The king collected all the earth's treasures and built a vault to store them. It was the original prototype of all the treasures born in later generations and a testament to human wisdom and intelligence. Humanity praised it as the Gate of the Gods.
After being sublimated into legend, it became a treasury that truly gathered all of humanity's treasures and could be called the Original Archive of Humanity's Wisdom.
Under Alaric's gaze, an ancient long sword extended from the door.
The moment he saw the blade, Alaric immediately understood its true name and origin—
"Gram."
It was the Sun Demon Sword of honor and destruction, wielded by the mighty hero Sigurd in the Norse epic Volsunga Saga. This divine sword was drawn from the great tree, where it had been embedded by an old man—none other than the chief god Odin in disguise.
It was also believed to be the prototype of the famous Sword in the Stone (Caliburn) from Arthurian legend.
It was the Sword in the Tree that Grants Dominion in Norse mythology—used to choose kings and the very source of sacred authority.
"The prototype of the Sword in the Stone, huh—"
Clang.
As Alaric pulled the holy sword from the gate, he could feel the power and mystery contained within the blade. The sheer craftsmanship of this noble phantasm was far beyond his crude projections.
"Since you are a Knight of the Round Table, you should use this sword. It is the origin of the holy sword once wielded by the king you swore allegiance to."
Standing atop a high vantage point, Gilgamesh smirked and said:
"Or do you desire something else? I will grant you one free choice. If you can successfully activate the King's Key, you may take any holy sword from my treasury."
"No need, I think this one is good enough."
Alaric attempted to store Gram and found that it could transform into a conceptual armament and be successfully stored. Whether he could take it away later was another matter.
Now armed with a newly acquired holy sword, Alaric wasted no more words with Gilgamesh. He decisively left, ignored the abandoned pit, and directly crossed the spatial rift before the Light Belt Throne.
He entered the cosmic domain where the Light Belt Throne resided.
Step, step.
Upon re-entering the Light Belt Throne, Alaric did not immediately look at the king seated upon it. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the backs of the girls not far away and called out:
"Fujimar, Mash—"
At the sound of his voice, the young girls, stepping into the final battlefield for the first time, turned around abruptly. Seeing Alaric's figure, they let out a helpless expression.
Fujimaru and Mash had witnessed Alaric's battles against numerous Heroic Spirits along the way. But precisely because of this, Fujimaru was certain—Alaric was not an ally of the King of Magecraft.
For he had never struck to kill.
Despite possessing the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, which could fatally slay Servants, Alaric had never used them. His battles against Heroic Spirits were deliberate and controlled, never causing grievous harm.
Through observing each battle, Fujimaru understood Alaric's intentions—
"Don't worry, Sir Alaric!"
At this point, there was no turning back.
Without exchanging further words, she and Mash rushed towards the throne.
Alaric did not stop them. He slowed his pace, watching the two girls move forward—along with the pure white little beast that had unknowingly appeared on Mash's shoulder.
The king, who had been silently watching, gazed down upon the Master of Chaldea and spoke calmly:
"The Eastern Observatory, Armory, and Hall of Life have fallen—silence.
The Western Intelligence Room, Control Tower, and Star-Gazing Chamber have fallen—silence.
The Heroic Spirits are more capable than expected. We may not disappear, but they have forced us to taste defeat repeatedly. This was unforeseen.
Upon hearing the king's voice, Mash and Fujimaru turned their attention to the lone figure seated on the throne.
"Confirmed—there is a figure on the throne. Identified as... the King of Magecraft: Solomon!"
Mash's expression tensed as she called out:
"Combat readiness, Senpai!"
Beside her, Fujimaru grasped Chaldea's customized final battle Mystic Code—one capable of genuine Heroic Spirit summoning, rather than weakened Spirit Origin projections.
However, due to limited reserves, Fujimaru could only summon seven times, and each summon would place an immense burden on her.
Fortunately, the Heroic Spirits aiding them along the way had manifested on their own, allowing her to conserve her strength for this final battle.
Observing their tense demeanor, the king upon the throne spoke indifferently:
"We have met once before, haven't we?
Welcome, Master of Chaldea.
It is a king's joy to entertain guests from afar. Unfortunately, I despise humanity.
For your long journey, I have no rewards to grant, no mercy to offer—only anger at your 'why.'
Why have you come here?
Why could you not wait for the activation of our First Noble Phantasm—Ars Nova?
His merciless questioning echoed beneath the Light Belt Throne.
Fujimaru's expression subtly changed as she instinctively repeated:
"Ars Nova?"
"It is the name of one of the five volumes in the 19th-century grimoire The Lesser Key of Solomon. The most famous volume is the Demon Catalogue—Goetia, while Ars Nova is the conclusion, representing the abandonment of old magic in favor of a new system."
Mash quickly explained to Fujimaru.
Satisfied with her response, the king on the throne nodded and continued:
"Correct. I possess three Noble Phantasms. In just a few minutes, the first of them will reach maturity.
The second Noble Phantasm is this very space—Ars Paulina. It is my Reality Marble, the Time Temple Solomon, an isolated workshop within an imaginary space beyond the universe and time itself.
As Goetia conversed with Mash and Fujimaru, Alaric stood alone, gazing up at the Light Belt stretching across the endless sky.
If measured on a planetary scale, this Light Belt was a structure large enough to encompass an entire world. Regardless of its size, its heat surpassed that of this planet—an overwhelming force of absolute power.
A summary of three thousand years of human history.
A recurring cycle of collection and condensation.
A path back through billions of years—to a time when even the stars did not yet exist.
To 'nothingness.'
More than admiration for Goetia's grand ambition, Alaric wanted to uncover the source of this familiar feeling—to witness the final moments of everything.
In Alaric's eyes, Fujimaru could not win.
Even with countless Heroic Spirits aiding them, even if they managed to disrupt the magical energy support from the other Demon Pillars, Goetia's immortality meant he could not be defeated.
Unless... he chose to abandon his goal at the very end.
With a slightly distracted mind, Alaric watched as Fujimaru and Mash launched their battle against Goetia.
Goetia did not unleash overwhelming divine power but instead fought Mash using physical strength alone. Meanwhile, Fujimaru's summoned Servants were suppressed by his counter-summoning authority.
Even so, Mash alone was able to stand against Goetia, pushing him into retreat.
To Alaric, Goetia had left an excellent impression.
Goetia had shown Alaric unexpected respect— a treatment unbefitting mere humans, especially those he despised.
Though the source of this feeling remained unclear, Alaric understood the grand wish Goetia pursued— even if its price was the destruction of humanity.
As the battle came to a close, the defeated Goetia did not show despair. Instead, he burst into ecstatic laughter.
Amidst his delirious laughter, his voice echoed through the cosmos—
"Light Belt, illuminate the Throne!
The grand endeavor begins!"
The radiant bands above the firmament erupted with dazzling brilliance, causing an instant upheaval in the domain where the jade throne resided!
RUMBLE!!!
The earth rose, and demonic pillars slithered up from below, coiling and twisting. What was once an immaculate and awe-inspiring throne of light transformed into a hellish abyss!
The throne's transformation was secondary; what truly captivated Alaric was that the king had finally revealed his true form—
Amidst an aura of black and crimson magical energy, appendages resembling the tendrils of the demonic pillars envelop Goetia. From within, the remains of Solomon began to shed, and from those remains, something truly emerged!
"Appear, and be blessed!
This is the Beast of Calamity, one of humanity's evils.
Master of Chaldea, you once asked who I am, did you not?
Then allow me to answer. I exist as the Magecraft King Solomon, a fragment of the Magecraft King, an institution created by him. I was the first familiar, designed to lay the foundation for magi like you.
A curse of origin, abandoned upon Solomon's death, after once ruling a kingdom alongside him.
A summoning entity, born from the corpse of the rebellious Solomon.
My name is—
No, I shall discard the name of Solomon. There is no longer any need for impersonation.
I have no name. But if you must call me something, then call me this:
An existence that has attained true wisdom, one that is sought after;
An existence that will consume you as sustenance, journeying toward the pinnacle, creating a new celestial body;
An existence that governs the seventy-two curses, burning history to ashes—
I am Humanity Incineration's Demon God King—Goetia."
The self-proclaimed Demon God King, Goetia, spoke.
"Demon God King—Goetia."
Not only were Fujimaru and Mash stunned by Goetia's revealed form, but even Alaric, standing nearby, was drawn to the sanctity of his body.
Upon his forehead, golden branches resembling a crown extended to either side, their leaves lending this Beast of Calamity an unexpected beauty.
His arms were broad, golden scales tracing the contours of his muscles, while crimson photonic blood coursed between the scales, giving his once-sacred form a sinister air.
Though his limbs were thick and powerful, Goetia's lower body was notably slender, yet no less brimming with strength.
But the most striking feature was the eye at his chest. Unlike the other Demon God Pillars, Goetia bore only this single, crimson eye within his body.
And yet, even with just that, mere eye contact brought forth immense pressure.
What a magnificent form—
As Alaric marveled at Goetia's perfection, Fujimaru and Mash finally grasped the grand ambition Goetia sought to fulfill.
"Yes, I—no, we—were lifeforms created by humanity's own hands.
We were higher-order intelligence, bodiless, designed to possess abilities beyond human limitations, and willing to serve mankind.
But that was in the past.
Now, I no longer stand with humanity.
Once, there was a man—a king, omniscient and omnipotent, granted power by the gods.
With eyes that perceived both past and future, he saw all things in existence. We were his shadows, inheriting his perspective.
No—rather, as his guardian spirits, we had no choice but to synchronize with him.
We witnessed endless sorrow and countless betrayals.
We saw ceaseless plundering and innumerable endings.
Enough. There is nothing left worth seeing. On this planet, even gods meet only one fate—annihilation.
We have lost all interest in humanity and its future.
What I seek is a perfect environment for nurturing pure intelligence.
This planet is flawed—a mad world built upon the premise of inevitable death.
I will reach the pinnacle, return 4.6 billion years into the past, witness the very birth of this celestial body, absorb all its energy—and transform myself into a new celestial body, recreating this planet from the beginning.
I will rewrite Genesis itself, forging a world where death does not exist. This is our ultimate ambition.
We do not seek humanity's destruction out of hatred. It is simply necessary—to accumulate the energy needed to travel back in time, to witness the birth of the stars, to control that moment and its infinite possibilities.
A plan of such scale requires immense magical energy, the culmination of all magical power accumulated over 3,000 years of human civilization.
By converting all of human history from 1000 BCE to 2017 CE into magical energy, we can acquire the power to leap back to the origin of this planet.
Eradicating humanity—incinerating humanity—is merely a means to that end.
To us, humans are nothing more than fuel for our ascent to the heavens."
Having unveiled his true form, Goetia took his time explaining the truth behind the Incineration of Humanity to Fujimaru and Mash, mercilessly exposing the overwhelming gap between them.
"Now then, I have shown you due respect. The time for vengeance has finally come.
As I said earlier, we are very busy. There is still important work to be done, and as per my agreement with the knight, I shall now unveil my true power.
The moment has arrived—the reconfiguration of this primordial planet is complete.
And needless to say, you are not needed in this journey to the pinnacle.
Let me finish my final task in this domain, this era, this Earth.
Welcome, all. Unfortunately, you will die here and now.
—That is the end of this idle chatter."
Before Goetia even finished speaking, an overwhelming surge of magical energy erupted from his body. Without casting a single spell, he simply relied on his massive physique to charge straight at Mash, delivering a devastating punch!
BOOM!
Mash, unable to evade in time, was sent flying several meters!
Even so, neither Mash nor Fujimaru retreated, determined to defeat Goetia before he could unleash his third Noble Phantasm!
"Sir Alaric!"
Fujimaru turned sharply, calling out to the motionless Alaric, urging him to join the battle.
But Alaric simply shook his head. "Not this time, Fujimaru."
'——'
Without a hint of disappointment, Fujimaru immediately turned back and reengaged in battle with Goetia!
However, the outcome was mercilessly clear. The fight ended in less than a minute.
As the heavens rained down torrents of magical energy, both Mash and Fujimaru wore expressions of resignation.
"Goetia's third Noble Phantasm confirmed—it's unfolding. There's… no stopping it now, Master."
Mash gazed up at the sky, her face filled with regret—as if lamenting her inability to protect Fujimaru.
"How foolish. Why do you resist, Mash Kyrielight?"
Watching her defiant expression, Goetia—who should have already activated his Noble Phantasm—paused to ask:
"I understand you. You should understand me as well.
We both have personally experienced the meaninglessness of life.
We both have grieved over the limitations of mortal existence."
"Isn't it? The future is just too boring. Humanity is truly too boring because, even if we are alive, we can only continuously witness death. No matter what kind of existence, all will eventually face farewell in death.
I've had enough. A planet without death should be what you desire as well.
Among us, there is still one who hesitates. Even if it's just one person, we hope that someone among humanity can understand us. If that happens, our plan will become an unshakable existence.
Mash Kyrielight, a life form created by humans, a life form that is about to disappear—let us together deny human history and tell them that we are the ones who are right.
Just one sentence, just one, is enough. If you say it, we can grant you the right to journey with us to the extreme point."
At those words, even Mash fell into silence.
Fujimaru, too, was shocked by Goetia's words—the revelation that Mash was about to disappear—subconsciously turning to look at her.
"Mash?"
"Goetia. Yes, you've always been asking me this.
Indeed, if death is inevitable, then perhaps survival has no meaning. I will not deny your argument.
But life isn't about finding value only while you are alive.
A world without death, a world without an end, would also be a world without sorrow, wouldn't it?
However, that's wrong. Even if I could live forever, I wouldn't want such an eternity.
Because the world I see, right now, is here!
Even if my life ends in the next moment, even if it's just for a single second, I want to witness this future."
Mash's resolve was unwavering, never shaken by Goetia's words.
Staring into Mash's determined eyes, even Goetia seemed to fall into silence.
"Senpai, can you hold my hand again?"
With firm resolve, Mash smiled and extended her hand toward Fujimaru, who did not refuse.
"—What a pity. Then burn away along with this era."
Losing interest, Goetia declared the end:
"Third Noble Phantasm, deploy.
With the fire of the planet, let humanity's end be known.
Farewell, Fujimaru Ritsuka, Mash Kyrielight—your journey ends here."
As the declaration of the end was spoken, Goetia slowly ascended—
But before that, Mash, with a gentle expression, as if already prepared for what was to come, turned her head and called out to someone in the distance:
"Sir Alaric, please come here. I won't let you fight this time. This is to keep you from getting caught in the aftermath."
Even now, facing the spectating Alaric, Mash still treated him with kindness.
She worried that he might be erased by Goetia's attack.
But at this moment, Alaric no longer paid attention to Mash, Fujimaru, or even Goetia.
His dazed gaze was fixed on the brilliant band of light—the culmination of three thousand years of human history, now finally revealing its true form.
"So, under the witness of a knight, let the journey of you all come to an end.
The demise of human history—at the moment my grand endeavor to reshape this planet is completed!"
As Goetia proclaimed, the pure white band of light transformed into a black-red wheel, its intertwining tendrils rising high, reaching from the throne to the radiant band.
"Ars Almadel Salomonis."
The moment its true name was fully released, destruction arrived.
Was that a flood? A pillar of light? Or an ocean?
It surpassed the limits of human comprehension, exceeding even the mythic battle against Quetzalcoatl and the primordial god Tiamat.
In the face of absolute annihilation, what shone forth was the simple wish of a certain girl—to protect.
"That is the home that can heal all wounds, all hatred. Appear now! Lord Camelot!"
With her life placed as a wager, the girl's Noble Phantasm unfolded.
A white fortress wall separated Fujimaru Ritsuka and Alaric from the impending destruction, creating an absolute sanctuary.
It was a scene as if time had stopped.
On this planet, no defense existed that could withstand such heat—at least, not in a physical sense.
Mash's shield was a defense of the spirit—
As long as her heart remained pure, without doubt, her shield would be indestructible, neither melting nor shattering.
In this hellish moment, while defending against the fire that could pierce the planet, Mash dreamed—
Of the journey so far, of the journey yet to come.
Of the past in which she existed, and the future in which she no longer would.
"I'm glad, Master. If it's like this, then it's enough—"
At the moment of farewell, the girl's voice rang out in gratitude.
...
Mash's protection had not failed anyone.
The white fortress wall became the strongest defense on this planet.
Even heat capable of piercing the stars could not break through.
Scattered starlight turned into a celestial dome, reflecting in the eyes of Alaric.
It was as if time itself had stopped—not just in awe of the heat's power.
Ah... what an overwhelming sight.
At this moment, as Goetia's third Noble Phantasm, Ars Almadel Salomonis, was unleashed—
Alaric finally caught a glimpse of the truth he had long sought but could never reach.
The lid sealing his buried soul cracked slightly under the heat that could pierce the stars.
And what he saw—
Was something deeply familiar.
It was almost identical to the band of light covering the planet.
Alaric slowly closed his eyes, burned by the scorching radiance, as crimson tears trickled down his face.
The flood dissipated. The shield of snowflakes still stood.
But the figure of Mash was no longer there.
Her body, unable to withstand the heat, had silently evaporated.
Yet her spirit remained untouched, and the snowflake shield stood intact, eternally protecting its master.
"...It's over. Meaningless. Truly meaningless.
We are immortal. As long as we exist within the Time Temple Solomon, we are immortal.
Your brief existence, the resistance of the Heroic Spirits—it's all meaningless.
Third Noble Phantasm, reload."
No longer interested in exchanging words with Fujimaru Ritsuka, Goetia prepared to reload his Noble Phantasm—
When suddenly, he noticed the knight who had also survived.
That reaction, resonating from within his body—
"Goetia!!!!!!!"
But before he could respond, Fujimaru's desperate scream erupted.
She had lifted the snowflake shield with sheer willpower, her eyes bloodshot with rage, and was ready to strike down Goetia at that very moment.
Before Goetia could speak, a light chuckle came from afar.
"My, my. At a time like this, it's better to stay calm, don't you think, Fujimaru Ritsuka?
A mutual demise isn't your style. You should be gathering more power instead."
The acting director of Chaldea, the man who had always supported Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash behind the scenes—Romani Archaman—appeared upon this radiant throne.
Li Ye, who had just regained his vision, also noticed Romani's presence. His pitch-black pupils reflected no light as if immersed in absolute darkness.
"Dr. Roman—"
"That spirit origin—"
Alaric was momentarily stunned. He could sense that the magical energy within Roman was not within the range of an ordinary human but rather the response of a Servant's spirit origin.
"You've fought well, Fujimaru Ritsuka.
Though, unfortunately, I'll have to steal the spotlight at the very end, it's now my turn to take the stage."
Roman smiled as he spoke, then turned his head to look at Alaric and said with a grin, "Sir Alaric, since you've chosen to bear witness to all of this, then please continue watching.
After all, this is my moment to shine—super cool, right?"
"Romani Archaman, as an ordinary person, how can you appear upon this throne—?"
Goetia, whose Noble Phantasm activation had been interrupted, looked puzzled. But soon, just like Alaric, he sensed something unusual—the unmistakable response of a spirit origin he was all too familiar with.
"Wait, what is this spirit origin response!?"
"I have abandoned the wish I once made to the Holy Grail. From now on, my words and actions will be those of my original self.
Before that, I should take off my gloves—this way, everything will make sense."
Roman smiled as he removed the white gloves he had always worn. On his left hand, only one ring remained—
A ring identical to the Ten Rings possessed by the Demon God King Goetia.
Seeing this, Alaric seemed to understand something.
Not only him—
The moment Goetia saw that ring, he completely lost his composure and shouted, "That is—the one I lost—no, that is King Solomon's tenth ring—
Are you—"
"Doctor… No way?"
Fujimaru, who also understood the implication, was stunned.
As he looked at everyone's shocked expressions, Roman's face showed a sense of acceptance as he began to explain:
"That was a story from eleven years ago. Marisbury Animusphere, the director of Chaldea, prepared the highest-class holy relic when he participated in the Holy Grail War.
That relic was this ring—a gift from King Solomon, left behind for the distant future upon his death.
I don't know why it happened back then. I thought it was just another whim of the gods, as always. But Marisbury discovered this ring, and to win the Holy Grail War, he summoned a Heroic Spirit—King Solomon.
He was Chaldea's first summoned Heroic Spirit, who, alongside Marisbury, obtained the Holy Grail and fulfilled a wish.
But the wish he spoke aloud was nothing more than a simple and ordinary desire—
'To become human.'"
"You—You! This is absurd! Impossible!
No—everything is wrong! Everything!
You could never be that man!"
Goetia, having completely lost his previous composure, raised his voice several notches higher. "And fulfilling a wish? That man would never have a wish!
A heretic! Cold! Cruel! Merciless! The man who was my original form—he could never have a wish no different from an ordinary human's!"
Listening quietly to Goetia's rebuttal, Roman showed a melancholic expression and said:
"Hearing you say that is quite hurtful. Do you hate me that much?
Well, it doesn't matter.
In the end, Solomon's wish was granted.
But that's where the problem arose.
King Solomon, known as the all-seeing, all-knowing possessor of Clairvoyance—
The moment he became human, he lost his abilities.
That wasn't so bad, but in that instant, Solomon saw the end of humanity.
He panicked, desperate to understand why this was happening—
But by then, he was already just an ordinary man."
Roman then recounted the ten years that Da Vinci had previously spoken of.
As a faint light enveloped his body, Roman spoke again:
"Goetia, you claim you reject the title of King of Magecraft—
Then allow me to announce my name."
Pure white spirit particles shifted in form and scale—
And the ancient King bestowed by God returned to his throne.
It was the same existence as the remains of the King of Magecraft that Alaric had seen before—
But now, it was even closer to nothingness.
"My name is King Solomon.
Goetia—
I am the one who declares your end."
Now in his Servant form, Solomon's expression was calm as he gazed upon the catastrophe born from his remains.
"Life is something that must end.
Life is a pilgrimage accumulating suffering.
But this is not a tale of death and severance.
Goetia, you who were born from my remains, a Beast burdened with my years of regret—
This is the moment I shall sever your evil with my own hands."
"Hah! Don't make me laugh, Solomon!
What can you even do now?
The only thing that could stop me was the great deeds of the living Solomon—
As a Heroic Spirit, you could never defeat me!"
BOOM!
Unwilling to waste any words on Solomon, Goetia launched a sudden attack. His fists, powerful enough to shake mountains, struck forward—
But before they could reach Solomon, they were blocked by a barrier that had silently appeared before him.
Yet as Goetia unleashed an onslaught like a raging storm, beams of light burst forth from the eyes embedded in his arms—
And within mere seconds, cracks began to form in the barrier!
"Hah! So you're all talk! Fool!
Die! I'll send you to the underworld with your own Noble Phantasm!"
Goetia decisively resumed his interrupted Human Order Incineration—
Preparing to unleash his Third Noble Phantasm once again to annihilate Solomon!
As Goetia's words fell, Solomon, who had been silent, nodded and said:
"I've intended this from the start—
I will be destroyed by my own Noble Phantasm.
Because that is the end destined for King Solomon."
"What—?"
Goetia seemed unable to grasp Solomon's meaning—
But his hands did not stop moving.
A holy radiance enveloped Solomon's entire being—
A light purer than any Alaric had ever seen.
"Goetia, let me teach you one final piece of magecraft.
You may know that King Solomon had one more Noble Phantasm—
But you could never have known its true name."
Solomon's calm voice echoed through the throne room:
"You possess nine rings.
I hold the final one.
Now, all ten rings are gathered.
It is time to recreate that."
King Solomon's true First Noble Phantasm—
The only one that allowed him to be remembered as a human hero.
By now, Goetia understood exactly what Solomon intended to do—
And it was a conclusion he could never accept!
"Stop! Stop! STOP!
The Throne of Omnipotence does not belong solely to you—"
But no matter what Goetia did, he could not change the inevitable outcome.
Solomon raised both hands as if returning something to the heavens.
"The Third Noble Phantasm: Ars Almadel Salomonis
The Second Noble Phantasm: Ars Paulina
And—
The Time of Birth hath come, He is the One who Masters All. The Time of Crowning hath come, He is the One who Begins All. And ― The Time of Parting hath come, He is the One who Lets Go of The World. Ars Nova."
The Legacy states: Though King Solomon possessed an omnipotent ring, he never used it even once. In the end, he returned the ring to the heavens by his own will.
It was as if he were declaring that, from this moment forward, fate would no longer be entrusted to an almighty god, but rather, humanity would survive by its own will.
Romani Archaman—Solomon—or rather, the proxy of the omnipotent god, had reached his end at this moment.
The reenactment of his First Noble Phantasm had the effect of completely erasing all of King Solomon's achievements, great deeds, and traces—the ability to return everything to the heavens.
It was an existence that reached the state of nothingness, even erasing any trace of itself from the Throne of Heroes.
Before this, only one other being had ever reached nothingness—that was the Enlightened One.
Alaric, witnessing everything, understood exactly what had happened. As Romani gave his final farewell, the Time Temple, constructed from Solomon's remains, also came to an end. The 72 Demon Pillars, which possessed infinite time, were forcefully divided into 72 individual beings.
They lost their absolute immortality.
"Die, humans! Our great work remains unaffected! As long as you die here—Fujimaru Ritsuka! As long as I kill you and force all the Heroic Spirits to retreat, I will still have time to reinitiate my Noble Phantasm!"
With Solomon, the source, now gone, Demon King Goetia also neared his end. The 72 Demon Pillars, having lost their immortality, were swiftly defeated by the Heroic Spirits. This led to Goetia's body collapsing, and soon, he would completely disappear.
But Goetia would not stop here—he would reverse his defeat!
"It's alright now, Fujimaru."
As Fujimaru prepared for a final battle against Goetia, Alaric raised a hand to stop her, stepping between her and Goetia.
"Knight, are you ready to take the stage?"
At this moment, Goetia was incredibly weakened—so much so that he had no chance against the current Alaric.
"No, I am still bound by my contract of witnessing. If you two intend to fight—"
Alaric shook his head, his dark eyes scanning both Goetia and Fujimaru. But before he could finish speaking, Fujimaru Ritsuka decisively interrupted:
"Please step aside, Sir Alaric!"
Hearing her firm, anger-tinged voice, Alaric obediently moved aside.
As the Demon Pillars were defeated and fled the Time Temple, the speed at which Goetia's body was collapsing increased, and the weakening became undeniably evident.
With the reinforcement of the Mystic Code, even Fujimaru, wielding the Snowflake Shield, could exchange blows with Goetia on equal footing.
Or rather—the outcome had already been decided from the beginning.
"Why do you persist in fighting even now?!"
Goetia, whose body was visibly crumbling, roared in frustration at the last Master of Humanity.
"Isn't it obvious?!"
Fujimaru's resolute answer was so powerful that even Alaric couldn't help but agree.
"To survive!"
There was no need for any other reason. The purest motivation driving her actions until now was one thing—to live.
Hearing this, the now powerless Goetia burst into laughter.
"So that's how it is... It wasn't even for the sake of protecting Humanity's Order.
"It seems we were mistaken—overestimating you beyond reason.
You desire survival and fear death;
Yet despite fearing death, you still seek to destroy us, who only wished to attain eternity.
How utterly hopeless. How stubborn to the point of being beyond salvation.
This—this is what it means to be unmanageable—hahaha!"
Amidst his final laughter, the last remaining Demon Pillar ceased functioning.
Thus, all 72 Demon Pillars had completely stopped.
Human Order Revision—Goetia: Terminated.
"Let's go."
Supporting the exhausted Fujimaru, Alaric carried the Shield in one hand while holding Fujimaru with the other, leading her away from the throne.
"Sir Alaric, what did you witness?"
Despite the soreness in her limbs, Fujimaru remained conscious. Feeling the warmth of the man beside her, she softly asked:
"Why did you do this?"
"This was the contract, Fujimaru. The contract I made with Goetia—to witness everything."
After taking just a few steps, Alaric suddenly stopped—not just because of the Da Vinci communication screen that appeared before them, but because of someone standing in their path.
Most of his body had already turned into spirit particles, with only half remaining intact.
His golden hair blazed like flames.
"Goetia?"
Alaric gently set down Fujimaru.
"Looks like you're going ahead first. I should be able to catch up later."
"Sir Alaric—"
Fujimaru, taking deep breaths to steady herself, was suddenly pushed aside by Alaric, his palm pressing against her face.
"Lady Da Vinci, she's yours now."
"Fujimaru, you must go! The Time Temple is collapsing faster than the light belt! If you don't leave now, it'll be too late! Sir Alaric will catch up later."
Even though Da Vinci was unable to observe the situation on the throne, she knew that this was not the time to hesitate. She forcefully urged Fujimaru toward the Spirit Transfer Point 500 meters away.
"Understood."
Fujimaru wasn't the type to dwell unnecessarily. She quickly headed for the temple's exit.
As she departed, the entity in front of Alaric—whom he recognized as Goetia—did not stop her. Or rather, he understood that he was incapable of preventing her escape.
"By the contract of witnessing, I have seen it all—whether it be the moment your great work was nearly completed or the moment of your utter defeat.
Whether it was the End of Human Order or the Restoration of Human Order—I have witnessed the conclusion."
At this moment, time seemed to slow. Alaric gazed at the being before him—not the Demon King but the King of Mankind, Goetia.
"Goetia, the last remnant of Solomon—will you continue to exist?"
"......."
Goetia did not respond. He merely stared silently at Alaric—or rather, at the intensely active black light within him.
After having directly faced the Third Noble Phantasm: Ars Almadel Salomonis, the black light visible to Goetia had become increasingly unstable.
As if something was about to be born from within it.
"I will persist—"
At last, the King of Mankind, Goetia, spoke.
"Humanity's future still does not exist. After A.D. 2019, humanity still has no future."
Hearing this, Alaric raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Goetia, what exactly did you see?"
"Knight from beyond the horizon, should you continue to exist in this world, you will eventually come to understand—on that fateful day."
Goetia seemed to lose interest in conversing further. He abruptly turned and walked back toward the throne, leaving behind only a faint statement:
"That day—"
Goetia vanished.
The moment Goetia disappeared, Alaric, who had been calm just a second ago, decisively turned and ran.
The collapse of the Temple of Time was occurring within imaginary space.
What is imaginary space?
It is a space where nothing exists—not even the god of life, Tiamat, who was banished to this world. It is eternal solitude.
Collapsing along with the Temple of Time, Alaric could already imagine his tragic fate.
But!!
Now, a perfect escape route appeared before him.
That was the Chaldea base, which had once been in physical contact with the Temple of Time!
According to Alaric's unverified calculations, if he entered Chaldea, which had a structure similar to a Singularity, from a physical level, his chances of escaping safely were high!
After running for a while, Alaric caught sight of Ritsuka Fujimaru—and—
The lilac-haired girl, who was holding onto Fujimaru's hand, ran swiftly toward the transfer point.
Mash Kyrielight, the girl who had completely perished in Goetia's third Noble Phantasm had miraculously returned to life!
"Hey, run faster!"
Even while running for his own life, Alaruc didn't forget to shout, "Oh, and tell Lady Da Vinci not to be scared!"
Ritsuka Fujimaru, who had just reunited with Mash, noticed Alaric running in the opposite direction. But before she could understand what he meant, she saw him vanish into a streak of pitch-black aurora.
"Senpai!"
Mash, who also noticed Alaric, had no time to think. She quickly grabbed Ritsuka and rushed to the transfer point.
At the same time—
The pitch-black aurora crossed the collapsing Temple of Time and, within a fraction of a second, found the Chaldea base, which had not yet disappeared.
Due to the Temple of Time's collapse, the spatial fractures across various cosmic domains vanished, forcibly pulling all domains onto the same level.
This allowed Alaric, upon confirming Chaldea's location, to fly toward it at a blistering speed!
The wings of his mechanical dragon unfurled, bursting forth with astonishing velocity, rapidly closing the distance between him and Chaldea!
As Alaric approached, Chaldea's control room simultaneously detected a rapidly approaching magical energy signature!
"An extremely high magical energy surge is approaching! We can't complete the space-time transfer!"
The speed was simply too fast—so fast that the Chaldean staff had no time to react or take measures!
"The Demon Pillars have been eliminated. Where is this magical reaction coming from?"
Da Vinci, who had temporarily taken over leadership after Romani's departure, instinctively asked. But soon, her expression shifted into one of disbelief.
Boom!
"The magical energy signature has entered Chaldea through the damaged observation deck! It's heading toward the control room!"
The moment she finished speaking, accompanied by a crisp slicing sound—
The doors of Chaldea's control room were instantly cut apart. Alaric stepped in, carrying a snowflake-shaped shield, grinning brightly.
"Special delivery! Mind if I hitch a ride?"
With that, he lifted the shield in his hand. To ensure Fujimaru Ritsuka could leave quickly, he had not returned the shield to her but carried it himself.
"Sir Alaric—this is going to cost you!"
Da Vinci, the first to accept the situation, pointed at the now-severed door behind Alaric. "Damaging Chaldean property… You'll have to work off your debt here."
"The situation was urgent! I didn't even know if I could make it in time."
Alaric casually tossed the snowflake shield aside, stretched lazily, and smiled. "But now I understand—I can leave."
The moment he stepped into the control room, Alaric was certain of this outcome.
"The collapse of the Temple of Time is about to spread. Should we begin the transfer?"
The staff in charge of the transfer glanced hesitantly at Da Vinci, seeking her decision.
"Initiate the transfer."
Da Vinci did not hesitate and quickly gave the order.
With the command issued, just before the Temple of Time completely collapsed, the Chaldea base left that cosmic domain.
After exchanging only a few words with Da Vinci, Alaric's attention was drawn to the Chaldeas—the miniature planetary model representing Earth's future.
'This is—'
"This is Chaldeas—"
Step. Step.
Ignoring everyone else's reactions, Alaric walked straight up to Chaldeas, his pitch-black pupils reflecting the image of the planet.
Pure white.
'Marisbury… what exactly did you create?'
Even though it was his first time seeing Chaldeas, Alaric couldn't help but perceive certain things.
Or rather, he had established some kind of connection with something.
This made him even more curious about Marisbury Animusphere, the man he had never met.
"Sir Alaric?"
At this moment, the two girls who had successfully transferred noticed the lone figure standing before Chaldeas.
It was Alaric who should not have been in Chaldea—someone they had parted ways with twice, yet this time, he had arrived before them.
"What a pleasant surprise!"
Alaric greeted them without a trace of abnormality, smiling. "Looking forward to spending time together from now on!"
Still processing what had just happened, Fujimaru and Mash exchanged glances. Then, seeing Da Vinci's helpless expression in the distance, their eyes lit up with realization.
"Welcome!"
The last Master of Humanity, Ritsuka Fujimaru, having completed the Grand Order, also welcomed a new companion into her life.
"Welcome, welcome!!"
Beside her, Mash clapped enthusiastically, the smile on her face growing even brighter.
What followed was a long-awaited period of rest for Chaldea's members.
The Human Order Incineration Incident had ended.
Ritsuka Fujimaru, Mash, and the Chaldea staff had successfully reclaimed their future.
The only thing that vanished was a forgotten existence—
A name remembered only by the witness, Alaric.
As the silver-white world once again unfolded outside Chaldea's windows, everyone rejoiced.
"Alright, alright, save the celebration for later. You should go take a look at the future you've reclaimed with your own hands."
Da Vinci smiled as she spoke.
Mash and Ritsuka immediately dashed out of Chaldea, eager to see the world as it was now.
The white beast devoid of intelligence followed behind them, its cries now meaningless. Understanding this, Alaric realized that Fou had sacrificed something.
Watching Ritsuka and Mash's retreating figures, Alaric hesitated slightly.
From a practical standpoint, in the end, he was merely an observer, standing idly by. Yet, despite this, he was never resented by Fujimaru Ritsuka or Mash. This made Alaric feel somewhat guilty.
"Sir Alaric!"
The girl, holding her hair, called out with a bright smile: "Aren't you coming?"
The girl, reborn anew, still possessed a pure and untainted heart—like a blank sheet of paper, untouched by impurity.
Beside her, another girl wore earmuffs, her nose tinged red from the cold. Yet, her face was adorned with a radiant, youthful smile as she said, "Sir Alaric, aren't you coming?"
Seeing this, Alaric smiled and said, "Then, I won't hold back."
Step. Step.
The Chaldea Security Organization—Finius Chaldea—was the last surviving institution during the Human Order Incineration initiated by the Demon God King, Goetia. It was a singularity akin to the Temple of Time.
It was also the only place capable of bearing Alaric's existence.
However, once he stepped beyond this singularity's boundaries—
Buzz!
With just a single step, the world changed.
The world remained pure white, yet the two girls who had been in front of Alaric were now gone. The buildings behind him had also vanished as if they had never existed.
'...?'
The air was bitterly cold. The extreme sub-zero temperatures turned Alaric's breath into frost.
Even though the sun shone brilliantly overhead, it failed to bring the slightest warmth to the atmosphere.
Though such temperatures could not affect Alaric as he was now, he still could not escape the sensation of cold.
This was the kind of cold that seeped into the heart—the loneliness of an abandoned, elderly soul. A chilling solitude so deep it reached into one's very core.
Even at his current stage of growth, Alaric could not resist it in the slightest.
"Why... is this world so cold—?"