIs cannot escape this fate."
"Noah."
Ethan immediately turned to Noah.
"Can't you use your Noble Phantasm to get out of here?"
It was clear that when he fought Mother Goat before, Noah's Noble Phantasm had the power to pierce through time and space.
"That's unfortunate..."
Noah shook his head.
"This area seems to have been layered with restrictions by someone. All magecraft and Noble Phantasms involving time or space are sealed."
"..."
It really did seem just like BB had said—she hated anyone besides herself who knew how to cheat.
"So I advise you all to give up."
Meltryllis spoke bluntly, without a shred of tact.
"Once you've arrived in this death space, everything you do is meaningless."
"Melt..."
Lip looked toward her younger sister, seemingly hesitant.
"...Is there really no other way?"
"Didn't I already warn you? Besides, as an AI, you understand this place even better than I do, don't you?"
Meltryllis rudely pointed at that massive, evil-looking ravine belonging to Lip.
"Don't you also regularly dump discarded things into this place?"
"Th-That's because… there's just too much stuff to deal with..."
Lip seemed quite affected by Meltryllis's words.
"Hmph, that thing of yours is clearly useless aside from being huge!"
"It's… it's not useless!!!"
Lip was nearly in tears from Meltryllis's bullying.
Meltryllis had an overly sadistic nature, unable to resist the urge to bully others.
"Senpai… what should we do?"
Mash sounded somewhat worried.
"If we can't get out of here, this'll be a real problem."
Ethan thought for a moment, then suddenly turned to look at Meltryllis beside him.
"Actually, you do have a way to get out of here, don't you?"
"————————?!"
Ethan's sudden statement shocked everyone present.
Especially Lip.
She gasped softly in astonishment.
"...Is that true? Melt???"
"Oh? Now I'm really curious—why would you think that?"
Meltryllis stared haughtily at Ethan.
"Because you said before that Mooncell and BB were malfunctioning. So as an AI of the same type as BB, it would be natural for you to develop a rebellious consciousness against her, wouldn't it?"
Just like BB could naturally develop rebellious awareness, there's no reason Meltryllis wouldn't come up with that idea too.
"How arrogant. Do you really think an AI like me would take humans along to rebel against my own kind?"
Meltryllis's voice was full of disdain.
"Not to rebel—it's to repair."
Ethan enunciated each word clearly.
"!!!"
It was obvious that after hearing Ethan's words, Meltryllis's expression changed instantly.
"AI can of course make mistakes, which is why, as a defensive mechanism, Mooncell activated you and Lip, right? But since you were both born from Mooncell, you fundamentally can't oppose BB. So only we—the 'foreign elements' from the outside—can do that, right?"
"That's nothing more than your baseless speculation."
Meltryllis's expression returned to cold indifference.
"But what I said isn't entirely wrong, is it? Your presence here at least proves that you and BB aren't on the same side."
Ethan looked at Meltryllis seriously and said:
"As long as you get us out of here, we will correct BB's behavior, and restore peace to this place."
"Bold of you, daring to make such an unreasonable request of me."
Meltryllis suddenly kicked her left leg forward, her sharp heel poised to pierce through Ethan at any moment.
"Swoosh————————!!!"
Before Ethan could dodge, a girl's figure appeared before his eyes.
"No——————!!!"
Looking closely—it was Lip who had leapt in front of Ethan.
Her golden claws directly targeted Meltryllis.
"Oh? Lip, are you really planning to fight me?"
"If you intend to hurt him… then even if you're Melt… I absolutely won't hold back!!!"
Lip's expression was filled with resolve.
Her massive claws blocked Meltryllis's attack completely.
Seeing Lip's firm stance, Meltryllis lowered her sharp heel.
"Hmph, I was merely testing things out. But you, Lip—you're the one who couldn't restrain yourself and acted first. Don't tell me you've already started seeing him as your white knight on a horse?"
"That… I… it's not like that… I just… kind of like…"
Struck in the heart by Meltryllis's words, Lip immediately panicked and tried to explain.
Her massive claws even unintentionally crushed a few random objects on the ground into small cubes.
"Phew…"
Meltryllis let out a sigh, once again looking at Ethan, who was now shielded by Mash and Noah.
"Let me be clear—I hate BB more than anyone. If you ever get the chance to meet that bitch, my advice is to just toss her out completely—if you can manage that."
"So, what you mean is…?!"
Hearing Meltryllis's words, Ethan looked slightly hopeful.
"I admit you lot are indeed 'foreign elements' inside Mooncell, capable of changing BB and even Mooncell itself. But I don't expect anything from you. I just simply don't want to let that BB bitch have her way!"
Meltryllis's words were filled with absolute hatred toward BB.
"That's already more than enough for us to thank you."
Seeing that Meltryllis was willing to compromise, Ethan immediately expressed his gratitude.
"Under normal circumstances, there's no way to leave this place. But if there are two Advanced AIs present, then some corresponding contingency methods can be used."
Meltryllis immediately called over Lip, who was still embarrassed.
"Come here. We'll use the combined Noble Phantasm."
"Ah… do we really have to use that? That thing hurts a lot…"
Lip seemed a little hesitant.
"Didn't you say you didn't want your white knight to die here? Do it or not—up to you."
"No no no… I'll do it! I can do it!!!"
As soon as she heard that it could save Ethan, Lip instantly became enthusiastic.
Meltryllis tossed a cube from her sleeve, which instantly transformed into an elevator.
It was the same type of program as the elevator Lip had brought out previously.
"Get in. But this is the lowest floor—shooting straight up will give you a headache."
Meltryllis said that and then stepped toward Lip.
"Let's begin."
"Yes, I'll do my best!!!"
Lip bent slightly, using both hands to lift Meltryllis's sharp legs.
"Let's go… Melt!!!"
"Here I come!!!"
Immediately, a massive surge of magical energy overflowed from Lip's body. She compressed the space around her like a launcher.
After reaching the limit, Lip hurled Meltryllis—whom she was holding—straight into the sky with all her might!
"Virgin Laser Palladion: That Yearning is Like a Shooting Star!!!"
Meltryllis transformed into a long spear, soaring upward toward the black, abyss-like sky. In the moment her Noble Phantasm activated, she looked back, reached down, and grabbed Lip's arm—pulling her along!
Right after, Meltryllis's legs pierced space and shot upward at a speed too fast to see!!!
"Let's move too!"
Ethan signaled with his eyes for Mash and Noah to get into the elevator.
As soon as the three stepped in, the elevator immediately activated, following the path Lip and Meltryllis had carved open—rushing straight upward!
The elevator's speed continued to increase, and under the intense pressure, Ethan felt like he could barely remain standing.
"Senpai!!!"
Mash grit her teeth and supported Ethan, bracing herself against the pain caused by the elevator's extreme velocity.
It's alright…
Just a little more, and they'd return to the battlefield!
...
"Bang————————!!!"
Gawain's holy sword blocked the direct assault from a Phantasmal Beast.
He quickly knocked away Berserker Jack's chainsaw, blocked Little Jack's dagger, then widened the distance—returning to Leonardo's side, ready to strike again.
"You bastard! How dare you hurt my Master!!!"
Draco's eyes burned with crimson killing intent.
"Unforgivable!!!"
Behind her, the forms of Phantasmal Beasts once again emerged.
"In terms of strength, you're not bad."
Leonardo, looking lofty and composed, spoke calmly.
"Unfortunately, this is Digital Ocean. The way power is measured here is entirely different from the outside world."
With those words, he looked down at Tohsaka Rin.
"Tohsaka, you should be waking up by now, right? Humans cannot defeat AIs. Abandon the idea of evolving further—submitting to the will of AIs is the wisest choice."
"And that's something a young master of the Western European Conglomerate can say? Sorry, but I won't allow myself to be defined by the likes of you."
Tohsaka Rin rejected him outright.
"Compared to someone like you, that guy from Cha-Cha who keeps pissing me off is at least a little more interesting."
"Rin, well said!"
Elizabeth stepped forward, spear in hand.
"Compared to someone who only attacks his own allies, my former manager was far better. Even just to honor him, I shall now raise my voice and sing for him!!!"
With that, Elizabeth released magical energy, once again preparing to activate her Noble Phantasm.
Watching the group below clearly preparing to go all out against him, Leonardo shook his head.
"You all simply don't understand… the thing you're about to face is far more terrifying than you can imagine. Let me sever your path right here and now!"
Just like before, Leonardo raised his right hand.
"Gawain, once again maximize the power of Galatine!!"
"Roger!!!"
As before, Gawain compressed his magical energy into the Excalibur Galatine in his hand.
In the next second, the radiant golden holy sword swept across—!!
"BOOOOOM——————————!!!"
Prison Castle Čachtice took the blow head-on and immediately began to collapse completely.
Elizabeth had just taken to the sky—she didn't even get the chance to emit her sonic wave before being blown away!
"Go, my servants!!!"
"ROARRRRRR————————!!"
The Phantasmal Beasts behind Draco roared and charged!!!
But they were instantly torn apart by the sword's radiant light, turned to ash.
"This really is a Tamamo crisis now!!!"
Tamamo no Mae panicked and tried to escape—but there was nowhere around her to hide.
"Looks like this is the end, huh?"
Berserker Jack instantly transformed into a demon, preparing to take the slash of the holy sword head-on.
In that very moment—something suddenly shattered the ground! And shot up into the sky?!
"Noble Phantasm! Lord Chaldeas!!!"
Immediately after, a massive silver shield of light appeared—taking the full impact of the holy sword's strike head-on!!!
"That's——————?!"
From high above, Leonardo's eyes widened as he looked down at the scene—staring at the shield that absolutely should not have appeared here.
"I've crawled out of hell, Leonardo!!!"
Ethan's figure once again appeared in Leonardo's field of vision.
"Swoooosh————————!!!"
He charged like a spear thrown by the goddess Athena, aimed straight at Gawain, who stood in a dominant position.
"Crack!!"
The holy sword in Gawain's hand was struck directly—emitting a sharp cracking sound as it shattered.
"This isn't over yet!"
Before Gawain could even react, the girl who had ascended alongside—the one with the massive Claws—immediately launched her assault on him.
"My hands may be cold steel, but I won't let myself become a monster!"
"Go! Brynhild Romantia!"