"This is…"
When they saw what Rozen had taken out, everyone froze slightly.
Only Ishtar's expression shifted violently, blurting out in astonishment:
"Isn't that the thing that was binding Tiamat!?"
Indeed.
What appeared in Rozen's hand was precisely the restraint that had once bound Tiamat.
That is—
"This is the tool used to seal Beast II. Because it was a seal Tiamat placed upon herself, let us call it the 'Rope of Shackles.'"
Rozen's words shocked everyone, then their eyes lit up in unison.
Coupled with what Rozen had just said, how could they not understand his intention?
"You're planning to use this 'Rope of Shackles' to seal Tiamat again!?"
"Can that really work!?"
"Is that even possible!?"
In Chaldea, Roman, Da Vinci, and Olga Marie all spoke out in rapid succession.
"It should be possible." Rozen didn't sound overly certain, but calmly analyzed: "At the very least, this 'Rope of Shackles' did indeed bind Tiamat in the beginning, rendering her immobile. So I believe this plan is worth trying."
Upon hearing this, the crushing despair in their hearts reignited into hope.
If Tiamat could not be slain, then resealing her was the only path left.
However, to realize this plan, two problems had to be solved.
"This 'Rope of Shackles' looks damaged, doesn't it?"
Mash, after hesitating, pointed it out as she looked at the restraint in Rozen's hand.
Indeed, the rope was broken.
Because Kingu had wished upon the Holy Grail to release Tiamat's seal, the rope had snapped instantly, leaving behind only a fragment.
To seal Tiamat again with this broken 'Rope of Shackles' would be impossible.
But this problem was not insurmountable.
"I'll use my 'magic' to repair it."
Rozen declared.
Though Cleansing's power could not interfere with Tiamat's conceptual existence itself, it should at least be able to restore a mere sealing rope.
By using Cleansing's power, Rozen could repair the 'Rope of Shackles' and restore it to its original form.
But besides this, there remained another problem.
"According to your reports, at the beginning Tiamat was only in her Head Form, her Saint Graph far smaller than it is now. With her Saint Graph on such a massive scale today, how are we supposed to bind her with this rope and seal her again?"
Gilgamesh raised this question.
It was indeed unavoidable.
The 'Rope of Shackles' was created to bind Tiamat's limbs—a final vestige of her love for humanity.
But facing Tiamat, who had now cast aside her love, restored her Beastly nature, and broken free of the seal, would it still work?
Gilgamesh doubted it. To bind the current Tiamat with the 'Rope of Shackles' seemed unrealistic.
After all, Tiamat had abandoned her love for mankind. Even if the rope was repaired, whether she would accept it was another matter.
But Rozen had already thought this through.
"With Tiamat's Saint Graph on its current scale, it will indeed be difficult for the seal to affect her. Therefore, what we must do is weaken her Saint Graph, reduce it back to the level of her Head Form."
Rozen answered without hesitation.
This was the critical obstacle.
To ensure that the 'Rope of Shackles' could truly bind Tiamat, her Saint Graph had to be reduced back to its original size.
Only then could the seal be guaranteed to take effect.
"I see."
"So the plan isn't to defeat her outright, but at least to injure her enough, correct?"
Artoria [Alter] and Jeanne [Alter] understood immediately.
Naturally, the others also caught on.
"Seems we still have hope."
"So there really is a path left to us after all?"
"As expected of Rozen-sama."
Nobunaga, Ryougi Shiki, and Hassan of Serenity all exchanged glances.
"Unbelievable—you actually managed to pick this thing up again. You're really something else!"
Ishtar clapped Rozen on the back gleefully.
The others too were visibly moved.
But Rozen himself remained silent, his grip on the 'Rope of Shackles' tightening.
For none of them knew the truth.
This 'Rope of Shackles' was not something Rozen had picked up.
It had flown out from the black sea by its own will, falling into his hand like a shooting star.
Thus, the moment Rozen caught it and recognized its true nature, he understood.
(This was entrusted to me by Tiamat… at the very end.)
At the very last moment, Tiamat herself had handed this to Rozen.
Knowing that the seal would soon be undone, that she would discard her final traces of love and motherhood, Tiamat had accepted her fate.
Yet in that last instant, with what little reason remained, she chose to entrust the 'Rope of Shackles' to Rozen.
The hope of defeating Tiamat was delivered into humanity's hands by Tiamat herself.
Even in sorrow, even in hatred—even after being exiled because she was unwanted—deep in her consciousness, Tiamat had accepted it as inevitable, and still truly wished to be mankind's protector.
This mother had always loved her children.
Thus, Rozen's proposal to reseal Tiamat carried a personal motive as well.
If successful, Tiamat would regain her love for humanity, recover her motherhood, and return to the way she had been when they first met.
At that time…
Just as Rozen was thinking this, Gilgamesh posed another question.
"Even if Tiamat can be sealed again, won't that merely return things to how they were at the beginning?"
Gilgamesh's voice was cool and sharp.
"Even if Tiamat no longer acts, her nature as an Evil of Humanity will remain unchanged. Laḫmu will still attack Mesopotamia, the black mud will continue to spread, and the so-called 'Children of God' will still seek ways to break her seal again. In the end, we still cannot defeat Tiamat, nor resolve this disaster."
Gilgamesh's words cut to the heart of the issue.
But Rozen had considered this as well.
"You need not worry about that." Rozen spoke faintly. "When the time comes, I will have my own way of dealing with Tiamat."
So he declared.
At that, Gilgamesh raised a brow, staring deeply at Rozen, before speaking once more.
"Then there is one more problem."
And what problem was that?
"How do you intend to weaken Tiamat? Didn't you say her Saint Graph structure and even her life form are incomparably stable? To reduce such a vast and indestructible Saint Graph down to the size she possessed at the beginning—isn't that almost impossible?"
The moment he said this, silence fell again.
Because indeed—it would be exceedingly difficult.