Olga Marie's resolute declaration of war sent ripple effects through the air, as if a massive stone had been thrown into a still lake. On the rooftop, all the simmering tension from their prior exchange of words was instantly ripped apart.
A suffocating sense of pressure transformed into a tangible magical storm, threatening to choke all present.
Standing quietly behind the Director, Fujimaru Ritsuka finally stepped forward. His ordinary face was set with a level of resolve far beyond his years. He stared straight at Marisbury Animusphere, and spoke loud and clear, his voice filled with a determined energy.
"Director is right! We're here... to stop you! Your plans will freeze humanity's future, destroying everything we hold dear!"
"That's why—we have to stop you here and now!"
At almost the same moment, Mash struck the ground ahead with her massive cross shield, a dull but resounding thud. Now, uncertainty had vanished from her expression; her gaze was as sharp and steadfast as forged steel, and her words were a perfect reflection of her master's will.
"The will of those before me is my own."
"To protect the future, we will never retreat!"
Hearing these youthful yet utterly steadfast declarations, Marisbury's smile vanished at last. He sighed softly, his face crossing into a regretful anguish as if lamenting a group of hopeless students.
"Is that so... How disappointing."
"It seems language doesn't reach you."
He spoke in a low tone, but when he lifted his head, his face was blank—devoid of emotion. What remained was only a chill, colder than absolute zero, and ruthless decisiveness.
"Solomon."
"Yes, Master."
The King of Magecrafts responded instantly, as precise and cold as the most intricate machine.
"Begin."
Marisbury's command was both direct and merciless.
"Capture my daughter, Olga Marie, alive. Even after the New Chaldea is built, her existence will be of immeasurable value."
"I will then erase her memories myself, and mold her into a suitable role."
"As for the rest... eliminate them all."
The very instant the word "eliminate" left his lips, King Solomon acted. No incantation, just a simple gesture with his ring-covered right hand, snapping his fingers.
In that instant, it was as if the laws of the world itself groaned in despair.
A colossal magic circle appeared beneath the Chaldea team's feet—a pattern woven from countless golden geometric runes and imbued with divine laws from the Age of Gods.
An overwhelming surge of destructive energy rushed toward the sky, intent on erasing these obstacles entirely.
But at the exact moment, Lev—standing at Steve's side—mirrored his actions. Raising his own right hand, a magic circle materialized at dizzying speed. Although its color was dark, its structure matched Solomon's spell in every detail.
Bright and dark—two magics from the same origin but entirely opposite natures—collided furiously in midair!
There was no earth-shattering explosion. Only an eerie, all-consuming silence remained.
Light and darkness entwined, mutually annihilating, until nothingness replaced both.
Lev had perfectly neutralized the King of Magecraft's first assault!
Mash seized the opportunity. The dazzling force that burst from her armor transformed her into a violet shooting star. Wielding her A-rank Magic resistance, she boldly skirted the area of magical collision, charging right toward Marisbury—the heart of the enemy's formation.
First capture the Master: the simplest and most effective tactic.
Marisbury's pupils contracted. He hadn't expected his opponents to react so swiftly and coordinate so seamlessly. Yet his expression remained calm—no hint of panic.
Just as Mash's shield nearly brushed the hem of his coat, space in front of them warped violently!
A monstrous presence appeared, as if forcibly shoved out from the virtual world—a giant entity of pure white bone, writhing with countless eyes. Its towering, spiral body radiated a nauseating aura, as though it belonged to another dimension.
One of the 72 Demon Pillars: Barbatos, the Eighth!
Boom!
Mash's charging shield struck Barbatos' massive form, reverberating through the rooftop. Yet the pure white Demon Pillar didn't yield an inch—an immovable wall of despair blocking Mash's advance. Countless eyes fixed upon her, drawing her into a desperate struggle of force and endurance.
On the other side, a second Demon Pillar tore through the void. Unlike Barbatos, it had no palpable form, instead exuding condensed malice, aiming a cursed ray directly at the unwitting Master, Fujimaru.
"Don't even think about it!"
Olga Marie's furious cry rang out. She anticipated the attack, stepped in front of Fujimaru, and raised both hands high. Magics belonging to the realm of astronomy unfolded in her palms.
No longer a simple planetary orbit—she conjured a grand miniature star chart of countless stars and rings.
"Scales of Astraea!"
A radiant barrier of starlight was instantly formed, firmly intercepting the cursed ray. Malice blazed on its surface, but was quickly purified and dissipated.
Within seconds, both sides exchanged a series of furious attacks and defenses.
The melee reached a temporary stalemate.
Witnessing this, for the first time, deep furrows formed between Marisbury's brows. The crushing one-sided victory he'd expected hadn't materialized. The opposition's power and teamwork far exceeded his predictions.
"Solomon," he questioned, voice a touch irate, "With the Ring of Solomon—holding sway over all magic in this world—can you not nullify their transformation? They're not true Servants, but pseudo-Servants constructed by some magecraft. That falls within your authority, does it not?"
Despite being interrogated, King Solomon maintained an inhuman composure. He shook his head slightly, golden eyes reflecting the battlefield's light and shadow—utterly unmoved.
"It is impossible."
His voice was clear and objective.
"The core technology behind their pseudo-Servantization is the same mysterious foundation that once concealed their presence."
"This foundation lies outside the jurisdiction of my laws."
"It cannot be analyzed, nor nullified."
This answer finally sank Marisbury's heart completely. He realized at last that the battle was nowhere as one-sided as he'd imagined—the intruders before him had a trump card unknown to him, capable of contending with even his trump card.
…