"Huh? Why did Merlin kill himself?"
Artoria, nicknamed Saberface, spoke with clear frustration. They hadn't yet finished venting their anger.
Merlin, that useless incubus, was the perfect punching bag.
Yet who would have thought he'd run away so quickly—or rather, commit suicide so decisively?
"He gave you all a chance to beat him one by one. Isn't that generous enough?"
Although Aslan didn't want to defend Merlin, truthfully speaking, Merlin had been quite the man just now.
He endured such brutal beating without uttering a single word and even allowed every version of Artoria to use him as a punching bag for a while.
None of the Artorias held back in the slightest.
But when the second round began, he immediately took his own life.
"Fine."
Artoria still felt a bit regretful, but Merlin had let them each vent their anger individually.
This time, she'd let Merlin go—for now. Next time, they'd beat him up again.
After pummeling Merlin, their moods had improved significantly.
"But Master, this Angra Mainyu—will you finish her off, or should I?"
Artoria glanced toward the two Beasts pretending to fight joyfully.
More precisely, Draco and Angra Mainyu were merely moving symbolically, pretending to be locked in battle.
"Let me handle it. After all, your Holy Sword isn't strong enough—even the Holy Lance couldn't budge them."
Aslan said casually.
After all, they were both Beasts. Although Draco wasn't particularly strong right now, the other Angra Mainyu's essence truly was a Five-Digit Last Trial of Mankind.
This power far exceeded the reach of Excalibur and Rhongomyniad.
Only the Star Holy Sword could unleash enough force to push Angra Mainyu completely out of the world.
Of course, another reason Aslan volunteered was because he also planned to visit the Root.
"Only the Star Holy Sword can fully expel her from the world."
As he spoke, the blade in Aslan's hand began to transform. An illusion appeared upon it.
It was the second scabbard concealing the sacred blade: Thirteen Restraints.
The Sacred Sword could only be released when numerous noble ideals and missions were fulfilled. For full release, at least seven oaths were required; for maximum power, all restraints had to be lifted simultaneously.
Aslan stepped forward, pointing the Holy Sword at Angra Mainyu, and spoke solemnly:
"Round Table Conference—commence!"
Thus, the Knights of the Round Table, led by Merlin and Lancelot, began to advance.
"Must not oppose fairies—accepted!"
"Must fight to survive—accepted!"
"Must fight stronger opponents—rejected!"
"Must not fight one-against-many battles—accepted!"
"Must not oppose humanity—accepted!"
"Must fight in search of truth—accepted!"
"Must fight against evil—accepted!"
"Must not fight for personal desire—accepted!"
"Must fight for honor—accepted!"
"Must fight against brave warriors—rejected!"
"Must not oppose good people—accepted!"
"Must not oppose women and children—accepted!"
Twelve knights recited their restrictions one by one, then declared their responses.
The release conditions reached eleven—surpassing the standard for full release.
At that moment, the blade, originally silvery-white, transformed entirely into a thick, golden sword.
Countless amounts of energy gathered within the blade. Though Aslan emitted no energy himself, as the Star Holy Sword, the planet itself supplied the power.
Light converged on the blade, becoming so dense it turned liquid. The air trembled as light accumulated.
Aslan raised the sword above his shoulder.
"Excalibur!"
A massive pillar of light shot straight toward Draco and Angra Mainyu, pushing them toward the opening leading to the outside world—the gate opened by the Greater Grail.
The attack's power seemed to already meet the highest standards of Five-Digit strength.
But this was only eleven restraints. If all were released, it could truly reach Four-Digit levels.
This Star Holy Sword was immensely powerful.
It was estimated that anyone wielding this Sacred Sword and swearing loyalty to Queen Halloween would receive countless Gifts. It would even be sufficient to easily train an ordinary person up to Four-Digit level.
Aslan's instincts told him that once this Sacred Sword arrived in Little Garden, it would immediately be granted a Spirit Status beyond imagination.
At minimum, it would rank just below True Treasure.
After all, there was no such thing as a Star Holy Sword in Little Garden. This was truly unprecedented.
Moreover, this Sacred Sword harmonized perfectly with Avalon, potentially forming the foundation of a True Treasure passed down from Avalon.
It was a True Treasure ranking just below Another Cosmology and Sun Authority.
Hopefully, this sword could be exchanged for information on how to complete his True Spark with Queen Halloween.
Bringing his thoughts back, Aslan carefully protected the two Beasts, ensuring Draco wouldn't be accidentally killed.
Step by step, he pushed them out of the world—and then crossed through the gate to the outer side himself.
"So, where exactly is the Root?"
After throwing Draco back and expelling Angra Mainyu, Aslan stood in the void, scratching his head in confusion.
At that moment, he felt a pull—apparently originating from the Throne of Heroes.
After all, having consumed Arthur Proto, he had also absorbed the Grand Servant residing within the Throne of Heroes.
The seat meant for Arthur Proto in the Throne of Heroes was now vacant.
So now, was he supposed to go there and sit upon his own throne?
"What a coincidence, isn't it?"
"I haven't forgotten I still need to visit the Counter Forces to settle things."
A cruel smile appeared on Aslan's lips. "Gaia, Alaya—I'm coming for you."
While searching for directions to the Root within the Throne of Heroes,
Aslan followed this pulling force, heading toward a place beyond the world—beyond time and space.
Not long after, he arrived at the Throne of Heroes.
Unlike the other Heroic Spirits sleeping in their seats, Aslan remained fully conscious.
He even strolled around inside the Throne of Heroes.
He genuinely considered taking all these Heroic Spirits home. But after thinking it over, he abandoned the idea.
Most importantly, many of these Heroic Spirits already had counterparts alive in Little Garden.
If he took them, wouldn't that be like handing Noble Phantasms to others for free?
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
"Gaia-chan, did you hear that?"
In a pure white hall somewhere unknown, two little girls—one black, one white—hugged each other tightly, trembling.
"The Throne of Heroes… has been haunted."
Alaya whispered with a shaking, terrified voice. She clutched Gaia even tighter.