This was a repeat of the scene from ten years ago.
Through the Sheba Lens, Roman could clearly see the changes in Goetia's Saint Graph.
"This is… being eroded by Natsukawa's Mystic Eyes."
Indeed, from all the means Chaldea currently possessed, Naoki's Mystic Eyes were the only way to defeat Goetia.
Goetia was a magical ritual created by Solomon. As long as Solomon still existed in this world, Goetia possessed absolute immortality. And there was only one way to break this immortality—using Solomon's first Noble Phantasm.
In a certain sense, the reason Solomon became a Grand Caster, aside from possessing EX-rank Clairvoyance that transcended past and present, was primarily because he had such a specific means to counter Goetia.
Grand Servants are Servants specifically meant to oppose Beasts. The ability to effectively counter a Beast is the primary criterion in selecting a Grand.
Whether it was Merlin's Illusion Magecraft strong enough to trap Tiamat, Solomon's first Noble Phantasm, or Orion's absolute attack against beasts.
The same applied to Naoki's Mystic Eyes.
Sealing the young Beast VI entity twenty years ago, and now, twenty years later, eroding the complete Beast I entity, combined with Excalibur—he could be said to be the strongest candidate for Grand Saber.
Even so—
"What a complicated feeling…"
Roman let out a slightly helpless sigh.
As a human, Romani Archaman approved of Naoki's actions. This was indeed one of the two methods currently capable of saving human civilization, alongside Aoko's Fifth Magic. If Naoki could ultimately turn Goetia into his own magical ritual, that would be ideal.
But if not as a human, Solomon's feelings were slightly suppressed. After all, it was a magical ritual he had once created—a ritual that managed the nation and observed humanity alongside him. From his current perspective, it was his companion, even his child.
Now, it was being eroded and turned against him by Naoki in the most forceful, unreasonable, and cruel way.
If he could watch this happily, there must be a ghost!
(I'm not in the mood.)
Sheba floated behind Roman, observing his expression with interest: "Want to try stopping him?"
"No way. I'd probably get knocked out by Natsukawa the moment I arrived… Besides, there's no point in me going."
Roman had said many times that he could do nothing more. All he could do was watch the battle from here.
(Win, Natsukawa… Please.)
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*
The center of the Temple of Time.
At this moment, the place felt like the heart of a battlefield under heavy artillery fire. Goetia, almost uncontrollably—or rather, madly—was pouring out his Mana. The countless eyes on his body flickered relentlessly, unleashing an endless stream of meteor-like light beams!
"Vanish! Vanish! Vanish from our temple! Wielder of the Holy Sword of the Stars with your repulsive eyes!"
Amid the deafening roar of artillery fire, Goetia's voice, filled with rage and hatred, mixed in.
No, it should be said he was roaring.
He, the all-knowing and all-powerful, had to waste so much time in this meaningless final battle!
"Vanish!"
The eye on his chest flashed. Goetia roared and unleashed the gathered Mana!
A glowing light cannon shot at high speed toward Naoki in the distance!
Then—
*CRACKLE!*
Space shattered.
Excalibur's slash, empowered by Imaginary Manifestation, destroyed and cleaved the space itself, including the light cannon! In the next moment, facing the barrage of beams raining down on him like a storm, Naoki spread his five fingers, opening countless diamond-shaped holes around him!
The next second, the beams shooting toward him suddenly appeared beside Goetia!
*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*
Flames and explosions engulfed Goetia's body!
The highest form of Displacement Magecraft—Spatial Substitution.
A secret technique passed down for thousands of years by the Ainsworth family from a parallel world.
"Cheap tricks!"
Breaking free from his own attack, Goetia charged straight at Naoki! His stone-like fists exploded like a meteor shower!
A storm of consecutive punches covered all evasion space in front and around Naoki.
Yet, strangely and astonishingly, not a single punch landed on Naoki.
*CLANG!* *CLING!* *CLANG!* *CLING!*
Excalibur danced and spun continuously in Naoki's hands.
With fairy senses enabling Pseudo-Future Sight, Naoki could precisely track the trajectory of every punch. With his current abilities, dodging most of them wasn't difficult. And the punches he couldn't dodge, he parried with his sword while inflicting minor wounds on Goetia's body, opening pathways for the Mystic Eyes' power to penetrate deeper.
*HISSSSS!*
In close combat, Goetia's body was continuously eroded by Excalibur. Meaningless blood sparks scattered everywhere. Sword winds and fist winds tore the ground beneath their feet into fragments. An untouchable vacuum zone formed around them.
"Damn it!"
Goetia roared again.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
"So infuriating! Wielder of the Holy Sword of the Stars! Your existence is infuriating and contradictory! Vanish from this world!"
*BAMMM!*
The clash of fist and sword halted at this moment. Above Naoki's head and beneath his feet, several massive magical rituals suddenly spun open. Terrifying pressure came simultaneously from above and below, as if trying to crush Naoki!
(Gravity manipulation Magecraft? While fighting me—)
*BAM!*
Goetia's punch, filled with all his power and rage, landed on Naoki's chest, sending him flying hundreds of meters!
*WHOOSH!*
Arriving before Naoki like a shadow, Goetia struck again with a downward kick!
*CLANG!*
Excalibur blocked just in time. Using the attack to create distance, as Naoki's back touched the ground, a curtain of light suddenly appeared and swallowed him.
The next second, through Spatial Transfer, he appeared behind Goetia. Naoki immediately cleaved Goetia's body once more with his sword!
This was already the tenth time he had physically killed Goetia.
Physical pain and soul erosion.
These two types of wounds increasingly provoked Goetia's beastly nature as a Beast.
"Forced this far…"
"Surprised?"
Sword and fist collided once again. The eyes of one man and one Beast met again. Staring into Naoki's sky-blue Mystic Eyes, an itch from the depths of his soul made Goetia unable to hide his weakness first.
An opening appeared. Naoki pursued it relentlessly. A swift sword dance eroded Goetia's body inch by inch! Continuously widening the holes in his body, digging channels that led straight to his soul!
Soul erosion progress had reached thirty percent—If this continued, everything might end before Aoko finished dismantling the ribbon of light!
"ENOUGH—!"
In a furious roar, Goetia directly surrendered both arms to Naoki, leaping far back to his throne, and raising both regenerated arms to the sky!
"Enough! This farce has gone on long enough! The time wasted is enough!"
"I don't need to fight you, nor do I need to be here! Launch the ribbon of light! Return to the creation of celestial bodies forty-six billion years ago! That's what I should do!"
Naoki frowned: "You're running? Even a Beast lacks the pride to accept defeat."
"No! In the end, it will still be my victory! Outsider from beyond the world! With the completion of Reversed River/Genesis Light Year! Your existence will also be completely erased from this world! You are the only anomaly that cannot exist in the new world—Yes, in the end, only I will win, Goetia!"
The ribbon of light glowed above Goetia's head. Storms and shockwaves spread endlessly.
"Convert all heat into Mana! Begin executing time reversal!"
"Planet! Return—"
As if gears had jammed.
Suddenly, Goetia's movements froze. Then, the massive ribbon of light floating above visibly diminished before the naked eye!
Naoki glanced at Aoko, protected by Avalon not far behind him.
(You did it, Aoko—Good job.)