Type-Moon, What Do You Mean You summoned Tiamat?!

Antarctica.

As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but endless glaciers and blizzards.

Physically and mystically, this place was an extremely cold and desolate land, completely forgotten by the world.

This was the main reason Marisbury had established Chaldea in Antarctica.

Because even "Alaya" — the collective unconscious of primates — could not completely recognize or set foot into the depths of these icy plains.

Chaldea. Central Control Room.

Drip… drip… drip…

The once-bustling control room was now wrapped in a deathly silence. Only the cold mechanical sounds echoed in the air.

All the staff stared at the figure of the silver-haired man displayed on the main screen with incredibly complex emotions. Grief, shock, anger, and a hair-raising sense of betrayal and disappointment were all mixed together.

At the founding of Chaldea, Marisbury had solemnly declared that his original purpose was the "continuation and protection of Human Order," and that the construction of "Chaldeas" — modeled after Earth's environment — was solely to observe the fluctuations of Human Order over the next 100 years.

But now, this cruel reality was a shock that felt like a slap to the face.

Chaldeas was not a "Human Order protection organization." It was a malignant tumor that hindered the normal development of Human Order.

All their past efforts, the countless hours and labor poured into this facility, and even the sacrifices they had once been proud of — in the end, they were nothing more than cheap tools to be exchanged for a planet in Marisbury's hands.

If there was anyone present who was more grief-stricken than anyone else, it was undoubtedly Romani Archaman — the Chaldea doctor who stood motionless like a statue.

In the past, the first director had spoken at length in this very room about the grand ideal of "saving the world."

Even after Romani had his wish granted, discarded "Solomon's" body, and became an ordinary human, he had continued to uphold that belief and worked tirelessly day and night at Chaldea.

For many years, he had never let his guard down for even a moment. This was because, before discarding "Solomon's" body, his prescient eyes had accidentally glimpsed a fragment of the future — the apocalyptic scene of humanity's complete extinction.

Just recently, when Goetia had finally appeared, Romani had felt an unprecedented shock and regret, even thinking that he had made a terrible mistake.

If it hadn't been for his own willful desire to become human and his wish to discard his body, the Beast "Goetia" that sought to burn away human history would never have been born.

But now, before Goetia's plan could be carried out, Marisbury's "self-destruction" had completely shattered Romani's worldview.

Goetia — who had tried to burn away Human Order — had been born from "Solomon's" body.

Marisbury — who had planned to repaint this planet white and carry out "Planet Replacement" — had only been able to build Chaldea with his cooperation.

If he had not helped Marisbury win the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki as a Servant, if he had not brought back that enormous sum of money for Marisbury's wish... Marisbury would never have been able to complete this terrifying and insane plan.

In Romani's eyes, the root of all evil ultimately pointed back to himself.

It was both tragic and ironic.

A Grand Caster who possessed omniscient and omnipotent power and could see through the past and future had repeatedly become the driving force behind various tragedies.

But unfortunately... he could do nothing now. He could only watch powerlessly as this man trampled upon the ideals they had once discussed and put that insane "Planet Replacement" plan into action.

"Ritsuka... walk over there."

No one knew how much time had passed, but Romani took a deep breath as if he had made up his mind. He raised his face, stared at the man through the screen, and quietly said, "I want to talk to him directly."

Hearing this, Fujimaru Ritsuka — who had been maintaining spiritual communication with Chaldeas — immediately took a deep breath. Without flinching from the terrifying magical pressure, she walked toward the silver-haired man.

"Senpai... please be careful."

Mash gripped her large shield tightly and followed closely behind, staring warily at Marisbury with her purple eyes.

Marisbury had clearly noticed their approach. He paused for a moment, then — as if sensing something through the spiritual communication — a refined yet somewhat indifferent smile appeared on his lips.

"Romani sent you here? He should understand the situation, right?"

The moment he finished speaking, Romani's figure appeared within the spiritual communication.

His gaze — filled with complex emotions — was directed at the silver-haired man before him as he said in a hoarse voice, "Marisbury..."

"It's been a while. Um... Ah, no — I should call you Doctor Romani now, shouldn't I?"

Marisbury smiled and spoke naturally, as if reuniting with an old friend. "After so many years, I'm truly happy to see my former partner working so energetically at Chaldea."

"Why go to so much trouble?"

Romani ignored his friendly words and stared at the screen as he whispered, "Your plan has nothing to do with humanity's survival... You're trying to turn all of humanity into 'cosmic specimens'!"

Deviating from the laws that govern the universe meant that Earth would become an "abnormal cancer" within the entire cosmos.

As a result, humanity would not only lose the infinite possibilities of exploring the outside world and fall into stagnation and decline within a completely closed greenhouse, but — even more terrifyingly — this act of defying the laws of the universe would sooner or later invite rejection and annihilation from the entire cosmos.

If that truly happened, humanity would even lose the chance to save itself.

As the highest authority of the Clock Tower's Department of Astronomy, Marisbury should have possessed extraordinary insight into astronomy and the truths of the universe.

Yet, despite being fully aware of the consequences, he had stubbornly pushed forward with this insane plan.

"Specimens...? In a sense, your expression is quite accurate."

Marisbury's smile became even more playful. "In these past ten years, you seem to have learned quite a lot about how to use human emotions to construct sentences as an ordinary human."

He slowly stepped forward, his gaze calm and gentle, as if looking down upon the former King of Magecraft.

"But tell me — is there something wrong with that specimen?"

"In this vast and cruel universe, even planetary civilizations that have prospered for millions of years can be destroyed by the predation of 'wandering stars.' No matter how brilliantly the Age of Gods was created, no matter how prosperous the modern world may be, in the eyes of the cosmic predators, human life has always been as fleeting as dust."

"As long as Earth remains exposed to the cosmic coordinates, humanity's extinction is only a matter of time."

As Marisbury finished speaking, an unprecedented passion welled up in the depths of his eyes.

"However, this specimen symbolizes eternity. Humanity severed from the universe will obtain a permanent existence that no race in the cosmos can possess. This planet will... become an immortal city built for humanity!"

After saying this, Marisbury turned his gaze to the several imposing Beasts outside and spoke eloquently. "My fellow Beasts... In a sense, your existence can also be described as a form of 'love for humanity.' I know very well that you, like me, deeply love humanity's survival."

"Is there truly not a single person here who agrees with this ideal?"

"Even after the Planet Replacement is complete, I can assure you that the newly born Earth will be able to accept your existence. How about it?"

A heavy silence filled the entire space.

The moment they heard these words, all the Beasts present directed blatantly mocking and contemptuous gazes at Marisbury.

"Oh."

Finally, Goetia couldn't help but let out a cold laugh filled with pity.

"So that's how it is... After all that effort, you were planning to become a pathetic coward in the end, Marisbury?"

"That incompetent king who created me — despite clearly possessing the eyes of omniscience and omnipotence, despite seeing through all the tragedies and ugliness at the end of human history — chose to stand by and watch... I was once convinced that was the most detestable cowardice I had ever seen in my life."

The First Beast slowly raised its proud head. Its deep crimson eyes were filled with intense rage and savagery, as if it wanted to burn everything away.

"But today, seeing you like this..."

"I realized I was wrong when I saw his true nature."

"That man may have been a coward who couldn't even intervene in tragedy, but at the very least, he possessed the courage to calmly accept 'death' and 'the end'!"

"And you, Marisbury Animusphere — you——"

Boom—!!!

Along with Goetia's declaration, a terrifying torrent of magical energy that had accumulated within the First Beast for three thousand years erupted like a world-destroying volcano, violently shaking the entire space.

"He calls himself the King of Astronomy and chases after the stars, yet deep in his heart he doesn't even have the courage to face the vast universe! Moreover, this cowardly turtle is trying to drag all of humanity into escaping death, and shamelessly beautifies it as 'immortality'!"

"Stop joking! Don't insult the compassion we have inherited for 3,000 years with your filthy delusions, you piece of trash!"

In the sky, countless aurora-like bands symbolizing the technique of "burning Human Order" reached their peak, illuminating the entire night sky like purgatory.

At this moment, the First Beast had completely solidified its killing intent.

Even if it had to temporarily set aside its grand ambition of burning away humanity, it first had to completely annihilate this madman who had insulted the very concept of "humanity."

Not far away, Tiamat had not exchanged a single word with Marisbury from beginning to end.

Gurgle… gurgle…

On the ground, endless black mud quietly spread.

Tiamat — once called Beast II — had only one wish: to return all life on Earth to the primordial sea, where they could remain eternal babies forever pampered in her arms.

However, if these so-called "childs" had lost their true vitality and become programmed "specimens," then for her, this so-called return would become meaningless.

"Hehehe... What a boring and unpleasant man."

At that moment, Sesshōin Kiara suddenly covered her mouth and let out a chilling low laugh. She stared at Marisbury with eyes as if looking at garbage.

"An immortal city? In a world where all emotions and desires have been lost, how could any sweet bliss be born? Marisbury-san, your 'love' is far too barren — it doesn't even inspire a sigh."

For Kiara — who believed she was "the only human in the universe, and the rest are insects for my pleasure" — what she desired was for humans to sink, suffer, and sublimate within her body (a paradise of pleasure).

If everyone became cold "specimens," then nothing in this world would have any value that could satisfy her.

"Sigh... I don't particularly like this pleasure-obsessed woman next to me, but on this matter, our opinions surprisingly align."

Kama let out a languid sigh and glanced at Marisbury with an expression as if looking at an idiot.

Kama (Beast III/L) — who possessed Sesshōin's duality — had the principle of generously bestowing "love" and "happiness" upon all humanity, making them lose the will to strive through excessive comfort and pampering, and willingly degenerate into useless humans.

However, according to Marisbury's way of thinking, the humans of Chaldeas would be "programmed" for everything from the moment they were born. They would possess no desires, no suffering, and no pursuit of happiness.

In that completely empty mechanical world, even her existence as the "Goddess of Love" would be completely erased.

As for Draco, there was no need to say anything further.

As the "Beast of Prosperity" (Beast VI/S), she fed upon the decadence, desire, and corruption of human civilization. If human society became a stagnant puddle without desire, then the "prosperity" that was her source of power would completely disappear.

Seeing the Beasts before him mocking his greatness and nobility, Marisbury couldn't help but let out a disappointed sigh.

"It's truly a pity."

In truth, when Marisbury had seen the impressive lineup of gathered Beasts, he had already understood that he had no choice but to temporarily suspend his plan.

A fully evolved Chaldeas did indeed possess the power to analyze even Beasts and absorb them as energy.

However, it had not yet begun full operation, and it was clearly unrealistic to process so many exceptional cases simultaneously.

But... this did not mean the "Planet Replacement Plan" would be destroyed.

Because Chaldeas was essentially another "Earth."

No matter how powerful these Beasts were, they could never destroy a planet with individual power alone.

Furthermore, the greatest variable factor — Matou Yuu — was currently trapped inside Chaldeas.

As long as he held this "hostage," the external Beasts closely connected to him would undoubtedly be cautious and would not act rashly.

Thinking this, a strange sensation suddenly crossed Marisbury's mind.

Come to think of it... why had it suddenly become so quiet inside Chaldeas?

Marisbury was slightly surprised and naturally shifted his gaze toward the interior of Chaldeas.

The black-haired young man stood quietly in place, still tightly gripping the Star Sword.

But this time, the power of the holy sword — which had previously radiated a sky-splitting brilliance — had clearly diminished to an extreme degree.

Under Marisbury's sharp gaze, Matou Yuu — without any hesitation — raised the dimly glowing holy sword and slowly swung it upward into the air.

Faint golden light gushed from the sword, floating quietly in the air like a string of mysterious runes.

Seeing this sight, Marisbury felt completely relieved, and a mischievous smile appeared on his lips.

It seemed... Alaya was still on his side?

At that moment, Matou Yuu's casual voice suddenly came from inside Chaldeas.

"Marisbury, you're so obsessed with carrying out the Planet Replacement Plan to prevent Earth from being destroyed by extraterrestrial lifeforms... As the Lord of Astronomy, you must have heard a very old story, right?"

Marisbury raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Long ago, it is said that the primates on Earth multiplied rapidly and seriously threatened the very survival of the planet. Therefore, the deeply troubled planetary will 'Gaia' released a death cry into the endless cosmos, which attracted the 'Ultimate Lifeform' living in the Oort Cloud..."

The moment he heard that name, Marisbury's smile slightly froze, and for some reason, a chill ran down his spine.

As the Lord of the Clock Tower's celestial department, Marisbury had naturally heard of the title ORT.

Rather, it was not a story at all — it was the highest-level top-secret information stored in the archives sealed beneath the Clock Tower, the ultimate forbidden domain that historical magi had designated as "absolutely off-limits"!

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Marisbury asked hurriedly, furrowing his brows.

Not far away, Goetia — which had been making sarcastic remarks — suddenly fell into an unnaturally deep silence. Its deep crimson beast-like eyes contracted violently.

If the Star Sword Matou Yuu had drawn earlier had caused it anxiety and vigilance, then at this very moment, the First Beast's most primal instincts were desperately sounding an extremely dangerous alarm in its brain.

Matou Yuu... What on earth was this man trying to do?

Under everyone's shocked gazes, the young man's calm voice echoed once more. "Marisbury, if I'm not mistaken, the 'Chaldeas' you created in place of Gaia is the ultimate replica — a perfect one-to-one copy of Earth's ecosystem and concepts, right? That's why it could even deceive Alaya's judgment of friend and foe, isn't it?"

"Chaldeas can be said to be equivalent to Earth."

For some reason, the moment he heard those words, the unease lurking in the depths of Marisbury's heart reached its peak.

Thump… thump…

His heartbeat quickened to the point where he could clearly feel it.

He lowered his head and gently touched his chest with his palm, wearing an expression of disbelief.

This body — which had long since ceased to be human — was experiencing a physiological reaction called "palpitations" that it hadn't felt in a long time?!

Had this young man secretly used some kind of mental magic to manipulate emotions? Or... was the head of the Animusphere family actually afraid of human gazes?

The moment that thought crossed his mind again, Marisbury... the gaze he directed at Matou Yuu contained an unprecedented coldness.

When he founded Chaldeas, Marisbury had calculated everything. The Holy Grail War, Solomon, Goetia, and even the future of all humanity were nothing more than puppets on his chessboard.

Only within Group A — which should have been under his control — had a man named "Daybit Sem Void" instilled in him an instinctive sense of vigilance and fear.

And now, he felt that dangerous aura actually emanating from the young man before his eyes. It was a sensation he hadn't felt in a long time.

No... This was definitely an illusion!

Marisbury slowly exhaled and forcibly suppressed the violently swirling emotions.

Without holding back at all, through his will, countless translucent tentacles representing the laws of planetary analysis inside Chaldeas surged toward Matou Yuu from all directions like an overwhelming tsunami.

"I don't know what other schemes you're plotting, but I don't mind if you try something new. The more intense your death throes, the more analytical data you can provide to Chaldeas."

Marisbury spoke in a leisurely tone. "Don't worry, Matou Yuu... In my eyes, you are no different from any other human. So I have no intention of taking your life."

"Once Chaldeas completely dissects and assimilates your spiritual origin, you will never have to taste the endless suffering my daughter experienced... Conceptual dissection is an event that happens in an instant. Rest assured. I have always treated all of humanity with kindness. Everything will be over soon."

Matou Yuu casually sheathed the Star Sword, cracked his neck, spat on the ground of Chaldeas, and said, "Yeah."

He slowly raised his head.

"It really is time to end this."

…

In truth, Matou Yuu's actions had been somewhat too arrogant... At least, that was how Marisbury felt.

He had already summoned many magical beasts and could have stayed in the background without taking risks, but he had chosen the most extreme path — charging into Chaldeas alone.

It should be understood that Chaldeas — as the "Beast of Analysis" — possessed the instinct to dissect and greedily explore all unknown phenomena in the world.

Since it could not analyze Matou Yuu's existence itself, Chaldeas would make an even more extreme decision.

——Physical-level analysis.

Since it could not analyze him, and since he was inside Chaldeas's body, it would dissect his body, shatter his spiritual origin, strip away his magic circuits, analyze the structure of every cell, and even dissect and imitate his linguistic logic and behavioral profile at the genetic level... Just like now.

Watching the countless transparent tentacles extending from inside Chaldeas, Marisbury stared at the young man — like a beast caught in a trap — with a gaze mixed with pity and indifference, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

The outcome had been decided the moment the opponent set foot inside Chaldeas.

Because humans could never defy the will and laws of an entire planet!

"It's truly a pity. You had a chance to escape unscathed, but your arrogance has stolen your victory."

Marisbury's tone carried the calmness of a sage. "Even if the six Beasts from outside combined their power, they could never completely destroy Chaldeas... At the very least, before that, you would be thoroughly dismantled."

He had expected that after Matou Yuu said those words, he would show the panic and fear that a human should feel.

However, the young man paid no attention to the conceptual tentacles surging toward him and simply stared quietly at the sky.

Marisbury unconsciously narrowed his eyes and followed Matou Yuu's line of sight, then suddenly stopped moving.

Because... it was the golden magical energy that had remained in the air after Matou Yuu had swung the Star Holy Sword earlier.

That golden light... It still hadn't disappeared?!

Marisbury's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately activated the power of the Beast of Analysis to dissect the rune-like strands of light.

The next moment, the encrypted concepts contained within that golden light were quietly projected directly into the depths of his mind.

[Destination: Wanderer of the Stars / Ultimate One]

Complete silence.

At that moment, the entire interior of Chaldeas was wrapped in a chilling silence.

Marisbury's mind went completely blank for an instant. Then, he was struck by a terror he had never felt before, and his spine froze.

"You seem to have noticed something already?"

Despite the overwhelming tentacles of Chaldeas surging toward him, Matou Yuu's gaze remained calm and quiet.

"Thanks to your explanation, I suddenly thought of something interesting... You said Chaldeas is a perfect one-to-one replica of Earth both conceptually and physically... In that case, can Chaldeas tell which one is the real Earth?"

"What would happen if it received a distress signal from Gaia?"

That was...?

Snap.

Before Marisbury could react, his fingers snapped, and the man's thoughts were interrupted once again.

And just as the sound of the finger snap ended——

——Portable Warm Bed Solution!

As the original barrier collapsed, an entirely different internal scene quietly entered Marisbury's field of vision.

At first, he casually looked around.

Eventually, Marisbury's gaze fell upon a small creature "sleeping" on a blanket.

That was... a robot vacuum cleaner?

After a moment of surprise, curiosity welled up within him.

Why had Matou Yuu suddenly and inexplicably activated a Reality Marble in this situation?

With this in mind, Marisbury quietly activated his "analysis" ability. Invisible conceptual tentacles landed directly on the robot vacuum cleaner.

Buzz—!

Without any warning, a torrent of destructive information and conceptual repulsion surged into his mind, as if the entire galaxy had collided with him.

Marisbury felt as though he had been struck hard on the head with a heavy hammer. His previously calm face instantly twisted, and he nearly lost consciousness on the spot.

Fortunately, at the critical moment, he barely managed to grab his thigh and desperately shut off his analysis ability.

However, when he looked up at the robot vacuum cleaner again, his eyes were filled with shock and unease.

What on earth was that...?

It looked like an insignificant lifeform, but even a Beast with powerful analysis abilities could not decipher its structure?

No... Rather, it should be said that its "scale" was so immense that complete analysis was impossible.

At that moment, Marisbury suddenly realized something. He unconsciously raised his head and once again looked up at the "fading distress signal" from Gaia high in the sky.

Snap.

After a short silence, a bead of cold sweat rolled down Marisbury's forehead.

An "Ultimate Lifeform" that even a planet could not analyze... and a "Gaia distress signal" that only worked on a specific existence... All of this seemed to point to a single organism.

Could it be——?!

Marisbury seemed to have realized something. His pupils suddenly contracted, his breathing quickened, and he said in a desperate voice, "Matou Yuu, wait——"

Matou Yuu grinned at Marisbury.

"Rather than that, you should talk to my glass octopus!"

With a flowing light, a small figure was thrown out of the Reality Marble by Matou Yuu.

It was a cosmic spider radiating a magnificent crystal-like brilliance, about the size of a robot vacuum cleaner.

Having just been separated from a comfortable environment, it was clearly still a bit confused.

It obediently lay at Matou Yuu's feet. Its eight small crystal-mechanical legs tapped the ground "tap-tap" in small increments, spinning around dazedly like a malfunctioning robot vacuum cleaner.

Its flat, plate-like head tilted slightly... It tilted slightly and emitted a clear, pleasant "beep" sound, looking around in confusion as if wondering why it had suddenly been released.

However, this harmless, dazed state did not last even 0.5 seconds.

The moment ORT's eight crystal legs truly touched Chaldeas's surface, the "dying distress signal of the planet" floating high in the sky was quietly received by this extremely solitary species' sensory network.

Click... click-click-click—

Suddenly, from within the silent Chaldeas, a chilling sound of metal scraping echoed.

The small spider stopped spinning on the spot. Its indescribable, emotionless gaze seemed to be fixed on the fading distress signal in the sky above "Earth."

And in the very next moment——

Buzz!

Its body — which had originally been the size of a robot vacuum cleaner — suddenly expanded at an unbelievably terrifying speed the next instant!

100 meters, 1,000 meters, 10,000 meters...!

And finally, a strange figure the size of a mountain range — a mix between a flying saucer and a spider — quietly stood within Chaldeas!

The next moment, ORT's eight long metallic legs slowly unfolded. With that slight movement, the entire simulated Earth seemed to violently shake.

Under Marisbury's terror-filled gaze, the Ultimate Lifeform ORT had finally awakened from its long slumber and slowly opened its eerie, chilling star-like eyes.

"Six Beasts might not be able to completely destroy the 'planet' called Chaldeas..."

In the silence, the young man's incredibly gentle voice echoed once more.

"What would happen if we added ORT?"

..

…

PS: Please support me and read advanced chapters at /AbsoluteCode