Half a month later, the final battleground foretold in the Book of Revelation—Armageddon.
Though the Emperor had not appeared publicly during these two weeks, no great uproar stirred within the Empire. Thanks to Novia's arrangements, all governmental affairs were running smoothly, and the people simply assumed that Her Majesty was taking a well-deserved rest.
As for Agrippina's death, there were only a few murmurs of, "So, a Christian has passed, huh," and little more. Conspiracy theories no doubt existed, but most people accepted it with an indifferent, "Oh, is that so."
And now, at Armageddon, Novia stood gazing upon a familiar sight—an endless blue sky stretching as far as the eye could see, as if out of a dream.
"Mellusine, are you ready?"
Gripping the weapon—his "lance"—Novia wore a rarely seen expression of grave determination, a stark contrast to his usual gentle smile since arriving in this world.
"Are you really going through with this...? Won't this hurt your body...?"
Mellusine asked uncertainly. What Novia was about to do was reminiscent of the method once used by the King of the Antichrist—his former foe—who had fueled magic using human lives and souls. Novia, however, was using the Primordial Flame—also known as the Flame of Passion, the Flame of Love—the very source of Nero's power as a Beast.
The Evils of Humanity were, at their core, beings that loved humanity. They were human love—yet they were also the sedimented filth of human history, cancers gnawing from within society. They were the evil humanity must overcome.
In the original history, Nero realized at her death that her love had been too fierce to be accepted. Thus, she accepted the lonely fate of dying alone.
But here, twisted by Novia's influence, Nero cursed him for being the one she had devoted herself to—only to be abandoned by. If she had no right to exist, then she would embrace the endless ocean of blood and desire that had always enveloped her. She would burn the world, becoming the harbinger of apocalypse—a complete manifestation of her "Flame of Love."
Whether it was the image of the Whore of Babylon, the Mother-Wolf of Rome holding a cup of gold; or the scarlet Dragon-Satan, crowned with horns and wielding the Seven Deadly Sins; or even the yet-unrevealed Lucifer, the Morning Star bearing the concept of Anti-Divine Love—these were all apocalyptic avatars that Nero could choose to become.
And according to John's version of Revelation, Novia was destined to be intoxicated by the wine of her desire, and suffer in her flames.
Novia thought: The flames must mean the Primordial Fire. The wine of desire—her love for me...
Ultimately, whether or not he would lose that intangible role of the "Holy Spirit," he didn't care.
"That's why I'll do what I must."
This, he had resolved. Since it was indisputably his doing, he could not, must not, cast the burden onto another.
He understood what had to be done. And even if his opponent was the One True God, even if victory was impossible—
He would not waver. He could not fear.
"I'll be fine. I know exactly what I need to do. And don't worry—you're the strongest. I believe in you."
"Heh. That's right. I am undeniably the strongest... If that's the case, then fine—let's begin the rite."
At Mellusine's words, magic circles bloomed across the body of the "lance," linking across vast distance to the Primordial Fire resting within the Imperial Palace. In an instant, Novia's body moved into action. His circuits and magecraft crests flared to life, synchronizing with the Beast's as-yet-unmanifest power.
Blood-red veins raced across his skin. Agony from the "Evil of Humanity" racked his body. Behind him, it stirred—a memory, a vision—the blood-red sea that stretched for tens of thousands of kilometers. Countless monstrous things writhed within it.
Then—
Deep beneath the Mediterranean, something blue opened its eyes. With help from an unnamed, dreadful force, it tore free from the fixed Texture of the world and surfaced—entering the realm of humans.
It breathed fire. Smoke gushed from its nostrils. Its roar shook the Mediterranean to its depths. Waves surged in reverse. And yet, as though only announcing its arrival, the creature dove once more and sped toward Armageddon.
In Athens, cradle of Western civilization, the sky cracked apart with a resounding shatter, like a ceiling breaking after countless years. Dust fell in drifts. Frightened Athenians looked up—and saw the city, and all beyond it, cloaked in darkness.
But it was no shadow. It was wings—something green had spread its wings wide, blotting out the sun.
Then it turned and flew west—toward Gaul.
In the deep mountains of Gaul, where no one lived, a roar like the cry of the world itself erupted.
Tigers, wolves, and beasts of all kinds trembled and cowered in fear.
The mountain split in two.
From it emerged a crimson beast—scales like armor, glowing red eyes fixed upon Armageddon. It raised its head, waiting for something to carry it across.
Thus came the prelude to the Great Judgment.
The Sea King—Leviathan.
The Sky King—Ziz.
The Land King—Behemoth.
The Three Great Beasts had arrived.
And at that moment, above Armageddon, a light descended—warm, yet annihilating. It was a blade of brilliance, sharp as any sword. It tore the sky from south to north, then curved—perfectly encircling Armageddon in one stroke.
That radiant light appeared from nothing, a curtain of steel sealing Armageddon off from the world. And then, red light followed—radiating outward, engulfing all.
In the next instant, as the earth trembled, a gargantuan form revealed a terrible edge.
The sky split like paper. From it emerged two massive gates, floating high above Armageddon.
One was pure white, covered in joyful reliefs. The moment it appeared, warmth washed over all who beheld it—a phantom light of paradise, a sense of divine presence born anew.
The other was pitch black, etched with words of suffering. Its arrival brought a chilling wind from behind, freezing all in its path. From beyond it came the howls of countless beasts of hell, ravenous and mad.
The Gates of Heaven.
The Gates of Hell.
Together, they stood revealed—on the field of the final battle.
***************************
Read advanced chapters ahead of everyone else on my P@treon.
P@treon/GodDragcell