100. The Seventh Singularity Ends!
When the dust settled, Tiamat's visibly injured body reappeared, yet she was still alive.
"Why...why?!" Romani's voice trembled with despair over the communicator.
"Her spirit origin reaction... and her life force...shows no sign of weakening! Aside from the external injuries, her core power...is completely unaffected!" This is illogical! Having withstood so many attacks powerful enough to annihilate gods, how could she still maintain her full strength?
Just then, the churning black mud erupted from Tiamat's body once more, this time with even greater ferocity.
The authority of the Underworld had been almost entirely invaded. The authority of the Underworld had long been largely compromised.
The hearts of everyone sank to the bottom along with the spreading black mud.
However…
Beautiful flowers bloomed in the Underworld.
Countless sludge particles transformed into nutrients that nurtured the flowers.
A gentle voice rang out unexpectedly at the edge of the battlefield.
"Because…"
"What?!" Fujimaru Ritsuka looked sharply in the direction of the voice.
A figure in a white robe, holding a staff, was descending from the sky above the Underworld.
"Mr. Merlin!" Mash exclaimed in surprise.
It was Merlin who had arrived!
"As long as she herself, as the embodiment of the principle of return, hasn't truly understood the meaning of death, hasn't felt even the slightest awareness or fear of her own end, then she remains… immortal!"
"Then what exactly must be done?" Dan Heng pressed in a deep voice.
Merlin smiled slightly, his gaze fixed on the area above the Underworld, as if he saw a certain being.
"You don't need to worry about that."
"Because… he has already arrived."
Just as Merlin's words fell—
A hoarse voice, without warning, rang out!
"Beast of Calamity…"
"Evil born of humanity…"
"That yearning for return to compassion is precisely the very foundation that rejects you!"
"I shouldn't be the one to bestow your destined death…"
"But now, the time has come!"
"I will offer the virtuous… the reward she deserves!"
Everyone looked up!
Above the underworld, a figure stood silently, clad in a tattered black cloak, two eerie blue flames burning quietly in his eye sockets! In his hand, he gripped a massive two-handed sword wreathed in an aura of death!
"Though a god, fallen to beasts, as the Mother of Origins, I must announce my name."
"From the abyss of the darkest valley, from the shadows of death."
"I am the Old Man of the Mountain, Hassan-i-Sabbah!"
"Listen, the evening bells have revealed your name!"
As if responding to this provocative declaration of death, Tiamat's mangled head jerked back! A chilling surge of energy erupted from her mouth once more! A terrifying magical cannon instantly materialized! Its target: the shadowy figure that proclaimed her death!
"Don't even think about it!!" Ishtar roared!
Although she didn't know what was happening, interrupting Tiamat's attack was the right thing to do! The Celestial Ark Maana once again burst forth with dazzling light!
Boom—!!!
The attack slammed into Tiamat's massive body! While it failed to stop the magic cannon from coalescing, it caused her enormous head to jerk to the side!
In that fatal moment of deviation—
The shadowy figure moved.
There was no earth-shattering sound, no trajectory that tore through space.
He…like a black feather falling from the Grim Reaper himself, appeared on the side of Tiamat's head, exposed by Ishtar's attack!
A massive two-handed sword, wreathed in a deathly blue aura that ended all life, was raised high.
No roar, no declaration, but a whisper announcing the end, clearly resonated deep within every soul:
"Listen. —The evening bell tolls, singing thy name. Feathers foreshadow your beheading.
Azrael."
A line that seemed capable of severing even existence itself flashed by.
*Crack…*
A soft sound, like shattering glass, emanated from within Tiamat's enormous head.
Then, before everyone's eyes, countless spiderweb-like cracks rapidly spread across Tiamat's dark red body from the point where the blade had touched it!
"Now, everyone! Now your attacks can finally kill Tiamat!" Merlin shouted to the crowd.
However, after attacking with all their might, everyone was now out of mana to unleash their Noble Phantasms.
Merlin, seeing this, sensed that things were going badly.
At that very moment, an invisible wave suddenly erupted from Tiamat's mangled body!
Merlin's expression turned grim.
"How could this be!"
"What is that!" Dan Heng had a premonition that touching that thing would lead to something terrible!
"Damn it! It's the rebirth of the world… the Nega-Genesis!" Merlin's voice was heavier than ever before.
Almost instantly after Merlin finished speaking!
"Ritsuka! Use a Command Spell on me! Quickly!!!" Ereshkigal's anxious cry echoed across the battlefield!
Almost the instant the voice rang out, Fujimaru Ritsuka reached out and activated a Command Spell on Ereshkigal.
"In the name of the Command Spell! Ereshkigal! Unleash your power!"
A torrent of magical energy instantly surged into Ereshkigal's body!
"Heaven has its flaws, earth its prisons!"
Ereshkigal raised her Noble Phantasm, her voice resounding like the judgment of the underworld itself, "My hammer is the wrath of the underworld! Unleash it—"
"Kur Ki Gal Irkalla!!!" "
*Clang!*
The Noble Phantasm struck the earth of the Underworld! A crisp sound rang out!
Terror-like flames instantly engulfed Tiamat!
The deafening crashes and pile-ups of rocks echoed endlessly!
In an instant, countless rocks rose from the ground, forcefully suppressing Tiamat's massive body, along with her expanding colorless domain! The terrifying spread of the Nega-Genesis was finally forcibly halted!
Ereshkigal's voice was more urgent than ever before:
"Think of something! I can't hold her for long! Her invading power… its corruption of the Underworld's authority… is too fast! My temple… is being eroded and disintegrated from within!"
Having done all this, Ereshkigal anxiously told everyone, "Hurry and think of something! We can't hold her for long; her attack is too fast!"
"Merlin, what exactly is that?!" Fujimaru Ritsuka directly asked Merlin, as if he knew something.
Merlin said seriously, "It's urgent, so I'll get straight to the point. Anyone touched by that thing will be destroyed."
"How can there be such... such a ridiculous power?!" Ishtar stared at Tiamat's temporarily sealed figure, somewhat incredulous.
Just then, Merlin turned and stared intently at Mash, or rather, the shield in Mash's hand.
"If there's anything here that can stop the Nega-Genesis, it might only be your power, Mash."
"But if that's the case, then we'll need..." Dan Heng didn't finish his sentence, instead turning his gaze to Fujimaru Ritsuka.
"Mash's shield-based defenses might temporarily resist the erosion of the Nega-Genesis, buying us precious time. But during this time, we must penetrate the area covered by the Nega-Genesis to deliver a fatal blow to Tiamat…"
Merlin's voice deepened, "That area only allows… the living to enter!"
"The living…?"
In an instant, all eyes focused on one person!
The last Master of Chaldea—Fujimaru Ritsuka!
Under so many heavy gazes, Fujimaru Ritsuka's face unexpectedly blossomed into a radiant smile!
"That must be me!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka smiled and patted her chest.
Fujimaru Ritsuka's radiant yet abrupt smile left everyone stunned.
Is this the expression one should have when facing the Mother of Creation, facing a fatal blow?
Seemingly sensing the shock surging in her companions' eyes, Fujimaru Ritsuka's smile slowly faded, replaced by an unwavering resolve.
"Don't worry, everything will be alright!" Her voice was clear and reassuring.
"After all, that guy Xiling said that I have a very, very long road ahead of me! I won't die, I absolutely won't die!" Her tone was as if stating an undeniable fact.
"But once we're inside, my spatial privileges won't work," Ereshkigal said, her hands beginning to tremble slightly.
"Don't worry about that," Merlin quickly interjected.
"My Noble Phantasm can provide you with protection!"
Mash's fingers, gripping the shield tightly, turned white with effort. For the first time, a deep hesitation and self-doubt appeared on her face:
"Master... I..."
Mash couldn't guarantee she could withstand the Nega-Genesis attack. If she failed, her Master would face annihilation!
Fujimaru Ritsuka placed her hand on Mash's trembling shoulder.
Mash instinctively turned around, meeting her Master's clear eyes filled with absolute trust.
"Mash," Fujimaru Ritsuka's voice was gentle yet firm, "Just face forward and give it your all! Leave the rest to me!"
"Yes!" The wavering in Mash's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by boundless power from the trust placed in her!
Just then, Merlin reached for a weapon to hand over to Fujimaru Ritsuka.
A sword, without warning, plunged into the ground in front of Fujimaru Ritsuka!
When everyone's gaze focused on the suddenly appearing sword, their pupils contracted sharply!
"That's—!" Ishtar exclaimed in shock.
"Xiling's...Holy Sword!" Mash gasped, covering her mouth in disbelief.
"Xiling's Holy Sword?" A flicker of astonishment crossed Merlin's eyes as well.
Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Dan Heng's steady voice rang out, "Xiling asked me to tell you, 'Charge with confidence, I've got this covered.' Also..." Dan Heng paused, seemingly mimicking someone's tone, "When you hit someone, remember to shout—'The Holy Sword is unsheathed!'"
"Ha!" Fujimaru Ritsuka couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"I thought that weakling had just run away when things got bad!"
Teasing aside, her actions were without hesitation; she reached out and grasped the hilt of the Holy Sword!
The instant her fingertips touched the cool hilt—
A strange power surged through her body; it was not the power of the Holy Sword!
It was... the power of a hero! Through this Holy Sword, transcending time and space, infusing the body of this savior!
"The barrier is about to collapse! Act quickly!" Ereshkigal's anxious shout exploded like thunder!
On the surface of the colossal stone tomb that suppressed Tiamat, colorless cracks spread wildly like a spider's web, and terrifying impacts roared like thunder, causing the entire underworld to tremble violently!
"From the stars of the inner sea, from the tower of insight, from the four corners of paradise, let them know, their story is filled with blessing! Only those free of sin may pass—" Merlin stood behind Fujimaru Ritsuka, staff raised high, his chant solemn and sacred, his body radiating dreamlike pink petals and pure light, "Garden of Avalon!"
At the same time, Mash poured all her strength, will, and even soul into the shield in her hand! The girl's cry echoed across the battlefield: "True Name unleashed! I will stand on the seat of catastrophe! That which heals all wounds and grudges! Our glorious homeland, manifest yourself— Lord Camelot!!"
"BOOM—!!!"
A colossal, chalky city phantom rose from the ground! It fiercely met the colorless nega-genesis wave that could negate everything! The city walls shielded Fujimaru Ritsuka from calamity, and flowers paved her path.
The savior, wielding the holy sword, took a deep breath and, without hesitation, embarked on the path she was destined to take!
Charge!
Fujimaru Ritsuka felt lighter than ever before! Her feet trod on the petal-strewn path, feeling almost weightless, as if she were riding the wind!
Faster! Faster! Even faster!
This feeling was strikingly similar to the one she experienced when she sprinted with all her might at the school sports meet. The cheers of her classmates seemed to still echo in her ears, and the red ribbon of the finish line fluttered in the wind before her eyes.
Even though she was facing the Mother Goddess of Creation, she strangely felt no tension or fear, only an unprecedented warmth and…ease! All her senses were heightened to their peak, power surged within her, and her goal was crystal clear!
Merlin stared in disbelief at the figure that blurred into a streak, hurtling along the path of petals at a speed beyond mortal comprehension. His heart pounded with horror:
"My Avalon... doesn't turn people into superhumans!"
What was going on with the Chaldea Master before him?
"Faster! Faster! Faster!" Fujimaru Ritsuka screamed inwardly, each step covering tens of meters! The collapsing boulders behind her were left far behind!
Tiamat's eyes darted around! They pierced through layers of obstruction, locking onto the tiny figure approaching her at an unimaginable speed, and the sword in her hand radiated an aura that even her own essence felt threatened!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two dark shadows shot out from Tiamat's massive body like lightning tearing through space!
It was the twisted being she had created—Rahmu!
They traced bizarre trajectories through the air, hurtling straight at Fujimaru Ritsuka!
Too fast! Fujimaru Ritsuka's brain didn't even have time to react!
However—
The hand wielding the holy sword seemed to possess an independent will! In the instant Fujimaru Ritsuka's pupils contracted, the sword light flashed out as if by instinct!
Two ferocious Rahmu were instantly shredded into flying black mud fragments in mid-air!
Fujimaru Ritsuka was completely stunned, as if someone else had performed that stunning kill. The next second, immense surprise and excitement blossomed into an incredibly bright, even slightly arrogant, smile on her face!
"Wow! Is this... the legendary substitute fighting?!" she couldn't help but shout, her voice filled with the joy of discovering a new continent.
"Then I don't care about anything else—just charge, charge, charge!!!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka started running again, sprinting!
Target—Tiamat!
More Rahmu, like a dense rain of black arrows, shot out from all parts of Tiamat's body, completely sealing off the space within a hundred meters in front of Fujimaru Ritsuka!
Faced with this death storm that would make any Heroic Spirit's scalp tingle—
Fujimaru Ritsuka, rushing forward, moved her holy sword once more!
No longer an instinctive parry, but… an active attack!
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
Sword light crisscrossed! Each strike accurately hit the core of a Rahmu! Wherever the sword passed, the black monster shattered like fragile porcelain!
Fujimaru Ritsuka's figure didn't pause for a moment, nor did she change her running trajectory, tearing a straight path through this rain of deadly arrows! Fragments of black mud rained down behind her like a storm!
At this moment, she was less than a hundred meters away from Tiamat!
However, the road ahead… was also blocked!
But the Savior… showed no sign of stopping!
Her pace quickened instead!
Left foot! Right foot! Left foot! A textbook, perfect three-step acceleration!
"Teacher! I haven't forgotten a single detail of the three-step long jump technique you taught me!" Fujimaru Ritsuka shouted in her heart!
Thump! Thump! Thump!
After three steps, the girl's figure, like an arrow released from a bow, leaped over the edge of the cliff with unstoppable momentum!
1 meter! 5 meters! 10 meters! 30 meters! 50 meters! 70 meters!
Amazing hang time! Astonishing leap distance!
But… there was still a final… 20 meters to reach Tiamat's core!
These 20 meters were like an insurmountable chasm! The force of the fall had already begun to pull at her body!
Fujimaru Ritsuka's face showed no panic; instead, she shouted happily, "Hey! Substitute! It's your turn to shine! Don't give up halfway through!"
At that moment, a voice rang in her ears.
"The Holy Sword, you know, isn't used like that."
Fujimaru Ritsuka felt as if another invisible yet powerful hand covered and guided her hands, raising the Holy Sword high above her head!
"The rest... I don't need to teach you, right?"
"No need!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka's face once again radiated that incomparably bright and confident light!
She no longer needed any guidance!
All her power, all her will, all her trust, at this moment transformed into the most fervent cry from the depths of her soul!
"Holy—Sword—Unsheathed—!!!!!"
Accompanied by the girl's clear and resolute cry, a torrent of light erupted from the Holy Sword!
Crossing the final 20 meters, the sword slammed down on Tiamat's head!
The moment the Savior's sword struck, Tiamat's enormous body offered no resistance, beginning to crumble, disintegrate, and dissipate!
...
Far from the main battlefield of Uruk, on another scorched wasteland, ravaged beyond recognition—
"Impossible!!!" Kingu roared in heart-wrenching fury, his connection with his mother, Tiamat, completely severed.
Just then, that infuriating voice rang out:
"Nothing is impossible in this world."
Gilgamesh's voice carried a calm that came after the dust had settled, even though he was covered in blood; his back remained ramrod straight.
"Anything can happen in the next moment."
Kingu angrily turned his gaze to the blood-soaked king.
Despite being covered in wounds, his face showed only a calm expression, as if the pain wasn't his own!
"It's over," Gilgamesh's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a declaration.
"Your so-called new era… along with the ancient illusions you cling to, is utterly over."
"Shut your mouth—!!!" Kingu roared like a beast, the space behind him violently rippled, and several chains of heaven tore through the air, aiming straight for Gilgamesh's vitals!
However, just a moment before the chains were about to pierce their target—
*Whoosh!*
An unbelievable scene unfolded! Those chains, filled with killing intent, seemed to have struck an invisible wall of sighs, instantly losing all their power! Finally, they embedded themselves into the scorched earth beneath Gilgamesh's feet with a dull thud, raising a cloud of dust.
"What...?!" Kingu's anger froze instantly. He stared intently at the chains that had betrayed him, his face contorted with extreme rage and bewilderment.
"Why?! Obey me! Pierce him!!"
He relentlessly channeled his magic power, unleashing even more chains from the void, attacking Gilgamesh from all directions! The chains whistled through the air, each strike capable of shattering mountains!
But—
No matter how hard he tried, the chains always veered off course just before touching Gilgamesh's body! They could never even touch a single hem of the king's robes!
Gilgamesh stood silently, letting the futile storm of chains rage around him. He looked at Kingu's face, twisted with fury, and finally closed his eyes.
It was time to end it.
The wind rose.
Gently ruffling their hair.
At first, it was just a gentle touch on their blood-stained hair and tattered robes.
But soon, the gentle breeze turned violent, and the entire space hummed uncontrollably! The sky—no, everything in sight—began to be stained with a chilling, blood-red light!
The king's heart held no more hesitation.
His treasury contained a weapon capable of tearing the world apart.
If he were willing to wield this weapon, the so-called Three Goddesses Alliance would be nothing but his defeated foe.
However, for the sake of his people, he sheathed his edge, becoming a wise king, sealing the weapon that represented his power within his treasury.
Fate had been broken.
The goddess was dead.
Then, the last trace of malice clinging to this land…
It was up to him to sever it with his own hands.
As the king made his decision, a tiny hole appeared before him.
From that hole, a strangely shaped, three-sectioned cylindrical hilt slowly emerged, rotating counter-clockwise.
Its appearance, like a magnet, drew in the surrounding crimson light, instantly creating a massive swirling storm around it! The space wailed like shattering glass!
A deadly threat! Absolute death!
Kingu's pupils shrank to pinpoints, his ferocious expression instantly replaced by overwhelming fear!
"No…!" he roared, instinctively trying to retreat, to escape this locked and torn space!
However, just as he was about to take a step—
Crack!
An irresistible binding force, not from the outside, but… originating from the deepest part of his body! It was as if countless invisible chains erupted from every cell, every nerve of his body, pinning him to the spot! He couldn't even move a finger! This body, once completely under his control, now became a prison binding him!
"Damn it! What's going on?! Move! Move!!" Kingu screamed in terror and despair, desperately channeling his magic power to try to break free from this sudden confinement, but all his efforts were in vain. His body rejected his will!
Gilgamesh's cold and majestic voice, like a final judgment, pierced through the howling storm:
"It's useless."
Kingu jerked his head up, using his last strength to cast a venomous gaze at the king.
"You've used this body to create... far too many tragedies."
"The owner of this body..."
"...couldn't bear to watch it anymore."
"What a joke?!" Kingu screamed hysterically, like a wild beast whose tail had been stepped on.
"This is my body! Mine!!"
Looking at that incredibly familiar face, now filled with madness, ferocity, and despair—like the most clumsy graffiti covering a priceless treasure—this face, once his only true friend, his only confidant, the other half of his body who stood shoulder to shoulder with him at the pinnacle of the world, sharing laughter...
Now, it bore such ugly malice.
The last ripple in Gilgamesh's eyes subsided. He slowly raised his hand, grasping the hilt of the strange weapon with its three counter-rotating segments.
"Boom—!!!"
The chaotic storm that tore the world apart descended completely at this moment! Crimson light engulfed the heavens and earth, and the raging wind pressure crushed everything around them! The entire space seemed to tremble at the awakening of this sword!
Gilgamesh's movements became unusually heavy and slow, as if he were fighting against the resistance of the entire world. He raised Ea high above his head, and the three cylindrical sections began to spin rapidly, a crimson storm spiraling straight into the sky!
The king's movements were like performing some ancient ritual, or perhaps... giving the soul trapped in the body a fleeting chance to choose.
However, Kingu... or rather, the being imprisoned in its place, did not run.
It was Enkidu... he didn't run.
Amidst the roar of the storm that could tear the soul apart, the ferocity and fear on Kingu's face faded, replaced by a calm expression. His emerald eyes held tenderness and a hint of relief.
His gaze pierced through the raging storm and landed on his dearest friend.
An obvious smile slowly bloomed on his face.
His lips moved silently, uttering a few words. The sound was faint, instantly swallowed by the deafening roar of Ea as it tore through space.
But Gilgamesh… heard it.
"Swing your sword… Gil…"
"Ah…" Gilgamesh's voice was low and hoarse, containing immense power, overwhelming the roar of Ea:
"End it—!!!"
His arm swung down!
"Ea—The Star of Creation!!"
BOOM—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A crimson rift piercing through reality and illusion, with unstoppable force, instantly devoured everything in its path!
Kingu—or rather, the body that bore too much pain and error, stood silently at the center of the storm, facing the torrent of destruction, and smiled as he closed his eyes.
—
—
A/N [Author Note]:
The MVP of the Seventh Singularity is!
The Supreme Will!!!
It is it that which bestowed all blessings!!