Ereshkigal, whose face had been flushed, froze for a moment before hurriedly waving her hands. "Wait!? No, no! Setting aside how you'd open a gate that far away, are you seriously planning to imprison Mother in the Underworld!?"
"Is there a problem with that?" Amber frowned. "Tiamat's nature can't be dealt with on the surface. If we can't bring her into the Underworld..."
"...Ugh!"
Seeing Amber's expression, Ereshkigal, already burdened by guilt, gritted her teeth and suppressed her initial panic as she considered the possibility.
In the end, though, she still shook her head with difficulty. "It's not impossible to make Tiamat fall into the Underworld, but... the gates of the Underworld can't be opened somewhere so far away. You all know that Ishtar and I were summoned by the High Priestess. We've actually been manifested in this world for less than a year."
"One year isn't enough time for me to extend the Underworld that far. Other than Kusa City, I can only open gates in Uruk and at the North Wall."
I should be able to finish this in four chapters, but I still haven't prepared the outline for the Jujutsu Kaisen arc... It's giving me a headache. I prepared too late.
Anyway, please give me some votes and bookmarks! Everyone's support is what motivates me to keep updating!
The Holy Grail's Location
"Then all we can do is wait for Tiamat to come here?" Gilgamesh nodded thoughtfully, then looked at Amber. "How much longer can that one hold out?"
"Theoretically, she can keep fighting forever." Amber blurted out something so absurd that everyone's eyes twitched, but she quickly added, "Still, she'll probably come back out of boredom within two days."
It wasn't that the Herrscher of Reason lacked concern for the bigger picture. Amber simply didn't want Xiao Shi to keep doing something she disliked. If two days wasn't enough, Amber would go over herself and switch shifts with Xiao Shi.
"Then take this opportunity to relocate all surviving citizens of Uruk to the North Wall. Ishtar, you'll go with them and check on the progress of Anna and Gorgon's Spirit Base fusion while you're at it." Gilgamesh calmly issued his orders before turning his gaze to Ereshkigal. "As for the gate to the Underworld, open it in Uruk."
"How can you be sure Tiamat will come to Uruk instead of bypassing it and pursuing the survivors migrating toward the North Wall?" Ishtar raised a brow.
"Because this city and Gilgamesh are symbols of Sumerian civilization." Quetzalcoatl, an outsider, was the one who explained. "From Tiamat's perspective, humanity and the land share the same life. Through the instinct of her own living body, Tiamat has likely locked onto Uruk, the heart of this land."
Since Quetzalcoatl possessed Divinity no lower than Tiamat's and occasionally filled in as the King of Humans, everyone naturally accepted her words.
"Exactly. If we wish to protect human history, we must deal with Tiamat before this King and Uruk are destroyed." Gilgamesh said.
Ereshkigal nodded as well. By now, Tiamat had become everyone's greatest concern. "I'll need around three days to fully open the gate in Uruk. After that, once Tiamat arrives, you can knock her into the Underworld whenever you like."
"Based on her size and speed, if she maintains the speed she had on the sea, she should reach Uruk in roughly four days." Leonidas offered his analysis. "Though considering the Black Mud needs to spread over land, she may be slower."
"Mm." Gilgamesh trusted the judgment of this Servant, who was both a king and a general. "Then have your other half delay Tiamat for one day. Once Tiamat arrives, it will be time to decide the victor."
After everyone settled the matter, they dispersed.
Other than Ishtar, no one else had anything they absolutely needed to do. They returned to the house where they had once stayed and quietly waited for Tiamat's arrival.
Once the agreed time had passed, Amber directly equipped the Core of the Herrscher of Reason and teleported over a vast distance in an instant, leaving the previously bored Herrscher of Reason utterly bewildered.
"You only remembered me now!?"
The moment she returned, she voiced her dissatisfaction.
"That's not it... We mainly needed someone to hold the line over there. Besides, you'd probably just be even more bored if you came back." Amber pointed out the issue.
Even if fighting over there had become boring, Xiao Shi could at least kill Lahmu whenever she felt like it and spar with Tiamat whenever she wanted. But once she came back, there truly would be nothing to do except wait.
The Herrscher of Reason understood that, so she didn't dwell on it. Instead, her expression turned far more serious. "Let me warn you first. That Tiamat really is strong. At the beginning, my Sword God could make her crash for around an hour, but her resistance has been getting stronger with every use."
Fu Hua wasn't surprised. "She is the creator god of Sumerian mythology. We have no right to underestimate her. Consciousness may be intangible, but this is a mythological world where even souls exist. It's perfectly normal for the same method to be countered after being used too often."
That was true. Though consciousness was an unfamiliar concept here, it was still something they could understand. Souls, on the other hand, were such an obscure concept that they couldn't even begin to understand them.
Underestimating their opponent would undoubtedly be arrogance.
"You're always spouting these grand principles. It's not like I don't understand!" The Herrscher of Reason pouted, though she agreed with Fu Hua in her heart.
This world was truly strange. Their strength clearly surpassed their enemies', yet there were always all sorts of methods that left them unable to use their power, or simply reduced the effects of their attacks dramatically.
Amber frowned, her emotions somewhat complicated.
She actually liked Tiamat quite a bit... If possible, she truly didn't want to become Tiamat's enemy. Unfortunately... Tiamat couldn't become a companion like Ishtar or Quetzalcoatl.
As everyone wrestled with their complicated feelings, a night passed.
Early the next morning, Siduri arrived and informed everyone that Merlin had returned and the king had summoned them.
"Merlin! You were alright!?"
The moment they entered the Divine Tower, they saw Merlin in white robes. Merlin wore a smile, with none of the tension before the final battle visible on his face.
"Hahaha, there were some issues, of course, but no matter what, I am still the court Magician. Such things are no more than minor obstacles." Merlin said with a laugh.
"You wouldn't have gathered all of us merely to announce your return."
Quetzalcoatl also laughed as she cut Merlin off. "Has there been some new development in the battle against Tiamat?"
"Ah, there has." Merlin nodded. "Do you all remember Chaldea's objective?"
"Huh?"
The question confused everyone. Mash hesitantly said, "Wasn't it to repair the Singularity and save the future where Human Order is destroyed?"
"Thank you for the explanation. But at this point, haven't you forgotten the most important step in repairing a Singularity?" Merlin offered another hint.
"The Holy Grail." Ritsuka immediately realized.
"Correct."
Merlin nodded. "The Holy Grail is a large crystallization of magical energy. It provides enough power to transcend and distort time and space, warping the normal flow of time. Its immense magical energy helps its holder resist the Counter Force's 'timeline correction' and forcibly maintain the altered state they wish to preserve."
"Conversely, once the Holy Grail is removed, this Singularity will disappear because it has lost its core."
Ritsuka and Mash remembered as well. The doctor had once said that the Holy Grail was the key to a Singularity's formation. Even if history was corrected, it would be meaningless if the Holy Grail wasn't recovered.
But...
"It merely provides us with another option."
Seeing that Ritsuka didn't seem convinced, Merlin didn't mind. However, his gaze turned to Amber. "I used Clairvoyance outside. The Holy Grail is located in Tiamat's throat. If someone can withstand the Tide of Chaos and retrieve it, Tiamat's threat will be reduced significantly."
I'm in such a hurry. The Demon Beast Frontline story is too long. I regret it, I really regret it. I should have written this as the second or third arc.
I originally wanted to finish the first volume before going premium, then go premium a few chapters into the second volume... Looks like I won't make it.
I can only try to speed things up. 3
Merlin's Proposal
That action, as though he had seen through her thoughts, made Amber's heart tighten before she quickly relaxed.
Merlin's strange attitude had not been concealed, and everyone looked toward Amber.
"I... don't want to become Tiamat's enemy..." Amber stated her thoughts without hiding them.
Those words filled everyone's eyes with confusion. As the Crimson Kite Immortal of Shenzhou and a guardian of human civilization, even if she didn't wish to oppose Tiamat, she shouldn't have said it at a time like this.
Amber knew her words were out of character.
Yet her expression didn't change. Even if she didn't want to oppose Tiamat, her actions would not change. No matter what, she stood on humanity's side.
Merlin spoke when he saw this. "After the Crimson Kite Immortal entered the Underworld, she used the power of Imaginary Space. This briefly synchronized her consciousness with Tiamat's. I believe something must have happened between them during that time."
Only then did everyone understand.
No wonder Amber had looked as though something was weighing on her mind throughout that period.
"But you have no intention of standing with Tiamat, correct?" Gilgamesh asked. Though it was a question, his tone made it sound as if he already knew the answer.
"Mm." Amber nodded. "I understand her thoughts and actions, but..."
No one was surprised by her answer.
What Tiamat wished to do was not destroy human civilization, but destroy the current human civilization and nurture a new one herself. The Crimson Kite Immortal was a guardian of human civilization, so it was not strange for her boundaries to waver between the "present" and the "future."
What was more, before Merlin said any of this, Amber had shown no reluctance to fight. That proved that even if she understood Tiamat, Amber had no intention of wavering in her stance, just like Ereshkigal before.
If Amber had sided with Ereshkigal, the current situation would have been entirely different.
Everyone felt helpless over how overly human the Crimson Kite Immortal was, yet they were also relieved by Amber's firm stance.
Her emotions were rich, yet they would not shake her... Quetzalcoatl hurriedly stopped her wandering thoughts and barely suppressed the emotions that were about to spill over.
Merlin also smiled. "Crimson Kite has already made two choices. I imagine that even for the Crimson Kite Immortal, being forced to oppose someone she acknowledges in her heart cannot be easy. That is why I have this proposal."
"A proposal?" Ritsuka thought of the Holy Grail Merlin had just mentioned.
"Correct. I am not suggesting that Chaldea take the Holy Grail and immediately leave. Rather, take the Holy Grail to weaken Tiamat. With such a contribution, even if the Crimson Kite Immortal only assists from the sidelines afterward and does not directly participate in the subjugation, I believe she will have done enough to satisfy her heart."
Merlin nodded, then looked at Amber. "What do you think?"
"..." I'm looking while standing.
"If we're talking about someone who can withstand the Tide of Chaos and retrieve the Holy Grail, the only person I can think of is the 'undying' Crimson Kite Immortal." Merlin said. "But as you understand, that Black Mud is less about killing and more about 'assimilation.' If something goes wrong, we would be handing the enemy another powerful general."
"If that is the case, why take the risk?" Quetzalcoatl looked at Merlin in confusion.
Gilgamesh frowned as well, but possessing Clairvoyance himself, he understood that since Merlin had said this, there had to be a reason they needed to take the risk.
"Because Tiamat is immortal. Even if she falls into the Underworld, that will remain true." Merlin's relaxed expression turned serious. "Her immortality isn't only because of Roman's argument. It is because, as the Mother of All Things and the origin of life, the concept of 'death' does not exist for her."
Those words cast a shadow over everyone. In other words, even the plan to send Tiamat into the Underworld would not be enough to settle everything?
"So that's why you proposed this..." Everyone furrowed their brows.
The proposal was clearly a way to skip the hard part. If they were lucky, they could greatly weaken Tiamat and have time to think of other methods, such as sealing Tiamat in the Underworld or banishing her into Imaginary Space once more. Even if they were unlucky, they could take the Holy Grail and leave, handing the trouble over to the Counter Force.
But the problem was...
"If Fu Hua ends up on their side, won't we lose all hope?" Ishtar frowned and raised what seemed to be an overlooked point.
But Gilgamesh said, "There is still a way."
A golden pool of light appeared beside Gilgamesh, and then an extravagantly designed Golden Dagger fell into his hand.
He held the dagger out toward Amber. "When you feel that things are no longer right, use this to stab yourself. There is a high chance it will forcibly remove you from the field, though it is not foolproof. Whether to carry out this proposal still depends on your choice."
Everyone's gazes gathered on her. Amber hesitated, then called out to the Navigator. Mr. Navigator, I remember we're going to another world afterward, right? Do we have to defeat Tiamat to go?
She hadn't decided whether to accept yet, but she still wanted to leave herself an escape route. If the dagger didn't work, she could just ask the Navigator to teleport her away.
Once recognition is sufficient, the host may travel to the next world at any time. The Navigator's electronic voice rang out without fluctuation.
Only then did Amber have the chance to check her recognition.
1... 14k? Why had it suddenly become so much?
Provided by Ereshkigal: 4000. Recognition provided by Tiamat: 8000. Recognition collected a second time: 2000.
Recognition from characters who had already provided it would be reduced significantly, and Amber remembered that. But... Tiamat had actually given her so much Recognition? This was the first time she had received such a large amount...
Then how much recognition does it take to travel to the next world?
1000. The Navigator's voice remained calm. Recognition from the main characters of the current world has been collected. Recommendation to remain in the current world: 12%. Recommendation to travel to the next world: 88%.
So I can choose not to leave forever? Amber asked curiously.
If that was the case, she didn't really want to consider this proposal.
You may. However, this world is a Singularity world. Once the Holy Grail is removed, it will rapidly undergo correction by the Quantum Record and return to normal history at an extremely fast pace.
Huh? Amber froze. Normal history?
Wasn't this mythology? Though this wasn't exactly mythology either. It was more like a derivative work of mythology, since this was Fate.
Chaldea will depart. Gilgamesh will die. Ishtar, Ereshkigal, Quetzalcoatl, Jaguar Man, and Anna will return to the Throne of Heroes. Merlin will return to Avalon. The Navigator explained what would happen then. Afterward, history will proceed as it originally did.
In simple terms, all the friends I know will be gone...
Amber felt a little upset. She barely had any friends she knew in real life. She had finally met a few people, yet they could only stay together for less than a month?
Rather than watching everyone say goodbye to her one by one, she might as well...
"I accept."
I haven't considered Honkai Impact for now, but I'll probably include it in a later world. 1
As the synopsis said, Character Cards won't be discarded after being used in one world. They're items in the inventory—you can use them whenever you want.
Piedra del Sol
Rather than helplessly watching everyone leave, she would rather say goodbye first. At least, she hoped to leave surrounded by everyone... Wait, I'm not some pink-haired athlete... Still, before the world was destroyed and she became bound to the system, she really had wanted to die surrounded by others.
Because that truly felt happy, like everyone loved her.
"Still, let's treat this as a backup plan for now." Amber said.
Before you continue