Arknights' Lock of Heaven

Lost in thought, he said, "Actually, there's nothing special about it."

“I come from a small tribe, really a small one, but because it was once glorious, some of its traditions have been preserved.”

"Thanks to these things, I managed to stumble and fall to survive in this world, until I contracted Oripathy..."

"Of course, in Kazdel, Oripathy is nothing compared to what's far more deadly."

"After being infected, I naturally became a mercenary and naturally went with the flow like everyone else."

"Until I was in Reunion, watching those lunatics get more and more insane, I felt I couldn't continue like this, so I led people to escape."

"You know the rest later."

“Sarkaz…” Xia Yu lowered her head upon hearing this.

Sarkaz.

If Rhodes Island has a destined port, it can only be Kazdel.

Both the ship and the people on board are largely connected to this fragmented country.

The Demon Kingdom, which almost everyone on the continent of Terra avoids like the plague, is the homeland they dream of.

Amiya and Kal'tsit will eventually have to go back.

Just like birds always return to their nests.

But after being away from home for so many years, I can't just leave without bringing anything back with me, can I?

Xia Yu looked at her hands.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Rhodes Island's future base will be in Kazdel.

So, what can I bring to that fragmented country?

Oh no, I already brought it myself.

The cure for Oripathy is a weapon powerful enough to deter other countries...

Although the cultural ties of the Yan Kingdom are something I can't avoid, they seem to be doing quite well, so I won't cause any trouble.

Kazdel, the land of four wars and the graveyard of empires, is still better.

"What about the captain?" Just then, Niyan looked at Xia Yu.

"What was the captain's past like?"

“The past…” Hearing this, Xia Yu chuckled softly and sighed, “Let’s just live it by the way we are.”

"Huh?" Mudstone showed a hint of surprise. "Just getting by?"

"This doesn't sound like you at all, Captain..."

Doesn't it look like it?

But that's the truth.

Faced with Tiamat, faced with the unstoppable force of the Singularity, what can I do?

To drift along and follow the crowd is certainly a true reflection of this.

Xia Yu would naturally not choose Tiamat's side.

The word "singularity" alone is enough to seal the fate of this place.

Moreover, humans simply cannot survive in that situation. If he were to seek refuge with Tiamat... would he be expected to live with Rahmu?

Xia Yu would rather die!

Who knew that after all the twists and turns, instead of being dragged to the Throne of Heroes by the Restraint Force, they ended up in Terra in a completely daze.

Have you ever seen a god?

Xia Yu looked at the sunset and said calmly.

"God?" Mudrock tilted his head upon hearing this. "How could I possibly have ever seen such a being..."

"I've seen it!" Xia Yu interrupted her before she could finish speaking.

"That figure that reaches between heaven and earth, that towering silhouette that defies gravity and flies through the clouds, that power to create all things in the blink of an eye, that almost unsolvable status of defying creation..."

"That sounds...terrible..."

Actually, Mudstone didn't understand much of what he was saying.

Or rather, without seeing it with your own eyes, who can imagine the magnificent sight?

But looking at Xia Yu, she could sense the emotions of the people around her.

The fact that Xia Yu, whom she considered unfathomable, could feel fear... that was unbelievable enough.

Xia Yu casually confided her biggest secret and trump card to her.

Yes, the trump card.

In that final moment, as the chains binding the mother crumbled, for reasons unknown, Tiamat's divine origin as the creator god was imprinted in the Holy Grail.

Recalling His eyes from back then, Xia Yu felt a moment of disorientation.

He didn't know how to describe it, but his instincts told him that it was a gift.

Ah, a gift...

The Creator God's spiritual origin is naturally extraordinary; in other words, one cannot use the Holy Grail normally without accumulating the full magical power of the entire Grail.

But that's Tiamat's spirit origin!

After registering their household registration in Terra, they are now considered true locals.

In other words, even powers like reverse creation are not unusable.

At first, Xia Yu didn't notice, but as the magic power in the Holy Grail slowly increased, the spirit origin engraved on the inner wall gradually emerged.

He analyzed it for a long time before he suddenly realized that it was Tiamat's spirit origin.

but……

I always feel like it's not very useful.

Of course, it's not that the Spirit Origin is useless, but... who are you going to fight with this thing?

God... Putting everything else aside, how could you possibly use the Creator God's spiritual foundation to attack the Black Serpent, given its shameful appearance?

Don't you think that's beneath you? One Ishtar is enough.

There's nothing else... right?

Targeting a specific country?

Well, no, no, they don't deserve such a big fuss.

but……

Xia Yu is currently unaware that there are multiple so-called sea gods and countless sea offspring in the deep sea...

"Is it scary?" Xia Yu asked, her feelings complicated upon hearing Ni Yan's remark.

Is it really that scary?

But why do I feel that He is... so gentle?

"I always felt that the captain's past must have been very eventful."

Faced with Ni Yan's words, Xia Yu could only manage a bitter smile.

What grand and magnificent events? It's nothing more than a struggle for survival.

Ultimately, they are no different from those who are infected.

It's all about living, about surviving.

Do the Sarkaz like order?

Xia Yu suddenly spoke up and asked, "Just like in other civilized countries, the government fights crime and maintains public order, and everyone does their job, going to work or going to school as needed."

"So that the elderly may have a place to end their days, the strong may have a place to use their talents, the young may have a place to grow, and the widowed, orphaned, lonely, and disabled may all be cared for."

"No need to worry about what to eat next, no need to worry about tomorrow or an accident, no need to worry about having your hard-earned food stolen, no need to start supporting your family while still in school, and no need to fight for your life..."

Would the Sarkaz like this kind of life?

“This…this is really difficult for me,” Niyan said with a wry smile.

"Of course I like it, and my friends will like it too."

"We all came together because we were disgusted by war, so we don't reject this kind of life."

"but……"

“But some people don’t think that way, right?” Xia Yu said softly.

“They’re used to it,” Mudstone nodded slightly.

"Accustomed to plundering, accustomed to getting something for nothing, accustomed to the feeling of killing..."

"People like this are never going to settle down."

“You can’t expect them to plant corn. They’d rather take their neighbor’s last bit of food than work with their own hands.”