Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

Therefore, it is clear what to do next. We have already done so much, and although we are not yet at the initial goal, it is enough.

"Albion Dragon, unleash my last bit of magic completely."

A faint light emanated from the unknown mountaintop not far away.

"That must be some kind of flame," Novia thought.

Then, a calm voice rang out.

"It's finally out."

Only after the voice of the dragon Albion echoed in his mind did the silver-haired boy realize where he was.

This is a place that is nowhere, a world that is nowhere.

The boy blinked, gazing at the strongest dragon whose eyes were incredibly deep.

"Although I don't know why, the texture covering the planet's surface has now been lifted."

"Hmph, you've hit the jackpot. Therefore, I, the strongest, am here to help you, the weakling."

Planets change the laws of physics according to the life that lives on their surface. The era that was once full of mystery and magic came to an end as humanity became the greatest power, and gradually declined.

After the end of the Age of Gods, the planet became independent from nature. The world of humans, which covered the planet as its appearance and skin, and the "fairy land" that existed on the other side of the world, separated by a thin skin, were all "Texture".

The cognition of the intelligent life form that holds the hegemony over this planet, in other words, is the law of physics. The texture established by this law of physics is the human world. However, the texture that covers the planet is like a thin skin that can be peeled off with a gentle lift, or a tablecloth that can be blown away by a gust of wind.

To keep the texture from falling off, several "storm anchors" secure the texture and anchor it to the planet.

Just now, the Texture was exposed by someone, and Albion Dragon, realizing this quickly, paid the price of a damaged soul to come here. It could not bear that its strongest self could not eliminate the weak and disgusting thing time and time again, and it did not want this human to die like this. After all, no matter how weak it was, it was still the contractor that its strongest self barely acknowledged. If anyone was to die, it should die by its own hand.

However, it would naturally never say these things aloud.

"...Thank you, Dragon of Albion."

At the same time, a power surged from his chest, an unusual heat that gave him the illusion of his internal organs burning.

"Let's skip the small talk and get this over with quickly. Texture is going to be nailed down again. I need to get back before then, while this arrogant guy is still so panicked and scared," said the soul of the strongest dragon. "Just destroy his existence and his world in one fell swoop."

In an instant, terrifying magical power surged from Novia's entire body. Under the illumination of the magical energy that swept across the earth, the young man's swaying silver hair seemed to burst forth with light like a golden torch, and his eyes revealed a hint of blood red.

"This is Albion, the strongest dragon on the planet, proclaim the moment!"

Extending her 'gun' beyond its limits, while feeling the overflowing magic power throughout her body, Novia wove words together, and the blue and red particles gathered around her created a new level of magic power that could only be described as intense.

“I am the Messiah! I am the King of Israel! I am the King who will establish a heavenly kingdom on earth! I cannot possibly lose, you lowly creature, you demon! As the Messiah, I will surely—”

This was a roar that shook Jerusalem, and at the same time, black shadows of the same color as Dorod's body surged up, writhing like living creatures, a sound that seemed to curse all who heard it.

"We'll kill you right now."

Created by the strongest dragon at the cost of its damaged soul, it roared with thunder and fire as it rushed forward, unleashing its surging magic in one breath.

This attack, comparable to the full force of a god from another era, engulfed the 'King of the Antichrist,' tore everything apart, and triggered the collapse. Mysterious strength and resistance were meaningless in the face of this attack; the torn space had become a physical phenomenon.

Like the end of an aging, massive star, which not only devours the surrounding air but also a portion of the earth, the void continues to expand, like waking from a dream, after which everything soon returns to its original state.

All the Jews who gave their lives to Doro Bar Kohba and all areas of Jerusalem except for the First Temple were instantly reduced to ashes, and the holy city vanished into nothingness.

Completely defenseless, no one can describe this moment.

It all happened in an instant.

Then, Albion's Spear drew an arc of light, cleaving it in two—

The miracle that descended here utterly shattered the Antichrist King who proclaimed himself Messiah.

Its remains consisted of only a few specks of etheric light, and the texture that had been torn open for three minutes by someone, which was then fixed back to hold the planet together.

044: Prisoner in Rome

The destruction of Jerusalem marked a complete victory for the Roman army in suppressing the entire province of Judea.

According to the Roman magicians who accompanied the army, during the entire operation, including the actions of the Jewish rebels themselves, almost all the Jews in the province of Judah were killed, their settlements were razed to the ground, and 800,000 Jews died of starvation and disease in Jerusalem.

It can be said that every inch of the present-day Jewish province has been stained with countless lives, but from now on it will never be called the Jewish province again.

Upon learning of Novia's resounding victory, the Roman Empire decided to ban the existence of Jewish civilization, renaming the province of Judah as the province of Syria and Palestine. In other provinces, in the Jewish communities of Alexandria, Galilee, Caesarea, Golan, and other regions, those who still firmly believed in Judaism were to be executed, and Jewish scrolls and scriptures were to be burned and not kept.

The Jewish Temple, which was not yet destroyed, was to be destroyed once and then rebuilt as a Christian temple. The spread of Christianity, which had been slow in the provinces controlled by the Senate, spread uncontrollably.

The reason why the orders issued or not issued by the Roman Empire were carried out so thoroughly was related to the three-minute darkness that enveloped the earth on the day Novia led the Roman army to fight the Jews in Jerusalem. Moreover, many magicians felt a great increase in mystery around them during those three minutes, as if the long-lost Age of Gods had reappeared.

People spread the word throughout the empire's borders—

“The King of the Antichrist will be dimmed before the messengers of the Lord and will surely be destroyed.”

Once again, the miracles of Christianity were performed on earth, and most people in the Roman Empire could still distinguish between what was more important and what was less important when faced with the choice between profit and life.

Novia, who had successfully destroyed Jerusalem, was now heading towards the summit of Golgotha ​​outside Jerusalem, the mountain where Jesus suffered his crucifixion.

He ordered the Romans to burn the dead to prevent the spread of plague. However, probably because Novia had instructed the twenty-seventh Zucobac to ensure that no Dead Apostles entered the blood-soaked province of Judah, no large groups of Dead Apostles appeared.

This was his first time here, but it was only right and proper for him to come, not only because Novia was the undisputed leader of Christianity at the time, but also because of the previous total solar eclipse.

Novia reasoned that no matter how much he rewrote history, he could never influence the changes in natural phenomena. Moreover, he learned from the Albion Dragon that the texture covering the planet's surface had been opened for three minutes and then closed again...

He believes that in the Type-Moon universe, the only one with this ability is Pigeon or Pigeon Prince, and there is no other one besides Pigeon.

After a while, Novia, who had reached the top of the mountain, saw that the cross on which Jesus was crucified still stood there, its body covered in rust, as if it had never changed.

The silver-haired boy wanted to say something, but for a moment he didn't know what to say. Finally, he placed the cane that Martha had given him on the cross and said:

"Sister Martha said this was given to her by you. Although it's already been given to me, I still think it's better to return it to its rightful owner. But it did me a big favor, thank you."

When I get back, I will rebuild Jerusalem, which I destroyed, and I will also build a better church here so it won't have to continue to be exposed to the elements. This will also make Paul, John Martha, and the others happier when they come to visit you..."

Then, feeling there was no need to continue, Novia turned to leave, but then, as if remembering something, she gazed at the sky above the cross for a long while before continuing:

"By the way, your Father, Yahweh, Jehovah, Lord, whatever you want to call Him, I remember He made a covenant with Abraham, right? And now, the Jews and Judaism have been wiped out by me, leaving only the teachings of you, the Savior Jesus."

In short, what I mean is, if you hear me, please pass this on: if He gets upset about this and wants to take action, he only needs to come after me, because this all concerns me alone; everyone else is just being used by me. That's it...

"Then, farewell, my beloved Son Jesus, whom I have never met."

After leaving the summit of Golgotha, Novia went to the First Temple, which had survived the destruction of Jerusalem. This was a place he deliberately avoided, as it contained the remains of the Magic King Solomon, and there was no need to destroy it along with the temple.

The moment Novia stepped into the temple, she saw a radiant hill of treasure, which must have been the loot that Doro had plundered during his time in the province of Judah. ​​Although Novia had burned all of these things when she quelled the rebellion in the province of Judah, it was to avoid a trap.

Now that everything is settled, these can naturally be used. Besides giving a portion to the Roman treasury, they can be used to build some infrastructure, such as roads. The magical materials can be used to have magicians help people in areas with poor harvests with their planting. As for the regular gold and silver treasures, they can be exchanged for grain with some wealthy people... In short, this is roughly how Novia has decided.

After bypassing the treasury, Novia finally saw the Magic King Solomon 'seated' on the throne. At first glance, he looked no different from a living person, but apart from his face, the rest of his body was covered in dark green lividity, and it looked like his body would melt at the touch.

Logically speaking, using human remains as a source of magic would inevitably lead to madness, even if the brain is contaminated by the distorted magic. However, Doro continues to manipulate what can only be described as insane black magic, which naturally puzzles Novia.

But when he completely destroyed Doro, a mass of unknown, twisted magic power that fell on his body made him suddenly realize the truth.

Could this thing be sealed inside the corpse, inside the Goetia that is still being created?

At this moment, Novia is holding this mass of magical energy. Although she can't think of a solution at the moment, she might get an unexpected reward if she finds some magicians to trade with. This would later become the beast of mercy, Goetia, who would later incite the burning of human morality.

However, Novia denied this, saying that the burning of humanity was merely a terrifying consequence caused by the beast's extreme measures to prevent the Earth from being wiped clean and the extreme humanistic protection of the Chaldea director, which was worse than the destruction of the planet.

However, in the second part of the story, if Goetia's sole purpose was to oppose the old director's plan, she didn't need to be so secretive. She could have simply joined Chaldea, explained everything she knew, and then worked together to thwart the old director's conspiracy...

If it was merely to avoid becoming a blank slate or to end the suffering of all living beings, then why did Goetia initially emphasize "creating a planet without the concept of death"?

As a time traveler, Novia could only speculate that if FGO before his time travel had a third part, it would most likely be about how Goetia's incineration of humanity was actually intended to prevent the mastermind behind it all, but by a twist of fate, it stopped the known mastermind, the former director of Chaldea...

therefore--

Novia placed the unknown, twisted magical energy aggregate back into Solomon's body and reburied it, ensuring it would never be discovered again.

"Remember, you owe me a life."

045: Roman Triumphal Arch

The wind howled through the streets of Rome, the forests outside the city, and the nearby ports. Although the wind was strong, the Romans, who had been waiting for a long time, made no sound. To them, the howling wind sounded like heavenly music, as if the vast sky was blessing the earth with the sun's bounty.

Because today, a triumphal procession is to be held.

A triumphal procession was a ceremony held when a general with supreme command returned victorious from battle and marched into Rome. Receiving a triumphal procession was the highest reward for military achievements in Rome, and the general was also granted the title of "triumphal man." Legend has it that the first Roman triumphal man was Romulus.

This ceremony was a momentous event in the military and political life of the Romans, a grand festival of national celebration. All the senators and government officials would come out of the city to welcome them, and tens of thousands of citizens would line the streets to welcome them. The streets were deserted, creating a spectacular sight. The celebration could last for one or several days.

In theory, victory in a civil war does not grant a triumphal procession. Furthermore, the identity of the enemy is also a condition. Successfully suppressing a rebellion does not grant a triumphal procession; it must be a foreign race. However, due to the Jews' massacres and miracles in the Syrian province of Palestine, the emperor and the Senate banned the existence of Jewish civilization. Therefore, they can also be considered foreign races outside the Roman Empire.

It was noon, the time when the sun was at its most dazzling.

On the Champ de Mars outside the Severnian Wall in Rome, Novia stands atop a magnificent chariot drawn by four white horses, clad in a shimmering purple triumphal robe, holding in one hand an ivory scepter adorned with a golden eagle, and in the other a laurel branch—

This is a symbol of the Roman victory.

Furthermore, a bell and a whip should have been hung at the front of the carriage, because the Romans used bells to clear the way when escorting criminals. This was done to remind the victors that fate is unpredictable, and that although they may enjoy wealth and honor today, they may face the most severe punishment in the future. However, this provision was removed after discussions between Emperor Claudius and the Senate.

According to tradition, victors would also have bright red rouge applied to their faces, and Novia was no exception.

"Teacher, please don't move."

"There's no need to apply it to the ears as well."

Novia lowered her head, meeting the gaze of the blonde girl who was standing on tiptoe.

Nero blinked his emerald green eyes, a "this has to be done" expression on his face, and said:

"I'm going to stand next to you, teacher, and place the golden laurel wreath on your head. Hmm, from my perspective as an artist, if we stand together, my left ear and your right ear, it will look more symmetrical. Besides, I finally managed to get this spot, so I have to make sure it's an unparalleled effect."

Traditionally, the person who carries the golden laurel wreath on the head of the triumphal archer during a triumphal procession must be a slave.

Nevertheless, the Roman soldiers who participated in the war unusually volunteered to stand beside Novia during the triumphal procession, probably because of their heartfelt reverence for Novia, who brought victory and was protected by a god.

Therefore, standing beside the triumphal procession is of great significance, and this tradition will likely change from now on.

Among the many candidates, Nero, who had swept through the southern region of the Syrian-Palestinian province and was the undisputed next emperor of the empire, and whose teacher was Novia, naturally won the position among the soldiers without any surprises, thanks to his various statuses.

"Alright, then you'd better be gentle with your scolding later."

Novia answered with a smile.

The presence of a person holding a golden laurel flower signifies the pinnacle of the victor's glory, and also serves to constantly whisper in the victor's ear, reminding him that he is merely a mortal.

"I won't do that." Nero shook her head gently, then lowered her eyes, as if she were enduring something. "No one can insult you, teacher. You're amazing, teacher. I'll say it again, you're really amazing!"

"In that case, say whatever you want."

After that, the two continued to exchange meaningless words until the triumphant ceremony began.

Novia's chariot proceeded amidst a large retinue of attendants. Leading him was a heavily armed guard bearing the insignia of "supreme power," consisting of a battle axe inserted into a laurel branch—a symbol of Rome and power.

Behind him were Roman soldiers selected based on their military merits, all adorned in red and riding tall horses.

In addition, there was the procession carrying the spoils of war. According to the magicians accompanying the army, it would take a week just to transport the treasures from the First Temple. In other words, this triumphant ceremony would last for a week, not including propaganda materials that showed off the war and depicted scenes of battle.

The biggest difference from the traditional triumphal procession is that it does not include a contingent of conquered prisoners. In the past, Roman commanders believed that if the group of prisoners did not include high-ranking enemy generals or leaders, it would not be enough to enhance the ceremony or please the Romans.

Those who were captured often committed suicide to escape this humiliation, so as not to be used by the Roman commanders to satisfy the Romans' eyes.

In 30 BC, Cleopatra, the Egyptian queen who had fallen into Octavian's hands, preferred to be bitten to death by a poisonous snake rather than allow Octavian to take her to Rome.

Now, for well-known reasons, it is impossible to find any captured Jews, so the program has naturally been cancelled.

Upon arriving at the city gate, Novia will encounter the senators and other officials who will be there to accompany him in the triumphal procession.

From this moment on, we officially begin the final part of the triumphal procession. From now on, Novia will proceed from the Triumphal Arch along the Triumphal Avenue to Piazza Flaminius, then along the Sacred Avenue to the square and up Capitoline Hill to reach the final destination – the Temple of Jupiter.

However, this final location was rejected. After discussion, the emperor and the Senate changed it to the Pantheon, and only the Christian symbol that is now widely used in the Roman Empire—the cross—remained inside.

Although Novia's army was cheered by crowds scattering flower petals along the way, unlike previous triumphant marches, no one whispered, pointed, or freely praised, ridiculed, or condemned their commander, Novia.

This is because the Romans believed that when a commander was able to hold a triumphal procession, his honor and glory reached their peak. Not only would mortals admire him, but even the Roman gods would be jealous. In order to prevent the triumphal march from turning into tragedy, the soldiers were deliberately instructed to ridicule and insult the triumphal marchers as much as possible, hoping to appease the gods' jealousy.

For example, during Caesar's triumphal procession after conquering Gaul, his soldiers took the opportunity to mock his womanizing, shouting at the Roman citizens lining the parade:

"Keep a close eye on your wives, citizens, we've brought in a bald, lecherous old man..."

Now, everyone in the army cheered along with the crowd with a sense of fear and reverence, without uttering a single word of ridicule or insult.

"This is a symbol of prosperity and enthusiasm. Teacher, you are indeed full of radiance and love in everyone's eyes."

Nero kept whispering in Novia's ear.

"The entire city of Rome is celebrating this day."