While Azrael and Leon conversed in hushed tones at a distance, Antipas frowned at the scorched earth where the Lightning Lance had detonated moments before.
"Such devastating power," he muttered through clenched teeth. His expression darkened with each passing second.
To be perfectly honest, Antipas had never anticipated encountering such a formidable card in this secret realm. In fact, the Fallen Cult's extensive intelligence network had never documented a single sighting of this card.
"Where did it originate?" The question gnawed at him. Are there other Emerald-level Lore Cardians besides Leon and David in this secret realm?
Reflecting on the cultists who had lost contact recently, Antipas speculated that an unknown Emerald-level Lore Cardian must have infiltrated the realm before the cult established its lockdown protocols.
"Could that artifact be in his possession?" The possibility crystallized in his mind. After all, his subordinates had spent countless days searching without finding anything valuable. According to Master Chris's predictions, if the artifact truly existed in this realm, unusual phenomena would definitely manifest, such as demonic entities or suspicious items. Something would stand out.
Just as Antipas was lost in contemplation, he suddenly froze. His eyes widened with alarm.
"What's happening?"
Through his mental connection, he sensed that the blonde girl card that had retreated from the forest earlier had returned to the edge of the forest once more.
"Still refusing to surrender?" Antipas offered a contemptuous smile. He specialized in positional warfare and had decimated countless Lore Cardians at his level with this exact advantage over the years.
But his smirk vanished the next instant.
As Artoria began releasing the holy sword's restraints, the world itself seemed to pause in reverence.
Antipas listened to the continuous stream of voices echoing through the air, questioning and answering, his mind frozen in disbelief. "What in the world is this?"
Several heartbeats later, the resonant cry of "Excalibur!" finally jolted Antipas back to his senses.
"King Arthur?" His thoughts raced. "King Arthur?"
Shock flooded Antipas's consciousness. Before he could respond, a brilliant golden radiance engulfed him.
"No!"
He tried to defend himself, but was instantly consumed by the golden beam descending from the heavens like divine judgment.
Leon watched from a distance with mounting dread as Artoria unleashed Excalibur. A beam of pure destructive light engulfed everything in its path, including the secret realm's exit at the heart of the forest.
"Please don't let anything go wrong. Please don't let anything go wrong," he prayed fervently under his breath.
Leon was genuinely terrified that the dimensional rift at the exit might fail under such overwhelming power. For several tense moments, he forgot his earlier suspicions about Artoria's true identity.
Fortunately, as the radiant beam dissipated, the dimensional rift trembled violently but remained stable.
"Thank the heavens!" Leon released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
Only then did he have the mental capacity to refocus on Artoria, who had gracefully returned to Azrael's side.
"Excalibur?" The name escaped his lips in disbelief. "Excalibur!"
The brown-haired prince lost all composure. How could he, a pure-blooded Briton, fail to recognize that the legendary Sword of the Promised Victory from Arthurian mythology had such destructive power?
Furthermore, based on what had transpired during the questioning sequence, Leon deduced that this wasn't even the card's maximum attack potential. After all, only four Knights of the Round Table appeared during the restraint-release ceremony.
"More importantly," he roared internally while gazing at Artoria's flawlessly beautiful face. "Which version of King Arthur is this?!"
Great Britain had certainly created its own King Arthur cards over the years. But their King Arthurs were invariably rugged, masculine warriors. Besides, who could have imagined this?
There was simply no comparison in raw power or appearance. The King Arthur created by these native Britons paled in comparison to the King Arthur created by an Empire of Aetherlight Lore Cardian.
Meanwhile, the Lady of the Lake kept her gaze darting between Artoria and the holy sword clutched in the blonde knight's armored grip. They were both Arthur and wielded the Sword of Promised Victory. However, if she had offered this particular blade to this King Arthur, the story would have unfolded in a completely different direction.
David, standing nearby, maintained a carefully blank expression. A closer observation, however, would have revealed the blonde man's eyelids twitching repeatedly.
He was now absolutely certain that Azrael wasn't affiliated with the demon-worshipping cultists. After all, those fanatics lacked the intelligence and creativity to produce such an extraordinary card.
At that moment, Leon spoke in a somewhat strained voice: "Sir Azrael, this card of yours is truly ingenious."
He genuinely didn't know how to express his conflicting feelings adequately. He was profoundly shocked by the revelation that this was King Arthur, mingled with a visceral fear of Artoria's overwhelming strength.
Of course, envy also burned in his chest. If he possessed a card like this, it would undoubtedly elevate his standing with King George VII significantly.
With both legendary power and deep cultural significance, Artoria had hit the mark perfectly for any British noble. Of course, it would have been marginally better if she were male; a British noble who couldn't fence was hardly British at all.
If Azrael knew what Leon was thinking, he would probably respond with wholehearted agreement.
"There are other King Arthurs just as powerful as this one..."
Azrael couldn't immediately identify which version Leon might be referring to. The old sword in his collection, however, would suit Leon's traditional preferences perfectly.
Hearing the unmistakable envy in Leon's voice, Azrael simply smiled diplomatically. "Now that the Fallen Cult has been dealt with, it's time to leave this place."
With that, he headed toward the exit of the secret realm. A considerable amount of time had passed since he'd inadvertently wandered into this mystical space.
He strongly suspected that the Empire of Aetherlight had most likely presumed him dead by now. Therefore, after defeating the Fallen Cult members who had sealed off the realm, he planned to return home quickly, assuming there were no additional Fallen Cult forces stationed outside.
Leon and his companions stepped onto the scorched earth, feeling the soft, still-warm soil yield beneath their feet. They couldn't help but exchange glances of disbelief.
Although Excalibur's attack had clearly ended some time ago, its effects were still palpable throughout the devastated landscape.
Soon, the group reached the exit. However, no one was foolish enough to rush out blindly; after all, no one knew what dangers awaited them beyond.
"Let me scout ahead," Azrael declared without hesitation.
He wasn't aspiring to be a self-sacrificing hero; rather, a Shadowkhan soldier was the perfect choice for reconnaissance in this situation.
Leon and the others nodded in agreement. Since Azrael had volunteered, they certainly wouldn't object; nobody actually wanted to be the first one through.
Contrary to Azrael's expectations, however, there were no Fallen Cult members stationed outside the secret realm. Nevertheless, rushing out recklessly remained inadvisable.
At that moment, David, who had remained largely silent throughout their journey, finally spoke up. "Since you haven't detected anything unusual, I'll go first."
As soon as he finished speaking, the muscular, blonde priest stepped through the spatial rift. A moment later, he reappeared before Azrael with confirmation. "There's nothing dangerous outside. You can proceed safely."
After Azrael and David's double inspection, it was highly probable that there were no immediate threats beyond. Even if some danger lurked outside, it would most likely be a Diamond-level entity capable of concealing its presence completely. However, if that were the case, no amount of preparation Azrael could undertake beforehand would be useful.
Keeping this in mind, he led Amina forward, followed by Leon and the others, as they emerged from the secret realm.
The moment they crossed the threshold, a nauseating stench assaulted Azrael's nostrils.
He instinctively covered his nose and scanned his surroundings with mounting dismay. "Is there really no one here?"
Azrael's eyes revealed a devastated town: human corpses strewn across bloodstained cobblestones and a ground darkened to near-black with dried blood.
But that wasn't the source of the overwhelming stench. Glancing with obvious distaste at the sewage flowing along the roadside, Azrael asked Leon somewhat incredulously, "Is it like this everywhere in Great Britain?"
Leon looked momentarily confused before realizing what Azrael was referencing. He offered an embarrassed smile. "This situation only exists in small towns like this one. Major cities maintain proper sanitation standards."
Small settlements naturally didn't prioritize waste management; finding a secluded roadside spot was considered courteous by local standards.
However, Azrael didn't dwell on such trivial matters. "So no one has come to rescue you after all this time trapped inside?"
He could understand the absence of Fallen Cult forces outside the secret realm; maintaining an obvious presence would easily attract official attention.
But after they'd been trapped inside for so long, he found it genuinely bizarre that Great Britain hadn't dispatched anyone to mount a rescue operation.
Leon looked at Azrael with a peculiar expression. "Baron Albert isn't a member of our royal family. If he dies, he dies. What concern is it of ours?"
Hearing this blunt assessment, Azrael froze in complete bewilderment.
He finally grasped the meaning of the feudal principle, "A vassal of a vassal is not my vassal."
Shaking his head, Leon continued, "Where are you heading next, Lord Azrael? Would you like to return with me to see His Majesty?"
Azrael waved his hand dismissively. "I'll pass, thank you. I need to hurry back to the Empire of Aetherlight. My family must be worried sick after my prolonged absence."
He looked down at Amina beside him and gently patted her head. "Amina, would you like to come back to the Empire with me, or would you prefer to go with David?"
Azrael trusted David considerably more than Leon, who had attacked him during their first encounter. After all, he regarded the priest as something approaching a saint.
As for Leon, one should never overestimate the moral boundaries of nobility.
Amina tugged at the corner of Azrael's shirt questioningly. "Master, where is the Empire of Aetherlight?"
Azrael didn't respond directly to her question. Instead, he said goodbye to Leon and the others. "Then I'll be taking my leave now."
With those parting words, he left with Amina in tow.
Seeing this, Leon's rigid posture suddenly relaxed with visible relief.
He muttered to himself, his expression bitter, "This expedition has been a complete loss! I didn't find the materials I came for, and I've invested substantial resources with no return."
This secret realm hadn't been cleared for such an extended period because Leon had interfered behind the scenes. Otherwise, even if the British royal family remained indifferent, the Earl to whom Baron Albert swore loyalty would never have turned a blind eye to the situation.
David expressionlessly ignored Leon's complaints beside him, only slightly closing his eyes to conceal his inner turmoil.
"Speaking of which, David," Leon continued thoughtfully, "how do you suppose Azrael created that King Arthur? Why does he, an Empire of Aetherlight Lore Cardian, seem more familiar with Arthurian mythology than I, a native Briton, am?"
David offered no response.
Elsewhere, after leading Amina far enough away from Leon and the others to ensure they couldn't follow, Azrael finally stopped.
He had already decided on Amina's destination. He decided the little girl should stay with the lonely Professor Alice since her spacious mansion in Pixar was usually empty.
Of course, he had no objection if Amina ultimately decided to stay at his older sister's residence instead.
But those were considerations for the future. The most urgent priority was finding a way to contact the Empire of Aetherlight.
However, when he retrieved his phone from the Shadow Kingdom, Azrael discovered that there was no available signal in Great Britain.
"Well, that's unfortunate," he sighed. He had half-expected this outcome, but he was still disappointed. "I'll have to wait until I return home."
With a sense of resignation, Azrael took out his Blood Sacrifice Ritual: Teleport card.
Before activating it, he checked with Jin through his communication device to verify if it could transport multiple people simultaneously.
After receiving confirmation, he prepared to return to the Empire with Amina.
It's worth noting that Jin didn't know what had transpired in Gaza, much less Azrael's unexpected exile to Great Britain.
As a precaution, Azrael summoned Aizen before creating the teleportation array and had him cast Kyōka Suigetsu on Amina.
He didn't distrust the young girl; it was a matter of pragmatic safety. After all, there were numerous abilities in this world capable of extracting information from a child's memories, and Azrael had no intention of exposing his true identity so carelessly.
Therefore, taking this preventive step wouldn't negatively affect Amina, while providing essential protection.
With a brilliant flash of light, the two figures vanished from Great Britain.
When they reappeared, they had arrived on the remote island recorded in the Blood Sacrifice Ritual: Teleport coordinates.
"Finally back," Azrael breathed, his frayed nerves finally beginning to relax.
Gaza, Northern Defense Army Headquarters
Ever since Azrael's disappearance, Jacob had maintained a perpetually stern expression.
Initially, he'd thought his junior colleague might still be alive, but after such an extended absence, he'd almost abandoned hope entirely.
Yet, as long as a corpse hadn't been found, Azrael remained officially missing rather than confirmed dead.
"This is impossible to explain," Jacob sighed, truly at a loss for how to report the situation to his teacher.
Maybe he shouldn't have helped his junior colleague join the Northern Defense Army in the first place.
When Professor Alice came seeking information about Azrael, Jacob wished desperately for a hole to crawl into and hide.
Just then, an Emerald-level Lore Cardian approached him with an odd expression. "Master Jacob..."
"Deputy Commander Azrael has returned."
Jacob waved his hand dismissively and responded, "As long as he's back safely, that's all that matters."
The Emerald-level Lore Cardian nodded obediently and prepared to leave.
Suddenly, Jacob's brain caught up with what he'd just heard. "Wait a moment. Who did you say returned?"
"Deputy Commander Azrael, sir."
"...What?"
Jacob sat completely stunned for several seconds.
He had practically given up all hope that Azrael was alive, yet suddenly, he was being told that his junior colleague had simply returned as if nothing unusual had happened.
Then, pure elation surged through his chest like a tidal wave. "Quickly! Bring him to see me immediately!"
"Yes, Master Jacob!"
Azrael soon appeared before Jacob, looking utterly exhausted from his ordeal. "Senior Brother Jacob."
"I'm—"
Jacob interrupted him before he could finish. "As long as you're safe. As long as you're safe, nothing else matters."
Jacob breathed an enormous sigh of relief. Then he suddenly noticed the small figure standing beside Azrael.
He froze in bewilderment. "How did you end up with a child after going missing?"
"...What?"