『 "Beast VI—the Beast of Sodom is coming!" Tiamat blocked Fujimaru Ritsuka, her expression extremely grave!
BANG—
With a deafening boom, a massive, blood-red tentacle shot up from deep within the deck!
Fujimaru Ritsuka's eyes filled with doubt and alarm. Is this… a Demon God Pillar?!
But hadn't the Demon God Pillars long been defeated? If a Demon God Pillar had reached Chaldea, did that mean Goetia had arrived too?
Wait, wasn't Goetia already on their side?!
No… that's wrong! Although this Demon God Pillar looked identical to the previous ones, its Saint Graph pattern was completely off!
It was something else mimicking a Demon God Pillar!
Blood color spread everywhere, and terrifying magical energy instantly turned into a bloody afterimage. That slash seemed intent on cutting Fujimaru Ritsuka straight in half!
"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!!" Tiamat roared in anger. A slash swept past the pseudo-Demon God Pillar, cleaving the blood column straight in two. Turning back, Tiamat spoke gravely to Fujimaru Ritsuka.
"Listen closely. I am a clone of the Beast that once lost to you. Having defeated me, I will not allow you to lose to another Beast!"
"The Second Beast is by no means inferior to the others. Mother will never allow such slander! The 'you' over there defeated a Beast, so if you lose here, it will all be for nothing! It makes me mad!"
Saying so, Tiamat clenched her fists, puffed out her cheeks, and a look of indignation appeared on her gorgeous face.
Kadoc, standing to the side, was completely stunned. He pointed at Tiamat, then at Fujimaru Ritsuka, his eyes filled with utter bewilderment.
You… she… me?
After Kadoc's brain stalled for three seconds, he finally reacted. "I don't know what she's talking about, but… is she an ally?"
"No, never mind that for now! This is a great chance! Fujimaru Ritsuka!"
Kadoc's meaning was clear: get Tiamat to help them!
Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded. "Please, Tiamat!" 』
『 .....』
〜Myriad Worlds livestream Chat〜
[ Chaotic Evil Gudako (Type-Moon): "Mother! For my sake, use your Noble Phantasm against Human Order!" ]
[ Fujimaru Ritsuka (Type-Moon): "It really is Tiamat?! Mother! For my sake, please use your Noble Phantasm against Human Order!" ]
[ Shirai Kuroko (A Certain Magical Index): "Alright, alright, since Tiamat really came to Chaldea, Human Order, just open the door already." ]
[ Ishtar (Type-Moon): "Mother actually came to Chaldea in a form like that? Talk about favoritism!" ]
[ Gilgamesh⦍Chūnibyo⦎ (Type-Moon): "Fuhahaha! Fascinating! Utterly fascinating! This king is looking forward to this more and more!" ]
[ .....]
『 With Tiamat's help, the group successfully defeated the Demon God Pillar. However, under everyone's shocked gazes, the dying Demon God Pillar began to struggle violently!
"I… don't want to die yet! It can't end here! It absolutely cannot end like this!"
"I refuse to end in such a hollow, DEEP UNDERGROUND PLACE WITHOUT ANYONE TO SEE ME OFF!!!"
The entire vessel began to shake violently. A blood-red bounded field shrouded everyone, and at this moment, the true face of that Demon God Pillar was finally revealed!
The Demon God Pillar was merely a fragment of her. Her true form was a massive, blood-red beast in the shape of a dragon's head with countless tentacles growing out of it!
The Demon Beast Draco—the kin of the Beast of Sodom!
Just as Goetia had his Demon God Pillars and Tiamat had her eleven offspring, the Beast of Sodom likewise possessed her own subordinates!
As if crossing space and time, the giant beast released terrifying light bullets of magical energy from another dimension!
"To cross the Proof World and come all the way to Chaldea here… you really refuse to give up until you're dead!" Tiamat blocked the attack and shouted angrily.
Crossing the Proof World… to come to Chaldea on this side? Fujimaru Ritsuka furrowed her brows. Gazing at the giant beast hidden deep within the blood mist, she seemed to realize something.
"Fujimaru Ritsuka! As long as… as long as I can detain you…!" The Demon Beast Draco howled and roared.
"Senpai!" At that moment, Mash had finished equipping her gear. The girl flashed forward, wielding her black shield to violently repel the incoming Demon Beast Draco!
And Mash also noticed the person beside them…
"I am Mother. Long time no see, Mash. Mother has come to save Chaldea from the flames," Tiamat teased. "Former arch-enemies becoming allies—what a thrilling plot twist. Could this be a so-called rating-salvage measure?~"
IS IT REALLY TIAMAT?!!
Mash looked completely bewildered. But then again, for her and Senpai, this kind of thing was… already a common occurrence?
Meanwhile, Kadoc fell into deep thought.
Jokes aside, did this mean Tiamat was lending them a hand during Chaldea's crisis…?
But according to the records of the Seventh Singularity he had referenced, they should have been in a position where being hated by Tiamat was inevitable, right?
Simply put, Kadoc couldn't fathom why a Beast would help Chaldea at all!
But just as everyone was maintaining a cautious guard, the ground shook violently once more. Another dragon-headed Demon Beast, Draco, suddenly burst out from underground and snatched Fujimaru Ritsuka away!
"Senpai!"
"Ritsuka!"
Shouts from Mash and Tiamat echoed in her ears, but the girl could no longer hear them. 』
『 Viewers of Myriad Worlds 』
Everyone raised their eyebrows. Instead of killing her directly, it abducted her?
Why abduct Fujimaru Ritsuka? And where was it taking the girl?
What exactly was the goal of this Beast of Sodom? At this moment, everyone was filled with doubts.
Right now, the biggest mystery was: what was Sodom's true objective?
.....
『 When Fujimaru Ritsuka awoke again, her surroundings were a blood-shrouded ruin. Broken walls and crumbling pillars were everywhere, bearing desolate and ancient traces of history.
A pitch-black, blood-red band of light illuminated this world!
This place is… a Singularity!
Fujimaru Ritsuka looked around vigilantly. Just as the girl prepared to explore, the Command Spells on her hand began to glow hot. Her expression shifted slightly. "A connection has been established… with something."
Fujimaru Ritsuka looked around but saw no one. She then explored toward a theater, as intuition told her something was there.
Just then, rustling sounds came from the darkness, and a Servant stepped out. That was…
"Nero?!" Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at the abnormal-looking Nero, her eyes filled with shock and suspicion.
"Indeed." The petite ruler nodded, but then corrected herself, "Though for the current me, that name is not quite fitting."
"A child Nero…?" Fujimaru Ritsuka also noticed something was off and asked cautiously.
"…To be treated as a young girl is truly being looked down upon, but it cannot be helped. As you can see, this body is a larval form, and a dying one at that. How miserable, how unsightly."
Nero mocked herself, "I am the Sixth Beast. You may call me… Draco."
"I finally meet you. I suppose this counts as our first meeting?" Draco chuckled softly. "The one who dragged you into this Singularity was none other than me, the Beast of Sodom. This is my true form, O Last Master of Humanity." 』
『 .....』
『 Viewers of Myriad Worlds 』
Wait… how are they supposed to play this now?
Nero is a Beast, and Fujimaru Ritsuka is a Master. Looking at it now, Beast Nero clearly has ill intentions toward Fujimaru Ritsuka. Doesn't that mean Fujimaru Ritsuka is completely finished this time?
No matter what Beast Nero wants to do to Fujimaru Ritsuka, it would take her mere seconds!
Isn't this the end of the line for Fujimaru Ritsuka?
.....
『 "What are you trying to do?!" Fujimaru Ritsuka's body tensed up instinctively.
"No need to be so afraid. This body of mine is already dying; don't bully me now." As she spoke, bursts of blood even began to erupt continuously from Beast Nero's body.
Beast Nero's crimson eyes gazed into the distance, and she muttered, "Seven Demon Beasts Draco… that is the last remaining power of the Beast of Sodom. Now, I can only sit here and await death."
Beast Nero suddenly snapped her head around, looking at Fujimaru Ritsuka with a faint smile on the corner of her lips. "Up until a moment ago, that was the case. But it seems my misfortune has not yet come to an end."
Fujimaru Ritsuka also heard bursts of roars and clashing sounds. She looked into the distance in alarm, but saw nothing.
"Take a look. These are all sights familiar to you," Beast Nero smiled. With a wave of her hand, she opened a bounded field.
In the next instant, Fujimaru Ritsuka's pupils shrank violently. What met the girl's eyes was that incomparably familiar battle flag!
Golden fleur-de-lis fluttered under the bloody light!
"Listen well, Heroic Spirits of matchless might who have gathered in this domain!"
"Even if we were once incompatible enemies from eras with no intersection, please entrust your backs to each other now!"
"To prevent the extinction of Human Order, to block the path of the Beast's Contractor!"
"My true name is Jeanne d'Arc! In the name of the Lord, I shall become everyone's shield!" 』
『 .....』
『 Viewers of Myriad Worlds 』
People couldn't hold it in anymore. If they heard correctly, was that a certain country girl speaking just now?!
And if they weren't mistaken, wasn't this the exact same setup from back when they fought Goetia?!
Did they become Goetia now? What kind of 'Director Goetia perspective' is this?! What on earth is going on here?
Wait… everyone suddenly remembered that last time Jeanne appeared, it was because of Fujimaru Ritsuka, right? Since the Fujimaru Ritsuka here had just arrived, she obviously couldn't have summoned an army of Heroic Spirits.
Could it be summoned by Fujimaru Ritsuka from another world?!
.....
『 In an instant, golden light enveloped the area, and the grand finale of a heroic epic resounded between heaven and earth once more!
This scene was just like the Grand Temple of Time!
However, Fujimaru Ritsuka noticed something was wrong. It was indeed Jeanne and everyone else, but… why was all she could see pitch-black shadows?
Beast Nero shook her head, her tone remarkably deep. "You hateful shadows… to relentlessly pursue a mere dying Beast like this."
"Very familiar, isn't it? This is the very miracle that also occurred in your Chaldea," Beast Nero said, looking at the girl whose brow was tightly furrowed into a knot.
She continued, "The Heroic Spirits gathered under the command of a single Master, taking shape from the condensed wish to save the world."
"By devouring the Savior's desires, I became the true body of the Beast of Sodom. Yet, the outcome turned out like this."
"I lost to Chaldea, lost my Beast power, and fled here. Now, I am at the end of my rope."
"You lost to Chaldea?" Fujimaru Ritsuka understood that Beast Nero was referring to the Chaldea from another timeline. But if that was the case, why capture her and bring her here?
"They're breaking through soon." Beast Nero's eyes suddenly darkened.
The Demon Beasts Draco were completely unable to stop this group of Heroic Spirits… A crowd of shadows broke through, surrounding the two of them!
Fujimaru Ritsuka wanted to communicate with these Servants, but was warned by Beast Nero that these were mere shadows, not the Heroic Spirits she was familiar with.
Fujimaru Ritsuka did notice this, but what puzzled her even more was… this group of Heroic Spirits seemed to be trying to surround and kill her as well?!
NO!!! It wasn't just 'seemed to be'!
Fierce winds howled past Fujimaru Ritsuka's ears as a black spear brushed past her, cutting off strands of her hair…
Fujimaru Ritsuka hastily used a Command Spell to block these Heroic Spirits!
"That counts as holding them off for now. Thank you for your hard work." Beast Nero nodded.
"Wh… Why are they attacking me?!" Drenched in sweat, Fujimaru Ritsuka panted heavily, her pupils trembling endlessly.
She couldn't comprehend it. Could it be that these shadows of Heroic Spirits were indiscriminate killing machines?!Regardless of whether it was a Beast or whatever, even if it was a Master, they would attack and kill on sight?!
But the answer was clearly… no!
"How dull-witted." Looking at the bewildered and shaken Fujimaru Ritsuka, Beast Nero sighed. But in a place Fujimaru Ritsuka couldn't see, the smirk on the corner of her lips could no longer be suppressed.
"Here, concentrate your awareness and feel it carefully. Feel what kind of fate is binding you," Beast Nero said calmly.
Command Spells… That's right, the Command Spells!
Reminded by Beast Nero, Fujimaru Ritsuka suddenly remembered!
Her scalp went numb, and her body trembled violently. "This is… a circuit connected to you?!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka practically screamed out in shock!
She was connected via a circuit to a Beast… Wouldn't that mean she was… the Beast's… Master?!
Fujimaru Ritsuka's vision went dark, and she collapsed onto the ground, unable to regain her composure for a long time.
"AHAHAHAHAHA! You finally realized it?! Well then, let's play out a classic scene!" Beast Nero dropped her act completely and burst into wild laughter.
With unhidden malice and sadistic amusement in her eyes, she asked, "To answer you: you, girl, are the Master of the Beast." 』
『 .....』
『 Viewers of Myriad Worlds 』
Everyone was stunned, completely bewildered!
Wait… you can play it like this?!!
The first Master of a Beast in human history has been born?! The key point is that this Master of a Beast is also the savior of Proper Human History and the representative of Human Order?!
We get it, we get it now! Fujimaru Ritsuka, why were you unable to enter Antarctica?
Why were you rejected by Human Order?
Why were there so many EX-class Servants answering your call?
Why were you besieged by Heroic Spirits?
BECAUSE YOU ARE THE VERY FIRST MASTER OF A BEAST IN THE WORLD!!!
The corners of everyone's lips curled up wildly, completely uncontrollable. Brilliant, this is absolutely brilliant!
Human Order must be having a total mental breakdown right about now, Hahahahaha!
They thought this was just a simple raid against a Beast, and having Tiamat join was exciting enough. But now Fujimaru Ritsuka directly became a Master of a Beast?
Pleasure, this is simply far too pleasurable!
.....
『 "Right when you were taken out of Chaldea, I formed a contract with you. Setting aside falling to the end path of an Alter Ego, to actually form a contract with a Beast itself…"
Beast Nero mocked, "You really are quite something, aren't you? As expected of the Last Master of Humanity, AHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Umu~ Now that I have your magical energy, I won't dissipate anymore. But first, give me some magical energy so I can crush these Servants," Beast Nero said, lowering her gaze.
"…Do you think I'll help you?!" Fujimaru Ritsuka said angrily, raising her Command Spells.
However, Beast Nero didn't care at all. "Eh? Even if you kill me, it's useless. You are the Master of a Beast, recognized by the Heroic Spirits as part of the Evil of Humanity."
In other words, from the moment that connection was established, they were grasshoppers tied to the same string~ 』
『 .....』
( Translator-kun: My #1 favorite collab event, with FSF in 2nd place. )