At the doorway—
Mordred stared at the two of them in shock. "You! You—?!"
As a dignified Heroic Spirit, why did watching those two make her feel so irritated?
So irritated she almost wanted to charge forward and stab them both through?!
Her emotions were an absolute mess.
It was as if she'd returned to her mindset before the Battle of Camlann — ready for a duel to the death.
These were people she didn't even know, so why did she have this weird urge boiling up inside her?
Why…?
"What is it?" Artoria looked at her calmly.
Kissing the man right in front of the rebellious knight who once declared she didn't want the throne but wanted Nameless instead — and doing so without hesitation — was pure bliss.
She loved seeing that barely contained fury behind Mordred's forced composure, the "smile through your teeth" expression of someone who wanted to explode but couldn't.
Oh, how satisfying it was!
Mordred, trying to maintain her friendliness, found her tone growing sharp. "You two weren't even in a relationship before, right? And you just do something like that?"
This girl — the same one who had just been competing with her over food — had taken advantage of Kirina being away to launch a sneak attack.
Despicable!
Absolutely despicable!
Her poor best friend was the one who came first, and yet this woman just swooped in and stole the first move!
Yes, that must be it. She was only this upset because she cared about her friend's feelings!
Artoria raised an eyebrow slightly. "I don't think that's any of your concern, is it?"
"It isn't," Mordred admitted, visibly irritated, "but maybe you should pay more attention to where you're doing things like that."
Something about this blonde girl made her feel the same pressure she felt whenever facing her father—
But that was impossible.
There was no way this person was a Heroic Spirit.
It made no sense at all.
Sanjiro cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ahem… please, tone it down a bit."
The ahoge king was getting more and more reckless — and doing it right in front of the rebellious knight of all people.
If their identities were exposed right now, this could instantly turn into a "fatherly compassion and filial fury" kind of battle!
And if they really did fight, the peaceful city of Fuyuki would be reduced to rubble by Heroic Spirits in minutes.
Worse still — if their clash somehow triggered the seals on Kirina and released that apocalyptic child…
Humanity was done for.
And all of this… because of one dinner.
He couldn't help but wonder if the ahoge king was getting too influenced by her Lion King memories — was she about to go dark again?
If she and that sealed calamity ever joined forces… the world would be doomed.
But Artoria remained calm.
She gently took Sanjiro's hand and pressed it against her forehead, rubbing it softly.
"Mm. Good night."
Sanjiro, your first kiss wasn't with Mordred — it was with me!
With that, she turned and left, clearly pleased with herself, not even glancing back.
Just as she stepped out, Kirina came back downstairs, arms full, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Mordred."
She handed over the things she'd gathered — the manga, novels, and games she'd promised to lend. There was no need to tag along to the hotel now; they could just video call later if needed.
"Thanks," Mordred said, taking the bundle, her expression complicated.
Poor girl… if you saw what just happened, your heart would've shattered on the spot.
She knew exactly how her best friend felt about this "ordinary" high school boy — he was the most important person in her life, the one she was ready to spend her whole future with.
And now—
Someone had dropped out of the sky and stolen him away… kissing him right in his own home.
How cruel.
They always said childhood friends could never beat the girl who appears from nowhere, but in this case—
Wait a second.
That blonde girl… she was actually Sanjiro's childhood friend too.
Meaning, technically, she came first.
The "childhood friend who returns after years apart" — combined with the "girl who fell from the sky"…
That's a double love-interest buff!
How could Kirina possibly win against that?!
"What's wrong?" Kirina asked, puzzled.
There was something strange about the way this powerful Heroic Spirit was looking at her.
That look—it wasn't hostility, nor pity, but rather the kind of gaze you'd give a…
…loser?
Huh? What happened while she was upstairs?
"Nothing. Good night~" Mordred smiled faintly and didn't elaborate.
Her best friend was still far too young. That high school boy clearly saw her as just a kid—no chance of any romantic feelings there.
And honestly, if he did develop those kinds of feelings… he'd deserve to be thrown in prison.
Five years minimum, death penalty preferred!
With that, Mordred turned and left.
But the scene she'd witnessed earlier… it stuck with her.
Those two — they really did look alike.
Could they actually have been sisters in another life?
After she left—
Kirina looked sharply at the boy beside her. "Did you do something inappropriate while I was gone?"
"I'm just a normal otaku," Sanjiro said helplessly, spreading his hands. "Standing next to a Heroic Spirit already makes me nervous enough. How could I possibly do anything inappropriate?"
"…Fair point."
Kirina nodded. Maybe she was just imagining things.
They'd lived together for so many years; she knew this guy down to the last strand of hair. He wasn't that kind of person.
A lazy, peace-seeking otaku, and a lazy, peace-seeking otaku girl—weren't they a match made in heaven?
Perhaps this was destiny itself.
Maybe in their past lives, they'd grown old together, side by side until the very end.
====
At the apartment gate.
Artoria stood under the streetlight and raised her head slightly.
"What do you want?"
Up above, a golden figure stood casually on the lamp post, looking down at her with amused crimson eyes.
It was the King of Heroes himself—Gilgamesh.
"Nothing at all," he said with a smile. "Just passing by."
How curious.
Both father and child were here, yet they hadn't started fighting?
He had to admit—his damned friend's charisma was terrifying.
Even he, the mighty King of Heroes, could almost understand why others fell for that man.
If he were a woman… perhaps he too might've joined the competition.
Good thing he wasn't.
That way, he could just sit back and enjoy the show.
Artoria frowned slightly, glanced around, and then walked past him without a word.
After she left, the shadows nearby stirred—
A tall, broad-shouldered knight stepped out.
"Of course," said Gawain with a helpless sigh. "There's no hiding from my king."
He had tried to completely conceal his presence—But Artoria's instincts were absurdly sharp. There was no escaping her gaze.
If only that French saint had the same kind of intuition, she wouldn't have walked past Nameless again and again without realizing it.
Not even God could carry that girl to enlightenment!
"So what exactly happened back there?" Gawain wondered aloud.
He'd faintly sensed Mordred's mana earlier — surging with anger — and then, strangely, calming down again.
No battle. No clash.
How disappointing.
Why didn't they fight?
Wait—no, that was good.
All for the glorious restoration of Britain's future!
Just then—
Mordred stepped out of the apartment complex.
She glanced around in mild confusion, then briskly walked away.
Gawain sighed sympathetically. "Poor Mordred. She really didn't recognize her at all."
The King stood at the very pinnacle of Heroic Spirits—practically at Grand-class level.
Mordred, by comparison, was several tiers below.
And now, with Artoria officially manifesting as a Grand Saber, the gap between them had only widened.
Even if the King herself boldly kissed the very man Mordred once tried to steal—right in front of her—there was no way Mordred could see through her disguise.
Tragic. Absolutely tragic.
Poor, poor Mordred.
"At least they didn't fight," said Gilgamesh, still watching the girl disappear into the distance.
The "apocalyptic child" that Sanjiro was guarding… its terrifying aura was growing harder and harder to contain.
Clearly—
The time of its full awakening was drawing near.
And when that happened, not even he, the King of Heroes, was certain he could defeat it.
God Himself cannot create a stone He cannot lift—And humanity cannot destroy the world it lives in.
At that moment—
Gawain, glancing at his phone, frowned.
"Huh? Even the embodiment of Human Evil can become a Heroic Spirit now?"
"What?"
Gilgamesh raised a brow.
"Look here," Gawain said, flipping the screen toward him. "That uploader 'Alaya' just posted something."
The usually silent account—known for uploading only videos—had just made a new post:
[Alaya: Would you like Tiamat to become a Heroic Spirit—so she can stay by your side forever?]
Gilgamesh froze.
"Human Evil… as a Heroic Spirit?"
That was absurd.
Heroic Spirits existed to protect humanity.
But Human Evil was born to destroy it.
Normally, their very existence was incompatible—Human Evil could only ever be the enemy of all Heroic Spirits.
And yet now—
Alaya, the collective unconsciousness that protected humanity's survival, was asking if people wanted a Beast to become a Heroic Spirit.
Even Gilgamesh felt a chill down his spine.
He hadn't forgotten—
Back in the Absolute Demonic Front singularity, it was he who fired Ea and shattered Tiamat's body, banishing her essence into the Imaginary Number Space.
That was thousands of years ago.
If she really did become a Heroic Spirit, he'd have to see her again—constantly.
And if she ever decided to blame him for what happened back then…
He'd be so dead.
But ordinary people didn't seem to care. The comments were exploding—
LegallyRetarded-[Both hands and feet raised! I love you, Tiamama!]
Blorbo-[Get lost, she's my Tiamama! Don't steal her from me!]
ConstipatedProcrastinator-[Before Tiamat, no matter if you're twenty or thirty, you're still a baby who needs love!]
FuyukiGasLeak-[Praise Alaya! Let Tiamama descend!]
GoatedBalls-[If she becomes a Heroic Spirit, she HAS to hold a concert—her voice is angelic!]
…
In Academy City—
Within the headmaster's office—
Tamamo-no-Mae frowned. "Why would Alaya ask that? Does it really intend to make Tiamat a Heroic Spirit?"
"Why not?" Merry said, giving her a curious look. "You were once classified as a Human Evil too, weren't you?"
"That's different." Tamamo's ears twitched. "Becoming a Heroic Spirit means weakening yourself. Wouldn't that mean she couldn't fight beside Nameless anymore?"
She was genuinely confused.
Heroic Spirits all had limits set by their Saint Graphs.
Even gods had to cut away part of their power to fit into the system.
When she herself had been at full strength—nine tails complete—she was unmatched, crushing nearly every Heroic Spirit.
But as a summoned Heroic Spirit, she only had three tails left—and could be tossed around by the likes of Shikotei and Gilgamesh.
During the battles against Zeus and the Vanguard, Tiamat had only barely managed victory by supporting Nameless.
If she became a Heroic Spirit, wouldn't that reduce their overall power?
"Not necessarily," Merry said, shaking her head lightly. "This is Alaya we're talking about."
For ordinary Heroic Spirits—or even gods—yes, their power would be reduced.
But Nameless was Alaya's chosen vessel, the strongest guardian of Human Order.
Alaya had already gone to absurd lengths to strengthen him.
"Remember," Merry added, "a Heroic Spirit's power isn't just about raw strength—it also depends on their fame."
After the Absolute Demonic Front incident went public, hardly anyone hated Tiamat.
Instead, countless people pitied her, seeing her as a gentle mother who'd sacrificed everything for humanity.
And later, when she appeared again during the battles with Zeus and the Vanguard, she became humanity's greatest ally.
Despite being Human Evil, she protected humanity tenderly, earning love and devotion worldwide—far surpassing most Heroic Spirits.
"Damn it…" Tamamo muttered, ears flattening.
Her own fame was worldwide too—
…but entirely for the wrong reasons!
Compared to that…
Countless people online shamelessly called the Mother of Creation "Tiamama," all begging to be her children.
As a nine-tailed fox spirit, Tamamo no Mae didn't even want to expose their hypocrisy.
Did they really love Tiamat?
No — they were clearly just lusting after her body.
Degenerates!
But there was a problem.
If Tiamat really descended into the world as a Heroic Spirit, that meant she'd be by Nameless's side constantly.
How was Tamamo supposed to steal him away then?
====
At the Tohsaka residence.
Sakura was equally stunned.
"A manifestation of humanity's evil… can become a Heroic Spirit?"
It sounded impossible.
But then she remembered fighting alongside Nameless, and suddenly it didn't seem so strange.
That being — humanity's evil — had always been rejected by the world, unable to freely exist here. Each time she appeared, it was only for a short while before being forced back into the imaginary number space.
It was… kind of like Ultraman only being able to stay for three minutes.
"She probably can," Rin murmured, still dazed. "After all, even Tamamo no Mae became a Heroic Spirit."
She remembered running into Tiamat while grocery shopping.
Just recalling it now made her heart race wildly.
If Tiamat really descended… would she stay beside Nameless forever?
Inside Rin's mind, Ishtar immediately exploded.
"This is bad! If Mama really stays in the human world forever, we'll be living in constant fear!"
"It's kind of scary…" Ereshkigal agreed anxiously.
Sure, they had fought side by side against the Vanguard, but that was only because they had a common enemy.
If Tiamat became a Heroic Spirit — permanently living among humans — that was another story.
Why worry, though?
Simple — imagine going off to college for a semester. Your mom misses you, nags you to come home early.
But once you actually do come home for break?
A few days later, she's already complaining you're lazy, useless, and messy!
Sound familiar?
Even someone as gentle as Tiamat might start remembering humanity's betrayals eventually.
When that day comes, and she settles old scores… who could survive that?
"Doesn't matter to me," Rin said, far calmer than the others — even looking a bit excited.
After all, only someone who loved humanity to the extreme could become one of humanity's evils.
She was a being of absolute, boundless love — a motherly goddess.
And besides… surely the Mother of Creation wouldn't try to steal her Nameless, right?
====
Rome.
Inside the resplendent golden palace, beside the Emperor's throne stood another — reserved for the Founding Emperor, Romulus-Quirinus.
After the battle against Zeus, Romulus had answered Nameless's summons, sacrificing his Grand Lancer power to pierce the god's defenses — allowing Nameless to strike the killing blow.
When the war ended, the deified founder of Rome descended quietly back to his homeland.
Nero smiled brightly.
"Umu~ So even the Mother of Creation can become a Heroic Spirit now?"
"She is indeed one who loves humanity deeply — as deeply as I love Rome," said Romulus.
The seven Grand Servants had been born to face the seven Evils of Humanity — each one meant to counter a being of that level.
He himself had been the one who restrained Zeus.
But this "Evil of Humanity," Tiamat… was completely different.
Though born from mankind's sins, she loved humans so much she would rather harm herself than them.
A truly gentle mother.
"Umu~ They say her voice is beautiful beyond words," Nero mused, eyes sparkling. "When she becomes a Heroic Spirit, I'd love to sing alongside her!"
Tiamat's speech was said to be in a primordial language — incomprehensible to mortals — yet everyone who had heard her said her voice was divine, the most beautiful sound in existence.
As an artist rivaling the Muses themselves, Nero couldn't resist the thought.
Romulus smiled.
"A concert, hm? I'd like to hear my successor's song as well."
As Rome's founding deity, he had a vested interest in his heir's talents — and in ensuring Rome's greatness endured.
"Then be ready!" Nero said with pride. "I'll even invite the legendary Dragon Idol, Elizabeth Bathory — it'll shake the world!"
The two were both rivals and friends — perfect duet partners for such a divine event.
And with Tiamat added to the lineup… what a showdown that would be.
Looking at Tiamat's image on the screen, Nero sighed wistfully.
"If only I had the power of a Humanity's Evil…"
Even a top-class Heroic Spirit like her couldn't compare to that level of existence.
"Humanity's Evil…" Romulus murmured, his eyes narrowing as he looked at his heir.
From her aura, he could sense something — something far beyond a normal Heroic Spirit.
Could it be… that she, too, carried the seed of that same power?
As the world erupted in excitement over the idea of "Tiamama" descending, Sanjiro frowned at the holographic image of a smug little girl floating above his phone.
"Why do you even want to turn her into a Heroic Spirit?" he asked flatly.
That adorable, yet infuriating little girl — the one he constantly wanted to pin down and spank until she meowed — was none other than Alaya herself.
Dangling her pale little legs, she said casually,
"Look around — do you even have any decent teammates left? Only a Humanity's Evil can keep up with you. You hate trouble? Well, I hate it even more."
Sanjiro's tone sharpened.
"If she becomes a Heroic Spirit, will she still keep her full power?"
Alaya smiled sweetly.
"I'm the collective will of mankind, the embodiment of humanity's survival instinct. You think I'd give my guardian a weak aid? So… are you taking her or not?"