You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

Chapter 294 The King's Wrath.

The space was "disassembled" in that instant.

Like a nested maze with layers upon layers, everything in sight is divided into countless layers, and when these spatial faults reverse inside and out and return to normal, the world has already changed.

In the blink of an eye, Iori was teleported into the air, standing beneath an endless, vast starry sky, surrounded by magnificent and grand buildings. The pure white temple complex gave people a strong visual impact.

But this beautiful scene lasted only a moment. Soon the whole world began to tremble. Tentacles covered with eyes stretched out from the void, wrapped around the magnificent temple, and coiled up like pythons or octopuses, quickly turning the sacred temple into a nightmarish hell!

"here it is……"

Iori took a deep breath, but before he could land, one after another demonic pillars rose from the ground, trapping him in a dense encirclement.

Grand Temple of Time!

This is definitely the place!

"hold head high!!!!"

"To go to such lengths with this...you think too highly of me!"

Iori's eyes turned cold, a fierce glint flashing in their depths. Her entire body surged with magical power, releasing a powerful wind pressure. She immediately activated [Instant Roar] at full power and charged towards the densely packed demon god pillars on the ground.

"Although I don't know what your purpose is... I'll play along, come on!"

"Berserker? Susanoo... Where are the others?"

Ritsuka was shocked to discover that Iori was missing.

"Could it be you...?"

"It's just finding him a suitable place."

King Solomon looked down at the Chaldea group led by Ritsuka. After losing their strongest fighter, they were extremely vulnerable.

"I want to see just how fragile your so-called hope really is... How are you feeling now?"

"Well!"

Ritsuka's expression was serious.

"Hahahaha~"

Goetia laughed loudly and casually moved his fingers again.

"Answer with your deaths."

As soon as he finished speaking, a band of light appeared in the void behind him. In the instant everyone subconsciously closed their eyes, a powerful torrent of magic was released along with the dazzling light, intending to burn all of the Demon King's enemies!

"Drink! Don't underestimate me, you bastard!"

This wild roar came from the rebellious knight. Faced with this major crisis, the silver-white Saber was the first to react. The demonic sword in her hand emitted a wild roar, and the crimson lightning surged into the sky like a torrent.

Joining her in action was the homunculus Frankenstein, the taciturn bride-bestiar who remained silent throughout, but responded the instant Solomon launched his attack, her Noble Phantasm activating even faster than Mordred's.

The metal hammer in her hand is not merely a weapon; the moment it is awakened, the magical core within the hammerhead (equivalent to her heart) releases an extremely powerful electric current, enough to elevate the power of her Noble Phantasm to its current peak.

If the Rebellious Knight's demonic sword is the crimson lightning that slays kings, then her Noble Phantasm is a man-made divine punishment. One is a straight-line attack that charges forward with great force, and the other is an indiscriminate lightning strike with an extremely wide range. Together, they form a strike that can surpass even a Noble Phantasm that targets a castle.

Even if it were to be compared to the legendary sword of King Arthur, it could surely be neutralized.

But... it only offsets the effect!

Even with the power of the strongest holy sword, it could not withstand a casual strike from Solomon, because Mordred and Frankenstein could only reach the level of a city-wide attack when they worked together, while the magical power that the opponent used far exceeded that scale!

It wasn't even a "delay"; the Noble Phantasm unleashed by the two female Servants together was instantly shattered.

They failed—after confirming this fact, they all became aware of it.

Even if it means burning this spirit core to ashes, we must block this attack to ensure the Master's safety!

However, before they did so, another person stepped forward first.

"It's too early to give up!"

Reines waved her hand, and a wave of silver metal, flowing like water, rippled outward from beneath her feet.

Tamamo-no-Mae tossed her magic mirror high into the air, causing it to float and emit a clear, moonlit magical projection that landed perfectly on Reines's Moon Spirit Essence.

It was at this very moment that the space in which the Chaldea group was situated was momentarily distorted. The silver ripples enveloped everyone, and the golden light that flowed in was continuous, but the group was "just" grazed by it. It seemed that the space itself shifted when the immense magical power passed by, like an object thrown into water pushing away the floating duckweed.

"Oh?"

Solomon raised his eyelids, slightly surprised. "The creation of mobile positions, the deployment of temporary positions at the perfect moment, and the alteration of the spatial structure? Interesting tactics and coordination. It seems you are not entirely useless."

"Thank you for the compliment."

Reines forced a smile, but a drop of sweat slid down her forehead. The mercury familiar that had just performed such a great service could no longer be formed after being recalled, as if something had been destroyed.

【Moon Spirit Essence】As an extremely high-level magical artifact, and also a familiar with a certain level of intelligence, it is essentially a mass of mercury, and theoretically has no vital points... But obviously, the Demon King's attack could not be just physical damage.

In the eyes of the mighty King Solomon, no matter how ingenious the creations of modern magicians may be, they would probably only make people want to laugh.

Sure enough, Solomon took in Reines's disheveled state and laughed mercilessly: "But even if you don't directly block the attack, you will still suffer corresponding losses. How long can you hold out against such a large energy field?"

"Well!"

Solomon was right. Although Reines inherited the power of a Servant, setting aside the strategist's tactics and wisdom, the blonde girl's own attributes were not outstanding—her talent as a mage was not even first-rate, far inferior to that of her brother's disciples.

Moreover, considering that he is only a Caster-level Servant, he is definitely at a disadvantage in a contest of physical strength and magical power!

On the other hand, Tamamo-no-Mae is very powerful in her true form, defying the heavens in every sense... but if she is only a Caster-class Servant, then she is just a first-rate Servant who is proficient in support, not a top-tier one.

"Destroy it!"

The Demon King didn't even do anything special; he simply let the golden torrent spread naturally with a thought, and the aftershocks alone could easily destroy Chaldea's hopes!

But soon, someone else stepped forward to turn the tide—

"【Water, Sky, Sunlight, Amaterasu, Hachino Town Stone】!"

"[Simulated Expansion of the Foundation of Human Reason]!"

A pure white barrier unfolded at this moment, an ultimate defense that could be described as indestructible appeared out of thin air. Although it was a one-way defense and could not leave a single gap, the divine radiance falling from the sky enhanced Mash's fatigue, and the shield in her hand shone even brighter.

She did her best to expand the already limited defensive perimeter to protect everyone on her side.

"boom--!"

Golden light bombarded this ultimate protection, but Mash did not retreat a step. The light of chalk transformed into a thin but sturdy shield, standing firm like a reef amidst the golden light.

After a long while, the golden light dissipated, and the earth was cleaved into an unfathomable chasm. All the Servants were exhausted, but Chaldea ultimately survived this crisis.

"..."

Solomon looked down at the scene, his expression indifferent yet thoughtful, before giving a disdainful smile.

"As expected of insects, their ability to struggle and survive is quite good. Warrior, strategist, priestess and homunculus, this combination can be said to have balanced combat power while ensuring loyalty, putting the safety of the Master first."

Although you were just a lamb sacrificed to 'humanity,' the people of Chaldea seem to care about your life quite a bit, Fujimaru Ritsuka.

"Sacrifice?"

Ritsuka was a little confused, but she responded frankly, "You don't need to sow discord. I know better than anyone how much effort everyone in Chaldea has put in to protect me... I will never let them down!"

Moreover, rather than being treated as the one being protected, I actually prefer to be the one protecting others…

"Me too!"

Mashu looked at her reassuringly and smiled gently: "Senpai... let's work hard together."

—It's disgusting!

Seeing this, Getia was almost furious!

Why put on this indifferent attitude?

Why should we presumptuously place the responsibility of saving humanity on our shoulders?

What a ridiculous guy! He has no self-awareness whatsoever!

She was just an ordinary mortal, with neither noble blood nor extraordinary talent. No one expected her to do anything, but she felt that only she could save the world...

Those born as heroes are destined to become heroes, those born as monsters are destined to become monsters, but why does she, born as an ordinary person, take on responsibilities beyond her own capabilities?

arrogant!

Intolerable arrogance!

In comparison, Goetia felt that he was the more humble one.

He couldn't stand this kind of guy, so he decided to let her taste the deepest despair!

"Enough! Your journey ends here... huh?"

Just as Goetia was about to get serious, it suddenly stopped, its brow furrowing as it sensed the situation of "Amon the Star of Insight".

The so-called "Temple of the Time Crown" is not a building in the ordinary sense, nor is it a kind of fixed barrier. It was made based on the remains of King Solomon and using the seventy-two demons as materials.

If I had to put it that way, this space is actually inside Goetia's body!

Therefore, nothing that happens here can escape his eyes.

To his surprise, Iori, who was trapped inside the temple, actually tried to contact him.

Goetia initially intended to ignore it, but Iori's next words instantly silenced him:

"Perhaps it was a sudden inspiration. An idea just popped into my head and it seems to fit the actual situation quite well."

Amidst the literal image of a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, Iori, half-naked, used her fingers to condense magical energy, constantly stroking the blade and emitting beautiful music reminiscent of a zither.

"Because there are many suspicious points, I once suspected that you were not the Goetia I knew... but my intuition was only half right."

Your true name is unquestionable, but you are not 'Demon King Goetia,' but rather a form that is both opposite and unified with it, wouldn't you agree?

"King Goetia!"

Chapter 295 Can't a Berserker Be a Detective?

The name 【Goetia】 represents not just a single life form, but a collective or even a concept.

There is a theory in "Kara no Kyoukai" that suggests that no matter how talented an individual is, their abilities and energy are ultimately limited, and they can only master one thing in their lifetime.

However, if multiple personalities are inserted into a single body, the limitations of the human spirit can be broken, creating an "omnipotent being".

This is naturally just human greed and delusion, but it is indeed a possibility.

Ordinary bodies and souls cannot bear knowledge sufficient to be called "omnipotent"; only extremely special beings possess the corresponding aptitude... such as [Goetia].

Based on the existence of King Solomon, and further supplemented and sublimated upon it, Goetia, as the aggregate of the seventy-two demonic pillars, also possesses as many as seventy-two different personalities and properties.

Because Goetia is both an individual and a group, when he talks to outsiders, the "Demon Pillars" that resemble that person will appear outwards. Therefore, Goetia is described as a "mirror," an independent and self-reliant perfectionist.

He is an omnipotent being whom even Solomon could not reach, and he even has ample qualifications to rule over mankind!

However, although he was omnipotent, he could not understand humanity, and although he was immortal, he could not find the answer.

Therefore, he failed to become the "King of Men".

If things had followed a normal trajectory, he would have acted as a "god" who had never understood humanity, destroying human reason and shaping new stars according to his own will, thus writing a completely different "history".

However, this destiny was thwarted by the last Master, Fujimaru Ritsuka, and King Solomon—the doctor Roman, who had long since disappeared from the Throne of Heroes.

All the painstaking planning was overturned in a single day, and the insects that were once despised to the extreme became the sword of Damocles that slew the tyrant...

But when his own existence was disintegrated and he was only five minutes away from complete disappearance, he gained a human perspective because he had lost his "immortality" and "power." For the first time since the birth of his consciousness, he experienced "humanity," and thus understood humanity and acknowledged his defeat.

Just like the practitioner who attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, he attained "the joy of life" and "accepted death" without any regrets.

This is the process of transforming from the Demon King into the Human King.

While Iori was fighting in the projected Temple of Time, she was also seriously considering what she was facing.

First, this person was aware of the existence of the pseudonym "Susanoo Aizen Iori".

Secondly, this person undoubtedly possesses the same power and nature as the Demon King Goetia.

Finally, this person should have been aware that this London connected different timelines, but he remained remarkably calm and did not take any actions that contradicted the description in the "original work".

Another extremely important point: he did not have any real intention to kill Chaldea!

Iori trusts her intuition!

Therefore, there is only one answer—

"You know Gudako, right? Not the Fujimaru Ritsuka outside, but the one with long hair."