Hearing those revelations from Solomon's mouth placed Jay into a state of deep thought. The weight of the words, of gods, infinity, and nothingness felt heavy in the still air of the cavern.
Lavinia though, stared at the ancient king with a wary look. She leaned closer to Jay, her shoulder brushing his.
"You sure about this, Illya-kun?" she whispered, her voice low and tight with caution.
Jay sent a grounding look at Lavinia, his expression unreadable behind his sunglasses as he took it off.
"What he said is true. The man in front of us is a spirit of Solomon," Jay said. To punctuate his certainty, the black Grail appeared beside him, catching Solomon's attention.
The man, however, did not press the matter further.
Jay then shifted his focus back to the man, his gaze sharpening.
"So, Solomon, King of Israel..."
Solomon nodded with a grace that felt entirely natural to his station.
"You said it as if you've been waiting for me here, but I came here for something else... The books, Ars Almadel, Ars Paulina, Ars Theurgia, and Ars Notoria... which should have been stored here. Is that also part of your prophecies?" Jay narrowed his eyes, his voice carrying a note of skepticism.
"The divine revelations, huh?"
Solomon, sensing the thick layer of wariness emanating from the group, merely smiled.
"Prophecies... I would not call it that," Solomon said.
"Your appearance here, while most surprising, is part of the natural order of this universe, and of countless others beyond it. But let us speak of it in a more proper place... My wife is also waiting for you."
"Your wife? I thought you were alone?" Jay asked, his guard lowering by a fraction out of sheer curiosity.
Solomon's smile widened as he looked at Jay, a playful glint in his brown eyes.
"A man should always find himself a companion to share his life with..." Solomon said, casting a meaningful glance at Lavinia, who was still hovering close to Jay's side.
"Though I suppose I need not tell you that."
Jay sent a glance to Lavinia.
"Follow me."
Solomon turned and began to walk deeper into the cave.
Jay exchanged a brief, silent glance with Lavinia and Kuroka. Receiving a hesitant nod from both, the three of them slowly followed Solomon.
At first, the journey seemed mundane.
The entrance swallowed the last of the desert light behind them, leaving only the dim, ethereal glow radiating from Solomon's form to guide their path.
The walls were jagged and the floor uneven. Yet, the further they ventured, the more the world began to warp.
Jay was the first to notice the spatial anomaly.
By all logic, the cave should have been narrowing as they moved toward the center of the mountain, yet it did the opposite.
The path stretched endlessly ahead, the ceiling rising into shadows.
And the air grew strangely lighter and fresher. It carried a hint of moisture and life, something utterly impossible for a cavern buried beneath the Mount Sinai.
Kuroka's ears twitched violently. Her tail puffed up for a moment before settling.
"...Nyaa. Something's weird," she murmured quietly, her golden hazel eyes darting toward the walls that seemed to be humming with magic.
Lavinia also frowned, her sapphire eyes observing the surroundings with careful attention. She could feel the temperature rising with the balmy warmth of a spring afternoon.
Then, faintly at first, a light appeared in the distance.
A small glimmer, like a star trapped inside the darkness.
As they continued forward, the light slowly grew brighter, blooming like the dawn breaking through the night. The darkness of the cave began to peel away, replaced by a radiant glow that spilled across the ground
The air changed completely, filled with sweet fragrance of crushed grass, blooming flowers, and ancient trees.
"…A pocket dimension, huh." Jay murmured.
They then passed through the light.
The moment their feet crossed the invisible boundary, the world opened before them in a breathtaking display of impossible beauty.
Above them stretched a vast, endless sky of soft azure, where gentle white clouds drifted lazily as though time itself flowed at a different speed. Warm, artificial sunlight bathed the land, its golden rays dancing across an expansive field of vibrant green grass that swayed rhythmically under a calm breeze.
It was a garden of Eden-like perfection, hidden in the heart of a mountain.
"This is..." Jay muttered, his voice trailing off as he looked at the horizon.
Lavinia's breath caught in her throat. She reached out a hand as if to touch the air.
"…This place…"
Kuroka's golden eyes widened to their limit, her tail slowly flicking behind her.
"Nyaa… this place is massive!"
It was an artificial realm.
And at the very center of this lush paradise stood a structure of a colossal altar made of radiant white marble.
It rose from the grassy earth like a monument carved from pure light.
The marble was pristine, glowing faintly beneath the overhead sun as if it possessed a holiness that defied the passage of centuries.
Massive pillars surrounded the central structure, each one etched with ancient runes and intricate geometric patterns that seemed older than civilization itself.
Like a sacred place where heaven and earth seemed to meet.
And at the center of the marble platform stood a great altar, vast and immaculate.
Solomon stopped walking.
Standing before the structure, the ancient king slowly turned back toward them, a faint, hospitable smile resting upon his face.
"Welcome," he said calmly, his voice carrying clearly across the tranquil garden.
"To my Temple."
Jay narrowed his eyes as the Avesta ignited.
Meanwhile, Jay narrowed his eyes as Avesta scanned the surroundings. Millions of runes constructed the place, making him think that even if he were given hundreds of years to deconstruct it, it still would not be enough.
It was a tremendous feat of spatial and creation magic, on a completely different scale compared to Glenda's library.
Seeing Jay's glowing left eye as he scanned the surroundings, Solomon watched him with curious eyes.
"That eye... That's a dragon eye, isn't it?" Solomon asked.
"You know about it?" Jay looked at the man.
"I can sense it... Though, I've never seen it in any beings other than Dragons... Well, part of that is because the Heavenly Father was never really fond of their kind, calling them beasts with no kindness in their hearts," Solomon said.
He suddenly paused, a nostalgic look crossing his face.
"Though, I personally find them quite amusing as a pet, haha." Solomon laughed, the sound echoing warmly.
Suddenly, a new presence emerged from the direction of the altar.
She was a woman of exotic beauty.
Her skin carried the warm bronze tone of desert sunlight, smooth and radiant as if kissed by the sands themselves. Long, flowing violet hair cascaded down her back like a silken river, reaching almost to her thighs, swaying gently with the wind of this tranquil garden.
Her attire was both luxurious and revealing, fashioned from rich fabrics of red and deep blue, decorated with golden engravings all over it.
And from the top of her head rose two tall, elegant ears resembling those of a desert jackal, covered in soft fur that matched the deep hue of her hair. And behind her swayed a long, elegant tail, its fur as dark and lustrous as twilight.
Kuroka blinked, her own ears twitching.
"…A Nekushou-Nyaa?"
Lavinia stared in surprise at the woman's sudden appearance.
While Jay simply narrowed his eyes slightly, studying the newcomer's energy signature.
The woman placed one hand lightly upon her hip, her golden bracelets chiming softly. She tilted her head, a charming smile playing on her lips.
A smile that carried both queenly grace and a hint of playful mischief.
"My, my… O dear husband, why didn't you tell me that our guests had come? Didn't we agree that I would be the one that welcomed them here?" the woman said.
"Haha, that was my mistake, my love. As you can see… this is surprising as well, isn't it?" Solomon replied, gesturing toward the trio.
The woman inspected Jay, her jade eyes scanning him from head to toe before she nodded in approval.
"Certainly," she said with a smile, then turned her gaze back to Solomon.
"I just thought that I could be good with a few riddles to make it interesting."
She stepped forward.
"But anyway~, nice to meet you everyone! I am Bilqis, the Queen of the Kingdom of Sheba. And I am the main wife of my lovely husband, Solomon."
Solomon laughed warmly at her bold introduction, while Lavinia offered a polite, somewhat stunned smile.
Jay, however, was busy inspecting her form with his inner sight.
'She wasn't entirely human... A half-human, half-spirit. This is the first time I've ever seen one,' Jay thought.
"So, since all of you have met my wife, let's talk in a more suitable place," Solomon said.
Following the lead of Solomon and Bilqis, the group ventured further into the garden.
They then arrived at a shaded spot near the altar where marble chairs and a circular table sat beneath the sprawling branches of a giant cedar tree.
And as they settled into their chairs.
From a small spatial rift in the air, Bilqis produced five golden chalices and a decorative ceramic jar.
She then poured a shimmering, golden liquid into each cup.
"Nya? This smells funky!?" Kuroka said, crinkling her nose at the pungent, sweet aroma.
Lavinia took a chalice, looking at the liquid with curiosity before glancing at the Queen. "Um? If I may ask, what is this Bilqis-san?"
"That's Tej, a traditional drink from my kingdom. You should try it!" Bilqis said excitedly, her jackal ears perking up.
Jay looked at the liquid, swirling it slightly before taking a small sip. The taste was complex, honeyed, herbal, and sharp.
"Alcohol?" Jay asked.
"Uhm, it's a traditional mead... It isn't to your taste, perhaps?" Solomon asked, having already taken a deep draught of the mead.
"No, well... I'm still not of age to drink. But, it's good... Thank you, Bilqis," Jay said, setting the chalice down.
At his words, both Solomon and Bilqis froze, their eyes widening as they looked at each other in shock and confusion.
Lavinia, who had taken a sip after Jay, looked at him with a look of pure amusement.
"Is that even a matter at this point, Illya-kun?" She laughed, her voice bright.
A boy who had slain dragons and gods suddenly worrying about the legal drinking age.
"I see... How surprising this era must be if a man as strong as you are hasn't even considered himself old enough to drink, haha..." Solomon said as he regained his composure, laughing heartily.
His expression then shifted, becoming more focused.
"But anyway, you must have been quite eager to hear everything I've been talking about… about your power, about yourself."
Jay took another sip of the Tej, his eyes meeting Solomon's steady brown gaze.
Lavinia leaned in, her interest piqued, eager to understand Jay's power... the black flame that had saved her life.
'Illya-kun's black flame...' Her sapphire eyes reflected the face of the man who meant everything to her, one of only two people closest to her aside from her teacher.
"Very well… where shall I begin? Right. Since the very beginning of all things, when the Heavenly Father manifested as a being, an existence called Yesh…" Solomon began.
"Yesh?" Jay repeated.
"Yesh is the concept of existence… the process of the first creation, when nothing yet filled the world except the void of the Dimensional Gap and the two Dragon Gods of Dreams and Infinity." Solomon explained.
Jay's mind flashed to the small, dark-haired girl he had met in Romania.
'Ophis...'
"And with Yesh, there was born out of the Nothingness a being... the Lord Almighty, the Heavenly Father, a being that you call the God of the Bible,"
Solomon then continued.
"Yet the Heavenly Father was not a complete existence, even after He had completed the ten Sephiroth and fully manifested as Yesh."
The trio stared at him, stunned.
"Not a complete existence?" Lavinia asked.
Solomon nodded.
"Here is the thing. Do you know what the two strongest beings in this world represent?" Solomon asked, his eyes searching theirs.
"Infinity," Jay said.
"Correct... Both the Great Red and Ouroboros Ophis represent a concept of Infinity, one being the Dragon of Dreams and the other a being born out of the Infinite Void," Solomon explained.
"But the Heavenly Father hadn't reached that state, even after he fully manifested his power... Because his power, Yesh, is not a concept of Infinity, but a concept of creation."
Solomon's words hung in the air, shifting Jay's entire understanding of the concept of infinity.
"This is why, even if he was capable of creating life out of nothing as a Yesh... and his power of creation was something capable of forming countless worlds, he still wasn't strong enough to beat a being of Infinity like the Great Red or Ouroboros Ophis," Solomon said.
"That's the reason why in this universe... A world he called the World of Dragons and Gods, the Draconic Deus, DxD... there is still no True God of Infinity."
'True God of Infinity…' Jay thought. For some reason, that extravagant title sounded almost ridiculous to him.
"But I guess at some point you could say he was content with that... until he met it," Solomon stopped, his voice dropping an octave.
"The Beast of the End," Lavinia said, recalling his earlier mention.
Solomon nodded solemnly. "The ImperialBeast of Apocalypse, Trihexa..."
"After the Heavenly Father discovered its existence and confronted it, he realized that Trihexa represented something not Infinite, yet far too dangerous to be left unchecked. It was the Apocalypse itself, the highest form of Destruction. Even if the two Dragon Gods could match it in battle, that clash would bring inevitable destruction to the entire world."
"Then..."
"Realizing that he was incapable of completely killing the beast, the Heavenly Father then placed thousands of forbidden seals to completely lock that beast away, far away at the end of the world... But as you probably know, he then died in the Great War," Solomon said as he suddenly stopped.
His tone remained unchanged, as if the death of one of the most, if not the most, influential gods to ever exist in the world were completely ordinary.
"Was he perhaps in a weakened state after sealing the Beast?" Jay asked.
Solomon shook his head. He looked into Jay's dark hazel eyes, his own gaze reflecting the memories of a distant, holy past.
"No... He chose his own death."
A profound silence fell over the garden.
"Huh... What do you mean?" Jay muttered, his voice laced with disbelief.
"After encountering the Beast... No, even long before that. The Heavenly Father realized that Trihexa would one day bring about the end of this world. And not only that, there were also threats from beings he called the Outer Gods."
Solomon then continued.
"Because of this, he sought every possible means to reach Infinity, for the sole purpose of protecting this world from such threats. He also endeavored to persuade the two Dragon Gods to aid him, yet both Great Red and Ophis rejected his proposal to killed Trihexa, and in the end..., he also ultimately failed to reach Infinity," Solomon explained.
"But what does that have to do with him choosing his own death-Nya?" Kuroka asked, leaning forward on the marble table.
"Remember that I said Yesh is an existence born of Nothingness?"
Jay nodded.
"The Heavenly Father theorized that the same would occur in reverse. When Yesh is absent, then Non-Existence will be born. That nothingness is what you call Ayin… the power within you, the Black Flame you wielded earlier," Solomon said, pointing his finger toward Jay's chest.
Jay slowly raised his hand.
And with a thought, a small flick of black flame erupted from his palm. It flickered like a void in reality.
Both Solomon and Bilqis watched it with a reverence that bordered on awe.
"Oh my..." Bilqis whispered, her hand covering her mouth.
While Solomon nodded in relief.
"And it seems like his sacrifice was not in vain."
Jay sat in silence, looking at the flame.
The power that had saved him countless times, the power that had reduced his enemies to ash, was apparently the byproduct of a god choosing His own death... something so profound.
"But why me?" Jay suddenly asked, the black flame vanishing.
Solomon paused, lost in deep thought for a moment.
"That, I do not know... As you can see, both my wife and I are surprised that the power did not manifest as its own existence, as a being of the End... But instead manifested inside your soul. A human. And not only that, it manifested hundreds of years after he died," Solomon said.
Silence fell over them, and then Jay spoke once more.
"You said earlier about Yesh needing to complete ten Sephiroth to be fully complete... What is that?" Jay asked.
"Ah yes..., for Yesh to be fully realized, the Heavenly Father needed to unfold His power through the Sephiroth, which is a formation of His own existence through a certain experience. In this way, a structured creation could arise from divine will and manifest into reality. And at the highest level stands Keter, the Crown, representing the primal divine will."
Solomon moved his finger, and a shimmering imagery of a tree made of spirit magic appeared in the air between them.
"From it emerge the conscious intellects, Chokhmah or Wisdom, and Binah or Understanding. These then give rise to the conscious of Chesed or Kindness, Gevurah or Discipline, and Tiferet or Glory, which balances mercy and judgment."
"And then flow Netzach or Victory, Hod or Splendour, and Yesod which is a Vessel or a Foundation. And finally, the process culminates in Malkuth or Kingdom, the manifestation to reality, completing the emergence of Yesh, existence itself."
The long explanation left Jay, Lavinia, and Kuroka with some understanding, yet even more confusion.
" I still don't understand. Even after he went through all those stages of his power, or should I say himself... and was still incomplete as you say, isn't it going to be the same for the Ayin?" Jay asked.
"No… Because the Heavenly Father theorized that once Ayin is fully realized, beyond it lies an unending void... As the universe begins from nothing, from zero, and in the end, it will return to nothing, to zero. And he believed that beyond that lies the concept he called…
-Ein Sof, the manifestation of the True God of Infinity."
Hearing those words, Jay immediately recalled the words Ophis had spoken to him about his own power.
But then, a look of genuine confusion appeared on Solomon's face.
"But... it is indeed strange, what you said."
"What do you mean?" Jay asked.
"For Ayin to be fully realized, you would need to go through the ten Sephiroth again, but in reverse. In the process, you would turn every single Sephiroth into nothingness. It should have been that way... But since you are a human," Solomon stopped.
"It contradicts everything... Because me being human means I am an existence," Jay finished, reading the king's thoughts.
Solomon nodded slowly.
"Yes. That, even to me, is a mystery that I cannot answer."
The ancient king fell into a deep, silent thought.
'Could the Heavenly Father be mistaken in His understanding of the path to Ein Sof? And why, then, would Ayin manifest within a human?' Solomon wondered, his gaze fixed upon the young man across from him.
Jay suddenly emptied his chalice before he stood up.
"Anyway, let's talk about it later... because my objective for coming here is to find the books. So..."
With a ripple in the space, Ars Goetia then appeared in Jay's hand.
Solomon's eyes widened, his regal composure momentarily shattered.
"That book... How did you get it from the Devils?"
Jay, however, remained silent as his dark hazel eyes met the King of Man's gaze, his expression unreadable.
"Where are the other four books?"