Holy Lance of Light

Amidst the chaos and despair, Arkhan took a step forward.

*Boom!*

In the moment when the Black Dragon Body was fully unleashed, a colossal pillar of light shot up into the sky, and the dense, almost tangible, magical energy formed radiant particles surrounding him.

*Swoosh!*

The true ether churned, and the surging waves of magical energy spread in all directions like a tempest.

Everyone involuntarily took a step back. Artoria, Lancelot, and Kay, who had hurried from a distance, also halted in their tracks.

Even the distant mountain giants seemed to sense something. Their advancing steps came to a sudden halt, and the chimeras lowered their bodies, their three heads emitting uneasy roars simultaneously.

As if treading on invisible stairs, Arkhan walked step by step above the void, pure light radiating around him, resembling a newly risen sun.

In every corner of Lucanmont, all eyes were lifted, fixated on the figure enveloped by the pure light, leaving no room for anything else in their gaze.

Arkhan gazed calmly into the distance, his black hair dancing in the wild winds of magical energy. At that moment, he seemed to become the center of the world.

*ROARRR!*

The mountain giants and chimeras roared uneasily, an unprecedented sense of crisis filling their hearts. An instinctive alarm rang within them. If this continued, they might truly perish!

*Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!*

Countless boulders and fireballs hurtled toward Arkhan.

Arkhan calmly drew Caliburn at his waist and swung it casually.

*Swish!*

The entire world seemed to quiet in an instant, leaving only the resounding, crystal-clear clang of the sword. The approaching boulders and fireballs were as though sliced apart by invisible blades, instantly disintegrating.

"So powerful..." Lancelot murmured.

The radiant glow gradually dissipated from the sword. Black and white light, almost tangible, converged in Arkhan's hand, forming a colossal lance in the blink of an eye.

Arkhan gently closed his eyes. His low chant, like the final act's curtain call, echoed through the vast expanse of the world:

"I am the darkness that consumes all, I am the light that nurtures all."

"I existed before the dawn of creation and will remain after the annihilation."

*Buzz—!*

The pattern of the lance gradually lit up, and the Abyss Flower suddenly emitted a very dazzling pure white light, akin to a lance of holy light!

Arkhan abruptly opened his eyes, and his black pupils were entirely engulfed by the sacred white light.

"Abyss Flower, First Power - Banish Bloom!"

The lance of light left his hand, expanding dozens of times in an instant. The blinding radiance blossomed entirely, swallowing up the remnants of darkness and rendering the entire world immaculate in pure white.

This was the light of creation, bestowing hope upon allies.

This was the light of destruction, bringing ruin to enemies.

No matter how many years passed, the people of Lucanmont will never forget this scene.

That day, the king stood high above the sky, like a god surveying the land, wielding the holy lance to deliver the final punishment to the monsters lost to history!

The holy lance of light struck the mountain giants and the chimeras, causing the entire world to freeze in an instant, as though someone had pressed the pause button.

Then—

*BOOOOOMMM—!!!*

A deafening eruption of sound, like a mountain shaking and the heavens roaring akin to a nuclear explosion, shook the earth itself. Everyone had to crouch down, hands covering their ears.

A vast wave of magical energy swept over the city, and the pink petals that had been swirling above the city walls seemed to be manipulated by invisible hands, forming an enormous shield of petals to block the onslaught of this magical tsunami.

After what felt like an eternity, the radiance gradually receded, the noise fading away. People began to stand and gaze into the distance.

They widened their eyes and some had their mouth agape.

The first thing that caught their eyes was a massive mushroom cloud.

The shockwave was so powerful that it scattered the clouds for miles around, and in the midst of day and night, there was the rising sun on one side and the hazy starry sky on the other, clearly demarcated.

Where the mountain giants and the chimeras had been, there was now nothing but a giant crater, more than a hundred meters in radius, its dark abyss resembling a gateway to hell, devouring all signs of life.

"The-They're all... dead?" 

Benedict and Bedivere's expressions were completely overtaken by shock. Their eyes widened and their hearts trembled.

Those were phantasmal species that surpassed even the wyverns, capable of easily conquering smaller nations with their full power. Yet, at this moment, with just a single move, all those creatures that had once filled them with despair perished to nothingness!

Not even a trace of their bodies remained.

Recalling the sun-obscuring holy lance of light, Benedict couldn't help but look at the majestic figure in the sky with a deep sense of reverence in his eyes.

In retrospect, it was almost laughable. He had actually thought that the new king had come to ask for his troops. With such immense power, the new king alone could easily rival tens of thousands of soldiers!

How could the meager forces of Ganna hope to contend with this new king?

Such incredible strength, combined with his remarkable strategies and wisdom, made him almost flawless as a ruler. With a king like him, the conquest of the Vile King and the expulsion of external enemies were not unimaginable!

Furthermore, a bold idea began to take shape in Benedict's mind.

Maybe, just maybe, they could really... unite Britain!

His heart was pounding as it had never done before, and the seed of ambition silently sprouted within him. Benedict was determined to hold tightly to this new king's coattails from this day forward!

He couldn't afford to let go!

The House of Lucan had waited fifteen long years for this opportunity, and to let it slip through their fingers would be an unforgivable sin.

Benedict was now certain that unless the new king himself refused, he would definitely ascend to the throne and become the true king!

As for those who might attempt to obstruct the new king's path, Benedict could only offer them his deepest sympathy.

But these were things he couldn't reveal to others. In fact, Benedict almost wished for more of such fools, the more the better; that way, the House of Lucan's standing in the new king's eyes would only rise.

Benedict's heart was surging, and Bedivere's feelings were no less turbulent.

Bedivere wasn't someone who coveted power, so he had never thought of vying for the title of Duke with his brother and had readily given up the heir's position to him.

Bedivere had always held himself to the standards of a knight and yearned to serve a ruler who could bring hope to the country.

However, it had been fifteen long years since this country had a king.

But, when he witnessed the blinding white radiance earlier, Bedivere suddenly realized.

His wish might finally have a chance of coming true.