FATE: The Man with Divine Keys

"Kingu, do you remember why I gave you the Holy Grail in the first place?"

Watching Kingu's expression grow suspicious, the cloaked man asked in a calm tone.

"To awaken Mother, to reshape this world..." Kingu replied without hesitation.

"But it seems now you can no longer complete this task, yes?" The cloaked man shook his head slightly. "I guess I'll have to intervene personally."

"What do you mean..." Kingu felt an uneasy sensation growing in their heart.

"It's time for you to return it to me..."

The cloaked figure seemed to flicker like a phantom as he instantly appeared in front of Kingu.

"I will take it back."

Intense pain suddenly shot through Kingu's mind, causing their eyes to widen. They instinctively lowered their head and saw a hand passing through their chest.

"You..."

Withdrawing his hand, accompanied by a large amount of blood, the cloaked figure held a golden cup in his palm.

As intense weakness overwhelmed Kingu's entire body, they collapsed to the ground, their eyes gradually losing their light.

"Hahaha..."

The cloaked figure chuckled softly before vanishing from the room.

Meanwhile, Morgan, in the Goddess of Venus's ziggurat, woke abruptly from her rest, her gaze penetrating through layers of bounded fields toward the central ziggurat.

"An intruder..."

Realizing what had happened, Morgan's delicate face darkened slightly. With her control over the entire city of Uruk, she instantly teleported to the central ziggurat.

"They're adept at concealment magecraft, enough to deceive even me..."

Sensing the lingering traces of magical energy in the area, Morgan's eyes flickered with surprise, then her mood turned grave.

Clearly, the intruder had specifically used magecraft to shield her perception.

She understood that this couldn't bode well.

Following the trail of magical energy, she arrived at Kingu's room.

Seeing a green-haired figure lying motionless on the ground, Morgan's expression darkened completely.

===

Like a tranquil mirror reflecting the undisturbed sea, a spatial hole suddenly appeared in the sky, and the cloaked man who had just met Kingu emerged from it.

He shook the Holy Grail in his hand and looked down at the sea below, shaking his head slightly.

"What a hassle. If it weren't for that Arthur, none of this would have escalated to this point."

"Yeah, seriously. Without him, this world would probably have faced its end and been destroyed long ago, right? Fufufu..."

A woman's voice suddenly chimed in, accompanied by a peal of laughter as clear and pleasant as silver bells. Her laughter seemed to contain a strange charm, as if a delicate hand was teasing the deepest desires within, making bones turn slightly weak.

In the next second, another spatial hole opened up, and a slender figure gracefully walked out from it, taking small lotus-like steps. She was tall and strikingly beautiful, radiating a mix of compassion and grace that seemed to transcend mortal beings.

Despite her provocative figure, which even her loose nun's attire couldn't conceal, her presence was captivating. Especially when glimpses of her allure slipped through the high slit as she moved, causing hearts to race, faces to flush, and breaths to quicken.

If Arkhan were here, he would instantly know who she was and quickly take out the Might of An-Utu.

Indeed, she was none other than the Demonic Bodhisattva—Sesshouin Kiara.

To Kiara's words, the cloaked man glanced at her indifferently, unaffected by her seductive charm.

"Regardless, we cannot afford to fail this time."

"Of course, of course~" Kiara chuckled lightly, her simple gesture imbued with endless allure. "Even if that man is powerful, he can't possibly contend with the three of us at once, right?"

Seemingly convinced by her words, the cloaked man nodded.

"Let's begin then."

With that, the cloaked man tossed the Holy Grail into the sea below, creating a small ripple.

"It's time to awaken, Tiamat!"

Minutes later, a massive vortex gradually formed on the surface of the sea, spewing crimson water as overwhelming and terrifying magical energy began to emanate from the depths, as if something formidable was gradually awakening!

"AAAAAAAAAAAA—"

Suddenly, a distant and ancient chant echoed through the entire world, as if heralding the return of the mother of all life!

===

Meanwhile, in Uruk.

"So, the intruder's target was Kingu?"

Merlin and Morgan stood in a spacious room, watching Kingu lying quietly within a magic circle.

With the loss of the Holy Grail, Kingu's weakening had accelerated. Because of this, Morgan chose to use a magic circle to sustain their life.

She wasn't particularly concerned about Kingu's survival, but if they were the target of the intruder, they might know something about the intruder's identity.

To uncover the truth, Kingu couldn't be allowed to die just yet.

"I heard from Arkhan that this guy's magical energy reactor is the Holy Grail that maintains the existence of this Singularity. Looks like the intruder taking it definitely isn't just planning to use it for a drink." Morgan remarked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

Upon hearing her remark, Merlin awkwardly cleared his throat. Just a moment ago, he had been caught and brought here forcefully by Morgan while drinking at a tavern.

"You're supposed to be the great sage of Britain..." Morgan glanced at him sideways. "Use that brain of yours and figure out why that intruder took the Grail."

Despite her disdain for Merlin, having an extra mind to help was useful at times like this.

"Even if you put it that way, I—"

Merlin sighed helplessly and wanted to make an excuse, but suddenly halted his words midway.

"Ugh!"

As if struck by a heavy blow, his body suddenly shook before kneeling on the ground with blood trickling from his mouth.

"What's wrong with you?!"

Such a sudden turn of events startled Morgan, prompting her to activate numerous detection and protection magecrafts.

"I think... I know what the intruder's goal is now..." Merlin said weakly, watching as his body began to dissipate into particles of light. "Tell His Majesty that... the Sea of Life, the Mother of Genesis, Tiamat... has been awakened..."

With that, he made a bitter smile before vanishing completely.