Bai Ye and Gilgamesh entered the Hanging Gardens.
This did not signify the end of the battle, but rather its beginning.
The courtyard was densely packed with Dragon Tooth soldiers, and the moment Bai Ye and Gilgamesh landed, they lunged towards the pair.
Bai Ye wasted no words, raising the Xuanyuan Sword and sweeping it forward.
A crescent-shaped golden sword energy reappeared, sweeping forward. Wherever the golden sword energy passed, the Dragon Tooth soldiers exploded.
From head to body, they were completely pulverized, with no chance to reassemble.
Bai Ye sighed, "As expected of the Xuanyuan Sword!"
On the other side, Gilgamesh swung the spiral sword in his hand forward, followed by a wide sweep of electricity.
Upon hitting the Dragon Tooth soldiers, it formed chain lightning, continuously jumping and crushing them one by one.
Gilgamesh sneered, "A bunch of grunts."
Bai Ye shrugged. While they were grunts, their intention was clear: attrition.
Even though the Dragon Tooth soldiers could not harm them, fighting them would inevitably consume Bai Ye's stamina, and Gilgamesh's attacks might deplete his magic.
With continuous accumulation, by the time they reached the depths of the Hanging Gardens, the enemy would gain an advantage.
However, this was an open ploy.
Even though Bai Ye knew they were trying to wear him down, there was nothing he could do. The Holy Grail was in the enemy's hands, and their only option was to fight their way to the depths of the Hanging Gardens.
As he thought this, he continued forward.
The surrounding Dragon Tooth soldiers, fearless of death, kept attacking.
Bai Ye flicked his wrist, the Xuanyuan Sword swept out, shattering the body of a Dragon Tooth soldier, and then he swept his leg forward.
Phoenix Flame!
Blazing flames erupted from Bai Ye's body and, with that sweeping kick, vast swathes of fire spread out, covering a large area ahead.
However, as Dragon Tooth soldiers composed solely of bones, the effect of the flames was not ideal.
The Dragon Tooth soldiers could move freely in the flames, and even if they were reduced to ashes, it would take time.
But…
"Flame Burst!"
Bai Ye then made a grasping motion forward.
Boom, boom, boom!
Within the sea of fire, explosions sounded continuously, and then the Dragon Tooth soldiers within the flames were successively blown to pieces.
Bai Ye and Gilgamesh stepped on shattered bones and moved forward, quickly passing through the courtyard and arriving before the ancient castle in the center.
Bai Ye looked up at the magnificent ancient castle before him and said, "Finding someone in such a large castle won't be easy."
Gilgamesh said, "The core of the Hanging Gardens is on the uppermost level. If they don't reveal themselves, then…"
Gilgamesh's smile made his intention clear: if they couldn't find the person, they would simply destroy the Hanging Gardens to force them out.
As they spoke, Bai Ye and Gilgamesh entered the castle.
But the moment they stepped inside, a strong gust of wind swept down towards them.
To the left and right, Bai Ye and Gilgamesh leaped aside simultaneously.
Looking up, it was a Dragon Tooth soldier of immense size, four to five times larger than an ordinary one, appearing ferocious.
Then…
Bai Ye casually slashed forward.
The Xuanyuan Sword radiated golden light, and the golden sword energy reappeared, sweeping forward.
With a boom!
The Dragon Tooth soldier was split in half by Bai Ye's sword, its body instantly scattering into pieces.
Bai Ye stepped forward, stomped with force, crushing the Dragon Tooth soldier's head, and then looked ahead.
In the passage behind the entrance, Dragon Tooth soldiers were densely packed, almost filling the entire passage.
Then…
Gilgamesh proudly raised his head and looked forward, then extended his hand.
The golden barrier of the Gate of Babylon reappeared, and within the concentric golden ripples, a large number of weapons appeared, and then…
they were launched!
Boom, boom, boom!
The weapons clanged, followed by continuous roaring sounds.
The surrounding walls continuously shattered, the bluestone slabs on the ground cracked, and the Dragon Tooth soldiers quickly turned into piles of scattered bones.
"Unable to withstand a single blow!"
Gilgamesh flicked his cape, and the golden barrier behind him disappeared.
Bai Ye spread his hands and then walked forward.
Continuing onward…
It was as Bai Ye had speculated; the enemy was indeed employing an attrition strategy.
Those Dragon Tooth soldiers posed no threat to Bai Ye and Gilgamesh, and presumably, they would not cause much trouble for other summoned beings and their Servants.
However, the enemy still created a large number of Dragon Tooth soldiers, filling the entire castle, all to keep everyone in continuous combat.
Then…
Turning a corner, Bai Ye and Gilgamesh suddenly stopped.
The passage ahead…
There were no Dragon Tooth soldiers!
However, the passage was littered with countless white bones, clearly indicating that it wasn't that there were no Dragon Tooth soldiers, but rather that they had already been dealt with.
Bai Ye and Gilgamesh looked up simultaneously, at the end of the passage, into the dark shadows.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump…
The metallic sound of combat boots striking the ground echoed.
Soon, at the end of the passage, a man and a woman walked into view.
The woman wore a blue dress, but over the blue dress was silver armor. Her long golden hair was tied up, with a single strand of ahoge gently swaying in front of her forehead. In her hand was a silver knight's sword, its hilt inscribed with golden runes.
A powerful aura!
Bai Ye narrowed his eyes. If nothing else, this was an extremely powerful Servant.
As for the summoned being beside her…
He appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, wearing a jacket and jeans, with a baseball cap worn backward, chewing gum.
Bai Ye was slightly stunned, then he smiled.
During the wish mission, one really encountered many acquaintances from past lives.
Cao Mingjin, from the Mythological Civilization world!
In Bai Ye's past life, he was one of the strong individuals who survived to the end, disappearing in the final melee in the central area.
Bai Ye had also participated in that central area melee, but he had never fought Cao Mingjin. However, as someone who could last until the end, even without having fought, they had surely seen each other, or at least heard of his name.
Cao Mingjin stepped forward and said, "Hey, you on the other side, if you are willing to retreat now, then we will cease hostilities."
"Hmm?" Bai Ye looked at Cao Mingjin and asked, "Are you joking?"
This guy couldn't possibly be that naive, could he?
Or rather, naive people don't live to the end!
Cao Mingjin spread his hands and said, "This is the request of the King of Knights, and an embodiment of chivalry."