Dream of The Beginning

"For you who reject my Beginning, and for me who abhor your End, there is no other way than fight for our supremacy! 

"Welcome to my world, Beast VII; the Extraterrestrial Demon! 

"–––and swiftly be gone!" 

Several menacing Demon God Pillars rose up from behind Goetia at once. 

Countless eyes of those Demon God Pillars all gazed at Ryan simultaneously and sent innumerable shearing rays of heat on his way, trying to incinerate him! 

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! 

At that moment, the dome above Timeless Temple was lit up brightly, like a firework lighting up the dark sky. 

As the explosion subsided, the figure of a pale white man covered in black and red raiment was floating calmly on the sky. He was unhurt from the confrontation just now. 

"Really. What a 'warm' welcome, Goetia." 

Dark shadows retreated quietly into his figure as he spoke. They were the ones who shielded him against Goetia's 'greeting' salvo earlier. 

"Sorry to keep you waiting, let's settle this fast, alright?" 

Nine bright lights soon separated from his figure, descending on different grounds at the Timeless Temple. 

They positioned themself on four different directions, putting an enclosed front to Goetia.

Raikou was staying together with Ushiwakamaru and Medusa. 

"Ah! Finally, I have the opportunity to show the lord my superb skills!" 

"Ara~ don't be too excited, Ushiwaka. Watch out for their gross tentacles, alright?" 

"..." 

Ishtar teamed up with Ereshkigal. 

"Oh gosh! This is worse than I thought! Those Demon God Pillars... how disgusting and exceedingly annoying," Ishtar appeared annoyed as she sat on her flying bow. 

"This feeling is... How repulsive," Ereshkigal gripped her lance tighter. She felt the scent of death in Singularity to be sickening, unlike the scent of death in her underworld. 

Jeanne d'Arc was with Yu Miaoyi. 

"The Beast who knows no love, yet holds pity unto the world... *sigh*… How could he even understand the world of human if he doesn't even understand what love is?" 

"Hm. No need for unnecessary concern, Jeanne. Since he is an enemy, he shall be vanquished. It's merely so." Cold gleam flashed inside Yu's eyes. She was wrapped in black flames as she has immediately utilized the Destruction Dragon Arcane Art. 

"I know, lady. It's just..." A faint sigh escaped from Jeanne as she stared at Goetia, then at Ryan. 

Artoria Lancer stood alongside Artoria Saber. 

"It is truly ironic. The Sin which stems from a love for Humanity, and also the Evil that humanity has to vanquish for their continued prosperity; the Beast. 

"…hey, do you think that 'he' has also realized his nature himself?" Artoria Saber suddenly asked her counterpart as she took a deep look at Ryan and Goetia. 

"…it's unlikely. But, that's why we are here," Artoria Lancer replied with a faint smile. 

With the progression of humanity, they would soon step outside the planet and begin an interstellar voyage. At some point, humanity would also encounter extraterrestrial creatures in their journey for advancement. 

Whether humanity continued to prosper, or met their end, extraterrestrial creatures were one of the Evil that humanity had to cross. 

Alien God was an extraterrestrial creature, and so were Ryan... 

They bore the concept of "Threat from Outside Human Domain". 

Such was the nature of Beast VII; Beast of the End. 

Even if he didn't mean to be one of the Beast, the position for Beasthood was already within his grasp since his arrival in this world... 

However, some existences didn't stay still. They already learned their lesson from the appearance of Apocalypse Dragon of the End. 

As such, the ladies were 'his' strength. However, they were also the anchor which were protecting 'his' human nature, lest his bestial nature got a hold of him. 

They were the last keys preventing 'him' from completely turning into another Beast. 

After all, how could one grant another a new beginning without first grant them an end? 

He, who sought to grant the world a new beginning, should also bring an end to the current world... 

"That's really... a sad truth," Artoria Saber looked slightly sad as she muttered to herself. 

Goetia smiled mockingly when he saw these nine ladies. He looked at Ryan on the sky, a fiendish grin on his face, saying, "You think these pitiful numbers of Servants can rival my Demon God Pillars? How utterly ignorant!" 

The Demon God Pillars were all awakened at his behest. They rose up from the ground, reaching to the sky. Their existence completely covered the earth and sky of this Singularity. 

Compared to Goetia and his seventy-two Demon God Pillars, Ryan and the ladies appeared minuscule in this world. 

"Behold! This is our difference, Extraterrestrial Demon!" 

Bam! 

A pale white light descended fast from the sky, cutting through the Demon God Pillars blocking his way, hitting 'King Solomon' right on the head! 

"Noisy." 

The Demon God Pillars were enraged. All of them immediately launched their attack on that pale white figure. 

Innumerable curses and incineration flares heading his way at that instant! 

However, a golden light soon shielded him from those attacks. 

"Leave this to us," Jeanne had a serious countenance as she glanced at Ryan. 

"Just these disgusting Demon Pillars couldn't do much to us. You can be rest assured," Yu Miaoyi slashed the Demon God Pillar one after another with a pair of swords clad in black flame of destruction. 

Minamoto no Raikou was clad in roaring thunders as she blasted through the Demon God Pillars. 

Like an agile swallow, Ushiwakamaru slithered around the Demon God Pillars as she cut them up. 

Medusa already opened her seal and activated her Mystic Eyes of Petrification as she was fighting alongside Ushiwakamaru. 

Ishtar and Ereshkigal seemed to have their fun battling the Demon God Pillars; one attacking from the sky, while the other from the earth. They seemed to be in perfect coordination, supporting and defending each other from the enemies. 

As for both Artoria Saber and Artoria Lancer… 

The light of their Holy Sword and Sacred Lance already illuminated one large part of battlefield as they destroyed one Demon God Pillar after another with quick succession. They fought together with great compatibility. 

However… 

'Still, our numbers really seem lacking.' 

Despite the ladies being empowered through their shared link with him, the numbers of Demon God Pillars were still too many. 

Moreover, since the Demon God Pillars would just revive whenever they died in this Singularity, no matter how strong Artoria and the others, they would also hit their limit at some point. 

'Well, it's time to even out the numbers.' 

As he thought so, many faceless demonic giants appeared from his shadow. 

They were not his doppelganger magecraft, as it was useless to use magecraft against the King of Mages. 

These faceless demonic giants were the manifestation of Demon King Arcane Art, which finally bared its fang at the world. 

At the moment, the sky and earth of the Final Singularity were covered in dark shadows. 

"Beast VII, you have grown closer to your counterpart– Apocalypse Dragon of the End." 

'King Solomon' appeared from the rubbles earlier. He already shed his disguise and showed his true form. 

At this point, he was no longer 'King Solomon'. He was the King of Demon Gods, Beast I – Goetia. 

Ryan wasn't surprised that Goetia survived, though he did feel slightly puzzled about something… 

"What did you call me? Beast VII? Are you high or something, bro??" 

A black staff appeared on his hand as Ryan looked at Goetia, thinking quietly, 

'Perhaps the punch just now did some damage to his brain indeed… what a poor soul. 

Goetia was quiet. He looked at the chaotic battlefield with indifference. 

"…what a pitiful dreamer." 

He raised his right hand, 

–furious thunders and lightnings appeared along with scorching, burning maelstrom on his right side. 

As he raised his left hand, 

–the earth, sea, and sky rumbled. A malevolent storm of unequaled magnitude was formed at his behest. 

Goetia was floating calmly in the center of that apocalyptic scene, looking down on Ryan as he stated plainly, "Why do you insist on standing on humanity side, Beast VII?" 

Several giant thunder spears rushed fast toward Ryan. 

The wind became fierce blades, going after Ryan on relentless pursuit. 

The seas brought devastating waves, as if a great flood of old tale was reinvented in this current world. 

The earth quaked and rumbled as molten lava set the ground in fierce flames, recreating a burning hell on earth. 

These apocalyptic disasters all rushed toward Ryan at same time, trying to obliterate his existence at once! 

Even so, while facing the approaching apocalypses, Ryan felt a strange sense of serenity instead. 

His body was brimming with power, limitless and inexhaustible. 

Splat! Crackle! Crackle! 

He swung the black staff with tyrannical might, crushing the incoming thunder spears into mere sparkling of lightning. 

At same time, however, the rolling waves drowned him completely. 

The molten lava weighed down on him, trying to burn through his defense. 

Another barrage of thunder spears rapidly lodged into his body in succession, paralyzing him for a moment. 

Despite he was drowned by the raging ocean, crushed by molten lava, and sealed by the thunder spears; 

Ryan merely looked at Goetia calmly, 

"Standing at humanity side? What a joke. That was never my intention to begin with!" 

Ryan's black staff turned into a demonic halberd and slashed at these embodiment of nature sealing him down! 

His mind was calm, but his battle spirit was raging intensely like no other. 

At this moment, he gained an inexplicable sense of self amidst the cataclysmic onslaughts; as if he was one with the world, yet he was also the only one alienated from the rest of the world. 

Ryan brandished his halberd as he charged through the furious ocean waves with tyrannical might,

Blasting the thunder spears into flickering remnants lightning, 

His steps flattened the molten lava as he trodded on the broken earth, 

His innate eyes gleamed with purple light as he spoke serenely, 

"Throughout the boundless Heaven and the vast Earth, 

"In this chaotic world, I am the Honored One." 

Whether he wanted to question fate; 

Sparing humanity or destroying them; 

Breaking the natural order of life and death; 

To him, these were merely a 'normal' occurrence. 

"If my actions benefits the world, let it be their blessing! 

"If what I want creates a disaster to the world, it is merely an inevitable!" 

Ryan leaped with tremendous force. 

Like a rebellious Demon going against the Heaven, he swung the demonic halberd to charge through Demon God Pillars standing between him and Goetia. 

"Should God block my way, I shall cut it!" 

Ten or so Demon God Pillars were destroyed. 

"Should Devil cross my path, I shall crush it!" 

Thirty Demon God Pillars were crushed into fragments. 

Even after the previous Demon God Pillars were revived, and went to attack him again, they were all blasted to smithereens through sheer force. 

Ryan was only a few distance away from Goetia, grinning wickedly, 

"This is my way; for I am the unfettered Demon King!" 

Evil miasma shrouded him even more tightly, becoming a majestic demonic armor, as if coronating his newfound understanding. 

"Is that your answer? Foolish creature, you shall be vanquished here and now. I shall let your demise become the reminder for how wrong this planet is!" 

What awaited Ryan was a blinding band of light which was aimed at him directly. 

"Deploy the Third Virtual Noble Phantasm: The Time of Birth Hath Come, I Am the Remedy of Eternity. [Ars Almadel Salomonis]!" 

All this time Goetia was waiting for the activation period of his Noble Phantasm. 

His onslaughts on Ryan were merely an attempt to stall for time before he could deploy the Incineration Band of Light on the sky. 

He intended to completely destroy Ryan at once with his strongest power! 

However, 

It wasn't only Goetia who was also stalling for time. 

Ryan, too, was waiting for his Sixth Magic to be ready. 

The moment Goetia activated [Ars Almadel Salomonis], Ryan felt the jolt on his mind, hinting that the Sixth Magic already wrested away the authority over life and death in this Singularity. 

Faint smile appeared on his face as he raised the demonic halberd, glaring straight at the King of Demon Gods, 

"I don't care about the fate of the world, nor do I care about your ascension to Godhood. I merely seek a hearty battle. 

"Can you last through the end, Goetia?" 

Soon, a majestic Wheel of Samsara bloomed as it faced off againts the torrent of heat which could even penetrate the planet. 

Their confrontation brought calamities unto the world. The sky shattered. The seas evaporated. The earth cracked, bursted open. 

Moreover, even the fabric of space-time seemed to be ruptured slightly in their aftermath. 

"You...! How–?!!" 

Even so, when Goetia saw the fact that Ryan could withstand his Noble Phantasm, he couldn't hide his surprise. 

Despite his confidence in completely obliterating Ryan, Goetia finally felt slightly shaken. 

Ryan sneered seeing that, 

"You can incinerate the present era. You can also burn through the past era. However, can you also incinerate the future?

"Even if you can, let's see how much 'futures' you can incinerate, Goetia! With me here, the 'future' is limitless...!" 

Glaring light soon exploded from the center of Final Singularity. Its shine expanded through the whole domain, illuminating the entire Singularity into a bright world...