Chapter 160: The Coronation Approaches—And With It, the Awakening of All Phenomena
The air was thick with dread.
Rias and her companions stared grimly at the figure that had suddenly emerged before them. Flanked by four strange beings, the one at the center introduced himself—Haziruus, Moon King, second among the Seven of Rahu Sept.
The four at his side, now revealed, were not of angelic lineage, nor demons, fallen angels, or any known mythological pantheon. They were... mechanical aberrations. And not the sleek androids seen in human sci-fi, but grotesque, silicon-based creatures—hulking constructs of metal and dread, more monstrous than any carbon-based life depicted in films.
Haziruus spoke with pride: their master was Melbazoa, the Lord of All Mechanical Life. These four beings, his creations, radiated an overwhelming pressure. Even the weakest among them exuded a force that rivaled the strongest high-level demons. That alone marked the others as likely "Demon King-class" threats.
And yet—Haziruus was not their creator. He merely wielded them.
The true creator stood above even the Demon Kings. That being could only be categorized as "God-Class."
Seven such existences were known. And above them… a Creator. What kind of being could surpass even a Prime God?
Dragon God-class, perhaps? Or something beyond reckoning?
Rias shook her head. She couldn't detect any energy signature familiar to this world—no magic, no spirit force, no demon aura. The oppressive pressure they felt wasn't grounded in any known power system. Perhaps the scale they were using to measure such entities was simply inadequate.
Then came the shift.
The weakest of the machines raised its arm—revealing a hollow aperture in its palm. Light began gathering. It was preparing to fire.
Without hesitation, Rias launched a magical orb of destruction.
"Boom!"
The explosion engulfed not just the target but the others as well. Yet none of them reacted. No defense. No counterattack. As if they didn't care.
Unease twisted in Rias's gut. She summoned a barrier just in time.
A beam pierced through the smoke—striking the shield with surgical precision.
The barrier buckled, nearly shattering. Only through an immense outpouring of magic did Rias keep it intact. But just barely.
The machine kept firing, increasing power with every passing moment. Rias grit her teeth. Holding the shield required everything she had. She couldn't cast, couldn't move, couldn't dodge. She was trapped.
And the machine? Still calm. Still smiling mockingly.
This was their weakest?
Then the machine raised its other arm—no hand, just a massive barrel—and fired.
"CRASH!"
Glass shattered. The impact hit Shinku, the True Camellia Princess, squarely. Her artifact—Mirror of Reminiscence—fractured.
And then came the reflection.
The blast reversed.
"BOOM!"
A force ten times greater than Rias's orb exploded back onto the machine.
The beam assailing her vanished.
"Heh… how amusing. You actually hurt me," the mechanical voice said playfully.
Smoke cleared. Flames dissipated. All five figures stood unharmed. The one hit had been battered slightly, but bore no real damage.
Their morale sank.
If that was the weakest, the other three were Demon Kings, perhaps greater. And above them—Haziruus. And beyond him, Melbazoa.
Even facing just one, they were outmatched. They could barely withstand its "casual" strength.
Only one among them seemed unaffected—the man they were protecting.
He furrowed his brow, watching intently.
"Your goal… is me, isn't it?" he asked softly.
Haziruus turned to him. "Correct. We've come to capture you."
Even he was surprised.
"Why?" asked Hakgetsu.
Had he been exposed?
No… something didn't add up. Their behavior didn't match that theory.
"Why, exactly?" he asked again.
One of the four mechanical generals tilted its head, seeming confused. "Lord Haziruus said so…"
Not just one—now all four seemed puzzled.
Why had Melbazoa ordered them to investigate this "Solomon"? Why was the alleged dead King of Magic worthy of personal attention from a god of machines?
Initially, their mission was simply to confirm Solomon's death. Then recover the corpse. But the body vanished. Ten rings were taken instead. Then rumors arose—that Solomon had returned.
That's why Haziruus himself had come, risking exposure.
And when a nun spoke casually of Solomon's resurrection, all five realized—the man standing before them might truly be him.
But why? Why would Melbazoa concern himself with one human?
The generals didn't know.
"That question is forbidden," Haziruus replied, coldly. The subordinates shrank back.
Haziruus knew why. It was simply insurance. Melbazoa was paranoid. And Solomon's revival triggered caution.
Was this truly a resurrection?
Or had this world developed a system to summon historical beings into existence?
"Then... die," the man said.
Haziruus scoffed. "Hmph. And who do you think you are, speaking like that?"
But then the man whispered:
"The coronation hour is upon us. Thus do I awaken all phenomena."
A spell?
It sounded familiar—
Reality twisted.
The world melted like a soap bubble. The view warped, then reformed.
They were no longer in a city.
They stood in a vast cathedral-like plaza, open to the stars. Or rather, to an abyss.
Black cosmic void stretched endlessly in all directions. No sky. No floor. Just a temple adrift in oblivion.
Haziruus's expression changed.
He recognized this place.
It wasn't the full realm shown to him by Melbazoa. But a shard of it. A sector.
Impossible.
A metallic screech escaped him. "How… how can this be…"
It became clear why Melbazoa had feared Solomon.
Long ago, another human from a similar world had displayed the same phenomena—possessing unfathomable power.
That man had perished in a god-war—dragging a Divine Enemy down with him.
But this world now mirrored that one.
Were they connected?
Haziruus didn't believe it. The worlds were too different. No rational link. No identical power structure.
And yet—he saw something now.
Something terrifying.
Solomon's body shimmered. His form began to shift. His aura expanded.
It matched.
It matched him.
Haziruus's eyes widened.
Cold sweat dripped—if he had sweat glands.
He trembled. "Impossible… You… You're the Demon God King… Solomon. But you perished—perished in the final battle between man and god!"
Terror gripped him.
And the four generals, sensing it, began to panic. If their master was afraid… then the threat exceeded even Melbazoa.
"Lord Haziruus… who is this Solomon King?"