---o---
"After all, it is the personal website established by a Grand Caster candidate specifically for another Grand Caster."
The youth, who felt like the sun itself, walked with a light and easy pace until he stood before the incubus known as the "Grand Scammer."
"Paying a little bit of attention to it isn't so strange, is it?"
"To be noticed by the Lord of the Sun, what an honor indeed."
As if driving a final knife into Romani's heart, the incubus named Merlin spoke in an extremely honored tone.
"It seems the makeup skills I use for Lily work just as well on myself. No, perhaps the effect is even better."
Love comes as fast as a tornado, trapping you in the eye of the storm with no time to escape.
That was a lyric from the song "Tornado."
Love arrives suddenly.
As suddenly as turning a corner and running into a tornado.
That was how Romani had felt when he first saw Magical Girl Meri-chan.
Now, he once again felt that same suddenness.
Only this time, it was his love shattering.
And it was far more ferocious than its arrival.
Like Hurricane Hanna making landfall in Texas, tearing apart the coast and bringing storms to Mexico within a single day.
Right now, Romani's heart was like that of a captain, torn apart by Hurricane Hanna... riddled with holes, and ice-cold.
Meri-chan wasn't some girl Merlin had found to tease him...
It was Merlin himself in drag!!
Right, let's just take Merlin with me on the road to hell.
The man, who had never enjoyed the freedom of being human, who worked day and night for Chaldea, trying to do something before the destruction of the Human Order, and who had a premonition of the worst-case scenario, wore a somewhat grim expression.
"Speaking of which, King Solomon, did you come here just to pick up Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash?"
While Dr. Romani was contemplating how to drag Merlin down with him, the youth's voice reached his ears, making him freeze.
Why does this person know my true name?
The most powerful forms of Clairvoyance could often cross the river of time, seeing through the past, present, or future.
Therefore, holders of Clairvoyance all knew of each other.
Romani had no memory of ever seeing this unknown sun god along the river of time.
"Is it that hard to guess? Romani Archaman-kun."
As if sensing the doctor's confusion, the youth smiled faintly, putting a heavy emphasis on the name "Archaman."
Dr. Romani fell silent.
Romani Archaman's surname, "Archaman," is written as Archa man.
Archa in Czech is equivalent to the English Ark and the Latin Arka. The word can refer to both the "Ark of the Covenant" and "Noah's Ark."
Adding the suffix "man," it means "Holder of the Ark" or "Master of Noah's Ark."
"The surname Archaman by itself is, of course, no problem."
"But when you consider that a Grand Caster candidate—Merlin—would specifically cross-dress as 'Meri' to entice you, it's not hard to guess that you are actually quite a formidable character, right?"
"Between the categories of 'Master of Noah's Ark' or 'Holder of the Ark of the Covenant' and 'acquainted with the Grand Caster candidate Merlin,' is it really that difficult to find your true identity?"
The youth spoke these words with a cheerful air.
"Grand Caster—King Solomon."
The certainty in his voice made Romani give a wry smile.
He had been seen through completely.
And what's more...
From the looks of it, this person had actually come for him.
Sensing the playful smile on the unknown young god's face, Romani understood.
This guy had detained Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash, most likely, to force him to come here.
"It seems we've walked right into a trap."
Merlin, who had clearly sensed that the atmosphere was not right, raised his head and looked at the sky.
Even though it was now night, the sky was not dark at all.
The reason was simple. A ring of light hung high in the heavens.
The Time of Birth Hath Come, He Is the One Who Masters All (Ars Almadel Salomonis)
Rank: EX
Type: Anti-Humanity (Anti-Human Order) Noble Phantasm
Goetia's third Noble Phantasm.
A band of light generated by the incineration of three thousand years of the Human Order, proclaiming the end of humanity.
At first glance, it looks like a halo surrounding the Earth, but it is actually a collection of hundreds of millions of light rays, each possessing immense destructive power comparable to an A-rank Noble Phantasm like Excalibur.
There is no existence on Earth that can surpass the heat of this Noble Phantasm.
When the Incineration of the Human Order is complete, the Beast of Pity, manifested through Solomon's body, will convert this heat into a rocket to travel to the birth of the stars, replacing the Earth.
"King Solomon, how does it feel to have single-handedly created a monster that requires the combined efforts of all seven Grand Servants to fight, and even then, victory is not assured?"
The youth chuckled, stating a simple fact.
Goetia was the form taken by the thaumaturgical system created by Solomon himself—the Human Order Salvation Formula—after it had gone haywire.
Hearing those words, Romani was silent for a moment, then he laughed.
It was a different laugh from before, one filled with a sense of freedom.
"I will clean up the mess I left behind myself."
There was a way to defeat the nearly invincible Goetia.
And he held it in his hand.
He caressed the last ring on his hand, the one corresponding to his first Noble Phantasm, his gaze calm.
"If Ritsuka cannot save the Human Order, then I will be the one to teach Goetia the final magic."
The Noble Phantasm that would erase all traces of Solomon—The Time of Parting Hath Come, He Is the One Who Lets Go of the World (Ars Nova).
"But your final magic is really useless."
The youth looked at the man who had always called himself a coward as he caressed the suicide Noble Phantasm, and sighed.
"Even if you sacrifice yourself, you can only barely deal with the Incineration of the Human Order caused by Goetia. It's completely useless against the Freezing of the Human Order that comes after."
What the hell is the Freezing of the Human Order?!
As if he had seen a ghost, Dr. Romani froze.
He turned to look at Merlin and found that he too had a shocked expression, as if he had seen a ghost.
"It seems you two aren't quite clear on the situation."
The youth, who had known all along that Romani and Merlin were unaware of the future that followed the Incineration of the Human Order, shrugged and said.
"Could you please explain the situation?"
Romani's expression grew grave, having roughly understood that another great crisis was waiting to be resolved.
"Of course, no problem."
The youth, who needed to hold the doctor hostage to complete the first part of his mission, chuckled lightly.
"Please come with me. I will explain the situation to you."
Then, as if he had remembered something, he cast his gaze upon Merlin.
"Merlin-san, could I trouble you to come along as well?"
---o---
Author's Note:
PS: Quick question, do you guys think I should write more about the girls next, or more about the scheming?