Shiomi had entered this place twice before in dreams.
Now, for the first time while fully awake, his consciousness touched this deep sea.
He guessed that this was both the Sea of Life where Tiamat slumbered, and the Sea of the Mind that led directly to her spirit.
That distant, unreachable light—so far yet seemingly within reach—was the very core of Tiamat's consciousness.
He pushed himself forward with all his might. The progress was slow, but he was undeniably getting closer.
The nearer he drew, the more he felt his thoughts and identity slipping away. Rage, sorrow, agony... A surge of negative emotions battered his spirit.
The consciousness of the Primordial Mother was simply too vast—far beyond what a human mind could bear.
"Urgh...!"
It wasn't the pain of clashing divine powers—it was the warmth of returning to life's origin.
No matter the sorrow or joy, all was embraced. No matter the sin or guilt, all was forgiven.
To return to the mother's arms, to start over at her side—to recreate a world that belonged to her.
That warm consciousness seeped silently into Shiomi's soul, urging him to give up, to stop resisting, to let go of the agony—and in exchange, be released from the burden of responsibility, to find the answer to life's riddle.
Human life inevitably withers... but what if someone conquered death? If there were no more end ahead—then where would that life lead?
It was a question Shiomi had long ignored. Now it surged up, intertwined with the warmth trying to devour him, circling endlessly in his mind.
He must not think. He must not waver...
He had to refuse. Only refusal would save him.
Even the slightest hesitation would lead to his spirit being swallowed whole by the Sea of the Mind—just like the Laḫmu, transformed into a terminal of Tiamat's will.
To return to the mother's embrace meant surrender. Even if emotions, memories, and thoughts remained, the self would be gone—replaced by a hollow vessel devoid of free will.
Unlike a collective unconscious, it was individual self-awareness that made one truly human. Wasn't that the most precious thing of all?
Against the current of overwhelming thought, Shiomi inched closer to that inner light.
Just a bit more...
Just a bit more and he'd reach the heart of Tiamat.
If he could achieve his goal here, the companions waiting in Uruk wouldn't have to shoulder this burden.
But... it was no use.
Shiomi felt the bitter truth sink in.
He had reached his limit.
Only a single step remained between him and the light at the core of Tiamat's heart.
But his resolve had worn thin.
If he took that final step, he'd reach her—and be consumed in an instant.
A hand... reached out toward him.
[Come to me.]
A voice, calm and gentle, echoed from the light in the depths of the Sea of the Mind.
Without thinking, Shiomi extended his hand.
He knew what would happen. He knew destruction awaited. But he couldn't stop himself.
What... am I doing?
Shiomi froze, dazed. It felt like something had slipped from his mind—like he'd forgotten everything.
Everyone. Everything.
And just as their fingers were about to touch, a tremendous force wrapped around his waist—yanking him backward.
The connection forged through divine authority snapped in an instant.
Shiomi's eyes flew open in a jolt.
"…You pulled me back, Artoria." Realizing just how close he'd come to the edge, Shiomi gave a heartfelt thanks for her intervention.
"You and the Laḫmu both stopped," Artoria said, one arm wrapped around Shiomi while the other steered the pterosaur. "Even Tiamat's movements have paused…"
Her divine intuition quickly grasped what had happened—Tiamat had been pouring all her strength into consuming Shiomi's mind, halting all other activity in the process.
By physically grabbing hold of Shiomi, Artoria had forcefully yanked his consciousness back.
It wasn't that Shiomi had nearly reached the heart of Tiamat.
It was that Tiamat had nearly engulfed Shiomi's spirit entirely.
And yet, the fact that he held out this long without being consumed—he'd come a long way since yesterday.
"Her mental defenses are even more formidable than I thought… If we want to reach her, we need to weaken her first." Shiomi rested a hand over Artoria's arm.
Looking up, he saw Quetzalcoatl waiting—ready.
The Laḫmu still hadn't moved. Tiamat, too, remained motionless, the towering forest still holding firm around her.
"Please!"
Bloodied and battered, Shiomi raised his crimson-stained hand and summoned Marduk's Axe high into the sky with all the strength he could muster.
"Nice—!"
Quetzalcoatl immediately urged her pterosaur into a steep climb, then leapt skyward, seizing the massive axe midair and spinning with it.
The weapon that once felled Tiamat had returned—and even the Primordial Mother felt threatened. She fixed her gaze on Quetzalcoatl and instantly conjured three layers of barriers.
One look was enough to know—this wasn't something human magecraft could break. Only the Noble Phantasms of top-tier Servants and gods could pierce such defenses.
"As expected of the goddess of creation—won't go down that easy, huh?" Gilgamesh appeared behind Tiamat, opposite Quetzalcoatl. "To the Mother of Earth, I respond with the laws of the heavens!"
He already held Ea in his hand. As he spoke, the sword began to spin, shaking the very skies.
Sensing the threat, Tiamat's massive horns suddenly glowed, unleashing countless blasts of light directly at Gilgamesh.
There were too many—so many that even with the Gate of Babylon, Gilgamesh couldn't deflect them all. Light bullets grazed his body one after another.
Laḫmu finally stirred, slowly gathering behind Tiamat to reinforce her defense.
"Take this—Enuma Elish!"
With a thunderous swing, Ea unleashed a colossal wave of magical power, ripping through the air and earth alike. The Laḫmu were shredded like mud.
Tiamat, who should have struggled to turn, shifted her posture by channeling Mana through her horns, redirecting all three barriers toward Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasm.
The first barrier cracked the moment it met the blast.
Gilgamesh clutched his waist where a light bullet had pierced him, but with a proud grin, he accepted Hakuno's healing through the mana conduit while reinforcing his still-unfinished attack with treasures from his vault.
The second and third barriers shattered in quick succession—yet Tiamat only responded with a shrill cry.
"You forgot your blind spot—that's my cue!"
Having built up momentum through rapid spinning, Quetzalcoatl hurled Marduk's Axe straight at her.
The weapon flew like a thunderbolt and struck one of the massive horns on Tiamat's unguarded back.
A blinding explosion engulfed her.