Silent Crown

“As everyone knows, in times of crisis, the most important presence will come from the Originator and they all possess unique specialties, such as Three Pillar God, Three Wise Men and Four Living Creatures…” Hermes continued calmly, “Amongst them, Three Wise Men was the catastrophe that was borne out of the Originator in adherence to the element of ‘mankind’. You could say that they were created from the Originator because of humans. As a result, we walk on this world with the characteristics and mindset of humans. To mankind, we might be wise men that have grasped the secrets of the Originator, but from the perspective of the Originator, we are still a part of the Originator and were merely created because of mankind. In other words, you could argue that regardless of our own wishes, we still represent a form of interference in the world by the Originator.”

He pointed at his head and continued, “This is why we are able to sense some things… Images of the future representing the changes cultivated from the depths of the Originator.”

Therefore, the way he looked at Arthur, through the shrouding fog, was one of compassion, “The golden era has already come to an end and a new era is about to come. Your Majesty, ‘the old gods are dying’, because everything will be redefined once again, including you. Perhaps, this is the moment when your worth will be determined. But without a doubt, compared to the power that is about to incite the Originator, your worth is insignificant…”

Boom!

Arthur raised his palm as he continued to be seated on his throne. He was not happy. The fury of the king has caused the alchemy array, that was hidden amongst the rocks, to break down and turn into dust. But there was no way to vent out all his rage. Perhaps, this was what pleased Hermes the most. Since he was already dead, there was no way anyone could take revenge on him. The fleeting image of the deceased continued to smoke his cigarette. After some time, he extinguished the flame and raised his gaze. Behind him, the sound of footsteps could be heard on the steps outside of the hall. The blade of a lance was being dragged heavily across the ground. The friction against the grainy surface could be heard clearly and sparks could be seen amidst the shower of blood. Someone was fast approaching.

“Looks like our long-awaited reunion is about to come to an end. Though I must say, it was not my intention that our separation should be on an unhappy note,” Hermes smiled mysteriously. A hat appeared out of nowhere, and he took it off and bowed in an exaggerated manner, as if he was bowing on a stage. “In that case, allow me to present to you the final absurdity, ‘The Death of King Arthur’!”

Bang!

Amidst the deafening crash of the lance against the ground, the image disappeared, only to reveal the silhouette of the figure that was slowly trudging into the hall. White long hair flowed under the dim lighting like burning silver. He did not kneel nor bow. He merely raised his head and barely bothered to look at the Emperor as a strange smile crept across his face and said, “Bishop of the Sacred City, I am Ye Qingxuan, Grand Inquisitor of the Religious Court of Inquiry and Marquis of the Dragon Bloodline.”

The black Firebird continued to twist and turn amidst the deafening silence. Arthur looked down at Ye Qingxuan. The stone sword at his knee was trembling.

“It has been so many years yet this world is still the same.” He flicked his finger lightly against the blade of the stone sword. He continued coldly, “Those people who insist on interfering with other people’s business are like flies. There are so many of them and all of them are just as irritating as the next. Since you are wielding the Lance of the Dragon Slayer, does that mean that Lancelot is dead?”

“Yes.”

Ye Qingxuan nodded politely and said, “It was more difficult than I expected. To be honest, I am quite grateful for this opportunity that Your Majesty has given to me. As such, since Your Majesty is so generous, will you give us a chance to catch up on old times before you decide to kill me?”

With that, he rubbed his hands and smiled cunningly. He raised his index finger and thumb to gesture a short distance, “Really, just a short while will do.”

The Firebird came to an abrupt halt. Arthur was stunned for a moment. He looked down at the stone sword before bursting into an uproarious laugh, “Maxwell, are you pinning all your hopes on someone like this? Seriously… this is really amusing. I have seen many of my old friends today. Now, it’s your turn, Maxwell. Treasure the little time you have left and say your goodbyes.”

The stone sword moaned and an old and frail soul appeared from the shadow of the blade of the sword. He opened his eyes and looked at Ye Qingxuan. There was a confused look on his face. “Why bother to come?”

“To save you, of course.” There was a firm look on Ye Qingxuan’s face. “Although manipulative elderly people are pretty irritating, I don’t dislike you. You are old, Maxwell. This type of lifestyle, where you have to constantly put your life at risk, does not suit you. Once this is over, I will take you somewhere to spend the rest of your life in peace. The house by the sea of Asgard is pretty decent. The garden is still empty and is waiting for you to grow some flowers.”

Maxwell was silent for some time before he finally chuckled and said, “Sorry to impose on you then.”

“Hmm, just give me a moment.”

Ye Qingxuan raised the Lance of the Dragon Slayer and aimed it at Arthur. He imitated Lancelot’s pose, as if he was about to charge at any time. Although he looked clumsy and amusing, he did not feel awkward at all. Instead, he spoke in a serious tone, “I will save you now.”

By right, Arthur should also have drawn his sword in response but he could not help but laugh uproariously on his throne. He was laughing so hard that he was slapping on his knees and tears were rolling down his face. “Hahahahaha…”

He could not contain his laughter as he looked at Ye Qingxuan, “Which circus did you learn this from? You are really a rare talent. You have completely outdone those castratos and court jesters! Young man, if you kneel before me now, I will consider giving you a place in the kingdom in future.”

“My apologies.” A smile cracked over Ye Qingxuan’s face. “I don’t have the habit of pledging my loyalty to fools.”

For the past few centuries, no one has ever dared to describe Arthur in this way. Never…

In a split second, Arthur’s gaze turned cold and the smile on Ye Qingxuan’s face completely vanished. The melted gold of the ancient lance blade shimmered and the meteorite metal was awakened. The pain brought about by the heat was staggering. The hilt was no longer cool and had become burning liquid copper instead. The Symphony of Predestination has been launched. Nine layers of Sea of Aether was summoned by this terrifying force and crashed onto Ye Qingxuan’s hands. The torrent-like aether gushed into the lance. An artifact, whose potential could only be fully maximized by a musician, was finally in the hands of one. Momentarily, Ye Qingxuan almost used up all the reserves in the sub-originator in exchange for the glow of horror, which was like the breaking of the constellation. This was a weapon that was built for the sole purpose of killing. It did not matter who wielded it, nor who its target was.

Not even Arthur.

There was a streak of lightning. The burning electricity rose from the lance blade. It was as if the entire blade had lost its physical shape and had transformed into something more violent and destructive. The jolting of the electricity caused the skin on Ye Qingxuan’s hands to peel off, leaving behind a painful mass of muscle. Blood was flowing but they were instantly evaporated by the electricity.

Ye Qingxuan stepped forward and suddenly jabbed at the throne! It might have been a swift attack to ordinary people but to Arthur, it was as slow as a tortoise. He could hardly bear to take another look at that pathetic posture and jab. Even so, there was a chill in the lance blade that even Arthur had to be wary of. The Firebird continued to twist and turn in the hall.

But with the sudden jab of the lance blade, even the Firebird was torn into shreds. The dark ocean was split into two by the golden streak of light, unveiling a straight path. The power of dragon blood that had yet to complete the ritual of godly ascension could not be compared to the true nature of Leviathan. But to Arthur, a Firebird of this standard was just like breathing. The pair of dark and empty eyes looked up and there was an explosion from the throne.

On the path of godly ascension, that hoarse voice suddenly turned into a howl of terror. The Aether wave, which was already terrifying in its own right, became a thousand times more powerful. It was as if a sea monster, who was on the brink of death, was flailing in the ocean in defiance and raising terrible tidal waves. The Aether waves turned into a wild torrent and crashed onto the Physical World.

On the other hand, the throne was in the peaceful eye of the storm, where Arthur slowly raised the stone sword. The blade of the sword moaned and trembled but there was nothing it could do to resist the will of Arthur. It was aimed at Ye QIngxuan.

Kill!

In that moment, a powerful light exploded and devoured everything. The incoming hurricane overwhelmed the glow of the Lance of the Dragon Slayer. The Symphony of Predestination trembled fervently. The trinity of components shook and was almost about to break apart. This was the difference in nature and it was as vast as that between a giant dragon and an ant.

Comparing the power of Leviathan against that of ordinary humans was like comparing the seven seas to a sampan. Just a slight tremble was enough to raise towering waves to drown every country and bury everything under the sea. A simple wave of the hand and hacking motion of the sword in the air was all it took to stop Ye Qingxuan in his steps. Even his determination has been shaken. His mind was now filled with the thoughts of the pain and hopelessness of being turned into dust.

Even though the ritual of godly ascension was still incomplete, with the stone sword in possession, Arthur was as powerful as any catastrophe. Catastrophes were catastrophes after all. They were not like any other ordinary people that could be killed just because one wielded an artifact.

“What a pity…” Momentarily, Ye Qingxuan’s voice spoke softly but his sigh was audible. He closed his eyes and in the next instant, a light that was thousands of times more powerful exploded.

Arthur was stunned.

In his hands, countless cracks appeared on the Lance of the Dragon Slayer but from these cracks rose the Musical Theory of Collapse, the terrifying imagery of Gods against mankind. It represented the clash between the musical theories of Gods and mankind and a tragic song of destruction was played by the base plate of Classical School. This was the final main interpretation, ‘Evening of all Gods”.

It was just like the destruction of one world and the closure of another. The Lance of the Dragon Slayer was destroyed in exchange for the terrifying power of God’s rage. It would wreak havoc everywhere, drown everything with the sea and all the Gods would fall. The old world would be set on fire and from the ashes, four major elements would be determined and used to establish the new era.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Amidst the powerful blasts, immense and overwhelming light exploded from Ye Qingxuan’s hands. Arthur’s powers have been shredded into pieces. The power of the Lance of the Dragon Slayer pierced through layers upon layers of obstructions and finally smashed onto the blade of the stone sword with a glow that was as if the world had been set on fire.

Arthur was furious. The blade of the stone sword roared and the Chapter of the Golden Victory was roused from its slumber. The images of all sorts of phantom beasts appeared, culminating in a real giant dragon in the end, which tried to devour Ye Qingxuan. But alas, even the giant dragon was no match for him.

Ye Qingxuan screamed. All of his powers turned into light and they gushed out of his eyes. He was almost about to be burnt alive by the incredible power. It was thousands of times more powerful than what he could control.

Explosions sounded continuously every moment due to the clash between the Lance of the Dragon Slayer and the stone sword. Each clash would bring about an earth-shattering explosion. Even the Sacred City would be able to observe this terrifying aftermath. Wielding that powerful light and using the power from the self-destruction of the Lance of the Dragon Slayer, Ye Qingxuan kept moving forward. He crossed the barrier of an audience to the monarch and continued to overcome every single obstacle.

Finally, Arthur was within reach.

For such a long time, from the day he arrived at Avalon, he has been trying to escape from the shadows of Arthur. He had to wait until today to be able to see what Arthur really looked like for the first time.

Arthur looked terrible. Really terrible. Underneath the human face was the silhouette of a beast. It was ugly and ferocious and it stared at Ye Qingxuan, full of rage.

Ye Qingxuan screamed at the top of his lungs and with all the strength that he had left, he thrusted that light against Arthur.

Arthur howled with rage. The stone sword roared and its power increased once again. The full power of a catastrophe has finally been unleashed in one go and it overwhelmed even the clash of the power of terror and the Lance of the Dragon Slayer. The hall of the throne collapsed suddenly.

“Don’t even think about it!” Arthur laughed deviously. The musical theory of the sword blade has managed to overwhelm the Lance of the Dragon Slayer, suppressing the terrifying musical theory that was as powerful as the destruction of the entire world. But in that moment, through the burning light, he saw a smile on Ye Qingxuan’s face. It was a smile of joy. Then, the smiling young man released his grip and allowed the Lance of the Dragon Slayer to drop.

“Has he given up?!”

Shortly after, the palm that was full of wounds was raised. His fingers were fully outstretched and he gathered strength before aiming for Arthur’s face and smacking it.

Slap!

A slap that was so clear and distinct amidst the roars. Arthur’s face was one that was filled with evil aura and crushing authority but now, the fresh print of a palm was slowly appearing on it. His eyes were in a daze and there was a tinge of confusion and helplessness.

This attack came so unexpectedly and it was so offensive. It was so … heartbreaking!

“This is the expression I want.” Ye Qingxuan nodded his head with satisfaction. It was as if every cell in his body was dancing with joy.

What a great feeling!