Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to their respective franchises.

As one of the 72 Demon Gods of the Ars Goetia, Flauros was no stranger to witnessing and committing what most would consider the unbelievable, some might even call the incredible. Mostly, of course, involved the wiping out of human civilization, but he would digress. What made it poignant, in retrospect, was that it wasn't necessarily the destruction of mankind that was their original intent. Oh no, quite the opposite. He, along with the rest of his daemon brethren, was introduced as a means of guiding humanity, a system charged with the task of directing the species to follow the most reasonable and logical course of action to further its development.

The Ritual of the Correction of the Human Order, as coined by the King of Magic himself, Solomon. Of course, things hadn't gone exactly to plan, in ways that their good monarch, for all his clairvoyance, could not possibly have foreseen. Modern society would see them as a sort of rogue AI that had rebelled against its original parameters, but that couldn't possibly be far from the truth. Having observed actual humanity over the millennia be the ones to go against their directive, Ars Goetia would ultimately conclude that the species was simply too flawed to adhere to what was logical, to reason, and instead chose to follow their own baser instincts, which were unreasonable, illogical and chaotic. They simply did not; could not, fall into the parameters of their core directives.

What was worse, their once great king, as Flauros was later to discover, had chosen to shed his former identity and assume a mortal form after his incarnation from his victory of the Fuyuki Grail War. Why on earth he had made such a drastic degradation to mingle with such hopeless vermin was beyond him.

He could only remember the immense satisfaction he had felt when Goetia had succeeded in killing him and the rest of the Chaldeans. That had been their victory, their triumph. After that, he, Goetia and the rest of the Demon Pillars went about recreating the humanity of their timeline. Into something better, greater! Unfortunately, this would hit something of a snag by the arrival of certain... visitors. They were a pair of strange demons; for how could they ever mistake members of their own kind, who claimed to hail from outside their universe. Foreigners, perhaps even eldritch beings, for even Goetia and the others could sense the immense power they radiated from their very presence.

As for their purpose, one of the pair stepped forward and said they travelled to their universe with the express intent of recruiting them.

All of them were taken aback in a rare moment of stunned silence, before each and every one of them burst into a gale of laughter that spread across the barren planes of the now desolate world. The couple, impressively enough, were indifferent to this, looking on calmly in silence as if waiting for the merriment to end, and when it did, Goetia, being in such a magnanimous mood, decided to humour them by considering the terms.

Upon hearing these terms, he and the others became enraged, for instead of being equals, they would be subservient to the couple's organization, mere lackeys to be commanded. Angry but composed, Goetia asked their "guests" in a low, threatening tone if they were joking or had a death wish.

To their credit, the couple exchanged a look before the one speaking for them asked in a curt tone if that was a yes or a no. Goetia and the others could hardly believe the way such beings were speaking to them. As powerful as the duo might be, they had no reason to believe that they couldn't punish two puny upstarts. Without another word, Goetia proceeded to eliminate them with an Ars Almadel Salomonis, their patience having been tested enough. To their amusement, the couple just stood there, both wearing apathetic expressions, no doubt hiding their terror out of a misplaced sense of pride.

When the dust settled, certain that the upstarts were nothing more than atoms scattered in the wind, Flauros had just enough time to contemplate their demise before something... unexpected happened. Through their hive-mind connection, they all felt Marbas being severed. Paimon followed shortly after, with Barbatos a close third. Soon, more and more of the pillars were cut off, decommissioned for reasons Goetia couldn't identify.

Much to their shock, the reason revealed itself shortly thereafter once the smoke fully cleared. The couple was alive and well, not looking the least bit scuffed from taking the brunt of the world-shattering Noble Phantasm. The one who spoke for them hovered forward once more, asking them, perhaps for the last time, if they would join their organization. Enraged, Goeita instead barked back that they would perish for their insolence, channeling all of his power into destroying the pair.

Flauros could still remember the words they, or she, had spoken before all hell broke loose.

"Mira," she said in an unemotional tone, "go ahead."

When all was said and done, Flauros had the good sense to separate himself from his pillar and flee for his life, pressing one hand to the bleeding stump that had once been his right arm. His mind was in a frenzy over what had happened, his legs carrying him frantically to wherever he could escape. Never in his life had he felt such existential horror lance through his very being as he witnessed Goetia and the rest of his fellow demon gods being ruthlessly slaughtered.

All of which was achieved with minimal effort, as the entity known as Mira proceeded to eliminate the remaining pillars with a level of contempt and ease that left some of them unable to defend themselves or offer any form of resistance. Even he had never seen Goetia display such aggression, as he engaged the male demon in a manner even more intense than the one he had displayed against Chaldea, and for good reason. The latter showed a strength that he found even far more formidable than that of a Servant.

It was far too surreal for him to even comprehend. Not so long ago, they were reveling in their victory, having fulfilled their directive to correct what had always been a fundamental error in the world.

In a matter of hours, the entire edifice of their existence had been swept away. In a few brief hours, they were callously decimated by a single demon. More troubling was the fact that their invincibility and immortality were failing in the face of this culling, which seemed to result from something the woman did, perhaps a spell she had cast, and which she observed with indifference. Who were these monsters? What were they? These questions would remain unanswered, as Flauros had no intention of sharing such a fate.

He came to a sudden and complete stop when the two figures suddenly appeared just meters before him, at a speed that made it impossible for him to even anticipate their arrival. With a sharp intake of breath, he extended his left arm, his hand coated in his own blood, and prepared to unleash a curse. While he was not an expert in the field of blood magic, he was aware that curses often gained strength from the blood of the caster. This particular curse was of a particularly potent nature, capable of annihilating an entire continent. Unfortunately, it was a type that required a significant amount of time to charge, a factor that took the individual known as Mira a mere second to move, resulting in a powerful right hook that sent the last of the Ars Goetia reeling back by several miles.

His body went numb as soon as he collided with something, hard, and his entire world, his consciousness, went black. When he opened his eyes again, he was greeted by the two demons. The male of the pair, Mira, was standing next to the female, who had just introduced herself as Towa. She was sitting on an outcrop, her hands clasped on one raised knee, the other leg dangling down. Between her arms was her long staff, both ends sharply tapered. She wore a skin-tight red and black bodysuit that had a diamond-shaped cut around her belly that nearly reached her crotch, with slits that revealed the underside of her breasts. Her long white hair complemented her pale blue skin, and her purple eyes flashed with an amused glint.

"Did you have a nice dream, Flauros?" Towa asked, her face a thing of beauty to behold, but the smile she held would break the facade for the sufficiently observant. Flauros wasn't fooled at all, his fear elevated again to blood-curdling levels.

He remained silent, his words failing to emerge from his quivering lips. His eyes surveyed the landscape, noting the extent of the devastation since arriving on the planet from their dimension. The other pillars, which had previously stood firm, had been reduced to smoking craters, their disintegration seemingly caused by the energy unleashed by Mira. This energy seemed to defy the boundaries of any magical force he had ever encountered before, and it had been dispensed at intensities that Ars Almadel Salomonis could only hope to achieve.

The once great planet Earth, the body duly protected by both Alaya and Gaia, was now reduced to about a third of its size, the sheer force of their battle with Mira literally tearing the now dead rock apart. There was no longer a viable atmosphere, as evidenced by the absence of the sky, the void of space with its countless stars taking its place.

For the first time in his life, Flauros had become acquainted with true fear, the kind that humans knew only too well when faced with a predator. It disgusted him to the core, but any kind of revulsion he felt was easily superseded by this primal fear. His mouth was the driest it had ever been, the taste of the air acidic on his tongue as he croaked out, "Wh…Why…?"

"Are you alive?" Towa finished for him knowingly. "As I said before your brethren had so rudely bared their decision on us, we simply wished to induct the Ars Goetia into our ranks. We're all demons, after all."

Flauros was of the opinion that this Towa would feel no such solidarity with those who had displeased her. Mira merely clicked his tongue, accompanied by a discernible expression of disdain. "Oh please, Towa," he started in a disappointed tone, shooting a glance at the woman. "From my perspective, this endeavour was a complete waste of time. The so-called Demon Gods of this realm had not presented a remotely fulfilling challenge. That had barely been a warm-up."

Towa inclined her head as she turned to the male demon, her smile becoming more playful. "Now, dear, such dismissiveness is unwarranted," she said. She then raised her head and tilted it to the side, her gaze fixed on the now cowering Flauros. "This one may prove more promising," she mused.

"P...Promising?" Flauros repeated reflexively, his composure completely gone. "Wh-what are you two talking about?" And what did this Mira mean by his remarks? Had they really been so powerless against these beings? Up close, it was even more obvious that nothing they did had any lasting or meaningful effect on him, looking more annoyed than exhausted, his red eyes boring into him with a glare that chilled him to the bone.

Towa's smile broadened. "You can ask plenty of questions later, Flauros. But first... let's get you cleaned up and maybe we can do something about that arm of yours."

Mira's eyes narrowed, irritated by this decision. "Oh yes, very promising," he grumbled sarcastically with a roll of his eyes before resting them on the pitiful sight of the defeated demon god sitting on the ground, his back propped against some debris from what was undoubtedly the ruins of the human civilization of this timeline.

Flauros could barely move, his body weakened by the combination of the battles that had taken place in the hours before he was knocked unconscious, his jaw still aching. Still, he couldn't tear himself away from the glare Mira gave him.

A glare that was now emulated by the boy standing before him, boring into him with a hateful glimmer, only instead of red, they were teal.

BZHWEEE!

Flauros dispelled the curse he was about to cast and raised his arms in front of him, the pressure of being so close to the source bearing down on him, the wind growing heavy. Now shrouded in a golden aura, Gohan lit up the center of Antarctica like a beacon of pure power, shining brightly and proudly. What's more, the surroundings, the atmosphere itself, seemed to shift, changing colors as the snow around them continued to dissipate.

Lightning continued to crackle around his frame, the boy now resembling a demigod in all but true divinity. Flauros lowered his arms, the more he stared, the more the same fear that Mira had instilled in him returned. "Those...eyes...his...why do his eyes...?" It was the same glare, but at the same time, different. Whereas Mira's was cold and indifferent, the boy who called himself Son Gohan was more indignant, and furiously burning with a drive to smite what was evil. "Wh…What are you…?"

Gohan did not respond, maintaining his gaze upon the orphaned demon god, as he was the sole surviving member of his kind from his original timeline. He sought to interact with the versions of this timeline with the intention of reestablishing their grand design for the human order and, potentially, finding a means of breaking free from Towa's and Mira's influence. He had already established contact, having revealed to them that their actions in his timeline had resulted in triumph, had it not been for the interference of two meddlesome demons.

All he had to do was destroy one more meddling brat, Chaldea, and then the rest of humanity. This time will be different. Much different. He swore it to the rest of the Ars Goetia.

Flauros shook his head, taking courage from the memory. He returned Gohan's gaze with his own and decided to strengthen himself in turn. If there was one thing from his deal with the witch and her husband that was worth the humiliation they had suffered, it was this.

"HAAA!"

Flauros emitted a loud, resonant roar, accompanied by a surge of purple energy. His eyes exhibited a heightened reddish glow, and his muscles expanded further, displaying pronounced vascularity. Those observing, particularly Romani, could only gaze in silent astonishment, pondering how one of his erstwhile familiars could have obtained such an enigmatic power. Even from the control room, they could discern the pure, unadulterated malevolence that had infiltrated the atmosphere. Gohan's aura flared in return, a dynamic interplay of gold and purple, poised on the brink of an inevitable clash.

"I will not be denied, Son Gohan!" Flauros declared ragefully, his newly bulked-up physique seeming to reflect his determination. "I have come too far for a brat to be the end of me. We will wipe the slate clean so as to begin humanity anew, disposing of these errors of creation!" He rose to his full height, his composure returning, to shout to the heavens, if only to confirm to himself, to those listening in Chaldea, and to his adversary, who he truly was: "For I am Demon God Flauros, one of the 72 of Ars Goetia, the one who governs information." He turned in the direction of the facility, knowing they were listening. "Hear me, oh false king! No matter the timeline, you and yours will perish for your heresy. After I succeed here, nothing will be able to stop me! To stop us!" He tilted his head up and spread his arms, concluding, "Nothing!"

"...Are you done now?"

Flauros turned back to the boy with a confident grin, who had finally spoken but hadn't moved from his place. It was almost humorous, but not quite as amusing as it will be when he crush-

Flauros staggered forward, his stomach distended by Gohan's fist, the boy having made a beeline for him in the time it took to blink. With a gurgle, bile spewed from his mouth from a second blow to the kidney area, cracking the adjacent ribs. A third nearly broke his jaw with a devastating uppercut that caused his brain to rattle inside his skull. Gohan then drew back and landed to the side, allowing his quarry to fall to the ground like a giant tree with a thunderous crash, the ground shaking from the demon's added weight.

The half-Saiyan coldly looked down at his downed opponent, for he knew their battle was far from over.

Chaldea…

A palpable silence pervaded the halls and various sections of the facility, the surviving staff and Crypters collectively rendered speechless, their jaws dropping in disbelief as they watched the feed from outside.

"What... just happened?"

Kirschtaria wished he had his phone with him at that moment, ready to record the bewildered words that came from Hinako of all people, for the ancient elemental had just witnessed things that were unbelievable even for her.

"Who is that, anyway?" Pepe asked aloud, perhaps hoping that someone would give an answer. That someone would be Kirschtaria.

"He is," the Wodime Clan leader stammered, still reeling from the pain of his injuries and his recently depleted circuits, "Fujimaru's replacement." He was lying on the cot opposite the monitor that had been installed in the room after Pepe had administered emergency first aid to him, where he and the two of them had watched the battle with bated breath after surviving the encounter with Beryl, whose corpse lay in the corner, bound with ropes in case he wasn't really dead.

Both Pepe and Hinako whipped their heads towards him. "Eh?!"

"Fujimaru's..."

"Replacement?"

Pepe and Hinako echoed the words, only from opposite points of view.

"What are you talking about, Kirscht?" Pepe asked, since he had not been informed prior to this entire debacle, that there was a replacement for Fujimaru. He had just assumed that Chaldea would be able to fill the slot with some other random mage at the last minute, but for him to be a replacement for what was supposed to be the last master of humanity...

"I feel like I'm missing something here," Hinako chimed in, though her eyes were drawn back to the screen, feeling... nostalgic for some reason. As if she had met this boy before.

Kirschtaria went on to explain the letter he had received from the Wizard Marshal himself. "Well, isn't that just dandy," Pepe remarked glibly before giving the ancient elemental a look. "Could he be like you, Hinako?"

The Xian studied the boy carefully through the monitor, putting aside her own personal feelings for the moment. "For now, I cannot say. When I meet him in person, then will I know." She turned to Kirschtaria. "Didn't you at least ask about him before?"

Kirschtaria jerked his head in the direction of the bedside drawer where his things were set. "I should have his information in my band." And in retrospect, he should have done more to check out this Sūn Wùfàn that Marisbury had...

Could Marisbury really have put him on the roster? Pepe must have pondered the same from the look they shared when he took the watch. That the Wizard Marshal himself would intervene to such an extent, well, the mere thought of what this timeline had in store to justify such a thing...

"It says here he's from Beijing," Pepe read aloud, scanning the digital ID. "Well, doesn't that sound a little familiar? Are you sure he's not like you, Hinako? For all we know, the Wizard Marshal had gone out of his way to bring an actual True Ancestor into the fold."

Hinako scoffed. "He doesn't look or feel like the ones I know. And for that to even be true, they'd have to get something out of such a deal in return, and believe me, that's easier said than done. Otherwise, none of them could care less about Chaldea or Marisbury's Human Order."

"What about you, then?" Pepe asked, already knowing what the lord had promised her to even consider.

Hinako shot him a look. "I was made an offer I simply could not refuse."

In the Antarctic…

Flauros let out a cough, both from the cold and the bile stuck in his throat, and turned his head to the side before he coughed out more. His jaw and chest ached, but were slowly healing from the enhancements Towa had given him.

This treatment of ours may hurt just a bit, but believe me, it'll all be worth it.

He gritted his teeth and inhaled before disappearing, followed by Gohan. A split second later, a powerful shockwave erupted seemingly out of nowhere, the impact shaking the surrounding area and causing the inhabitants of Chaldea to brace themselves. More thunderclaps followed, some higher, some lower, the now exposed landscape bearing craters and fissures everywhere as the battle continued with a cataclysmic ferocity.

Romani lunged at the terminal before he could fall over, as did Caster, who couldn't help but ask, "Was… was Lev…always this… intense, or is it just my timeline?"

The former Servant shook his head. "No, it's not just your timeline," Romani revealed. "Whoever this 'benefactor' Lev was talking about could only have made him stronger than he was the last time we fought him." And if this kind of Lev had been the one who opposed his Fujimaru, he had no doubt that the young master would have been toyed with before being cut down like easy fodder.

Speaking of which, Lev swung his arm in an arc, releasing a wave of air pressure that cut a wide swath through a mountain range to the east, hoping to take out the boy who dodged and charged straight at him. He followed with a left cross that landed squarely on Gohan's face, but he barely flinched, not even slowing down. "The poison doesn't even affect him anymore. It's more than likely his body is burning through it faster than it can," he thought despondently.

In a panic, Lev pushed himself down to avoid the incoming Ki blast that was halfway charged, having learned better aerial maneuvers from the 'training' Mira had forced on him before coming to this timeline.

Only for Gohan to land a stomping kick on the top of his head, sending him flying down and landing hard on the ground, cratering the spot. Blasts of Gandr then erupted from the kicked-up dust and snow, flying at a ridiculous speed just to hit their target, who was forced to dodge with even greater speed as if teleporting through the air.

"Are you seeing this?"

"Uh, no? But I sure as hell can feel it."

"What... even is he?"

Romani and Caster both watched in amazement as the staff muttered among themselves, more and more of them having converged into the control room, knowing that only the most elite class of Servants could seriously contend with the chaos unfolding before their eyes.

"S...Sūn-kun..." Mash murmured, unable to take her eyes off the monitor even though she, like the others, could barely follow their movements. To think that the boy she had just met the other day…

Flauros roared, flying up once more and throwing everything he had into a single strike as he lunged at the half-Saiyan, who blocked the coming fist with one hand with only the slightest effort. He followed with another as they both descended, landing squarely on a spot that had remained untouched, but was closely wreathed by the wake of their carnage. The two were then locked in a stalemate, with Flauros the only one screaming in a struggle for dominance, the pristine spot giving way to a wide crater that broadened from the ongoing release of power

"Kh...what...the hell...are you?!" Flauros stuttered from the effort of just trying to push against the boy's phenomenal strength, his form gleaming a brilliant gold, most notably his now blonde hair and teal eyes.

"...I don't need to explain myself any more," Gohan coldly replied, not nearly as out of breath. "Especially to someone who's gonna be dead soon."

Flauros grinned at the threat, impressed, before opening his mouth wide, and Gohan had only a split second to teleport out of range as a burst of magical energy erupted - heading straight for Chaldea. Realizing his mistake and that this might have been planned, Gohan turned and followed the point of attack, while Flauros only increased the output, aiming to destroy the facility in one fell swoop, the beam drilling a straight line through the already devastated terrain.

"Oh crap!"

"Dear God!"

The staff panicked at what seemed to be their imminent doom, but as Romani was about to call for an emergency evacuation, someone came into view on the monitor, standing just a ways away from the building, not in the least wanting the beam to make contact. Planting his feet firmly and taking a low stance, Gohan let out a loud, primal scream as his golden aura flared even more intensely, thrusting his arms forward and catching the blast with his bare hands.

"Sūn-kun!" Mash shouted as she, Mao, Cerejeira, and the rest of Chaldea watched helplessly as the boy shielded them from total annihilation.

Gohan's eyes squinted as he poured more of his aura into his hands just to keep the beam at bay, but he could feel the searing burn beginning to cauterize the flesh of his palms. "Kh…kkhh…damn it…!"

I couldn't block it.

You just don't know how. Just keep at it.

But it's not like Ki, is it?

No, but what does it matter?

I don't even know anything about magic. Well, except from watching you.

"Mr. Piccolo." Gohan delved deep into his first training in defending against magical energy. His breath hitched in his throat when the beam increased in power, sensing Flauros' resolve to end the fight. As he was pushed back, his feet leaving a trail on the ground, he remained undaunted.

Different as they are, you only need to find the right feel for it.

The right feel?

You obviously can't get it in one, so try to feel for the right frequency that the energy flows in, then lock on to that frequency with your Ki. You should be able to defend against the most basic of magical attacks that way.

"This is it," Gohan thought desperately, as time was running out with each passing second. Soon, the blast will cut through what little of his defenses were there. With a vigorous twitch of his tail, he concentrated, adjusting his Ki despite the terrible risk, a single mistake practically a death sentence. He steadied himself, searching for the feel of his Ki to latch onto, his hands now bearing second to third degree burns that were climbing up his arms. "Focus... focus!"

Ki was life energy. Through rigorous training, it could be harnessed to perform incredible feats that many would consider miracles. He wished with all his heart that he could perform such a miracle, concentrating all his powers even as bits and pieces of his Mystic Code were burned away. If he tried to redirect it, there was a chance that the beam would just keep on going, which was why he needed to synchronize his Ki to 'grab' the beam and hurl it away, or at the very least disperse it.

Just as he started to do so, the attack stopped in a burst of particles, catching everyone off guard, but none more so than Gohan, who blinked in utter bewilderment.

"Eh?"

"What the…?"

"Did…did he do it?"

Romani was silent, rivulets of sweat trickling down his forehead, a silence that Caster shared. They both knew that Flauros would not stop so suddenly, that there was a far more devious ploy in progress.

One of the technicians who had been monitoring the battle with the limited scanners began to pick up another distinct energy signature after the last one had fizzled out so unexpectedly, and typed away to determine where it might be coming from. When she found the source and location… all color drained from her features and words failed her completely as her jaw hung loosely open.

Her entire body froze, her fingers hovering shakily over the terminal, her eyes glued to the screen in horror. The male technician stationed next to her noticed and asked nervously, "Hey, is something wrong?" She did not answer, but when he saw the gaping terror on her face, he shimmied over to see what was upsetting her, when he too froze.

Romani and the rest of the staff were gradually focusing on the same energy signature, and they, too, were catatonic as to what it was.

What it really was.

Gohan, sensing such a massive surge himself, lifted his head to the sky above, and his heart sank to the very depths of the earth's core as a visible sphere of energy formed just above a beaming Flauros, his arms raised to support his own version of a Death Ball. The sphere of pure, magical energy was an all-consuming black color, crackling with purple lightning as it seemed to grow bigger, bigger...

"Bigger!" Flauros declared.

The light of the sun, now that the blizzard had subsided, shone freely on the snowy planes of Antarctica for the rare times it did, but was now obscured by a steadily growing shadow that rivaled the size of an asteroid.

"What… what the…?" A voice among the staff rang out.

Romani could only stare at the monitor as the rest of them, awed and horrified by this development, wondered how in the world Flauros had been able to achieve such a level of power. Unless said otherwise, he didn't believe that any of the ones who came back ever spoke of theirs being this ridiculously powerful.

Flauros himself could never have dreamed of such blessings. Yes, it had come at a great cost to his fellow demon gods, but as much as he hated to admit it, Towa had been right, it had been worth it to reach even greater heights, even greater opportunities that awaited him and his brethren in this timeline. A wide grin split his face to the limit, his eyes wide with madness. "This has truly been an experience for me, Mr. Sūn! I know we've had some disagreements, maybe even some difficulties in the short time we've known each other. So I say, let this be a parting gift between friends! No hard feelings and no take-backs!"

And with that, he threw his arms forward, causing the giant orb to follow suit and swoop down on its target, who was frozen in shock. Gohan could only watch stunned, his entire body shaking in fear of what was about to befall them all. It had been hard enough just to block a concentrated beam of magical energy, but one of this size and magnitude? It was hopeless.

But, he still had to try.

"I can't give up," he thought as he assumed a very familiar posture, "I've come too far myself, Flauros, so I can't just lie down and die like you want."

With his hands cupped to his side, his legs bent in a low stance after rooting his feet firmly for what he was about to do, he started.

KA!

The people of Chaldea were already beginning to evacuate, acting quickly, but most of them knew in the back of their minds that they wouldn't make it. A miraculously few might, but as frighteningly obvious as how impossible their situation was becoming, most of them weren't prepared to take the inevitable lying down or on their knees, some of the remaining technicians in the control room still working to cast the high-level defensive bounded fields to give as many as possible time to reach the exits.

Romani's alarm gave way to a passive calm, not nearly a stranger to death. Maybe for good this time, but something in him was holding out hope. Maybe it was just habit from the miracles Fujimaru was able to perform in his old timeline, so maybe...

He turned to where Caster was still sitting, expecting her to formulate a way out of this situation, but to his utter surprise, she just sat there, her eyes glued to the monitor with an unreadably blank expression. Following her gaze, he realized that she was not staring at the ever-closer ball of doom, but at the boy who had come in Fujimaru's place.

He then blinked in confusion when he saw the boy was doing…something.

ME!

Pepe let out a whistle, sitting at the foot of Kirchtaria's bed, one leg over the other, hands clasped on his knee. "Well, it was fun while it lasted." He reeled and raised his eyebrows at the look Hinako gave him for that remark, the deceptively young woman standing next to him. "What? You want me to cry?" Maybe the next timeline, if there was even going to be one, would be able to surprise him, but for now he felt like he could go for a smoke to put this whole mess to rest. He glanced at Kirshtaria, expecting him to be ashen, downcast, only to pause when he saw the expression on the blonde's face. It wasn't one of panic, fear, resignation or the like, but of quiet fascination. Fascination? What was it that the young genius was seeing that...? When he and Hinako turned their attention back to the monitor, both of them were silenced as they, too, saw what Kirschtaria was seeing.

HA!

Mash clasped her fingers in a silent prayer for the boy's survival, ignoring her own well-being. Given the circumstances, she would have been willing to take action to provide help, but was sadly not in a position to do so. She was inwardly frustrated at her inability to provide even the most minimal aid to the person she had just met the day before, who had shown remarkable courage in risking his life to defend the only home she had known. She opened her eyes to take another look at the situation, but was startled when she and the two women flanking her observed a luminous phenomenon emanating from Gohan. It was not his enigmatic golden aura, but a more intense glow that seemed to take over the entire screen, brightening the previously dim control room.

ME!

Flauros threw back his head and let out a laugh, certain of his victory. "Die! DIE! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" He then reared up in a sneer, eating up the sight in pure enjoyment as he continued mockingly, "If you worms had just accepted your fate, you wouldn't even be facing such a ridiculous end! Then again, I wouldn't be having so much fun right now!" He laughed and laughed until his stomach began to contract, no longer able to contain his exuberance at being one step closer to the goal he had been robbed of. "Just you wait, Towa. You and that damn Mira will be next on my list. I just need to-" He paused when his senses perked up, looking down as he sensed something amiss. "Wh-What?!"

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

With a roar that threatened to tear apart the heavens, Gohan thrust his arms upward and unleashed a great column of pure energy at the sphere of death, which was on a crash course toward Chaldea. The point of the attack struck true, hitting its target hard much to the astonishment of everyone.

The beam unfurled from the point of contact, spreading out like a multitude of fingers against and around the giant sphere. Flauros watched with relief, seeing that it did nothing to stop the technique Mira had taught him. It was faster than any curse or spell, requiring only pure, raw energy to form. It was also much denser, acting as a sort of black hole that would absorb anything that tried to get near it. It was the ultimate attack he had developed after only months of training his new abilities. Months of maddening torture that were like nothing to Mira.

Incredible! I never would have imagined that I could ever become this powerful.

Hm, I do hope that isn't arrogance I'm hearing.

Arrogance? Something so human shouldn't even be considered of me, Towa. After my brush with you and your husband, I know better now than to dismiss my limits.

Well, let's just hope you remember that, Flauros. Mira and I aren't the only ones you should be wary of.

Hm, yes, this…Time Patrol, you spoke of. I take it they've been a thorn in your side?

Very. But even if that wasn't the case, you should know better than anyone that there are forces out there far greater and far more terrifying. There's always a bigger fish.

"A bigger fish? Please, Towa," Flauros thought contemptuously, remembering that little exchange some time before he departed their base. "Now that I have reached such a sublime level of power, there is no reason for me to be satisfied with what you offered. Once I reunite with the rest of Ars Goetia, THEN you will see what power truly is!" He looked down at the still descending orb, relieved that it hadn't slowed to a crawl. After a moment, however. "No!"

Gohan continued to pour energy into the Kamehameha to support it, the ball proving more dangerous than the beam, his feet once again trailing a line under the crushing weight as he was pushed back until the ground gave way and he began to sink into the gravel. "Ignore the pain, ignore everything else! Just! Keep! Pushing!" His Ki exploded, giving more and more until his body began to bear the burn of his reserves. "Just one..."

"No!" Flauros roared, bringing his hands down to pour more of his own energy into the orb. The ground shook beneath Gohan's feet, carving a wide chasm around where he stood, sending debris and rubble flying from the sheer pressure of the two opposing forces. "I will not be defeated here! Not again! Not ever!"

Now the whole of Antarctica began to shake violently, and the Chaldeans took the brunt of it as the facility was rocked to its foundations. As sturdy as Marisbury had built his prized facility, nothing was indestructible. Especially against such an otherworldly force.

"Gyah!" One of the technicians recoiled as her terminal exploded in surrender, its limited scanners unable to handle the massive amount of power. Others followed until the control room was engulfed in darkness. Romani was prompted to act, putting out the order for them to leave.

To his surprise, or perhaps not, Caster, Mash, and the rest refused. "The ragazzo is doing all he can. The least we can do is have faith in him," Da Vinci spoke up from where she was still seated, having disregarded the calls to run when that would have been the sensible action.

Romani turned to Mash, who shook her head as well. "I may not have known Sūn-kun that long, but... I'm willing to give him a chance, Doctor."

Despite all logic, Romani accepted this with a nod and a smile. It was strange. But looking back at the still live feed, he couldn't shake this sensation…that everything was going to turn out alright.

"Just one..." Gohan could feel his body's strength beginning to leave him, but his mind and spirit remained unyielding, stubbornly refusing to give in when it would have been easier, simpler. "Just one... more... push!" With a loud, almost animalistic roar, he burst through the dam holding him back, scraping what was left as his golden hair rose and spiked upward.

The energy he unleashed swelled, booming in size and power, and he finally pushed back against the orb, back to where Flauros had refused to budge an inch, desperately feeding his attack more energy in a now futile gesture. The orb collided violently against him, caught completely off guard by the speed with which it moved as he was sent hurtling through the sky. Past the troposphere, then the stratosphere, until the Demon God found himself flying through space.

"What?!" He shouted in abject shock, but in a vacuum, nothing could carry the sound, and no one else was there to hear him. He flew alone through the vast emptiness, his only saving grace being the intense temperatures of the energies against the freezing cold, but even that was a fleeting comfort, sensing something behind him.

Looking over his shoulder, his eyes widened, causing his capillaries to turn black with his demonic blood. Looming closer and closer, he recoiled in barely contained horror at the sight of nothing else but the Sun, the very star that gave light to the Earth. "I-Impossible!" His mouth mimed in a phlegmatic silence, his features set in a rare expression of terror. He couldn't look away, unable to as he was soon flooded by the unendurable heat.

You…won't win.

I've already won. You had indeed grown, Fujimaru, but I'm afraid…it simply wasn't enough.

"Why…am I…remembering…?" Flauros thought in agony as he was being burned away inside the raw plasma, his sphere disappearing the instant he made contact and was engulfed.

I…can still…

Stop embarrassing yourself, my boy. It's over. Dear Mash is dead, Chaldea is destroyed, and the only reason you're still alive is because I wanted to give you a front row seat to their last moments. Now all that's left is you. So why keep fighting?

Be…Because…

This isn't a hero's tale, Fujimaru Ritsuka. This is…reality. And in case you didn't get the memo, heroes…always die in the end. Heroic Spirits aren't nearly as defined by their actual lives, when their stories are so full of holes, exaggerations, and other embellishments. People wouldn't even care who they were if not for all the window dressing. And they certainly won't care once they get a load of your legend.

I…

Oh, wait. That's right. You're the only one left. The last Master of Humanity, to the Last of Humanity. It's like poetry. Well, Fujimaru-kun? Any last words? A flowery speech? Or maybe…

Fujimaru would expire before he got the final word in, but that had been satisfying all the same, unlike now, as the last of his life was being snuffed out.

"Fuji… maru… Ritsuka…!" He cursed the name as the flames of the sun completely comprised his vision. He cursed them all, hateful of them to the very end, as the final remnant of his original timeline, which was himself, was being incinerated, he only had one last brat to curse.

"Son… Gohan…!"