'I can delay the collapse of your Saint Graph...'
After witnessing Selene's near-suicidal act, the words that "Solomon" had been about to say were forcibly swallowed back down.
Originally, upon seeing Selene's Saint Graph riddled with cracks, a sudden idea had flashed through his mind. He had intended to use the pretext of stabilizing her disintegrating Saint Graph to add something extra into her composite Saint Graph. But now, it seemed unnecessary.
Adding something had only been a spur-of-the-moment safeguard. It did not mean that "Solomon" intended to act against Selene or tear up their agreement at this moment.
At least for now, he had no such intention.
From "Solomon's" standpoint, there was nothing wrong with Selene's current actions.
Her provocation and trampling of Chaldea's ideals, her condescending arrogance, her disregard for all worldly rules, as well as her reckless aggression when in advantage, her deliberate holding back, her intermittent bursts of power followed by weakness, and finally her irritable act of invoking divine authority at the cost of shattering her own Saint Graph...
All of it perfectly embodied the fickle nature of a god.
And it was precisely this fickleness that "Solomon" guarded against.
The events of the Seventh Singularity, Babylonia—where the Three Goddess Alliance had ultimately turned into a "traitor alliance"—had happened not long ago.
After all, gods are capricious.
One moment, Selene might wish to watch the grand spectacle known as the Incineration of Humanity, enjoying the desperate struggle of heroes destined to be recorded in history as they fight against extinction—and even take pleasure in pushing things along.
The next moment, she might want to witness the hymn of human courage, be moved by a particular individual—or by humanity as a whole—and suddenly switch sides, delivering a backstab.
Do not think such a thing impossible. From "Solomon's" perspective, based on his own experiences and his knowledge of mythological epics across regions, gods were fully capable of such behavior.
He understood this deeply.
Foreseeing something was one thing, but "Solomon's" pride would never allow him to break his word.
While small precautions were inevitable, before Selene explicitly betrayed them, he would never launch a sneak attack or plot against an ally.
To be honest, even with his EX-ranked Clairvoyance, he could not observe much beyond Selene's Servant parameters.
Aside from the fragments she had voluntarily revealed, along with incomplete visions related to empire, war, expansion, and prosperity, he knew nothing more.
This left "Solomon," who possessed an intense desire for control, extremely uncomfortable. Although he maintained a polite demeanor toward Selene on the surface, the distrust buried deep within him had never disappeared.
But as Selene violently crushed her own body—and even her Saint Graph—his wariness and distrust had partially faded.
Sizzle—crack! crack crack!
Large chunks of decayed, dark scales fell away, crashing into the sea and stirring waves, revealing beneath Selene's scales a body riddled with wounds, fragile like shattered porcelain.
Or perhaps such trivial matters were what attracted her. Maybe Selene truly acted purely for amusement.
Her wings withering, the luster of her massive divine body visibly dimming, "Solomon" thought silently.
"Your Majesty, even with the foundation of the Age of Gods and the domain enriched with mystery through the modifications of my temple, you likely have only about two hours remaining."
Seemingly unconcerned about Chaldea's hidden trump card—the Bull of Heaven, Gugalanna—"Solomon" raised a hand and pointed toward the temple that tore through the sky, where a massive radiant ring hovered in the air.
"Two hours is more than enough."
Unlike her dimming body, the light within Selene's chest grew ever more radiant. Her violet-red eyes lit up once more, as the portions belonging to the Demonic Beast Goddess Gorgon and the primordial mother goddess Tiamat were being stripped away.
"Besides, being so restricted is far too dull, isn't it? Clinging to life is not my style. To burn as brilliantly as the galaxy itself—that is the path I pursue."
Bzzzz—!
The red magical particles leaking from the countless cracks across her thousands-of-meters-long serpentine body gathered like a storm—magic power resembling Selene's own blood.
Crack!
Visible to the naked eye, the body of the Demonic Beast Goddess began to collapse, transforming into pure magical energy that converged toward the torn opening in Selene's chest—compressing, refining, transforming.
At this moment, upon the spirit body forged from the composite Saint Graph, snake scales, dragon horns, claws... all mutated limbs dissolved after being enveloped in radiant brilliance.
When the aura of hatred and vengeance belonging to the "Beast" dissipated, what remained beneath was Selene's true appearance.
Her eyes were bright, her teeth flawless, her beauty resplendent. At this moment, the noble and majestic aura of the sovereign of the heavens was revealed without reservation!!
"Moreover, even a mere mortal can possess such resolve. If I continued to present myself in that form, would that not make it seem as though I were afraid?"
Selene's stunning face was cold and luminous as she cast a sidelong glance at "Solomon."
"Won't you save Lev?"
"Hmm?!"
In the next instant—BOOM!!!
A torrent of destructive magical energy burst forth like a radiant beam, instantly drawing "Solomon's" attention.
A massive impact sounded from over a dozen kilometers away. The violent shockwaves spread in all directions.
Countless golden chains swept outward, meeting the horrifying Demon God Pillar that caused sanity to plummet. With a thunderous crash, it was pierced through and obliterated in an instant.
At the same time, the vast number of tentacles that had been growing and multiplying like wheat in a field within several kilometers were completely cleared away. Even the Honkai Beasts that Selene had created—boasting just moments ago—were skewered in droves by the chains.
The Demon God Pillars that survived shrieked restlessly, as though encountering a natural predator.
"How... how is this possible...?!"
Accompanied by power capable of shattering mountains and tearing apart the earth, Lev was pierced through by several golden chains. He fell from the cliff, crashing heavily into a sea of blood that reached his knees.
The anti-demonic property inflicted immense pain upon him, causing him to howl as he rolled within the thick, Imaginary-energy-corroded seawater. His ferocious face was filled with disbelief as he looked up—his pupils shrinking at the sight of that fluttering green figure.
"You... how is this possible?! You've actually become a Heroic Spirit?! Someone who despises humanity as much as you—how could you choose to help Chaldea?!"
"I have crawled back from the underworld, you blasphemer!"
With flowing green hair, a slender figure, and a simple white robe, the green-haired beauty bore a savage killing intent utterly mismatched with her delicate face as she summoned several golden chains toward Lev.
"You dare desecrate Mother's Saint Graph! Lev Lainur Flauros, your death is well deserved!! I will tear you limb from limb!!"
RUMBLE—!
The twisted body was crushed into pulp like a rag. Still unsatisfied, the green-haired beauty plowed the surrounding land several more times before venting her anger.
"Kingu, Lev is already a Demon God Pillar. As long as Solomon remains, he won't truly die."
At this moment, Ritsuka Fujimaru, surrounded by Mash Kyrielight, Jeanne d'Arc, and a host of Heroic Spirits, stepped forward. Clad in a newly renewed Chaldea Master combat uniform, the sorrow had already vanished from his face. His fighting spirit burned high as he fixed a resolute gaze upon the now-manifested "Solomon."
"..." The green-haired beauty nodded silently.
Though appearing once more in Enkidu's form, his identity was beyond doubt—the child created by Tiamat, bearing the true name Kingu.
"I didn't expect that after my death, the god Kingu would return to this world by borrowing my body." As the words fell, yet another green-haired beauty appeared.
Identical to Kingu... no, rather, Kingu resembled him.
Enkidu!
If one were to distinguish Kingu from Enkidu, their Noble Phantasms differed. In appearance, one had violet eyes while the other had green. Moreover, Enkidu's aura was more ethereal and serene—a refined, elegant spirit of nature.
At this moment, Ritsuka Fujimaru and the others also noticed the abnormality surrounding Selene.
Mash asked, "Selene... is she about to withdraw?"
"Not at all."
At that moment, Ishtar descended in a blaze of thunder, speaking rapidly as she explained, "It's a sublimation of the Saint Graph. By completely destroying the 'Beast'-class Saint Graph—on par with a Grand—she's about to truly manifest the power of a god."
As she spoke, Ishtar placed one hand on her hip and patted her chest with lingering fear. "Good thing my Gugalanna didn't go missing this time. Otherwise, with a bunch like you, humanity would've been finished for sure!"
"That woman is absolutely insane. She tore apart her own spirit body and shattered her Saint Graph, yet she treats the pain as if it's nothing!"
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Why can't I overclock like that? Ishtar grabbed her twin tails in frustration. "Damn it, it's all this body's fault! Or rather, my Saint Graph is too weak! Ah... ugh, ahhh...!"
Without a Grand or Beast-level Saint Graph, an ordinary Servant body—even with a divine core—could not withstand such "overclocking." If she tried the same as Selene, Ishtar would undoubtedly disintegrate on the spot.
Her rapid-fire speech and ever-shifting expressions left Ritsuka momentarily stunned.
"Lady Ishtar... you..."
Upon seeing Ishtar in her "Tohsaka Rin version," Enkidu was shocked. Even someone as composed as he struggled to maintain his expression. Was this really the same arrogant and domineering Ishtar he knew?
"Huh? Enkidu?"
Noticing the wide-eyed puppet-like beauty, Ishtar quickly composed herself, adjusting her posture and flicking her twin tails before clearing her throat. "So it's you. Good, actually. I've got a task for you—protect him."
Then Ishtar stepped forward with her right leg—clad in the rare stirrup-style stockings—and pointed at Ritsuka Fujimaru's chest with a serious expression.
"From here on, Selene is mine. But I can't guarantee how long I can hold her off. Gugalanna does have the power to destroy civilizations, trample mountains, and overturn rivers—but she's a god!"
"And tell that bastard Gilgamesh to hurry up! If he screws this up, I'll personally send him a clay tablet labeling him the 'Most Useless King'!"
With Gugalanna still in her possession, her confidence was on an entirely different level. Throwing down her declaration with a domineering air, Ishtar had arrived in a rush—and just as quickly soared back into the sky.
She shouted toward the abnormal massive cloud formation that looked like a colossal thunderstorm visible even from the stratosphere.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Gugalanna!"
At the same time—
Bzzzz—!
The golden light and blood-red magical particles fully merged into the divine core within Selene's chest. Her body began to radiate intense brilliance, her divine form rapidly shrinking and collapsing, turning into ashes.
The overwhelming tide of Honkai Beasts suddenly halted, trembling as they prostrated themselves in unease, staring at the place where Selene had vanished.
"Manifest—my second Noble Phantasm! The moment of coronation has arrived, let all phenomena be enlightened—Ars Paulina!"
Seeing this, "Solomon" raised both arms high, an expression of boundless compassion appearing in his eyes.
The Grand Time Temple—unfolds!
As the faint, ethereal echoes of his chant slipped from those inhuman fangs, the world was distorted in that instant.
The first sight to greet the eye was a field of grass.
An endless green plain stretched out, dotted with flourishing pink-white blossoms that spread rapidly, covering everything in sight.
Looking into the distance, solemn white stairways extended upward, connecting to a gradually solidifying phantom throne suspended in the sky.
The crimson sky of destruction was concealed, replaced by a pure azure sky scattered with white clouds. High above, a massive radiant halo hung close at hand.
That halo was immaculate—sacred beyond compare, breathtakingly beautiful.
At this moment, the world was divided in two.
Ritsuka Fujimaru and the others stood just outside the edge of the temple, beneath their feet a scarred wasteland.
Meanwhile, where "Solomon" stood, the grassy field stretched endlessly, brimming with life, swaying gently under a refreshing breeze.
To the uninformed, it might seem as though good and evil had reversed in this moment.
Thump—!
Like the beating of a heart once more.
From the shattered composite Saint Graph of the "Beast," pushed to its ultimate limit, the moment had finally arrived. No class restrictions remained—this was the complete and true Selene... the very essence recorded upon the Throne of Heroes.
She manifested once again, no longer in that monstrous, corrupted form.
Snow-white hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall. Light condensed upon her flowing locks like pearls. Her exquisitely proportioned figure was flawless. Her crystalline crimson eyes shone like faceted rubies, within them faint golden cross-shaped rings gazing upon everything.
A purple armored dress draped elegantly over her curvaceous figure, with a pure white inner garment beneath it and intricate golden patterns adorning the hem. Behind her head, a radiant golden halo symbolizing authority shone brightly.
With each breath, the surrounding mist naturally turned a violet-red hue.
Crack, crack.
Clenching her fist as she felt the slightly more stable new body, Selene smiled faintly. "My thanks, 'Solomon.' Our deal remains valid... of course, that is—so long as you do not lose."
This was the truth.
As long as the false Solomon, the true Incineration of Humanity—Goetia—did not lose, the contract of their agreement would remain in effect.
Unfortunately, Selene knew that as long as Chaldea's sole 'exception' still existed, the outcome was already decided.
"I will not lose," "Solomon" declared proudly.
"We shall see." Selene cast him a meaningful glance.
Then she raised her hand toward the direction of Ritsuka Fujimaru and the others. How should she force him out quickly?
Crack—!
Selene's fingers dug deeply into the void before her—and pulled.
"Void Unleashed!"
Bzzzz—!
At that moment, the light reached its absolute peak.
It was as though hundreds—no, thousands—of miniature suns had appeared in the sky.