...Without death, there is no life. It is only because death exists that one can truly live. The 'Eternity' you speak of is not a journey forward; it is a stagnant sleep.
Beast of Calamity—the Evil born of Man. That very compassion, which sought a return to the beginning, is the root of why you were cast out."
—Ah, yes. Precisely. That is the truth of it.
Mother and Beast. To be forsaken is my ultimate fulfillment.
The Digital World: Silence Before the Storm
Chaldea's Cyberspace. Less than three days remain until the departure for Mesopotamia.
Under a tranquil, simulated starlight, amidst the rustle of digital flora, a lone figure sat by the edge of a quiet river.
"Aaaaaa... Aaaaaa—"
The song was slow, a hauntingly melodic thrum that rippled through the water as she dipped her feet into the stream. With eyes closed, she simply existed—a primordial digital lifeform singing to the void.
（You seem to be in quite a good mood. That's a relief.）
A small creature approached the Primordial Mother—she who possessed horns that embodied the earth and eyes that reflected the inner seas.
"...Fou. Is that what you are called?"
（I'd prefer it if you did. I've grown quite tired of names like Cath Palug or Calamity.）
It was Fou. He had manifested in the digital world to seek her out. He tapped her knee with a paw, as if asking for permission to climb up.
（Thank you. I'll stick to the lap; I wouldn't want to overstep my bounds. Air might get the wrong idea if I crawled into your arms.）
With a nimble hop, Fou settled onto her lap, his body going limp with relaxation.
（The shackles are gone. I'm glad.）
Tiamat's limbs were free. Because she existed here as a fragment of her will within the digital defense system, her terrifying Authorities had not been reproduced. She was a Mother who could no longer give birth—a quiet remnant of a goddess who merely watched over the world. Only her will and her love remained genuine.
"It is thanks to all of you. By casting everything away... I was finally able to step back and become the one protected by my children."
（...Such a deep love is a heavy burden. Usually, the thought of surrendering omnipotence is terrifying.）
Tiamat shook her head slowly.
"—Everything I possessed was unnecessary. If I wish to exist in this world, then discarding it all is only natural. —Especially if this is the world my children have chosen."
（...）
"...And you. You became a vessel for the Love of Humanity. ...I am glad."
Tiamat reached out, gently stroking Fou's fur.
（I suppose I did. —And in the next Singularity... I, too, shall fight as a Beast. I will kill the lives produced by the version of you that fell into the abyss.）
"..."
（And I don't mean simple killing. I mean erasure. So long as I am there, your 'other' children will not even be permitted to be born. ...If you want to stop me, now is the time. Strike me down here, and you can protect your offspring.）
"——..."
Fou rolled onto his back, exposing his belly in a display of stark sincerity. This was his version of fairness. If you cannot accept me for who I am—a Beast who lives among humans—then kill me now. If you cannot forgive a sibling who has sided with the aliens, then end it.
In response to this clumsy act of consideration, Tiamat simply continued to pet him with a soft touch.
"—Beasts and Humans are not meant to understand one another. Yet, you broke that cycle. Alongside that... that Princess."
（...）
"Do not forget that feeling. ...I entrust my children to you. The ones you must protect—the ones I must bless—attained their prosperity long ago."
Life was already full. Her children had already seized their own irreplaceable lives through their own strength and struggle.
A new foundation was not required. A "New Humanity" was unnecessary. To force them upon the world would be to deny the history, the effort, and the legacy that her children had built.
It was an act of ultimate negation. It could not be allowed.
It is acceptable for a child to deny the parent. That is the birth of the self; it is growth; it is independence.
But for a parent to deny the child... that is a sin that can never be permitted.
A parent must watch over the child, love them, and eventually, watch them walk away with a peaceful heart.
The child grows, departs, and leaves the nest.
That is the "Right Shape" of the world.
Because I could not understand that... because I clung to the desire for them to 'Return'... I fell into the state of Human Evil. I committed the taboo of killing my own children... I finally understand that now.
That was why she could not stop praying.
"—May a blessing be upon everything you hold. May you never... become like me—an Evil of Humanity."
He is my ideal. He reached a point where he could take a hand in partnership, wielding his power for the sake of protecting mankind.
A blessing upon that miracle. Humanity has finally... overcome even the logic of mutual misunderstanding.
（...Leave it to me. The humanity you loved—the foundation they built—I will protect it.）
A small smile played on Tiamat's lips.
"Just... don't go too far. You have a tendency to be a bit... extreme."
（That's just part of my charm. A male has to be bold to get by, after all!）
Fou struck a "muscular" pose, making Tiamat giggle with genuine amusement.
This was a warmth, an exchange, that she could never have hoped for in the Sea of Imaginary Numbers.
Tiamat savored this tiny miracle. Perhaps, in the end, this was all the Primordial Mother had ever truly wanted.
（...May I ask one thing?）
Fou rolled over and looked Tiamat in the eye.
（How did you wash up here? From what I can see, you aren't a mere fake, are you?）
"——..."
Tiamat looked up at the digital sky, her hand never ceasing its gentle rhythm on Fou's fur.
"—It is similar to your story."
（Similar to mine?）
"Yes. ...I, too, remember an experience that should not exist... Its origin is complicated, even for me..."
The fragment of Tiamat's rationality—the part of her that produced no mud—began to speak. She told the story of the strange, miraculous convergence of fate...
Tiamat's Memory: The End of the Childhood
I was... defeated.
My wings were broken, I was cast into the Underworld, I endured its punishments, I learned the meaning of Death, I received the strike of parting, and I fell into the abyss... lured into a sleep from which no one would wake me.
In 그 moment—I felt a profound sense of relief.
Finally... the sadness would end.
Finally... this "joy" would end.
Finally... no one would love me.
I was truly, truly at peace. Because... what I had been doing was wrong.
As the King said... children must leave the nest.
A parent who obstructs that path has no right to exist.
So... I was happy.
I was truly happy to see the end of your childhood.
You didn't say, "I don't need you."
Instead, you told me, "We can walk on our own, even without you."
That realization was enough to awaken the "Reason" that had been sleeping in the depths of Beast II.
And in the moment of my death, I saw it.
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