Hearing Takumi's words, Tiamat froze.
Though her tears were still falling heavily, she finally really looked at the boy standing in front of her.
Earlier, her mind had been too overwhelmed by a mix of resentment, sorrow, and longing, or completely drawn by the unwavering will of the hundred thousand Uruk citizens. Because of that, she hadn't paid much attention to Takumi as an individual.
Now that she was actually looking at him...
This isn't a child of my world! That was her first thought.
His striking, glass-like fiery eyes were as gentle as water. His plasma-like hair gave off a faint glow, swaying quietly in the air. Add to that the bright, completely natural smile on the boy's face...
What a beautiful child!
Tiamat's tears stopped. She just stared blankly at him.
Takumi wasn't just joking around. He remembered that Tiamat was actually a playable Servant in FGO—just not in her Beast class. Assuming he beat Goetia and made it back safely, summoning "Mommy Tiamat" shouldn't be an issue, provided she wasn't a Beast.
Plus, as someone who spent most of his time alone in Chaldea, Takumi completely understood how awful it felt to be exiled to the Imaginary Number Space without a single person to talk to. Maybe it was arrogant to pity her, but out of a sense of shared loneliness, he really hoped Tiamat could return in a normal state to a place where she wouldn't be rejected.
Besides, back when he used to play the game, he had really wanted to pull her in the gacha!
Unfortunately, between school and the game's actual gameplay being a bit lacking, he hadn't played much later on. He was pretty casual about the gacha, so he never ended up getting her. His only real stroke of luck was pulling NP2 Space Ishtar in twenty rolls.
Through their connection, Takumi's thoughts flowed directly into Tiamat's mind.
'FGO? NP2... Space Ishtar?'
Tiamat didn't understand half of these weird terms, but she understood one thing clearly: Takumi really liked her! He genuinely wanted her in Chaldea, and even figured out a way for her to manifest there!
And more importantly! This beautiful child had just called her "Mommy Tiamat"!
Even though he was an outsider from the stars, he was willing to call her his mother!
Takumi! Love~!
Feeling her heart race, Tiamat couldn't hold back anymore.
"Good boy, good boy, good boy, good boy...!"
Without a second thought, she pulled Takumi into a tight hug. Treating him like a life-sized plushie, she kept rubbing her cheek against his hair, her voice dripping with affection.
Her eyes had even curved into happy little crescents.
It only took one meeting for Tiamat to like him so much she practically wanted to merge him into her own body. The outcome was great, but being aggressively cuddled like a helpless kitten left Takumi feeling pretty awkward and entirely unsure of what to do with his hands.
Unable to break free, Takumi could only sigh mentally.
Mommy Tiamat is... really passionate!
***
Outside.
After Takumi entered Tiamat's mental space with the golden dagger, the physical Tiamat stopped moving within seconds. The Uruk citizens and Ereshkigal watched as the Beast's struggles completely died down. They exchanged confused glances, wondering what was going on.
"Looks like he succeeded—huh?"
Gilgamesh smirked and prepared to draw Ea. But the moment he moved, he froze, staring ahead in complete disbelief.
Before he could even strike, the thousand-meter-tall Beast II simply crumbled into lifeless blocks, collapsing to the ground like a ruined tower of Jenga.
There was no sound, no grand explosion. It just happened!
Refusing to accept it, Gilgamesh looked down at Ea, then back at the collapsed Tiamat. After glancing back and forth a few times, reality finally sank in.
Are you telling me my screen time just got cut?! I don't even get to use Ea?!
The prideful King's eyes went wide with indignation.
Right then, Takumi appeared among the weightless rubble, holding the golden dagger and the Holy Grail. He stood there looking a bit dazed.
"Hey! Takumi, what happened? Why did Tiamat suddenly bow out?" Gilgamesh hurriedly asked when he saw Takumi was unharmed.
The other Servants didn't speak, but they were all looking at him with the same burning curiosity.
Snapping back to reality, the memory of being nuzzled like a cat made Takumi scratch his head in embarrassment.
He gave them the short version.
Basically, Tiamat decided she liked him, gave up on destroying humanity, and voluntarily un-summoned herself using the miracle of his Heart of Fire. Given her immortality, killing her normally would just send her back to the Imaginary Number Space anyway.
So, she just packed up and left on her own! And she even left him a parting gift.
[Skill Acquired: Independent Manifestation (A)]
A skill that allows for unsupported manifestation into reality. Paired with Takumi's nature as a "Foreigner," he can freely manifest anywhere as long as he has the coordinates.Additionally, because this skill proves the user "exists across all time and space," time-paradox attacks and instant-death abilities are completely nullified.
Tiamat's original skill was only Rank B, but since Takumi had absorbed this authority from more than one Beast, it naturally bumped up to Rank A.
"You've gotta be kidding me. 'Mother' fell for it too..." Ishtar stared at Takumi like she'd seen a ghost, feeling a sudden headache.
Gilgamesh's eye twitched.
He admitted he took a gamble sending Takumi in, but he never expected this! So he really pulled Ea out for nothing?
"Oh my, as expected of our Takumi! Resolving it so easily! To celebrate, how about a hug for Big Sister~!"
Quetzalcoatl wasn't surprised at all. She knew exactly how lethal Takumi's flames and good looks were. Unless they had a deep-seated grudge, almost nobody could resist it.
Seeing the enthusiastic Goddess coming in for a hug, and noticing the Uruk citizens stretching their necks to watch, Takumi's thin skin won out.
"Uh, maybe we can hold off on that for a bit?"
"Okay~!" Quetzalcoatl cheerfully agreed, stepping back with a smile.
Watching all of this, Ereshkigal puffed out her cheeks and glared at Takumi.
With an ability to attract people like that, who knows how much trouble he'll cause if someone doesn't keep an eye on him!
Takumi coughed, trying to ignore Ereshkigal's stare, and offered the golden dagger back to Gilgamesh.
"Mission accomplished. Returning this to its owner."
"Keep it. A King doesn't take back what he has already bestowed. Consider it a late welcoming gift," Gilgamesh said, raising his chin haughtily.
Even though Takumi wanted to return it, taking it back now would make Gilgamesh lose face.
"Alright then." Takumi didn't push it and put the dagger away.
Gilgamesh could be arrogant and unpredictable, but he was always generous to the people he acknowledged.
"Should I send everyone back to the surface now?" Takumi asked, looking at the hundred thousand Uruk citizens.
Hearing this, the citizens looked at each other.
The crowd was a mix of the living and the dead. Even a miracle couldn't permanently resurrect the dead without a cost. Going back to the surface meant the living would have to permanently part ways with the friends and family they had just fought alongside.
Realizing this, people started saying their heartfelt goodbyes.
It wasn't overly tragic—if anything, they were just happy they got a chance to fight together one last time and say a proper farewell.
Takumi and the Servants stood quietly to the side, letting them have their moment.
After a while, when the goodbyes were done, Takumi waved his flag. The golden light on the citizens flashed, and all the living vanished, teleported safely back to Uruk.
As for the dead, they returned to their eternal rest, turning back into clusters of soul fire floating in place.
The Underworld returned to its usual chilling silence.
"Sigh..."
With her power returning to normal, Ereshkigal looked around the empty Underworld and let out a soft, tired sigh.
She could swear those few minutes were the liveliest the Underworld had been since its creation. It was just a shame the living couldn't stay in the land of the dead.
"Say, I've been wondering something."
Jaguar Man suddenly spoke up, completely ignoring the somber mood. Everyone turned to look at her, even Ereshkigal.
"If Takumi could just fix everything by poking Tiamat with that little knife... why didn't he just do that at the very beginning, meow~?"
Jaguar Man stuck her tongue out playfully and slid around the group.
A heavy silence fell over the Servants.
After a second, everyone looked at Takumi and Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh just looked at Takumi.
"Well... if we hadn't suppressed Tiamat first, I don't think it would have worked," Takumi said hesitantly.
Tiamat's Nega-Genesis wasn't a normal skill. It was a semi-automatic barrier that provided massive resistance to Noble Phantasms and attacks. If he just charged in without doing anything else, the dagger might not have pierced it.
Though, since he never actually tried it, he didn't know for sure.
Great, another unsolved mystery.
"...Let's just not think about it," Ereshkigal said, rubbing her temples.
She looked at the golden cup in his hand. "Now that you have the Holy Grail... are you leaving soon?"
"Pretty much. I need to head back and prepare for the final battle," Takumi scratched his head. Seeing her look disappointed, he smiled. "But this time, I can choose exactly when I leave."
With Independent Manifestation, he could basically leave whenever he wanted.
Before Ereshkigal could process that, Takumi looked around. "It's a bit gloomy down here. Why don't we head back to Uruk to talk?"
Eh?! I haven't even finished what I wanted to say! Ereshkigal's eyes went wide.
Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow. "I have no objections."
Ishtar stretched her arms, acting nonchalant. "Ugh, finally. I've had enough of this creepy vibe. Let's go!"
Leonidas nodded firmly. "Indeed! Heading back early gives me just enough time to properly discipline a certain hot-headed recruit!"
"Wait, you were still here?!" Jaguar Man suddenly popped up next to him, pointing in shock.
Leonidas just stared at her. His presence was just a little weak, he wasn't dead!
Nobody paid Jaguar Man any mind, all agreeing to head back to the surface.
'Yeah, it's so easy for all of you to leave... but what about me?' Ereshkigal felt so wronged she almost wanted to cry.
Takumi had no intention of making her cry. If she started crying, it would be a nightmare to calm her down.
"Eresh, want to come to Uruk with us? To see the surface world?" Takumi asked with a smile.
"...Eh?"
The grievance stopped. Ereshkigal, who had been keeping her head down, looked up blankly.
"While it displeases me that you invited someone to my city without asking..." Gilgamesh glanced at Ereshkigal's dumbfounded face and smirked. "I'll allow it! Goddess of the Underworld, consider it an honor to witness the most prosperous city of this era!"
"B-But I'm the Goddess of the Underworld. I was sacrificed to this place. I can't physically exist on the surface..." Ereshkigal waved her hands nervously.
"We won't know until we try, right? And I'm pretty confident I can bring you up there." Takumi held his hand out to her. "So, are you coming?"
By sharing the power of his flames and Independent Manifestation, he had more than enough leverage to bypass the Underworld's rules.
Ereshkigal looked at his hand, took a deep breath, and placed her hand in his, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.
"Mhm!"
***
Uruk.
It was nighttime now. The returned citizens had lit their lamps and were busy cleaning up the damage from the day's chaos.
Standing on the Ziggurat's observation platform, Takumi quietly watched the bustling, unbroken city.
"What's wrong? Do you think the damage is too severe?" Gilgamesh, back in his Caster robes, walked up next to him and joked.
He didn't bother asking Takumi what he thought of Uruk. After spending a week here and literally uniting the entire city's will, Takumi probably understood it better than anyone.
"No, I just wanted to stand here and watch for a bit," Takumi smiled, looking away.
Sometimes people just do things for no real reason.
"Good... But you brat! To hide something that massive from your King! You've got some nerve!" Gilgamesh reached over and aggressively ruffled Takumi's hair, sounding genuinely a bit annoyed.
He wasn't mad about the plan itself. He was mad that Takumi only hid it from him! After thinking about it, he realized everyone else had at least a vague idea of what Takumi was doing. He was the only one kept in the dark!
"It was a surprise! I spent so much time preparing, I figured a genius like you would've noticed!" Takumi argued, trying to dodge Gilgamesh's hands.
Did people really think he overworked himself into a coma doing odd jobs just for fun?
"Hmph! I'll forgive your insolence this once," Gilgamesh snorted, dropping his hand.
He looked down at the city alongside Takumi. From up here, they had a perfect view of everything.
After a quiet moment, Gilgamesh spoke without turning his head.
"Be proud, Savior of Humanity. You've fought a mythological battle worthy of legend. The scene before us... is a future even I couldn't foresee."
It was a true miracle belonging to humanity.
"...Let's save the grand speeches for after the final battle is over," Takumi shook his head.
"Taku~mi~!"
Before Gilgamesh could reply, a cheerful voice called out.
Takumi looked over and saw Ereshkigal jogging toward him holding a bouquet of flowers, sporting the brightest smile he had ever seen on her. Ana was walking quietly behind her.
Since Ana knew the city best, she had been showing Ereshkigal around.
Seeing her smile, Takumi couldn't help but wave back.
"Look! Aren't these beautiful?" Ereshkigal ran up, eagerly showing off her flowers like an excited teenager.
She had asked to see some flowers, so Ana took her to the flower shop she worked at. The kindly old woman who ran it was safe, and the three of them had picked out the bouquet together.
"Yeah, they're really pretty," Takumi said. He looked at the flowers, then looked up at her and smiled.
"Right?! We picked them out ourselves!" Ereshkigal beamed.
"...It's just a shame. No matter how pretty they are, they'll turn to ash the second I take them to the Underworld," she added, her tone dropping slightly. "I wonder when flowers this beautiful will ever bloom down there."
"Hasn't the most beautiful flower in the Underworld always been right there?" Takumi casually dropped the line.
"Eh?" Ereshkigal stared at him, not understanding.
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll get your chance in the future," Takumi chuckled, moving past it.
'W-What... saying something like that with a straight face... ugh...' It finally clicked. Ereshkigal's face turned bright red, practically steaming.
It took her a moment to calm down. Looking at the boy in front of her, she took a deep breath, stepped forward, and hugged him.
[Skill Acquired: Protection of the Underworld Goddess (B)]Grants Instant-Death resistance. A privilege of the Underworld and the mark of its Mistress.
"It's just a tiny bit of help... Anyway, if you ever actually die, your soul belongs to me!" she whispered in his ear, her face burning.
The second she said it, she quickly pecked him on the cheek, then immediately hid behind his back, completely flustered.
With her scent lingering in the air, Takumi felt a sudden sense of loss. Compared to the Lion King's intense hugs, he barely even registered that one!
"Hey, hey~! Don't forget about Big Sister! You still owe me a hug!" Quetzalcoatl popped up with a huge smile and wrapped Takumi in a tight embrace.
Unlike Ereshkigal, Quetzalcoatl was tall—taller than Takumi, actually. Being hugged by her really felt like being held by a big sister.
[Skill Acquired: Protection of the Sun God (C)]Grants mild resistance to sun, fire, and heat. Slightly boosts the user's fire attacks.
"Ugh, my Divinity is too low right now, so I can only give you this much. But I hope it helps!" Quetzalcoatl said, stepping back with an encouraging smile.
Seeing this, Ana silently looked over at Ishtar and Jaguar Man. They were Goddesses too, technically.
Ishtar rolled her eyes. "Why are you looking at me? I don't have anything like that to give!"
Jaguar Man stroked her chin and grinned. "I mean, I could whip something up, but I don't think Takumi would like it! Hehe!"
Takumi wasn't that greedy anyway. Plus, getting a blessing from a gag-character right before the final boss felt like a bad idea.
The rest of the night was spent on farewells.
After saying goodbye to everyone, Takumi didn't drag things out. Holding the Holy Grail, he initiated the transfer back to Chaldea.
There was no need to be sad. If he was right, they'd be seeing each other again very soon.