"Last night, the central area of Fuyuki City suffered large-scale destruction, the cause of which has not yet been determined."
"However, as you can see, since midnight yesterday, a massive floating garden has appeared in the skies above Fuyuki City."
"Some say this floating garden is an alien spaceship fortress, that it attacked Fuyuki City. Others claim it's merely a mirage or a high-tech projection. Official responses are still pending."
"Nevertheless, we have invited expert Mr. Oshima. We will now switch to the studio for a special interview with Mr. Oshima."
"Hello everyone, I am Oshima. Based on my research throughout the night, the floating garden appearing above Fuyuki City bears a strong resemblance to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon recorded in historical documents. You can see here, this is an image I found during my research..."
Bai Ye picked up an apple from the table and took a bite, watching the news on the television.
After flipping through several channels, the reporters differed, but the content remained the same.
Furthermore, looking at the floating garden during the day made it even more breathtaking – immense and opulent. Beyond the outer gardens, a towering castle could be seen in the central area, grand and magnificent.
The twelve stone pillars surrounding it also evoked a sense of wonder, exuding an ancient aura.
There was another detail that Bai Ye found strange: fragments of rocks were floating around the perimeter of the floating garden, seemingly converging towards it.
In addition to this, several halos of different colors perpetually swirled around the floating garden.
"What are these halos?" Bai Ye murmured in confusion. "They seem to be merging into the floating garden?"
"That is mana!"
Just then, Gilgamesh's voice suddenly rang out, startling Bai Ye.
Bai Ye said helplessly, "Why do you move without making a sound? And can't you knock before entering?"
Gilgamesh snorted, walked to the wine cabinet, poured himself some red wine, and sat on the sofa opposite. "Under the heavens, all land is the King's territory. Where this King wishes to go, he needs no one's prior announcement."
"Whatever makes you happy," Bai Ye spread his hands, then asked, "What's with the mana?"
Gilgamesh said, "Large Noble Phantasms like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon cannot be used at will. The current floating garden is incomplete and is continuously absorbing the mana from this city."
Bai Ye said, "So isn't this the best opportunity to attack?"
Gilgamesh said, "On the surface, it appears so."
Bai Ye pondered, "But in reality, it's the same problem we discussed last night. If this is a trap, why reveal itself so openly? But if it's not a trap, it shouldn't have appeared so openly either."
Bai Ye scratched his head; it was a perplexing paradox.
Especially since the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were not yet complete, it should not have appeared. Instead, it should have secretly absorbed mana until its completion before launching an assault.
From this perspective, unusual occurrences often hide ill intent. Since the other party allowed the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to appear before its completion, they must have some ulterior motive.
Bai Ye said, "Could it be intentional? To use the incomplete state of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to lure others into attacking?"
Gilgamesh said, "Perhaps."
Bai Ye said, "You don't seem very concerned?"
"Does this King need to be concerned?" Gilgamesh sneered. "No matter who the opponent is, no matter what Noble Phantasm they wield, I will obtain the Holy Grail."
Bai Ye said, "Then why didn't you barge in last night?"
Gilgamesh said, "This Holy Grail War is quite interesting, with some intriguing individuals present. However, the Saber and Lancer have yet to reveal themselves. I wish to meet them first, and then end everything."
Bai Ye shrugged; it was indeed quite in line with Gilgamesh's character.
Bai Ye tossed the apple core into the nearby trash can and said, "Then shall we wait and see?"
Gilgamesh nodded, then looked at the floating garden on the television.
...
Meanwhile...
Above Fuyuki City, on the floating garden.
A long, narrow corridor, empty and serene.
Li Jiayi walked down the corridor, each step echoing and making the corridor seem even more profound.
Soon, Li Jiayi reached the door at the end and casually pushed it open.
This was the core of the floating garden.
In the vast hall, a man and a woman stood.
The man was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with golden curly hair, a handsome and resolute face, but his brows carried an aura of ferocity.
Senal Dalilo, one of the executives of the Dragon's Hoard Association.
To be precise, he was currently the third-in-command of the Dragon's Hoard Association.
A ruthless killer, after all, Senal was the initiator of this wish, and the participants of this wish mission were chosen based on kill count, and Senal's kill count...
Ranked first!
However, Li Jiayi did not pay much attention to Senal.
Li Jiayi was more interested in the woman beside Senal.
The woman possessed beauty that captivated men. She had long, flowing black hair like a waterfall, and wore a black dress that accentuated her graceful figure. Her eyes held a hazy, decadent look, yet strangely, they also possessed a noble elegance.
Most importantly...
She was the owner of this floating garden. 138 Reading Network
The legendary queen of the Assyrian Empire. She poisoned her husband and was known in heroic epics as the oldest poisoner. However, her outstanding governance and military prowess led people to forget her ruthlessness and instead sing her praises.
She was Semiramis, the woman known as the Empress!
Thinking of this, Li Jiayi couldn't help but feel a bit dejected.
Look at the Heroic Spirits summoned by others.
A legendary queen, the oldest King of Heroes, the guardian of the Shadow Realm who controlled the souls of the dead, a Berserker known as the strong man of Hercules...
Every summoned Heroic Spirit was incredibly terrifying.
What about himself?
Fuuma Kotaro...
A ninja from the Land of Izanagi...
Although a famous ninja, and even the leader of the Fuuma clan, wasn't he just an employee?
Others were kings, or queens, or guardians who were also queens. The only one who had no relation to royalty had a father who was a god-king...
Li Jiayi felt his situation was quite difficult.
At the same time, Senal looked at Li Jiayi and suddenly asked, "Is your plan feasible?"
Li Jiayi snapped back to reality and smiled, "There is no absolutely successful plan in this world, but at least it appears successful so far. No one has made a move, have they?"
Why did the floating garden appear so conspicuously?
There was no special reason.
This was Li Jiayi's suggestion to Senal, specifically to make others speculate about why the floating garden appeared so openly!
And then...
While others were guessing the reason and holding back, it would absorb mana and make the floating garden complete.
...