The Principle of a Philosopher by Eternal Fool “Asley”

“Why… why are you here!? Gaston!!”

In the direst moment, there emerged Gaston, the Great Mage of Flame.

An image of Gaston’s final moments flashed through Billy’s mind.

Gaston had indeed burned through his life force — yet, inexplicably, there he stood among the mages, defying comprehension.

“Gaston!!”

“Master!!”

“”Sir Gaston!!””

Irene, Konoha, Lina, and the Magic Guardians Brigade, along with the warriors, greeted Gaston’s return with unbridled joy.

“Don’t let your guard down!”

However, what echoed from Gaston was not the joy of reunion but a warning surpassing all else.

Gaston and Billy kept their eyes fixed on each other, each wary of the other’s intentions.

For in this place, they stood before a force mightier than even the empowered Billy — this was the battlefield dominated by Devil King Lucifer.

Under Gaston’s firm directive, they swallowed their joy and focused, as he commanded.

“…S-so… who’s he?”

Lylia stood up and asked Tūs.

“A very welcome reinforcement… I guess. He’s still not good enough for Lucifer, though…”

Tūs had already gauged Gaston’s level and arcane energy.

Though Gaston’s power had increased dramatically, it fell short of reaching Lucifer.

At best, he could take Billy — or so Tūs believed. And indeed, since Gaston’s arrival, Billy had not launched any attacks.

Gaston’s revitalized Arcane Energy was reminiscent of Asley’s. Seeing this, Lucifer smirked.

“Fascinating.”

“My King…!”

Billy addressed Lucifer, seeking cooperation. Yet Lucifer remained unmoved.

The Devil King simply gave Billy a sidelong glance and said with disdain dripping from his words,

“Have you forgotten my command, Billy?”

Seated atop the rubble, Lucifer made Billy remember his order.

[Well then, here’s a command for this new you — End this ridiculous war by yourself. Surely you would not say it’s an impossible feat now, would you?]

“Ngh…!”

There was no retracting the Devil King’s command. It was inconceivable.

“Fear not. Should you die, I’ll make sure to kill that Rat for you.”

The statement sounded more like a death sentence for Billy.

As panic etched across Billy’s face, he glanced again at Gaston.

However, Gaston had vanished. Then, the next instant, a powerful impact struck Billy’s back.

“Gwoh–!?”

Sent flying, Billy attempted to regain his posture in mid-air.

“Attack formation nine! NOW!!”

“”Rise! Gatling Lightning!””

Countless bolts of radiant lightning surged toward Billy.

“GAAAHHHHHH!?”

Billy screamed as the lightning struck him directly.

“Incredible…!”

Lylia voiced her praise for Gaston — as well as the Magic Guardians Brigade.

“Warriors!!”

Gaston now directed his orders to the warriors.

As the commander of the Magic Guardians Brigade, Gaston naturally understood the combat tactics of the Warrior Guardians as well.

“Attack formation two! NOW!!”

The warriors sprang into action immediately.

Irene, naturally hearing the command as well, got a read on the intent behind this course of action.

“Work with me, old bat!”

“You don’t even need to tell me that!!”

All members of the Warrior Guardians plunged their swords into the earth.

Their target: Billy, suspended in mid-air. Irene leaped alongside Gaston, aiming to knock Billy down.

“Gah!?”

As Billy crashed to the ground, the warriors triggered a massive explosion on the earth right under him.

“GWOH–!?”

Billy, sustaining severe internal damage, glared at Gaston with intense hatred.

[How? How has Gaston become so powerful!? How is he even alive!? How am I pushed to this extent!? How? How!? HOW!?]

Billy’s thoughts were interrupted by a mouse flying straight at him.

“Wha–!?”

“Watch out — he’s getting revenge for what you did to me!”

What was flying at Billy’s face — or rather, what had been thrown at Billy’s face — was none other than Gason’s former Familiar.

“ORAORAORAORAORA!!”

“Wha–!? Tch!”

Billy, attempting to shake off Konoha, found himself obstructed by two Elves.

“”TAKE THIS!!””

“What the–!? GWOH!?”

Tūs’ gut punch and Lylia’s sword swing blasted Billy high into the air.

“Hahaha… Five times! I clawed him five times!”

Konoha caught his breath and reported joyously to Gaston, having hopped away just before that.

“”Rise! Fire Lance Rain!!””

Fuyu, Natsu, Lala, and Tifa unleashed their synchronized spells at Billy.

At the highest point of ascent, the Fire Lances rained down right before Billy’s eyes, inflicting further damage upon him.

[No, no…! No, no, no, no, no, no!!!!]

Billy had no time to utter even a single word as he descended.

Despite him being in the Ultimate Limit state, he could not use any magic to save himself, as even a simple healing spell required an incantation.

Not even a single word of that incantation was permitted under the brigade’s relentless assault.

“”Rise! Sharp Wind Asteriskos!!””

Barun, Warren, Hornel, and Lina unleashed a large-scale magic spell — not a split invocation, but a single spell.

They poured all the arcane energy they had managed to regain into this short moment — into this phase of the battle.

Though the magic inflicted numerous wounds upon Billy, they were not fatal.

However, they still had reserves. Four more allies who, while quite worn-out themselves, still packed quite a punch.

“”KAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!””

A barrage of powerful Zenith Breaths was unleashed by the Heavenly Beast Haiko, Lina’s familiar Baladd, Hornel’s familiar Maïga, and Asley’s familiar Pochi.

Billy’s entire body was charred, yet he still retained his form.

Still, the assault did not end there. Gaston and the Magic Guardians were already in motion.

“Support formation seven! Now!!”

“”Rise! Immobilizing Sleight!!””

“–!?”

What was aimed at Billy this time was a simple paralysis spell.

If he had been enveloped in his arcane energy aura, it would hardly have affected him. However, at this point, Billy’s body was greatly weakened.

Gaston’s choice of this spell, and the swift response from Viola’s elite magic guardians, prompted a mutter from Tūs,

“Hah, now HE’s the one running the show…!”

Paralyzed by the spell, Billy’s ability to use magic was sealed, and his eyes showed only trembling fear under the intense gaze of everyone present.

Gaston walked slowly toward Billy, repeating the words he had said the last time they faced off,

“Let me say this again, Billy…”

The confrontation between Gaston and Billy echoed that moment.

“This is EFFORT!”

“…!!”

Gaston’s words, denying everything Billy had accomplished by becoming a Devil, a Chimaera, shook him to his core.

Gaston’s finger moved quietly, precisely, swiftly.

Billy’s body, paralyzed, could not even tremble. All he could do was stare, his eyes quivering, fixed on the blazing Craft Circle before it.

Lucifer watched on in amazement.

“Rise, A-rise, A-rise… Divine Inferno!!”

The most intense flame Gaston had ever conjured rose to the sky from directly below Billy.

Billy screamed as he was engulfed by the light — the light of a sun that seemed to threaten to burn everything in this world.

“AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

The heat and pain of the flame were so intense that even the restraints of paralysis were broken. Billy’s screams of pain, which seemed to never stop, finally disappeared with the disengagement of the magecraft.

In the end, all that was left was the charred earth.

“Farewell, my old friend…”

Gaston offered a few words to the sky — one last farewell to Billy.

Right after, a round of applause entered his ears.

“Impressive. Truly wonderful.”

It was none other than Lucifer who applauded Gaston and the others.

Gaston stared at Lucifer sharply, as did everyone else, but they were all heavily wounded, incapable of further combat.

Even Gaston, the only one left with strength, could not match Lucifer’s immense arcane energy.

So, Lucifer’s composure, his praise — it was all understood by everyone present, except for Gaston and one other.

“”You still seem quite calm about this situation, my former King.””

“Oh-ho, so it WAS you, Bathym… That magecraft just now did remind me of you.”

What emanated from Gaston’s mouth was not his voice, but rather that of Bathym, an associate of Lucifer’s, inhabiting Gaston’s body.

Lucifer had discerned Bathym’s presence from the stylistic flair of the magecraft, Divine Inferno.

“”I am, in a way, glad to see that you are doing well.””

“Hmph, possessing a human’s body… who would have thought? You made a deal with God, I assume…”

“”Your insight is as keen as ever. But are you sure you don’t want to hurry this up?””

“What?”

“”Do you think I would stand before you without a plan?””

“…What are you implying?”

“”…Ah, never mind. Unfortunately for you, time was on our side.””

Gaston reacted to Bathym’s delayed words.

“If anything, HE is late…!”

Irene, picking up on the words that Gaston blurted out, grabbed his shoulder tightly.

“Now hold on one second! What’s this talk even about–“

Gaston remained silent but indicated with his actions.

He turned northeast, drawing everyone’s attention.

A single red dot was visible in the sky. It looked like it was swimming.

“…What the hell?”

Tūs asked, and Irene said after him — not an answer, but yet another question.

“It’s red… Red… wings…?”

Following Irene’s words, Lylia gasped and turned to Gaston.

Then she exclaimed,

“Red wings…!”

Gaston nodded in agreement as the approaching red dot came into focus.

Lucifer narrowed his eyes, while Pochi’s widened hers.

As the dot took on a human form, the world suddenly glowed with emerald light, resonating across the battlefield.

“HEEEYYY, POCHI! KEPT YOU WAITING, HUH!?”