Though his eyes remained bolted shut, the sheer might of the attack pierced the veil. Behind his shielding eyelids, all Roman could see was absolute white. It felt like he sat before a welcoming campfire, yet his panicked mind braced for far worse. For what felt like eons, he prayed this was not the end, and hoped the blazing heat would remain deceptively bearable. With every passing second, the roar of the unrelenting tidal wave of energy wreaked havoc in his mind.
When the heat began to subside, Roman quickly gasped for new breath. His eyes remained shut, for the light refused to yield. It didn't stop him from grasping for precious air, which was now thick with residual energy; It felt like breathing through a straw even though the air raced past his face. Gilgamesh's Vimana still hurdled forward, and they were still alive. Relief swelled in his muscles as the light began to fade away.
"We're… We're alive…?" the doctor breathed, and Enkidu breathed beside him with his own relief. It was short lived.
The Vimana banked sharply, and Gilgamesh grunted as a focused blast of azure prana shot past the left wing of his ancient aircraft. Roman followed his narrowed eyes into the brightly lit area. The central isle was ablaze with light, like a miniature star. Backlit across its surface were the remaining floating pylons. Their runes glowed brightly, making them fade and flicker in Roman's vision thanks to the bright supernova behind them. More bolts whizzed past as Gilgamesh maneuvered his aircraft closer to their goal.
Roman's mind raced for an answer as Gilgamesh formed the first portals. Something or someone had stopped that apocalyptic attack… A force of unfathomable, unstoppable energy, made to vaporize the surface of the Earth, had been halted. As prana-forged projectiles flew past them, Roman's pounding heart was numbed to the current danger due to the disbelief they even survived the former. To stop that was an impossible feat, and yet Gilgamesh seemed to understand they would be fine. But why?
Cries from Iskandar's bulls tore Roman's attention to the flanking chariot. He barely looked over when a streak of golden light tore past. He and Enkidu gasped in awe as dozens of golden portals formed around the second, newly arrived Vimana. The white supernova faded as the fired treasures raced across the sky to join Gilamesh's own. With pinpoint precision, they slammed into several of the final, floating defenses in their way. The second aircraft quickly turned for a second pass as it streaked back towards them.
As it passed, it slowed enough to allow its pilot to observe them. Roman stared up at the other Gilgamesh, whose eyes glanced quickly between the Chaldean spearhead, then to the Vimana. His eyes widened ever so slightly upon seeing the Chaldean Gilgamesh and Enkidu staring back. It had been a brief few seconds, but it proved enough for him. He smirked with pride as Drake's warships renewed their supporting bombardment.
The other Vimana quickly accelerated to deal with the last floating defenses. Enkidu blinked and looked to Gilgamesh. "He didn't want to say anything…?"
The archer smirked back as the other Gilgamesh assaulted the final pylons. "I imagine if he was disappointed, he would have."
Roman's thoughts resided differently over King Gil. Was he the one who saved them? No. As unbelievably powerful as Gilgamesh was, he doubted he had a weapon that could stop that attack. Ea might be capable of it, but there had been no telltale signs of its deployment. King Gil clearly just arrived, and Gilgamesh had it nowhere on his person. Their savior obviously resided elsewhere.
It was only when the supernova faded further, and Roman looked towards the quickly approaching land, did he understand. The ground looked untouched, yet the massive, pure walls of Camelot stood proudly in the dying light. They reached to the skies like towers, similar in stature to the ones they encountered in Jerusalem. Though they flickered and began disintegrating, Mashu had managed to stave off the impossible, yet it worried him.
His eyes scanned the ground before the collapsing walls as the starry skies became visible again. Camelot's conceptual walls faded into the purest white, and vanished into a haze of snowy light. The area looked unnaturally beautiful with its leave, like the rays of the sun piercing dispersing clouds after a storm. It allowed him to view the rapidly approaching island with clarity, yet the only two figures he could see was Gudao and Goetia.
His heart sank as his eyes failed to find Mashu.
-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ Ω ]ΞΞΞR===•-
Chapter 6: Parting Words
-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ Ω ]ΞΞΞR===•-
Gabrielle cowered underneath Merlin's concealment cape. That massive earthquake and the blinding light had scared the hell out of her. It reminded her of the seconds where she thought she was going to die; She assumed Goetia had found her! When the light faded, she was still alive, yet confusion ran rampant through her.
She could hear occasional telepathic messages, and the barriers were clearly absent. She was almost certain Chaldea had broken through, but she was still conflicted on how to act. Merlin told her clearly to stay put and silent unless she wanted Goetia to locate her. But now the barriers were gone, and a counter offensive was likely going on… Did that mean it was safe to reveal herself?
Yet there was no one within sight. Her helplessness was driving her insane as she endlessly debated with herself. Even her impulsive thoughts were torn between hiding and calling out for help. Her eyes glanced around furiously as frustration over herself and her situation doubled with every minute that passed. Her fists shook as they grasped the concealment cape, and her indecisiveness over the unknown crippled her.
She at least managed to growl to herself as she waited. "When I get out of here, I wanna punch something."
-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ III ]ΞΞΞR===•-
"…Mashu…?" Gudao's voice was dry and dripped with doubt.
He gazed numbly forward, waiting for the sweetest chimes to ring through his ears. "…Mashu…?"
"Fou, fou!" the fluffy creature cried in concern as it quickly scampered up Gudao. It came to rest on his shoulder, and looked around quickly in desperation. It turned back to the master and licked him, but it failed to do anything. "Fou, fou!"
"How unexpected," An irritated Goetia noted at the base of the throne's ascent. It lowered its arm as it stared towards the upright shield. Its central eye gazed towards the still master, then rested on Fou. "Did you play a role in this? Would you truly go so far for the humans?"
Though Fou growled angrily back, Gudao couldn't hear it. It couldn't hear anything as his lips tried to mouth that precious name once more. He couldn't. Though they moved and formed the words automatically, they never took to the air. He merely mumbled and wobbled where he stood, and felt the heavy weights on his shoulders crack and break his knees. Though his lips continued to try and voice his heart's growing denial, his mind could not be lied to.
He couldn't feel Mashu's warm presence anywhere.
His gaze remained on the shield before him, still planted firmly in the ground where she made her stand. From where he'd been, the sheer heat made him feel like he was boiling alive. He felt scorched underneath his still-steaming battle suit, yet the pain that ached at his skin felt nothing like the endless lashes of his pounding heart. It raced frantically as it tried to tell the mind it was wrong, yet there was no denying it.
'Gabby… Mashu…' It became a mantra. Endlessly chanted in his head, it severely hampered any of his instinctual or rational thoughts.
His mind was in a panic as it sorted the facts. Mashu had sacrificed herself before him to keep him, and everyone behind him, safe. There was nothing between him and Goetia now. It was just another setback for this seemingly immortal beast. His flight or fight instincts were screaming for a response to act. All these reactions were just a tiny life preserver in the now overwhelming tsunami that threatened to drown him, and he couldn't even see it.
A cold numbness filled his body. He didn't feel the sharp pain that rocketed through his knees as he collapsed to the ground. Fou barked frantically to get Gudao's attention, yet his gaze remained shaky and locked onto the shield before him. The lone grave stood there in the otherworldly, beautiful light as an endless reminder he couldn't tear his eyes from. His hands shook, and new tears formed in his eyes.
Still, he gazed forward as tears silently raced down his cheeks. The relentless pounding of his heart deafened him to the world around, but he didn't even yell in torment. His mind worked fruitlessly to try and restore his mindset, but he'd already fallen too far. It hurt impossibly just to acknowledge Gabrielle had left him, but now Mashu too?
The mantra repeated, and the wheel turned endlessly. Their absence rocked him to the core to the point the master didn't see Goetia stare towards the sky behind him. He was hardly aware of anything around him anymore. Gudao, traumatized and overwhelmed, just cried soundlessly in his mental torture.
-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ IV ]ΞΞΞR===•-
"You sure they'll be fine for now, Annie?" Rama voiced as he stared towards the central isle.
"I hope so, Shri Rama, but we'll be quick," Anishka reassured as she stared firmly ahead. Blackbeard's vessel sailed towards the next island on the Western wing, where Medea's unholy bombardment continued unabated. The onboard archers began their own bombardment as many of Quetzalcoatl's phantasmal beasts swooped down to begin their task. "We'll send others soon, but aiding our allies is our top priority."
Their newfound allies were a blessing, but they didn't have a source of energy. They were likely running low on their own reserves, which meant the pillars needed to be suppressed again; Their injured servants were also down there. As much as she wanted to help out Roman right now, they needed to keep the path secure. She only hoped they'd be able to regroup and consolidate fast enough.
"It doesn't look like the Greek witch is in any mood to play nurse," Blackbeard pointed out as he gestured over his shoulder. Thanks to the lingering magical energy now flushed through the air, her ferocity only seemed to intensify; It honestly made Anishka nervous to even attempt to contact her. "Looks like you're going to be doing the heavy lifting. You capable of that much?"
As Altera leapt over the side of the ship to land on one of Quetzalcoatl's mounts, Anishka nodded firmly. With so many servants capable of countless acts, there was almost no actual need for the masters to do anything; It was usually best to save energy and play safe. Compared to Gudao and… the late Gabrielle… she had a refined set of skills that could be used more readily in Chaldea's battles. She just rarely got the chance to do so, which she counted as a blessing.
This was a very different situation. Most of their present healers were scattered across the singularity. She was banking on Medea, Sanson, or Geronimo to be able to assist her on this wing since Tamamo was with Drake on the Eastern front. She was intimidated to even try talking to Medea at the moment, but it was far less of an inconvenience than it would have been before that horrifying attack.
The lingering energy in the air was unnaturally thick, and that played well into her favor. Her best work was done on top of a leyline so she could channel the vast energies, but this would be just as ideal for her magecraft. She smiled to Blackbeard, who cocked an eyebrow as she nodded. "I will. Please just sail us from island to island until we recover all the wounded."
She then quickly turned to Sita at her side and bowed. "Shri Sita… May I request for you and Shri Rama direct the rescue efforts in my stead?"
"You got it, Annie!" Rama quickly answered while Sita smiled earnestly.
After bowing again, Anishka jogged off the bow of the ship, and chose a suitable spot with plenty of room around her. As the ship lurched slightly with Blackbeard's maneuvering, she sat down on the deck and crossed her legs. With eyes closed, she placed her hands gently together in front of her in namaste prayer. The boat lurched again, yet this time, she was now bedrock.
Long breaths steadied and calmed her soul as she entered the necessary state of mind. Calmness and clarity raced through her system to throw unwanted thoughts and needs away. She breathed slowly, and her magic circuits gently warmed with initial activation of her specialized magecraft. David raced across the deck, but she didn't notice his presence; He merely glanced to her in surprise at the inviting, calming aura that began wafting off her like an incoming tide.
Though the battle raged across the singularity, and her own worries tried to shake her from reverie, Anishka quickly found herself in a bodiless state as she uttered the first words of her mantra.
-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ V ]ΞΞΞR===•-
Goetia went through its mental checklist once more as it raised new defensive pylons. The beast's central eye gazed at the ground before it. The intermixed tentacles steamed and writhed with the ruined earth, which looked more like glassed sand. Each tendril hissed and coiled as it regenerated itself across the devastated isle, but stopped at a perfect line where the great shield remained planted in the ground.
Though Mashu's defense had been a surprising turn of events, it was just another piece off the chessboard. Chaldea wouldn't be able to rely on that defensive measure again, and it would only take a few minutes to prime the attack again. All Goetia had to do was buy a few minutes time, which was no task considering its impenetrable defenses.
It was merely unfortunate that more energy would be expended to decimate the Chaldean invaders. There would be a setback in the time schedule, though at very worst, their collective would only need to adjust calculations for an additional year. That should be enough to suffice, and they would be guaranteed to have enough energy to snuff out the last invaders.
Many of their collective were frustrated at the turn of events, but Goetia kept them placid. It ensured their reactions were kept in check. Even if they had their own differences and eagerness to respond, Goetia firmly remained the pinnacle that united the seventy-two. While it was still in control, it would not tolerate wayward actions like Flauros. The situation remained unstable, but so long as it kept the pillars composed and acting accordingly, this could be repaired in minutes.
At this point, it was just a waiting game, for the humans only scurried and attacked like an angered swarm of wasps around an elephant. Goetia gazed briefly at the collapsed master, who remained on his knees with a distant look. The man was absolutely broken, and it would no longer pose any sort of threat; Even the smaller beast had finally abandoned him. The only ones who might cause some annoyances descended towards the ground behind him.
Sun beams tore through newly formed pylons as glowing scarabs raced like comets to rip through others. Iskandar's chariot took the full brunt of a focused prana blast, but the electrified mount merely charged forward and obliterated the offending floating stone. As the escorts rampaged across Goetia's constantly generating pylons, the Vimana landed behind Gudao and kicked up a small cloud of dust; The master didn't move.
"Gudao!" Enkidu quickly leapt off the ancient aircraft and ran to the master. Goetia watched his concern increase exponentially upon seeing the man's crushed expression. Its attention turned to Gilgamesh, who glared angrily at the beast. It finally shifted its gaze curiously to Roman as he jumped off the Vimana and raced towards the shield. A simple human had come to the central isle, and Goetia couldn't figure out why. Yet, it didn't matter.
It just needed to bide those few more minutes so it could fire the lightbands in a dispersed configuration.
-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ VI ]ΞΞΞR===•-
Roman's eyes narrowed slightly to shield himself from the room's bright lights. He never did get used to it through his many visits, nor the near emptiness of the room. His footsteps echoed as they stepped on the spotless, white tiles. The massive, one-way window looked like an empty frame on this end, and hid several observers from the occupant's sight. With only a lone, white cot with an adjacent table and chair, there was little to distract from the… experiment.
He hated how that term was used ever since he found out about it. The perceived inconsequence most mages held to lives had grown into an insufferable thought, though was he really that much better with his own previous indifference? He could debate how hypocritical his feelings were now, but this was a new life. He wasn't Solomon anymore, but just the head Doctor in Chaldea overseeing the health of his patient.
Roman refused to refer to her by her number as some still did.
The young girl, barely thirteen of age, who sat on the bed before him was a person in his eyes. Clad in just a light blue hospital patient's gown, her excited eyes stared at the book clutched on top of his clipboard; She held one in her lap underneath her folded hands. He couldn't hold back his own smile on seeing how happy she was at the prospect he might have the requested novel, yet it also caused his heart to ache.
She was but one of a number that were created and raised artificially to serve as potential hosts for Heroic Spirits. This girl, with a shorter lifespan than regular people, was more of a mix of a homunculus and human than to be truly either. It pained him that this bright-eyed girl, who was eager to learn as much as she could, was seen mostly as a tool for his friend Marisbilly's ultimate goal. In the end, this girl was, at best, a sacrifice to help preserve humanity's future.
Nonetheless, Roman could never see her that way, nor could he get angry at his friend without becoming infuriated with himself. As much as she was part of Marisbilly's hope, she was also part of his, since he was powerless. The visions haunted him to action, but he lost count of how many hours of sleep he lost upon realizing his own secret ambition was being shouldered by this child and the remaining others. One by one, the other 'experiments' failed, yet this one held promise, so she had been granted a name last year.
Giving her a name made her feel that much more human, which he was happy about, but it made him grow attached. His heart couldn't distance itself any longer, and yearned to find a way to allow her to escape her fate. Even the small tokens he brought for her in the form of learning and understanding were pebbles compared to what he wanted for her: Personal freedom. He wanted so much for her, yet at the same time, he knew she might be his only hope if the servant summonings failed.
Still, he smiled. "Good morning, Mashu. I hope you had a good night's rest?"
She smiled brightly and nodded back. "Yes, Doctor. I even managed to finish the book before I fell asleep!"
"That's great! And just in time for your new book!" he declared happily as he showed her the fine, elaborate cover. "The library happened to have it."
The Sign of Four
By Arthur Conan Doyle
"Thank you!" Mashu happily cheered as she took the novel with one hand. She placed the precursor book on her bed, and stared happily at her new one. She'd become quite the avid reader since he wasn't able to give her other leisurely items. It was worse to know he was the only one who did, let alone actually talked to her face to face. To this day, he's still the only one who had entered her room.
"You're welcome," he nodded back, then pulled the stethoscope out of a pocket on his signature Chaldean coat. "But before I let you go, I need to do your weekly check. I hope that's alright with you?"
She nodded happily, and placed the book with her other. In truth, these check ups were unnecessary. The medical equipment could do it from the outside, and always had, but it felt so inhuman. He didn't want her to feel like that anymore, so this was as much for her sake as it was his own moral sanity. He placed the hearing cup against her back, and began the routine procedures.
It was quick and painless, with nothing out of the ordinary. Besides her shortened life, she was as healthy as any regular person her age. He'd been worried her development had stunted, but her eagerness to learn about nearly anything in the outside world countered it. Her curiosity was matched only by her eagerness and optimism she may be able to experience it herself. He was partially at fault for that.
As he placed his penlight away, Mashu fired one of her occasional, difficult curiosities. "Doctor? Do you think I'll ever get to meet my father?"
A pang ran through him. In his reckless desire of wanting her to feel like a person, he lied about her origin. Her mother died in childbirth, and her father disappeared long before then. They'd been taking extra care with her because of her unique, and often fatal, disease, but she held a promising future as a hero… or so the story went. It was horrible to lie to her, but he didn't have the heart to tell her the ugly truth behind it all.
He merely gave a hopeful, yet sad smile, and rubbed her shoulder gently. "I hope so… I'm sorry. We're doing all we can to find him."
Though disappointment glinted in her eyes, she smiled gently. "…It's okay. I still don't know what to say when I do get to meet him."
"If you need help with that, you can practice it on me," he offered spontaneously, but scratch his head. "But uhh… I don't think my responses would be very accurate?"
Mashu giggled. "That's alright, Doctor. I think you'll do fine. You've been like a father figure to me this whole time!"
Those words staggered him, and but he quickly forced a laugh and scratched the back of his head with a cheesy grin. "You think so? That's… I don't think I'm that good! I think I've been more like your friend than a parental figure!"
Yet what kind of friend allowed all of this to happen to her? He would have even preferred a junior and senior sort of relation that they discussed when they first met. Him… a good-for-nothing doctor who should be doing so much more for her standards of living being seen as her father? It might have been the case in her eyes, but Roman was far too guilty to ever accept that title. She deserved far better than someone like him, so he'd refuse until the day he died.
While he chastised himself, Roman silently hoped she'd find someone far more suited to act as her father before the… inevitable. More than that, he hoped she'd get a lot of friends, and perhaps even a lover… though he'd honestly be a bit picky and scrutinizing over her potential interests. But in the end, it would be all up to her, and he'd simply do what he could to give her those little pieces of happiness. At least one of them had to live a truly satisfying life.
Mashu merely smiled back. "Maybe… but either way, you'll always be an important person to me! Thank you for being here!"
Roman blinked, but quickly offered a tiny, yet secretly pained, smile. "As long as you're happy."
-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ VII ]ΞΞΞR===•-
Roman's hand remained on the shield, even though it stung from the residual heat. He stared at it blankly while his numb heart cried out for another painful death; It was the worst one of them all, and yet his resolve kept him standing. His will kept the tears at bay, or maybe he just didn't have any further tears to shed. The few that leaked before seemed to have been enough.
He glanced back quietly to Gudao, who was cradled defensively in Enkidu's grasp. The look on his face… He'd seen the master at his low points, when many weren't looking. Few times had the master actually shown it in public, and every time he did, he resolved to create a stronger hold on himself. He always had that tendency to bottle things up like Gabrielle, and he wondered if he learned that from the late master… To lose her, then to lose Mashu soon after. Roman was not surprised Gudao was practically comatose.
Yet, he had to at least mentally thank Gudao in such a terrible time. Though he would have preferred a far happier ending, he'd been one of the greatest gifts to Mashu. It made him happy to see the wonderful, pure love they formed together, and to even acknowledge its end was too brutal for him to dare think about. At the very end, at least she had developed into a strong, happy young woman who had a promising future in her lap.
"Don't worry, Doctor! We'll be back before you know it!"
Those had been the last words she said to her before the initial strike force arrived on the central isle. Her last hopeful smile burned itself deeper into his mind. It was hard to believe this tragedy had barely played out for more than an hour. Though it felt like an eternity in hell, he understood the implications.
His resolve was further fueled. More precious people were dying quickly, and that number was only going to grow exponentially now that Goetia was using the lightbands. The time for any mourning or hesitation had long since passed. There would only be one more sacrifice now that he was here. With firm eyes, he lowered his hand and took a few steps in front of the shield. His footing was slippery on the glassed earth, but he never stood taller. With clenched fists, he stared at Goetia as it eyed him curiously.
"So a mere human wishes to challenge me directly… Do you not wish to hide behind the servants, Acting Director Roman Archaman?"
"…Roman…?" Ah… So Gudao wasn't completely out of it. He glanced back towards Gudao, who stared at him like thin, cracked glass. He offered a small, sympathetic smile, but turned back to Goetia. He wanted to comfort the master so dearly, but time was ticking, and he didn't know when those light bands would fire next.
"I'm done hiding." His words were final, but they were the last brick in his wall of resolve. It was now or never. "I'm going to fix the mess I've made."
That immediately caught the beast's attention. Roman suppressed the shiver that ran down his spine as Goetia's gaze seemed to intensify. Without warning, golden portals appeared around Goetia, and Gilgamesh flicked his wrist. The golden chains of heaven attempted to wrap themselves around the beast, yet the second they touched it, they shattered and fragmented. Goetia converted and absorbed the residual energy as Gilgamesh growled.
Still, its heavy gaze threatened to crush Roman. "What curious words you've chosen. And what exactly do you think you can do?"
"Whatever it takes," Roman replied evenly, then brought his hands before him and quickly pulled off his dirtied gloves. The ornate ring quickly shimmered under the beautiful light, and Goetia's presence grew impossibly heavy. Roman's resolve managed to hold firm as the beast glared towards him.
"That… is the tenth ring of King Solomon," it growled out incredulously. "Then you…?"
"Roman is… Solomon…?" he heard Gudao barely voice from behind him.
"God told me to entrust this ring to the future," Roman declared. "That's where Marisbilly found it for the Holy Grail War, and summoned me."
"You're just a human with the tenth ring. We sense no saint graph," Goetia pointed out skeptically, though Roman could feel the growing pressure in the air.
"Because we won, and we had our wishes granted."
"…Wish?" Goetia seemed to scoff, then it let out a small laugh. "King Solomon… with a wish? As if that man would have anything like a wish! …Fiendish! Ruthless! Cruel! Merciless! The man who was my archetype would never have such a mundane wish! We call your bluff to stall for time, human."
"...It's a bit hurtful that you would say things like that about me. I guess you really do hate me that much…" Roman lamented. Though the beast didn't believe him, Roman took it as a blessing. He might have been flattened immediately otherwise. Maybe the beast was also stalling for time; Why else didn't the lightbands fry them all again? At that thought, Roman felt the pressure of time once more. "I don't need to you to believe me, Goetia. I just need to defeat you."
Goetia fell deathly quiet as the ring erupted with bright, golden light. The column consumed Roman, but he could only feel the soft embrace of its warmth. His body tingled, and he felt the familiar sense of od forming rapidly within. He felt magic circuits being reborn as the ring reverted the grail's wish, slowly yet completely. Floating in the warm embrace of the column, he felt the long-lost sense of might at his fingertips.
"You… You…!?" he heard the beast cry out over the heavenly chimes of his transformation. It watched the nine other rings fly from the throne towards the column. "Flauros…! To think even this would slip your sight is unfounded incompetence!"
Gilgamesh smirked. "He, who viewed the end of the world before he turned into a human… chose to keep his identity secret, and dedicated his life to solving the riddle! He struggled for humanity's sake when he could have lived a boring life until the end! Roman is worthy of the King's praise!"
The conversation outside was lost to Roman as his final gift was granted to him. He felt the other nine rings slip onto his fingertips as his hair blew wildly around him. As they seated themselves in their proper place, his vision flashed. Rapidly and quickly, his mind was consumed by uncountable visions. His clairvoyance had returned with the revelations at their side. Like a jarring movie of contrasting images, they flooded before him… but he understood it all.
Separate, they were meaningless to interpret as individual sights. Together, they were everything he needed to put his last doubts to rest. Countless images of smiling faces and warm scenes flickered for an eternity. Some he didn't know, but many he recognized. His mind and vision had granted him his heart's lingering wish as the future, bright and vivid, was promised in his sight.
Chaldea would succeed. The facility would return to its proper place in the real world. It would not be an easy transition, but they would see it through. The days of carefree smiles and casual living would continue unabated. Their home, though in several ways different, would remain the same.
If some glimpses were true, then their mission would not be over either. However, they would not be alone. More allies would arrive. More trials across the timeline would be answered. They'd manage together, just as they had in the past, and that left Roman content. Chaldea would be fine.
As the images, both old and new, mixed within his mind, Roman felt his ascension complete. He felt all powerful, just like in the days of Marisbilly's Holy Grail War. It had barely been a struggle with his might, and it gave Roman a new sense of hope. He was Goetia's creator, and his current strength served as a reminder of how powerful he could be. Maybe he wouldn't have to resort to that last noble phantasm to win. His optimism skyrocketed as the column of light faded.
He stood once more before Goetia in all his former glory. He didn't need to glance at his tanned, tattooed hands or his flowing white and crimson robes to know his former human form was completely gone; Yet he was still Roman. As his long, white hair flickered gently with the aura of power that resonated from him, he understood he was still who he had learned to become… he just happened to be capable of doing far, far more.
His golden eyes stared at the silent and stunned Goetia, and he dared to smile. "It was no bluff… I am the King of Magic, Solomon. Goetia, I am the one who shall guide you to you-"
Any glint of Roman's optimism, that it could end any other way, vanished as Goetia rocketed towards him. Too shocked to act, Roman gasped for breath as Goetia grabbed him ruthlessly around the torso, then threw him into the ground at the base of the throne's ascent. Earth was sent flying as Roman coughed up blood, yet there was no time to spare. He felt Goetia's forging its prana at impossible speeds, and he had to act fast.
As naturally as before, Roman chanted a defensive spell faster than Merlin could ever dream of doing. The blue shield blossomed before him like a flower just in time to absorb the single hit. The magenta prana sphere didn't explode, but ground against the shield violently. It spun and shrieked, tearing cracks into the shield before finally imploding with a deafening shockwave. Rubble flew into the air, but Roman knew better than to sit still.
Incantations flew off his lips as Goetia hurdled toward him like a comet with its fist reared back. "You're far too late! You will die here, Solomon!"
Roman grit his teeth and cursed; He just needed a single opening!
-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ VIII ]ΞΞΞR===•-
Sasaki sat cross-legged on the deck of the Queen Anne's Revenge and stared at the wounded Martha beside him. Her expression was calm and relaxed in her unconscious state, yet his concern over her injuries had vanished in a heartbeat. Steadily, with every pulse from the massive green magic circle spread across the deck, the vicious laceration across her stomach had knit itself closed. It had been mesmerizing to watch, just as it had been with his own injuries.
"Tayata Om Bekanze Bekanze Maha Bekanze Radza Samudgate Soha…"
The assassin turned his gaze once more to Anishka, who levitated a few centimeters off the ground at the very center of the magic circle. With eyes closed and her hands still folded in namaste prayer, her magic circuits hummed and glowed vibrantly with a neon green wherever her skin was exposed. Her lips continued to utter the words of her Mantra magecraft flawlessly as she kept her focus precise. With every utterance of the phrase, a new pulse of visibly manifested mana surged formed in the air around them and poured into their spiritual bodies.
The servants knew she had much more potent healing spells than the few ones she cast in battle. If those smaller ones had rivalled the Einzberns in potency, this one far surpassed them without any doubt. Across the deck, more than a dozen servants were being healed simultaneously at an astonishing rate. This was one of her greatest spells, passed down and maintained with every generation in her family for thousands of years.
"She's quite the magus," Sasaki mumbled through his lingering frustrations, and Rama chuckled behind him.
"This isn't even difficult for her! All this residual mana made it easy," he boasted, though his expression remained firm as he scanned the battlefields below. Rama had every reason to be proud of her; It was an immensely potent spell, even if it forced her to keep still and meditate. It was detrimental in combat without protection, but with so many servants, it became a priceless ability. It barely cost any of her own od from what he could detect.
More than that, he was just glad at how efficient it was. He was still fairly low on energy, but any injuries he sustained had recovered quickly. He flexed his hands in front of himself, and frowned as he gazed once more at the many fallen comrades. His eyes shot to the side of the ship as Shuten and Raikou appeared carrying Kintoki. The frustration in their eyes were matched by his own as they brought him towards the center.
In a flash, Dantes had appeared on the railing with Joan in his arms. Though she looked terrible as blood dripped from her injuries, he was surprised she was still awake. She grimaced angrily, and he could see the absolute fury the avengers held within leaking from her eyes; They poured from Dantes' own vision too as he gently put her down within the circle. She grimaced, winced, and growled angrily. "That damn beast…! Let me burn it! I want to let my flame- Ghh-!"
"Stay still, Joan. I don't think you'll be getting that chance," Dantes warned with exasperated eyes, and Joan merely glared back at him.
In truth, Sasaki definitely wanted to give this beast a taste of his own blade. If his wounded friends wouldn't be able to, he'd just exact vengeance in their place and hope it was enough. He was just glad that they were definitely reinforcing the center once all the injured were recovered. Until then, he couldn't sit idly by.
Sasaki stood up and went to the railing with the intent to find one of Quetzalcoatl's vacant phantasmal beasts flying nearby. He was fit enough to help, so he'd just hasten their task by helping with the wounded. A bright beam of magenta light tore through the skies at the central isle and caught his attention. He and Rama stared cautiously towards the distant battle, as he caught small glimpses of a servant battling Goetia alone.
He prayed Roman and the others would hold on long enough for reinforcements to get there.
-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ IX ]ΞΞΞR===•-
Bright, explosive quasars of magenta light that erupted over the central isle failed to distract Medusa.
The flying rider was livid, even after the allied child Medea had done wonders in stabilizing her sisters' condition. Her Pegasus roared through the air and slammed straight through a demon pillar. It shrieked at the terrible wound the pass inflicted, yet it was not music to her ears. It just wasn't enough. Taking her anger out on these demon pillars did little to placate her own frustration, but only kept them from growing larger.
With unblindfolded eyes, she growled angrily as she scanned the battlefield below for any wounded who needed a taxi. Though she stared with scrutiny, the sight of her older sisters in such a critical condition dominated her mind. Blame, whether justified or not, was personally placed on her shoulders. She was supposed to be the one to protect them. Though her family insisted she be in the reserve as the masters suggested, she placed blame on no one else but herself for their injuries.
Her grip on the reigns was taut, and she made for yet another pass on the demon pillars in sight. How many strafes had she done between taxis? She lost count, but each one was a necessary vent to release the unbelievable tension in her body. Her current outlet was only by convenience, and she yearned to let it out on the true culprit of it all. If the seventy-two were the collective, and Goetia their leader, then to hear its own screams of torment would sate her monstrous cravings.
It was nearing the time. If what Drake said was true, Anishka should be calling for all capable servants to assist at the central island. Until then, all she could do was busy herself with these strafing runs; There were clearly no other wounded remaining after the ferrying servants picked up the Emiya family.
At her angle high in the sky, Medusa's mount turned into a comet. She should be saving her energy, but she had one or two more apples to spare. "Bellerophon!"
In a blink, she tore straight past the allied Ishtar, and sliced a massive hole in the side of a demon pillar that relocated itself to the island's perimeter. It wailed in torment as Medusa ended her mount's charge far lower in the skies than she planned; Her anger was starting to blind her a bit. She glanced over towards Ereshkigal, who had been forced to evade her charge on her own ghostly mount.
The shadowy, skeletal bird flapped its dusky wings rapidly to right its course as the lancer gazed her way. They shared a frustrated stare, but no words or apology were uttered; Everyone was stressed and aggravated, it was just to what extent they showed it. She nodded to her as a quick apology, and she nodded back.
With a small growl, she worked the reins of her steed and directed it to follow Ereshkigal's mount back to the battle. They'd descended beneath the rocky islands on their past, but it would be a quick trip to ge-
"Medusa! Eresh!" the telepathic shout ransacked part of her anger and replaced it with surprise. "Hey! Help! Please! I need a ride!"
Ereshkigal's mount came to a rapid halt with fluttering wings. The surprised lancer glanced back to her and called out, "Medusa! Did you hear that!?"
That voice… There was no mistaking it, but she was supposed to be… "…Gabby?"
"I'm under the islands! Look for my fire!" Medusa and Ereshkigal glanced around constantly. Flashes of light caught her attention, and she looked towards the central island hastily. From a rocky outcrop in its side, a stream of fire contrasted heavily against its blackened surroundings. Her mount zoomed towards the location, followed quickly by Ereshkigal, as the stream quickly died down.
"You're alive!? You're alive!" Ereshkigal's telepathic voice cried out in shock, even as Medusa's eyes recognized the master's growing figure.
"It's a long story! Please hurry! I barely know what's going on up there, and it's driving me nuts!"
-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ X ]ΞΞΞR===•-
Goetia tossed a fleeting glance down towards the King of Heroes and Enkidu, who stood defensively at Gudao's sides. They, along with the other servants circling above them, who focused on his endlessly generating defensive measures, did not interfere; Not like they could. They were helpless before Goetia, and their attacks were meaningless. Yet they eyed him in expectation that Solomon would do something.
It would have concerned the collective… had it been only minutes before.
With delight, the beast brought its fist back and rammed it hard into the hastily raised translucent shield of that hated, dreadful king. He watched that accursed Solomon grunt before the momentum of the strike sent him hurdling towards the ground. A cloud of dust and rubble vented around his impact zone; He softened his own impact yet again. A wind spell had cushioned him, but Goetia anticipated that.
The beast came down like a meteor onto the still-raised shield. Its fists turned into a blurry bombardment of unfiltered ferocity as it smashed against Solomon's defenses. They were as strong as Goetia always knew them to be, but they were nothing before the combined might of the beast. With every punch, a crack formed within the shield. Barely three seconds, and the field shattered.
A movement incantation was already on his opponent's lips, and though he was faster than Merlin, Goetia was holding nothing back. The wind was swiftly knocked out of that hated king, and he flew backwards towards Mashu's shield. He slammed into the ground and vanished in a cloud of disturbed earth. It heard the master managed to yell with a cracked voice. "Roman!"
As it spread its arms wide for the follow up attack, Goetia laughed. This… This was Solomon? This was what they were worried about the whole time? The visions had warned of their defeat at his hands, yet it had never shown why. The images were always scattered and difficult to interpret, so they just collectively agreed Solomon himself was the threat, and his appearance heralded their end. They acted diligently, and even unsuppressed some of their carefully withheld anger.
Yet, here was the King of Magic himself as a servant. He'd been hiding in Chaldea this entire time, and now that he showed himself, he was powerless… Weak. His spells, though quick, precise, and stronger than Merlin's own, barely kept him from succumbing to its onslaught. This was what they had been concerned of for so long, and it could do nothing but laugh at their own perceived paranoia. "This is all you've got, Solomon!? You're far too late, and far too helpless to prevent our journey!"
The eyes laced down its limbs opened fire. Enkidu and Gilgamesh barely had time to get Gudao out of harm's way as the storm of dense prana rampaged through the air. Another barrier was raised by Solomon, who stood before Mashu's shield defiantly. It glowed a bright yellow, resembled a swirling hurricane, and hummed like heavenly chimes until the first blasts slammed against it.
"Die, die, die!" The barrier flickered and flared with every hit, and Goetia unleashed dozens per second as it laughed. Not even Solomon could hold up against this onslaught, but it wouldn't end here. Having nested in its body, Goetia understood the limits of Solomon's spells. The barrier would crack with a few more seconds, and then his cycle of evasion would continue. However, enough time had already passed. It was finally time to end all of this.
Although, Goetia would admit these last few minutes had been a surprising present. They were even… fun, so to speak. It laughed with booming confidence. "Of course! All you ever could do was talk! Nothing more than words, you fool!"
It relented its attack, and allowed the beleaguered enemy a pause as his shield nearly shattered from the last impact. Goetia's laughter subsided as it growled. "You had us concerned, but our doubts were misplaced! Die again, Solomon! I shall give you your own noble phantasm as your requiem!"
-•===ЯΞΞΞ[ XI ]ΞΞΞR===•-
That familiar, foreboding sensation tugged at Roman's nerves, but he didn't budge. The ominous, eerie pitch rumbled from above as the tendrils began churning and twirling. The enormous weight of its sheer power weighed against his shoulders, and demanded he sink to his knees in despair. As the ravaged earth beneath him shook violently from the coming storm, Goetia seemed to bask in its victory.
Yet Roman would not budge. Even as he glanced to the dreaded lightbands, his mind was calmer than the surface of a lake at dawn. He knew of its apocalyptic power, but it had no hold or fear over him this time. His human body had been cast aside and exchanged for his original, and though he had been brutalized, he still stood. The only negativity that held any inch of his mind was the last disappointment that it had come down to this.
"Right… From the beginning, that's how it was supposed to be." Roman voiced evenly over the heavy, violent air. "I will disappear by my own noble phantasm… That is the fate of King Solomon after all."
Goetia's victorious presence seemed to flicker with some confusion. "…What?"
With eyes of tempered steel, he gazed firmly at the beast. "Goetia… I will tell you about my final magecraft. The third noble phantasm whose true name you didn't understand. No… It could not have been known to you."
As the air groaned with awaited devastation, Roman held his hands out before him. He levitated off the ground once more, and allowed ripples of golden prana to ripple beneath him like waves. Glimmering dust of brilliant, visualized mana danced in the air around him as his od went wild. The air around him shifted and churned with the sparkling dance that expanded from his core. Far into the sky, the dreadful pitch of the focusing lightbands was rivalled by the serene clinks of wind chimes.
Any pain from his ravaged spiritual body had vanished. Lingering numbness in his heart and body were replaced with perfect stillness. "With the ten rings united, it is possible to reenact that very moment… King Solomon's true first noble phantasm. The reenactment of the only human tale ever ascribed to me."
Like a lightbulb, it seemed to register with Goetia. That glimmer of confident victory that shined above the overwhelming pressure of building energy fell into disarray. It was replaced by outright confusion and disbelief as the beast's composure cracked. "…It can't be. No, there can be no such thing. No! A coward like you would never make such a choice!"
Roman merely lifted his hands to the air, but Goetia wasn't moving. If it needed to stay still as it channeled the lightbeams, then he had been blessed once more. The beast panicked, "Stop, stop, stop, stop...! These rings, this omnipotent throne, if they belong only to you…!"
"Omnipotence is too much for humans, but the scope of what man can do is sufficient for my work," Roman voiced loudly into the air. "O' God, I return to you your divine blessings!
His eyes were closed as he held his arms beside him, oblivious to the brilliant lightshow that grew to encompass the central isle. Between the rumbling of the earth, the ominous groans of the sky, and the shower of glittering energy that flowed from the island, he felt the eyes of the world upon him once more. He floated gently in the sky as he felt the rings slip gently from his fingers. They levitated before him, and glittered like tiny galaxies even within the growing, golden maelstrom.
"The time of parting has come, he is the one who lets go of the world!" With a gentle smile like a peaceful meadow, Roman's voice reverberated through the air. The final words slipped quietly out of his mouth, but thundered across the singularity. "Ars Nova!"
The howl of the light that emanated from Roman could eclipse a supernova with its shine. It screeched and wailed, yet at the heart of the storm, he only felt bliss. It was a warm shelter like the gentle cocoon that cushioned a newborn in its mother's embrace. A feeling of liberation raced through his body, and drowned out the cataclysmic chain reaction that threatened to explode from around him. When they did, the singularity shook.
Spheres of amethyst light formed, but the explosion of golden prana from around Roman won the race. The shockwaves of brilliance fanned out across the singularity. Servants covered their eyes as the waves of energy cascaded through and over them, but reacted with confusion at the feeling of warmth and reassurance it presented. The pillars shrieked as the waves washed over them, and the lesser demons began to howl and fizzle when basked with its might.
The sickly tendrils that streaked across the lightbands ground to a halt. Their darkness was illuminated by the glow from the central isle, which looked akin to the sun itself. The ruined earth still shook, but the screeching pitch of the impending doom had vanished. The air, once thick with danger, sang like the endless fields of a promised paradise as the final golden waves washed from him. Roman allowed a tiny smile of victory as he felt himself land on the ground again.
"Why did you make such a choice!? Why did you reenact that!? Why, why- how could you make such a decision!?" Around him, the brilliant radiance remained thick in the air, even as Goetia cried out in sheer disbelief and anger. "You, who seemed to be the personification of all the indifference and compromise in the world!"
Within the brilliance of the light-basked isle, Roman couldn't help but feel satisfied at the sight before him. Goetia, the confident and controlled beast he first saw on Chaldea's screens, now looked vulnerable. It glared towards him, and he only smiled lightly at the first flickers of white dust that wafted off of it like steam. With his blurring vision, he knew that energy wafted off him too; He could feel it clearly.
He was growing weaker by the second. The act of returning the power to god wasn't just a show. If he were a servant and the masters knew of it, Ars Nova would have easily been among the banned Noble Phantasms in Chaldea. It was suicide to use, but there was no other choice. He had to gift them a future.
Roman was just satisfied it had been a choice for him to make, and he gladly took it after all he'd seen and understood.
"It's a strange story, Goetia... We saw things from the same viewpoint, we sat on the same throne, and we spent the same time. Nevertheless, Solomon reached a different conclusion than you did," he responded calmly even as he felt his body grow tired and weak. "If there was something different about us... it would be that. I had no freedom to be angry about it back then. That would be the deciding factor that divided us."
"Then this was who you really were!?" Goetia growled out, and Roman could see the whisking action affecting him far more than himself. It seemed to be under more pain and pressure with every passing moment.
"Roman…" Gudao's voice had been so weak and feeble, it sent one last pang of guilt into his heart. Roman turned around and glanced towards Gilgamesh and Enkidu, where the distraught master barely held himself upright between them. Had he run back towards him out of instinct? It seemed his companions let the distraught man do so if that was the case. If he'd been crushed before, then now… It was hard to even look at his tear-stained face.
He'd broken out of his frozen state, yet he'd only ice over again. "…What did… W-What did you d-do…?"
It hurt to voice the truth, but he would do it for Gudao's sake. He'd lied far too much to too many to lie again. Not wanting to leave on a sad note, he smiled gently to Gudao. "…I let go of everything that I owned. If this territory is the corpse of King Solomon, then it will collapse soon. Goetia with it."
"B-But… Y-You... Your b-body is…!" Gudao fumbled as Enkidu was forced to hold the master upright. For even Gilgamesh to pass the master a sympathetic glance was a sight to behold, yet spoke of the gravity of his condition. The master's sanity was over the edge, and his action would sever his grasp of the cliff. There had been no other choice, but Roman last concern remained with the stability of his crying friend before him.
"I'm sorry, Gudao… It's everything I owned, so… this body and this life will also disappear." He said it as evenly as he could, yet his voice almost shook seeing Gudao's anguish.
"It's not as simple as that!" Goetia seemed to roar with pain. Roman turned back around, and nearly smiled with relief on seeing the beast surrounded by the steam that now rolled off him like flames. "You have even abandoned being a Heroic Spirit! It is abandoning everything of your own existence! Everything King Solomon made has become worthless!"
Roman nodded simply. "The 'infinite time' of this time temple will be lost. The seventy-two pillars will no longer be a collective, but fall back apart into individual demon gods. I've put the nail in your coffin to preserve humanity's future."
"Yet you drove the nail in your own as well!" the beast countered. "The figure and deeds of King Solomon will never again appear on this earth! You should know that! That you will vanish even from the Throne of Heroes! My lightbands would have been gentler! You will reach nothingness! An ending that no one else in the entirety of mankind has reached…! The complete annihilation of your existence, and you did it with your own hands!"
Roman heard Gudao collapse behind him. Enkidu frantically held him upright, but Roman didn't turn to look. He didn't want to see the absolutely crushed expression he likely held. He didn't want to see him cry, for hearing the pained sobs and devastated noises was more than enough. He merely stared at Goetia and nodded slowly.
"…That is so. My life as a Heroic Spirit will vanish. It cannot be called death. From this point forward, Solomon will disappear from the Throne of Heroes. The agent of God will cease to exist again in human history... The true meaning of his complete disappearance is the end of the Age of the Gods."
Gudao's voiced hitched. "Y-You'll… You…! ...Die…?"
He nodded slowly again, and finally glanced back to the ruined master. "I'm sorry… It's scary and sad, but if it's something I can do… I should do it even if it's painful… This is fine. This choice is something you and Mashu taught me."
"…T-That's not… fair…!"
"It is. If there was another way, I would have chosen it, Gudao," he failed to reassure as his smile faltered. He turned back to Goetia, and let his smile fade to a disappointed frown. Even as his energy seeped and lulled him to close his eyes, he held firm and resolved. "With this, all premises have been collapsed... Goetia. Your immortality is now a thing of the past. You were a magic ritual compiled to watch over mankind, but instead you chose to take away their future. You have turned away from the responsibilities you shouldered. It is now time to pay for that sin!"
Even in its torment, the beast had more than enough energy to scoff and glare. "Duty!? Duty!? Is it my duty to watch over you, in all of our omnipotence!? What is interesting about watching over 'the life of a human' in the first place!? I have had enough of it! No matter how they disappear, there is only fear left in the end! The life of a human is nothing but a story of fear and despair! There is nothing fun about watching such a thing!"
"That is where you are wrong, Goetia! Did you refuse to look carefully when you glanced at Chaldea?" Roman reprimanded sharply through his own, painless fatigue. "It is true what we call life is something with an end. Life is a pilgrimage that accrues suffering, but it is absolutely not a tale of despair, death, and separation!"
He's seen it. He'd certainly seen every brief instant, and they were beautiful moments the flashing visions of clairvoyance could never truly comprehend. Through thick and thin, it inspired him in the end, and he wished for nothing more than to experience it all again. Being granted this second chance with a finite, regular life had awakened him to the truth he now understood. It was the beauty of mankind at its greatest.
"It's in humanity's hearts to be optimistic, yet scared of the unknown ahead," he began firmly, as he prayed and wished he would hold on long enough just to voice those last words. To his relief, fate itself seemed to listen. "Our confidence can blind us of the real danger until it's too late… Then we're reminded how weak we can be as we desperately search for a way out. But it's during the worst of times that we find we're capable of far more than any of us could have dreamed!"
Even speaking made him winded now, but he hadn't voiced it all. Everything he'd come to witness couldn't be described without doing it true justice, but he still certainly tried. "It inspires others to act, even if they hold doubts of their own! It leads to unbelievable cooperation, all to make the seemingly impossible possible! It gives us the courage to defy what is expected of us, and sometimes above and beyond what anyone would have asked of another!"
Everything he'd witnessed had not been false. Humanity's existence was brief in the grand scheme of the timeline, but it's what they chose to do in that time that would define beauty itself. He raised his voice proudly with a smile. "Though our emotions may run rampant and push us into irrational action, it often leads to surprising results! Because even in those single instants like the blinking of a star, our hands still write our promising story just a little longer... a story of love and hope!"
Roman, breathless and barely holding on, stared at the agonized Goetia, who had fallen to its knees. Maybe it heard, maybe it didn't. He glanced back at Gudao. The man stared back with teary eyes, and Roman was disappointed it didn't rouse his fiery spirit; He'd simply been through too much. Gilgamesh, on the other hand, smirked at him with approval as Enkidu offered an enthusiastic smile. He offered a small smile back, even as his eyelids felt so very heavy.
"It's… finally time…" Roman noted as he stared at his bare, tanned hands. He didn't know when he began to appear like a ghost, but he faded more with every second. He looked back at Gudao firmly, even as the master reached desperately towards him like a lost child. "Gudao… I will give you my last instructions as the acting dir… No… The Director of Chaldea. Completely achieve victory. You, Anishka, and the servants… must subjugate the beast who claims the title of the King of Magic…!"
"Doctor…!" Gudao yelled out as his hand desperately grasped the air before him. "No! N-Not you too…! Stay…! S-s-stay and see for your-s-self!"
"…I want to. I really do…"
He wanted to stay, but he'd made the mortal decision moments ago. He wanted to see all those wonderful, clairvoyance-granted glimpses he'd seen with his own eyes, but it would never come to pass. It was the end of the line for him, but he was content. As his body faded, he was satisfied with the decisions and experiences he'd been gifted… those countless, precious fragments of Chaldea he'd been allowed to witness.
"I'm sorry, Gudao… but I hope I can live on in your hearts." Though saddened by his friend's condition, Roman offered the most genuine smile he'd ever worn in his life. He didn't want his final memory to end on a sad note. Even so, he felt one lone tear race down his cheek; It seemed he had one more to flow freely after all. Still, he smiled gratefully and hopefully. "Thank you, all of you, for everything."
"R-Roman…! ROMAN! DON'T GO!" Gudao cried out desperately as he flailed in Enkidu's grasp. His body felt lighter as it seemed to levitate into the air. He gazed from Gudao, then to the beautiful skies behind him. He caught the glimpse of approaching figures and smiled gently. His body was barely an outline of dust now, and he could not voice any further words, but everything would be alright. At the end of it all, there was not a sliver of despair in his heart.
His consciousness faded, and his vision swirled into a bright light as Gudao's last screams were consumed by a growing silence. Chimes twinkled in his ears, and the warm serenity around his was one of the last things he felt. The body dispersed into the swirling maelstrom of golden prana, yet he still felt the sensation of smiling. Satisfied and content with all that was and will be, a final vision flashed before Roman's perception disappeared.
The happy, tearful smiles of those he'd come to appreciate filled his vision, all to speak the gentle words his heart yearned to hear.
