Gilgamesh felt no fear at the sudden appearance of the gigantic snake, but instead let out a laugh.
"The Hydra," Gilgamesh declared. "It seems the Caster this time is an interesting fellow."
"The Hydra?" Bai Ye mused. "The terrifying beast from Hercules' twelve trials? Said to possess venom so potent that mere touch means death, and to regenerate heads even when severed? The Hydra."
Gilgamesh nodded. "The Hydra's venom is indeed no trifling matter. Step aside, and let this King..."
Before Gilgamesh could finish, he saw Bai Ye sprint forward with wild abandon.
Gilgamesh wore a bewildered expression.
What was he doing?
Did he have some secret trick to deal with the Hydra?
And then...
Gilgamesh watched as the Hydra opened its cavernous maw and lunged forward, swallowing Bai Ye whole.
Gilgamesh: "..."
What about the secret trick?
Gilgamesh's gaze instantly darkened as he waved his hand forward, "Spit him out!"
In an instant, the golden gate behind Gilgamesh erupted in a blinding radiance, and countless weapons reappeared, hurtling towards the colossal snake's head.
Gilgamesh did not care about Bai Ye's survival.
However, if Bai Ye died, it would mean the end of Bai Ye's journey in the Holy Grail War.
This was something Gilgamesh could not accept!
He, the great King of Heroes, was unable to obtain the Grail? He would fail?
This was utterly unforgivable!
BOOM!
With the impact of the weapons, a deafening explosion echoed.
Under Gilgamesh's barrage, the enormous Hydra's body was forcefully thrown sideways, nearly tumbling from the hotel's outer wall.
Countless fragments of stone rained down below, striking the ground and sending vast plumes of dust billowing upwards.
However, the Hydra soon regained its balance, its massive jaws once again turned towards Gilgamesh.
"Insolent cur, are you provoking me?" Gilgamesh reached to his side. "Spirral Sword!"
From the golden Gate of Babylon, a spiraled knightly sword slowly materialized, falling into Gilgamesh's hand.
The Spirral Sword, a magic sword from Celtic mythology, forged by the elves of the divine realm, imbued with the mighty power of the thunder god!
The next moment, with the Spirral Sword in hand, Gilgamesh raised his blade and slashed forward.
ZZZZZT!
A piercing crackle of surging electricity sounded, followed by countless azure currents lashing out as Gilgamesh swung his sword, striking the Hydra's head with immense force.
BOOM!
The current exploded upon contact with the Hydra, countless arcs of electricity entangling the beast's body.
In the next instant, the Hydra raised its head and then plunged downwards.
Its colossal form crashed from the hotel's outer wall and struck the ground...
The ground collapsed!
Almost instantly, the ground beneath the hotel buckled, countless massive stones surging upwards, and a large area caved in with visible speed.
Surrounding vehicles were crushed into scrap metal by the falling debris. The windows of nearby buildings shattered continuously, and streetlights and utility poles toppled, intertwining in a chaotic heap.
Torn cables sparked and crackled violently, showering sparks!
Gilgamesh approached the edge of the fractured wall and looked down, his eyes burning with fury.
Because the Hydra was not dead yet!
Despite the heavy blow, the Hydra continued to writhe on the ground.
Gilgamesh took a step forward, then descended from the air, plummeting straight towards the ground.
BOOM!
The ground exploded upon his landing, shattering to form a deep crater.
Once his footing was secure, Gilgamesh brandished his sword and pressed forward, a multitude of weapons reappearing in the golden gate behind him.
"Perish, reptile!"
Gilgamesh raised the Spirral Sword high, preparing to strike the Hydra once more, when suddenly...
*Pfft!*
A massive gash appeared on the Hydra's back.
The next moment...
"I was suffocating in there!"
Bai Ye crawled out of the fissure and slid to the ground.
Gilgamesh looked at Bai Ye with surprise. "You're alive?"
"Of course," Bai Ye replied. "If I were dead, wouldn't you disappear too?"
This time, it was Gilgamesh who was left speechless. The logic was undeniable.
Gilgamesh asked, "Humans are poisoned to death by mere contact with the Hydra. Why are you unharmed?"
"That's because I'm immune to poison," Bai Ye said, shaking off the slime from his body. "I guess I can't go back to the hotel to take a shower now, can I?"
Gilgamesh replied, "What do you think?"
The hotel building was still collapsing, with debris continuously falling.
Several floors were engulfed in flames, dark smoke billowing outwards.
Bai Ye sighed. "Looks like we'll have to find another place to shower and sleep."
"No!" Gilgamesh's expression suddenly turned solemn as he looked ahead. "Tonight, we might not be able to sleep after all."
"Huh?"
Bai Ye paused and followed Gilgamesh's gaze forward.
The street was empty and long, with no one around.
The collapsed hotel deterred all approach.
Debris littered both sides, and the fallen streetlights flickered erratically.
Gilgamesh was the most brilliant existence on this street.
Golden, blindingly so.
And on the other side of the street, someone was hidden in the darkness.
An incredibly powerful aura.
A figure slowly emerged.
It was a woman.
Tall and slender, with long, dark purplish-red hair and red eyes.
A gentle breeze occasionally swept past, lifting her hair.
She wore a form-fitting black outfit that accentuated her alluring, fiery figure.
But more dangerous than her physique...
Was her spear!
She held a blood-red, spiraled spear, its tip dragging on the ground as she held the butt.
As the woman walked forward, the tip of her spear scraped against the ground, creating golden sparks.
Gilgamesh tightened his grip on the Spirral Sword.
The golden gate behind him shone even brighter.
There were few in this world who could make the King of Heroes take them seriously.
The woman before him could be counted as one.
After a moment, Gilgamesh spoke. "Queen of the Underworld of the dead and the departed, a queen cursed for stepping into the divine realm in human form, do you intend to declare war upon me?"