I saw the world.
I saw every world. I saw the pulse of every life, every endeavor.
Everyone was living with all their might. They were struggling, desperately, by their own strength.
Even when it was painful, even when it was bitter—they lived for the sake of the future.
Yes... everyone had already become independent. Everyone had set out on their own journey.
No one wished for things to stay as they were.
No one tried to turn back.
...And that was enough.
I felt that it was right.
It was inevitable.
In every world, [I] had become an obstacle to them. [I] had done something terrible.
And so...
And so, in every world, [I] was [erased].
...Just once more.
Just once more—this time, truly, once more.
[I] am no longer needed. [I] will never be awakened by anyone again.
That is fine.
For you all, that is the way it should be.
The opportunity arrived. Because the First [Sin] touched that soul, [I], too, was able to follow the thread of fate... and arrive here.
And so...
And so, [I] pray.
Please, I beg you.
So that I never become an obstacle to the children again...
—Please, [erase] me from this planet.
Please... I beg of you.
—Erase me... from this star...
That is [my] only—
The Rayshift transition ended. When I opened my eyes, the familiar sight of the command center spread out before me. I sat up in the coffin, shaking off the lingering sleep as my consciousness fully awakened.
"—Welcome back, King of Heroes."
Arturia was there, having finished her transition a moment earlier. She bowed and held out "it" to Gilgamesh.
"Please accept this—the proof of this battle."
"Hmph."
Their eyes met as he took it. In the King's hand sat the World Grail—an ivory cup engraved with the design of a silver arm. It was the conquest trophy, the crystallization of the Singularity's power.
—With this, we have six Grails.
To complete the battleship Marduk and unleash its true potential, six World Grails were required. The power Marduk displayed in Okeanos was a mere 10%. In the Holy City, it had reached 70%. In the next Singularity, it would finally reach completion.
(Even that was incredible, and there's still a level above it? I'm getting excited! Fu-hu! I wonder what kind of unknown thrills are waiting for us next!)
—Honestly, Fou. You're always so positive.
(I can afford to be! I've never been on a journey where I felt so certain we couldn't lose!)
Fou hopped around, nuzzling Air's cheek.
(Oh, by the way—I died about a thousand times during your conversation with the Goddess, so even more energy has accumulated! Look forward to it!)
—You died too many times! Are you okay?! You are Fou, right?!
(I'm fine, I'm fine! Death and rebirth are my specialties!)
Watching the exchange between Air and Fou, one King stood alone, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter.
"—Kuh... Fuhahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Hahahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, finally let out a roar of laughter that he could no longer contain. It wasn't a laugh of mockery or derision; it was a sound of pure, unadulterated delight.
"What is it? What's happened?! Did you eat something bad—Gwah?!"
Gilgamesh silenced Roman with a flick to the forehead and continued his boisterous laughter.
—G-Gil? What's wrong?
(What's gotten into him...)
"Fuhahahaha! This is delightful! It is a laugh of pride! Only a few months ago, you were half-baked mongrels—yet here you are, on the verge of causing the Demon God King's entire plan to collapse! As the one who has watched over you, how could I not laugh?! Fuhahaha! It is too much—someone, bring me water! I shall die of mirth! Hahahaha!"
"Here is your water," Olga Marie said calmly, manifesting a glass. He drained it, finally regaining his composure.
"—By conquering this Singularity, only one remains! That final Singularity—the final Grail—is the catalyst and the beginning of the Great Folly committed by the King of Fools, the Demon God King! It is the Grail he 'sent himself'! And within that Grail are the coordinates to the Temple of Time—the nesting ground of the parasites swarming the corpse of Solomon, existing in a space-time beyond our reach!"
The room grew solemn at the King's words.
"It's finally here...!" Rikka's expression sharpened. She had the culprit in her sights.
"The seven Grails were the foundation for breaking the Human Order, but they were not the vital element. Six of them were merely support, given to someone in that era to do his dirty work. For Goetia, it wasn't about 'Seven' Grails—it was about the Seventh Grail. The first six were irrelevant. The seventh is the crystallization of their hollow confidence! By placing it himself, he created a gap... a spear-tip that will reach his own throat!"
—Not seven Grails, but the Seventh Grail—
"That means... even further back than 1011 BC..."
"Before Solomon—before my own time!" Roman realized. "The foundation of history that Goetia had to destroy! We can identify it! No, we can observe it right now!"
The staff began the observation process as Gilgamesh watched with satisfaction.
"Naturally! I shall tell you myself! The location of the Seventh Grail is Earth in the year 2600 BC! The dawn of humanity, a time when the world was one, when humans acted as humans and bid farewell to the Gods! The oldest history of man! The most ancient of eras! That is—!!"
The King who reigned over that era laughed triumphantly.
"Ancient Mesopotamia! The heart of my reign—my home ground! Fuhahahaha! There has never been a Singularity so easy, so ironclad! You have grown, Marduk is complete, and I am there! You may rest easy, as if on a great ship! For the next Singularity shall be our flawless, peerless, and utterly 'gorgeous' slaughter! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Gilgamesh's laughter filled the hall, and Air's heart began to race in sync.
—The era where the Hero King lived! Mesopotamia! We're going to Uruk! Yay!
She hugged Fou and jumped with joy. To see the world the King lived in. to experience the era he ran through with his friend. The excitement was overwhelming.
"And—this shall be the final hurdle of the Human Order! Once Mesopotamia is restored, we shall immediately storm Goetia's stronghold! Combining the power of Marduk and Chaldea, we shall annihilate every last one of those swarming demons! Not a single one shall escape! We will execute Goetia! Yes—down to the very last 'Pillar'!!"
The resolve in the room was absolute. The final battle was near. The end of the storm-tossed journey was finally within sight.
"—Let's go, everyone!" Rikka shouted. "Let's take back Uruk, kick Goetia's ass, and reclaim our future! Let's end our journey in the best way possible!!"
"Yes! I, Mash Kyrielight, will serve you all until the very end!"
The Master and her Servant exchanged a firm look. There was no more doubt.
"Don't get overconfident," Da Vinci (Sheba-nyan) added. "Ancient Uruk is the heart of the Age of Gods. Deities, demons, and the underworld are everyday realities. Human common sense won't apply. And..."
She paused, her expression turning grave.
"And something is there. Something that even Goetia couldn't fully foresee. Something with the power to end the Age of Gods... and the power to end Human History itself... something is swirling there."
—Could it be... a 'Beast of Humanity'...?
A premonition struck Air. Was there a God who had become "Evil" lurking in Uruk?
(...Good. It seems I made it in time.)
—Fou?
Fou was staring at Air with intense sincerity.
(I won't let you be sad. I will 'kill' the New Humanity. And after that—)
—Fou...?
(It's up to you, Air. What answer will you give her—the one who has known nothing but rejection? I believe in you. Humanity's newest Hero Princess.)
Though she didn't fully grasp Fou's meaning, Air nodded, feeling the weight of his resolve. Ancient Mesopotamia, Uruk. The battle at the center of the Age of Gods.
—What will we see there...?
"I wouldn't mind leaving this instant, but that would be overworking you," Gilgamesh said. "It is mid-August; the conquest of the Sixth Singularity took less than three days. We have time to spare. Rest well. In one week's time, after you have gathered your strength, we begin the final operation! Roar, my treasures! My heroes of the Human Order! The time has come to seize the future with our own hands!!"
"""""""LONG LIVE KING GILGAMESH!!!!"""""""
The roar of the Chaldea staff answered the King's call. Here, the final battle for humanity began.
The command room grew quiet as the staff cleared out. Within the depths of his soul, the King spoke to the "Mother" of all beginnings.
"...I will eventually have you reveal the details of how you wandered into this place."
"...My wish... is only one," she replied.
She had massive horns and amethyst eyes that gazed across the world—the Primordial Being, now a miniature existence within the digital world, a small, powerless mental body.
"To have 'me'... erased from this world... from this star..."
The Primordial Mother... the Goddess Tiamat, stood before the King.
Meanwhile, the Hero Princess returned to her room to find a surprise.
"My! So you are the Princess Gilgameshia that Lord Gorgeous was talking about! I'm Marie! Won't you call me Marie-san?"
—! A guest of the Hero King!
"Yes. Our girls' night is growing again, isn't it? Fufu. It's going to be so lively. How wonderful."
"I brought some Egyptian food. Shall we all eat together? I'm sure you'll find it to your liking. After all... 'On this earth, nothing is impossible for the Pharaoh'!"
(Heck yeah! More friends! Great job, Air!)
Nefertari, Shiki, Marie, Fou. And Air.
—Yes! Then, um... let me introduce myself!
Air straightened her posture, declaring who she was with earnest intent.
"I-I am the Hero Princess, Gilgashana Gilgameshia! I like seeing everything, taking baths, keeping things tidy, and being there for people! I hate... hating things! And, um, and—"
Three women and one animal watched her clumsy introduction with gentle eyes.
(Air might not realize it yet, but her nature—to accept and affirm everything, to see the good in it while refusing to interfere—is very close to that of a 'God.' Her spirit is reaching the form of what a God 'should' be,) Fou mused, watching from the table.
(That's a dangerous set of values for a human to hold... but she has me, she has Gil, and she has everyone else. As long as we are here, we won't let Air become a 'God.' Because if she becomes one, she might lose the ability to laugh, cry, feel joy, or feel anger. That would be too sad. That's why...)
Fou closed his eyes.
(We will protect her 'everyday life.' We won't let her taste the loneliness of divinity. So, watch over her in peace. Leave it to us. The soul you recognized as 'precious' will be safe with us—)
Beside the napping Fou sat a Lion's Helmet and a Pure White Cloak, resting quietly in the room.
Uruk
"My King. The Demonic Beasts that were in a state of dormancy have begun to move."
"So the final battle is finally upon us. Primordial Mother... where did you throw away that last shard of your reason?"
"...?"
"I am talking to myself. Forget it. Siduri! Summon Tomoe, Ushiwakamaru, Benkei, Amakusa, Fuuma, and Leonidas! Now that the enemy generals have been struck down, we resume the defense!"
"At once!"
"Chaldea exceeded my expectations as well. Now—let us restart the front lines!"
Author's Note
With this, the Sixth Singularity is complete! Thank you all so much!
Only two Singularities remain... the speed is unbelievable. When I started First Order, I thought, "Well, this will take at least a year," but here we are at the half-year mark?! It's too fast!
I truly owe it to all of you. If the ratings were lower, the updates would have been slower. If the comments were full of criticism, I would have given up long ago. The fact that I've been able to write this with such genuine joy is entirely thanks to your presence.
To be honest, the reason I can push original developments and custom Servants so boldly is that I trust you all. I believe that even if things get a little wild, you'll accept it with a smile and find something meaningful in the madness.
And a word of thanks for Air, who has become the crystallization of "preciousness." It is because you all have such earnest hearts—hearts that can feel that "preciousness"—that Air was able to grow into such a wonderful character. Looking back at Episode 1, she's become more noble than I ever imagined. Her growth wasn't just helped by the King and Fou, but by your warm support.
She is the King's treasure, and she is mine. I will never forget that she is an irreplaceable being that you all helped polish. I hope you look forward to the answer her soul eventually reaches!
And finally—Babylonia!
I'll tell you now: the conclusion will deviate significantly from the original game. I've already decided on the endings for Chapter 7 and the Final Singularity. (I really don't want to re-read the Materials for those Lahmu scenes... Fou-kun will surely handle it! Probably!)
Chapter 7 will have an even stronger "My King" (Gilgamesh) flavor. To crush the pain and despair we all felt in the original, I'm going to push forward even harder. Think of it like Cobra or Kenshiro—just sweeping through the opposition. Ishtar? Don't know her.
The journey is almost over! Goetia's lifespan is running out! How will this Gorgeous Epic end? I look forward to your continued support!
May the glory of the Hero King and the prayers of the Hero Princess be with you all!
Thank you truly—!
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