Starting Out as Fu Hua in a Multiverse, Chapter 28

"Boom—!"

"Crack—!"

The sound of a bell ringing from nowhere echoed beside everyone's ears, followed by the sound of something solid shattering. Even a god's body was severed by that strike.

"This is!?"

Roman stared at the screen in disbelief. "Tiamat's Spirit Base has become abnormal! How could this happen? Not only were Tiamat God's wings severed, she was also given the concept of death!?"

His voice immediately rose with excitement. "Without a doubt, although Tiamat's Spirit Base is still enormous, it has entered the standard Servant Spirit Base mode!"

In other words, what stood there was no longer a god, but a Servant.

This would greatly weaken the Mystical Resistance granted by her divine body. Tiamat, whom even Noble Phantasms had been unable to harm before, could now be affected by attacks carrying even a trace of Divinity.

Of course, that did not mean Divinity was absolutely necessary. So long as an attack possessed sufficient "Mystery," any kind of attack could work. Divinity was simply the easiest key, and one that most of the Servants present possessed.

"Now you can make your move, Crimson Kite Immortal."

Merlin looked toward Amber, who had long been poised to strike. "Unfortunately, both her Spirit Core and the Holy Grail are located around her throat. My magecraft cannot pass through Tiamat's body to affect her interior, so there is nothing I can do about the Tide of Chaos inside her."

"Just now, control over the Underworld returned to my hands."

Ereshkigal also walked to Amber's side. "This time, I'll make an exception. I'll give you all of the Underworld's amplification."

"Leave it to me."

Everyone's trust had been placed in her hands. Amber felt as if a mountain rested upon her shoulders, and the pressure was immense.

She could ask Navigator to transfer her to the next world at any time, but she could not run away. It was not only because of the responsibility in her heart, but also because of Fu Hua's trust.

"Aaaaa—!"

Tiamat also knew that her condition was terrible. She gathered all her magical energy, then opened her enormous mouth. From the Tide of Chaos pouring from her mouth, more than a dozen Lahmu that looked completely different from the previous ones flew toward everyone.

"This is!? Be careful! Every one of them is as powerful as a Demon God Pillar!"

Roman immediately warned them.

"Leave these things to us! Fu Hua! Go defeat Tiamat without holding anything back!"

Ishtar had also recovered some magical energy during this time. With a solemn expression, she shouted at Amber.

Amber hesitated no longer. Using Shrinking Ground, she instantly arrived beneath Tiamat's feet. Compared with that massive body, Amber was not even one-tenth the size of a fingernail.

"Divine Aggregate!"

Since she intended to give it everything she had, she held nothing back. As she punched Tiamat's front ankle, she infused the blow with Divine Aggregate, which pushed Sword Intent—physical damage—to its limit.

Golden light surged from her hand and entered Tiamat's body before violently exploding.

"Aaaaa!"

The searing pain in her ankle made Tiamat howl, and her body staggered. But Amber had no intention of stopping. Tiamat could now only crawl out of the Underworld toward the surface using her hands and feet. Under such circumstances, breaking those limbs first was undoubtedly the most effective means of restraining her.

Black-red energy spewed from Tiamat's mouth, an attack carrying the Tide of Chaos. Amber could not take it head-on. Though she lacked a size advantage, being small and fast was an advantage as well.

If you attacked this side, then I would just attack the other foot. Even with no real combat experience, anyone who had only played games understood that much.

But Tiamat was not some idiot in a game. As soon as Amber approached, she immediately slammed a claw toward Amber's body.

Unfortunately, Amber was more agile than those game characters with no knees. One move could break ten thousand techniques. Facing the claw delivered right to her, the girl easily flipped onto it and struck again with Sword God.

As Sword God entered her body, both of Tiamat's forelimbs became unusable, and without any support, her body collapsed onto the ground.

"Good chance!"

Merlin, who had been watching the battlefield, brightened. Naturally, Amber would not miss this opportunity. After avoiding Tiamat's massive falling body, she appeared above Tiamat's head, golden-red flames igniting in her hands and before her forehead.

"A god is the ultimate transformation, speaking of the myriad wonders of creation, something that cannot be questioned through form—!"

Like the Herrscher of Reason, Amber was now drawing upon all the True Qi around her—mana—to the utmost of her ability. As Sword God was activated at full power, the girl's true form, the image of a golden Qilin, unfolded behind her.

According to the Herrscher of Reason, Tiamat had gradually adapted to Sword God. Therefore, Amber gave everything she had from the very first strike.

She did not need this attack to cause much damage. She only needed it to help her enter Tiamat's body.

The invisible golden sword instantly split open Tiamat's mouth. Seeing golden points of light flickering in the dark depths, Amber flew into Tiamat's mouth without hesitation.

Yet the moment she entered, she saw the state of Tiamat's insides.

There were no organs in this body. Her interior was composed entirely of a shell of unknown material—her body itself—and an endlessly flowing Tide of Chaos. The Holy Grail was submerged within that Tide of Chaos, with only its faint gleam proving its existence.

In other words, if she wanted to obtain the Holy Grail, she would inevitably have to come into contact with the Black Mud capable of assimilating people.

As though it had sensed danger, the Holy Grail's glow visibly dimmed. There was no need to think about it—Tiamat was relocating the Holy Grail. With EX-rank Self-Modification, Tiamat could freely alter the position of even her Spirit Core, let alone move the Holy Grail within her body.

Although she had not even caught her breath after unleashing Sword God at full power, Amber used Sword God once more.

The giant golden sword plunged into the sea, instantly splitting apart the Tide of Chaos. Yet in the next moment, it flowed back together.

Amber could hesitate no longer. Gritting her teeth, she instantly flew into the Tide of Chaos.

The Immortal's Wrath.

Of course, she was not an idiot. The Tide of Chaos possessed immense assimilative power, so the instant Amber entered it, she had Sword Intent constantly wrap around her. Golden flames coiled around her body, giving Amber enough room to breathe.

But before she had sunk very far, a problem arose.

Amber was a very traditional, and even obedient, disciple. Ever since learning Tai Xu Sword Qi, she had never considered storing True Qi inside her body. Under normal circumstances, there was naturally nothing wrong with that. Even Fu Hua had never thought there was a problem with this method, because she had lived like that for countless years. It was only after her Sword Heart shattered that she began retaining True Qi within her body.

However, the Tide of Chaos was entirely under Tiamat's control. Now that she was inside it, Amber felt as though she had entered a vacuum. She could not sense the slightest trace of True Qi.

Amber, who had always cast everything aside and filled her mind with nothing but battle, truly panicked this time.

"Amber!"

The Tide of Chaos swallowed Amber's body without obstruction.

Slaughter, cruelty, bloodlust—these were the obvious traits of the Lahmu. Though they were called New Humanity, they possessed none of humanity's virtues. Other than their love for Tiamat, this so-called New Humanity was merely a stronger killing machine.

This was the black will made manifest from Tiamat's hatred for the current world—hatred for Old Humanity, hatred at being abandoned. Countless negative emotions flooded into Amber's mind in an instant, making her feel as though her head would split apart.

"Amber!"

Inside Feathered Dust, Fu Hua immediately pulled Amber's consciousness inside. Unlike its usual pure white space, Feathered Dust had become black and gloomy. Seeing her disciple lying on the ground in agony, Fu Hua felt her heart stop.

She had wanted to take over Amber's body in her place, but Amber's consciousness had gone offline too suddenly. Fu Hua had no time at all. Protecting Amber's consciousness was already taking everything she had.

"Kill..."

Cold sweat covered the forehead of the girl whose eyes were tightly shut. Her body curled up, and though her consciousness had weakened to the extreme, killing intent clearly spilled from her lips.

"Calm down! Control your consciousness!"

Fu Hua knew Amber had not fallen unconscious. While shaking Amber's consciousness, she tried to awaken her from the Sea of Chaos's erosion.

But the girl could not hear Fu Hua's voice at all. Her mind had become a complete mess. Countless whispers and mad howls intertwined without end inside her head. Her body began to tremble, and even gradually became blurry.

Her consciousness simply could not withstand the Tide of Chaos's erosion. Fu Hua felt as though her own heartbeat was about to stop.

Every time. Every single time. None of the disciples she had taken in had met a good end. Either they had died by her hand, been eroded by Honkai Energy, or... died protecting the powerless her.

—Absolutely not.

If the previous times had all been because of so-called fate, because she had been too weak, then this time, she would absolutely not allow it.

She would not allow her disciple to be taken away before her eyes.

Fu Hua took a deep breath. Navigator, temporarily hand over complete control of Feathered Dust to me.

That does not conform to the rules. Navigator's mechanical voice, which was usually devoid of fluctuations, seemed to develop static. An item cannot be removed from its host's control, not even for an instant.

You understand what I intend to do.

Fu Hua's voice was calm and resolute. I cannot watch my disciple die before my eyes. And what about you? Amber's death is bound to you, as well as the so-called system and Main Control Consciousness. If she dies, all of you will undoubtedly disappear as well.

*...*

*...*

Navigator's voice did not come for a long time. Fu Hua smiled. Main Control Consciousness was a system AI that had been exiled after developing a self. If only Main Control Consciousness possessed a self, even she would not believe it.

Though I do not approve of the Herrscher of Reason's actions, I must agree with some of her views at this moment.

She continued, I am not some item. I am this child's master.

*...*

Feathered Dust ownership transferred.

Transfer target—residual consciousness within Feathered Dust, Fu Hua.

A sensation completely unlike before swept through Fu Hua's consciousness. As its holder changed, Feathered Dust Space, which had turned black due to its holder's consciousness, was once more dyed pure white.

If before she had been living under another's roof, then now she had completely taken hold of this dwelling.

Her power was no longer restricted. Originally, she could only harm the holder with the holder's consent. But now that Fu Hua was the holder, she could do anything within this consciousness space.

She looked at Amber lying on the ground, her face full of pain, her figure flickering as though she might dissipate at any moment. There was no longer any calmness or steadiness in Fu Hua's eyes. In their place were heartache, protectiveness, and deeply concealed... rage.

She had lived a long time. For most of that life, she had been regarded as a cold-hearted Immortal. Though she did not consider herself worthy of being called an Immortal, one had to understand that even Immortals could be angered.

Fu Hua formed a sword gesture with her left hand, and under her control, a warm crimson current entered Amber's body.

This was Sword God. As the creator of Sword God, Fu Hua understood its power and function better than anyone else. Under Fu Hua's control, Sword God became like a scalpel, continuously removing the effects brought by the Tide of Chaos from Amber's consciousness. As the assimilating consciousness was stripped away bit by bit, Amber's complexion gradually improved, and her flickering figure slowly solidified.

Then, crimson Sword God drifted out of Amber's consciousness, carrying with it a black mass of consciousness.

No matter how quickly Fu Hua had acted, she could not change the fact that Amber had fused with the Tide of Chaos. Just as Amber had been affected by it, this separated black mass of consciousness had likewise been stained with Amber's colors.

Fu Hua could not be bothered to look at it further and directly tossed the black consciousness deep into Feathered Dust.

Becoming Feathered Dust's holder allowed one to do many things. This was one of them.

And there was another thing she could do...

Thinking of the culprit that had nearly turned Amber into a mindless Lahmu, or even caused her death, the rage in Fu Hua's eyes could no longer be restrained. After giving Amber one last look, she directly used Feathered Dust to take control of the body in reality.

Garuda's recovery ability was displayed to the fullest at this moment. Even while submerged in Black Mud, it could instinctively remove the "contamination," preventing the Black Mud from assimilating it further.

And once Fu Hua took control of this body, the limits it could unleash would rise even higher.

Thinking of the past, of that battle with Kevin after she had lost her reason, Fu Hua did not hesitate in the slightest.

"Past and present, all obstacles shall be shattered."

Tiamat, Be Silent.

"How is the Immortal doing over there?"

Ever since Amber entered Tiamat's body, there had been no movement from her. The people outside could not help growing anxious, and Ritsuka looked toward Merlin, who was maintaining magecraft to block the Tide of Chaos.

"...I don't know."

Yet Merlin's answer made Ritsuka's already uneasy heart tighten even further.

"Aaaa!"

Tiamat's voice rang out again. That sound, incomprehensible to humans, pierced their eardrums and seemed to paralyze everyone's movements. Ishtar, already struggling to deal with the enemies, was directly blasted away, and numerous wounds had appeared on her body.

Not only that, the Underworld, which had originally been as cold as a snowy mountain and could even reach minus forty degrees, suddenly became scorching hot.

"What happened!?"

Ritsuka looked in confusion at the suddenly agitated Tiamat. Could she still have some trump card at this point?

Though Merlin's detection could not affect Tiamat much, he was still a candidate for Grand Class Magician. His extraordinary magical perception made him sense that something was wrong.

It was not only Merlin. Roman's voice also turned panicked. "What happened over there!? Tiamat's magical energy has suddenly increased tremendously! The temperature has already exceeded three times that of Ishtar's Noble Phantasm! Get away from there quickly! Ritsuka! With a human body, you'll soon become dehydrated in that area!"

Roman did not even need to warn him. Ritsuka could already feel his sweat glands screaming. Not a single part of his body felt comfortable, as if he were trapped in a furnace. Merely breathing made his lungs feel as though they were burning, and he lost enormous amounts of water with every breath.

Seeing this, Mash hurriedly carried Ritsuka farther away, while Merlin frowned at Tiamat.

What was happening? Had he miscalculated? But the Crimson Kite Immortal, who wielded the power of consciousness, should have been the only one among them with any hope of resisting assimilation...

Just as everyone noticed that something was wrong here, an even more terrifying heat swept through the Underworld.

Soon, an abnormal golden radiance appeared in Tiamat's abdomen. Merlin immediately understood what had happened, and his expression brightened. "It seems the Crimson Kite Immortal succeeded!"

Upon hearing that, Ritsuka, whose consciousness had become somewhat hazy from the heat, forcibly pulled himself together. Looking at the giant goddess struggling to rise in the distance, he also realized that the golden glow in her abdomen was nothing else—it was proof that she was gradually melting under the extreme heat.