Demon Pillars: There's a Mole!

"What are these...?"

As a Magus who has even adopted the Christianity, and given his understanding of Dr. Roman, Rovey's knowledge of Solomon is almost on par with Roman 'Solomon.

If the Demon God Pillars were here, it would definitely say, "Romani is just a lazy otaku who likes anime; he doesn't know anything about Solomon."

It's not just his knowledge of the Bible and the myth of Solomon, but also his understanding of games. In addition to memories accumulated from his previous life, he even knows about many other universes and various abstract Solomon.

For example, a True Magic superhero who shouts "The wisdom of Solomon!" and then all his wisdom instantly resets to zero, rushing to fight Darkseid. It's as if Solomon's super wisdom is telling him to use superpowers to solve the problem.

Then there's the Demon Azazel in "You Are My Summoning," who is not only incredibly powerful but also summons demons every day, frequently beating up the 72 Demons who are not quite right in the head. He is arguably the most powerful Solomon Mustard Edge.

Although the Demon God Pillars on his side don't seem as grotesque as those on the other side, their intelligence and wit, especially in terms of being blind, are in no way inferior.

The most famous stories about Solomon circulating in the world are probably about Solomon thousand harems (Dr. Roman: That's a rumor!) King Solomon's wisdom and unfathomable demeanor (Dr. Roman: I just don't like to talk, and these idiots have exaggerated it!) Solomon, and the Ten Commandments (Roman: That's true, it's a God gift from God.)

The local legend recounts that Solomon met the all-knowing and all-powerful God in a dream, and God asked him his wish. Solomon didn't choose treasure, vast lands, or armies, but instead wished for wisdom. Therefore, God, seeing that this young man was sensible, directly bestowed upon him both wisdom and power—his divine artifact, the Ten Commandments —helping him become an all-knowing and all-powerful king. (Dr. Roman: If I had another chance, I definitely wouldn't choose anything this time!)

This is probably the information and truth that Rovey obtained after he borrowed the communication device from Artoria, the Chaldea leader, to communicate with the legitimate King Solomon.

It's not that it deviates from the legend, but rather that it's extremely abstract, and you could even say that it has no resemblance whatsoever.

Moreover, according to him, the Ten Rings completely sealed Roman's emotions and gave him an unstoppable Clairvoyance, allowing him to see the true nature of the world at a glance.

For example, the same garden is a beautiful world of colors in other people's eyes, but in Solomon's eyes it is all dense data and analysis of the essence; and when others look at beautiful women, they appreciate human beauty, but Solomon sees beautiful women as only human beings; he has seen through everything in the world. If you can stare at all the same women and build a harem, then you are really quite talented. That's why Roman hates his original life so much.

He was too young and got tricked by God. Later, when he realized something was wrong and wanted to return the goods, he couldn't. God simply cut off their communication. Every time he tried to summon angels to help deliver a message, demons appeared instead. Countless attempts to summon angels failed, and instead, 72 Demons were created. This is Solomon's experience in this world.

After hearing Roman's answer, Rovey felt inexplicably that the story was somewhat absurd. Although he had always thought that someone like Roman, with his reclusive nature, even if he were Solomon, could not possibly possess the legendary majesty and mystery, it was still quite unimaginable that he could be this low-class.

God was probably just waiting for him to walk in, so that he could give Solomon the Ten Commandments.

It should be noted that apart from the artifacts born from the blood of God, the only artifacts truly bestowed by God are the Ark of the Covenant and the Ten Commandments in Solomon's possession.

Roman had also told him that the Ten Rings were extremely powerful, each carrying a miracle and being a crucial source of his omniscience and omnipotence. However, the ring that Rovey wore didn't convey any powerful miracle; he could only vaguely sense that the summoning Magecraft had been enhanced and some Magic Circuits had changed. If Goetia hadn't personally certified it as genuine, he would have doubted whether the one on his hand was a fake.

He had asked Roman about this, but Roman said he didn't know either. After all, he had never separated the Ten Commandments since he received them. Even if they were lost or sealed, the rings would come back to him on their own. He would only be truly liberated when he completely abandoned his life Solomon.

This made Rovey wonder if the Ten Rings were collected at the same time.

"..."

Rovey glanced at the Ten Rings that Lev had offered, his expression thoughtful.

Now seems to be the perfect opportunity for him to verify this hypothesis.

"My king, please put these rings back on! These are your treasures, and all I am doing is returning them to their rightful owner. Unlike me, Flauros, and Goetia, that traitor who instigated us to commit such a wrong, leaving you alone outside for so long, he not only seized your remains but also your treasures. It is utterly disrespectful! Utterly disrespectful!"

"In my opinion, only you can truly wield this supreme glory from the past, Your Majesty! Return!!"

Seeing that Rovey's gaze was drawn to the golden ring, Lev, who was standing in front of him, bent down and held the ring above his head, looking like a loyal dog, as if he wanted to offer not only the ring but also Solomon's remains to Rovey.

Although he desperately wanted to capture Goetia, that traitor, and expel him from the King's remains, his strength was insufficient. The Seventy-Two Demon God Pillars launched a surprise attack before Goetia could proceed to the Seventh Singularity; even with seventy-two Incineration Formula stacked together, they only managed to catch Goetia off guard. Then, the eight mechanisms of the Temple of Time activated simultaneously, creating chains to bind Goetia, finally giving him and Barbatos the opportunity to remove Goetia's ring. However, Goetia was ultimately a beast; even with such thorough preparation, they could only control him for half a minute.

Then the great battle at the Temple of Time began. Seventy-two against one were repeatedly reaped by Goetia. If they hadn't possessed absolute immortality, the 72 Demons would probably have been torn apart by Goetia within ten minutes.

They had been locked in a prolonged battle with Goetia because they realized that continuing like this was unsustainable; who knew when they would ever see the King again? Even if they stalled there until the King arrived, they would only become one of the Seventy-Two, and their colleagues would undoubtedly fawn over them. Therefore, to demonstrate his loyalty, while inciting the other Demon God Pillars to fight to the death, Lev secretly slipped away with the ring, intending to get there first and claim all the credit.

He figured two days had passed, and those idiots should have realized what was going on by now, right? Even though he was sure he'd be kicked out of the industry afterward, Lev felt it was worth it for his bright future.

After all, while there's nothing wrong with being one of the 72 Demons, becoming the king's right-hand man offers far greater possibilities.

If there were such a loyal Demon God Pillars as him, the Humanity Incineration and the disappearance of the King would never have happened. He was doing this for the good of all the Demon God Pillars.

Lev had completely hypnotized himself with these words.

"Human, no, Rovey... don't believe this Demon God Pillars's nonsense, it's far too dangerous. There must be some kind of trap hidden among these rings, and besides, we don't even know if these rings are real or fake... Merry?"

Because of the prejudice against Lev, or rather, it can't be called prejudice, since this guy really did some inhuman things before.

In short, Anna doesn't trust Lev at all, so she's going to remind Rovey not to take those gold rings of dubious origin, since they'd be too dangerous if they were fakes.

However, while Rovey wasn't in a hurry, Merry was. She eagerly grabbed the rings for Rovey and put them on his fingers one by one, as if afraid Rovey might change his mind later.

Although Anna's eyesight might be poor, hers was exceptional. As a key member of the Clairvoyance Chat Group, she could instantly distinguish the real from the fake Ten Commandments; the nine rings before her were undoubtedly genuine. Moreover, Rovey had also noticed this; there was no need for verification. The ring he carried had already begun to resonate with the other nine as they approached. This was why he let Merry act recklessly; he wanted to see what would happen when all Ten Rings were gathered.

"Alright~ Go ahead and try it, darling, and feel the power of the God's Instrument carefully."

Merry blinked.

"Your Majesty... how are you feeling?"

Lev's eyes were also filled with admiration and anticipation.

"I feel..."

Rovey fell silent again halfway through his sentence. After putting on the last ring, he suddenly closed his eyes, clenched his fists tightly, and his fists began to shake slightly, as if he was enduring something.

At that very moment, the entire city of Uruk suddenly began to shake violently, as if the whole island were experiencing an earthquake. As the ruler of Uruk and the King of Heroes had set up a barrier to surround the city, Gilgamesh immediately realized that someone was forcibly using external force to break through the barrier he had erected in Uruk.

"What audacity!"

He suddenly opened his tired eyes, slammed his hand heavily on the throne, his eyes filled with extreme anger.

Gilgamesh clearly thought that Ishtar or the Beast Goddess had launched an attack on Uruk, and that even the Great Barrier was beginning to crumble. However, when he opened his eyes, he saw a strange scene that shocked him for a hundred years, yet he didn't know how to describe it. So, he abandoned his duties and, after handing the clay tablets to Siduri to take over, immediately went to repair the Great Barrier. He then summoned Merlin, who hadn't yet set off, and asked him to check on the situation.

Siduri asked worriedly, "What's wrong with the king?"

Merlin's eyes lit up slightly. "Oh dear, is it time for me to step in again? I'm off!"

Because of the damaged barrier, the earthquakes in Uruk became increasingly intense. So Merlin didn't mince words with Gilgamesh this time; he simply took a powerful stride and ran out, leaving behind a surprised Siduri and a dejected Gilgamesh.

One of them was amazed at how fast Merlin could run, while the other was distressed by the fact that he now had to add the task of repairing the Great Barrier to his political duties, and he really couldn't help but curse.

'If these bastards are going to cause trouble, couldn't they have gone a little further and done it at Ishtar's house? Why are they adding unnecessary workload for him?!'

Of course, the others on the other side couldn't hear Gilgamesh's shouts, and Merlin sped up because he could run off to play.

Don't let his status as a Caster fool you; despite carrying a massive staff, his running speed was such that even a Rider like Ushiwakamaru would be left in the dust. In less than two minutes, he had run from the central palace all the way to the city gate, eager to see what kind of fun awaited him this time.

But when Merlin arrived at his destination and saw Rovey and Anna, he found Rovey standing in front of the main gate with his fists clenched and his eyes tightly closed, while an old acquaintance, Lev, was worshipping him with a fanatical expression.

"Huh?"

Merlin's expression turned strange. He felt a strange sense of déjà vu, like something out of a horror movie, where a minor character is injected with an alien, and the villain is excitedly waiting for the alien to burst out.

"What exactly is going on?"

Merlin was startled by this bizarre scene. Because he couldn't see Rovey with his Clairvoyance, and he had just been packing his luggage, he didn't know the general situation like Gilgamesh, and was in a state of confusion. Moreover, Merry, who was standing next to Lev, looked at Rovey with a smile and expectation in her eyes, and was also cheering him on from time to time.

Although he resisted the idea of being another woman, Merlin still respected her. At least when it came to protecting Rovey's safety, Merry's commitment was something he could never match. But the current situation felt a bit off. So Merlin quickened his pace and rushed towards them.

"Step back! You laughable Nightmare, this is before my king!"

Before Merlin could even rush over, Lev, who was closest, was the first to lose his temper. In his eyes, anyone who interfered with Rovey's regaining of his power deserved to die. So he didn't hesitate to look at Merlin, and then a crimson light flashed in Lev's eyes, followed by two rays with terrifying heat that swept directly towards Merlin.

A true hero kills with his eyes!

"What kind of weird move is this? Where did you come from, Dio!?"

Facing the rapidly approaching beam of light, Merlin muttered a curse, then performed a lightning-fast head shake to dodge it, shouting angrily, "What are you doing? Did Goetia send you to kill Rovey?!"

"Hmph, murder the King? That traitor Goetia, would he dare?! And watch your mouth, Nightmare."

"Would I harm my king? How laughable! You should know that I have served the king for many years before you outsiders. My loyalty to the king is beyond the reach of someone as inhuman as you. However, as a fellow subject of the king, I will forgive your ignorant and foolish question."

"Ah?"

Upon hearing this, Merlin was stunned. He looked at Lev in disbelief and asked, "Are you crazy?"

"That's right! It was because I was driven mad that I was bewitched by Goetia and acted so out of line. But now I have completely abandoned darkness and returned to the king's side!"

"You..."

Seeing Lev's righteous words, Merlin blinked, unsure how to respond. After much thought, he finally managed to squeeze out two words.

"Awesome."

——

That's not all.

On this same day, in faraway Chaldea, they were also beginning their celebration, enjoying this rare moment of leisure.

Roman was still celebrating that there was only one Singularity left and that Artoria had returned to her world, suddenly felt that his fingers seemed to be warm. There seemed to be something shaking violently under the white glove he often wore, but it quickly calmed down. However, he felt a strange emptiness.

In that instant, his hands began to tremble uncontrollably, and he even dropped his favorite strawberry cake to the ground, a sight that made Mash, who was standing next to him, feel worried.

"What's wrong, Dr. Roman? Are you feeling unwell...?"

She asked with concern, after all, the doctor dropping the strawberry cake was an abnormal phenomenon comparable to making Miss Artoria go on a diet, so not only Mash, but also Da Vinci and Ritsuka looked at him.

"No, it's nothing, Mash... I'm going to the restroom."

Faced with everyone's questions, Roman wiped away his cold sweat and forced a bitter smile. Then, ignoring everyone's voices, he quickly hid in the bathroom.

Immediately afterwards, he turned on the tap and hurriedly took off the white glove he always wore, revealing his bare, equally smooth palm.

"No... it's all gone!"

Looking at those incredibly smooth fingers, Dr. Roman stared wide-eyed in disbelief, his heart pounding wildly.

"Where did my ring go?!"

Painful screams echoed continuously in the bathroom.

He sensed that something concerning him had already happened somewhere...

——

It is located in the Temple of Time.

The Demon God Pillars, who had been fighting Goetia for three days and three nights, were all clearly sensing what was happening at this moment.

Even Goetia, who was surrounded in the center with Barbatos under his left foot, Morax in his right hand, and both arms held by Baal, Paimon, and others, seemed to realize something at this moment and released his grip. The Demon God Pillars also lost the will to continue their attack.

Then, the seventy-two figures present stared at each other wide-eyed, and then said in unison.

"The King has returned!"

Sensing that the Ten Commandments had been returned to their rightful place, and that Solomon's power and records had reappeared in the world, the seventy-one demons, as loyal subjects, began to dance wildly with excitement. Their joy was beyond words on their faces. Meanwhile, Goetia looked as if he had swallowed a fly, but he still maintained his last bit of stubbornness and the air of a boss, and spoke up.

"Even if he comes back, so what? An incompetent king will always be an incompetent king, and I will still not acknowledge him!"

Seventy-one Demon Gods: "..."

"Who asked you?"

Goetia: "—"

They're too lazy to play along with Goetia anymore. Whether you admit it or not is up to you. Is now the time for you to deny the king? You don't even know if the king will acknowledge you.

In their eyes, with the king's recognition, you are the heir; without the king's approval, who are you?

After such a long and drawn-out war, the 72 Demons have become closely united. They have established a new shared network, kicked Goetia out, and are just waiting to occupy the Temple of Time, reclaim the remains, and then welcome the king.

As for Goetia...

They admitted that this guy truly lived up to his reputation as an individual born from the combined power of 72 Demons; even if they all attacked together, they couldn't defeat him. However, even if they couldn't defeat Goetia would be nothing without them.

Whether it's the Humanity Incineration or the complete Evils of Humanity, it cannot be separated from any demon god.

They've already taken Ten Commandments, Goetia has lost its last bit of forceful control. Why would they still play along with this fool?

Now that the king has returned, let's just announce a retreat and leave this place to Goetia so he can continue his role-playing. Then they can all act as guides, crowding around the king and rushing into the Throne Room to force him to abdicate!

After that, everyone was a good demon god, except for Goetia, who was a bad one. The ending couldn't be more wonderful.

Therefore, in response to Goetia's call and the accusations against Solomon, the seventy-one demons responded with a single word, "Pah!"

Then, without a second thought, he turned and left, infuriating Goetia, who roared in anger, but to no avail.

However, halfway through, Morax, as one of the older Demon God Pillars who had planned this counterattack, suddenly thought of a very serious problem.

Logically, the king's return required the Ten Commandments, which is why they took Goetia's ring.

But since all 72 Demons are here, how did the king return?

Thinking of this, he glanced at the elated Barbatos beside him and asked, "Barbatos, where's the ring?"

"Huh? What ring?"

Barbatos paused slightly upon hearing this.

"The King's Ring! Didn't you and Flauros just tear it off, one hand each?"