"Rumble…!"
In that very instant, the entire Temple of Time—already transformed into a battlefield—suddenly began to tremble.
This was not the same as before, when tremors were caused by powerful impacts of battle. Instead, it was the temple itself that was shaking.
It was as though a mountain was collapsing, its foundations crumbling beneath it—the Temple of Time suddenly quaked, and from every direction came creaks and groans, echoing like mournful cries, unnervingly loud.
At the same moment, the Demon Pillars, those unending abominations that could never truly be killed or destroyed no matter how many times they fell, suddenly let out wails. Like dying beasts, their voices were filled with terror and despair.
"This is…!"
The Servants and familiars, locked in their seemingly endless war of extermination against the Demon Pillars, froze in shock.
In Chaldea, those monitoring every battle unfolding inside the Temple of Time likewise faltered for a moment—before one after another cried out in realization.
"The Demon Pillars' readings are dropping drastically!"
"Their Saint Graph structures are beginning to shift!"
"Their mana signatures are becoming unstable!"
"This… this is disintegration! The Demon Pillars' once stable and solid Saint Graphs are breaking apart!"
"With this, not only will they weaken, they won't regenerate anymore—they can be killed!"
The technicians of Chaldea all erupted with joy.
"Romani!"
Even Da Vinci, her face rarely showing such emotion, shouted toward him with excitement.
"I know!"
Roman was trembling as well, his hands shaking over the instruments.
Though they had already confirmed it on the monitors, only after further analysis and scans did Roman dare to declare it.
"Confirmation: Demon God King Goetia has been eliminated!"
His voice quavered.
"Beast I has been defeated!"
Thus, with its master gone, the Temple of Time itself began to collapse.
Thus, with the core of the Demon Pillar collective struck down, their Saint Graph structures destabilized. No longer immortal, they could now truly be slain.
"No! Impossible!"
Laden with wounds, Lev fell to one knee, eyes wide in denial, crying out in disbelief.
"Th-This is… great…"
Olga Marie, her body grievously injured and near death, lay upon the ground. Yet upon hearing Chaldea's report, she managed a smile of relief.
The Servants and familiars alike erupted with joy.
"Boom!"
With the clean destruction of one Demon Pillar in a flash of light, Altera, standing over its fallen form, gazed upon the scene and finally confirmed:
"The Demon Pillars can indeed be destroyed."
This was the ironclad proof that Goetia had fallen.
With this revelation, the Servants and familiars no longer held back. Pouring forth every ounce of strength they possessed, they unleashed a concentrated assault upon the Demon Pillars.
Edelweiss became a storm of infinite blades, slicing Demon Pillars into countless fragments on the spot.
Natsuki, commanding her Guardian, charged alongside Yukina and La Folia, launching a ferocious offensive against the enemy's formation.
Yaya, Irori, and Komurasaki activated their Magic Circuits, combining their spells in a joint bombardment.
Natsume, Suzuka, and Kyoko formed a triad, chanting incantations and unleashing jujutsu.
Even Chloe and Yuri drew upon every ounce of mana, cutting down the monstrous pillers.
And of course, Altera, Tiamat, Artoria [Alter], Jeanne [Alter], Hassan of Serenity, and Ana—long awaiting this moment—erupted in unison. Noble Phantasms were unleashed, mana released in torrents, delivering their final onslaught to the Demon Pillars.
Against such an eruption of might, the Demon Pillars—though they had revived countless times before—could endure no longer.
Amidst endless wails and screams, one after another dissolved into dust, following Goetia into nothingness.
This time, they would never return.
Even Lev could not deny it.
"Impossible…!"
He screamed in madness, his reason slipping away.
"How could we, the Seventy-Two Demon Gods, be defeated by mere humans!?"
But—
"You still don't understand, Lev!?"
Olga Marie staggered to her feet, forcing her voice out.
"Your only mistake was underestimating humanity from the very beginning!"
If, when Chaldea first prepared to repair human history, Goetia had recognized humanity as a threat and acted personally to wipe out Rozen, Mash, and all of Chaldea, then they might already have succeeded.
If, in the First Singularity, the Demon Pillars had truly treated humanity as dangerous—not merely sending Lev to scout, but descending en masse—Chaldea would have been crushed outright.
Even in the Fifth Singularity, wrapped in Solomon's skin, Goetia had the perfect chance to annihilate Rozen's group from the outset.
Had he not allowed them the slightest opening—had he prevented Rozen from forging a contract with Altera—they would all have perished.
Yet from start to finish, Goetia and the Demon Pillars belittled humanity, dismissing them as ants. They never took the threat seriously. And so, they gave Chaldea far too many chances, and gave Rozen the time he needed to grow strong.
"In the end, this is your retribution, Demon!"
Olga Marie's body erupted with violent mana, forming a cannon blast that roared toward Lev.
Lev tried to resist, but he no longer had the strength to lift a finger.
With the core destroyed, his brethren gone, and their countless defenses breached, Lev had already reached his limit.
Now, stripped of immortality, his Saint Graph drained, he had nothing left.
"I won't accept this! I won't accept it!"
Lev howled in hatred.
The cannon of mana struck him, and in his screams, his body was vaporized.
Within the Temple of Time, the Seventy-Two Demon Gods were at last completely annihilated—not a single one remained.
"Rumble…!"
The temple shook more violently than ever, its edges crumbling and collapsing, signaling the end.
"No! Hurry, return to Chaldea!"
Da Vinci cried out.
"The Temple of Time is collapsing! This Singularity is about to vanish! Retreat immediately—prepare for extraction!"
Roman shouted urgently.
At once, everyone began to withdraw toward Chaldea.
Even from the throne at the heart of the temple, two figures appeared as though teleporting, joining the retreat to Chaldea.
Using Rayshift, Chaldea pulled its forces from the Temple of Time, exiting the Singularity.
Behind them, the temple continued to collapse piece by piece—until at last, it vanished like smoke upon the wind.