Feeling the immense magic power within, the knights curiously asked:
"The Holy Grail, an artifact that accomplishes all miracles, an unexpected harvest from our journey, Your Majesty and I."
Luo En stepped out from the shadow behind the throne, explaining half-truthfully what had happened.
Everyone couldn’t help but marvel at this miraculous encounter and stepped forward one by one.
Altria, under the secret guidance of her teacher Merlin, bestowed the wine representing divine blood from the Holy Grail to the eight Round Table Knights, granting them different blessings based on their individual qualities:
Bedivere, for upholding [Humility], was granted [Pride], humble before none, boastful before none, becoming stronger when encountering stronger foes;
Gao Wen, for valuing [Honor], was granted [Eternality], his being like the sun, making every battlefield he stepped on, the honor of the Sun Knight never fading;
Lamaloc, for courage in [Sacrifice], was granted [Defiance], never yielding, continuing the battle;
Gareth, for [Bravery] in combat, was granted [Berserk], the warrior’s spirit never extinguished;
Gahorliss, for [Honesty], was granted [Silence], no external curse could affect him;
Aggrevain, for [Justice], was granted [Judgment], leniency for the good, double punishment for the evil;
Kai, for maintaining [Spirituality], was granted [Insight], seeing the essence of things, understanding the enemy’s rules;
As for the last, Tristan, who harboured [Compassion], Altria intended to give him the blessing of [Healing], allowing him to save lives, but the sorrowful knight refused.
"King, in this battle, is it necessary to be the enemy of knights who were once allies?" Tristan asked.
"Indeed, Sir Tristan. Lancelot, Galahad, Bos, and Percival have made their choice, and we are likely to encounter them on the battlefield. If this situation troubles you, you may withdraw now..."
"No! What I mean is, please retract the blessing of [Healing] for saving lives; on the battlefield, there is no need for such weakness! Kindness cannot protect those who trust me, nor can it defend your throne. I hope my [Compassion] can transform into a blade against the enemy, to quench Camelot’s eternal thirst with the blood of outsiders!"
Tristan kneeled on one knee, solemnly making his request.
After a brief silence, Altria nodded and granted Tristan his new blessing.
Its name was—[Reversal].
The deeper the compassion in his heart, the more powerful the force he could unleash, the crueler the means against the enemy.
As this blessing was completed, eight brilliant streams of golden light erupted from the bodies of the eight Round Table Knights, transforming into eight golden pillars, reinforcing the bastion forged by the Holy Grail, causing the constriction of the Holy Lance to halt once again.
Humility, Honor, Sacrifice, Bravery, Honesty, Justice, Spirituality, Compassion—the eight virtues of the knights;
Bedivere, Gao Wen, Lamaloc, Gareth, Gahorliss, Aggrevain, Kai, Tristan—the knights corresponding to the eight virtues;
Under the casting of the Holy Grail, the two formed a perfect fusion, jointly creating the sacred domain of the Round Table—Camelot!
Even the [Holy Lance], capable of reconstructing the world, could not erode an inch against this united force.
Luo En, satisfied, took the [Holy Grail] from Altria’s hands, and poured the remaining liquid onto the ground.
The golden divine liquid pooled in the lowlands, reflecting the scene of the front line.
On the dim wilderness, stardust fell.
Twelve Elf Knights led a tidal wave of knights through rivers, across fields and villages.
Accompanied by chanting akin to hymn singing, within the areas swept by the Elf Knights, humans, beasts, trees, and all tangible things transformed into golden streams of varying sizes, rising from the ground into the sky, converging towards the End of the Tower at the center of the storm.
Of course, there were rebels.
But against the powerful Elf Knights and armies, every resistance seemed feeble and powerless.
"Feel the grace, heed the divine revelation! We shall guide you into eternity!"
In that chilly judicial-like intonation, flaming golden swords unleashed blazing brilliance, sweeping towards the resisting and fleeing lives with unstoppable thunderous force.
The silhouette of death swooped down, reflecting horrified twisted faces.
Thereafter, everything was frozen in the light of the flames, channeling streams of golden spirits into the vortex in the sky.
"What are they doing?" the knights of Camelot asked in bewilderment.
"Collecting [Firewood] for the goddess to ascend to a higher divine position," Luo En answered calmly with a hint of a cold smile in his eyes.
Danu and Altria, like the dual aspects of [Divinity] and [Humanity], shared common dominion over this world.
Now, at the critical moment of decision, who would laugh last depended not only on their strength but also on their ability to consolidate external resources.
[World] and [Life] can be seen as a form of [Firewood].
If they are broken down into spirituality and incorporated into one’s domain, their foundation would become more stable, the strength more potent, and the odds of ultimate victory higher.
Without a doubt, Danu’s side was planning just that.
As for whether those souls would be lost or affected adversely afterwards, it was not within Danu’s concern.
Talking about humanity with lofty deities is meaningless.
After a moment of silence, Altria ordered sternly:
"Everyone, since they have made their move, you should also set out."