["Tiamat has suffered severe injuries. Although her Spirit Origin response hasn't weakened, she can't continue moving for a short period!"]
Romani, who had been closely monitoring the battlefield, quickly stated, "Judging by the previous battle, we should be able to stall her for at least two hours!"
This time, the injuries Tiamat sustained were truly immense. Moreover, Quetzalcoatl was not a Sumerian deity but a supreme god from a distant magical realm. As a result, Tiamat had no divine resistance against Quetzalcoatl.
All these factors compounded to bring about this outcome.
"Finally—"
Hearing Romani's response, Fujimaru finally exhaled in relief, collapsing onto the back of the flying dragon. Even Mash plopped down beside her.
The two girls, who had been fighting back-to-back, let out long sighs.
Facing the primordial god Tiamat, engaging in a twenty-minute-long battle against the Crimson Dragon, and witnessing the clash of supreme deities—
One battle after another had kept both Ritsuka and Mash on edge, piling on immense pressure. At last, they had a brief reprieve.
Unlike the relieved Ritsuka and Mash, Alaric remained vigilant, watching over Tiamat. Soon, he spotted a figure sprinting across the crater.
The yellow flash carrying the Sun Goddess Quetzalcoatl away at high speed was, of course, the ever-lovable Jaguar Man.
"Jaguar Man, huh—"
Seeing that Quetzalcoatl was unharmed, merely being carried away without a second glance, Alaric's lips curved slightly upward. He quickly redirected his gaze toward Tiamat, who was in the process of regenerating.
"Quetzalcoatl has left—"
Suddenly, a thought struck Alaric—Quetzalcoatl's original mission.
Evaporating the chaos tide...
Alaric's heart tensed. Without Quetzalcoatl restraining her, would Tiamat once again unleash the Sea of Life?
However, in the following minutes, under Alaric's unwavering gaze, Tiamat remained motionless, kneeling silently in the crater like a statue.
Even so, Alaric didn't let his guard down. Instead, he focused on the state of the massive horns behind Tiamat.
Time passed swiftly in the eerie stillness.
A few hours later, a new wave of chaos erupted, centered on the primordial god Tiamat, rapidly expanding in all directions. Within mere breaths, it engulfed the entire crater!
The chaos tide was, in essence, Tiamat's power over the Sea of Life, corrupting the waters and transforming them completely.
As the goddess of life and the primordial ocean, Tiamat could only move through seawater.
But now, with the chaos tide completely evaporated, the seawater that served as her medium had vanished. Unless it could spread again from the Persian Gulf, there should have been no way for the tide to reappear—
Things were beyond Alaric's expectations.
The newly risen chaos tide was unstoppable. After filling the several-kilometer-wide crater, it overflowed past the surrounding mountains, surging toward the distant city of Uruk.
Yet, that was only a side concern. What truly caught Alaric's attention was the primordial god at the center of the chaos.
As the tide churned, Tiamat's regeneration accelerated at an alarming rate, her drooping head slowly returning to its original position in an unnatural manner.
"Oh, heavens—"
Even though Alaric knew that Tiamat was an immortal god and healing was expected, he couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment.
They had expended one of their strongest forces—Quetzalcoatl—and even used Marduk's Divine Axe. Yet, all they had managed to accomplish was slaying the Crimson Dragon and delaying Tiamat for only four to five hours.
Now, Alaric had only one option left.
Realizing this, Alaric clicked his tongue in frustration, tightening his grip on Rhongomyniad, the Holy Lance he had never let go of.
The Holy Judgment he could unleash was nowhere near the power of Quetzalcoatl's Noble Phantasm, let alone other divine means. Even pure magical projections that could rival divine energy were meaningless here.
Simply put, Alaric had no way to deal with Tiamat.
Not just Alaric—neither Ishtar nor the Chaldea had any solutions either.
As Tiamat's regeneration began, Ritsuka fell silent, and even Mash's expression turned tense.
"Mother is beginning to recover—"
Ishtar, still piloting Maanna, and hovering beside the flying dragon, wore a grave expression.
Within the chaos tide—
The Lahmu swarms had returned.
And there were many of them—just as numerous as before!
Tiamat's magical energy was virtually limitless, and with Solomon's Holy Grail in her possession, that was even more apparent.
The Lahmu were multiplying at a visible rate, and before long, they would emerge from the tide, recreating that horrifying scene of demonic chaos!
Alaric understood that eliminating the Lahmu was pointless—their birth outpaced their destruction.
Tiamat was an endless factory of soldiers.
Back in Chaldea, Romani and Da Vinci also noticed that Tiamat was regenerating. A helpless expression flashed across their faces before they resumed their observations.
["Tiamat is recovering. Estimated time: ten minutes!"]
The past few hours of inactivity seemed to have been used to dispel Quetzalcoatl's divine influence and erase the traces of Marduk's Axe.
Now, Tiamat was fully displaying the absolute authority befitting a primordial god!
Ten minutes passed in a flash and with a thunderous roar reverberating through the sky—
Tiamat's nearly severed head returned to its original state as if time had reversed. The only thing that hadn't regenerated was the broken remains of her massive horn.
Apart from that, Tiamat was completely restored!
As the massive horn behind her activated once again, the surging magical energy created immense pressure, stirring the atmosphere and generating violent torrents that formed whirlpools within the chaos tide below.
"Even with the Sea of Life, she's still choosing to fly?!"
Watching Tiamat ascend into the sky once more, Alaric murmured.
Tiamat could have simply glided over the chaos tide. If she was now using her massive horn for low-altitude flight, they would have even more to worry about.
Now fully regenerated, Tiamat resumed her advance toward Uruk!
"We're leaving—returning to Uruk!"
At that moment, Fujimaru broke the silence, drawing everyone's attention.
Her expression, now steadier, swept over Alaric, Mash, and Ishtar as she declared, "We've done everything we can. The next battle will be fought in Uruk!"
No further discussion was needed. Everyone immediately began preparing to retreat from the battlefield.
[Aaaaaaa!]
A thunderous roar echoed across the heavens, accompanied by a rolling sonic boom that rapidly closed in on Alaric and the others.
Even the flying dragon couldn't evade the terrifying speed of the approaching force!
"She's locked onto us?"
Raising his hand to shield himself from the tremendous wind, Alaric stared intently at the distant Tiamat.
After realizing that they had no means to deal with Tiamat, they remained in place only to continue observing the situation.
However, there was no need to maintain too close a distance. Even as Tiamat began to recover, they were still over a thousand meters away from her.
This was supposed to be a considerable distance, yet due to Tiamat's immense size, she remained visible even from several kilometers away.
And because of this, Alaric saw it—
The unfolding of sacred wings.
The earth swelled, and the ground, compressed to its limits, was completely torn apart. The chaos waves that surged in failed to prevent the emergence of what lay beneath.
It was the sacred manifestation of a certain goddess.
A monster from the invisible island, once known as the killer of heroes, and at the same time—
The blooming of a young goddess.
On this blackened land, a sacred goddess blossomed like a flower atop a distant peak. With the body of a human and the tail of a serpent, pristine white wings unfurled from her back.
Countless serpents of magical hair stirred the chaotic waves, slaying the Lahmu that were unable to escape even the currents of chaos!
"Gorgon—"
Not only Alaric but Ritsuka and Mash also saw the familiar yet unfamiliar figure of the goddess.
They never expected to see Gorgon again at this moment. But was that truly Gorgon?
"This is Gorgon's revenge. It has nothing to do with us. Let's go."
Realizing the true nature of Gorgon's current form, Alaric withdrew his gaze, though he couldn't help but smile slightly.
Not only was he relieved that there was now a force capable of delaying Tiamat, but he was also happy for the determination of that young girl.
Such an unyielding will, a truly radiant star.
Hearing this, Ritsuka reluctantly withdrew her gaze, took a deep breath, and said, "Mash, let's go!"
What Alaric understood, Ritsuka quickly came to understand as well.
But precisely because of this, Ritsuka could not allow herself to stop moving forward.
"Senpai, that was—"
Mash, barely recovering from her shock, exclaimed, "That was Ana!"
The young goddess Anna—Medusa—who had disappeared into the depths alongside the monstrous goddess Gorgon, had once lost all signs of her existence. Now, she had finally reappeared.
The situation was clear. The two beings, originally of the same source, had merged their Saint Graphs, forming this true goddess.
No longer seeking revenge against Tiamat, but instead proclaiming vengeance against the primordial god for the sake of humanity—for her own sake!
"That's exactly why, Mash—we can't stop now!"
Ritsuka stopped Mash from speaking further, though sorrow was evident in her expression.
"Senpai—"
Mash stood frozen, biting her lip fiercely, unable to say more.
Without stopping or looking back, the group boarded the flying dragon and left the battlefield.
Meanwhile, in the battle beyond Alaric and the others' sight, Ana, now calling herself the Gorgon Goddess, bore a gentle expression. Though her form had fully matured, her mental state had not changed.
If Alaric were to describe it, it would be that the delicate flower atop the mountain had finally bloomed.
"Even though we didn't get a proper farewell, this is enough…
I don't want them to see me like this. It would only bring them unnecessary pain."
These quiet confessions surfaced in her heart, accompanied by faint sorrow as memories of the past days flashed through her mind—memories that were infinitely precious to her.
"But Tiamat, I'll make you taste true suffering!"
Gorgon's Mystic Eyes fully opened, her voice cold yet tinged with warmth.
She was no longer a vengeful monster, nor a goddess consumed by hatred, but the purest form of the young goddess responding in her way—
Blood surged forth, constructing intricate magical sigils before her, outlining her divinity as fuel.
"I will be the Great Snake and bring the Earth Dragon down! Melt Everything! Pandemonium Cetus!!!"
By abandoning the last remnants of her goddesshood, she momentarily manifested the tragic end of Gorgon the Monster, dissolving all life within the designated area.
...
...
...
No one knew the outcome of that battle. The only certainty was that shortly after they returned to Uruk—
The primordial god Tiamat had truly arrived at the final city, Uruk.
The chaos tide engulfing the land breached the defenses of the Napishtim Line and surged directly into the city of Uruk!
Boom!!
Buildings collapsed, and the crazed laughter of the Lahmu echoed above Uruk.
But in response to the Lahmu came sharp, merciless flashes of swordlight. A figure leaped through the sky, swinging her blade and cleaving through Lahmu one by one, ensuring they would never rise again.
In the crumbling city, the heroes formed their ranks. The legendary feat of three hundred warriors holding off an army at Thermopylae was now fully realized through the manifestation of their Noble Phantasm!
A rain of radiant light descended from the heavens, striking with perfect precision upon the Lahmu swarming over Uruk, ending them in an instant!
"You've returned—"
Atop the Ziggurat, Gilgamesh stood beside Siduri, glancing at the arriving group. His expression remained unchanged, but a subtle shift in his tone betrayed his emotions.
"The battle seems to be quite intense!"
Alaric, having just unleashed holy judgment to clear the skies of Lahmu, glanced at the battlefield below. Ushiwakamaru and the others were still fighting, leading the last remaining citizens of Uruk in battle.
Even against the terrifying Lahmu hordes, they had fought to this very moment without being annihilated.
Feeling immense admiration for humanity, Alaric turned to Gilgamesh and asked, "What's the status of the Gate to the Underworld, King Gilgamesh?"
The chaos tide had already reached Uruk. Tiamat would breach the city within one or two minutes. If they failed to open the gate in time, no method would be effective.
"We still need a little more time—just a little more—"
Maintaining constant communication with Ereshkigal, Gilgamesh was acutely aware that they were just short of the necessary time. The delay they had achieved had already exceeded expectations.
But it still wasn't enough—
"Now it's my turn!"
With a smirk, Gilgamesh raised his hand, summoning a clay tablet. As he infused it with magical energy—
A dazzling golden light erupted from the walls of Uruk that had stood unbroken until now, radiating a brilliance that even the chaos tide could not suppress—a light born from humanity itself.
["No soldiers, and yet you can still activate the Dingir?!"]
Observing this, Dr. Roman was astonished.
This was practically a network of autonomous turrets.
"Who do you think I am?! All 360 Dingir embedded in Uruk were crafted by my own hands, infused with my magical energy, and orchestrated by me!"
As Gilgamesh strained to maintain the Dingir, a bracelet was casually tossed his way.
Instinctively catching it, Gilgamesh glanced at Alaric nearby. Ever since his return, the Holy Lance in his grasp had never ceased exuding an immense magical energy…
Gilgamesh took the bracelet, and Alaric smiled, saying, "King Gilgamesh, it seems you've forgotten something—"
"Hmph, everything in this world belongs to me. It makes no difference whose hands it is in."
Without hesitation, Gilgamesh decisively began to draw magical energy from the bracelet.
Boom!
Golden starlight instantly burst forth.
Like a tidal wave crashing down from the heavens, a massive magical bombardment swept across the sky, ignoring the Lahmu swarm that had engulfed Uruk and striking directly at the primordial god, Tiamat, who was about to enter the city!
Gilgamesh intended to delay Tiamat's approach to Uruk with his power.
The dense bombardment formed a dazzling curtain of light in the sky, dispersing the ominous darkness brought by Tiamat!
At the same time, while Gilgamesh was fully engaged in suppressing Tiamat, Alaric and Ishtar were not idle either. They immediately began eliminating the Lahmu in the city of Uruk!
Currently, there were still several hundred citizens left in Uruk. The three Servants were enough to handle most of the Lahmu attacks, but they were reaching their limit!
Meanwhile, far beyond anyone's awareness, the seven stakes embedded in the spiritual peak began to crumble.
Due to someone's intense usage, the Noble Phantasm, which was already on the brink of collapse, was pushed to its absolute limit by the golden king's final act.
Crack… crack…
Time flew by rapidly. Under the intense bombardment, even the primordial god was being suppressed and unable to advance!
"Siduri—"
Clenching his teeth while maintaining the magical output, sweat poured down Gilgamesh's face, and even the falling drops reversed direction due to the sheer force of his magic.
Not only was he maintaining the Dingir, but he was also sustaining the three Servants still fighting for Uruk.
He had managed to sustain all of this by sealing away most of his Noble Phantasms and his strongest sword, exchanging them for a vast reserve of magical energy, supplemented by the power of the Uruk Grail.
However, after giving the Uruk Grail to Enkidu, Gilgamesh lost his largest source of mana and was now relying solely on his immense personal reserves.
Fortunately, with the bracelet returned to him by Alaric, he could now draw magical power from the distant spiritual peak of Mount Ebih, allowing him to maximize his output and continue suppressing Tiamat.
But as the stakes shattered one by one, the magical energy available to Gilgamesh dwindled, and he was rapidly approaching his limit.
"Ereshkigal!!! Are you done yet?!"
Gilgamesh shouted, "How much longer must I wait?!"
["Just a few more hours!"]
From the moment the transfer began, Ereshkigal had been working tirelessly without rest. She quickly responded, ["Just a little more!"]
Thanks to her relentless efforts, the originally estimated three-day process had been significantly shortened. But even so, there was still an insurmountable gap.
"Damn it…!"
Gilgamesh stared intensely at the distant primordial god, Tiamat, a hint of unwillingness flashing in his crimson eyes.
They had come this far… was it all going to fail?
Suddenly, Gilgamesh looked up and locked eyes with Tiamat's gleaming Star of Genesis Eyes.
For the first time in a long while, his Clairvoyance activated once more.
But this time, he saw only a glimpse—a mere second into the future.
The Star of Genesis Eyes, which had pierced through Alaric's body multiple times before, shone again, instantly traversing all of Uruk—
As if it was about to strike down a certain girl with a single blow.
Before Gilgamesh could react—
An unexpected figure, beyond anyone's imagination, appeared in midair to block the attack.
A burst of dark radiance erupted in a conical shape, carving out a new future—
"This time, I blocked it!"
Alaric's unrestrained laughter echoed across Uruk, nearly causing the grim-faced Gilgamesh to burst out laughing as well.
Failing again and again had left Alaric with a deep sense of frustration.
"I am a Knight of the Round Table—I can't die to the same move three times, right?"
With this simple and pure determination, Alaric successfully blocked Tiamat's deadly strike this time!
Though the cost was being blasted out of the sky, plummeting toward Uruk at an alarming speed.
As Alaric fell, the entire battlefield reached its climax.
Clang—!
The crisp sound of silver chains clashing resounded above Uruk. The wildly dancing Chains of Heaven pierced through the bodies of countless Lahmu, obliterating entire groups with a single motion!
From the ground, golden light burst forth, and an armory of countless swords and spears shot out like a raging storm. In an instant, thousands of weapons annihilated the remaining Lahmu!
The surviving citizens and Servants, who had been struggling, were finally freed from their desperate battles.
From the top of the Ziggurat, Gilgamesh naturally saw the emerald-green figure.
Not just Gilgamesh—beside him, Siduri also recognized the person she had met not long ago—
The young man she had seen after regaining her hearing, wandering through the streets of Uruk.
The green-haired figure whose heart had been pierced—undoubtedly, the King's dear friend.
"Enkidu—"
Siduri clasped her hands together in a prayerful gesture, whispering, "Are you going to sacrifice yourself again?"
"This is no sacrifice, Siduri!"
Stopping his actions for a moment, Gilgamesh spoke with a hint of pride in his voice. "Watch closely—the true form of my friend—"
"Kingu?"
Fujimaru and Mash, who had also seen the green figure, instinctively spoke out. "What is he…?"
Standing alone atop a barely surviving building near Tiamat, Alaric murmured, "The Chains of Heaven… can they bind even the highest gods?"
The Chains of Heaven, possessing the Anti-Divine trait, were the natural nemesis of divine beings. However, they had limits—if a divine entity's power was too great, they could break free from the chains.
For beings of such magnitude, these chains were no different from ordinary shackles.
Yet, the green-haired figure, now under everyone's gaze, had already made his decision.
'It doesn't matter who my mother is or where I was born—I will do what I want to do.'
'I never had such desires, Gil… but thinking back, there was one thing.
I wanted to talk to you, to see you again… to share the memories and feelings I've held in my heart, as a friend.'
'But that is impossible. That was Enkidu's wish, not mine.
My wish… will never change.'
'I was given life as a "new human" to maintain the world of mankind—'
With sorrow flowing through his heart, he solidified his resolve.
As the Chains of Heaven reached the primordial goddess Tiamat, they shone with a brilliant radiance.
"You chose the wrong child, Mother."
Facing Tiamat for the first time since his creation, Kingu spoke.
From her towering form, Tiamat gazed upon the small figure before her.
Her shark-like teeth parted slightly—not in the meaningless cries that others had heard, but something else entirely.
Instead—
A mother's call to her child.
Upon hearing Tiamat's voice, filled with emotion, Kingu took a deep breath and shouted loudly:
"Kingu, son of Tiamat, will show you the power of the Chain of the Heavens!"
Boom!
Pure magical energy erupted into azure lightning, interwoven with golden radiance, blossoming from the earth.
Within the golden patterns vast enough to envelop all of Uruk, wheat swayed, symbolizing Gaia's life flourishing in response.
Thousands of Chains of Heaven burst forth from the ground, surging high into the sky, linking to a singular, ultimate lock.
His burning spiritual foundation transformed into unparalleled strength. With the resolve of a mortal, he bid farewell to his mother—
"Mother's fury is a thing of the past. Now I will awaken the breath of the planet—"
Thousands of Chains of Heaven plunged into Kingu's body, transforming him into the final and ultimate chain.
At that moment, reinforcement from the planet arrived—the last remaining Anti-Purge Noble Phantasm.
A weapon that grows stronger in response to acts of destruction against the planet and humanity itself.
At this moment, the primordial god, Tiamat, perfectly fit these conditions—her erosion of the world, her destruction of human history.
The beast that devours humanity's foundation provoked not only the will of the planet but also the collective will of all humankind. Under this divine reinforcement—
"Enuma Elish!!!"
The cry of the mortal became a piercing lance of light, unleashing one final, resounding crescendo!
BOOM!!!
A cataclysmic shockwave engulfed all of Uruk, even extending beyond its borders!
As the impact subsided, the primordial god's form reappeared before them.
Tiamat's titanic body was now bound by countless chains, each like a coiling dragon, shackling her to the earth—rendering the supreme deity completely immobile.
"So this… is the full power of the Chains of Heaven…"
Alaric, who had withstood the shockwave, gazed upon the primordial god—now restrained, unable to move. The Ziggurat stood just before her.
Yet, she could not take another step forward.
The distance between them felt as vast as an uncrossable chasm.
When Alaric finally reached the Zigurat, he found the two unconscious girls and Siduri.
At the top of the tower, only one figure remained—Gilgamesh, standing alone.
Looking at the Chains of Heaven that had bound the supreme god, Gilgamesh bore an expression of pride and declared:
"—Farewell, orphan of the heavens. Your final act was no less glorious than who you were in the past. The Chains of Heaven… have finally restrained even the power of the god of creation.
Twice now, I have watched a friend depart. The first time, I grieved. But this time is different. That valiant figure, worthy of pride, is forever engraved in my sight."
"King Gilgamesh, can you still fight?"
Alaric, looking at Gilgamesh's back, smiled and said,
"There's still a hard battle ahead. Don't go dying on me just yet!"
"Oh? Alaric, you've arrived just in time."
At Alaric's words, Gilgamesh finally seemed to take notice of one of the few still conscious. Then, with a grin, he said:
"You shall be the one to kill me."