Upon the streetlamp, Gilgamesh stared blankly at the woman standing before Alvin.
For a brief instant, it was as if his mind had short-circuited.
Only after what felt like an eternity did he finally manage to utter a single phrase.
"...Tiamat?"
Even now, Gilgamesh could hardly believe it.
Tiamat, the Mother Goddess of Creation from Mesopotamian mythology.
For Gilgamesh, even calling her "mother" at this very moment would not be inappropriate.
But that was not the point.
The real question was… why in the world was she here?!
Gilgamesh's mind raced furiously until, suddenly, he turned his sharp gaze toward Alvin and spoke in a deep voice.
"What exactly did you do?"
Without a doubt, this had to be the result of that special Noble Phantasm Saber had just used.
And it wasn't just Gilgamesh.
All those enemies hiding in the shadows at this very moment seemed utterly dumbfounded.
Maiya Hisau, observing the scene through a military-grade scope, trembled as she quickly grabbed her phone and once again called Emiya Kiritsugu.
"There's… a new development."
She immediately gave him a brief report of what had transpired:
The mysterious Servant clad in black robes.
The Master who seemed to possess magic circuits far beyond that of a normal magus.
And finally, the special creature that this Servant had summoned—
A woman who bore a form uncannily reminiscent of a "dragon."
What in the world did all of this mean?
That night, every magus who was watching from the shadows began to speculate about the identity of this Servant.
"Answer me, Saber!"
"Who exactly are you?!"
At that moment, Gilgamesh finally shook off the overwhelming shock he had felt.
His crimson eyes grew colder, filled with killing intent as he glared at Alvin.
In his view, this Servant was desecrating the Mother Goddess herself, because to summon her in the form of a mere "familiar" was blasphemy.
Tiamat, however, turned her gaze toward Gilgamesh upon the streetlamp, then back at Alvin, and let out an incomprehensible inquiry:
"Aaaa? (Is he an enemy?)"
She existed only as a temporary familiar, formed by Alvin's mana and could not maintain her current form for long.
But before disappearing, if she wished, she could easily unleash a blast of pure destruction upon Gilgamesh.
"...Yes," Alvin replied.
Even though no one understood what Tiamat had just said, the moment he spoke that word, Tiamat turned around and released a melodic, haunting song.
"Aaaaaa—"
In that instant, the tide of chaos surged forward like a cataclysmic tsunami, crashing down upon Gilgamesh, who stood atop the streetlamp.
The torrent of chaos devoured everything in its path, swallowing even the streetlamp and its light in a single moment.
Gilgamesh was forced to leap down from the lamp post. Landing on the ground, he raised his crimson eyes, brimming with unprecedented fury.
"To dare place me, the King, upon the same ground as you, you mong—"
Yet before he could finish, his words abruptly caught in his throat as he stared at the entity in front of him.
Even when faced with the gods themselves, Gilgamesh had never shown reverence… but this woman was different.
The Mother Goddess of Creation, Tiamat… the being who gave birth to all life.
To insult her would be no different than insulting himself.
Moreover, though Gilgamesh would never admit it openly, he felt a deep sense of awe toward Tiamat.
At this moment, his curiosity toward this mysterious, black-robed Servant reached its peak.
A Noble Phantasm capable of summoning Tiamat… This Servant was undoubtedly from Mesopotamia as well.
Who in the world was he?
Gilgamesh silently stared at the black-robed Servant before him, his expression finally growing serious.
Perhaps because of the overwhelming reports from the battlefield, Tokiomi Tohsaka, after much hesitation, clenched his teeth and used his second Command Seal.
"Please… return and calm yourself, my noble King…"
The moment that voice fell, before Gilgamesh could even speak again, he faintly sensed an irresistible "force" quietly descending upon him.
Gilgamesh was stunned for a monent. Then, looking down at his hands as they slowly turned into golden particles of light, a cold smile soon crept onto his face.
"To use two Command Seals before the Holy Grail War has even begun… It seems I may have underestimated you a little, Tokiomi."
Each Master had only three Command Seals in total, each one capable of issuing an absolute command to their Servant.
Once all the Command Seals were spent… if the Servant so desired, they could completely ignore their Master's orders.
So this Tokiomi… should it be said that he lacked caution, or that he was simply decisive in the face of crisis?
Regardless, tonight was indeed not the best time to continue fighting Saber.
After all…
Gilgamesh raised his head and cast his gaze forward.
Tiamat was staring at him with a puzzled look in her eyes.
Gilgamesh shifted his gaze directly onto the black-robed Servant standing behind her.
"Saber, you've truly given this king quite a surprise tonight. But next time… I will tear that mask of yours off completely."
"I hope you can last until the Holy Grail War ends."
After saying this, Gilgamesh prepared to leave.
But then, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Tiamat turning around and hugging her "child," pulling him into her arms with intimate affection, rubbing her cheek against him like a spoiled kitten and Gilgamesh's body stiffened ever so slightly.
And then, at last, the Golden King departed.
The dazzling golden light on the street faded away, and everything seemed to return to its original state.
Tiamat, however, still clung intimately to Alvin, completely ignoring Manaka Sajyou beside them.
After holding her "child" close for quite a while, the mana sustaining her physical form finally began to dissipate.
"Aaaaaaa (If you need me, call for me.)"
At last, she gently patted Alvin's head, then quietly closed her eyes as her figure gradually became translucent, until she finally vanished from the street.
In the darkness of the night, those enemies who had been secretly observing the battlefield all withdrew silently.
Although Saber and Archer had not decided a victor tonight, the power the two had displayed had already set off alarms deep in everyone's hearts.
The Noble Phantasm that the Golden King used tonight was terrifying enough to make anyone wary… yet even that overwhelming weapon had failed to destroy the strange "creature" Saber had summoned.
Just what on Earth was that…?
This same question lingered in the minds of every Master.
Compared to the heavy tension in everyone else's hearts, Manaka Sajyou seemed remarkably relaxed.
She held Alvin's sleeve with one small hand and said with a smile.
"Let's head back for now, Saber."
Alvin gave a slight nod and softly replied, "Mm." Silently, he glanced at Manaka's profile but didn't say anything.
The two of them walked down the street, heading back. After an unknown amount of time passed, Alvin finally couldn't help but speak:
"Manaka, aren't you curious what I just summoned?"
"Tiamat, the Beast who is both the Mother Goddess of Creation and the Principle of Return… Even if you don't explain, I already know everything," Manaka replied calmly.
Her omniscience and omnipotence might be ineffective against Alvin, but that didn't mean it was useless against everything else… At the very least, when it came to Tiamat, Manaka understood her well enough.
The only thing that left her puzzled, was why Alvin's Noble Phantasm was so… bizarre.
Other Servants' Noble Phantasms either unleashed devastating destructive power or unfolded their own Reality Marbles…
And then there was Alvin… who summoned his "mom."
Of course, this wasn't really a problem for Manaka. As far as she was concerned, as long as she could enjoy the Holy Grail War with Alvin, that was more than enough.
Thinking this, she wrapped herself around Alvin's arm and cheerfully walked alongside him.
The two remained silent for a while, until, after some time, Manaka suddenly spoke.
"Saber, what are you thinking about?"
"Are you thinking about that flashy golden guy from earlier?"
Alvin came back to his senses and shook his head with a small smile. "It's not about him… I'm just wondering how I'm going to find my teacher."
He didn't know which Servant Kayneth had summoned in this altered timeline. Furthermore… in the original timeline, Kayneth had been killed by Kiritsugu Emiya.
So in this timeline, would Kayneth still end up encountering Kiritsugu?
Either way, Alvin had to figure out a way to find his teacher as soon as possible…
"Don't worry, he'll be fine. And besides, after all the commotion we caused tonight, he's probably heard about it by now. He might even have already figured out your identity," Manaka said with a bright, reassuring smile.
"…I hope so," Alvin murmured, though he still felt somewhat uneasy.
And then, just as the two were about to leave the street, Alvin suddenly noticed a small figure hiding in a corner of the alley and froze.
Logically speaking, after that fierce battle with Gilgamesh, anyone nearby should have already fled long ago.
Why would anyone still be here?
Moreover… why would a child be out alone on a snowy night like this?
Manaka clearly noticed it too.
She instinctively tilted her head toward the alley, her gaze landing on the small black-haired girl.
Bending down slightly with a gentle smile, she asked, "Little one, why are you out here all alone so late at night?"
The girl looked no more than ten years old.
Her lips were pale from the cold winter night, and her small, bare feet pressed against the snow.
If it weren't for Alvin's exceptional perception, he might not have even noticed her presence, huddled up in that alley.
"What's your name?" Manaka asked again.
The little girl glanced timidly at Manaka's beautiful, radiant face and whispered, "…Matou Sakura."
Alvin's eyes flickered, and he instinctively looked at the black-haired girl a few more times.
Matou… Sakura?
No wonder he didn't recognize her immediately, after all, in his memory, Sakura had purple hair.
Wait a second…
Alvin's mind abruptly stopped for a moment, and he subconsciously asked, "What did you just say your name was?"
Matou Sakura…?
"Aren't you Tokiomi's child? Why is your surname 'Matou'…?"
For some reason, an ominous premonition suddenly rose in Alvin's heart.
Perhaps it was because she heard the name "Tokiomi," but Matou Sakura instinctively lifted her head to look at the boy.
In those timid eyes of hers, there now seemed to be a trace of confusion and curiosity.
"White Dragon… Alvin?"
She suddenly blurted out unconsciously.
Alvin and Manaka exchanged glances, and from each other's eyes, they both saw the same astonishment.
How could such a small girl recognize him at first sight…?
The sky grew darker, the cold wind howled, and snow fell relentlessly.
After a brief moment of thought, Manaka spoke: "Why don't we take her back first?"
It was already late at night.
Although she didn't quite understand why this girl would be out here all alone…
But, looking at how much Alvin seemed to care, there was no way they could just leave her here.
Besides, showing her "compassion" in front of Alvin… this in itself was a nice way to earn some points.
Alvin gently nodded as be reached out and patted Sakura's head softly, speaking in a warm and reassuring voice.
"Sakura, it's too late tonight. I'll take you home tomorrow, alright?"
Hearing his words, Matou Sakura subconsciously glanced at Sajyou Manaka, and her gaze quickly returned to Alvin.
In the end, she still softly replied with a "..mm".
...
At the same time, in the Tohsaka residence.
Golden light particles silently gathered in the hall of the residence, and Gilgamesh's cold and arrogant star-silver voice quietly rang out in the hall.
"..You are quite bold, Tokiomi."
Tohsaka Tokiomi had already prepared an excuse.
He placed a hand on his chest and respectfully said: "..I sincerely apologize for disturbing your mood... but I considered that there might be many eyes watching tonight, so I thought it would be safer to be cautious..."
"..It's just a Holy Grail War. This king could have retrieved the Grail into the Gate of Babylon tonight..."
Gilgamesh snorted coldly, then seemed to recall the mysterious servant he had faced earlier.
In the depths of his crimson eyes, a trace of doubt quickly emerged.
Saber, just who the hell is this guy... In the past, he had never heard of anyone being able to summon that "Mother Goddess of Creation".
As if guessing what Gilgamesh was thinking, Tohsaka Tokiomi quickly said with a respectful tone: "..My king, I may already know who it was that fought you tonight."
"..Oh?"
Gilgamesh finally turned his gaze toward Tohsaka Tokiomi.
"..Speak. Let me hear it."
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P.S: I've been dealing with some health issues lately. Nothing too serious, but it does mean I need a couple of days of proper rest. Because of this, I won't be able to upload as regularly across all the fanfics for now.
That said, I'll do my best to post at least one chapter of this fanfic.
For the moment, I can only focus on this one until I've recovered enough to get back on track.
Thanks a lot for your patience and support, it really means a lot! 💙