Three thousand years ago, that man was born.
Solomon, son of the shepherd David who felled a giant. A King of Magecraft who knew only wrath. He built a temple, slew non-humans, dropped the Ark, and left behind Truth. The root of all tragedies on this star.
Azazel initially misjudged this man. He saw him as a mere upstart's son, a descendant of Moses, nothing more. But this man was an immense mass of malice.
Though he died three thousand years ago, he was resurrected in the present. In an utterly shameless manner, he possessed devils, his supposed archenemies. Without reflecting on his past misdeeds, he continued spreading enmity across the world.
Incomprehensible. Incomprehensible. Incomprehensible. Incomprehensible. Incomprehensible.
Azazel couldn't grasp a single thing about Solomon's thoughts. He couldn't understand his sense of justice.
Why—why must they face such wrath for merely killing humans!? Such absurdity is intolerable. As a king, you should understand. For a mere tens of thousands of humans to die and incur the wrath of us fallen angels is ludicrous!
Some fallen angels confronted him directly with this logic. One who preached such obvious reasoning was brutally torn apart. That's when we fallen angels understood: mutual understanding with this man was impossible.
Foolish King Solomon. If you can't even grasp something so obvious, you never should have been a king. Your folly has caused us such trouble. Mere humans shouldn't inconvenience us like this.
"Solomon…! You alone…!!"
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill! This man, who spews lies about protecting humans while only causing destruction, committing such atrocities while masquerading as Issei Hyoudou…!
He intends to pin all sins on Issei Hyoudou, but that won't happen. No matter what, I'll expel that filthy soul from his body—!
As Azazel, brimming with killing intent, summons a spear of light, Vali stands in his way.
"Move, Vali—"
"Hey, Azazel."
Despite Azazel's rage, Vali remains calm—or appears to. Clad in full armor, his expression is unreadable.
"Why are you so angry?"
The genuinely puzzled question leaves Azazel momentarily stunned.
"Do you even know what you're saying?"
"Yeah. A devil tried to kill another devil and failed, right? Why would a fallen angel feel angry about that?"
"Devil? No, if you mean Issei, you're wrong. That's Solomon. Issei was head over heels for Rias. He'd never try to kill her. Not just Rias—he was seriously attacking Akeno and the others too. No matter the circumstances, a deeply affectionate Gremory peerage member, that idiot who cares so much for his comrades, would never do such a thing."
"You're wrong."
Vali flatly denies it. That trust. That delusion. That nonsense.
"That's Issei Hyoudou. Body, mind, soul—all his."
"Don't mess around! Issei has no reason to kill Rias and the others—"
"It's you."
Vali states it outright. The truth. The reality. The accusation.
"It's you, Azazel. If Issei Hyoudou had a reason to kill Rias Gremory, it's you, fallen angel Azazel. Issei Hyoudou was killed by the Grigori's Sacred Gear wielder hunt—in Rias Gremory's territory. If she had properly governed her domain, Issei Hyoudou might not have died."
It's all hypothetical. If Rias weren't the devil ruling Kuoh Town, it's just an "if." But while a ruler might shy from responsibility, it doesn't matter to the victim who actually died.
"Even so, he was reincarnated as a devil and blessed with a master and comrades! At the very least, Rias and his peerage were thrilled he became a devil. Issei himself must have felt glad to be reincarnated as one!"
"I don't know about that, but if you, who briefly played teacher, say so, it must be true."
But.
"So what?"
What a pathetic self-defense. What a pitiful self-deception.
"I'm grateful you picked me up. Grateful you raised me. I know I caused trouble by betraying the fallen angel faction. I'm sorry for that. So, the only repayment I can offer is this."
I'll end the fallen angels' history.
Not by burning them as fuel. As a human child, I'll judge the guilty. As a Satan's descendant, I'll kill the archenemy.
"This, at least, seems to ignore even Solomon, the God of the Bible, and the deterrent's schemes."
"Answer my question."
As the Rider Servant completely vanishes, Issei Hyoudou gazes at Rias Gremory with a ghostly expression.
"Why did you make me your servant?"
The question is utterly meaningless.
Issei Hyoudou, born with a powerful Sacred Gear, was killed by fallen angels wary of Sacred Gear wielders, unaware of the world's truth. By chance, Rias Gremory was summoned and used all eight of her Pawn pieces to reincarnate him as a devil. That's the truth. That should be the only truth.
"You knew Raynare. You knew the fallen angels were moving in advance. Raynare was a fallen angel you could easily crush. You were the devil ruling Kuoh Town. You had exactly eight Pawn pieces to make me your servant. You—were a devil."
"What are you saying, Issei?"
"Did you let Raynare go to make me your servant? Did you let her run free until I was killed? I'm asking if that truth doesn't exist."
At this moment, almost unconsciously, Rias acknowledges that the person before her isn't the King of Magecraft Solomon but Issei Hyoudou himself. Not possessed, but him.
"When exactly did you decide to make me your servant?"
That day, was it really a coincidence that Issei Hyoudou had that flyer? Could his first death have been avoided?
—It was just bad luck, wasn't it?
Only the crimson-haired devil who dismissed Issei Hyoudou's death with those words knows the answer.
"Answer me, President."
Rias can say nothing.
"Answer, Rias Gremory."
Akeno and the others can say nothing.
"Answer, my master—!"
Rias could say nothing.
"Yeah, that's right. That's how you are. Yeah—we, I! In any world, it's always like this. We don't realize what we've done or failed to do until someone points it out. And even then, we abandon carrying that burden. Truly devils, aren't we!?"
A possibility casts a shadow in Issei Hyoudou's mind.
The parallel world Zepar showed him. Records of himself in a world where the Demon Gods weren't summoned. Records are just records. They don't convey human emotions.
So Issei wondered how his parallel self felt about a certain event.
Not becoming a high-class devil. Not manifesting crimson armor. Not being born as the Red Dragon Emperor.
It was shortly after his reincarnation as a devil.
One of his clients was killed by Freed Sellzen. In that parallel world, his reunion with Asia. That client was killed by Freed, a stray exorcist, just for contracting with a devil. Brutally murdered.
In this world, that person didn't die. Like other clients, they tried to summon him through a flyer, but with less magical power than a child, he couldn't teleport. He rode a bike, got told, "Never heard of a devil like this!" and still somehow fulfilled their request. Just one of his regular clients.
"We don't even try to know our sins, acting all pristine while spreading our ugliness."
Hey, parallel world me.
Do you properly remember the person who died because of you? Or rather—do you even remember their death?
Compared to battles with the White Dragon Emperor, Norse evil gods, the holy spear, or the Old Satan faction, it might be trivial. But it's something I mustn't forget. It's my sin I must remember.
The worst culprit is Freed, who killed them. The greatest responsibility lies with Rias Gremory, who failed to detect the fallen angels' interference. Magical power is a matter of innate talent, something I couldn't control. But it's absolutely not unrelated to me.
If you don't remember it—if you live your days blessed by those around you without reflecting on that event—
How enviable, how sinful.
"What's that?"
A third party's voice.
Turning, expecting a new foe, Issei sees a boy carrying a coffin. His face is unfamiliar, but the coffin is fresh in memory—identical to the one carried by the bandaged man who called himself Cleaner or Archer.
Unbeknownst to those present, this is the Savior who committed deicide and Biblical slaughter in another world. A mere human who inherited the ideals of the King of Men and heroes. Fleeing from a nurse, he was drawn here by an overtrained intuition.
"Don't mess around, Issei Hyoudou. Why are you acting like you're the bad guy? It's the opposite, isn't it? No matter what you do or what's said, you're not at fault. You're not responsible. Everyone else is wrong. Everyone but you is wrong. Those who criticize you are wrong! That's how you've always escaped your sins. No matter who you killed or failed to save, you never reflected or apologized."
He was crying. Laughing while crying.
"No way. This can't be. Hey, Cao Cao. If you're capable of this, why didn't you do it even once in our world?"
Whether this man had a conscience determined the fate of hundreds, thousands, billions of lives.
What differed between his world and this one?
"Then I'll take half that sin."
The boy slams the coffin onto the ground.
The sound and intense killing intent finally snap the Gremory peerage and Sairaorg Bael back to focus. Some brace for the intruder's next move; others prepare to attack.
"All Longinus, activate."
Far too late. Not just in terms of attack or defense, but something more fundamental.
"We'll sever the calamity here."
Not a light band to burn a planet. Not a workshop defying common sense with a Reality Marble. Not a ritual to nullify magecraft.
Sacred Gears said to reach God—Longinus. Of the eighteen confirmed, eleven are packed in that coffin. All their power is unleashed.
"Humanity, triumph over Truth."
From the coffin emerges a holy sword bundling the star's breath. Forged by the star, reforged by God, a path to the future wielded by humans. Not power to kill for death, but to win for life. The truth of human deicide.
The boy raises the dazzling sword's tip to the heavens.
"The time of reweaving has come, we who walk the stars—Another Lemegeton!"
The light from the sword blinds everyone present. Despite being holy, it doesn't harm the devils. This light could reach the other side of the star if desired.
"Huh…?"
But that's physical. The mind is different. The sword can destroy physically, but its true power is mental assault on those who see the light. Whether it's an attack depends on the target.
"No way…!"
"Ah, aaaaaah!"
"No, that's impossible…"
"Issei-kun… was in league with the Demon Gods…?"
Those who see the light, without exception, know the Truth. They're shown the star's memories, unknown even to the Savior. Whether they're blinded by the light of reality or face it depends on them.
In a parallel world, this ability convinced people deicide was possible, breaking Truth's absoluteness and destroying Beast X.
"No, I won't be fooled! Because, because!"
"No, this is reality."
Issei embraces Rias tightly. In his hand is Ascalon, a dragon-slaying holy sword dulled by mud.
"Sorry, Ascalon, till the end."
Rias tries to pull away, but it's too late. A monster's weakness has always been the heart. No holy sword or spear is needed—a wooden stake would suffice.
If this means he can't return, so be it.
Killing the woman he loves while staying pristine is too selfish. As if he were a devil.
At the very least, Issei Hyoudou, living in this world, this moment, is human.
"Did you betray me?"
"Yes. I—chose myself over you."
"I-Issei."
"Goodbye, my master. You can hate me."
In return, I won't forgive you.
The entire incident was attributed to the King of Magecraft Solomon's madness.
The Old Satan faction found a hidden ring containing Solomon's soul. Possessing the body of the original Asmodeus, the King of Magecraft summoned a "man with the same name" from the outer cosmos, allied with him, and decided to destroy the Biblical factions. But Solomon betrayed his ally, becoming the One God. The betrayed "King of Another World" took Solomon down with him. Heaven and the Underworld were obliterated in the aftermath.
Most gods perceived it this way. The cursed collapse of Truth, the discovery of the outer cosmos, the extinction of the Biblical factions—that's the incident's conclusion.
The non-humans of the Biblical factions—devils, angels, fallen angels—are nearly extinct. Already weakened from the Great War, this event was the final blow. They must seek protection from other factions, live like stray dogs or mercenaries, or follow their Satans and governors to death. Exceptions exist, like Mephisto Pheles, president of the Mage Association, or Ravel Phenex, who married into the immortal bird's family before the Underworld's incineration.
The Khaos Brigade, led by the Dragon God Ophis, is effectively defunct. The Servants summoned by the King of Men returned to the Throne as their Demon God masters vanished. What farewells they shared is for them to know. The Hero Faction, or self-proclaimed Mage Faction, faces an uncertain future. They may continue together or part ways. That's how humans live.
Of the Servants Solomon summoned, Berserker, Archer, and Rider fell and vanished. Assassin and Caster, having fulfilled their roles, returned to their world. Saber and Lancer, reunited with their wives, did the same.
Kingu chose to naturalize in Kyoto. Regardless of origin, he found something he wanted to do.
Gaspar Vladi wanders the world. Whether his body "grows larger" depends on this world's worth. The answer will come in years, perhaps millennia.
The Lion King's Knights of the Round Table successfully absorbed the godless Church and angels, forming a new faction. Their seat will eventually be inherited by this world's Pendragon family.
In the shadow of this great incident, the fallen angel governor was killed by the White Dragon Emperor, and the crimson-haired Satan's sister by the Red Dragon Emperor, but few paid attention.
They say those involved with the Two Heavenly Dragons never lead good lives. The last two were no exception.