IBHJ 1072

"Oww..." Kiara covered her head and retreated.

Mordred looked up at the moon with a scowl on her face. That battlefield was beyond the limits of even Heroic Spirits. Even gods couldn't approach it.

If something happened to the old man...

She gripped the Grail tightly, unconsciously channeling mana into it. Suddenly, a warm hand covered hers. She looked up and met Artoria's blue eyes.

"Trust your father, Mordred," Artoria said softly.

Mordred pulled her hand away from Artoria's, turned her head, and muttered, "I know..."

...

At the UOs's gathering...

"The vessel of salvation has absorbed the power of that vanguard," one of the UOs said. "And that starship is about to send signals to the Umbral Star. Should we continue to stand idle, Saturn?"

"Wait."

After a pause, Saturn turned to Neptune. "Neptune," he asked, "how much time remains until judgment?"

"Five hours, measured in human time," Neptune replied.

"Five hours..."

Neptune hesitated, then asked, "When the time comes, will we really destroy Gaia?"

Saturn closed his eyes. "If he loses, we can only blame Gaia and Tethys for betting too much on him."

"Uranus won't show mercy," another UO said. "He harbors hatred for all civilizations born on Earth. Gaia is doomed. But is it right to let things get worse by allowing Venus to side with Uranus?"

Saturn's brow furrowed, his eyes still closed. "We may call each other brothers and sisters, but we cannot overstep and interfere too much in each other's affairs. They have their own decisions to make. Our role now is to observe... and wait."

"Very well..."

The meeting fell silent.

Saturn opened his eyes and gazed at the moon through the curtain. Fujimaru Shirou, he wondered silently, what makes you so special that Tethys and Gaia would bet so heavily on you?

...

On the Moon...

A deafening roar shattered the silence. Uranus's dragon lowered its massive head, its eyes blazing as it stared down at the small figure beside it.

"Wait, wait!" Heaven's Corpse threw up her hands. "I'm Venus! Your sibling!"

The dragon studied her for a moment before turning toward the Titan, who remained motionless as it pinned down the giant fox. Something about the Titan's aura made the dragon rear back in rage. With a snarl, it abandoned Heaven's Corpse and charged at its true enemy.

Heaven's Corpse released her breath. "Uranus is truly terrifying. Good thing I—"

The whisper of steel cut through her words. She spun to find Venus slashing at her with a sword. Heaven's Corpse jumped back, barely avoiding the blade. "A sneak attack? That's low."

"Shut up and die!" Venus's eyes were cold, and she gripped her sword tighter.

"Asking me to die... isn't that a bit foolish?" Manaka countered. "Perhaps you should be the one to give up."

"Silence!" she snarled, pressing forward. "As Venus's UO, you refuse to act for Venus's sake. How long has this heretical thinking tormented me? Get out of my head!"

Human thoughts are complex and often contradictory. The more tangled they become, the deeper they cut.

Manaka's gaze flicked to the diving dragon. Suddenly, her body transformed into a swirling vortex, expanding rapidly like a black hole, trying to consume Shirou.

Shirou reacted instantly. He gripped his demonic sword, channeling mana into its blade, and raised it to cleave the vortex in two. But Manaka was ready for him. Two enormous arms of mud erupted from the vortex, seizing the dragon's feet and swinging it like a club at his head.

Seeing this, he withdrew his sword and spread his arms. Intense starlight emanated from his body, converging in his hands. With a thunderous boom, he unleashed terrifying beams of stellar energy that struck the dragon head-on.

The dragon roared, reeling from the impact. Though not seriously injured, it was knocked backward, away from him.

Shirou kept his sword raised, vigilantly scanning his surroundings for any sign of Manaka. He expected a sneak attack, but Manaka had no intention of ambushing him. The dragon was merely a distraction, a way to buy her time to reach Arcueid.

"You've fallen for it, Shirou Fujimaru!" Manaka shouted, launching herself towards Arcueid like a black blur. She knew that once she merged with her other self, Arcueid would be quickly defeated.

Shirou saw through her plan. He gripped his sword and lunged toward Manaka.

"Not so fast!"

But he was too late. The black mist that had been drifting around them, seemingly harmless, suddenly compressed and solidified into a human silhouette. Without warning, a blast of energy erupted from the figure's hand, the beam burning through the air like concentrated sunlight. Shirou's protective barrier flared to life, a dome of silver light materializing just in time. The ray struck it with a sharp crack that echoed like breaking glass, the clash sending out a shockwave that stopped him mid-charge.

"Who?" He turned, his eyes narrowing. Through the swirling mist, he saw a goddess surrounded by nine brilliant stars.

Surprise jolted him. "Tiamat?"

It wasn't a new enemy who had appeared to attack him, but Tiamat—who had been absorbed by Manaka.

"Please, Mother of Mesopotamia, stop him!" Manaka called out.

Tiamat nodded slightly, clasping her hands before her chest. The nine planetary phantoms surrounding her flickered with light.

His eyebrows shot up. Could it be...?

The nine stars around Tiamat blazed with sudden intensity, flying towards him with terrifying speed.

A sea of flowers danced around Shirou, and stellar rays erupted from him, attempting to intercept Tiamat's attack. The collision produced a deafening boom that shook the entire moon.

Heaven's Corpse, still locked in battle with Venus, felt the violent tremor. She turned to look at Tiamat in shock. "Tiamat, do you still have your own will?"

Tiamat nodded slightly but said nothing.

"If you have your own will, then why would you—?" Heaven's Corpse trailed off, confusion evident in her voice.

"I'm sorry," Tiamat said calmly. "I willingly allowed this child to assimilate me. I have decided to lend her my strength."

Heaven's Corpse's eyes widened in disbelief.

No one had expected that Tiamat, whom they believed had been defeated and absorbed by Manaka, had actually voluntarily allowed herself to be assimilated!

"Where are you looking?!" Venus seized the opportunity, her furious strike slamming into Heaven's Corpse and sending her crashing to the ground.

"You talk too much, Tiamat. But I suppose I owe you my gratitude." Manaka turned and charged straight towards Arcueid.

This is bad! Shirou thought, his eyes narrowing as he blocked Tiamat's relentless attacks. Everything had gone according to his predictions until now, but Tiamat's appearance had thrown all his calculations into chaos. Though his Eternal Emperor was strong, it had been worn down by Manaka. Even without her full power, Tiamat was more than enough to keep him pinned in place.

The pieces suddenly clicked together in his mind, revealing the true depth of the trap. 'So this was the endgame all along. Every move was calculated—Heaven's Corpse hunted by Venus, Umbral Star's forces manipulated into fighting amongst themselves, Sefar absorbed by Manaka... that leaves only Uranus's dragon as a wildcard. Once Manaka deals with Arcueid, they'll surround and defeat me, then slowly consume the dragon. Everything will be settled, and no one will escape her all-seeing eyes. The perfect victory...'

'There's no other choice,' he thought grimly. 'We'll have to let Arcueid abandon the core.' But Mooncell was an object of great importance to Arcueid. Would she willingly give it up?

Just then, Arcueid saw Manaka closing in on her from both sides. Panic flashed across her face. She quickly threw the core she was holding. "Here, take it! Take the stupid thing! Just don't eat me!"

Shirou: "....."

He stared, speechless. Her reaction was so casual, so unlike what he expected.

Manaka glanced at Arcueid, then turned and chased after the core. To be honest, she didn't want to consume Arcueid, Heaven's Corpse, or Venus. They were all powerful beings, and attacking them would be risky. If she made a move against them, those UOs, especially that troublesome Saturn lurking in the shadows, would likely gang up on her in the name of justice.

Until she had gathered all seven Beasts, Manaka wanted to avoid provoking those old solar system rogues who were quick to unite at the slightest hint of injustice. Arcueid's willingness to surrender the core was the ideal outcome.