MP 212: The Divine Demon Beast, Humbaba!!

"…The King of Magecraft's lapdogs?!"

The Demon God Pillars' eyes blazed with barely contained fury at Quetzalcoatl's scathing insult.

"Quetzalcoatl, you mere foolish deity, what could you possibly understand?!"

"Our grand cause, our resolve, our dreams, and everything about that King, how much do you even know?"

"A mere god, an outdated relic cast aside by time, dares to judge our King's great work with your narrow vision?!"

Their voices trembled with rage, their gazes toward Quetzalcoatl filled with murderous intent.

"Incineration Ritual!!"

Blinding beams erupted once more into the night, their power even more terrifying, fueled by the pillars' ignited fury.

Quetzalcoatl's words had understandably enraged them.

They would not tolerate insults to themselves or their great King. Their ideals could not be sullied or trampled. They were driven to fulfill that grand plan and mission, to reshape a more perfect world.

Chaldea, Uruk, and Quetzalcoatl were enemies obstructing this great work.

To fulfill their King's legacy, they had to be eliminated.

No longer holding back, the Demon God Pillars focused their mana, locked their sights, and unleashed their strongest attacks, aiming to kill Chaldea's mightiest warrior.

"Oh? Got you all riled up, did I? But what's so respectable about a King who betrays humanity?"

Dodging swiftly across the plain, Quetzalcoatl retorted fiercely, closing in on a Demon God Pillar. She raised her serrated sword and mercilessly tore through its body.

"You're nothing but accomplices. What right do you have to lecture me?!"

"I didn't expect you vile creatures to personally show up in this timeline and ally with Gorgon. But if you think mere Demon God Pillars can take me down, you're underestimating me!!"

"I am the Feathered Serpent Goddess!!!"

Her voice rang out as she channeled mana, her serrated sword igniting with blazing flames.

As the Aztec sun god and ruler of the Second Sun Age, her solar fire wielded power and heat surpassing even Karna's.

"Pfft, underestimate? No, we wouldn't dare underestimate you, Divine Spirit."

The pillar she'd bisected sneered mockingly, showing no fear or emotional wavering despite its fatal wound, only endless derision.

"What did you say?"

Quetzalcoatl's expression turned icy.

"Haha, nothing, nothing. But compared to those insignificant mortals, no matter how many, or that strange boy, your value is far greater, Quetzalcoatl. Don't worry, you'll understand soon…"

With its final mocking words, the slain pillar lost its life.

Its dying taunt left Quetzalcoatl with an ominous feeling.

Meanwhile, the remaining five pillars had no time to mourn another fallen kin.

They swiftly repositioned, surrounding Quetzalcoatl in a formation of four supporting pillars, channeling mana to form a barrier that trapped her at the center.

"A barrier?"

Seeing the pillars' trick, Quetzalcoatl frowned, withdrawing her serrated sword from the slain pillar. She glanced at the barrier, a mocking smile on her lips.

"You don't think this level of barrier magecraft can seal me, do you?"

"No, of course we're not that naive."

"But since we said you're our target, we've made foolproof preparations."

The lead pillar added, "And now is your end, Quetzalcoatl."

Her unease growing at the pillar's dying words, Quetzalcoatl decided not to linger in the barrier. Gripping her weapon, she prepared to tear it apart and escape.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!

At that moment, her expression hardened. Piercing shrieks and an instinctive alarm made her frown.

As she considered her escape, several mana-infused, razor-sharp spears of earth shot toward her like arrows, accompanied by a beastly roar: "ROAR!!"

"What's that?"

The ground surged, countless sharp earthen spikes erupting, blocking her footing. A terrifying flame burst from the earth.

Simultaneously, the surrounding pillars forming the barrier unleashed mana, attacking Quetzalcoatl in midair.

Using her weapon and midair maneuvers to dodge most attacks, she still took a direct hit from the sudden flames rising from the ground.

"Ugh…!!"

Even as a sun goddess, her Servant body struggled against the mana-laced flames, her expression darkening.

The presence before her grew more tangible.

An enemy with an earthy aura, on a divine level.

It had been lying in wait, biding its time for this ambush?

"ROAR!!!"

The demon beast Humbaba burst from the earth, its deafening roar shaking the air.

Thanks to the Demon God Pillars' machinations, most of Kingu's intellect had been erased, leaving only basic sentience for communicating with Tiamat. In battle, Humbaba's beastly instincts took over, turning it into a creature driven solely by slaughter and obedience.

"Humbaba?!"

Seeing the massive beast, Quetzalcoatl's face tightened, recognizing its true identity.

Its colossal body melded with the earth, resembling a lion, radiating terrifying mana.

Its roars summoned fierce storms, its maw spat meteoric flames, and an ever-present aura of death enveloped it.

The beast's identity was unmistakable, the great earth beast, guardian _

of the jungle, Humbaba, from the Epic of Gilgamesh, a creature even the gods found troublesome.

Now, somehow resurrected by the Demon God Pillars.

But that aura…

Sensing a familiar presence, Quetzalcoatl tentatively called out, "Kingu?"

"ROAR!!!"

But only Humbaba, fully merged with Kingu, answered with a deafening roar and a barrage of golden weapons raining down.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!

The relentless storm of Noble Phantasms, paired with its fiery breath, gave Quetzalcoatl pause.

As the guardian of the Golden City's gates, Humbaba wielded the authority to use the world's treasures, a power Gilgamesh gained after slaying it.

Unlike Gilgamesh's lavish barrages, Humbaba used fewer but immensely powerful and varied Noble Phantasms, amplified by its flames and the watchful Demon God Pillars.

Facing this onslaught, Quetzalcoatl finally understood the pillars' claim that she was their target.

Humbaba and so many pillars had let the other two Servants go to isolate her.

The battlefield no longer held just the initial six pillars. With Humbaba's arrival, five more appeared, joining the ambush and attacking simultaneously.

"Incineration Ritual!!"

Terrifying lasers swept in again, forcing Quetzalcoatl to evade.

"Not just a divine-level beast but over a dozen Demon God Pillars? You're really going all out… Putting in this much effort to kill me."

Facing fifteen Demon God Pillars and Humbaba, Quetzalcoatl's calm demeanor vanished.

No matter how strong, she was still a Servant. Facing these enemies was overwhelming.

Their barrier and coordination were too troublesome. If this dragged on, she'd be worn down.

In this situation, her only option was to unleash her Noble Phantasm.

Even then, she wasn't sure she could escape safely, especially with Gorgon still absent and unknown trump cards in play.

But she had no choice, she had to fight.

Even if she fell here, she'd take out these troublesome pillars to ease her Master's future battles!!

As Quetzalcoatl steeled herself to unleash her Noble Phantasm, an invisible black hand from Humbaba slipped past her vision, reaching for her.

"What's that?"

Her face stiffened, sensing the imminent threat just as it closed in.

As she prepared to surge mana, sever the arm, and escape,

"?!!"

Something was coming!!

___

If you're interested in reading more that 50 chapters, feel free to visit my pat reon, 

https , // www .pat reon. com /XElenea