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

The dazzling golden light brought by the Star Holy Sword had long since faded, and a colossal abyss-like rift now appeared in the sky, as if the world had been split in two by that single strike.

The air was filled with the residual power of the breath of the stars.

This sight, like divine punishment, made the few remaining top-tier heroic spirits tense up throughout their bodies, as if facing a formidable enemy.

"What kind of monster is hidden inside this mongrel's shell?"

The tragic sight of Goetia's colossal Saint Graph instantly evaporating was quietly engraved in Gilgamesh's eyes.

In an instant, a message flashed through the ancient king's mind... It was the scene Merlin had recently observed.

The flower magus, who claimed to see through everything, had merely tried to probe into Matou Yuu's soul and suffered an unprecedented spiritual backlash.

Not only that, but the opponent could also use the planet-forged holy sword of the Grand Saber... Could it be that some unknown god resided inside this guy's body?

Or... was it the extraterrestrial giant spider lurking in South America, as he had initially thought?

But that felt slightly off... This magic was completely incompatible with ORT.

However, at the very least, what resided inside this man's body was definitely far beyond the realm of gods... It was even highly possible that it was on the same level as ORT!

...For the first time in a long while, Gilgamesh felt his long-dormant kingly heart pounding violently, adrenaline surging.

His semi-divine body broke out in goosebumps, and every cell in his body was sounding an alarm.

But his pride and arrogance as a king firmly held his legs in place, preventing him from retreating even a single step.

At that moment, Matou Yuu suddenly raised his right hand slightly and lightly pressed down with his palm.

The deep crimson magic instantly transformed into terrifying gravity, pressing them down to the ground and causing them to fall straight downward.

Deep within the Underworld, Ereshkigal—who had been trying to forcibly open a passage and expand the gates to the Underworld—suddenly let out a surprised cry. "Eh——?!"

With a dull "bang," the gates to the Underworld connecting the boundary between life and death were forcibly locked, leaving only faint cracks.

Tezcatlipoca slightly shifted his gaze sideways, glanced at the deep crimson mist spreading around him, and said quietly, "I see... So it's no wonder Gaia's laws are lamenting. This isn't ordinary magic, but an essential barrier capable of directly altering Earth's geophysical rules'?"

The supreme god of war and death in South America appeared colder than ever. "Gilgamesh, wasn't your Ea supposed to tear the world apart?"

"As long as this domain of laws not belonging to this planet remains, we spiritual foundations that rely on Alaya's magical energy supply have no right to fight here."

Gilgamesh snorted coldly. "Hmph, you don't need a wild god to teach me how to do things."

Of course, he knew Tezcatlipoca was right.

The heroic spirits here came from the Throne outside, but their spiritual foundations all relied on Alaya-side supply.

At this point, this region had already been completely eroded and dominated by Matou Yuu's laws.

As long as they remained in this domain, the opponent was the sole ruler.

To break the stalemate, they first had to tear apart this divine kingdom that imprisoned everything.

Without a moment's hesitation, Gilgamesh suddenly raised his hand.

He raised the Sword of Separation, symbolizing the truth of creation and genesis, and the three cylindrical blades of the sword began reverse-rotating to their limit!

"But I don't know exactly who this extraterrestrial ghost that stole a human body is, but even if you are the master of the alien star floating high in the sky..."

Gilgamesh's deep crimson snake-like eyes exploded with unprecedented arrogance, and the dignity of the Wise King was fully displayed at this moment. "Before the Beast-Slaying Sword that severs all worldly truths, all illusory palaces must collapse!"

"It's an honor, Mongrel!"

May this rebellious starry sky become the witness of the primordial light that created heaven and earth——!"

——!!!

Buzz buzz

As he finished speaking, Ea exploded with unprecedented dazzling red light!

It was no longer merely the release of magic, but a fault-line storm capable of completely erasing even the universe and the planet's surface!

BOOM——!

A torrent of magical energy that seemed to tear the world apart violently slammed into this deep crimson domain!

It was an extremely powerful Anti-Domain Noble Phantasm. This all-out attack with Ea rotating at full power symbolized the creation of heaven and earth and brought overwhelming and violent upheaval to this domain covered by the blood-red moon.

Romulus-Quirinus and Taigong Wang, who had been about to follow up with a decisive strike from behind, suddenly stopped in their tracks, surprise flashing in their eyes.

Because... This space had already been torn apart by Ea into countless terrifying gaps.

But for some reason, from deep within those collapsed cracks, an even more dominant crimson ether gushed out.

...This field showed no signs of breaking at all!

Gilgamesh deeply furrowed his brows, and a vague sense of discord welled up within him.

The very next moment, an unprecedented pressure surged from ahead.

He suddenly raised his face and was shocked to see that the young man enveloped in blood-red light was somehow holding a very strange longsword in his hand.

——Magic Sword: Real of the World.

This was the highest weapon formed by directly materializing the Crimson Moon's own heavenly soul, and its role was only one—to forcibly rewrite all established laws.

The instant he saw the weapon, Gilgamesh's deep crimson snake-like eyes suddenly contracted to their limit.

In an instant, the oldest king finally came to his senses and instinctively said, "So that's it... You are not a creature of this planet. You are——"

Before he could finish speaking, his words were forcibly interrupted.

In just an instant, Matou Yuu raised the demonic sword and, without even swinging it down, appeared before Gilgamesh and Enkidu like a ghost.

Terrifying gravity bore down on their heads, and before the two Uruk friends could move, the sharpness of the demonic sword effortlessly pierced their chests, producing a faint "puff" sound.

Only then did the delayed "bang" explosion sound echo from the distant ruins.

It was the sword energy released by the magic sword from afar.

The formation Taigong Wang had deployed instantly shattered, and the colossal light spear of Divine Ancestor Romulus-Quirinus, which had been trying to open for the future, also vanished.

"Truly..."

Taigong Wang lowered his head, staring at the wound on his chest, and wore a helpless, bitter smile. "I never thought this humble Daoist would fail in this manner..."

With a sigh, their spiritual foundations quietly vanished beneath the blood-red moonlight like weathered sculptures.

In the distance, Tezcatlipoca—who had barely dodged the first slash—gritted his teeth and tried to raise his modern gun while resisting gravity.

Matou Yuu had already turned around and casually thrust his bloodless demonic sword into the scorched ruins.

"Don't forget to relay this to Alaya..."

The young man raised his face expressionlessly. "If you want to stop me, make them seriously prepare the highest-grade spiritual foundation perfectly adapted to the laws of the celestial body. Stop sending defective products to their deaths."

As he finished speaking, an even more terrifying lunar law suddenly crushed down. Invisible sword auras enveloped the body of the supreme god of Sumerian like divine punishment.

When he felt the irreversible collapse of his spiritual foundation, there was no fear on Tezcatlipoca's rugged face. Instead, an eerie smile of extreme relief and a trace of villainous amusement appeared on his lips.

"Ha... Next? Next time, even if Alaya cries and begs me to cling to her, I absolutely won't take on such troublesome and unlucky work. What an unreliable ally."

Bang.

The god who commanded war completely transformed into scattered spiritual particles.

At this point, the entire front line of the battlefield was enveloped in suffocating silence, with Artoria standing alone.

The Grand Saber stared desperately at the demonic young man before her, her voice extremely dry. "You... Who exactly are you?"

"Clock Tower student, Matou Yuu."

Crimson Moon said indifferently.

She was not given the opportunity to continue.

The very next moment, overwhelmed by the crushing power of the lunar laws, Artoria's vision sank into complete darkness.

Bang!

Like shattering fragile crystals, she transformed into countless dazzling golden particles of light and quietly scattered into the sky.

Matou Yuu casually flicked it away, and the demonic blade that had suppressed the entire battlefield completely vanished into countless deep crimson particles of light.

The once-noisy battlefield was now reduced to only the Sea of Life bubbling on the ground. There were no other living beings.

He did not move further and simply raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.

Crack!

The snapping sound of his fingers faded, and the violent aura of the planet high above the young man's body rapidly thinned like a receding tide. The will called Crimson Moon retreated into the deepest part of his soul, relinquishing control of the body.

Having lost the support of that extraordinary magical energy, Matou Yuu's knees suddenly gave way, and he collapsed heavily onto one knee on the scorched earth, like a puppet with broken strings.

Immediately after, a woman's languid and proud voice echoed deep within his heart. "According to our agreement, those who resisted your will have already been sent back to the Throne of Heroes."

"And... From the beginning, the Grand assassin suppressed his aura and hid in the shadow of death. If you search carefully, you might find him, but it would be a waste of time."

"Besides, that assassin's aura is extremely abnormal. It wasn't the spiritual foundation title granted by Alaya... This in itself is interesting."

He had only used his physical presence for three minutes, yet he had swept the battlefield, sharply analyzed important information, and even knew how to actively share it... Crimson Moon might unexpectedly have the potential to become a virtuous wife.

Matou Yuu endured the intense pain throughout his body and whispered inwardly with a wry smile. "...Thank you."

"..."

A moment of silence descended in his heart.

After a while, Crimson Moon let out a very cold and arrogant snort. "Save your cheap gratitude. I want you to clearly understand that our relationship is a mutually beneficial partnership. Not some trivial 'thank you,' but don't forget the promised conditions—provide the highest quality blood every day from now on."

"And... For now, if you're still somewhat useful, let me give you one piece of advice."

Crimson Moon's voice had lost its previous languidness and now carried an extremely stern warning. "Your body has already suffered severe backlash from the power I possess, and you absolutely cannot endure a second intense battle."

"If Alaya is determined to continue sending reinforcements... I can no longer help."

Even the Moon King, who had once ruled the world, was now nothing more than a broken will residing in a human body. This level of battle was a great drain on her.

After all, Matou Yuu's body was still human and could not withstand the burden of continuous higher-dimensional arrivals.

"I understand."

Matou Yuu quietly answered in his heart. "From now on, I'll handle it myself."

Crimson Moon was his greatest trump card right now... However, he still needed to add one more person.

However, unless he was in a life-or-death situation, he did not want to reveal his final card.

After all... If the extraterrestrial giant spider lurking deep within the Reality Marble were unleashed, it would no longer be a matter of victory or defeat, but rather something that would destroy the entire Earth together.

Matou slowly closed his eyes.

When Crimson Moon's will completely fell silent, his nervous senses and five senses—temporarily blocked by higher-dimensional laws—rushed into his brain like a flood breaching a dam.

The instant humanity's will completely dominated this concrete soul——

Shuu——!

Matou Yuu suddenly gasped, and cold sweat covered his forehead.

A burning sensation spread throughout his entire chest, and every bone and muscle in his body ached and swelled unbearably. Even the slightest movement of his fingers sent sharp pain shooting through him.

"Damn it... Is Crimson Moon treating my body like a bicycle? Why is there such a strong backlash?"

He had long sensed that his body would suffer backlash after being possessed by Crimson Moon... But Matou Yuu had not expected that this pain would be so exaggerated.

If his body had not been baptized by Tiamat's Sea of Life and if Crimson Moon had not transformed the higher blood belonging to the True Ancestors, he probably wouldn't even be able to perform simple actions right now.

But... Even so, his goal had not yet been achieved.

Enduring the pain that threatened to tear his body apart, Matou Yuu heavily gasped for breath, repeatedly adjusting his breathing rhythm until he was on the verge of collapsing.

At that moment, a faint dazzling golden light flickered at the edge of his vision from the scorched ruins.

That was... Crimson Moon had permitted it, and the Star Holy Sword remained on the battlefield.

At the same time, a line of semi-transparent system text quietly appeared.

[Ping! You have discovered an unrecovered high-level item: Lost Star-Grade Insect-Repelling Glow Stick.]

[Item Description: A finely crafted pure gold rod equipped with powerful direct light to repel insects. Overused by its previous owner, causing power shortage, but still usable as a good lighting tool.]

[Quest Condition: Bend your noble waist and pocket this glowing staff.]

[Quest Reward: Free Attribute Points +1]

Staring at the system notification flashing on his retinas, Matou Yuu forced a bitter, speechless smile onto his lips.

Damn it, an insect-repelling glow stick... Did this system classify Excalibur—the planet's strongest defense equipment that even Alaya feared—as a powerful flashlight for fighting bugs?

Matou Yuu shook his head and desperately dragged his lead-heavy feet, trying to stand before the golden light.

He slowly extended his right hand and gently grasped the magnificent sword hilt.

——! Buzz

Unexpectedly, the Star Holy Sword—which should have rejected the unworthy—offered no resistance. Instead, it emitted a gentle trembling sound as if being caressed by his palm.

[Mission Complete!]

[You have obtained: Lost Star-Grade Insect-Repelling Glow Stick]

[Reward: Free Attribute Points +1.]

When the cold system notification sounded, Matou Yuu casually stored the holy sword in the system inventory.

Then, he desperately struggled to raise his head. His now pitch-black eyes swept across the desolate ruins and fixed on the colossal being sleeping high in the sky.

However, just as Matou Yuu desperately tried to step forward, he suddenly stopped as if sensing something.

A piercing cold wind blew through, and no one remained behind him.

"You've been watching everything, so stop hiding."

Matou Yuu spoke in a calm voice without turning around.

As he finished speaking, the rift to the Underworld—not yet fully closed—twisted like ripples in water in the shadow directly behind him.

Immediately after, a man with white hair and bronze skin quietly emerged from the corner like a ghost drifting beyond the present world and stood behind Matou Yuu.

...The newcomer was none other than Emiya Alter—the ultimate agent and guardian of Alaya's "Counter Force," who had previously hidden deep within the Underworld alongside the people of Chaldea.

Directly behind him, on the scorched earth, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash were already struggling to crawl out of the Underworld rift.

At this moment, the two of them stared at the slender figure of the black-haired young man with complex expressions swaying in the wind.

"Matou-san... What exactly do you want to do?"

After a brief silence, Fujimaru Ritsuka's complex voice faintly echoed across the completely cleaned-up battlefield.

She had only just arrived at the deepest part of the Underworld and had not witnessed the cruel battle unfolding on the surface... However, simply seeing the sight of even the sky being torn apart made it easy to imagine the terror of the battle.

Multiple heroic spirits symbolizing humanity's highest combat power, all Grand... had been completely defeated by this magus before her alone.

Furthermore... Among them was even a Beast.

"I want to save her."

The young man simply answered in an utterly natural voice.

Fujimaru Ritsuka opened her mouth, staring at the young man's back. Her heart ached unbearably, but as humanity's final master, she gritted her teeth and revealed the cruel truth.

"It's already too late... The spread of the Sea of Life is irreversible. As long as the Mother exists in this world... The end of this world was only a matter of time."

"Then it would be fine if she were no longer a Beast... Wouldn't that be better?"

Matou Yuu said.

"What...?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka was momentarily stunned.

"Tiamat was originally the Mother Goddess of Creation who gave birth to all things... And then the Beast of Return abandoned by humanity appeared."

Matou Yuu slowly raised his head, shifting his gaze to the void space covered in black mud, and said quietly. "Old Man of the Mountain... Gaia sent you here to wait for this moment, didn't she?"

The instant he finished speaking——

Fwoosh.

Accompanied by a wind like that blowing from a remote valley, an old man clad in pitch-black heavy armor, wielding a great sword, and exuding the cold aura of death quietly appeared within this void shadow.

Ghostly blue flames quietly burned in his skull eye sockets.

The low, hoarse voice of the Grand assassin echoed in everyone's ears like a death knell. "Do you know why I'm here?"

Matou nodded. "When the Underworld is fully reopened... I want you to use that sword to sever the concept of death belonging to Tiamat's Beast of Return."

In truth, Matou Yuu had initially thought that the Old Man of the Mountain was an enforcer on Alaya's side and the ultimate weapon sent down to completely eliminate Tiamat.

However, a casual remark from Crimson Moon before she retreated had been like lightning tearing through his blind spot.

If the Old Man of the Mountain considered humanity and acted in Alaya's style, he would naturally do everything in his power to eliminate Tiamat and settle the matter once and for all.

But... What if the Old Man of the Mountain had descended on Gaia's side?

Earth would never want to completely kill the Mother.

"...I truly came for that purpose."

The Old Man of the Mountain's deep blue eyes stared intently at the young man before him. "However, the moment of fate has not yet arrived."

"At this moment, the evening bell of death's proclamation had not yet rung. My great sword was not something that could be swung lightly."

The old man paused and said in a dignified voice that seemed to probe the soul, "Besides... The concept of defeating a Beast—such an act against heaven—has no guarantee of success. If the tip of my sword is biased, I cannot completely sever it... The Human Order of this planet will inevitably face complete destruction within the black mud."

"Matou Yuu... Are you determined to endure all of this?"

Matou Yuu opened his mouth, about to speak.

But at that moment, a tired, soft sigh came from behind.

"Tiamat may be able to shed the shell of the Beast... But if she fails, the world will be reset and return to its original state."

"Treating humanity's survival like a gamble... This is exactly Gaia's style."

Emiya Alter slowly raised the black pistol in his hand, pointing the pitch-black muzzle at Matou Yuu's back. His voice was dry and hoarse. "Human Order cannot endure such extreme risks. Its defense mechanism has already reacted violently... Yuu, give up."

"If you're truly determined to push this plan forward... The next killing intent Alaya unleashes will probably be more than seven Grand heroic spirits."

Watching this scene, Fujimaru Ritsuka had long since lost her voice, and Mash stared at Emiya Alter standing in the shadows with a complex expression before glancing at the wounded Matou Yuu in the distance.

She opened her mouth several times but ultimately swallowed the words she wanted to say to stop him.

An indescribable sorrow spread through their hearts.

They were brothers who had grown up together, yet due to their respective missions and different paths, they had no choice but to draw their guns on this desolate battlefield.

One stood against Human Order to save a single human, while the other had to point a gun at one of the few family members he could trust in this life to protect Human Order.

Matou Yuu slowly turned his face and looked at the man holding the gun behind him, immediately smiling.

"Your hand is shaking so much, yet you're still going to shoot?"

"Really... I don't want to go this far either, but I am a guardian..."

Emiya Alter's weathered face could no longer suppress its expression. His fingertips instinctively touched the cold trigger and applied slight pressure.

Upon closer inspection, this guardian of suppression—who had killed throughout his life—had his right hand gripping the gun trembling slightly.

He had once sold his soul to Alaya, become a partner of justice, become a scavenger who purified Singularities, traveled through various historical nodes, and obtained countless blood-stained hands.

If it was for the survival of Human Order... he could sacrifice everything without hesitation.

Killing one person for the sake of the world... He knew better than anyone in the world what answer should be given to this harsh choice.

However, facing the black-haired young man before him, this man who seemed like a killing machine hesitated.

Countless heroic spirits and magus in this world knew he was Alaya's hunting dog... However, the only one who truly knew he was the Emiya Shirou, ally of justice, was now Matou Yuu.

But——

"I understand... Shirou. Once, you said your dream was to become a partner of justice, right?"

In this suffocating stalemate, it was Matou Yuu—who was being shot at—who first broke the silence.

"Gambling the survival and future of all humanity for the sake of a slight possibility is truly an unbearable betrayal for you, the guardian of suppression."

"So——"

He offered no resistance or defensive gesture, simply staring at the deeply shaken man.

"You already have the gun in your hand, so don't soften your heart anymore."

"Don't force me..."

Emiya Alter gritted his teeth and lowered his voice.

"You stand on the side of Human Order and wipe out all heretics that threaten humanity's future—that is your duty and your fate. So even if you choose to erase me for the sake of the world... It's not wrong."

Matou Yuu met his eyes and said gently, "Go ahead and carry out your justice as always."

Finally, the man suddenly raised his head and let out a low roar like a beast driven to the brink of despair.

"I told you not to force me——!!!"

Bang!

Flames erupted from his mouth.

Suddenly, Emiya Alter pulled the trigger, and a magically charged bullet flew toward Matou Yuu!

Matou Yuu did not dodge. He simply stood quietly in place, watching the bullet graze past his ear.

BOOM——!

The very next moment, the bullet accurately passed above Matou Yuu and headed toward the dark ruins behind him.

Amid the thick smoke of the gunshot, Emiya Alter slowly lowered his gun and coldly stared into the darkness over Matou Yuu's shoulder.

"From the beginning, you've been hiding in the shadows like a ghost watching this drama... Dignified magus, your sense of black humor is still as repulsive as ever, Old Man of the Jewels."

As he finished speaking,

Tap tap...

The heavy sound of leather shoes stepping on the ruins suddenly broke the silence.

Matou Yuu turned to look at that moment.

An elderly man, leaning on a staff embedded with gems, slowly emerged from the gap in the imaginary numbers.

He had a white beard and wore a refined British-style formal suit over a dark turtleneck mantle.

At first glance, his withered face looked like an ancient tree nearing the end of its life, but his deep eyes held an immeasurable aura that shook the world.

"After all, you're a hunting dog suppressed by the Counter Force... This dangerous sense is truly remarkable."

Zelretch smiled faintly as he stared at Emiya Alter and continued, "But given your style, I didn't think you would hesitate to pierce this boy's chest."

"That shot just now was deliberately off... Probably not because of Alaya's orders, but because of your own will? This was completely different from that ruthless Guardian's style."

As the old man spoke, he slowly turned his face and stared at Matou Yuu.

After staring for a while, a hint of understanding appeared in his weathered, cloudy eyes. "As I thought... That fluctuation of disgust was not wrong. Crimson Moon's soul truly resides within your body."

"Did you come for Crimson Moon?"

Matou Yuu countered expressionlessly.

Old Man of the Jewels, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg.

This second-rate magus stood at the pinnacle of the magical world, possessing the supreme power to observe and travel through parallel worlds.

However, the legend surrounding him that inspired the most awe was his fateful battle with the Moon King, Crimson Moon.

In the distant past, this old man had used the Second Magic to defeat Crimson Moon with a mortal body to protect humanity.

But as the price, he had been bitten by Crimson Moon, became a Dead Apostle, and bore the curse of immortality.

Matou Yuu had not expected that borrowing a three-minute trial card would be noticed by this ancient monster.

"Precisely speaking, I initially just wanted to confirm the truth of that fluctuation... But now, I came for you."

The smile on the Old Man of the Jewels's face gradually faded, and his gaze became deep and solemn as he quietly said, "Matou Yuu... Give up."

"This commotion has truly become a huge mess. If it can't be properly cleaned up... Even I will find it extremely troublesome."

There was no doubt that the Old Man of the Jewels could travel through different timelines.

However, once Tiamat's Nega-Genesis, capable of reshaping ecosystems, completely covered the world, even the fundamental physical laws of parallel worlds would be forcibly rewritten.

This was no longer merely a crisis of parallel worlds, but could be called a massive virus.

If it went out of control, it could even spread and destroy other parallel worlds.

"I've already started thinking about how to solve the root of the problem."

Matou Yuu said calmly.

However, looking at this problem from a rational perspective... It shouldn't be solved this way.

The Old Man of the Jewels leaned on his staff, meeting Matou Yuu's eyes as he said quietly, "Find a way to put Tiamat back to sleep and return her to the Sea of Imaginary Numbers, or else you... As a magus, you should understand this truth better than anyone."

"Why?"

Matou Yuu countered without backing down.

These extremely simple words caused the Old Man of the Jewels—who had witnessed the rise and fall of the world—to pause for a moment.

Matou Yuu continued to question. "What did she do wrong?"

A mother who had done nothing wrong, who had nurtured all things out of maternal nature, was forced to obediently return to the cold, lonely Sea of Imaginary Numbers because her maternal nature unknowingly threatened human morality, and had to live in an endless nightmare of abandonment without purpose...

"Or should she be crushed by you and become a stepping stone for human morality to continue advancing?"

The young man's voice echoed through the ruins. "Is that so-called noble justice you speak of really justice?"

The Old Man of the Jewels remained silent for a long time, and an extremely complex light flickered in his deep eyes.

After a while, he quietly sighed and said, "I didn't think this was so-called justice. It was merely a difference in position. Sacrificing the minority to prioritize the survival of the majority is the iron law of Human Order."

"But... If we proceed down this path, Alaya's defense mechanism will probably be completely overwhelmed——"

However, the instant his overwhelming warning reached him, he saw the young man suddenly smile.

"Even if Alaya transfers the entire Throne of Heroes here, she won't have the courage to kill me... Besides, I know Tiamat deeply loves humanity. If she remains calm for the sake of this 'world,' she might eventually soften her heart and choose self-destruction..."

Matou Yuu slowly raised his head.

"But if she really dies... I don't mind dying together with humanity."

To be fair, a mere human magus making such an outrageous claim would not actually pose a threat.

Crimson Moon's power did indeed reside within his body, but in the end, it was merely a fragment of will and far from sufficient to overturn the entire chessboard before the Second Magician.

But for some reason, seeing the young man's utterly calm gaze, Old Man of the Jewels felt an indescribable, uneasy tremor in his heart.

At that moment, he saw Matou Yuu desperately trying to raise his right hand, squeezing out the last of his recovered magical energy. Her lips moved slightly as she quietly chanted a spell.

"My heart is a sealed court, isolated from storms, rejecting the sea of stars..."

"What remains here is only a peaceful sleep. Only tranquility remains in this world..."

"——Portable Hot Bed!"

Buzz!

The very next moment, with a strange sense of spatial displacement, the world before everyone's eyes underwent a dramatic change.

What came into view was not the desolate apocalyptic ruins from before, but a cozy room filled with a very warm atmosphere and modern daily life.

Beneath their feet was a soft cashmere carpet, and above was a warmly glowing chandelier.

Through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, one could even see the endlessly spreading lush green lawn outside.

"...A Reality Marble?"

After a moment of surprise, a glint of interest appeared in the old man's eyes.

He looked around at the warm, cozy scenery of the heart and slowly raised the gem-embedded scepter in his hand.

"Is your mental world truly such a harmless and safe refuge? What an interesting contradiction. I haven't moved in years, but since you're a Clock Tower student, I'd like to test your abilities a little——"

However, just as the tip of the gem scepter was about to emit magical light, Matou Yuu suddenly raised his index finger and gently pressed it to his lips.

"Shh."

The young man's movement was extremely subtle as he gestured with his eyes toward a dark corner not far from the old man's feet.

The Old Man of the Jewels looked over upon seeing this.

It appeared to be a metal disk the size of a washbasin. At first glance, it looked harmless, like an ordinary household robotic vacuum cleaner found anywhere.

However, this robotic vacuum cleaner had eight crystal-like, semi-transparent metal limbs at its edges.

It looked like an extremely well-behaved giant spider, with its claws tucked inside the disk, sleeping peacefully.

For some reason, when his gaze locked onto it, this Old Man of the Jewels—who had been tempered through countless battles—felt a long-lost sense of excitement.

What on earth was this...?

Zelretch's breathing instinctively slowed.

In his original vision, the young man activating the Reality Marble was to demonstrate his power, while on his side, he might cleverly give the student some guidance.

But the scene before him was completely different from what he had imagined.

When he saw the existence before him, the sense of terror in his heart surpassed the pressure he had felt when confronting Crimson Moon alone years ago.

At that moment, the light of the Second Magic that had disappeared from Zelretch's scepter seemed to break the silence of the room.

Click.

The robotic vacuum cleaner curled up in the corner suddenly twitched its crystal propods slightly.

BOOM!

In an instant, it was as if lightning had exploded deep within the old man's heart. Through those eyes that had seen through countless parallel worlds, Zelretch finally tore away the mask and saw the true form of this robotic vacuum cleaner.

As if he had remembered a forbidden existence, his deep eyes suddenly contracted.

Cold sweat unconsciously soaked into his crisp British formal attire, goosebumps rose, and a tingling sensation spread across his scalp.

"...ORT?!"

…

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