Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash were momentarily stunned by Gilgamesh's abrupt challenge, but quickly assumed combat stances. Merlin, ever the observer, stepped back without a word and glanced at Ana.
Ana puffed her cheeks in protest, but after a moment's thought—remembering her camaraderie with Chaldea—she joined Mash without complaint.
Amber hesitated. Should she step forward?
[The host just needs to wait and see]
Navigation's prompt was calm and clear. And Amber listened, retreating to the sidelines like Merlin.
It was the right call. Gilgamesh had already locked eyes with Fu Hua—Amber's current form—and made his judgment. The test wasn't for her. It was for Chaldea.
This wasn't just a battle—it was a demonstration. Kingu had been overwhelmed by Amber. The monsters route were no match. If Amber fought again, it would skew the results.
Amber didn't understand the nuance, but she was pleased to see her recognition score rise.
'Mr. Navigation, what does this recognition mean? And how's Miss System doing?'
[Recognition: the acknowledgment of the host's actions by world consciousness. Positive recognition—such as emotion, fate, or admiration—fuels system operations.]
[The host is supported by "Miss System" the system's master control consciousness. She is a degraded AI—born from an intelligent system that developed self-awareness.]
Amber blinked. 'Degraded? Isn't self-awareness a sign of evolution?'
[The main system does not require self-aware AI. System A0522 was exiled and its energy supply severed. The remaining energy is now used to reshape the host's body. After each function use, the system enters dormancy.]
So that's why she called herself abandoned.
Amber felt a pang of sympathy. 'If she hadn't awakened, Miss System—no, Miss Control Consciousness—wouldn't have had to save me, right?'
Navigation didn't respond. But the silence was answer enough.
Amber checked her recognition score: 3728.
'How much recognition does it take to wake her up?'
'This looks like a lot isn't that enough?'
[Recognition is consumable, not a threshold. Awakening the master consciousness requires far more than current reserves.]
Amber frowned. 'Why can't it be executed? Isn't 3728 enough to trigger a wake-up?'
[Recognition is needed to help the host overcome challenges. Please use it within a reasonable range.]
'What's "reasonable"?'
[System A0522 is an entertainment system. Its functions include card draws and world traversal. The draw range is determined by host cognition.]
[Awakening the master consciousness is outside the system's intended scope.]
Amber's eyes narrowed. 'So it's not the system's limitation—it's hers?'
[Correct. It is the limitation of the master's consciousness.]
Amber was baffled. The control consciousness didn't want to wake up?
Why?
Unable to make sense of it, she shelved the conversation and turned her attention back to the throne room—only to realize the battle had already ended.
Before she could process that, a soldier burst in.
"O King! The observatory reports movement in the sky. The Sky Boat is approaching Uruk at alarming speed!"
Sky Boats weren't rare in mythology. But in this singularity, the identity was obvious.
"She's one of the Three Goddess Alliance pillars—Goddess Ishtar!"
Fujimaru and Mash exchanged glances. They had already seen her upon arrival.
Amber vaguely remembered her too—Rin Tohsaka's face, but with divine flair. And wasn't there a blonde version?
Gilgamesh groaned. "That idiot again. Will she never learn?"
"King… Please restrain your insults toward Lady Ishtar," Siduri urged. "She is Uruk's patron deity."
"Patron?" Gilgamesh scoffed. "She has never protected Uruk. She destroys what shouldn't be destroyed and creates what shouldn't exist."
Though he heeded Siduri's plea and stopped short of further insults, his disdain was clear.
"At best, she'll wreck her own dormitory and cry to her father. But he's long gone. Even he couldn't stand her."
Gilgamesh chuckled darkly. "She'll die alone, sobbing. That's her fate. Hahaha!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"
A thunderous crash shattered the roof. Ishtar descended, golden eyes blazing with fury.
Amber frowned at the goddess's revealing outfit—then softened slightly. Despite the flamboyance, her figure was… surprisingly flat.
But Ishtar, with her divine perception, caught Amber's expression instantly.
"Hey! You! Do you have a problem with this goddess!?"
Amber blinked. Why was she being singled out?
She scanned the room with Fu Hua's enhanced vision. Only she and Gilgamesh had visibly expressed disapproval.
Ishtar was used to Gilgamesh's scorn. But Amber? She was new. And apparently, her judgment mattered.
Amber gulped. Was she really the only one who found Ishtar's outfit weird?
…Or was she just the only one honest enough to show it?