"Proposal from Vassago. The first question is: why does that accursed God insist we defeat the Apocalyptic Beast? Not Ophis, not Great Red, but the Apocalyptic Beast. Why seal it in the first place? It seems an excessive waste of effort."
"Expansion from Marbas. Initially, we hypothesized it was to conceal the revival plan from other mythologies. However, if this were true, his actions thus far contradict it."
"Supplement from Orobas. If we and Kingu can be restored via the System, calculations suggest God's revival energy could be gathered in one to three centuries. Given the current cold war among mythologies, there's no need to risk interference from another world."
"Analysis from Allocer. The God of the Bible had a motive to pit the Bureau against the Apocalyptic Beast. His goal isn't mere revival. It's not just about energy collection for us."
"Speculation from Malphas. We reversed our thinking. The key isn't 'us' but '666.' Perhaps God has a reason to defeat the Apocalyptic Beast or gains something by doing so."
"Recollection from Agares. The entity most in need of elimination across all mythologies exists in this world: the Truth formula crafted by this world's Solomon. Naturally, it's an obstacle even for that flawed God."
"Conclusion from Baal. The Apocalyptic Beast's true identity in this world is us."
"Explanation from Gamigin. In other words, the Beast is the Truth formula itself—"
"Urgent message from Sabnock. Vali Lucifer, detained at the Life Institute, has escaped."
The aura of the lion-helmed knight surged explosively—doubling in intensity. She aimed her lance at the crimson Satan, Sirzechs.
"You multiplied on the earth, built cities, crossed seas, and split the skies. For what purpose…? True Longinus, speak of the end!"
This was the anchor of storms, the pillar of light binding the world's surface.
"The Lance that Shines at the Farthest Ends: Rhongomyniad!"
Kingu, caught in the fray almost by chance, reacted fastest. He could've stayed neutral if alone, but Yasaka was here. To ensure her safety, he had to fight.
"Here I manifest the casket of the heavenly chain! Now I awaken the breath of the stars—"
This was the heavenly chain, the spear that sewed the world in place.
"Let us bind the gods, Enuma Elish!"
A clash of such magnitude could level a city outside a Reality Marble. Normally, a goddess who rose from a King of Men would stand little chance against the successor to the gods' greatest creation. But with the power of a supreme dragon, the odds shifted.
Azazel and Sirzechs braced against the shockwave.
"Kingu's that strong?!"
"Azazel, that's important, but the real issue is that knight. That's Ddraig's aura… likely the Lion King!"
"I thought it was the wielder of the Lion King's Battleaxe, but this is far worse!"
"Then I have no choice but to get serious. Fortunately, this barrier seems sturdy enough to handle it."
Sirzechs, said to surpass the former Lucifer, unleashed an aura of destruction in his human form, ten times stronger than his predecessor's. His mere presence could collapse space, a mutant being barely qualifying as a Devil.
As the energy dissipated, the temple within Solomon's Reality Marble, which he claimed only human love and hope could destroy, lay in ruins from the clash of two Noble Phantasms. Yet it retained its form, and the Reality Marble held—a testament to its abnormality.
Kingu alone took damage.
"A mongrel goddess dares?"
The Lion King remained outwardly calm.
"As expected of the ultimate divine weapon. Double strength isn't enough. Then, quadruple—"
As the knight raised her lance again, a glass-shattering sound rang out, and a Devil appeared.
"Ddraig!"
It shrieked, its voice barely words, its form unmistakably demonic. Dragon-like, its body was armored rather than skinned, pure white. Its claws were unnaturally long, its fangs sharp, and black demonic wings spread from its back.
"DdraigDdraigDdraigDdraigDdraigDdraig! Y Ddraig Goch!"
Ignoring all else, the Devil lunged at the Lion King. Even Azazel, a war veteran, could barely track its erratic, high-speed charge. The knight parried its claw strikes with her divine lance, deflecting follow-ups, but the Devil's assault didn't waver.
"That aura… Albion?!"
Amid the exchange, the Lion King recognized her foe. Mocking their changed forms internally, she refocused. Ending the red-and-white dragon feud here was appealing, so she added the white Devil to her targets.
Solomon, enraged by this unplanned intrusion, fumed. Kingu's interference was expected, but this white Devil was not.
"What the hell is this… freak?! It tore through space?! You weren't in the plan! Archer never mentioned you…"
"Got you!"
Distracted by recalibrating his plans, Solomon didn't notice Azazel closing in. A spear of light materialized in Azazel's hand, aimed at Solomon.
"With all Command Spells in my body, I order all Servants bound to my contract."
He had summoned seven Servants from the other side, etching Command Spells—red tattoos granting absolute authority—onto his body. Normally three per Servant, he bore forty-two, with ten already used. Now, he expended the rest for one command.
"The rest is up to you!"
His Command Spells vanished, and Azazel's light spear pierced his abdomen—a direct hit.
The Lion King noted it but didn't look. Not because she faced Sirzechs, Kingu, and the white Devil, but because it was irrelevant. Despite the surprises, this outcome aligned with Solomon's plan.
"Guh!"
"Got careless, Solomon. That last move… a dud?"
"Who… knows."
Even if Solomon possessed Cruzelei Asmodeus' body, its demonic weaknesses remained. A light spear from a Fallen Angel like Azazel was lethal poison, eroding his body and life.
Grabbing Solomon's collar with his free hand, Azazel hoisted him up.
"Answer me, Solomon. What did you want?"
"You tricked not just the God of the Bible but every god, crafting Truth. We couldn't understand it. It tarnished even your historical legacy. Unlike your father, the modern Church believes you fell to Hell—or worse. But Truth wasn't for you. A selfish man driven by desire and malice like you wouldn't make it for himself."
What fueled this man's rage? What did he desire?
"Why did you make it? What was Truth for? Where were you aiming?"
"…What? You didn't know? I thought you did."
He revealed the motive that drove him, the emotion anchoring his wrath.
"To protect my nation. Or maybe, for humanity."
"—What?"
"I'm a king. Does a king need any other reason to act? I couldn't stand you all running rampant in my land, stealing, violating, destroying, killing, defiling. So I killed you. I devised means to destroy you. Defense is natural, isn't it? Love—patriotism, humanity's love—was my motive."
Fury flashed across Azazel's face.
"For that alone, you did all this?! To protect your nation? How many Devils and Fallen Angels did you kill? How many lives did you twist? How many beings did you ruin? For your selfish wish, how many humans did you drag in, sacrifice? You took lives, dealt death, raged and laughed, then revived to disrupt the world again. What do you want? Protect your nation? Humanity? How can you not see your actions warped humanity's future? You're insane. Your logic is broken. Even if protecting your nation was natural, you went too far!"
"Uh, what's that called today? Frisbee?"
"Don't mock me!"
Azazel's fist slammed into Solomon's face.
"Ow, that hurt. But getting to my true motives?"
Solomon grinned, and Azazel froze.
It wasn't his usual smile. For the first time, no anger marred his face. No wrath burned in his soul. For anyone but Solomon, the expression was incongruous. The King of Magecraft, known only for rage, laughed with genuine delight.
"Two thousand years too late, Azazel."
Realizing he needed to kill him now, Azazel summoned another light spear, but it was too late. He should've realized three thousand years ago this man could feel joy. Two thousand years ago, there might've been time. Now, it was far too late.
Solomon looked skyward—not in surrender or acceptance of death. Above, in his mind's landscape, a massive magic circle unfolded.
From it, a colossal something descended, too vast to comprehend fully. From below, it was barely discernible as beast-like.
"What the hell is that?!"
Seizing the moment, Solomon activated his magecraft.
"Ah, I've longed to see you, embodiment of my Truth. Beast born of my merits and sins. I'll give you my first love!"
Magic poured from Solomon's hand, materializing a brass vessel.
"The Forbidden Lies at the Depths: Secret of Babylon!"
The vessel's lid opened, sucking in the massive something like the Red Gourd from Journey to the West. In an instant, the shadow was contained, and the lid closed. Before Azazel could reach it, Solomon cast the vessel into a magic circle.
"What did you do, Solomon?! That wasn't your circle—it's the God of the Bible's! Did you interfere with the System?!"
"Just took back my child your God imprisoned."
"Child?"
"Yeah. The one regret in my achievements… I never expected that to be born. Cheating pays off—good call summoning Archer. I'm different from him, so I wanted this in the end… I'm at my limit… Sorry, Cruzelei…"
With those words, Solomon—no, Cruzelei Asmodeus' body—fell still.
Rizevim Livan Lucifer checked his watch, confirming the promised time had come. Suppressing the emotions welling within, he maintained a cool facade.
"So, what's this urgent matter, Grayfia-chan?"
Grayfia frowned at his flippant attitude. She disliked him—a betrayer who acted unbothered by their history. But—
"Solomon is dead."
Rizevim listened like a child engrossed in a storybook.
"That's the situation. Cruzelei Asmodeus' body was eradicated by Lord Azazel's light. The ring was destroyed by Lord Sirzechs."
"What? They broke the ring? I said it was needed for the God of the Bible's revival. Well, nine should be enough."
Grayfia looked puzzled.
"But isn't it unnecessary now? The God's revival was our final countermeasure against Solomon. With him gone, reviving the God of the Bible would destroy the Three Factions."
"Sure, we Devils and Fallen Angels have no reason to continue. But the Angels? They won't stop. Why would they? It's what they've always sought."
Shock rippled through Grayfia, the Devils monitoring Rizevim, and the Lucifer peerage.
"No way! The Angels made pacts with Devils and Fallen Angels in God's absence! With Solomon gone, reviving God would kill them! It was only a countermeasure!"
"You don't get it. That's the problem with those who don't know the Creation era. You fought kin in the civil war, Grayfia-chan, but you don't feel it. Devils who turned Satan into a title and Angels who hid God's death have different values."
The Satan's son spoke of the Angels he knew.
"Angels will persist, even if it means their judgment. They'll revive the God of the Bible. Their values differ from humans and Devils. Just as we're evil and demonic, they're beholden to Heaven. That's what Angels are. As humans differ from Devils, Angels differ from us."
He offered a truth they denied.
"From my perspective, Solomon's death is just a convenient fantasy!"
Through his second death, his class was inherited.
The king who knew only rage was a false moniker. He was a calamity who believed in humanity and seized human history most forcefully.
His name was Beast D/R, one of Evils of Humanity, the Beast of Expectation.
An obsession born of baseless desire, abandoning reason. That was Solomon's beastly nature.
***
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