Family heirloom, then turned into a demon girl

Chapter 453 Mission: 06-3 The Final Question

"Isn't it time to call it a day?"

On the vast land covered by dusk, Nero stopped what he was doing and looked at the panting Tiamat opposite him.

"I won't leave Ritsuka to you—"

"what?"

What a nonsensical answer. It must be said that so-called "beasts" seem to be mostly those with a flawed mind. In other words, they're just not normal. Whether it's "human evil" or "human love," it's ultimately just some kind of extreme, nitpicking mindset.

Excess is poison, extreme is evil. That is why the beast must be defeated.

So what about Nero today?

She shook her head. Putting aside Tiamat's somewhat mysterious response, if she wanted to convince her to stop attacking, she first had to calm down.

"Second Beast, what do you think of this singularity?"

Nero used the art of changing the subject. Talking to these stubborn people sometimes required a little detachment.

Don't explain, because the other person won't listen. It's best to let them understand on their own.

Sure enough, although he was a little confused by Nero's sudden topic, he still answered the question: "Huh? I feel very sad."

"Really? I think this is ridiculous."

Nero stretched out his arms and took a deep breath of the rusty evening breeze. "A barren wilderness? A dusk devoid of blessings? An empty and silent stage? What a dull, yet amusing, self-pity."

"Sixth Beast, you..."

"Let me be frank. Unlike Draco, my stage will never end, and it doesn't need to end."

Nero held the Holy Grail in his hand, shook it, and narrowed his eyes. "That guy is too immature. Defeated? Failed? So what? The joys of this world never end. How can we give up more possibilities just because we are afraid of unknown suffering?"

Tiamat's eyes widened, the cross-shaped pupil in the center shifting between moods. "...Are you saying that even if you're defeated, you won't give up on making a comeback?"

"Of course." Nero saluted with a smile, like an actor entering after the curtain call. "All the world's a stage. A stage of endless fun, a stage that never stops. Fate moves, and the stage follows. The end of one drama is but the beginning of another."

In front of Tiamat, whose eyes were almost murderous, Nero said: "The stage is immortal. And so am I on the stage."

Hearing this, Tiamat's clawed hands trembled slightly. Her pupils flickered, as if she finally understood what Nero meant.

She retracted her claws and transformed into an ordinary girl with two horns on her head in the dim light.

"I see." She nodded. "You are not the Sixth Beast—not just the Sixth Beast."

"Oh?"

"The sixth beast is the beast of the end," Tiamat said in her unskilled language. "But you are the one who can transcend the end."

Nero understood a little better. She put away the Holy Grail and her weapon, tilted her head, and smiled, "So, are we calling a truce?"

Tiamat nodded again. "Name?"

It seems that she hasn't communicated much with Ritsuka.

"Nero."

"Nero, you're a good boy."

Tiamat's expression relaxed as she spoke, and her pointed ears drooped slightly. With a faint smile, she spoke again, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Although Nero wasn't quite sure what the other party was thanking him for.

The next second, Tiamat vanished like a bubble of air, and the golden Twilight Staircase emerged from beneath the world.

Ritsuka and his group also arrived.

Before the gate opened, Nero took a deep breath and plunged his Yama Blade deeply into the ground. Then, the seal within this singularity was forcibly broken, and a massive, angry dragon awoke from the depths of the earth.

The demon beast He, Spebbia, roared wildly at the eternal sunset within the singularity. Within the opened Twilight Staircase, Rokusta was the first to speak, his face filled with astonishment. "The demon beast He? How could this be!"

"Are you already waiting here?!"

"Where are Nero Alter and Tiamat?"

The crowd emerging from the Dusk Ladder erupted in chaos. Fujimaru Ritsuka immediately tried to calm the Heroic Spirits, but then a cold, sharp blade shattered the demonic beast. The high-pitched roar abruptly ceased, leaving behind even a final sigh.

A mountain of flesh, covered in scales, crumbled after a moment. A figure stood there, facing the setting sun, beneath the crumbling flesh.

She exerted a little force in her hands and turned the core of the arrogant monster He into powder.

"--Ms. Nero!" Ritsuka exclaimed in surprise: "Where is Tiamat?"

"They've already left," Nero replied with a chuckle. She looked around the ever-twilight wasteland and said slowly, "This place is very quiet, perfect for camping."

"It's definitely better than the last place," Mr. Nero interrupted, earning an inexplicable glare from Locusta.

"How come you don't understand anything..."

Draco still had a tired tone. She waved her hand to interrupt Locusta: "Alright. Let them say whatever they want."

This caused Ritsuka to look at her: "Is this Rome?"

"...Yeah. Endless sunset."

Draco didn't want to talk much, so Ritsuka had to turn to Nero again: "Miss Nero, you were waiting for us on purpose, right?"

"I'm not waiting specifically. After all, you and Tiamat are just a few steps apart."

"Why did Tiamat leave?"

"Of course it's because we successfully reached a consensus."

Setant, who had been frowning the whole time, suddenly spoke up: "You mean Tiamat agreed to let you go? How is that possible?!"

Ritsuka calmly stopped him, then raised her face and spoke calmly: "Ms. Avalon."

"Huh? What's wrong?"

A deliberately cute girl in white emerged from behind her.

"Is Miss Nero a beast now?"

"of course."

"So... is she the 'savior'?"

As soon as this question came out, the three servants beside her all widened their eyes.

"What did you say?!"

"Are you kidding me?!"

"How can it be?!"

Ms. Avalon didn't answer, but only smiled mysteriously. Across from them, Nero also smiled mysteriously.

"What if...I say yes?"

she asked.

"really."

Ritsuka nodded without surprise: "Mr. Georgos is right."

"Did that guy actually tell you that? He's quite perceptive."

With a resolute expression, Ritsuka Fujimaru looked straight into Nero's eyes without dodging or avoiding.

(End of this chapter)