[ "Beautifully done, Fujimaru Ritsuka. The Heroic Spirits gathered in this sector of space are all here thanks to your efforts."
After Gilgamesh disappeared, Jeanne d'Arc finished speaking and also vanished from this battlefield.
"The collapse of the Temple is happening faster than the diffusion of the Bands of Light!" At the same time, Da Vinci's incredibly anxious voice came through the comms: "Just a little bit more! RUN! RUN!!"
"The foundation of this area is collapsing! It could disappear at any moment! THE SPIRITRON TRANSFER POINT IS JUST FIVE HUNDRED METERS AHEAD!! Hurry!"
Looking at the Chaldea organisation that had already appeared before his eyes, Fujimaru Ritsuka used every ounce of strength in his body to move forward.
Just then, Da Vinci's incredibly shocked voice came through the earpiece: "Wait! What is this reaction?!"
The usually calm and collected Da Vinci was rarely this flustered: "A sudden manifestation… no, is that thing waiting there?"
"Careful, Fujimaru Ritsuka! The Spirit Origin before your eyes right now is…"
Chaldea's communication device suddenly cut off. Fujimaru Ritsuka also stopped in his tracks. A blonde man, half of whose body was still crumbling away, blocked his only path forward.
In this Temple that was on the verge of collapse, King of Men Goetia looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka and spoke calmly: "I will not let you return alive. You shall disappear right here, together with me." ]
[ .....]
〜Projection of All Worlds〜
"Is a mere fatal wound already the norm in that world?!!"
Watching Goetia suddenly appear again, everyone's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Wasn't this guy already finished? Where did he pop out from again?
And it just had to be at this moment, when the Heroic Spirits were all gone. Given Fujimaru's current physical condition, even moving was difficult!
.....
〜Bleach World〜
Kurosaki Ichigo's breathing became rapid and heavy, his teeth clenched tight as he watched Goetia:
"This guy intends to drag Fujimaru Ritsuka down to death with him."
They were just five hundred meters away from returning to Chaldea, but now they were blocked by Goetia, who planned to stop Fujimaru from leaving even if it meant dying.
"No, the Temple of Time hasn't changed; it's still collapsing!"
Ishida Uryu frowned slightly as he looked at the screen showing Goetia, whose body was half-crumbling.
If Goetia were still truly alive, the Temple should have changed! If he were dead, then what was the situation with this Goetia before them?
"Whether he is Goetia or not, he's coming for Fujimaru! This situation is bad."
Kurosaki Ichigo felt a deep sense of powerlessness at this. A battle so hard-won, only for this kind of twist to occur. It completely gave no room for survival.
〜Type-Moon World, ██████ Worldline〜
In the 7th Singularity, Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia—
"…What is going on!"
Ishtar's eyes were full of astonishment at this moment, her mouth slightly agape, as if she had seen the most incredible miracle.
In her eyes, Goetia's half-destroyed Spirit Origin right now was no different from a corpse coming back to life.
Merlin spoke thoughtfully:
"The address… also changed from 'we' to 'I'!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka was able to defeat Goetia not because he killed Goetia, but because the Demon God Pillars within Goetia had conflicting ideals and self-disassembled.
But now… that existence, which was like dregs, had lost its power and immortality, but gained a "personality," and seemed to even have its own will.
The current Goetia likely had only one purpose that could be called an "obsession": to stop Fujimaru Ritsuka from returning to Chaldea.
But no matter how you put it, this was not good news for Fujimaru…
.....
[ Goetia blocked Fujimaru Ritsuka's path, speaking quietly: "My dream has been shattered. The vast amount of time spent within this Temple has lost all meaning."
"Yes, I… have lost!" King of Men Goetia frankly admitted his defeat, his gaze fixed on Fujimaru: "The Bands of Light have vanished. The Incineration of Humanity has become invalid."
"From the moment King Solomon vanished, my great undertaking instantly vanished as well."
"The current me is no longer the Seventy-Two Demon Gods, but their dregs. Like the final remaining result."
"No matter what I do here, I cannot change the fate of defeat. Even if I kill you, the outcome will not change."
"This is a meaningless battle. If it were the old me, I would absolutely never make such a choice. But…!" Speaking up to this point, Goetia suddenly fell silent for a moment.
"You have a reason to fight, right?!" Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at Goetia, seemingly able to understand Goetia's feelings at this moment.
A trace of brilliance seemed to appear in Goetia's eyes at this moment: "That is correct. I, too, have ambition. No, I have gained ambition!"
"I now understand the spirituality of you humans. Now that I have obtained a limited life, I finally understand."
Goetia suddenly walked towards Fujimaru, and Fujimaru tacitly walked towards Goetia.
"Long, it was truly a long journey. After all, for these 3, 000 years, I have stayed here without ever stepping outside." ]
[ .....]
〜Projection of All Worlds〜
"Wait… how long did you say?! You haven't stepped outside for 3, 000 years?!"
Goetia's remark left everyone dumbstruck with shock. No wonder you can be called Boss Goetia (CEO Goetia); for the sake of your career, you were way too much of a shut-in!
So, never call someone a shut-in for ten thousand years lightly, because it's very possible the other party really has been squatting at home for ten thousand years.
.....
〜Type-Moon World, Kaleid liner Prisma Illya Wordline〜
"I feel like I might be able to understand Goetia's thoughts…"
Looking at Goetia, who was nothing but the remaining dregs, Miyu sighed softly.
Preparing in this Temple of Time for 3, 000 years, never even leaving this place, just to achieve that ideal world without death.
The starting point was good, but the conclusion reached was wrong. Transforming from Love of Humanity to Evil of Humanity, the First Beast, continuously shifting until now, where only a husk of dregs remained.
The current Goetia was no longer purely rational. This will for revenge was his own thought, so he would challenge Fujimaru with this special identity that was neither a Demon God Pillar nor a Beast!
〜Type-Moon World, Fourth Holy Grail War Worldline
"That makes sense…"
Gilgamesh looked at the scene of the two facing off and suddenly laughed.
"How could Goetia, possessing infinite life, understand Fujimaru, who has fought until now merely to live!"
"But…"
Having said this, Gilgamesh shouted with a solemn expression:
"Now that you have obtained a brief life, you finally understand the joy of life!"
Solomon's self-destruction caused the Demon God Pillars to die or flee! Goetia, who was originally the unified will of the 72 Demon God Pillars, only then awakened to become "dregs" possessing an independent self.
It was a pity that the newly "reborn" Goetia was about to disappear. Blocking Fujimaru's path now was not just out of anger… it might also be to prove that he had existed.
.....
[ "I will stop you for the sake of my own existence, which cannot yield. You need to stop me as soon as possible for the sake of your own survival… That is all the respect that needs to be expressed in words."
"Now, let us begin the conclusion of this exploration! The Grand Order unfolded for the Incineration of Humanity. The Master of the Seven Singularities, who has crossed seven worlds."
Goetia stared intently into Fujimaru's eyes, giving his final self-introduction before the battle began: "My name is Goetia. The existence that destroys Human Order using Human Order, marching towards what lies beyond."
"Now, I am born. Now, I perish. Even if there are no results, even if there is no reward, I will use all my strength (life) to destroy you!"
"I hope you can witness that this brief time is the story bestowed upon me."
As these words fell, the two, who were already spent forces, began a visceral, hand-to-hand duel.
No… it couldn't even be called a duel. It was just two humans punching each other, one blow after another.
"Such a brief, yet such a beloved time. This is the true life bestowed upon the existence calling itself Goetia!"
As this sentence fell, Goetia's final punch could not be swung down; his hand had already crumbled away completely.
Radiating golden light from his entire body, Goetia, sensing he was about to dissipate, stopped his attacking motions and sighed: "A human life is truly brief!"
"Oh Lord… please grant joy to life." After the King of Men Goetia said this with a smile, he completely vanished from this space. ]
[ .....]
〜Projection of All Worlds〜
Watching this fight that seemed like child's play, how could the viewers not understand? Goetia… wanted Fujimaru to witness, before his death, that this was his story, the proof that he had truly existed!
This was the life Goetia truly chose for himself. With only the last 5 minutes of a life like dregs remaining, he became human at the very end. No longer the King of Demon Gods… but the King of Men—Goetia!!
.....
〜Type-Moon World, Fifth Holy Grail War Worldline〜
"Evil of Humanity is Love of Humanity… huh."
Emiya Shirou felt that every time this phrase was applied to Goetia, it carried a different feeling.
From a god who treated humans as ants, to suddenly being knocked down to the mortal dust—did his heart finally understand what humans truly are?
Archer's expression also became somewhat complex:
"It seems he also understood that human conflict does not bring only death and severance!"
Goetia blocking Fujimaru with a dying body to launch a final duel was a "tribute" to Fujimaru Ritsuka's unyielding struggle to save human civilization with all his might!
For this, Goetia would burn his own life down to the very last moment.
Goetia, who initially viewed human conflict as ugly, in the end, felt an unprecedented joy within conflict in the form of a "human."
He also experienced a life that, although brief, belonged to him!
Perhaps… this was the only reward Goetia received in exchange for spending three thousand years incinerating Human Order! This was the Beast least like a Beast.
.....
(Author-San: In the game, the King of Men uses the Ten Rings, but here Fujimaru has no Heroic Spirits to counter them, so I followed the movie version…)