The Nine Pillars Governing the Smelting Furnace—Zepar, Botis, Baccin, Saleos, Purson, Morax, Ipos, Aim, Naberius.
The Nine Pillars Governing the Information Space—Orias, Vapula, Zagan, Valac, Andras, Andrealphus, Cimeries, Amdusias, Flauros.
The Nine Pillars Governing the Observatory—Glasya-Labolas, Bune, Ronove, Beliar, Astarte, Foras, Asmoday, Gaap, Forneus.
The Nine Pillars Governing the Control Tower—Barbatos, Paimon, Buer, Gusion, Sitri, Beleth, Leraje, Eligos, Gamygyn.
The Nine Pillars Governing the Armory—Halphas, Furfur, Phoenix, Marchosias, Stolas, Malphas, Raum, Focalor, Vepar.
The Nine Pillars Governing the Reconnaissance Star—Amon, Baal, Agares, Vassago, Gamygyn (distinct from the previous one), Marbas, Valefor, Alloces, Orobas.
The Nine Pillars Governing the Life Clinic—Shax, Vine, Haures, Bifrons, Haagenti, Crocell, Forcalor, Balam, Spenak.
And the Nine Pillars Governing the Disposal Pit—Mammon, Gremory, Ose, Amy, Belial, Decarabia, Seere, Dantalion, Andromalius.
The Seventy-Two Demon God Pillars.
This entire entity was now divided into eight groups, surrounding the outer area of the Grand Temple of Time.
"So many."
Flying in the air alongside Naoki, Aoko looked down at the flames of battle already raging below.
"Are they okay?"
"Of course, they'll be fine. Who do you think they are?"
Naoki also looked at the battle flames below, laughing.
Though slightly delayed, he had indeed brought Rei and the others, who couldn't arrive via Rayshift, to this place. Even though there were only fifteen of them in total, Naoki didn't feel they would lose to these seventy-two Demon God Pillars at all.
Moreover, the number of people who could come to fight wasn't just fifteen.
For example, the nine Pillars of the Reconnaissance Star, which were Artoria and Mordred's responsibility. Though only the two of them arrived there, because Artoria, the King of Knights, was present, once she called, the Knights of the Round Table would surely reassemble at her side, fighting together against the Demon Gods destroying human civilization.
The same applied to other areas. Even on the distant horizon—
*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*
One meteor after another suddenly streaked from the other side of the horizon.
Aoko frowned: "Those are?"
"Servants who fought shoulder-to-shoulder with Fujimaru in the seven Singularities. In this final battle, for the bonds of friendship forged and the shared goal of protecting human civilization, they've voluntarily come from the Throne of Heroes."
As Naoki said, the many meteors crossing the Imaginary Space were Servants rushing from the Throne of Heroes.
Unlike Naoki, Ritsuka was a true friend who had traversed the seven Singularities and formed bonds with many Servants. Naoki hadn't fully understood or experienced this friendship yet, which led these Servants to voluntarily lend their aid.
(Such a moving scene… I'm finally witnessing it with my own eyes.)
A meteor shower from the highest heavens.
This time, Naoki finally saw this scene in person.
"Naoki, ahead."
Aoko reminded him at that moment. Naoki looked forward and saw a glowing gate standing on a platform before them.
"Beyond that is our battlefield. This is our final battle—Let's go, Aoko."
"Yeah!"
Their flight speed accelerated.
A golden flash dove into the glowing gate leading to the temple's center!
In an instant, a sensation of entering an underground tunnel surged forth. Naoki and Aoko felt as if they had entered an endless tunnel of light.
This was a Spatial Fault.
Naoki, who often leaped through space and frequently used Displacement Magecraft to swap spaces, knew exactly where they were.
The distance was about one kilometer—an seemingly infinite Spatial Fault, but its size wouldn't exceed reality. The Grand Temple of Time was indeed that vast. Naoki had already measured the distance between the central area and himself.
Accelerate, keep accelerating. The final one-kilometer distance to the central area was crossed by Naoki in an instant.
As the two emerged from the tunnel of light, an extraordinary space unfolded before Naoki and Aoko's eyes.
Above was an infinite sky, below was a vast grassy plain like an ocean, and around them floated fragments of shattered rock peaks.
In the sky, beautiful yet dangerous ribbons of light drifted, radiating a transcendent and serene aura. Within those ribbons, the sky had somehow transformed into a starry expanse, as if swallowing the entire universe.
Moreover, at the center of this hall, a throne stood tall, rising like a pristine white mountain. In front of it, grand white stairs connected to it, giving the impression that one could ascend straight to the blue sky and enter the ribbons of light floating above the throne.
This was the center of the Grand Temple of Time, the Throne of King Solomon.
Landing on the grassy plain with Aoko, Naoki looked up at the throne—on that pristine throne, a figure very familiar to him was seated.
Naoki stared at him, and the other stared back. Their gazes met calmly in the air between them.
Then…
"How long are you going to sit there? And how long are you going to wear that skin?"
Naoki sneered.
"Get down from there and take off that corpse you're wearing. I've been looking at it for ten years, and I'm sick of it."
Hearing Naoki's words, which could be called arrogant, Solomon, seated on the throne, slowly rose. Flames began to burn across his body, as if incinerating his outer shell, gradually consuming his appearance.
After that, a figure also very familiar to Naoki appeared.
It was a strange creature.
The creature resembled a large man with bulging muscles and coarse, beastly limbs, terrifying in its ferocity.
Its head was human-like with neat facial features, but it had thick, branching antlers like a stag. Both its arms were covered in countless eyes, and even on its chest was a single glowing red eye, evoking horror.
This monstrous creature, about twice the height of a person, appeared before Naoki and Aoko amidst the flames.
At the same time—
*BUZZ!*
The entire space suddenly trembled!
With the appearance of the monster on the throne, an immensely malevolent Mana erupted from its body, enveloping the entire temple in an instant!
The sky was dyed black.
The grassy plain was dyed black.
The floating rock fragments shattered further.
One by one, Demon God Pillars rose from all directions, like the roots of an ancient tree intertwining, surrounding the entire space.
The central hall, once like paradise and a fairytale land, instantly transformed into a terrifying post-apocalyptic scene!
Bathed in the torrent of malevolent Mana, the giant monster—Demon God King Goetia—stared at Naoki and Aoko below the stairs.
"Quite an extravagant appearance. You're really trying to show off your strength. Should I give you a round of applause?" Naoki said with a laugh. "But—I don't think we need pleasantries like this."
"Goetia."
Excalibur was already gripped in his hand.
His enemy was one of the Seven Evils of Humanity, Beast I, Goetia.
A great calamity threatening the human world and the primate world. If this was his enemy, the planetary enhancement Naoki would receive was surely on par with when he faced Tiamat!
*ZING!*
A silver light radiated from Naoki. Knightly armor appeared on his body.
This wasn't Summoning Magecraft; it was merely the manifestation of Naoki's power as the Wielder of the Holy Sword of the Stars.
"Let's settle this, Goetia!"
Excalibur pointed at the Beast before him.
"The battle that paused ten years ago—now let's determine the true victor!"