Chapter 382: The Chaldea Duo Finally Arrives!

Chapter 34: The Chaldea Duo Finally Arrives!

Kingu and Quetzalcoatl stared each other down. Although neither spoke, invisible sparks of tension flickered between them. These were two beings who, by their very nature, could never truly get along.

However, Kingu didn’t let the matter drag on. She had come here because there was business to attend to.

"Onii-chan, the last Master of humanity will be arriving shortly."

"They’re finally coming. This is the message Goetia delivered to you, isn’t it?"

"Correct."

As she spoke, a flash of murderous intent flickered across Kingu’s face.

From the beginning, she had considered herself a child created by her mother, Tiamat. Even if she was merely a puppet, she believed she was the mother’s child, acting solely for her mother’s will.

But Akira had revealed a cruel truth to her. Her creator wasn’t Tiamat, but the mastermind behind the curtains seeking the Incineration of the Human Order. That entity was born from the remains of the Magic King Solomon—the first summoning system known as Goetia.

The reason for her creation was disturbingly simple: to facilitate the revival of Tiamat.

As long as Tiamat rose and swallowed Mesopotamia—one of the four great foundations of human civilization—the entirety of the Human Order would collapse. The Incineration of the Human Order would become an absolute reality.

Kingu felt an overwhelming rage after learning this. She wasn’t angry because she was a pawn; she was furious that the enemy intended to exploit her mother. That was the one thing she could never tolerate.

This was Kingu. To her, her mother was everything.

In the original history, it was said that Kingu eventually chose to become Tiamat’s enemy. However, the true catalyst for that had been the Lahmu.

As one who cared for her like a sibling, Akira understood perfectly that this "Mother" would never truly abandon any of her children. Her maternal love surpassed all else. The tragedy of the original timeline was triggered by the actions of the Lahmu, which eventually set everything into motion.

"Onii-chan, what should we do next?"

"We wait for the right moment. Then, come with me to meet this last Master of humanity. We’ll also be seeing a certain ’Little Eggplant.’"

At the mention of the ’Little Eggplant,’ a trace of a sigh drifted through Akira’s eyes.

Mash Kyrielight—a member of the Organization for the Preservation of Human Order, Chaldea. She was possessed by a Heroic Spirit previously prepared by Chaldea. In this fused state, she was known as a Demi-Servant.

She was a test-tube baby born in Chaldea in the year 2000. When she first appeared, she was sixteen. Through her physician, Dr. Roman, it was known that her maximum lifespan was only eighteen years. Fusing with a Heroic Spirit had not halted the decay of her cells. Consequently, Mash could pass away at any moment.

It could be said that a life manufactured by humans had ultimately become the most crucial piece in saving the Human Order.

Whether in the anime, manga, or game, Mash’s popularity was immense. Even Akira, in his past life, had often jokingly referred to her as his "wife."

However, in one particular plot point of the FGO game—specifically the beginning of Lostbelt 6—it was told that Mash got married. Her partner wasn’t the protagonist, but a lion-headed creature.

Even though there were circumstances behind it, Mash had been suffering from amnesia at the time, not a loss of her senses. Despite being raised in Chaldea, she surely knew the weight of marriage after witnessing so many Singularities. For her to be proposed to by a lion-head and not reject it at all...

Granted, it was a clever narrative trick by the game company. But for Mash, the "first time" wearing a wedding dress was gone. Even knowing the reasons, it felt like a single drop of black ink falling onto a pristine white bridal gown. The spot wasn’t large, or even that noticeable, but it had shattered the sense of "perfection" in the hearts of many players.

"Ara, Master, do you have a new target already? What’s this about a ’Little Eggplant’..."

At that moment, Quetzalcoatl spoke to Akira in a slightly teasing tone.

"You’re overthinking it. I’m just feeling a bit sentimental."

It was true. His former self as the protagonist—the player—had struggled through countless days and nights. Looking back now, it seemed those feelings didn’t carry the same weight. A person’s thoughts and moods shift at different stages of life.

Even though his journey from the modern city of steel through various worlds hadn’t even spanned a full year, the experience had completely transformed Akira, both inside and out.

Three days later, Shin Akira sharply sensed a fluctuation in space.

What followed were two unfamiliar magical signatures. Akira suddenly smiled. After waiting for three whole days while remaining connected to the power of the earth to sense his surroundings, he finally had his result.

"Kingu, come with me."

"Understood, Onii-chan."

Kingu had stayed by his side throughout these three days.

As for Quetzalcoatl, she glanced at Kingu with the corners of her mouth slightly upturned. Over the last three days, she had shared some contact with Kingu. She realized that her Master’s charm was truly formidable; even this newly born "Enkidu" had been captivated.

However, Kingu herself likely didn’t recognize these feelings because she didn’t understand them, making it impossible for her to process them. A being who had only possessed consciousness for a little over a year was, in human terms, still just a child.

At the same time, on the other side of Mesopotamia, the gears of fate had begun to turn.

"Aaa—!"

"Aaaaa—!"

A boy and a girl—two shadows—were plummeting from the high heavens.

They were the members of Chaldea: the last Master of humanity, Ritsuka Fujimaru, and his contract Servant, Mash Kyrielight.

"Mash...!"

"Master...!"

Despite having cleared six Singularities and completed journeys across six worlds, facing a situation like this the moment they arrived was still terrifying. If they hit the ground, they would either be killed or permanently crippled.

"We’re falling! We’re falling straight down...!"

Ritsuka Fujimaru’s face was twisted in panic. Anyone in his shoes would feel the same. After all, he wasn’t a powerful Heroic Spirit; he was just an ordinary person thrust into the role of "Savior of the World."

"We are falling, Master! It’s a total freefall!"

"Mash, I’m counting on you!"

"Yes! Mash Kyrielight will give it everything she’s got!"

In that instant, the expression on Mash’s face turned resolute. A massive cross-shaped shield manifested in her hands in a burst of light.

The Demi-Servant, Mash Kyrielight, had arrived!

"Master, please take my hand and hold onto my waist!"

Mash’s serious voice rang out. Ritsuka Fujimaru did as he was told, grasping her hand and pulling her close by the waist.

"Noble Phantasm...!"

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