Unlike the modern outfit he usually wore, Tezcatlipoca had now taken on a different appearance.
The symbol of the Wind of Impermanence, the South American chief god known by the alias Smoking Mirror, was no longer the same as before.
He wore gray battle armor, and one of his legs was made entirely of obsidian, just like in the myth where his right leg was bitten off and replaced with a new one of obsidian.
At this moment, he was fighting U-Olga Marie together with Iscari.
Ordinarily, Tezcatlipoca's wars were sacred, battles that belonged to this chief god alone, with no room for anyone else to interfere.
And yet this time, he had allowed Iscari to take part.
Their fight with U-Olga Marie had fallen into a deadlock.
It was unnatural, and both Shiomi and Morgan immediately noticed that something about the battle was off.
The problem lay with U-Olga Marie. Her will to fight was extremely weak, or rather, she was forcing herself to keep fighting against Tezcatlipoca and Iscari.
On one side stood Tezcatlipoca, fighting as a chief god with his authority released through the power of Command Spells.
On the other was a creation of a god.
Iscari was an Ocelomeh created by Tezcatlipoca from his own entrails, a being fundamentally different from the other Ocelomeh.
He was a messenger of the god.
An incarnation of the god.
Fighting alongside his creator Tezcatlipoca, Iscari's combat power could be brought out to the fullest.
When facing opponents with overwhelming battle spirit, someone whose will was weak could not bring out their full strength, even if their raw power was enough to crush the enemy.
"...U-Olga Marie, what exactly are you...?"
Even Shiomi could not help but feel stunned when he saw the scene before him.
A guess was one thing. Once that guess became reality, the answer was suddenly obvious.
"We're going too..."
Morgan stepped forward, ready to throw herself into the battlefield.
But someone blocked their way.
Daybit Sem Void.
"You're in the way. Move."
Morgan frowned.
"Kirschtaria already reported it. Since you intend to cooperate with us, don't throw your life away here."
"I did say cooperation was possible, but that wasn't the whole truth," Daybit said. "It wasn't only because of Tezcatlipoca's test. From the very beginning, I infiltrated Chaldea for the sake of destroying Proper Human History."
"Because of Marisbury's plan?"
Shiomi's voice cut in.
Daybit did not deny it.
"That's right. Even if Teacher says he intends the same thing, that still comes later. I cannot trust your strength to oppose Human Order."
"What?"
Both Shiomi and Morgan were taken aback.
"Sorry, but there's no time left. There may only be one minute left today."
Daybit spoke calmly.
"U-Olga Marie delivered herself right to me, which saved me quite a bit of trouble. Fortunately, Teacher, you already shattered her will. With only Tezcatlipoca and Iscari, our objective at this stage can still be achieved."
"What are you planning to do to her?"
Morgan asked in Shiomi's place.
Daybit gave no answer.
Instead, a nebula-like space appeared behind him, and from within it emerged one indistinct being after another.
Every single one of them radiated Mana on the level of a Servant, yet each was deeply abnormal.
"Lifeforms from outer space..."
Shiomi breathed out in surprise.
"So these Dark Star terminals are the result of the 'Angelic Artifact'?"
A radio source from beyond a distance so vast that even light would take 14 billion years to reach this planet was somehow able to establish contact with Daybit.
Shiomi could not help feeling a bit curious about what exactly that thing was.
But in the end, it was only a side issue.
Perhaps until humanity and the planet itself came to an end, it would never truly threaten this world.
Like a rock containing radioactive elements, it was not something that would easily cause harm unless one deliberately came into contact with it.
"What it is has no meaning for you, Teacher. As the last god born on this planet, your mission has nothing to do with any of this. If you truly can change everything, then start here."
As Daybit spoke, those bizarre lifeforms closed in, intending to stop Morgan where she stood.
Morgan silently raised a hand, preparing to fight.
But Shiomi stopped her.
"There's no point in fighting him. I didn't understand it before, but now I can see it... Daybit's strength changes depending on his own true ability and the strength of his opponent. The stronger the enemy, the more Daybit's power increases."
"So there's no need to waste time here."
Morgan immediately altered the way she circulated her Mana.
At that moment, Daybit suddenly stepped forward, trying to blend in among the unknown lifeforms he had summoned and interfere with their movement.
Even so, he was still a moment too late.
In an instant, the laws governing the flow of phenomena collapsed, then broke apart and reformed.
By the time that process ended, there was no trace of the Unity God left in front of Daybit.
It was exactly what he expected, and still a discouraging result. Even Daybit could not help pressing his lips together slightly, the corners sinking by the tiniest margin.
He turned back toward the battlefield behind him.
There was no longer enough time. Even if he rushed over now, he would not be able to stop the Unity God from entering the fight.
In a single instant, those two had tampered with the phenomena themselves, rewriting the facts that had existed there before, making it impossible for Daybit and his power to touch them.
It was the right choice.
Against an enemy like Daybit, not fighting him was the most rational option.
It was not a matter of who would win or lose.
It was that no one could say how much time such a battle would consume.
Even the Water Mirror could be seized through an opening of less than a second.
Upon the ground, cooled by lava but not yet fully cold, atop the coffin where ORT lay sleeping, the Unity God stepped onto the battlefield.
He intercepted Iscari's frontal charge.
Iscari had been about to attack U-Olga Marie, who stood there slightly hunched, barely managing to stay on her feet.
"For the god Tezcatlipoca!"
Iscari roared, releasing Mana beyond his limits as he tried to break through Morgan's interception.
"You are..."
U-Olga Marie stared in shock at the figure standing before her, protecting her.
The Unity God.
He really had come.
At the moment Iscari's body was torn apart, yellow sand suddenly filled the air, reducing visibility to almost nothing and leaving U-Olga Marie barely able to make out the Unity God in front of her.
"This is...!"
U-Olga Marie's eyes widened in alarm.
This was Tezcatlipoca's Noble Phantasm, the manifestation of his authority.
"You did well, Iscari. Not only did you draw that man's attention, you even made the Alien God lose focus as well."
The sound of a body being pierced came from behind.
Morgan hurriedly turned around, only to see U-Olga Marie lose her balance and pitch forward.