The instant dark mana surged into the sky, the night above the East Sea Coast turned as black as ink.
The gray-white domain of Order and Prohibition seemed to have met its natural enemy.
The dense mists of rules churned wildly as they retreated, crackling like paper thrown into a fire.
At the very heart of that oppressive darkness, a slender yet upright figure slowly appeared.
This was no longer the Saber who had once been as noble as the warm sun.
Matte black armor had replaced her original pale blue armor. Its surface reflected no light at all, as if it could devour anything that came near.
Only in the seams between the plates did dark red patterns of mana flow, like congealed blood or magma surging beneath the earth.
Her long golden hair was no longer pure gold. The tips had turned black, whipping wildly in the turbulent mana.
Her pure white cape was gone, replaced by a black one that hung to her ankles, its edges flickering with dark red flames.
When the wind blew, the fiery patterns spread across the cape like a venomous snake poised to strike.
"Th-this can't be right, can it?" Luo Ziyan murmured, but no one answered her.
Everyone present stared blankly at the center of the battlefield. It was their first time seeing Saber in this form, and they couldn't help examining her closely.
Her eyes were hidden behind the black-and-red armor, impossible to see.
Her aura held not a trace of human emotion. No anger, no killing intent.
Even the calm she'd shown before had vanished, leaving only the indifference of someone looking down at ants.
The sacred patterns on the blade of Excalibur, held in the black swordswoman's hand, had all been reversed, turning into cursed markings like thorns.