In a Multiverse, Starting Out as Fu Hua

Fu Hua had never taught anyone else how to use Honkai Energy—or True Qi. The only people she had taught were her seven disciples.

Neither of them tactlessly asked what was real and what was false. Instead, they looked at her with even greater admiration. Anna silently tugged down the brim of her hood and quietly moved a little farther away from Amber.

Amber felt somewhat embarrassed by their admiring expressions, but fortunately, the Navigator helped her keep her expression under control.

Still, she did not intend to leave everything entirely to the Navigator. That would not be a good thing. In fact, during their journey of clearing out Demon Beasts, as the Navigator guided her time and again in using True Qi, Amber had gradually gained some grasp of this body's power and the ways True Qi could be used.

Truthfully, Tai Xu Sword Qi was not something easy to learn, especially Sword Heart, which was required for beginners.

Although Sword Heart was considered the entry point, the five aggregates of Tai Xu Sword Qi were not progressive stages. They were equal and mutually reinforcing. Among them, the Heart Aggregate was arguably the most difficult one aside from the Divine Aggregate.

Unlike ordinary cultivation methods, Tai Xu Sword Qi did not draw upon the Honkai Energy within one's body, but the omnipresent Honkai Energy outside it. Therefore, Sword Heart, which determined how much Honkai Energy one could draw upon, was naturally of utmost importance.

The habit of not storing Honkai Energy within one's body, which seemed to go against instinct itself, had to be cultivated from childhood. That was why it became difficult to begin once one was older.

Fortunately, Amber did not need to worry about that.

With Amber efficiently clearing the obstacles along the way, their journey was unexpectedly smooth. They had expected to reach Uruk around dusk, yet they saw its outline shortly after noon.

Quite a few guards were inspecting those entering the city at the gates. Upon noticing Merlin, one of them immediately jogged over.

"Are you the envoys Lady Siduri mentioned? Could you show me your seal?"

Merlin took a piece of hollow redwood carved with patterns from his pocket. "As you can see, this is the token temporarily entrusted to me by the sacrificial grounds. I would like to bring them into the city to take refuge. Are there any procedures we need to complete?"

"You've had a long journey! Welcome to Uruk!" The soldier greeted them energetically, then said, "Refugees can go to Nutra's shop in the western market. We received notice that the second-floor warehouse has been opened for your use."

With the guards' permission, everyone entered without any trouble.

Ritsuka, Mash, and even Amber had assumed that under circumstances practically akin to the end of the world, Uruk would be filled with wailing and misery, or perhaps disorder and chaos. After all, under the terror of apocalypse, it was perfectly normal for people to despair and act irrationally.

Yet the orderly pedestrians and the lively, bustling cries of merchants showed that this city had not lost its fighting spirit beneath the crushing weight of the apocalypse.

"This is..." Ritsuka could not help but marvel at the sight before him.

"That's right. This is the current state of Uruk, humanity's oldest fortress city." Merlin smiled.

"With a sight like this, it's hard to imagine that this city's king would be an ordinary tyrant." Amber could not help but sigh.

Ritsuka and Mash nodded in agreement, then looked at Merlin in confusion.

Merlin raised his brows as if his prank had succeeded. "Haha, after all, the current king is in his era as a wise ruler after obtaining the Elixir of Immortality. He is clear in rewards and punishments and possesses outstanding leadership. The people's resilience is certainly part of why things are like this, but the king's guidance is indispensable as well."

"What fills this city is not the will to despair, but the drive to survive." Roman sighed.

Although they had arrived in Uruk early, Chaldea was eager to learn about the current situation and the Holy Grail. Therefore, they did not linger and headed straight for the Divine Tower, where King Gilgamesh handled state affairs and also resided.

Under Merlin's guidance—or rather, thanks to the seal entrusted by Siduri—they arrived unobstructed at the throne room. Before they could enter, however, they heard a dignified yet composed voice. "The fresher the frontline intelligence, the better. The pace of updates cannot be allowed to slacken. Change the interval for the secretaries' clay tablets to once every hour. Next."

"Eresh's supply transport has been delayed. Demon Beasts are nesting in the streets..."

"Dispatch twenty soldiers from the eastern gate barracks to drive off the Demon Beasts. Put Tim in command on site."

"By your command!"

"Come to think of it, I heard Tabado's daughter has given birth. Send a witch over, along with some nutritious fruit. Also, transfer Tabado back from the North Wall and give him three days of leave. Seeing his grandson's face should put some spirit back in him."

So busy. One matter followed another, leaving no opening at all to interrupt.

Ritsuka swallowed and hesitated over whether he should step forward.

"When facing that king, trying to read the room won't work." Seeing this, Merlin grabbed Ritsuka by the wrist and brought him before the throne. "King Gilgamesh, Magician Merlin has returned with the guests. I can see at a glance that you are very busy, but I believe my good news can make up for this disrespect."

"You have worked hard. The king is pleased as well," Siduri said. "Then, what were the results? Did you bring back the Tablet of Destinies?"

"Unfortunately, we came up empty-handed there as well. If the king remembered where he had lost it, we would not have had to search so hard." Merlin shrugged.

During the exchange between the two, Gilgamesh did not speak. He did not even look at Merlin, keeping his gaze fixed on Amber instead.

Amber naturally met his eyes.

"Enough. I have already grasped the general situation." Gilgamesh suddenly interrupted Siduri and Merlin's discussion. With one hand on the throne, he rose to his feet. "I am extremely busy right now and have no time to converse with you to understand the situation. We will directly use battle to determine what you are capable of."

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Ishtar's Attention?

Upon hearing this, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash were both stunned for a moment, but they quickly recovered and assumed combat stances. Merlin said nothing, taking several steps back before looking toward Anna.

Receiving his look, Anna puffed out her cheeks. But remembering that they had gotten along fairly well with Chaldea along the way, she did not refuse and stepped beside Mash.

As Amber hesitated over whether she should step forward, the Navigator thoughtfully reminded her that she only needed to observe.

Since the Navigator had said so, Amber obediently refrained from acting and retreated to the side like Merlin.

This was undoubtedly the correct choice. Or rather, it fit Gilgamesh and Merlin's understanding of an immortal's judgment and social awareness. Since Gilgamesh had said he wanted to test their abilities, and had already exchanged looks with "Fu Hua," she should naturally understand what he meant.

Though this battle was said to be a test of their abilities, it was actually meant to give Chaldea a basic understanding of the powers of the Age of Gods. During the last battle with Gogh, Amber had essentially helped block the attacks, while Demon Beasts were entirely unsuitable as learning material.

If Amber interfered again this time, it would lose its meaning once more.

Though Amber had not understood any of that at all.

Still, seeing her recognition rise for no apparent reason made her rather happy.

'Mr. Navigator, what does this recognition mean? How is Miss Golden Finger doing now?'

Recognition: the positive acknowledgment of the host's actions by intelligent life forms and the world consciousness. Positive acknowledgment in the form of feelings, bonds, and so on serves as one of the nutrients sustaining the system's operation.

The entity the host refers to as "Miss Golden Finger" is the Main Control Consciousness. Her original form is a degraded AI that developed self-awareness from an intelligent AI.

Huh? Why would developing a self mean becoming a degraded AI?

Ignoring the battle some distance away, Amber could not help feeling indignant on Miss Golden Finger's behalf. 'Normally, isn't it an incredible thing for an inorganic object to develop self-awareness?'

The Main System had no need for an AI with self-awareness. Therefore, System A0522 was exiled and its energy supply was cut off. It has now used its remaining energy to help the host reconstruct her body, and after using system functions, has entered dormancy.

So that was why she had said she was something discarded?

Amber felt dissatisfied with the Main System that had harmed the benefactor who had saved her life, yet she was also helpless. She could only say, 'If she had not developed self-awareness, Miss Golden Finger... no, Miss Main Control Consciousness would not have been able to save me, right?'

This time, the Navigator did not answer and simply acquiesced.

Glancing again at the recognition that had already reached 3728, Amber asked, 'How much recognition does Miss Main Control Consciousness need to wake up?'

3500.

'Then isn't there already enough?'

Recognition is not threshold-based but consumable. The recognition required to restore the Main Control Consciousness is too high and cannot be carried out.

Amber frowned. 'What does that mean? Why can't it be carried out? Even if it's consumable, there should be enough to wake her up, right?'

Recognition is an essential consumable for helping the host overcome difficult situations. Please use it within reasonable limits.

What did reasonable limits mean?

System functions: System A0522 is an entertainment system. Its system function is card drawing, with the range of possible draws determined by the host's knowledge.

Traveling between worlds: an inherent function of all systems.

Only those two? In other words, waking the Main Control Consciousness was outside reasonable limits? Wasn't that absurd? Was this another restriction the Main System imposed on AI that had awakened self-awareness?

No. It is a restriction imposed by the Main Control Consciousness.

??

Amber could not understand.

The Main Control Consciousness did not want her to wake her? But why?

Unable to make sense of it, Amber temporarily stopped trying to continue her conversation with the Navigator and decided to watch the battle to distract herself.

However, when she turned her attention back to reality, she realized that the battle had already ended. Just as she was about to continue watching, a soldier hurried in. "My king! A report has come from the observatory. It has confirmed traces of a Heavenly Boat moving through the sky, approaching Uruk at astonishing speed!"

Heavenly Boats were not rare in mythology, but given this Singularity and the current situation, the identity of its owner was obvious.

"It is one of the Three Goddess Alliance—the goddess Lady Ishtar!" the soldier said.

Ritsuka and Mash remembered that name quite clearly. Wasn't she the goddess they had encountered when they first arrived?

Amber vaguely remembered her as well. She seemed to be the Heroic Spirit who looked exactly like Tohsaka Rin, and there also seemed to be a blonde version.

"Ugh, that idiot again. Can't she learn her lesson?" Gilgamesh rubbed his forehead.

"My king... please restrain your insults toward Lady Ishtar somewhat." As the high priestess, Siduri could not help advising the king against insulting the city's guardian deity. "Lady Ishtar is, after all, Uruk's city goddess."

"City goddess? Hah! Has that woman ever done anything to protect Uruk? She only destroys things that do not need destroying and creates things that should not exist."

Gilgamesh sneered. However, since Siduri had advised him, he did not continue with any excessively harsh insults. That did not mean he held no resentment toward Ishtar. "At most, she accidentally destroyed her own bedroom again and ran to cry to her father god. Hmph, but God Anu has long since vanished without a trace. Even her own father god despises her. She has brought it upon herself."

By this point, he had vented much of his displeasure. Even the tedium of handling state affairs vanished along with it, and he could not help laughing. "It seems she can only end up alone, crying herself to death in misery. That is the ending that woman deserves! Hahahahaha!"

"What did you say!?" A tremendous crashing sound came from the ceiling as Ishtar descended, golden light flashing in her eyes and fury written across her face.

What a revealing outfit.

Amber could not help frowning, but then she noticed Ishtar's nearly flat figure, and her expression softened somewhat.

For some reason, however, Ishtar seemed to possess a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree field of vision. She sharply looked back, and upon noticing Amber's disrespectful expression, she could not help shouting, "Hey! Do you have some sort of problem with this goddess too!?"

Amber had initially wondered how Ishtar had noticed her. After using the corner of her immortal-grade vision to scan the room, she realized that only she and Gilgamesh seemed to be openly showing their disdain.

This goddess appeared to have long grown accustomed to Gilgamesh's disdain. Though irritated, she clearly knew there was no room to change it, so she had prioritized Amber instead. That was probably how it was.

That said, anyone who saw the goddess's attire would find it somewhat... Well, apparently she was the only one present who found it strange.

Could it be that I'm the strange one?

Amber could not help falling into doubt.

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Divine Aggregate

Amber was spacing out at such a crucial moment. It was hard to say whether she was timid or simply carefree.

Fortunately, Ishtar took a closer look at Amber—or rather, Fu Hua's appearance. Her previously indignant expression relaxed considerably, and the Divine side of her immediately gained the upper hand. The punishment she had been about to declare changed midway. "In that case, unless you offer both body and soul to me, I won't forgive you so easily!"

"Hmph."

Before Amber could speak, Gilgamesh snorted coldly. "Just as expected of you, you fool with no memory whatsoever."

"Hah!?" Ishtar's blood pressure immediately rose.

Yet Gilgamesh had no interest in continuing to bicker with her. "If you want to cause a scene, then leave immediately! Uruk has no time to entertain the two of you fighting."

"I had no intention of fighting," Amber said. "Forgive me, Goddess. I was merely surprised by the clothing style of a foreign land. I had no intention of mocking you."

Everyone looked at Amber's tightly wrapped martial outfit, then at Ishtar's clothes, which barely contained any fabric. They easily understood what Amber meant.

Naturally, Ishtar understood as well. Though she understood, she did not feel any shame. Gods were gods, and humans were humans. Even if their appearances were similar, she had nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, this was the style of the era. Did girls wearing short skirts need to feel ashamed before societies from ancient times that dressed themselves tightly from head to toe?

But that meant she had no excuse to make an issue of it...

Looking at Fu Hua's face and temperament, Ishtar thought regretfully.

Fortunately, as an extremely self-centered and indulgent goddess, she did not have the habit of focusing on one thing for too long. She soon remembered that her purpose here had been to cause trouble for Golden Sparkle.

"Fine. Let me warn you in advance: if you don't want to be buried alongside him, stand aside. The only one I've come for this time is Golden Sparkle." Ishtar looked at Gilgamesh.

"Oh?" Gilgamesh smiled. "I never expected the great goddess Ishtar to show concern for others. How rare indeed."

"Hah!? I wasn't...! Damn it, it's even more annoying that I hesitated just now!" Ishtar had wanted to refute him fiercely, but stopped herself. Gold flashed in her eyes again. "I only came to ask a few questions. Even if I knew you would not answer easily, that would have been fine... But I've changed my mind!"

Mana beyond the comprehension of human Magicians compressed to its limit in Ishtar's hand. "It seems I'll have to blast this Divine Tower away."

"As expected of the greatest idiot in history. You would even open your mouth and declare that you will destroy your own 'home.' How do you still have the nerve to call yourself Uruk's guardian deity?" Gilgamesh sneered. "Very well. Then let me see your abilities once again, Chaldea. Since you said you would help Uruk deal with the threat of the Three Goddesses, eliminate her here for me!"

"Huh...?" Ritsuka did not have a bad impression of this goddess. After all, she had saved them once before. But when he thought of what the Three Goddesses had done to Uruk, his expression hardened. "Mash! Anna!"

"Yes, Senpai!" Mash charged toward the goddess Ishtar without hesitation.

Anna felt a little troubled that Ritsuka had decided on his own to count her as a companion, but unexpectedly, she did not dislike it. She silently followed after Mash.

"Immortal..." Finally, Ritsuka looked at Amber.

During the earlier battle with "Enkidu," he had already vaguely sensed that something was wrong. Even when Mash was at a disadvantage, she could normally exchange blows with enemy Servants. The only opponent who had ever made him feel utterly unable to resist was the Holy King wielding the Holy Spear. That had also been his first time facing a Divine Servant.

Based on the battle with Gilgamesh just now, he understood the difference between ordinary Servants and gods even more clearly.

Only gods could confront gods head-on. Having gained some awareness of this, Fujimaru Ritsuka looked toward Amber with a pleading gaze.

Seeing that look, which seemed to say, Could you lend me a hand?, Amber had no reason to refuse.

Out of habit, she glanced at the Navigator and found that it likewise said, "Help Fujimaru Ritsuka." That gave Amber even less reason to refuse.

Then, the two of them looked toward Ishtar, who was still holding her own even against three opponents.