On the primary screen, Gudao had finally found his voice. "Where's Solomon?"

"We were Solomon… or, his body, at least," the beast rumbled. "That worthless king's corpse had served us well enough as a host. Such trickery is no longer necessary to reach our goal."

The Control Room's occupants stared at the screen, but the robots kept diligently working. Da Vinci was attempting to run calculations on the console, but Roman remained undistracted. His focus rested solely on the beast that stood silently on the throne's ascent. His guess had been confirmed, and tiny slithers of relief leapt for joy beneath his skin. They did little to unearth the goosebumps that covered his body.

Even if his origin was cleared, they were still fighting a beast… a beast powerful enough to have manipulated his corpse to such an extent, and activate the noble phantasms. Worse yet, this beast was mentally articulate, unlike Tiamat. It possessed control, and was not visibly consumed by any basic animal instincts. Combined with its frightening energy readings, this thing, responsible for plotting humanity's downfall, was not to be underestimated by any means; The entire task force would likely need reinforcements.

"Tesla. Get Ozymandias's cavalry on standby," Roman practically ordered, and the archer quickly strolled towards the door as Shakespeare's pen ran wild. The acting director was not going to take any chances with this. His heart rammed against its cage, just like it did when the screen first displayed Tiamat in the Persian Gulf. There were too many unknowns, and this thing was far too intelligent not to have some sort of backup plan.

Yet, for all the concern this beast was causing him, they still didn't have a name. Gabrielle took a shaky step forward and demanded, "Then who are you really!?"

There was a pause of silence, and the low chuckle that echoed from the screen made Roman's hairs stand on end. Even Da Vinci paused her work to gaze at the screen. The beast bellowed, "Master of Chaldea. We have no name… but if you shall extol us, let us be extolled!"

It reached out with its hand, startling the Chaldean group into a tighter formation around the two masters… but it only raised its limb to the stars. "We once existed as the avatar of the King of Magic... a mechanism and first familiar constructed by him to be the foundation for you magi."

Roman's eyes quickly dilated as his breaths turned shallow. Shakespeare's pen slowed down ever so slightly. He gazed curiously at the doctor as the beast rumbled, "We ruled the country together with him, then used his remains as our nest for our bodily incarnation."

"Ruled with Solomon… then…?" Da Vinci silently theorized as she glanced to Roman. He looked back at her concerned eyes quickly, which only served to panic the acting director further. The knot in his stomach twisted, and the tendrils of guilt and blame constricted his skin. This beast… He knew who this beast was all too well. Even if Roman was no longer him, he had been the reason for its existence and humanity's peril.

"We are that which has bound together seventy-two curses, and cast aside our protective mission to put all of human history to the torch." The beast slowly dropped its arm back to its side and gazed at the masters. "We are a collective… the Human Order Incineration Ritual…"

Roman mumbled quietly at the same time the beast spoke. "Goetia."

-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ Ω ]ΞΞΞR===•-

Chapter 1: Beast of Calamity

-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ Ω ]ΞΞΞR===•-

"Beast I…" Merlin muttered firmly, which made Lord El-Melloi II tense beside him. The magus slowly reached towards his satchel as murmurs raced through the group.

Gudao looked to Gabrielle in confusion, but she was just as perplexed as he was. Goetia had been mentioned only once or twice in Chaldea's studies of Solomon, but that was supposed to be a summoning ritual. That meant this beast was more akin to a living spell, but that was a trivial note. What mattered was they had a confirmed Beast of Calamity before them…

…a beast that didn't look keen on attacking them at the moment. Its continued composure and calmness, despite its circumstances, continued to rattle the master. It rumbled, "…Silence? Do you not desire more answers? We are permitting you to speak… We thought humans were more inquisitive than that… You always loved your… closure, was it?"

"You want to talk?" Medb practically spat out in disbelief, and though the central eye turned her way menacingly, the head nodded.

"We hold the pursuit of wisdom highly, and for coming this far... shall grant you the right to ask questions. If it is all to end now, then time can be spared for knowledge… a respectable pursuit."

Gabrielle looked at Gudao quickly, then narrowed her eyes skeptically at Goetia. "And how do we know you're not just buying time?"

"Our necessary noble phantasms are already active. We can incinerate you at our leisure," Goetia declared calmly as it raised its hands into the air. The Chaldean group tensed again, and Enkidu already had his hand planted against the ground in preparation. Instead, Goetia merely held the pose. "These rings… that which you've seen across the singularities… the third noble phantasm, Ars Almadel Salomonis, was primed for your welcome."

Gudao knew more than enough about that one. Measurements taken before they departed indicated the light rings had energy that surpassed everything on Earth; The same rings that loomed in the background of the Time Temple. It had been a consistent reading throughout the entire ordeal. It was what was going to burn the world into ashes… but why was Goetia prepared to use it so early?

He dared to ask, if only to try and re-bolster his confidence, and smother his newfound anxiety. "You're going to use that on us? You'll destroy Ars Paulina in the process!"

Goetia gazed to Gudao as it lowered its arms. "We're more than capable of mitigating collateral damage. This reality marble will not fall."

'So much for that…' he gulped. Chaldea had placed its bets that noble phantasm wouldn't be an option in Ars Paulina, but things just got worse; No wonder Goetia was so confident with its given circumstances. Merlin had voiced plenty of concern they wouldn't have any real protection against such a powerful attack, nor did they know of any further specifics besides intensity. Mashu could plausibly fend it off once, but Gudao didn't want it to get to that.

Talking seemed like a very safe option, if only to buy them time to revise the plan.

-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ III ]ΞΞΞR===•-

"We hold the pursuit of wisdom highly, and for coming this far... shall grant you the right to ask questions. If it is all to end now, then time can be spared for knowledge… a respectable pursuit."

Goetia declared on the screen.

"It looks like we have time before the main event," Roman breathed with relief. "Status report. Has anything changed?"

"West Wing is still holding fine." "Eastern nodes suppressing their targets." "The beachhead is in a calm state. They're ready to provide support by fire."

The smattering of confirmations was further relief to Roman's shaken nerves. Everything going according to plan, though very slowly, had shaken his nerves earlier. Now it was a calm in the storm, but he wasn't going to drop his guard yet. They faced the last hurdle, who would wield the lightbands that could vaporize defenses with ease. This was not going to be an easy fight, and the strike force would likely need heavy assistance.

"A small wave is moving towards the beachhead," an employee confirmed as she quickly typed on the keyboard. Her typing quickly slowed, and her eyes locked to the screen in surprise. "…Doctor Roman. They've stopped on the tendrils. They're not attac- Wait, is that…?"

Roman was not appreciating the surprise in her voice. "What is it? Put it on a side screen!"

"Right away!" the employee answered as Shakespeare walked over to her screen for a personal view. The caster's eyes widened, but not as fast as Roman's as he gazed onto the newly shifted image. He gasped as he stared at the cluster of lesser demons, who waited at the edge of the horseshoe's rocky base… but they weren't alone this time. Roman felt his fists tighten slightly even though his rollercoaster anxiety climbed the next hill.

"…Keep Goetia on the main monitor," Roman ordered as the demon pack's leader took a few steps forward, smiled, and tipped his green top hat. "I want to monitor both these situations at the same time."

-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ IV ]ΞΞΞR===•-

Chaldea's fiftieth master stared towards the smaller demon horde… or more specifically, at the familiar man in a green trenchcoat. The elegant, black fur lining… that long hair and pleasant smile… Everything sent shockwaves through her body just looking at him. Her usual calmness was incinerated by a roiling ocean of shifting emotions, vying for control on her psyche. Though he was far away, she quivered visibly in his presence, which caused Arjuna and Sita to gaze at her with upmost concern.

"…Professor Lev…?" Anishka managed to voice through the air with magecraft.

The man merely bowed politely, and allowed his smile to grow. "Ah, Miss Sharma! How's your fathe-"

Arjuna's lightning arrow tore straight through Lev's head, turning the previously occupied space into a fine, black mist. The corpse collapsed to the ground, but the demons didn't move. Content, Arjuna's firm, yet ferocious, glare softened as Anishka's body was wracked by a sob. Sita had quickly dematerialized her bow to try and sooth the quivering master. Though her eyes welled with tears, her visage was consumed by anger as she gazed forward.

Without a head, the corpse stood up. A mist of sickly purple formed and solidified quickly above the neck. Lev's head reformed with a pop, and a new top hat rematerialized in one hand. His smile was gone, but his expression was calm as he stared to Arjuna. "Have you no manners, servant? I was just talking."

"You fucking murderer! Why would you betray humanity!?" Anishka roared, making Hector turn back to her in shock. It was rare she ever let her composure erode to this extent, but in the face of her father's murderer, her usual collected nature evaporated like water in a desert. Still, she remembered Dantes' advice. This anger would not control her, but she would set it free for this man.

"I see… so he perished too then… Pity. He wasn't a target of importance, but that's peanuts. Humanity was doomed to fall anyway," Lev stated plainly, which caused another sob to tear through the master. He finally smiled, making Arjuna's eyes turn to fire. "Ah… but to think we'd meet again like this, little Annie, or should I say… Master Annie? I suppose it's only fair I could answer that one little question for you. You and your father were always so polite."

A holographic screen was forged by Anishka's wrist device. Da Vinci and Roman's blue-tinted images appeared, but glared at Lev. Roman frowned, "We would like to know that as well, Lev. You've done so much for Chaldea, and yet… Did you get so close to us just to destroy mankind? Is that why you made everything that helped Chaldea?"

Though she was furious with Lev, that tiny, optimistic thought rested in her mind too. Lev helped engineer Sheba and Chaldeas, which had been part of their saving grace through the whole ordeal. Was he corrupted into a demon pillar because of his importance? Was there a chance her blame was misplaced, even if her father's blood was still on his hands? At the very least, she wanted to know where his fall began.

Lev's laughter was not reassuring in the least. "How kind and naïve of you…! To worry over my honor even in the end of it all, but such concern is unnecessary!"

"Answer the question." Arjuna's voice was absolute, and the threat of his newly drawn arrow made it clear. Even if Lev could revive in this realm, she bet it still hurt. A lot.

"…Since when was I a subordinate of our Great King Goetia?" Lev asked again, followed by further cackling. "Why… such a thing was decided three thousand years ago! From the beginning of this plan, we have spread our schemes in advance all over the world!"

Upon seeing Anishka and Roman's confusion, he smirked. "A lineage that becomes demon pillar after a hundred years… A lineage that becomes a demon pillar after five hundred years…! And a lineage that only becomes a demon pillar after a far flung thousand years! Amongst those I was merely the one in charge of the year 2016! Thusly we were sown across the earth, like seeds in the ground."

"So you were never a person to begin with…" Da Vinci surmised, but Lev merely shook his head.

"Not quite, Miss Genius! Our grand order goes deeper than that!" Lev happily explained as he grinned sinisterly and placed a hand over his heart. He turned his focus from Da Vinci to Anishka. The way he stared towards her made the master's anxiety freeze her limbs. "You see, we needed a way to possess an individual at the proper time… to supervise our given era without being noticed… So tell me… Have you ever wondered why it's proper magus tradition to pass down the magic crest?"

Da Vinci gasped, and Anishka stomach lurched. She understood immediately. Nausea made her knees tremble, but she managed to stand. Even as Sita braced her, she wanted to collapse and empty her stomach of its contents. Even more so, she had the dreadful urge to tear at the skin on her arm where her magic crest rested. That cluster, precious to her magus family line, possibly carried a way for her to be possessed by-!

Laughing maniacally, Lev shouted. "And so we persisted and survived through the bloodlines and magic crests! One by one, we awakened until I, the final supervisor, was told that our preparations were ready…! …But yet there was a miscalculation called Chaldea."

The man suddenly sobered up, and gazed to them with fist-clenching ferocity. "…We cannot fathom how, but I was ultimately to blame. One surviving master… two more crowned… over a hundred servants… All because I let one imposter slip through my watch!"

-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ V ]ΞΞΞR===•-

"Even so, your setbacks did little. Everything remains roughly as scheduled… though you resolved the singularities with unanticipated speed," Goetia answered calmly. "…This is not going as it should have."

"No plan survives first contact with the enemy," Iskandar recited with a small smirk. "You underestimated our military efficiency."

Shuten let out a sultry giggle, which sent a comfortable wave of confidence through the force. Goetia looked mostly unperturbed. "…Underestimated? Perhaps… but it's hard to take you humans seriously when your preparations included relishing in luxury as the world burns."

"Then you could see into Chaldea," Tamamo reaffirmed as two of her mirrors flew into a preparatory position.

"Yes. We saw all of it… and it disgusted us," Goetia stated firmly as its presence grew heavier. "…Why? Why do you appear to take this situation so lightly? The extinction of humanity? Where did that fear of our invasion go? Where was the fear of ultimate failure?"

"We were always wary of the worst. That's why we prepared heavily for it," Siegfried countered, but Goetia turned to him incredulously.

"It was far less than we fathomed should be appropriate. Do you not fear for your existence? Do you not fear for your ever-fleeting lives? Is it not human nature to fear the end?" Goetia's voice boomed over the air, drowning out the distant battle and putting their team on edge. "What we scryed was no lie. Relaxing… Lounging… Most actions were questionable. Your motivations were confusing. How are you blinded to the gravity of your fate?"

"We never underestimated you, but we weren't going to let that fear control us!" Gabrielle shouted back. "We're just that confident we were going to end your spiteful plan to burn the surface of the planet!"

"…Is that what you thought our plan was?" The tone of the beast's voice was filled with disbelief. "Is Chaldea so blinded by its lackadaisical tendencies? Certainly, that light band can easily incinerate the surface of the world, but what would we get out of such a meaningless gesture? Do you think we would have gone to such lengths to perform such a simple act?"

Gabrielle and Gudao shared a confused glance with each other, but Goetia's sudden, booming laughter startled them. "Why are humans so utterly foolish!? The energy of the rings surpasses anything on Earth because they are you! That light band is the amalgamation of all the energy on the planet!"

"…Flame blankets the surface of the earth, burning up all life and all civilization, turning them into residual spiritrons to be extracted…" El-Melloi concluded swiftly, and Ereshkigal quickly looked to him in surprise. Dantes' narrowed eyes glanced between the black-haired man and the beast. The caster narrowed his own. "So that's it… Humanity isn't your target. We're just a means to an end. The rings are being used as an energy converter."

"We're just fuel to him?" Ereshkigal inquired. Gudao narrowed his eyes and confirmed Holmes' theories back then were right.

The beast destroyed any lingering doubt with a simple nod.

-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ VI ]ΞΞΞR===•-

Lev jabbed a finger towards them within the small side screen. "…You, Roman! We were friends, yet I believe you played me a fool! You tricked me with perceived incompetence!"

"You wouldn't have been able to see through him anyway," Da Vinci firmly defended with a staunch glare of her own. "After all, he didn't put any trust into anyone until I was summoned to Chaldea."

"…What did you say?" Lev asked incredulously, and even Roman turned to her in surprise.

"Although Romani is just an average person, if there is one point at which he surpasses any genius like me, it would be his perseverance!" Da Vinci firmly declared. "He didn't understand the reason, who the enemy was, or if it might happen… but just like that, believing solely in what he saw in a dream of humanity's crisis, he threw away his entire life to pursue it!"

Shakespeare's pen wrote frantically as he tried to record two developments at once, but Roman's eyes were drawn to the person beside him as she spoke without hesitation. "He continued to wait, believing that things that could not happen would one day occur. He couldn't let the enemy discover that he had become aware… And so he talked to nobody about it! Because he did not know what would come in useful when the time came, he made the effort to learn everything that he could… that was the decade that Romani Archiman spent! A hell of freedom without even a minute of rest!"

Those days of endless paranoia and concern fluttered through his mind. Compared to now, that had been a true living hell. Temptation to abandon a blind pursuit was everywhere, yet he had persevered. He'd made his way here with his former master, and first friend, but couldn't even trust him with this last revelation. It had been a painful secret, and a grueling mission, but it had all proven true. His endeavors were not a fruitless waste of time.

He stared at Da Vinci, who had been his only port in the storm for so long. He came to trust her, and her alone, and he was glad he did. Even with all her hard words, teasing threats, and occasional abuse, he was glad for all the wonderful things she did for his sake. "No one would ever find out unless he wanted them to! For he himself is an idiot who constantly underestimates his own capabilities, thinking that he is garbage or trash!"

"I, uh… don't think I'm that bad…" he grumbled, as she smiled apologetically at him. 'I was just appreciating you too…'

Lev scoffed. "…It no longer matters. I will be correcting my mistakes, as planned."

For some reason, Roman didn't like the sound of that.

He quickly glanced to the main monitor as Goetia took two sudden steps forward towards the edge of its landing.

-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ VII ]ΞΞΞR===•-

"Humans are pitifully worthless creatures… but that is merely our factual observation. We hold no ill will to the disappointment that is humanity. There is only one Earth, so there is no other way to harvest our energy," Goetia declared without doubt. "Create a singularity… divide the flow of history… and reject front and back the connections of the time in between! From the present to the past, it can be squeezed almost inexhaustibly!"

Though Joan was visibly angry at the revelation, Dantes remained calm beside her. "But where do you prosper? A bountiful harvest must be used to feed something. What is the true climax of this play?"

It answered without any hesitation. "To reach the supreme position, which shall allow us to right the wrong of death… to remove its concept entirely."

"Death is a natural process married to life," King Hassan rumbled in disagreement.

"The premise of Life must have an End is illogical insanity whose only yield is eternal suffering. This planet was forged as a mistake," Goetia countered evenly, yet bellowed. "We shall go to the beginning to fix that… back to the time of genesis! …A voyage four-point-six billion years into the past, to the moment where this sector's 'celestial body' was born, where we will capture all of the energies involved! We shall become the new celestial body to forge what is ideal with our gifted wisdom!"

"Goetia wants to restart all of creation…" Gudao mumbled as Mashu tensed up. It all made sense now. To travel back so far would not be such an easy task; Getting leyshifted back to Babylonia had required extreme precision and energy. To return to genesis would undoubtedly require significantly more. The thought of all the calculations made Gudao's head spin, but what scared him was that Goetia had no doubt assembled his plan exactly. Intelligent was now a grossly unfit description for this beast.

"If all of human history from 1000 BC to 2016 CE is converted into mana, that will be sufficient energy to leap back to this planet's birth," the beast concluded easily. "Humanity shall serve as our propulsion system once it is activated with the first imaginary noble phantasm, Ars Nova."

"…Imaginary, he said," Enkidu mumbled quietly, though Gudao was uncertain if Goetia heard or not. If he did, he didn't care. All that mattered was that they, and likely Chaldea, had heard. An imaginary noble phantasm, which meant Goetia likely didn't know what Ars Nova actually did despite his time with Solomon. They didn't either, but at least they weren't going to find out the hard way.

Their main threat now rested with the rings, which could vaporize them at any moment.

Gudao's mind was a multitasking machine through the whole discussion but he already revised their opening strike. They'd chosen very specific craft coins to boost perception and evasion for the servants; They had no idea what they were up against, so they agreed on safety and precision beforehand. There was still no telling what this beast was capable of besides using the rings, so they had to strike it hard and fast. At the very least, control of the field and the beast's movements was an absolute necessity.

He began relaying telepathically, "Enkidu… Are you ready?"

Goetia took two sudden steps forward towards the edge of its landing, which caused the entire force to adopt battle stances. Gudao could hear his heart beating in his chest as Mashu stepped back closer to him and Gabrielle. The beast's voice boomed, "We trust that removed your confusion, humans? Consider it a parting gift before we depart on our promised pilgrimage."

The beast's eye turned to Gabrielle as Fou quickly clambered up her shoulder. Gudao watched thankfully as Goetia fell silent. Time was bought for him to mentally dispatch more orders as it seemingly observed his best friend, or maybe their furry little friend; He couldn't tell. It made a noise, that Gudao thought was a skeptical scoff, as Fou growled at it. "It doesn't matter who assists you humans. Our victory is absolute. It was decided long before you even arrived."

Surprising the group, Goetia's voice turned frustrated. "Even so… your resilience is unfathomably frustrating. You lowly humans have achieved against impossible odds, and snatched victory from the most unpredictable angles."

"If we win against impossible odds, why did reveal your location to us? Run out of imploding singularities and other gimmicks?" Gabrielle taunted, but Goetia surprised them by chuckling.

"…No. It's because we're taking you seriously."

Mashu gasped as the ground began to shake.

-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ VIII ]ΞΞΞR===•-

"Right on time…" Lev chuckled and crossed his arms, but his group made no motion to attack.

Anishka's eyes were darting around the singularity, searching for the source of the ominous rumbling and quakes. The sound of churning earth was joined by a low, sickly hiss in the distance. Arjuna and Sita kept their bows primed as the picket of Chaldean Servants braced for any incoming attack. While confusion reared its ugly head, Lev's group remained calm and patient.

The holographic screen was abuzz with activity as Roman and Da Vinci barked orders on the screen. By the amount of chaos, they had no proper readings eithe- The inventor's face turned deadly serious. "Roman! The scanners are confirming movement to the north! Another island is forming!"

She knew where to look immediately. Anishka's eyes snapped forward, staring through the unusual space of the singularity and towards the central throne isle. Behind it, a slither of tendrils shot from the tips of the original horseshoe. They tied themselves together where they met, forming a complete circle as a final, ruined island shimmered into existence at their meeting point.

The island glowed with energy, and a ritual circle formed at its heart. Even at her distance, Anishka could see the feint outline of a new demon pillar surge from the ground. Panic raced through her mind at the sight; Chaldea had misread the signatures. If Lev was here, and another pillar just appeared out there, then how many other pillars were in hiding? Had only some combined? What if none combined and these pillars were just strengthened by another power sourc-

Lev laughed heartily, clapped, and pointed to her. "That looks of realization! You understand now, don't you? Humanity never stood a chance!"

The distant pillar flashed with light, and Anishka's fears were quickly realized as Rama gasped loudly. The central island floating within the newly completed circle flickered with light. In a crackle of magenta electricity, the malevolent, purple barrier had returned. Gudao and Gabrielle's strike force was now isolated from any outside support… but that was just the tip of her worries.

As the Control Room overflowed with growing activity, Roman panicked. "Anishka! The situation is escalating! We're sending Ozymandias' team over!"

-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ IX ]ΞΞΞR===•-

"The barrier…!" Marie cried out as the nearby servants, Sanson and Mozart, gazed to the throne isle. The nearby magenta-colored demon pillar, Orias, hummed in its routine restoration process. The small respite from the demon hordes allowed them to gaze at the distant development… perhaps too long for Medea's liking. She wasn't one to simply let a new development break her guard… not again, at least.

She glanced around quickly from her aerial position, staff grasped and ready to direct spells. Mordred's group at the next closest demon pillar were handling everything fine. Arturia's was restoring, just like theirs. A precursory, but scrutinizing, glance proved the other three seemed to be under Chaldea's control. 'Then the new demon pillar is the lone cause.'

Her wrist-mounted comms device, given to her temporarily as leader of this small force, remained silent; It was a potential backup communication in case telepathy was prevented. She hoped the silence of both was just because Chaldea was organizing. A bright flash of light near the beachhead caused her to snap her attention that way, but the sight of more Chaldean servants only reassured her. At least panic and chaos wasn't gripping everyone.

"Medea? Any news?" Vlad asked from far below. She shook her head. As much as she wanted to ask, she didn't want to flood the telepathic airways; The other servants remained disciplined in that regard too. As a conglomeration of so many different servants, their unison still never ceased to impress her.

"Nothing yet. We'll keep suppressing this pill-"

Anishka's panicked, telepathic voice rang through her head… and likely everyone else's too. "All servants, be advised! Sensors-… picked up-… enemies! It was-… ruse! The-… were in hid-…! I re-…-at, the …-ars …-re-… hi-...!"

"Something's interfering with my link! Is it the same for anyone else?" Martha asked by the resurrecting pillar. Phantom of the Opera frowned and nodded his head nearby. With a small scoff, she grasped her staff fiercely as the ground began to shake again. "Oh, what now!?"

An otherworldly hum echoed through the air. With a crack of thunder and accompanying flash, the surrounding air took on an unusually crimson hue. The once eerie, but picturesque stars looked far more menacing in their reddish glow. Rippling waves danced among them, and Medea remained confused at the development… until it dawned on her. She glanced around from all angles at her altitude, and felt the newfound energy that lingered in the air even as the ground continued to shake.

The stars didn't change… something just got in their way.

There was a new field erected, possibly one of the largest bounded fields she'd ever seen. It was likely hampering communications with Anishka, but she felt this barrier had to have more purpose than that; They were dealing with an intelligent beast who had access to Solomon's abilities. In the few seconds that passed since the barrier rose, her sharpened mind shot back to Anishka's warning.

The message might have been scattered differently for everyone, but the words she heard had placed her guard higher than the heavenly bodies themselves. Her eyes snapped to the shaking ground as several large, demonic circles appeared across the ruined landscape. As they hummed and glowed an ominous crimson, Medea shouted out, "Scatter! It's an ambush! Ambus-!"

Her eyes widened as seven other magenta-colored pillars erupted from the ground. In her peripherals, she could see it wasn't just their isle. Pillars erupted from their hiding spots at the other dedicated nodes, ready to reinforce their besieged brethren. It had all been a convincing ruse… The perceived power of Orias had been a ruse this entire time! She didn't care how the ruse was set up, only that they were now in the teeth of a bear trap!

Medea's lips were a blur as she channeled her attack. Circle after circle appeared in the air, as fast as she could possibly chant. As they formed, they quickly fired. Dozens of circles fired just as many beams before she quickly rebuilt them. Her scattered and rushed bombardment attempted to help her terribly outmatched companio- Marie screamed.

Her attention snapped to the French Queen as darkened chains, shrouded with malevolent, crimson mists, lassoed her glass horse's legs. She tumbled over the fallen steed as it shrieked, shattering against the ground as more chain burst from the ruined earth. Medea redirected her bombardment, but she was not fast enough. The chains grew far too close to the rider; Her bombardment would put her at risk, but if she didn't fire, the chains would ensnare her.

But the decision was lifted from her hands: Mozart pushed Marie out of the way, and became the first servant skewered through the limbs by the new threat.

-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ X ]ΞΞΞR===•-

"What do you mean there's another barrier!?" Roman's holographic figure yelled as the Control Room, from what Anishka could see, descended into further chaos. Even Da Vinci looked panicked, and that did not do well for her own collapsing nerves. Still, Anishka took deep breaths to steady her roiling emotions. She was in charge while Gudao and Gabrielle were fighting the beast, and she needed to be of sound mind.

"Anyone!? Can anyone out there here me!?" Anishka's telepathic voice rang out once more, but there was still no response from the crimson-hued battles that raged within the barrier. Her worry grew, but her controlled breathing was forging new stability. She needed to have self-control, first and foremost.

'Precision is key. Information is gold. Time is precious. Actions should not be rushed,' she mentally reminded, bringing herself to a calmer state to properly analyze the situation.

Unlike the barrier around the central isle, this one was crimson in color, and encompassed the entire circle. It likely prevented anything outside from entering, including communication; A barrier of this size must take a lot of energy to maintain, so it could be weaker than the first one. Its characteristics were unknown, so they needed a proper test. A quick, hard swing should give a good reference point. Even though the final strike force was mighty, Chaldea purposefully held plenty of heavy hitters in reserve.

"Cavalry! We must act fast! Our friends are in danger!" she called out, and was answered without doubt.

A shower of golden sunbeams appeared above them as Ozymandias called forth his golden barge. Several flashes filled the sky as Drake's armada and Blackbeard's flagship took to the skies besides the ornate, Egyptian vessel. Time felt painfully slow as her gaze shifted between the preparing cavalry and the distant chaos. Every node looked like a vastly different battlezone, writhing with nine pillars each, save for one of the closest; Lev did not turn into Flauros to join them.

As if to renew her anxiety and uncertainty, he patiently waited before them with his demon horde, only a few hundred in number. He smiled from within the safety of the barrier, "Good effort, as always… but ultimately useless. Anything Chaldea could have done was useless."

"I'll stay optimistic," she countered as she glanced to Romulus and Nitocris, two of the reinforcing servants. All of them carried extra bags, which held many more golden apples; Every deployed servant had a few on their person, but each one of this cavalry group carried a dozen. They were just as capable as a siege breaking team as cavalry, so that they could hopefully break through any defense to aid beleaguered allies.

It was time to prove that, but something made her hesitate. Lev was far too confident and composed, even at the sight of so many powerful warriors. By their likely shared conscience as demon pillars, she was willing to bet he was well aware of the strength of the mustered servants. Still, he stood confident behind the barrier and gazed towards them. He tilted his head with a smile, "Oh? Not going to bring any more to our little party?"

Based on his demeanor, she slightly revised her initial action. He seemed taunting… like he wanted them to try their hardest. Their allies were in danger, and as much as she wanted to give full effort, they had limited resources. If they used all of it and the besieged servants were in dire straits, they needed enough apples to help resuscitate. Management was crucial, but she still needed a good test… so maybe not all at once first.

"Arjuna. Please fire one of your blessed arrows at the barrier." Anishka turned to him, and he nodded quietly.

In a blinding display of light and lightning, Arjuna levitated briefly as he drew back his bow. He was a surging star above the beachhead before he let his shot loose. The crackle of the arrow roared across the distance like a mighty comet. The burst of electrified, charged prana, a familiar devastator attack to the Chaldean forces, careened towards the barrier. Its explosive strength had enough power to vaporize an entire city block.

Lev merely tilted his head as the shot slammed into the massive blockade, but instantly fragmented rather than exploding brilliantly. The floating remnants of charged prana drifted towards the barrier instead of dissipating, then broke apart like small crimson fireworks as they came into contact with the barrier. Arjuna seemed taken back by the display, just like several others.

Anishka's eyes narrowed. "That's an absorption field, isn't it?"

"Very perceptive! As expected of a medical student!" Lev clapped happily. "As I said… futile, though please feel free to throw as much as you want at it! We're going to collect all your energy one way or another!"

-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ XI ]ΞΞΞR===•-

"…This was almost too easy," Goetia rumbled from his spot on the landing. "A bit disappointing, but we prefer less struggle."

Gabrielle looked around in horror and panic alongside the rest of their group. Scathach's usually composed demeanor had cracked, and even she showed a glint of anxiety swirling in her confused eyes. A nervous Merlin and a shocked Lord El-Melloi II, Chaldea's best advisers, only increased her heart rate. The only isles of confidence remained mostly unperturbed. Gilgamesh and King Hassan still stared with scrutiny at Goetia, and Gudao was still mostly composed.

Goetia stared at them and chuckled. "Ah… That's more like it. There's some of that pathetic fear that humans inevitably fall into."

No. She wouldn't let herself be crippled by fear. She was used to putting up a brave face, even as terror or uncertainty tore at her insides. Fear was something she was good at suppressing, more so than any other emotion… so she'd do it here in the way she always had: She yelled, "If you think we're defeated, you've got another thing coming, you jackass!"

Goetia turned to her, and she felt herself shiver under the central eye's powerful gaze. "Your vulgar words are meaningless. Accept your fate with dignity."

"Maybe you shouldn't underestimate us, or did you forget we're great at pulling off the impossible?" Gudao countered calmly, and it made Gilgamesh smirk. Gabrielle turned to her best friend and smiled upon seeing the confidence in his eyes. Even though they'd been separated from their support, and contact was impossible, Gudao remained as steady as his element. It boosted her confidence as his telepathic message echoed into her mind. "Let's do this."

As one, just like they planned, Gabrielle and Gudao's bodies flickered with flaring magic circuits. The energy surged within her, bolstered in strength by the battlesuit as she thrust her arm upward with her best friend. Their spells activated, and the enchanting wave washed over the surrounding servants, causing their strength to surge. They both winced, but repeated the spell a second time, charging the servants even further; The battlesuit took most of the powerful enchantment's burdens.

At the same time, Enkidu's eyes snapped to Goetia, as his palm held against the ground tensed ever so slightly. Golden chains, nearly two dozen in number, flared from the ground around the throne. Before anyone could blink, they lashed out towards Goetia and seized control of his limbs. Several more wrapped around his torso… and yet the eye seemed completely fine with the developments.

Medb seemed to miss its composure as she yelled, "What's the matter!? Didn't see that coming!?"

As Iskandar and Medb's chariots took to the skies, joined by Quetzalcoatl and her mount, the group spread out. Mashu and Merlin pulled Gudao and Gabrielle further back as Scathach took the lead. She charged up the steps towards Goetia as her prototype Gae Bolg hummed with crimson prana. It spun in her hands as she leapt into the air and twirled. Gabrielle smirked as she froze in a throwing stance, then hurled her weapon with all the force of a supernova. "Gae Bolg Alternative!"

A blinding light surrounded Goetia as the spear made contact. The ground shook as the explosion consumed the area, but Chaldea was far from through. Gabrielle glanced before them as Siegfried finished channeling energy in front of them. He chanted quietly, but firmly, then opened his eyes and swept his famous blade downward. The orange prana that wreathed the sword ignited spectacularly. "Fall! Balmung!"

The wave of twilight energy surged towards the throne, tearing up the ground in its wake as Scathach twirled safely over it. As her lance shot back to her hand, the stairs were engulfed with the powerful energy of Siegfried's noble phantasm, rupturing the ground with its harnessed might. Gabrielle kept a hand over her eyes, and though she smiled, she knew not to drop her guard. Tiamat had mythical defenses, so another beast was not to be underestimated.

Nevertheless, she remained confident these two attacks would easily prepare Goetia for more of the punishment they had in sto- "We'd rather the throne remained unscathed."

Goetia's calm voice, even amongst the torrent of energy that consumed it, shocked Gabrielle. As her squinted eyes gazed into the fading maelstrom, she found herself gasping with Mashu. Merlin and Gudao's mouths fell open as Goetia came into view, completely untouched. Even worse, the throne around him looked fairly unmarred, though the ground looked far more devastated.

What truly bewildered her, was Enkidu's chains were nowhere to be seen. She shot telepathically, "Enkidu… Your ensnarement…?"

"They should have held through all of that just fine!" Enkidu answered with equal disbelief. Thankfully, he had quickly reforged his chains so Chaldea could continue it's attack. The last thing they needed was Goetia going on the offen-

Enkidu's golden chains rattled as they reached Goetia, but as they tried to ravel themselves around it, they broke down into a slither of golden prana. They dissolved and fragmented into smaller bits, before being absorbed directly into Goetia's torso. The eye merely gazed around slowly at the incoming energy before rumbling, "A fine ability, but not something that will work on us."

Shuten and King Hassan disappeared and reappeared in a blink. The Oni's blade, dripping with poison, swung for the torso of the tall beast, just as King Hassan's wrathful weapon thundered towards its neck. Gabrielle gasped as Shuten's blade clanked harmlessly off Goetia's eye, and the poison sizzled and evaporated against its skin. King Hassan's blade faired no better: It was stopped completely against its neck.

Before Goetia could counterattack in any way, King Hassan vanished in a pillar of azure flames while Shuten backflipped away. Merlin and Lord El-Melloi II quickly chanted, bolstering the group's energy even further with their own unique magecraft. Tamamo's spell tags exploded at his legs, encasing them with enchanted ice; They swiftly melted away. Joan's black flames erupted from the ground, but they dissipated quickly and were absorbed by the calm beast.

Finally, Altera twirled her sword and pointed the hilt to the sky. A red laser fired into the air, summoning a set of familiar conceptual rings. "Tear drop, Photon Ray!"

Their intricate patterns hummed and spun, before a bright beam of light surged down their core. The beam grew exponentially and basked the throne with ethereal light before it slammed into- Altera gasped as the beam's intensity faded rapidly, making it appear more as a giant spotlight centered on Goetia. It too, completely collapsed into a shower of white prana orbs that slowly drifted towards the beast, who hadn't moved an inch during the whole assault.

Gabrielle's mouth hung open with shock and dismay. Tiamat was conceptually immortal, but even she took physical damage when assaulted by powerful attacks. With Goetia… not even King Hassan's blade could even scratch this beast! A conceptual strike from a former Grand Servant failed to penetrate it!

'But why!?'

Did it have to do with this space? Ars Paulina allowed the lesser demons and pillars to revive themselves instantly. Did that mean it granted Goetia far more potent abilities? The beast merely rumbled with what sounded like amusement as it stared at them. "Do you understand yet…? Your attacks… your noble phantasms… All of them are meaningless against us. We were shocked when you managed to defeat Tiamat, but we… I… Demon King Goetia, stand on another level… Before you is true immortality!"

"Don't let him get to you! There has to be a way!" Gudao reassured through the telepathic link as lines of crimson red appeared shot into the sky. Gabrielle allowed herself a small smile as she glanced to Gilgamesh, who held the key of his treasury before him. His face was deathly serious, and the lines of red quickly collapsed so his greatest weapon would be prepared. Surely Ea could breach Goetia's defenses, or at least the shield. Maybe if Arjuna, Karna, and-

"This was interesting, Chaldea… but the fun must end," Goetia calmly noted. Before Gabrielle could even fathom what could come next, the beast calmly raised its hand.

An iridescent magic circle quickly forged itself into the air, and similar ones started appearing under servants. Gabrielle hurriedly looked at her feet, but their little group of four were spared. The others, including a now incredulous Gilgamesh, seemed glued to the circles as they tried to wrench their feet free. Even the flying riders were frozen in midair as their mounts thrashed to try and break free from the circles.

All of them at once… caught with just a simple raise of its hand.

Dantes, who could move at the speed of thought, had also been seized with ease. He growled, forged a blast of cursed prana in one hand, and rocketed it towards Goetia. It was a meaningless act that was simply absorbed like all the rest. Ereshkigal, in her own angered panic, rattled a tiny cage to follow his lead. Two large, shadowy heads, the dinosaur-like skeletal masses of unique Garula spirits, broke through the flanking earth of the throne to attack Goetia.

They howled in torment as they drew near, before they collapsed into darkened orbs to be absorbed by Goetia. As blades from the Gate of Babylon pinged harmlessly off his toughened body, the beast merely breathed calmly. "…We have no use for you flies. Kindly depart."

To Gabrielle's horror, the magic circle before Goetia vanished, as did the caught servants.

-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ XII ]ΞΞΞR===•-

Shuten grunted as she slammed into the ground and tumbled. Her vision was blurry, and her ears rang loudly. Still, she quickly forced herself to her feet to gain her bearings. The rugged ground was spinning, and the crimson hued sky threw her perspective temporarily off. She glanced around quickly, but even in her dazed state, she saw the attack coming; An Oni's instincts were not to be underestimated.

"Shuten…!" That voice! With surprise invading her facial features, she glanced around for the source as she gained her bearings. She didn't know which made her gasp louder, the sight of so many demon pillars in one area…

…or the Chaldean servants chained and pinned to the ground by the very threat she was dodging. Her resolve bolstered upon seeing Kintoki among their number. He reached for her weakly as his body glowed with a sickly purple aura. Chains constricted his muscular form, and two had pierced an arm and leg to keep him secure. Beneath him, a dark, demonic circle hummed and pulsed, making him groan in pain. "Don't… let them… catch you…!"

"Sakata! Mine blade shall release you all!" Shuten cried out, but a demon pillar's eyes quickly glanced her way. She was forced further away. She growled angrily, "Impede mine advance no further!"

"No! Just run!" Tomoe cried out before she gasped in pain; The archer, chained by the base of a demonic pillar, seemed to be a more recent capture. Shuten's eyes narrowed upon seeing one pulsing chain had pierced her torso. "They're… They're draining our energy!"

That made all the more reason to free them, but she couldn't risk herself either. This was tricky. If she weren't in the assassin container, her weakest, she would be much better suited to taking on these threats. As powerful as she was now, she wished for even more strength. Since it wouldn't come, she had to fight smart if she was going to save her dear companions, and time was ticking if they were being sapped of magical energy.

She glanced around as she evaded sickly chains and slashed at others, hoping to find aid from somewhere. To her growing dismay, the sights from the other pillars were no better. All she could see were scattered members of the final strike force, all evading or trying to free their comrades… but some were missing.

-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ XIII ]ΞΞΞR===•-

"How dare that beast!" Gilgamesh roared as Ea spun in his hands. Anishka could only stare at the back of the King of Heroes as his most powerful weapon shook in his grasp. A frustrated Enkidu and Ozymandias tried, in vein, to calm their friend as he glared towards Lev and his host of demons. Even Nightingale was having issues holding an infuriated Dantes back as he stared viciously towards a specific pillar.

Only a minute had passed, yet the situation grew far worse than she could have imagined. From what they concluded, Goetia had forcibly removed the strike force servants from the throne area, and scattered them in separate areas. Judging by King Hassan's and Altera's newfound presence, among several others from the strike force, it wasn't just random either: The biggest threats to him had been thrown back to the beachhead.

Arjuna and Sita had gotten a visual identification on nearly all of the other strike force servants who had accompanied Gudao and Gabrielle; These supposed 'insignificant threats' to Goetia were thrown into the second barrier. Only Mashu and Merlin were missing, which meant at best, they were the last ones defending her two friends from a Beast of Calamity. As much as she wanted to believe, she knew that wasn't going to be enough.

Her hands quivered as Lev laughed and clapped. "Ah, wonderful! That means it's time to do my part!"

Roman's hologram, though visibly holding back his panic, glared towards Goetia. "You're going to send them falling?"

"…Honestly? No. We did think of that, but our final road map felt much more appropriate," Lev answered calmly. His smile grew rather calm and sincere. It was the kind of smile she'd seen far too often, but it held so much more deviousness now then it ever had. That's when his eyes opened, and a magic circle appeared below Lev and his accompanying lesser demons. "…But you'll witness that soon enough, dear Roman."

To Anishka's unencumbered horror, she heard the unmistakable sound of Chaldea's warning alarms.

-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ XIV ]ΞΞΞR===•-

"What's happening!? Why are the alarms going off!?" Roman asked in a panic, but he was afraid to find out.

Basked in crimson light, Chaldea's warning klaxons blared loudly within the Control Room. Roman, though stunned and reeling, gazed out the window towards Chaldeas. Its surface blinked red and flashed in tandem with the dull warning lights. He glanced over to the monitors as the holographic feed was cut off. These past few seconds felt like several lifetimes as they cycled between different views in Chaldea's public surveillance system. Everywhere they turned, Chaldea appeared as it should, yet the red glow of the halls fueled Roman's thirst for an answe-

"Unknown signatures have been detected within Chaldeas' magnetic field!" a robot beeped as its mechanical arms moved swiftly across the keys. As Tesla burst into the room, the robot beeped in further alarm. "The perimeter is breached! Foreign entities manifesting within the corridors!"

Roman, gripped by absolute fear, did not hesitate. "Engage maximum security protocols! Get the remaining servants into the halls before they get-"

Roman never got to finish that sentence before a flash among the many screens of the Control Room stunned him. With his heart pounding in his chest, he dared to drop his hastily raised arm. Squinted eyes and dazed vision stared into the control room as an unnatural cold swept across his skin. Barely a second passed before a scream welcomed their newly arrived guests. He didn't even have time to get his bearings before Da Vinci tackled him to the ground. She spun her staff into position and let it whirl.

The released blast of focused prana decapitated one of many lesser demons that had arrived.

-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ XV ]ΞΞΞR===•-

Chaldea's airways were filled with telepathic relays from besieged servants.

"Primary Generator Room has been breached!" "Backup generator four needs assistance!" "They're trying to attack the summoning chamber!"

Chaos engulfed the halls of Chaldea as hundreds of lesser demons went about their given tasks. The outnumbered servants darted through the halls, sometimes shifting into spirit form to traverse the corridors faster; They were far stronger than the demons, but there were just too many. Though most employees made it out of the initial attack thanks to the escorting servants, others weren't so lucky. In all the anarchy, there was no time to mourn as emotions ran wild.

"They're down that hallway too! We can't get to the bunker!" "Oh fuck they're everywhere!" "Run then! Do what we were taught!"

A young woman screamed as she sprinted down the hallway, clutching the reinforced pole for dear life. She turned bask as the closest demon ran her down, claws raised and ready to strike. Even gripped with fear, she thrust the pole back towards it. It slammed into the demon's face, making it flinch slightly; The interruption bought the employee time to run just a bit farther, but the demons were no normal enemy. In a fraction of a second, it was on the hunt again.

Separated from the servants and other employees, she wouldn't make it. However, it wasn't the demon that wound up killing her. A dense ball of magic, barely the size of a marble, tore through the center of her forehead. Her eyes fell blank faster than she crashed to the floor. The chasing demon halted as its companions caught up. It stared towards their current commander as Lev shook his head with a small frown.

"As if that stick would do anything…" he muttered. He glanced to the stopped demons, and his frown deepened. "If you have time to idle, you have time to support your allies at our targets. The King wants Chaldea's systems inoperable as soon as possible!"

With a demonic grunt, the three dozen minions quickly bolted down the hallway. Lev, satisfied with their obedience, allowed himself a small smirk and followed after them. It was disappointing that Chaldea had reinforced the structure so extraordinarily well. Sure the more fragile items would still break with time, but the lesser demons couldn't just tear through walls to get to their targets. He couldn't even mutate into his pillar form due to the rather effective reinforcement.

Perhaps it was just another begrudging tip of the hat he'd have to give those servants.

However, that was just a minor delay. Their forces outnumbered the remaining Chaldeans who hadn't been lured into the singularity. They'd win with time, and he'd get reinforcements if necessary. He doubted he'd have to do that, but the leyshift and summoning systems needed to be completely destroyed. Chaldea couldn't be allowed to resummon servants, nor attempt to retrieve their allies caught in the singularity. Their culmination… their King had deemed Chaldea too much of a threat, and took no further chances.

Even so, they had a specific way this needed to be completed. That didn't mean he couldn't have his own little walk down memory lane too. Just seeing that one employee's terrified face before her end had brought a bit of satisfaction into his heart. They were guaranteed to succeed with their devoted setup...

…so Lev could at least have a little fun during his redemption, right? No harm in that.

-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ XVI ]ΞΞΞR===•-

Maybe it was the unbelievable speed that everything occurred that partially dazed her. Nearly fifteen minutes since they first started talking with Goetia… That's all the time it took for everything to go horribly wrong. She didn't even know what happened outside the barrier, nor did she believe her remaining friends did. She felt numb yet alive with uncertain terror, and its duality tore at her sanity like a butcher's cleaver on a fresh delivery.

Goetia jumped down from the landing. Its movement was unnaturally slow, as if gravity had no will over its form. It came to a soft landing at the foot of the stairs and gazed towards the remainder of Chaldea's strike force. It raised its hand to Merlin and asked, "Now that it's just us five… shall we begin?"

In a sudden dash, Merlin had separated himself from the masters, and aimed his staff towards Goetia. Its response was swift and calm. With a quick raise of its hand, it absorbed the focused, rainbow blast from Merlin's spell. While the remnants of the glittering dust faded into the air, a beam of sickly crimson light screeched through the sky. Gabrielle could only watch in horror as Merlin barely evaded a fatal blow.

He still screamed in agony and fell after his left arm was completely vaporized. Gabrielle panicked, "Merlin!"

"Don't get near me!" he grunted out as blood flowed from his wound. Fou barked as Mashu's legs tensed to- "Mashu! Sta-AHH! STAY THERE! PROTECT THEM!"

She glanced to Merlin. His crumpled form rested on the ground, and his staff remained out of his reach. Goetia's outstretched arm hummed with crimson energy as it prepared a new spell. It chanted, likely for a stronger attack, and Merlin chanted just as quickly as his remaining arm fumbled with his satchel. He bit his tongue, yelped, and cursed himself.

If Mashu couldn't do anything, she could!

A new beam fired, but Gabrielle was quicker. Her magic circuits flared with energy as she stretched her arm to Merlin. In a blink, he had disappeared. A piece of ruined column had replaced him, and it was incinerated by the force of Goetia's more powerful strike. Its eye glared towards Gabrielle and scoffed, but it quickly turned its arm back to the nearby Merlin… only two dozen meters away from them.

In her panic, she was only able to switch him with the nearest object her frightened mind could spot… which was only a handful of paces from where he fell. Goetia mused loudly, "That Chaldean trick is overused, and a mere inconvenience to me."

The aura around Goetia's arm replaced itself with a white magic circle at its massive finger tips. Though her magic circuits felt like lava, she outstretched her arm just as Gudao di- They were both too late. A column of white fire surged from beneath Merlin, covering him completely with its deafening roar. Mashu had to redirect her shield's facing to the column of flame. The heat raked at Gabrielle's face, and she squinted and cursed herself for her inability.

The bright flames died down seconds later, and Gabrielle dared to look. Her heart sank at the smoldered remains of the ground, and Merlin was nowhere in sight. She couldn't sense him anywhere, and she turned in a panic to Gudao and Mashu. The look on their faces told her enough; They'd lost Merlin. They were alone on this lone isle, with only Mashu as their protector... unless...!

Gabrielle thrust her hand into the air. "Scathach!"

The command seals on the back of her arm flared wildly with their released prana. One faded into a blurry outline, as she waited for a response... A response that would never come. She waited desperately for the mental ring of her friend's voice in her mind, but only silence smiled back. Goetia merely stared as she contemplated firing another command seal, but she buried that impulse.

It was obvious the command seal failed; They were completely cut off. Whether it was the barrier, Goetia's presence, or something else, Gabrielle wasn't sure. All she did know was the creeping feeling of dread that shook her knees and sent her confidence into an uncontrollable plummet. Goetia had robbed the masters of all their allies, and now she and her best friend only had Mashu to protect them from a numbered beast.

She'd never felt such profound turmoil in her mind… She felt guilt rattling her thoughts and mixing with growing terror. Anger, sadness, even pain... As much as she wanted to bat all of it away, it felt too heavy. Exhaustion and rampant emotion battered her resolve. It took all she had left just to stand before the overwhelming, panic-inducing presence of Beast I... and it just stared so calmly back the entire time.

She'd never felt so… absolutely helpless before.

"The masters are nothing without their servants… and the servants vanish without their masters," Goetia rumbled as it turned its attention back to them. It eyed her specifically and raised its arm again. She felt an overwhelming, crippling terror she'd never felt before. Breathing felt impossible as adrenaline flooded her system. Time slowed, and his words felt slurred and incoherent in her mind. "Even before it was just Mashu, you were nothing before me… but you're not useless. Far from it... You're dangerous. Too dangerous."

Mashu was quick to act. She threw her free arm around Gudao, just as Fou leapt to the safety of Gudao's arm shield. She positioned herself in front of the frozen Gabrielle, who attempted to break from her ice. Her thoughts raced, but she couldn't find an answer to the problem amid her cluttered mind. Her impulses told her to run, to fight, to scream, to hide… Yet all she could do was stare forward at an intelligent beast, whose raised arm charged with prana.

"Mashu!" Gudao cried out as Fou barked, and without hesitation, she opened her mouth to start the aria- Gabrielle felt prana tickle her skin.

She only blinked, but suddenly the warmth of her companion's backs was absent. They were nowhere in sight, yet her focus remained on Goetia. It seemed just a little different as its arm swung towards her. Then it registered, just as Mashu and Gudao's screams from nearby echoed into her chaos-filled mind. The angle of the stairs… the small differences of the ruined, scorched ground around her… the perspective of the entire place…

Goetia had teleported her away from the safety of Mashu's shield.

The fiery-spirited master blinked as her mind raced for an answer, but there would be none. Goetia's hand flashed with bright, iridescent energy as Mashu screamed something over its bright, deafening roar. Her vision was instantly filled with surrounding, blinding light. As if her mind had completely surrendered, she merely stared into the arresting brightness that enveloped her.

She didn't even have time to scream or accept her fate.