Anna and Li Xing returned to the Chaldea embassy and were immediately surrounded by Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash, who anxiously asked what had happened.
Anna told them truthfully. After hearing her account, the two breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that nothing serious had happened, but… Li Xing looked like this…
"Looking at him, Mr. Li Xing was quite cute when he was little…" Mash said, reaching out to pinch Li Xing's cheek.
…
It had been a month since they arrived in Uruk, and everyone at Chaldea had been busy with chores.
One evening, as Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash were walking through the streets, they happened to see an old man lying in an alley.
Fujimaru Ritsuka, kind-hearted, thought he was a refugee and approached to offer him a饼 (bing, a type of flatbread).
"Meaningless pity is evil, and meaningless shame is also evil, but this old man still thanks you for your kindness," the old man said, accepting the饼 from Fujimaru Ritsuka.
"Uruk will face three storms. Towards those who harbor hatred, show no understanding. Towards those who harbor joy, show no agreement. Towards those who harbor pain, show no admiration."
"Remember, to speak of humanity to gods is an act of folly!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash were utterly bewildered by the old man's words, their focus entirely on the "three storms."
"Um… may I ask who you are…"
"Ziusudra!"
After Ziusudra revealed his name, he vanished. Meanwhile, Li Xing, who was with Anna tending to the flower shop, sensed something and suddenly turned his head to look in that direction.
"A Servant of the Crown aura, it's an Assassin, King Hassan. Ritsuka has formed a connection with King Hassan. We're stable, Tiamat has a health bar," Li Xing thought gleefully. With the help of a Servant of the Crown, there was no reason for the mission to fail now, right?
"What's wrong?" Anna asked, seeing Li Xing suddenly turn and stare blankly.
Li Xing turned back and smiled, "Nothing. I have a premonition that our battle is about to begin."
…
Li Xing's premonition was correct. The next morning, Gilgamesh summoned everyone from Chaldea.
For the first time, Gilgamesh called Fujimaru Ritsuka by name, which delighted Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash. Their efforts over the past month were finally paying off.
"Next are the orders I, this king, personally issue. You should feel honored, mongrels."
"Yes!"
Li Xing was speechless. Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash were so happy even when being scolded. Li Xing wished he could have a heart-to-heart talk with Gilgamesh.
"This king commands you to immediately proceed to the city of Ur and investigate the situation there! You must perform your best to please this king!"
…
The Chaldean group then proceeded to the city of Ur. Li Xing materialized a dirt bike and sped off with Anna.
Of course, Li Xing wasn't stingy. He also conjured an ATV for Merlin, not for Merlin's sake, but to spare Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash from excessive hardship, as neither of them could drive. Thus, Merlin had to be the one to drive.
"You seem to know a little bit about everything. What kind of Servant are you?" Anna asked Li Xing, sitting behind him on the motorcycle. It was the first time Anna had wanted to know more about Li Xing.
"Me? I'm a local, and also an outsider. From another dimension, you know? In this world's terms, that would be a Lostbelt. To magi, it's the other side of the world, the other side of the Root."
"I don't know…"
Anna looked confused, not understanding what Li Xing was saying at all. But this was the clearest explanation Li Xing had ever given; it was difficult for ordinary people to comprehend.
As Li Xing and Anna were speeding along the mountain road, an explosion suddenly erupted from underground, blasting their motorcycle away.
In the sky, Li Xing held Anna in a bridal carry and looked down at the ground, discovering a demon beast, a Western dragon-shaped one.
"Xiangxing, this is Mushhushshu, one of the eleven demon beasts born from Tiamat. It's also called the Dragon of Babylon," Li Xing heard Li Yun's prompt in his mind.
"I know. I did my homework before setting out. It's a good opportunity to sharpen my blade with this guy's blood."
"Anna, stand aside and watch. Don't get hurt."
Li Xing landed on a mountaintop, put Anna down, then drew his sword and swooped down.
"Pearl Blooming Moon!"
In the blink of an eye, Li Xing appeared behind Mushhushshu. The beast's ugly dragon head was severed by Li Xing's single strike, and his blade became sharper. An ordinary person, upon a mere glance, would have their eyes stung by the edge of the Star Nebula Blade.
"Good, good. I'm very satisfied."
Li Xing smiled as he looked at the Star Nebula Blade in his hand. It felt so smooth to use. This should be considered a divine artifact.
"This blade of yours… it somehow resembles Ishtar's bow. Is there any connection between your weapons?" Anna jumped to Li Xing's side, examining his blade closely.
At this moment, Merlin, Fujimaru Ritsuka, and Mash caught up from behind. Seeing the demon beast's corpse on the ground and then Li Xing's blade, the three immediately understood what had happened.
"Once you leave Uruk, you're likely to encounter demon beasts. Let's not take vehicles and just walk slowly," Fujimaru Ritsuka suggested, seeing the wrecked motorcycle. He advised caution, as they might not be able to react in time if they were ambushed while in a vehicle.
Everyone else agreed. Merlin, however, was vehemently against it. But Li Xing directly recalled the ATV, stating that if they were to walk, they would all walk together, emphasizing fairness and justice.
"You still haven't answered my question, Li Xing," Anna insisted, still curious and unwilling to give up without an answer, though she only showed such curiosity towards Li Xing.
"Oh, this is something I improved and made based on Ishtar's Ma'anna. What do you think? Isn't it beautiful?"
Saying this, Li Xing showed off his blade. It was indeed quite beautiful. Anna, in a rare moment of not being tsundere, admitted that Li Xing's blade was impressive.
"Li Xing, speaking of which, what class of Servant are you? The doctor said you're most likely a Caster, but it might not be so." Fujimaru Ritsuka suddenly became curious about Li Xing's class as well.
Li Xing suddenly stopped, sheathed his blade, and tossed his hair, declaring with great vanity, "My class is the most magnificent Saber. In both appearance and swordsmanship, I am the most magnificent one. The God of Magnificence, that's me!"
"Let's hurry up, God of Narcissism suits you perfectly," Anna nudged Li Xing, interrupting his show of bravado. He couldn't be serious for more than a few seconds.
"Y-yes…" Fujimaru Ritsuka was still not used to Li Xing's behavior. Sometimes Li Xing went crazy, sometimes he talked to himself, and sometimes he looked deeply contemplative. Fujimaru Ritsuka could no longer discern Li Xing's true self.
However, everyone believed Li Xing when he stated his class. After all, being able to kill a powerful demon beast with a single strike undoubtedly meant he had trained in swordsmanship.
After walking for half the day, the group finally entered a dense forest. Although there were many mosquitoes, no demon beasts appeared to attack.
"This should be considered a tropical rainforest, right? Anna, here, I'll carry you." Li Xing noticed Anna looking flushed with heat and immediately offered to carry her on his back.
Anna initially didn't want Li Xing to carry her, but his body emitted a cool sensation that was very comfortable. Without realizing it, she climbed onto his back.
"Heh heh… The Ice-Ice Fruit and the Snow Breathing are perfect for summer! It's like a mobile air conditioner," Li Xing thought to himself.