To be honest, the moment Kamitani Yuu laid eyes on this damaged, streamlined mecha, he was utterly bewildered. In his understanding, the "Divine Bodies" of Old Shinto were typically relatively small fragments.
Of course, giant mecha-like Divine Bodies weren't entirely unheard of—during the Heian period, there were three Great Gusoku crafted from the fragments of Machine Gods.
But Yuu knew his family history; the Kamitani were not descendants of the Four Heavenly Kings. Among those three famous "Gundams," none were silver-white, and the size didn't even match.
Where did this ancestral 'Divine Body' come from? Whose fragment is it? Was it also crafted by the Settsu clan?
A flood of questions rushed into Yuu's mind. He knit his brows in deep thought. However, he wouldn't be left wondering for long.
Standing to the side, Odin lightly swung his scythe-like wooden staff. Under an invisible force, the mecha in the pit slowly floated upward, drifting forward until it landed gracefully before the two of them. The displaced soil slid back into the hollow, restoring the messy ground to its original state.
"Hm, just as I suspected. These are Her remains..." Odin muttered, as if confirming a private theory while he surveyed the white mecha lying on the ground. "To think a portion of that body crossed the ocean and drifted to this remote island."
Odin stepped forward and crouched down, placing his left hand on the machine's surface. A moment later, pale blue prana seeped through the smooth casing and into the interior.
As he probed deeper, a flash of rainbow light flickered in his crimson eyes. He whispered, "Interesting. The internal state is even more tragic than I imagined. Was it shattered a second time by the Great Chief God of another pantheon?"
"Senior Disciple, do you know the true origin of this Divine Body?" Yuu asked, moving to Odin's side.
"I do." Odin withdrew his hand and stood up, his expression mild. "You are likely aware of the 'White Terror' that decimated the second Age of Gods civilization fourteen thousand years ago."
"I know of it." Yuu nodded. He was well aware of Sefar, the White Giant from the Umbral Star.
But why mention Her? Suddenly, a possibility struck him. Yuu turned his head, staring at the silver-white machine with a look of pure disbelief. It couldn't be... right?
Odin, noticing the shift in his expression, smiled and stopped playing coy. "Since you know, I won't waste words on the history. In short, when the world was on the brink of despair, the wielder of the Holy Sword of the Planet appeared, defeated the White Terror, and scattered Her remains across the world."
"Are you saying... this mecha was built using Her fragments?" Yuu asked.
"Exactly."
Yuu looked down at the slender, elegantly designed silver-white mecha. Feeling a pang of regret, he asked, "Is there any hope of repairing it?"
If it were just a typical Divine Body fragment, Yuu might not care so much—but this was a mecha! And it was his mecha. How could any man refuse that?
"Hmm..." Odin hummed, feigning a look of difficulty as he met the silver-haired youth's hopeful gaze. "It's possible, but... I'm afraid I won't have enough time."
"Purifying that corrupted vessel is already a massive project." A faint, almost imperceptible glint of mischief danced in Odin's eyes. "If I add this task to the list, I'll likely be stuck here until the Holy Grail War is over."
So, he's saying I have to fight the Holy Grail War myself?
Yuu's expression turned solemn as he caught the subtext. Although his strength was on par with a first-rate Servant, the ones likely to be summoned this time were no pushovers. Should he still ask Odin to prioritize the repair?
"So, I'll leave the business of dealing with the other Servants to you, Little Junior Disciple~"
Before Yuu could even make a decision, Odin offered a bright smile. "Don't even think about refusing. Consider this your trial."
"Of course, if you pass, I'll have a 'gift' ready for you as a reward."
"I see..." Faced with a God-King who refused to play by the rules, Yuu could only sigh helplessly. He eventually gave a reluctant nod. "I understand. I'll leave the purification of the Grail and the repair of the Divine Body to you."
Things had progressed to a point where he couldn't turn back. Besides, Yuu had always believed that choices came with a price.
Still... having to face the King of Heroes and the King of Knights on his own?
Can I really win?
"The plan has deviated slightly, but it shouldn't be a problem."
Yuu had already departed the Great Underground Cavern, leaving Odin alone.
"After all, troublesome things like fighting are best left to the youth. I'll just handle the 'easy' parts."
The Norse God-King leaned back into a stone chair conjured from magecraft, looking perfectly relaxed. His claim of 'not having enough time' was, of course, a lie. For the Odin who had already parsed the remains of the White Giant, repairing and modifying this damaged frame was child's play.
As for why he was making Yuu fight the Servants alone? The reason was simple: just as he said, this was a trial. A test specifically designed for a budding warrior.
"Let's see what actions you take."
Odin chuckled, then stood up and pulled the faint gold blank card from his cloak.
"Since the complete Third Magic and a massive amount of prana are right here, it saves me quite a lot of effort. Now I just need to integrate the Second Magic and this so-called 'All the World's Evil' into the Class Card..."
Odin pressed his finger to the card's surface. As prana flooded in, the card dissolved into countless pale gold motes of light. In the next instant, the particles swarmed into the Greater Grail.
Having finished, Odin looked down at the broken mecha on the ground. A faint smile touched his lips as he murmured.
"How fascinating. A soul that should have dissipated survived because of the Third Magic and its connection to these remains? Unfortunately, it couldn't resist the erosion of time; its consciousness and memories are gone, leaving only the purest essence."
"It seems that from today on, the Valkyries will have a new member..."
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