"Mother, Mother…"
"Please don't leave me! No!!"
In the depths of the Blood Fort Andromeda, the slumbering Humbaba suddenly let out a string of murmurs.
Its immense power caused the entire Blood Fort Andromeda to quake with its roars alone.
Under this overwhelming pressure, countless newly spawned beasts cowered, silent before the divine being that once led the eleven Beasts.
"What's wrong with it?"
"No idea, but it seems Kingu has successfully linked with Tiamat's consciousness. I can sense the Imaginary Number traits."
"Good, good. If that's the case, we still have a chance."
Within the Blood Fort Andromeda, the three remaining Demon God Pillars of the Seventh Singularity stood.
They maintained the magic circle, aiding Kingu in regaining his will to ensure he could sustain contact with Tiamat.
The sudden appearance of Uruk's ascended warriors had obliterated their beast advantage.
Their original plan, exhaust Uruk with beasts, then unleash Tiamat for the final blow, had collapsed.
An unseen hand had smashed their chessboard, disrupting all the Demon God Pillars' strategies.
Of the original thirty-six pillars, only three remained.
Facing such a dire disparity, they had no choice but to take a desperate gamble, restoring much of Kingu's sanity and sending him to commune with Tiamat.
Using the Holy Grail and the Demon God King's circle, they aimed to help the Mother of Genesis regain her strength, return to this land, and deliver a devastating blow to Uruk and Chaldea.
With their preparations ruined, they'd escalate the Singularity's chaos, letting Tiamat resolve their problem.
Three Holy Grail-level mana cores, combined with the fear and malice gathered from the beast blood pools, would push Tiamat past a critical threshold, even if she resisted.
At that point, no matter how many Grand Servants appeared, what could they do against a world-creating Mother of Genesis? No one knew Beast's power better than they did.
But…
"What if, Barbatos? We restored Kingu's sanity and freed his restraints. Are you sure he won't turn on us for what we've done?"
One Demon Pillar voiced concern.
"No, he won't… Kingu may be foolish, but not so reckless at this critical moment. If he wants to revive Tiamat, he needs our power. And…"
"Even if he kills us, so what? As long as Tiamat revives and keeps Chaldea here, buying time for the King's plan, that's enough. Our lives are expendable in the grand scheme."
"A century from now, we may not be the ones laughing in the wilderness, but as long as the King's plan succeeds, that's sufficient. Compared to those filthy humans, we serve the greater cause."
"So, we don't care?"
"Exactly. Once Tiamat manifests, victory is ours. We just need to guard the Blood Fort Andromeda and buy time for her unsealing and revival. But, to think that guy still hasn't broken? As an enemy, his resolve is impressive."
"No surprise there. He's the great hero of charity. Even without his golden armor, he's among humanity's foremost warriors. His willpower isn't easily tainted. We've only managed basic madness and control, his Saint Graph resists full corruption or replication."
"Is that so…"
The three Demon God Pillars exchanged glances, a trace of regret in their eyes.
If the great hero of charity had fully succumbed to corruption, he could've been a devastating blade against Chaldea.
But time was short, they couldn't delay. They had to act fast.
With Karna's strength, even in a maddened state, he'd serve their purpose.
Now was the perfect moment to deploy this trump card.
Countless beasts were dying, signaling an intruder in the Blood Fort Andromeda.
Unsurprisingly, it was that strange magus, likely with a Divine Spirit, given the Saint Graph's scale.
Beasts alone couldn't handle them. With Humbaba asleep, communing with Tiamat, and the pillars maintaining the circle, the Blood Fort Andromeda was vulnerable.
Their only available force was…
With the Demon God Pillars' piercing gazes,
Crack! Crack!!
From the darkest depths of the Blood Fort Andromeda came the sound of snapping chains.
…
…
"Hey, didn't you say we're just scouting? Storming the enemy's stronghold isn't scouting!"
High above the Blood Fort Andromeda, Ishtar sat on Maanna, staring at Roy darting below, her eyes filled with exasperation and disbelief.
The swarms of beasts rushing forward fell effortlessly to Roy's swift, ruthless strikes, their heads severed, leaving piles of corpses.
This didn't look like scouting, it was a one-man slaughterfest.
She knew he was strong, but wasn't this reckless?
This was the enemy's headquarters, crawling with terrors like Humbaba, Gorgon, and the Demon God Pillars. Charging in alone wasn't wise.
Though Roy told her to stay outside, how could Ishtar relax?
"Ugh… you idiot, you're going to get me killed. Next time, even if you call me Lady Ishtar, I won't help you!"
Grumbling and tugging her hair, Ishtar raised her fingers, conjuring magic bullets to cover Roy.
Swish! Swish! Swish!!!
Colorful meteors from her fingertips pierced dozens of beast skulls in an instant.
"Not here, not there… Something's definitely about to happen…"
The temple's interior was pitch-black, but with his senses and Mystic Eyes fully active, Roy could perceive everything clearly.
Upon entering the Blood Fort Andromeda's outskirts, he'd sensed an abnormal mana fluctuation and a distinct consciousness emanating from within.
Though well-hidden, it was there, a ritual to revive something.
Tiamat…
The name flashed in Roy's mind, followed by a grim possibility.
If his suspicion was correct, they were in deep trouble.
Ignoring Ishtar's protests, he stormed the Blood Fort Andromeda to stop the ritual.
"Get lost, vermin."
Swish! Swish! Swish!!
With a flicker of movement, Roy's black-gleamed steps bypassed several beasts, effortlessly severing their heads in the gaps.
No number of beasts could stop him, but the absence of Humbaba or the Demon God Pillars heightened his unease.
It meant his suspicion was likely true, Kingu and the Demon God Pillars were focused on something more critical than confronting him.
In the Seventh Singularity, that could only be, Tiamat's unsealing.
"This is bad. I have to stop them fast."
Roy thought urgently.
Then...
Danger!!!
A sudden sense of threat jolted him. He raised his hand, channeling mana to form a sturdy barrier around himself.
Boom!!
A crimson glow erupted. Before him, a sea of fire surged like a tidal wave.
The pure white mana barrier clashed with the scarlet flames, their collision distorting space itself.
Then...
Swish!!
A thunderous roar echoed as crimson lightning, carrying searing heat, shot toward Roy.
The lightning, like a spear, pierced his barrier. Its ferocious energy began collapsing the temple. Roy didn't hesitate, amplifying his mana output to counter it.
ROOOOAR!
On one side, pure white light blazed with mana's fiery aura; on the other, crimson lightning raged like flames.
Two opposing figures stood on a ground piled with beast corpses.
A white-haired warrior in golden armor stepped slowly from the scorched earth.
Roy's expression grew grave, his brows furrowing as he softly said, "Karna…"
Indeed, it was the great hero of charity, Karna, trapped on the Mesopotamian plains by the Demon God Pillars.
Gripping his unleashed Indra's Thunder Spear, he stared at Roy with pained eyes.
"Mas…ter, I'm sorry… I failed your task…"
Though Karna looked unchanged, his wise, valiant eyes were tinged red, black ominous aura seeping from his body.
Without words, Roy understood.
He shook his head at the anguished Karna. "No, you've done well, Karna…"
"Master… this time, I'll truly fall to darkness. My only regrets are you and my duel with Arjuna. Please tell Arjuna I broke our promise…"
"And… ughh!! Sorry, my sanity is nearly gone. Master, rally all forces and attack this temple… The Mother of Genesis's return is inevitable. You must, must stop her before she's fully unsealed…"
Before he could finish, Karna's eyes turned fully scarlet.
He glared at Roy with fury, raising his unleashed Indra's Thunder Spear, its surface crackling with blazing lightning.
Vasavi Shakti!!
***
Hi guys, I hope you're all doing well! I want to share that I'm currently working on a new project related to Lord of Mysteries.
If you're interested, feel free to visit my profile and start reading. Below is a brief summary:
[Lord of Mysteries: Incarnation of Chaos]
Have you ever wondered what would happen if someone from a Lovecraftian world got isekai'd into another world built on Lovecraftian themes? Well, it's absolute chaos.
Meet Alaric, a human(questionably) survivor of the madness and chaos caused by a certain crawling chaos, who, thanks to the kindness of a certain bubble daddy, got isekai'd into the "fake it till you make it" world.
What will he do in this strange new world? Climb the ladder of power to become that impossible god unless you're just a pawn of a certain russian priest or a certain goth mommy?
Or become a cheshire cat, leaping onto the 4D chessboard to disrupt the schemes and mind games of these bizarre folks?
For Alaric, it's not a tough choice. But before he picks either path, he must, of course, uphold the time-honored tradition of isekai'd victims(questionably) that forms the foundation of this world.
What's that tradition?
Keeping a diary.
---
[Alaric's Transmigration Diary]
[Day 1: I encountered Amon. Used a special technique to summon a projection of the Ancient Sun God, who personally delivered a heavy slap to Amon. Hope Amon appreciates this weighty paternal affection.]
[Day 2: I received an invitation from the Aurora Order. Told them I want it all... looks, brains, and combat prowess... and invited them to join my newly founded Joker Club.]
[Day 3: I met Leonard and acknowledged Gramps Pallez. Declined Leonard's enthusiastic suggestion for the old man to move in with me, as I'd rather not have a old man critiquing my every move, even in private moments.]
[Day 4: I told Klein I plan to pray to a deity named The Fool. Watched his eyes widen in shock and kindly offered him some eye drops.]
[Day 5: I listened to Medici perform a two-hour comedy routine. Suggested he go professional and invited him to share a meal.]
.
.
.
[Day 666: I fully absorbed a certain crawling chaos fragment within me. From now on, I am the Fifth Pillar.]