Iver: Was That Just a Moment Ago?

Upon hearing that voice, Isabel finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the pressure she had been carrying suddenly ease.

... Thank goodness the Death Knell didn't toll again.

Looking at the rising Rising Sun before her, Isabel's eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

She was unaware of the danger Iver was facing, and she couldn't help him after they separated. If she misunderstood Iver's meaning or missed the signal, it could lead to the death of the person she loved.

The feeling of powerlessness and immense pressure made her feel as if her stomach was being tightly squeezed, and she might vomit if she didn't speak in a low voice.

"... Huh?"

Isabel looked down at her hands, which had become translucent.

It crackled and trembled, blurring for a moment.

... This time, the dream didn't immediately shatter and disappear? Isabel also somewhat surprised and raised her head.

Shafiya, who had been keeping a close eye on Isabel's condition, also noticed this scene.

"What are you doing...?"

Shafiya looked at Isabel and immediately realized what was going on.

She smiled bitterly, "So it was all a dream after all..."

Indeed, the only way to see Isabel become stronger is probably in dreams.

Realizing that the ceremony was over and there was no longer any need to keep his identity as an ascendant a secret, he then...

Isabel shook her head and said what she had wanted to say for a long time, "Although I am an Ascended One, I am still Isabel. It's just that I am Isabel from a completely different world."

"Where we are, Ms. Meg did not die, but was rejuvenated. Grandmother was not assassinated, nor did she fall out with her teacher, but died of old age. Minister Drost died long ago, and I smoothly inherited the throne and gained the approval of the Knights of the Round Table Hall... Avalon was not attacked by the Stibnite Person... or rather, we are waging war against the Star Antimony People."

"... I am so sorry for deceiving your feelings."

Isabel clasped her hands in front of her and bowed to Shafiya in apology.

There had never been such an opportunity in previous Promotion Ritual. And now, as her body gradually became transparent, she had the time to say goodbye and was finally able to utter those words.

But Shafiya did not blame Isabel.

Her gaze was incredibly gentle, even tinged with melancholy.

"So beautiful... Compared to my situation, yours feels more like a dream."

Shafiya didn't care at all that Isabel had deceived her, but gently stroked Isabel's head and said with heartfelt relief, "It doesn't matter that I'm fake. All this disaster and tragedy is fake... That's wonderful."

"By the way, Princess Highness... no, Your Her Majesty the Queen. That's how I should address you."

She winked playfully at Isabel: "Bless you—I mean with Bishop Moriarty."

Isabel instinctively wanted to reply with "I wish you happiness too," but she quickly realized... when the ceremony ended, everything remaining in this dream would vanish into nothingness.

So she took a deep breath and said with utmost seriousness, "I will be happy."

—Including your share as well.

On the other side.

Olive breathed a sigh of relief.

He wasn't like a grape, standing there dumbfounded, waiting for something.

Realizing that the Shadow of Avalon Ritual had gone wrong, absorbing both Iver and Lancelot, his experience and instinct as a ritual master made him run away without hesitation.

Fortunately, the only person who died after that was "Sherlock," who was killed by the Flame Butterfly.

It was wonderful that Iver was unharmed until the end of the ceremony.

Just as he disappeared, he seemed to see a huge light coming from not far away.

It was the dead of night, yet for a moment the world was as bright as day—

... Was it an illusion? This was Olive's last thought.

No, it isn't.

That was the Self-Destruct of the Paradox Flame Butterfly.

Back when she was at the Fourth Level, the power of her Self-Destruct was enough to severely injure the Punishment Demon; and now she has reached the peak of the Fifth Level... She failed to reach the Sixth Level simply because Iver did not want her to reach the Sixth Level.

Because once you reach the Sixth Level, your actions in the Material Realm will be restricted. Having Night Demon Viennes alone is enough; what Iver needs now is a regular fighting force.

At this moment, the Paradox Flame Butterfly unleashed its strongest attack after burning away all its life force with the Dawn Fire Art—

Without a doubt, it could inflict heavy damage on Lancelot, who was currently unable to escape.

— Lancelot finally broke free from Iver's control.

Without hesitation, Lancelot rushed to the Paradox Flame Butterfly at lightning speed.

The invisible hammer fell, and the sky seemed to be torn apart by the blow—a gale swept up, and the body of the Paradox Flame Butterfly was instantly shattered!

After the storm, which had crushed the Paradox Flame Butterfly to its core, shattered its body, it roared off in all directions.

It was a storm that was visible to the naked eye. At the very center of the storm, only a few butterfly wings remained, drifting in the air.

—But even so.

The Paradox Flame Butterfly had already compressed the flames to their extreme.

Even though Lancelot shattered her body in time, the flames still erupted.

Rather, it is precisely because it was actively shattered that the Dawnfire was able to completely burn away the last vestige of life that could not be actively extinguished.

This was a truly powerful attack that even the normally Paradox Flame Butterfly could hardly unleash! In that instant, Lancelot felt a sudden lightness within his body.

This powerful and healthy body now belonged entirely to her! Iver's soul vanished.

Not only that.

Even Lancelot's soul vanished!

...etc?!

The City Breaker's eyes widened immediately, realizing something was wrong.

Why did all the promoted individuals leave...?

The Promotion Ritual wasn't over yet? In that instant, the City Breaker guessed the truth.

... From the very beginning, this was a trap! The Lord of Scales and Feathers had long anticipated that I would come here, and He had already tampered with this Promotion Ritual... Every ritual He performed here was real!

While he was fighting with the apostles under the command of the Lord of Scales and Feathers, he was directly sucked in.

"You--"

—You Scale-Stealing Feather Thief bastard! As a high and mighty Pillar God, you dare to plot against me, an apostle of the Heavenly Court!

The curses in the hearts of those City Breaker had not yet been uttered.

A question lingered in the mind of the City Breaker.

... Is the Lord of Scales and Feathers so certain that Iver will definitely use the Shadow of Avalon Ritual? And that he will definitely modify it into a ritual that can absorb him?

After all the promoted ones left.

After a very brief delay, a white light appeared.

A miraculous radiance, as bright as daylight—

Dawn had arrived, but its radiance surpassed that of the sun by a thousandfold.

The extremely hot flames instantly vaporized the rock strata within a radius of hundreds of meters, and the howling atmosphere turned into a shock wave that was released in the surrounding area in an instant.

Amidst the swirling flames, small, dark, mushroom-shaped clouds billowed and rose.

—The shockwave roared in with the earthquake!

They were now near the Silver and Tin Palace. The palace, which had been devoured and controlled by the Balrog, was finally completely obliterated. Even the lake where the Silver and Tin Palace was located was evaporated, and the Griffin Bridge shattered.

Approximately one-fifth of the buildings in the Red White Queen District were instantly destroyed when the shockwave swept through. Due to the Balrog's power, the number of both sides engaged in combat there was small. Now, they were all instantly killed by the shockwave—even the indestructible runic Golem was charred black and halted amidst the crackling explosions.

Immediately following was a scorching storm that howled outwards.

The visible shockwave swept outwards, causing large sections of brick and stone buildings to crack.

The whole earth shook, undulating like trembling, soft jelly.

—The next instant, a dark mushroom cloud slowly rose. Two concentric rings of white smoke spread outwards.

"Oh."

The rough, hoarse voice that had announced the end of the ceremony scoffed.

Finally, the entire fictional world completed its mission and shattered in an instant.

However, the soul of the City Breaker died inside was unable to return to the Dream Realm.

Suddenly, a light shone before the eyes of all those who had ascended—a pure white light that burst forth as the world collapsed and disintegrated.

Both the deceased and the living participants of the ritual saw a series of constantly changing images before their eyes: at the banquet, knights clad in silver armor roared and fought to the death with those around them.

Facing the overwhelming pressure of the Paradox Flame Butterfly, Sherlock showed no fear as he slowly stepped away from those around him.

The old ritual master held up his heart and Ritual Knife, standing in front of the coffin and chanting.

The soaring ship and the descending griffin met in the very center of the rising Rising Sun; the old alchemist, wearing strange glasses, sat atop the griffin, his arm around the Grand Guardian's waist, and charged towards the dense horde of gargoyles...

After a considerable delay, the last GIF finally appeared.

A dark mushroom cloud slowly rose.

Iver' eyes widened immediately.

...ah?

—Wait, this just happened?