Solomon—third king of the ancient United Kingdom of Israel, son of King David—was the great monarch who brought about the golden age of prosperity for ancient Israel.
During his reign, he commanded the seventy-two Demon Gods, became the first to establish the Temple of Israel, and transformed the capital, Jerusalem, into a holy city. In the years that followed, it would become the center of Jewish worship, and was also revered as sacred by Christianity and Islam.
Judging by his deeds, he was undoubtedly a wise king who governed with clarity and justice.
Of course, Selene felt nothing toward such praises. What truly interested her were the anecdotes of Solomon as a magus.
According to legend, Solomon married the daughter of the Pharaoh of Egypt. Later, in a dream, a 'god' appeared before him and bestowed a revelation—'You are qualified. Speak your wish. Whatever you desire shall be granted.'
Compared to gold and power, Solomon desired wisdom above all.
His answer passed the 'god's' trial. Only such an answer proved one worthy of attaining 'true wisdom,' and thus Solomon was granted divine favor.
When he awoke, he found ten rings upon his fingers. These were the proof of wisdom recognized by the divine. Later known as the Rings of Solomon, they became the source of magecraft capable of commanding angels and demons.
Then who was this 'god'? Who exactly did 'Heaven' or 'God' refer to?
The Counter Force? Was it Gaia? Or Alaya?
The former was the will born from the planet itself to protect Earth. For 'Gaia,' its fundamental purpose was to safeguard the planet. The Throne of Heroes was directly created by it, akin to Valhalla in Norse mythology.
The latter, however, was a product of humanity's collective unconscious. 'Alaya' represented the latent will of all humankind. From the human perspective, survival was paramount, and from its very birth, its sole purpose was to protect humanity—the continuation and development of the primate species.
Because 'Alaya' exists for the survival of humanity as a concept, it employs every possible means to ensure the continuation of mankind.
Though the two share similarities in purpose, they also stand in contradiction.
Compared to Alaya's tireless concern for humanity, Gaia only safeguards the planet itself—the concept of Earth's continued existence.
If one compares the two: Alaya—even if it must erode the entire planet—will strive to ensure the survival of humanity; Gaia—as long as the planet remains intact, humanity's fate is irrelevant.
Gaia shows no concern for life upon the planet—be it dragons, fairies, nature spirits, humans, or any other species. From the fleeting mayfly to the rise and extinction of whales, all are of no consequence. It may even eliminate any lifeform that threatens the planet.
In short, Gaia protects the planet, while Alaya protects humanity.
Both possess the ability to indirectly influence the Throne of Heroes. However, in the current era, humanity stands at the forefront, making Alaya the more active Counter Force.
The human Counter Force tends toward Heroic Spirits, while beings like demigods, spirits, and extensions of natural phenomena lean toward the planetary Counter Force—thus aligning more with Gaia.
However, Gaia rarely uses Heroic Spirits as a means. Instead, it prefers natural disasters or naturally born spirits.
And clearly, Solomon's achievements—whether his omniscience spanning past and future across countless dimensions, or his origin magecraft as the King of Magecraft—gave him the potential to destroy human history if he so desired.
Gaia would never grant such power to a mere human. The reason is simple: humanity itself could threaten the destruction of the planet.
As for Alaya, it was even less likely. During Solomon's era, it had not yet developed to its current extent—how could it possibly grant such transcendent power?
Thus, the answer could only be one.
—The Root!!!
Drip.
Blood fell from her fingertips. The half-dispersed gentle magical particles were once again corroded by ominous violet-black energy. But this time, Goetia was already a corpse.
The halo suspended high above the temple sky began to disintegrate, returning its decomposed magical energy to various eras of human history, rebuilding its foundation in streams of radiant light.
"Solomon." Crushing his heart, Selene gazed at him calmly.
"You finally showed yourself. Do you know how exhausting it is to play with a bunch of ants—holding back my strength, crushing them one by one in order? It's far more unpleasant than simply unleashing everything."
"Doctor Romani!"
Having only just regained a sliver of composure, Ritsuka Fujimaru—who had been thrown aside by Mash—knelt at the edge of the Subspace Lance's impact zone. Blood streamed from his orifices, his eyes bloodshot, his breathing ragged like a broken bellows. He looked utterly incapable of continuing, yet he raised his head and roared hoarsely.
"Silence."
Selene glanced sideways. Within her crimson eyes, the golden cross-shaped ring emitted a chilling glow.
Bzz—!
A flash of milky-white light burst forth. Like a storm, a terrifying repulsive force erupted. Before even a sound could form, the collapsed crater beneath them expanded outward by hundreds of meters.
"Senpai!"
Boom—!
From afar, the dust-filled air visibly expanded outward. The tangible force slammed heavily into Mash's shield. With a deafening explosion, a massive mushroom cloud rose into the sky.
"Hold on—aaaaah!"
Blood spilled from Mash's lips. It felt as though she was enduring the impact of a falling comet. Carrying Ritsuka on her back, she was blasted backward like a meteor. The bones in her arms cracked under the strain.
"The gathered breath of the stars, the shining torrent of life—receive it, Excalibur!"
Artoria stepped forward, the blade in her hands radiating like the rising sun. Drawing it back, she poured all her magical energy and strength into a single strike and unleashed it against the incoming shockwave.
"I am no king, but one who follows in the king's footsteps. For the peace of my king, I shall eliminate all enemies—Clarent Blood Arthur!"
Having resolved her inner turmoil after the Romanian Holy Grail War and her brief time with Kairi Sisigou, Mordred's sword shone brilliantly. The red-black blood that once stained it faded away, revealing a magnificent silver radiance beneath its twisted form.
Rumble—!
"Selene... cough... why?" Unable to move, violet-red patterns symbolizing Honkai infection rapidly spread from the intricate gauntlet that had pierced through Solomon's heart. Solomon looked at the peerlessly beautiful yet tyrannical goddess before him with a complicated expression.
"The Root."
Within Selene's crimson eyes surged boundless greed. Unlike the calm amusement she had displayed before, this was an endless, insatiable desire—one Solomon had never seen. It was the desire to obtain everything.
In the most literal sense, she wanted 'all'—'everything.'
Could it be...
Recalling Selene's mention of the 'Root,' Solomon's pupils instantly contracted. His mind roared as an unbelievable possibility surfaced.
"No—impossible!"
Even Solomon lost his composure at this moment.
From the very beginning, Selene's target had been him—or rather, the connection between him and 'God' (Heaven).
Despite all his precautions and countless speculations about her intentions, truly—if she hadn't admitted it herself—even if Solomon realized her descent wasn't merely about restoring the Age of Gods or incinerating human history, he would never have guessed she intended something on this scale.
What Selene sought to claim was not some inferior imitation like the Holy Grail War, nor a Root pathway tied to a single timeline or planet—but the true location of the Swirl of the Root.
The Swirl of the Root—the origin of all phenomena, the ultimate beginning and end of the entire Type-Moon world framework.
It possesses no subjective will. Within it exists 'the record of everything.' Everything in this universe flows from that vortex and is derived from it.
And the reason for that flow is the same as the Swirl of the Root itself.
The Swirl of the Root is the ultimate goal every magus dreams of, a place no human can ever truly reach.
It is said that one who reaches the Root gains complete understanding of the fundamental causality and laws of all things—able to reshape the structure and order of the world, in other words, to create a new world or destroy the old.
Of course, that is assuming one is not overwhelmed by the immense 'quantity'—assimilated and erased.
The one who granted Solomon his blessing was the Root. And if Solomon were to return the blessings he received from 'Heaven,' then in other words, he would be returning them to the Root.
"Selene, your actions will bring catastrophic disaster upon the entire universe..."
If the Swirl of the Root were touched, any anomaly could trigger disasters far beyond the scope of human history or even Earth itself.
Though he did not know why Selene was confident she wouldn't be assimilated or erased by the Root, Solomon had only one thought at this moment—stop her.
In an instant, using the last of his remaining power before returning everything, Solomon connected the gathered ten rings.
"Nega Summon!"
At this moment, the true and complete negation—destruction of all attacks originating from Servants—blossomed from Solomon's hands.
Crack!
Denied, half of Selene's remaining body immediately collapsed. Yet she paid it no heed. Along with the scattering violet-gold particles, arcs of purple-black corrosive energy, as thick as thumbs, overflowed from her skin.
"Nega Summon... a troublesome ability. Did you really think I wouldn't prepare for it in advance?"
In a flicker, space warped. With more than half her body already dissipated, Selene stepped forward. Approaching the equally fading Solomon, she gently cupped his cheek with one hand and whispered softly.
She stared at him, entranced. Her eyes shifted as her half-illusory, flickering body began to disintegrate further—actively merging into Solomon's body.
"I've finally found your trail... it truly cost me quite the effort."
"Ritsuka... att... attack me. Kill me with a god-slaying weapon... quickly... now—ah!"
Solomon's throat trembled as he forced out the words.
"It's already too late, Solomon. Once the First Noble Phantasm is activated, as one who is truly on the verge of death, you should simply accept your end."
The First Noble Phantasm was a farewell hymn that relinquished everything Solomon had ever achieved—his miracles, his magecraft, all of it.
Once activated, the blessings he received from 'God' would be returned. He would lose the eyes that observed the world. It could not be undone—and Solomon would meet true death.
Unlike Solomon's panic, Selene remained utterly calm.
Using Solomon's Nega Summon, having transformed into a spiritual form and merged into his body, Selene could clearly feel it—the 'Ten Rings,' the 'blessings,' and everything that was 'Solomon' connecting to that faint yet unmistakable primordial resonance.
She knew what it was.
The scent of something immensely nourishing.
Truly... finding your lair was far more troublesome than expected.
Twice, Selene had sent subordinate fragments of her consciousness into this world. The Swirl of the Root guarded against her like a thief—only revealing itself once, briefly and superficially.
After a thorough probing, once her consciousness was allowed entry, it immediately concealed itself again—handing her over to Gaia, which governs the Throne of Heroes. Cold, disciplined, and leaving her not even the slightest opening.
There was no helping it. Though the 'feast' was tempting, Selene was in no rush.
After all, forcing her way in would only lead to wasted effort—and very likely reduce the entire world to nothing, leaving her with nothing to consume.
Selene would never make such a losing trade.
So she cast a wide net.
Even if it refused to appear, she had other ways to obtain the coordinates she desired.
The King of Magecraft, Solomon, was one such option.
At last, it didn't take long. The seed planted during the Romanian Holy Grail War had sprouted. Through Lev's connection, she formed an alliance with Goetia, who possessed nine rings.
All that remained was for Romani's final ring to coexist with Goetia's nine—and for Solomon's First Noble Phantasm to be activated. At that moment, the trace of the Swirl of the Root would reveal itself before Selene.
And now—it had.
That trajectory—!
"Honkai—corrode."
At that instant, Selene's disintegrating spiritual body completely vanished, fully merging with Solomon.
Crack crack crack—!
The folded mountains and earth compressed by the shockwave began to tremble violently.
The ground split apart inch by inch. The seas tore open, as though the planet itself were disintegrating.
From the countless fissures, deep within the planet's ley lines that Selene had modified, dense Honkai energy surged violently from the crust. Violet-red luminous torrents shot into the sky, all pouring into Solomon's collapsing body.
In an instant, the expanding radiance dyed the heavens into a terrifying abyss.
"AAAAAA—!!"