Radiant Tower.
Manaka Saijou cradled a shard of black dragon scale in both hands as if it were the rarest treasure, her bright eyes sparkling with excitement.
"You're called the White Dragon, but your scales are black? How fascinating."
Her voice brimmed with wonder, curiosity, and genuine delight.
Who said a White Dragon must be white? The Four Heavenly Kings even had five members once… Alvin silently complained in his head.
Though known as the White Dragon, his dragon core and even the magic flowing through him were actually black.
And anyone who came into contact with that magic, even momentarily, would find their willpower affected.
To even touch the White Dragon's power, one had to either be exceptionally strong or possess an unshakable will.
Clearly, the girl before him had both.
But… how was Manaka Saijou connected to Beast?
Or did she possess a form of magic that allowed her to "beastify" herself?
Looking at the girl in front of him holding the dragon scale as if she had found a treasure, Alvin couldn't help but ask, "What do you want to do with the relic?"
Someone who had reached the Root of All Things should have no interest in worldly matters.
And yet here she was, proposing a trade of her own free will...
"I'm simply fascinated by the White Dragon."
Manaka gently tucked the dragon scale away and once again gave Alvin a long, radiant look.
"By the way… Aren't you worried about that girl just now?"
"The Holy Lance harbors the will of a god… If she's not careful, she might end up being controlled by it, you know?"
She had already seen through the truth of the Holy Lance the moment she entered the Radiant Tower.
Though Alvin could tell she was changing the subject, he couldn't help but react to her words.
"With that magical device on her, she should be fine… right?"
"You mean that creature in the cage? The one called 'Add'?"
Manaka tilted her head slightly.
"It seems to be connected to the Lance somehow… But the divine will inside the Holy Lance won't allow it near so easily."
Alvin's heart stirred and he instinctively turned his gaze toward the top of the tower.
So… only once Add made direct contact with the Holy Lance could it control the Anchor of the Stars?
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Silence blanketed the summit of the Radiant Tower.
The space was saturated with a magic so dense it felt suffocating. Combined with the thin air at that altitude, the debuffs were stacked to the limit.
Gray's eyes cautiously scanned her surroundings, her deerskin boots tapping softly against the ground—her footsteps the only sound in the space.
From the top of the tower, all she could see was swirling clouds.
This tower that fused fae and man-made mystery truly lived up to its name.
At this moment, the divine aura radiating from the Holy Lance was utterly overwhelming.
In the original legends, even Artoria wielding the Holy Sword was no match for Vortigern. Under his corrupted magic, the light of Excalibur had been dimmed.
It was only with the arrival of the Holy Lance that the darkness looming over Britain had finally been dispelled.
The Anchor of the Stars, like the Holy Sword, required the Round Table's approval to unseal completely—that was Rhongomyniad.
For a mere mortal to touch the Holy Lance was impossible.
If it weren't for Add's presence at this moment, Gray wouldn't have been able to enter the Lance's core domain at all.
Even with its help, she found breathing increasingly difficult.
"Hang on just a bit longer… one more step and we'll reach the core chamber."
A voice echoed from the heavy shield in Gray's hands.
The creature locked inside her cage, Add, could shift into various weapon forms at will.
Normally, Gray kept it in its birdcage form.
But in battle, it would morph into the weapon she needed most.
Right now, Add had taken the form of a milky-white shield that enveloped her in a protective field.
This shield was all that was keeping her safe from the oppressive, choking magic.
But from just moments ago, even this barrier had begun to weaken.
The closer they got to the core, the denser the True Ether.
Even modern magi could hardly survive under such pressure.
And then, through the fog ahead—a radiant, divine silhouette began to appear.
Behind the figure, she could just barely make out a Holy Lance burning like the sun.
It shimmered with gold, a sacred aura spilling from its shaft like drifting stardust.
It connected two dimensions of reality and illusion, seemingly bridging the boundaries of this world and the beyond.
It was so sacred and majestic that it was painful to behold.
Its holy radiance had a name: Rhongomyniad, the Spear That Shines at the End of the World.
"The Holy Lance?"
Gray's eyes lit up with joy, and she took a step forward, however...
"Wait—don't move!"
At that moment, a deep, urgent voice came from the shield.
It was Add's voice, his tone heavy with alarm.
Before she could react, Add continued in a tight whisper:
"Be careful of the woman in front of the lance… That one's dangerous!"
Gray's expression sharpened as her gaze locked onto the figure standing before the Lance—
A woman who looked more like a god than any mortal.
"…Who is she?"
Why… does she look exactly like King Arthur?
This question quickly surfaced in Gray's heart.
"To be precise, she isn't human. She's a divine spirit born from the divinity of the Holy Lance itself… Rhongomyniad."
"She doesn't possess self-awareness, but anyone who approaches the Holy Lance will be repelled by her—"
Before Add could finish speaking, the goddess-like figure ahead slowly raised her right hand.
Behind her, within the Holy Lance, golden particles of light began to gather silently.
In an instant, divine energy radiated from the hand of the goddess called Rhongomyniad, forming a blazing, brilliant projection of the Holy Lance.
That immense magical power took aim straight at the frail body of the gray-haired girl.
"Is this woman insane?!"
Add nearly shouted. If it were human, its back would surely be drenched in cold sweat by now.
Who the hell starts by immediately unleashing a Noble Phantasm?!
"Kid, fall back now!"
Just as Add yelled this, the holy blast fired from the lance roared down toward Gray.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion echoed through the tower.
The barrier Add had formed using its full strength barely held off the blast.
Even though the Holy Lance wasn't fully unsealed, the sheer force behind it sent shockwaves of terror through Gray's heart.
She had already vaguely known the truth of what Add really was, but now, seeing the terrifying power unleashed by the goddess-born Holy Lance, her entire being felt overwhelmed.
"Fall back!"
Add barked urgently, filled with remorse.
It had underestimated the threat—perhaps even been careless.
It never imagined that the divine essence within the Holy Lance could manifest a goddess-like phantom, and now Gray had been dragged into mortal danger.
As the gray-haired girl stumbled backward, the goddess made no move to pursue her.
She simply raised her hand once more, and holy energy began to gather again at her palm—
The Holy Lance's divine might was preparing for a second strike.
"She can use a Noble Phantasm twice in a row?! What kind of monster is this…?"
Gray's heartbeat quickened involuntarily.
At that very moment, every nerve in her body screamed danger, urging her to flee.
But by then, the Holy Lance's magical energy had already gathered again.
In the next instant, a golden magical bombardment came crashing down toward the girl!
"Kid, raise me up!"
Add's voice roared, as though it had made a firm decision.
Yet just then, a hand suddenly gripped onto it.
"Add, I'm going to send you to the Holy Lance. Grab the opportunity to take control of it."
At that moment, a third voice echoed throughout the space.
Simultaneously, a heartbeat pulsed from his chest.
In an instant, pitch-black magical energy surged outward and began to corrode the Holy Lance's brilliance, little by little.
Gray instinctively turned her head.
Her eyes were first filled with confusion—then, when she recognized the youth's face, a look of surprise and joy bloomed upon her.
"…Alvin?!"
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Avalon.
Merlin was deep in thought… or more precisely, a little stunned.
According to his plan, Morgan should have already been drawn to the battle between the Root Princess and the White Dragon by now.
What would happen next… was supposed to be self-evident.
But now…
Why do the Root Princess and Alvin seem so perfectly in sync?!
From the start of their battle, Merlin had noticed that both of them were holding back.
To anyone who didn't know better, it looked less like a duel and more like flirtatious banter.
And now they were exchanging relics mid-fight?
Saijyou Manaka… what is that girl even thinking?!
The nightmare named Merlin wore an expression of deep confusion.
He didn't notice that someone had been quietly observing him this whole time—
Artoria.
Merlin had watched Artoria grow up from childhood.
To her, he was both teacher and friend. Even if he lacked human emotions, Artoria knew him better than most.
And right now, from the subtle expression on his face, she could tell something was off.
What exactly did he see just now inside the Radiant Tower…?
"Merlin—"
Her voice broke the silence as Merlin, flinching slightly, quickly returned to his usual calm smile. "Y-Yes, my king?"
"What's happening at the Radiant Tower?"
Artoria stared directly into Merlin's eyes. "Did something happen to him?"
Merlin smiled and shook his head. "You're overthinking it. With your elder sister present, nothing will happen to Alvin… Besides, he's the White Dragon. There aren't many in this world who can truly harm him."
"…Not even the Root Princess."
"I see."
The golden-haired King of Knights gently closed her eyes and asked, "Did he win?"
Merlin hesitated for a moment. "He didn't win, but he didn't lose either… Both sides held back."
Trying to change the subject, he added, "In a way, your elder sister shares your ideals. She's even decided to cooperate with the transmigrants."
He knew Artoria was always uneasy about the state of the royal court, and by extension, all of Britain.
There was no denying it: Morgan le Fay was a beautiful madwoman, and no one could predict what Britain would become under her rule.
By saying this, Merlin hoped to both ease Artoria's concerns and redirect her focus.
But upon hearing it, Artoria merely shook her head. "I know my sister. She looks down on everyone in this world. There's no way she would willingly cooperate with transmigrants."
Many of the high nobles within Britain's court were opposed to cooperation with transmigrators.
The root of it was their conservatism and fear that such alliances would threaten their power.
But—
Morgan le Fay was different.
She wasn't a conservative.
She equally looked down on everyone, regardless of their origin.
To put it bluntly, she would never voluntarily ally with any transmigrators.
"I think Alvin persuaded her," Merlin said.
However, Artoria still looked doubtful. "After she agreed to his request, has she taken any action?"
Merlin paused in thought.
"Not long ago, Morgan had someone spread the news. She plans to hold a banquet at the royal palace."
"I think you're worrying too much… That woman may be unpredictable with words, but if it's a promise made to Alvin, she won't go back on it."
Though he lacked human emotion, Merlin had been quietly watching the tangled feelings of Britain's two royal sisters toward Alvin from the very beginning.
Morgan le Fay was the type who would do anything to achieve her goals.
Promises meant little to her.
However—she wouldn't want to disappoint the boy.
Or rather, she wouldn't want her image in his heart to collapse.
For his sake, she would take this royal banquet seriously and not pull any tricks.
However hearing his words, Artoria's noble and beautiful face twitched with slight confusion.
Because, for some reason, something about all this still felt… off.
Morgan agreeing to Alvin's request and deciding to cooperate with transmigrators wasn't strange in itself.
But for that woman to personally organize a banquet to help push the matter forward?
That was very out of character.
"Is Alvin still inside the Radiant Tower?" Artoria suddenly asked.
Mentioning that, for some reason, made Merlin falter a little.
"Mm… if nothing unexpected happens, he should be leaving very soon."
"I see."
Artoria fell into thought for a long while before finally looking up.
"Merlin, I want to leave Avalon and personally attend the banquet that day."
Merlin hesitated, then cautiously said,
"But, my king… if you go, there's a chance that—"
"My sister won't make a move on me at the banquet," Artoria declared with firm conviction. "Likewise, for the sake of the bigger picture, I'll restrain myself too."
Merlin opened his mouth as if to argue but ultimately fell silent.
After all, this banquet was being held by Morgan, and its purpose was to facilitate future cooperation between both sides.
Alvin would undoubtedly be present that day.
It wasn't hard to imagine that Alvin had high hopes for this alliance.
If a fight were to break out and the cooperation fell apart because of it… he would probably be deeply disappointed.
In other words, whoever struck first at the banquet would be the loser.
At the end of the day, Artoria wouldn't initiate conflict either, not if she cared about the future they were working toward.
After a long silence, Merlin finally broke it quietly:
"Very well. On the day of the banquet, I'll escort you out of Avalon."
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