The moment she appeared, even the Omnipotent Zeus was shaken to his core.
"You… you were able to descend again!?"
Before him stood a tall, statuesque woman.
Long blue hair cascaded freely down her back, while a pair of massive dragon horns curved outward from her head.
Behind her, a great draconic tail swayed lightly.
It was none other than—
The Principle of [Return]—
The Beast II—
Humanity's Evil—
The Mother of Creation—
Tiamat!
She had already been defeated once.
Nameless had turned the tide, dismantling the Three Goddess Alliance, and alongside Gilgamesh and the King Hassan, formed a dreamlike party that banished her into the Imaginary Number Space.
And yet—
She was here again!
Behind her, a gaping passage to the void of Imaginary Number Space slowly sealed shut.
This was Humanity's Evil—a being rejected even more violently than the gods themselves.
Even the Olympians could not descend freely, yet here she was, piercing through the world's barrier.
Ordinarily, such a thing would never be permitted by Alaya.
And still, this was the second time she had manifested!
The last time she appeared, she had crushed the false gods like flies, obliterating their projections with a single blow each, forcing them to flee in humiliation.
Now Zeus could only arrive at one terrifying conclusion.
Sherlock Holmes once said:
Eliminate the impossible, and whatever remains—however improbable—must be the truth.
And so—
"Was she… released by Alaya itself?"
Yes.
Only that reason could explain her second descent.
In that instant, Zeus understood.
It was all clear—all the rumors were true.
Nameless,… was in fact favored by the greatest Emiya fanboy—Alaya itself!
The collective will of humanity had allowed Humanity's Evil to return, all for his sake.
It wasn't Zeus's failure.
It wasn't the gods' failure.
It was the world that was against him!
====
Rin Tohsaka stared, bewildered.
"Tiamat… she descended again!?"
No one could mistake it.
The gentle woman who had stepped forth, whose presence even made Zeus wary, was undeniably Tiamat.
That overwhelming maternal radiance—a love so pure it made you want to throw yourself into her arms and cry "Mother"—could not be forged or faked.
It was the aura of the one who had birthed countless lifeforms, a force rooted in the origin of creation itself.
Inside Rin's inner mindscape, the two goddesses were both left reeling.
Ishtar muttered, dumbfounded:
"We're supposed to be Tiamat's children… so why does she favor Nameless more than us?"
As the Mistress of Heaven, no one had more right to call Tiamat "mother."
All the gods were, after all, her offspring.
Ereshkigal frowned.
"Maybe it's because we attacked her before? But… Nameless fought her too, didn't he?"
Rin cut in sharply.
"No—you're forgetting. Nameless never once laid a hand on her."
Both goddesses froze.
"Wait… you're right!" Ishtar gasped.
They recalled the battle.
Nameless never struck at Tiamat.
Instead, he rallied allies.
He persuaded the Three Goddesses, freed Ana from Gorgon's corruption, fought alongside Quetzalcoatl, and used Enkidu's chains to bind Tiamat's advance.
Ishtar herself had blasted Tiamat into Eresh's prepared trap. King Hassan had granted her the concept of "death." And Gilgamesh's Ea had delivered the finishing blow, banishing her to the underworld.
Nameless?
He had entered the NegaGenesis directly, spoken to her face-to-face, and never once raised his blade.
While everyone else feared her, he had pitied her, and addressed her as what she truly was—a Mother.
He had told her to let go, to release her children, to allow humanity to grow on its own.
Those words had struck deep, moving even the lonely Tiamat, prompting her to lend her power to heal the Singularity and even restore Ereshkigal's life.
Ishtar ground her teeth.
"So it was your plan all along, wasn't it, Nameless? Even we were just pawns on your board!"
While the goddesses wrestled with their shaken pride,
Sakura, watching from the real world, finally exhaled in relief.
"So this was his true trump card…"
With Tiamat's protection, her Senpai no longer stood alone against the Omnipotent Zeus.
Of all possible rivals, this was the one she least needed to fear—after all, he called her "Mama."
Surely he wouldn't… feel that way about her?
Yet as Sakura looked upon Tiamat, a strange sense of kinship welled up inside her.
It was almost as if—they were the same kind.
But how could she, an ordinary girl,be anything like the Beast of Humanity?
Even so, the thought made her secretly happy. All her life she had been the shadow of her sister Rin.
If she was truly of Tiamat's kind… would that not mean she had finally surpassed her?
All eyes turned toward Tiamat.
Humanity's Evil had descended once more, cradling Nameless gently in her arms.
Her soft, melodious voice rang out:
"Aaaaa~"
Without Alaya's "translation filter," no human could comprehend the words.
It was a language from the dawn of creation, a tongue so steeped in mystery that the very syllables carried divine weight.
But the Omnipotent Zeus—a being of equal standing—understood perfectly.
Her words meant:
"Hurt him… and you will die."
So simple.
So casual.
As if asking whether he'd eaten yet.
And yet that calm tone carried infinite menace, for it was a threat from the Mother of Creation herself.
Zeus trembled with rage.
Once, she had slapped aside his divine projections in silence, a humiliation he could never forget.
Now, even after he had devoured the Council of Gods and ascended as the Omnipotent Zeus, she still treated him with the same scorn.
Intolerable!
Zeus let out a cold snort.
"So this is the so-called protector of human history? Nothing more than a suckling babe hiding in his mother's arms?"
The words dripped with venom—a humiliation so sharp it could cut steel.
It was deliberate, meant to provoke, to force his enemy into abandoning such a fearsome trump card.
Curiously—
The remark did strike a nerve, but not in anger. Instead, it left Sanjiro looking… slightly embarrassed.
???
If I'm putting down question marks, then clearly something's not right!
Sanjito's expression flickered, but he quickly regained composure.
As expected of the Omnipotent Zeus, he seemed to possess a form of clairvoyance.
If the scene of Tiamat tending to his wounds ever leaked out, the world would surely collapse into utter shock.
Everyone cried out for "Tiamama," yet only he was truly treated as her cherished child.
Yes—that jealous, helpless look on everyone's face… was deeply satisfying!
Sanjiro gently slipped free of her embrace, speaking softly:
"Tiamat… once more, grant me your strength. Let me be the one to strike him down."
For in the end, Tiamat was Humanity's Evil—an enemy of mankind.
If she unleashed her full might, the lives of countless innocents would be forfeit.
But he—as Alaya's greatest guardian—could wield her power without harm.
That was precisely why Alaya had permitted Tiamat's descent: to serve as his ultimate support.
A healer beyond compare.
Instant restoration.
Infinite mana.
Supreme buffs and amplifications.
The perfect support—the greatest "Mommy healer."
With her aid, even the Omnipotent Zeus could be brought low!
Her cross-shaped pupils softened with infinite tenderness as she gazed upon him:
"Aaaaa (Of course. Do not push yourself—so long as I am here~)."
"Thank you, Tiamat."
Sanjiro's gratitude was genuine.
It was clear—if he were ever to truly face death, she would cast aside all restraint to protect him.
And should Humanity's Evil fight at full strength… the resulting calamity would surpass even the Almighty.
Consider—
If Ymir, the primeval giant whose corpse became the world, were to awaken and reclaim his flesh, the mountains would collapse, the seas would boil, and the sky itself would bleed.
Thus, for mankind, for himself, he must defeat Zeus with his own hands!
Hum—
At Tiamat's assent, a torrent of primal power surged into him.
It was the Mother of Creation's original force itself, granting him the right to stand against the Omnipotent Zeus.
Do not forget: even orbital bombardments from the Orbital Great Wall had not so much as scratched Zeus.
But now—
Sanjiro rediscovered a fragment of his former peak.
The sensation was… bliss.
He exhaled softly, eyes upon the so-called God:
"Look at you… you really do resemble a mutt."
Though he had devoured the Council of Gods, seized primal authority, and claimed power on par with Humanity's Evil—in the end, he was nothing more than a will of the Machine God Zeus, twisted further by that nameless Father of Origin.
This "God," crowned in thunder, was simply—
A mutt.
Zeus's eyes burned.
"Hmph! Do you truly believe that receiving a fragment of primal power grants you the strength to oppose me?"
He had already discerned it—this terrifying Beast could not act freely, lest humanity itself be imperiled.
He, on the other hand, cared nothing for the dead.
That was his greatest advantage.
Zeus's laughter shook the sky:
"When I have slain you all, mankind will kneel as my flock—the most devout of dogs!"
Rumble—
The sky cracked open.
Thunder poured forth in endless torrents, serpents of lightning vast enough to coil around the world.
The sea became an ocean of violet storm.
No Heroic Spirit could endure such force—they would be erased in an instant.
This was primordial authority itself—a power above gods and heroes.
No mortal, however desperate, could hope to resist.
Thunder roared behind Zeus, his voice thundering like judgment:
"Sky, rend! Stars, shatter! All above belongs to me! All who rule the stars are mine!"
[World Discipline Keraunos: I, the Star-Cleaving Thunderbolt!]
The sea of thunder condensed into a single pillar, a blinding violet spear that annihilated sight itself.
He loosed it—a strike to obliterate Sanjiro utterly!
Hum—
But at Sanjiro's feet, an array of runes erupted into being, interlocking into a radiant tapestry.
It was his Reality Marble—
[Unlimited Blade Works]!
Yet even that ironclad domain faltered.
The divine vessel of the Omnipotent Zeus was too vast, his Saint Graph too great—to contain him would shatter the bounded world outright.
No matter.
If he could not draw Zeus into the Marble… then he would make Zeus himself the Marble!
To cloak him in blades, to turn his own being into the battlefield.
And with Tiamat's healing at his back, Sanjiro feared no wound.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The hammering of a great forge echoed from within him, as if countless smiths worked at once.
The infinite swords of the inner world all funneled their power into one—
The Sword of Rupture.
Vrrmmm!
The blade spun violently, scarlet light bursting forth, rising into a towering crimson pillar.
Sanjiro raised it high.
"As a mere man—I shall slay a god!"
[Enuma Elish—The Star of Creation that Split Heaven and Earth!]
Scarlet and violet pillars clashed in a cataclysmic impact.
BOOOOOM!
The detonation was deafening. Shockwaves tore across the land.
The ocean itself vaporized, leaving the coral seabed exposed.
Only the protection of Jeanne's Noble Phantasm, [Luminosité Eternelle], saved Fuyuki from annihilation.
But her aegis could not extend beyond the city.
Just as the blast threatened the greater land—
Hum—
Shikotei stepped forward, the golden radiance of the Dragon of Human Order unfurling at his back, spreading across the world like a gilded canopy.
His ultimate Noble Phantasm—
[The Domination Beginning: The First Emperor!]
The embodiment of law and dominion, woven from the devotion of all his subjects.
A curse-like authority, binding the very world with absolute rule.
Its scope stretched across every soul he deemed his subject.
Granting him unmatched defense, and bolstering his might beyond compare.
Not merely protection—but inversion.
A weaponized civilization itself.
Only Sanjiro's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception had ever scarred him.
Now, under the twin guardianship of Jeanne and Shikotei, even a god-slaying collision harmed not a single innocent soul.
"Useless! Useless! Useless!"
Zeus bellowed with laughter.
"Defend once, defend twice—what of it? I am the Almighty! I wield all authorities! I will strike again, and again, without end!"
By devouring the Council of Gods, he had been reborn, with inexhaustible divine might.
Endless supreme attacks at his fingertips.
What chance had mortals?
What chance at all?
But Sanjiro smiled.
"To defeat a Beast, only a Grand Servant may act."
Zeus sneered.
"And what Grand could stand against me?"
He was not Tiamat, yielding herself to be slain.
He was the Almighty, the Omnipotent Zeus.
But Sanjiro's voice rang clear:
"Indeed, you are Zeus, the highest god of Greece. Yet across the same Mediterranean flourished another civilization—Rome. And its founder-king shall answer you!"
"Rome…?"
For the first time, Zeus faltered.
Greece and Rome—eternal rivals, locked in strife across the sea for centuries.
And in the end, Rome had triumphed, conquering and subsuming Greece for centuries more.
Hum—
A massive summoning circle flared beneath Sanjiro's feet.
He began to chant.
"Hear my declaration—"
"Thy flesh is bound beneath mine hand; my destiny entrusted to thine spear."
"By the covenant that safeguards the order of mankind—O will that heeds my call, respond!"
"Here I swear:"
"I am the one who embodies all deeds of good. I am the Master who upholds the guardianship of Human Order!"
"By the Three Great Words, let thy being be engraved!"
"Now—break the wheel of restraint. Come forth, O Heroic Spirit, and take arms in the defense of Human Order!"
A splendor so ornate it seemed almost hymnal burst from the summoning circle and climbed the sky.
It blossomed into a radiant tree of light.
From that mystery and magnitude a single Servant was drawn forth.
Blue hair, a suit of gilded armor blazing like sunlight — every edge of him bristled with the intent to rend.
"I am he who laid the cornerstone of Rome. I am he who ascended with thunder, and was exalted as god. Now, Romulus is Rome, and Rome is the world."
The Servant who answered the call looked upon Sanjiro and smiled.
"Know this—I am founder and supreme deity alike. Crown upon my brow, spear in my hand, I descend as Grand Lancer, by the mandate of Human Order. O Master who dares oppose the divine, who forges a path toward boundless light—I have kept you waiting. Romulus-Quirinus, Grand Lancer… answers your summons."
An aura of terrifying transcendence poured from him.
At his arrival, Zeus — who had appeared unconcerned a moment prior — suddenly stiffened and eyed him with disbelief.
"How can a mere human arrive bearing the rank of a Supreme God and a Grand-class Servant?" he scoffed.
Romulus-Quirinus — the mythic founder of ancient Rome, son of the war-god Mars and the Vestal Silvia, the man who forged Rome into an empire that swallowed the Mediterranean — regarded Zeus without flinching.
"Look at you," Romulus said coldly. "Beast. You too are Rome."
Zeus could not parse the insult at first:
"Rome…?" he barked, bewildered.
====
Nero's attendants were beside themselves.
The very progenitor of their nation had manifested — and as a Grand Lancer no less — a being worshipped as a supreme deity descended into the world.
"For the faithful, this is nothing less than a visitation of God," one maid gasped.
Nero grinned brilliantly, thinking only of celebration: "Umu! We must throw the grandest festival of song — I shall sing unto them as Muse incarnate!"
But before joy could fully bloom, her court froze.
Faces went pale, utensils clattered. They cried out:
"Your Majesty — don't begin! For the love of gods, spare us!"
For when the Patron sang, the hall was filled with rose petals and dreamlike reverie — and then her voice twisted into a maddening, otherworldly sound.
Melodies that were music to the soul for worshippers, but torture to every mortal ear when prolonged inside sealed walls.
Nero had sealed the Golden Theater's doors; the court could not flee.
Nero laughed as panic spread. "Be not shy — you have always craved my voice. Listen to celebrate the Dawn of our Ancestor!"
"Mercy! Have mercy!" the court fell to their knees.
====
Meanwhile Sanjiro bowed with propriety.
"My thanks for answering the call, O Ancestor of Rome."
This summoning had not been blind luck; it was Alaya's will — a hand-picked intervention. No mere gacha pull.
"You needn't be formal," Romulus replied, glancing toward the Omnipotent Zeus. "Join us as Rome."
The ancient god fixed Zeus with an unblinking look.
"Master of Humanity, let me teach you this final, defining strike to carve humankind a way forward."
Sanjiro bowed, sincere.
"My thanks, Founder."
Romulus's presence manifested with purpose: he had come not for conquest but to safeguard mankind. The stronger the defender of Human Order, the safer the people.
Yet the lesson was harsh. To wield Romulus's final technique, one must command a Grand-class Lancer's spirit origin.
Zeus roared in rage.
"Insects! You would defy my glory? Then burn, and know the cleansing flame!"
Thunder spiked, electrical storms surged.
The God-Founding spear gleamed in Romulus's hand, pointing straight at the raging sky.
"My spear is Rome — at this very moment!" he declared.
"Burn, my Grand-class spirit origin, and open the road for mankind toward the future!"
With that cry, his lance burst into life and became a living tree.
The shaft swelled, fractal branches unfurled like a world-tree of pure golden radiance, and from its boughs poured a corona of burning light that swept outward like an apocalyptic halo.
"You who would enslave mankind with your false Elysium — I shall tear your sky to shreds!"
Romulus unleashed the full force of his sacrifice: an attack born from giving up his Grand-class origin in order to release a cataclysmic strike.
[Per Aspera Ad Astra: Our Arms Cut a Path Across the Universe!]
The sacrifice of a Grand-class Noble Phantasm poured such fearsome energy into the assault that the thunderstorms themselves — the celestial lightning Zeus had summoned — were swallowed and folded into that golden ring of light.
The combined might rendered the sky asunder.
Zeus, once arrogant and insouciant, was flung back. A terrible force rippled through him.
Crack—!
The defenses he had welded from the twelve divine authorities shattered like glass.
And all at once, the amalgamated power that had allowed him to tower over gods trembled and unstitched.
"You—how can you harm me?!" Zeus roared, half disbelief, half a terrified bellow.
That single thrust had shaken his primal authority — the first true wound to the supreme collated power he had stolen.
The Omnipotent Zeus staggered; his composure, his pretense of invulnerability, cracked.
Every watcher held breath. No one expected this: a newly-arrived Grand Servant, like the King Hassan who once sacrificed his Grand Class, would throw away his Grand-class anchor without hesitation and strike a god to his core.
Zeus's howl of rage rent the sky.
"As Rome grows, so shall her flowers bloom across the world! Rome is the world; the world is Rome!" Romulus declared, his body diffusing into light.
"Master of Humanity, do not cease — become Rome, and finish him."
With those words, Romulus' presence faded — his lesson given.
The spear that was Rome had opened a path; it was now the Master's turn to walk it.