Chapter 404: [404] Dr. Roman, Welcome Back to Chaldea! And the Showdown with the King of Humans, Goetia [1]
Hum~
The vast and majestic surge of magical energy bloomed, only to vanish the next second.
After uttering its final farewell, Fou completely lost its reason.
It had become an ordinary beast!
The Fourth Beast, [Beast of Comparison], the nascent Beast of Humanity, had thus vanished on its own!
Instinctively, Mash reached out and embraced it: "No, Fou!"
But.
It was already over.
The small white beast looked up at her with innocent confusion, no longer possessing the intelligence and liveliness it once had.
"Fou... fou..."
It let out a soft cry.
But this sound no longer carried any meaning—it was purely an instinctual noise.
No one could decipher it anymore.
"Fou..."
Mash held it tightly, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.
This adorable little creature, having lost its reason, was as good as having its soul erased!
Even if she retained her body, she would have merely become a mindless beast.
The price paid for her sake was far too devastating!
The audience was equally stunned—
[Fou is too adorable! Despite being a Beast of Humanity, she willingly sacrificed herself for humans!]
[Only by loving humanity to the extreme can one become a Beast of Humanity!]
[Losing her reason is equivalent to losing her soul... Instant tears, Fou’s sacrifice is too great!]
[Goetia, take a look at what it means to be a Beast of Humanity who loves humans to the extreme—you simply don’t understand humanity at all!]
[That heartless Merlin tossing Fou out of the tower actually did a good thing?]
[True, if Fou had stayed with that heartless Merlin, she would’ve been corrupted eventually... but at least she would’ve survived!]
In the real Chaldea.
Da Vinci stared in astonishment at the small white beast: "Who would’ve thought? You were actually willing to sacrifice yourself for humanity?"
The origins of this little creature were far too mysterious.
Even she, the so-called Universal Genius, had failed to uncover its true identity.
Just as the Demon King Goetia’s [Nega-Summon] Authority countered all Heroic Spirits,
its title of [Primate Murder] countered all of humanity!
Had it truly grown into its ultimate form,
with the Authority of [Comparison] in effect, no human could ever hope to defeat it!
No matter how strong you were—even someone like Nameless, who had gathered countless parallel versions of himself—
as long as you were human, it would always be stronger than you!
Authorities were the most insurmountable, rule-defying phenomena, akin to True Magic.
The Demon King Goetia’s [Nega-Summon], Tiamat’s [Nega-Genesis]...
Each Authority was practically heaven-defying, pushing humanity to the brink of despair.
And yet now,
this Beast IV was willing to offer itself as a sacrifice to save Mash.
A Beast of Humanity, designed to counter humans, had sacrificed itself for humanity’s sake.
Truly, it had done humanity a tremendous favor!
Fou proudly lifted her tiny head: "Fou... Fou! (Hurry up and say thank you, Fou!)"
Though unsure of what had happened, it had regained its reason once more.
But as a Beast of Humanity, it could clearly sense the countless thoughts and emotions of people wildly discussing it.
These discussions transformed into an immense surge of magical energy, frantically pouring into its tiny body.
Fou’s small frame could barely contain it all.
This mana was simply too vast—how could it possibly absorb it all at once?
"Fou, thank you so much!" Mash held it tightly in her arms.
Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that it would make such a sacrifice for her.
Before this.
When Fou had willingly partnered with her, becoming a Grand Rider alongside her, she had already been deeply moved.
She was just an ordinary shield-wielding girl—how could she possibly deserve such regard from a Beast of Humanity?
But now, in the final battle shown in the video.
It had willingly reverted to an ordinary beast just to save her.
Mash was at a loss for how to express her gratitude.
Fou struggled free from her embrace, nearly suffocated by her tight hold.
It quickly spoke up: "Fou... fou (You should thank Nameless instead.)"
Since it had regained its reason, it was undoubtedly that man’s doing.
It had recovered its rationality and power as a Beast of Humanity.
Meanwhile, Nameless had become Souma—a mere high school student with a shattered Spirit Origin, his strength reduced to less than a hundredth of what it once was.
What exactly had happened between them?
"Of course, I’ll thank my senpai properly when we meet!" Mash nodded firmly.
After forming a contract with Fou and becoming a Grand Rider together, she could truly understand its words.
It was akin to telepathic communication.
If Fou had regained its reason, it was surely thanks to her senpai’s miracle.
So, what exactly had happened afterward?
She focused intently on the screen.
She needed to know what kind of terrible ordeal her senpai had endured to be forced to reset the world!
...
In the video.
The small white beast gazed at Mash’s sorrowful face and gently nuzzled her cheek, as if to comfort her.
But alas, this was merely an instinctive gesture, like that of a cat.
It had completely lost the rationality of an intelligent being.
The Fou now was nothing more than an ordinary beast!
"Fou, don’t worry—I’ll save you." Nameless sighed softly.
Watching one person after another sacrifice themselves before him was unbearable.
And yet.
This sacrifice was necessary.
How could they possibly defeat the Demon God King Goetia without any losses?
As humanity’s last remaining Master, he would reclaim the future for mankind!
Just then.
A holographic projection flickered to life beside him.
Da Vinci’s urgent voice came through: "Ah, the connection’s finally stable! Are you alright, Gudao and Mash?"
The throne room’s powerful spatial-temporal barriers had prevented her from contacting Nameless until now.
"We’re fine," Nameless replied.
"There’s no time to celebrate our victory—the throne is collapsing, and everything is about to be annihilated!"
Da Vinci’s voice grew even more frantic. "The light band containing the energy of all human history has become completely unstable."
If that thing exploded, its destructive force would be enough to pierce and shatter the Earth!
After all.
The Demon God King Goetia had initiated the Incineration of Humanity precisely to gather the immense energy required to reverse time and return to the moment of Earth’s birth 4.6 billion years ago.
To control time was the most inconceivable miracle of all.
A true form of magic!
Chaldea’s Spiritron Transfer traverses timelines purely through magecraft ingenuity, with absolutely no control over time itself.
"Once the light band formed by the Third Noble Phantasm completely collapses, it will explode like a supernova!"
Da Vinci urged, "The Demon God King has already fallen—it could detonate at any moment! Get out of there now!"
The Third Noble Phantasm, [Ars Almadel Salomonis: The Time of Birth Hath Come, He Is the One Who Masters All], ignited human history.
It created an energy band encircling the entire planet.
The energy contained within it was equivalent to hundreds of millions of King Arthurs unleashing their Noble Phantasms simultaneously!
With the Demon God King’s demise, no one could control it anymore, and it would collapse and explode at any moment.
Even if Nameless survived thanks to the scabbard [Avalon: The Ever-Distant Utopia], he would lose all connection with Chaldea, making it impossible for him to return.
This space-time was isolated from human history—only a miracle could bring him back!
Mash wiped away her tears and said, "Senpai, after we finish this battle and go back, let’s leave Chaldea together and see the outside world, okay?"
As a homunculus,
she had been born through artificial cultivation, with no true parents in the conventional sense.
From birth until now, she had never truly left Chaldea.
She had heard that Chaldea was located in Antarctica, where endless ice and snow stretched year-round.
But occasionally, there were clear skies.
When that time came, she could hold Senpai’s hand and see the ocean, the starry sky, and the whole world together!
Mash felt her body grow light, an unprecedented sense of vitality surging through her.
Clearly, this was Fou’s immense magical energy, finally freeing her from her short, doomed lifespan.
After this battle, there would be no more fighting...
"Yeah, I’ll take you to see it all then," Nameless nodded.
Then,
he took the little Shielder’s hand and walked with her toward the Spiritron Transfer point.
Meanwhile,
the Servants who had descended to assist in the battle all smiled one after another.
The battle was over!
The ultimate terror, the greatest enemy, had been beheaded by Nameless!
Jeanne d’Arc’s smile was as radiant as an angel’s. "Everyone, you’ve worked hard. It was only through our combined efforts that we suppressed the Demon God Pillars and allowed Nameless to defeat the Demon God King!"
From the seven Singularities to the countless Sub-Singularities, hundreds of Servants who had formed bonds with Nameless had come to assist.
The meteor shower across the heavens was the dazzling radiance of human order itself.
"Tch, we’re already fading. There’s no way we can stay any longer," Mordred muttered, clicking her tongue.
She had wanted to talk to Nameless a little more.
After finally meeting again, disappearing after just a few words was unacceptable.
But,
the entire Reality Marble was collapsing—staying any longer would mean annihilation alongside it.
She would just have to wait until the next summoning to have a proper conversation.
At that moment,
a figure clad in golden radiance calmly observed everyone.
It was Gilgamesh, the self-proclaimed "battlefield commentator" who had earlier analyzed the Demon God King before choosing to stand aside.
"Independent Manifestation is a trait unique to the Evils of Humanity. Ordinary Servants appearing here would face immediate collapse."
He spoke dispassionately, "Yet you resisted this collapse while battling the Demon Gods. For that, I shall praise you this once."
Jeanne d’Arc looked at him. "King of Heroes, do you not wish to witness the conclusion of all this?"
This proudest and most domineering of kings had, after all, remained standing on the sidelines the entire time.
Appearing to remain aloof, yet from start to finish, his gaze never left Nameless.
It was clear.
Should Nameless falter, the other would undoubtedly draw Ea without hesitation!
"No interest. From this moment onward, it is an ending known only to those involved. This king has no need to intervene."
Gilgamesh gazed into the distance. "Goetia, a beast with eyes that see all, yet perceives only sorrow—blind to kindness and beauty."
"How ironic. The so-called ’Evil of Humanity’ is, in truth, the love of humanity itself."
"Faced with the threat of the future, yet seeking to sacrifice the present to escape... How pitiable, how lamentable!"
"In a world where the Evils of Humanity manifest, the others will inevitably follow in a chain reaction."
"The [Ultimate Evil], perhaps, has already descended!"
Gilgamesh possessed the Clairvoyance to glimpse the future.
Yet, in the fragments of the future he saw, there was no hope for humanity’s survival.
Everything would be brought to an end.
Only an endless, blank, lifeless future remained.
"No matter how formidable a Beast of Calamity it may be, it has nothing to do with this king."
A faint smirk curled at the corner of Gilgamesh’s lips. "Let this king’s dear friend and you all bear the headache!"
It was a calamity far more terrifying than the Incineration of Humanity.
So terrifying that even he could see no glimmer of hope.
But Nameless was there.
With this man who had repeatedly wrought miracles, hope would surely exist.
When that time came, he would very much enjoy seeing the other beg for his help in tears!
"Hm? Something seems to have changed?"
Gilgamesh’s smile vanished abruptly.
The entire future had now blurred beyond recognition.
As if some unimaginably powerful existence had intervened in fate itself!
A presence even more overwhelming than that of the Demon God King.
Could it be... the interference of a transcendent being?
Meanwhile.
Da Vinci grew increasingly urgent. "Fujimaru, Mash, hurry! Just five hundred meters ahead!"
The entire illusory space was on the verge of collapse.
The explosive power of the light bands was equivalent to hundreds of millions of King Arthurs unleashing their Noble Phantasms simultaneously—unmatched in sheer intensity.
Who could possibly withstand that?
Da Vinci suddenly froze. "Wait, this Spirit Origin reaction... No, it’s absolutely impossible!"
The voice that had been urgently urging them moments ago now trembled with shock.
Even a trace of fear crept into it!
"I knew it—He wouldn’t let me go that easily!" Nameless instantly stepped in front of Mash, gripping his sword tightly as he glared at the figure before him with murderous intent.
A man all too familiar appeared before everyone.
It was the Demon God King, Goetia!
No... something was slightly off.
This time, the Demon God King no longer bore the grotesque, monstrous form of a Beast.
Instead, he had taken on the appearance of a golden-haired, crimson-eyed human.
Different from Solomon. Different from the original Beast. A completely new form!
The audience, who had just begun to calm down, erupted into chaos once more—
[Holy shit, He’s not dead?!]
[We’re screwed! The Demon God King can still revive?! How are we supposed to fight this?!]
[I knew He wouldn’t go down that easily! Of course He crawled back from hell for revenge!]
[No, something’s wrong—His condition is off. It’s like his entire body is breaking apart!]
[This is terrifying. Even as his body crumbles, He still wants to drag Nameless down with him!]