"Ereshkigal. Siduri. I am sending supplies. Prepare a drydock for the refitting of the Marduk."
"Understood. But… do we really need more armaments? Isn't this already a bit excessive?"
"The Marduk is designed for anti-god, anti-planetary annihilation warfare. It only fulfills its true purpose when it possesses the firepower to incinerate a continent or two. It is a vessel meant to stride across the cosmos alone, projecting its majesty. To be outmatched in raw force is simply out of the question."
"I understand that, but… what exactly are you anticipating?"
"—At minimum, the power to bore a hole deep enough to reach the Underworld, and the thrust necessary to break orbit while carrying a gargantuan lifeform. We shall address those in the next refit. Beyond that, we must begin the work of integrating Chaldea itself into the system."
"…I—I see. I'll get the preparations started. So, in short… we're aiming to surpass 'Gugalanna'?"
"Indeed. That is the benchmark. ——Hurry. We have little time. Now that the Master bears the burden of a Beast, the remaining Evils of Humanity are certain to manifest."
"Without… a… doubt…"
"—Hmph. I know not which staff member's world you slipped in from, but you should be grateful this is a cyber-world."
"…Ereshkigal… we must… hurry."
"…Yes. Mother."
"…The awakening… is almost… upon us…"
"Make way! Make way! MAKE WAAAAAY!!!"
The King of Conquerors' roar thundered like a lightning strike.
They sprinted down the simplified, straight path of the labyrinth. The 'Gordius Wheel' smashed through the final bulkhead blocking the center, and the chariot—driven by the singular urge for conquest—carried the group into the heart of the facility.
Iskandar glanced around, his eyes darting to and fro. Even a single look confirmed they had reached the core.
The space was as vast as a small town, equipped with everything necessary for daily life, all enclosed by deep blue walls of futuristic design. In the center of the room stood three obelisks. The King's crimson eyes narrowed as he saw through their nature.
"So, those are the original Chaldean observation units. The predecessors to Trismegistus… Tri-Hermes, was it?"
The room was largely buried in sand, yet the three towers maintained an overwhelming presence.
—Look! Fou!
Air pointed toward the "sky" while cradling Fou in her arms.
(Perhaps it's to make them forget they're underground? How considerate for a bunch of shut-ins.) Fou stretched with a cynical yawn.
"What?! Why is there a sky?!"
Just as Rikka said, a brilliant blue sky stretched out above Tri-Hermes. Looking up, anyone would see an azure firmament extending infinitely into the distance.
"We're deep underground, right?!"
"A closed environment inevitably breeds stress and interpersonal friction. I imagine they wanted to eliminate those human errors first. The students must have found solace in it—the simple, everyday sight of an open sky."
Olga Marie let out a soft chuckle. She seemed amused by the fragility of the students—no, of the human heart. Whether that amusement was affectionate or biting, she kept to herself.
"That's all well and good… but there's not a soul here."
Iskandar huffed at the unnatural silence of the central hub.
"If there were even one sage or wise man left, I would've recruited them on the spot…"
"The lack of people… is due to the Incineration of the Human Order."
As the King of Knights observed, there was no life here. Anything resembling a human had vanished.
"The Incineration was carried out through the year 2016. Therefore, no one would remain in this 2016 facility. Every last one of them has been burned away."
The King of Heroes was swift to see the truth of the matter.
"This is the Atlas Institute of 2016…?!"
Mash gasped. If that were true, the state of the place—the scorched remains of daily life, looking as if everyone had simply blinked out of existence—made perfect sense.
The sheer helplessness of that extinction pulled at Air's heart.
—Truly, in an instant… humanity was gone… wasn't it, Fou?
(…Yes. And that's exactly why we have to take it back.)
Air nodded at Fou's words. There would be time for sentiment later, after everything was restored.
For now, she had a duty. Confirming the warmth of her best friend in her arms, she looked up.
"Very well. Roman, activate Tri-Hermes and extract the data. Keep it simple and easy to understand."
"Leave it to me. I can handle this much."
He nodded immediately, connecting to Tri-Hermes from Chaldea and processing the information with extraordinary speed. His proficiency was the result of wisdom and blood-soaked training that far surpassed any ordinary magus. Iskandar watched, impressed.
"Ho-ho! So a King of Magic can handle things this deftly? You're the ultimate support act, aren't you!"
Iskandar folded his arms behind his head and began scouring the area to see if any wine or food had been left behind.
"Well, at least this much… —Wait. The results are in. I see… so that's how it is."
"That was fast?!" Rikka blurted out. It had been less than three seconds since he started.
"As expected of my Lord Roman! Truly the master of wisdom I fell for~!"
Blushing at Sheba's praise, Roman cleared his throat.
"Before we discuss these results, we need to understand what the Holy Spear actually is. …King of Knights, could you tell us what you know?"
Under the quiet gaze of the group, Artoria began to recount the origins of the Holy Spear.
"…Merlin calls it the 'Tower at the Edge.' A pillar of light rising from the sea far to the west of Britain. A tower standing at the horizon, the very end of the world."
"A tower? Wait, I thought it was a spear? Both are long and thin, I guess."
Artoria answered Rikka's question directly.
"There are two Holy Spears, Master. One is the massive tower that pierces the world itself. This is the physical manifestation of the Spear's true nature. It is the declaration that 'The Spear is here.' It stands at the world's end because that is the world's end. A tower of light unreachable by man. Even as it looms at the edge, it watches over the entirety of the human world."
"The 'texture' known as the human world—woven by human laws and perceptions—is pinned to the surface of the planet by a bolt. That is the role of this grand spear of yours, isn't it, King of Knights?"
Artoria nodded at Gilgamesh's supplement.
"And the other is the spear held by myself or the Lion King. This is like a shadow cast upon the earth by that tower. It takes the form of personal armament, allowing the wielder to manifest the tower's power and authority."
Artoria summoned the spear into her right hand, holding it high.
—So the Tower is the main unit, and the spear is a terminal.
"A fine analogy. He who holds that spear becomes the incarnation of the Tower itself. —It also serves as a poignant example of what happens when a human tries to shoulder a Divine Authority."
The King's eyes narrowed with a trace of nostalgia, as if looking through this place toward someone far away.
"A single pillar at the edge that pins down human laws and the world. That is Rhongomyniad. A tower that anchors the world, piercing deep into it. As the King of Heroes said, it ensures the world governed by your human laws does not peel away from the planet. And its administrator… is King Arthur."
Roman spoke up after Artoria's explanation.
"The Lion King intends to use the Holy City as a Tower. She has gathered 'ideal' souls there. Not 'virtuous and just humans,' but 'humans who can do nothing but justice, regardless of the circumstances.'"
—Humans who can do nothing but the right thing, no matter what…?
Air couldn't grasp the meaning of those words. Because that… that fell outside the definition of being human.
It is because humans commit evil—because they struggle with it—that their goodness shines so brightly. White is only pure because every other color exists. A creature that only acts or thinks with 'purity'… can that even be called a person?
(The alignment of Lawful Good. Those are the souls the Lion King covets. And—you are the one she has identified as the ultimate embodiment of that, Air.)
Air caught her breath, unable to hide her shock at Fou's words.
"It is not surprising. You have witnessed every manner of evil on this journey; you were even held captive by a Demon God, yet you never tilted toward darkness for an instant. In the end, your very existence repelled the Demon God's pity and even struck down the Beast before you. —To her, your soul is the manifestation of human goodness. The Lawful Good ideal. You are exactly what she desires most."
—So that was why the Lion King was watching me…
The King of Heroes remained silent, arms crossed, before finally posing a question to Air's soul.
"I will not stop you if you wish to reach that utopia. Regardless of the form it takes or whether you are truly 'alive' within it. If you fall into the Lion King's hands, your preservation is guaranteed."
The King addressed the floating Air.
"If you lack the resolve to continue, you may surrender to the Lion King. 'With a soul like yours, you would certainly survive.' —The conclusion you reach is entirely up to you."
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