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

...There was light.

Unlike the sensation of drowning, when Matou Yuu's consciousness broke through the obstacles and deeply pierced into the depths of Tiamat's heart, the violently boiling "black mud" outside was instantly and completely stripped away.

What greeted him was a "void" where even time seemed frozen.

In this death-like silent space, countless grayish-white remains floated everywhere. Upon closer inspection, one would find the remains of gods who had fallen since the ancient Age of Gods, weathered stone pillars of ancient Babylonian temples, and even vague clay figurines representing "early humans."

This was Tiamat's true "mental image world."

As Matou Yuu walked through the floating ruins, he suddenly caught sight of the tragic scene at the end before him and was at a loss for words.

It was not the colossal Beast seen from the outside—hundreds of meters tall and capable of devouring the planet.

Quietly lurking here was a woman of almost unreal beauty.

She had an unbelievably beautiful face radiating maternal gentleness, as if embracing everything. Dragon horns symbolizing primordial origins grew from her head, yet they gave off an extremely fragile and broken sensation.

Countless rusted conceptual chains extended from every direction around the woman's wrists, ankles, and even her neck and body, tightly binding the true body of this Mother Goddess of Creation.

The colors of the chains were sharply intertwined. Half crimson represented the rejection and exile by Human Order. And the pitch-black half came from her subconscious self-sealing.

Because of the pain in her heart, because of the maternal love engraved deep in her soul, and more than anything... because of the promise she had once made with a certain young man.

Even after transforming into a Beast, she ultimately could not bring herself to destroy this world. She could only despair and strictly confine herself to this lightless abyss.

She did not seem to notice Matou Yuu's arrival.

Or perhaps, she had long since severed her perception of the outside world and no longer wished to see the world or the children who had mercilessly abandoned her.

Tiamat curled up tightly in a dark corner, hugging her knees and burying her face deeply, letting out intermittent and extremely faint cries and choked sobs.

In this mental world, Tiamat was less of a "mother" and more like an abandoned little girl... She possessed neither the "crazy" spirit that Matou Yuu could summon nor the gentle tolerance of the Mother Goddess of Creation that others knew.

Because that spirit, as a clone, had deliberately erased eternal suffering, and as a "mother," she had always had to force herself to be strong in front of her children.

Now here was only Tiamat... just an abandoned little girl who had spent countless lonely hours in this mental image world.

Matou Yuu stepped onto the rough ground and slowly stopped right beside her.

"...Tiamat."

The young man's completely calm voice in this space was like a stone thrown into a lake, creating ripples.

It was as if a little girl curled up in endless darkness had suddenly been caught by a hallucination that should not exist.

Her eerie sobs, which had continued for years like lamentations, suddenly froze.

Crack—

Accompanied by a dull sound of rusted conceptual chains rubbing together, she stiffly and slowly raised her head.

"Why...?"

Her eerie voice was filled with confusion and disbelief.

"Why are you here?"

Just recently, she had witnessed that young man's "death" in despair.

Because of that overwhelming rage and sorrow, her consciousness had been completely sealed, and her outer Beast shell had fallen into indiscriminate apocalyptic rampage.

But why... He should have been dead, yet now he was standing here alive?

Before the confused thoughts in the Mother Goddess's heart could be organized, Matou Yuu had already taken a step forward.

"I've come to take you home."

...Home?

The instant she heard it, a spark of hope instantly lit up in the woman's vivid red eyes.

She instinctively reached out her hand, and the chains made a dull sound.

However, the instant her fingertips were about to touch the young man, she instinctively pulled back, withdrawing her hand as if she had been electrocuted.

"I... cannot return to that world."

"I... that abandoned evil... that world... ....I don't need it"

Matou Yuu said nothing, merely quietly staring at the Mother Goddess before him. She was humble, sweeping her gaze over the tattered hem and wrists of her dress marked with strangulation traces.

Clearly, she was a creator goddess with the power to restart the Earth, yet now she looked like a little girl afraid of being scolded for making a mistake.

She hurriedly retreated, hiding her hands behind her back as she tried to conceal the chains symbolizing original sin and ugly karma.

"You're right. This planet's Human Order no longer needs you."

Matou Yuu stared at her and spoke the gentlest, calmest voice with the coldest, cruelest words. "Your children have grown up and can build their own civilization."

As long as you return, your very existence will bring them catastrophic problems."

Each of these words struck like a heavy hammer, freezing Tiamat's desperate attempts to hide in the darkness.

What Matou Yuu said was extremely cruel, but it was also a bloody reality.

The Age of Gods had long since ended, and humanity continued to walk its own history.

As a creator goddess, if Tiamat descended upon the present world once more, her vast spiritual foundation and ecosystem would only revert everything to the ancient sacred era.

For the world, and for the children who had already grown up... Tiamat had become a useless burden.

She understood this better than anyone.

Therefore, after being mercilessly exiled to the cold Imaginary Sea, she had no thoughts of revenge or forced return.

Like a fool left behind, she had yearned countless times in her heart to "return" to that warm era when she was still needed by her children.

Because the time spent in the Imaginary Sea was so long and lonely, this obsession eventually transformed into a curse called "return." The once-pure Mother Goddess of Creation had been wrapped in a terrifying shell known as the "Return Beast."

"But I want you to come back."

Just as Tiamat was about to fall into the depths of despair and self-denial, the young man's gentle voice echoed beside her ear once again.

She was surprised and instinctively looked up at the young man before her, confused.

Then, Matou Yuu unhesitatingly reached out, broke through the heavy chains symbolizing "evil," and gently covered her head, softly stroking her sea-like smooth blue hair.

"Your children have grown up, and the world no longer needs you. So to avoid burdening them, you choose to be eternally confined and tortured in this Imaginary Sea."

Under Tiamat's vacant gaze, Matou Yuu said quietly. "But have you ever thought about what would happen if... from beginning to end, the only one who ends up in tragedy is you."

"Sacrificing yourself for Human Order... I don't feel that good about it, but I truly respect your selfless heart."

"But... I still hope that you can 'come back.'"

Feeling the long-lost warmth of a palm above her head, Tiamat stared blankly at the young man for a while. Her unbelievably beautiful face was filled with confusion as she instinctively muttered, "Why——"

"Because I need you."

BOOM!

The instant the young man's calm voice rang out, the pitch-black, ice-cold space of consciousness seemed to suddenly ignite. A golden sea suddenly shone in the darkness and began to swirl violently.

Tiamat's beautiful eyes slowly widened, and her dull cross-shaped pupils reflected the figure of the young man before her.

Matou Yuu knelt on one knee before her, staring directly into the Mother Goddess of Creation's eyes as he deliberately spoke one word at a time. "If no one in this world wants to stand by your side, and no one is afraid to bear your existence and concept... then leave it to me."

"Didn't I promise to let you experience all the wonderful things in this world?"

Tiamat's eyes wavered, and her fingertips moved slightly.

But immediately, as if remembering something, she looked down with a melancholic face and whispered.

"But... Human Order... will reject me."

Yes... It was Human Order itself that had rejected her and exiled Tiamat to the Sea of Void.

Or rather, this was an absolute rational choice that Alaya inevitably made for the survival of Human Order.

If Tiamat were to return again... then Human Order would also likely view her existence as a threat and mercilessly reject and erase her.

Ultimately, from a rational perspective... She truly should not return.

"Why me?"

She stared at the injured young man before her and unconsciously softened her gaze slightly.

"Because you're no longer needed there."

"I know that... but is that reasonable?"

Matou Yuu suddenly smiled. "Let me tell you a story about a 'mother' I know."

"That mother endured endless loneliness for 4.6 billion years, inch by inch building the foundation of Earth's ecosystem with her own flesh and blood, and with selfless mercy hatched all life throughout the world."

"She gave all her children the power to breathe, survive, and reproduce in this world. However, when those children finally left the cradle, built their own civilizations, and obtained their own grand futures... she was still regarded as an obstacle to the progress of civilization."

"The gods who surpassed her flesh and blood joined forces and pushed her down from the sacred throne. She was stripped of everything, and everything she sacrificed for this planet was buried in the ruins of myth, leaving behind only the infamous title of 'Return Beast.'"

"This is the end of creation. The mother who gave birth to the world was abandoned in the final dark corner and became a stepping stone for her children's future."

Matou Yuu looked at the woman curled up at the bottom of the abyss and said quietly. "Even now, she has suffered, but worried about burdening her children, she quietly hides in a dark corner."

Matou Yuu's voice was calm, yet it was laced with deep-seated anger and soul-stirring unwillingness and questioning.

Why must the prosperity and stability of Human Order be maintained at the cost of individual suffering?

Why is it that only the mother who nurtured all life on this Earth has no right to hold her own children?

Why must we, after losing all value, be treated as "evil" to be eliminated and as remnants of an old era?

Why does new human laughter mean that the right to love is eternally stripped away and we are exiled to the Imaginary Sea beyond the reach of light?

He took a deep breath and raised his face to meet Tiamat's eyes.

"I will let you experience all the beautiful things in this world. I'll take you to taste desserts on street corners, see the first snow falling in human cities, and listen to the beautiful evening bells of the Clock Tower... If there are landscapes you've never experienced, I'll hold your hand and point them out."

"You will become a part of this star... Because even if all of humanity forgets you, the will that gave birth to this planet will never reject its mother."

"If Human Order rejects your return once again,"

Matou Yuu said calmly, "Then it becomes my enemy."

As a human, saying such words might be outrageous, but Matou Yuu showed no trace of fear. Rather, he felt the chains long suppressed deep within his soul crumbling.

Suddenly, he felt clarity and lucidity.

Tiamat simply stared blankly at the young man.

Gradually, a flame reignited in her vivid red eyes, beginning to radiate an unbelievable brilliance.

Like a dusty pearl and an uncut jade that had quietly spent millions of years drifting in the cold Imaginary Sea, perhaps at first she had held a faint light of hope called "returning to the world." Even if only one person, she had hoped someone could... and "remember her."

However, seeing that the world without her was more prosperous and "complete," she realized she should no longer return.

Because no one needed her.

Until that day, she crossed the Imaginary Sea, accepted the summons of a young heroic spirit, and was told for the first time that she was "needed."

Thus, the uncut jade that had been sleeping in the dark box finally found someone who could brush away the dust.

As long as there was someone who could still find the beauty of this uncut jade and someone who would accept her... she was already completely satisfied.

Crack.

Suddenly, a sharp cracking sound echoed in this death-like silent abyss.

Immediately after, an endless roar resounded.

High in the sky, the heavy chains extending from all directions—symbolizing "self-sealing" and "exile by Human Order"—began to shatter inch by inch like fragile deadwood.

Violent magical energy became a storm that thoroughly pulverized the iron fragments symbolizing sin.

BOOM——!

A dazzling golden light completely tore through the darkness of the mental world.

The once-lifeless golden sea suddenly erupted like a storm of creation, sending waves surging to the horizon.

Above this girl who had originally been fragile and powerless, a magnificent aura capable of shaking the stars and subduing all things expanded and heightened at a geometric rate.

There was no despair or rage from the "black mud."

At this moment, what shook the entire mental image world was the true ether of life symbolizing the origin of all things.

The woman called the "Mother Goddess of Creation Tiamat" cast aside the prison that had bound her in this abandoned abyss at the young man's call and regained her noble and perfect divinity.

Within this sea of consciousness, she had completely released her seal!

A fierce wind fluttered Matou Yuu's clothes. He stared at the overwhelming scene before him as if a miracle had descended, feeling its warmth and magical embrace, and finally let out a long sigh of relief.

The tension in his nerves completely eased, and just as he was about to turn around and leave, a clear, gentle, and pleasant voice suddenly came from behind.

"By the way... Yuu."

Matou Yuu instinctively turned his face.

However, before he could fully turn around, an enchanting, intoxicating fragrance enveloped him.

Immediately after, without any warning, two soft, sweet lips were pressed against his.

At that moment, time seemed to stop.

In the young man's slightly widened, dazed gaze, Tiamat's figure was right beside him.

Her waterfall-like, sea-like long hair naturally flowed and draped over the young man's neck. A faint blush appeared on her breathtakingly beautiful cheeks.

This Mother Goddess of Creation, who had only just regained her status, now looked like a pure-hearted girl, slightly lowering her eyes as her thick eyelashes gently trembled.

She pressed her forehead against the young man's hand and softly exhaled between her lips and teeth in a sweet, gentle voice.

"The contract is established."

"From now on, as long as you still need me in this world... I will always be by your side."

"This is... our contract kiss."

Staring at the dream-like beautiful face before him and feeling the still-warm, soft sensation of her lips, Matou Yuu could not suppress his dazed feeling for a while.

And in this moment of gentle, captivating beauty, a faint blue light suddenly appeared before his eyes.

[Ping! Affection from the "Deep Sea Spirit" toward you has been detected overflowing. Current affection is fixed at 100.]

[Soul imprint confirmed, hidden achievement prerequisite met, Epic Special Training Quest link activated!]

[Current Training Quest: The young pet is in its growth phase and urgently requires special nutrition!]

The keeper is required to have the "Deep Sea Youngling" chew the "High-Calcium Luminous Crystal" dropped by the "Alien Glass Octopus" to promote bone development and balanced nutrition.]

[Ultimate Evolution Route Outlook: If this young pet consumes sufficient extraterrestrial calcium, it will break through species limits and evolve into the Ultimate Overlord with the strongest horns of the Earth's strongest species!]

Matou Yuu stared at the flickering line of text before him and briefly fell into thought.

What on earth was this?

...

Meanwhile, outside.

The endless black sea covered the entire ruins of the snow-covered city like a sticky, suffocating swamp.

Turbid bubbles boiled and burst on the black mud, and without the "song" of the colossal beasts, the entire world seemed to have sunk into a deathly silence before a storm.

Gulp.

Fujimaru Ritsuka stiffened behind the defensive line, secretly glancing at the purple-haired girl nearby with caution, nervously swallowing as cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

No matter how slow her reaction was, from Emiya Alter and Mash's earlier reactions, she could not accurately guess what the true relationship between this girl and Matou Yuu was.

The situation was now critical. Otherwise, she did not know what would happen when Matou-san came out.

But... Even if in the worst case this moral crisis was truly resolved... Matou Sakura-san, would she go looking for Tiamat in the future?

As if an excessively thrilling scene was replaying in her head, the orange-haired girl nervously clenched her fists, her heart filled with guilt.

At this moment, Matou-san was still desperately fighting inside to save the world... Yet I was late and accidentally poked a big hole in his body...

Just as Fujimaru Ritsuka's thoughts tangled, a sudden change occurred in the sky!

The "Return Beast," standing like an unshakable mountain, suddenly seemed to sense an internal disturbance. Its colossal body violently trembled without warning.

Almost at that instant, the remaining people immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Fujimaru Ritsuka returned from her previous thoughts and was pulled back to reality. Her expression changed slightly as she unconsciously muttered, "Goddess Tiamat... Has she awakened?!"

Mash tightly gripped her cross shield and instinctively muttered, "Why is this happening... Does that mean Matou-san failed?"

However, no one had time to think or catch their breath. The very next moment, the slowly expanding Sea of Life suddenly began to surge violently once again!

"AAAAAAAA——!!!!!"

High above, the "Return Beast" suddenly raised its head and let out a sorrowful cry that shattered the clouds.

That voice had lost its previous sacred power, instead sounding like a desperate, sorrowful low groan left after losing its core soul.

At that moment.

The Old Man of the Mountain—who had always stood in the shadows of the defensive line like a god of death—finally quietly stepped out from the shadows of the remote valley.

The ghostly blue flames beneath his skull mask flickered faintly. He slowly raised his head and gazed at the colossal beast rampaging high in the distance.

He slowly raised his pitch-black great sword, symbolizing "severing fate and death."

His deep, dignified voice resonated in everyone's ears like judgment from the depths of the Underworld.

"The evening bell has finally rung..."

…

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