What just happened?
Takumi didn't know. He couldn't even remember how he swung that final strike. His mind was completely blank.
Thud—Clack!
With his flag shattered, Takumi plummeted diagonally, carried by residual momentum and the shockwave. He crashed hard onto the only relatively intact piece of "ground" left beneath the Demon God King's throne.
He bounced once like a deflated balloon, rolled over, and finally came to a stop.
Sssss...
The rock beneath him was scalding hot. His flesh pressing against it sounded like meat searing on a hot grill, emitting a sharp sizzle.
The ground he lay on had turned brittle, its texture reduced to something resembling coarse sand. It was blatantly obvious the landmass had been thoroughly cooked by the heat of the Human Order Cannon.
To be precise, the entirety of the Grand Temple of Time had been reduced to this state.
If someone were able to stand above and look down at the entire temple right now, they would see that the massive, floating islands—which had originally spanned dozens of kilometers across this "conceptual universe"—were completely pulverized. The small chunk of land beneath the throne where Takumi currently lay was now the single largest landmass left in the entire space.
The grand, majestic cosmic temple was gone. All that remained was a desolate void filled with floating debris. Every few seconds, smaller chunks of rock would crumble apart and fall into the abyss below.
This was the combined, apocalyptic result of Takumi's absolute maximum output clashing directly against Goetia's fully deployed Third Noble Phantasm!
Lying beneath the throne, Takumi only needed to open his eyes and glance to the side to witness the glorious, world-shattering aftermath of his battle.
However.
'I'm so tired... I'm so tired I just want to die...'
Takumi didn't want to open his eyes. He felt completely paralyzed by exhaustion. He had absolutely zero desire to open his eyes, and truthfully, he physically lacked the strength to do so.
The [Blessing of the Stars] had vanished the exact moment his flag shattered. His physical stamina and mental fortitude had been completely drained long ago. Even his mana reserves—which had been constantly replenished by the [Protection of the World's End]—had fallen into a massive deficit while he was sprinting against the Human Order Cannon. The violent, hyper-accelerated cycle of burning and forcibly replenishing his mana had left his already robust body screaming in agonizing pain.
To defeat Goetia, to simply arrive at the throne alive, Takumi had sacrificed absolutely everything.
Under the unimaginable, reckless strain he had forced upon his body, his previously healthy, muscular arms had seemingly shrunk, resembling withered, skin-and-bone branches. And it wasn't just his arms; his entire body had drastically thinned out, as if he had been starved for months.
His skin was an unnatural, sickly pale red from the apocalyptic heat, literally resembling a roasted pig on a spit. The entire outer layer of his epidermis had been thoroughly cooked. The majority of his black hair had been scorched into a brittle, ashen white. His blood flow was sluggish, and his heart, lungs, and every internal organ had suffered varying degrees of severe trauma.
While sprinting directly through the Human Order Cannon's torrent of light, Takumi hadn't taken a single breath. And even now, lying in a cosmic void devoid of oxygen, he still wasn't breathing.
Fortunately, his body had been fundamentally reforged by the Heart of Fire, and he had briefly attained a divine state back in Uruk. He was no longer strictly human; he could survive without oxygen, and minor internal organ damage wasn't instantly fatal. If a normal human had sustained these injuries, they would have been dead ten times over.
Did it hurt?
Honestly, after enduring the absolute peak of unimaginable agony during the sprint, Takumi couldn't even feel the pain anymore. His brain was completely numb.
Right now, Takumi felt exactly like Sun Wukong trapped beneath the Five Elements Mountain. His body completely refused to obey his commands. Even performing a microscopic action like twitching a finger, opening an eye, or manually trying to inhale felt as impossible as lifting the sky.
But fortunately, Takumi didn't need to fight anymore.
Goetia's presence had vanished, and the torrent of light consuming the Time Temple had ceased immediately after. Realizing this, Takumi genuinely felt like he was dreaming.
It wasn't until he lay there dazed for over ten seconds that he finally confirmed this was reality.
Following the daze came an overwhelming surge of joy.
He had literally face-tanked the Human Order Cannon for a minute and a half, and successfully assassinated Goetia in the process...
Yes, the exact moment the "Great Light Ring" stopped firing, the flag that had been with him since the beginning had shattered. He had completely lost all combat capability, to the point where he couldn't even initiate a retreat from the Time Temple.
Yes, he couldn't take all the credit. The active [Miracle] provided by the Servants was a massive reason he was able to finish Goetia off.
But regardless of all that... he had face-tanked the Human Order Cannon for a minute and a half, and successfully assassinated Goetia!
Honestly, who else could have possibly pulled that off?
Even Takumi felt his victory was an absolute, undeniable miracle!
It felt exactly like finally solving an impossible math equation that the rest of the world had given up on. His heart swelled with profound excitement and happiness.
He slowly forced his eyes open a tiny slit, peering through his eyelashes at the cosmic sky above.
Looking at the breathtaking, starry expanse, Takumi managed to force a weak, strained smile onto his lips.
Accompanying the joy was a profound sense of relief.
An unimaginable, overwhelming relief.
It was infinitely more relaxing than the moment he had nearly died from Goetia's curse back in London.
A person's drive has limits, and Takumi was just a normal guy at heart. Realizing that the apocalyptic storm cloud that had hung over his head ever since he transmigrated was finally gone, that everything was finally over... his drive completely snapped.
Maybe if he forced himself, he could scrape together enough willpower to stand up. But right now, Takumi didn't want to think about anything. He just wanted to sleep.
Just sleep forever...
Crunch, crunch...
The sound of footsteps stepping on coarse, brittle sand echoed nearby.
Takumi jolted awake.
Realizing what the sound meant, a complex mix of frustration, profound annoyance, and tired acceptance flooded his mind.
Takumi curled his body slightly, desperately trying to force his arms and legs to push him off the ground.
After a agonizing struggle, he gave up.
The physical trauma was far more severe than he had anticipated. This brief rest wasn't nearly enough to recover. His hands merely scraped weakly against the scorched earth, entirely failing to lift his body.
And even if he did manage to stand up... what could he possibly do in this state?
"You just don't know when to quit, do you... I honestly didn't peg you as the clingy type..."
Squinting his eyes, Takumi forced out a weak, raspy taunt.
"Hahahahahaha..."
"I learned it all from you, Foreigner!"
Having reverted to a human vessel, his long hair now a glowing, golden blonde, Goetia—now truly the King of Men—didn't care about the weak insult. Instead, he laughed with a distinct hint of smug satisfaction.
Takumi's assessment had been completely accurate. As his Domains were systematically shattered, as every countermeasure he deployed failed to stop the Demon God Pillars from being severed and dying... Goetia finally realized his own life was coming to an end. He felt genuine terror and began screaming silently in despair.
And because of that terror, a profound flaw appeared in his heart.
Consequently, the absolute power of the [Sword of the Heart] pierced straight through that flaw and struck Goetia's "Heart."
The [Sword of the Heart] was a conceptual Noble Phantasm forged from the absolute entirety of Takumi's experiences, his triumphs, and the blazing resonance of his Heart of Fire since he arrived in this world. Struck by a power that targeted the heart exclusively, Goetia essentially experienced Takumi's entire journey to save humanity—and save himself—in an instant.
The suffocating, drowning loneliness. The profound joy of igniting the flame for the first time. The paralyzing terror and anxiety of entering the first Singularity. The overwhelming relief of finally meeting a living human he could talk to. The heartbreaking sorrow of parting ways. The quiet joy and deep-seated inferiority of being noticed by beautiful girls. The furious resentment of failing at the last hurdle. The absolute despair of facing certain death...
Goetia was stunned.
Even though he didn't physically live through it from Takumi's perspective, for the very first time, Goetia truly understood that a single human's emotions could be so incredibly complex, so incredibly rich.
The final sword fell.
"So this is what it feels like to possess the universal human emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness..."
Goetia looked down at his own hands, his gaze incredibly profound and violently fluctuating.
"How truly..."
The corners of his mouth slowly curled upward, blooming into a wild, completely unrestrained smile.
'How truly wonderful—!'
Goetia looked at the ten rings adorning his fingers. His eyes carried both the absolute euphoria of "finally understanding everything" and the bitter regret of "why did it take me until the very end to understand."
"Look at this! How utterly hilarious! This ring has been within my reach the entire time!"
"Yet... for three thousand years, I completely failed to realize its true existence, and—"
"The absolute, terrifying power hidden within it, capable of destroying me completely."
Goetia held up the hand bearing the ten rings, a look of profound self-mockery on his face.
One ring could gather the other nine. But couldn't nine rings just as easily call back the final one?
All it required was for him to genuinely possess the universal human emotions, to reach a state of true "Enlightenment."
"Who cares about your stupid rings... Wearing ten rings at once just makes you look like you're wearing brass knuckles..."
Lying on his side, Takumi shot a disdainful look at Goetia, who was busy showing off his treasure, and delivered a weak, deadpan insult.
"Brass knuckles? Call them whatever you wish."
Goetia chuckled, glancing at the rings before turning his gaze back to Takumi.
"My omnipotent power has already vanished. My ageless immortality is gone. I have barely five minutes of life remaining... I have already wasted far too much time."
"Right now, there is only one thing I wish to do..."
"——I'm here to settle the score."
Goetia spoke calmly as he began walking directly toward Takumi.
"Just as you became the blazing 'reckoning' that burned me to ash because of the suffering I inflicted upon you... what I am about to do now is just as willful and selfish as you are! To avenge my ruined plans, and for the few minutes of life I have left... I will take my absolute revenge on you!"
Watching the figure walking toward him without a single trace of hesitation, Takumi—who couldn't even stand—naturally looked grim.
"Fuck... you bastard...!"
He desperately tried to stand again, but only managed to lift his head halfway before it crashed back into the dirt, prompting a furious curse.
But no matter how much he cursed, his body refused to move.
It was a complete dead end.
He had absolutely zero capability to fight back. If he wanted to survive, his only options were for Goetia to magically decide to spare him, or for someone to suddenly pop out of nowhere and save his life.
But Goetia was completely serious. Takumi was absolutely certain of that.
So who could possibly save him?
Takumi couldn't think of anyone.
After all, the environmental conditions required for a Servant to manifest here had been completely eradicated.
The distance between them wasn't far. While Takumi struggled and thought, Goetia had already closed the gap and stood directly over him.
"It's over..."
Looking down at the boy who was subconsciously clawing at the dirt, Goetia calmly raised his finger. A bright golden light began to gather at the tip.
Then.
Pew!
A golden beam of magical energy shot through the air, aimed squarely at Takumi's head.
VMMMM—
The beam was blocked.
Under Goetia's shocked, bewildered gaze, his attack was flawlessly intercepted by a translucent, blue-and-white phantom projection. The beam merely caused a slight ripple on its surface.
Takumi, who genuinely believed he was about to die, saw the true form of the phantom projection.
His heart, which had been in his throat, finally settled back into his chest. His fingers, tightly gripping a fragment of his shattered flag and a handful of dirt, slowly relaxed. His rigidly tense body went completely limp.
'So you came too... Chaldea...'
Takumi smiled happily.
White with hints of blue, carrying an overall silver aesthetic, shaped remarkably like a horseshoe—in this absolute, life-or-death moment, the entity perfectly shielding Takumi was none other than "Chaldea"!
However...
Noble Phantasm Altered: [My Heart Remains Thus (A++)]-> [The Unfalling Chaldea (EX)]!
This wasn't the physical Chaldea facility in Antarctica. This was the "Chaldea" that existed purely within Takumi's heart. A "Chaldea" that no enemy could ever locate, no threat could ever breach. A place where, as long as he returned, he could completely relax without fearing any sneak attacks. An absolute, eternal sanctuary that would never fall.
Staring at the phantom projection of Chaldea perfectly enveloping Takumi, Goetia was genuinely shocked. He thought he had finally, completely understood Takumi, yet even at the very end...
"You never cease to find new ways to surprise me...!"
Goetia couldn't help but sigh in genuine admiration.
Before the sigh even finished, Goetia raised his fist and violently slammed it into the phantom barrier protecting Takumi.
Admiration was one thing; killing his enemy was another!
Bang! Bang! Bang!...
His fists hammered against the barrier, producing dull, heavy thuds.
But no matter how fast or how hard Goetia punched, his current physical vessel only possessed the parameters of an ordinary human. How much damage could he really do?
Quickly realizing this, Goetia decisively switched back to Magecraft.
Takumi kept his eyes glued to Goetia's movements, his mind focused entirely on a single, burning thought:
'I want to live!'
At this moment, he could finally proudly copy Fujimaru Ritsuka's iconic answer.
Having lost Goetia's stabilization, the "Great Light Ring" in the sky began to violently fluctuate. The landmass beneath the throne was rapidly crumbling.
But neither of the two people present paid any attention to the apocalyptic collapse around them. Their eyes were locked entirely on each other: one attacking like a madman, the other defending with absolutely everything he had left.
First Ring! Second Ring! Third Ring! ... Ninth Ring!
Goetia cycled through all nine rings, unleashing a relentless barrage of high-tier Magecraft. Yet, not a single spell managed to even crack the phantom Chaldea; every attack was flawlessly deflected.
"Chaldea" continued to stand perfectly intact before him.
Goetia's remaining time was rapidly ticking down. Realizing his final act of revenge was doomed to fail, Goetia grew frantic. Abandoning magical bombardment, he cast a physical reinforcement spell on himself and resumed furiously battering the phantom barrier with his bare hands.
"...Bang! Bang! Bang!"
"Pfft! Hahaha..."
Watching Goetia frantically pounding away at "Chaldea," Takumi suddenly couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.
What the hell are you laughing at?
Goetia didn't say it out loud, but his expression screamed the question.
"Haha... The way you look right now... you look exactly like that meme of the guy yelling 'I just bought this car!' haha... while furiously smashing a guy's windshield! Hahaha!"
Curled up on the ground, Takumi pointed weakly at Goetia's face, laughing hysterically. He laughed so hard his damaged internal organs started aching again.
Through the lingering power of the [Heart of Fire], the specific meme Takumi was referencing flashed directly into Goetia's mind.
"...Pfft-hahahahahaha!"
Goetia fell silent for a second, then immediately joined in, laughing like a maniac.
"Hahahaha, doesn't it... look exactly like it?! Huh? Hahahaha!"
Hearing Goetia's laughter, Takumi, who was just about to stop, started laughing all over again.
"Hahahahahaha...!"
Goetia kept laughing, offering no verbal response. He finally stopped punching the barrier, slumped down against the phantom Chaldea, clutched his stomach, and laughed wildly.
He gave up. No matter how much he attacked, he wasn't going to break this defense.
He might as well sit down and enjoy this bizarre, genuine happiness he had never experienced before.
After all, this wasn't the profound "joy of life" he had finally comprehended today. This was simply the joy of sharing a ridiculous moment. He just genuinely wanted to laugh.
They laughed for an unknown amount of time before their laughter finally subsided.
The collapse of the floating island had reached their position. A soft, golden light began to emanate from Goetia's body.
"You win, Foreigner."
Leaving behind those calm, final words, Goetia vanished before Takumi's eyes.
Goetia—Defeated.
'Ah... can I finally get a good night's sleep?'
Hearing Goetia's final words, Takumi felt no overwhelming joy, nor any sadness. He only felt an absolute, all-consuming "drowsiness."
Unable to fight off the exhaustion any longer, Takumi slowly closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
A few seconds later, the ground beneath him finally crumbled away.
Already sound asleep, Takumi fell, pulled downward by gravity.
A completely unobstructed freefall...
He fell further and further away from the floating throne, until the throne looked no larger than a sesame seed.
High above, the "Great Light Ring" suddenly shattered completely.
An unimaginably terrifying wave of magical energy erupted outward from its epicenter.
And right at that exact moment.
A brilliant, dazzling blue starlight suddenly ignited around the unconscious, falling boy.
—[The Unfalling Chaldea (EX)]!
The starlight flashed brilliantly, and the falling boy vanished along with it.
When the chaos within the space finally settled, all that remained was the silent throne scattered with ten golden rings, and a few floating rocks, quietly waiting in the endless void.