Castoria

What did Ritsuka see when she was plunged into the nightmare of Cthulhu?

There was nothing there.

The vast expanse was blank, like a canvas erased by an artist. The red-haired girl in the white uniform stood in this blank world, unable to see or feel anything. All that echoed in her ears was the deafening sound of the immense silence.

Confusion, pain... In the instant Old Ones and actively sank into her nightmare, Ritsuka was actually prepared to face a terrifying existence.

She was mentally prepared to face demons and hell, and to cope with a lifetime of pain and torment.

But she wasn't prepared to face loneliness.

It turns out that what people fear most is never demons, hell, pain, or torment.

It is... a cold, empty loneliness.

Or perhaps the world after Human Order has been burned away is like this?

The flow of time in dreams and the real world is obviously different, and the scale of change that consciousness can perceive is extremely long. In a nightmare dominated by Cthulhu, a moment can be a thousand years, ten thousand years, or even eternity... Ritsuka doesn't know how long she can endure this, but she knows that if this continues, even if she wakes up in the real world, she will be driven mad by the loneliness of such 'long' time...

Perhaps this is the reason why people go crazy after looking directly at Cthulhu?

Not everyone can receive the gift of knowledge from evil gods.

Not every Old Ones will generously grant knowledge beyond the universe to those who look directly at them.

At that moment, Ritsuka actually felt fear.

Fear, worry... she was prepared for death, but loneliness is always more unbearable than death.

It was at this moment that she saw, or rather, heard, the sound.

She heard Martha and Mash's conversation, and in her mind she imagined the Dragon Taming Saintess clenching her fists and summoning the tamed Dragon Kind from the sky, and she also imagined Mash holding her shield to block her 'front'.

That's not all.

She also saw France beyond R'lyeh, heroes fighting in the wilderness, the black and white saints waving their flags in the countryside, the France people gathering again, and the scene of Siegfried's dragon-slaying sword and the evil dragon Fafnir each 'competing' to kill their enemies. Queen Marie, Mozart, Charles... no, what Ritsuka saw was not just heroes.

The France people who rallied under the banners of saints and witches also gripped their weapons; behind Siegfried and Fafnir, there were also commoners wielding iron farm tools; and under the instigation of Queen Marie, countless city dwellers stepped out of their sheltered lives...

Are you lonely?

Actually, no.

This is indeed a nightmare for Cthulhu, but no matter when or where, Ritsuka is never really fighting alone.

Others, like her, are struggling against the terror from the deep sea.

Like her, some others are struggling with the loneliness that may follow the impending apocalypse.

Since it is not a lone battle,

There are others who also resist.

So, Ritsuka's Ritsuka doesn't necessarily mean she's lonely...

Yes.

Just as Rovi touched humanity's will to fight against the apocalypse, grasping that burning will in his hand and turning it into a sword, Ritsuka felt the same way at this moment. Moreover, compared to Rovi, compared to this 'saint' who descended and appeared as Heroic Spirit, as a living person, as the Master of Chaldeas by chance, before this, he was just an ordinary person who had never even been exposed to the mystical realm. Ritsuka Fujimaru could feel was more genuine than what Rovi felt.

What Rovi could sense was more of the will of the heroes.

But Ritsuka's feelings are mixed.

The boundless, ordinary will of the common people is all the more relatable and clearer.

This is not because of power, nor because of perspective, but simply because of our different identities.

Ritsuka is also an ordinary person, just like those who follow in the footsteps of heroes... Rovi could actually sense this, but he didn't, because he knew that this was what Ritsuka should do.

Ritsuka also felt it at that moment.

Is this an epic tale of heroes?

This is an epic that belongs to the people, a history of humankind, and not just in the hands of a small group of people.

The heroic Heroic Spirit that appear are shadows of the past.

Those countless ordinary people are the true beings of the present.

then--

Ritsuka broke free from loneliness and nightmares.

So she reached out her hand and gave Rovi a high five.

That was two saviors giving each other a high five.

But it's not a high-five between two people.

It is the replacement of past and present.

It is a meeting of heroes and ordinary people.

A dazzling light burst forth, causing R'lyeh to tremble and oscillate. As Rovi hurled the holy sword into Cthulhu's body, and the sword's sharpness manifested, aiming to nail the massive, slumbering Lord to this place, the power of the Old World Evil God, revered as the 'Lord of R'lyeh ' and the 'Abyss Lurker,' continuously collapsed and contracted. Without Cthulhu's support, the collapse of R'lyeh, already mired in nightmares, was inevitable.

"Ritsuka, are you alright!?" The voice in her ear brought Ritsuka back to her senses from the collapse of the deep-sea civilization ruins. She turned her gaze away from the abyss-like crack that had appeared at the edge of the 'world'.

Communication with Chaldeas was restored.

Romani Archman's voice sounded slightly anxious, "The Singularity Point has disappeared... You must come back quickly, the self-repairing power of the Unending Era will make you disappear completely!"

The Singularity Point has not disappeared.

Romani Archiman... or rather, Solomon could sense it.

But it wasn't fixed.

The disasters caused to Human Order have also disappeared.

The reason why Singularity Point can harm Human Order is that Singularity Point appearance would cause a great distortion in the future development of history, leading to a complete dead end... But at this moment, the Singularity Point seems to be fixed in place by something, it has not disappeared, but it will not cause too much distortion or damage to the future Human Order.

The power to restore the era will still exclude forces that do not belong to that era. The ' Magic King,' who once skillfully manipulated the mysteries of the Western world and used mystery to control the rules of the world, is well aware of this pattern.

"Get ready—" This time it was Da Vinci's voice. They didn't give Ritsuka and Mash much time to react. "The Spiritron Transfer program has been activated, and the path to return has been opened!"

In an instant, Ritsuka and Mash shone with light. It was the positioning anchor point of the Spiritron Transfer device stored in their uniforms and combat suits, which established a return channel to Chaldeas, unrestricted by time and space.

"Senior..."

"Mash, we did it!" Ritsuka nodded to Mash, and then, with a serious expression on Mash's face, looked at Martha across from her.

The tamed dragon coiled behind it, shaking the crumbling interior of R'lyeh. The minions of the evil god, and the minions of the evil god's minions, had long since vanished.

The twisted streets resembled bubbles that could burst at any moment.

Martha simply smiled, a smile that was both sacred and dashing, "Well done, little guy."

"Go back to your time with peace of mind!"

"Who knows, maybe we'll meet again someday?"

"Hmm." Ritsuka nodded, raising her gaze to look upwards.

Before the gradually disappearing, gigantic body of Cthulhu, Rovi, who was hovering high in the sky, also happened to look over.

Their eyes met, and the handsome, refined man nodded.

A ray of light shone on Ritsuka and Mash, then flickered and spun around before disappearing.

Rovi also disappeared along with the others.

He intends to insert Cthulhu deep into the Singularity Point, using it as a nail to fix the Singularity Point's direction, preventing it from repairing or affecting Human Order.

At this moment, I naturally need to fall into the depths of the singularity with you.

"Ah—it's all gone?" Martha looked at the empty, distorted, and constantly collapsing and disappearing city and let out a soft sigh.

"But it seems you're a step too late?"

"Tch, didn't you also not actually meet him?" Martha replied in a slightly annoyed voice.

A lithe, emerald-green Hunter Girl with disheveled hair and a few wisps of withered yellow hair swayed as she strode across the wet street, her lips slightly parted, revealing her canine teeth.

"But I fought alongside him, you know?" Martha still seemed smug. "I'm closer to my lord than he is!"

Atalanta hummed, but didn't say anything more.

She looked at Martha across from her, who was beaming with pride.

Her yellow beast eyes held a hint of scorn... Did she think she had won?

It was only a temporary approach.

Indeed, compared to herself, Martha, as the saintess, was closer to Rovi, who appeared as the saintly son, but that was only in this era.

Next...

"The passage to Chaldeas has long been within my grasp!"

From beginning to end, Atalanta had no intention of competing with Martha for victory or defeat in this Singularity Point.

She knew she was no match for the Dragon Tamer Saintess.

She had already set her sights on the Chaldeas Human Order Salvation Organization...

"Rovi will definitely go there too!"

"Welcome back... You've worked hard!" Opening his eyes, he was greeted by Romani Archaman's relieved voice and Da Vinci's figure shaking a porcelain cup in his hand.

Ritsuka paused for a moment, exchanged a glance with Mash beside her, and then smiled at each other, "Yes, we're back!"

"Fou!"

"Alright, alright, I won't forget you!" Romani sighed and grabbed Fou off his face. "You're a big contributor too, Fou."

"Fou!" The little white beast then started dancing with joy.

"In any case, success is a good thing." Da Vinci smiled and approached. "You are all capable of standing on your own now."

"Of course." Ritsuka nodded gently.

After all, growth came at the cost of the director's death...

"I will not let anyone else die!" The girl's voice echoed in the central control room, her gaze firm and resolute.

Mash took a deep breath and nodded, "Senpai, I'll do my best too!"

Unaware that the person Ritsuka was referring to was himself, Romani smiled, exchanged a glance with Da Vinci, and revealed a look of satisfaction...

"Etc!"

Da Vinci suddenly spoke up, "Just now, did any of you tamper with the Spiritron Transfer device?"

Ritsuka and Mash were stunned for a moment, not quite able to react.

Only Romani looked over immediately. He saw that the Spiritron Transfer device, which had been completely shut down and extinguished, still had a faint glow flickering at the edge of the 'iron barrel', which was like the space-time capsules described in countless science fiction works.

That was definitely not the residual light left after Ritsuka and Mash returned.

The phenomenon will only appear after the first cycle of operation.

There it is...

A fragment of a red Holy Shroud fluttered and fell.

"That guy's here!" Da Vinci tilted his head and looked at Romani beside him.

As expected.

Romani's face went from stunned to surprised, then stiff and pale.

The entire process can be considered a masterpiece of Chinese intangible cultural heritage, specifically the art of face-changing...

"They actually came all the way to Chaldeas..." Da Vinci took a sip of coffee, watching Romani's reaction, and this medieval art genius felt a strange sense of pleasure.

After realizing what was happening, Ritsuka seemed pleasantly surprised. "Is it Mr. Rovi who's here!?"

"Mr. Rovi, what brings you here?!" Also in Chaldeas, in the staff dormitory, in the room prepared by ' Acting Director ' Romani Archaman for the suddenly arriving Heroic Spirit Servant.

A girl with long, dazzling golden hair slowly opened her azure eyes and looked at Luo Rovi, who had appeared outside the door at some unknown time.

The blonde girl's pretty face was filled with joy. She stood up, skipped over to Rovi's, and raised her face, her bright red lips outlining her features.

"I came here after dealing with that big guy Cthulhu." Rovi was no longer wearing the fitted, ancient robes he wore as a 'saint,' but a modern casual outfit. He looked at the girl in front of him.

Not long ago, she was calling herself 'Saber' in front of Ritsuka and the others... but now she is no longer dressed as the interstellar swordswoman she once was.

She wore a round black hat and a black mage's robe, which overlaid a white blouse that outlined her slender waist and exquisite female figure. The hem of the blouse draped down her body, which accentuated her shoulder blades, and her long, black-stockinged legs extended from her shapely buttocks.

She was slender and petite, holding True Magic that resembled an upside-down tower.

They have the same appearance.

Same as 'container',

However, this is a different consciousness from the one she had previously communicated with Ritsuka.

That Saber has returned to the Origin Universe. Her arrival was only to guide another version of herself... or rather, to bring forth different aspects of herself.

That was the figure right in front of me.

Artoria, born in Lostbelt of the dead, grew up as a sorceress...

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."