When everyone arrived at Chaldea, the observatory had already entered full combat readiness. The atmosphere was more solemn than ever before.
Staff members nervously calculated data across holographic interfaces. The only sound in the hall was the low hum of running computers.
Even Gudako, who was usually carefree and unserious, had put away her playful expression and listened attentively to Dr. Roman.
Whoosh—
In the main hall of Chaldea, Roman projected a holographic image and went straight to the point.
"Now then, let me explain our plan."
"This is our destination—the Final Singularity, the temple of King Solomon. We call it the Grand Temple of Time: Solomon."
"All eras of human history have already undergone Incineration of Humanity. However, this space exists in a higher dimension where the flow of time is separated. It is both 900 BC and 2016 AD—the moment before the Incineration of Humanity."
"If we can defeat King Solomon before our subjective time reaches 2017, then the Incineration of Humanity can be undone."
"Oh…"
This method of traveling through time and altering the future by changing the past was something everyone was already familiar with.
"So basically, we just beat up the Demon God King from that time. As long as he dies, the history of the Incineration of Humanity won't exist anymore."
"Mm… We've changed history plenty of times in other worlds before. I'm used to this."
Gudako patted her chest confidently.
"…Ritsuka Fujimaru, your adventure in the Starsea Empire has truly helped you grow."
Roman smiled faintly.
"This will be your final trial—as humanity's last Master—and Chaldea's ultimate test as well."
"I'm not sure whether having Mr. Setsuna solve the Seven Singularities for you was a good thing or a bad thing… I hope this time, too, we can successfully achieve our objective."
He opened a complex map.
"This time, all of Chaldea will perform Rayshift and make direct contact with the Singularity—crashing into it together with the entire facility."
"After we arrive at the Temple of Time, all of Chaldea will provide you with every bit of support within our power."
For this final battle, Chaldea was prepared to stake everything.
All personnel would undergo Rayshift together. If they could defeat the King of Magecraft and restore human history, that would be ideal. If not, then Chaldea would have no reason to continue existing.
As he spoke, Da Vinci beckoned Gudako over.
A staff member carried over a set of black clothing.
"We've made you a new Mystic Code. Would you like to try it on?"
"This is a specially designed piece tailored for the final battle. As long as Chaldea still has power, you'll receive physical protection from it."
"Additionally, without needing ley lines or catalysts, you can directly use the Mystic Code to summon Servants. You'll be able to call forth whichever Heroic Spirit you believe best fits the situation at any time."
"Although the duration won't be long… summoning the right Heroic Spirit at the right moment could become your trump card."
"…"
Gudako unfolded the new Mystic Code and examined it for a moment before politely declining.
"Thank you, I'll accept it—but I don't plan to use it. It's… not very practical."
"We worked so hard on that!?"
Da Vinci looked slightly wounded.
"Uh, I have the Strelizia. I showed it to you before, remember?"
Gudako took out a scroll and fiddled with it.
"Isn't a Gundam more useful than a Mystic Code? The Strelizia is equipped with Tachyon Lances and erosion missiles. It can destroy stars."
"Times have changed, Dr. Roman."
"…"
Da Vinci choked on her words.
"Then what about summoning Servants?"
"Well… If it could summon Servants from other eras freely, I might consider using it."
"But we don't exactly lack manpower, do we?"
She pointed at the large group of Servants behind her.
Almost all the Servants from the Starsea Empire had mobilized. They all wanted to see the final boss responsible for burning away human history—and have a go at him themselves.
At the front stood Beast II, Tiamat. Behind her were Jeanne Alter, Nero, Ishtar, Kukulkan, and a host of other formidable figures.
From the First Singularity to the Seventh Singularity, almost none were missing.
The procession was vast and imposing—like a small army.
"…Even Goddess Tiamat is going to the Temple of Time?…"
Roman's expression turned strange.
Chaldea fighting side by side with an Evil of Humanity—how could I possibly be dreaming something like this?!
"This is… my child's world. I will… protect it."
Tiamat tugged on Setsuna's clothes as she spoke.
"Alright."
Roman gave up trying to think too deeply about it.
During his time interacting with the Starsea Empire, he had realized one simple truth: if you can't understand something, don't force yourself to. Just let them handle it.
Back when human history had first been incinerated, he could never have imagined that one day Gudako would pilot a Gundam and lead a group of Servants into a full-on brawl.
Ritsuka Fujimaru's exchange program at the Starsea Empire had truly been fruitful.
"In three hours, Chaldea will make contact with the Final Singularity. Please make your final preparations."
...
A brief period of rest.
Everyone sorted out their equipment, making their final preparations for the decisive battle.
Setsuna had nothing in particular to do. He sat by the corridor, gazing out at the already-collapsed world in the distance.
Between heaven and earth lay only chaos. There was no concept of space or time.
"Haa—"
Gudako sat down beside him and let out a long breath.
She stared at the ceiling in a daze for a while.
"We've really… reached this point, haven't we?"
"Thinking back to when we first met, heading to Orléans… it feels like a dream."
Pfft—
Setsuna laughed and pinched her cheek.
"Weren't you just attracted by how cool the Gundam looked back then and decided to follow me?"
"I only had one Strike Freedom at the time. It couldn't even carry many people."
"I just thought staying in Chaldea all the time was boring. Might as well go see another world."
Gudako puffed out her cheeks.
"In the end… it turned out to be pretty fun. Before we knew it, we really accomplished quite a lot."
"Don't worry. Goetia isn't that difficult for us anymore."
Setsuna yawned.
"…Um…"
Gudako stood up and looked at him.
"Commander, I want to resolve the Final Singularity myself."
"Oh? You sure?"
Setsuna raised an eyebrow.
"Mm. No matter what, I'm humanity's last Master, right? Well… you're from another world, so you don't count."
Gudako rarely looked this serious.
"In the earlier Singularities, you handled most of it. I just participated symbolically…"
"For the Final Singularity, I want to personally complete the restoration of human history. Mm… you could say it's also giving the Director an explanation."
"…"
Setsuna had originally wanted to point out that the Director had already won her revival match.
After thinking about it, he agreed.
"Alright. Do your best."
"Mm… I have one small request?"
Gudako clasped her hands behind her back and leaned closer.
"Commander, could you lend me a piece of equipment? Just in case something goes wrong?"
"Huh? Which one? Say it."
Setsuna waved a hand.
"The Ancient God Evangelion—Nyarlathotep Type I!"
She instantly perked up.
"Servants don't seem to have many effective options against Goetia, right? He has all sorts of strange resistances. If even the Strelizia can't handle him, I want to try that?"
"It's absolutely not because I'm bored of piloting Gundams and want to try an EVA. Absolutely not. I swear."
"You're being tsundere about it, aren't you?"
Setsuna flicked her forehead.
"Piloting an Outer God EVA consumes a tremendous amount of mental energy, and its power can assimilate you. Are you sure you can resist the influence of an Outer God?"
"I'm fundamentally one with the EVA, so it doesn't matter for me. Aren't you afraid you'll come back from the fight as some indescribable entity?"
"Guh…"
Ritsuka Fujimaru rested her chin on her hand and thought for a while, then flexed her arm in a show of strength.
"I won't use it unless I absolutely have to. Besides, I've gotten stronger now, right?"
"Just taking it out for a spin for a bit shouldn't be a problem? Since it's the final battle, help me out—"
She clung to Setsuna's arm and began acting cute.
"…Fine."
Setsuna decided to grant her small request. He manifested the Outer God EVA and sealed it into a scroll.
"Here. Take it easy. The power of an Outer God is strong, but it will erode your mind. Don't overdo it."
"No problem!"
Gudako accepted it gleefully.
At the same time.
Beep—
Chaldea's internal broadcast system sounded.
"Attention all Chaldea personnel. This facility is about to reach the final designated location of the Grand Order."
"Please prepare yourselves—"
"Oh, we're setting off!"
Gudako straightened her clothes. As if steeling herself, she suddenly leaned in and kissed Setsuna.
Blushing bright red, she dashed away.
The corridor was left with only hurried footsteps echoing.
"Commander! After I defeat Goetia and restore human history, I'm coming back to marry you!!!"
"???"
"Don't go raising death flags like that, will you?!"
...
[Spiritron Transfer, Initiating]
[5, 4, 3, 2, 1...]
"The success condition for this operation is the defeat of Solomon—and your survival."
Whoosh—
The scene before their eyes suddenly compressed into a single point of light, then expanded violently in a burst of brilliance.
A powerful sense of spatial distortion crashed over them.
[Spiritron Transfer Complete]
[Current Location: Grand Temple of Time]
Boom—
The entirety of Chaldea descended into a space that resembled the cosmos itself.
An endless wasteland stretched in all directions. When they looked up, the sky above was fractured, as if space itself had been shattered.
Floating rubble and grotesquely shaped debris drifted everywhere.
"This is outside the flow of time. Once the Temple collapses, this world will return to nothingness."
"The operation begins now. Everyone, exercise extreme caution."
Roman reminded them.
"Mm..."
Gudako led her group of Servants, surveying their surroundings.
"Commander, Dr. Roman, I'm heading out."
"Go."
Setsuna remained within Chaldea, leaving this opportunity to her.
"If you can't beat Goetia, I'll finish it myself."
"Have a little faith in me, will you...?"
Gudako stretched her limbs, eager to get started.
"Hmph."
"If you encounter danger, fall back. We will fight in place of our Master."
The Lion King descended lightly to the ground, Artoria, Nero, Jeanne, and the companions they had brought back from previous Singularities following behind her.
Ishtar hovered in the air aboard her celestial boat, alongside Drake.
Their numerical advantage gave Chaldea an unprecedented sense of reassurance.
Roman had been somewhat uneasy, but seeing Tiamat, Kukulkan, and the others among the ranks allowed him to finally breathe easier.
In Chaldea's history—no, in all of human history—this was unquestionably the most powerful force ever assembled.
So many unrelated individuals united together to fight for a single goal. Once again, he was struck by how extraordinary Setsuna's ability was.
"The estimated location of Solomon, at the center of the Temple, is approximately twenty kilometers ahead."
"Board up—"
Gudako took out a scroll, pressed her hand against it, and infused it with magical energy.
Bang—
A small shuttle materialized before them.
She did not possess Setsuna's or the shipgirls' ability to manifest equipment directly, but through magical scrolls she could store and seal items for emergencies.
Hum—
The shuttle skimmed along the ground, flying forward at ultra-low altitude.
"..."
Most of the Grand Temple of Time was barren.
There were no signs of life, and even the boundaries of space were blurred.
Above and in the distance lay boundless void.
Before long.
"Warning. Heat source detected 2.4 kilometers ahead."
The onboard AI issued an alert.
Crack!!!—
Dark red light suddenly flared from fissures in the ground.
Countless towering Demon God Pillars burst upward from beneath the earth with grinding sounds.
They resembled enormous octopus tentacles, pitch-black in color, their surfaces covered in densely packed dark red eyes.
A single glance was enough to send chills down one's spine.
Boom!!—
Streams of energy shot out from the Demon God Pillars, weaving a dense net of firepower across the sky.
The shuttle's hull was scorched and melted through in multiple places.
"Hey, hey, hey! This is a civilian shuttle, okay?! I should've gone to Engineering and asked for an armed ship instead—damn it!!!"
Gudako piloted desperately, swerving and dodging in all directions.
Unfortunately, her flying skills were lacking. The shuttle spun through the air like a roller coaster.
"Emergency landing! Emergency landing!! No, no—hey man, bail out!!"
"Hah!!—"
From within a radiant white "gate" below.
A man in a long green coat and matching top hat stepped out, his long hair flowing behind him.
Bang—Boom!!
With a casual wave of his hand, a beam of energy pierced through the aircraft. The small shuttle trailed smoke and flames as it crashed to the ground.
"Cough, cough, cough—"
"Tch, Ritsuka Fujimaru, your piloting is way worse than your Master's. Your Riding skill is at best D-rank, isn't it?!"
Jeanne Alter climbed up from the ground, brushing off dirt as she mercilessly mocked Gudako.
"I don't pilot ships that often... Besides, that was a hardware issue! A hardware issue!!!"
Gudako's eyes locked onto the somewhat familiar figure.
"Lev Lainur? So it really is you? You're not dead? I remember beating you up a few times in earlier Singularities."
"Indeed."
Lev nodded, twirling his staff before looking down at them.
"To meet you here... I find myself oddly pleased, hm."
"...But you've brought more people than I expected."
"You're really hard to kill..."
Gudako clicked her tongue.
"You were involved in the Incineration of Humanity too, weren't you?"
"That line should be mine."
Lev tapped the ground with his staff.
"For three thousand years, we have followed the instructions left behind by the King of Magecraft. I was responsible for 2015—the final segment."
"Yet your Chaldea stubbornly survived. Why? Was it my mistake?..."
"No. It was because you obtained assistance from other worlds, bringing a group of incomprehensible outsiders here to ruin my plan."
His gaze passed over Gudako and turned toward Chaldea.
Since the First Singularity, irregular and bizarre figures had repeatedly appeared.
At first there was someone piloting a Gundam. Later it became starships. In the final Singularities, it evolved into genuine space battleships.
They wielded powers that did not belong here, helping Chaldea solve problem after problem.
"They didn't come? Those beings who are neither Servants nor human? Your Commander?"
Lev asked. He had no idea how to categorize creatures like the shipgirls.
"...He could crush you with a single finger. Unfortunately for you, this time I'm the one sending you off."
Gudako's verbal counterattack was just as sharp.
She pulled out a scroll and summoned the Strelizia.
"Hmph."
Lev snorted, placing both hands on his staff. Magical energy erupted outward from him.
"Since our King cannot spare his hands, I will resolve what remains here."
"It seems... you've brought quite a few helpers? It's useless. They are nothing but rabble."
Crack crack crack crack crack!!!—
Rumble!!—
A colossal Demon God Pillar erupted behind him, piercing from the earth into the heavens.
Countless dark red eyes upon it rotated, staring at them.
"My name is Demon God Flauros, one of the Seventy-Two Demon God Pillars, the one who governs information."
"Allow me to thoroughly observe just how much you have grown!!!"
Boom!!—
Energy surged from the Demon God Pillar, flooding the entire space as countless spells rained down upon them.
Lev looked down from above, not taking Chaldea's last Master seriously in the slightest.
"Rabble? Seems your eyesight's as bad as your brain."
Gudako grinned.
"Take a good look at who's standing here."
The next moment.
Tiamat gazed at the grotesque, nauseating Demon God Pillars.
She frowned slightly.
"You... are destroying the world."
"I will try my best... to protect Master, and humanity."
She spread her arms. The Sea of Life flowed outward from beneath her feet, submerging her form.
"Nega-Genesis, deploy."
"O' Child, Abide the Laws of Creation—Nammu-Duranki!"
Hum!!—
A colossal beast that shook heaven and earth emerged from the Sea of Life.
Her body was covered in azure-gold scales. Wings spread from her back. Vast eyes glowed with violet-red light.
Her form was larger than mountains. Before her, the Demon God Pillars were like reeds in a field.
Boom!!—
With a casual strike from Tiamat, the ground trembled violently.
Magic slammed against her body like ants shaking a tree, unable to leave even the faintest mark.
Crack!!
Another strike—one of the Demon God Pillars was smashed directly into fragments.
"???"
"Huh?!"
Staring at dragon-form Tiamat, Lev was completely dumbfounded.
What is this?!
Who am I? Where am I??
Why are you here?!
—
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