Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Maris Billy smiled calmly, his tone unhurried, as if nothing in the world could make him anxious or lose his composure.

"So, this is the result you wanted?"

Samael gave a cold smile, his dark eyes unfathomable.

"Do you know the price of fooling the gods, Marisbury Animusfia?"

The red and black flames flickered in and out of the small space, and the desk lamp crackled and flickered due to unstable current. The shadow projected from the table onto the wall was elongated and distorted, revealing a ferocious outline.

In hell, Samael is the primordial demon who judges the souls of sinners...

"If this is the price for offending you, I am willing to accept this outcome."

Maris Billy closed the Book of Revelation in his hands and calmly and peacefully shut his eyes.

But in the end, the shadowy figure at the table simply waved its hand and sat down listlessly.

"Old Ma, what can I say about you?"

While shaking his head and muttering to himself, Samael raised his hand and waved, and two cups of steaming black tea appeared in front of the two of them, exuding a rich and lingering fragrance.

Maris Billy opened his eyes, first politely thanking the backer for his hospitality, then picked up his teacup and quietly sipped his tea.

Samael looked at the elegant and charming Marisbury before him, feeling a mix of emotions.

"Possessing ordinary human desires, ordinary human jealousy, and loving ordinary human happiness."

"He was a man with the restless elements typical of magicians. In short, he lacked a moral compass. But his suppressed passion and boiling human love were unshakable."

The former is a character profile left by the great detective Sherlock Holmes, and the latter is the account of King Solomon.

The object of the evaluation was naturally the former director of Chaldea—Marisbury Animusfia.

In short, he is a pure magician who loves humanity, yearns for the pursuit of truth, but lacks a sense of morality and is willing to use any means necessary to achieve his goals.

Samael had seen more than one person like this.

Emiya Kiritsugu and Amakusa Shiro Tokisada are similar to him.

In theory, this celestial monarch who first established Chaldea is the most capable and qualified to succeed Olga Marie as the current acting director of Chaldea.

However, from the very beginning of Chaldea's establishment, Samael, as the behind-the-scenes financier, intentionally or unintentionally sought to sideline the former director and weaken his authority.

Olga Marie seized power, sent Sesshouin Kiara to reside there, and developed the Mooncell system to replace human labor...

These are all measures taken to contain the situation from the shadows.

Simply put, these kinds of people are too dangerous.

They harbor lofty ideals, are prepared to die, and are not bound by any morality or law. They can take any action they deem correct in order to realize their so-called beliefs.

Therefore, they are willing to stake everyone's lives on the gambling table.

And that's what Marisbury did too.

He orchestrated the entire Imaginary Tree Advent event in Chaldea.

This includes introducing external factors into the situation...

Samael took a sip of black tea, looked at himself, then at Marisbury across from him, and his brow furrowed slightly.

From the moment Maris Billy's distress call was received, a test quietly began.

Several years ago, in order to prevent problems before they occur, the Chaldea organization for the continuation of human reason was established. With Samael's help, it not only obtained sufficient research funding, but also a wide network of people and resources.

During his tenure, Marissbury secretly acquired a valuable research item from the waning U.S. military through international connections.

The remains of a legendary extraterrestrial visitor—Subject E.

Through repeated contact, Marisbury gradually uncovered some of the secrets of this thing.

For example, the alien power He possesses, and some connection with his daughter Olga Marie.

In theory, as long as the potential of subject E can be fully developed, the door to a new world will open, and the benefiting humans will achieve transcendence and no longer fear the calamities to come.

Therefore, this good father did not hesitate to sacrifice his daughter, allowing Olga Marie, the then director of the institute, to continuously contact the subject E and create an opportunity for the two to be tuned and integrated using the simulated Earth model Chaldea.

Ultimately, subject E revived, the root of fantasy fell, and the alien god descended.

Next, there is one more point that needs to be demonstrated.

Between gods, who is stronger and who is weaker?

What will become of humanity's choices?

With a rigorous scientific attitude, Marisbury, who had personally witnessed the miracle of God, summoned the Messiah to Chaldea, the testing ground.

This is just the beginning of everything.

Holding our heads high for too long, we gradually forget to bow our heads and remain humble before things beyond our control.

Human nature, how arrogant it is...

He thought he could easily control everything, but little did he know that his so-called "correct choice" was opening a door to the unknown and destruction for humanity.

If Marisbury's plan had discarded the useless items, some of humanity would have survived.

For example, magicians and fairies existing in the cracks, such as the Wandering Sea, the Giant's Cellar, and the Tomb of Abian, may be lucky enough to avoid global bleaching, but the vast majority of life will also perish in this sacrifice.

The remaining humans will gradually move towards becoming the most infamous life form in the entire universe.

Therefore, some of the Masters in Group A who were caught up in the situation hoped to find a compromise to reduce the sacrifices, such as Kirshtalia, Marisbury's good apprentice...

Some people want to take advantage of the chaos and expand their own power, like that scoundrel Beryl...

Some, driven by a simple sense of justice, wanted to simply eliminate Marisbury, the mastermind, like the seemingly cold but actually warm-hearted Debit...

In a future where Samael had not intervened, Debit, who discovered the conspiracy in advance, threatened the old director with a gun to immediately stop Chaldea's operations during a secret meeting with Marisbury.

However, when faced with the choice between living or keeping Chaldea running, Marisbury chose to end his life with a pistol.

He was willing to die to achieve his goal: to create a "perfect" human being and lay the foundation for human reason...

After finishing his tea, Samael had no interest in delving into the rights and wrongs of the past.

Right now, he has a more crucial question that he needs to get an answer from Maris Billy.

Chapter Fifty-Seven: I'm Giving My Daughter to You

A deep silence followed for a moment, then Samael looked directly at the former director and slowly spoke.

"What exactly...did you see?"

"A desolate world, a dead planet, a future where humanity cannot survive..."

Marisbury didn't hide it, muttering to himself, shaking his head and chuckling, lamenting the absurdity of his fate.

Samael closed his eyes slightly, habitually placing his right hand on the table, his five fingers tapping rhythmically.

"Is this the omen brought about by the [Simulated Earth Environment Model - Chaldea] and the [Near Future Observation Lens - Sheba]?"

Maris Billy nodded, his deep voice resonating with magnetism.

"Actually, at first I didn't understand why this planet, which was thriving and showed no signs of decay, would face its end in the future. But as I studied the root of fantasy and the arrival of that alien god, I gradually understood the reason."

The danger is not beneath our feet, but beyond our borders.

While we have indeed overcome the constraints of civilization time and again, we, and even this planet, are far too young compared to the entire universe.

Excessive prosperity, like ripe fruit hanging on a branch, inevitably attracts covetous outsiders.

So, is it a choice to prune the branches and leaves to protect oneself, replan, and pin hope on the future; or to knowingly continue to suffer setbacks until self-destruction, that is the question…

To be or not to be?

Samael took a sip of black tea, looked up at his former business partner with whom he had enjoyed a honeymoon period, and spoke calmly.

"It seems you chose the former..."

"I hope I'm wrong."

Marisbury smiled, seemingly unconcerned about the outcome. He raised his right hand to his chest, bowed slightly to Samael before him, and humbly lowered his head.

"And now, it's your turn to choose..."

Just as Samael was pondering, Marisbury's amber eyes flashed, as if he had remembered something, and he spoke leisurely.

"But a friendly reminder: I'm not the only one who wants to complete this task..."

"Who else?"

"Rafe Lenore Floros..."

As Maris Billy pondered, a hint of nostalgia and admiration appeared in his eyes.

"【Near Future Observation Lens - Sheba】is his work. Together we improved the operating mechanism of Chaldea and witnessed that 【future】."

Mary Besley paused, a hint of regret flashing across her face.

"However, because of our differences, we went down different paths."

I tend to place my hopes on the future, while he yearns to seek answers in the past…

Samael nodded, and a squinty-eyed figure with curly hair and a green top hat came to mind.

Rafe Lenore Floros...

Strictly speaking, this is not the incarnation of the Demon Pillar he fought at Thermopylae back then, but a descendant with the blood of the Magic King flowing through his veins, passed down through his family lineage and continuing to this day.

The magic of prosperity and the continuation of human reason are the fundamental commands that the Rafe family has upheld since before the Western calendar.

This most sublime blood code in the world of magic requires its successors to sacrifice themselves for that mission until the extinction of their race; it is an absolute and proud code, almost like a curse.

Due to his bloodline, Floros, an exceptionally talented scion of a noble family, exhibited a primal atavism, gaining the talent of "Revelation."

The [Near Future Observation Lens - Sheba], which possesses prophetic properties, is a product created based on this talent.

However, Rafe Lenore Floros was also unable to wield this extraordinary power with his mortal body, and thus split into three personalities.

First, the personality that governs the past—Rafe Walter.

Rafe Walter's life exists to fill that void.

To properly receive warnings from the past and spread them throughout this era.

To recreate the world and theorems that existed in the past in the modern era.

This was Leif's research. It was a destiny he had believed in since birth, and he never even questioned its correctness.

Secondly, the personality who governs the future—Lennore Gusin.

Lenore Gushin's life exists to repay that fierce world.

To measure the future, even at the cost of sacrificing the past and present, is the only way to ensure the prosperity of magic.

This is the reason for Lenore's existence.

That was the destiny that had been confirmed since birth, and there was no doubt about its correctness.

Thirdly, the person in charge of the present personality, the mediator—Flouros.

The past ignores the future, and the future denies the past.

The reason why two completely opposite things can go smoothly is because there is a "present" for mediation.

However, the omens of the future disrupted the balance among the three personalities.

In the face of crisis, whether we turn to the past or place our hopes on the future, we will overturn the present.

Therefore, upon learning of this outcome, Floros, the mediator and the person in charge of the current personality, committed suicide.

"In order to protect the present, I must disappear. Even if no one will know whether it has been successful."

He fulfilled his duty, but still could not interfere with the outcome of the choice.

Ultimately, it seems that Greif Huller, who controlled the past, prevailed. After a change in positions at Chaldea, he withdrew from the place and went on to carry out his own will alone.

All of the above comes from the account of his friend Maris Billy and Samael's own speculation.

Can't these magicians just behave themselves?

Samael sighed, leaned back slightly in his chair, and rubbed his slightly sore brow. The various events from his trip to Kunlun and his conversations at Nalanda Monastery came to mind.

Prosperity inevitably leads to disaster... Excess is wrong... Nothingness is perfection...

It must be said that Kunlun's conclusion was correct.