Cold wind blows across the scorched land. Since Tiamat awakened, it seems the stars in this sky have faded. Her immense form stood silently at the edge of the heavens. Though her demeanor was gentle, an inexpressible pressure radiated from her starlike eyes whenever she gazed downward.
The black mud known as the "Sea of Life" quietly enveloped EA's brilliance. When Tiamat posed her gentle question, Gilgamesh's posture subtly stiffened. He looked up at her, disbelief written in his gaze from the edge of his vision. It was no illusion, but truly the ancient being called the Mother of Creation?
She had slumbered within the unique magecraft of a Servant, and had taken charge to assist that Servant? No… that wasn't right! He realized something at that moment. Betrayed by the gods and trapped for millennia in a fabricated world, the Mother of Creation's love had long since been distorted into the evil of humanity known as "Beast."
She had lost her home and all her children… and so, she wished for every living being in this world to return to her body. Upon awakening, this power would devour everything in the outside world uncontrollably, reverting all of existence to its primal state. Yet, within this unique magecraft, Tiamat's "Chaos Tide" did not activate. Was Caster's Reality Marble enough to shield against the Chaos Tide and let the "Mother" sleep peacefully?
Realizing this, Gilgamesh faintly understood something. The EA in his hand was a Reality Marble Noble Phantasm, and if this barrier was destroyed, it would be as if Tiamat had lost her "home" once again. It would be at that very moment that she awakened to stop him.
If he continued, he would never again confront Caster directly… But Tiamat. Was he truly fighting the Mother of Creation alone? The moment he understood this, the fingertips of the King of Heroes trembled unconsciously, then slowly relaxed. He gripped EA tightly, feeling both dread and awe toward the being before him… and yet, there was also excitement.
Yes… she was the Mother of Creation, the "Mother" of Mesopotamia. But he was the King among heroes who had defied the gods! To fight such an existence, regardless of the outcome, meant his Holy Grail War had not been in vain.
Instead of fleeing, he wanted to face the Mother of Creation with the body of a king. The king may feel fear and awe, but he bows to no one—not even to Tiamat. Every nerve in his body tingled with excitement, and all his emotions twisted into a proud fighting spirit!
"Hahaha…" Gilgamesh laughed. "Caster, you have truly brought this king a grand surprise." His crimson, serpent-like eyes stared at the black-haired man lying on the ground, declaring the most complete defiance of the "Oldest King of Heroes."
"Come then, whether you are the Mother of Creation or anyone else—let this king meet you in battle!"
Behind him, countless golden waves surged. He had no thought of retreat, shocked at the "surprise" Caster had brought, awed by the greatness of the Mother of Creation who birthed all, and, with her nobility as his origin, he loved her. But he would bow to no one.
Thus, Gilgamesh raised his ground-breaking sword like a scepter of pride and pointed it at the oldest "mother." But at that moment—a magical light, brimming with absolute command, struck without warning. Crimson energy rapidly formed mysterious command patterns on Gilgamesh's body.
Feeling the magic flowing swiftly from deep within the Tohsaka family, from Tohsaka Tokiomi's body, his face grew as heavy as water, and the Command Spells on his hand glowed.
"By my Command—
O King, quell your wrath and return to me at once."
Gilgamesh slowly looked down at his body and the red marks brimming with "humiliation."
"Tch…"
Realizing what had happened, a strong murderous aura and fury flashed across Gilgamesh's arrogant face. Like a lion, he roared:
"How dare—
How dare you use a Command Spell to order this king?!"
He was forced to obey, compelled to return… the greatest insult to a king. Yet the Command Spell's order was absolute. The irresistible force forcibly "peeled" Gilgamesh's spiritual foundation out of this essential barrier. His beautiful golden armor began to dissolve into golden light particles, spreading across the sky.
But before leaving, he fixed his blood-red, serpentine gaze on Izaya Sajyou.
"Caster, your glory is bound to the earth… this king will surely end you by his own hand!"
With Gilgamesh's departure, the land regained its previous calm. Izaya Sajyou watched the direction Gilgamesh disappeared, then smiled.
From Gilgamesh's perspective, as a Caster, wasn't he already the greatest adversary in this Holy Grail War? After all, he could use his Reality Marble, the "Distant Beast's Cradle," at any time. But this Holy Grail War was truly tricky… and he was not the only one. The phrase "omniscient and omnipotent" didn't apply… this King of Heroes still feared great loss ahead.
Suppressing such thoughts, Izaya Sajyou turned back. Due to an unusual "awakening," it seemed Tiamat had not immediately fallen back asleep. As long as she remained here, her "Chaos Tide"—the Sea of Life that could dissolve all—would not run rampant.
"This time, it's thanks to you, Tiamat."
Izaya Sajyou looked up at the Mother of Creation, a goddess so large he had to crane his neck to see her. The goddess's divine armor wrapped her curvaceous and tall figure perfectly; her chest drew a thrilling curve, as if one could hear the heartbeat symbolizing the origin of all things just by approaching. One glance and people fell in love, instinctively wanting to return to her embrace.
Her long, soft blue hair draped around her shoulders like a cascading waterfall, radiating an aura of all-encompassing motherhood. If an ordinary mage saw Tiamat now, they would be filled with instinctive fear and awe.
But Izaya Sajyou was clearly an exception. He quietly gazed at her immense body and sighed inwardly. "Ah…" Tiamat gently shook her head and let out a soft, incomprehensible voice like a lullaby. With her slightest movement, her milk seemed to sway softly. Izaya's eyes were slightly fixed. He couldn't understand, but somehow Tiamat seemed correct.
"Here, I can finally feel at ease."
At that moment, Tiamat finally spoke, her words firm yet gentle. She gazed tenderly at the black-haired man and continued, "Why… did you help me then?"
She still vaguely remembered, from within the imaginary world, seeing the man and intending to let him go, but he gripped the door of the dimensional rift tightly and said something to save her. Betrayed by the gods, abandoned by the planet, and exiled to an imaginary world for thousands of years—that was the first time a "child" had said he wanted to save her. And… ever since then, he had truly accepted her.
[In the distant age of the gods, the earth was still in chaos, and Tiamat, the Mother of Creation, birthed all things and contributed to the planet, but was betrayed by the gods.]
[Later, when humans became rulers of the planet, Gaia's will chose to side with the children, and Tiamat was abandoned by the planet she loved and the children she gave birth to.]
[After being imprisoned for thousands of years, her pure "maternal love" was ultimately distorted into "the evil of humanity." Even upon awakening, all she saw was a world of "nothingness."]
[Realizing the world no longer needed her, she understood she was already homeless. She was no longer the Mother of Creation, but a Beast regarded as human evil.]
[A beast feared and hated by humanity… she couldn't understand why you chose to help her, and as for her question, your answer is—]
A special options screen appeared before Izaya's eyes:
[A]: Tell her she is tall because she is the Mother of Creation and deserves respect and help.
[B]: Tell her about your experiences in the Tunguska region and clarify that you do not see the Beast as your enemy.
[C]: Speak honestly and openly, admitting you desire her body, find her beautiful, and want to return to her maternal love.
Seeing these options, Izaya Sajyou fell into deep thought. System… are you sure about this? What does it mean to desire her body? Can I really ruin the mood? But after reconsidering… these options did seem reasonable. After a brief pause, Izaya Sajyou chose all three: A, B, and C.
[You tell Tiamat you respect her and understand what she went through. In your view, the Beast doesn't have to be humanity's enemy.]
After hearing your empathetic words, she was slightly moved and saddened. She believed her "children" no longer needed her, and that today's world had no place for her.
At the end of her words, an untainted gaze showed a hint of loss. Her voluptuous figure displayed a beautiful silhouette in the night, and her warm white skin was bathed in moonlight.
To Tiamat, "Return" = "Relief," as she believed after becoming independent, her children would face hardship, aging, and death, so returning to the Sea of Life without suffering or death was better. She could not understand why her children resisted returning. Despite her immense power, at heart, she was simply an "other" who loved her children deeply.
[You tell her about your past in Tunguska and explain that all humans are independent individuals with their own choices, and that happiness can't be found by returning.]
After hearing this, she only became more confused.
"My principle is to let my children 'return'… If none of them want to come back to my body, then what is the meaning of my existence?"
Izaya Sajyou couldn't help but gently rub his brow. The principle each Beast represents is their reason for being… it was certainly not easy to persuade her.
After a moment's thought, he said, "It's simple. Then don't be the Beast of Return—live as the Mother of Creation."
"If you need a home, I can give you one."
"If you need to be needed, then your existence is needed by me."
Tiamat lowered her gaze, looking at the black-haired man lying on the ground, tilting her head in bewilderment.
"Why… do you need me?"
She couldn't understand. The man had clearly said he didn't want to "return"—so what was she supposed to do? Wasn't her only purpose to bring her children back to her body?
Izaya Sajyou thought briefly, then smiled. "Because I like you."
Tiamat was stunned for a moment. "For example?"
"Like this," Izaya Sajyou said, looking up at the goddess, radiant with a maternal glow. "Because I like you, I want you to stay here. You can use this place as your new home from now on."
"If all humanity abandons you, I'll be the one child who still likes you."
"Is that answer good enough?"
Tiamat blinked, the man's sincere face reflected in her bright red eyes. So… a Beast? Though she was a little flustered, there was nothing fake in the man's gaze—it was truly heartfelt.
He really liked her… but it didn't feel entirely like familial affection. Even so, Tiamat was filled with magic, as if still sighing. It was joy, but also a hint of anxiety. Cautiously, she reached out, secretly watching his eyes. If he showed any sign of fleeing or fear, she would stop immediately. In truth, she was now a bit scared, afraid his words were a lie, afraid she'd have no home in the future…
But from start to finish, Izaya Sajyou never moved, calmly meeting Tiamat's gaze.
In the hazy night, Tiamat's hand finally brushed the man's face. With that touch, the magic flowing through his body clearly melted into her consciousness. At that moment, her long-tensed heart finally relaxed.
There was no fear, only the feeling of "liking."
"Good child…"
"…that's right."
Tiamat replied in a cheerful and delighted tone, then gave a warmer, softer embrace. She reached out, gently pulling the man into her arms. The soft, tingling touch and faint scent of milk filled his nose, and Izaya Sajyou's whole face seemed to sink deep into her beautiful heart.
Logically, this was the eve of the Holy Grail War, with all forces testing one another, and he should be thinking about breaking the Reality Marble's barrier and leaving as soon as possible. But… feeling the cheek-melting softness and the constant, milky aroma, Izaya Sajyou's mind simply went blank for a while.
In truth, the Holy Grail War was important, but wasn't building a relationship with Tiamat also saving those in disguise?
…
Night was like velvet, soaked in darkness, so deep. Snow blanketed the winter forest in silver.
Manaka Sajyou walked alone down a snowy street, clad in a pure white, elegant dress that blended with the landscape. The falling snowflakes seemed almost alive, parting to avoid her, as if unwilling to dirty her immaculate skirt.
Her angelic, perfect face bore an innocent smile, like a naïve girl ignorant of the world. Several dozen meters behind, a dark figure approached like a ghost. She seemed oblivious to the deadly killing intent hidden behind her, caring only to gaze at the end of the street.
There, the world shimmered with a mirage-like distortion. A huge "black sphere" was embedded in reality, swallowing the drifting snow around it. That was… the Reality Marble!
Near the Reality Marble, a beautiful woman in a pure white winter dress and long silver hair watched the independent world separated from the real one, her gaze tense.
Manaka Sajyou stopped, tilting her head as she "tasted" the Reality Marble deployed by a certain Servant. She could feel it—the core of this Reality Marble was filled with the dissatisfaction of unimaginably vast inhuman beings… The smile on her face gradually widened, and she narrowed her eyes at this unique magecraft.
"It always feels so familiar…"
In fact, she had seen this Reality Marble just a few days ago… Koyanskaya? This thought flashed through her mind, and at that very moment, a shadow symbolizing "death" crept quietly behind her.
The assassin reached out for Manaka. Just as they were about to succeed, the blonde girl slowly turned and murmured:
"Even so… you've been secretly following me from the start, haven't you? Is there something important?"
Her deep blue eyes gazed quietly ahead.
"Miss Assassin?"