The Grand Temple of Time.
Using the power of [Independent Manifestation], a fully armed Takumi appeared on the barren rock.
Before him stretched a space that looked exactly like the cosmos. Stars dotted the "night sky," and visible "planets" slowly rotated in the void. Under Takumi's feet was a floating, ash-gray landmass.
Straight ahead—or rather, directly above—was the most conspicuous object in the entire space. It was Goetia's ultimate Noble Phantasm, [The Time of Birth hath Come, He is the One who Masters All (EX)]. It hung there quietly, radiating a majestic light like a second sun.
There was no air here, or if there was, it was incredibly thin. After all, why would an entity that didn't need to breathe bother creating an environment suitable for normal humans in its own domain?
From the very beginning, the Grand Temple of Time was never meant for human survival. An unprotected human would drop dead within seconds of arriving.
Of course, Takumi hadn't been a normal human for a long time. It was just the vacuum of space; even if he fell into the Imaginary Number Space, he would survive just fine.
The Time Temple itself was actually a Noble Phantasm named [The Time of Crowning hath Come, He is the One who Begins All (A)]. It was a specialized space that gathered and integrated the history of humanity converted into magical energy, existing within the Imaginary Number Space, completely isolated from the normal flow of time.
It was also the ultimate Reality Marble created by the Demon God Pillars—or rather, Goetia—using Solomon's corpse and Magic Circuits. Honestly, defining it merely as a Reality Marble didn't really cover it anymore. According to Da Vinci in the game, the Grand Temple of Time was currently a conceptual universe. It was similar to CHALDEAS, but while CHALDEAS was a miniature Earth, the Time Temple was a miniature cosmos.
It just didn't have any actual celestial bodies inside it yet.
According to Goetia's plan, he was going to use the heat generated from incinerating Human History within the giant light ring to rewind the Earth's 4.6 billion-year history. He would return to the exact moment the planet was born, seize the energy of Genesis for himself, and turn the Grand Temple of Time into a new "celestial body" or planet.
And since it would be a new "celestial body," he would obviously dictate the rules. He could use it to create a "New World" that actually satisfied him.
In short, when it came to the sheer scale and ambition of the plan, Takumi felt Goetia's scheme was easily on par with the later Lostbelts and the "Bleaching of the Earth"—though he admittedly didn't fully understand what went down in the Lostbelts anyway.
Plus, the Incineration of Humanity happened completely out of nowhere. The preparations began three thousand years ago, and the moment the plan was executed, it caught countless powerful entities completely off guard. If Fujimaru Ritsuka hadn't been there in the original story, Goetia probably would have pulled it off.
"Phew..."
Looking up at the "sky," Takumi let out a breath and locked his eyes on the massive gate standing in the distance.
Beyond that gate was the Demon God King's throne.
In the original plot, Chaldea had to continuously distract and destroy all the Demon God Pillars guarding the perimeter just to open the path to the throne. It was a mission Chaldea couldn't possibly complete alone.
But unfortunately for Goetia, that "gate" meant absolutely nothing to someone possessing both [Independent Manifestation] and [Tiger, Burn Bright]. Even if Takumi completely ignored the Demon God Pillars, he could simply stroll right through it.
Withdrawing his gaze, Takumi started running toward the gate.
He didn't use [Earth Shrink], he didn't activate his ultra-high-speed state, and he certainly didn't swing the [Sword of the Heart] to carve away the distance. He just ran along the jagged "path" at a speed slightly faster than a normal Servant.
If this path were flattened out into a highway, it would take a normal car tens of minutes to reach the gate. For Takumi at full speed, it would be the blink of an eye.
[Will they... actually come?]
Takumi didn't want to speed up. He was afraid that if he just bolted straight inside, he might miss everyone if they actually did show up.
Tap, tap...
His light footsteps echoed quietly in the void. The black pole of his flag rested on his shoulder, the complex white, gold, and red fabric rising and falling with his movements, making soft whoosh, whoosh sounds.
Time ticked by as the boy ran.
Every now and then, Takumi couldn't help but look around, hoping a Servant might suddenly pop into existence somewhere.
But every time he looked, he only found disappointment. Aside from the dull, lifeless rocks and the squirming, grotesque flesh of the Demon God Pillars, there wasn't a single humanoid figure in sight.
Is the Throne of Heroes lagging?Or because I used [Independent Manifestation] to sneak in, did they not notice I'm here?I knew I should have just dragged Chaldea here with me...
...
His breathing grew slightly erratic. Seeing no one arriving, Takumi couldn't stop his mind from racing, and his pace instinctively quickened.
[Please. You have to come...]
It didn't matter how many. Even if it was just one—
Just as Takumi lowered his head, praying silently with his eyes cast down, a blood-red flash suddenly erupted behind him.
A Demon God Pillar that had quietly snuck up behind him fired its tentacles.
What a boring sneak attack. Takumi didn't even turn to look at the magical beam, which packed enough firepower to instantly kill any Servant who failed to defend against it. He just kept running forward.
The dark-red beam crossed the distance in an instant, leaving a trail of magical light in the void.
But entirely without suspense, just as it was about to hit Takumi, it was perfectly blocked by a golden shield of light.
"Who is it?!"
Eh?
Flauros, having finally managed to launch a sneak attack, flew into a rage. Even Takumi was surprised and stopped in his tracks.
Flauros was furious that his attack was blocked.
Takumi was surprised because he wasn't the one who blocked it. The defense he set up was anchored much closer to his body.
—Who else would block an attack for me right now? Realizing what had happened, Takumi's face lit up with joy. Following the familiar presence, he quickly turned his head.
A flag identical to his own, a long golden braid, blue eyes, matching attire worn over silver armor, a very generous chest, black thigh-highs...
It was Jeanne d'Arc!
"Honestly... we've made it this far, so why has your guard gotten worse...?"
Holding her holy flag, Jeanne stopped pouring mana into the shield that had protected Takumi. She looked down at the boy, who was still running, and muttered a quiet complaint.
In her mind, Takumi was someone with maxed-out vigilance and reaction speed. He should have easily dodged an attack like that!
But before she could properly scold him, she saw the bright, overjoyed smile on the boy's face as he ran and waved frantically at her. The corners of Jeanne's mouth, which had just turned down, couldn't help but curve into a gentle smile.
This lonely journey was a painful pilgrimage that even she couldn't fully comprehend. She had imagined him collapsing halfway, crushed by the weight of it all, countless times. She had even wondered if she could have done it herself. But—
'You really did it, Takumi...'
In that brief moment, Jeanne felt like she was looking at the defeated, sensitive, timid, yet stubborn boy she had first met.
Then, that memory seamlessly merged with the spirited, completely transformed youth in front of her, smiling brighter than the sun.
'Wow... was he always this good-looking?'
Noticing that the scars on his face were completely gone, revealing a genuinely handsome young man, and captivated by those breathtaking, glass-like fiery eyes, Jeanne—who already harbored deep feelings for him—felt her cheeks flush. Her heart began to beat embarrassingly fast.
However, not everyone was happy.
"Are you joking?! In a temple with no leylines, no summoning circles, completely isolated from Human History... Impossible! This is fundamentally impossible!"
Seeing the Servant appear out of nowhere, and sensing summoning formulas activating all across the temple, Flauros's eyes widened. He screamed in pure disbelief.
"Perhaps. But everyone appearing here right now is simply answering the call of a human who suddenly bore the weight of a world that wasn't his, who cried under the pressure, but never once gave up. This is the result of his journey!"
Hearing Flauros's screeching, Jeanne composed herself. She turned to face the Pillar, speaking with a mix of awe and absolute conviction.
The moment she finished speaking.
Behind Jeanne's flag-bearing silhouette, several blue "shooting stars" suddenly burst into existence, slowly streaking across the sky.
The Grand Temple of Time had no sky, only a deep, cosmic curtain like an endless expanse of black velvet, quiet and mysterious. But right now, brilliant streaks of light tore across that velvet curtain. They looked like stars that had broken free from the universe's grasp, dragging long tails behind them as they plummeted toward the ground.
They were far brighter than normal shooting stars. As countless streaks of light crossed the sky, the entire Time Temple seemed to be bathed in a magnificent blue glow.
"They're here... they really came!"
Watching the blue shooting stars, Takumi couldn't hold back his excitement anymore and literally jumped for joy.
One of the stars landed nearby, revealing the silver-and-black-clad swordsman he had only met once before.
"Apologies. Am I late?"
Siegfried looked at the boy, who had clearly noticed him, and a small smile touched his lips.
It seemed his strength had actually managed to help this pitiful youth!
Beside him, the red-haired Dragonslayer Saint cast a proud, comforting look at Takumi.
He had been called "Teacher George," but in the end, he hadn't taught Takumi much or provided much help. He actually felt pretty guilty about it, but...
Seeing the kid standing here in one piece made him genuinely happy.
"The legendary Dragonslayer. We didn't truly get to meet before, but to fight side-by-side now... it is a great honor," Georgios said, turning to the swordsman beside him, his tone filled with both regret and joy.
"The honor is mine. I am proud to fight in the same camp as the famous Saint George," Siegfried replied with a sincere smile.
What's a Best Match? These two were a Best Match!
A few more shooting stars streaked past.
Queen Marie ヾ(≧▽≦*)o: "It's Marie! How could a sparkling moment like this happen without me!"
Amadeus: "Hehe~, since Maria is here, I obviously wouldn't miss it either. Speaking of which, I actually have a bit of history with these Demon God Pillars..."
In a slightly more remote area, a slender figure touched down quietly.
Jeanne Alter looked away awkwardly, grumbling, "Just so we're clear, if a certain someone hadn't practically begged me to come, I wouldn't even be here!"
She wasn't entirely being a tsundere this time.
Ever since she vanished in the First Singularity, her consciousness had sunk into a pitch-black world. She couldn't feel anything; there was only darkness.
She didn't know how long she spent in that darkness, only occasionally repeating the boy's final words to her—Would she really just disappear? After all, no matter how nice the words sounded, impossible things were impossible...
Then, a bright, white-gold flame suddenly ignited in the darkness.
It was so bright and warm. Jeanne Alter, who had been feeling so wronged she wanted to cry, was instantly drawn to it. She heard the prayer echoing from within: "Please. You have to come."
Without hesitation, following the flame's guidance and pull, she arrived here at the Time Temple.
In other words, every Servant present wasn't just here because they wanted to be; they were physically pulled here by Takumi's "Flames of Connection"! Every single one of them was the exact same Servant Takumi had fought alongside!
Seeing the familiar, stubborn figure, and sensing her faint anxiety and joy, Takumi's face flushed with excitement. Without even thinking, he yelled out:
"Jeanne, I love you~!"
(／≧▽≦)／
"Eh?!" x2.
Both Jeanne Alter and Jeanne gasped at the same time, their pale faces instantly turning beet red.
"Ahhhh! Don't say something that straightforward in front of all these people!"
Being watched by Martha from a distance with a teasing "auntie" smile, Jeanne Alter stamped her foot in embarrassment and frustration, acting exactly like a flustered teenager.
But her internal thoughts were completely different:
'—If you're going to say it, at least specify which Jeanne you mean!' There were two of them here!
"Next time for sure!"
Still running, Takumi looked back, winked at Jeanne Alter, and laughed happily.
At a time like this, how could anyone pretend to be calm?
Even Takumi, who usually prided himself on keeping his cool, felt nothing but thrill and excitement. Even his ability to think logically had dropped.
He could force himself to calm down, but he didn't want to. He was fully enjoying the rush of adrenaline.
Then...
[Heart of Fire]—Ignite!
Heatless flames washed over his body. The fabric flag turned into a swaying banner of fire, and his hair shifted into its burning, plasma-like state.
At the same time.
The Flames of Connection ignited on every single Servant present.
As the Servants, who had never seen this ability before, looked down at their flame-wreathed hands and bodies in surprise, Takumi made his next move.
'We made it this far. How could we not have a hype BGM?' A wild grin spread across Takumi's face.
Skill Altered: [Chorus of the Dawn and Dusk Bells (A)]-> [[Temporary] Variation: Meteor Shower of the Extreme Heavens (EX)]!
The moment the skill changed, the resonance completely shifted from the previous bells and drums.
Blue and white lines of spirit particles wove through the space, faintly glowing. Feathers made of fire drifted down from the non-existent sky, the two elements reflecting off each other brilliantly.
An ethereal intro began to play.
Followed immediately by a beautiful female voice.
"Wow~, Wow~!"
"We Rise Together As Our Destiny Unfolds""We Face The Darkness And Our Trials Are Yet Untold""Through The Shadows Of Despair" ...
"Is this... music?"
Jeanne, who was still slightly flustered by Takumi's shocking declaration, pulled herself together. She looked curiously at the flames on her body and the feathers falling from the sky.
'It's a bit strange, but my parameters have definitively increased across the board...'
Feeling a surge of power far greater than her normal state, Jeanne couldn't help but look at the boy running happily forward. She could tell that Takumi was the source of this power.
Ah, so he's gotten this strong? Jeanne felt a mix of wonder and deep relief.
But on the flip side, Flauros—or Lev Lainur—was furious. He had never been this angry in his life!
"You—!"
"What do you think this place is?! Do you think this is a stage for your little performance?!"
Flauros roared, his face contorting in rage.
'They're actually playing music?! You mother—'
What was a thrilling, exciting moment for Takumi felt incredibly insulting and nauseating to Flauros and the other Pillars. It felt like they were being openly mocked.
Orias, Vapula, Zagan, Valac... all the Demon God Pillars belonging to the Information Room of the Beast's Domain II angrily shifted their massive bodies. The grotesque eyes covering them flared with crimson magical light.
It was one thing to lose to Takumi outside, but this was their home turf!
They refused to believe they couldn't put up a fight!
SHING—!
A clean sword flash tore through the air.
The nine Demon God Pillars guarding the sector suddenly went rigid.
A second later, five of the Pillars split cleanly in half, their upper halves sliding off their bases. Their attacks were cut off before they even started.
And the culprit had already sheathed his sword, running toward the next sector without even looking back.
The Servants: "..."
All the Servants present here were veterans from the First Singularity. None of them had ever seen Takumi's peak state.
They thought back to their impression of him from before, compared it to what they just saw, and exchanged completely bewildered glances.
"Ahem!"
"Listen! Heroic Spirits gathered in this domain, each a match for a thousand! Even if you were once bitter enemies, even if you hail from different eras with no connection..."
Jeanne finally snapped out of it. She raised her flag, and with a rising, passionate tone, she loudly delivered the speech she had prepared for so long.