C102

Shirou molded most of the mud into a giant, then took hold of the Forest of Einnashe before spreading his wings and heading towards the forest. However, by the time he arrived, the forest had already manifested its Reality Marble, blocking him outside of it.

A Reality Marble is a powerful Bounded Field that distorts reality with mental images. When it's activated, it can absorb nearby objects into its own mental image, effectively blocking out any external interference.

The Reality Marble of the Forest of Einnashe, however, was far more advanced than others.

In fact, it no longer felt appropriate to refer to it as a Reality Marble. It was more akin to a predatory hunting ground. The forest's Reality Marble could automatically open and close, baiting unsuspecting creatures inside before hunting them down and preying upon them.

Filled with concern for his family and others, Shirou pressed himself against the Reality Marble of the Forest of Einnashe, his mud overflowing and blanketing the area.

A sizzling sound echoed as the vile thoughts, curses, and all the world's evils capable of disrupting the laws of the mental world began corroding the forest's Reality Marble.

Like an abyss that consumed everything in its path, Shirou's mud devoured the thin membrane that encapsulated the mental world of the Forest of Einnashe. A gaping ten-meter hole was left in its wake, allowing his mud to infiltrate the Reality Marble from the inside.

Before charging in, Shirou left a portion of the mud behind, fortifying the area around the hole to prevent the world's membrane from regenerating.

Once inside, he was met with a voice.

"Who are you to destroy my territory and infiltrate my world?!"

The spiritual interference of the Forest of Einnashe resonated within Shirou's mind as he spoke, "I'm here to save someone."

In response, the voice of the forest hissed, "Are you trying to steal my food? Then you shall become my food as well!"

The vampiric trees surrounding Shirou extended their branches and attacked him. If they managed to capture him, there was no doubt that he would be drained of his blood and turned into a lifeless husk.

Shirou's evil boiled over, the darkness within him reaching a boiling point, and his black mud manifested in a terrifying display. Eight massive arms erupted around him, each projecting a mountainous sword that glinted menacingly in the moonlight.

With a fierce swing, his eight arms cut through the branches of the vampiric trees as if they were nothing more than brittle twigs. The air crackled with electricity as the swords struck, severing the branches from their trunks with a sound like thunder.

Wherever he went, the trees were cut off at their waist, unable to get close to Shirou.

"Die!"

The Forest of Einnashe began using mental interference, attempting to inflict serious harm on Shirou with its vast mental powers.

Yet, the evil within Shirou surged, effortlessly crushing the forest's mental interference.

To some extent, the "Enlightenment of the Sacred Fig" and the "Evil Flower of Freedom" share similarities.

The "Enlightenment of the Sacred Fig" is a result of great wisdom and is impervious to mental interference. Similarly, Shirou's "Evil Flower of Freedom" uses endless evil thoughts to protect against mental attacks.

As long as one cannot penetrate the shroud of these malevolent thoughts, one cannot harm Shirou with mental assaults.

Shirou deftly evaded the trees' attacks, dodging their limbs as they reached for him. Meanwhile, his eight black arms and their accompanying thirty-meter swords sliced through the trees' trunks with precision, cutting them down at their waists. Despite his efforts, however, the trees' regenerative abilities proved to be a formidable obstacle, as they continued to sprout anew no matter how many he destroyed.

He had been continuously using Mana Burst on the mud giant outside, rapidly depleting his magical energy. This level of consumption would leave countless magi wide-eyed and pale, shaking their heads in defeat. Yet, for Shirou, whose magical power was comparable to a leyline, it was insignificant.

As soon as Shirou stepped into the depths of the Forest of Einnashe, he was relieved to see that his family, Sakura, and classmates were all unharmed. He breathed a sigh of relief and allowed himself a moment to relax. But as he looked around, he couldn't help but feel surprised by what he saw.

It soon became apparent to Shirou that his family and classmates were protected by a thick layer of mud, acting as a shield to keep them safe from harm. The mud extended all the way to the branches of the Forest of Einnashe, which were promptly consumed by the curse upon contact as if they had fallen into Shirou's own black mud.

Shirou charged straight into the midst of the mud tide, feeling a familiar and unsettling sensation as soon as he made contact.

A massive wave of malevolent energy flooded his mind, piercing through his mental defenses in a seamless manner.

'I can't believe there's someone like you among humans!'

The thought echoed through his head but provided no further context or explanation. After a moment, the unsettling presence retreated.

Shirou tried not to dwell on the mysterious evil thought he had just experienced, as it had not shown any hostility toward him and had even seemed to be controlling the mud tide to protect his loved ones.

He carefully scanned the crowd until he finally spotted his mother, Sakura, and his classmates. As he made his way toward them, he was surprised to see that Rin, Luvia, Issei, and others were also gathered around them. And then he noticed something else: the mud tide was flowing out from the seven black pearls near Sakura.

It seemed as though the flow of the mud tide had reached its end, as only one or two drops trickled out before turning into a fine powder and vanishing into the air.

"Shirou, you..." Mrs. Fujimaru trailed off, her eyes widening in shock as she took in the sight of the black mud swirling around Shirou's body.

Shirou interrupted her with a firm yet gentle tone. "Mom, I'll explain everything to you after all of this is over. But for now, please let me focus."

Mrs. Fujimaru nodded slowly, her expression betraying a mix of emotions.

Shirou turned his attention to Sakura, patting her shoulder reassuringly. "You did a great job using the black mud to protect everyone, Sakura."

Sakura's expression turned regretful. "That... was supposed to be a birthday present for brother."

Shirou shook his head. "Your safety is the best gift you could give me."

As he looked into Sakura's eyes, his own clear gaze caused her heart to flutter slightly.

Rin's expression became complicated as she looked at Shirou. "Shirou, you're actually a magus..."

Shirou turned his head to face Rin. "Rin, can we discuss this later when we return? For now, please listen to me."

Rin nodded, muttering to herself. "I'm not a child. I understand the urgency of the situation. This scoundrel..."

Suddenly, a surge of evil overtook Shirou, consuming him and manifesting as pitch-black armor. He then released a burst of magical energy that illuminated the area like a bright light, burning fiercely as if fueled by some unseen power.

In a sudden burst of light, Shirou shone with a brilliance that was reminiscent of the first rays of sunshine dispelling the darkness. All eyes were immediately drawn to him, from the confused to the afraid and even the hopeless, as if gazing upon a beacon of light in the midst of darkness.

Shirou slowly ascended into the air, allowing more people to see him. His deep voice echoed through the area as he shouted, "People, you don't have to be afraid anymore. You don't have to fear anymore. Because I'm here!"

"He's the savior of light!"

"He's Ultraman!" exclaimed the awestruck onlookers.

...

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