Solomon, third king of the United Monarchy of ancient Israel, son of King David, was the great ruler who brought ancient Israel to its peak of prosperity.
During his reign, he commanded seventy-two Demon Gods, built the first Temple of Israel, and made Jerusalem the Holy City. It later became the center of worship for Judaism and a sacred site revered by Christianity and Islam alike.
Judging by his deeds, he was undoubtedly a wise king who ruled with clarity and justice.
Of course, such praise meant nothing to Selene. What truly interested her were the legends surrounding Solomon as a magus.
According to legend, Solomon married the daughter of an Egyptian Pharaoh. But afterward, a "God" appeared to him in a dream and delivered an oracle:
"You are worthy. Speak your wish. It shall be granted."
Rather than desiring wealth, immortality or power, Solomon sought wisdom.
That answer passed the God's test. For such a reply was proof of one who could attain "true wisdom." As a result, Solomon was granted divine favor.
When he awoke, he found ten rings on his fingers—the mark of a sage acknowledged by the divine. These rings, later known as Solomon's Rings, became the source of magecraft capable of commanding angels and demons.
Then who was this "God"? Who exactly does "Heaven" refer to?
Was it the Counter Force? Gaia? Alaya?
The former, Gaia, is the will of the planet itself, born to protect Earth. Its very purpose is to preserve the planet. To that end, it created the Throne of Heroes—much like Valhalla in Norse mythology.
The latter, Alaya, is a product of humanity's collective unconscious. As the aggregate subconscious will of all humankind, its foremost priority is survival. From the moment of its inception, its sole purpose has been to protect humanity—the primate species.
Thus, "Alaya" exists to ensure the survival of the human concept and does whatever is necessary to extend humanity's future.
The two share similar goals, but also conflict.
While Alaya concerns itself with the welfare and survival of the human race, Gaia's focus is solely on the preservation of the planet Earth as an entity.
To put it simply:
Alaya would allow the corrosion of the entire planet if it meant humanity could endure.
Gaia would abandon humanity entirely so long as the planet remained intact.
Gaia cares little for any form of life on Earth—whether dragons, fairies, nature spirits, humans, or any species, from ephemeral mayflies to majestic whales. It is even willing to eradicate any lifeform that might pose a threat to the celestial body.
In short: Gaia protects the Earth, Alaya protects humanity.
Both forces can influence the Throne of Heroes indirectly. But since humans are the protagonists of this era, Alaya is currently the more active Counter Force.
Alaya's influence leans toward Heroic Spirits of human origin. Those who are demi-gods, elementals, or extensions of natural phenomena fall under Gaia's domain.
However, Gaia rarely uses Heroic Spirits as agents of its Counter Force. Instead, it often employs natural disasters or naturally occurring beings like fairies.
Clearly, Solomon's accomplishments—whether it be his clairvoyance that spanned the past and future across countless dimensions of human history, or his title as King of Magecraft—possessed the power to erase human history if he so wished.
Gaia would never grant such a blessing to a mere human. The reason is simple: human actions could destroy the planet.
As for Alaya, it's even more unlikely. In Solomon's era, Alaya had not yet grown strong. It was far from the level it would later reach, let alone capable of bestowing Solomon with power beyond the mortal realm.
Thus, there could be only one answer.
—The Root!!!
Drip~
Blood dripped from fingertips. The gentle, fading magical particles were once again corroded by a sinister purple-black energy. But this time, Goetia was already reduced to a pile of lifeless bones.
The halo high above the temple's ceiling was disintegrating, dispersing its magic back to all eras of human history, re-establishing and restoring humanity's foundation. Light streamed across the sky in a radiant cascade.
"Solomon." Crushing Solomon's heart in her hand, Selene looked at him with a calm expression.
"You finally came out. You know, playing with a bunch of ants, holding back my power, crushing them one by one in order, is far more frustrating than just unleashing everything."
"Doctor Roman!"
Having barely regained his senses and shoved aside by Mash, Fujimaru Ritsuka was now half-kneeling at the edge of the anti-space spear's impact zone. Blood poured from his orifices, his eyes bloodshot, his breathing ragged like a broken bellows. He looked completely unable to rise again, but still he lifted his head and roared with all his strength.
"Noisy."
Selene glanced at him sidelong. In her pair of crimson eyes, the golden cruciform pupils emitted a chilling gleam.
Buzz—!
A flash of milky white light surged like a storm. A terrifying repulsion force exploded outward. Before sound could even form, the ground ruptured and extended outward for hundreds of meters.
"Senpai!"
Boom—!
From afar, the dusty air rippled outward in a distinct pattern. The tangible shockwave slammed hard against Mash's shield. With a deafening crash, a massive mushroom cloud—reminiscent of a nuclear explosion—rose into the sky.
"Hang on—ahhhh!"
Mash coughed blood as though she were withstanding the impact of a real comet. With her back shielding Fujimaru Ritsuka, she was blasted away like a meteor. Her arms creaked under the pressure, the sound of bones fracturing echoing clearly.
"Breath of gathered stars, radiant surge of life—take this! Sword of Promised Victory (Excalibur)!!"
Artoria stepped forward, blade gleaming like the rising sun, holding it horizontally behind her. Then, pouring all her magic and strength into the blow, she roared and swung with all her might against the incoming ring-shaped shockwave.
"I am no king, but I follow in the king's path. For the peace of my king, I shall cut down all enemies! Brilliant Royal Sword (Clarent Blood Arthur)!!"
Having fought in the Romania Holy Grail War and shared a brief yet impactful time with the Lion King, Mordred had long since resolved her inner conflict. The crimson-black blood that had once stained her sword scattered, revealing a beautiful blade shining with silvery brilliance beneath its once-ugly form.
Rumble—!
"Selene... cough... why?" Unable to move, purple-red streaks symbolizing Honkai corruption rapidly spread from the ornate gauntlet piercing Solomon's heart. He looked at the breathtakingly violent goddess before him with a complex expression.
"The Root."
Selene's crimson pupils overflowed with greed—a stark contrast to her earlier detached amusement. This bottomless, insatiable desire was something Solomon had never witnessed before. It was a hunger to possess everything.
Quite literally, she desired "everything."
Could it be...
Solomon's eyes contracted instantly at the mention of "the Root." His mind exploded with a realization he could scarcely believe.
"No, impossible!"
Even Solomon lost his composure at that moment.
From the very beginning, Selene's target had been him—or rather, the connection between him and the "God" (Heaven / the Lord).
No matter how cautious he had been, no matter the countless speculations about her intentions—even knowing that her descent wasn't merely to reintroduce the Age of Gods or burn away humanity's history with such cheap tricks...
Even then, he hadn't guessed that Selene aimed this high.
The "Root" that Selene sought to possess was not some flawed imitation like the Holy Grail War's, nor merely a portal tied to a single timeline or planet. She wanted the true location of the Swirl of the Root.
The Swirl of the Root—where all phenomena originate. It is the absolute origin of everything in the multi-layered Nasuverse. It is the beginning and the end of countless universes.
It has no subjective consciousness. Yet within it lies the "record of everything." All that exists in the universe flowed out from this vortex, born from its essence.
Even the reason for this outflow follows the same principle as the Swirl of the Root.
This is the ultimate goal for all magi, a place so mythical that humans can scarcely dream of reaching it in a lifetime.
One theory holds that reaching the Root allows one to grasp the fundamental cause and laws behind all things—to alter the world's structure and order. In other words, it grants the power to create a new world and destroy the old.
Of course, this assumes one is not overwhelmed by the sheer "volume," not assimilated or erased in the process.
The one who granted Solomon his blessing was the Root itself. Thus, when Solomon returned that divine blessing to "Heaven," in other words, he returned it to the Root.
"Selene, your actions will bring catastrophe to the entire universe..."
Touching the Swirl of the Root—even the slightest anomaly there—could trigger disasters far beyond human order or Earth's existence.
Though Solomon did not understand why Selene believed she could withstand being erased or assimilated by the Root, he had only one thought now: he had to stop her!
In that moment, using the last remnants of his fading power before returning it, Solomon activated the Ten Rings: "Nega Summon!"
In that instant, the true, complete, destructive force capable of negating and undoing all attacks derived from Heroic Spirits erupted from Solomon's hand.
Crack!
Selene's remaining half-body shattered instantly under the force of negation. But she paid it no mind. As violet-gold particles scattered, thick, thumb-sized arcs of black-violet corruption energy began to seep from her skin.
"Nega Summon... a troublesome ability. You think I wouldn't have prepared for it in advance?"
In a blink, the air distorted. Though more than half of her body had vanished, Selene moved forward. She leaned in close to the equally fading Solomon, gently stroking his cheek with one hand as she whispered:
Selene's gaze was entranced. Her eyes swirled with light, her semi-illusory body beginning to dissolve and merge into Solomon's.
"At last, I found your trace... you really made me work for it."
"Ritsuka... atta—attack me. Use a god-slaying weapon... kill me. Now, quickly—gah!"
Solomon's throat tightened.
"Too late, Solomon. Once your First Noble Phantasm is activated, you are truly dying. Just accept it quietly."
The First Noble Phantasm is a poem of farewell, one that discards all the miracles, all the achievements, all the magecraft that Solomon ever accomplished.
Once invoked, the blessing Solomon received from the divine is returned to the heavens. He loses the eye that gazes upon the world. It cannot be undone. And with it, Solomon faces true death.
Unlike Solomon, who had lost his composure, Selene remained disturbingly calm.
Through Solomon's Nega Summon, now merged into his spirit form, Selene clearly sensed it—with the Ten Rings and the blessing being returned, the entity called "Solomon" formed a connection to that faint but unmistakable pulse of the Great Origin.
Selene recognized it instantly: that was the scent of the ultimate prize.
Truly, finding your lair has been a twisted ordeal.
Selene had tried twice to breach the boundary of the Root. Each time, the Swirl of the Root had defended against her as if she were a thief, revealing itself only slightly, and only indirectly.
After countless probing attempts, escalated sacrifices, and a direct consciousness projection, it had finally reacted—but immediately retreated, transferring Selene to Gaia, the custodian of the Throne of Heroes. Cold, disciplined, and utterly unforgiving, it left Selene not even a "scrap" to exploit.
There was nothing to be done. Though the "feast" was tempting, Selene was in no rush.
After all, forcing things would only backfire. Worst case scenario? The entire galaxy—no, the entire universe—would be reduced to nothingness, and she'd be left with nothing to claim.
Selene wasn't about to make a losing trade like that.
So she cast a wide net.
Even if the Root didn't show itself, Selene had other means. She could always find another backdoor to reach the coordinates she wanted.
Solomon, the King of Magecraft, was one such candidate.
Finally, she didn't have to wait long. The seed planted during the Romania Holy Grail War sprouted. By linking up with Lev and aligning with Goetia, who possessed nine of the rings, a pact was formed.
All that remained was for Romani—holder of the final, most crucial ring—to trigger King Solomon's First Noble Phantasm. When that happened, the Swirl of the Root's path would reveal itself before Selene's eyes.
And now, here it was.
That trajectory—!
"Honkai—Corruption."
In that moment, Selene's dissolving spirit body completely disintegrated, merging fully with Solomon.
Crack crack crack—!
The mountain folds and solidified terrain from the shockwaves began to quake violently.
The earth split inch by inch. The sea tore open. It was as if the very planet were coming undone.
From deep within the leylines of the planet that Selene had modified, massive torrents of Honkai energy burst forth from the crust, shooting skyward in purple-red streams of radiant destruction. All of it surged into Solomon's crumbling body.
The flash of light rapidly expanded, swallowing the heavens in a terrifying abyssal hue.
"Aaaaaaah—!!"
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