"We've successfully locked onto the Goddess Tiamat's Spirit Origin core... It's a bit cliché, but it's in her head!"
Da Vinci relayed the latest information to everyone in the Underworld.
"Beast II's Spirit Origin weak point isn't in her heart, but in her head... Wait, something's wrong with the Goddess Tiamat."
"Oh no! She's abandoning the fight and trying to escape! She's heading for the Wall of the Underworld. She intends to climb the cliff and return to the surface! With that enormous body, it won't even take her a few minutes... Everyone! No matter what happens, you have to stop Beast II from reaching the surface!"
Tiamat truly was the Mother of Origins. Even as a Beast of Calamity acting solely on instinct, she could still clearly assess the situation.
She had abandoned the idea of a decisive battle in the Underworld and was instead climbing the cliffs, preparing to escape back to the surface.
Once she reached the surface, not only would she regain her immortality, but she would also be freed from the suppression of the Underworld's powers.
After the Goddess Tiamat's horned wings were destroyed, Ereshkigal regained dominion over the Underworld.
"The Mistress of the Underworld, Ereshkigal, beseeches you! O heroes of the surface, pass judgment upon that demonic dragon!"
"Through the hands of humanity, whose existence will continue into the distant future, drive a wedge between heaven and earth!"
She bestowed the Underworld's blessing upon Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash, granting them the ability to fly within the Underworld as well as a nearly limitless supply of Mana.
As the Goddess Tiamat climbed upward, vast numbers of Laḫmu emerged from the broken horned wings on her back.
Mash's shield traced a silver arc through the air and smashed the approaching Laḫmu away.
The monster let out a piercing shriek. Its body twisted and disintegrated in midair before dissolving into black sludge.
At this point, the newly born Laḫmu could no longer pose any real threat to Ritsuka and Mash.
The two of them tore through the enemy ranks and flew straight toward the Goddess Tiamat's head.
Merlin, who was busy eliminating the Chaos Tide, looked mildly surprised at the sight.
Although the freshly produced Laḫmu possessed no combat skill, their Spirit Origins were still on the level of Divine Spirits.
And Mash had destroyed one with a single blow...
He shifted his gaze toward the Goddess of the Underworld in the distance and saw Ereshkigal biting her lip, cold sweat pouring down her face.
"Shirou...?"
Ereshkigal suddenly noticed someone approaching and widened her eyes.
"Why are you still here!? Aren't you going after Mother?"
Shirou replied calmly, "I'll leave things up there to them. I'll stay here and handle the end of this..."
"But..."
"It'll be fine. Trust everyone. More importantly, are you all right?"
"Huh?"
Ereshkigal froze for a moment.
"W-what are you talking about? I just took back control of the Underworld from Mother. I'm in perfect condition right now!!"
Shirou saw through her act immediately.
"Ere, you broke the laws of the Underworld and transferred the Underworld's powers to living humans, didn't you?"
"Even for you, that's an absolute taboo."
Just as Shirou had suspected, the price Ereshkigal had paid was enormous. She probably would not even last until the end of this battle before disappearing herself.
"As expected, I can't hide anything from you, no matter what I do..."
Ereshkigal turned her face away, both happy and sorrowful.
"I'm the Mistress of the Underworld. I simply chose the battle plan with the highest chance of success..."
"If I can disappear looking this impressive, then I... I don't regret it at all."
"..."
Shirou remained silent for several seconds before speaking.
"You don't have to pretend to be strong in front of me."
"!!"
Ereshkigal's pupils trembled.
A moment later, tears spilled from her eyes, and she threw herself into Shirou's arms.
"I don't want to disappear... I really don't want to disappear... I finally got you to promise me... We were supposed to live together in the Underworld afterward, but now..."
Shirou reached out and gently stroked her golden hair.
Ereshkigal's small shoulders trembled.
"But... I don't regret what I did..."
"Because if I don't properly fulfill my duty here and atone for my sins, then I wouldn't be a goddess worthy of you..."
The girl raised her tearful face and looked at him with heartbreaking vulnerability.
"Shirou... Am I worthy of being your goddess now?"
"Do you even have to ask? Ere, I've been completely captivated by you for a long time."
As he spoke, Shirou caressed her burning cheek, then leaned down and kissed her.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Merlin clutched his scratched eye.
"Cath Palug! What was that for all of a sudden!? I was watching the best part!"
"Fou! Fou! I told you not to peek! You idiot!"
...
Meanwhile, Mash and Ritsuka broke through the Laḫmu and continued toward the Goddess Tiamat's head.
Dr. Roman's urgent warning came through their communicator.
"Bel Laḫmu are approaching! Their Spirit Origin reactions are abnormal... They're a new species specialized for flight!"
He glanced at the screen. For a moment, the readings made him wonder if the instruments had malfunctioned.
"There are eleven of them. Their Mana exceeds that of the Demon Pillars... Their Spirit Origin reactions are the same Beast type as the Goddess Tiamat..."
"Wait, I understand now! These are the Goddess Tiamat's true children!"
The Bel Laḫmu circled through the air, surrounding Mash and Ritsuka.
Their overwhelming Mana filled the area as they let out innocent, childlike laughter that sent chills down the spine.
The Bel Laḫmu attacked.
They moved so quickly that the naked eye could not even follow them.
Even with the Underworld's blessing, Mash could do little more than hover in the air while being battered back and forth like a target. Ritsuka's Gandr could not hit them at all.
At that critical moment, a tremendous killing intent suddenly engulfed the entire Underworld.
The air seemed to freeze.
The temperature plummeted, and even the frenzied Laḫmu paused for an instant.
An aged voice came from the cliff above.
"Eleven children of Tiamat... They are worthy of a stroke."
"If I were satisfied after merely severing one horn of the Beast, this sword of mine would surely rust."
"You are...!"
The moment the voice fell silent, First Hassan vanished completely.
In the next instant, a brilliant blue sword light tore through the darkness.
It resembled the scythe of the Grim Reaper, carrying an unmatched killing intent. The light traced a perfect arc through the air and struck one of the Bel Laḫmu's wings with flawless precision.
The Bel Laḫmu did not even have time to scream before its wing was severed.
The entire exchange lasted no longer than a single breath.
"Thank you, King Hassan! Let's go, Mash!"
The founder of the Order of Assassins, having abandoned his Grand title, fought half of the Bel Laḫmu by himself, while the remaining six pursued Ritsuka and Mash.
For them, protecting their mother took priority over everything else.
"Less than three hundred meters to the surface! Beast II is about to return aboveground...!"
Mash raised her great shield and barely blocked the Bel Laḫmu's attack.
"Ugh... We were so close...!"
At that moment, the pitch black sky of the Underworld suddenly erupted in raging flames.
"!?"
For an instant, Mash thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.
But when she realized what those flames really were, a delighted smile spread across her face.
"Tomoe Gozen! Ushiwakamaru... Everyone's here!"
...
Five minutes earlier.
"Ritsuka, Mash, go after the Goddess Tiamat."
"Huh...? But what about you, Shirou-san?"
"I'll wait here."
"There's no way the two of us can stop Tiamat by ourselves, is there?"
"It'll be fine... The most reliable reinforcements possible will be waiting for you above."
...
Back in the present.
Tomoe Gozen looked down from above and nocked an arrow.
"Shoukannon Bosatsu, give me power! The brilliance of the morning sun! Oṃ Ālolik Svāhā!"
A blazing arrow flew forth and pierced straight through the Bel Laḫmu closing in on Mash.
In the next instant, scorching solar Mana erupted from inside the monster. The Bel Laḫmu lost control and crashed into the nearby cliff.
"Benkei! Jaguar Warrior! Let's go! We can't let Tomoe Gozen-dono show us up!"
"Yes! Ushiwakamaru-sama!"
"I'm neither your subordinate nor a Japanese Servant, meow! But let's go, meow!"
Ushiwakamaru, Musashibō Benkei, and Jaguar Warrior leaped from the cliff.
For the agile genius Ushiwakamaru, a sheer ninety degree cliff was practically her home turf.
She bounded lightly across the rock face as though running on level ground while drawing the famed Minamoto Clan blade from her waist.
This was the essence of what she had learned on Mount Kurama, one of the Five Scenes of The Wandering Tales of Shana-oh.
"My body dances like a bird upon the water... Dan-no-Ura: Eight-Boat Leap!"
The Bel Laḫmu attacking Ritsuka from behind had both of its arms severed by Ushiwakamaru.
"Mash-dono! Leave these creatures to us. The rest is in your hands!"
"Yes! Thank you, Ushiwakamaru-san!"
Mash accelerated.
But the Goddess Tiamat's climbing speed was simply too great.
Light from the surface was already faintly visible above them.
They were too late.
"Ooooooooooooooooooooooh!!"
It was a roar Mash and Ritsuka knew all too well.
"Mother of Origins! Goddess of Creation of Mesopotamia! We Spartans shall stand united and halt your advance!"
Standing directly in the Goddess Tiamat's path was a single man.
One man?
No.
Behind the man who was king stood three hundred warriors, every one of them just as imposing as he was.
"My friends, raise your shields! Gather your souls, your lives, here!"
"Thermopylae Enomotia! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
"..."
Mash's eyes widened as she stared in disbelief at the astonishing sight before her.
King Leonidas stood directly in the Goddess Tiamat's path, raising his shield without the slightest hesitation.
At his roar, three hundred round shields took physical form and stopped the Beast of Calamity's charge.
"AAAAAAAAAaaaaaaa————!!"
Although Tiamat had already been weakened again and again to her absolute limit, the Goddess Tiamat actually came to a halt before the resistance of a mere three hundred mortals.
For a time, she could not advance at all.
King Leonidas and his companions, who had created one of the great miracles in the history of warfare during their lives, had now achieved a feat surpassing even what they had accomplished while alive.
Mash tightened her grip on the Round Table, tears of emotion shining in her eyes.
"Master!"
"Yeah! Leave the support to me! Mash, give it everything you've got!"
"Yes...!"
Mash flew past the Goddess Tiamat's draconic body and landed beside King Leonidas.
"King Leonidas! Please let me help you!"
"Mash-dono, your shield..."
Leonidas gave her a relieved smile.
"To think the day would come when I would fight beside a disciple who has surpassed me..."
"Come, Mash! Let the Goddess Tiamat witness the spirit of us shield bearers!"
"Yes!"
Mash once again unleashed her Noble Phantasm, Lord Camelot.
The chalk white walls blocked the heat rays fired from the Goddess Tiamat's Star Eyes.
But merely holding Beast II here was not enough.
"King Leonidas, please match my movements from here! I'm going to use Camelot's weight to smash Beast II back down!"
Mash intended to use the same tactic as before and strike Tiamat with the mass weapon, Camelot.
Ritsuka stopped her.
"Wait, Mash! Your body is already..."
She could tell that Mash had reached her limit.
Even as a Demi Servant...
No. Precisely because she was a Demi Servant...
"What's wrong? Is this little already too much for you? This is why I say young people these days..."
A new voice came from behind them.
"You... are...!?"
Ritsuka looked up, and the dazzling golden radiance nearly blinded her badly enough to send her tumbling backward.
A bare chested man with golden hair swept back from his forehead stood proudly upon the high ground.
"Servant, Archer."
"Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes. You were making such an unbearable racket that I came to lend you a hand."
"King Gilgamesh!"
The girls stared at him in astonishment.
The golden Archer curled his lips into a grin.
"Don't say anything tedious like, 'Weren't you dead?'"
"This is the Underworld. No matter how absurd something may be, it can happen here."
"A violation of common sense on this level is still within acceptable limits, is it not?"
With those words, Gilgamesh drew the sword resting in the deepest reaches of his treasury.
Several decades had passed since he and his dearest friend defeated Gugalanna, the Bull of Heaven.
With no opponent worthy of it, the sword had spent all that time gathering dust within the King's Treasury.
Now, the blade that the King of Heroes regarded as an extension of himself would finally see the light of day once more.
Gilgamesh smiled faintly.
"Sing to your heart's content, Ea. With the Goddess Tiamat as your opponent, surely even you have no complaints?"
"!!!"
As if answering its master, the cylinders that formed Ea's blade began to rotate.
The landscape of the Underworld twisted like a canvas being ripped apart.
Before the Supreme Sword, everything and every law seemed unbearably fragile.
"Goddess Tiamat... Now that you have perceived death, you have finally returned to the form of a god."
"I bear no hatred toward you. The people of Uruk may be angry with you, but they do not hate you either."
"We are simply beings destined never to understand one another."
"You exist to create and govern. We exist to grow and set out on our own journeys."
"No matter how deep a child's love may be, sooner or later, that child must leave its mother."
"The surface world no longer needs the foundation of the world! Return completely to the place where you belong!"
Gilgamesh raised the roaring Ea high and swung it toward the Goddess Tiamat, who was still struggling against Mash and the others.
"Enuma Elish————!!"
"AAAAaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—!!"
Not even Tiamat could emerge unscathed from that raging torrent of creation.
Although she deployed a defensive barrier, the pressure erupting from Ea's rotating cylinders still tore through everything in its path and shattered the dragon claws gripping the cliff face.
With her foothold destroyed, the Beast of Calamity plunged once more toward the depths of the Underworld.
...
"...Here she comes."
Shirou quietly opened his eyes.
The Goddess of the Underworld who had been beside him was gone.
In her place, another divine mark had appeared upon his cheek.
The red haired boy slowly raised his head and watched Tiamat struggle in midair, unable to stop herself from falling.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaa—"
Her horns were gone.
Her wings were gone.
At last, even her claws had been destroyed.
What a miserable form she had been reduced to.
The Beast of Calamity was now nothing more than a life form possessing an overwhelmingly vast scale of existence.
And bringing her fate to an end was the mission entrusted to Shirou.
With a low hum, the black Demonic Sword began to radiate an ominous crimson light.
Demonic Sword: Tenju.
It was the strongest Conceptual Weapon Shirou had created after obtaining numerous Divinities.
Shirou knew nothing about the research of the Atlas Institute.
He had no talent for Magecraft research. This was the realm he had reached as one who forged iron.
He had come to understand the principles of life behind gods, the world, the planet, and many other vast existences.
From that understanding, he had forged something of his own.
Shirou Amamiya's Sword of the End.
With that black blade, even the fate of the Goddess of Creation could be...
"This ends here, Mother."
Shirou lightly kicked off the ground and flew to meet the Goddess Tiamat as she plummeted toward him.
"————————————!"
A single flash of black.
The Demonic Sword cleanly pierced the forehead of the Beast of Calamity.
The madness in the Goddess Tiamat's eyes gradually faded.
"Shi... rou..."
The Goddess of Creation regained her sanity.
"Run... Shirou. If this continues, you'll also..."
At the very end, she felt no resentment and uttered no lament.
She was only worried about the safety of her beloved son.
The Goddess Tiamat's fall could no longer be stopped. Shirou would be crushed beneath her colossal body as well.
Yet he smiled and refused to run.
"I won't let you return alone to that cold world."
"Fall into the abyss with me, Mother."
"AAAAAAAAAAaaaaaa—!!"
Tiamat roared in joy and gently took the boy into her mouth.
Together, the two of them plunged into a void whose true nature was unknown even to the gods.
***
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