Chapter 782: Getting Anna-chan to Kiss Me
In a corner of the palace, Sakatsuki watched Rin clutching a sign that read "I'm a useless goddess," her face the picture of misery. His lips curled into a grin, perfectly embodying the principle of transferred happiness.
"Well, well, good morning there! Had your breakfast yet~~"
Rin didn't want to talk, couldn't even be bothered to throw a dog at Sakatsuki. Being watched like this by Ereshkigal, the mistress of the underworld, made her wish she could just die.
But the others were far from sharing Sakatsuki's good mood. Their progress had hit another deadlock, and breaking through the Lakhmu's heavy defenses once again became a major problem.
"Speaking of which, Fujimaru, as someone from the modern era, you must have heard of the 'termite survival' theory," Enkidu suddenly spoke up.
"Termite survival?" Fujimaru thought for a moment. "When termite colonies migrate and encounter a wall of fire, they form a ball and roll through it... Even if the outermost termites burn to death, most of the colony still makes it past the flames... Wait, are you suggesting—?!"
The palace fell silent, expressions shifting among the group.
They all understood Enkidu's meaning. If willing sacrifices fought on the outermost layer, the true elite could avoid combat and reach Tiamat's location unscathed.
But who would be those outermost "termites"?
"You seem to have misunderstood me," Enkidu said, as if sensing their thoughts. He chuckled lightly before continuing calmly, "The idea isn't for us to engage the Lakhmu. Our goal is Tiamat—we don't need to fight the Lakhmu, nor do we need to win."
After a pause, he dropped a bombshell:
"Let the soldiers of Uruk handle it."
"Enkidu, do you realize what you're saying?!" Tomoe Gozen couldn't help raising her voice. "If Uruk's soldiers fight the Lakhmu, they'll be torn to pieces!"
Enkidu merely tilted his head, puzzled. "But isn't the Goddess of the Underworld here?"
If fallen soldiers could be revived by the underworld goddess, why worry about sacrifice?
"Enkidu is right," Merlin mused after a moment, nodding in agreement. "This is the final battle. Expecting everyone to remain unharmed is impossible. We must accept reality—our numbers are too few. If we're worn down by the Lakhmu before even facing Tiamat, that would be far more disastrous than Uruk's soldiers sacrificing themselves."
Uruk's people could be revived if they fell, but if their group failed, it would mean the destruction of this Singularity—and human history itself.
The greater priority was obvious.
"King Gilgamesh..." Fujimaru turned helplessly to the throne, hoping the wise king might propose a better alternative. But after a long silence, the king only lifted his gaze.
"Is there a better solution? If not, proceed as suggested."
There was no other way.
Whether in agreement or opposition, everyone couldn't help but sigh. Even knowing this was the most practical approach, the thought of letting the very people they were meant to protect bleed for them filled these heroes with guilt.
But at that moment, Ereshkigal suddenly raised her hand curiously and asked, "Why don't we ask the miraculous Sakatsuki... ahem, I mean, why don't we ask my High Priest?"
"Him?" Gilgamesh couldn't help rolling his eyes. "That cook has caused us enough trouble already. What more could he possibly offer?"
Wasn't this whole mess his doing in the first place? Forcing them to abandon the city and fight on the enemy's turf.
"Sakatsuki's magecraft has its limits, doesn't it?" Anna, who had experienced ultra-long-distance teleportation firsthand, spoke from experience. "He could barely manage three extra people. Kingu got thrown off just by leaving the core range... and we have over ten people here."
"Tch." Kingu clicked his tongue in agreement.
It wasn't just them—the others nodded in understanding as well.
Anyone with basic magecraft knowledge knew there was no such thing as a large-scale teleportation array that could instantly transport Servants, Age of Gods heroes, and even deities—especially one that could be set up in such a short time.
Forget the sheer difficulty of such a spell. Just the "mass" of those being transported would crush any "mystery" that wouldn't even take form until a thousand years later.
Besides, the Third Magic's ability was "materialization of the soul"—completely unrelated to this field.
Yet just as everyone was dismissing the idea, Sakatsuki also raised his hand and asked curiously, "Why not?"
"...Hah?"
Handing the clay tablet to Ishtar, Sakatsuki stood up and held up two fingers. "I possess two Magics. One of them can instantly transport us to the Persian Gulf—to where the Mother Goddess resides."
There really was a way?!
Fujimaru was the most invested in this: "Is it true, Sakatsuki? Is there really a way to reach the Persian Gulf without sacrificing Uruk's citizens?"
"If it works, I'll pardon your crimes," Gilgamesh added immediately.
Under everyone's expectant gazes, Sakatsuki didn't beat around the bush and gave his answer directly: "Aside from displacement magecraft, I can also use Imaginary Number magecraft. One of its abilities is called 'Imaginary Number Dive'—something Chaldea should be very familiar with."
Imaginary Number Dive!
The Doctor and Da Vinci exchanged glances, unable to hide their surprise. Not just them—many staff members began whispering among themselves.
Imaginary Number Dive involved defining an imaginary existence and then diving through the timeless space of imaginary numbers. This technology used imaginary space as an intermediary, allowing objects or people to drift through it before returning to reality via anchors set in the real world. It was a transfer technique Chaldea had abandoned years ago.
Unlike Chaldea's current "Spiritron Transfer" technology—which was typically limited to a select few elites—Imaginary Number Dive allowed for large-scale transfers!
"When I broke through Tiamat's Reality Marble, I already set up numerous anchors—enough for a large-scale Imaginary Number Dive. As for feasibility, I believe Chaldea can confirm that for me."
Without waiting, the Doctor was promptly shoved aside by Da Vinci. The Mona Lisa-esque genius worked on the computer for a moment before quickly announcing the results:
"Correct. Based on magical energy reserves and Sakatsuki's capabilities, it's completely feasible!"
A series of sighs echoed as the group felt a weight lift from their hearts—until Merlin raised another issue:
"But if we reach the Persian Gulf this way, we'll be caught in a pincer attack."
At this, Sakatsuki began to smirk mysteriously, only for Gilgamesh to scoff coldly:
"Doesn't this chef have a second spell? Let's hear it."
Having his moment ruined by the wise king, Sakatsuki visibly bristled. He crossed his arms and tilted his head up defiantly:
"Never mind. Maybe the spell will fail."
"Wha—?!"
"Hey, Sakatsuki, this isn't a joke!" Fujimaru cried. "If it fails, we could all be wiped out!"
"You guys, not me." The young man closed his eyes, utterly indifferent. "Ereshkigal and I can just retreat to the underworld and bail. Whether this Singularity lives or dies isn't my problem."
"How can you say that?!"
Meanwhile, Enkidu and Kingu both glared at Gilgamesh, their message crystal clear:
Way to kill the mood!
Now that Sakatsuki was sulking, who was going to fix this?
Under the twin stares of identical faces, Gilgamesh stiffened, muttering, "This king didn't expect that," before propping his forehead on his hand like an ostrich burying its head. Getting this prideful king to apologize was utterly impossible.
Sakatsuki knew this too well, so he relented first.
"Fine, I'll tell you." His gaze landed on little Anna, and he smirked. "But only if Anna-chan gives me a kiss."
Noticing the amused looks from the others, Anna's face darkened.