His heart was thundering in his chest.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
The deafening cry rattled his bones and pierced his ears, even with hands clamped firmly in place.
"HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! Look at them scatter! Helpless! Helpless and weak! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The Lahmu above the group were cackling away, weaving deftly to and fro to dodge the endless barrage of weaponry from the wall of shining portals at the edge of the deep hole to the underworld.
Even then they still managed to sneak in some stray shots. It was only thanks to Merlin's magic that he wasn't blown away on the spot.
It wasn't too long ago that he'd first encountered these horrors. First seen the Primordial Mother's intended replacements of humanity and their horrifying actions first hand.
The way their garbled, broken screeches had rapidly evolved into coherent speech. Their giggling laughter and almost childlike curiosity as they butchered their way through soldiers and civilians that never really stood a chance. Their twisted bodies and too-wide mouths on an eyeless head….none of it felt right. Even looking at them for too long made the teen uncomfortable.
But the Lahmu before him right now were a whole different breed. A higher form of being, each apparently on par with the Divine Spirit. And given what they'd just done to even Ishtar…
Just looking at them made humanity's last Master almost violently sick, the dagger in his hand trembling as much as the rest of him. They looked so much more human than their predecessors, with their upright, two-legged stances, even folding their frontal pincers together like arms, that it made them all the more horrifying considering just how inhuman they looked.
Well, he couldn't afford to hesitate now. Not at the eleventh hour.
Not after all they'd sacrificed to get this far. Everyone who'd given their lives to get them here.
"Garden of Avalon!"
"Lord Camelot!"
Fujimaru was snapped out of his reverie by the twin yells of his allies, plus the telltale shower of petals and blue light of materialising walls.
"Senpai, it's time!" Mash called, glancing back at him with wide lavender eyes.
"Y-Yeah! Understood!" He called, blood rushing through his arms and legs and heart thundering harder than ever, casting as many Reinforcement spells as he could.
"Have no fear, Fujimaru Ritsuka. Nothing will impede you." Gilgamesh barely even glanced at him as he was speaking, the King of Heroes resolutely focused on trying to skewer the remaining Lahmu and barraging the horrifying form in front of him with as much weaponry as he could call on.
The form of Beast II, Tiamat.
An entity that had, by this point, slaughtered all but a few hundred of Mesopotamia's citizens, razed Uruk to the ground and forced the deaths of several Servants just to try and slow her down long enough to trap her.
And now here she was, the trap being sprung…and it still wasn't enough. They still couldn't beat her, not with that Reality Marble of hers actively rewriting the very laws of the world to favour her.
All they needed was one last push, and it needed to be him who delivered it.
Just run up to this ancient Goddess and stab her in the head? Sure. No pressure.
Only living humans could survive inside Tiamat's Nega-Genesis field and even then…
Well, as long as Merlin's with us, then I don't need to worry about the Chaos Tide.
As if reading his mind, the mage smiled over at him.
"Don't worry, I'm doing my best. Right now, I need you to do your best too, okay?" He winked, before returning to directing his blizzard of flowers.
"Fou! Fou!" Fou hopped up close to him, patting the teen on the leg supportively.
"Fujimaru, this is our only shot! You've got to go, now!" Doctor Roman yelled through the communicator.
"Heeeheeee! Useless! Useless, weak little human!" As if on cue, the remaining Lahmu swept down to land between them and Tiamat, with Gilgamesh refocusing his full might on the fallen Goddess to keep her from trying to climb Kur's walls a second time.
"Kh, don't think of getting in the way again!" Ishtar aimed Maanna at them, an angry scowl firmly on her face. "You might've gotten some lucky hits earlier, but you won't beat a REAL Goddess so easily!"
"Nay."
The deep, commanding order was accompanied by First Hassan, Grand Assassin, stepping forward and raising Azrael at the assembled Lahmu, glancing at Ishtar.
"Distract the fallen Goddess as best as thou are able. The contractor's path to her must be clear. It is my blade that shall fell these abominations."
As soon as he was finished, the First Hassan began marching slowly, unrelentingly, towards the group of Lahmu.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! DIE! DIIIIIIIIEEEE!"
The Lahmu all rushed him as one, their deranged cackling filling the air as their front pincers enlarged and twisted into wicked looking blades.
Only sparing a brief glance back, watching as the Assassin managed to block and parry the strikes of two Lahmu at once before slicing a gaping wound into a third, Fujimaru hurried on, willing his legs to keep moving.
"You better clear the way!" Ishtar yelled, launching into the air and charging blasts from Maanna, taking aim at Tiamat.
"Hey you, over here! I'm not done with you!"
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Between the endless barrage of weaponry and blasts from the Divine Construct boat, Tiamat's attention shifted soon enough, her eyes lighting up a very threatening red.
Ishtar flipped and wove deftly through the ensuing onslaught of bright beams, cursing as a few of them nicked at Maanna, too large for it to fully dodge in time.
"Fujimaru, this is our only shot! You've got to go, NOW!" Doctor Roman yelled through the communicator.
"Good luck, Senpai." Mash gave him one last smile.
"Yeah, here I go then."
All right.
Putting one foot in front of the other, taking one last fortifying breath, Fujimaru began to run, belining as fast as he could for the jagged slopes of rock, the remnants of Ereshkigal's attempt to imprison the Creator Goddess.
The tallest of them were still intact, all he needed to do was climb-
"HEE HEE HEE!"
Faster than his eye could follow, a Lahmu was heading for him, claw-blades drawn and mouth gaping wide.
Had it possessed the features of a human, he could have sworn that it would be grinning madly in anticipation of skewering him.
His heart skipped a few beats, and he almost lost his grip on the dagger.
"Not so fast." In a flash of rose petals, Merlin was there, blocking the blade with his Caliburn replica.
Stumbling in surprise, the teen managed to recover, sprinting past the embattled mage, sucking in air in greedy gulps to try and calm his panic.
Another Lahmu rushed him, its shrieking filling his ears and sending his heart into his mouth…only for a glowing blade cut clean through it mid-charge.
"The evening bell hath tolled for thee, abomination."
Not even stopping to look at the aftermath, even as First Hassan vanished in a puff of blue fire to engage another Lahmu, the teen continued on, now approaching the eerily glowing white barrier that was the border of Tiamat's personal Reality Marble.
Suddenly, everyone's assurances that he'd be fine didn't hold so much weight, now that he remembered how some of the less lucky Lahmu had completely evaporated as the field had expanded to cover them earlier.
Even as his arms and legs began to shake in fright, he kept moving.
After all, there was too much at stake for him to stop here.
With a yell, he practically threw himself at the barrier, squeezing his eyes shut as he braced for the worst.
…only to breathe a shaky, thoroughly relieved sigh as he passed right though and opened his eyes, unharmed.
Okay, no time to waste!
He began to scramble up the nearest rock formation, casting a fresh wave of Reinforcement spells on his arms and legs as the jagged rocks began to dig into his hands.
Come on! Come on!
"Fou, Fou!"
Looking in the direction of the cry, Fujimaru was quite shocked to see Fou travelling alongside him.
"Eh? Fou!?"
"Fou Fou Fou!" Angling his head, Fou nodded in the direction of Tiamat's colossal head.
"You're gonna help me get up there, eh?!" He asked.
"Fou!" Fou nodded.
"Alright, let's do it! Come on!"
Alright Fou, let's see what you've got.
Blowing out a hot breath, renewed determination pushing him forward, Fujimaru began sprinting and scrambling full force up the jagged rock formation, dagger clutched tight and heedless of how his uniform was tugged at and poked.
Only for his heart to stop dead as, upon finally surmounting the rocks, he was met with one of Tiamat's eyes focused directly on him…and already glowing.
Gilgamesh had seen what she was planning and was already launching as many Noble Phantasms as he could directly at the fallen Goddess' eye, trying as hard as he could to stop her.
He wasn't quite fast enough.
Fortunately, however, Fou was faster.
As the bright beam was released from Tiamat's pupil, all Fujimaru heard was a final cry of "Fou!" before a white-blue light swirled around him and filled his vision, forcing his eyes tight shut.
When he opened them again, he suddenly found himself right above Tiamat's head…and falling fast towards her.
He couldn't help but yell out, especially when she started turning her head to him again.
Desperately, he held the dagger out in front of him and kept it as steady as he could, praying that it would land before she brought her mouth up.
As fate and fortune would have it, it did.
As the weapon's tip struck Tiamat's flesh, Fujimaru found himself engulfed in a blinding white light, bringing up his free hand to cover his eyes as panic surged through him.
His heart thundered in his chest as he kept falling. Down…down…even further.
How long will I fall for!? Where IS this place!?
The stop was sudden and brutally shocking, since there was no visible ground, he'd just…stopped suddenly. It actually took the last Master a few moments to notice that he wasn't injured at all, aside from the previous scrapes and bruises he'd accumulated.
Urgh…where am I?
Rubbing his head and pushing himself up, Fujimaru blinked a few times, looking around.
He saw her quickly.
I…Is that-?
Blue hair, those eyes, that strange outfit, the horns…
All identical to the "Femme Fatale" form that had first risen from the sea.
What the-!?
S-so this is…I mean I got here after I stabbed her in the head, so it only makes sense.
"You are…one of my children?" Tiamat called out, blank expression shifting into one of confusion as she took a step forward.
That voice. I've heard it before.
"Please…don't leave me…"
By the forest.
Finally standing up fully, Fujimaru took a shaky breath now that he was facing her.
This was, after all, the goddess that had been trying to kill him and his friends for the past few days, spawning horrors beyond his darkest nightmares to butcher their way through Mesopotamia, while drowning the land in Chaos Tide.
What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed t- !?
Ah.
His gaze returned to the dagger in his hand.
He'd been told to stab her, with Gilgamesh assuring him that it would render her vulnerable, if not kill the fallen goddess outright.
With just one move, he could end it all.
But…
Could he really rely on that?
This was…well, she wasn't killing him and she could actually talk coherently, so was this…another side to her, maybe?
This was taking place in her mind, or at least it seemed to be. Stabbing her in the head to get in here and all…
Would killing this Tiamat really solve anything, though?
She was lashing out right now, angry and acting almost entirely on instinct. But there was still some restraint there, wasn't there?
Her first form had those thin chains around them, now that he remembered. And if even the mighty the Chains of Heaven couldn't hold her, then could those slim little bindings really keep her arms and legs bound?
He didn't think so.
Those bindings…she must have put them there, surely? To hold herself back somehow.
But why would she do that?
Well, she is the mother of humanity, maybe she still…
But we imprisoned her! She should hate us!
Maybe she does, but also still cares? I don't know!
Well, there's one way to find out.
Now that he thought about it, if this was a side to Tiamat that he could communicate with, perhaps he could…talk to her? Like he'd talked with Ishtar, Quetzalcoatl, Ereshkigal and Jaguar Warrior.
He'd been able to convince them to help Chaldea and Uruk out, and appealed to them enough that they'd come around to his side.
Each of them cared, in their own ways, even if they didn't show it the way he'd normally expect.
But then again, nothing was normal about them. They were Divine Spirits, not humans, with alien thought processes that he still struggled at times to fully wrap his head around. The First Hassan's words of wisdom had been especially helpful in that regard.
If it had worked for them…perhaps it could also work here? It was worth a try, surely?
Better than stabbing her without knowing what might happen, without knowing whether or not he'd just make things worse. Killing the Tiamat in front of him might just kill that 'side' of her, it might just kill her mind entirely…which would leave a rampaging body behind that nobody could destroy.
Humanity really couldn't afford that. Not now. Not right here.
Yeah. Okay. Here we go.
Stuffing the danger in his belt, Fujimaru took a step forward.
"Y…Yes. I'm…I'm a child of yours."
"Ah. I thought so. It's been so long since I've seen any of you so close."
A small smile seemed to flit across her face, only to collapse into a small frown.
"Are you here to try and kill me?"
Fujimaru let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.
"I…yes, that's why I came here." He swallowed, feeling that being candid was the best option.
"I see." The goddess lowered her head.
"My children, you've changed so much, but you still reject me, even now. All I want to do is love you. That is all I've ever wanted."
But you're killing us! That's not love! He wanted to yell out, but refrained. He couldn't treat her like that, she wouldn't understand.
"If all you want is to love us, then why…do what you've been doing? How does that help you love us?"
Tiamat raised her head to look at the teen directly, her eyes dim and her frown deepening.
"My children always leave me. No matter what happens, they always go so very far away. I can never follow them, even when all I want is to love them and keep them safe.
"All I want is to keep them safe at my side forever. To keep loving them, as my precious children. Is that…really so wrong?"
I don't think I could.
Fujimaru took a deep breath, considering his reply carefully. He was walking through a metaphorical minefield, after all.
Okay. Okay…
"I don't think so." He said.
"In fact, I think it's very admirable that you still love us, even after…after we cast you out the way we did. I probably wouldn't be able to keep caring if that happened to me. To keep caring and wanting to protect us…that's a testament to how strong you and your love are. That's pretty amazing to me."
"Is it, really…?" Tiamat tilted her head, eyes widening just a little.
"But the way you express it isn't." The teen continued, sighing heavily and hardening his expression.
"This…I can't call this loving us, not the way you're showing it. You're acting less like a parent and more like a jailer, because you don't want us to ever leave you. That's not love, is it?
"I…I know this might sound hard to hear, but we need to make our own way in the world, and that means we can't stay with you all the time, as much as we might want to. We might make mistakes sometimes, we might even get hurt or die because of those mistakes, but we'll get back up and keep moving to fix them.
"If…if you love someone, then surely you'd want them to be happy, even if that means they're not with you. I know it might be hard for you, but…don't you want us to be happy and find our own way? We can't depend on you forever." Fujimaru pleaded.
"But if you find your own way…you'll only leave me again, like all my other children have done. You'll leave me alone and forget me again." Tiamat insisted.
"I know we'll have to leave you, and I'm sorry, I'm really sorry…but I promise we've never forgotten you."
"Eh? You…"
"We still remember you, even now. We've managed to preserve plenty of texts of the creation myths of old, and one of those just happens to be yours. I promise, the humanity of the modern day hasn't forgotten you." Fujimru smiled tiredly.
"Even if most people who hear it think it's just a myth or made up, they still know about what you did for us. As long as we remember you, then…I guess it's like we're still keeping you with us, and I don't think we'd do that if we didn't care about you on some level.
"So, I know I don't really have any right to ask this, but please…you're out there right now, trying to wipe everything out, and we can't stop you unless you let us. Can't move forward unless you're willing."
Fujimaru swallowed hard and took a deep breath.
"I…I can't know how painful it'll be to go back to where you came from, to be alone again, but if you're willing, then I promise that I'll make sure everyone knows what you did. I'll make sure they know you still love us."
It's a small comfort, I know, but it's all I can really offer.
I just hope it's enou-
"Will you, truly?" Tiamat asked, voice both thick with sorrow and tinged with a slight sliver of hope.
"Yeah, I will. It's the least I can do for my…well, I know you're not really my mother, but-"
"It's been so long since I was called 'mother'." A soft smile formed on the goddess' face.
"And to tell others about me…mmm, knowing that my children will understand me a little better, perhaps even care for me, the void will not be so lonely anymore, knowing that. It's as if…they'll be there with me, and I with them."
Tiamat took a soft breath, eyes misting over for a few moments, before refocusing on Fujimaru and hardening her gaze.
"...if I am to do this for you, for all of humanity, then I would like something in return."
What can I possibly give you here?
"Okay. What's that?"
Tiamat fidgeted in place, almost imperceptibly, a red dusting on her cheeks.
"It's been…a very long time since I held one of my children in my arms. A long time indeed. So, in return…would you allow me to hold you? Just for a moment, please let me be a mother one last time." She asked, a note of begging in her tone and she rubbed her hands gently together.
I-I mean, if that's really it, then there's no harm, right?
"Is that really it?" He asked. "That's all?"
"That is all."
"...okay then. Okay."
Stepping forward, heart still thumping, Fujimaru gingerly raised his arms.
"So, erm…"
Tiamat brought up her own arms, hesitated for just a moment, then walked forward to wrap them softly around him, resting her chin lightly on his shoulder.
Fujimaru swallowed, still rather stunned that this was happening, before tightening his grip a little.
After all, it was fairly comfortable. Surprisingly so, in fact.
Almost as if he could just…fall asleep…
"Is this…comfortable for you, my child?" Tiamat murmured softly, hands gently rubbing at his back.
"A-ah, yeah, it's pretty nice." He said, struggling to keep his eyes open.
It was only just now beginning to hit him how draining the events of the Singularity truly were on him, more in mind than in body.
No matter what he and his team had done, no matter how much they'd pushed themselves to aid Uruk and King Gilgamesh, everything just seemed to keep. Getting. Worse.
People just kept dying…on and on until there were only…how many left? Only 500?
They wouldn't even be coming back with the Singularity's correction, either. Not after what King Gilgamesh had told him. Gaia would just find another, more 'historically correct' way to kill them off.
Weren't they supposed to be SAVING these people!?
He was tired…just tired of watching people die by now.
At least it's all going to be over soon.
"It's been a long time for you too, hasn't it?" Tiamat whispered, rubbing at his back gently.
"Hmmmm?" The teen tried replying, but only managed a sluggish hum.
"Since you were held and comforted like this."
Eh!?
"H…How did-?"
"It's been a long time, but I'd like to think that I still know my children well enough."
"...it's…it's been a long while." Fujimaru mumbled. "I've been hugged a lot at Chaldea, but…it's not the same. There's…there's just been too much else to do. Far too much to worry about something like that. But it shouldn't be long now. Just…just this last Singularity, and we'll be almost done at last."
Why am I telling her all this?
"Mmmmm." Tiamat's hold tightened just a little. "I see. So you too have had a long journey to get here."
"'You too'"?
"It was…not easy to manifest here from the imaginary space, it took a great deal of time and power. But I did so anyway, because I…I wanted to love my children again." Tiamat tightened her grip again, a lone tear trailing down her cheek.
"...I'm sorry." Fujimaru said, moving his hand to pat the goddess on the back a few times.
"...I wish this didn't have to end."
"I know. But I need to go, there's still one last problem to deal with."
"Yes. I see."
Another few tears.
"You'll be a good child, won't you?"
"You have my word, I'll tell everyone what you did here."
"Thank you…thank you."
Despite that, when Fujimaru attempted to pull away, Tiamat's grip did not loosen.
"I have to go."
She still held on.
"Please, I have to go."
A soft, near-silent sniffle, and still her grip remained.
"...please let me go…m-mother."
The word felt both eerily foreign and comfortingly familiar all at once.
A few moments passed, with Fujimaru getting rather nervous that she hadn't heard him or didn't care. Eventually, however, Tiamat gradually released her grip and took a step back.
Though the tears were still flowing, she still offered up a small smile as she reached forward to touch the last Master on the cheek.
"Be good now, won't you?"
Fujimaru just nodded, his own chest feeling rather tight.
Closing her eyes, Tiamat gave him a small push.
The 'ground' beneath him gave way, sending Fujimaru tumbling through the white void with a sharp inhale as he squeezed his eyes shut.
A sudden cacophony hit his ears a few seconds later.
What the-!?
Opening his eyes to see what was going on, a surge of alarm shot through him as he realised he was back in Kur…and falling to the ground fast.
Before he could open his mouth to yell out, or cry for help, he was jerked sharply to the right as a pair of cold, metallic arms caught him mid-fall, followed by a burst of blue-black flame that brought his fall to a sudden halt, sending a sharp jolt through the teen.
Looking up, Fujimaru found First Hassan staring down at him.
"Thou art unharmed, contractor?" He asked, gently setting him down on the ground.
"Y-Yeah, thanks for the save." He stammered, shaking and breathing hard, trying to adjust to the sheer whiplash of being so suddenly saved.
Looking around, he saw dismembered and mutilated Lahmu body parts littering the ground around them…as well as the flickering blue flames that surrounded the numerous holes pierced through the Assassin's arms and chest.
Off his wide-eyed look, First Hassan simply replied with "The monstrosities were tough indeed, but God's will is undeniable. The evening bell tolled for them, and the Babylonian King and I sent them to oblivion."
"Aaaaaaaahhhh."
A much softer wail cut through the air and drew the pair's attention back to the fallen goddess. She was no longer trying to scale the walls of Kur, nor was she trying to fight back as Gilgamesh's treasures bombarded her from all sides. Instead, the draconic monstrosity merely lowered her head.
The Reality Marble around her began to shimmer, flicker…then collapsed entirely.
"Eh? What's going on!? Why's she stopped!?" Ishtar cried.
"It seems you've managed to put the grudge to rest, Fujimaru Ritsuka." Gilgamesh muttered, a soft smile appearing on his face for just a moment before he turned to Merlin.
"Mage, Assassin, get Chaldea clear."
"Oi! What about ME!?" Ishtar cried.
"Oh, are you so useless that you've forgotten what you can do already?" The Golden King raised an eyebrow.
Ishtar's left eye twitched repeatedly, but the Archer nonetheless began flying out of Kur as fast as she could.
"Come on now, Miss Kyrielight, we don't want to stay here any longer!" Merlin put his hand on Mash's shoulder and began gathering his petals, forming his teleportation orb.
"Come contractor, thy part is done." First Hassan advised, the old man shrouding Fujimaru in his cloak.
Before his surroundings were yanked away as First Hassan brought him to safety, Fujimaru heard Gilgamesh begin to speak.
"I will tell you of the beginning…"
"Mast-nya!"
Fujimaru was still reeling from the aftermath of Tiamat's banishment, from the fact that it was all finally over in this Singularity, when Jaguar Warrior practically tackled him to the ground, her costume's tail wagging furiously.
"You're alright, that's so great! Jaguar's blessing must have worked, nya-hahahaha!" She cried, rubbing her face against him. Was she purring?
"Ah, Jaguar! Y-You're all right!" Fujimaru spluttered, struggling against the deity's vice-grip.
"Yep! Yep! I told you I'd be purr-fectly alright, you shouldn't have doubted this Jaguar so much, you know!?" She teased.
"I-I didn't doubt you but…could you maybe…ease up a bit?" Her grip wasn't letting up.
I survived a Beast only to get choked by Jaguar? Is that how this ends?
Fortunately, help came swiftly.
"OUCH!" Jaguar Warrior cried out in alarm and pain as a fist came down on her head, followed by a hand wrenching her bodily away from Fujimaru and holding her up.
"Gyah! What was that for, Kukurun!?"
"You're being too rough with him, gata perra." Quetzalcoatl growled at the Lancer, bodily tossing her over her shoulder before swooping down to attend to the teen Master.
"Are you quite alright, Master?"
"Yeah, I'm fi-"
He barely finished before she swept him up in a hug, being gentler than Jaguar's crushing grip.
"Wonderful! Now then, big sister is happy to see that you're back safe!" She cooed, ruffling his hair playfully with one hand.
"Ah, I-I'm happy to see that you're alright too, Quetz." He replied, reaching gingerly around to hug her back. "But, erm…how'd you manage to get here? I mean…"
"Ah, well, I have her to thank for that." Quetzalcoatl's lips formed a thin line for a few moments as she glanced over to Jaguar Warrior.
"Hey, I saved your life, Kukurun! Doesn't that earn some appreciation by nyaow!?" She cried, throwing up her hands and stomping her foot.
A fierce glare from Quetzlcoatl shut her up.
"Anyway, while we're on the subject, what happened to you Master? I heard you vanished for a while during the final fight with mother." She levelled a concerned look at him.
"Eh, where'd you get that from?"
"Me, of course!"
Turning his head at the sound of the new voice, Fujimaru found Ishtar floating on over, accompanied by Merlin, Mash, Fou and Gilgamesh, who'd changed into the same garments his Caster self had worn.
"And you know what, I'm curious too! What happened back there!?" She cried.
Gilgamesh simply raised an eyebrow and smiled knowingly.
"I'm really glad you're okay, Senpai!" Mash wasted no time running up to and hugging him tight, while Fou hopped up his back and nuzzled around his neck.
"Y-Yeah, I'm just fine, Mash." He reassured her, ruffling her hair and patting her on the back. "I'm glad you're alright too."
They stayed that way for a good few moments before pulling apart.
"Uhm, Senpai, about…" Mash mumbled, fidgeting.
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. I was gonna tell you anyway, so here we go." Fujimaru said.
The group gathered around, varying degrees of intrigue showing on their faces.
"So, uh, this might sound very strange to hear…but I sort of…went inside Tiamat's head. And I met her." He explained.
"Eh? Really?!"
"Woah, you met mother in person, Master?"
"Fou, Fou!"
"Y-Yeah, I know how that sounds, but it did happen." Fujimaru sighed, scratching at his arms. "I met…I guess it was a part of her that was still sane? Since we talked without her trying to kill me.
"She told me that she just wanted to love us, that she wanted us to stop leaving her and going away. That was…that was why she did what she did.
"I told her that we needed to live our own lives, even if that meant leaving her, and we couldn't depend on her forever. But even with all that, that we'd still remember her with the legends and myths we've preserved…that in a way, she'd still be with us." Fujimaru explained, smiling sadly.
"I guess it was what she needed to hear…she was willing to let herself get banished after that, that's why she lowered her Reality Marble and let King Gilgamesh finish her body off."
"A-And that worked!?" Ishtar's jaw was on the floor.
"That's amazing, Senpai…" Mash's eyes sparkled with awe.
"But that's just like humans, being remarkable when they need to push their limits." Gilgamesh muttered, almost to himself.
"I knew that following along with you would be interesting, but I never expected anything like this!" Merlin commented, the mage sitting in rapt attention for perhaps the first time since he'd shown up.
"I just wanted to make sure that story was told. That we're here because she loved us enough to die for us." Fujimaru said, brushing back a stray tear from a blurry eye. "But-"
He was cut off as Quetzalcoatl scooped him up into a hug.
"Kyaaaahh, big sister is so proud! I knew that I made a great choice with you as my Master! Ufufufufu!"
"Hey Kukurun, now you're the one being too rough!" Jaguar Warrior cried, trying to pry the Sun Goddess off the hapless teen as she swung him this way and that.
Watching all of this happen from a ways away, Gilgamesh looked off into the distance and smiled softly.
"Behold, the triumph of the human spirit and will, Enki. It seems our defiance of the Gods bore greater fruits that either of us could have hoped for.
"Someday, should fate permit, I hope that you will have the privilege of witnessing it yourself."
Back here again…
It was just as cold and dark as she remembered.
Tiamat could not help the sense of loss and bitterness that welled up in her chest at the familiar environment of Imaginary Number Space.
She was away from her children once again. They were beyond her reach, free to leave her behind and advance without her.
Was this really worth it, just for a promise? Should I really have listened to the words of one child?
But he HAD come all that way, hadn't he?
And he'd chosen to talk to her instead of being violent. Chosen to take that risk, even with so much at stake.
Chosen to believe in her and her love.
…perhaps, just this once, it wouldn't be so bad to believe?
Mmmmmm.
Her hands drifted to her chest and clasped together, her lips quirking upward at the edges.
For once, the void didn't feel quite so cold or lonely anymore.
He was a good child, and good children keep their promises.
Yes. Just for now, she'd believe in him.
And perhaps, one day, she'd get to meet him again.
