Drive Back Goetia

The spear tip thrust out, aiming straight for Goetia's chest.

The black gun barrel sliced through the air with a sharp whistling sound.

The flowing patterns on the spear tip gleamed with a dark red luster under the golden halo.

Goetia did not take the hit head-on.

His body blurred the instant the gun tip touched him, like a painting soaked in water.

The spear tip pierced the blurry figure, but only struck an afterimage.

Goetia appeared ten meters away, her white robes gleaming with golden light under the halo.

His golden pupils were fixed on Higashino Makoto, his gaze scrutinizing.

"Your ability is quite interesting."

His voice was calm, but only he knew how much he feared this power to erase everything.

This could very well become a stumbling block on their path to a perfect world.

Higashino Makoto did not answer.

He launched another attack, sweeping his spear horizontally, the blade slicing towards Goetia's side.

Goetia stepped back, the blade of the spear grazing his robe.

The fabric was cut open, revealing pale skin underneath, but there was no blood; only a certain light flowed through the cut.

Goetia glanced down at the opening, then looked up at Higashino Makoto, his brows furrowing slightly.

"You are indeed very dangerous; it seems I must eliminate you as soon as possible!"

"Give it a try."

Higashino Makoto charged forward again, thrusting his spear toward Goetia's throat.

Goetia did not dodge. As he clenched his fists, preparing to look for an opportunity, a large number of light bands launched attacks on Higashino Makoto to interfere with him.

Higashino Makoto felt somewhat helpless. Knowing that Goetia couldn't be killed here, he didn't want to reveal too many of his trump cards.

His expression remained calm, but his body was slightly retreating.

"You're scared."

Higashino Makoto's voice was very soft.

Goetia did not answer. Taking advantage of the moment when Higashino Makoto was neutralizing the light wheel, his body suddenly accelerated and attacked Higashino Makoto's heart.

Having possessed Solomon's body, his spirit origin, though a magician, also included the legendary wrestling technique that God had left behind.

Higashino Makoto reacted quickly, using his spear to block while simultaneously launching an attack.

In the end, Higashino Makoto proved to be the superior fighter. Driven by his Battle Instinct, the spear in his hand transformed into a black lightning bolt, each thrust aimed directly at Goetia's vital points.

Goetia is trying to hide, but the space for hiding is getting smaller and smaller.

His body tumbled through the air, sidestepped, and bent over, narrowly dodging the spearhead each time.

But the tip of the gun was getting closer and closer.

Goetia knew she couldn't continue like this.

His fingers curled slightly at his sides, then relaxed.

He looked up and saw Higashino Makoto utter those harsh words.

"Unknown powerhouse, enjoy your moment of triumph, but you are destined to be unable to stop me."

Higashino Makoto did not answer.

The spear in his hand suddenly transformed, its shaft shortening to the shape of a key.

Goetia frowned. He didn't know what kind of trick this was, but his instincts told him not to go any closer.

As he was about to retreat, a void silently opened up in the emptiness behind him.

The dark opening resembled an open mouth, with one end of the key in the center.

Goetia was caught off guard and was ambushed.

As a chuckled voice came from beside him, his expression finally changed.

"Seal up!"

Higashino Makoto's voice rang in his ears.

Goetia felt a surge of power emanating from the key, binding the magic within him. His once boundless power seemed to be locked away, no longer easily accessible.

His body stiffened.

Higashino Makoto walked up to him and looked down at him.

You lost.

Goetia's lips twitched as his body began to fall.

If this continues, he will become a prisoner of the enemy.

The Demon God Pillars that had been observing the area sensed something was wrong and immediately took action.

The enormous halo of light launched an attack on Goetia.

As the beam of light fell, Goetia disappeared from Higashino Makoto and the others' sight.

Inside the Temple of Time, he looked down at his hands and noticed his fingers trembling slightly.

Because of anger.

"Interesting power, but I've figured out your trump card. Victory will ultimately be mine."

His voice echoed in the empty temple, but no one answered.

He looked up at the sky above, which was obscured by a golden halo.

Higashino Makoto.

He uttered the name, his fingers clenching tightly at his sides.

In the sky above Babylonia, the pillar of light dissipated, the halo of light continued to spin, but no more attacks fell.

Higashino Makoto landed on the sand.

Utaha walked to his side, her black maid outfit fluttering gently in the wind.

"He's dead?"

"Well, you could say that. He committed suicide and went back to his temple to be resurrected."

Utaha's brows furrowed slightly.

"Resurrection?"

She wasn't surprised by this ability, but it still felt somewhat tricky.

"He probably felt that it was better for him to die than to be sealed away by me. That way, I wouldn't get any information from him, and he could readjust his state."

"Quite decisive."

Higashino Makoto turned around and looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash Kyrielight.

Fujimaru Ritsuka remained standing there, her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide open.

Her hand remained raised, but the communicator had slipped from her ear and was now dangling in front of her chest.

Mash Kyrielight stood beside her, shield still held in front of her, but her hand was trembling slightly.

Are you alright?

Fujimaru Ritsuka opened her mouth as if to say something, but didn't.

She swallowed, then took a deep breath.

"No... it's nothing."

Her voice was a little hoarse.

"That's good."

Higashino Makoto turned around and looked at the enormous figure emerging from the Imaginary Number Sea in the distance.

Tiamat.

Her body had emerged halfway from the Imaginary Number Sea, her enormous horns gleaming with a dark purple luster under the illumination of the halo.

Black mud flowed down from her body, landing on the ground and transforming into countless black demonic beasts.

The monsters crawled out of the black mud, some just taking shape, others already fully formed.

They surged toward the city like a black tide.

Higashino Makoto raised his hand, and crimson and black magic gathered in his palm.

"Great Catastrophe."

A torrent of crimson and black liquid surged from his palm and rushed toward the black mud.

Wherever the torrent passed, monsters were torn apart, black mud was evaporated, and the earth was plowed with a deep furrow.

The sand on both sides of the ravine was melted by the high temperature and turned into glass, gleaming dazzlingly in the sunlight.

Tiamat's body trembled slightly.

A pale purple membrane of light appeared on her horns, blocking the aftershocks of the shockwave.

But she did not retaliate.

Firstly, her body was still emerging from the Imaginary Number Sea and had not yet fully manifested.

Secondly, she still loves humans and regards them as her own children, so she chose to seal away some of her power.

Higashino Makoto withdrew his hand and looked at the still-spreading black mud.

"This thing is quite troublesome; I wonder if the Michael can seal it."