Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Summoning Heroic Spirits
Chapter 7: Summoning Heroic Spirits
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The moment Heroic Spirit Summoning opened his eyes again, the blood-red color vanished from his pupils.
His eyes turned as dark and profound as black holes. Surrounding his pupils were mysterious runes, spinning and flowing like chains in perpetual motion, never ceasing.
A dazzling, gem-like light burst forth from his eyes.
The barriers enveloping Enzou Mountain were of various origins. At a glance, one could identify European, Middle Eastern, American, and even a mixture of Japan and Western magic barriers.
When touched, these barriers would typically trigger multiple alarms and unleash an overwhelming wave of magical attacks, as powerful as a tsunami.
In the distance, a faint light was visible, suggesting that even at this late hour, magicians were patrolling the area.
The mountain exuded an aura of power and danger, resembling a tiger crouching or a dragon coiling. It felt more like a den of predatory beasts than a meticulously crafted magical workshop.
The Magic Association had clearly gone to great lengths to ensure that no one could approach Mount Enzou undetected.
But Roy showed no fear as he walked directly toward the barrier.
He moved openly, without hesitation or guilt, and without even attempting to conceal himself. Boldly and deliberately, he touched the barrier.
Under normal circumstances, the barrier would have triggered an alarm upon contact with any foreign object. However, when Roy's hand made contact, nothing happened.
His figure slipped through the barrier effortlessly, like a drop of water merging into the sea.
As his body fully disappeared inside, the barrier continued to function as though nothing had occurred. It did not register him as a threat, and no alarms or traps were activated.
It was as though he didn't exist at all.
Unnoticed by anyone, Roy penetrated thirteen layers of barriers before finally stepping onto Mount Enzou.
"Such a strong stench of curses..."
Like the rest of the outside world, Mount Enzou had long since been reduced to scorched earth.
The land was saturated with curses, tangled within the soil like roots and sprouts. Without a Magus to cleanse them, the area was utterly uninhabitable—even plants couldn't grow here.
No, the curses on Mount Enzou were far more concentrated than those in the wild. The oppressive atmosphere was almost suffocating.
In the wild, curses merely caused discomfort. Staying in the wilderness for extended periods could result in mental instability, but as long as one avoided the rampant monsters, survival was possible.
However, the curses within Enzou were on another level.
For ordinary people, even looking at these curses could be fatal. The dark, malevolent energy would seep into their minds like maggots burrowing into flesh, corrupting their spirit and soul. Most would faint instantly when exposed to such concentrated malice.
Without the mental defenses of a magus, approaching this place was impossible.
"After all, the catastrophe that spread curses across the world ten years ago started here," Roy murmured, his tone laced with a sneer.
Rather than ascending the mountain via the front staircase, Roy circled around to the rear, weaving through the scorched terrain until he found a dark, bottomless cave.
From the depths of the cave emanated an unending stream of malice.
It felt as though the source of all the world's evil, the root of all malice, was buried deep within that cave.
The cave entrance, too, was covered by a barrier.
Roy's magic eyes gleamed with their jewel-like radiance. The runes within his pupils shifted between black and white, harmonizing opposites like the balance of yin and yang, emitting a mysterious glow.
Using the power of his magic eyes, he passed through the barrier effortlessly, as though it were nothing but an empty illusion.
Behind the cave lay an underground passage leading deep beneath Enzou. Shadows of stalactites loomed everywhere, their sharp edges jutting out menacingly. The deeper Roy ventured, the denser the concentration of curses became.
As he neared the deepest part, the curses had begun to materialize. The once-invisible malice transformed into tangible smoke and dust, pitch black and impenetrable, obscuring even vision. The thick fog of curses engulfed the depths, suffused with malice so intense it assaulted the spirit.
Roy walked through the cursed fog, hearing faint whispers and commotion around him.
Something within the fog was tempting him—offering supreme power, unyielding authority, breathtaking beauty, the thrill of wanton slaughter, and other base desires.
At the same time, the voices cursed him righteously, accusing him of heinous crimes like murder, rape, and theft. They whispered that he should take his own life in penance.
In his daze, it felt as though he had truly experienced the events described. His heart swelled with uncontrollable desires and crushing guilt. The mental pollution formed by these conflicting emotions—fear, lust, and sin—threatened to overwhelm him.
"How dull."
Roy walked through it all, his sneer unwavering, the whispers failing to pierce his composure.
Finally, he reached the deepest part of the cave.
A massive hole opened before him.
Here, the endless fog of curses abruptly cleared, and the surroundings brightened.
On the ground within the large crater-like hollow lay an enormous magic circle. It alternated between glowing with a blood-red luster and darkening into an abyssal blackness, swallowing all light. The cycle repeated endlessly, emanating an aura of vastness, complexity, mystery, and terror.
The magic circle itself was intricate, carved with countless geometric patterns and ancient symbols. At its core stood an enormous female statue, towering silently over the space.
Even with Roy's mastery of magic, the sight of the magic circle left him astonished.
"This is truly a relic of the Third Magic... but ultimately meaningless."
His tone was calm, almost dismissive, leaving one to wonder if his admiration was genuine.
At the same time, his eyes began to glow with a demonic brilliance once more.
"Buzz!"
The massive magic circle trembled slightly.
"Connection successful. Empathy established. Experience completed. Settings initialized. Flow adjusted..."
Roy smiled fearlessly beneath his mask, watching as the ritual unfolded smoothly, step by step.
Suddenly, he extended his hand.
"—I proclaim!"
A searing, burning pain erupted on the back of his hand. Looking closely, a three-stroke scarlet Command Seal appeared, forming the shape of wings poised for flight, etched as if by destiny.
"Your body is under my command, and my fate rests upon your sword.
If you wish to follow the call of the Holy Grail, obey this intent and act according to this principle. Then you should respond.
I hereby swear:
I am the one who achieves all the good deeds in the world,
and I am the one who conveys all the evil in the world.
You are the Seven Heavens entangled by the Three Great Word Spirits,
emerging from the Wheel of Restraint, the Guardian of Libra—!"
A dazzling light burst forth from the magic circle, so bright it was almost blinding.
Roy squinted, resisting the urge to close his eyes, and focused on controlling the Holy Grail ritual with precision.
Within the magic circle, a massive torrent of magical energy gathered and began to coalesce into a figure.
"Servant Saber," a voice declared as the figure materialized, "I have answered your summons. Are you my Master?"