"Here, I declare to my King!"
"Is this a battle to save the world?"
To protect Great Nature, to safeguard this world, facing one who seeks its destruction... this is salvation!
"Is it a battle against one stronger than myself?"
Frey's magicules far surpassed Artoria's, nearly three times greater.
"Is it a one-on-one, fair duel?"
Though aided by the Snow Empress initially, in the hour-long duel, Artoria, having forsaken her scabbard, achieved fairness with Frey.
"Does this battle defy humanity?"
Undoubtedly, protecting the people and the weak aligns with humanism.
"Is this battle fought in pursuit of truth?"
Artoria hid nothing from Frey, revealing all her abilities except the Sword of Promised Victory.
"Am I fighting against my kin?"
Originally, the restraint barred fighting fae, but the world's rules had shifted.
In Nasuverse, the Sword of Promised Victory was a fae-forged savior's Noble Phantasm.
In the cardinal world, fairies were unrelated to that sword.
Thus, the restraint became "not to fight kin."
Here, kin referred to Damien, his subordinates, and those he named.
Majins named by Damien would never betray him.
The holy sword must not be wielded against allies.
"Must fight evil!"
"Must fight alongside a hero!"
"Must be a battle for honor!"
Given Frey's provocative figure, Artoria unilaterally declared her utterly evil!
As for a hero, the Snow Empress was the perfect comrade.
And honor?
As Damien's guardian knight, what could be more honorable than fighting for her lord?
"Not to fight for selfish desires!"
"Not to oppose the righteous!"
Artoria bore no hatred for Frey; they had no personal grudges.
Good and evil were relative.
With no absolute evil or good, as long as Artoria's purpose kept her heart clear, her actions were just!
Crack, crack, crack!!
With each restraint recited, the holy sword's power was unleashed further.
"And finally, here!"
Artoria closed her eyes devoutly. "I beseech you, may I strike?"
"You may!"
Damien's voice echoed softly.
That single word completed the final piece for Artoria to unleash the Sword of Promised Victory.
Golden light surged skyward, nearly dyeing the entire world gold.
It was the manifestation of rules, the cardinal world's blessing, and the vast domain upheld by Damien and his majins.
"So beautiful…"
Under this terrifying rule, Frey's magic was sealed, her body frozen, her thoughts barely functioning.
Unable to move, escape, counter, or resist…
In her final moment of consciousness, the Sky Queen saw only the holy sword's radiance, threatening to consume the world.
Boom!!!!
As the Reality Marble collapsed, the golden beam sprouted like a seedling, growing robustly and transforming into a towering golden tree that blotted out the sky.
That day, the entire cardinal world witnessed a magnificent sight.
The colossal golden tree pierced the atmosphere, its branches stretching into the stars, shattering the void and making planets tremble.
Yet, this power didn't harm those planets... it granted them rebirth.
Vast life force rained down like a blessing.
Countless lifeless planets began evolving toward a better future.
Those with potential for life boarded a high-speed train of civilization, gifted by fate.
"What terrifying magical fluctuations."
The closest Demon Lord to Tengu Mountain, Carrion, stood atop a peak, arms crossed, his face unprecedentedly grave. "That's… the Kusha Mountain Range, isn't it?"
"Lord Carrion, what is this?"
Two of Carrion's Three Beastketeers, Albis and Sophia, appeared behind the Lion King.
Bathed in the golden tree's glow, they felt a sacred aura, as if connected to the entire cardinal world.
The Sword of Promised Victory didn't just harness Damien and his majins' power for a cataclysmic strike.
It was Violet's dominion over the cardinal world's rules and authority.
To the unaware, the Sword of Promised Victory was like a blade of judgment from the cardinal world itself.
It was just, divine, and supreme.
Anyone judged by the Sword of Promised Victory would have their body destroyed and their spirit erased.
This was Damien's blade, Artoria's mightiest strike!
"I don't know."
The golden tree's radiance obscured all probes.
Even Carrion couldn't see clearly, and only one true Demon Lord knew what had happened.
"Albis, send someone to investigate the Kusha Mountain Range. Find out what's going on!"
"Yes, sir!"
Without hesitation, the serpent woman shared the same deep concern.
Sophia followed Albis, joining her to search for clues in the Kusha Mountain Range.
Not only the Beast Kingdom of Eurazania but also the neighboring Puppet Nation of Jistav's Demon Lord Clayman reacted.
As the Demon Lords closest to Damien's territory, Clayman rushed to his window the moment the golden tree appeared.
Unlike Carrion, who maintained regal composure amid shock, Clayman seemed utterly broken, teetering on collapse.
Crash!
His wine glass fell, shattering, his usual elegance and nobility gone.
Clayman was enveloped in sheer terror.
While Carrion and his Beastketeers felt awe and warmth under the golden tree, Clayman…
He was like a rat hiding in shadows, suddenly exposed to blinding sunlight, wracked with pain.
The Sword of Promised Victory punished all who opposed Damien.
This wasn't mere rhetoric.
Judged by the cardinal world, anyone harboring malice toward Damien would feel, upon seeing the Sword of Promised Victory, as if the Sword of Damocles hung over their head, trembling in fear.
***
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