You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

Iori became interested. "Even you [beasts] can't do anything about it?"

"Her very existence is a paradox."

Goetia whispered, "He is a Heroic Spirit, yet transcends the realm of Heroic Spirits. He is the embodiment of nature, yet is devoted to protecting one person... Putting that aside, Aizen Iori, why are you so obsessed with Fujimaru Ritsuka? What exactly is your goal?"

"It's just friends helping each other out, do we need any other reason?"

So what will you choose?

"This kind of thing can only be decided after meeting the person in person."

Iori shook her head. "I've been listening to you guys the whole time, but I haven't heard Ritsuka say anything yet—at least let her tell me in person."

"...Is that so? Then I...have nothing more to say."

His figure began to blur, and the spiritual particles dissipated at an increasingly faster rate.

“If you insist on seeing Ritsuka… go to the ‘Starry Sea’—if you can find it.”

However, you will soon discover what kind of being you are facing... Even if we are on different sides, I hope you succeed.

Go save the princess, Aizen Iori!

Before the words were finished, Goetia's figure vanished completely, leaving only a few golden specks of light drifting in the air.

"Above Goetia?"

Iori muttered to himself, several names already appearing in his mind, and among these special individuals who would be involved in this kind of thing... he could actually pretty much lock onto the target.

If it really is the person he suspected, then resolving this matter smoothly will be very difficult.

Without delay, he raised his hand and opened a spatial rift, then stepped into it.

—Just follow the same path you came from in Gethia, and you will naturally reach your destination.

For Iori now, neither "seeing" the past nor forcibly tearing open a spatial rift to cross the void is a difficult task.

After all, the so-called "Sea Within the Stars" is actually the outer world, which is unreachable for ordinary humans who can only live on the surface of the world, but it is different for the fantasy species and those above it.

hum!

The surrounding scenery instantly distorted, the Chaldean landscape receding like a tide, replaced by a void of darkness. This was the crevice between worlds, the only path to the "Sea Within the Stars."

There were no roads or beacons, and all means of perception were rendered useless. Countless magicians throughout history have lost their way here while seeking the mystery. Yet Iori walked upright and straight ahead from the very beginning, as unstoppable as a newly drawn sword!

However, just as he was about to reach his destination, an unprecedented obstacle suddenly appeared!

"This is……"

Iori frowned, stopped what she was doing, and glanced at the chaotic air currents and the vast void, discovering that the surrounding space was being forcibly rewritten by some kind of force!

The original emptiness was gradually replaced by magnificent nebulae, with countless stars twinkling in the distance. The surrounding environment instantly transformed into a vast universe. Moreover, it was clearly more beautiful than the real universe, with all sorts of dazzling and magnificent nebulae as far as the eye could see.

"A miniature universe?!"

This single instantaneous change caused Iori to raise her alertness to the maximum.

This level of power far surpasses the realm of ordinary Heroic Spirits, and even exceeds the currently known [Beasts]!

Kama, the god of love, once displayed a similar ability, expanding his own existence into a "universe." However, this was achieved through a trick, similar to a super-massive inherent barrier. In other words, the corresponding rules could only be established within the barrier (himself), and it was not actually on a cosmic scale.

The level it reached was actually lower than that of the demonic bodhisattva Sesshouin—and even Sesshouin could never have done what was happening before their eyes.

Iori's senses cannot be easily deceived. This is a real, existing alien universe, and he can't even see where the boundary is!

"Such a dense concentration of magic... Is this the Divine Aether?"

Just as he was pondering, a cold, emotionless female voice came from all directions:

"No passing here."

The next moment, countless starlight converged before him—no, strictly speaking, in the vast starry sky. Iori was only in front of him in terms of location, but judging from the difference in size, an individual human was completely insufficient as a reference point, so it was impossible to say that he was "in front of" him.

A vast amount of ethereal magic coalesced into a figure—a young girl draped in a magnificent robe. Her jet-black hair flowed like the Milky Way, seemingly shimmering with countless stars. Her eyes held an almost tangible light, and when they dimmed slightly, countless changing scenes could be seen within them, as if reflecting the workings of the entire universe.

Her presence blended seamlessly into the space; simply standing there evoked an indescribable sense of oppression.

It's hard to tell whether this is a living organism... or some kind of natural creation that just happens to grow into human form.

As for its size... it can't be described as a mountain range; it's definitely a celestial body!

——Space Ishtar.

Her true name is Ishtar, but she is not the useless goddess in the pan-human history. Instead, she was born in the primordial universe, gained intelligence during the glorious galactic period, and her existence is equivalent to the primordial goddess of the Servant universe history!

The Space Rin summoned by Chaldea is supposedly only a part of its original form, but its power far surpasses that of a divine Servant.

And what Iori sees now...

"It's really you."

Iori looked up at the other person, her tone calm, but the power within her body was rapidly increasing, and she dared not be careless.

"The 'strongest guardian' that Goetia mentioned, is she the goddess of the Servant universe? That's truly terrifying."

Yu Zhoulin didn't answer, but simply stared at him silently. Her gaze seemed to be able to penetrate everything, but now, as she stared intently, she couldn't reach Iori's true nature, which made her wary as well.

"Aizen Iori..."

She spoke slowly, her voice defying the laws of physics, ringing in Iori's ears through the vacuum, clear and melodious like the whisper of stars.

"what do you want to do?"

"Go and meet with Ritsuka, and ask her a few questions."

Iori said bluntly, "Can't you see it? Don't worry, I won't do anything. As long as Ritsuka doesn't have any needs, I don't care about what happens next."

"lie."

Yu Zhoulin's voice turned colder, "Your very existence will interfere with her plans."

"maybe."

Iori did not deny it, "But I have my reasons."

"reason?"

A flicker of emotion flashed in Yu Zhoulin's eyes. "Human reasoning is beyond my comprehension and meaningless on a cosmic scale. The fact that they defied my decision is itself indefensible."

"But aren't you also protecting a human being on a 'cosmic scale'?"

Iori countered with a question.

"..."

Yu Zhoulin was silent for a moment, then gently raised her hand.

In an instant, the surrounding stars began to rotate violently, and countless starlight transformed into long chains that wrapped around Iori!

He's definitely someone you can't communicate with!

In this goddess's eyes, there is probably only one person she can communicate with on an equal footing: Fujimaru Ritsuka!

"leave here."

Her voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable authority: "Otherwise, I will banish you to the ends of time and space."

Iori dodged, which wasn't surprising.

Whether in pan-human history or the Servant universe, Ishtar is not a lovable character, and is quite terrible as a goddess. The reason she is so likable in the game's story is simply because she incorporates the image of "Rin Tohsaka," which dilutes their original villainous side.

The real Ishtar is cruel, ruthless, and unreasonable!

Iori sighed, her gaze gradually sharpening: "It seems... we can only fight first and then figure things out."

His pupils suddenly contracted, and a pale golden halo enveloped his body. His figure blurred slightly in the sea of ​​stars, closing in on the universe with lightning speed!

"useless."

"Since it's useless, then let me see just how solid the laws of the Servant Universe really are!"

Yu Zhoulin's expression remained unchanged; he simply raised a finger and pointed slightly.

boom--! ! !

The space between the two collapsed instantly, and a miniature black hole (from Rin's perspective) appeared out of thin air, its terrifying gravity distorting and swallowing all the surrounding light. To Iori, it was a dark celestial body the size of the moon, devouring everything in an equal and terrifying manner.

However, Iori's figure paused for a moment in a strange way, and then left the black hole's capture range as if it were a breeze that could not be lifted by any force. At some point, she was holding the platinum divine sword in her hand.

"cut!"

The blade flashed, tearing through the nebula, its deadly edge aimed straight for Rin's throat. This strike seemed simple, but at this point, ordinary techniques were meaningless. Given the size of a cosmic-level Servant, no matter how the opponent dodged, it was guaranteed to hit—

That means increasing destructive power!

Along with it, a brilliant platinum star also fell, colliding head-on with the miniature black hole.

boom! ! !

A loud bang shook the entire universe!

Ignoring the energy fluctuations of the explosion, neither Iori nor Rin took their attention away from each other.

Yu Zhoulin took the initiative, her hands clasped together, and a huge celestial projection appeared behind her—a simulation of the Big Bang!

"The appointed time has come—"

A blinding white light filled his vision, and a power powerful enough to reshape galaxies swept towards Iori. Faced with this devastating attack, Iori did not retreat but advanced. The platinum divine sword in his hand suddenly lengthened, and countless mysterious runes appeared on the blade—the secret rituals of the Earth Mother Goddess.

This time, it was no longer used in conjunction with the Ame-no-Murakumo, but rather with the strongest steel, the Savior God Blade, as its vessel. At the same time, multiple images appeared around him, as if thousands upon thousands of him had appeared simultaneously—uniting all into one!

"The Sword of Dark Silence and End!"

Chapter 561 If you can't beat the numbers, then play the mechanics!

boom--! ! !

The moment the sharpness of the Platinum Divine Blade collided with the Pulse of the Stars, the entire universe trembled!

Wherever the blade flashed, space shattered like fragile glass, revealing an extremely distorted chaotic void. The Star Pulse, on the other hand, unleashed a light more dazzling than a supernova, each beam containing the power to destroy planets.

In the instant the two energies intertwined, Iori seemed to see an energy vortex large enough to devour the Milky Way forming... But the illusion only lasted for a moment, and soon an overwhelming and majestic power exploded in the void, its brilliant light illuminating the entire microcosm as if it were daytime!

Iori's white trench coat fluttered wildly in the energy storm. His body was propelled by the shockwave, sliding countless miles through the void—a mere trifle on a cosmic scale. The trail he left beneath his feet carved a path through the energy tides, leaving a lingering trail of light in the starry sky.

"cough!"

Iori looked surprised, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, turning into a glistening blood droplet floating on his side in the weightless environment.

"You're injured..."

This naturally wouldn't cause him any irreversible damage; it was purely a result of the energy clash, and in a moment, Iori's body returned to its original state as if time had reversed.

"Even after being upgraded to this level, they're still at a disadvantage... These are truly unreasonable numbers."

He was a numerical monster in his own right, having crushed many in the past, but encountering an even stronger monster left him with mixed feelings. Of course, with this divine sword (the strongest), just like Altshu back then, if he continued to fight, his stats would eventually surpass those of Space Rin.

Meanwhile, Rin remained suspended in place, her long hair flowing like a galaxy amidst the turbulent energy currents, occasionally shimmering with crimson or gold. The goddess raised her slender arm towards Iori, her fingertips still tinged with the fading starlight.

"I have to admit..."

Her voice was ethereal and distant, as if it came from the ends of the universe: "You deserve my more serious attention."

As soon as the words were spoken, that enormous, celestial-sized body began to shrink.

Countless starlight surged into her body like rivers flowing into the sea, and the long body adorned with nebulae gradually solidified. When the light dissipated, what appeared in the spot was a girl with a human-like figure and an appearance exactly like the goddess, but her eyes, which reflected the entire universe, still revealed her inhuman nature.

Although her size has shrunk, the scale of energy she can mobilize remains unchanged. Ishtar does this simply to maintain the same "size" and "human form" as Iori, so as not to fall into any unfavorable situation. After all, there are many strange and unusual attributes in the FGO world, such as behemoth special attack.

Of course, those little tricks are insignificant on a cosmic scale. The most fundamental reason is that talking to Iori in the same posture as before was just too awkward for fighting.

—Her true form is the primordial goddess, but the "Rin" personality hidden deep within her is still accustomed to seeing things from a human perspective.

"To be able to catch my attack so easily, it seems that's not enough."

She gently raised her hand, and the space behind her suddenly distorted. "Reveal yourself, my kingdom!"

hum! ! !

A temple constructed entirely of starlight rose from the ground in an instant, based on a certain plane in the void!

Each brick and stone is formed from pure divine ether, and is inlaid with various materials such as gold, emerald, and jade, making it look like a shimmering star map. Each pillar is wrapped with flowing ribbons like nebulae, like a rainbow bridge connecting different worlds.

What finally appeared before Iori was a magnificent temple that defied description!

However, if viewed from a greater distance, one can see that after being shrunk countless times, the shape of this temple is very similar to the vehicle of a certain useless goddess—except that its level of luxury and extravagance is something that even a goddess could not accumulate in ten thousand years.