When the last demon pillar was completely sealed in a star cage, the grand yet cruel "Purification Operation" led by TYPE-Venus was at last officially completed.
There was nothing left on the Land of Steel ground save for seventy-one shining cages, sparkling like works of art, amid a deathly silence.
Steve turned slowly and looked at the "angelic girl" beside him, who had been beaming happily the entire time. After the battle, her golden wings were folded away; her glow was no longer blinding. She now looked just like a harmless neighborhood girl.
"Thank you, TYPE-Venus. You've been a great help from Venus all the way to Earth."
"As always, your performance was flawless."
The girl let out a silvery laugh and replied brightly, her eyes full of anticipation.
"It was nothing, Master! Any role from your script, I'll perform to my best ability!"
"So, will there be any more interesting performances?"
Steve had to laugh, recognizing the simple curiosity and expectation in her eyes. He knew that, to a being who thought in planetary units, everything on Earth was like a new toy.
But letting her stay on Earth long-term was out of the question. Even if he suddenly agreed, Gaia and Alaya would never allow it.
Even drifting above the atmosphere, letting her consciousness blend into human society, would not truly suffice.
Even a single giant spider from South America asleep here was enough to make the planet feel it was cradling a time bomb; there simply wasn't room on this small world's surface for any more titans to come play.
So Steve, after a moment of contemplation, looked past the bounds of the domain, past its walls, as if gazing into a far-off, fated future.
Then he spoke to her, in a tone that was almost a promise, yet filled with mystery.
"There won't be any performances for you in the near future."
"But I'm sure that someday, a human truly capable of moving your heart will appear and meet you."
"When you hear words like 'excited' and 'love'..." TYPE-Venus's golden eyes sparkled, and she leaned forward in intense interest.
Steve smiled, painting her a picture of the future. "And when that meeting comes, it won't take place in a dark, apocalyptic world like ours, as enemies."
"You are the UO of Venus, bestowed on this planet by humankind with the names of 'Love' and 'Beauty.' Then, surely...you will be able to nurture the simplest, most unique love with him—just the two of you."
These words, sounding almost prophetic and as sweet as honey, pierced the girl's heart in an instant. Her smile blossomed brighter than ever, as if receiving the world's greatest treasure—pure and filled with joy.
She nodded vigorously, her voice overflowing with longing and gratitude.
"Yes! Got it, Master! I'll look forward to it…!"
"Master, thank you so much! This 'spoiler' is the best gift I've ever received!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she bowed deeply to Steve. Next, Steve waved his hand lightly in the air. Before her eyes, a magnificent swirl like a star-filled abyss—an entrance to the depths of the universe, a gate back to Venus—slowly unfolded.
The girl smiled, glanced back at Steve one last time, and then, without hesitation, stepped into the nebula.
Simultaneously, the kilometer-long form hovering above the Reality Marble vanished into the transfer gate, transformed into silent streams of light.
Perhaps, now back on Venus, she would begin to wait excitedly for the future, like a lunar princess in her eternal dream, waiting for her beloved to arrive…
When the portal closed, the ruined world returned to its original state.
Having dismissed this overwhelming, temporary familiar, Steve did not immediately cancel the Land of Steel. Hovering in the air, he overlooked the seventy-one starlit cages below.
For now, the demon pillars were completely docile, like elementary students punished to stand in the corner—entirely cowed after witnessing such an incomprehensible massacre. Ironically, being sealed here had relieved them of Solomon's compulsive control, letting them finally put on a legitimate "dumb act"—and their feelings were now very complicated indeed.
Steve looked at them, a mischievous smile on his face.
"Well then, everyone, the appetizer is finished."
"Next, let's enjoy the main course!"
With a casual wave, a white point of light shot from his fingertip, blooming instantly into a giant display of light that covered half the sky.
Along the edges of the screen, countless cosmic runes slowly scrolled, forming a gorgeous, intricate frame.
The scene of the Temple of Time's throne room appeared brilliantly on the screen.
At that moment, the demon pillars' collective gaze locked onto the giant screen. Within their collective consciousness, all sorts of grumbles and commentary instantly flooded the feed.
"Oh? Live broadcast?"
"It's not like we could win anyway. Might as well watch the show."
"Perfect. Let's see whether the trickster or the real king falls first."
...
Thus, Steve and the seventy-one prisoners commenced a leisurely "movie night" within the sealed walls of this domain.
The battle on the screen was heating up. Fujimaru Ritsuka was struggling to keep the Shadow Servant operational. New magic circles kept appearing on the ground, each summoning a vague Servant shade—throwing themselves without fear straight at the two enthroned enemies.
Nearby, Lev Goetia unleashed a flurry of degraded spells, buying precious time for Ritsuka's summoning, while verbally goading the real King of Magecraft, trying to throw him off rhythm.
Across from them, on the opposing throne, pure composure prevailed.
The true mastermind, Marisbury Animusphere, simply sat there, silent and unmoving. Only the real King Solomon at his side could, with a wave of his arm, annihilate everything with a torrent of magecraft. The summoned Servant-shadows were routinely obliterated by overwhelming and precise barrages, vanishing before they could approach the throne.
The difference in their power was stark.
Ritsuka and Lev's side seemed like a small boat battling to stay afloat on a stormy sea. And yet, it was with their indomitable will—and the nearly cheat-like tactic of "endless human wave assaults" with the Shadow Servant—that they had dragged this unequal confrontation into a bloody war of attrition.
Steve watched everything on the screen with tranquil, profound eyes. He knew the story had reached a pivotal stage.
Now was the time for the hero in dire straits to reveal their true talent.