"Boom!"
The moment Rozen's words fell, in the sky above, Goetia—floating before the band of light—suddenly erupted with terrifying mana.
The mana was so dense it turned into black miasma, rolling out as thick smoke that surged around Gaetia's body.
In an instant, the entire world seemed crushed under an invisible gravity. Even Mash's body sank heavily, nearly forced to the ground.
Only Rozen stood there as if walking on level ground, his eyes fixed upon Gaetia.
Class: Beast I
True Name: Goetia
Attribute: Chaotic · Evil
—— Parameters ——
Strength: A
Endurance: A
Agility: D
Mana: A+
Luck: B
Noble Phantasm: A++
—— Class Skills ——
Territory Creation: A
The ability of a magus to construct territory advantageous to themselves.
Having constructed the Temple of Jerusalem alongside King Solomon, his ability ranks among the highest, especially within the Temple of Time.
High-Speed Incantation: A
The ability to accelerate incantations. Once of average chanting speed, he has now reached the realm equal to High-Speed Divine Words. This is because, as Gaetia, he lacks Solomon's personality flaws or weaknesses.
Item Construction: C
The ability to create magical tools. Because of specialization through contract, his skill level here is rather ordinary.
—— Personal Skills ——
Summoning: EX
Magecraft that summons spirits from the past or future. After King Solomon's death, the abandoned 72 Demon Gods dwelled within his corpse. Over endless years, they gave birth to the being clothed in Solomon's skin—Goetia.
Thus, although he cannot summon Heroic Spirits or common familiars, he can freely summon the 72 Demon Gods into the present. In truth, he is the converter projecting these "hypothetical Demon Gods" dwelling in Solomon's inner world into external reality.
Revelation: —
The skill of listening to the voice of Heaven and taking the best possible action.
As it is a skill of the soul, Goetia, who resides in Solomon's corpse, cannot use it.
Solomon's Ring: EX
The ten rings given by God to be worn on his fingers, proof of the King of Magecraft.
With all ten, one can nullify all human magecraft and bring them under one's dominion. Goetia, however, bears only nine; the last was left by Solomon for the future. His tenth is a forgery.
Clairvoyance: EX
Enhances vision, ability to perceive distant targets, dynamic sight, and at higher ranks grants X-ray and precognition. Solomon's clairvoyance could perceive past and future.
Since clairvoyance is tied to the body, Goetia also possesses this.
Independent Manifestation: A
A special skill, an ultimate version of Independent Action. Because his existence has already been confirmed, he possesses resistance against instant death and time manipulation attacks. Whether Human Order Incineration through Singularities or Human Order Revision via alien domains, he remains unaffected and can manifest so long as conditions are met.
Nega-Summon: EX
Negates and nullifies attacks originating from Servants, abolishing their Noble Phantasms, rendering them ineffective, invincible, absorbable, or reduced.
Only now did Goetia's true power appear before Rozen's eyes.
As humanity's first familiar, the strongest summoned being, and magecraft with its own will, Goetia not only held all of Solomon's powers, but also those of the 72 Demon Gods, along with the Beast-class authority as the embodiment of the Evils of Humanity.
Like Tiamat, he possessed no concept of death, holding absolute immortality. With Nega-Summon, he nullified all attacks—even Noble Phantasms—from Servants, who were likewise summoned beings.
Only humanity itself could defeat him.
Yet humanity could not kill him, for he was designed as a higher-dimensional spirit, surpassing mankind.
On top of that, his Noble Phantasm—capable of burning away the planet's surface and piercing its very core—made him an enemy far beyond even Altera or Tiamat.
And so—
"Enough of this meaningless chatter."
Goetia declared coldly.
"Since you choose resistance without purpose, then beg for aid, confess your fear, and drown in this sea of despair. That is the only salvation left to you."
With those words, Goetia stretched out his hand toward Rozen.
"Master!"
Mash reacted instantly, stepping before Rozen without hesitation, raising her shield.
"Die."
Goetia's raised hands gleamed, each palm bearing eyes that shone with light.
The next moment, endless rays shot forth like a meteor shower, a storm of beams raining down from the heavens.
"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM————!!!"
Explosions resounded furiously within the temple.
Countless beams engulfed Rozen and Mash, slamming against the shield Mash raised. Her mana barrier surged with fiery waves under the bombardment.
The ground ruptured continuously.
Dust roared skyward.
The never-ending storm of beams shook the barrier violently until it began to crack.
"Ghh…! Ugh…!"
Mash struggled to maintain the shield, groaning under the pressure.
Even she—whose defense reached near-absolute levels as a pseudo-Servant—could not withstand such an assault for long.
Not even a Grand Servant could pierce her shield without a Noble Phantasm. Yet Goetia shook it with ease.
"Hahhhhhhh—!"
Mash cried out, forcing her mana to its limit, trying to repel the torrent, but failing.
Until—
A hand touched her back.
"BOOM!"
In the next second, limitless mana surged into Mash's body.
"Vrm!"
Her barrier swelled thousands of times over, vast and unbreakable, blocking the entire storm of beams with ease.
"This is…"
Mash widened her eyes, turning to look back.
There stood Rozen, unmoving as ever. He no longer looked at Goetia, but at her—his hand upon her back, his face calm, smiling gently.
That calm smile filled Mash with courage.
Then—
"Our foe is a Beast-class, a primal Beast of sin. Yet I brought neither Altera nor Tiamat. I brought only you. Do you know why?"
Rozen's gaze locked on Mash as he spoke.
"The reason is simple."
"First, I already possess power that leaves me unafraid of any existence."
"Second, I decided long ago: since this Human Order Incineration began in that sea of flames within the Central Command Room—with us—then naturally, it must also end with us."
"That is why I want you to be the first to wield this power."
"Come on, Mash."
"Now is the time for our vengeance."
As he spoke, the endless stream of mana pouring into Mash fused with her being.
That brilliant, sacred Foreign Mana transformed the existence called Mash Kyrielight.