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The dragon's head consumed the massive arms and began undergoing a startling transformation. Gilgamesh, the Demonic God Pillars, and the others intensified their attacks, but it was as if they were making no impact. Unperturbed, the dragon's head continued to morph, its core—the black cup—emitting a mysterious dark light.

Right then, Shirou took a quick look at his mana level.

[Mana: B]

"No wonder it's the Second Magic," he thought. Tapping into a parallel world as a power source really supercharges his energy. His mana had just jumped from a D to a B in no time.

And it wasn't just that. Merging Ruby and Sapphire had worked wonders too. They boosted his overall mana and made it recharge faster.

But this rapid boost in mana came at a cost; it wreaked havoc on his body, damaging his tissues. Fortunately, his evil could repair the bodily damage. He also pulled out his sheath, Avalon, for an extra layer of self-healing. All things considered, with the Second Magic in play, his mana recovery was remarkably fast—much faster than when he'd used Evil Flower in a bustling city with hundreds of thousands of people!

Still, as quick as he was, the dragon was quicker. The dragon's huge arms merged, and the shape of its head transformed entirely into a massive black glob of mudball.

The surface of the mudball was a nightmarish sight, covered in ghastly faces that appeared to be screaming in agony. One by one, these faces pushed and pulled their way out, gradually transforming into humanoid figures made of black mud.

There were about seventeen of these figures in total, each one more eerie and strange-looking than the last. However, despite their unusual appearances, they all radiated the unmistakable aura and power of gods!

One of these humanoids, resembling a human but wielding an eagle-headed scepter, lifted it high into the air. Instantly, the sky above the Temple of Time darkened, filling with ominous, pitch-black thunderclouds.

Zla! Zla!

The clouds roiled and surged, unleashing a celestial power that seemed to express the wrath and hatred of the gods themselves.

Another figure stood out, its body as black as night but shining with the brilliance of the sun. Then there was a female figure crackling with thunder, her body awash in a glow that resembled a night sky full of stars—she was the spitting image of Astraea.

No, she was Astraea, or at least an aspect of her that had been consumed.

The massive mudball had now fully divided into seventeen distinct figures, each more detailed than the last. Hovering in the air, one smaller figure clutched a black cup tightly. And facing this figure was yet another humanoid.

But this one was different from the others. It had a specific, recognizable face, and wore a wizard's robe that was all too familiar.

Standing before the black cup, he broke into nasty laughter. "So we've finally reached this point! Eternal King, I see you've used ruby and sapphire. In the end, you can't escape from me. I always told you that you're just as suitable as Merlin for becoming a magical girl! Hahahahahaha..."

Hearing that familiar, grating voice, Shirou could only facepalm in disbelief.

Even the merged Ruby and Sapphire seemed to shudder in their combined form.

There was no mistaking it; that irritating voice belonged to Zelretch—the same annoying old man Merlin had cursed on a daily basis, the guy who had been swallowed by the dragon!

Despite having been devoured by the dragon, Zelretch had somehow managed to retain his self-awareness, perhaps because he wasn't a god, so he didn't share the fate of the others. The moment he laid eyes on Shirou, he burst into laughter.

The man was over the moon. In his long life, the second thing he despised the most were people who looked down on magical girls. But what irked him even more were those who had the chops to become magical girls but stubbornly refused to do so—people like Merlin and, of course, Shirou.

And then there was his ultimate nemesis...

Crimson Moon!

So, to sum it up: his first beef was with Crimson Moon, his second with Shirou, and his third with Merlin. Now, with a little nudge from the invader, Shirou had finally given in and used Ruby and Sapphire to transform into a magical girl!

Why was Zelretch so sure about this? Well, it was pretty much a no-brainer.

Shirou was running low on mana. To reach this point, it was obvious that he needed a quick method to replenish his mana. And what better and faster way to do so than by using the power of Ruby and Sapphire?

Zelretch's laughter filled the air, as triumphant as it was unsettling. Any lingering irritation about getting devoured had evaporated, leaving only the echoes of his boisterous "hahahaha."

His eyes then drifted downward, coming to rest on Gilgamesh and King Solomon. A gleam of excitement lit up his eyes; he had just spotted two more potential magical girl candidates!

Gilgamesh was not amused. With an irritated click of his tongue, he shot back, "Magus, keep your pathetic daydreams to yourself!"

Gilgamesh might have been the epitome of arrogance, but Zelretch was no slouch in that department—perhaps even surpassing Gilgamesh in sheer audacity. He didn't take well to anyone looking down on him. When he got mad, be it Crimson Moon or a god, someone usually paid the price.

And to top it off, he considered this yet another case of squandered potential!

Just then, Shirou broke into a light chuckle. "Zelretch, why don't you use those aging eyes of yours and tell me: Do I look like a magical girl to you?"

Zelretch perked an eyebrow and finally turned to give him a good look.

His face went from gleeful to aghast in an instant.

"What... what is this?" he stammered, visibly taken aback.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but this is Kamen Rider Stars! Oh, and Ruby and Sapphire have betrayed you."

Zelretch was at a complete loss for words.

"Master," Sapphire started to say, but Ruby cut her off. "Master! All of this happened because Sapphire turned her back on the magical girls! I stayed true, but she betrayed all of us to side with the Eternal King! I fought against her influence, but her treachery won out! I beg you to see the truth! I can't stand her anymore!"

Sapphire: "..."

She was shocked that the villain was tattling first; her sister was too despicable and shameless!

Zelretch's face darkened as he stared at Shirou's belt. In a low tone, he asked, "Sapphire, is this true?"

"No, it's not," she began. But before she could say anything, things escalated. The eerie humanoid holding the eagle scepter descended from the sky, summoning bolts of pitch-black lightning. Divine thunder roared, crashing down on them like a vengeful storm.

Boom! Boom!

The black thunder was truly terrifying, but Gilgamesh brought out several shields just in the nick of time, creating a barrier that spared everyone from its wrath.

As for Zelretch, who stood beside the humanoid holding the black cup, he was also poised to descend with the other pitch-black humanoids. Suddenly, a voice emanated from the humanoid gripping the black cup, "Protect me, Zelretch..."

The black cup emitted a light, causing Zelretch's body to tremble. His intent to charge forward was forcibly halted.

Zelretch snorted coldly, his expression revealing a mix of anger and frustration.

At that moment, a dozen or so humanoids with divine powers arrived on the ground.

Zla! Zla!

The black thunder above the Temple of Time didn't let up, crackling with the raw force of divine power. The dozen or so humanoids landing on the ground carried an aura so steeped in divinity, it felt as if the sky itself might crack open.

Gilgamesh's previously slack Chains of Heaven instantly went taut and rigid, eager to decimate those gods.

It was clear as day: These were the aspects of gods that the dragon had devoured, and now they had made their grand entrance as its minions.

Roar! Roar! Roar!

With frenzied roars, they unleashed their divine power—now twisted and warped—in full force. The sheer impact even made the Temple of Time tremble.

Gilgamesh let the Chains of Heaven fly.

Splash!

The chains slithered through the air like serpents, aiming to intercept the enemies.

It was a spectacle of clashing elements: lightning and searing sun danced in a chaotic ballet. The divine force met head-on with the Chains of Heaven, their collision filling the darkened temple with bursts of light.