The area surrounding the World Mythology Summit was completely in post-war mode. Or rather, defeat mode.
The damage caused by the Demon God Pillars, evil dragons, Hero Faction, and Beast Creation monsters was immense. The intrusion of the Knights of the Round Table and Heroic Spirits only added to the chaos.
The defeat of the fallen angel executives Armaros and Tamiel by a mysterious boy and youth was particularly significant. Combined with Kokabiel before the Kuoh Summit, and Baraqiel and Sahariel recently, five biblical fallen angels were lost at once—an unprecedented upheaval in centuries, undoubtedly for the worse.
Even more unthinkable was that some of the Church's warriors at the summit had defected to the Knights of the Round Table.
"You're safe, Sister!"
"Dulio!"
Griselda Quarta, checking on survivors, is approached by Dulio Gesualdo. In his right hand, he holds a glowing vessel; on his left shoulder, he carries the unconscious reincarnated angel Nero Raimondi, who appears uninjured.
"I'm glad you're safe too."
If only they'd reached out to former Excalibur user Ewald Cristaldi or former Durandal user Vasco Strada.
"But where did the Demon God Pillars disappear to? If we knew their hideout, we could've acted first…"
"Hm? Didn't you hear, Sister? They were talking about some Limbo or Purgatory."
"What?! Is that true?"
"Why would I lie now?"
"Limbo or Purgatory, said to connect to Heaven… Does that mean the next attack could target Heaven?"
"Then we investigate, and if we find something, we strike first. Assuming we have forces stronger than this time."
"…What do you mean?"
Griselda's confusion is understandable. The statement is uncharacteristically aggressive for the peace-loving, gentle Dulio.
"It's just, seeing the casualties this time makes me think."
Dulio gazes at the wounded being carried away and the fallen bodies. Despite the enemy's overwhelming strength, the casualties are fewer than expected. Is it Griselda's imagination that so few of the Church's warriors are among the dead?
"I'm starting to think the peace treaty was a mistake. If there's another battle, I doubt we can coordinate properly."
"That's not like you, Dulio. The peace treaty ends conflicts between the Three Factions, reducing unnecessary casualties. Didn't you support it?"
At least before the Kuoh Summit, Dulio showed no opposition. As the strongest exorcist, his approval carried weight.
"Forcing peace only to spark war is putting the cart before the horse."
"Dulio, I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
"Appreciate it. It'd be bad if Michael-sama heard, though I doubt it matters now."
"? Well, you're the reincarnated angels' 'Joker.' Watch what you say."
Griselda feels an odd unease at Dulio's words but leaves to find Gabriel, who reportedly retreated to Heaven, while Raphael and Uriel should still be at the battlefield ruins.
"Reincarnated angels, huh, Sister? We're human."
Once Griselda is out of sight, Dulio looks at the Holy Grail. A wish-granting vessel, more reliable than angels claiming God's will or a Church accepting His absence, capable of saving suffering children. The price for Dulio not betraying himself.
"Human."
His murmur fades into the sky.
"Hey, Isaiah. Come with me."
From her wheelchair, Tosca reaches out. The physical distance is too great for her frail hand to reach Yuto Kiba, but the emotional distance shouldn't be.
"…That's impossible."
But Yuto cannot take her hand.
"The ones who saved me were devils."
"Yes. We couldn't save you. We didn't save you."
Raum laments his powerlessness. If only they'd arrived sooner, they could've saved more, he confesses, aware of his arrogance.
"But we saved Tosca, while you didn't try to save her in the past."
Rias Gremory's Knight, Yuto Kiba. Or rather, Isaiah, a subject of the Holy Sword Project.
His life offered no choices from start to finish. Orphaned, he had to follow the Holy Sword Project. For revenge against Excalibur, he had to live as Rias's retainer. Tosca's plea was likely the first and last choice in his life.
Even without the means to make the right choice, Yuto Kiba—Isaiah—did not choose Tosca.
"Only a few know the truth, but we, the Indian pantheon, have chosen to overlook your destruction. The Japanese and Chinese pantheons agree. Understand?"
You lot were abandoned by the world long ago.
"We're the ones destroying humanity?"
Akeno's remark finally snaps Azazel back to focus.
"In a parallel world?"
Anger wells up in his steadied heart.
Not at the Demon Gods spouting sophistries about humanity, but at the merciless gods, including the God of Destruction.
"No way—"
"I'll be damned if I let you kill us for such a nonsensical reason!"
Azazel's stance is justified. His attitude is right. His fury is reasonable. To him, Shiva's words are mere "maybes" and "what-ifs."
Which is why it all turns against him.
"That's—"
Issei Hyoudou, the Heavenly Dragon, roars.
A boy who died once because "a human with a dangerous Sacred Gear might disrupt the world" weeps.
"You can't say that in front of me!!"
A roar of fury befitting the Dragon's Throne, chilling everyone present except Shiva.
"No way."
Stepping forward is Astolfo, the Rider Servant summoned by Solomon, the Reason-Evaporating Knight.
"You can't do that. If you do—you'll definitely become something bad."
"I know."
"…Right."
Astolfo, pained by the sight, shifts to a resolute expression.
"Charlemagne's Twelve Paladins, Astolfo, dances and falls! Well, not really falling—"
As Astolfo's declaration nears its end, an entire wall of the room explodes.
"Sorry, but I'm taking his opponent."
Emerging through the breach with the wind is a knight in dazzling white dragon armor, radiating pale silver light and a dense dragon aura with majestic presence.
Everyone recognizes him as Vali Lucifer.
"You're back to your senses, Vali!"
"Azazel, I'll handle him."
Vali's tone brooks no argument. It's very much like him, yet something's different from the Vali under Azazel or the one in a rampage.
Following Vali is a jet-black warrior. The reaper-like assassin plants a greatsword into the ground.
"Red Dragon Emperor."
His heavy voice carries a mournful tone.
"What did you grasp with hands drowned in desire? A pebble stained with blood?"
What lies in such filthy palms? Only the power to harm others. The First Hassan asks if he plans to fall further, and Issei Hyoudou replies,
"Nothing."
"I couldn't grasp anything. I can't do anything, and I don't need anything. So—"
Crimson stained by sin faces silver ignorant of love.
"Move, Vali Lucifer!"
"No can do, Issei Hyoudou!"
Lion King Artoria Pendragon steps into the upper echelons of Heaven.
The Goddess Rhongomyniad, chain-summoned by the existence of an alternate Bedivere. In this world, where a broken Caliburn and a returned Excalibur exist, and the Red Dragon, Britain's embodiment, persists as a soul, the foreign element of an otherworldly knight forcibly summoned the Holy Spear Goddess in near-manifestation.
A distorted summoning means a distorted existence. This distortion necessitated fusion with the Red Dragon Emperor Ddraig. His soul-only state was convenient. Extracted from the Boosted Gear by the King of Magecraft's hand, Ddraig's soul merged with the goddess.
Artoria gazes impassively at the scene before her.
A broken ark-like object and an angel's corpse lie ahead. The ark is the famous Ark of the Covenant, a relic of Moses, and the dead angel is Sandalphon.
"You defeated Sandalphon, Gabriel."
The called angel turns.
One of the four archangels—now the last—known as Heaven's greatest beauty, her face is etched with sorrow. Yet, even in sorrow, her beauty remains undiminished.
Injured in the battle against the Demon Gods at the World Mythology Summit, Gabriel retreated to Heaven and killed Sandalphon, who was finalizing the Ark's adjustments, from behind.
Sandalphon let his guard down because of Gabriel's injury. He was arrogant, believing his true identity was hidden. He was blinded by the imminent return of the true God. Those were his defeat and death.
"I've been waiting, Arthur. Or should I call you Ddraig?"
Artoria shrugs.
"Waiting, huh? Not for me, I presume?"
"No. It didn't have to be you. Anyone would do. Anyone but the Lord ####, Solomon, or Samael. For three thousand years—no, since Moses's time—I wanted someone to reach this point."
The God of the Bible's revival would be joyous for Gabriel, but in this world line, it's impossible. The first plan—reusing the Evils of Humanity—failed, cutting off the path to revival. All other methods are controlled by Samael or Solomon. So she had to give up. She had to discard it. She had to accept destruction. Because that was the promise.
Before them lies the System. Heralded as governing miracles and mercy, yet the root of countless tragedies. A guidepost to the Thousand-Year Kingdom, twisted by divine malice.
"…The current Red Dragon Emperor and White Dragon Emperor have awakened enough power to become Pillars. There's little need for the One God to return as the main pillar."
"Indeed. The world won't end tomorrow or next year. We have a millennium or two. In that time, the Pillars will surely align."
"You knew, didn't you, Gabriel? From the start—Samael's ambitions, Solomon's madness, the truth behind constructing Truth."
"I knew. She told me. The one who noticed Solomon's true nature, tried to stop him first, and succeeded."
"She? Who?"
"That's—oh, how terrible. I can't recall her name. I'm not even sure she truly existed."
Gabriel confesses through sobs, but the Lion King has a guess.
"I see. The Queen of Sheba."
"It feels like that was one of her names. The effects of Truth must Snowden't affect you from another universe, do they?"
An angel whose name is carved in the Bible weeps.
"On behalf of the now-absent Queen of Sheba, King of Magecraft Solomon, I pass judgment. May your wrath find peace. Your challenge failed the moment it began."
Wiping her tears, Gabriel forces a smile at Artoria, a painful, raw expression, yet still beautiful.
"Would you like some of Heaven's famous manju?"
"I'll take one."
***
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