To Become a King and a Magician 761-765

Title: The Unstoppable Third Noble Phantasm

Aoko used Magic for the first time at the age of eighteen.

To save a friend dying before her eyes, she used magic to cast the fact of death into the far distant future.

That was the first miracle she performed with magic.

Though from her current perspective, her use of magic back then was crude, driven only by instinct and recklessness. But now, what Aoko aimed to do was the same as that first miracle.

The ribbon of light formed from the incineration of all human history—its essence was a fusion of hundreds of millions of light beams. Each beam carried heat equivalent to a True Name release of Excalibur, making it the ultimate light of destruction that surpassed all existence on Earth.

And now—Aoko had to dismantle it!

Not destroy, but dismantle.

It was impossible to destroy a ribbon of light containing such immense power. Even Naoki couldn’t do it. Moreover, even if it could be destroyed, intervening with brute force might cause catastrophic consequences!

Thus, Aoko chose to dismantle it, unravel it, and separate it.

One by one, she would isolate each of the hundreds of millions of light beams from the whole, then cast them into the far future. Compared to the nearly infinite expanse of the future, hundreds of millions of beams were something that could be gradually cleared over time.

In simple terms, this was the act of disassembling a highly precise device.

This was something only Aoko could do—something only the Fifth Magic could achieve.

But it also required a great deal of time.

For each light beam she unraveled, Aoko had to layer herself with multiple versions of herself as shields to avoid evaporating on contact. And when choosing the future to cast the beam into, she had to select one not too far away.

This action consumed an immense amount of Mana. Thus, while performing it, Aoko couldn’t spare a single ounce of energy—she could only stand rigidly in place.

(You really gave me a troublesome job… You’d better protect me well, Naoki!)

As Aoko thought this.

*CLANG!*

Excalibur and an iron fist collided fiercely in midair!

Gales, shockwaves, and flashes of light erupted at the center of the Temple of Time!

Goetia and Naoki grappled in close combat. Thanks to the planet’s support, Naoki had the complete upper hand. After a brief stalemate, he managed to pin Goetia beneath him. Excalibur pressed down hard, slicing through Goetia’s arm, then slashing across his body from the right shoulder!

*SLASH!*

The massive body was torn apart by the blade!

Yet Goetia felt no pain, completely ignoring the damage to his body. The severed arm instantly regenerated in midair and slammed down hard on Naoki’s head!

*BAM!*

Under the powerful blow, both combatants were sent flying back to create distance. Even as he was repelled, Naoki planted his feet on the ground, spun his body, and immediately slashed, unleashing a torrent of light!

A slash equivalent to an anti-army Noble Phantasm cleaved Goetia in two!

“Pointless!”

His body recovered in the blink of an eye.

Goetia didn’t press forward to grapple with Naoki again. Instead, he stood in place and calmly advised: “This is just a waste of time, Wielder of the Holy Sword of the Stars—Neither of us can kill the other. No matter how we attack, the outcome will only be like this.”

There were no traces of Excalibur’s slashes on Goetia’s body.

There were no marks from Goetia’s powerful strikes on Naoki’s body.

Both were immortal—Goetia due to his nature as the collective consciousness of the Demon God Pillars and a magical ritual, and Naoki due to the infinite Mana from the planet’s support and Avalon’s protection.

As Goetia said, their fight here was meaningless beyond wasting time.

“Your desire will not come to pass, Wielder of the Holy Sword of the Stars.”

“You cannot defeat me. The duel you’ve waited ten years for cannot end. The world you wish to save will never be saved by your hands!”

As he declared this, Goetia raised both arms.

“Let me slightly correct my words, Wielder of the Holy Sword of the Stars—It’s not that we cannot kill each other. That only applies to your situation. I, on the other hand, can truly kill you.”

*BUZZ!*

The atmosphere suddenly began to tremble.

Space itself began to tremble.

*CRACKLE!*

The ground, the sky… everything, under this vibration, gradually crumbled apart. As if pulled by a black hole, it slowly detached from its original structure and existence, floating upward.

No.

More precisely, floating toward the ribbon of light.

*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*

Terrifying heat and magical energy capable of incinerating a planet were released from the ribbon of light. A glowing vortex gathered at its center. All of human history and civilization, at this moment, was fully loaded into the Magazine (Ammunition Chamber).

(It’s here.)

The thought flashed through Naoki’s mind.

Goetia’s third Noble Phantasm, Ars Almadel Salomonis (The Time of Birth Has Come, He Is the One Who Masters All).

It was as simple as that—using Mana capable of reversing time to the creation of the celestial bodies forty-six billion years ago, to attack.

But there was nothing in this world that could withstand such an attack. It was a world-destroying strike, far beyond what any individual could endure.

Mash’s shield might be able to block it, but at the cost of her life.

Artoria’s Avalon might also withstand it, but it could only protect one person. Even if Naoki used the sword’s sheath to block the attack and stood in front of Aoko to shield her from a direct hit, the residual heat wave would instantly kill her.

With the means available, the attack could not be stopped at all.

This was what Goetia meant—the method that could truly kill Naoki, and the absolute difference in certain death between him and Naoki.

“Burn to ash like trash.”

“Pathetic Wielder of the Holy Sword of the Stars.”

“—Ars Almadel Salomonis”

Goetia uttered the True Name of the Noble Phantasm.

The aurora-like light gathered at the center of the ribbon exploded.

Without sound, without movement. The impact generated by this attack enveloped everything, annihilating everything.

The only thing Naoki could feel was the light filling his entire world.

And this was also the final scene in Aoko’s eyes.

Naoki disappearing within the light, his back turned to her—this was the last image reflected in her eyes.

Then…

*BOOMMM!*

The explosion that shattered heaven and earth followed belatedly.

-

Title: The Unglorious Salvation of the World

It was over.

The Third Noble Phantasm had been unleashed, and the Wielder of the Holy Sword of the Stars had no way to withstand it.

Goetia was absolutely certain that with this attack, everything would end.

Soon, on the scorched earth after the aurora of destruction faded, an empty expanse stretched before Goetia.

No, there was a slight discrepancy.

On the completely burned ground, a faint glimmer of light remained.

Just a tiny speck of light.

“That is…”

Goetia’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The true form of that light was a circular Light Shield. Within it, Aoko stood unharmed, maintaining her posture of using the Fifth Magic.

“So, Avalon, the sheath of King Arthur?”

Goetia realized.

Indeed, if it was King Arthur’s sheath, blocking his attack wasn’t impossible. After all, it was absolute defense in the truest sense, the one and only Absolute Protection in all human history, the strongest defensive Noble Phantasm.

During the one-day preparation prior, Naoki had borrowed Avalon from Artoria and implanted it within Aoko’s body.

As the only person capable of resolving the ribbon of light, Aoko’s safety had to be guaranteed.

“Sacrificing yourself without any defense just to keep your lover alive?”

Goetia looked toward the spot where Naoki had vanished.

“Saving his own personal world, the Wielder of the Holy Sword of the Stars. Self-sacrifice for the sake of another—Your actions are beyond my expectations. Though you can no longer hear it, allow me to praise you all the same.”

With this, the final obstacle was gone. The rest could be left to the Demon God Pillars. Aoko was merely a minor issue, nothing to fear.

Goetia thought this—

*STAB!*

In the next second, his head was pierced from behind.

The glowing Excalibur, without warning, thrust through Goetia’s head from the back!

“I wouldn’t mind a few more praises.”

A voice that defied reason came from behind Goetia.

His eyes trembled.

His spirit trembled.

Goetia slightly tilted his gaze, struggling to catch a glimpse of the situation behind him.

“!”

An unbelievable sight, one that made him feel as if he were dreaming, appeared before his eyes.

Naoki, who should have been completely annihilated by the Third Noble Phantasm, Ars Almadel Salomonis, and whose death had occurred just seconds ago, now stood intact behind Goetia?!

*SWOOSH!*

Excalibur swung downward. Starting from the head, Naoki cleaved Goetia in two on the spot!

Thick black mist spread from the severed parts. The sensation of his body being corroded made Naoki quickly leap high and return to Aoko’s side.

“Naoki!”

Aoko unconsciously cried out: “You—”

“I’ll explain later. For now, stay focused and use your Magic to dismantle that thing.”

“…”

Aoko, whose mind had briefly frozen, could only glare angrily at this ruthless man.

Not far away, Goetia, his body already restored, continued to observe Naoki, his eyes scanning him as if reevaluating.

“I see.”

As if he had understood something, Goetia raised his right hand and clenched it: “Retreat.”

*SHUA!*

As the command fell, Aoko, closest to Naoki, suddenly sensed a change in the man beside her. Specifically… it was as if he had returned to his original state.

Goetia stared at Naoki: “Summoning Magecraft—a summoning ritual crafted by human hands. At the exact moment you were about to be struck by my Noble Phantasm, you completed the summoning of Time, became a Time Fairy, and avoided the fate of death by shifting yourself to the Future.”

Time Travel.

This was an ability that clearly reached the domain of the Second Magic.

Just moments ago, Naoki had used the planet’s infinite Mana as a foundation, replicating the miracle he achieved in the Seventh Singularity—defining Time, simulating a fairy that governs Time, merging with it, and becoming an existence capable of partially replicating the Second Magic.

“An excellent summoning ritual. Though born from the hands of foolish humans, its superior foundational system, combined with your usage and development, has finally touched the domain of True Magic—an extraordinary achievement.”

Goetia didn’t hesitate to offer praise.

“But there won’t be a second time. Using a Summoning Ritual in front of me—this is your most foolish action.”

Goetia was the collective term for the magical ritual created by King Solomon—the Seventy-Two Demon Gods themselves. It was the highest-level summoning ritual ever known. Thus—he had the authority to intervene in and destroy other summoning rituals.

If the target was a Servant, it meant he could negate and destroy attacks originating from Servants and nullify all Noble Phantasms symbolizing Heroic Spirits.

And the current situation was the complete blocking of Naoki’s Summoning Magecraft, forcibly canceling the completed summoning and fusion, and expelling the entity within Naoki’s body.

Goetia was the natural enemy of Summoning Magecraft—its greatest nemesis.

The reason Naoki hadn’t used Summoning Magecraft to strengthen himself from the start was precisely this. It was a trump card he used to protect himself, not something to reveal early.

*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*

The ribbon of destructive light began spinning once more.

Goetia declared coldly.

“Though there’s been a deviation from the schedule, your actions have only delayed your death. The future you reached is not one where you survive, but one where you will still die.”

“You have no second chance—Vanish.”

The Third Noble Phantasm was unleashed again.

This time, there was truly no escape. Naoki had lost his means of survival. If he took this attack again, he would surely die!

“Naoki…”

“Calm down, Aoko, it’s fine.”

Naoki smiled as he stroked Aoko’s hair: “His Noble Phantasm can no longer be used on me.”

Can no longer use the Noble Phantasm?

What did that mean?

Aoko was briefly confused, but when she looked into Naoki’s eyes, she immediately understood.

At the same time, just as Goetia prepared to unleash the Third Noble Phantasm—

His mind was suddenly filled with a vision like falling snow. Naoki’s existence briefly flashed in Goetia’s consciousness.

Then, as if something was wrong with his body, black spots appeared on Goetia’s form. A faint sense of weakness slowly spread throughout his body. The Third Noble Phantasm, already primed, halted because of this!

“This is… my body…”

“Not bad, it worked.”

Naoki brought Excalibur before Goetia: “Merry’s Illusion Magecraft is as effective as ever. I wasn’t even wearing glasses from the start, and I’ve been using my Mystic Eyes on you all along, yet you didn’t notice at all.”

Mystic Eyes!?

Goetia stared at Naoki’s eyes—until this moment, they suddenly felt clear, as if a fog had lifted, and at the same time, Naoki’s sky-blue Mystic Eyes entered his awareness.

“Soul Eater Mystic Eyes, Mystic Eyes that erode the soul, Spiritrons, and Saint Graph.”

“Though your essence is a magical ritual, you do possess your own Saint Graph. Its type is Beast, so naturally, my Mystic Eyes work—Why do you think I engaged you in a fight that seemed like a waste of time?”

Even the Soul Eater Mystic Eyes found it extremely difficult to erode Goetia. After all, the scale and power of a Beast’s Saint Graph were immense. Previously, when facing Tiamat, the Mystic Eyes were nearly ineffective.

But now, by continuously damaging Goetia and eroding the wounded areas first, the erosion speed increased significantly—meaning, destroying the whole by targeting its weak points.

Like a thousand-mile dam breached by an anthill.

“Sorry, Solomon.”

Naoki gripped Excalibur tightly, speaking to Roman, now in Chaldea, words he couldn’t hear.

“This strongest summoning ritual you created—I’ll make it mine now.”

“This is my way of saving the world—a way that’s deviant, unglorious, and far from noble.”

-

Title: Even a Strategic Retreat Is Not Allowed

This was a repeat of the scene from ten years ago.

Through the Sheba Lens, Roman could clearly see the changes in Goetia’s Saint Graph.

“This is… being eroded by Natsukawa’s Mystic Eyes.”

Indeed, from all the means Chaldea currently possessed, Naoki’s Mystic Eyes were the only way to defeat Goetia.

Goetia was a magical ritual created by Solomon. As long as Solomon still existed in this world, Goetia possessed absolute immortality. And there was only one way to break this immortality—using Solomon’s first Noble Phantasm.

In a certain sense, the reason Solomon became a Grand Caster, aside from possessing EX-rank Clairvoyance that transcended past and present, was primarily because he had such a specific means to counter Goetia.

Grand Servants are Servants specifically meant to oppose Beasts. The ability to effectively counter a Beast is the primary criterion in selecting a Grand.

Whether it was Merlin’s Illusion Magecraft strong enough to trap Tiamat, Solomon’s first Noble Phantasm, or Orion’s absolute attack against beasts.

The same applied to Naoki’s Mystic Eyes.

Sealing the young Beast VI entity twenty years ago, and now, twenty years later, eroding the complete Beast I entity, combined with Excalibur—he could be said to be the strongest candidate for Grand Saber.

Even so—

“What a complicated feeling…”

Roman let out a slightly helpless sigh.

As a human, Romani Archaman approved of Naoki’s actions. This was indeed one of the two methods currently capable of saving human civilization, alongside Aoko’s Fifth Magic. If Naoki could ultimately turn Goetia into his own magical ritual, that would be ideal.

But if not as a human, Solomon’s feelings were slightly suppressed. After all, it was a magical ritual he had once created—a ritual that managed the nation and observed humanity alongside him. From his current perspective, it was his companion, even his child.

Now, it was being eroded and turned against him by Naoki in the most forceful, unreasonable, and cruel way.

If he could watch this happily, there must be a ghost!

(I’m not in the mood.)

Sheba floated behind Roman, observing his expression with interest: “Want to try stopping him?”

“No way. I’d probably get knocked out by Natsukawa the moment I arrived… Besides, there’s no point in me going.”

Roman had said many times that he could do nothing more. All he could do was watch the battle from here.

(Win, Natsukawa… Please.)

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*

The center of the Temple of Time.

At this moment, the place felt like the heart of a battlefield under heavy artillery fire. Goetia, almost uncontrollably—or rather, madly—was pouring out his Mana. The countless eyes on his body flickered relentlessly, unleashing an endless stream of meteor-like light beams!

“Vanish! Vanish! Vanish from our temple! Wielder of the Holy Sword of the Stars with your repulsive eyes!”

Amid the deafening roar of artillery fire, Goetia’s voice, filled with rage and hatred, mixed in.

No, it should be said he was roaring.

He, the all-knowing and all-powerful, had to waste so much time in this meaningless final battle!

“Vanish!”

The eye on his chest flashed. Goetia roared and unleashed the gathered Mana!

A glowing light cannon shot at high speed toward Naoki in the distance!

Then—

*CRACKLE!*

Space shattered.

Excalibur’s slash, empowered by Imaginary Manifestation, destroyed and cleaved the space itself, including the light cannon! In the next moment, facing the barrage of beams raining down on him like a storm, Naoki spread his five fingers, opening countless diamond-shaped holes around him!

The next second, the beams shooting toward him suddenly appeared beside Goetia!

*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*

Flames and explosions engulfed Goetia’s body!

The highest form of Displacement Magecraft—Spatial Substitution.

A secret technique passed down for thousands of years by the Ainsworth family from a parallel world.

“Cheap tricks!”

Breaking free from his own attack, Goetia charged straight at Naoki! His stone-like fists exploded like a meteor shower!

A storm of consecutive punches covered all evasion space in front and around Naoki.

Yet, strangely and astonishingly, not a single punch landed on Naoki.

*CLANG!* *CLING!* *CLANG!* *CLING!*

Excalibur danced and spun continuously in Naoki’s hands.

With fairy senses enabling Pseudo-Future Sight, Naoki could precisely track the trajectory of every punch. With his current abilities, dodging most of them wasn’t difficult. And the punches he couldn’t dodge, he parried with his sword while inflicting minor wounds on Goetia’s body, opening pathways for the Mystic Eyes’ power to penetrate deeper.

*HISSSSS!*

In close combat, Goetia’s body was continuously eroded by Excalibur. Meaningless blood sparks scattered everywhere. Sword winds and fist winds tore the ground beneath their feet into fragments. An untouchable vacuum zone formed around them.

“Damn it!”

Goetia roared again.

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”

“So infuriating! Wielder of the Holy Sword of the Stars! Your existence is infuriating and contradictory! Vanish from this world!”

*BAMMM!*

The clash of fist and sword halted at this moment. Above Naoki’s head and beneath his feet, several massive magical rituals suddenly spun open. Terrifying pressure came simultaneously from above and below, as if trying to crush Naoki!

(Gravity manipulation Magecraft? While fighting me—)

*BAM!*

Goetia’s punch, filled with all his power and rage, landed on Naoki’s chest, sending him flying hundreds of meters!

*WHOOSH!*

Arriving before Naoki like a shadow, Goetia struck again with a downward kick!

*CLANG!*

Excalibur blocked just in time. Using the attack to create distance, as Naoki’s back touched the ground, a curtain of light suddenly appeared and swallowed him.

The next second, through Spatial Transfer, he appeared behind Goetia. Naoki immediately cleaved Goetia’s body once more with his sword!

This was already the tenth time he had physically killed Goetia.

Physical pain and soul erosion.

These two types of wounds increasingly provoked Goetia’s beastly nature as a Beast.

“Forced this far…”

“Surprised?”

Sword and fist collided once again. The eyes of one man and one Beast met again. Staring into Naoki’s sky-blue Mystic Eyes, an itch from the depths of his soul made Goetia unable to hide his weakness first.

An opening appeared. Naoki pursued it relentlessly. A swift sword dance eroded Goetia’s body inch by inch! Continuously widening the holes in his body, digging channels that led straight to his soul!

Soul erosion progress had reached thirty percent—If this continued, everything might end before Aoko finished dismantling the ribbon of light!

“ENOUGH—!”

In a furious roar, Goetia directly surrendered both arms to Naoki, leaping far back to his throne, and raising both regenerated arms to the sky!

“Enough! This farce has gone on long enough! The time wasted is enough!”

“I don’t need to fight you, nor do I need to be here! Launch the ribbon of light! Return to the creation of celestial bodies forty-six billion years ago! That’s what I should do!”

Naoki frowned: “You’re running? Even a Beast lacks the pride to accept defeat.”

“No! In the end, it will still be my victory! Outsider from beyond the world! With the completion of Reversed River/Genesis Light Year! Your existence will also be completely erased from this world! You are the only anomaly that cannot exist in the new world—Yes, in the end, only I will win, Goetia!”

The ribbon of light glowed above Goetia’s head. Storms and shockwaves spread endlessly.

“Convert all heat into Mana! Begin executing time reversal!”

“Planet! Return—”

As if gears had jammed.

Suddenly, Goetia’s movements froze. Then, the massive ribbon of light floating above visibly diminished before the naked eye!

Naoki glanced at Aoko, protected by Avalon not far behind him.

(You did it, Aoko—Good job.)

-

Title: It’s Over, Goetia

Unfathomable.

Goetia’s mind, which should have been all-knowing and all-powerful, stalled at this moment.

This was supposed to be impossible.

The Mana of the ribbon of light—formed from the Human Order Incineration and human civilization, gathering thousands of years of history—suddenly experienced an inexplicable decline at this very instant!

Impossible!

This was truly impossible!

“It’s—the Magician!”

Goetia’s gaze locked onto Aoko, protected by Avalon. His eyes seemed ready to burst as he vaguely grasped part of the truth.

Standing between Aoko and Goetia, blocking his view, Naoki rested Excalibur on his shoulder and laughed: “Looks like you’ve figured it out… Since it’s almost done, no harm in telling you.”

“Your ribbon of light has been gradually dismantled under the influence of the Fifth Magic. This time-wasting duel I’ve been having with you wasn’t just to let my Mystic Eyes work—it was also to counter your Noble Phantasm.”

“So, here’s the current situation.”

“—You can’t achieve your ultimate goal, you can’t escape my Mystic Eyes, and of course, you can’t stop all this, because Avalon’s protection is an absolute defense even you can’t destroy.”

In reality…

“Checkmate.”

“You have nowhere left to run. Defeat is certain, Goetia.”

Defeat?

Naoki’s words left Goetia momentarily silent.

He would lose?

The plan prepared since Solomon’s death, only now completed, would fail in its final moments?

When he was just one step away—just one step—from a perfect world without death being born in his hands, from overcoming human imperfection, from reaching a truer limit for the world!

But why—

“No! There can be no defeat!”

Slamming the ground hard, Goetia roared with rage and regret.

“Just start again! Regather the lost Mana! No matter the cost, no matter the sacrifice! I will fulfill my final wish!”

“Starting with eliminating you two obstacles—”

*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*

*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*

Countless chains materialized from the air. Thousands of silver chains emerged from space, suddenly wrapping around Goetia and binding him tightly in place!

“Ugh—with cheap tricks like these!”

“Excalibur, release.”

Just as Goetia prepared to break free from the chains, Naoki’s declaration spread throughout the temple.

“Seal Thirteen, Decision Start!”

Brilliant light shone around Naoki. Six figures cloaked in radiant light knelt one by one before him as he held Excalibur, as if in reverence.

“This battle is not against fairies—Lancelot, acknowledged.”

“This battle is for survival—Kay, acknowledged.”

“This battle is against evil—Mordred, acknowledged.”

“This battle is not a deviation from humanity—Gareth, acknowledged.”

“This battle is to seek truth—Agravain, acknowledged.”

“This battle is against those stronger than oneself—Bedivere, acknowledged.”

The six seals on Excalibur were released one by one, and the light emitted by Excalibur grew increasingly blinding.

And finally.

Behind Naoki.

“This battle is to save the world—Arthur, acknowledged.”

The shadow of Arthur, standing with his back to Naoki, declared this acknowledgment, then merged with the other six shadows of light and flowed into Excalibur.

<Go on, Naoki—end it all.>

“Yes.”

Gripping Excalibur tightly, Naoki stared at Goetia, bound by countless chains and unable to break free.

“It’s over, fake Grand Caster, pitiful Beast—Goetia!”

“Release the True Name!”

“—Excalibur!!”

Excalibur, the holy sword forged by the planet.

The starlight that saves the world, the golden blade that fells all evil.

This time, at the moment it was truly needed, it unleashed its most dazzling light!

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Temple of Time, Outer Area.

The attention of the Chaldea group, still fighting endlessly regenerating Demon God Pillars, was drawn to the towering light rising from the depths of the Temple of Time.

The Demon God Pillars felt it too.

“That light is…”

“It’s the Department Head’s Excalibur!”

Ritsuka cried out in joy.

No doubt—it was the light of Excalibur she had witnessed twice in the Seventh Singularity. And this time, the light was far more blinding than before!

And the emergence of this light meant…

“It’s almost over.”

Merry, fighting Demon God Barbatos in the Control Tower area, whispered while gazing at the light.

Her Clairvoyance could see what was happening in the central area.

Aoko, protected by Avalon, was working hard to dismantle the ribbon of light. Naoki, releasing Excalibur, completely shattered Goetia’s body—though Goetia wouldn’t die from it, through this decisive strike, the Mystic Eyes’ power could work unhindered.

“With that, Beast I will also become a tool for Master, and along with it, all Seventy-Two Demon Gods will become Master’s summoning ritual.”

Rei, beside Merry, laughed: “Summoning Magecraft has evolved to a new limit. After inheriting King Arthur’s power, Master is now preparing to inherit Solomon’s as well.”

“Who knows?” Merry smiled bitterly. “My Clairvoyance can’t see the future. Maybe King Gilgamesh and Solomon could, but even they, toward this future…”

Who could have predicted? The outsider who arrived twenty years ago, powerless to defend himself, would, twenty years later, reach such heights.

Excalibur—Sword of Promised Victory, the holy sword that saves the world.

Goetia—Human Order Correction Ritual, the magical ritual that harnesses everything.

By combining both powers within himself, where else could he go in the future?

Merry was deeply curious about this.

“I really feel like I can’t leave him. Could my decision to come here and care for him twenty years ago actually have been a terrible mistake?”

“But now you feel like you’ve gained a huge advantage, right?” Rei said. “After all, Master… the Prince keeps satisfying you to this day—and will keep satisfying you in the future.”

“True enough.”

-

Title: The Man Who Reached the Root Twice

The Root.

The origin of all things. The existence from which all phenomena flow. The truth of the world. Ultimate knowledge. The Root.

In the mystic world, it goes by many names. And how to reach the Root is the sole research topic of every Magus. No matter the type of Magecraft, no matter the study, the ultimate goal is for the Magus to obtain a path to the Root.

Now, after twenty years, Naoki had arrived here once again.

As if falling into a bottomless deep sea, or leaping from a great height. One moment still riding the ups and downs of a roller coaster, the next shifting into slow motion like rowing across a lake…

When he came to, he was standing amid falling snow all around.

“Welcome.”

Before Naoki, Root Shiki smiled at him.

“You’ve come here again, Natsukawa-kun.”

“Am I going to end up here every time I defeat a Beast?” Naoki shrugged. “If so, I didn’t come here during the Seventh Singularity.”

Root Shiki chuckled softly: “No, this time I deliberately brought you here. There are a few things I need to explain. After all, before the Human Order Incineration ends, this is the only place I can be.”

Mifune City had burned to the ground, and Root Shiki’s figure was nowhere to be seen in Chaldea or Avalon. Thus, this was indeed the only place she could reside.

“Then, what do you want to tell me?”

“First, regarding the Human Order Incineration—Congratulations, Natsukawa-kun. You won.”

Root Shiki clapped with a smile.

“Your Mystic Eyes completely eroded Beast I soul. From now on, the magical ritual created by Solomon—Human Order Correction Ritual—and the most advanced summoning ritual in human history, the Seventy-Two Demon Gods, will both fully belong to you.”

“If you wear the Ten Rings, it wouldn’t be wrong to call yourself King Solomon.”

Excalibur, fully unleashed, obliterated Goetia’s body. The Soul Eater Mystic Eyes completely eroded Goetia’s soul. The Seventy-Two Demon Gods, a complete entity with him, thus became entirely Naoki’s.

And the nine of the Ten Rings bestowed by the heavens upon Solomon, worn by Goetia, now fell into Naoki’s hands. Combined with the final ring he had taken from Roman ten years ago, all ten rings were now in Naoki’s possession.

After a moment’s thought, Naoki shook his head: “Forget it. I’m not interested in Solomon’s power. After this, I’ll return the rings to Roman. With the Human Order Incineration over, there’s no point in me keeping them.”

Naoki had taken the rings to prevent Roman from using his first Noble Phantasm. And now was indeed the time to return them.

The same applied to Goetia and the Seventy-Two Demon Gods. Though soul erosion couldn’t be reversed, Goetia and the Demon Gods were fundamentally magical rituals. Thus, with modification, their operational rights could be transferred.

Chaldea had several Magus far surpassing human intellect—and Solomon himself. Modifying one or two magical rituals would only take time.

“I see. If that’s what you want, I respect your decision.” Root Shiki said. “Then, the second matter—this could be called a Conferment.”

“Conferment?”

“It could also be called Certification. Since twenty years ago, Natsukawa-kun, you have consecutively defeated two complete Beast entities and two young Beast entities. Considering your Mystic Eyes and Excalibur, the Root has designated you as an existence qualified to hold Grand candidacy.”

Root Shiki explained: “In simple terms, if you ever ascend to the Throne of Heroes in the future, you will immediately become a Grand Candidate—though this isn’t particularly significant for you. If you were to ascend to the Throne of Heroes, it might take thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years.”

Essentially, a fairy’s lifespan is nearly limitless. Normal death is almost impossible. Even if they die, they resurrect. The only way for Naoki to ascend to the Throne of Heroes would be suicide.

Thus, this Grand certification from the Root held no current meaning. At most, it granted him a position he would only occupy after thousands or tens of thousands of years.

“Next is the third matter—regarding what happens after this.”

“Humanity Freezing.”

Naoki whispered.

The Human Order Incineration was not the end of everything. After this, the Earth would turn white for unknown reasons.

Lostbelts, Fantasy Trees, the Alien God—the true Beast VII… More threats would emerge on Earth one by one. There was still much to do.

But Root Shiki’s next words left Naoki stunned.

“Humanity Freezing will not occur in the parallel world you currently inhabit.”

“Eh?”

It won’t happen?

“For a certain future to occur, the conditions that enable and trigger that future must be met in the present. And in the world you are in, some of the conditions necessary for the emergence of the Humanity Freezing future are not fulfilled.” Root Shiki explained.

“So, you don’t need to worry about Humanity Freezing. For a very long time to come, there will be no major crises in your world.”

“—However, small crises still exist.”

Naoki had been about to breathe a sigh of relief, but hearing Root Shiki’s additional remark, he instantly couldn’t hold back. His expression fell apart.

Root Shiki looked slightly puzzled: “What’s wrong?”

After frowning several times, Naoki rubbed his forehead: “No, it’s just… you can actually joke?”

“Just a bit of fun. Maybe because I’ve been awake too long, I’ve been slightly tainted by worldly affairs.” Root Shiki laughed.

“Quite surprising… But what are these small crises? Another mage organization trying to cause trouble? Or is one of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors planning to resurface?”

Root Shiki shook her head: “Neither. That wouldn’t even be called a crisis for you anymore. True, if described most fittingly, it should be a family matter.”

“A family matter?”

“There is still one more person connected to you that you must save. You, who have a very close relationship with King Arthur, are the most suitable to save her.”

The final person the Wielder of the Holy Sword of the Stars must save?

Naoki was slightly confused by Root Shiki’s meaning. And at that moment, a sudden weightlessness enveloped him.

“It seems it’s time.”

Root Shiki looked upward as Naoki began to float: “For us, our next meeting will be in a very distant future… I hope by then, you still remember me.”

“Wait, Shiki, what do you mean?”

“Farewell, Natsukawa-kun.”

“Shiki—”