"Ana, why do you seem so cheerful today..."
Early in the morning, Ushiwakamaru spotted Ana emerging from her room and couldn't help voicing her puzzlement.
"It's nothing, I just thought of something happy."
Ana shook her head with a soft laugh.
For some reason, Ushiwakamaru sensed a faint glimmer of triumph in Ana's eyes.
Still, considering Ushiwakamaru was the first to form a contract with Castorice, even if Ana had won something, it felt like only a half-victory at best...
"It's time to set off. Today is the day of the final battle."
Just then, Castorice stepped out of her room. Spotting the two, she greeted them with a smile before speaking.
"Yeah, the final battle at last... It feels like so much time has passed."
Ushiwakamaru's expression grew distant, lost in thought. From being summoned here by Gilgamesh, to her Master shifting to Castorice—so many events had unfolded in between...
The discussion on tactics took only a short while. After all, from the very beginning, there had only ever been one real option.
The number of demonic beasts was simply overwhelming. In a straightforward clash on the open battlefield, humanity stood no chance of victory.
Thus, the strategy was quickly settled.
A team of three—led by Merlin, Castorice, and Ana—would advance covertly toward the Blood Fortress. The rest would stage a feint on the front lines.
Once the moment was right, Quetzalcoatl would hurl the Axe of Marduk toward the Blood Fortress. That massive axe was something only she had the strength to wield.
Castorice couldn't help but sigh inwardly once more—if only the final boss were just Gorgon. In that case, sending Mydeimos would have been the perfect solution.
Whether through his authority to reject death or his divine spear of retribution, he could have easily crushed Gorgon. What a shame...
There was, however, one pleasant surprise: Castorice had confirmed with her system that once she formed a contract with a Servant, any prior pacts became null and void.
That meant the oath preventing the three goddesses from attacking one another was now effectively useless.
Two out of three goddesses were already traitors—what kind of game was that?
No game at all, really!
A Quetzalcoatl at the peak of her power was undeniably terrifying.
While Castorice was making her way toward the temple, Quetzalcoatl was locked in fierce combat with Kingu at the front lines.
Though "combat" was hardly the word for it—it was more like a one-sided beatdown.
Whether in Noble Phantasm or martial prowess, Kingu was hopelessly outmatched.
If not for the Holy Grail inside him, swiftly healing his injuries, Kingu would have been shattered to pieces within just a few exchanges.
Even his most prized treasure, the Chains of Heaven, proved utterly useless against Quetzalcoatl.
When the chains wrapped around her arm, Kingu thought he'd succeeded—only for Quetzalcoatl to swing her arm and send him spinning through the air like a top.
For a moment, Kingu could only seethe in frustration.
The magical energy Castorice supplied was overwhelmingly abundant.
Ever since arriving in this world, the sheer volume of mana flowing through her was almost unreal—enough to sustain Quetzalcoatl and the other Servants going all out.
Even Castorice herself was baffled. How was her magical capacity so boundless? Just last night, Ana had drawn a considerable amount from her.
An ordinary Master would have been drained dry, yet Castorice felt completely unfazed. If anything, it was Ana who seemed on the verge of overflowing.
With mana, that is.
Soon after, as Merlin led them to the Blood Fortress, the real battle began.
At Merlin's signal, Quetzalcoatl wrapped both arms around the Marduk Axe, spun with tremendous force, and sent the massive weapon hurtling skyward.
"Who do you expect to hit with such a clumsy thing?"
Kingu sneered—but the next moment, his expression froze.
"Gorgon's divinity... has dropped? No—you betrayed the alliance! How are you unaffected?"
He stared at Quetzalcoatl in disbelief.
"Because my Master is truly wonderful. She resolved my little problem so easily. Ahh, I think I'm falling for her more and more~"
Quetzalcoatl flashed a brilliantly mischievous smile, her eyes curving happily.
"Tch... How troublesome!"
With that, Kingu tried to dart back, to return to the Blood Fortress at lightning speed.
But in the next instant, a figure appeared before him. Quetzalcoatl blocked his path.
"I don't have time for your games right now."
Kingu's face darkened as he glared at her.
"Mm, I know. But what can I do? This is my little Master's request. So for now... you'll stay right here and keep me company!"
As she spoke, Quetzalcoatl gave a "radiant" grin. Then, her body shot forward like a cannonball, charging straight at Kingu.
It was clear—unless he dealt with her, he wasn't going anywhere.
"Since you're asking for death, I'll take you down first!"
Gritting his teeth, he rushed to meet her.
Meanwhile, Castorice and the others had reached the entrance of the Blood Fortress.
This place was the ovary where the demonic beasts were hatched.
The hordes of monsters now ravaging Mesopotamia were all born here.
But now, it lay in ruins.
The giant axe had cleaved straight through the Blood Fortress. Once Quetzalcoatl successfully shattered the temple, Castorice pressed onward into the wreckage.
Gorgon was lurking inside.
Within the ruins, clusters of unhatched demonic beast eggs still remained.
The sight was infuriating, but there was no time to dwell on it. They had only one goal: defeat Gorgon!
Sensing Castorice's group approaching, Gorgon soon revealed herself.
Her colossal form blotted out the sky. The temple had been vast, but against Gorgon's true body, it felt almost cramped.
The moment she saw Ana's true form, Gorgon was visibly shaken.
After fully transforming into a monster, Gorgon's heart had been consumed by vengeance. The innocent, childhood version of herself—Ana—had been discarded as useless.
Just the sight of Ana drove Gorgon into a frenzy.
"So you truly can't see me anymore... If you were still willing to look, perhaps there might have been a chance for redemption."
Ana gazed at Gorgon, her eyes tinged with sorrow.
"Are you ready, Ana?"
Castorice looked at her and couldn't resist asking.
"Yes. If it's about resolve... I've had that for a long time."
She nodded. "All this time, I've been telling myself: I must not live, I must not stay here, I must not laugh... But I truly wanted to live. I wanted to stay. I wanted to laugh. And the result is her—and also me."
"You helped me realize that, Castorice. You love this world... and I love it too. So... lend me your strength, Master!"
As she spoke, Ana gently brushed her fingers over her brow. "Let my Mystic Eyes neutralize hers. Then... let me end this with my own hands!"
"A temporary parting isn't necessarily the end. It could be a new beginning. So go forth without fear, Ana. We will meet again—I promise."
Speaking softly, Castorice watched as the scythe slowly materialized in her hands.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.