At this moment, in the Mesopotamian plains, Demon Beasts weren't limited to appearing only around Uruk.
Wherever there were human settlements, Demon Beasts were sure to appear. If anything, Demon Beasts were now akin to wild beasts.
Thus, even in the open wilderness far from Uruk, Demon Beasts would show up, as they did now. Though their numbers were small, they posed a significant threat to those traveling outside, especially to scattered nomads. Likewise, those venturing out needed to stay vigilant.
However, in Naoki's case, he had no need to worry.
*BANG!*
Without even moving his hands or feet, Naoki simply walked forward casually. Any Demon Beast that attacked him shattered into pieces the moment they entered a ten-meter radius around him. The blood accompanying them was instantly swept away by a strong gust of wind and lifted into the sky as it spurted out.
This was truly an automatic enemy cleanup and battlefield sanitation.
Behind Naoki, Tomoe, who had initially prepared to face enemies when they first encountered Demon Beasts, was now completely stunned.
Before setting out, she had confidently declared she would act as Naoki's bodyguard to repay his kindness for the meal and lodging. But in the end, she was the one being fully protected, without even a single chance to attack.
"You're truly powerful, Natsukawa-sama." Tomoe couldn't help but sigh.
Naoki walking ahead, smiled: "It's decent enough. Rather than saying I'm strong, it's more accurate to say my abilities are a bit excessive. Imaginary Manifestation is basically a versatile ability that can do anything. If we take that away, my strength is only on par with King Gilgamesh."
This was an understated claim. In reality, a fight between the two might be a 5.5 to 4.5 split, with Naoki at 5.5—provided he didn't use his Mystic Eyes.
(Strength on par with King Gilgamesh?)
To Tomoe, this was already an unattainable level of power. It should be noted that King Gilgamesh was humanity's oldest Heroic King, one of the few Servants who could vie for the title of strongest in the Throne of Heroes. Even in life, he was stronger than his Servant form.
And this was just "decent" in Naoki's eyes?
Tomoe couldn't help but give a wry smile.
Meanwhile, arriving at a cliff, Naoki looked down: "That should be it. The forest Goddess's territory closest to Uruk—Ur."
The forest Goddess.
The main sun deity of South America, Quetzalcoatl. This was the first of the Three Goddesses Naoki planned to visit.
She was the closest to Uruk, and since Tomoe also intended to come here to investigate the whereabouts of Kotarō and Amakusa, they both chose to head this way.
For context, Naoki could have flown directly, but he chose to walk primarily to deal with the Demon Beasts, clearing out groups to reduce pressure on Uruk.
"Yes." Tomoe nodded.
What appeared before their eyes was a somewhat strange situation. Given the Mesopotamian plains' conditions, a rainforest landscape shouldn't exist, yet now it occupied a vast area below, stretching to the horizon, giving Naoki the sensation of running straight from the Two Rivers region into a South American rainforest.
"This dense forest appeared alongside the Demon Beasts half a year ago. After that, Uruk lost contact with all the cities within the forest. Since Fūma-sama and Amakusa-sama couldn't send back any information, we still know nothing about that area."
"Hmm… This distance should be close enough…"
After measuring with his hand, Naoki sat by the cliff's edge, closed his eyes, and focused his mind to sense the situation within the dense forest.
Unlike the outside, teeming with Demon Beasts, there wasn't a single trace of their aura inside the forest. Instead, there were various birds and insects typical of a dense forest. Furthermore, deep within the forest, about three kilometers in a straight line from Naoki, he could sense a gathering of humans, likely the city of Ur.
"The number of people… still normal. Mostly women, almost no men. Living conditions seem very normal, no signs of harm… Hmm, everything's as expected… Then, the important Goddess… I can sense one Goddess. Is the other one out of range?"
After muttering to himself for a moment, Naoki opened his eyes and stood: "Alright, I've got a rough understanding of Ur's situation. Now, let's go there and see the real thing."
"Eh?"
Tomoe was slightly surprised: "You've already grasped Ur's situation? Do you have Clairvoyance?"
"No, I don't have Clairvoyance." Naoki explained. "I just sensed it. I'm a fairy born from the Planet itself. Though I was created later, my abilities in all aspects are no different from those born naturally. As a fairy, it's like an extra ability. I can sense various information from this world at all times."
"To put it simply, I can sense every movement within a radius of at least five kilometers around me at any time. For example, Tomoe, your right toes are slightly gripping the ground, aren't they?"
"!"
The precise information stunned Tomoe.
(Besides Imaginary Manifestation, he also has a perception ability that lets him grasp his surroundings at all times?)
"Tomoe is starting to wonder what you can't do. You're truly versatile."
"Who says? There are plenty of things I can't do—like giving birth. As a man, I definitely can't give birth, right?"
"Hehehe, that's true!"
After a brief pause, Tomoe couldn't help but laugh: "You're also quite the joker."
"Anyone can joke. Even the stiffest people sometimes throw out a quip or two." Naoki chuckled. "Alright, let's head to Ur. My next move might be a bit bold, so I apologize in advance."
With that, Naoki summoned a strong gust of wind, instantly lifting himself and Tomoe into the air!
The sudden ascent made Tomoe slightly panic: "Master, this…"
"Just using the wind to lift us up. Imagine the wind under your feet as solid ground, and you'll get used to it. If we walked to Ur, we'd have to take a long detour, so we'll just fly straight there like this."
"This is Tomoe's first time flying in the air. It's quite a new experience. So this is the view Oda-sama has seen all along…"
Among the Servants stationed in Uruk, Nobunaga was the only one who could fly. By stepping on her matchlock rifles, she could easily soar into the stratosphere. Back in Tokyo, she had even faced attacking aircraft alone in the sky.
After trying the method Naoki described, Tomoe quickly mastered moving on the wind.
"It's a bit harder than moving on the ground."
"If there's a chance in the future, I can train you more. Also, Ushiwakamaru and the others should practice too. Being familiar with aerial combat is very important—but we can talk about that after we return. For now, let's head to Ur."
With that, Naoki dove and flew toward Ur.