Chapter 539
Incredibly, those flowers are draining Goddess Tiamat's power.
"Heave-ho! We made it!"
A flippant voice came from above.
"Merlin!"
The girls were overjoyed.
The Magecraft, dressed in a white robe, stood amidst the clusters of flowers he had created.
"Since it's an ocean that nurtures life, let's use those powers on harmless and tiny creatures!"
The greatest con artist in history wielded his staff, and more Black Mud was replaced by blooming Azaka.
"So it's my turn to step in! The Flower Magus, I can't let that title down!"
Dr. Roman's voice almost turned into a scream, "Uh, oh, oh, oh, Merlin!?"
But why are you here!? Have you been summoned again!? No, no, no!
"Haha, how could that be? Summoning again is impossible; that's a much simpler situation."
I am the real, genuine Merlin... I've rushed here from Avalon!
"Fuwu!"
Even Merlin, who possesses the ability of "Independent Manifestation," could not have walked from the 21st century to the Seventh Singularity.
However, due to the special phenomenon of the Incineration of Humanity, he was able to take a shortcut through the Fae Village to get here.
"I hate sad deaths the most, so I made an exception this time... and came against my own beliefs~"
"Could it be that Mr. Shirou knew from the very beginning?" Mash asked in surprise.
"Of course! He's my most prized student... right, Shirou?"
"You'd be better off dead."
Shirou thought to himself: I made it!... What a load of rubbish!
If Mash hadn't tried so hard just now...
Merlin stroked his chin, observing the boy's face. "Hmm? Shirou's always been so gentle with me, has become as vicious as Cathy Palluq?"
I see, I see. The erosion caused by the Return of the Age of Gods is quite severe. Let's put that aside for now...
A deafening roar from the dragon shattered the joy of their reunion.
Goddess Tiamat completed the regeneration of all the damage she had suffered after falling into the abyss and unfurled the horned wings on her back.
"See? It's all because of Merlin's provocation that Goddess Tiamat has gotten serious!"
Dr. Roman said, "Even if we can stop the erosion of the Underworld, we can't stop Beast II's true form! She's planning to take off towards Uruk, towards the surface! If she returns to the ground, she'll revert to her invincible, immortal form!"
Ritsuka gritted her teeth. "Have the wings recovered...? Merlin, is there no other way!?"
Merlin's smile vanished.
He looked at Tiamat's enormous body and said in a deep voice, "... Hmm."
"The two goddess pillars held back her true form, and Uruk was used as bait to send her plummeting into the Underworld. The chains of Chains of Heaven, the judgment of the Underworld, and my flowers, all in vain."
Merlin looked at Goddess Tiamat of Beasts of Calamity took shattered and shook the Underworld.
"... But that's not enough. That guy still knows no fear, no Natural Enemy, and no end."
Mash asked, puzzled, "Him...? Is there someone else who could help?!"
"Yes, of course."
Merlin nodded, a mysterious smile playing on his lips, "And he's a top-tier expert."
But who summoned him? Not King Gilgamesh, nor the Holy Grail of the King of Magecraft.
Ritsuka blinked and pointed at herself. "Could it be... me?"
"Actually, it's me~~~!"
Merlin crossed his arms proudly, then walked over to Shirou and patted him on the shoulder.
"Yeah, as expected of me. The title of the best caster isn't just for show."
"Wait, Merlin, the helper you mentioned... could it be Mr. Shirou...?"
The Flower Magus smiled and said, "The enemy is Evil of Humanity, the beast."
The conditions for his appearance have been met: a world-class weapon capable of fighting against the beasts of Counter Force, namely Grand Servant.
All your battles so far have been meaningful.
"Alright, alright, go for it! Shirou, don't be shy! Let the Beasts of Calamity show you what you're made of!"
The Flower Magus pushed Shirou toward Goddess Tiamat.
"No, it's not my turn to act yet."
"What? If you don't act now, when will you? Don't embarrass your teacher!"
Just then, Goddess Tiamat suddenly halted her advance and looked up towards the very top of the Underworld—
Shirou spoke quietly.
"Mother, look up at the sky... Sea of Origin, your Death God is there."
Everyone looked up.
On that distant cliff, a figure slowly emerged from the void.
It was an elderly man dressed in a long black robe, his face hidden in the shadow of his hood.
"... Without death there is no life; only through death can life be attained."
The old man's voice was deep and authoritative, as if the valley itself were speaking.
"Who is that...!"
Ritsuka and Mash stared wide-eyed.
They had met and helped the old man on the streets of Uruk.
"Beasts of Calamity, an evil born of humankind."
The eternity you speak of is not walking, but slumber.
That very love that yearns to return is the very foundation that rejects you.
Although you are a god who has fallen into beast form, as the primordial mother, I must reveal your name.
Beneath the hood, two clusters of blue flames ignited in the eye sockets of the skull mask.
"Hassan al-Sabah, the Old Man of the Mountain, has sped forth from the depths of the abyss and from the darkness of death!"
"Alright, it's about time to return it to its rightful owner."
As Shirou spoke, a large, ancient-looking sword appeared beside him and then shot into the sky.
Ong, who called himself Hassan Sabah, caught the greatsword thrown by the boy steadily, and at that moment, the sword burst into flames.
That light contained the true meaning of death; it was the end of all things, the final destination of life.
"The title of Grand is not what I need; the proof of my strength lies solely in this one strike."
Tiamat sensed the danger and roared as it continuously unleashed city-level energy beams from its cross-shaped star-like pupils.
The Light Cannon destroyed the old man's foothold, but a dark figure leaped out from the smoke and dust of the explosion.
"The Evening Bell has already indicated your name; I, by divine decree, will strip you of your wings!!"
Hassan al-Sabah, the founder of the Assassin Order, descended from the sky, brandishing his beloved sword.
At the cost of relinquishing his Grand as an assassin, he unleashed an ultimate flash attack against the Beasts of Calamity.
"!"
Accompanied by the ancient and distant tolling of bells, Tiamat's wing snapped off at the base, gushing out a large amount of bright red blood.
Finally—we've arrived at this step.
Within Shirou's Rainbow Mage's Eyes, lines symbolizing death and end began to emerge from the dragon body of the Goddess of Creation.
"Beast II's Spirit Origin mode has changed, how could this be... Not only did it sever Goddess Tiamat's horns and wings, but it also added the 'concept of death'!"
Good news kept coming from Dr. Roman.
"Although Goddess Tiamat is still enormous, she has already entered the ordinary Servant Spirit Origin mode!"
We were defeated! Now we can finally completely wipe out Beast II!
"...?"
At a time when she should be happy, Mash suddenly felt a chill for no apparent reason.
She frowned and turned around, only to find that Shirou Amamiya was holding a sword.
What is that...?
The girl held her breath.
The weapons that Mr. Shirou has Projection from various eras so far are not all the same.
The jet-black sword seemed to absorb all the light.
From its near-futuristic sci-fi design, one can't sense much mystery or heritage.
Even so, the girl still felt that the sword exuded an indescribable aura of danger.
Later, Mash heard the name and story of the black sword from Shirou.
This is the ultimate weapon created (forged) by Shirou, a cancer cell that exists to defeat a colossal being beyond the reach of human intelligence.
Its name is "Demon Sword - Heavenly Longevity".
Volume 7: Chapter 344 They eloped with Tiamat
"Tiamat's spirit core successfully locked... It's a bit cliché, but it's in the head!"
Da Vinci explained the latest situation to the people of the Underworld.
"Beastii's Spirit Origin isn't in its heart, but in its head... Wait, Goddess Tiamat looks a bit strange?"
Oh no! She's abandoned the fight and is preparing to escape! She's moving towards the Underworld Wall, intending to escape to the surface along the cliff! With that enormous size, it won't take her more than a few minutes... Everyone! We must stop Beastii from returning to the surface at all costs!"
Tiamat truly lives up to her title as the Mother of Origin; even Beasts of Calamity acting solely on instinct can clearly perceive the current situation.
She abandoned her final battle with the others in the Underworld and instead climbed the cliffs of the Underworld to escape back to the surface.
Once she returns to Earth, she will not only regain her immortality, but she will also no longer be subject to the Authority of the Underworld.
After the wings of Goddess Tiamat were broken, Ereshkigal regained control of the Underworld.
"Ereshkigal, mistress of the Underworld, petitions! Heroes of the earth, punish that demonic dragon!"
Through the hands of you humans, extending into the distant future, drive a wedge into the heavens and earth!
She bestowed upon Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash the protection of the Underworld, granting them the ability to fly in the Underworld and near-limitless magical power.
As Goddess Tiamat climbed upwards, she produced large quantities of Lahmu from the broken horn wings behind her.
Mash's shield drew a silver-white arc in the air, slamming Lahmu away as he lunged forward.
The monster let out a piercing scream, its body twisting and disintegrating in mid-air before finally turning into black mud and dissipating.
Now, the newly born Lahmu is no longer a threat to Ritsuka and Mash.
Ritsuka and Mash, in their unstoppable momentum, flew towards the head of Goddess Tiamat.
Merlin, who was working to eliminate the Chaos Tide, looked slightly surprised when he saw this.
Although the newly created Lahmu lacks combat skills, it is still a god-level Spirit Origin.
They actually managed to kill that person in one hit...
He turned to look at the goddess of the Underworld in the distance and saw that Ereshkigal was biting her lip and sweating profusely.
"Shirou...?"