Chapter 96: Ophis's Possession

Within the command room, every staff is trying their best to regain their vision on the battlefield but failed.

"Divine Juggernaut Drive, Overload."

They heard the aria finish chanted and the glow intensified on last time before it faded and their vision finally regained.

"Doctor Romani, the energy is off the chart! This… this much energy released is more than what a grail could hold and it keeps climbing rapidly without sign of stopping!"

"What do you think, Da Vinci? Any clue?" Romani asked the Caster beside him but by her expression, Da Vinci was also in the dark.

"The oldest known heroes and gods are the Sumerians. From the aria, it declared itself to be born of primal chaos. The time before the Big Bang even happened and formed the planets. If this aria is to be trusted, the entity that awakened is without doubt an outer god. However, what boggle me is the latter part of the aria. As if it couldn't appear using its original identity and have to resort to using another deity as disguise. Even then, the Ouroboros or Jormungandr or world devouring serpent from Norse mythology." Da Vinci said before she decided to stop and focus again on the holographic screen that showed real time analysis of their helper.

"This is as absurd as True Magic suddenly becoming easy to learn." Da Vinci sighed in defeat and joined Romani to grab a cup of coffee to relax.

After Goetia summoned all the Demon God pillars to assist him, the Chaldeans finally got some time to sit back and relax.

"Absurd indeed. His energy level exceeded ten full grails and still no sign of slowing, much less stopping." Romani replied also with a sigh while sipping the warm coffee he made before they entered this singularity.

"Let's just hope Beast I will be defeated and the Humanity Incineration Order is stopped."

"Yes"

The last words are exchanged before they end their little break.

———

Reappeared from the transformation, Ouroboros' appearance changed from previous into a bigger and more draconic appearance. His size tripled. Draconic looking head piece. Dragon-like claws, talons and a thick tail that extend from the spine area. Then a pair of wings that grow from behind the rib area. All coloured in black. Jet black like a moonless night and the only other colour is the multitude of orbs that decorated the armor and mostly embedded in the wings. Only the chest area has three colour orbs, the rest all glow in a sinister violet glow.

When paired with the Ouroboros motif halo behind it, the mecha suit new form look divine, like a god descend to mortal realm and from the sinister violet glow, it carries unimaginable wrath ready to unleash on the 'demon tree guy' that is the source of it's wrath.

Now under Ophis's control, she unleashed her wrath and roared in anger before a magic circle filled the sky with the crest of the Infinite Dragon God.

"Hu… Hahahahaha. Magic? Really, did you forget the power I possess? My authority over all forms of mag- Impossible! Why couldn't I control the magic circles!"

Ophis offered no reply as a torrent of serpent's specters appeared from the magic circles and attacked Goetia and the Demon God pillars. She is not just a Dragon God, but also the Sovereign of All Serpent.

The specters constrict their foes and bury their fangs deep before injecting energy of Void and Chaos that is poisonous to those without the said attributes. The Void penetrates and opens a path for the Chaos to wreak havoc in the enemy's body.

The Demon God pillars literally exploded into shower of flesh and blood that rained down on the barely recognisable Temple of Time. However, Ophis is far from finished as another magic circle flashed in her palm before it vanished and was replaced with a dark chaotic energy orb.

The lightning flashes violently like a whip as the orb condensed further from the size of a house to the size of a basketball. Then she drops the orb around the centre of this land. A whirlpool of violent energy formed and sucked everything into it like a black hole, devouring everything in the vicinity. Any matter that is sucked into it will be compressed and simultaneously decomposed into atoms like a molecular grinding machine.

Goetia couldn't even catch a breath when attacked multiple times and practically binded by the coiling serpent spectre and a black hole that suction power increasing every moment.

"Grr. Don't underestimate me!" Goetia roared before using his power over all forms of magecraft to forcefully free himself from all the binding.

However, Goetia isn't Ophis's only target. She is trying to eliminate the temple, pillars and Goetia itself. Her attack never specifically targets Goetia or else, he wouldn't even be able to resist.

The Juggernaut Drive isn't just for show either as Ophis instantaneously appeared next to the enraged Goetia and sunk her claw deep into Goetia's flesh before ripping his left half of the body along with its arm. Then like a whip, her tail slammed onto the injured Goetia and sent it flying a few hundred meters away.

Her wings vanished and replaced with a pair or cannon that she took inspiration from Issei's Welsh Blaster Bishop.

Gargantuan amounts of mana condensed, even the ground shattered and the air stagnated as her infinite amount of mana poured into the cannons. The black-hole-like orb gathered all the pillars and Goetia itself for Ophis before she fired the cannons. Time slowed as immensely powerful beam of energy rivalled a thousand Ars Almadel Salomonis shot toward the gathered enemies and created an explosion bigger than the moon itself.

Thank goodness the Temple of Time is an isolated space or the Chaldea will also be swallowed by the explosion.

An all consuming light from the immense energy released by the explosion lasted a whole minute before it dissipated. When the flash died down, what was left was Ophis herself. The entire Temple of Time had been annihilated by the attack, leaving not even a speck of dust behind. Or so she thought.

Goetia still survived, although barely hanging on the last thread. Body battered and all limbs except its right arm were left. A multiple layer barrier defending its body from the attack and all broke except the very last one that it concentrated on its right arm.

It looks up to the sky where Ophis loftily floats and unconcerned of the destruction she created. In fact, she feels more comfortable after this enclosed space finally looks like a void again with all its land mass evaporated. Only the massive ring of light still exists in this realm.

"Is it too much to be asked to be left alone?" Goetia asked no one in particular as he mumbled while staring at the empty darkness.

Ophis already had her victory assured. The temple is gone. The pillars were exterminated and Goetia already lost its reviving ability while already battered from her previous attack.

"All I want is the power to turn back time and save my family. Power to protect them. I am willing to do anything for that goal and plot for the whole 3000 years, fighting against Goetia to hijack his soul. Yet, all of it is for naught after all I work hard for already crumbled into dust." Goetia continued.

"Even so, I refuse to give up until my very last breath." Goetia said as its breath became more laborious.

"The Holy Grail isn't omnipotent. But, given enough power, a solution will definitely be obtained. Even if the solution isn't what I wished for…"

"Grant my wish. Oh, Grail…" Its words cutted off as a stream of light pillars descended from the ring above the sky into the golden chalice that suddenly appeared.

A line of giant teeths appeared in the sky above the chalice. When the teeth opened, gigantic eyes frantically looked around for something before it locked on Goetia.

Ophis feel threatened by whatever the creature is. However, it bears no hostility to her and its target is only Goetia.

"Abyssal deity of all things." Goetia clutches its head and laughs hysterically.

"Fine then. As if I still have any more options." Goetia mumbled before looking at the gigantic eye.

"As per contract, I offer my everything, my soul, my power and my will in exchange for my wish to be granted."

"We AcKnOwLeDgE yOuR tErM, rEiNcArNaToR. yOuR kInD aLwAyS tAsTe ThE mOsT DeLiCiOuS. yOuR dEsPaIr ThAt Is. HahAhaHA." The creature spoke despite the lack of vocal organs and its voice is monstrous as expected from its appearance.

Then, from the sky, another smaller jaw appeared and sped toward Goetia before swallowing it whole in one gulp. After its purpose was completed. The abyssal creature recedes back into its nest, waiting for another desperate meal calling for it.

Her target eliminated, Ophis undo the Juggernaut Drive transformation and stopped her forceful seizing of Ray's body.

———

"I know, Romani. But asking me wouldn't solve anything. As hurtful it is to admit. This super genius has no explanation for whatever happened in the Temple of Time or whatever that remains." Da Vinci massaging her throbbing head after she tried to uncover the abyssal creature's origin.

"Now we should focus on retrieving Fujimura-kun and get out of this decaying singularity." Da Vinci reminded

Doctor Romani nodded before returning to his task only to find out another anomaly.

"Da Vinci!"

"Hmn?" Da Vinci looks at the shouting Romani before at whatever he is staring at.

"Mash vital signs! She is alive?" Both exclaimed as they saw Mash vital that previously fell flat suddenly raised back.

"Quickly find her location! She can help us retrieve Fujimaru-kun."

Thus the command room once again becomes fired up to complete their last task before they can return back to their proper history and a no longer burning world.

———

Once again facing Ophis in his own mindscape. Ray looks at her for an answer. Or at least expecting one from her.

"Ray is my property. We will defend what is ours. Willingly or by force." Ophis said before once again kicking Ray from his own mindscape.

Ray didn't miss the barely visible redness on her cheek. Those who aren't familiar with Ophis will not notice these slight changes but Ray is able to differentiate this emotional face to her normal expressionless face.

"*Sigh* Let's return the girl and finish this Bounty. The reward should be great considering the difficulty of this bounty target." Ray whispers to himself before wondering how he is going to return the girl he kidnapped in his lobby.

The operator exits the lobby, hauling Ritsuka on his shoulder and passing her on to Ray before being unsummoned. Then Ray flew toward the surprisingly intact gateway into this realm and found a certain eggplant, worried sick about her senpai. Ray chuck Ritsuka to the demi-servant before selecting the 'Yes' button that appeared since Goetia died and vanished from this universe all together.

Meanwhile Mash already received an update from the command room about the situation and was aware of their helper. She wanted to offer a thank but the helper had already disappeared before she could do so. She still bowed down to give the deepest gratitude to her helper before rushing back to Chaldea's stronghold.

—————

exactly 1900 words. shy just 100 to normal 2k words quota.