The magical world of Type-Moon is divided into various schools, such as the Solomonic magic that forms the basis of Christian sorcery, Scáthach's Rune-based Norse magic, Merlin's Druidic practices, Gilgamesh's divinely bestowed mystics, and even the Chinese arts left behind by celestial immortals…
The Clock Tower, one of the three major magic associations in later centuries, was founded on the Christian magic left by King Solomon, venerating Yahweh as the source.
Christian sorcery, the most widespread practice across the world and parallel to religious belief itself, shares a unique patron with the Holy Church.
The larger the foundation of Christian sorcery, the greater the Pope's power as Yahweh's representative on Earth. With Christianity's global reach nearly complete, the religion and its sorcery have reached an era of uninterrupted growth.
In Yahweh's eyes, magi and ordinary people alike are but sheep, while the Pope, as the shepherd, is the highest authority of the Christian world on Earth.
With Christianity's expansion came Yahweh's blessing upon the Pope, the Church's most exalted figure in the human world.
And the Roman Empire—once the land that had enraged Yahweh as a realm of pagans—had since embraced Christianity under Yahweh's gaze, earning His approval.
While the gods and celestials seem severed from this world, they can still intervene at will. Yahweh, the mightiest of these beings, holds the greatest power to affect the world below.
For instance, Christian saints are granted entry to Heaven after death. When saints like Martha and Jacob passed, their data left fragments on Earth, yet their true selves dwell in Heaven.
The divide between East and West Rome had persisted for decades. With the four Eastern dioceses excluding Rome, the Western Diocese crowned their own Pope, a move Yahweh sanctioned, given that Western Rome's territory and population exceeded the East's.
As the divinely recognized Pope, he wielded an unmeasurable EX-rank Anti-Magic. This resistance was superior even to Vortigern's "Body of Britain."
While Vortigern's anti-magic came from his dual identity as a child of the Age of Gods and a dragon, the Pope's authority was a divine right, marking him as Yahweh's chosen shepherd.
Under Nero's Beast authority, "Alluring Golden Theater," over a million were imprisoned, completely paralyzed.
This authority also served as part of her transformation into a complete Beast. If one were to wait until Nero herself grew tired of singing, it would be too late; by then, her captives would die from mental collapse.
Such is the nature of a Beast of Revelation.
As the Beast 666, Beast Nero embodies the greatest disaster awakened by human history—representing judgment and corruption. Her song carries an inborn, overwhelming magic that drives listeners to madness, to death.
Tiberius' final lamentation, invoking past Roman emperors, had aligned perfectly with Beast Nero's conditions, bringing her to the brink of a complete transformation.
Yes, even with the combined essence of all Roman gods, emperors, and citizens, Nero had yet to achieve her full form.
In this timeline, the world had yet to birth a complete Beast. Humanity's evils still slumbered, awaiting their moment to reach perfection.
Beast Nero's transformation was nearly complete, yet it still lacked a key element: the power to judge all humanity.
This love—that is, her judgment of humanity—was akin to a flood of purification, wiping out the unworthy and leaving only perfect, benevolent beings.
Just as the world after the Flood united to build a Babel that rivaled God.
But…
How many would perish in this "Great Judgment"?
The love of mankind is its own evil, and Nero's ardor for Rome—and all humanity—was far too fierce for humans to bear.
"Lord, today, I surrender my soul into Your hands…"
The Pope of Rome gazed upon Beast Nero's song with a look of ecstasy, his eyes bloodshot, though deep within was a glimmer of pity and clarity—a true shepherd's mercy. Judgment had fallen upon all humans, and even he could not fully escape it.
But he had to act. Only he could act…
Not merely for Rome, but for the emperor who had now become a Beast to save it.
At last, his EX-rank Anti-Magic took effect, releasing him from the shackles of the Golden Theater before his soul was entirely ground to dust.
"O emperor… O emperor of Rome, why have you fallen to become a Beast?" the Pope asked gently, his face serene as he gazed upon Beast Nero. "The Last Judgment has yet to arrive—why do you deliver it upon mankind?"
The Pope, being Roman himself, could not help but feel a natural fondness for Rome's most precious jewel. Yet, Nero's monstrous form repelled that sentiment, presenting not an imperial crown but a terrifying Beast.
An unusual expression crossed Nero's face. She scolded, "Ignorant! Blasphemous! How dare you, a lowly priest of that crucified heretic, desecrate this sublime music, worthy of the gods themselves?"
"The Christian god? I am Rome itself, supreme and eternal! If your God dares to appear, I shall once again crucify Him!"
It is written: Thou shalt not gaze upon thy god!
The Pope had escaped the Golden Theater but now stood face to face with this dread Beast. His powerful Anti-Magic allowed him to perceive Nero's true form and rebuke her as the fallen creature she had become.
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name…"
"Your kingdom come."
"Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
"My God, my God… why have You forsaken me?"
The Pope knew he was doomed. Beyond his EX-rank Anti-Magic and ability to see the truth of all things, he was but a mere mortal who excelled at prayer, no match for the murderous intent of Rome itself.
This creature was beyond mortal power to defeat. If she was the Beast recorded in the Book of Revelation, then only another figure from that scripture could confront her.
As Beast Nero's silent will bore down, the Pope's very flesh began to peel away. Though she had yet to touch him, her hatred alone made his body tremble, his cells disintegrating in terror.
In three seconds, the Pope dissolved into dust. Even with EX Anti-Magic, he could not resist the Golden Theater's might. Nero's Judgment had claimed him in a single glance.
"My child, why do you call upon My name?"
In a trance, the Pope's soul seemed to ascend to the heavens, where he beheld the One, Eternal, and True Lord.
"Lord!"
This Pope, who hadn't flinched through the agonizing separation of his flesh, now wept like a child.
"O Savior of man, please, save humanity once more. The Beast of Revelation has defied Your command and brings Judgment upon the Earth…"
"Humanity's evil is its love, and it is also their choice, their possibility."
The gentle voice responded, "She is Rome's choice."
Indeed, Beast Nero was Rome's answer—a response summoned by Tiberius' sacrifice, who had offered his soul and life to bring her forth.
"But as Your shepherd, as a Roman, I can only watch as Rome's emperor, its beloved jewel, descends into hell as a Beast…"
The Pope knelt before Christ, sobbing. "O Lord, please save the world; please save Emperor Nero!"
"As the Savior of humanity, if you believe in My name, if you believe in My holiness, then I shall choose to aid you. However, My time has passed. I may not have the strength, even so… Will you still place your faith in me?"
In 33 AD, upon His ascension, Christ completed His mission as mankind's savior. By taking on humanity's sins, He ended the Age of Gods and began the Age of Man.
In His omniscience, He had seen all of fate, including the Pope's next words and even the conclusion that awaited after His descent.
And yet, He still asked this question, leaving the choice in human hands.
"Yes, Lord, I believe in You, for my faith lies only in Christ!"
"Such arrogance!" Nero looked away, her face brightening once more. "Now, let us continue with My glorious performance!"
"Child, why do you force your brothers and sisters to do what they despise?"
Once again, Nero's concert was interrupted. But this time, her face twisted in fury. She turned, her gaze falling upon the man entering from outside. Her voice turned cold.
"…Messiah?"
"Child, you may call Me Jesus, Jesus Christ, the Savior of mankind."
The man who called himself Jesus had an unremarkable face. He was neither handsome nor ugly, simply ordinary—a face that, if placed among the masses, would go unnoticed.
A face so plain, so balanced that it embodied the divine, the very essence of God's true visage.
Yet His eyes were anything but ordinary. They shone with compassion and mercy that were otherworldly.
At His arrival, the Savior's presence became unmistakable. Nero's Golden Theater began to tremble, its towering walls unable to bear the weight of humanity's savior.
In moments, the Golden Theater collapsed, and the surviving Romans reappeared in the city. All those Nero had imprisoned within its walls were released.
"Mankind has called for My return, to prevent the world's end." Jesus' voice was serene. "I will not refuse humanity's plea, nor will I interfere with Rome's choice. I bear you no ill will, Emperor of Rome."
"But, Beast of Revelation, the end foretold has yet to come."
"There is a time for everything."
"A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance—everything has its time."
"Humanity's time is not yet here. The Judgment of the Beast in Revelation should not descend now."
With Jesus' words, the Romans who had suffered Nero's Judgment began to regain their sanity. Their shattered souls were restored, and even those who had died found themselves brought back to life.
As decreed by the One True God, the final judgment had not yet come. Thus, by divine intervention, the causalities of all Rome's dead were reversed, and every Roman slain by Nero's judgment returned to life.
This was a miracle, the act of a true God.
Even the dread Beast could not obstruct the will of God.
God and Beast are two opposites. While the Beast springs from humanity's deepest hopes—born from love—the idea of God arises from humanity's awe and fear of the unknown, from a need for reverence.
Yet outwardly, God is holy while the Beast is vile, embodying the Eastern philosophy of extremes merging, as light emerges from darkness.
"What nonsense, Messiah!" Beast Nero laughed, doubling over as if her soul would burst from the intensity. The chilling echo of her laughter killed thousands of Romans in an instant, yet she paid it no mind, for this too was part of the judgment.
"I am Rome, the Rome that once nailed the only Savior to the cross and judged all of humanity!"
"I am the anti-Messiah, the Emperor of Rome!"
Nero, draped in a magnificent yet tightly bound dress, revealed no bare skin save for her hands and a sliver of her neck. Despite its modesty, the gown exuded a decadent and sinful allure.
Around her, a perverse aura spread, plunging Rome into an orgy of depravity as human wickedness unleashed. Every sin that society forbade bloomed here in the heart of civilization.
This was the Whore of Babylon, the scarlet dragon of seven heads and ten crowns foretold in the Book of Revelation, bringing ruin by enticing earthly kings into sin, heralding the final judgment.
Jesus had declared that the end of days had not yet come. Yet, the Beast brought that prophecy to life in the next instant.
"Savior, once again, I—the Rome of flesh and stone—shall nail you to the cross for judgment!"
At that moment, a massive crucifix manifested and bound Jesus, as though they had returned to 33 AD, when the Son of God had silently faced the accusations of Jewish priests, bearing humanity's malice and curse under the Romans' gaze.
But unlike then, when the Roman governor found Jesus innocent, only to yield to the priests' demands, this time, Rome itself, in its entirety, chose his judgment. Beast Nero was human evil, the Beast of Revelation—and also every Roman citizen. She embodied the entirety of the Roman Empire.
"…" Jesus fell silent. He looked at Nero and, with a sigh, said, "Shepherd, you've walked into the Beast's trap."
"You should not have called upon my name, nor have invoked the Father's. For in calling me here, your intention was not your own, but the Beast's."
"This Roman Beast needs only to judge me once more to fulfill her purpose, to become a complete Beast. No Grand Servant, no matter how powerful, could then kill her."
"But my descent was not in vain. I shall bring forth humanity's final hope."
"I am no longer human. In the end, humanity must save itself."
With Jesus' wisdom, he knew before descending that he could do nothing against her. As the Beast 666, Nero, embodying corruption and falsehood, wielded overwhelming power against any Savior or Messiah.
Thus, Jesus knew that his role was to be judged once again. Through this ritual, he would return to his omniscient state before ascending, bringing humanity its final hope.
The sacrifice of Jesus would not empower the Beast without purpose. Instead, by enduring her judgment, he completed his role as the Son of God, regaining omniscience and humanity's hope.
This fate was known to Jesus even before his descent, for all on Earth transpires by divine will. Therefore, he would answer the Pope's plea and once more face judgment at Rome's hands.
"...The kings of the world shall bow before you, for both the earthly and heavenly kingdoms are yours."
"You are the King of Kings, symbol of all rulers…"
"Judging you is to judge all kings of the Earth!"
With Nero's hymn, stigmata appeared on Jesus. Thorns punctured his brow, and great nails drove through his limbs, pinning him to the cross—the ritual had begun.
"I could have consummated the ritual with you, claimed you in sin to complete myself."
Beast Nero raised her head, looking at the Messiah on the cross. "But I am Rome's brightest jewel, the empire's most precious gem. You—lowly son of a carpenter—are unworthy of touching me!"
"Thus, I shall judge you instead. Though the process is cumbersome, who is there to stop me?"
"...Though I had no intention of touching you, conceited Roman emperor, I remind you that I am the Son of God, Savior of humanity, and should be worshipped as your Lord."
"Hmph! Enough of your empty prattle, Messiah!"
Enraged, Nero waved her hand, sewing Jesus' lips shut, silencing him.
Nails pierced his hands and feet, while the thorny crown dug into his brow, drawing streams of blood. As the ritual neared completion, the Beast Nero savored the growing sense of wholeness.
Jesus' expression remained calm throughout, for all unfolding on Earth was as he had foreseen. The one who would defeat the Beast, humanity's last hope, had already set foot in Rome.
And in the Beast Nero's hand materialized an ancient, blood-red lance—Rome's Lance of Longinus.
One final act remained: to pierce the Savior's heart and bring the ritual to completion.
"Behold, Savior, your final judgment!"
Without hesitation, Nero drove the spear through Jesus' side, piercing his heart.
The ritual was complete. Nero was now the Revelation Beast 666, possessing cosmic roaming powers akin to the Wandering Stars, the Celestial Spears.
She was a terror beyond ordinary Beasts.
In becoming the Revelation Beast, a deep-seated, uncontrollable madness surged within her, a wild desire to annihilate humanity.
Yet, such malice was not Nero's true will, for she still loved Rome and humanity with all her being, now more than ever. Her love had become her essence.
Only, as an ant crushed underfoot cannot escape harm, so now was humanity fragile before her.
With her newfound strength, a boundless satisfaction filled Nero, who continued to grow ever stronger.
Who could rival this Beast? Who dared confront her?
As Nero fully transformed, no matter her will, she would ultimately become the first cause of Rome's destruction.
As the ritual concluded, Jesus regained his omniscience and omnipotence as God. Though he would inevitably return to Heaven, he had these final moments.
With God's infinite power, a fleeting instant could become an eternity.
As Jesus the Savior, he could do little in his human guise.
Even gods have their laws.
As the god of Heaven, he represented humanity on Earth. The Old Testament and New Testament were the two faces of the Christian deity.
If he embodied divinity alone, he might have issued a final judgment upon the world.
But as Jesus, he embodied humanity, and he could not bear to see humankind's destruction.
"I have found humanity's only path, the one way to salvation."
A divine light brightened in Jesus' eyes, dispelling all traces of human compassion, leaving only godly resolve. His final words to Nero were, "No, Beast of Revelation. On this Earth, there remains one King—neither of the kings who worship Me nor subject to your judgment."
"Beast, you cannot judge all the kings of this world."
With these words, his authority reached across vast distances to Kaelar, Christ's gift to humanity.
Jesus spoke softly, "Once, I bore humanity's sins to end the Age of Gods. But my time as Savior is past."
"Yet humanity has never lacked heroes who would save the world."
Through Jesus' final act, Nero followed his gaze to the figure of Kaelar entering Rome.
As the complete Revelation Beast, Nero's position transcended humanity. She stood as an equal to alien gods and creators.
Fixing her gaze upon Kaelar, she studied him intently, then burst into laughter. "Messiah! You must have failed to see straight if you entrust your final hope to another Beast."
"A Beast yet unawakened to his truth, who has not pierced his falsehoods nor claimed his power…"
Pointing mockingly at Kaelar, Nero laughed. "That novice would challenge me—Rome?"
"Son of the carpenter, your idiocy amuses me!"
"...Revelation Beast, your words are unneeded," Jesus replied. "Perhaps it will take until the end for you to realize all has followed My destined plan."
With an ethereal smile, Jesus continued, "Though he is a Beast, he will not awaken to that truth in this world. Rather, he will become humanity's Savior."
"A future Savior without divine power—destiny's guidance will make him your final adversary."
"Final adversary? Ridiculous folly!"
Nero sneered at Jesus' prophecy. To shatter this carpenter's son's delusions, she stretched her hand toward Kaelar.
As the Roman emperor and embodiment of all Rome, Nero's power had grown terrifying. With a simple gesture, she twisted the cosmos, shifting Kaelar from miles away to stand before her and Jesus.
For an emperor—Rome itself—who controlled all within her domain, this map manipulation was only natural.
Kaelar faltered, caught off guard by the depravity and sin radiating from Rome. Human malice had overtaken the city, and in its heart, he found himself staring down the Beast of Revelation, a creature beyond comprehension.
His fury erupted. "This is no justice... Emperor of Rome, by what right do you trample on others' lives?"
"Justice? What use is that?" Faced with Kaelar, Beast Nero did not regard him as a mere insect to crush. For once, she entertained a debate.
Nero was known as the "Master of Rhetoric" among emperors, excelling at argumentation. Since her descent, few had dared converse with her on equal ground.
"Tell me, Kaelar—is Rome not more just than the Huns?"
"Yes, Rome is the more just," Kaelar conceded, knowing that the Huns, marauders and destroyers, were inferior in civilization.
Nero smiled lightly. "The Huns trample Rome with savage cruelty. Tell me, what use is your justice?"
"This is twisted logic. Rome forfeited its strength—it has nothing to do with justice."
Kaelar had long understood that justice required a foundation of strength. Only with the power to slay invaders could one speak of teaching and virtue.
"The Huns know no justice, yet they still rule over Europe," Nero countered. "Strength alone holds meaning, while justice is but a hollow virtue."
"Rome may offer justice, but if I choose to crush you, you have no choice…"
"Thunder and rain, life and death—all fall under the emperor's power!"
At this, Jesus interrupted, "Kaelar debating with Rome's emperor is pointless, for you lack the foundation to uphold your ideals."
"Remember this, Kaelar. You are humanity's last hope, destined to save the world."
"This is not the Lord's command but the hope of Jesus for you."
Indeed, Jesus' intervention shielded Kaelar. Nero dared not act while omniscience lingered before her.
She was not the caricature of a villain waiting idly for the hero to strike back.
Nero knew Jesus' final gift would trouble her, yet she could not prevent it, for this, too, was predestined by God.
As Jesus ascended, Kaelar would face a complete Revelation Beast, the final adversary of Rome.
Kaelar exhaled, nodding solemnly. "I've lost my way. Years of smooth victories have blinded me to my own limits."
Ideals needed strength to enforce them, yet he was no match for Nero. He lacked the might to uphold his truth.
Even if he was right.
Nero scoffed, for in the end, power validated all.
If not for Jesus' power, would she have stayed her hand, awaiting Kaelar to receive his gift?
Jesus' blessing concluded, his gaze lingering on Kaelar as he spoke, "Finally, I bless you, Kaelar. May you find peace and joy; may you know health and happiness."
Yet Jesus knew Kaelar would never find joy or peace.
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T/N: Big Boy of a chapter
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