Kazuya glanced at the translucent interface floating in front of him, displaying the classic layout of the [Fate Gacha].
A small counter in the top corner read:
[Saint Quartz: 9/100 (daily recharge)]
The question came, as always:
[Would you like to perform a summon?]
[Yes / No]
Eager to see what he would get, he smiled faintly...
He clicked [Yes].
Plim.
The wheel spun, colorful lights flashing with that dramatic, cheesy flair typical of Japanese gachas. He had seen it hundreds of times, but somehow, it never got old. Maybe because, unlike the rest of the world, the things he obtained here actually existed.
[You have received the "Finis Chaldea Organization Package."]
"Oh..." Kazuya raised an eyebrow.
He opened the description.
[A special card capable of manifesting the entire physical and technological structure of Finis Chaldea. Simply tear it and throw it to the ground to erect the facility at the desired location. Total capacity: 100% of the original structure.]
Kazuya's eyes widened, the faint smile that had been playing on his lips turning into an expression of pure astonishment.
"You've got to be kidding me..."
He let out a dry laugh, the kind you give when you've spent days grinding for something, only to find out the gacha just handed you the finished product.
"Man... I spent the entire week trying to replicate even the simplest technology, Chaldeas, with zero success!" he exclaimed, still staring at the screen with a half-disbelieving smile. "And now this just drops in my lap... marvelous."
The truth was, as much of a monster as he was in terms of Magecraft, technology integrated with magic was still a massive pain to deal with. The original Chaldea had decades of research and billions of dollars poured into it. Given a few months, he could probably recreate it from scratch. But now, he didn't have to.
Kazuya leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly and staring at the ceiling.
"Hah... thank you, Telos Karma. I'll admit, you saved me from that one."
He closed the description, materialized the card in his palm—a black rectangle with silver details and the glowing insignia of Chaldea at its center. He ran his fingers over the embossed surface, like someone touching a rare jewel.
"I'll save this for the right moment."
The truth was, with this, half the plans he had for expanding his base were already solved.
He could raise Chaldea right here or in another dimension if he wanted, perhaps in his forming miniature world...
He stored the card in his inventory, the faint blue glow vanishing like a spark in his hand.
Kazuya snapped his fingers and returned to the Gacha screen.
"Two tries left. After that, I won't doubt anything anymore."
And he clicked [Yes] for the next roll.
Plim.
The wheel spun again, golden lights, a brief exaggerated tune, and then...
[You have received: Eternal Arms Mastery: A+]
Kazuya blinked.
...Huh?
From what he recalled, this was a skill associated with Lancelot and a few other highly skilled combat Servants. It denoted supreme mastery of combat arts. His control over all forms of weapons and fighting styles had reached the point of perfection, unmatched in his era. It allowed him to execute combat techniques with maximum efficiency, even under extreme fatigue, poisoning, confusion effects, or mental manipulation. The perfect fusion of mind, body, and weapon...
For a moment, he sat in silence, just staring at the screen. Then he let his body sink back into the chair and let out a short, muffled laugh.
"Of course... why not, right?"
He closed his eyes and let the sensation of the skill meld into his being. It came like a calm, dense tide, as if a forgotten memory had been unlocked. Sword movements, spear techniques, archery, even unarmed combat—all bloomed in his mind as if he had always known them. Every strike, every stance, every way to breathe during a deadly confrontation, all perfect.
His body felt light.
As if any weight or tension in his muscles had simply vanished.
Kazuya opened his eyes, his blue orbs glowing faintly.
With a glance, he raised his hand and, in a fraction of a second, made a swift gesture with his fingers, as if gripping an invisible katana. The movement was so clean, so instinctive, that he almost heard the sound of the air being sliced.
He smiled.
Shaking his head, he returned to the interface.
"One last roll. If I get something good again, I'm gonna start suspecting Telos Karma is my secret waifu..." he joked...
And he clicked [Yes] once more, with the same faint smile tugging at his lips.
Plim.
The wheel spun for the third and final time.
But unlike the previous rolls, this time the screen's background turned completely golden, a solemn, almost divine soundtrack playing amid the sparkling particles filling the interface. And then, with a white and golden flash, the notification appeared.
[You have received: Servant Experience Card - Caster Class: Solomon]
"..."
Kazuya froze.
Eyes wide.
The smile faded.
He just stared at the notification. As if the world had stopped for a moment.
"...You've... got... to be kidding me..."
He read it again. And again.
Solomon.
The one named the Incomparable King of Sorcery, renowned for his absolute mastery over Magecraft. Son of David and Bathsheba, he lived approximately between 1011 BC and 900 BC, ruling as the third king of ancient Israel and leading his country into an era of great prosperity.
As a statesman, he made exemplary political decisions, but his fame extended far beyond that. Solomon also left behind countless legends as a mage. It is said that, one night while sleeping in his bed, he was visited by God in a dream. The Creator said, "You are qualified. Speak your desires, and I shall grant them." Unlike any other man, Solomon did not ask for gold, power, or conquests; he sought only wisdom.
His response pleased God, proving that Solomon possessed the qualifications to achieve "true wisdom." Upon waking, he found ten rings on his hands, the proof of divine recognition. These rings became known as the legendary Ring of Solomon, the source of the magic that commanded angels and demons.
Solomon was renowned for subjugating seventy-two Demon Gods, turning them into his familiars. He left behind a manuscript later called the Lemegeton, or Goetia, which described the rituals and methods to control such entities. He was also the first to build the Temple of Israel.
During his reign, he performed only one miracle, considered an act of wisdom: he believed that the people knowing "the king received divine protection" just once was enough. Repeating miracles could frighten, deceive, or corrupt humanity. That single feat recorded the technique of phenomenon operation, a magic that could be performed by any ordinary man, something that, until then, belonged only to the Gods and their chosen ones.
Even without using his abilities, Solomon's reputation as the King of Magecraft crossed borders, becoming recognized by all neighboring countries. His death marked the beginning of the rapid decline of Mystery, leading to the end of the Age of Gods about five hundred years before the time of King Arthur.
Some myths also narrate that Solomon married the Queen of Sheba, who traveled to Jerusalem solely to test the king's wisdom with three riddles.
Within the secret history of sorcery, Brishisan, the legendary Director of the Mage's Association, and Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, bearer of the Second Magic, were disciples of Solomon.
The man who redefined the very concept of sorcery, and who, within the world of Fate, is considered one of the greatest absurdities to ever exist.
Although knowledge of Magecraft was, for the most part, irrelevant to him due to his personal skill [Magecraft: EX], Solomon's other powers remained absurd in their own right.
For example, his [Clairvoyance] at the highest level, far beyond the human concept of supernatural vision. It granted him high-quality vision, the ability to locate targets at great distances, predict movements, and elevate his kinetic perception to a superhuman level. At high levels, clairvoyance could grant X-ray vision or even the ability to foresee the future. In Solomon's case, he could see the past, present, and future unobstructedly and simultaneously, to the point that this ability was considered true omniscience.
Unlike the ability he had used earlier with astronomy to predict the future and roughly track the movements of Demons, which was far more potent...
Another of his notable feats was Summoning, a magic capable of evoking spiritual bodies from the past or even the future. With his [Evocation] skill, Solomon summoned the spiritual entities known as the Seventy-Two Demon Gods, establishing them as loyal familiars and combatants. A feat that, by itself, placed him far above any mage in history and fully justified his title as the King of Magecraft.
But the pinnacle of his power lay in the legendary [Ten Rings of Solomon]. These ten rings were granted by God as proof of his wisdom and legacy as the progenitor of magic. By gathering the ten rings, Solomon achieved omnipotence. In their possession, any and all forms of magic performed by humanity were automatically nullified and subordinated to his will. He not only became immune to any spell or ritual but also gained control over them as if they were his own.
He couldn't help but recall the last conversation he had with Dr. Romani...
.
.
.
.
.
The cafeteria was almost empty. The lights, set to nighttime mode, bathed everything in soft, bluish tones. Only the sound of the automatic coffee machine broke the silence with its tired hum.
Ryougi Kazuya pushed the door open, rubbing his eyes. He was hungry, or maybe just looking for a distraction. Late nights in Chaldea were always quiet, but that night, the silence felt... heavier.
To his surprise, someone was already there.
Seated at one of the tables, holding a mug with a slouched posture, Romani Archaman watched the steam rise from his coffee. A faint smile formed when he noticed Kazuya's presence.
"Oh. Insomnia, Ryougi-kun?" he said, with his usual light, teasing tone.
"Not sure if it's insomnia..." Kazuya replied, walking to the drink machine. "I think my body just gave up on trying to sleep..."
"Understandable." Dr. Roman raised his mug. "This is probably my fourth coffee of the night. Da Vinci's gonna kill me if she finds out..."
Kazuya let out a short laugh and served himself some hot chocolate. He didn't even like it that much, but it always felt more comforting at times like these.
He sat in the chair across from the doctor, and for a while, the two of them stayed there, stirring their drinks.
"You always stay up this late? I mean, I've never seen you in the cafeteria at this hour..." Kazuya asked, making conversation.
Romani shrugged.
"You and your habit of waking up in the middle of the night, huh? But considering you're always dealing with a bunch of Servants and their issues, I guess even you need some quiet alone time. I'm surprised Kyoichime and Raikou didn't wake up and tag along..."
"...Heh..." Kazuya gave a nervous laugh and said, "I've learned to sneak out like a ninja..."
"Impressive!" Dr. Roman gave a thumbs-up before sighing and answering Kazuya's earlier question. "But back to the topic. Yeah, I used to stay up late a lot. Before coming to Chaldea... I worked at a hospital where the late nights were the worst. Unstable patients, emergencies... and if by some miracle the night was calm, I'd stay awake, afraid something bad would happen if I let my guard down."
He laughed at himself.
"Silly, right? But I guess I never broke the habit. Usually, I grab a coffee and head back to my room, but tonight I decided to stay here in the cafeteria for a bit..."
Kazuya smiled.
"I get it... it doesn't sound silly. I... get like that sometimes too. When everything's too quiet, my brain starts making stuff up. I keep remembering the things that went wrong, the people we lost along the way..."
Romani nodded slowly.
"It's part of being human. We carry those scars. Just... try not to let them weigh you down too much."
For a while, they fell silent again. Just the sound of their mugs being stirred.
Kazuya spoke first this time, his voice a bit more hesitant.
"Doctor... are you... scared?"
Romani raised an eyebrow.
"Scared? Of what?"
"Of the mission. Of what might happen tomorrow."
Romani propped his elbow on the table, resting his face in his hand. He thought for a moment before answering.
"Of course I am. Everyone is. Even Merlin, no matter how much he pretends otherwise. Only an idiot wouldn't be scared of facing the end of the world."
Kazuya gripped his mug tighter.
"I keep wondering if I'll be able to do it. If we'll be able to do it. It's... the final point. If we fail there... it's over. No one will be left to try again."
Romani looked at him with a calm gaze, but there was something deeper there. Something profound and resigned.
"You'll do it, Kazuya. You know why?"
Kazuya looked up, curious.
"Because you're not carrying this world alone. Everyone in Chaldea, every Servant you've saved, every person who's supported you, they're with you. And even if we can't go with you to the very end... our place is here, giving you the strength to get there."
The silence returned, heavier this time.
Kazuya took a deep breath and then smiled, tired.
"I don't know what we'd do without you, Doctor."
Dr. Roman smiled back, but this time... it seemed sadder. He looked away at the steam rising from his mug.
"You'd find a way..." he said softly.
Kazuya frowned.
"Huh?"
"Nothing..." Dr. Roman shook his head and took a sip of his coffee. "Just thinking out loud."
Then he forced a smile, trying to regain his light tone.
"Well... you'd better try to rest at least a little. Tomorrow, you'll need to be at your best..."
Kazuya hesitated but eventually stood up.
"Thanks, Doctor. For... you know. Everything."
Dr. Roman just nodded, and as Kazuya walked out the door, he stayed there, alone.
That night, neither of them slept.
And when the next day arrived, and the gate to Solomon's Temple opened, Kazuya carried those words with him, unaware that they had been a king's farewell.
.
.
.
.
.
A sad smile appeared on his lips as he recalled that. It felt as if he had received Dr. Roman's legacy, one of his best friends, and he couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental.
The card materialized, floating in front of him, bathed in golden and blue light.
Kazuya reached out, almost without thinking, and grabbed the card.
Without hesitation, he mentally clicked [Fusion].
When Solomon's Experience Card entered his body, the first thing he felt was his consciousness expanding. His vision pierced through the layers of space-time for a moment, seeing lines of possibilities intersecting around him. Ten rings materialized on his fingers, and he looked at them...
A sigh escaped his lips as he dematerialized the rings, his gaze settling on his Command Seals, which he rarely used. He couldn't help but recall his time as the last Master of Chaldea...
Compared to his first life, these happy memories were his current anchor. He wanted to honor them with everything he had...
That's what he thought at that moment...
---
(A/N: Good evening, everyone. How are you all doing? Well, even though it might seem super overpowered to get Solomon's Experience Card, I still think it's not much compared to the Third Magic, Mystic Eyes, and Reality Marble he received at the start of the story. Plus, I was reading some stuff about DxD and the ExE Gods, and they're all pretty broken, though not as much as some Fate Servants... Well, a lot of them, actually.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one will kick off the Youkai arc, so stay tuned. I'm planning to involve the Heroic Faction, which is why Salter and Jalter haven't shown up yet.)
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