In the Final Singularity.
King Solomon was undoubtedly the most pivotal figure.
The Demon Gods had used the summoning formula within his corpse to give birth to the Beast of Pity, Goetia.
This terrifying Human Incineration Incident had nearly wiped out humanity.
And the master of these overwhelmingly powerful Demon Gods—King Solomon—was, in reality, Romani Archaman.
The very same Dr. Roman of Chaldea!
After watching the video, Mash was utterly stunned.
She never could have imagined that the man who had carefully raised her, nurtured her physical and mental health, and played a fatherly role in her life—was such a monumental figure!
Before the video's revelation,
Who would have believed that the ordinary man obsessed with virtual idols, diligently working every day, was actually the mighty King of Mages?
What Mash found hardest to accept was that the other party had long been prepared to sacrifice themselves, unleashing their first Noble Phantasm.
It was this very ring on their hand!
Even after the world restarted and peace was restored, they still kept this ring.
After all, when they were reborn as an ordinary person, this was how they appeared.
And it finally made Mash understand.
Why, when her senior first arrived at Chaldea, their gaze would always unconsciously drift toward this ring.
Clearly, her senior had known from the very beginning.
And from the very beginning, they had already resolved to sacrifice themselves.
Without hesitation, Mash pushed open the door and rushed in, her voice choked with tears: "Doctor, pull that ring off! Neither you nor my senior can be allowed to die!"
It was infuriating.
These two, each more self-sacrificing than the last, never stopped to consider the torment those left behind would endure.
"Uh, Mash..."
Romani Archaman felt slightly awkward.
Seeing Mash crying like a tear-streaked kitten pained him deeply.
He had watched her grow up and had long regarded her as the most important junior in his care.
However.
This ring was tied to his future.
If Goetia were to appear again, he would have to step forward—he couldn't let Nameless die in his place.
It was all a necessary sacrifice!
At that moment.
Gilgamesh exclaimed in amazement: "Incredible! The top donor of the virtual idol Merlin is actually King Solomon!"
"Indeed, who could have imagined that a virtual idol created by the Flower Mage would have the King of Mages as its number one supporter?" Qin Shi Huang feigned equal surprise.
The two played off each other perfectly.
Sandwiched between them, Romani's expression grew increasingly awkward.
Especially since.
Mash was staring at him with tear-filled eyes, subjecting the poor doctor to a public execution. His face flushed red instantly.
He nearly wanted to dig a hole and disappear into it.
Qin Shi Huang smiled broadly: "I must say, King Solomon is truly remarkable. Even as he approached the brink of [Nothingness], he still begged the omnipotent God for the blessing of Merlin."
"Could it be that the reason he unleashed his first Noble Phantasm was because he was so thoroughly mocked by Merlin that he saw no reason to live and chose to sacrifice himself?"
Gilgamesh laughed even more delightedly.
The two burst into simultaneous "Hahaha!" laughter, instantly dispelling the earlier shock and awe.
Even someone as mighty as the King of Mages was merely their equal—there was no need for reverence or the like.
Just considering his series of actions.
Gilgamesh believed himself no weaker.
Let's not forget, he was the Sage King celebrated across the world, with countless admirers.
As for Qin Shi Huang, it was even simpler.
In the Lostbelt of Qin.
This peerless emperor had shouldered the fate of countless subjects for over two thousand years, never resting even once.
In the end, he even personally severed the Fantasy Tree, bringing his eternal empire to an end.
By comparison.
Qin Shi Huang was far more interested in another matter: "So, how exactly did you emerge from the Root?"
Even beings as powerful as the planetary consciousness Goetia and the collective human will Alaya couldn't freely enter or leave the Root.
Unless it was an entity on the level of [God].
But Nameless had already asked for their intervention to save Solomon once—clearly, he couldn't request their help again.
Could someone else have intervened?
"The Root represents all that 'is,' so one must become 'nothingness' to pass through it."
Gilgamesh said thoughtfully, "It seems there exists a being who can truly connect to the Root."
"Connect to the Root?"
Qin Shi Huang grew increasingly intrigued.
If one could freely connect to the Root, it would imply a level of mystery and transcendence surpassing even that of the King of Mages.
But judging by Nameless's past achievements—
Even the Beast of Humanity, Tiamat, and Fou had been directly conquered by him.
So conquering someone connected to the Root didn't seem impossible!
As the two of them discussed this—
Another figure approached from outside the door.
It was none other than the Universal Genius, Da Vinci, who immediately cast a spell without hesitation.
She swiftly bound Dr. Roman into a tight bundle, leaving him unable to break free.
During the previous Final Singularity—
Da Vinci had already learned of his true identity as King Solomon.
She also knew that if he went, he would undoubtedly be risking his life.
She had mentally prepared herself for his eventual death, expecting him to return to Chaldea as a Servant.
However—
Da Vinci had no idea.
That the so-called "risk" he spoke of meant erasing his own Spirit Origin, vanishing into nothingness!
A price so cruel it was almost unbearable.
By then, not only would he be unable to manifest as a Servant, but even she would forget him entirely!
Realizing this—
Da Vinci acted without hesitation, teaming up with Mash to intervene.
Seizing the opportunity, Mash swiftly removed the ring from his finger, her expression stern as she declared, "Alright, I'll be taking custody of this ring!"
She planned to hand it over to her Senpai once they reunited.
Her Senpai was still too kind.
This was exactly the kind of situation where force was necessary!
"Hey, hey, why are you stealing my things?" Dr. Roman protested in a panic.
At that moment.
Da Vinci's flawless face was adorned with a gentle and kind smile: "Romani, if you dare take back the ring, I'll break both your legs, cripple you, and lock you in the basement!"
"???"
Dr. Roman stared blankly at her, shivering slightly.
To utter such terrifying words with such a sweet smile—
Are you a demon?
Dr. Roman replied weakly, "Alright, you can keep the ring."
He was just an ordinary person now.
Faced with two fearsome Heroic Spirits, he truly had no means of resistance.
What if his legs really got broken?
"That's more like it."
Da Vinci cheerfully released him.
"...Thanks a lot."
Dr. Roman was on the verge of tears.
He glanced at Chaldea's official accounts, blogs, and other platforms, only to find countless comments—
[Dr. Roman, I've become a fan! From now on, I'm your oldest supporter!]
[The time of parting has come—this is the one who relinquishes the world… The video's out, hurry and grab the ring!]
[Damn, Chaldea is really full of hidden talents!]
[Nameless goes without saying, but Fou being a Beast of Humanity is shocking enough—now even an ordinary doctor turns out to be the King of Mages!]
[All I want to know now is whether Nameless turned that scumbag Merlin into Merlin-chan!]
[Petition signed (1/10,000)—Nameless, hurry up and do it! That incubus is too despicable; he needs to be broken!]
Under the repeated exposures by [Alaya],
Chaldea—once just a mascot and a battleground for quarreling Heroic Spirits—had now gained immense fame.
One heart-wrenching scene after another left audiences worldwide in awe and moved to tears.
Many had initially wondered how an ordinary person could become Chaldea's director.
Some suspected he had pulled strings or relied on connections.
But now.
After the revelation of the [Temple of Time], not a single person doubted him anymore.
The seemingly ordinary Dr. Roman was actually the mighty King of Mages.
Once suspected by countless people as the ultimate mastermind, it turned out his Demon God Pillars were the ones responsible.
He himself had willingly given up omniscience and omnipotence to become an ordinary human.
Yet, he sacrificed himself to protect humanity.
A series of twists and turns turned this "ordinary" man into an overnight global sensation.
Dr. Roman grew even more despondent.
I just wanted to be a normal person—why is it so hard?
Would the King of Mages ever care about mere power?
"Ah, my heart has turned utterly cold. Perhaps I'll never know joy or sorrow again in this life."
Dr. Roman sighed heavily.
His melancholy deepened.
Ding-dong~
Just then, a new message appeared on his phone—
[Magical☆Merlin: Are you okay? Not that I'm here to comfort you! I just wondered if you'd kicked the bucket!]
"Yay! It's Merlin-chan's message!"
Dr. Roman instantly brightened up.
The others present exchanged awkward glances.
Mashu spoke up hesitantly, "Doctor… that's Merlin. Don't let him keep fooling you!"
Even after everything's been exposed, why are you still falling for it?
"No! Merlin-chan is the purest idol! That scumbag Merlin is just her shady manager!"
Dr. Roman clenched his fist, "One day, I will rescue Merri from the evil clutches of Merlin!"
"..."
"..."
Everyone exchanged glances.
For a moment, no one knew what to say.
Gilgamesh and Qin Shi Huang locked eyes, suddenly harboring doubts.
Is this guy really a Grand Servant on the same level as them?
Aren't you supposed to be omniscient and omnipotent? Why are you being toyed with like this?
Dr. Roman suddenly declared with absolute confidence, "I believe in Nameless! He will definitely keep his word!"
"...We still have to rely on Senpai after all," Mashu sighed in exasperation.
She had thought that after the video was exposed, he would fully regain his powers.
Yet they still needed to depend on Senpai.
So where exactly is Senpai now?
Mashu found herself eagerly anticipating their reunion.
It had been so long since she last saw him after their battle against the Almighty God and the Alien God's vanguard.
She didn't even know his true identity in reality.
Could he really be that ordinary high school student Souma?
With the precedent of King Solomon disguising himself as a regular doctor...
It wouldn't be strange for Senpai to disguise himself as a normal high school student, right?
Should she go check it out?
Mashu fell deep into thought.
Just then.
She suddenly felt a slight warmth from the ring on her finger, as if emitting some kind of resonance.
Mysterious and vast.
Filled with a power she couldn't even begin to comprehend.
It caught Mashu completely off guard.
The ring was one of the ten rings given to King Solomon by "God," symbolizing his omniscience, omnipotence, and power surpassing even deities.
Now, the ring was emitting this resonance.
Did this mean the doctor was about to regain his powers?
This was bad—she needed to consult Senpai immediately about what to do!
These two people were the most important to her.
One was her beloved Senpai, the other was the doctor who was like a father to her.
She absolutely couldn't allow any danger to befall them.
As for that Knight of the Lake, Lancelot?
Sorry, but she really wasn't familiar with him!
...
In Academy City.
Merlin looked smugly at the fox spirit before her. "What a pathetic otaku doctor! He crumbled with just a few words from me!"
That so-called doctor was utterly at her mercy.
"...Is that guy really the King of Mages?"
Tamamo-no-Mae found this hard to accept.
He was supposed to be the progenitor of magecraft, standing above all other magi.
Yet now, he was being fooled by a mere virtual idol.
Even knowing that the person behind it was Merlin, he didn't seem to care at all.
Tamamo-no-Mae had even considered inviting him to be an honorary dean of Academy City—thank goodness she hadn't!
Embarrassing. Truly embarrassing!
Tamamo-no-Mae frowned. "So, after the video exposure, will Nameless actually come after you?"
At the end of the previous video, when Nameless bid farewell to everyone, he had made a promise to Dr. Roman.
That the next time they met, he would turn Merlin into Merri and feed her strawberry cake.
Now.
Merlin had already been force-fed gender-bending potion by Nameless—only the cake remained.
Would he make good on his threat?
"Relax, he'll never find me!"
Merlin replied with absolute confidence.
If she truly wanted to hide, no matter what methods he used, he would never locate her.
Instead, she could freely humiliate the now-mortal Dr. Roman, stoking Nameless' fury even further.
This was exactly the kind of direct provocation she wanted—to pay back every ounce of humiliation with interest!
Just imagining Nameless being utterly enraged yet powerless against her was enough to get her incredibly excited!
Merlin said with full confidence, "Moreover, I have another plan."
"Eh, what plan?" Tamamo-no-Mae asked curiously.
Seeing the smug look on that bastard incubus' face made her want to witness Nameless' frustrated rage too.
How thrilling!
Merlin's grin grew even more triumphant. "Let's first enjoy the heartwarming performance of Celtic mentorship."
"Truly worthy of you—utterly Mer-ciless!" Tamamo-no-Mae exclaimed in awe.
This guy had previously come to Fuyuki City precisely to watch King Arthur and Mordred fight over Nameless, staging a touching father-son reunion drama.
In the end, he failed to gain anything and even lost what he had.
Instead, he ended up being force-fed gender-bending potion by Nameless himself.
And now, this bastard wanted to watch another Celtic drama unfold.
Given how those two behaved in the Singularity, their real-life meeting was bound to be extraordinarily "harmonious"!
With these two going all out in Fuyuki City, it would surely divert Nameless' attention, leaving him no room to trouble Merlin.
Everything was going according to Mer-lin's plan.
Now, it was just a matter of seeing how Nameless would respond...
6:00 PM.
A tall woman with an imposing aura descended upon Academy City via private jet.
Her striking presence, coupled with her domineering queen-like demeanor, instantly captivated countless onlookers.
She arrived at the dean's office of Academy City.
Her icy gaze fixed upon the Child of Nightmares before her: "So, you know the whereabouts of Cú Chulainn and Nameless?"
PS: Ugh, this cat played a bit of Elden Ring and couldn't even beat the first mini-boss! Died so many times—Souls games are ridiculously hard! Even harder than writing!