Ritsuka Fujimaru Had Already Grown

At this moment, what Rovi held was the awe-inspiring will of heroes, and even more so, the unwillingness and resistance shown by the people of the Singularity Point facing disaster.

The Old Ones are symbols of chaos and indescribable nature, manifestations of the Dark Side of the Universe, and terrifying entities whose true forms reside in the ultimate abyss. Their existence is unmatched by ordinary people—even Cthulhu, who is not considered one of the most powerful among them, possesses the power to destroy the world.

In other worlds, on other planets, living beings would have absolutely no power to resist them.

Only in this spacetime named after Nasuverse, on this planetary world called 'Earth,' and on this race called 'Humanity'... exists the possibility of fighting against them.

The Nasuverse is a 'seat' that records all things.

The Earth's Sea of Stars connects to infinite space and time.

It also means 'all mankind is great'.

Undoubtedly, this radiant and dazzling power is the very power that stands in opposition to and opposes the chaos and darkness symbolized by the Old Ones.

This power was shaped and formed in Rovi's hands.

Shaped into a 'sword'.

The golden hilt gleamed brilliantly, the silver-white blade was magnificent and beautiful, covered with mottled red patterns, traces of planetary manifestations.

It is the 'Starry Holy Sword'.

It is also the 'Heart-Slaying Holy Sword'.

A misty haze tore through the sky and earth, mingling with the flow of water and ocean. Rovi gripped the Holy Sword tightly, unleashing a sword strike that, in an instant, cleaved through the oncoming tentacles, sliced through the mist, and split the chaos. His forward-moving figure crashed into R'lyeh, which had completely solidified and manifested in the material world.

The ancient god R'lyeh existed billions, even tens of billions of years ago, an era when even the primordial gods were still in a daze and had not yet fully manifested. It was a time when the star-created gods were still in the process of being conceived... That was the true ancient god, existing in the previous ' Earth Era,' existing in the years before the birth of the present Earth.

The city was built by the race of the stars, the dark kin, the followers of the Old Ones, ' Cthulhu ', the Starkin.

They settled between mountains and seas, they built ancient cities with the will of the sleeping slumbering sages, they manipulated the matter of the abyss in the Dark Side of the Universe, and played the music of the surging sea for the slayers of nightmares.

The city they built was the very scene that Rovi saw after piercing through the mist.

Enveloped in a chaotic, hazy mist, the spacious area features streets that twist and spiral among buildings made of interwoven and stacked boulders and bronze. These buildings are towering yet distorted, completely defying geometry and even the exact opposite of geometric shapes. They either bulge upwards, protrude to the sides, or even hang suspended from top to bottom. The vast and magnificent ancient city weaves a dreamlike illusion with its bizarre geometric arrangement. In the center of this dreamlike city, countless writhing figures have the characteristics of swimming fish and the tentacles of octopuses.

The towering shadows, resembling mountains or enormous balloons floating in a dreamlike world, are none other than the Star Familia, Cthulhu's retinue, who slumber alongside him in R'lyeh.

They are true cosmic beings, high-ranking members of the evil god's retinue.

The 'monsters' that appear outwardly are merely their retinue, the retinue of Cthulhu's retinue...

They floated in the air, surrounding a huge spiral stone fortress at the very center of R'lyeh, like subjects guarding a king.

That spiraling fortress, without a doubt, is the slumbering place of Cthulhu.

It is the throne of the 'Sleeping Queen'.

Rovi grinned, the 'Heart Sword' in his hand shining brightly. He gripped it tightly and stepped forward.

In an instant, R'lyeh trembled, an alarm for an invasion sounded, and the slumbering Star Familia shook violently, as if opening their eyes... and countless crimson lights shone forth.

Roar! Ugh! Eek...

This is an alarm, and even more so, a warning.

The sound only lasted for a moment, echoing for a brief instant.

'zai', woke up.

Yes, Cthulhu has officially awakened at this moment.

What the outside world can see.

It was merely the overall manifestation of ' R'lyeh ', and the enormous 'octopus' was just a phantom formed by the dissipation of a small amount of Cthulhu's spiritual power.

In the heart of R'lyeh, where the stone castle sways, an even larger, more colossal figure rises from within.

An even stronger, eerie aura rose, like brilliant stars slowly rising in the night...

This was not the first time Rovi had confronted the Old Ones.

Given his level of cultivation, he was naturally able to fully withstand the chaotic distortions carried by the Old Ones.

In terms of spiritual will, even the reality of the universe cannot shake his existence.

Every time I see it.

He couldn't help but lament the image of the people who Old Ones them...

Strange creature.

That's so weird.

It's like that old joke we often heard about the strange shapes and appearances of deep-sea animals because they live in the dark.

What I saw before was...

The Cthulhu before us is the same.

It is entirely green and extremely large, said to be as tall as a mountain; its soft head has countless tentacles, three eyes on each side, its body is fat and covered with scales, its limbs have huge claws, and it has a pair of tattered, undeveloped wings on its back.

He sat enthroned on the fortress—which was not actually a fortress, but rather Cthulhu's 'throne'.

Rovi suddenly realized.

He saw countless Star Familiars, after Cthulhu appeared, all sending out drooping, writhing tentacles that seemed to lower their bodies and kneel down.

He saw Cthulhu, seated on his throne, 'looking' at him...

Rovi stood on the distorted, ancient streets, meeting Cthulhu's downcast eyes.

"... Humans?"

From the ravings of the evil god—voices that would drive ordinary people mad just to listen to— Rovi accurately captured the message the other party was trying to convey and translated it into a language that humans could understand.

He nodded. "That's right."

"I am human."

Humans are a special race, with infinite possibilities and infinite potential. In the eyes of the Old Ones of the Ultimate Abyss, they can be described as interesting 'ants'. Among these ants, there were beings that grew wings and stood in front of them. These were the humans known as ' Legendary Investigator '.

There were also those who transformed from ants into one of them, becoming incarnations of the Old Ones.

Not to mention the sheer scale of the people standing before us...

Cthulhu does not know Rovi.

For billions of years since the universe was born, the first two hundred billion years were a period of darkness dominating the universe, with chaos outweighing order. It was also the era when the Old Ones lived. After that, the stars gathered their light, and the darkness receded. Just like the reversal of two sides of a three-dimensional object, the Old Ones fell into the abyss of darkness. Cthulhu also slumbered there after that, occasionally appearing only as Projection of slight mental fluctuations. His true form never truly awoke, and naturally, he was not like other Old Ones... Rovi is a familiar name.

This way....

"I've come to purify you, sleeping wretch, Cthulhu— "

Rovi gripped the holy sword tightly, a look of eager anticipation on his face.

Cthulhu was silent for a moment. Darkness did not represent impulsiveness, and chaos did not mean disorder, so He remained rational. "You are powerful."

"But--"

"Just human."

So rational that he wanted to kill Rovi... it was like Projection of every mental fluctuation of His.

In the dark ages of the early universe, there were also humans, servants of the Old Ones, figures of the future summoned from the River of Time.

Despite the miracles, most of humanity stops here.

The person in front of me seemed to possess little strength.

But... Cthulhu, who has just awakened, is 'temperamental'!

Simultaneously, countless tentacles unfurled, and the radiant holy sword Rovi, carrying the power of the Dark Side of the Universe and the abyss, was simultaneously revealed in his hand.

With the power of the Old Ones rulers, with the power of the Lord of Nightmares... he should be able to kill himself, right?

He grinned and gripped his sword.

Don't let my solo journey into R'lyeh go to waste, into the realm of your nightmares!

—Cthulhu!

The ultimate abyss trembled for a moment.

The battle against the abyss, fought with the bodies of 'humans', has begun.

outside world.

The rain continued to pour down. The two saintesses, one yin and one black, each clutching a flag, rushed into the rain. Their figures streaked across the dim world, leaving two different streaks of light, like unfolded black yin feathers.

Siegfried, Fafnir, Queen Marie, Mozart, Charles, Vlad III, Beowulf... the heroes fought in different areas, but having previously clashed with each other, their goals in this battle are now the same.

To fend off monsters from the abyss, protect humanity, and safeguard France...

With a resounding thud, the raised shield slapped away the attacking, clawing monster. The girl in the purple tight-fitting combat suit glided gracefully through the air, her plump thighs swaying and her hips twisting as she swung her waist, wielding the rather large shield with fluid, powerful strokes.

A strong wind swirled, and countless monsters were sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground.

The girl's short, pink hair hung down wetly in the rain, clinging to her pretty face, while her chest heaved up and down, still swaying with the momentum.

She took a deep breath and turned around. "Senior, are you alright?!"

"Fou!"

The little blue beast, perched on the girl's shoulder and unwavering even during the intense fighting, let out a clear, crisp voice.

"I'm fine, Mash, are you alright?"

Ritsuka walked up, and the last Master of Last Chaldeas looked up at the sky.

"Yes, I'm fine." Mash nodded. After being possessed by the consort, she still had plenty of energy left. The battle just now wasn't even a warm-up.

Those monsters were not weak, but only comparable to strong humans. Although they looked terrifying, it was not difficult to defeat them as long as you overcame your fear and picked up a weapon.

"Then let's go." Ritsuka nodded in relief, then looked up and gazed ahead.

Driving all the way from Orléans to here, ahead, we can already see that great city, the historical hub known as ' Paris '.

The city was shrouded in a chaotic mist.

Long shrouded in the veil of ' R'lyeh,' they are drowning in the nightmare abyss of the Sleeper...

"Ritsuka, are you really going in?"

Romani Archaman's voice came through the communication device on Ritsuka's wrist. The anomaly in the Singularity Point had briefly interrupted communication between Chaldeas and Ritsuka, but Chaldeas was, after all, a facility built with the pinnacle of technology and mystery, and Da Vinci was an all-powerful being ahead of his time, so they quickly restored communication.

When asked by Dr. Romani, Ritsuka simply smiled and said, "That's right."

"But why did I come here?"

She looked ahead, at the mist shrouding Paris, at the dazzling yet hazy interplay of light and shadow...

She could sense that Mr. Rovi was inside.

"I won't let him fight alone, Dr. Roman —I am, after all, the Master of Chaldeas, aren't I?"

Ritsuka smiled, and from Romani and Da Vinci's perspective, the smile of the girl projected on the Projection appeared pure and innocent.

Yes, she was the last Master of Last Chaldeas.

Even though he was originally the last of the Master, the last of the reserves.

Even if it was because other Master met with misfortune that he was forced into the forefront.

However, she is the Master.

Ritsuka Fujimaru never believed she could save the world, but she believed... she should do her best to save the world she loved.

"This is also the director's wish—"

Mash's ears twitched, but the sound vanished in an instant, almost like a hallucination.

She turned her gaze to the red-haired girl beside her, but all she received was a smile and a nod.

"Let's go, Mash!"

"Yes, senior!"

In Chaldeas, as Ritsuka and Mash stepped into the mist, the connection between the central communication room and the Master was severed once again, leaving Roman and Da Vinci looking at each other in bewilderment.

"What a reckless brat..." Dr. Roman scratched his red hair, making the single ponytail look messy.

Da Vinci simply smiled and sipped his coffee, "No need to worry so much, Romani."

"Doing this might actually make things worse."

"Saving the Singularity Point requires the hands-on involvement of people in our time... After all, the destruction of the world began with us."

Da Vinci looked toward the French Singularity, which was covered in black chaos.

"And that child—is no longer confused."

Because of the director's death?

Romani also looked over.

"Suddenly seeing a familiar person die, seeing someone who was alive and well just a moment ago suddenly disappear from the world the next second... This is not a pleasant thing for anyone, and it might even be called a 'nightmare'."

"Nightmares can cause setbacks, but they can also help people grow."

"Our little Master ... has actually grown up."

"When we do not know, when we do not know..."

Roman finally breathed a sigh of relief, "Perhaps I really was overthinking it?"