You're watching us, aren't you, Alaya?
Roya currently felt both excited and slightly apprehensive.
The coincidence was uncanny.
Last time when she and Souma discussed which heroic spirit would make the best mother figure,
this shut-in listed numerous candidates—from King Arthur and Jeanne d'Arc,
to even including questionable lolis like Miyu and Illya that practically screamed "jailbait."
Roya directly suggested that the Beast of Humanity, Tiamat, would be the most suitable candidate. Coincidentally, Alaya then released a side story titled "The Primordial Mother Goddess."
This time, she had just begun to wonder if Nameless might be the First Holy Sword Wielder.
And then, Alaya promptly released a new side story: "The First Holy Sword Wielder."
It was blatant confirmation.
The timing was too perfect.
It almost made Roya believe she had become the absolute protagonist around whom everything revolved—as if her thoughts could manifest reality.
Unfortunately, she was just a cute, weak, and gluttonous little girl with no talent for magecraft whatsoever.
Souma calmly patted her head and said, "Silly child, go wash up and sleep. You can dream about anything you want."
As Alaya continued to release exposé videos, his strength had indeed been rapidly increasing.
But this world-ending brat was also growing stronger alongside him, making it increasingly difficult to truly suppress her.
If this continued, she would inevitably break free from the seal entirely.
Would the next video be about this troublesome brat?
Roya swiftly turned on the living room's LCD TV and clicked play on the new side story.
The opening lines appeared—
[Special Side Story—"The First Holy Sword Wielder"]
[This side story recounts the events of 14,000 years ago—the arrival of the Star-Spangled Banner seeking to destroy Earth, and the First Holy Sword Wielder who stood against it.]
[Human civilization shall endure, its flame passed on through the ages!]
Roya blinked in surprise. "Huh? Why does it feel like Alaya is encouraging humanity?"
Previously, Alaya would only offer a brief introduction after releasing a video.
But now, this new side story included an uplifting, almost motivational line.
Truly, the Star-Spangled Banner—an entity that had once nearly destroyed Earth—was something even Alaya had to guard against with extreme caution.
"Because this is an existence that could truly annihilate humanity," Gilgamesh replied coolly.
A weapon of destruction beyond imagination, born for the sole purpose of devouring civilizations and erasing all existence.
In the face of such a being, even the gods seemed utterly powerless.
Forced to abandon their Machine God forms, they became the local deities of Greece.
Roya grew even more excited. "So, how exactly did Nameless defeat the Star-Spangled Banner? I'm so curious!"
Even the gods were nothing more than prey to it.
Human and divine civilizations—all would only make it stronger.
How could such a terrifying existence possibly be defeated?
"Just watch calmly, and you'll find out." Qin Shi Huang's eyes were also filled with anticipation.
Back when he was young, Souma had once spoken of the horrors of the Star-Spangled Banner.
It was precisely to resist them that he had spared no expense in constructing the Great Wall of Space.
How had the Master managed to defeat an existence of this level?
The video began to play, and the barrage of comments flooded the screen—
-[It's here, it's here! The First Sword Saint that the Olympian gods kept mentioning turns out to be the Nameless Heroic Spirit!]
-[Alaya, you absolute legend! Perfect timing—right when the Star-Spangled Banner awakens and tries to destroy Earth, you drop this side story!]
-[So, after the video finishes, can we expect Nameless to gain the power to defeat it?]
-[Last time, the side story summoned Tiamat, the Beast of Humanity. This time, are we gonna recruit the Star-Spangled Banner as an ally too?]
...
At this moment.
The Star-Spangled Banner—the colossal form of the Titan Altera—had already appeared in everyone's line of sight.
Just by looking up, one could feel the overwhelming, apocalyptic aura radiating from it.
In the face of such a terrifying existence,
not only ordinary people, but even the Heroic Spirits found themselves buckling under the pressure.
The crushing threat loomed like Mount Tai, bearing down mercilessly.
Human civilization was as fragile as paper before it.
It wasn't just Qin Shi Huang.
The greatest Heroic Spirits of each nation had already prepared contingency plans—their own versions of the "Seed of Fire" project.
Some even began to criticize Noah for personally destroying the Ark.
The gods of the United States had built the [Noah's Ark], clearly intending to lead humanity in fleeing Earth.
But now, the only means of escape had been destroyed by Noah himself!
Humanity had no choice but to stand and perish with the planet!
Under the expectant gazes of all, the video began to play.
Time rewound from the present to 14,000 years ago.
A massive starship, comparable in size to a planet, was traversing the cosmos at the speed of light.
It looked like a comet tearing through the heavens, brimming with destruction.
Its name was [Velber]—the true "Wandering Star."
After arriving in the solar system from the depths of space, a single war machine descended from the planet-sized vessel onto the Moon.
This war machine was the true [Star-Spangled Banner]!
It created an avatar and sent it to Earth, while its main body fell into slumber, quietly awaiting the harvest.
It was merely a weapon—waiting for civilizations to mature before reaping them like a harvester gathering wheat.
Time raced forward, and both human and divine civilizations flourished and grew powerful.
The day of harvest had arrived.
This terrifying existence finally awoke from its concealment, baring its fangs.
Its first target was none other than Uruk!
To be precise, it was the most ancient civilization ruled by Gilgamesh's father during the king's childhood.
The still-maturing Star-Spangled Banner clashed with the Mesopotamian gods, shattering the Age of Gods in Uruk.
The gods began to be rejected by the world itself, no longer able to descend freely into the mortal realm.
As the leader of human civilization, Gilgamesh's chieftain father naturally could not escape the Star-Spangled Banner's hunt.
However, this human did not die. Instead, to survive, he struck a contract with it.
A mysterious and vast power surged into his child's body.
The mechanical voice of the Star-Spangled Banner boomed: "He shall become the Heavenly Wedge linking humanity and the gods, destined to face divine opposition!"
The gods of Mesopotamia were defeated by it.
The Age of Gods would, with the passage of time, completely part ways with humanity.
This was the power born from the clash between the Star-Spangled Banner and the gods, transforming the young King of Heroes into the Heavenly Wedge.
The so-called "chosen by the gods" was merely a shameless label they slapped on to deceive humanity.
The chieftain looked at the young child and declared loudly: "My child, at the moment of your birth, the forests of Mesopotamia echoed with your name—[Gilgamesh]!"
"I watched with pride as you grew day by day. One day, my life will reach its end."
"And you, shall be crowned king, becoming the most ancient king to carry forward human civilization!"
This child was two-thirds god and one-third human.
Moreover, he had been transformed into the [Heavenly Wedge] by the collision of two supreme forces, possessing power beyond human comprehension!
The audience erupted in discussion—
-[Damn, the King of Heroes' origins are this grand?!]
-[Those defeated gods, who gave them the gall to claim the King of Heroes was their prepared Heavenly Wedge?]
-[No wonder the King of Heroes is so powerful—his origins are even more mysterious than we knew, surpassing the gods!]
-[So, is Tiamat also watching the Star-Spangled Banner's movements?]
...
Rin muttered in shock: "The source of the King of Heroes' power is actually connected to the Star-Spangled Banner? Could there be something like a 'Cosmic King of Heroes'?"
The Star-Spangled Banner was merely a harvesting tool released by [Velber].
Its true form was powerful enough to effortlessly destroy planets.
And now, the King of Heroes' origins were tied to it!
In the mind conference room.
Ishtar suddenly understood: "No wonder that narcissistic human king was so hostile toward the gods."
The so-called [Heavenly Wedge].
Was purely a wedge formed from the shattered concepts of the Age of Gods during the battle between the gods and the Star-Spangled Banner.
Born from the end of the Age of Gods, it naturally instilled in him an instinctive hostility toward the gods.
Meanwhile, the gods sought to control him, to prolong their reign over the earth.
The two were fated to be mortal enemies!
Ereshkigal looked puzzled: "Then, the Chains of Heaven must also be connected, right?"
The Mesopotamian gods forged the [Chains of Heaven] to restrain the King of Heroes.
The very "dog leash" Nameless had mentioned, which infuriated the King of Heroes to the point of wanting to bite someone.
"Of course they're connected!" Rin said with absolute certainty.
It was obvious upon reflection.
Something capable of matching the Heavenly Wedge in rank, and even restraining Tiamat for a time, clearly originated from some conceptual or rule-based power.
Ishtar glanced at the empty seats nearby and joked: "In this mind conference room, there are six chairs but only three of us. Do you think there might be a Rin from space among the missing?"
Currently, the three Rins were one.
The three were practically each other's past lives, sharing countless similarities and inhabiting the same body.
In their minds, the mental space had naturally formed this conference room.
Strangely enough.
Despite there being only three of them, the room had six chairs.
After seeing the Star-Spangled Banner arrive from space in the video, Ishtar began to wonder if there might be a fourth or fifth Rin from the cosmos.
The thought was rather thrilling.
"No way, that can't be possible." Rin sounded a bit uncertain.
If it truly descended from the cosmos, just how powerful must it be?
The problem was, she was just a somewhat talented magus.
How could there be so many alternate-dimensional counterparts?
Ereshkigal rubbed her temples: "If it really came from space, Rin, then I'm useless here."
As an underworld deity bound to Earth, she had no authority over extraterrestrial visitors.
"Never mind that—so is Tiamat watching from the imaginary number space?" Rin asked curiously.
According to this timeline.
The primordial mother goddess Tiamat had long been exiled to the imaginary number space by the united efforts of the gods.
But.
As the mother who created both the Mesopotamian gods and humanity, she would undoubtedly sense any threat of annihilation.
Just then, the scene shifted.
After the Umbral Star and the gods had fought to mutual ruin, it arrived in the imaginary number space.
A cold, mechanical voice rang out: "Oh, you who love your children so much yet were cast out—would you like to join me in destroying this world?"
That single sentence made countless viewers' scalps tingle.
It was terrifying.
Tiamat alone as a Beast of Humanity had nearly destroyed mankind. Combined with the even more dreadful Umbral Star, human civilization would be utterly annihilated!
Fortunately.
Tiamat responded calmly: "Aaaaa (But I refuse!)"
The uploader [Alaya] kindly provided translations so everyone could understand her words.
"Why?" The Umbral Star couldn't comprehend.
Betrayed by her children, exiled to this lifeless void—why would she still refuse to destroy them?
"Aaaaa (Because they are the children I created.)"
Tiamat's beautiful crimson star-shaped eyes shimmered with tenderness and devotion.
Despite being betrayed, she still loved her children unconditionally.
She even mustered her power to aid the gods, ensuring mutual destruction with the still-maturing Umbral Star.
This primordial mother, even in exile, continued to protect all life!
Such simple words made countless viewers' eyes well up with tears—
-[Ahhh, something got in my eye—why is Tiamat so gentle?!]
-[Sigh, she really is a "mom"—loving her children without conditions or reservations!]
-[Love to the extreme becomes a Beast of Humanity! Who could refuse such a kind and adorable mother?]
-[Tiamat, please become a Servant and descend to our world to live with us!]
-[Mom, I'm holding the bowl and chopsticks but can't find the door—come get your kid already!]
-[Amidst the fragrance of rice fields, we speak of a bountiful year, listening to the chorus of mothers' voices.]
Mordred glanced at her father beside her. "Now that's what a real mom looks like!"
Just look at her—wholeheartedly loving her child, giving them whatever they wanted.
Even after being betrayed, she still loved them unconditionally.
Compared to that...
Her own father wouldn't even acknowledge her, let alone pass on the right to the throne.
Was it really just about the petty throne of Britain?
All Mordred wanted was King Arthur's recognition—to be acknowledged as her child, her pride.
Just one word of acceptance.
With that, the Battle of Camlann would never have happened!
"Oh, is there a difference? In the end, didn't She descend upon the world to seek vengeance against humanity?" Artoria replied calmly.
Trying to mock her with this? You're still too green.
"Of course there's a difference! She sealed away 90% of her power, her combat strength—everything! Meanwhile, you went all out from the start!" Mordred scoffed.