Jiang You pushed open the underground prison in Ur. Contrary to expectations, it wasn't as filthy as he'd imagined. After all, Hundred Faces had recently constructed it using cement, and it had only been in use for a few weeks. During that time, only one person had ever been imprisoned here: our friend Kingu.
Jiang You never expected Kingu to actually be operating a sewing machine right now. He had only mentioned it casually during a conversation with Hundred Faces, yet her execution was astonishingly swift.
The sewing machine beneath Kingu's feet was smoking from overuse. Jiang You stared at the several large boxes overflowing with finished products behind him, at a loss for words.
"You're such a straightforward child, aren't you?"
"Just to be on the safe side, in case someone tries to find fault and say I didn't do my best."
Kingu didn't stop working when Jiang You entered. "Everyone here knows how fickle you are. I don't want to give you any excuse to refuse me. What's a little effort like this compared to successfully awakening Mother?"
"That's exactly why I came here."
Now that all the preparations were complete, it was time to summon Tiamat.
"We should awaken Tiamat today."
"Excellent, excellent!" Kingu visibly brightened with excitement. "When do we depart?"
"Right now, of course."
Jiang You unlocked Kingu's shackles. These restraints were more symbolic than practical; given Enkidu's physical constitution, they couldn't actually hold him.
This place was in Uruk's southeast, near the sea.
An observatory stood here, an astonishing sight for this era. More accurately, it resembled a watchtower. Now, Jiang You and Kingu climbed to its highest point. The salty sea breeze whipped around them, and the vast expanse of azure ocean stretched before them.
The pristine, unpolluted primordial sea was truly invigorating, though it was soon to be stained black.
"It seems you've prepared well to face Mother," Kingu sneered, eyeing the several Servants positioned along the shoreline, ready for battle. "But you still underestimate her. You have no concept of what she represents!"
"Pre-battle trash talk—a classic performance art," Jiang You quipped.
If he weren't so eager to retrieve Tiamat, Jiang You would have relished toying with Kingu. But with his subordinates waiting below, he decided against it. "You're overthinking things. They're here to block your siblings. I don't want those creatures slaughtering humanity either. I'm the only one facing Tiamat directly... though it hardly counts as a direct confrontation."
"Suit yourself," Kingu sneered.
Even within Jiang You's Noble Phantasm, Kingu believed Jiang You stood no chance against Tiamat. If Gilgamesh himself had struggled to deal with the Self-Sealed Tiamat, what hope did this nameless nobody have?
"It's about time."
Seeing that everyone was ready and the final preparations underway, Jiang You returned to the Fifth Holy Grail War timeline and summoned Gorgon directly.
"You actually possess this ability..." Gorgon marveled at Jiang You's ability to traverse Worldlines. "But summoning me right in front of ordinary people? Aren't you worried about causing chaos?"
"The people here are used to it by now," Jiang You replied, unconcerned.
At the Clock Tower's request, he had left a Soul Crystal in Fuyuki as the prize for the Second Duel Tournament. This had been announced to the world, and Maguses and related personnel from across the globe had gathered here to gather intelligence and expand their Decks before the Duel began.
As for whether anyone would try to disrupt the tournament or steal the Soul Crystal, that was inevitable. Maguses had never been particularly honest individuals. Now, Hundred Faces, who had taken over Medea's duties, could assassinate third-rate Maguses with a single strike. Other Servants and the Clock Tower's Executors also assisted in maintaining order. In short, while Fuyuki was chaotic, it managed to maintain a semblance of order.
Just as Jiang You had predicted, passersby excitedly approached, only to realize it wasn't a Duel. Muttering, "Such a huge thing... I thought it was some Duelist's powerful monster," they walked away in disappointment.
"See? Even you can walk openly in the streets now."
"No thanks."
Gorgon flatly rejected Jiang You's suggestion, showing no interest whatsoever.
"Alright then, I'll head back for now. Once Tiamat awakens, I'll drag you back."
Seeing there was nothing more to say, Jiang You returned to push forward with the main story.
"Then hurry up," Gorgon urged, her tail flicking nervously under the curious gazes of the surrounding humans. Fortunately, the area was spacious enough, or she would have completely blocked the road. Heeding her Sisters' instructions, she suppressed her inner irritation, thinking, "I'm afraid if I look at them any longer, I'll lose control and crush them all!"
When Jiang You returned to the Seventh Singularity, the churning sea had already been dyed black, and an ethereal song echoed from its center. Tiamat had already emerged, and it wouldn't be long before the Lahmu began their assault—the final battle was at hand.
"So, you've killed Gorgon?"
Finally, Kingu let his sneer show, taunting Jiang You. "You were on good terms with her Sisters, weren't you? Yet you still did this. What a cold-blooded creature."
Jiang You glanced at Kingu. This guy will never get his act together, he thought. Though I'm ultimately responsible for his failure, I'm not apologizing.
"We've detected Tiamat's Spirit Origin reaction at the heart of the sea... Just as Jiang You predicted, she's in a Self-Sealed state. Now's our best chance to defeat her!"
Romani's projection materialized beside Gudako. She wouldn't miss this moment for the world. As humanity's last Master, she wouldn't choose to flee.
"Even in this state, she's beyond the concept of death. Our attacks won't be effective."
Jiang You scanned the surroundings but didn't spot the figure clad in the Black God's attire. Even if he were here, I wouldn't be able to detect him, he thought.
"That one probably won't intervene now. So, I'll have to fight my own way. She currently lacks much intelligence and won't attack proactively. I need to release her seal!"
"If you release her seal, you know how terrifying she'll become."
Romani knew he couldn't dissuade Jiang You. They'd come too far to stop now.
"But releasing that seal will require a massive amount of magical power. What's your plan?"
"Of course, it's the—"
Jiang You stabbed Kingu in the back with a chop of his hand, aiming for Kingu's heart! "—the Holy Grail!"
But the blow failed to penetrate.