"In that case, all we can do is wait for Tiamat to arrive." Gilgamesh murmured with a nod, then turned his gaze to Amber.
"How much longer can that fellow hold out?"
"Theoretically, she could keep fighting indefinitely." Amber blurted out an outrageous statement that made everyone twitch, but quickly added, "But, I estimate she'll probably get bored and come back within two days."
It wasn't that the Herrscher of Sentience lacked regard for the bigger picture—rather, Amber didn't want Little Senti to keep doing something she disliked.
If two days weren't enough, she'd go take over the shift herself.
"Then let's use this time to evacuate all surviving Uruk citizens to the Northern Wall. Ishtar will go along too, and check on Ana and Gorgon's Saint Graph fusion progress while she's at it."
Gilgamesh issued commands with unshakable composure, then shifted his gaze to Ereshkigal. "As for the Gate to the Underworld, we'll open it right here in Uruk."
"How can you be sure Tiamat will come to Uruk instead of bypassing it to chase the survivors heading north?" Ishtar raised an eyebrow.
"Because this city and Gilgamesh himself represent the symbol of Sumerian civilization."
Surprisingly, it was Quetzalcoatl, the outsider, who explained this. "From Tiamat's perspective, humanity and the land share one life. She's likely using her own lifeform instincts to lock onto Uruk—the heart of this very land."
Coming from Quetzalcoatl, whose divinity was no less than Tiamat's and who occasionally played the role of humanity's ruler, everyone naturally found this convincing.
"Exactly so. If we wish to preserve human history, we must eliminate Tiamat before I and Uruk are destroyed." Gilgamesh stated.
Ereshkigal nodded as well. At this point, Tiamat was a threat looming over everyone. "I believe fully opening the gate in Uruk will take about three days. After that, once Tiamat arrives, you can send her down to the underworld at any time."
"Judging by her size and speed, if she maintains the pace she showed on the ocean, she should reach Uruk in approximately four days." Leonidas provided his analysis.
"However, accounting for the need for the black mud to spread over land, it might take slightly longer."
"Mm." Gilgamesh trusted the judgment of this Servant who was both king and general. "Then have your other half stall Tiamat for one day. When she finally arrives, it will be time for the decisive battle."
With their plans settled, the group dispersed.
Aside from Ishtar, no one had particularly urgent tasks. They returned to their former residences, quietly awaiting Tiamat's arrival.
Since the timeframe had been agreed upon, Amber equipped the Herrscher of Sentience's Core after roughly that time had passed, executing a long-distance instant transmission that left the previously bored Herrscher of Sentience utterly stunned.
'Only remembering me now!?'
She expressed her displeasure the moment she returned.
"Not really... We mainly needed someone to hold the front lines. Besides, you'd probably just be even more bored back here." Amber pointed out.
Over there, even if the fighting got dull, she could at least kill some Lahmus or take swings at Tiamat for fun. But back here, aside from waiting around, there was genuinely nothing to do.
The Herrscher of Sentience understood this logic, so she didn't press the issue, instead adopting a more serious expression.
"Let me warn you all first, that thing called Tiamat is seriously powerful. At first, my Sword God could stun her for about an hour, but with each use, she's building up resistance faster and faster."
Fu Hua wasn't surprised. "She is the creator goddess of Sumerian myth after all. We have no room to underestimate her. Consciousness may be abstract, but this is a mythical world where even souls exist. Having a technique countered after repeated use is perfectly normal."
True, while the concept of consciousness might be unfamiliar here, it was still understandable. But something as mystical as the soul was beyond their comprehension altogether.
Underestimating their opponent would be sheer arrogance.
'Always spouting these grand principles—it's not like I don't get it!' The Herrscher of Sentience curled her lip, inwardly acknowledging Fu Hua's point.
This world was truly strange. Even when opponents were weaker, they always found ways to neutralize their strength or drastically reduce the effectiveness of their attacks.
Amber frowned, her feelings complicated.
She actually rather liked Tiamat... If possible, she truly wished they didn't have to be enemies. Unfortunately... Tiamat couldn't become an ally like Ishtar or Quetzalcoatl.
As everyone wrestled with their mixed emotions, the night passed.
Early the next morning, just after dawn, Siduri arrived to inform them all of Merlin's return and the King's summons.
"Merlin! You're actually alright!?"
The moment they entered the ziggurat, they spotted the white-robed mage. Merlin wore his usual cheerful smile, showing no trace of pre-battle tension.
"Hahaha, I had a few scrapes, but no matter what, I'm still the court mage. These things are just minor obstacles." Merlin chuckled warmly.
"You didn't summon all of us just to announce your return, did you?"
Quetzalcoatl interrupted with her own cheerful laugh. "Did you make some new breakthrough regarding the battle against Tiamat?"
"Ah, actually, yes." Merlin nodded. "Does everyone remember Chaldea's original purpose?"
"Huh?"
The question puzzled everyone. Mash hesitated before speaking. "Isn't it to correct the Singularities and save the future from being incinerated?"
"Thanks for the recap, but at this point, hasn't everyone forgotten the most crucial step in correcting a Singularity?" Merlin prompted further.
"The Holy Grail." Ritsuka immediately realized.
"Correct."
Merlin nodded. "The Holy Grail is a massive mana crystal—it provides the enormous energy required to traverse and distort time, twisting the proper flow of history. Its vast power helps the holder resist the 'Correction of the Human Order' from the time axis, forcibly maintaining the altered state."
"Conversely, if we remove the Holy Grail, this Singularity will collapse without its core."
Ritsuka and Mash remembered now—the Doctor had once said the Holy Grail was key to a Singularity's formation. Even if history was corrected, without retrieving the Grail, the correction would be meaningless.
But...
"It's just providing an additional option."
Seeing Ritsuka's lack of enthusiasm, Merlin didn't press, but his gaze shifted to Amber. "I observed it from outside with my Clairvoyance. The Holy Grail is lodged in Tiamat's throat. If someone could retrieve it while resisting the Chaos Tide, it would significantly reduce Tiamat's threat."
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.