The transformation descended upon me like divine tempest made manifest.
My body dissolved and reformed in cascading waves of starlight, reshaping itself into something beyond mortal comprehension—a perfect fusion of Artoria's crystalline grace and Morgan's shadowed majesty. Power erupted through my veins like molten starfire: raw, primordial magic that commanded sky and storm with equal authority. I felt Rhongomyniad awakening within the deepest chambers of my soul—the sacred Lance that pierces the boundary between worlds, the pillar that anchors reality itself.
Then Avalon bloomed inside me.
The sensation was overwhelming—an entire realm of eternal spring and twilight unfolding within my consciousness, its ethereal radiance threatening to blind my newly forged senses. I gasped, steadying myself against the torrential influx of divine knowledge, ancient memories that were mine and yet not mine flowing like rivers into the ocean of my being.
Then I noticed something unexpected cradled in my transformed hands, pulsing with warm golden light—the Holy Grail itself!
**ROB:** "Well now," his voice rippled through the void with evident amusement, "how does it feel, bearing such magnificent power? And what do you think of my little bonus gift?"
I looked up sharply, still trembling from the metamorphosis.
**ROB:** "You see, descending from Tenkai to Gekai requires sealing away your full divinity—otherwise you'd shatter the world's dimensional barriers just by existing there. So I've added the Grail as a converter: it will transform twenty percent of your unsealed divine power into pure, impossibly dense magical energy. The remaining sealed portion will flow directly into your dungeon, nurturing it, strengthening it as you grow stronger."
I drew a steadying breath, feeling the cosmic currents settling into something almost manageable within my new form. "I... I had forgotten about the sealing requirement," I admitted, my voice still adjusting to its new timbre—simultaneously regal and hauntingly ethereal. "May I ask one more favor before I depart?"
ROB's expression shifted to one of genuine curiosity. "Oh? And what might that be?"
**Me:** "I need *time* here—outside the normal flow of causality. I want to enter Avalon fully and properly integrate with these powers before I set foot in Orario." My hands clenched with determination. "When danger inevitably comes, I need to know *exactly* what to draw upon—which abilities, which incantations, which aspects of power. I cannot afford to fumble through unfamiliar magecraft in moments of crisis, cannot hesitate when children's lives hang in the balance."
I met his timeless gaze without flinching. "I don't want to be merely a soul wearing their legendary skins, wielding borrowed power like an amateur grasping a master's blade. I want to *become* Aestoria Pendragon in truth—to carry the wisdom, experience, and muscle memory that such a fusion should rightfully possess. When I speak as the Lance that Shines at the World's End, I want every god in Orario to *feel* the weight of that authority."
A slow smile spread across ROB's features—the first genuinely pleased expression I'd seen from him.
**ROB:** "Now *that*... that is exceptional planning. Most leap at power without considering the discipline required to master it. Very well—your request is granted with my full blessing. Time here means nothing; train for as long as your spirit requires. When you feel ready—when you've truly become the protector you've envisioned—simply focus your will and call out. I'll open the portal to the Danmachi realm personally."
**Me:** "Thank you." I bowed deeply, the gesture feeling both natural and ancient, as if my body already knew the proper forms of royal courtesy. "That's all I needed. Your generosity won't be forgotten."
**ROB:** "Then I wish you good fortune on your journey, Aestoria Pendragon. May you become everything you've dreamed—and everything those children will desperately need."
With those parting words, his form shimmered and dissolved like morning mist touched by sunlight, leaving me alone in the infinite void.
I took a deep, centering breath—feeling Avalon's presence pulsing just beyond the veil of consciousness, waiting, welcoming. The misty boundaries of that eternal realm began materializing around me, responding to my will as naturally as breathing.
Without hesitation, I stepped forward into the sacred twilight of Avalon, ready to begin the most crucial training of my existence. Here, in this timeless sanctuary, I would master every facet of the skills, magecraft, and divine powers that would define not just my survival, but my ability to protect every precious soul that would come to call me guardian.
The subsequent time in Avalon would not be measured in days or years, but in the absolute completeness of my transformation—from a broken soul given a second chance, to a goddess-knight worthy of the title: **Aestoria, the Lance that Guards All Children.**