In the end, Roy withdrew from the Blood Fort Andromeda with Ishtar in tow.
Under the terrifying barrage of lightning and solar flames that even gods would fear, he wasn't reckless enough to face Karna's Noble Phantasm head-on.
Continuing the fight there offered no advantage.
Vasavi Shakti!!!
As the horrific beam of intertwined flames and lightning closed in, Roy raised a bounded field, grabbed Ishtar's hand, and fled.
Fortunately, the maddened Karna didn't pursue.
They escaped the Blood Fort Andromeda safely.
Now, Roy only felt a headache coming on.
Beside him, Ishtar was visibly shaken, overwhelmed by the sensation of surviving a brush with death.
Sprawled ungracefully on the ground, she muttered, "We got out… Thank goodness, thank goodness… I thought we were done for…"
To Ishtar, the white-haired Servant's oppressive and lethal presence far surpassed Roy's.
It wasn't a matter of raw strength outclassing hers, it was purely a compatibility issue.
The crimson thunder spear in Karna's hand sent involuntary shudders through her body just by looking at it, her mind plagued by unrelenting unease.
Undoubtedly, that spear possessed a terrifying anti-divine trait.
Whether due to the weapon itself or a legend from Karna's life where he slew a god, as a Servant, he had gained an anti-divinity attribute that caused Ishtar both physical and mental discomfort.
Any damage she took from that spear would be several times worse than for other Servants.
As a Sumerian chief goddess, even in a Demi-Servant state, Ishtar was fully vulnerable to Karna's god-slaying spear.
Had she been hit by Vasavi Shakti, she'd have been gravely wounded or, worst case, forced to retreat.
Relieved to be free of the spear's threat, Ishtar let out a long breath, basking in the calm of survival.
She couldn't help but complain, "First the Chain of Heaven, then Humbaba, and now a thunder spear with an anti-divinity edge? What's wrong with this world?! Has our noble divinity become a debuff?"
"Wasn't that guy on our side? How did he end up like that?"
"I don't know…"
Roy fell into a deep silence.
He'd failed to stop the Demon God Pillars' ritual and had encountered Karna, now severed from their contract.
But Karna's state was frenzied, unrecognizable from the noble, composed hero of charity he once was.
His will had been twisted by the Demon God Pillars, his eyes consumed by endless madness, like Ushiwakamaru in the Seventh Singularity, captured by Gorgon, her will warped, turned into a villain.
Before, it was Ushiwakamaru who fell. Now, it was Karna.
Though both were Servants, their power levels were worlds apart.
As a Age of Gods hero on par with the King of Heroes, Karna's strength far surpassed Ushiwakamaru's.
If it came to a desperate fight, Roy could defeat Karna using Reality Marble.
But that would merely be a victory.
With the Third Magic's properties, his Reality Marble, immortality, and infinite mana, trapping Karna in the bounded world would make his defeat a matter of time.
Yet the time required was incalculable.
Days? Months? Both were possible.
Countless rounds of combat might be needed to reliably take down Karna.
With ample time, Roy would deploy his Reality Marble, trap Karna, and try to save him.
But time was their most precious resource.
As the team's linchpin and strategist, being delayed by Karna here was too risky.
Saving Karna was only a possibility, not a certainty.
Unable to destroy all the Demon God Pillars or disrupt the ritual, he couldn't afford to stay.
The best choice was to escape and report the situation to Merlin and the others, rallying forces to crush the enemy swiftly.
Seizing the moment while Karna's will resisted the Demon God Pillars' control, Roy grabbed Ishtar's arm and fled the Blood Fort Andromeda.
Karna's words echoed: "The Mother of Genesis's return is inevitable. You must stop her before she's fully unsealed…"
"Destroy her."
The meaning was clear.
The Mother of Genesis was unmistakably Tiamat.
Beast II, the Singularity's ultimate enemy.
Fully unsealed…
The Demon God Pillars were undoing Tiamat's seals, aiming to unleash the Mother of Genesis at full power upon the continent.
This was a dire turn of events…
Roy frowned, glancing at Ishtar, still reeling from their escape, and made his decision.
He ordered Ishtar to ride Maanna back to Uruk at top speed and inform Gilgamesh and Merlin.
They needed to muster forces and assault the Blood Fort Andromeda immediately.
If they delayed, the situation might become irreparable.
"Got it. At a critical moment like this, it's time for a goddess like me to step up and save the day, right?"
Ishtar sprang to her feet with a carp-like flip.
Faced with a world-threatening crisis, she didn't throw a tantrum and agreed readily.
Before leaving, she frowned at Roy, asking, "What about you? Need a ride on Maanna? It'll be a bit cramped for two, but we can make it to Uruk if you bear with it."
"Rejoice, mortal. You're getting the rare privilege of riding with this goddess, an honor even gods don't… Hey, what are you doing?!"
Tossing her hair smugly, Ishtar was cut off as Roy placed his hands on her shoulders, summoned Maanna from the sky, and gently tossed her onto it.
Recognizing Roy's call, Maanna obeyed, whipping its tail light in the air before stopping steadily before him.
The blue bow spun, clearly showing affection.
"Hey?! What did you do to it? Why's Maanna so loyal to you?! This is my weapon! Since when did you two get so chummy?"
Seeing her exclusive divine armament cozy up to another man, Ishtar shrieked in dismay.
It had taken her immense effort to tame Maanna back then, and now this guy had bonded with it so quickly? Was this bow female, charmed by him?!
Puzzled by Ishtar's anger, Maanna wobbled in protest.
[Huh? Don't you two have a great relationship? I thought it was…]
"What?! Who has that kind of relationship with him?! You stupid weapon! Don't make assumptions! Next time, I'm asking Gramps for a smarter weapon!"
Blushing at Maanna's whispered insinuation, Ishtar snapped.
"…"
Why's she blushing like a teapot?
Unable to follow their cross-species banter, Roy had no intention of indulging Ishtar's antics.
He stepped to her side, placed a hand on Maanna, and infused it with a surge of mana.
"No time for nonsense, Ishtar. Get to Uruk. I have other things to do and won't return yet."
"We'll stay in touch with this."
Roy touched his chest, pulling out the communication mirror Ereshkigal gave him before parting, along with the recently found Tablet of Destinies, and handed them to Ishtar. The mirror allowed remote video communication.
Since the sisters had reconciled, Ereshkigal had given Ishtar a mirror too, but the prideful goddess had been too shy to accept it, so Roy had kept it for her, now it proved useful.
"What else do you… Aaaah!!"
Before Ishtar could finish, her vision blurred, the scenery racing backward as roaring winds filled her ears.
Fueled by Roy's mana, Maanna shot skyward like an arrow, reaching maximum speed toward Uruk.
Only Ishtar's stretched-out cry lingered behind.
"Phew, that should buy enough time."
"Now I can only hope Gilgamesh and Merlin move quickly."
Watching Ishtar vanish like a meteor, Roy sighed heavily, turning his gaze to a desolate plain, speaking gravely.
"…"
"Since you've followed me, why not show yourself, Berserker? What's your goal, always hiding, always observing?"
As he spoke, Roy raised his hand, pure white mana flames surging like a tide, enveloping a kilometer around him.
He strode toward the source of the abnormal mana, demanding, "You avoid Chaldea and hide from other Servants. What are you concealing?"
"Appearing at the right moment, leaving at the perfect time, what role do you play in this Singularity, Grand Berserker?"
"Though I'm your Master, I don't want to doubt you. But things have come to this… I need answers. So, Grand Berserker with a Grand Saint Graph, Tezcatlipoca…"
"Will you come out and talk? Let's be honest, clarify our positions."
"…"
Silence fell, followed by a faint mist.
As Roy predicted, Tezcatlipoca emerged from the ground behind him.
The pale gray mist coalesced into a tall, golden-haired man before Roy.
Unfazed by Roy's detection, he gazed at the wary Master with a half-smile, saying, "Interesting. You're truly interesting…"
"But, Master, before I answer, can you tell me how you noticed I was nearby? My concealment may not match that old man's, but it's not so easily pierced. Especially not by modern detection magecraft that'd make a leopard scoff."
To Tezcatlipoca's question, Roy answered frankly, "Because of Karna. In the Blood Fort Andromeda, his Noble Phantasm locked onto an entire area. You were there, within the god-slaying spear's range."
"Like Ishtar and Quetzalcoatl, you're a Divine Spirit with strong divinity. The spear's anti-divinity trait affected you greatly. You used your ability to escape, and though faint, my Mystic Eyes caught your presence."
"I see… So that's when I slipped up. No wonder. Your perception's razor-sharp, Master. I thought your focus was solely on Karna."
"So… answer me, Tezcatlipoca. Your purpose, your stance? What do you know?"
Ignoring Tezcatlipoca's teasing tone, Roy said sternly, "I need an answer. Whose side are you on?"
"My stance? Relax, I'm on your side, for now. As for what I know… heh, that's a long story."
"How about it, Master? Care to hear my tale? A story of the Golden Tree Sea's journey, the truth of Chaldeas, and a quest to save the universe?"
"If you're willing, we can sit by a fire and talk. I'll tell you everything that's happened."
"I await your choice… After all, like that guy, you're an anomaly not of this planet."
Tezcatlipoca spoke thus.
***
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.]