Did the Heroic Spirit I conquered become a reality?

Kukulkan looked slightly surprised: "This guy's magic... seems a bit different from before."

But before she could think any further, she threw a punch at the aquamarine that contained the magic of the Sea of ​​Origin.

Click...

Just as the gem shattered, Kukulkan suddenly seemed to realize something, and his pupils contracted sharply.

"No... this magic is—!!!"

This magic power is not Yu Tohsaka's own magic power, but rather something he guided from somewhere!

Under Kukulkan's astonished gaze, magic from the Sea of ​​Origin, emanating from the aquamarine, instantly permeated the entire platform.

boom! ! !

The next moment, the dark magic of the Sea of ​​Origin almost instantly filled the entire platform...

……

Meanwhile, inside the Uruk Royal Palace.

Merlin had just received orders from the wise king Gilgamesh and was preparing to set off for the temple of Ishtar, carrying precious gems carefully selected from the royal treasury—gems that could tempt any goddess.

His feelings were somewhat complicated. On the one hand, he found the king's simple, crude, yet exceptionally effective strategy of "using treasure to lure goddesses" amusing. On the other hand, he felt a deep concern and... a hint of indescribable curiosity about the "convenient" magical connection between the visitor from another world and his "mother."

"The king's final expression was quite something..."

Recalling the king's incredibly subtle expression, Merlin couldn't help but smile faintly, preparing to cast a teleportation spell to the temple of Ishtar.

However, just as the magic was about to begin, Merlin's smile suddenly froze.

Those purple eyes, which seemed to see through everything, suddenly widened as he stared incredulously in the direction where the Ishtar Temple was located.

"This feeling... no way?!"

As a top-tier magician, a being who is half-human and half-nightmare, Merlin's perception abilities far surpass those of ordinary people.

Just now, an ancient magical power, as vast as a primordial ocean, which was incredibly familiar yet should never have appeared in this place, suddenly erupted like a flood bursting its banks!

That was not simply a divine aura, but rather a manifestation closer to a certain "source"—the magic of the Sea of ​​Life belonging to Tiamat, the mother goddess of creation!

Although its strength was far less destructive than that of the "Mother" herself, he would never mistake the essence of this power!

"Could it be that Mother intervened personally?! No, that's not right... This feels more like... being guided out of the Sea of ​​Origin?!"

Merlin's heart pounded, and cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.

"What exactly did that otherworldly magician do?"

With this in mind, he dared not linger any longer, and his figure immediately transformed into fluttering petals, rushing towards the direction of the temple where Ishtar was located.

Volume 1: Chapter 17 So you're the one who bullied my child?

A pink petal drifted by in the gentle breeze.

Above the temple of Ishtar, the figure of the white-haired mage quietly materialized.

He surveyed the area below the temple, and a hint of surprise quickly appeared in his usually elegant and composed purple eyes.

"Looks like I'm still a step too late..."

It is unclear when it began, but the high platform outside the temple has long been covered by the magic of the 'Sea of ​​Origin'.

The dark magic exuded an ominous aura, and a young boy was bathing in that Sea of ​​Origin.

Logically, the Sea of ​​Origin should corrupt every Heroic Spirit, turning them into Tiamat's "children," but... this magic doesn't seem to have affected Tohsaka Yu.

Merlin's gaze swept quickly across the scene. The South American god Kukulkan stood to one side of the ring, his smile gone, replaced by intense interest and vigilance.

Not far from Kukulkan, the goddess of the underworld, Ereshkigal, stood protectively in front of the boy, her expression tense.

As for Tohsaka Yu, who caused all of this, although his face was pale, his eyes were unusually calm as he stood on the edge of that terrifying magical power.

"It's troublesome..."

After glancing at the audience, Merlin quickly sighed inwardly.

Although he didn't know exactly what had happened here not long ago, he could roughly understand the situation from the current scene.

In the current situation, Kukulkan's attitude is unclear, Eresh seems to intend to protect the boy, and the boy himself possesses some kind of extremely dangerous power, the source of which is clearly a god—Tiamat.

But the king's orders have already been issued, and they must be carried out no matter what...

This unstable "bomb" must be taken away from here as soon as possible, and brought before the king before he awoke...

Having made up his mind, Merlin's signature gentle yet slightly mysterious smile reappeared on his face.

He flashed and landed silently on the terrace like a falling petal, just a short distance from Tohsaka Yu.

"Good evening, beautiful goddesses, and this... magician from another world."

Merlin's voice was like a spring breeze, carrying a magical power that made people relax their guard.

Kukulkan raised an eyebrow, looking at the white-robed magician who had suddenly appeared, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes: "Oh? Another one? The temple of Ishtar is certainly lively tonight."

Ereshkigal eyed Merlin warily: "You are... the court magician summoned by Gilgamesh?"

"It's down."

Merlin gave an elegant bow, his gaze finally settling on Tohsaka Yu. "Nice to meet you. You must be Tohsaka Yu, right?"

Looking at the white-haired man with an extraordinary temperament and a gentle smile, Yu Tohsaka couldn't help but feel a little more wary.

Merlin, the legendary great magician, King Arthur's guide, the flower magician with the ability to see a thousand miles... he's here too?

Although he always has a gentle smile, according to his memories from his previous life, this white-haired mage is a near-Grand Caster, and the reason he accepted Gilgamesh's summons this time is to save humanity.

We cannot let our guard down until we know the other party's intentions...

Yu Tohsaka nodded calmly: "Merlin...is that so?"

"I didn't expect you'd heard of me, your big brother. That makes things easier."

Merlin's smile deepened, and he reached out to Tohsaka Yu: "Tohsaka-kun, the King of Heroes wishes to see you and learn some things. Could you please put aside your... uh, conversation and come with me? The King is waiting in the palace."

They've arrived. As expected, they're Gilgamesh's people... Yu Tohsaka knew in his heart.

Go see Gilgamesh? What a joke! He's now clearly in the "Tiamat camp," and he's had such deep contact with "Mother"... in every sense of the word.

I'm just going to the palace with Merlin, and I don't know what will happen.

Thinking of this, Tohsaka Yu gently shook her head and said in a calm and tactful tone, "I'm sorry, but I can't leave here for the time being."

Merlin's smile faltered slightly, as if he hadn't expected the other party to refuse so decisively.

He glanced at Ailei, who was clearly on guard beside him, and then at Kukulkan, who seemed to be watching the show, and quickly made a decision in his mind.

If they were to force their way in, facing two goddesses and a child who could draw upon the power of the Origin Sea at the same time, while there wouldn't be any immediate danger to their lives... the commotion would be difficult to manage and might escalate unnecessary conflicts.

Therefore, we can only resort to "mild" methods.

For example... illusions?

Merlin, the court sorcerer, was skilled in various illusions. Bringing Yu Tohsaka to the king without bloodshed was probably the best option for him.

Thinking of this, Merlin's fingertips twitched slightly, and a trace of imperceptible magic began to quietly gather, while his face still wore that harmless smile.

Just as I was about to say something to distract the other person—

"Watch out, this guy is using illusion magic!"

At that moment, Ai Lei suddenly realized something and almost instinctively shouted out.

Kukulkan raised an eyebrow, a dangerous smile appearing on his face: "Hey! I haven't finished talking to this child yet, and you're just taking him away right in front of me? Aren't you being a little too bold?"

As she finished speaking, she took a step forward, and an indescribable sense of divine pressure almost rushed towards her.

Merlin's magic froze abruptly. He glanced helplessly at the goddess of the underworld who seemed to be guarding against a thief, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

I must say, she truly lives up to her reputation as a 'local' goddess; her perception is truly remarkable...

Since illusion magic is unusable, we'll have to think of other methods...

However, just as Merlin was thinking this, he suddenly saw Kukulkan, who had just been about to make a move, silently take a half step back.

Merlin raised an eyebrow, then quickly smiled and said, "Oh? You're planning to have him come with me...?"

Kukulkan gave a subtle smile and pointed behind Merlin.

What's the meaning……?

Merlin frowned subconsciously, and as he turned his head to look, a hand gently patted his shoulder.

The movement was so light, like a feather brushing past, yet it instantly froze Merlin's smile on his face!

An indescribable chill, like the deepest nightmare, shot up his spine straight to the top of his head!

This feeling... this feeling as if even your soul is being frozen and seen through... is definitely not Ereshkigal, much less Kukulkan!

Who is it?! And when?!

Merlin turned around abruptly and saw a woman with long, flowing, sea-blue hair standing quietly behind him.

She wore a simple white dress, her small, delicate feet bare, and a pair of adorable dragon horns on her head. Her expression looked exceptionally innocent and pure, even with a hint of natural confusion.

She tilted her head, her pure red eyes gazing at him intently.

Then, she spoke softly, with a hint of doubt, uttering a sound that sent chills down one's spine:

"Aaa?"

Volume 1: Chapter 18 Meeting the King of Heroes with Tiamat

"Aaa?"

The voice was soft and pure, as if filled with a gentle, all-encompassing maternal aura.

However, to Merlin, the simple syllable Tiamat sounded more like: You need my kid?

Merlin's lips twitched slightly. Although he tried to maintain an elegant smile, the overwhelming pressure of the creation-level magic made it impossible for him to remain calm.

When exactly did this 'mother' appear behind me?!

At that moment, Merlin could almost hear his heart skip a beat from extreme shock.

Even this great magician, who had lived for countless years, seen countless storms, and could even laugh as he watched Britain's destruction, felt a long-lost chill from the depths of his soul.

...Tiamat, the creator goddess?!

Why is this woman here, and in such a clear and almost human form?!

At that moment, Merlin's mind went blank, and it took him a long time to recover.

He had originally thought that even if the situation became more complicated, he could simply use illusion magic to bring Tohsaka Yu back to the Uruk Palace and hand her over to Gilgamesh to deal with.

After all, the king's orders are absolute, and this boy with a close relationship with his "mother" is indeed a huge destabilizing factor; his purpose must be determined as soon as possible.

However... the moment Merlin saw Tiamat's spirit appear before him, the thought of "taking Yuu Tohsaka away" vanished from his mind.

Are you kidding me...? Trying to take away Tiamat's "child" who clearly shows a strong protective and possessive instinct?

This is clearly unrealistic.

Cold sweat trickled down Merlin's forehead. The white-haired mage forced a smile and said, "Tiamat... What a coincidence, I didn't expect to see you here."

Tiamat tilted her head, blinked her ruby-like eyes, and quietly looked at Merlin, seemingly trying to determine whether the white-haired mage was truly an 'enemy'.

At the same time, the atmosphere on the terrace became extremely eerie.

Kukulkan had long since abandoned his previous fighting spirit and playful attitude. Although he still had a smile on his face, his eyes had become extremely solemn.

At that moment, she had a sudden realization.

No wonder... no wonder Jingu's expression was so strange at the time, no wonder he returned empty-handed.

If Tiamat was the one protecting Yu Tohsaka back then... then everything makes sense.

However, if the situation has escalated to this point... then it's really going to be difficult to resolve.

Although it was just a spirit, she could tell that if Tiamat's spirit had any problems, it might disturb her true self, who was 'sleeping' deep in the Sea of ​​Origin.

Once the Mother Goddess of Creation leaves the Sea of ​​Origin... that's no laughing matter.

Just then, Tiamat suddenly spoke softly.