Fight for Me

Upon hearing the Grand Guardian's words, the stranger immediately felt an overwhelming sense of pressure.

As the Grand Guardian of Avalon stared at him with those tired, bloodshot eyes, the stranger felt his face stiffen.

... Did he kill all those people?

The stranger's pupils dilated with fear. He could clearly sense the lingering killing intent emanating from the blond knight.

The killing intent wasn't directed at him, but rather lingered in the air like the residual smoke after a gunshot.

"... If I say I want it back, are you planning to kill me?"

After a brief silence, the stranger spoke softly in return, "To prevent the Stibnite Person from obtaining my intelligence and technology... to kill me here?"

He himself didn't know why he said such dangerous things.

He wasn't pretending, nor was he speaking ironically to save his own life. Saying this would undoubtedly elevate the Grand Guardian, contradicting his own goal of "survival."

—That's all he wanted to ask.

A strange, premonition-like throbbing made him want to seek an answer to a question he himself didn't understand.

After staring at him for a while, the Grand Guardian smiled helplessly.

"Won't."

The Grand Guardian opened his lips, which had become somewhat dry from not eating or drinking for a long time, and answered very briefly.

"...Why?"

"There's no reason... because you're a commoner."

The Grand Guardian stood before the curtain, his posture upright and his gaze calm. "And because I am a knight—a knight bestowed with glory by Her Majesty the Queen, I will protect her glory until my death."

"I would never lay a hand on civilians, Master Nobel."

Hearing this, the stranger was vaguely moved. He felt a sense of loss, yet also a feeling that something was missing.

But the Grand Guardian's next words made the Stranger instinctively clench his hands. "—After all, you have nothing to do with this war."

"... Is it irrelevant?"

The stranger gave a self-deprecating laugh.

The Grand Guardian replied, word by word. "It has nothing to do with your origin, nationality, or will. You did not participate in this war, you are not a soldier, so you are a civilian."

"It's a pity I can't escort you to Star Antimony. But I won't take you back to Glass Island either... Since you've already escaped here, you probably don't want to go back."

"I will leave two soldiers behind to take care of you. You can continue your journey to Star Antimony. They will protect you and also keep an eye on you. I am about to carry out a covert operation... to prevent you from leaking any secrets. Please forgive me if I am rude."

"...etc."

The stranger felt that something was not quite right, as if he had overlooked something.

Why did you have to tell me about the secret operation...?

Soon, he realized where that sense of unease came from.

The Grand Guardian appeared so calm... but now the Queen is dead, the Princess is missing, the Silver and Tin Palace has been destroyed by the Balrog, and the capital of Avalon has been invaded by the Stibium Army.

Why is he still so calm? Master Nobel is an expert in explosives. If his technology falls into the hands of the Stibnite Person, it will undoubtedly become a deadly weapon on the battlefield...

... just like the technology I invented myself.

Are you going to your death?

The stranger blurted it out.

Upon hearing this, the Grand Guardian frowned slightly and his gaze turned serious.

Even with just that, Mo Ke felt an immense pressure that almost suffocated him.

It was as if his lungs had forgotten how to breathe; his chest could not expand—his mind felt oxygen-deprived, and his cheeks flushed and burned.

The Grand Guardian didn't even need to attack him. Just frowning and staring at him was enough to suffocate him.

In the face of near-death experience caused by oxygen deprivation, the stranger's brain was actually working at an unusually rapid pace—

"The Princess is not dead!"

He immediately guessed the Grand Guardian's thoughts and shouted.

In that instant, the pressure vanished.

The stranger gasped for breath, feeling a tingling numbness spreading from his palms to his fingertips. He saw stars before his eyes, and his mind felt as if cotton was swelling inside, leaving him staring blankly into the void.

"What did you say?"

"Princess Isabel is alive. His Grand Adjudicator has rescued her, and they are now on their way to the Theocracy!"

Stranger immediately added.

"This is impossible," the Grand Guardian, his brow furrowed. "The skies from Avalon to the Theocracy are filled with gargoyles. They are so densely packed that they cover the sky like dark clouds."

The stranger immediately guessed that it must be a gargoyle that rose from the Star Antimony ship.

Star Antimony transferred the charging device "stakes" carrying the gargoyles to the warship—the charging stakes, which were difficult to move on land and were huge, could be easily moved at sea.

Gargoyles are inexpensive to create; at the very least, one Second Level Path of Twilight transcendent and one First Level Demon Scholar can produce one in a maximum of three days. He had previously sensed that there was still an army of gargoyles behind Star Antimony... Now it seems they are all piled up at sea.

Gargoyles possess anti-magic abilities, allowing them to nullify a wide range of spells below the Second Level. Even though their fleshy shells lack this power... as long as they are in the air, they can disable the griffin's prized elemental mobility.

If the griffin, while in its elemental state, happens to collide with the gargoyle, the gargoyle, possessing anti-magic abilities, can immediately break the griffin's elemental state, thus directly revealing the griffin, and even causing it to become a bloody mess at high speed.

These gargoyles were placed in the sky to prevent griffins from flying around. They were like aerial mines.

These griffins could have carried bishops, who could have used the sanctuary to nullify the gargoyles or compress their area of activity, and then slowly crush them with a storm.

After all, the gargoyles' anti-magic abilities cannot weaken the griffins' innate spells much, just as Third Level and higher Law Spell are also effective against gargoyles.

The white-feathered griffins are, after all, extraordinary beings at least at the Fourth Level. Although stone is an insulator and difficult to damage effectively with lightning, the sharp Wind Blade are still effective against them. Simply cutting them in half will prevent the unbalanced gargoyles from taking flight.

But now, gargoyles can resist dispel and even retaliate with limited firepower from machine guns. Even if the knights clad in blessed armor aren't too afraid of those bullets, it doesn't mean that the flesh-and-blood griffins can be bathed in a barrage of machine gun bullets and charge straight back without using elemental transformation.

... Without a doubt, this should also be a technological application developed by this world itself.

With these gargoyles, Princess Isabel would have no chance of flying to the Theocracy by griffin.

Gargoyles provide vision for those behind them, as well as night vision. Under their watchful eyes, even traveling by boat is dangerous... once discovered, a large horde of enemies will immediately appear. Even Fifth Level superhumans don't all possess the ability to carry people across the sea.

Thinking of this, Mo Ke was also stunned for a moment.

... That makes sense.

How did Princess Isabel get to the Theocracy? Was she teleported there directly? But if Princess Isabel had already teleported there, then the Promotion Ritual should have been over...

Then there's probably only one answer.

"They must have gone there by boat."

The stranger replied, "You should be able to tell that I'm telling the truth—I did see Princess Isabel; she was at the Moriarty Manor earlier. She must have left with Bishop Moriarty."

"... Iver? No wonder..."

The Grand Guardian murmured, "That boy Iver sent me a letter a few days ago, saying that the Stibnite Person might be making moves and that I should be on high alert. That's why I was able to rush to the border region and stop the main force of the Star Antimony People..."

"I can't leave right now. If I turn back, the front will be pushed forward immediately. Once the main force lands, there will be no hope at all."

Seeing that the Grand Guardian's expression relaxed, he became more talkative.

Stranger then confirmed it... The Grand Guardian had indeed been determined to die.

He believed that the Queen and Princess were dead, and Prince John was probably dead as well. Since Avalon was effectively a fallen kingdom, there was no point in him living any longer—because he didn't want to live in Avalon under the control of the Stibnite Person.

The words the Grand Guardian spoke to the "Master Nobel" were like his last words.

... I wonder how he planned to die.

If it's a knight...

For some reason, a picture suddenly appeared in the stranger's mind— the Grand Guardian riding his griffin, alone under the dark clouds, facing the sky full of Armored Gargoyle.

That was a desperate charge. Or rather, it was a charge that was certain to end in death.

He didn't use martial arts to avoid the damage, nor did he summon any spells. That charge seemed to simply mean, "I'd rather die than stand with you," so he didn't transform into an elemental being, but instead accelerated infinitely, slamming his physical body into the enemy.

The image was so clear, it was as if the prophet himself had transmitted what he saw into his mind.

With a surge of adrenaline, the stranger suddenly spoke up, "I know the gargoyles' weakness."

"...oh?"

The Grand Guardian perked up. "As expected of Master Nobel, he saw through their secrets so quickly!"

"... Of course. The person who created this thing must have been a vain and ignorant fool. He had no real ability, just some cleverness."

"Unlike the Rune Golem, the Armored Gargoyle's weakness is extremely fatal."

Suppressing his discomfort, the stranger slowly said, "He must have known about this thing's weakness all along, but he simply hid it. And that was undoubtedly an extremely risky move. Once the weakness is discovered on the battlefield... like me right now, the front line will be in immediate trouble."

Anyway, it's just Promotion Ritual, he told himself.

In the real world, no matter how dissatisfied he was with Star Antimony, he would never expose the weakness of the Armored Gargoyle to the Avalon.

But now all of this is fake.

... Since that's the case.

Let's destroy this illusion and see what happens.

Will I feel heartbroken, disappointed... or relieved?

Thinking this, he took out a bottle of blood-red potion from the suitcase beside him. It looked only the size of a baby's fist, large enough to be easily squeezed into the body by an adult's hand.

That was "Life-V," the most potent healing potion currently available, which could only be refined at the Fourth Level. It could effectively restore life force even for Fifth Level Transcendent... There were only two bottles in the box; he had originally intended to save them for his teacher and Grape.

Since we're going to fight anyway, let's heal the Grand Guardian first.

The stranger handed it to the Grand Guardian.

The Grand Guardian had no doubts whatsoever, and after taking it, he drank it all in one gulp.

Seeing that the Grand Guardian's spirits immediately improved, the Stranger slowly said, "The way these Armored Gargoyle resist being dispelled is the layer of flesh beneath their metal armor. That flesh is alive... so spells and divine magic aimed at them will be blocked."

"A strong current is all it takes to kill the flesh instantly. Although it doesn't physically destroy the flesh and seems useless from the outside, it actually kills the flesh and thus directly breaks the gargoyles' resistance to dissipation; at the same time, the high temperature caused by the lightning may detonate bullets or destroy machine guns... and the metal cages they wear will automatically attract lightning at a sufficiently high height."

"In other words, all it takes is a thunderstorm. A thunderstorm that is completely useless against ordinary stone gargoyles, but effective against Armored Gargoyle, can make them lose all their special characteristics and turn them back into ordinary gargoyles."

— Stranger knew all along the fatal flaw in his invention.

But as he criticized himself, he was so vain that he concealed this flaw.

The invention of the Armored Gargoyle is entirely different from the invention of a "transitional product" with fatal flaws.

Or perhaps it can't be called concealment. Because he didn't deliberately fabricate any data, but rather handed it over to professional testers.

—If they don't detect it in the end, it can't be their fault, right? Strangers in the real world undoubtedly harbor this kind of wishful thinking.

As a result, the Armored Gargoyle in this timeline were actually deployed... It's unclear whether they discovered this flaw during testing but still deployed them in large numbers, or whether they never made any improvements in the end.

"... It's actually that simple."

The Grand Guardian's expression was somewhat complicated.

For any other country, summoning a thunderstorm that stretches for dozens of miles would be extremely difficult. But for Avalon... it was a piece of cake.

This feat could be accomplished by the Grand Guardian alone.

"I have one condition, Your Excellency the Grand Guardian."

The stranger spoke earnestly, "Please allow me to fight alongside you."

"... Are you serious?"

"I have [Storm Adaptation Potion], which can convert a small amount of mana into Wind Attribute. Take me with you, I won't be a burden... I can also provide you with other potions."

The stranger pleaded, "I just... want to be with you. To witness you launch a charge. I want to see these gargoyles destroyed up close."

"... You really must hate the people who invented this thing."

The Grand Guardian looked at him and easily read the stranger's true feelings.

"Really."

Nobel twitched his lips, revealing a somewhat awkward smile, "Now all I want to do is invent things that benefit people's lives... things that can make people happy."

The Grand Guardian rubbed his face, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The blond knight once again revealed a confident and triumphant smile.

Upon learning that the Princess was still alive and that the gargoyles had their weaknesses, he seemed to come back to life from his zombie-like state. "Since Princess Isabel might be able to cross the river... let's go and meet her."

"Just you and me—I'll accompany you Master Nobel, in an experiment, how about it? Let's see if a thunderstorm can destroy these damned gargoyles!"

The Grand Guardian grabbed the Stranger by the clothes and looked up at the sky. The giant griffin Philip landed again without waiting for a call, and he jumped up onto the Stranger with him in his arms.

"If not," the stranger said with utmost seriousness, "Then let's die together!"

He'll die on the way to charge at his own creation! "Hahaha, no way."

The Grand Guardian smiled kindly, "Even if I die, I will not let you die."

"... Even if I am Stibnite Person?"

Even if you're Stibnite Person!

The Grand Guardian answered firmly and with absolute certainty, "Whether you're Stibnite Person or Iris People —as long as you're not a Giant, I will protect you! I can safeguard you! Hold on to me, we're taking off—"

The White Griffin transformed into a storm and roared into the sky.

The Grand Guardian will launch an attack.

On the other side.

Shortly after the Shadow of Avalon Ritual began, Isabel suddenly heard Death Knell tolling.

She suddenly opened her eyes wide during her nap, fully awake. Her expression immediately turned serious.

She stood motionless, listening quietly for a long time, but no second Death Knell came. All she heard was the soft sound of the ocean waves.

So she stood up abruptly, put on her coat, and walked out of the cabin.

When he opened the door, he ran right into Shafiya.

"Get ready, we're heading to the Theocracy at full speed now."

Isabel commanded sternly.

Shafiya frowned. "It might not be convenient... The main force of Star Antimony is searching for us ahead, Princess Isabel. My invisibility spell is ineffective at close range. Considering that once we are discovered, we might be met by a large force... with our small boat that only moves at 7 knots, it might be safer to slowly circle around."

In the distance, the dark clouds of the night surged, their layers growing ever thicker.

The unusual appearance of the dark clouds reminded her of someone... an old friend she desperately wanted to see immediately.

But if he doesn't come... this unusual weather will actually be more disadvantageous for them.

The rumbling thunderstorm caused the gargoyles to fly lower and lower.

The result might actually make it easier for them to spot the small boat that was concealed by her magic.

"--No."

Isabel was surprisingly firm, rejecting Shafiya's more conservative suggestion.

Her eyes were bright, and her tone was firm.

The little Princess, pale from seasickness, replied slowly and deliberately, "Since they're blocking our way—let's fight them. With you, Moriarty, Knight, and the protection of two elves, there's no reason for us to retreat here."

"I must reach the Theocracy as soon as possible, or Iver's life will be in danger. Therefore, I now command you, Your Excellency the Grand Adjudicator, in my capacity as the future Queen: 'I want the fastest victory, I want to reach the Eternal Theocracy as quickly as possible.'"

"I need you to fight for Avalon now—"

"Fight for me!"

... This was the first time Shafiya had ever seen Isabel so assertive.

This was the first time I had ever seen her make such a clear demand and exercise her own power.

She stared blankly at the little Princess, then suddenly burst out laughing.

Having received the Queen's order, her weakened authority was briefly restored for a moment.

This means that Isabel has developed a sense of self-awareness and understanding as a monarch—only when given orders by the monarch she serves will these extraordinary beings on the Path of Authority be strengthened by those orders.

She felt somewhat helpless, yet also somewhat relieved.

... As expected. Love makes people stronger than fear.

Shafiya breathed a sigh of relief, knelt on one knee, placed her staff horizontally, and bowed respectfully.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, and a silvery-white light shimmered in the depths of her pupils:

"—Then, as you wish... my Her Majesty the Queen."

"In the name of Avalon, I will surely seize victory for you."