Chapter 224: The Miracle of Kabbalah, the Original Human

[Roche: "Why? Why, teacher!"]

[Avicebron: "Naturally, because you are the perfect magus to act as the core. Although Darnic originally requested I use Gordes as a substitute, given the circumstances, there's no issue in using you instead."]

[Roche: "But... but! I'm your Master!"]

[Avicebron: "That's true. Normally, I couldn't use you as the core. But the Red Master made a suggestion to me."]

[Avicebron lifted Roche's empty left hand and said, "Look, I'm no longer your Servant, am I?"]

[Roche: "What..."]

[Avicebron: "To me, it doesn't matter whether the Black Faction or the Red Faction wins. I hold no interest in the result itself. Loyalty, betrayal, such concepts mean nothing to me. The only thing that matters is activating this Noble Phantasm."]

["The question is whether I, a Kabbalist sorcerer, can fulfill my life's ambition and recreate the imitation of the Original Human, 'Adam.' This is why I answered the summons. This is why I have endured until now."]

Tohsaka Rin: "Isn't this just like those mad scientists who'll sacrifice anything to achieve their goals?"

Waver: "Well, it's the same principle, just on a different scale."

Sisigou: "It's actually not that uncommon. Most magi are like this. Didn't Byron from yesterday's video follow the same reasoning?"

Waver: "Yeah..."

[Roche: "No, no! Stop! Please, stop! Aah..."]

[Despite his desperate struggles, Roche's body began to dissolve, merging with the golem.]

["Why? I've always respected you. I admired you so much. How could you do this..."]

["I'm sorry to disappoint you," Avicebron replied. "But did you ever truly understand me?"]

[Avicebron spoke slowly: "...I, Avicebron, also known as Solomon Ibn Gabirol, am a philosopher, poet, and Kabbalist. A man with a pessimistic outlook, someone who despises humanity. Weak, frail, riddled with illness, and afflicted by skin diseases."]

["Yes, I spent my entire life isolated, loathing humankind. That is why I wear this mask, cover myself entirely, and create golems as a pastime. Although I eventually set my sights on the goal of 'recreating the existence of the Lord,' I failed to realize this dream before my death."]

["What a mundane life I led. What an unremarkable existence. To hold on to a dream yet fail to realize it in the end, this is the sum of my life."]

["Regardless of how absurd or stubborn others find me, I must fulfill this dream, even if it means making sacrifices."]

["You respect me, yes. You admire me deeply. But tell me, how could you possibly be certain that I would never abandon you?"]

[At that moment, Roche finally understood, he had never truly known Avicebron. All he saw was a genius capable of crafting golems.]

[With despair and resignation, Roche fully merged into the golem.]

[His final thought was: "If my teacher hates humans so much, why would he wish to create one..."]

Tohsaka Rin: "Yeah, I want to know the answer to that too."

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "It's simple. In Avicebron's eyes, the humans he creates are not the same as the humans of today."

Waver: "How tragic. To live alongside his teacher for so long, only to realize he never truly understood him. He merely admired him blindly."

Waver: "That's just the nature of a child."

[With the core secured, the golem's eyes suddenly lit up, and it raised its massive feet from the lake, stepping firmly onto dry land.]

[Avicebron: "Magnificent!"]

[Despite being constructed of wood, stone, soil, and flesh, the golem exuded a grandeur akin to the majesty of nature itself, a creation that inspired awe.]

And then, the first "miracle" occurred.

[The earth seemed to sing in praise of the giant. The air grew thick with a honeyed fragrance. Flowers and plants erupted into wild growth. Trees that brushed against the golem instantly blossomed and bore fruit, which ripened and fell to the ground, only for new trees to grow in their place.]

[Animals, long driven away by the chaos of the Hanging Garden, emerged from hiding and approached the giant as if compelled by an unseen force.]

[Upon touching the golem, they disintegrated instantly, their essence reduced to pure energy that the giant absorbed.]

[Despite this, the creatures kept coming. For beasts driven purely by instinct, there was no resistance to the pull.]

[Avicebron: "Ah, this... this is paradise."]

[Yes, this was the ultimate creation sought by Kabbalistic magi. An existence capable of transforming the world into paradise simply by existing.]

["Paradise (Eden)"—the land bestowed by God where the first humans, Adam and Eve, once resided.]

[In essence, the golem's mere presence was enough to alter the world. This was a self-sustaining Reality Marble.]

[This was his incomplete masterpiece, his Noble Phantasm: Royal Crown, the Light of Wisdom.]

Tohsaka Rin: "Is this a miracle?!"

Ishtar: "Hmph, just parlor tricks."

Waver: "No, this is astounding. The scale and abilities of this golem are unprecedented."

Sisigou: "So, this is the ultimate creation Kabbalistic magi have been chasing for centuries."

Tohsaka Rin: "But what does he mean by 'paradise'?"

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Paradise refers to the place God created for Adam and Eve after making them. The original home of humanity."

Waver: "I didn't expect this man to have such lofty dreams, to create a paradise of his own."

[Avicebron: "Come forth, my golem! Save this world now!"]

["Through combat, destruction, and slaughter, we will build a new paradise. With it, the endless wars and the tedium of human society will come to an end."]

[With these words, Avicebron climbed onto the golem's shoulder, directing it toward the Hanging Garden.]

[By the time Chiron noticed what was happening, it was too late to stop him.]

[Without hesitation, Avicebron ordered his creation to attack, inflicting catastrophic damage on the already weakened castle.]

Waver: "This is bad. How can they possibly deal with something like that?"

Sisigou: "Yeah, that thing clearly isn't just for show."

[Fiore, Sieg, and the others quickly fled the collapsing castle. Once outside, they spotted the traitor perched on the golem's shoulder.]

[Avicebron: "Hmm, no casualties."]

[Fiore: "Caster, how could you?!"]

[Avicebron ignored her, shifting his focus to Astolfo and Sieg instead.]

["Rider, is there another Servant who has taken the Saber class?"]

["What nonsense is this, you bastard?"]

[Astolfo: "Caster, what are you doing?"]

[Gordes: "...He betrayed us. That's all there is to it."]

["...What?"]

[Astolfo froze for a moment before shouting angrily, "Caster! You betrayed us?! You betrayed your own Master?!"]

[Avicebron: "If betrayal means disappointing expectations, then yes, I have betrayed you."]

[Astolfo: "Don't twist words to justify yourself!"]

[Avicebron: "I'm not justifying anything. You're right—I will stand on the side of evil for now."]

["Yes, I have betrayed you, become your enemy. But it is only through destruction that I can save the world with this supreme 'Royal Crown.'"]

[Hearing Avicebron's declaration, Astolfo erupted in fury.]

["Are you insane? How can a puppet like this save the world?"]

[But while Astolfo raged, everyone else's gaze was fixed on the colossal golem.]

["What is this? That divine radiance..."]

[The golem did not inspire fear or terror but rather a sense of awe, as though it were "beautiful." It filled observers with an urge to kneel before it.]

[Just seeing it was enough to evoke a vivid sense of impending defeat.]

Tohsaka Rin: "So... it even has this kind of effect?"

Waver: "It must be some kind of aura that influences perception. Watching it through a recording spares us the full effect."

Kayneth: "As expected of the greatest masterpiece of Kabbalistic magic."

Tohsaka Rin: "But in the video, Astolfo doesn't seem to be affected at all."

Chihiro: "Do you really want to compare yourself to someone like Astolfo?"

Tohsaka Rin: "..."

[Avicebron: "How rude. As expected of someone whose rationality has long since evaporated."]

[Astolfo: "Exactly! That's why I'm not afraid of you! No matter what kind of creation you've made or how impressive it looks, it's still just a Noble Phantasm in the end!"]

[Astolfo's words snapped Sieg out of his daze, dispelling his fear.]

[Astolfo was right—no matter how powerful it seemed, the golem was still just a product of Avicebron's magic.]

Waver: "Evaporation of reason... who knew that kind of ability could prove useful?"

Emiya Kiritsugu: "Every skill has its purpose. When used in the right moment, even the oddest abilities can shine."

Tohsaka Rin: "Still, it's reassuring to see Sieg regain his composure. It seems the golem's aura isn't as overpowering as it initially seemed."

***

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