An endless tide of golden magical energy rippled outward from the Holy Lance like gentle waves.
Alvin, wielding the magical artifact Add, advanced toward the core of the lance.
Gray followed closely behind him.
The closer they got to the core, the more anxious the girl felt.
Even someone with dull perception could clearly sense the dangerous aura radiating from the Holy Lance.
Yet, following behind Alvin, Gray suddenly noticed something strange—the lance's pressure no longer seemed to reach her.
It was Alvin… He had used some kind of special magecraft to resist the lance's power.
She instinctively looked toward Alvin, but before she could dwell on it, his voice brought her back to reality.
"Gray, in a moment I'll hold off the spirit within the Holy Lance. You and Add just need to find the right moment to take control of it."
He's going to distract the divine spirit?
Gray froze. Her mind had been blank the whole time, and now that she was thinking again, worry for Alvin surged up inside her.
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
As if reading her thoughts, Alvin placed his hand over her soft, pale fingers as a warm and gentle smile appeared on his face.
"I know what you're thinking. Once we're back at the Clock Tower, I'll explain everything to you, alright?"
In fact, Alvin owed Gray no explanation—not with the kind of bond they shared.
But just by saying those words, their connection clearly deepened.
But after saying this, the relationship between the two obviously became much closer, and the warm touch from the boy's palm made Gray's heart tremble.
She quickly looked down and softly murmured,
"…Mm."
Whether because even the lance couldn't bear watching the two anymore, or because they were nearing its core, the goddess born from the lance's divinity finally erupted into motion.
She charged toward them, Holy Lance in hand, composed of pure magical energy.
The overwhelming pressure of the lance rushed straight at them!
Alvin let go of Gray's hand and tossed her the cage holding Add.
Thump. Thump.
The White Dragon's core pulsed.
Alvin stepped forward to meet the goddess's charge, raising his right fist.
Black magical energy gathered around his arm—it no longer looked like flesh and blood, but like a weapon forged in the abyss.
Even Add, as a magical artifact, trembled slightly.
This was the first time it had ever seen a magus try to confront the Holy Lance with their bare body.
Even a projection of the lance could easily reduce someone to ash if they weren't careful.
But the outcome exceeded its expectations.
Alvin's black fist collided head-on with the lance's illusion—
And shattered it.
The power in his punch didn't diminish at all.
His black magical energy surged forward as if it wanted to consume the Holy Lance's energy itself.
Boom!
As one who bore the body of a magic dragon, Alvin's destructive power was second to none—on par with any divine weapon in existence.
After crushing the lance's projection, he hurled himself straight at the goddess.
Though Rhongomyniad, the divine spirit, didn't bleed, Alvin's punch drove her back several steps. Even her radiance seemed to dim.
"Is this guy really human? How can a magus have such a monstrous body? His body is no different from a weapon…"
Add was dumbfounded. It had always known Alvin's magical circuits were special, but this, this was brute force overpowering the Holy Lance.
"Why are you spacing out? Take her over there!"
At this moment, Alvin's voice snapped it back as Add turned and shouted at Gray:
"Kid! Come with me!"
The silver-haired girl responded instantly and ran toward the core of the Holy Lance with Add in hand.
The goddess Rhongomyniad didn't try to stop them—or rather, she couldn't.
After all, she knew rhar long as Alvin stood there, she couldn't afford to be distracted.
At the top of the tower's entrance, a blonde girl had just climbed up. Upon seeing the battle, her eyes sparkled with intrigue.
"A spirit born from the lance's divinity doesn't possess true self-awareness. Naturally, her power can't rival that of a true god…"
"But this is my first time seeing someone block the lance's projection with their body… That White Dragon really is a monster."
Even the Root Princess couldn't help but feel shaken as she watched Alvin battling Rhongomyniad with nothing but his physical body.
Come to think of it, wasn't the White Dragon said to be King Arthur's husband?
So why was he going to such lengths to help a transmigrator?
Boom!
Alvin met Rhongomyniad's incoming strike with another powerful punch.
But this time, it seemed the goddess had anticipated him.
As the spearhead collided with Alvin's fist, she gently parted her lips and uttered an arcane, indecipherable syllable.
It was a voice filled with divine authority, and the moment it fell upon the world, the entire Radiant Tower trembled violently.
From the skies above, a pillar of golden light came crashing down like divine judgment!
Even from afar, the pressure it exuded was enough to suffocate.
Alvin's heart tightened.
Even with the body of the White Dragon, he didn't dare underestimate a divine being.
After all, even if incomplete, such entities were never to be taken lightly.
Magical energy surged from his White Dragon Core, and Alvin's form gradually transformed—into a dragon.
Faintly, a low growl of a demon dragon echoed beneath the sky—its vast, majestic presence enough to make every witness across the palace tremble uncontrollably.
Even after so many years, the mere sight of that towering, sky-covering dragon brought back the helplessness and fear they once felt in its presence.
Yet Manaka Sajyou's eyes were filled not with fear, but longing and awe.
A boy becoming a dragon to face down the Holy Lance… like a fairytale come to life.
Behind Alvin, waves of magic power surged like a roaring river, as a cannon of black energy began to form.
As the Holy Lance's divine blast fell, the magic dragon fired its own jet-black cannon as if aiming to shatter even the heavens.
Golden and black magical forces collided violently, thundering through the tower.
Magic surged in all directions, flooding the heavens and earth.
Rhongomyniad's form had already been hazy, but after releasing another Noble Phantasm, her figure became even more fragile, like a dissolving illusion.
Alvin wasn't injured, but he could clearly feel how much magic had drained from his White Dragon Core, and it wasn't replenishing quickly.
"No wonder Vortigern once wished for the return of the Age of Gods… The twilight of that era is clearly affecting the White Dragon Core's recovery speed," Alvin thought.
Had it been the early Age of Gods, he could've replenished the lost magic in an instant.
But now, it would take time.
To put it simply: the thinner the magic in the air, the greater the toll on the White Dragon.
"Need my help?"
While he wast sighing in thoughts, a clear, melodious voice rang out behind him.
Alvin shook his head.
"Once Gray takes control of the Holy Lance, the goddess born of it will disappear on her own."
"Besides, she's too weakened to launch another attack for now."
Manaka looked ahead—and sure enough, after back-to-back Noble Phantasms, the golden-haired goddess had grown increasingly transparent, clearly fading.
Buzz!
A low hum echoed from nearby.
The Holy Lance glowed with radiant gold, gently illuminating the world as the spear trembled faintly.
A gray-haired girl stood bathed in the golden light, her right hand tightly gripping the Holy Lance.
Alvin raised his head, eyes filled with awe as he murmured:
"The lance… really didn't reject Gray."
The Holy Lance had always belonged to King Arthur.
Only one of Arthur's lineage could wield it.
So… did Gray's heritage truly trace back to Arthur?
The upheaval in the Radiant Tower instantly drew attention from everyone in the royal palace, including Morgan, who was in her magecraft workshop.
She stood tall, her regal form draped in an elegant gown that accentuated her cool, aristocratic allure.
And yet, with that voluptuous figure, she exuded a dangerously seductive aura, a beautiful and tempting sorceress.
Her crystal heels clicked gracefully on the wooden floor as she approached the door to the workshop and looked out in the direction of the tower.
Her eyes shimmered with thought.
"Mother, should we send someone to check on it?" came Gareth's voice beside her.
Morgan shook her head lightly.
"Alvin's there. There's no need to worry. Just keep an eye on the situation."
"More importantly—how's the task I gave you?"
"The news was already spread this morning. After today, both the transmigrators and Britannia's high-ranking nobles will know about the banquet."
Gareth spoke, then cautiously glanced at Morgan with a slightly awkward expression.
"Mother… are you really planning to push for cooperation between both sides?"
Hearing this, Morgan merely shook her head lightly. "I don't care what becomes of Britain and the transmigrators in the future."
She paused slightly, then continued,
"But the peace and prosperity of Britain has always been his wish."
Because it was his wish, even a witch who had once wanted to take revenge on all of Britannia was willing to set aside that hatred to fulfill the boy's dream.
Gareth said nothing.
Though it sounded touching… just imagine, if during the banquet, Morgan were to enter the hall arm-in-arm with Alvin…
Was that really for the sake of diplomacy?
That would basically be her publicly declaring their relationship to everyone!
Thank goodness the King was still in Avalon…
If she found out about this, she'd probably explode on the spot, wouldn't she?
Gareth secretly felt relieved just thinking about it.
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Radiant Tower.
As the endless light faded, the gray-haired girl slowly opened her eyes, as if waking from a long slumber.
In her hand, she tightly gripped the Holy Lance—the symbol of power and glory.
"Did I… really succeed?"
Seeing the Holy Lance in her hand, the girl's eyes flickered with a hint of disbelief.
It felt… unreal.
The Spear That Shines at the End of the World, King Arthur's weapon…
She had actually pulled it out?
"I told you already—so long as I'm with you, you'd definitely be able to wield the Holy Lance."
A strange chuckle echoed from within the lance.
"Normally, when one takes hold of the Holy Lance, the goddess residing within should begin to erode your spirit. But with me here, you won't have to worry about that."
"That said, your magical circuits are way too weak. You won't be able to draw out the full power of the lance anyway. Modern mages really are pathetic—kekekeke…"
Gray ignored Add's remarks.
She suddenly remembered something and instinctively turned around.
Alvin, dressed in a black robe, was standing quietly behind her, looking at her with a look of genuine satisfaction.
He's okay…
Gray secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Alvin walked forward, his eyes glancing over the Holy Lance in her hand, then smiled.
"Looks like it went well."
It almost felt like a heroine-raising game.
Just seeing her power up gave Alvin a kind of harvest-like joy.
"…Thank you." Gray said softly.
"If you really want to thank me, just treat me to a few meals after we get back," Alvin said with a grin. *And… help me keep what happened earlier a secret."
Gray instinctively raised her head to look at him.
The moment their eyes met, she quietly lowered her gaze again, a faint blush spreading across her face.
"…Okay."
Her voice was so soft it was nearly inaudible, but it was exactly that kind of bashful timidity that made it all the more charming.
Still, Alvin didn't take things any further, especially since someone else was present.
He turned toward the blonde-haired girl behind him and opened his mouth.
"Manaka Sajyou," she said with a smile.
"What are your plans now, Miss Sajyou?" Alvin asked. "Still going to look for Merlin?"
The latter shook her head.
"I've lost interest in him. After all, I've just witnessed something far more interesting."
As she spoke the last words, her gaze, carrying a faint, subtle smile—landed softly on him.
Gray took in the entire scene and couldn't help but gently furrow her brows.
For some reason, the tone and look in Manaka Sajyou's eyes at this moment gave her an inexplicable sense of discomfort.
"Since that's the case, will you be coming to the upcoming banquet?" Alvin took the initiative to ask.
This banquet would be held in the royal palace—and might very well be the grandest one in history.
Even though Manaka was a solitary figure, her unique status meant that her presence would significantly raise the banquet's prestige.
Manaka lightly touched a finger to her lips and tilted her head.
"To be honest, I'm not very interested in events like that… Will you be attending?"
"Of course. But whether or not you'll find me there is another question." Alvin smiled.
"A game of hide and seek, huh? Now that actually sounds kind of fun. If Britain is willing, I might just stop by to take a look."
Manaka's lips curled into a graceful smile.
After a few more casual exchanges, the three of them began descending the staircase within Radiant Tower.
Just then, Alvin suddenly heard a ding in his mind.
His personal interface had responded again… Could it be another new trait unlocked?
With that thought in his mind, he opened his status screen, and his gaze was immediately drawn to a newly appeared entry:
[Phantom of the Holy Lance A++]
After absorbing the magic of the Holy Lance, you've gained partial control over its authority. If you later complete a Round Table meeting, you may receive an unexpected reward…
Alvin's eyes passed over this newly acquired trait, but before he could fully process its meaning, another entry drew his attention.
It was a trait he already possessed, but now it was glowing with a deep, inky black light:
[Reversal · White Moonlight EX (Britain Limited)]
Affection has reached the limit and overflowed. From this point on… unexpected surprises may occur.
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