Chapter 150: Shirou VS the God! The Night of Killing a God! Nighttime in Orario.
The sea demon that destroys the world and the holy sword that saves the world took turns appearing, attracting the attention of nearly the entire city, including the gaze of the gods.
This also meant that at this moment, everyone's observation of the inside would be weakened to the extreme, even the Babel Tower itself—this symbol of the pinnacle of the gods—lost all its surveillance.
Seizing the opportunity, Shirou took the people of the dark faction deep inside.
To uncover the truth of the labyrinth city Orario, and also to find the origin of everything.
Yes, everything Shirou has done so far was only to complete this final step.
He carefully planned this performance of destroying the world and then saving it, even deliberately shaping Ais into a hero, all so that he could explore the essence of Orario when no one was watching.
Because Shirou himself could not be too conspicuous.
To explore Orario's essence, he could not actively become the target of everyone's attention, the focus of everyone.
At the same time, he needed a presence to replace himself as the target of everyone's attention, to attract all the gaze of people and gods alike.
That person was Ais.
He spent effort to make Ais into a hero, even forging the holy sword for her. Ultimately, everything he did was only for this step.
Back when he realized he had to confront the god Hermes, Shirou was already conceiving such a huge stage to further delve into the truth of the city, the reality of the world.
To this end, he secretly established contact with the death god Thanatos and agreed that after releasing the sea demon, they would work together to explore the depths of the Babel Tower and seek everything hidden by the celestial god OOuranos.
Everything else, whether saving the Xenos or creating Ais the hero, was nothing more than a layout and performance for this final step.
He created a huge lie, using everything he could use—everything just to achieve his goal.
To pursue true justice, Shirou has already abandoned everything: false hypocrisy and useless emotions alike.
Now he has thrown them all away.
He would rather endure all hatred and despair than not walk this doomed path to the end.
Because of this, he also chose to succeed Thanatos, becoming the new leader of the dark faction.
"Where is Ikaros?"
Before delving into Babel Tower, Shirou asked Thanatos.
"Ikaros longs for death and madness; he has little interest in seeking the truth," Thanatos shook his head. "He's probably still by the shore admiring the remains of the sea demon."
"Then forget him."
Shirou had no interest in what Ikaros might do. His full attention was on the tower in front of him.
Due to the impact of the sea demon on Babel Tower, the soil at the base of the tower had completely cracked open, exposing metallic structures that were far from what should exist in this era's architecture.
Shirou, Thanatos, and the others searched along the metal structure and soon found a strange terminal structure.
Its appearance made Shirou feel an intense sense of familiarity, even a bit dazed.
It was an elevator.
"The gods really were studying something in this world a long time ago…"
Seeing the elevator, Shirou's heart pounded violently.
On the surface, Orario was just medieval.
With the technology level of this world, it was absolutely impossible to make such an exaggerated device.
The only possible force capable of creating such an artifact was the power of the gods.
And the gods created this elevator, but did not tell mortals about it, which means there must be some truth hidden here that mortals must not know.
"OOuranos should be at the guild headquarters right now, probably won't appear under Babel Tower," Shirou silently judged. "But we still have to be cautious. Maybe there are special guards inside, like the artificial angels summoned by Hermes before."
"Yes."
Everyone in the dark faction nodded at Shirou's words.
Having witnessed tonight's spectacular scene, the birth of the sea demon, and the shining victorious holy sword, they were completely convinced by Shirou.
Now, these followers of Thanatos trusted Shirou even more than Thanatos himself, treating him as the true faction leader.
Under Shirou's lead, the group quickly entered the elevator.
Because there were many people, only a few elite members got in, while others stayed outside to keep watch and prevent any accidents.
The elevator's design was almost identical to the one in Shirou's memory, the only difference being it had only one button that led to a bottomless abyss.
Click.
As Shirou pressed the button, the elevator slowly started.
Although the sea demon caused upheaval to the soil around Babel Tower, it had not damaged the building itself.
The elevator smoothly carried Shirou and the others deep underground and finally stopped at the bottom layer.
Ding.
The elevator doors opened, revealing a very wide space. The huge space was like the belly of a giant beast, wide enough to fit several tall buildings.
If this was man-made...
No, this could not be a man-made environment.
At such a deep underground level, combined with this unique elevator, this place must be created by the gods, a facility made with divine power.
"Such a huge facility… when was it made?"
As a god who descended to the mortal world thousands of years ago, Thanatos had no impression of this enormous cavity.
He looked around confused, unable to believe that a god secretly created such a place.
This was far more exaggerated than the underground dungeons created by the Daedalus Familia over thousands of years!
Moreover, the place they stood was like a bridge, with bottomless black holes at both ends, as if leading to some huge abyss.
"Let's keep moving. The answers we want must be ahead."
Shirou was shocked by this exaggerated place but knew this rare opportunity created tonight could not be wasted.
They must grasp enough truth about Orario at once.
To oppose the celestial god Ouranos, if they didn't understand his plan, schemes, or goals, then resistance was impossible.
The group pressed onward, passing through a long corridor, until they reached a wide space.
Upon entering, everyone felt an eerie sensation causing goosebumps, as if they had mistakenly entered a dangerous zone in a dungeon labyrinth.
"What are these?"
Shirou and the dark faction quickly saw the source of the strange feeling: countless cages containing innumerable monsters from the dungeon.
Judging by the types of monsters, there were at least hundreds of different kinds, from shallow to deep layers, as if every kind of dungeon monster had been brought here as a sample.
"So many monsters? Why? When was this?"
The dark faction was shocked.
Shirou calmly said, "It's probably during the Monster Festival… The Ganesha faction holds the Monster Festival every year, capturing a large number of monsters from underground and bringing them to the surface.
Those monsters are ostensibly used for gladiator fights during the festival, but in reality, only one or two monsters fight each year.
The actual number of monsters captured far exceeds that. They can't just disappear into thin air."
"I see. So Ouranos's faction used the Monster Festival as a chance to transport many dungeon monsters to the surface?" Thanatos nodded slightly. "Then why do they do this? What's the purpose of bringing monsters to the surface?"
"Let's move forward. The answer we want should be ahead."
Shirou said no more and led the group onward.
After passing through the monster-filled room, they came to another space of similar size.
This space also had many cages, but these cages contained humans, not monsters.
Yes, men and women, old and young, of various identities, were locked in cages, all seemingly unconscious, deep in sleep.
"Their souls are gone."
Thanatos, who controlled the power over souls, immediately deduced the commonality among those present.
Shirou glanced at most of their clothing and muttered, "Many of these people are residents of Daedalus Street. Since Daedalus Street is Orario's only slum, every person there is undocumented and without identity. Even if they go missing, no one would notice.
I've always wondered why Orario's economy is so prosperous, yet a slum still exists, why the guild never manages Daedalus Street, or even destroys that chaotic street.
Now it seems the reason is here underground, where the gods have been conducting experiments blending humans and monsters.
The results of those experiments should be the Xenos living underground."
Shirou's words made everyone present shudder.
From the Monster Festival to Daedalus Street, everything seemingly normal in Orario was, in the end, preparation for these underground experiments.
Such an outrageous project has probably been ongoing for thousands of years.
It can be said that since the celestial gods descended to the mortal world, an unknown plan has been carried out beneath Orario, sacrificing countless people and monsters.
Over the years, to fight the order faction, the dark faction has carried out many inhumane acts.
Those actions, whether active or passive, were already cruel and inhumane, but compared to the true darkness of this Orario and the "truth" of this labyrinth city, they were nothing more than a drop in the ocean, a mere speck of dust.
No matter how exaggerated mortal madness is, compared to the coldness of gods, it simply doesn't amount to anything.
"There are even some adventurers who died here." Someone from the dark faction recognized the identity of the person imprisoned in the cage.
Besides the residents of Daedalus Street, some adventurers who had disappeared or died in the dungeon had their bodies brought here, and just like the others, they were mere shells with their souls vanished without a trace.
"Huh? Who is this person?" Thanatos saw a familiar figure among them and showed a surprised expression.
His gaze was on the corpse of a red-haired girl, whose condition was far more shattered than the others — almost like a body pieced together from fragments.
"Do you know her?" Shirou had no impression of this red-haired girl and asked.
Thanatos gave an answer that surprised him.
"She should be Alise Lovell, former captain of the Astrea Familia, one of the most famous young elites of Orario." Thanatos spoke quietly. "However, during a tragedy caused by the dark faction on the 27th floor, the entire Astrea Familia was wiped out, except for the member Ryuu Lion. Even Ryuu Lion is now wanted by the guild for hunting the dark faction and his whereabouts are unknown."
"A tragedy caused by the dark faction? So that was your doing?"
For Shirou's hostile gaze, Thanatos smiled and said, "Although they all call themselves the dark faction, the dark faction from years ago and the one today are completely different.
After the extermination campaigns against the Loki Familia and Freya Familia, the real dark faction was completely wiped out.
The current dark faction, though it carries the name, is essentially just a group of remnants I gathered, turned into an organization seeking the truth of Orario."
"I see, so the tragedy on the 27th floor was the work of the past dark faction."
"Well... Actually, I suspect the tragedy on the 27th floor might not have been the dark faction's doing." Thanatos frowned, "At that time, the Astrea Familia was at its peak, not only strong but with a main god possessing powers unmatched anywhere in the labyrinth city.
Normally, it would be impossible for the dark faction alone to annihilate the entire Astrea Familia."
"You mean... someone else was behind this?"
"Now that the corpse of Alise, the captain of the Astrea Familia, lies here, don't you think that's a pretty good piece of evidence?"
Shirou was noncommittal to Thanatos's words.
After all, he didn't care about the cause of the Astrea Familia's downfall.
That Familia was already a thing of the past, and their main god, Astrea, had already left Orario, having no connection to the city anymore.
Perhaps there was a deeper conspiracy behind the tragedy on the 27th floor, but that was not something Shirou needed to investigate now.
So Shirou ignored Alise's corpse and headed deeper underground.
However, neither Shirou nor anyone present noticed that as Shirou and the others moved forward, a strange glow flashed briefly over the corpse of the red-haired girl Alise.
After wandering in confusion for a while, it instinctively started chasing after Shirou's figure.
Shirou and the others delved further into the depths underground.
Along the way, they saw more spaces like before — either cages holding numerous monsters, or heaps of ordinary people who had lost their souls and become empty shells.
As they continued forward, almost reaching the center of the earth, their eyes finally met a completely different room.
Inside were countless vessels and petri dishes, various complex structures that instinctively reminded Shirou of the room where he and Revis had encountered the "creation of Corrupted Spirit clones."
Shirou instinctively suspected a connection between the two but couldn't confirm it further.
Moreover, the moment Shirou and the others entered the room, they encountered the first living being found deep underground.
"Huh, Emiya? Why are you here?"
It was an extremely handsome male god whose outstanding looks were worshiped by countless women in Orario, even sparking disputes among goddesses.
This person had also given Shirou much help before, and his familiar Naaza was the key to Shirou's recovery.
Yes, the god before them was none other than Miach, the god in charge of the Azure Apothecary.
"So it's really you, Miach." Shirou looked at him coldly; the indifference in his eyes was not like he was looking at a helpful god but more like a mortal enemy.
Seeing Shirou's expression, Miach showed a helpless look and said, "Looks like I don't even get a chance to pretend. Why? Why do you know I'm your enemy?"
"On the night I fought against the Hermes Familia, I developed an obsession to go to Apothecary Street because of Hermes's power.
At the same time, my body experienced uncontrollable fever — a symptom impossible for my physical condition.
That means it was definitely a god's power affecting me."
"Just that?" Miach looked at Shirou. "If it was only using drugs to affect your body, there are not just me, but other gods related to potions, such as Dian Cecht, also a god of medicine."
"Yeah, gods knowledgeable about potions are not just you, Miach.
But the only god who had the chance to infect my body and touch me was you alone."
Shirou looked coldly at him. "If I'm right, it was that morning when I brought Winnie to meet you, you secretly used your power to affect me, right?
Moreover, I suspect the reason you acted against me was because of Winnie. As a Xenos, her identity is hard for ordinary people to understand.
But for you, who know a lot about Xenos, and may even be the creator of Xenos, recognizing her identity should be an easy task."
Shirou finished his reasoning in one breath.
Miach showed a complex expression and spoke with a troubled tone: "Indeed, you really are a formidable human, Emiya Shirou. Ouranos calls you the cancer of this city.
I think you are more like a virus, one that destroys the entire immune system from the very beginning."
"So you admit everything was done by you?"
"That's right.
I used my power to cause your fever and secretly planned with Hermes to kill you in one stroke that night.
But unfortunately, we misjudged one key thing — we never expected you to be the Sword Demon of the dungeon, the strongest individual in today's Orario!"
Miach said with a regretful expression. "If we had known your identity then, we wouldn't have just sent the Hermes Familia after you but the Freya Familia, or even unleashed true divine power, ensuring your absolute death."
"Even if you had done that, I would still have survived." Shirou showed a cold expression. "Before achieving true justice and uncovering all the truth, I will absolutely not die!"
"Achieving justice... Someone once said similar words." Miach said.
"Someone else once did the same?" Surprised, Shirou asked.
Miach didn't continue on that topic. Instead, he sighed and said, "Humans always like to pursue justice, seek truth and secrets, but little do they know that the path to justice and truth is dangerous and destined to bring death and despair.
When ignorance can let you live, when not chasing justice can give you simple happiness, why seek death yourself?"
"Because people have to do something. Between achieving justice and their own lives, some firmly choose the former, even at the cost of the latter."
"Are you one of those too, Emiya Shirou?"
"Yes." Shirou nodded silently, responding coldly to Miach's words.
Miach showed a look of regret. He helplessly opened his slitted eyes and quietly said, "If that's the case, then you will also pay for your so-called justice, Emiya Shirou. Pursuing the truth is not just talk — it requires enormous sacrifice!"
As he spoke, Miach suddenly unleashed an incredible surge of power.
Most wouldn't understand what that power was, but Shirou clearly felt that it was divine power!
Miach, a god, was using divine power in Genkai, a power gods shouldn't use under Genkai's laws!
Whether Miach bypassed the laws through some means or was simply risking returning to Tenkai unleash a destructive force for a short time, the terrifying fact made Thanatos and the members of the dark faction all recoil in fear, unwilling to confront a god who had used divine power.
But now that Miach's divine power was activated, no one present could escape his control.
This underground laboratory had become a prison, destined to bring absolute destruction to all humans and gods trapped inside!
For all this, Shirou was not too surprised.
After all, when he decided to uncover the truth of Orario, he had already realized he would most likely have to confront a true god.
Although this was impossible for mortals, Shirou was tired of hearing about the "impossible."
"There is no hope..."
He would fight with all his might to pursue victory!
For that, even if it meant killing a god with his own hands, he would not hesitate!