Made in Heaven

Leon believed that this expedition would see him crush the enemy forces with peerless, overwhelming might.

In fact, That was exactly what happened.

With Merlin providing real-time, full-map intelligence, Leon had a crystal-clear view of the enemy's troop deployments and immediately decided to set out with a force of just over two thousand men.

Leading his army through the territory of Vortigern, Leon ran straight into the main force of the King of Orkney.

Upon making contact, Leon did not hesitate. He struck first with his sword, cutting down hundreds of enemy soldiers in a single blow to shatter their morale, then immediately charged at the head of his cavalry with his lance.

Under Leon's leadership, his troops surged with the force of a rainbow. Despite having only a thousand-man unit—a mere six hundred combat soldiers—they remained indomitable when faced with the enemy's endless sea of troops.

Leon led his army in seven charges throughout the day, changing horses but never resting, until he had completely routed the King of Orkney's twenty-thousand-strong army.

During the great battle, he personally slew the King of Orkney, cut down over a thousand men, and pursued the fleeing remnants. The enemy was utterly terrified; soldiers trampled one another in their flight, resulting in countless casualties and blood that pooled to the ankles.

In this battle, Leon's side suffered only a hundred casualties, while capturing over ten thousand prisoners and seizing an immeasurable amount of warhorses, weapons, armor, and provisions.

Leon ordered two thousand laborers and auxiliary troops to guard the captives and had Merlin notify the royal capital to send men to receive them immediately.

After having his soldiers switch to fresh mounts, Leon ordered them to carry only ten days of rations. Without a moment's rest, he took five hundred combat soldiers and five hundred laborers to continue north, marching through the night to strike directly at the King of Orkney's capital before the enemy could react.

Upon reaching the capital in Scotland, Leon had his men don the enemy's banners and armor.

At that time, the garrison within the city was still unaware of the situation at the front, and Leon easily tricked them into opening the gates.

Once inside, Leon led the charge, fighting for an entire day. From the south gate to the north, the ground was stained red; from the west to the east, it was littered with severed limbs. Leon fought until his blood congealed on his elbows before the city was finally taken.

After crushing the garrison, Leon did not allow his troops to pillage. Instead, he stationed his army on a nearby highland and accepted the surrender of the city's nobles.

Leon demanded that the city provide vast quantities of supplies to reward his army and ordered the nobles to send their children and nephews to him as hostages. Pressured by Leon and desperate to survive, the nobles had no choice but to comply.

Leon's decision to camp outside the city was not only to rest his troops but also to intimidate those within.

To the people inside, Leon's army on the highland was like a Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads. Combined with the panic caused by Leon's god-like descent and the fall of the city in a single day, the psychological pressure he exerted was immense.

Leon also ordered the nobles to hand over their private soldiers to form a security force, which he used to maintain order and suppress the populace.

"Remove all the residents from the city. I intend to raze this place to the ground."

Following Leon's command, the security force bound the hands of the townspeople, stringing them together like cattle in groups of a hundred, and began hauling out the city's grain and wealth.

The city walls were high and the population dense; it had taken Leon an entire day to break through, which spoke to the resilience of its people.

He was destroying the city for two reasons: first, to secure his future rule and prevent anyone from using the fortified walls to rebel; second, to weaken the local population. By forcing them to rebuild and engage in grueling physical labor, keeping them perpetually exhausted but not starving, he would minimize the risk of insurrection.

For Leon, who was currently short on troops and generals while still engaged in war, maintaining stability was of the utmost importance.

"Where is Morgan?"

After the city fell, Leon had people search the city and the palace, but there was no sign of Morgan. With the castle about to be demolished, he would be devastated if she were hiding inside and accidentally harmed.

Merlin withdrew his gaze and said to Leon, "She has always been clever; she has already returned to Camelot. Please, my King, do not worry."

"That is good."

Leon picked up the lance standing beside Merlin, measured it against his own height, and couldn't help but give it a few swings.

The lance was shaped like a spiraling drill and was nearly five meters long. For an ordinary man, it would be far too heavy and cumbersome, but for Leon, it felt just right.

Leon smiled at Merlin with satisfaction. "Merlin, well done. You really have some tricks up your sleeve; this modification is excellent."

Merlin wore an expression of 'as expected of me,' looking quite smug. "Haha, it's nothing special. As long as you are satisfied, my King."

When Leon first brought this lance out of the Camelot palace, it hadn't been this large—at most, it was three meters long. It hadn't felt right in Leon's hands, so he had always used it as a simple iron rod.

After Leon spoke to him, Merlin had taken the weapon. He had spent the last few days and a great deal of effort modifying it, finishing just today and presenting it to Leon as if seeking a reward.

"The Anchor of the Storm that binds the stars, commonly known as Rhongomyniad."

Hm, it is indeed massive!

Leon knew this weapon; it was the Noble Phantasm of the Goddess Lion King in the sixth chapter of the game. Originally the Tower of Light anchoring the surface of the world, it had been modified by Merlin with magecraft into the Holy Spear of invincible piercing.

Simply put, it was a divine artifact of the same type as Sun Wukong's Adamantine Staff.

Seeing that the modification was complete, Leon decided to test its power immediately.

Merlin's modifications didn't stop there. He pointed to the base of the spearhead and explained to Leon, "There are four glowing slots on the shaft. Each slot represents one activation of the spear, for a total of four. If none of the slots are lit, it means the activation device is out of energy and requires a mana refill."

Leon understood.

It was just like a battery; when it ran out, it needed to be charged.

This modification was something Leon had proposed to Merlin.

He had no magic circuits in his body and was not a magus, so he naturally could not utilize mana. He had been unable to truly wield the holy swords and spears that required mana to activate, forced to use them as mere physical weapons.

It was quite embarrassing, really. After being in the Type-Moon world for so many years, he still couldn't use mana.

He lacked all the various mysterious magecrafts, the ability to release his own mana, and any flashy techniques.

But now, Merlin's modification of the Holy Spear perfectly fulfilled Leon's vision of firing off light-beam cannons.

In the future, he would have Merlin modify Excalibur in the same way.

Leon hoisted the Holy Spear, followed by Merlin and a group of his personal guards, and walked out of the camp.

Looking toward the distant city walls, the residents had all evacuated, retreating fifty miles away and leaving behind only an empty city.

The surrounding soldiers dispersed, clearing a wide space for Leon.

"Holy Spear, weigh anchor!"

The Holy Spear shone, revealing a brilliant golden radiance. A visible torrent of mana coiled around the shaft, intertwining to form a surging, turbulent spiral of magic that resembled a drill.

Leon gripped the Holy Spear, his muscles tensing and veins bulging as he gritted his teeth.

"My drill is the drill that will pierce the heavens!"

The ground beneath his feet cracked and collapsed. With a roar, he hurled the drill-shaped radiance in his hand with all his might.

Whoosh!

The bright, divine light shot forth, carrying terrifying power as it broke the sound barrier with a deafening, tearing roar.

The target: the deserted royal city.

BOOM!

A dazzling tower of light erupted from the ground, shaking the earth and sky as if the very planet beneath their feet had been awakened by the strike, causing space itself to tremble.

What followed was a terrifying explosion of mana, spreading outward like a nuclear blast.

The soldiers behind Leon were all struck with horror, their eyes wide as they stared in disbelief at the terrifying scene before them.

"This is the power of the Lion King!"

In the distance, the civilians watched the pillar of light reaching toward the heavens with sorrow, tears streaming down their faces.

They knew that the home where they had grown up was gone.

When the light finally faded, nothing remained but broken walls and ruins, accompanied by the stifled weeping of the people.