Chapter 395: [395] The Time of Birth Has Come, He Is the One Who Masters All - Enter Dr. Roman [2]
On the screen.
All the Servants were expelled.
The scene suddenly became eerily empty.
After a brief moment of surprise, Mashu murmured thoughtfully, "I see... So I was born for this moment, wasn’t I?"
The Servants didn’t even have the right to stand before the Demon God King.
Though she had inherited the legacy of the Servant Galahad, she was only half-human, half-Servant.
Thus, she remained completely unaffected by the Authority of [Anti-Summon].
Only she could stay by her Senpai’s side until the very end.
It seemed she would have to withstand the most terrifying blow for her Senpai, to reclaim the future for humanity!
The Demon God King Goetia spoke indifferently, "Well, the time has come. The blueprint for the primordial planet is complete. We have no need for you on the journey to the genesis of the world."
"Allow me to complete the final task of this domain, this era, this old planet—"
"To send you to your deaths!"
After expelling all the Servants.
The Demon God King finally activated his third Noble Phantasm, intending to obliterate the two insignificant beings before him.
Or rather.
As long as he eliminated Nameless, humanity’s last Master, humanity would be utterly annihilated.
Because he alone was humanity’s final hope.
Once he was slain, no Servant would be able to interfere any further.
Humanity would vanish from this world.
And He would truly recreate this planet anew!
"Then behold—the end of your journey!"
The Demon God King Goetia unleashed his Noble Phantasm in full. "The terminus of human history, the moment my grand undertaking to recreate this star is fulfilled!"
The luminous band swirling in the sky was the true form of the Demon God King’s Noble Phantasm.
The annihilating light that heralded the end of humanity!
At a glance, it resembled a ring enveloping the entire Earth.
In truth, it was an amalgamation of hundreds of millions of light beams.
Each beam carried power comparable to Excalibur at full strength!
At the center of the radiant band suspended in the heavens, a blood-red glow erupted.
A crimson light, so deep it verged on violet, wildly converged at the core, coalescing into an immense surge of energy.
Within it lay a force surpassing all the energy on Earth, vast beyond imagination.
At this moment, the Demon God King freely wielded it, transforming it into a pillar of light that blasted toward Nameless!
This was his third Noble Phantasm—the light of human incineration, the cannon that annihilates human history. It could be called—
[Ars Almadel Salomonis!]
Under this suffocating pressure.
Mashu, without hesitation, stepped in front of Nameless and raised her shield. "I won’t let you harm my Senpai!"
"How tedious. Why do you resist, Mash Kyrielight?"
The Demon God King Goetia scoffed. "As an artificial human, I understand you—and you should understand me as well."
"Humans are so dull. Even in life, they can only witness endless disappointment. Creating a new world without death should be your desire too, no?"
Even now.
He still sought to persuade her.
An artificial lifeform, an existence akin to the Demon Gods, exploited by humans.
There was no reason for her to stand on humanity’s side.
"One among us still hesitates. But it matters not—even if only a single human can comprehend."
The Demon God King Goetia extended his hand toward her. "Mash Kyrielight, fellow lifeform created by humans yet destined to vanish, let us together deny human history!"
"Speak but a word, and I shall grant you passage to the Origin, and eternal life!"
Yet the little Shielder remained silent, standing resolutely before Nameless.
The Demon God King’s gaze shifted. "Nameless, you must know her life is approaching its end."
"As the senior she cherishes most, do not obstruct me. Allow me to bestow upon her eternal life!"
"One pillar among us has declared it cannot stand idly by—we cannot let this planet’s final memory become tragedy."
"You feel the same, do you not? Would you not rather save Mash alone, since all must perish regardless?"
Seventy-two Demon God Pillars.
That particular pillar who infiltrated Chaldea could never tolerate the cruel experiments inflicted upon Mash.
Too cruel.
To subject such an innocent girl to inhuman torment.
Thus, Professor Lev fully abandoned saving humanity and embraced his destiny as a Demon God Pillar.
Yet he never gave up on saving Mash.
Even after igniting human history and dooming the planet.
He still sought to bring Mash back to the planet’s Origin.
To live eternally in a new, everlasting world!
As the collective of seventy-two Demon God Pillars, King Goetia could not ignore one pillar’s plea.
Under the Demon God King’s provocation.
Nameless showed no intention of refuting him.
She simply gazed softly at the little shield maiden: "Mash, you really don’t have to..."
He had made a contract with [Alaya], becoming the nameless heroic spirit who guarded human order.
While she was merely an artificial lifeform treated as a lab rat by humans—there was no reason for her to risk her life protecting humanity.
"No, Senpai, please don’t say anymore!"
Mash’s eyes burned as she stared at the Demon King, "Even if I could live forever, I don’t want eternity!"
"Because the past I’ve experienced, the present I see, and the future I reach—it’s all right here!"
"Even if my life ends in the next instant, even so, I want to witness this future, even if just for one more second!"
The always gentle little shield maiden.
Now spoke with a resolve so firm, unshaken even in the face of death, rejecting the Demon King’s offer.
Leaving the Demon King in silence.
Clearly, his final attempt at persuasion had failed!
Mash turned her gaze to Nameless beside her: "Senpai, can you hold my hand one more time?"
"Of course, for as long as you want!"
Nameless reached out, interlacing their fingers.
This scene.
Sparked countless reactions from the audience—
[Goetia: You dare feed me dog food right in front of me? I’ll burn you to ashes!]
[Why do I suddenly smell the scent of tragedy?]
[Damn it, my most perfect and adorable little shield maiden must not come to harm!]
[Sigh, hard to say. Each beam is equivalent to Excalibur at full power, and with hundreds of millions of beams attacking... the scale is unimaginable!]
[A single strike could pierce through the entire planet—how can they possibly block it?]
[No, have faith in Nameless! He’s the real deal, a true ally of justice. To harm Mash, they’d have to step over his corpse first!]
In Egypt, within the grand temple.
Ramesses II stared blankly at the screen: "Can they really block this?"
Even someone as proud as him had to admit he was no match for this damned Demon King.
There was no helping it.
The Demon King had ignited three thousand years of human history, amassing energy vast enough to reverse time and reach back 4.6 billion years.
Once he fully unleashed his third Noble Phantasm, firing the Human Order Cannon, it would be equivalent to hundreds of millions of King Arthurs unleashing their full power!
King Arthur stood among the very top of heroic spirits.
Hundreds of millions of King Arthurs attacking simultaneously...
Never mind, better not imagine it—it would only make him doubt his own strength!
"Ordinary heroic spirits indeed cannot block it, but she can." King Hassan replied calmly.
Against this Demon King, who countered all heroic spirits, even someone as mighty as him could not inflict any damage.
Only Nameless and Mash could truly defeat him.
Ramesses II looked at him in shock: "Ha, what are you saying?"
Had this guy gone senile? Claiming that adorable little shield maiden could block it?
He couldn’t believe it.
After all, she was only a demi-servant, lacking even the full combat power of a true heroic spirit.
At the start, she had been so timid, even afraid to step onto the battlefield.
And you expect her to block the Demon King’s [Human Order Cannon], capable of piercing the planet?
"Just keep watching, and you’ll see." King Hassan had no intention of arguing further.
"Hmph, I absolutely refuse to believe it."
Ramesses II snorted.
Even he had to admit he was no match for the Demon King.
He’d sooner jump off the top of the grand temple and hand his throne to King Hassan than believe they could pull it off!
In the video.
The Demon God King Goetia coldly declared, "What a pity. Then you shall burn to ashes along with the entirety of human history!"
"Third Noble Phantasm, deploy—"
"By the fire of the planet, proclaim the end of humanity!"
[The Time of Birth Hath Come, He Is the One Who Masters All (Ars Almadel Salomonis)!]
A vast ocean of magical energy surged and converged into a single point, transforming into a blinding pillar of light that came crashing down.
The entire space trembled violently as countless dark fissures appeared.
Under this cataclysmic bombardment.
Mashu unhesitatingly unleashed her Noble Phantasm: "That is our homeland, capable of healing all wounds and grievances—manifest now—"
[Lord Camelot!]
She was her Senpai’s strongest shield.
As long as she lived, she would never allow her Senpai to be harmed!
The magnificent and grand walls of Camelot bloomed forth in that instant, firmly shielding Nameless within.
As for Mashu herself, she stood at the gates of the fortress,
guarding it alone!
The pillar of light crashed into the walls in an instant.
The entire world abruptly turned pure white.
Time seemed to pause at that moment.
In this endless white tableau.
A familiar voice rang out—
[Indeed, there exists no material on Earth capable of withstanding the heat of the Light Band—but only within the bounds of physical laws!]
[Her protection is one of the spirit!]
[As long as her heart remains unshaken, it shall become an invincible defense that neither melts nor breaks!]
[I understand! Of course I understand!]
[If it’s her walls, they can surely withstand my Third Noble Phantasm! But the cost is...]
The voice seemed to belong to King Solomon, the Demon God King, or perhaps that shut-in doctor.
After the voice faded.
On the screen.
Mashu’s figure emerged within the blinding whiteness.
The time of destruction from hell continued unabated.
Under this terrifying attack capable of piercing through stars, the journey would come to a definitive end.
The past in which she existed and the dream of a future without her would both cease to be.
Yet.
Mashu, fully aware of this, suddenly smiled.
"It’s wonderful, Senpai. I can finally be of help to you."
"Senpai, meeting you has made Mashu truly happy..."
"By your side, Mashu is the happiest girl in the world."
"Thank you so much for your care all this time, allowing me to endure my weaknesses and walk this far."
"Only now have I truly felt that my life has meaning."
"I was always protected by you, Senpai, by the doctor, by Da Vinci-chan, by everyone."
"It was a little frustrating. At the very least, let me help you just this once at the end!"
She was a life created artificially.
The sole reason for her existence was to serve as the first director’s lab rat, an attempt to artificially produce a Servant.
From the very beginning, she lacked human emotions, always yearning to understand the human "heart."
She couldn’t comprehend why humans fought.
She couldn’t accept that life was inherently meaningless.
She refused to acknowledge humanity’s many flaws, remaining pure and unblemished from start to finish.
But under her Senpai’s guidance, she gradually came to understand so much.
She learned the wonders of the journey, the beauty of the world, the greatness of life.
So, without hesitation, she raised her shield, ready to fight to protect her senior, to protect humanity!
The narrator’s voice echoed once more—
["That’s right. After so many battles, she still feels it’s not enough."]
["Her feelings for her Master are so intense. Even if it’s just something as trivial as ’meeting one morning.’"]
["Even if her body cannot withstand the heat of the Light Band and evaporates."]
["As long as her heart remains untainted by any existence, the Snowflake Shield will remain unscathed, forever sheltering her Master."]
["That’s why I said—she isn’t some brave warrior, nor the protagonist of this story."]
["She’s just... an ordinary girl..."]
...
This narrator’s voice.
And the girl’s inner monologue moved countless viewers to tears.
Everyone understood clearly.
The moment she raised her shield and stood before Nameless, the girl had already prepared herself for sacrifice.
Without regret or hesitation!
"Because Mash is too shy to ever say those words out loud."
Mash’s adorable face blossomed into an even brighter smile. "Next time... Mash won’t let go of your hand again... Because I really... love you so much..."
"In these final moments, I’ll stake everything I have to protect you, Senpai!"
A smile so radiant it brought endless tears to countless eyes.
The viewers wiped their tears away, unable to look away from the screen.
To withstand the full force of the [Human Order Cannon]—how could there be no price?
Just as countless people wept, unable to bear watching any longer...
A hand quietly pierced through the pure white radiance, grasping the girl’s own.
Nameless’s magnetic voice rang out: "Then don’t let go."
Threads of golden light unfurled, weaving into delicate strands that enveloped them both.
Upon the majestic, towering walls of pure white Camelot, a layer of shimmering gold now gleamed.
It was the strongest defensive Noble Phantasm—
[Avalon, the Ever-Distant Utopia!]
Possessing absolute defense comparable to True Magic, it could withstand all forms of magecraft and physical attacks.
The sheath itself was equivalent to "Magic"!
Even the [Human Order Cannon], capable of piercing through the Earth, could not breach it!
During the previous Singularity, Camelot: The Sacred Round Table Realm, Nameless had returned it to the Lion King, granting her the qualification to become a Heroic Spirit.
Now, after King Arthur—restored to her senses—answered the summons and descended, she entrusted it once more to Nameless to face the most terrifying enemy.
"Senpai?!"
Mash stared at him in shock.
Tears suddenly streamed down her face, which had been beaming with joy just moments ago.
She tightly grasped his hand. "Yes... I won’t let go!"
She had been prepared to sacrifice herself to protect her Senpai.
Yet, in the end, it was still her Senpai who protected her.
But... she was truly happy!
As her tears fell, the audience also wiped their eyes—
[Damn it, that bastard Alaya, deliberately playing with our emotions!]
[What kind of divine love is this? Even a grown man like me is crying like a dog! Damn it, why feed me this dog food?!]
[Thank goodness for Avalon, or else little shield girl would’ve really sacrificed herself!]
[Wait, why didn’t Nameless bring out the sheath earlier? Why did Mash have to steel herself for death?]
[Are you stupid? The Demon God King has Anti-Summoning, which can banish any Heroic Spirit or Noble Phantasm. If he’d brought it out immediately, it would’ve been banished instantly!]
[Ah, right. Mash’s shield is her own, but the sheath isn’t King Arthur’s!]
Mash.jpg
Back in the real Chaldea.
Gilgamesh stared at the golden sheath, suddenly feeling a phantom pain in his arm and heart.
During the Unlimited Blade Works timeline.
That bastard Souma had used Avalon’s invincible defense to have a "heart-to-heart" talk with him.
A literal heart-to-heart talk!
One sword stroke severed his arm, and another stabbed straight through his heart.
Truly, a dear and beloved friend!
But well done!
Even Gilgamesh wanted to kill that edgy, corrupted version of himself.
He must’ve had his brain rotted by the Grail’s mud—how else could he have thought of using it to destroy humanity?
Romani Archaman watched the screen with mixed emotions.
It felt like watching his own daughter grow up.
In his eyes, Mash was the daughter he had watched over, and he had wished for nothing but her happiness.
Now, she had finally found it.
How wonderful.
It was time for him to make a decision—whether to face his own responsibility.
As long as others could find happiness, that was enough.
He had already experienced human life for so long... he had no regrets left.
Qin Shi Huang frowned slightly. "The sheath does possess invincible defense, but as King Arthur’s Noble Phantasm, it would be vulnerable to Anti-Summoning."
Souma had refrained from using it earlier, clearly intending to save it as a last resort to block the Demon God King’s fatal strike and counterattack.
This was his strongest, one-time-only trump card.
A pity.
The Demon God King had immediately unleashed his third Noble Phantasm, firing a blast that Mash couldn’t possibly withstand.
If Nameless hadn’t acted, that little shield girl would have died without a doubt!
"Teacher... you truly cannot bear to watch others die protecting you, can you?"
Qin Shi Huang sighed softly.
Another righteous ally would undoubtedly watch Mash sacrifice herself to protect them without hesitation.
They would save their strongest trump card until the very end to seize the chance of defeating the enemy.
Unfortunately, Souma was not that kind of person.
This was precisely what set him apart from others.
A righteous ally who would rather die himself than sacrifice anyone!
As expected.
On the screen.
The Demon God King Goetia sneered coldly, "Meaningless. Utterly meaningless!"
[Nega Summon!]
His unique Authority of the Beast unfolded once more, capable of nullifying all Noble Phantasms and banishing every Servant.
Under this terrifying Authority,
the invincible defense of the scabbard remained unbroken.
Yet while Nameless maintained the scabbard’s protection, he was constantly battered by the opponent’s tsunami-like magical energy erosion.
Under this relentless assault, his mana was being drained at a frenzied pace, far beyond what he could endure.
The closer the scabbard was to King Arthur, the stronger its defensive and restorative effects became.
It was essentially bound to King Arthur’s origin, with others merely borrowing its power.
In the parallel world of [Unlimited Blade Works],
Emiya only fully activated the scabbard’s formidable restorative abilities after King Arthur appeared.
Now, with even King Arthur forcibly banished by the Demon God King, the scabbard could no longer manifest its true power and was about to be expelled back to her.
"In this Reality Marble, the Time Temple Solomon, we are undying and unkillable! Your fleeting existence and resistance are utterly meaningless!"
The Demon God King gazed icily at his foe. "I can unleash my third Noble Phantasm without limit. How many times can you withstand it?"
"Third Noble Phantasm, deploy—"
The radiant bands above his head coalesced once more, gathering terrifying magical energy.
The second [Ars Almadel Salomonis] was about to annihilate the two before him with overwhelming force.
At that moment,
a figure who should never have appeared materialized abruptly in the clearing.
Demon God King Goetia stared in shock: "Romani Archaman? A mere ordinary human, how did you reach this throne?"