(Heartfelt thanks to 'You Bi Ji Yue,' 'Lonely Lactic Acid Lord,' 'World's End Ballad,' 'Invincible Origin,' and 'Wufeng Haotian' for their rewards!)
Clang—!
A cold, clear flash of sword light arrived in an instant, stopping less than five centimeters from Noah's throat.
Whoosh—!
At almost the same moment, an identical flash of sword light shot up from below and fiercely met it head-on.
Clang—!
With a crisp clash of steel, two Knight Swords, both flowing with golden radiance, slammed together. Sparks scattered as the blades ground against each other, producing a continuous, piercing screech.
—Sword of Assured Victory (Caliburn).
—Excalibur.
The two renowned swords once wielded by the Knight King—the Sword in the Stone and the Sword in the Lake—now collided in the most direct and meaningful way possible.
Staring at Saber so close before him, Noah slowly curled his lips into a smile.
"What? You can do it when you really want to, can't you?"
Saber clenched her teeth slightly. A complicated emotion welled up in her gaze as she stared back at Noah, but it was soon replaced by powerful resolve.
"I can't sense any hostility or killing intent from your sword, yet I can tell that you are serious. What exactly are you trying to tell me with that sword?"
"The fact that you understand that proves this battle hasn't been pointless." Noah's eyes flickered.
"I want you to remember your original resolve."
"My original... resolve..." Saber murmured as if in a dream.
"What does that mean? What do you mean?"
"You still don't understand?" Noah's voice pierced Saber's ears.
"Then let's raise the difficulty a little."
With that, Noah's grip around his sword tightened sharply.
Buzz—!
A dazzling golden radiance abruptly surged from the Sword of Assured Victory (Caliburn), which had been continuously clashing and grinding