"As you can see, at this moment, I am also 'Satan.'"
As that voice fell, the illusory sea of blood responded as though calling to itself. Through magecraft manifested by terrifying magical power, the lightning released from the tip of the spear he held multiplied into several thousand layers.
"Do you perhaps wish to see God? To make Him stop the Book of Revelation? You need not worry about that. The gates of Heaven will always be open to you."
"What will happen if I go in?"
"Your evil will naturally be cleansed away, and all things upon the earth will be washed clean, thereby seeing you off as you ascend to that One."
In response, Moses merely threw a punch, reducing the thousand layers of lightning to dust. It was not simply destruction—the surrounding space itself shattered in a chain reaction, vanishing without a trace. This was the punch that had once parted the sea through the power of God.
The man's Magic Circuits, restored through the magical power of the Beast still being born, had unleashed multilayered lightning capable of instantly destroying an entire region. Even though it had been deflected and destroyed by a punch empowered by God, the remnants still scattered in every direction, followed by a chorus of tiny earthquakes.
Armageddon was completely transformed into an open-air platform by that blow. The next instant, a vast abyssal ocean seemed to spread forth from the void. More terrifying than even the torrential rain called forth by Leviathan, a thunderous storm mixed with raging waterfalls violently washed over Novia above.
The flood then swallowed Novia. Deep within this sea that had risen from nothing, his entire body was immediately tossed about as the currents mercilessly assaulted him.
Then came the sound that continued for some unknown reason—the primal ocean itself.
The water itself let out a cry like a wail. Crimson spread up from the bottom, covering it at a speed so swift it was revolting. The ocean's blue surface was literally covered in blood-red.
The abyssal ocean, bearing the conceptual nature of the ancient Great Flood, was devoured in reverse by the sea of blood in less than a few dozen seconds. Just like that, it became part of the Beast that had yet to be born.
Noah's attack had been broken—and even devoured.
Then came the fight between Novia and Moses. Both knew Jacob's hand-to-hand combat. It was an ancient fighting art passed down generation after generation, from Jacob to Moses, then to Martha, and finally to Novia. Both had already reached the pinnacle of mastery; it could be said that even Archangels would be defeated by them.
One had terrifying magical power supporting his arm strength, while the other could be said to wield the power of God. Every collision of their fists left visible marks in the atmosphere, as though they were forcibly making natural phenomena submit. Their speed fell like a meteor shower.
"Without entering the gates of Heaven, you will never be able to see God. He is not within the visible world, nor is He merely somewhere subjectively distant. Rather, He exists in an incomparable mysterious land where the gaps in space-time beyond the planet converge. Even if you can now observe imaginary space through certain means, you still cannot use that to truly reach the far shore where God resides."
Imaginary space was the reverse side of the world, a realm of imagination containing all possibilities, beyond the observation of existing physical laws.
"In other words, although the Book of Revelation has not unfolded in the order it was meant to, you will ultimately still ascend."
"...Then what exactly did you come here for?"
"I merely hope that you can accept the outcome."
Moses met Novia's words head-on. There was nothing in his expression but sincerity.
"The outcome?"
"Yes." Moses nodded and continued. "Even if you defeat us now, you likely will not have much strength left to face the angels that come afterward."
"..." Novia fell silent. The wrinkles that had formed between his brows over the past few days overlapped with his wounds, making them look incredibly deep. "Ah, so that's how it is. No matter what, I won't die. You could say that's wonderful..."
His profile now looked like that of a child encountering an unsolvable difficulty for the first time.
"But all of this began because of me. I should be the one to bear all of it. Isn't that only natural?"
At that very instant, the earth trembled and the sky tore apart. Countless flashes of lightning surged through the clouds, as thunder burst forth from the other end of mysteriously reappearing space.
"...Sorry to keep you waiting, my Rome. I have always been watching."
The thunderbolt belonging to the supreme king of gods descended from the heavens.
It enveloped all three of them.
A power different from that prophesied in the Book of Revelation covered everything, completely freezing time and space. Within that nearly solidified time, a man clad in dim golden armor slowly emerged from the lightning descending from the sky. Moses slowly raised his head to look at him, his smile unchanged.
"The only human who vanished into lightning and reached the supreme divine throne—Rome's highest god, Romulus Quirinus... I see, I see. So the Vice Regent was held back by you alone?"
"No! For such a Rome, it was not I alone, but Mars, Jupiter, and I—it was countless Romes!"
The sacred light had faded from Romulus's golden armor, which was covered in cracks and damage. It was clear how arduous his earlier battle had been.
"You did not need to do this. Rather, you should have stood with us..."
"Oho, one who bears the world in his heart. The anguish my Rome carries—sin and evil—the cruelty burdening that small body is something I can never allow my Rome to endure."
Romulus did not grow angry, nor did he issue threats. He merely spoke solemnly and earnestly.
Seeing this, Noah could not help but sigh. After all, for God to refuse to destroy the Evil of Humanity that had appeared on His own territory and instead choose to protect it—there was likely no other case like this on the planet.
"Thank you for your help, Romulus Quirinus..."
Novia raised his eyes. He was somewhat dazed now, because the immense despair, pain, and wailing within that sea of blood, felt through his connection to the Beast, continued to ring in his ears.
Romulus reached out and patted Novia on the shoulder. "I came because of you. And thank you for holding on until now, Rome!"
"Small yet great Rome, let me pave the road that leads to fantasy." A brilliant radiance emerged between Romulus's hands, illuminating his smile. "Born of us Romans! Child who witnesses humanity's love and emotions, who witnesses humanity endlessly weaving romance! Fight, win, and survive—"
His slightly hoarse voice echoed between heaven and earth, gradually rising until, in the end, it overwhelmed every chaotic sound brought by the Book of Revelation. It seemed to become the resounding cry of heaven and earth. What then manifested in the world was like a sea of light, a stairway leading to the flourishing realm of fantasy that could not be exchanged for anything.
It was the trace written by one who had taken root upon the earth as a human while wielding power like a god, a legend of humanity forged by those who had escaped the old age and woven new myths.
"Novia, you too are the Rome I have always loved. Go, reach that far shore of God which all long for in their hearts. I am the friend of those who seek to pioneer the world, and that is why I came. Moreover, we Romans in heaven have all already acknowledged you! For—" Romulus spread his arms wide and laughed. "All roads lead to Rome!"
This blessing of the gods, rare beyond measure even in the Age of Gods and perhaps never heard of before, now emerged endlessly from the lightning around Romulus like torrential rain, finally gathering in one person's hands.
From Romulus's lightning, then Jupiter's light, Mars's war, Vesta's flame...
In Moses's eyes, the crown above Novia's head had already been filled with dense authorities and names, almost to the point where it could hold no more...
It was as though, at this moment, all of Rome revolved around this place, and the radiance of countless gods had gathered upon one person.
It made the magical power from the Beast within him circulate, radiate, and spread, enveloping everything. Solemn yet savage flames emerged upon the sword and spear in his hands, divine aura and the Beast's magical power entwining like a spiral.
"Those gods actually chose, because of Romulus, to expend all their divine aura and all their authorities in a single farewell, at the cost of never being able to influence the present world again..."
Noah murmured from the side. When they had moved into close combat earlier, he had already realized that Novia before him had made a resolution that could be called a fall from grace. Yet even so, he was still his child. It had nothing to do with whether he would ascend to the position of Spirit, but simply with seeing him as a person.
This child... no, this person. Thinking about what he truly sought now really left Noah with complicated feelings.
"Ancestor, are you not going to do anything?"
"I do not dislike sacrifice. After all, battle requires calmness and thoroughness. He is still too impulsive." Noah looked up expressionlessly as a brilliantly shining star ascended into the sky. "...But thank you, Moses. You did not open Hell's Gate immediately."
"No matter what, I still wish to pray for the happiness of all living beings. But it should only last an hour, since this was never meant to be under my control. It is merely because the person who should have come did not come that I filled in for him. Ancestor, you also took the Vice Regent's place, did you not..."
Moses looked up.
"He should have ascended, yet he chose another outcome that cannot be predicted... He is very much like that one in the East, the one who abandoned the Wheel-Turning Sacred King. Speaking of which, that staff of his that looks like a sword—"
Moses paused, seeming to recall something. He quietly laughed. "They are no different. It could be considered a gift, too."
"...The particle of knowledge, and the Zohar radiance. Go."
Because he had made up his mind, Noah lightly waved his hand, calmly watching the dark crimson figure race endlessly across the sea of light toward the far shore without using a key.
No matter what the outcome of his child's decision would be, as the ancestor, he had to offer at least a meager blessing.
The Stars Remain (End of Volume) (7k)
After crossing the sea of light that Romulus had summoned at the cost of himself, passing through darkness as vast as the cosmos, endless brilliance, and a vortex like the center of all things, a brand-new world unfolded before Novia.
Blue filled heaven and earth, a dreamlike world where one could not tell how far that blue extended. Everywhere was true ether comparable to the breath of stars. With every step, another ripple spread beneath his feet, a tiny circle vanishing without obstruction, hazy and unreal.
Then countless tiny lights gradually rose into the air. After that, a pair of boundlessly deep, brilliant golden eyes appeared not far ahead of Novia—
Suddenly, a sound—or rather, a "tremor" capable of shaking the planet and even the universe—appeared.
"You—listen well."
That "voice" issuing such a command came from ahead. It was truly divine, an absolute voice befitting a god.
"Why do you borrow Satan's power? It was never yours. Cast it aside."
Merely being looked down upon by those sharp yet moist golden eyes, merely hearing those words, caused even Novia, who bore the full authority of the Roman pantheon, to feel his mind go numb in an instant.
And this was merely a tiny fraction of this god, a drop in the ocean, a slight manifestation of overwhelming power.
"No. I am 'Satan.'" Novia slowly spread his hands and gripped the handles of his sword and spear, calmly declaring to God, "And also 'Lucifer.'"
"You willingly disguised yourself as Satan and took on her sin and evil in her place. Michael actually indulged those people who could only manifest their true forms by stealing my mercy and allowed them to come here. That does not matter, but for you to borrow their power and come here to defile this place is simply unforgivable."
As the words fell, the supreme throne appeared in an instant. Seated upon it was a blond figure with only an outline and no facial features, seeming to sit upon the throne in melancholy idleness, propping His cheek with one hand in boredom.
"But no matter. Well, fine. I forgive you. No matter how many times, I forgive you. I forgive everything about you, because I am very tolerant. I love all things. Besides, you are still going to ascend. Since you want to be Satan so badly, I shall give you a name. You shall be called Satan Yah."
"If You love all things, why initiate the Book of Revelation?"
"Why are you so foolish? This purification is necessary. Otherwise, humanity's desires will destroy themselves and destroy the planet. The planet's wailing will spread throughout the universe, and humanity will perish with it."
Those emotionless words were God's proclamation. This was the decision of the almighty god praised on that planet, the strongest omnipotent god across ancient times, present times, and future times—one capable of destroying all phenomena, all heaven and earth, reducing everything to dust.
His position had always been consistent, and it made sense.
But this decision was wrong. Someone needed to make it start over.
Within this gap that might or might not have been part of the universe, a human and the almighty God faced one another.
Novia judged Yahweh's intention to be "continuously cleansing humanity's desires to prevent the final Age of Steel from arriving."
So should he fight bloodily, or join hands and ascend?
Novia questioned within his heart whether that was right or wrong.
Humanity's future in this world held only an ending. Creating the possibility of humanity's continued existence was what this strongest god wished for.
In His eyes, humanity's future held neither hope nor possibility.
"Those who have forgotten desire can only be erased. Desire is the foundation of life, the means by which living things truly survive."
Novia denied that future.
But God, in truth, possessed such a viewpoint as well.
"A future that never changes truly has no value. Even if this is merely a foolish stagnation, it is still a future in which humanity can survive. That cannot be denied."
"You only acknowledge that future?"
"No. Like you, I do not approve of it. But neither do I hate it. I simply refuse to accept it."
"...I see. But what you speak of is too distant from me. Besides, that is not why I came here now."
The man who held fast to his convictions accepted the premonition of defeat even as he gripped his sword and spear.
Whether past or future, the only thing that could be called real in time and space was the present. Thoughts tainted the past, while hope seeped into the future.
Therefore—
"I will not let You kill her or initiate the Book of Revelation."
The final battle unrecorded in the Book of Revelation began with those words of farewell.
"Yahweh, upon this planet, the age of gods has long become the distant past."
"I love all things, and naturally I love you as well. I will fight you with power equal to yours, under the same rules as you."
In God's right hand gathered power that no one in this world could influence. He did not rise from His jeweled throne; His left hand still supported His cheek, and He wore a gentle smile. Merely that caused this world itself to react before anything else. An explosive blue radiance erupted in an instant, energy capable of causing a colossal crustal tsunami upon Earth.
The conceptual power that enveloped heaven, earth, and the world was about to take form. Before a sight that could nearly shatter the stars, Novia, who had lost the authority of the entire Roman pantheon in an instant, heard God's calm next words.
"No matter what, you will ascend to the position of Spirit."
Next, from Albion's perspective, her soul dwelling within the spear, as she witnessed the horrifying scene before her and faced the storm driving the world toward its end, she formed a "question she should not have contemplated"—Is this... the one true God...?
Yahweh's hands, shrouded in radiant flames, merely swept lightly toward Novia's neck, tracing a perfectly straight path.
Its speed was beyond comparison with Albion, or with any living creature in the world. It was a more terrifying power than anything she had seen before.
Thus, even though Novia had prepared himself long ago, he still could not react to that terrifying speed. Instinctively raising his staff, he formed a crisscrossing net in the air, blocking the attack before him.
"So Jesus has already gone to find you. That makes sense. After all, you are the one Spirit whose path I alone cannot see."
Those casual words made the cornered Novia suddenly recall something. Since they were under the same rules, perhaps he could use the "God Paradox" to weaken Him to some extent. He had no time to think further and spoke directly.
"Can You create a stone that You cannot lift?"
"The question itself is contradictory, but it is interesting. Yes, yes, it does indeed weaken me somewhat under these circumstances. But—" Yahweh paused. "So what? The so-called One is One because He is One. What meaning does a mere increase or decrease in power have?"
What erupted from Yahweh was power that, in Albion's eyes, would make even the supreme kings of other pantheons tremble. It was power beyond the planet, something Albion, as a Pureblood Dragon, could neither understand nor predict. Forget resisting it—understanding it was impossible.
Struggling to preserve the rationality that could vanish at any moment, Albion gritted her teeth and thought. Her mind was growing hazy, her capacity for language was declining, and her vision was weakening. This, perhaps, was the power of God.
"Then let's try it!"
At that instant, magical power flowing in from all directions transformed into vast energy within Novia, granting his strike an explosive temporary boost. Like a roaring pillar of magical light, he charged at high speed to shatter the god seated upon the throne. God raised His left hand.
The two collided, followed by an overflowing, immense radiance. The scattered energy was enough to bring about Ragnarok long ago.
But—
Before you continue