As Saber shouted, a massive golden light erupted from her raised Excalibur.
And centered around the golden light, a huge storm arose, blowing away several gargoyles that tried to approach.
Even the black mist in the sky was pierced by this golden light, illuminating an area of hundreds of meters as bright as day.
Then, that golden light crashed down with the power to destroy everything, engulfing the Fearsome Demon King.
Boom!
Like a missile hitting the ground, the golden light exploded, and the Fearsome Demon King let out a painful, anguished scream.
"Aaaargh!"
The intense screams made the surrounding gargoyles shudder, even trembling in the air. Their attacks on the scattered survivors weakened slightly.
"Amazing! So powerful!"
"This is the strength of the King?"
This was probably far stronger than those so-called superheroes in New York.
It felt like, aside from that guy who could shoot lightning, no other superhero could release such a powerful energy attack.
Until now, the mighty Thor of Asgard is still just a mythic figure; some know him, but he is not as famous as in the original story.
At least not as famous as the electric man.
But even the electric man and Thor couldn't unleash such a powerful attack.
All the scattered soldiers and civilians who saw that golden light were collectively shocked.
A shared thought began forming in their hearts.
"Such a powerful warrior, this blonde girl with an ahoge—she will be our hero from now on."
"No—not just a hero. She will be our king. The King of all Britain!"
At least, these people had already reached that conclusion in their hearts.
The glory of Britain should be restored by King Arthur, who possessed great valor and martial strength—not some elderly man ascending the throne at age seventy.
On the other side, after releasing such a powerful move, Saber was leaning on her sword with both hands, breathing heavily, looking exhausted.
She had overestimated her body's endurance and underestimated the cost of her finisher.
As a result, after that one strike, she was drained and on the verge of losing her physical form.
Facing such a powerful opponent, she could only manage a trade-off.
"Huff!"
"Hah!"
Saber propped herself up with her sword and looked toward where the Fearsome Demon King had been.
That last strike should be enough to deal with that big guy on the other side. As long as he is dealt with, even if she faded away now, it wouldn't matter.
The remaining gargoyles and skeletal army will soon be wiped out by the Round Table Knights' attacks.
This crisis that engulfed all of London and almost developed into a huge threat to all of Britain would soon be resolved.
"Even if I don't get to see this world's future, doing this much for her is enough."
Saber softly said in her heart.
Meanwhile, the dust and smoke on the other side began to clear.
In the smoke, the Fearsome Demon King was also half-kneeling on the ground, his body covered in scorch marks and damage.
The previous special move had indeed caused great damage to him; even his body, which could withstand Thor's hammer, couldn't take it. Now, he was on the brink of death, with only a breath left.
"King, I will go ahead first. I fear I won't live to see the day when this world is swallowed in darkness and returned to us Dark Elves."
The Fearsome Demon King reached toward the depths of the black fog, seemingly wanting to pass his will on to Malekith in his final moment.
Then, he seemed to see in the black mist, a man with flowing hair, riding a tall skeletal goat, slowly walking out.
"King, is this an illusion?"
He raised his head and saw Malekith lifting a glowing blue greatsword.
"No, I've come to assist you!"
Malekith said as he swung his great sword, sending a burst of light, resembling excrement, that instantly landed on the Fearsome Demon King.
Soon after, his wounds began to heal rapidly, and his condition improved dramatically.
Meanwhile, the light from Malekith's sword kept coming like it was free, continuously being thrown at the Fearsome Demon King.
In just a few seconds, the Fearsome Demon King rose again, almost fully restored.
Though Malekith was only outwardly similar to a Death Knight, he could use the skill "Death Coil" through the Aether particles and black mist.
"Death Coil" was originally a Death Knight skill that could heal undead or damage enemies.
It was just perfect for healing the Fearsome Demon King's injuries.
Seeing Malekith appear, Saber's heart sank.
This guy riding a majestic ram and exuding expert vibes looked no weaker than the Fearsome Demon King.
And yet, she had exhausted her mana and was at risk of fading. She couldn't unleash another Excalibur.
After Malekith used Death Coil to restore the Fear Demon King's injuries, Saber felt a sense of despair.
She had poured everything into that strike, thinking it was an equal trade, only to have the enemy fully recover with ease.
How was she supposed to keep fighting this battle now?
Could she really fail?
Years ago, Britain fell under her command, ultimately leading to its demise.
And today, will this millennium-old Britain also face destruction once again before her?
Saber was unwilling, truly unwilling.
She couldn't accept failing twice like this.
Clenching her teeth, Saber stood up once again, gripping Excalibur tightly.
The previous sword strike drained her magic, and once her magic was exhausted, her body would dissipate, but her soul would return, waiting to be summoned again.
But this time, she was ready to use her soul to unleash a sword strike.
She was betting everything, even if her soul dissipated, even if she could never see this land again, even if her existence was forgotten, she would resolve the disaster before her and defeat the enemy.
"King!"
In the distance, Merlin keenly noticed Saber's intent and shouted in horror.
"Please don't!"
"Your magic is exhausted; if you do this, you will die, your soul will vanish without a trace!"
"Stop! It's not worth it. We can retreat for now and wait for the next opportunity!"
Merlin's words instantly made the surrounding people understand what Saber was about to do.
To save them, to save Britain, was she really willing to sacrifice everything, including her soul?
"Is this the spirit of a king? This is the true king!"
"King Arthur, this is our King Arthur, this is the spirit of Britain, our king!"
"Our king!"
A wave of crying voices rose from the crowd.
The legend of King Arthur, whether the people she led were the same as the people of Britain today, whether they shared the same lineage, no longer mattered at this moment.
Right now, Saber in front of them was their only belief.
Facing Merlin's obstruction and the crowd's shouting, Saber turned her head, and for the first time, a smile appeared on her face.
"The glory and faith of Britain need someone to inherit them. You all once did better than we did. Please continue to uphold it in the future!"
After saying this, Saber no longer hesitated and began to unleash her final defiance.
On the opposite side, the terrifying and hideous face of the Fearsome Demon King revealed a mocking smile.
"You can't kill me with one strike, and you won't kill me with the next one either!"
"Foolish human, you and your foolishness—go to hell together!"
With a loud shout, the Fear Demon King flapped his wings and charged toward Saber, lowering his head.
But Saber resolutely raised Excalibur once again, and the sword's light illuminated the black mist once more.
This time, whether it was an illusion or not, Merlin and the others, along with the scattered soldiers, seemed to feel that the golden light on the sword was brighter, longer, and more powerful.
Yet Merlin and the Round Table Knights couldn't help but shed tears at this moment.
This was their king, unleashing the final strike with her burning soul.
The scattered soldiers, led by them, couldn't help but have tears in their eyes.
Just a moment ago, they almost gained a king who could lead them back to glory.
But in the blink of an eye, they were about to lose this king forever.
This huge disparity almost made many people break down on the spot.
The golden light was so bright that everyone could barely open their eyes, and through the blurry tears, it seemed that shadows were appearing.
Was it even an illusion?
A tall figure appeared behind Saber.
Their hands joined, and Excalibur's glow became even more dazzling.
"Excalibur!"
Their voices overlapped like male and female harmony. The golden greatsword fell, striking the Fearsome Demon King directly on the head.
Boom!
A powerful shockwave, like a nuclear explosion, blasted the surrounding gargoyles away. The scattered soldiers were also blown off balance, but luckily, with the protection of the Round Table Knights, none of them were sent flying.
But everyone's hair stood up like brooms, and some even lost their jackets.
But no one cared about these things; they all widened their eyes and looked toward Saber.
They wanted to see if their king was still there, to know if their glory would return.
Then they saw that on the battlefield, Saber stood upright, holding her sword, and her face showed no signs of the earlier exhaustion. Even her appearance seemed untouched by the battle.
She looked as if to say, "I could do this all day."
Behind her, there was no one. That man's silhouette had vanished—it had all seemed like a hallucination.
"What... what just happened?"
The scattered soldiers turned to Merlin, confused.
Merlin seemed to have transitioned into the role of a battlefield commentator, much like those characters in literary works who explain the hero's moves and will to the audience.
"Master Merlin, what exactly is the situation with our king now?"
Many people asked urgently.
Merlin's mind was also filled with questions.
She saw more clearly than the mortals—Saber had no signs of soul burn, and her mana was fully restored.
This was likely because of the man who appeared behind her.
Behind every great queen is a supportive man.
"Who was that man? Was he the King's Master?"
If the Master wished, Saber could receive infinite mana and continue existing.
Previously, not seeing the Master, Merlin had thought something had gone wrong or he had died.
Now, it seemed the Master was alive—and absurdly strong.
That last Excalibur, even without soul burn, was more powerful than the first.
But they couldn't tell the public about the Master. It would weaken Saber's image.
So, Merlin quickly made up a lie.
"Our King's sincerity, her belief in saving the nation and its people, moved the gods. An ancient deity granted her divine power!"
With one sentence, Merlin concealed the existence of Su Ye, and credited all the achievements to Saber's sincerity and belief.
That Master had only appeared briefly, then vanished—clearly not seeking fame.
In Merlin's view, since he didn't want the glory, it should all go to Saber.
This glory was rightfully hers—Britain's overdue tribute to its King.
"Our King is the savior! Be it demon or alien, begone before her!"
"Long live the King!"
"Mighty is our King!"
The lively and invigorating cheers were completely different from the previous somber atmosphere, as if they had already won the battle and wiped out the black mist and the enemies within it.
In reality, Saber had only defeated one Fearsome Demon King, but on the other side, there was still the seemingly equally strong Malekith.
The Fearsome Demon King fell to the ground, his body broken and shattered. Not even Malekith's Death Coil could bring him back.
They were never truly undead to begin with.
Malekith's zombie-like face showed no expression, but his blood-red eyes brimmed with killing intent.
Saber had slain his closest friend and greatest ally.
And now, standing there so calmly, she looked as if it had been effortless.
Malekith could not accept this outcome.
At his command, all skeletons and gargoyles converged, surrounding Saber.
Meanwhile, the black mist rapidly shrank, gathering into Malekith's body.
He understood that against overwhelming personal strength, pawns and territory were meaningless. He had to strengthen himself and remove this obstacle.
As the fog entered him, his body grew. From two meters on his ram, he rapidly transformed into a ten-meter-tall monster.
Both he and his ram became a gigantic, terrifying creature.
"You. Must. Die!"
Malekith voice thundered, his voice booming like the bells of Big Ben, echoing through the heavens and earth.
The great sword in his hand had also grown to seven or eight meters long, like a gate, he swung it toward Saber with immense force.
Saber flipped aside, dodging the strike. But the ground where she had stood was carved into a trench dozens of meters deep and hundreds long.
It was as if the earth itself would split.
This tremendous force was even stronger than Malekith's previous attacks, and Saber was unable to resist it.
Saber had no intention of matching Malekith in strength. She darted around, dodging rapidly.
Malekith's great sword acted like an indestructible siege weapon, smashing through everything in its path, whether buildings or steel structures, reducing them to rubble.
A multi-story building? Smashed in one blow.
A massive parking lot? Leveled in a swing.
People hadn't grasped his power before when the Fearsome Demon King was present.
But when Malekith unleashed his power, everyone realized that even without the skeletons and gargoyles, this knight alone could likely destroy all the buildings in London, covering nearly 1600 square kilometers, in under an hour.
This was what true fear was—this was true terror.
With such powerful and terrifying strength, could Saber still defeat him like before?
As the black mist receded, the outline of the entire London city area reappeared before everyone's eyes.
This time, not only the scattered soldiers, but almost everyone present saw the giant black monster in the city center, randomly destroying everything in its path.
The immense destructive power cast a shadow over everyone's hearts.
At the same time, they also saw the blue figure, dodging the attacks of the black monster, while not forgetting to attempt a counterattack whenever they had the chance.
Soon, an official helicopter took off, with the camera focused on the direction of the two figures from a distance.
Saber's image reappeared on screens around the world.
"It's that rebellious performance artist, that chuunibyou cosplayer!"
It was only then that everyone realized the person was the girl who had led the way into the black mist earlier.
The one who killed a skeleton in one strike—and it never got back up.
"What chuunibyou? I've said it before, she's a hero, the savior of Britain!"
"Yes, she is our pride!"
"That's King Arthur, our legend, our pride, our king!"
"She defeated the monster in the black mist, even burning her own soul to do so. Such a great hero cannot be desecrated by anyone!"
"Thank our king! Without her, not only would we survivors be doomed, but even those outside the black mist would eventually become the victims of the black mist monsters."
"Our king's name is Artoria Pendragon, the legendary king of Britain. Now, she has returned to save us once again."
The scattered soldiers following Saber finally connected to the internet and posted the images they had captured in the black mist, along with their experiences. It was then that everyone learned Saber's true identity.
"Artoria Pendragon? King Arthur? The one who pulled the sword from the stone, the legendary hero of Britain?"
"Why is it a woman? How could a woman...?"
"Who says a woman can't be a king? Are you denying the history of Britain over the past decades?"
"The history of King Arthur only exists in legend. It's common for legends to be distorted, even having gender errors."
"Then do you believe that person is really King Arthur?"
"If Thor can appear, why can't King Arthur?"
"That's right, that's King Arthur. Whether male or female, with the abilities and conviction she has shown, she deserves the admiration of all of us!"
With the explanation from Merlin in the video and Saber's performance as evidence, the identity of King Arthur was quickly accepted by everyone.
And everyone, along with the scattered soldiers, began shouting praises for Saber!
"Long live our king!"
"Our king is mighty!"
These cheers flooded the internet and spread across the globe.
And as Saber's Excalibur once again lit the sky in golden light, cutting the black monster that nearly destroyed central London in half—
Those cheers reached an unprecedented peak.
In that moment, all Britons shared a single thought:
"Let King Arthur lead this nation once more!"