Ironically, it was Veeraj who first sighed in relief upon seeing Roy regain his senses.
Regardless of the Last King's stance or his reasons for seeking to eradicate the Demon Kings, he remained the great hero of Indian mythology. Even as he faced his own demise—unable to return to myth, with no chance of reincarnating as a Heretic God even if the Historical Correction Force restored human order—he harbored no concern for his own safety, instead fretting over the fate of the world.
Such nobility of character left even Roy speechless, compelled to admire it. By their deeds alone, Roy was the true 'Demon King,' while Veeraj was undeniably the 'Hero.'
"In the end, you succeeded."
Veeraj regarded Roy with complex emotions. He knew the lengths Roy had gone to in ancient India to achieve Human Order Incineration—how many lives had been sacrificed. Every ounce of heat in that celestial wheel came from a human burned alive, countless souls wailing within its radiance. The power Roy now wielded, enough to pierce a planet with a single strike, was bought with endless human suffering.
But regardless of anything else, the mere fact that Roy could activate such an inconceivably grand ritual, that he could endure the curses of human order—the agony of being cursed by countless multitudes of humanity—this immense perseverance and wisdom alone were enough to be called mythical!
Indeed, Roy was being cursed by human order. He had not completely incinerated all of human order, so this act of burning only part of it inevitably drew curses upon him. These were the malicious intents of every human from the dawn of humanity until now—far more than six billion people, an almost immeasurable number of curses.
The Human Order Correction Formula brought the Protection of Human Order, while the side effect of the Human Order Incineration Protocol was inevitably the Curse of Human Order. By his own power, Roy would have been unable to resist these curses. But he constantly visualized the Book of the Law and the Book of 777, these two grimoires—knowledge inherited from higher angels of another world; the essence of the lifelong teachings of Aleister Crowley, who could invert the Tree of Life into the Tree of Evil and was called the 'Beast.' This was power enough to shut out even the Curse of Human Order.
Yet this was not a permanent solution. The Curse of Human Order was endless, for every world had humans. If he did not find a way to eliminate it, one day it would drown Roy, bringing him misfortune in all things.
"That strange halo—you still don't know what to do with it either, do you?"
Veeraj lifted his head to gaze at the sky, where the massive halo above still rotated back and forth. Terrifying heat was forming within it, a force far too immense. For now, it was only bound by the Human Order Incineration Protocol. If this power were unleashed, the planet beneath their feet would likely be turned to glass.
"Indeed, this heat cannot be dispersed. It's a pity that with such vast power at my disposal, I still don't know how to use it."
Roy sighed, a hint of regret in his voice.
This heat was still far from enough to 'reverse time'—it couldn't bring Roy back to the planet's beginning to comprehend the concept of 'creation.' Yet if he tried to use this heat as a weapon, there were no enemies in this world worthy of a strike that could pierce the planet.
Even the Last King, Veeraj, had not reached that level.
As if sensing Roy's thoughts, the noble and elegant Last King wore a wry smile of resignation. "...To think there would come a day when the Demon King of the surface would deem me unworthy as his enemy."
"Though I feel somewhat apologetic saying this, in your current state, using this against you would be even more exaggerated than 'using a cannon to kill a mosquito.'"
Roy shrugged with a laugh.
Like old friends reunited after years apart, the Hero and the Demon King conversed without restraint. Both knew this battle was already over—the Hero named Veeraj had suffered a crushing defeat, while the Demon King remained seated high upon his throne, awaiting the next Hero's arrival.
Now Veeraj's body was growing increasingly ethereal. Forget about launching an attack capable of annihilating planets with this great halo—even if he remained motionless here, Veeraj himself would soon vanish.
The Last King threw the Divine Sword of Salvation to the ground. Faced with the pressure emanating from the massive halo in the sky, this divine blade was no different from a mere fire poker in comparison.
Veeraj spread his arms wide, like the Christ about to be crucified, standing completely unprotected before Roy. With a voice brimming with exhilaration, he declared, "...This is the scene I've longed for! A moment where I, the Hero, can speak freely with you Demon Kings—no battles, no slaughter, just an open exchange of ideals, without brandishing swords!"
"...But fate denied me this. I could only take up my blade and slay all Demon Kings—this was my covenant with the gods! Now, this fate, this covenant, has been shattered by your unrivaled power. For that, I thank you. These millennia of exterminating Demon Kings have exhausted me, and now, at last, I can close my eyes!"
"Come, mightiest of Demon Kings, Campione who ravages the earth! Strike me down here with your wisdom and knowledge, and send me off with the most magnificent fireworks! Surely, you wouldn't deny a dying man his final, humble wish at such a moment!"
Veeraj laughed heartily, his tone joyous and relieved, filled with gratitude as if a great burden had been lifted...
At last, it was over—these millennia of duty. At last, the web of fate that had bound him unwillingly was severed. To witness such demonic might capable of annihilating the gods before his death—this was a worthy end for a Hero's life!
Roy gazed deeply at the Last King, as if to etch into memory this enemy he had meticulously calculated against and handled with utmost caution for years.
Veeraj was no villain—on the contrary, he was a man of noble character, an undisputed great hero. Compared to him, the man named Roy Crowley was the true 'monster' of evil, having slaughtered countless humans and even now causing global turmoil in the modern era.
But the notion that 'evil shall never triumph over good' was merely the wishful thinking of stories. In reality, it was always 'the victor becomes king'!
"Since you insist, then let this magnificent firework woven from countless human lives be your eternal silence!"
Roy slowly raised his right hand. The colossal halo in the sky, resembling a solar corona, began to move. It shifted from the cosmic space above Roy to behind him, aligning the crown's focal point directly at Veeraj.
Because the Earth was round, angling this beam correctly would prevent it from piercing through the planet, instead skimming the surface to shoot into the depths of space.
Veeraj understood this perfectly, which was why he remained motionless, allowing Roy to find the optimal firing angle.
Roy's mind accelerated into overdrive—the Earth's revolution and rotation, the halo's heat condensation and discharge timing, whether other solar system planets lay in the firing path—countless calculations and considerations swirled through his thoughts.
Finally, Roy had determined the angle. He stood upon the frozen sea that had already melted, with a halo of gold and black merging behind him, pulsating and expanding like a star. Immense heat began to gather, and countless indescribable magical patterns appeared around the crown. When the heat reached its peak, at the center of the crown, a mechanical, humanoid monster seemed to emerge—it was none other than Goetia!
Then, Roy swung his right arm down with force:
"——The Time of Birth Hath Come, He Is the One Who Masters All!"
The flames of a star scattered—
A band of light capable of annihilating planets grazed the surface of the earth and shot into the depths of space!!
***
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