"Zheng----!"
The intense light surged out like a tidal wave, enveloping every corner of the surrounding space, dazzling beyond measure. As everyone gazed upon the Adventurer holding the Holy Sword, bathed in its sacred radiance, for that one instant, all were left speechless, overwhelmed with awe.
Fang Li, however, paid it no mind. With his back to Iris, under her watchful eyes, he calmly stepped forward, making his way to Mitsurugi Kyouya.
"......"
By this point, Mitsurugi Kyouya could no longer deny it; he had been far too arrogant.
The man standing before him was not someone who simply stole credit and sought fame.
To be recognized by the Holy Sword, to have even that blinding light respond to him, if such a person were merely a fame-seeker, then there would be no such thing as a "Hero" in this world.
Mitsurugi Kyouya was wrong. So were all the other Hero Candidates surrounding them. This wasn't a matter of whether or not they believed, it was a reality staring them in the face. Fang Li had used the most direct way to show them all just how meaningless Kyouya's accusations truly were.
At this point, defending himself was futile.
Even admitting fault had become irrelevant. At this moment, there was only one thing Mitsurugi Kyouya could do: Take responsibility for his actions.
And so, Kyouya took a deep breath, then silently drew the Demon Sword from his waist.
A dark and turbulent aura radiated from the Demon Sword like ripples, snapping everyone else back to their senses.
The Hero Candidate, who once intended to go easy and not even draw his sword, was now forced to fight seriously.
No one laughed at him. No one mocked him.
Because against that Holy Sword, shining with endless light, only the Demon Sword stood even the slightest chance of resistance.
But Fang Li, wasn't even planning to allow resistance.
"After all, tonight is a celebration banquet, not a battle tournament." Fang Li's voice rang out crystal clear for all to hear. "So let's end this quickly."
With that, Fang Li raised the Holy Sword and closed his eyes.
"Vmmmm-----!"
Blinding light once again burst forth from the blade, and like a flowing current, gathered and condensed, making the sword shine even brighter.
"Crackle… rattle…"
Electric-like pulses began flickering around Fang Li's body. All around him, brilliant motes of light materialized from thin air, continuously converging on the sword's blade, making the Holy Sword dazzle ever brighter.
"-----!"
Mitsurugi Kyouya, sensing something was wrong, turned pale. Without hesitation, he launched himself at Fang Li.
However, Fang Li stood motionless, eyes still closed, holding up the Holy Sword as it drew in all the surrounding light.
Once, Iris had used the Holy Sword to unleash a slash that could ignore distance and even destroy priceless magic gates in a single strike.
But that wasn't the true power of the Holy Sword, just a sliver of its potential.
After receiving the sword's recognition, Fang Li had realized the truth:
The Holy Sword's real power wasn't just a mighty slash. It was light, a light so pure and divine, it could obliterate even the strongest evil.
"Sacred Explode!"
As Fang Li intoned the technique's name like a sacred chant, a holy light capable of erasing all evil erupted from the Holy Sword in its truest form.
The light gathered at the sword's tip became a pillar of divine energy, soaring through the entire hall,
--piercing the ceiling, the air, the distance itself,
--until it blasted through the sky.
In that moment, everyone in the Royal Capital saw a massive pillar of light rise from the Royal Castle. By the time that pillar gradually faded and disappeared from the world, no one knew how much time had passed.
Perhaps even the Demon King's army, stationed at the kingdom's borders, had witnessed that ray of light.
What kind of uproar it might cause, no one could say.
But one thing was certain to anyone who saw it: That light, could drive away all darkness and evil, and bring hope to the people.
Royal Castle – Celebration Banquet Hall
When the searing, radiant light finally vanished, and all present opened their eyes, trembling in fear, the scene that met their gaze left them utterly speechless.
"Ha… ha…"
There knelt Mitsurugi Kyouya, on one knee, using his Demon Sword to support himself.
His armor was shattered and torn, his skin looked as if it had been scorched, steaming with heat. Sweat drenched his entire body as he gasped desperately for breath.
Yet, the banquet hall remained intact. No one present had been harmed or caught in the blast of power.
It was as if that holy light had been completely absorbed by Mitsurugi Kyouya alone.
And Fang Li, still holding the Holy Sword, stood there, not even clear when he had walked up in front of Mitsurugi.
"Though I held back the power, the fact that you endured it means the Demon Sword hasn't lost its reputation."
Fang Li looked down at Kyouya, kneeling before him, and smirked slightly.
"Still, this counts as my win, doesn't it?"
After all, in order to withstand the Holy Sword's power, Mitsurugi Kyouya had exhausted the Demon Sword's strength, and suffered heavy depletion himself.
Fang Li, by contrast, remained completely composed and unscathed.
"It's not a power I can casually use again… but if you still want to fight, I don't mind going one more round."
Fang Li said calmly.
"Only, next time it won't be the Holy Sword's power. I'll fight you myself."
Surely, in that instant, all the Adventurers with Enemy Detection Skills had already realized it,
They had felt, from their skills, just how intense and terrifying the reaction from Fang Li was.
Even Mitsurugi Kyouya understood: This man before him… was not someone he could ever hope to rival.
Kyouya let out a bitter laugh.
"I lost…"
That single sentence put an end to the doubts of every noble present, and crushed the pride in the hearts of all the Hero Candidates.
"Pa…"
A crisp sound echoed from somewhere in the hall.
Applause.
"Pa pa pa, PA!"
The next second, thunderous applause erupted, filling the banquet hall like a wave, reaching every ear.
Only, this time, there was no mockery or politeness behind it. Only genuine admiration. Even Kazuma, Aqua, Megumin, Darkness, Claire, and Rain all began clapping unknowingly, their faces filled with excitement and joy.
Basked in such applause, Fang Li turned his head toward Iris.
There, Iris too was clapping, her eyes filled with admiration and deep respect.
And then, as if reaching a decision, Iris slowly stood up.
The applause instantly stopped.
All eyes turned toward her.
Under the weight of everyone's gaze, Iris's charming face turned bright red, but her voice was firm.
"I have an announcement to make."
Just like that, Iris made a declaration that shook the entire kingdom.
"From today onward, adventurer Fang Li shall be… my fiancé."
All sound ceased in that moment.
What remained were only frozen expressions, and pairs of wide, bulging eyes.
Even Fang Li,
"WHAT------?!"
That shout, louder than anything so far tonight, echoed across the sky.
(End Of This Chapter)
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