Crossing That River (Continued)

No matter how you look at it, this should theoretically be an extremely positive development.

However, the emergence of another Evils of Humanity at the same time made Kingu, Quetzalcoatl, and Ishtar's scalps tingle slightly. Apart from Rovey, they could not guarantee, nor could they be certain, of Goetia's stance.

The current situation is that Tiamat, located at the intersection of the two Underworld, is suppressed by the shadow of the Land of Shadows and the Mesopotamia, and is temporarily restricted. However, this restriction cannot last long, and the previous plan must be completed quickly.

Because they had previously pushed Tiamat into the Underworld and eliminated the first batch of Lahmu, their magic and physical strength had been largely depleted. Although they could still fight, they could not exert half of their power.

If Goetia had come with the intention of wiping them all out, all their efforts would be in vain at this moment. Therefore, the atmosphere became heavy, and everyone's eyes became wary. Even Roman of Chaldea clenched his fists and silently prayed that Goetia would not do something so terrible. Things had already developed to this point, and all seventy-two Demon God Pillars of his had chosen to repent. Of course, he also hoped that Goetia could be called his child, could do the same.

Sensing the speculations and hostility of the people below, Goetia merely snorted coldly, unconcerned.

"Meaningless speculation, ignorant conjecture—humans are no different from gods."

Goetia said coldly, his words expressing utter sarcasm towards these gods and their creations.

"Humans are nothing but apes dressed in fine clothes, and gods are nothing but humans skilled at disguise. That's why I'm so disappointed in this world."

He muttered to himself, then looked at Rovey standing beside him and asked earnestly, "Incompetent king, even now I still cannot understand what you pursue, what humanity you uphold? Solomon, do you really like humanity that much? Do you truly believe that such a world is better than ours, no, it should be the world I long for?"

This time, Goetia were not sarcastic or mocking as they had been in the past.

He had always firmly believed in his goals and ideals, and his determination would never waver, so he naturally didn't care about what others said.

But now, facing the reborn Solomon, facing this being who denied his ideals, although he wanted to hysterically question him, he was more eager to get the answer he hadn't found. He really wanted to know why, even though he and Solomon had the same eyes, the same vision, and saw the same things, they came to two completely different answers.

The answer is actually very simple--

"Because you're not human, Goetia."

"Is it because I'm not human that I can't understand?" Goetia asked, somewhat puzzled.

Faced with Goetia's question, the surrounding Lahmu below were swept away, and Rovey, who breathed a sigh of relief, smiled and replied, "Yes, the reason I will always love humans is because I am human too."

"Goetia, you are not human, which is why you have such doubts. If you want to love humans, you must understand them, comprehend their strength, weakness, beauty, and ugliness. If you cannot truly understand these two sides, you will never understand me, which is precisely what the Clairvoyance cannot see."

Goetia: "..."

Without speaking, after a brief silence, Goetia looked at Rovey again. Hearing these words, he felt as if he had been transported back thousands of years to the time when Solomon was in the Palace of Wisdom, answering questions for others.

At that time, he was just a shadow, hidden in the shadows of the Demon God Pillars, gazing at the great king from afar, trying to understand him, trying to reach him, trying to one day become his power.

Finally, with the power of the 72 Demons, he successfully appeared, possessed his own physical body, and gained near-omniscience and omnipotence. He was already capable of becoming the right-hand man of that king. But just at this moment, that king disappeared, leaving behind only emptiness and his own desolate heart, not knowing where to go.

Driven by admiration and reverence, he saw himself as the successor and was willing to undertake the mission that the king had failed to complete, and he worked tirelessly towards it.

But the further he went, the more he realized his mistakes. The king he knew was just wishful thinking on his part. The king in his imagination never existed. He never gave up on the humans he was protecting, nor on this world. He loved them deeply until the very end.

The one who is wrong is always self-righteous, trying to understand others by their own standards.

Aspiration is the furthest distance from understanding.

"Dualism... accepting both good and evil, ugliness and beauty, without denying either side—that's your choice."

Goetia nodded slightly upon hearing this, neither readily accepting nor denying it. After all, changing one's own will is not a simple matter, let alone a goal he had persisted in for thousands of years.

Rovey was well aware of this, and he did not intend to force Goetia to accept his and Roman's views. Some things can only be understood by the people involved through experience and gradual understanding. Being too eager for quick results will only lead to the opposite of what is desired.

Moreover, it is more important to focus on the present.

"Roar--!!"

It was precisely during the brief pause in their conversation, coupled with the time bought by the sudden appearance of Lahmu and Goetia, that Tiamat's body, which had been temporarily suppressed as planned, began to sway. The chaotic power of the two Beasts was something the Underworld could hardly suppress. Now, Tiamat actually managed to break free from the shadows of the two Underworld with her own strength, and then let out her own roar, or rather, the horn of attack.

Because of the sudden intervention of Goetia, who had been out of contact, Tiamat's power exceeded expectations, and Lahmu's interference prolonged the process. This meant that what was originally planned to be resolved within five minutes had now clearly gone wrong, even though only three minutes had passed. The Underworld's suppression and plans were already showing obvious signs of trouble.

"Aaaaaa--!!"

With a resounding cry, countless Lahmu once again swarmed in from all directions, instantly occupying the area and forming a wall of despair. This time, the mother, betrayed by the world in the past and now tricked by humanity, also freed some of her hands to join the battle. The blazing light of destruction in her enormous dragon eyes alone was enough to show her anger and terror; what followed was no longer a child's play.

"--"

Seeing this, Rovey didn't try to be brave, nor did he hesitate. He turned to Goetia and whispered, "Help me, Goetia."

"Um?"

This greeting brought Goetia, who had been feeling somewhat conflicted, back to his senses. He looked at Rovey with a surprised expression and asked.

"Are you begging me for help, you incompetent king?"

"Yes, I'm asking you for help."

Rovey made no attempt to hide his feelings, nodding directly and saying, "I need your power, Goetia."

"--"

Upon hearing this, Goetia's expression became somewhat complicated.

Logically, this is exactly what he's always wanted to hear, but why does it feel so unrealistic?

Shouldn't it be the powerless king who first refuses to help, then does futile work, watches hope slowly crumble, and finally cries out in anguish, "Help me, Goetia?"? Why didn't he even want to fight in the first place before directly seeking help?

Neither Rovey nor Roman were fools; they could immediately see that Goetia was someone they could win over. Since she was someone they could win over, they certainly wouldn't put their pride before their lives and the chance to save her; naturally, they would choose the method that would resolve the situation as quickly as possible.

In Goetia's dream, Solomon's kingly pride and self-esteem never existed from the beginning.

Roman increasingly felt that Goetia's idol filter was a bit too strong; how could he not know how amazing he was?

"I know there may be many misunderstandings and estrangements between us, which cannot be explained in a few words. I also know that it is really too ugly for Solomon to come back to ask for your help now, but for the sake of the past, please help me. Help me get rid of Tiamat first, and then I will slowly tell you everything about Solomon, including what happened after that Holy Grail War."

Just then, Rovey continued speaking.

At the same time, he also made sure to say what Roman wanted to say to Goetia through him.

"--!!"

After hearing these words, Goetia, who had been feigning hesitation, glanced down at Rovey beside her and finally could only say, "I really can't do anything with you. Although I still don't intend to forgive your abrupt departure, you're right about some things—our matters should be settled by ourselves. How can we let a mere maddened mother dragon disturb us?"

"Now retreat with your twisted monsters!"

As he spoke, Goetia gently raised his palm, preparing to clear out the entire area of Lahmu.

With his mental focus, a golden Light Wheel spun and converged behind him, and blazing golden light was about to burst forth from his palm.

This move was unleashed by Goetia, who concentrated the energy of Humanity Incineration into his palm. Its power far surpassed that of hundreds of holy swords unleashed simultaneously; it was a skill capable of wiping out the entire field simply by being released, however—

Call out!!

Just before the starlight faded, a purple light suddenly streaked across the sky, moving faster than Goetia's sphere of light, and hurtled straight toward the location where Goetia and Rovey were.

"Huh? You're asking for it!"

Upon sensing the approaching attack, Goetia didn't hesitate. He leaped forward to block it, crushing the golden orb in his hand to form a dazzling golden crystal barrier at the forefront, thus blocking the attack, which was almost like a law.

Tiamat!

Goetia practically roared out the name of the culprit who had launched the attack, and Tiamat responded with an equally furious roar.

"--Aaaaaaa!!!"

Although Tiamat was still mired in the quagmire of the Land of Shadows and suppressed by the lightning of the Underworld, her limbs and strength had been greatly unleashed. It was precisely because she had sensed the terror of Goetia's attack that she had struck first.

Having just narrowly escaped Tiamat's Star Beam attack, Goetia's tone was grim. He had completely lost patience with this damned Beast II, just as he had in the Imaginary Numbers World.

However, since he was fighting alone back then, and no one would know even if he fought Tiamat head-on, he chose to endure it, take a step back, and leave first. But now, all the audience he wanted were present, and although no one took the initiative to talk about it, their relationship was obviously not as strained as before. So, Goetia naturally had no reason to hold back now.

We're all Evils of Humanity, so who's afraid of whom?

He may have lost the Temple of Time, but he still has the supplies of the Seventy-Two Demon God Pillars. However, Tiamat is currently under the suppression of two realms of the Underworld. How is self-sealing any better than this?

If they were to actually fight, Goetia would be no match for Tiamat today.

Moreover, he doesn't need to fight Tiamat to the death in this state. As long as he helps Rovey clear the way and brings her to the Temple of Time, he will have accomplished his mission.

"Go on doing what you want, you incompetent king. Prove to me with your actions that I will defend you against this mother dragon's next attack."

So, after reminding Rovey to be careful, Goetia took on the arduous task of fighting Tiamat, leaving the rest of the Lahmu to be dealt with by them.

"Goetia ..."

Seeing that Goetia had not chosen to aid and abet the evildoer and had stood by his side at this critical moment, Roman breathed a sigh of relief and felt somewhat gratified.

But this relief didn't last long, because the sight of Lahmu detected by Sheba the next moment made his heart sink.

The power of the Sea of Life is corrupting the Underworld.

Many more Lahmu are still beginning to gather.

Just now, thanks to Goetia's help, these dark clouds of Lahmu posed no direct threat. However, now that Goetia is tied down by Tiamat, breaking through the Lahmu will require sufficient troops. But where can they find such troops? How could they possibly still have such forces?

However, just as Roman was feeling distressed, suddenly another large army, whose exact number was unknown but whose total number was extremely large, and whose life energy was inexplicably weak, surged in from another direction of the Underworld. At first, Roman thought that it was the Lahmu that had poured in again, but after careful observation, he found that they did not merge with these Lahmu. Instead, they began to clear out a large part of the Lahmu at an extremely fast speed, which made him realize that things were not so simple.

Finally, when the white skeletal horse ran up to Rovey's side, Roman's face showed a look of surprise.

"--There really are reinforcements?!"

He raised his hands and cheered, "Reinforcements at a time like this, and judging by their appearance, could they be from the Underworld— "

Looking at the strange army that suddenly appeared, composed of pale white skeletons without any flesh or blood, Roman could roughly guess the origin of this reinforcement.

"Of course, this is the Underworld after all. I am, after all, the ruler of a realm. How could I possibly be all alone?"

Just as Roman was rejoicing, Ereshkigal's voice slowly drifted from the void, "However, after these battles, I'll have almost exhausted all my resources, making me a true lone commander. But I can't worry about that now; everything must be geared towards achieving final victory."

Ereshkigal finished speaking.

From that white warhorse, a very familiar petite figure carrying a scythe appeared. She lifted her hood, revealing a familiar face.

After seeing that the purple-clad girl had not disappeared but had truly been saved by the Underworld, Rovey called out her name.

"I'm so glad you're alright."

"Yes, thanks to Goddess Ereshkigal. These soldiers are the treasury she has accumulated over the years, like Gilgamesh's treasure trove, all brought out to lend you a helping hand at a crucial moment."

At that moment, Anna also reached out her hand to Rovey.

"There's no time to hesitate, hurry up and keep going. I'll clear the way for you from now on."

Anna's voice trailed off softly. Behind her stood what Ereshkigal had described as her accumulated wealth— the Death Army in the Underworld. Each member was handcrafted by her, created and expanded over thousands of years. It was Ereshkigal's last remaining fortune, and now it had been brought up in a photograph.

It's heartbreaking and regrettable to smash a figurine that took thousands of years to create, but it's meaningless if you lose. It's not a talisman; you have to use it when necessary.

Thus, led by Anna, this legion of the dead, like Lahmu, who knew nothing of life and had been dead for an unknown period of time, joined the battlefield.

When the undead fight monsters, neither side experiences fear or pain, so naturally there is no issue of cowardice.

The relentless attack of the dead tore a hole in the impenetrable black defenses, and without hesitation, Rovey charged in, aiming straight for his target and advancing with all his might.

Tens of thousands of Lahmu behind him saw that this most threatening human still wanted to move forward, so they pounced to intercept him, but were pierced through the body by two chains of different colors.

"They've completely gone mad. Rather than calling this the new human that Mother hoped for, they're more like a twisted mass of maggots on the ground."

Kingu looked at the countless Lahmu, his eyes filled with nothing but disgust. Anna, meanwhile, gripped her scythe tightly, shielding those still advancing from the danger behind them.

That's all they can do; everything else depends on him.

So--

"--O mortals, hoping to bind the gods (Enuma Elish)!!"

"--The Caress of the Medusa (Caress of the Medusa)!!"

With things having come to this point, the two of them unleashed their Noble Phantasm without hesitation, cutting off the last pursuers and completing their final mission.

--

Having traveled such a journey.

It was only a few kilometers away, but it felt like crossing an insurmountable road.

We've finally arrived here.

It's only a hundred meters away. If we can get to that distance, we'll have truly succeeded.

Tiamat, the Beast II, the Beast of Return, the Primordial Mother Goddess, was right before his eyes at this very moment.

"I can't hear what you're saying anymore..."

Because of the Voice of Heaven, Rovey possessed the ability to understand Tiamat's language, but at this moment, Tiamat's piercing screams had no real meaning.

If there was still some rationality left when 90% of Tiamat was initially sealed away, now only madness and chaos remain.

"--Wait for me, I'm coming!"

Clenching my fist, I continued forward, preparing to cross this distance of less than 100 meters.

"Awooooo!!!"

Suddenly, sharp claws appeared before Rovey. Although it was an unexpected attack, it wasn't a big problem for Rovey in his current state. He raised his hand to block the attack, and then punched it away.