Chapter 36

In fact, Melusine just wanted to know more about him, to see if she could help him, to share his burden.

"This is something I want to do later. Now it seems I'll have to trouble you again, Melusine. I'm sorry, I'll make things difficult for you like this in the future too."

Hearing Novia say this, Melusine looked displeased. She shook her head and looked directly at the person she loved, saying:

"Don't say that! I don't dislike it. I hope you'll rely on me more. Most importantly, protecting you and working hard together is something I enjoy! I'm doing this willingly!"

The silver-haired girl clenched her fist and spoke passionately, her appearance very sincere. Novia blinked and couldn't help but smile.

"Somehow, Melusine, you're very easily deceived."

What Novia wrote was the plan he had originally envisioned before Nero's transformation. Besides investing in Byzantium, Novia also wanted to transform the current Roman Empire's system from top to bottom into Europe's feudal system.

He, as the "messenger of God on Earth," would drive this change. This should allow for a top-down reform, which was rare for ancient empires. Naturally, this would harm the interests of many nobles, but he would use the "violence" of Rome and Church's faith to bring about a complete change.

Novia's original plan was inspired by the reforms of Charlemagne's grandfather, Charles Martel, who changed the practice of unconditionally granting land to instead implement conditional land enfeoffment. With the Church's faith, vassals would be required to be loyal to their liege lords, and liege lords would have to protect their vassals, thus deeply ingraining the concepts of rights and obligations intertwined.

The reason he wanted to write it down was likely due to Novia's own uncertainties about the future, so he wanted to document it and have others execute it besides himself.

Regarding why Nero had become this way, Novia had asked Locusta, who had accompanied her, the previous night. He learned that Nero had transformed precisely because she knew the substance he had given her was not poisonous. In other words, in Nero's impression, he had been using poison from the very beginning, but he had never said so.

Immediately, Novia understood that Agrippina had played a trick at some point. Therefore, he had already ordered Lucius to have her confined in the Temple of Quirinus on Quirinal Hill, and he would deal with her later.

"Not at all, I'll only let you deceive me," Melusine pouted, puffing out her cheeks as if sulking. "Okay, hurry up and hug me again."

Time trickled by, slowly approaching evening. Novia, who had finally finished writing everything, turned to look at the still sleeping Nero and let out a sigh. He then got up, put Melusine down, and his expression relaxed slightly.

"I have something to take care of. Melusine, you stay here for a while."

"No, I'm coming too. I want to help you."

"Be good."

Novia gently placed his right hand on Melusine's head. As if savoring the touch, she closed her eyes. His palm felt the dragon girl's hair and the warmth of her life.

"Alright then, you—" Melusine paused here. The faint yellow light from outside the window illuminated her profile. With a somewhat lonely expression, she hesitated for a breath before continuing, "If you're not here, I'll be lonely..."

"Don't worry, I promised you."

With that calm statement, Novia headed for the Temple of Quirinus on Quirinal Hill.

Before the events of the Apocalypse occurred, he had one more thing to do: murder.

In front of the heavy temple doors, Novia exhaled, adjusting his breathing.

Once this door was opened, there would be no turning back. He could have chosen to ignore it, yet he had still come here.

"You've arrived? How is it, how is it? Isn't that child an incredibly cute doll? So cute."

Pushing open the door, the temple, which had been empty, was now occupied by Agrippina. She had been contemplating something before the statue of Quirinus. Upon hearing the door open, she turned to Novia and said, "Nero, my lovely Nero, I love you. Come, she must want to kill me very much. Hurry and let her come see me!"

What she inherited from her mother was a curse, a devotion that was pure. Agrippina called such a plea love.

But in reality, this love was essentially a rose with thorns.

Those who received such a "mother's love" from a thorny love would eventually kill with thorns.

"Agrippina, it won't be Nero who kills you. She won't kill her own mother. Children don't kill their mothers."

Novia, with a blank expression, pushed the deranged woman to the ground and toyed with the long sword in his hand.

The scene reminded him of the process of killing Empress Messalina himself.

"Let Nero kill me! What right do you have? You're just an outsider. What's your relationship with Nero? I am her mother, you are a complete outsider!"

Agrippina roared and cursed, her voice echoing through the silent temple.

"It will only be me who kills you, and no one else. If she's going to hate anyone, it will be me, not you or her."

Novia said calmly, and in the next moment, he plunged the sword deep into Agrippina's chest, killing her instantly. Then, he pulled out the blood-stained sword and cleaned it with magic.

Finally, in the Temple of Quirinus, facing the blood-stained statue of Romulus, he said:

"I am grateful for your help, but for you, who sees everything as Rome, I have undoubtedly killed the child you loved right before your eyes. For this alone, I must apologize to you, Romulus Quirinus."

068: The Apocalypse Begins

Half a month later, at the final battlefield recorded in the Book of Revelation—Armageddon.

The matter of the Emperor's disappearance for half a month had not yet sparked any significant discussion within the empire. Due to Novia's arrangements, the empire's political affairs were proceeding in an orderly fashion, so people simply assumed His Majesty the Emperor might want to rest.

Regarding Agrippina's death, people merely lamented that a Christian had departed this world and said little else. There might have been various conspiracy theories, but the general attitude was one of "Is that so."

And now, at Armageddon, the scene that met Novia's eyes was the usual dreamlike scenery of the sky, filled with blue, stretching endlessly.

"Melusine, are you ready?"

Holding the 'Spear' in his hand, Novia, whose smile had been gentle for much of his time in this world, now wore a solemn expression.

"Do you really have to do this... Will this cause any harm to your body..."

Melusine asked uncertainly. Novia's current state was similar to the approach of the King of Antichrist he had fought in the past. However, that person used human souls and lives as a source of magic, whereas Novia was using the 'Primal Fire,' also known as the 'Fire of Passion,' the 'Fire of Love'—the source of Nero's beastly power.

Human evils, in essence, love humanity itself, or rather, they are the dregs accumulated throughout human history, the cancers that gnaw at the body from within society. They are evils that humanity must overcome.

In the original timeline, upon her death, Nero recognized that her love was too fervent to be accepted by people, and thus accepted her solitary demise.

However, here, influenced by Novia, Nero cursed Novia, who she had poured her heart into yet abandoned her. Since she had no reason to be born, she would fulfill the desires of the blood sea that had always enveloped her, burning the world and transforming into the so-called image of an apocalyptic harbinger, while also fully releasing her "love's fire" to let it burn the world.

Whether it was the image of the great harlot of Babylon, embodying the she-wolf mother of Rome and holding the golden cup, or the image of Satan, the great demonic king with the seven deadly sins sword, or even the yet-unrevealed form of Lucifer, the bright star, who might possess the thought of 'Anti-Master's Love,' these were all apocalyptic harbinger forms that Nero herself could choose.

And according to the version of the Book of Revelation that John spoke of, Novia was doused with the wine of lust by Nero and suffered in fire.

Novia thought to himself, 'suffering in fire' might refer to the Primal Fire used by Nero, and 'wine of lust' might refer to her feelings for him...

In any case, whether or not he would lose his ethereal position as the Holy Spirit, he felt it didn't matter.

"For this, I will do what I can."

Novia made up his mind, as this was undoubtedly something that originated from him, so no matter what, he could not leave it to others to resolve.

What needed to be done was clear, so even if his opponent was the only God, and no matter how hard he struggled, there was no possibility of victory.

But he would not fear, he could not fear.

"It's okay, I'm very clear about what I need to do, and don't worry, you are the strongest, I believe in you."

"That's true, I am undeniably the strongest... If that's the case, then alright, I shall guide."

As Melusine finished speaking, numerous magic circles appeared on the 'Spear,' connecting to the Primal Fire in the Roman Imperial Palace to transmit magic. At this moment, the silver-haired man made his preparations, his magic circuits and magic crests synergizing and awakening, connecting with the yet-unborn demonic power of the Beast.

Crimson lines raced across his entire body, and the intense pain caused by the power of 'Human Malice' engulfed him. Behind him, faintly, was the blood-red sea, tens of thousands of kilometers long, that he had witnessed, undoubtedly surging. Countless impurities writhed within the blood-red seawater.

In an instant—

Deep within the Mediterranean Sea, a certain blue entity opened its eyes. With the help of an unknown terrifying power, it pierced through the fixed Texture and arrived on the planet's surface, into the human world. It spewed flames from its mouth and smoke from its nostrils, letting out a roar that shook the entire Mediterranean Sea. The ocean waves also flowed in reverse, but as if merely announcing its arrival to this world, it dived into the seabed and sped towards Armageddon.

In the sky above Athens, the cradle of Western culture and one of Europe's oldest cities, a massive cracking sound echoed, as if a ceiling that had endured countless years was groaning. Dust rained down. The startled Athenians looked up, only to find that the entire city and even the areas beyond were shrouded in darkness. But upon closer inspection, they saw the sun obscured by the wings of something green. Then, it flew towards Gaul first.

Somewhere in Gaul, deep within a deserted mountain range, a roar that shook the heavens and earth erupted. The beasts of the wild, tigers, leopards, jackals, and wolves, trembled in fear. Besides that, the mountain was split in two, revealing a giant red beast. Its body was covered in scales like armor, its blood-red eyes were fixed on Armageddon, and it looked up, awaiting something to take it away.

This was the prelude to the Great Apocalypse: Leviathan, the King of the Seas; Cherubim, the King of the Skies; Behemoth, the King of the Land – the three great beasts appearing together!

And at the same time, above Armageddon, the light of extinction, which brought warmth, descended from the heavens. The light was as sharp as a knife, cleaving the blue sky above this land. From south to north, it then abruptly turned, perfectly encircling Armageddon once.

The light that appeared out of nowhere, like an iron curtain, instantly isolated Armageddon from the outside. It then emitted a distinctly different red light, enveloping the world.

The next moment, as the earth rumbled, a monstrous corner of a colossal entity emerged. As the sky, like paper, was pushed aside from both sides, two massive doors appeared above Armageddon.

The pure white doors were adorned with joyful reliefs. The moment they appeared, they imbued a warmth that could radiate from one's heart and soul, and a heavenly aura began to manifest behind them.

The jet-black doors were covered in inscriptions of suffering. The moment they appeared, a chilling aura spread out from behind them in all directions, freezing everything. Following this, numerous monsters from hell let out their hungry roars.

The Gates of Heaven and the Gates of Hell appeared simultaneously at the decisive battlefield!

069: 'Satan's' Dinner

The hurricane brought by the soaring Cherubim instantly swept across the battlefield. Coupled with the vast amounts of water surging from the nearby coast, the piercing sounds generated by the battle between two massive beasts were enough to make countless eardrums bleed.

Under the gaze of Cherubim, Behemoth and Leviathan would fight to the death, and finally, both would be sent to the table of The Holy One by Cherubim. It too.

However—

Within the battlefield, a crimson shadow centered on Novia flowed and converged, rising like flames and enveloping the area around him.

At this moment, Novia's 'Spear' was black and red, his eyes shone with red light, and blood-red patterns ran from the left side of his face to his left ear. Crimson lines raced across his body, covering him entirely. The scale of magic, which the human body could hardly store, was increasing explosively, but that power also gently protected him, circulating within his body without harming his soul or flesh.

"Albion, you must be very hungry. I'll treat you to something."

Vicious magic burned madly, and the light of the generated tangible flames illuminated Novia's face.

Releasing the bestowed name that unbound the appetite of the Strongest Dragon, the Dragon responded to him with immense magic. A pair of mechanical-looking wings unfolded behind Novia's human body, and then his form flashed before the battling beasts like a shooting star. Instantly, with crackling thunder, a red and black light erupted from within the Cherubim soaring in the sky.

On the battlefield of scorching heat and torrential rain, Leviathan and Behemoth suddenly noticed the surrounding storm had vanished. Instinctively, both great beasts raised their heads together, and then they spotted a draconic phantom exuding an incredibly evil aura.

The phantom dragon, whose size rivaled theirs, incinerated all the molecules in the air. A scorching magic, a vortex of power that could almost surpass theirs, surged from Cherubim's tail all the way to its head.

It was as if the giant bird, whose spread wings could cover the sun, was swallowed whole by an incredibly terrifying dragon.

As Cherubim's flesh and blood fell to the ground, lightning and thunder, distinctly different from the storm, enveloped the two great beasts.

Instinctively, Behemoth opened its massive maw towards the sky, spewing scorching flames that turned everything around it to ash. In the sea, Leviathan emanated a deep blue light, churning massive waves and charging towards the sky.

At the core of Phantom Albion, Novia hovered high in the sky. The fiery sea, like a sea of blood, rapidly formed the magical body of the Strongest Dragon, spreading, spreading, and circulating in all directions until the Beast's magic was depleted.

Novia raised his hand, and the high-flying Phantom Albion also raised its hand. Facing the immense magic spewed by the two great beasts, enduring the intense pain, he aimed at Leviathan. The distance was still considerable, and he clearly needed to descend further.

"This distance is enough."

Magic concentrated in his palm. Electricity mixed with blood and blackness traversed the formless space, directly extracting something from within Leviathan. It pulsed strongly, rejoicing in its fated consumption.

No matter what emotion it was, once it exceeded its limit, its most extreme means was to kill the other party, or to devour them.

What Phantom Albion now grasped was the heart of the great sea beast, Leviathan. Then, without hesitation, it swallowed it whole.

Cherubim and Leviathan were both consumed, leaving only Behemoth. This creature, known as invincible in the Old Testament, was said to be killable only by Jehovah's sword. Novia naturally didn't think much of it. Phantom Albion's body plummeted from the sky like a meteorite, engaging in a fierce battle of tearing and biting with Behemoth, composed of flesh, blood, and disaster.

The continuous supply of blood-sea magic further enhanced his explosive power, and his speed achieved qualitative change. When Novia snapped back from the frenzy of tearing at Behemoth's flesh, he instantly heard the sound of wind approaching him. Without thinking, he raised his hand and grasped that staff.

The staff that was once placed on Jesus's cross of crucifixion. Without time to think, holding the approaching staff, he instinctively swung it upwards. Perhaps due to the supply of magical energy, the tip of the cross staff ignited with brilliant flame light like a blade, thus breaking through the formidable scales on Behemoth's neck and skin, which were as sturdy as divine-creation weapons.

The beast's head fell to the ground, blood gushing out, but its colossal carcass was rapidly being devoured by Phantom Albion.

Finally, all three great beasts, symbolizing the prelude to the Great Apocalypse, perished. Not one of them had their blood or essence evaporated, their bones reduced to nothing.

The three great beasts had become food for Novia, who was either called The Holy One or was aided by Babylon's evil. However, according to the prophecy of Revelation, the next stage of the Apocalypse was about to commence.

However, no glorious throne appeared in the sky, no one opened the seven seals, and no one had the seven angels blow the seven trumpets.

"Your soul should have ascended to heaven long ago. Even though you shouldn't have been born into this world, since a position already exists, it's natural that you would ascend early. You shouldn't be like this; this is the sin of Babylon. Moreover, once the Book of Revelation begins and judgment arrives, it cannot be stopped by anyone. This will only harm your spirit."

At this moment, the great gate to hell slowly creaked open a sliver. The figure who had once parted the seas with divine power emerged from within, gazing at the world before him, his pale eyes filled with pity.

He was Moses, the trusted friend of Ramesses II, who, by God's command, led the Hebrews to the Promised Land.

In contrast, the silver-haired man who emerged from Heaven's Gate beside him said nothing more, merely sighing helplessly. Countless shadows of birds and beasts swirled around him.

He was Noah, the progenitor of mankind, who, obeying God's command, built the ark and survived the world-ending flood.

Figures radiating unparalleled divinity descended, and an overwhelming pressure instantly enveloped the final land. Moreover, both were physical beings, not Servants summoned by the Heroic Spirit summoning system. They were their true forms, manifested by the power of the Father of Humanity's Savior.

"...Is it only you?"

"It's just as you are doing now, which is why the Book of Revelation hasn't unfolded in the order it was supposed to. Perhaps it will come a little later."

"...As a teacher, I believe I've been quite a failure."

Surrounded by magic as dense as water, Novia's gaze could almost reflect everything vast in the heavens.

"The future doesn't matter. Whether it's the next life or the life after that, I don't care if it's worse, nor do I care if I'm destined to ascend to the highest position. As a teacher, I hope my disciples will live their own lives well, for themselves. Find what you like or dislike, live for yourselves on your own two feet. That's how it should be... though I failed to do that myself."

"However, according to the Book of Revelation, I, standing in your way, am undeniably 'Satan'."

070: It's all because—all roads lead to Rome! (3k)