"If you do not abandon me, I will give my all."
Just as he was about to clasp his hands in a salute, Alaric blinked, then immediately smiled and said,
"But I'm still very curious—why did you choose me?"
If someone had observed him, they would have seen him fighting alongside Fujimaru and Mash under Chaldea.
Even after witnessing such a thing, this person still sought to recruit him.
Alaric was very curious—what exactly made Lev Lainur try to bring him over?
Upon hearing this, Lev Lainur, standing at the doorway, withdrew his hand and stared directly at Alaric.
Behind those eyes, Alaric seemed to see countless wills intertwined, forming a singular entity that was now communicating with him.
Then, Lev Lainur slowly spoke:
"We are beings who encompass both past and future within our sight, yet you are an exception."
"You were drawn from the inner side of the stars, transferred by the Almighty God. Your true nature is that of a human—"
"But not a human born of this planet. Even if your information, your soul, and everything about you are identical, you are still a being from beyond."
"You are the last human from beyond. Even with our omniscient gaze piercing through past and future, we cannot glimpse your experiences before your transfer."
"..."
His heart stopped.
With Lev Lainur's words, it felt as if Alaric's heart and will had ceased to function.
It was not because he feared Lev Lainur revealing his origins.
It was not because he failed to understand what beyond meant.
Rather—it was because...
Why was he the last?
Alaric could not comprehend the meaning of the last human.
Before being transferred, he had been nothing more than an ordinary archaeology enthusiast, spending his free time playing games.
Why describe me this way?
Other people weren't dead; they still existed, safe and sound.
The only one who disappeared was himself...
Unfathomable. Unacceptable.
"What you see—does it equate to truth?"
Following Lev Lainur through the doorway into another space, Alaric struggled to maintain his composure.
"Hahahaha! Do not underestimate us, the Seventy-Two Demon Pillars!"
Lev Lainur laughed as he strode forward, his demeanor toward Alaric starkly different from how he treated Chaldea.
Whether it was because of the Demon Pillars' influence or his reasons,
Lev Lainur firmly believed Alaric should join them.
"As you obtained the Holy Grail, we, the Demon Pillars, have also been observing you. And this is the result. Of course, if you wish to know more..."
"You want me to join you?"
Walking behind Lev Lainur, Alaric steadied his emotions.
At this point, he had already traversed two singularities, undergone countless trials, and forged a resilient mind.
His heart had grown stronger, and his capacity to accept the unimaginable had expanded.
Had Lev Lainur not opened with such a grand revelation, Alaric might not have even lost his composure.
"Since you fight for the salvation of humanity since you have walked so far despite that false declaration, you must realize this—"
"You cannot defeat us, the Seventy-Two Demon Pillars. The incineration of human history has already succeeded. Once our hypothetical Noble Phantasm is complete, everything will begin anew."
Through their ongoing exchange, Lev Lainur spoke with unreserved candor, which caused Alaric's impression of him to rise rapidly.
Until—
Alaric followed Lev Lainur through the smelting furnace, the intelligence room, the observation deck, the control tower, the armory, the star-gazing chamber, the life institute, and the abandoned hollow—witnessing the true forms of the Seventy-Two Demon Pillars.
And finally, reaching the end.
A throne, enshrined within a sea of light.
At that moment, Alaric understood the true nature of the radiant bands stretching across the sky.
They were the manifestation of human incineration.
A crystallization of three thousand years of human history—
Or rather, that light spanning the heavens was human history itself, transformed into a new mode of existence.
Its power was as Lev Lainur had described—
The greatest heat this planet had ever seen.
No heat could surpass it.
Each beam of light was equal in strength to the Noble Phantasm Excalibur, wielded by King Arthur.
Billions of such beams formed that luminous band.
Absolute power.
The ultimate firepower of this planet.
Even the gods would be unable to withstand a single strike from this radiance.
Alaric recalled his recent battle against the Primordial God, the Beast Mother Tiamat.
Even with her immortality, even Tiamat would be unable to resist this light.
As his conversation with Lev Lainur continued, Alaric's understanding of their great endeavor deepened.
What immense ambition!
And with this growing understanding, a feeling of unease stirred violently in Alaric's heart.
He felt as if he was just a step away from realizing… something.
A familiarity he could not explain.
Step. Step.
Under Lev Lainur's guidance, Alaric finally set foot upon the throne's domain.
And there—he saw the King, seated high upon the throne.
Beneath regal attire was bronzed skin.
Long, pure-white hair, woven into a braid that draped over one side—
Yet his presence radiated an absolute majesty.
On all ten fingers rested aged rings, gleaming faintly.
Artifacts that symbolized divine favor.
King Solomon.
The Heaven-ordained ruler, the all-knowing, all-powerful sage.
A being who could hear divine revelations.
Solomon had only received one revelation from the heavens—
But with just that singular revelation, he had established the system of magecraft solely through human hands.
Before him, magecraft had belonged to the gods.
In the Age of Gods, magi could only invoke phenomena by borrowing divine authority.
That was what magecraft had originally been.
Yet Solomon had seized this power from the realm of the gods, firmly placing it into the hands of humanity.
A King of Magecraft, in every sense of the word.
The rings on his fingers—gifts from the divine, worn upon all ten fingers—were proof of his kingship, the very foundation of magecraft.
And the man before him, seated upon the throne, was indeed King Solomon.
There was no mistake.
And yet—
"Are you truly Solomon?"
The King upon the throne was of absolute will, his overwhelming presence exuding an unparalleled dominance.
He could be anyone.
But he could not be King Solomon.
Alaric realized this the moment he saw him.
As he gazed upon the figure on the throne—memories resurfaced.
Fragments related to Solomon.
Though they were only vague impressions,
Alaric was certain—
King Solomon should not possess such an absolute will.
Solomon was meant to be a neutral existence.
And he would never radiate such hatred toward humanity.
And—
At such a close distance, Alaric could confirm that the existence upon the jade throne was indeed [Humanity's Evil\Beast]!
As he followed Lev Lainur along the way, Alaric also saw numerous Seventy-Two Demon God Pillars, all without exception radiating the spiritual response of Humanity's Evil.
The Seventy-Two Demon Gods was a system designed to more effectively advance the correct path, created by humanity's progenitor of magecraft, Solomon—a system known as Human Order Correction.
Could it be that because of their master, these Demon God Pillars had undergone changes?
And since the Demon God Pillars were fundamentally a collective existence—
Based on this reasoning, the king upon the jade throne must also be the same kind of existence as the Seventy-Two Demon God Pillars.
As Alaric spoke, the king upon the jade throne grinned widely, his unrestrained laughter echoing throughout the Temple of Time:
"I am Solomon, or if you prefer, you may call me Goetia—King of the Demon Gods, Goetia!!
I am also [Humanity's Evil\Beast I]!!"
The King of the Demon Gods, who had not abandoned the name of Solomon, continued:
"Since you have already reached my throne, O existence from beyond—our kin—You must have already made your decision!"
Goetia gazed down at Alaric before him. In those eyes—capable of seeing through past and future—a dark radiance slowly swirled.
What kind of radiance was that?
A kaleidoscopic black light, as vast as the starry sky.
It was precisely because of this radiance that Goetia had taken notice of this suddenly appearing existence.
An entity that had never appeared in human history, neither in the past nor the future—one that would never be recorded in humanity's history until the day it vanished in the future.
Just as Lev Lainur and the Seventy-Two Demon Gods had stated:
Alaric was not a being born on this planet—he was an existence from beyond.
A Beast from a distant beyond, yet also the purest form of humanity.
A flawed lifeform that Goetia had always scorned.
From a broad definition, apart from his origin, Alaric was no different from the humans on this planet.
But precisely because of these differences, Goetia, an omnipotent being, could see the state Alaric was currently in.
The unstable, faltering condition after forcefully unanchoring the Holy Lance.
All of this was because of that fragile humanity—
Only an existence incapable of acting rationally would end up in this state.
The fragile human heart had birthed countless original sins,
And it had shackled Alaric's brilliant radiance.
His true worth had been buried under that laughable wish—
The wish to walk alongside humanity.
The life of humanity was nothing but a painful experience—
Utterly ugly.
What Alaric insisted upon was nothing more than suffering, over and over again.
This walking side by side was nothing but a delusion.
Even Goetia could not help but sigh over this.
If his great endeavor had never begun,
Then it must be this being from beyond that has brought change.
Humanity is beyond saving—this, Goetia believed.
Only by starting over completely could everything be changed.
Upon hearing this, Alaric shook his head, gazing at the king upon the throne with a calm expression:
"I have no intention of joining your mission. But that is not the future I pursue.
The golden future I desire should never be realized in such a way."
Without a moment's hesitation, Alaric directly rejected Goetia's offer.
Seemingly unsurprised by this outcome, Goetia, still seated upon his throne, spoke indifferently:
"Knight from beyond, your current state is far from ideal.
The price of forcibly unanchoring the Holy Lance is that the wedge left behind by your king has begun to waver.
Only the new world we create can sustain your existence.
This is the truth you must eventually accept.
The true future is a completely new world."
"Wavering, huh…"
At these words, Alaric subconsciously glanced at his palm.
The consequences of forcefully distorting the Holy Lance—he had already felt them deeply.
The correction of human order had never left him—
It had merely been chasing him relentlessly.
Back then, the Holy Lance's anchor had been firm and unshakable,
So there had been no risk.
But to wound the god Tiamat,
Alaric had forcibly unanchored it,
And as a result, his existence had begun to waver.
Though it was just a slight tremor,
Alaric could not be certain what impact it would have.
Fortunately, before that wavering could worsen.
The King of the Demon Gods had pulled him into this Temple of Time.
A place beyond time itself.
A twisted singularity of human order.
Here, Alaric could finally feel a sense of stability.
"Then I shall bear witness.
I will witness the moment your great endeavor is completed."
Slowly clenching his fingers, Alaric seemed to have made up his mind:
"Chaldea will arrive here.
Will it be the realization of your great endeavor,
Or the continuation of human order?"
Alaric never doubted that Chaldea would reach the Temple of Time.
But if that happened...
As Alaric spoke, Goetia let out another laugh:
"Then witness it! Witness the moment our great endeavor is born!
A new celestial body shall be created,
A brand-new world forged by the Seventy-Two Demon God Pillars shall now be unveiled!"
His absolute will was unmistakable.
Alaric gazed at the radiant bands of light, silent, offering no rebuttal.
Indeed, at this very moment, Goetia was just one step away from success.
Once the Noble Phantasm was completed,
Goetia would use it as a ticket
To travel back billions of years
From when the planet had yet to be born—
And there, he would recreate the original celestial body.
Turning himself into a new star.
Chaldea would not be able to stop this.
"I can't win..."
Feeling the overwhelming gap,
Alaric's mindset was unexpectedly calm.
Right now, he simply wanted to wait—
To wait until the moment the radiant bands of light truly manifested.
Only then could he understand where this strange sense of familiarity was coming from.
...
Time quietly passed.
After forming a witnessing contract with Goetia, Alaric did not leave the throne's domain.
Instead, he continued conversing with Goetia.
Goetia was an omnipotent being. Even Solomon had failed to reach such heights but though he was all-powerful, he could not understand humanity.
Though he was immortal, he never found an answer.
Thus, he had never become the King of Man.
As their conversation deepened, Alaric truly sensed the wisdom possessed by the King upon the Throne.
Goetia was, indeed, a being of true wisdom.
One by one, many doubts were unraveled.
Even the mystery of Independent Manifestation, which had long puzzled Alaric was revealed by Goetia.
Then—
A thunderous crash suddenly reverberated throughout the Temple of Time.
For a brief moment, the entire temple trembled—
Something immense had collided violently with the Temple of Time, a structure formed by the Seventy-Two Demon God Pillars!
"Then, I shall take my leave, Goetia."
Alaric bowed slightly, saying:
"Thank you for your answers."
Without waiting for Goetia's response,
Alaric immediately turned away from the radiant throne.
Heading toward the Beast's Domain.
The source of that thunderous impact.
As he watched Alaric depart, Goetia rested his face upon his hand.
His expression is unchanging.
This moment was nothing more than an interlude before his great achievement. Other than God, no one could shake his nearing success.
...
Walking alone in the Temple of Time, Alaric was never blocked by any of the Demon Pillars and smoothly arrived at the Beast's Domain.
The moment he stepped into this area, Alaric immediately saw the massive structure deeply embedded in the ground—an enormous building with a distinctly modern style.
Despite losing the support of the land, its multi-layered structure remained incredibly stable. From the outside, it resembled a U-shaped building.
'So this is Chaldea, huh—'
At first glance, Alaric noticed the highly recognizable emblem on the building—the symbol he was extremely familiar with.
'Did Chaldea just crash straight into this place?'
The fact that Chaldea had directly collided with the Temple of Time surprised Alaric.
Originally, he had expected them to enter through spiritron transfer, but he hadn't anticipated such a forceful entrance.
After observing the Chaldea base for a while, Alaric spotted a familiar figure in this domain.
"Hey, Lev."
Alaric greeted him naturally and asked, "Are you here to meet your colleagues?"
Lev Lainur was an independent existence. Due to his family's lineage, the curse of the Demon Pillars—created by Goetia himself after Solomon's death—continued through generations until Lev Lainur became its vessel.
Even though he shared a connection with the Demon Pillars, Lev Lainur still retained his rationality.
He was a man of true conviction.
"I'm always the one doing the work, so naturally, I'm the one welcoming them now too."
Lev Lainur glanced at Alaric and said, "But you, Knight, are you ready?"
"It's fine, it's all the same."
Alaric waved his hand with a smile. "Doesn't seem like there's any difference."
"They're coming in soon. Want to go together, Knight?"
Lev Lainur, walking ahead, still seemed to be leading the way for Alaric. His calm voice echoed as he asked for Alaric's opinion.
A few seconds later.
As the light of Aether flickered, two young girls and a pure white creature appeared in this domain, which was covered in the tendrils of the Demon Pillars.
["Be careful, Fujimaru! This space is filled with the same disruptive spirit signatures we observed in Mesopotamia—it's the Beast of Calamity, Beast!!"]
Just as Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash Kyrielight had barely steadied their footing, Da Vinci's warning rang out.
This made the fully armed Fujimaru tense up.
It was the final words of the departing Merlin before they left Mesopotamia:
'Brother Alaric was taken by the Demon that resides at the end of Human History. If you keep moving forward, you will surely meet him again—'
'Are you here?'
Fujimaru quickly scanned the desolate surroundings, while Mash, equally tense, was also on high alert—until the sound of clapping echoed.
Emerging from the darkness with a smile was a former Chaldea staff member, Lev Lainur.
"Lev Lainur!!"
Upon seeing the man who had killed Director Olga and caused Chaldea's devastating losses, Fujimaru's expression hardened.
"Should I say a long time no see?"
Lev Lainur smiled as if their separation had been nothing more than a brief parting between friends, and their reunion was something to be joyous about.
"No need for unnecessary pleasantries. I've been watching your battles through the other Demon Pillars. I never expected a mere amateur Master like you to make it this far—to reach this throne."
"I do understand human sentiments, you know. That's precisely why I admire your efforts, Fujimaru Ritsuka. So… why don't you just obediently die?"
"Lev Lainur, that's enough nonsense. Is Sir Alaric here or not?"
Letting out a long breath, Fujimaru remained calm, uninterested in exchanging words and directly asking what she wanted to know.
"Hmm? Interrupting someone while they're talking is rude. Even I understand basic manners—don't you?"
Lev Lainur's expression remained unchanged as he continued to smile. "Or are you that desperate to know where that knight is?"
"Professor Lev, you—"
Mash's expression grew serious as she stared intently at Lev Lainur. "From the beginning, did you approach Director Olga Marie just to destroy humanity? To destroy Chaldea?"
It was indeed the real Lev Lainur…
"That question is very much like you, Mash. But what you want to ask is—when exactly did Lev Lainur fall under the influence of the Magecraft King?"
Lev Lainur's smile didn't waver.
Not just Mash—at that moment, a faint blue light curtain appeared, and the figures of Romani and Da Vinci materialized.
Romani spoke first: ["That's what I want to ask as well, Professor Lev. You were part of Chaldea even before me—"]
Staring at Lev Lainur's image on the screen, Romani's voice grew heavy:
["Chaldea couldn't have restored the Human Order without Sheba, which you developed. It's hard to believe you were Solomon's subordinate from the beginning."]
Hearing that, even Da Vinci couldn't help but say, ["I also can't believe I was fooled for four years. When exactly did you change?"]
Years of working together, and yet they never noticed such a drastic transformation in their colleague—this realization gave Da Vinci a sense of failure.
"Oh? If it isn't Romani Archaman and Lady Da Vinci—you two seem overly concerned about my reputation. No, wait… my human rights?"
Lev Lainur let out a loud laugh as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
"This was all decided three thousand years ago!
From the very beginning of the plan, we were planted into the world as hidden pieces.
A family destined to become Demon Pillars in a hundred years…
A family destined to become Demon Pillars in five hundred years…
And a family destined to become Demon Pillars in a thousand years—
I was merely the one responsible for 2017!
We are the seeds of this fate, bound by the inherited commands of the Magecraft King—a doctrine that must be followed.
Grand Order—this is the rule established by the Magecraft King for this very moment.
Magus families pass down their own beliefs and theories to restrain their descendants. But we, the magi separated from the King of Magecraft, existed across different eras solely for this purpose.
The curse of the Demon Pillars was engraved into our genetic code, passed down through generations until the appointed time arrived."
Lev Lainur continued:
"The moment I realized my true identity as a Demon Pillar, your history should have ended. And yet, you all clung to life until now. Why?
Was it my mistake? No, no—that's not it. Someone deceived my watchful eyes and slipped through my observation."
At that moment, Lev Lainur, who had been smiling with narrowed eyes, suddenly widened them in realization. He locked onto the figure in the faint blue light.
"It was you, Romani Archaman!
Did I underestimate you? Or did you deliberately play the fool all this time just to achieve your goal?
If so, that would be a shame. I even once felt a sense of friendship with you.
Medicine and magecraft—our paths were different, but at least I respected your kindness and your efforts."
Romani remained deep in thought, silent, as if uncertain of what to say.
At that moment, Da Vinci spoke in her usual lighthearted tone:
["Of course, you could never truly understand Romani's humanity. After all, before I was summoned to Chaldea, this man never trusted anyone around him."]
"…What did you say?"
For the first time, Lev Lainur furrowed his brows.
Looking at Lev Lainur's expression, Da Vinci let out a cheerful sound:
["Romani maybe just a mere human, but in a certain way, he possesses an endurance that surpasses all geniuses!
[Not knowing the reason], [Not knowing the enemy], [Ultimately, not even being certain if it will happen at all]—he devoted his entire life to believing in such an absurd, dream-like 'crisis of humanity' and continued to wait.
He couldn't let the enemy know he was aware, so he couldn't consult with anyone. For the arrival of that moment, simply because he didn't know what to learn, he studied everything within his reach—
That was Romani Archaman's ten years, a relentless, self-imposed hell of freedom.
A man like that, even in front of his closest comrades, could never reveal his true nature!
Because even he was a fool who constantly belittled himself as a nobody or even as trash!"]
["Ah… No, no, that's not quite right~~ I don't think I'm that self-deprecating?"]
Romani gave an awkward laugh, but it was precisely that smile that caused Lev Lainur's expression to darken.
"Hmph. Of course, I was always wary of this man's suspicious nature. That's why I planned to have him die in the control room explosion… and yet, even that was thwarted by that Master's interference."
"Eh? Is that true? Senpai saved the Doctor's life?"
Mash looked at Ritsuka Fujimaru in shock.
"It was just a conversation,"
Fujimaru replied with a nostalgic smile, still vividly recalling that day.
Seeing this, Lev Lainur's gaze grew colder.
"Well, it doesn't matter. Right now, our king is slightly preoccupied. In just a few more hours, the calculations will be complete. Originally, I could have just ignored you all.
But by the contract of witness, I will dispose of you here. Consider this my correction of past mistakes."
BOOM!
A surge of magical energy erupted from Lev Lainur's body, his form shifting amidst maniacal laughter!
"Listen well! My name is Demon God Flauros! One of the Seventy-Two Demon Gods, the one who governs information!"
With the outpouring of magical energy, the Demon Pillar Flauros replaced Lev Lainur, appearing before Ritsuka and Mash!
A towering, pillar-like entity, covered in tens—no, hundreds—of blood-red eyes, all fixated on them!
Fujimaru and Mash exchanged a single glance—then, without hesitation, they leaped into battle!
"Mash, prepare for combat!"
Without a moment's doubt, Fujimaru gave the command, and Mash shot forward like a bullet!
Her massive shield swung with such force that it seemed to crush the very air itself!
Yet, facing this attack, the Demon Pillar Flauros showed no panic—
It didn't even assume a defensive stance.
As if it was allowing Mash's attack to land!
Step, step.
But the strike never reached its target.
A figure emerged silently, stepping past the Demon Pillar.
A flash of a blade cut through the air, intercepting the blow before it could land.
CLANG!
A deep metallic clang resounded as an immense force repelled Mash, sending her flying backward!
Under that overwhelming power, even Mash felt her arms go numb—unable to clash against it head-on, she was forcefully knocked away!
But she saw clearly who had attacked her—
"Sir Alaric—?!"
Fujimaru, who had yet to complete a summon, halted her movements, staring intently ahead.
Standing before the Demon Pillar Flauros was a young man clad in armor, gripping a dark holy sword in one hand. His posture was as firm as a pine tree, as immovable as a mountain.
Someone both Fujimaru and Mash had long wondered about—
The Round Table Knight, Alaric, who had vanished after the battle against Tiamat!
"It's been a while!"
Alaric greeted them naturally, as if unaware of what he had just done.
"I left in such a hurry—I have no idea what happened to everyone afterward. Miss Siduri should be fine, right? And King Gilgamesh… well, he should be dead for good."
Having reunited with Fujimaru and the others, Alaric still had many questions, most of them about Mesopotamia.
His departure had not gone as planned, completely disrupting his intention to watch the sunrise at the moment of the world's correction.
"Sir Alaric, what are you doing?"
Ignoring his question, Fujimaru's face turned grim as she fixed his gaze on Alaric and the Demon Pillar Flauros behind him.
Even Mash was at a loss for words—Alaric's actions had already made everything clear.
Yet, it was an outcome no one wanted to believe.
Not just Mash and Fujimaru—Da Vinci and Romani, watching from Chaldea, also recognized Alaric's figure.
The tension that had arisen from Lev Lainur's appearance instantly dissipated, replaced by something even heavier.
As everyone stared at him with grave expressions, Alaric's smile remained unchanged.
"I just found myself a new job, that's all."