Chapter 91: The Divine Salvation Blade
Lancelot walked closer, looking at the large white sword thrust into the center of the small island. The blade was covered in rust, having lost its former brilliance.
"It seems you, too, have sensed the existence of one far more powerful than the Demon Kings of the past..."
Following Lancelot's words, the rusted blade of the 「Salvation Dungeon Blade」 began to vibrate. Suddenly, in the distant world below, the winds surged and thunder rolled. From this satellite orbit, even the sea of clouds was merely a distant object in the lower realm.
"In the world today, several 'Godslayers (Campione)' have been born. There is the old Demon King who is like a lone wolf, the Queen who calls herself unparalleled under heaven despite her ignorance of the world's vastness, and the witch who excels at nothing but bringing calamity to the earth. Along with four other youths, there are seven 'Godslayers (Campione)' in total, singing praises of this era as their own..."
As she whispered softly, a sphere of light suddenly appeared above Lancelot's head. The sphere was the size of a clenched fist; once it appeared, it ascended rapidly, beginning to shine like a miniature sun above the four of them.
"The ground where such 'Godslayers' gather can be called the end of days. In particular, the power of the seventh 'Godslayer' has surpassed the sum of all previous 'Godslayers'; this is truly the moment of the world's end."
The rapidly ascending sphere of light suddenly began to expand. In the blink of an eye, it grew to over a hundred meters in diameter, nearly the size of the floating island that had hidden the 「Salvation Dungeon Blade」 for a thousand years. Furthermore, this giant sphere of light suddenly began to release lightning, sparks of electricity bursting everywhere.
"To cut through the darkness of the end times, and to slay the Demon Kings who have murdered gods, we pray here for the rebirth of the sword. Oh, most revered Sword of Swords, Blade of Blades! Thou art the blade that annihilates Demon Kings. Thou art the white light of salvation. Thou art he who was born to slay all Rakshasas!"
Lancelot proclaimed loudly, her honey-colored, waist-length hair fluttering in the wind. Simultaneously, the lightning released by the sphere grew more turbulent, eventually converging into a massive bolt of thunder that struck down violently toward the 「Salvation Dungeon Blade」 at the center of the island.
Rumble—!
After the first strike, the thunder from the light sphere continued.
Rumble—!!
Lightning and thunder repeated hundreds of times; the light and energy were entirely absorbed by the 「Salvation Dungeon Blade」. It did not fly off from the impact; rather, it remained perfectly motionless. Facing this 「Salvation Dungeon Blade」, which was so composed it was almost irritating, Lancelot gave her final call.
"O Holy King who manifests at the end of the world, descend here now!"
This was both a prayer and a request, as well as a Word of Power imbued with strength. The lightning and thunder finally ceased, and the 「Salvation Dungeon Blade」 regained its radiance. Having weathered a thousand years, the large sword that was originally rusted began to emit a dazzling white-gold light, shining with a sacred and brilliant glow.
Upon seeing this light, Lancelot's gaze turned somewhat dazed. She murmured with emotion:
"My King... 'King of the End'... Though I would not think it so, have you forgotten my face..."
"Of course not."
A voice suddenly rang out. Hearing it, Lancelot's eyes instantly lit up. She hurriedly turned her gaze toward the 「Salvation Dungeon Blade」, only to see a slender youth standing there. He possessed a handsome face capable of making young girls scream; he was lean, dressed in a simple blue trench coat and trousers, with a white overcoat draped over him like a cape.
From his attire and appearance, absolutely no one would believe this handsome youth was the 'King of the End' entrusted with the mission to slay Demon Kings; they would only think he was a frail, noble young master.
"My King!"
Seeing the man's appearance, Guinevere, who had remained silent, stepped forward with excitement and knelt to pay her respects.
The gaze of the pure white hero revealed a sense of fatigue from beginning to end, as if his long slumber had not provided him even a shred of recovery. With a complex gaze, he first looked down at the city beneath the floating island. Rows of skyscrapers stood in orderly lines; the people walking on the streets were as small as ants, seemingly submerged in this forest of steel.
Withdrawing his gaze, the pale hero, the 'King of the End' Rama, raised his right hand. Slowly, as if touching something he detested, he gripped the hilt of the 「Salvation Dungeon Blade」. As he slowly felt the hilt, memories of past battles with countless 'Godslayers' replayed rapidly in his mind like a slideshow.
Next, Rama looked at Lancelot.
"Knight of the Spear... to think there would be a day of reunion with you... Fate is truly unpredictable."
Hearing Rama's address, Lancelot's honey-colored hair drifted in the wind, and a nostalgic expression appeared on her face.
"That is a name I haven't heard in a long time. I am now named Lancelot du Lac."
"Is that so... You have finally obtained a new name as well." A refreshing smile appeared on Rama's weary, handsome face. In that instant, his rust-like expression vanished, replaced by the temperament and graceful attitude found only in those born of high nobility. This was his way of showing joy for the strange bond he shared with Lancelot.
However, the momentary transformation ended quickly. The 'King of the End' Rama withdrew his smile. At the same time, everyone present noticed something was wrong.
The island beneath their feet was vibrating.
Rumble!
It wasn't a single jolt, but a continuous shaking. Naturally, an island floating in satellite orbit could not experience an earthquake. The 'King of the End' Rama realized it immediately.
"Is this... falling?"
Someone had summoned the floating island toward the ground, causing the entire island to shake violently. Although it fell toward the earth like a meteor, the floating island was certainly not a meteorite. Furthermore, the cause of this fall was the authority of Pallas Athena, who had reclaimed her divinity as a Mother Earth Goddess.
She possessed the power to pull all things back to the earth—manipulating gravity to pull the 'King of the End' along with the entire floating island back toward the sea. Specifically, the waters surrounding Japan.
The floating island finally crashed into a position only 30 nautical miles away from Japan. It was fortunate enough that the impact and explosion typical of a real meteor crash did not occur. In reality, this was because the Goddess Athena, who possessed love for the earth, was using her authority to protect the forests.
While the mountains and forests remained safe under Athena's protection, the fallen island was not so lucky. The floating island shattered from the intense impact of the fall; fragments of rock and sand were scattered everywhere.
However, the 'King of the End' Rama did not meet the same fate as the island; after all, he was no mortal. When he was still two or three hundred meters from the ground, he simply leaped from the island into mid-air. Though he had no wings nor an authority for flight, this pure white hero possessed many methods learned through breaking through past hardships.
"O Ye who float throughout heaven and earth, please lend me your strength!"
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