Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

In fact, Melusin just wanted to know more about him and see if she could help him and share his burden.

"This is what I wanted to do later, but now it seems I'll have to keep troubling you, Meilushin. I'm sorry to make you work so hard in the future."

Melusin seemed displeased upon hearing Novia's words. She shook her head, looked directly at the person she liked, and said:

"Don't say that! I don't dislike you. I hope you'll rely on me more, and most importantly, I love protecting you and going through hardships with you! I'm doing this willingly!"

The silver-haired girl spoke passionately, clenching her fist. She looked very sincere, and Novia blinked and couldn't help but laugh.

"I always felt that you, Meiluxin, were easily fooled."

What Novia wrote was the plan that Nero had envisioned before this change occurred. In addition to investing in Byzantium, Novia also wanted to transform the current Roman Empire's system from top to bottom into European feudalism.

Driven by this 'messenger of God on earth,' he should be able to accomplish a top-down reform rarely seen in ancient empires. This would naturally harm the interests of many nobles, but he would use the 'violence' of Roman and church beliefs to completely change them.

Novia's original vision was the reforms of Charles Martel, the grandfather of Charlemagne, which changed the previous practice of unconditionally granting land and implemented conditional land grants. The concept that vassals must be loyal to their lords and that lords must protect their vassals was deeply ingrained in people's minds, thus intertwining rights and obligations.

The reason for writing it down is probably because Novia herself is uncertain about the future, so she wants to write it down so that someone other than herself can carry it out.

Novia asked Locusta, who was with her, about why Nero had become like this the night before. She learned that Nero knew that what he gave her was non-poisonous, which is why he became like this. In other words, in Nero's memory, he had been using poison from the very beginning, but he had never said it.

Novia immediately realized that Agrippina had been behind this all along, so he had Lucius send men to imprison her in the Temple of Quirinus on Mount Quirinno, to be dealt with later.

"No way, I'll only let you lie to me." Melusin puffed out her cheeks and pouted as if she were being difficult. "Okay, hurry up and keep hugging me."

Time passed slowly, and evening gradually arrived. Novia, who had finally finished writing everything, turned to look at Nero, who was still fast asleep, and sighed. Then she got up, put Melsin down, and relaxed slightly.

"I have something to take care of, Melusin, you can stay here for a while."

"No, I want to go too, I want to help you."

"obedient."

Novia reached out her right hand and gently placed it on Melsin's head. She closed her eyes as if to carefully feel the touch, and her palm felt the touch of the dragon girl's hair and the warmth of her life.

“Alright then, you—” Melosin paused here, the faint yellow light from the window illuminating her profile. Her expression was somewhat lonely. After a moment of hesitation, she continued, “If you’re not here, I’ll be lonely…”

"Don't worry, I promised you."

Leaving behind these calm words, Novia headed to the Temple of Quirinus on Mount Quirinno.

Before the events of the Revelation occurred, there was one more thing he had to do: kill.

Before the heavy temple gates, Novia let out a sigh of relief, adjusting her breathing.

Once this door is opened, there's no turning back. He could have chosen to ignore it, but he still ended up here.

"You're here? How was it? Isn't that child an incredibly cute doll? So adorable!"

Pushing open the door, the previously empty temple was now empty. Agrippina stared at the statue of Quirinus, seemingly lost in thought, before turning to Novia after hearing the door open.

"Nero, my lovely Nero, I love you! Come on, she must really want to kill me, bring her to me now!"

What she inherited from her mother was a curse, persistent yet pure; Agrippina called this supplication love.

But in reality, this love is like a thorny rose.

Those who derive so-called motherly love from love amidst thorns will ultimately kill with those thorns.

“Agrippina, it will not be Nero who kills you. She would not kill her own mother. A child would not kill its mother.”

Novia, expressionless, pushed the crazed woman to the ground and fiddled with the longsword in her hand with her fingers.

In this situation, he couldn't help but recall the process of killing Queen Messalina.

“Let Nero kill me! Who do you think you are! You're nothing but an outsider. What do you have to do with Nero? I'm her mother. You're the complete outsider!”

Agrippina roared and cursed, her voice loud enough to echo throughout the silent temple.

"The only one who can kill you is me. If she hates anyone, she will hate me, not you or her."

Novia said calmly, and the next second, she plunged her sword deep into Agrippina's chest, killing her instantly. Then, she pulled out the blood-soaked sword and cleaned it with magic.

Finally, in the Temple of Quirinus, he spoke to the blood-stained statue of Romulus:

“I am grateful for your help, but for someone like you who sees everything as Rome, I have undoubtedly killed the child you loved right in front of you. For this alone, I apologize to you, Romulus Quirinus.”

068: Apocalypse, Begin

Half a month later, the final battlefield described in the Book of Revelation—Armageddon.

The fact that the emperor had not appeared for half a month had not yet sparked any discussion within the empire. Since everything in the empire's political affairs was proceeding in an orderly manner under Novia's arrangement, people simply assumed that His Majesty the emperor might want to take a rest.

Regarding Agrippina's death, people didn't say much beyond lamenting that a Christian had left us. There may have been various conspiracy theories, but most people simply accepted it with a "that's how it is" attitude.

And now, in Armageddon, the view that comes into Novia's eyes is as always: the sky is filled with blue, and the blue seems to stretch to an unknown distance, a dreamlike scene.

"Melushin, are you ready?"

Holding the 'gun' in her hand, Novia, who had often worn a gentle smile since arriving in this world, now had an extremely serious expression.

"Do we really have to do this...? Won't this harm your body...?"

Melusin asked somewhat uncertainly, "Novia's current state is similar to that of the Antichrist King we fought before. However, that man used human souls and lives as the source of his magic, while Novia uses the 'Primordial Flame,' which is also the 'Flame of Passion' and the 'Flame of Love,' the source of Nero's power as a beast."

Human evil is all born of love for humanity itself; that is, humanity loves itself. But in other words, it is the silt that settles in human history, a cancer that gnaws at the body from within society, an evil that humanity must overcome.

In the original history, Nero realized upon his death that his love was too intense to be accepted by people, and thus accepted his fate of dying alone.

However, here, Nero, influenced by Novia, curses Novia, whom he devoted himself to but who will abandon him. Since he has no reason to be born, he will fulfill the desire that has always shrouded him in the sea of ​​blood, burn the world, and transform into the so-called messenger of doom. At the same time, he will also fully unleash his "fire of love" and let it burn the world.

Whether it's the image of the Roman wolf mother, holding the golden cup, or the image of the great red dragon Satan, wielding the sword of the seven sins, or the image of Lucifer, the bright star who may yet possess the thought of 'anti-Lord's love', these are all images of the apocalypse that Nero himself could choose.

According to John's version of Revelation, Novia was poisoned by Nero with the wine of lust and suffered in the fire.

Novia then thought, "'Suffering in the fire' probably refers to the primordial fire Nero used, and 'the wine of desire' refers to her own feelings for him..."

In short, he didn't care whether he would lose that illusory position of the Holy Spirit or not.

"I will do what I can to do that."

Novia made this decision because it was undeniably her own doing, and therefore she couldn't leave it to someone else to solve.

The task at hand is clear, so even if the opponent is the only god, no matter how hard we fight, there is no possibility of victory.

But I will not be afraid, I could not possibly be afraid.

"No problem, I know exactly what I need to do, and don't worry, you're the strongest, I believe in you."

“That’s true, I am undoubtedly the strongest… In that case, alright, I’ll begin the guidance.”

As Melsin finished speaking, numerous magic arrays appeared on the 'gun', connecting with the Primordial Flame in the Roman palace to transmit magic power. At that moment, the silver-haired man prepared to move, his magic circuits and magic crests activating simultaneously, connecting with the yet-to-be-born beast magic power.

Crimson lines raced across his entire body, and excruciating pain caused by the power of 'human evil' swept over him. Behind him, the crimson sea, tens of thousands of kilometers long, that he had seen before, was undoubtedly surging, with countless filthy things darting between its crimson waters.

In an instant——

Deep in the Mediterranean Sea, something blue opened its eyes. With the help of an unknown, terrifying force, it passed through the fixed texture and arrived on the surface of the planet, in the human world. It breathed fire from its mouth, smoke billowed from its nose, and let out a roar that shook the entire Mediterranean Sea, causing the ocean waves to reverse. But as if merely announcing its arrival to the world, it submerged into the sea and sped towards Armageddon.

The cradle of Western culture, Athens, one of the oldest cities in Europe, was filled with a tremendous cracking sound in the sky, as if the ceiling, which had stood for countless years, was groaning in agony. Dust fell in a flurry, and the startled Athenians looked up to find the entire city and beyond shrouded in darkness. But upon closer inspection, they saw that something green had spread its wings to block out the sun. Then, it flew towards Gaul.

In Gaul, deep within a desolate mountain range, a furious roar resounded, shaking the very heavens. Tigers, leopards, jackals, and wolves trembled in fear. The mountain was then split in two, revealing a colossal red beast. Its body was covered in scales like armor, and its blood-red eyes were fixed on Armageddon, its head raised, awaiting something to lead it there.

This is the prelude to the Great Judgment of Apocalypse, with the three great beasts—Leviathan, the king of the sea; Perch, the king of the sky; and Behemoth, the king of the land—appearing together!

Meanwhile, above Armageddon, a warm light of extinction descended from the sky, its sharp rays cleaving the blue sky above the land from south to north before abruptly turning and circling Armageddon perfectly.

The light that appeared out of nowhere acted like an iron curtain, instantly isolating Armageddon from the outside world, and then emitted a completely different red light, enveloping the world.

In the next instant, as the earth trembled, a colossal creature revealed a menacing corner. As the sky seemed to open up to the sides like paper, two heavy doors appeared above Armageddon.

The pristine white doors are covered with joyful reliefs. The moment they appear, one can feel a warm power slowly emerging from behind, and the ethereal atmosphere of heaven is beginning to appear.

The pitch-black door was covered with painful words. The moment it appeared, a chilling aura spread in all directions, freezing everything. After that, many monsters from hell let out hungry howls.

The gates of heaven and the gates of hell appear in pairs at the site of the final battle!

069: 'Satan's' Dinner

The hurricane brought by the soaring branches and outstretched wings swept across the battlefield in an instant. Along with the floodwaters that spread from the coast not far away, the piercing sounds produced by the battle between two enormous beasts were enough to make countless people's eardrums bleed.

Under the watchful eye of the branch, Behemoth and Leviathan will fight to the death, and in the end, both will be sent to the table of the saints by the branch, as will the branch itself.

however--

Within the battlefield, a red shadow, centered on Novia, flowed and converged, rising like flames and enveloping the area around him.

At this moment, Novia's 'gun' was red and black, his eyes were shining red, and blood-red lines appeared on the left side of his face, extending to his left ear. The red lines flew across his body, enveloping his entire body. The magical power that the human body could hardly store was also increasing explosively, but that power also gently protected him, without harming his soul or flesh, and circulated within his body.

"Albion, you must be very hungry. Let me treat you to something to eat."

The malevolent magic was burning wildly, and the light of the resulting tangible flames illuminated Novia's face.

Unbound by the name bestowed upon the strongest dragon by its appetite, the dragon responded with immense magic. A pair of mechanical wings unfurled from the back of Novia's human body. Then, its form flashed like a shooting star before the battle behemoth, followed by lightning and a roar, as crimson and black light burst forth from the inner side of the perching branches soaring in the sky.

In the midst of the scorching heat and torrential rain of the battlefield, Leviathan and Behemoth suddenly realized that the storm beside them had vanished. The two behemoths instinctively looked up together and discovered a phantom resembling a dragon, radiating an extremely evil aura.

The enormous phantom dragon, comparable in size to them, incinerated all the molecules in the air. A vortex of scorching magic, almost surpassing them, engulfed the branch from its tail to its head in one go.

It was as if this giant bird, whose wingspan was enough to block out the sun, was swallowed whole by an extremely terrifying dragon.

As the flesh and blood of the perched branches fell to the ground, thunder and lightning, completely different from the storm, enveloped the two giant beasts.

Instinctively, Behemoth opened its massive maw toward the sky, spewing out scorching flames that turned everything around it to ashes, while Leviathan in the sea radiated a deep blue light, churning up huge waves that shot straight into the sky.

At the core of Phantom Albion, Novia stood high in the sky, amidst a sea of ​​fire like a sea of ​​blood, rapidly forming the magical body of the strongest dragon, spreading and spreading in all directions until the beast's magic was exhausted.

Novia raised her hand, and the phantom Albion, high in the sky, followed suit. Facing the immense magical power surging from the two behemoths, they endured the excruciating pain and aimed at Leviathan. The distance was quite far, and they clearly needed to descend closer.

"This distance is enough."

Magic concentrated in his palm, and lightning, a mixture of blood and black, darted through the massless space, plunging straight out of Leviathan's body. It throbbed powerfully, rejoicing at being destined to be devoured.

No matter the emotion, once it exceeds the limit, the most extreme measure is to kill or eat the other person.

Phantom Albion now grasped the heart of the sea monster Leviathan, and then swallowed it without hesitation.

Both the branch and Leviathan were devoured, leaving only the last Behemoth, a creature in the Old Testament known as invincible and indiscriminate, said to be slain only by the sword of Jehovah. Novia, of course, did not think much of it. The body of Phantom Albion fell from the sky like a meteorite, engaging in a fierce battle with the Behemoth, which was composed of flesh and calamity.

The continuous supply of Blood Sea magic enhanced his explosive power and brought about a qualitative change in his speed. When Novia came to her senses from the frenzy of tearing at Behemoth's flesh, she instantly heard the sound of wind in front of her. Without thinking, she raised her hand and grasped the staff.

Before he could think, the staff that had once been placed on the cross of Jesus' crucifixion was instinctively raised as the staff hurtled towards him. Perhaps fueled by magical energy, the tip of the staff blazed with brilliant light, like a sword blade, and with unstoppable force, severed Bemoses's neck, which was worthy of being a divine weapon, and the tough scales on his skin.

The giant beast's head crashed to the ground, gushing blood, but its massive body was being rapidly devoured by Phantom Albion.

In the end, the three giant beasts that symbolized the prelude to the Great Judgment of Apocalypse all died, their blood and essence evaporated, leaving no trace of their remains.

The three great beasts have been reduced to food for Novia, who is neither known as the Holy Ones nor who has benefited from the evil of Babylon, but according to the prophecy of Revelation, the next part of the revelation is about to begin.

However, the glorious throne did not appear in the sky, no one unveiled the seven seals, and no one made the seven angels blow the seven trumpets.

"Your soul should have reached the Kingdom of Heaven long ago. Even if you shouldn't have been born into this world, your position is already there, so naturally you should have ascended it soon. You shouldn't have done this. This is a sin of Babylon. Moreover, the beginning of Revelation and the coming of judgment, once started, cannot be stopped by anyone. Doing this will only harm your spirit."

At this moment, the gates to hell slowly opened a crack, and the figure who once opened the sea with the help of divine power emerged from it, gazing at the world before him with pity in his pale eyes.

Moses, a close friend of Ramses II, was commissioned by God to lead the Hebrews to the Promised Land.

In contrast, the silver-haired man who emerged from the Gates of Heaven said nothing, only sighed helplessly, surrounded by countless shadows of birds and beasts.

Noah, the progenitor of mankind, obeyed God's command, built the ark, and escaped the great flood that destroyed the world.

A figure radiating unparalleled divinity descended, and an overwhelming sense of oppression instantly enveloped the final place. Moreover, both were physical entities, not Servants who appeared in the world in response to the Heroic Spirit Summoning System, but their true forms that appeared because of the great power of the father of humanity's savior.

"...Are you the only ones?"

"Just as you are doing now, so the Book of Revelation has not happened in the order it should have happened, and it may come later."

"...As a teacher, I feel I've failed quite a bit."

Enveloped in a dense, water-like magic, Novia's vision was so clear that she could almost see the entire vast sky reflected in her eyes.

"The future doesn't matter. Whether it's the next life or the one after that, I don't care if it's worse or if I'm destined to be in the highest position. As a teacher, I still hope that my students will live their own lives well, find what they like or dislike, and live for themselves with their own two feet. That's how it is... but I failed to do that."

“However, according to the Book of Revelation, the one who stands in your way is the undisputed ‘Satan’.”

070: All because—all roads lead to Rome! (3k)