"Eh?! Two Mr. Hydes?!"
Seeing another Guinevere step out from the air distorted by rippling waves, Ritsuka Fujimaru widened her eyes in astonishment.
"No, the magical attributes are completely different. Their individual stats differ significantly too... That one is clearly Mr. Jekyll," Mash quickly explained beside her.
"Huh?" Fujimaru turned her head in confusion. "But aren't they two personalities of the same person? How can they appear at the same time?!"
"You're late."
Ignoring the chatter behind him, Will turned to glance at Guinevere, his face expressionless.
He had mentally prepared himself for the return of his other self. After all, since Marjli's plan was to summon the King in Yellow into Itty—this dream version of London—it made sense that his own plan would eventually involve a return to the real world. Moreover, since he had summoned the Sacred Sword Wielder as planned, it was natural that he would arrive with his own spiritual foundation. Thus, the two personalities were now able to face each other directly.
And so began the next step of their plan.
"But... where's Mordred? Why didn't she come back?" Will asked.
Guinevere didn't respond, only shook his head slightly. Seeing this, Will understood.
"I see... But I'm sure we'll meet again someday."
He sighed lightly, then extended his hand.
"Well then, from here on—it's our fight."
"Yeah."
Guinevere also extended his hand. Their palms pressed together.
"Unify."
Then, they simultaneously activated the Hunter Rune: Unify.
Rune: Unify — A rune bearing the name of a certain god from the boundless stars, a form of forbidden power. It can only be used by those with profound ties to the self on the other side of the Gate.
Effect: Combine multiple entities into one. The fused entity will inherit traits from all pre-fusion states. Only applicable to beings of the same origin.
One-time use rune.
"From the One came the Many—and all shall return to the One."
And their target, of course, was themselves.
As beings split from the same source, they fit the condition of "same origin" perfectly.
In a burst of white light, the terrifying demon and the holy knight vanished from sight. Standing in their place was a completely different presence.
When Guinevere reappeared, the overwhelming pressure of his aura manifested immediately. Around him swirled both ominous blood-red energy and radiant holy light—two forces intertwining to assert his undeniable existence.
Though it was still Guinevere's face, his attire had completely changed. Gone were the demonic carapace and the knight's armor—now replaced by a black-and-white suit of armor that fused aspects of both. The savagery of the demon and the sanctity of the knight now coexisted.
His left hand no longer bore a grotesque blade, nor did his forehead sprout its signature horn. But his left gauntlet was now subtly shaped like a cannon muzzle—ready to shift at any time.
As with the avatar of Goetia that once descended here, his mere presence distorted space, warping light around him with the weight of his power.
But unlike Goetia, he exuded an aura of absolute authority—an oppressive yet noble royal presence that made all who witnessed it feel compelled to follow.
"I see now... Though the demonic augmentation remains, all weapons save the spear have been removed... But this power—what is this feeling?"
Guinevere narrowed his eyes, sensing the uncontrollable energy flowing through his body. Then, he opened his personal stats panel:
[Player ID: Guinevere]
[Servant Possession: Bloodstained Demon Lord · Savior Sacred Sword Wielder]
[Non-standard possession of multiple Servants detected. Player will inherit all skills from both. Duplicate skills will default to the highest rank. All former traits and boosts remain active.]
[Base stats will default to the highest value among possessed Servants. Permanent skills apply. Conditional boosts are considered buffs and calculated separately.]
Current Special Buffs:
Skill: God-Slaying Valor: Demon/Warlord
Noble Phantasm: The Day of Demonfall
Strength: Base A (highest: Bloodstained Demon Lord)
(+1 from Bloodstained Butcher, +1 from Blacksmith, +1 from God-Slaying Valor, +3 from Day of Demonfall)
→ Final: A++++++
Agility: Base B (highest: Savior Sacred Sword Wielder)
(+1 from Bloodstained Butcher, +1 from God-Slaying Valor, +3 from Day of Demonfall)
→ Final: A++++
Endurance: Base B (tie)
(+1 from Lone Wolf, -1 from Heaven's Jealousy, +1 from God-Slaying Valor, +3 from Day of Demonfall)
→ Final: A+++
Mana: Base B (highest: Savior Sacred Sword Wielder)
(+1 from God-Slaying Valor, +3 from Day of Demonfall)
→ Final: A+++
Luck: Base B (highest: Savior Sacred Sword Wielder)
(-1 from Bloodstained Butcher, +1 from God-Slaying Valor, +3 from Day of Demonfall)
→ Final: A++
Scanning through his stats, Guinevere nodded.
So that's why... No wonder I feel so much stronger.
By fusing with himself, he now received all buffs from the Demon Lord side while basing his core stats on the higher Sacred Sword side.
He'd envisioned something like this while reading the rune's description—half jokingly imagining himself as a holy knight casting beam cannons with demon stats—but now that he saw the actual result?
It was beautiful—a satisfying display of stat inflation.
"Well then, I'll call this form... the Sacred Sword Demon Lord."
He looked up.
His gaze turned to the rift in the sky—where Goetia's Noble Phantasm was already fully charged.
Goetia, watching the scene unfold, narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Fusion of Spirit Origins? And between two that evade even Clairvoyance? Fascinating. But if you think that alone will save you from extinction... how naïve."
"I know. So what?"
Guinevere raised the sword of stars in his hand.
In the blink of an eye, he pierced through the space-time rift and stepped into the desecrated temple.
Above the temple, an endless storm churned—a swirling vortex of magic vast enough to rival the night sky, brimming with power that transcended miracles.
The winds it stirred tore through the ground, whipping Guinevere's hair.
"Right here, right now, Goetia. I challenge you."
Guinevere's voice rang out across the heavens.
"You would sacrifice only yourself to spare those fools in Chaldea? Pathetic... But very well. You now have the strength to warrant my attention. Be grateful, human."
Goetia rose from his throne at last.
"And as punishment for your earlier insolence—be reduced to dust."
"Third Noble Phantasm, deploy."
"Ars Almadel Salomonis!"
The birth of knowledge, to comprehend all phenomena.
And then the sky fell.
A vast torrent of violet magic crashed down—like the heavens collapsing.
"Third Noble Phantasm, Savior Sacred Sword Wielder—unleashed at full power."
Bathed in apocalyptic light, Guinevere raised his sword. Radiant brilliance shimmered along its blade—like a lantern shining in hell.
This was the unsealed Star Forged Sword—the last, greatest hope of the planet.
"Excalibur!"
But this time, he didn't recite the full name ceremonially. He spat it out at lightning speed—because this was just the beginning.
Next:
"Stack: Savior Sacred Sword Wielder's First Noble Phantasm—Heavenfire of Norwich!"
Flames of extinction lit the blade anew.
The light of dying stars—the blaze that once ignited hope and scorched calamity.
He wasn't done yet.
"Stack! Bloodstained Demon Lord's Third Noble Phantasm—Twilight of the Oni God!"
A crimson aura burst forth, amplifying his power again.
The proof of unmatched martial prowess. The testament to his unyielding, blood-drenched conquest.
[System Alert]
Skill Activated: Love of the Sacred Sword (EX) — Massive damage boost against threats to humanity (×2).
Skill Activated: God-Slaying Valor: Warlord (A+) — Massive damage boost against all living beings (×2).
"COME, GOETIA—!"
Roaring, Guinevere swung his sword—the blade now aglow with threefold brilliance.
A wave of sacred fire, bloodlust, and starlight collided head-on with the falling sky.
And then...
The world shattered.
The ground beneath him split apart. Light and color vanished from the world, leaving only two opposing forces.
Though Guinevere's beam seemed smaller, its condensed energy far outweighed Goetia's. They clashed evenly.
"What?! A mere human?!"
For the first time, Goetia stood from his throne—his usual calm now shaken.
Then his gaze fell upon Guinevere's blade.
"That's... the Sword of the Stars?!"
"Took you long enough."
Guinevere shouted:
"And this still isn't over!"
A surge of mana erupted from his body.
"Hunter Rune: Overload! Activate!"
With a hiss like steam, red lightning leapt onto the blade.
In that moment, Guinevere's heart wavered.
This rune—he had gained it from a scientist who gave his all for humanity. And perhaps, when another had once staked her name, her sword, and her life, she had left her defiant lightning behind in it.
Their adventure together—like a tale from a knight's chronicle—was now part of this strike.
The red lightning fused with the blade, amplifying its power to an unprecedented level.
"PUSH IT BACK—AAAHHHHHH!"
Guinevere roared.
The radiant sword, now glowing with fourfold brilliance, blazed upward—
And pierced through the sky.