Melusine, Become my Noble Phantasm!

As the light of the holy sword was injected into his body, the Lion King's golden eyes slowly shifted back to emerald green, and his expression grew strange. "Who are you? I... why—uh... The Sword of Contracted Victory... Bedivere, that name seems familiar... I know the name Bedivere, but my memories of you…"

The Lion King's body trembled, and the sharp pain in his head forced him to close one eye involuntarily. "Are you truly Lord Bedivere? Well... in that case, come back to me and lay down that sword. It is something I no longer need. If you are my knight, obey my voice and return to my Round Table, Bedivere!"

Bedivere stood tall. This long journey had finally reached its end, and his voice was resolute. The sin that had robbed him of peace and compelled him to wield the Holy Spear must be redeemed today.

"No. This cannot be. Incarnation of the Holy Spear of the Lion King, to you I must be an enemy to be conquered, for you must avenge me—and I have the duty to stop you. As a member of the King's Round Table, I declare to you: I am Bedivere, a Knight of the Round Table. I will conquer you as a righteous warrior and restrain you as one of the other side!"

The Lion King and the goddess Rongomyniad seemed confused by Bedivere's words; they could not comprehend the knight's choice. "You are mine—the one who once belonged to me—"

Bedivere raised his right arm, ready at last to meet death alongside the king he had sworn loyalty to. This was his fourth and final chance. Bedivere smiled firmly as he stepped forward. "It is time to hand the holy sword from the hands of sinners to the hands of the rightful. I have no choice but to uphold my loyalty! I dedicate all my strength to you!"

Bedivere launched a final charge at the Lion King. "Devour my soul, then surge forward—Silver Meteor! [Hold the Holy Sword, Silver Arm]!!"

The Lion King raised the Holy Spear and clashed with the Silver Arm, then retreated once again. "Will I be subdued by a mere Heroic Spirit? No. You aren't even a Heroic Spirit—just a human... How could you do this by turning yourself into a clod of earth, breaking and scattering your limbs?"

Mordred took a deep breath and stepped forward swiftly. She raised her fist and struck the Lion King hard in the face, then held him back with her backhand. "Do I need to tell you why you've done this? You bastard goddess, you don't understand what King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table truly are!"

Bedivere's body began to disintegrate. This was truly the end.

"On behalf of the Knights of the Round Table, I express my gratitude to you. You bore the brunt of that dark age. You were the only one unaware of the Round Table's glory. Brave King of Knights, savior of Britain—you are our shining star, my king. Now... no... this time, I can finally return this sword."

The silver arm pierced the Lion King's body, and Bedivere finally turned to dust. At the far end—there, that forest, that hill, and the knight with swollen eyes who cared for King Arthur until the very end—the wandering knight who had endured wind and frost completed his mission and erased his regret.

One of the Lion King's eyes finally returned to its original green, and a faint smile appeared on his once expressionless face. "Well done... my last and most loyal and honorable knight... The holy sword has indeed been returned. Stand tall, Bedivere—you have fulfilled your king's command."

At that moment, the Holy Spear fell to the ground.

The king, his eyes now green, drew the silver arm from his body. The silver arm transformed into a golden holy sword once more. He set his gaze upon everyone again. Mordred smiled and loosened the restraints on the Lion King, picked up the magic sword, and stood respectfully beside him.

This made Ritsuka wary once more. "Do you still intend to fight? Even with all your strength, there's no reason for you to battle us."

Mordred smiled as if it was only natural, tapping her armor with the magic sword. "There is no reason for you to live after facing the king with your sword. It's laughable that the ever-victorious king has been defeated before even swinging his holy sword."

The king raised the holy sword. "If you are the ones who seek to restore humanity, then I must use my last strength to fight until the very end."

Aslan, supported by Melusine, stretched and prepared to fight again. But at that moment, a golden magic power full of chaos swept through the Lion King's body, violently devouring the magic energies in the area. Even the holy spear lying on the ground was absorbed into the golden magic.

The Holy Grail placed on the throne began to emit dazzling light, and the entity within it rapidly expanded.

"Hahahahaha!! We finally have the chance, Lion King. No matter how much you suppress us, your power weakens day by day. Now, merge with us! You have walked this path alone as a god, but soon you will vanish with this city and era. So why not make one last struggle with us!"

The Lion King's body and magic had been severely consumed. Furthermore, the Holy City's destruction weakened the Holy Spear's power, and goddess Rongomyniad was gravely injured. The king standing here was but a fragment of his former soul. If he didn't absorb this now, when would he?

Mordred stared at the golden demon pillar that had reappeared with fury. Most of all, she was furious that this demon pillar dared to devour the king's body before he could react. What an insult!

"What are you doing?!"

The Demon Pillar glanced down at Mordred, who wore a suppressor, and spoke with a tone both mocking and matter-of-fact. "Oh... Mordred, Knight of the Round Table, recipient of the Lion King's protection and the Holy Grail's strengthening, it's only fitting for you to keep running wild here. But for the king you are loyal to, I doubt you want this soul fragment to dissipate like this."

-End Chapter-

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