Chapter 787: Returning Before It All Began
The battlefield was shrouded in an oppressive atmosphere. With the crisis of the world's destruction looming clearly before them, even the most optimistic among them couldn't muster a smile.
"Is there still a way?" Enkidu turned to his Master, but Sakatsuki merely shrugged. Gazing at the endless tide of Lahmu surging toward them, he paused before speaking:
"There is, but..."
Gilgamesh responded to Sakatsuki's words with a cold laugh. "Even if it means death, this king would never agree to such an insult!"
Such an absolute stance made Sakatsuki frown. "How is this an insult?"
"Allowing a dangerous entity unrelated to Sumerian origin to march freely into our lands to resist the Mother Goddess's will—that is the failure of a ruler!"
"You can trust me!"
"A king has no need for such trust! What this king must face is not you, but the alien forces beyond the lunar sea! Moreover, if we truly proceed with this, the civilization of Mesopotamia will collapse entirely!"
"It's merely a modification of the civilization's origin, not a pruning of the timeline! Besides, is Mesopotamian mythology truly more important than the incineration of humanity?!"
"Those words should not be directed at this king, but at Fujimaru Ritsuka." Gilgamesh scoffed, unwavering. "This king has spoken—I refuse."
Even as the Lahmu closed in, forcing everyone to employ their own means to intercept them, Gilgamesh and Sakatsuki remained locked in fierce verbal combat. Though Fujimaru Ritsuka had never fully grasped the reason for their dispute, it was clear that if this continued, they would all be worn down and killed by sheer numbers.
"Sakatsuki..."
"What else do you expect us to do?! Just die here?!"
"King Gilgamesh..."
"To think even you would resort to such a foolish act as drinking poison to quench thirst. Until a proposal that takes responsibility for Uruk is presented, this king will not yield!"
...
This was no good—these two had reached a point where they wouldn't listen to anyone's explanations!
The conflict that had previously existed within the palace had now erupted fully at this life-or-death moment. Two equally proud and unyielding kings would rather pay with their lives than bow to the other.
By now, it was no longer just a matter of differing stances.
"Siduri isn't here... Is there no one who can rein in these two and their machismo?" The doctor's sharp remark hit the mark, but even with all of Chaldea's wisdom, they were at a loss.
Was there anyone?
Was there anyone with enough authority to suppress both Gilgamesh and Sakatsuki at once?
"Impossible, Romani." Da Vinci sighed, speaking from experience. "They're just like Lorenzo de' Medici back in Florence. Once they've dug in their heels this deeply, no one can stop them."
After a pause, the Universal Genius added helplessly, "The priority now is to repair the Rayshift chamber. Once we confirm this Singularity is beyond saving, we'll immediately force Fujimaru to return."
"Has it really come to that...?" The doctor was stunned but didn't argue against Da Vinci's proposal.
Perhaps after the failure to resolve the Seventh Singularity, the Human Order would be incinerated, and the world would meet its end. But as long as Chaldea remained, as long as Fujimaru Ritsuka, the last Master, still stood, humanity would still have hope.
No matter what, Fujimaru Ritsuka must not be lost.
Yet... the two of them gazed at the display screen, where countless red dots swarmed like a plague around the few green indicators, continuously vanishing and reappearing.
Just from the sounds transmitted through the communication bracelets, one could imagine how intense the battle was at this moment. Even knowing the future held a despairing outcome, not a single person gave up. Everyone mustered their last traces of magical energy, burning their final shreds of divinity, fighting the Lahmu horde to the very end.
Was there truly no hope left?
Was there really no way to save the Seventh Singularity, to save the people of Uruk?
"Thud!"
The sound of tearing flesh mingled with a muffled groan. The moment a gap appeared in Uruk's defensive line, several Lahmu shot into the sky, transforming themselves into self-detonating projectiles that bombarded the wings of the Beast Goddess in rapid succession!
The violent impacts forced a pained expression onto the Beast Goddess's face. She clearly heard the bones connecting her wings bending under the strain, emitting the unbearable sound of fracturing. Amidst the scattering feathers, several horrifying bloody holes appeared on her wings.
Not only that—taking advantage of her moment of pain, even more Lahmu breached the defenses, tongues lashing as they lunged at her with savage glee.
They clearly intended to seize this opportunity to kill her here and now!
"Is this the end...?" Anna let out a bitter laugh. From the desperate struggle until now, she had long been at her limit. Even without the Lahmu's targeted attacks, she would have self-destructed soon enough.
This was merely hastening the inevitable.
I'm sorry, everyone... I can't protect you any longer...
Her presence dwindled bit by bit as the Beast Goddess calmly closed her eyes, awaiting the impending end.
Yet a dazzling sword light erupted—so fierce, so overwhelming.
When she opened her eyes again, a torrent of crimson and black energy had swept through everything around them. The young Master gripped his sword with both hands, his own breath ragged, yet he still managed to shout to her:
"Don't give up, Anna!"
"...What a nuisance."
Anna's response was one of irritation, as if someone had disturbed her midday nap. Yet despite her tone, she obediently squeezed out the remaining power from her colossal form. One by one, her serpentine locks awakened, weaving through the pale golden Chains of Heaven to devour any escaping Lahmu, digesting them completely.
Seeing Anna regain her fighting spirit, Fujimaru smiled in relief, though he couldn't help but gasp for breath. Even with the [Mooncell King] card providing an endless supply of magical energy, exceeding his body's capacity still left him feeling as though he had run a ten-kilometer cross-country race without pause.
Instantly unleashing Excalibur was far too demanding for a Master who was merely an ordinary human.
But he had no intention of resting. Clenching his teeth, he glared furiously at the two still arguing, as if in anger:
"Sakatsuki! And you, King! Are you really going to let Uruk fall like this?!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka's furious roar finally silenced the two men. Gilgamesh glanced at the exhausted Fujimaru and snorted coldly, turning his face away petulantly while the Gate of Babylon behind him continued spewing sword rain like a typewriter. Sakatsuki also stopped speaking, and once silence fell, worry became evident on his handsome face.
His earlier joke wasn't entirely baseless—he and Ereshkigal did possess the ability to return to the Moon Cell by descending into the underworld. If they did so, they could remain safe even if Uruk was destroyed by the Mother Goddess Tiamat.
But could he truly accept that?
After all this preparation, after all this effort... even the trump card that could decide everything hadn't been played yet!
Could he really flee back to the Moon Cell in such a pathetic state?
"Tch, there's no other choice."
A trace of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes as his dragon heart pounded violently, even letting out a mournful cry. Under Sakatsuki's desperate exertion, an amount of magical energy sufficient to fill an entire city's leylines surged from within him and was poured unsparingly into the silver ring on his finger.
Mooncell Automaton—connection initiated!
"Fujimaru Ritsuka!" he suddenly called out loudly to the Master beside him. "Soon, I will unleash the form of the Third Sorcerer and send you all back to before everything began!"
Ignoring everyone's stunned expressions and the complicated look Ereshkigal gave him, Sakatsuki continued, "This is the last thing I can do for you. There may be more sacrifices after losing me... but I believe you can succeed."
"Before everything becomes irreversible—defeat Tiamat!"
A resplendent Heaven's Dress manifested as Sakatsuki, now wielding the Third Magic, had his eyes turn platinum. He looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka just as "Nameless" had once looked at him.
With such solemnity, such trust.
The next moment, gritting his teeth, he activated the Mooncell Ring!