Type-Moon, What Do You Mean You summoned Tiamat?! Chapter 60: Laughing in Anger

Abandoning the Grand Rank was an extrely destructive and ultimate concept in the Type-Moon world.

Normally, Grand Heroic Spirits were not summoned into Holy Grail Wars to satisfy the selfish desires of magus, but were specially dispatched weapons sent by the Counter Force to protect humanity and battle Beasts.

When a Grand Heroic Spirit chose to abandon the Grand Rank, they were in fact actively destroying the outer shell of the Grand Rank Saint Graph that Alaya had built for them.

They ignited this spiritual origin—sufficient to support the weight of myth and their very existence—and transford it into a destructive, self-destructive attack.

This was a miracle that could only be perford once in the lifeti of any Grand Heroic Spirit.

Looking up at Tiamat, who had completely transford into a world-destroying dragon high in the sky, every heroic spirit present understood clearly that conventional Noble Phantasms and magical bombardnts could never stop the advance of this Goddess of Creation.

Among these heroic spirits standing at the pinnacle of myth, if one were to na the only person capable of forcibly defeating that noble and mighty goddess and slowing her march toward humanity's extinction... there was only one.

It was Orion, the great archer.

His very existence symbolized absolute suppression and ultimate sniping from an unreachable distance.

Thus, Orion firmly gripped his massive bow and made his decision with unparalleled resolve.

—He would abandon the Grand Rank at this very mont!

And the instant the Grand Saint Graph was shattered by Super Orion's own hands—

BOOM!

A deep-blue beam piercing heaven and earth, carrying magical power so imnse it distorted reality, shot into the sky!

"Sorry, Artemis. Looks like I'm stealing the spotlight this ti!"

Looking up at the Sea of Life that continued to devour the planet, Super Orion muttered these words to himself like a soliloquy, casting aside all stray thoughts as he slowly placed his hand on the bowstring glittering with starlight.

As the bowstring was gradually drawn to its absolute limit, an unprecedented surge of magical power erupted with Super Orion at its center.

A howling wind shook everyone present.

Even the proud King of Heroes, Gilgash, could not help but show an extrely complex solemnity in his crimson eyes at this mont.

"—Artemis Agnós!!!"

Accompanied by a thunderous roar, a blue teor the weight of a crown fell from the sky!

As if sensing the imnse magical power unleashed from the heavens, Tiamat slowly raised her dragon head.

However, she made no attempt to dodge. On the contrary, the raging Sea of Life surrounding her like an abyss instantly defied gravity and surged toward the top of her head.

"AAAAAAAAA"

Guided by the mystical and sorrowful song of creation, the dark sea of life rapidly solidified, transforming into countless overlapping layers of immortal defense.

But—

BOOM!!!

It was a powerful attack that gambled the very existence of a Grand Heroic Spirit, its quality and destructive power far surpassing the realm of ordinary Noble Phantasms.

The instant the deep-blue light cannon touched the Sea of Life, it exploded with an unprecedented collision!

The two opposing forces clashed repeatedly until the deep-blue beam of light finally broke through the defensive line of the Sea of Life.

The very next mont, the azure beam—carrying Super Orion's iron resolve to sacrifice himself—rained down violently!

In an instant, an unprecedented storm covered the entire sky.

The buildings left beneath Tiamat trembled unsteadily in the fierce wind before finally collapsing with an ear-shattering roar.

The tsunami of black mud surging across the ground was temporarily torn apart by the terrifying aftershock of this attack, creating a bottomless vacuum.

And soon, the Sea of Life once again filled the earth.

Dust and smoke rose everywhere, and the sky above the entire city looked as though it were covered in a hazy fog—as if the ashes of buildings had blanketed the whole city.

After Orion's self-sacrificial attack, the violently churning Sea of Life seed to pause for a brief mont.

"So this is... a Grand Heroic Spirit? Insanely strong."

Far from the battlefield, in the shadow of a high-rise building, a non-human creature with strange wings quietly observed Tiamat's direction.

Soon, a mischievous smile appeared on his face.

If even he—who had not yet fully evolved—possessed such abnormal spiritual power and destructive force... then if he were to take that attack head-on, he would probably suffer serious injuries, or in the worst case, lose his life.

This is Thia, who resided within the body of the genius magus Flat and was now beginning to evolve.

But... it didn't seem that simple.

As if he had discovered an extrely interesting developnt, Thia's smile grew even wider, and his eyes were filled with anticipation for a magnificent show.

…

anwhile, Faldeus, who had been secretly observing the battle, let out a sigh of relief upon seeing this sight.

Almost simultaneously, deep within the underground command center, one of his subordinates suddenly shouted in a desperate voice, as if he had discovered sothing. "Lord Faldeus, look at those numbers—!!!"

Faldeus suddenly raised his head.

The very next mont, the relieved expression on his face vanished completely.

He was so shocked by the scene displayed on the screen that it could only be described as inhuman, and for a mont he was at a loss for words, muttering, "How can this be..."

Without a doubt, Orion's self-destructive attack had slowed Tiamat's advance and even wounded her.

However... at this very mont, Tiamat's wounds were healing at a speed that completely defied biological laws.

In the blink of an eye, her colossal body had fully recovered—as if the destructive blow that could have killed a god had been nothing more than a passing breeze across her surface.

"A Grand Heroic Spirit risking their very existence to self-destruct... Is their destructive power still no match for Tiamat's regeneration speed?"

…

Taigong Wang stared at this chilling scene and imdiately said with a bitter smile, "Even for , this sight is sowhat despairing."

"Despair…?"

At that mont, Tezcatlipoca's indifferent voice suddenly ca from the side.

"It seems all of you have underestimated her regenerative power."

"No… To be precise, it isn't regeneration, but rather a tyrannical dominion called Immortality, isn't it?"

The Aztec god, wearing sunglasses with both hands in his pockets, looked up at the colossal Goddess of Creation who had healed in an instant and spoke with an extrely solemn expression. "As long as the underlying logic of that immortality remains... even if you all abandon the Grand Rank, you will never truly be able to defeat her."

Taigong Wang narrowed his eyes, quickly grasped the point, and said quietly, "In other words... to defeat Beast II, we must first deal with this so-called immortality? Berserker, do you know anything about the rules of the divine realm?"

"It can't be called a clue, but I've roughly understood this Goddess of Creation's operating principles."

Tezcatlipoca revealed an extrely calm yet despairingly cruel truth. "Tiamat is the Mother of Life. As long as even a single insect or blade of grass—any life—exists on this planet, the concept of death does not exist for Tiamat, the source of all things."

He slowly exhaled the stagnant air. "But since she possesses this unreasonable immortal power on the surface... the only thing we can do is forcibly unplug her network cable and drag her to another place where the laws of life do not exist."

rlin, who had been slacking off from the beginning, suddenly brightened his purple eyes upon hearing this and said quietly, "In other words..."

"Hmm... This might be our only chance to turn the tide this round."

The great Berserker raised his head and said quietly, "Only by dragging her into the abyss of death, a place where even the concept of life does not exist, will she finally qualify to show a health bar."

"In other words... the Underworld?"

Taigong Wang slightly narrowed his eyes and said quietly, "If I had to say, that is indeed the only possibility for victory."

"But... how exactly do we send this Goddess of Creation to the Underworld?"

For a mont, the battlefield seed to be enveloped in silence.

Gilgash had not spoken a single word from the beginning, rely looking up at the ancient god who had taken the form of a dragon.

Even the all-out attack of the Grand Archer could not slow the speed at which the Sea of Life devoured the planet.

However... the Sea of Life, which had been rapidly covering the entire planet, had begun to noticeably slow down, as if it were doing so intentionally.

For a long ti.

As if realizing sothing, Gilgash slowly closed his eyes and let out a very small sigh.

When he opened his eyes again, his crimson eyes were filled with determination. "First, let's make that foolish goddess open the gate to the Underworld…"

"Leave the rest to ."

…

…Deep within the stone chamber of the Cult.

A faint fla slowly rose.

The whispers of the elders faintly reached her ears.

"This child is an incomprehensible monster... She has mastered all the techniques of the past eighteen generations of masters. After many long years, the Cult has finally witnessed a new miracle."

"A genius? A miracle? No... that is no miracle. At best, it is nothing more than an ugly imitation."

From the darkness, soone slowly spoke, each word tightening the chest. "The na Hassan al-Sabbah is given only to pioneers capable of creating their own assassination techniques... In the end, this child is nothing more than a pitiful imitation."

"Indeed, she possesses neither outstanding appearance nor the power to perform special miracles. However, her faith is far too fanatical—she has lost all human reason. If such a weapon that knows only slaughter becos the leader of the Cult, the Assassin Order will undoubtedly be wiped out completely."

The girl knelt on the cold stone slab, listening to the arrogant conversation of the elders. Her slender body trembled violently.

No...

I don't need my own face...

I don't need to perform my own miracles...

I only wish to beco the sharpest blade of God and pass on the glory of the great ones of the past to future generations forever!

Why... Why is this faith, which has offered everything on the altar, condemned as heresy?!

The girl cried out desperately in her heart, but realized no sound ca out.

She could only watch helplessly as the elders solemnly raised the white skull mask symbolizing the highest authority and glory of the Hassan Order.

"Judgnt has finally been passed——"

The Grand Elder's voice echoed solemnly and majestically in the light of the bonfire. "The title of the nineteenth Old Man of the Mountain shall be inherited by the Hundred Faces, who have split into countless forms and hold infinite possibilities."

"As for this fanatical heretic... confine her to the underground prison. Until the twilight of the Cult arrives, she shall not appear from the shadows."

…

"No—!!!"

Accompanied by a cry of heart-wrenching despair, No Na Assassin suddenly opened her eyes.

"Haa… haa…"

She gasped for breath, her chest heaving violently like soone who had just been rescued from drowning.

Her black bodysuit was already soaked with cold sweat, and a trace of terror still lingered on her pale, beautiful face.

"Awake? I thought you'd sleep a little longer."

At that mont, the calm and casual voice of a young young man suddenly reached her ears.

No Na Assassin's eyes narrowed sharply, and she shot upright like a startled cat.

However, she was shocked to realize that the scene spread before her was completely different from the desolate yellow sands of the desert she had seen before losing consciousness.

What spread before her eyes was a warm, modern living room that seed almost unreal.

Beneath her lay an impossibly soft white bed, and the lighting above emitted a reassuring glow while a faint fragrance filled the air.

Sitting in front of the pure white, soft bed was a black-haired young man... None other than Matou Yuu. He had just activated the Portable Warm Bed.

Although Matou Yuu had already sealed ORT within this extrely special ownership bounded field, it was still an extrely dangerous existence that could potentially destroy galaxies. Unable to be certain whether ORT could sleep peacefully in this modern room, Matou Yuu had decided to continue observing for a while.

And ORT was clearly very satisfied with the environnt here…

At this mont, the crystal spider the size of a washbasin lay defenselessly on the wool carpet. The blue nebula inside it flowed smoothly, even emitting faint "puff-puff" snoring sounds, sleeping even more soundly than it had in the Crystal Valley.

"Who are you?"

At that mont, No Na Assassin's confused voice suddenly reached his ears, pulling Matou Yuu back from his thoughts to reality.

He then turned his gaze to the assassin who had just woken up before him.

Although she usually gave people a gloomy impression, once she removed her mask, this assassin truly had a deceptively beautiful and refined face.

A dazed expression still lingered in the girl's captivating red eyes, as if she had just woken up.

She vaguely rembered that when she had been harassed by that perverted Master, Jester, the First Hassan who stood at the bottom of the abyss had personally appeared and severed the twisted contract between her and Jester with his sword.

Afterward, having lost her source of magical energy, she had completely lost consciousness in the desert.

So what happened...?

Why had a person appeared in such a place?

"You lost consciousness near the inn where I was staying. After discussing it with my Servant, we decided to bring you into this bounded field filled with magical energy for the ti being... This place is safe. As long as there is sufficient magical energy, you won't need to exit just because you've lost your Master."

As if sensing her doubt, Matou Yuu gently explained.

No Na Assassin ca to her senses and unconsciously looked at the black-haired young man before her.

After a while, she seed to understand the situation sowhat and wore a complex expression. Then she said quietly, "I see... So you saved ?"

At least for now, it was undeniable that she had been completely liberated from that Master's control.

Thinking this, the girl's tense body unconsciously relaxed slightly in the shadows.

However, she imdiately shook her head and said in a stiff tone, "You're also a participant in this Holy Grail War, aren't you? Lending a hand to an enemy Assassin who has lost her resistance in the middle of a Holy Grail War... Not only is it aningless, it's complete suicide."

"Suicide…?"

Hearing this, Matou Yuu couldn't help but smile bitterly and shake his head. "This is the result of careful consideration between and my Servant. Besides, the fact that you collapsed on the roadside due to insufficient magical energy ans your connection with your previous Master has been completely severed, right?"

"In this chaotic war, even forr enemies can beco allies, right?"

In the end, he accepted the girl's gaze without the slightest wavering.

Honestly speaking, for most magus, Assassins had always been synonymous with sothing strange, distorted, and terrifying.

This was also the first ti Matou Yuu had seen a Hassan up close.

Although she still exuded the aura of an assassin who kept strangers at bay, her bare face revealed a pure, untainted side.

Was this the face hidden beneath the mask of every Hassan, or... was this girl the only exception?

Noticing the young man's gaze fixed on her face, a flicker of doubt appeared in No Na Assassin's eyes. Then, as if she had finally realized sothing terrifying, she unconsciously raised her hand and touched her cheek.

The veil that had originally been wrapped around her face had long since disappeared, and when she gently touched it with her fingertips, all that remained was the sensation of her own soft, warm skin.

For a brief mont—a hundredth of a second of stunned silence—

The red eyes of the usually cold and murderous girl suddenly widened in terror.

As if she had been electrocuted, she covered her face and staggered backward with an expression of disbelief.

"You... You saw it?! You removed it?!"

Matou Yuu was surprised by the cold assassin's expression, and his ears instantly turned red. He quickly understood the situation and explained, "It wasn't . When I helped you, your veil was already open…"

"Don't worry. This is a secret between you and . I won't tell anyone."

"…This isn't even a matter of keeping it a secret!!!"

No Na Assassin cried out in deep sha and anger. Even her usually clear voice trembled with extre panic.

She silently covered her flushed, innocent face and peeked at Matou Yuu between her fingers with terrified eyes, stuttering a warning.

"You——must imdiately erase what you just saw from your mory! Otherwise... even if you are my savior, I will gouge out your eyes or commit suicide right here to atone for the sins of past Hassans!"

"If the Hassan Cult learns that you killed your savior, the heroes will be greatly disappointed, won't they?" Matou Yuu asked cautiously, seeing her embarrassed and indignant expression.

"…"

No Na Assassin was at a loss for words.

This extrely precise logical loop had completely shut down the genius assassin's brain.

The very next mont, she curled up like an ostrich and hid in the corner of the living room.

A dark, gloomy cloud hung above her head, and an aura of isolation emanated from her entire body. "I am no longer pure"

"I have no face to et God"

"I will surely have my head severed by the First Lord with a single stroke"

"Don't worry, I promise I won't tell anyone… Let's keep this our little secret."

Matou Yuu smiled reassuringly, then shifted his gaze to the small ORT sleeping soundly on the carpet a short distance away.

"Besides, this really isn't a good place to make loud noises… If we wake that guy up, it'll be incredibly troubleso."

Hearing this, No Na Assassin regained so composure.

Following the young man's gaze, she glanced at the transparent crystal spider the size of a washbasin and whispered, "A familiar?"

"Modern magus really seem to love playing with these delicate pets that are completely useless in the harsh battles of the Holy Grail War."

As she spoke, she unconsciously took a step forward, trying to approach the seemingly harmless crystal disk.

However, the very instant she took that first step, an unprecedented terror suddenly erupted from the depths of her heart.

Under this invisible pressure, No Na Assassin's movent froze in midair.

Haa…?

She widened her eyes in disbelief, feeling her body involuntarily stiffen at that mont.

Eventually, she looked at the creature sleeping soundly on the wool blanket with eyes full of surprise and doubt.

As a top-class Assassin, she possessed extraordinary danger sense.

At that very mont, when she approached within three ters of the crystal spider, she was struck by an indescribable sense of terror.

It was as if every cell in her body was sounding an alarm, screaming, "Run! Don't co closer!"

What on earth was this…?

Seeing the hesitation in the girl's eyes, Matou Yuu opened his mouth at the perfect mont and explained, "Don't be nervous. This guy is a creature that only recently arrived in this world... It's just extrely sleepy and has an incredibly bad temper when it wakes up. I was a little worried it might not sleep well in an unfamiliar environnt, so I ca to check on it."

"Crunch!"

The mont he began speaking, a line of text quietly appeared.

[Ergency Nursing Operation Activated!]

[System Notification: Post-detection, your "Alien Glass Octopus" has now entered a severe deep-sleep adaptation period. Due to the drastic changes in gravitational paraters and laws of the surrounding environnt, it is in a very restless sleeping state.]

[Quest Requirents: A top-class pet owner's soothing skill! As a responsible owner, gently stroke the crystal-smooth "big head" with your warm palm before bedti to calm your precious pet.]

[Reward: Attribute Points 1 (Free)]

Seeing the system notification appear before his eyes, Matou Yuu's lips twitched slightly.

Was this system really trying to make raise ORT like a pet?

Despite the various thoughts racing through his mind, Matou Yuu steeled himself and walked toward the large spider lying on the blanket.

Almost the instant he did so, the nebula-like pattern symbolizing space seed to flow across the surface of the crystal spider resembling a robotic vacuum cleaner.

An indescribable, terrifying sense of oppression naturally welled up.

"Don't co closer!"

No Na Assassin's pupils contracted slightly as she suppressed the soul-tearing tremor. Without hesitation, she tried to stop him, looking as though she were about to leap forward.

However, Matou Yuu had already taken the lead and walked straight toward the giant spider.

He crouched down naturally and extended his hand, gently placing it on the smooth, round do of the robotic vacuum cleaner-like creature, as if soothing a grumpy cat.

The sensation was almost exactly as expected. When his palm touched it, his fingertips felt cold, hard, and smooth.

But strangely, it was as if so remarkable calming magic resided in Matou Yuu's palm. The instant he gently stroked ORT's carapace, the violently flickering blue nebula inside miraculously cald, even emitting a soft, satisfied "humming" sound.

[Ding! Mission Complete!]

[System Notification: Thanks to your affectionate, gentle head-pat, the nebula core of the alien Glass Octopus has stabilized and fallen back into a deep, sweet sleep!]

[Quest Reward: Attribute Points 1 (Free)]

[Alien Glass Octopus's Favorability toward you 5]

Matou Yuu returned from his dazed state and looked at No Na Assassin beside him, whose body was still slightly stiff. He smiled and turned to her, explaining.

"Don't worry. It's not as bad-tempered as you think... At least, as long as you don't approach it with hostility or forcibly wake it up, it absolutely won't harm you."

Matou Yuu didn't know what situation ORT was in outside of South Arica, but at least within this mobile hotspot, the alien organism didn't seem to show particularly strong aggressive tendencies. Rather, it was like a robotic vacuum cleaner that only ate and slept.

…And it had a rather gentle personality.

Watching this scene, No Na Assassin's mind went blank.

"What... is this?"

After a while, she ca to her senses and unconsciously asked.

Matou Yuu thought for a mont before explaining. "Simply put, it's an alien organism with a slightly unusual constitution that just really likes to sleep... It's not that scary a creature... Look, when you pet it, it becos really docile, right?"

Seeing the young man soothing ORT as if petting a cat, No Na Assassin managed to suppress her inner conflict and calm herself.

Her red eyes hidden in the shadows quietly stared at the young man's profile as she said softly, "Enemy Master, I'd like to ask—why would you go out of your way to save an enemy Assassin who has lost her Master and beco completely useless in this constantly changing Holy Grail War?"

"What exactly do you expect from in this war?"

In response to the girl's confused question, Matou Yuu simply clapped his hands, stood up, and smiled. "If I said it was because Tiamat suggested it, and because I didn't want to see soone suffering so much die aninglessly on the roadside, would you believe ?"

The girl stopped in surprise.

Her eyes wavered slightly, and then she was enveloped in a long silence.

In any case… her life had indeed been saved by the young man before her.

Now, would she continue to eke out a living in the Holy Grail War, honing her skills and pursuing the so-called miracle that belonged to her, or would she bid farewell to the young man before her and accept her fate of being eliminated…?

No.

The broken assassin's blade that had remained broken for so long had only one answer.

"I have neither my own appearance nor a miracle to prove my worth. I am nothing more than a crude weapon discarded by the Cult, nothing more than a fragnt of a soul that should have vanished in a corner of Snowfield City."

No Na Assassin took a deep breath, as if she had made an extrely important decision.

The very next mont, under Matou Yuu's sowhat surprised gaze...

This genius assassin who had mastered all the techniques of the Hassan clan unhesitatingly dropped to one knee, holding a black short sword stained with countless blood droplets in both hands, gripping it tightly… She held the blade and, in an extrely ancient gesture of pious submission, offered the hilt to Matou Yuu.

"However, since you have poured new magical energy into this broken blade and forcibly dragged from the brink of death…"

When she raised her face, the young man's face was reflected in her clear, beautiful eyes.

"Then, from this mont onward, my life—which is barely clinging to existence—is completely at your disposal."

"My short sword shall sever all heresy for you. My shadow shall protect you from all arrows. Even if indescribable abysses and hells await ahead…"

The girl slightly lowered her head, her voice exceptionally solemn and dignified.

"I, the unfortunate Hassan, nineteenth head of the Assassin Order, hereby swear. My new Master... Please use this wounded body as you see fit."

Seeing the girl's solemn oath, Matou Yuu fell silent for a mont. "Think it over carefully one more ti... What I'm about to do might go against human ethics."

No Na Assassin was slightly surprised, but there was not the slightest sign of hesitation in her pure, beautiful expression.

Then, in an unbelievably calm voice, she said one word at a ti.

"The teachings of the Hassan Order never taught us to distinguish what justice is or what human reason is. An assassin's fate is simply absolute obedience."

Yes… Ever since she set foot in the Hassan Cult, ever since she engraved faith deep in her heart, she had unconditionally followed this cruel iron law.

A blade had no right to think. It only needed to know whose head to sever.

For a Heroic Spirit, the Master was the ruler of the present world, the only truth to which they should swear loyalty.

She had long since been prepared to fall into the depths of hell.

For the sake of the Master before her—

"Is that so? You don't even mind opposing the world…"

At that mont, the black-haired young man's unbelievably calm and gentle voice reached her ears once again.

"What if... the next enemy you must draw your sword against is the Old Man of the Mountain?"

Before No Na Assassin could recover from the shock of swearing her loyalty, Matou Yuu calmly t her eyes and posed a fatal question. "Are you... prepared to draw your sword against the First Hassan?"

"Of course, no matter who the enemy is, this body serves you——"

The mont the young man finished speaking, before the enormous amount of information could be effectively processed by her brain, No Na Assassin's innate instinct of absolute obedience blurted it out without hesitation.

However, before she could finish speaking, as if she had realized sothing terrifying, her previously resolute expression froze completely in an instant.

The very next mont, she awkwardly raised her face and stared at Matou Yuu with a dazed, terror-filled expression.

"Wait a minute… What did you just say… Who?"

"Are you prepared to fight the First Hassan?" Matou Yuu repeated cautiously.

BOOM!

The young man's unbelievably calm and composed voice thundered like a lightning strike in her ears the very next mont, scorching her entire brain.

"…Eh?!"

In her shock, she involuntarily gasped, and this genius assassin's worldview seed to collapse completely.

The First Hassan, Hassan among Hassans… The Old Man of the Mountain.

The re ntion of that na caused the instincts engraved deep in No Na Assassin's soul to begin trembling uncontrollably.

Even a genius who had mastered the techniques of eighteen Hassans was nothing more than a sinner whose head could be severed at any mont before the First Hassan who had pronounced death.

It was the pinnacle of their faith, an inviolable "god."

And now the young man was saying that she… might have to point her blade at that First Lord.

A failure who didn't even qualify to inherit the na Hassan assassinating the real Hassan…?

What kind of joke was this?!

No Na Assassin swallowed hard, and after a while she finally regained her composure and asked in a trembling voice, "W-Why…?"

"Because the person I'm trying to save right now… has beco the enemy of all humanity."

Matou Yuu smiled. "The seven Grand Heroic Spirits, and all the Servants summoned by the leyline of Snowfield City to fight against the great calamity... If nothing unexpected happens, they will all beco our enemies."

"...Seven Grand Heroic Spirits?!"

No Na Assassin stared at the young man in shock. The shock she had felt upon hearing she would have to fight the First Hassan suddenly turned into pure absurdity.

Even if they had just sworn loyalty and blindly followed the teachings... she didn't believe the two of them could simultaneously fight multiple top-class Heroic Spirits.

Furthermore, among them were the Grand Heroic Spirits symbolizing humanity's highest combat power!

However...

"Why?" she couldn't help but ask.

Having only just woken up, she had no idea how many shocking changes had occurred in the outside world.

"Don't forget that the Goddess of Creation Tiamat also descended as a Servant in this Holy Grail War, right?"

Matou Yuu said slowly. "After I was attacked, she completely went berserk... Now the outside world has been almost completely swallowed by her destructive Sea of Life."

"Once, I promised her that after the Holy Grail War ended, I would let her experience all the beautiful things in this world and fill the emptiness in her heart... But now, she has beco a calamity that will destroy humanity. She will either erase everything that exists and return the world to its original state, or be defeated by the Grand Heroic Spirits and et a tragic end."

No Na Assassin's eyes sparkled as she clearly recalled the power Tiamat had displayed when she descended upon Snowfield City, and she couldn't help but ask, "Tiamat… will lose?"

"If she truly resolves to destroy everything, then neither the Grand Order nor the world can defeat her," Matou Yuu answered with absolute certainty.

"But considering her personality..." He paused. "She will eventually soften her heart."

From the Age of Gods to the present, Tiamat had been forced to sleep for a long ti in the cold Imaginary Sea out of love and pity for humanity.

She deeply loved humanity and the children she had given birth to.

Even after being betrayed, abandoned, and branded as a Beast, her maternal instincts had never disappeared.

Because she was the Mother Goddess of Creation... even if she was completely consud by despair at this very mont, when faced with humanity's final desperate resistance, her subconscious would undoubtedly produce an extrely fatal hesitation.

Furthermore, he had promised Tiamat that she would experience all the beauty in the world.

These emotions were Tiamat's greatest weakness—the only flaw the Grand Heroic Spirits could exploit to completely defeat her.

However... Matou Yuu could not accept this outco.

He could not accept Tiamat eting a tragic end once again—being attacked and defeated—out of kindness toward humanity or the affection for him hidden deep in her heart.

Staring at the sowhat slender young man before her, No Na Assassin gradually recovered from her initial absurdity and trembling.

Faced with seven Grand Heroic Spirits and countless Heroic Spirits... had he chosen to stand beside that lonely Mother Goddess?

She quietly lowered her eyes and whispered, "Are you... really prepared to accept this?"

"If we truly end up clashing with the First Lord or fighting the Grand Heroic Spirits... it will undoubtedly be a dead end leading straight to Avici Hell."

The black-haired young man did not answer imdiately. He rely lowered his head and quietly glanced at the alien monster sleeping soundly at his feet.

Then he slowly raised his face, t the girl's serious gaze, and a bright smile appeared on his face.

"Since the gates of hell have already been opened…"

"We won't know until we try it ourselves, right?"

…

…The Underworld.

"Eresh-san, has there been any ssage from that King of Heroes?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka carefully observed the expression of the Goddess of the Underworld before her and asked cautiously.

A short while ago, Gilgash had used a special magical technique to convey his intentions in an arrogant, confident tone.

Completely ignoring the protests of the Mistress of the Underworld, he had casually issued the unreasonable order: "Imdiately expand the Underworld to accommodate the Mother Goddess of Creation."

"Ah… Understood, understood! That goldy really loves giving such sloppy orders!"

Eresh grumbled. "But creating a massive Underworld space capable of accommodating a planetary-level spiritual core like the Mother from nothing in such a short ti isn't as easy as he makes it sound! At least consider the difficulty of construction!"

"I believe in you, Lady Ereshkigal! You can definitely do it!"

Fujimaru Ritsuka clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling.

"Yes, yes, because you are the invincible Queen of the Underworld who rules the domain of the dead!"

Mash nodded repeatedly, sincerely empathizing with her feelings.

"Haa…?"

Hearing the two's straightforward and unreserved praise, the golden-haired goddess blinked.

In an instant, her beautiful face turned bright red all the way to her ears. She frantically waved her hands, her eyes darting around as she stamred, "W-What nonsense are you saying! Even if you flatter like that, do you really think I'll go easy on your heavy labor? I am the terrifying Goddess of the Underworld! There's no way I'd get happy or motivated by such flattery!"

As she spoke, she glanced at the two, crossed her arms, and muttered, "Honestly, you two are hopeless… But if you insist, I'll reluctantly do my best."

Seeing that Ereshkigal had regained her composure, Mash let out a sigh of relief.

However, she imdiately looked up with a slightly worried expression. "I wonder how Emiya-san is doing… He went up to investigate the surface and still hasn't co back."

Hearing this, Fujimaru Ritsuka, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but smile reassuringly. "He'll be fine… After all, Emiya-san is a capable and reliable person."

Mash nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm… I see."

…

…At this very mont, high above a rift in the Underworld.

Emiya Alter stared solemnly in Tiamat's direction.

Eventually, he quietly sighed.

"Even the desperate attack of a Grand Heroic Spirit who sacrificed their very existence couldn't completely defeat her?"

Although he had sensed this, when he witnessed the colossal body of the Mother Goddess of Creation heal instantly, a deep sense of powerlessness and self-reproach welled up in his heart.

After all… a hidden danger that could have originally been resolved with a single bullet had now escalated into a crisis threatening the very survival of the entire planet.

Simply because the bullet he had fired from the gun hadn't completely killed Faldeus.

Thinking this, he unconsciously clenched his fist.

However...

Now that things had co to this, no amount of regret could change the current situation.

As a heroic spirit with the soul of a plunderer, he understood better than anyone what needed to be done.

The man took a deep breath, turned around, and walked straight toward the rift leading to the Underworld.

And just as he was about to leave——

Buzz—!

From the ground that had once been covered by the Sea of Life, an incomparable sweet fragrance suddenly wafted out, as if intoxicating.

That fragrance seed to possess so kind of mysterious power that captivated people. Just a slight whiff would have been enough to induce a sense of ntal decline.

Imdiately after, enchanting purplish-black lotus flowers quietly blood from within the black mud.

In addition, a sweet, soft laughter that seed capable of lting the reason of the entire world echoed.

"Hehehehe…"

…

…

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