EXCALIBUR!

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Artoria's heart suddenly trembled and skipped a beat, her eyes showing an uncontrollable joy.

In the mental world, a crimson feather appeared out of nowhere, and a male figure formed from the gathering flames.

Silver armor, a white cape, and those distinctive black eyes and hair—it was none other than Arkhan, who had already been banished to another dimension.

"How is this possible? Weren't you already banished? How could you appear here?!"

Gaia's voice, rarely, showed some fluctuations, revealing obvious signs of nervousness.

'Gaia... seems to be afraid of Teacher?' Artoria suddenly thought with surprise.

"Ah, yeah, I was indeed banished, but that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with me showing up here." Arkhan smiled calmly.

"..."

"But that doesn't matter. Let's get back to the point." Arkhan crossed his arms. "Gotta admit, Gaia, your psychological tactics are quite clever. Even my precious student almost fell for your damn tricks."

"...I don't understand what you mean."

"Tch, no point in playing dumb now."

Arkhan shook his head while his expression showed disdain.

"First, show support, make the target feel hopeless, then seize the opportunity to lay down conditions to achieve your real goal, truly a human-like tactic. You, a Counter Force, are willing to play at this level, huh? Seems like you've been observing humans quite a bit over these years?"

"I don't understand what you mean. No matter what, I have only one condition—Artoria must agree to be my guardian, or I won't lay a finger on Crimson Moon."

Gaia's voice regained its previous calmness.

"Stop acting tough, Gaia." Arkhan's eyes squinted slightly. "Are you, someone so afraid of death, really willing to take the risk of letting Crimson Moon unleash her Moon Fall? Can you even stop Crimson Moon from devouring you if you get weakened?"

"Crimson Moon is like family to me; she won't harm me. Besides, even if she did, I have no regrets. Rather than being destroyed by humanity in the future, I'd rather entrust this planet to another planet's will."

"If you've made such a determined decision, why sit back and let Alaya go stop Crimson Moon then?"

"..."

"What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" Arkhan sneered.

From the beginning, he was convinced that Gaia wouldn't let Crimson Moon unleash Moon Fall.

If Gaia was truly as wary of humanity as they claimed, they should have intervened from the start, stopping Alaya and preventing any interference with Crimson Moon.

The fact that Gaia chose to stand by indicated that they didn't want to let Crimson Moon do as she pleased either.

It was this vulnerability that allowed Arkhan to glimpse Gaia's cowardice. In this psychological game, the side that shows weakness first is destined to fail.

So, regardless of Gaia's threats, Arkhan remained unconcerned. Because he knew he was standing on unbeatable ground from the beginning.

After a prolonged silence, Gaia finally sighed.

"You win, King of Men."

With these words, the will of the planet disappeared.

Arkhan sighed with relief and turned to Artoria.

"Okay, Lily, you can fully liberate Excalibur now."

Artoria nodded, hesitated for a moment, and couldn't help but ask, "Teacher, does that mean you haven't been banished?"

Under her expectant yet anxious gaze, Arkhan fell silent for a moment, then sighed with resignation.

"Sorry, Lily, I don't want to deceive you. I am indeed banished. What's standing here right now is just a strand of my consciousness."

When he first heard the news of the Northern army's surprise attack on Camelot, Arkhan had suspected whether it was a trap set by the enemy. Given Vortigern's ruthlessness, deploying fifty thousand soldiers to set a trap was not beyond imagination.

Now that Vortigern had become 'The God of the End' after devouring Nidhogg's power, completely lost all of his humanity. He also held the Holy Grail, the infamous relic of the Nasuverse, so Arkhan couldn't take any chances.

Adhering to the cautious belief of 'better safe than sorry', before setting off, Arkhan activated the Zeroth Power of Fenghuang Down, binding a strand of his consciousness to Artoria, just in case.

Because he wanted to assess her capabilities in his absence, he didn't reveal his presence, merely hiding within the depths of her consciousness, silently observing.

It was only because she almost fell for Gaia's deception this time that he had to step forward.

After hearing Arkhan's explanation, Artoria looked ashamed.

"I'm sorry, Teacher. I disappointed you..."

"No, you've done well, Lily. There's no perfect being in this world. A small mistake doesn't mean much. What matters more is your perseverance, your efforts, and your sense of responsibility. These excellent qualities show me your potential as a king, and that's what satisfies me the most." Arkhan said with a smile.

Arkhan's praise made Artoria's heart swell with joy as if it were flowing with milk and honey, uncontrollably filled with delight.

"Okay, go do what you need to do. Don't worry too much about me. That place can't hold me for long; I'll be out and return soon." Arkhan chuckled.

"Understood!"

Artoria nodded, and her form in the mental world gradually faded away.

===

Artoria slowly opened her eyes, lifting her gaze toward the massive moon above. It had nearly solidified, though not yet fully descended, its immense volume and massive mass already causing evident ecological disruptions.

But everything shall stop here.

In the howling winds, Artoria raised Excalibur high, a solemn voice echoing through the vast expanse.

"Seal Thirteen──Decision Start!"

"——!"

"——!"

"This is a battle against the enemy stronger than oneself!"

"This is a battle to defend human order!"

"This is a battle for survival!"

"This is a battle for humanity!"

"This is a battle against evil!"

"This is a battle to save the world!"

*Hum—!!!*

Unparalleled magical energy surged from Excalibur, the radiant golden sword extending over ten meters in an instant, unleashing a terrifying aura that shook the entire world!

This was the fully liberated form of Excalibur against external threats!

Such a colossal disturbance naturally caught the attention of Crimson Moon. She stared at the holy sword, sensing the intense threat it conveyed, a strong expression of fear appearing in her golden eyes.

"No... wait... Gaia... I was wrong, I'll stop right away—"

However, before she could finish, Artoria's voice suppressed her.

"EX... CALIBUUUR—!!!"

*WHOOOSH—!!!*

*BOOOOOM—!!!*

A dazzling, infinite golden light beam emanated from the sword, instantly covering Crimson Moon and surging from the Earth's surface toward the vast galaxy.

"Damn it..." Crimson Moon's eyes were filled with reluctance as her body gradually dissipated.

Artoria let out a long breath, Excalibur in her hand gradually returning to normal.

"Only Vortigern remains..." Artoria muttered softly. Turning around, she mounted Dun Stallion, ready to join forces with the army.

However...

*ROAAARRR—!!!*

A resounding dragon's roar suddenly echoed from afar, resonating through the heavens and earth.

As a massive shadow cast over the land, Artoria instinctively looked up.

In the distant sky, a gigantic white dragon, resembling a mountain, hovered in the void. Its icy scales reflected dazzling light, and its lantern-like golden dragon eyes focused on her.

Feeling the overwhelming pressure descending, her breath caught.

"Vortigern?!"