At this very mont, a night breeze blew across the Sea of Life that had completely covered the surface of Snowfield City, sending ripples across the water's surface.
One after another, colorful flowers erged from the black mud, swaying gracefully in the wind.
Thousands of ters beneath this dark abyss of black mud, deep underground, Ereshkigal—gripped her long spear, drenched in sweat, as she carried out an unprecedented illegal construction project.
In the modern world, where the Age of Gods had completely ended and physical laws had been established, the so-called Underworld no longer existed.
However, as the Surian goddess who governed death, Ereshkigal was the embodint of the concept of the Underworld.
Using the power of the Goddess of the Underworld who had descended here, she desperately drew vast amounts of magical energy from the leyline of Snowfield City, forcibly creating a miniature Underworld devoid of life.
However... although the plan to drag Tiamat into the Underworld sounded perfect in theory, there was actually a fatal hidden danger that plunged people into despair.
"Lady Ereshkigal, is there sothing worrying you…?"
Mash asked worriedly, looking at the awkwardly moving Goddess of the Underworld.
News ca from Chaldea… Judging from Tiamat's past battles with the six Grand Heroic Spirits, what the great Berserker said was correct. Tiamat did not possess a terrifying self-healing ability… She simply did not know the concept of death.
That was the unique power of Beast II. As long as even a single insect or blade of grass—any life—existed on this planet, the Mother Goddess, the source of all things, would never perish.
The only—and extrely unlikely—miraculous victory left to them was to carve out a domain of the dead devoid of life from underground and forcibly drag Tiamat into it, stripping her of her immortal power.
"It's nothing… There's no problem… From now on, I'll continue rewriting the concept of the leyline…"
Eresh forced a smile and shook her head.
However, the mont she turned around, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"Chaldea's two of you, I was just thinking…"
With her back to them, Eresh whispered, "Could it be that you… or rather, we've been too naive and underestimated that Mother?"
Mash and Ritsuka exchanged glances, seemingly sensing hesitation in each other's eyes.
Eventually, Mash unconsciously stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "Lady Ereshkigal, what do you an by that?"
Eresh turned around, her solemn gaze fixed on the two, and said in a low voice, "Although I've never directly interacted with that Mother before... the reason she left this world wasn't because she was driven out, but because of her own free will."
"Even if I manage to expand the Underworld to a size capable of accommodating the Mother, I might not be able to send her there... In fact, our plan might even anger her again."
This was precisely the problem Eresh feared most right now.
After the violent emotional outburst, upon seeing the children on the surface with no escape—especially the child who still firmly kept the promise of experiencing the beauty of the world with Matou Yuu—Tiamat was struck by regret deep in her heart.
Even in such a destructive state, the last traces of maternal instinct and kindness remained in her subconscious.
Otherwise, even the Grand Heroic Spirits dispatched by Alaya would have struggled to slow Tiamat's advance.
If they now tried to open the gates of the Underworld—
If Tiamat successfully fell into the Underworld, that would be fine, but if they failed... this act would undoubtedly erase the last traces of kindness remaining in Tiamat's heart.
Her instinctive rcy would completely transform into anger at being betrayed by her children once again…
Even if Alaya's consciousness transferred the entire Throne of Heroes to Snowfield City, it would probably be too late.
For a mont, the Underworld seed enveloped in silence.
"However..."
After a period of silence, the orange-haired girl seed to have made up her mind and raised her face without hesitation. "Even if we're too afraid of angering her to do anything now, it's only a matter of ti before this planet is completely swallowed by the black mud and everything returns to its original state, right?"
"In Tiamat's current state, even if Mr. Matou returns, if we can't find a physical way to stop her, it'll be too late... There's no other way."
"For the sake of humanity's survival, for the lives of those still fighting in despair... even if it brings an even greater calamity, even if the success rate is only one in ten thousand... this is the only miracle we can grasp in this world right now."
Eresh paused for a mont.
She stared blankly at the girl before her. The girl was so frail that she looked as though she might collapse in the slightest breeze. After a while, the worried expression on her face gradually changed into a helpless smile mixed with relief.
"I can't stand it… Human Masters always want to say such ridiculous things that you can't refuse in these desperate situations…"
She turned around, returning her gaze to the uncharted dark strata before her, and firmly gripped the spear of the Underworld.
"Phew—"
The golden-haired goddess took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. The confusion had vanished from her eyes, replaced by the dignity of the Queen of the Valley.
"If all of you are prepared to face the wrath of the gods... then as the Queen of the Underworld, I can no longer delay any further."
"Next, I'll dig through this underground in one go and prepare a grand ritual for the Mother. It will contain all of mythology!"
…
…South Arica.
Deep within the Amazon Rainforest, accompanied by spatial ripples, two figures quietly descended—their unique bounded field—into the human world.
The surrounding environnt, once occupied by ORT, had long since been forcibly rewritten into a crystal-clear valley.
However... the colossal alien organism that had originally lain at the deepest part of the valley had long since disappeared.
Matou Yuu quietly chanted a command in his heart and allocated all three free attribute points he had received to the Magical Energy attribute.
Buzz—!
Powerful ether magical energy instantly filled his limbs, and his magical circuits echoed with a joyful resonance.
Feeling the magical energy overflowing throughout his body, he quickly raised his head and shifted his gaze from the edge of the Crystal Valley toward the distant sky.
Eventually, his previously calm expression gradually turned serious, and he slightly furrowed his brows.
"Excluding the domain where ORT exists, the rest of the land has been completely covered by the Sea of Life…?"
The Amazon Rainforest, once lush and green and called the lungs of the Earth, had now beco a dark, desolate swamp.
If even South Arica on the opposite side of the Earth had beco such a hellish place, then Snowfield City—the center where Tiamat had arrived—must be in an even worse state by now…
"What... What's happening?"
At that mont, a clear, beautiful voice filled with disbelief suddenly ca from the side.
No Na Assassin had never imagined that after just one nap, she would wake up to find the world almost completely destroyed.
Although she had vaguely heard the full story from Matou Yuu, seeing this sight with her own eyes still gave her a huge shock.
"This is a long story... For now, the most urgent issue for us is finding a way back to Snowfield City."
Staring at the vast, endless black mud forest spread before him, Matou Yuu couldn't suppress his unease.
The giant spiders were sleeping in the Crystal Valley deep within the South Arican continent, but he had to hurry back to Snowfield City in North Arica.
Although returning to Snowfield City sounded simple, the straight-line distance between the two locations was tens of thousands of kiloters, crossing vast oceans.
If they actually tried to cross the sea to return, by the ti they arrived, this planet would have been completely subrged and reset by Tiamat's Sea of Life.
What should they do…?
While Matou Yuu was still worrying, a light-blue system notification popped up before his retinas.
[Crunch!]
[Feeding Operation Initiated!]
[System Notification: According to vital sign monitoring, the rare pet "Space Red-Eyed Rabbit" residing within your body is in a state of extre anxiety and hunger and strongly desires "Crimson Concentrated Syrup"!]
[Current Quest: Imdiately provide "Crimson Syrup" to calm the stomach of the Space Red-Eyed Rabbit!]
[Quest Reward: Attribute Points 1 (Free)]
Seeing the system notification appear before his eyes, Matou Yuu was initially surprised, but then his eyes lit up as if he had rembered sothing, and he suddenly brightened.
Ah, that's right!
The King of the Moon was still residing within his body!
If he could borrow the power of this "space red-eyed rabbit," then not only ten thousand kiloters, but even directly folding space or activating Marble Phantasm would be possible with just a snap of her fingers.
Realizing this, Matou Yuu did not hesitate in the slightest.
Under No Na Assassin's sowhat confused gaze, the young man slowly raised his right hand, brought his thumb to his lips, and bit down hard on his fingertip.
In an instant, bright red blood gushed out, releasing a rich, exotic fragrance befitting a first-class mage.
"Eat... And then lend your power now," he muttered to himself.
The very next mont, sothing extrely strange happened.
Suddenly, a crimson light radiating a dangerous, captivating aura appeared in Matou Yuu's heart.
That captivating light, as if it possessed life of its own, quietly crawled up the young man's arm and extended to his fingertips.
Imdiately after, the red light greedily yet elegantly absorbed the blood flowing from his fingertip into its body.
At the sa ti, a languid yet arrogant woman's chuckle echoed in Matou Yuu's mind.
"Hehe… Truly delicious. It seems you've safely returned to this world?"
[Ding! Feeding Complete!]
The Space Red-Eyed Rabbit has successfully consud "Crimson Concentrated Syrup" and is in an excellent mood, praising your delicious cooking!
[Reward: Attribute Points 1 (Free)]
Without hesitation, Matou Yuu began conversing with this True Ancestor King who had just awakened from his blood, in his heart.
"Crimson Moon, I need your help... The place you landed is tens of thousands of kiloters away from Snowfield City."
"That's because all other regions are covered by the Sea of Life… Only this region remains unaffected by it."
The voice coming from within his body carried a hint of indifferent mockery. "Don't tell you're going to bla for breaking my promise? I only promised to send you back to this world—I never promised to send you precisely to Snowfield City, did I?"
"And... you deliberately drew my blood to wake from my sleep… all for such a trivial matter as traveling?"
"No," Matou Yuu quietly shook his head. "Sending back to Snowfield City is one thing. There's another matter where I might need your help."
"What if I refuse?" Crimson Moon asked calmly.
"If I die on the battlefield, you won't find another portable 'blood bank' that suits your tastes better than ," Matou Yuu straightforwardly presented his bargaining chip.
"…"
The will residing within his body seed to be enveloped in silence for a mont.
"Fufu… You're the first to threaten with such a condescending attitude."
After a brief pause, she broke the silence again, her voice carrying a dangerous note of joy. "So, what exactly do you want to do?"
"Tiamat has completely gone berserk, and the passage to the Imaginary Sea has been closed... Now, she will either destroy humanity or be defeated by the Grand Heroic Spirits."
"I want to save her… And in exchange, from now on, I'll feed you every day."
Crimson Moon snorted coldly, her tone laced with displeasure at the insult. "...Watch your language. It's as if I'm a lowly pet being fed."
Even the system panel calls you a "Space Red-Eyed Rabbit," so you're essentially a pet, aren't you... Matou Yuu thought inwardly.
"However—"
At that mont, Crimson Moon's captivating voice echoed once again.
"Matou Yuu, you are indeed the most delicious human I have ever tasted…"
"Then, I accept your conditions."
…
…The night sky was cloudless, and the world was desolate.
On this planet full of holes, at this very mont, it seed as though the only sound that could be heard was the epheral yet endlessly sorrowful song of creation, like the sirens of the sea.
The dark sea of life had long since crossed the borders of South Arica and, like an insatiable, greedy beast, had devoured the landmasses of distant continents.
What would humanity ultimately beco?
No one knew.
However, on that scorched earth surrounded by black mud, all the remaining top-tier heroic spirits were on high alert.
"Sohow... I have a feeling sothing's wrong."
Taigong Wang narrowed his eyes and carefully observed the Mother Goddess in dragon form high above. His expression gradually shifted from solemn to hesitant. "The speed at which the Sea of Life is advancing... seems to have slowed down significantly?"
Artoria held the shining Star Sword, looking up at Tiamat soaring high in the sky, and couldn't help but slightly furrow her brows.
The Star Sword Excalibur was a weapon forged by the gods in the deep sea of the proto-star, standing at the pinnacle of holy swords and tempered to repel external enemies that sought to destroy the planet.
However, for so reason, at this mont, she felt as though the sword in her hand—supposedly capable of cleaving stars—had lost its usual restraining power.
It was as if the will of the planet, Gaia, behind this sword was intentionally trying to "make it lazy."
"Why has it stagnated? This is extrely unusual."
From the side ca the deep, resonant voice of the Grand Lancer Romulus.
He firmly gripped his massive spear and slightly furrowed his brows. "Logically speaking, considering the quality of this Goddess of Creation's spiritual foundation, even if we had stopped her here, this planet should have been almost completely assimilated by her by now."
"Because it wasn't intentional kindness at all…"
rlin slowly raised his head. From the very beginning, he had been desperately trying to squeeze out the magical energy within his body.
The far-seeing eyes that could perceive all things now quietly gazed at the colossal being high in the sky.
Although the magus was a nightmare and could not truly understand the complex emotions of humans, he now fully understood why Tiamat had been hesitating.
It was an extrely painful internal conflict.
She had completely lost her sanity and raged at the death of her loved one, and the Sea of Life had rcilessly swallowed most of the planet.
However, deep within her subconscious, a shackle called a promise bound her soul.
If everything on this planet truly turned into black mud... then the flower fields she had promised the young man, and all the beauty of the world she had promised to experience, would all disappear.
What had slowed her progress was this extre attachnt to love and sorrow.
"Hey, King of Uruk. How much longer until that spoiled Mistress of the Underworld finishes setting up the venue for this trump card?"
Tezcatlipoca, hands in his pockets, glanced at Gilgash beside him and said, "The cost-effectiveness of this battle is getting worse and worse. My bullets and patience have limits."
"Fifteen minutes."
Gilgash's crimson eyes stared into the distance, his voice filled with unwavering certainty. "Humanity will not perish in just fifteen minutes. But until then, even if we lose our spiritual foundations, we must not retreat a single step."
"In other words... we have to endure Tiamat's overwhelming aura and forcibly hold her back for nearly fifteen minutes…?"
Taigong Wang smiled bitterly, lightly flicking the God-Striking Whip in his hand. "This is truly a dangerous mission... If she hadn't been restrained by unconscious love, that attack wouldn't have lasted even a minute, let alone waiting for Lady Ereshkigal's miracle."
Goetia had remained silent from the very beginning, rely looking up at the sky.
"Tiamat... Hmm."
His gaze was fixed on the ugly, terrifying dragon-like monster. Those beast-like eyes seed to have watched over three thousand years of human history. They were filled with cold, icy sympathy.
"Even though she bore the infamous brand of the Beast II, she ultimately exposed her weakness by being bound by aningless restraints like love and promises, didn't she?"
"Since hesitation has arisen, for the sake of my long-cherished wish——"
He slowly raised his hand, and an intense light capable of incinerating everything gathered at his fingertips.
"Let this fellow Beast see you off personally!"
BOOM—!
The grand battle—the war between the great heroic spirits and Humanity's Evil, a war that would be etched into the history of Type-Moon mythology—was now about to erupt!
Watching the top-tier heroic spirits doing everything in their power to slow the advance of the Mother Goddess of Creation and resolutely charging into the sky... among them, Goetia seed to be working particularly hard.
rlin, who had been slacking off in the rear, couldn't help but let a mischievous, bright smile appear on his handso face.
"Ah, no matter how many tis I see it, this desperate struggle over a vague future is truly a magnificent drama that never gets boring no matter how many tis I watch it."
rlin leaned on his staff, speaking with a tone full of joy and heartfelt admiration.
"The light of human resistance shining brighter than the stars amid despair and hopelessness... It is truly beautiful and endearing."
Watching this grand survival drama, rlin nodded in satisfaction.
The effort he had expended—even exhausting his magical energy—had been worth it for the act of forcibly luring that most dangerous alien giant spider into a deep sleep using nightmares and illusions.
But... with all this commotion happening in Snowfield City, was that extrely dangerous big guy in South Arica sleeping soundly by now?
Did he need to cast Sleep Illusion two more tis?
With these thoughts in mind, the white-haired master casually shifted his far-seeing gaze toward the distant South Arica.
The illusion he had created continued to drift dreamily above the Crystal Valley, perfectly weaving a healing barrier that lured higher-dinsional beings into sleep.
At the deepest part of the Crystal Valley, clear traces of a massive, flat crater could be seen.
Judging from the smooth cut surface, it was clearly the trace left by that alien organism's colossal disk-shaped body.
"…"
After staring for just a brief mont—a hundredth of a second—rlin's smile suddenly vanished.
He seed to have finally noticed sothing terrifying in hindsight, and stood frozen in place like a statue.
Wait a minute... The illusion is still there, and the trap is still there, but where's the giant spider?!
Even a quasi-great mage who wouldn't flinch even if Mount Everest collapsed before him now looked incredulous. He unconsciously rubbed his eyes and maximized his clairvoyance, carefully searching in South Arica's direction.
After staring for a while, rlin suddenly stood up as if he had seen a ghost.
His beautiful, mystical purple eyes, filled with surprise and unease, stared toward the depths of the Crystal Valley.
"Strange..."
His Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty, and he muttered quietly, "Where did ORT go…?"
…
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