With his eyes closed, Lin Luo immersed himself in his own spiritual world. After signing the contract with Mugino, he had successfully ascended to LV2 as he wished. Not only were all his stats instantly restored to full, but his various attributes had also seen a substantial boost. Beyond that, however, he had touched upon something even more marvelous.

In the Misaka Network, he had understood death; in his battle with Accelerator, he had grasped the limits of humanity; when transforming Saten into an esper, he had learned about change; and when blocking the Railgun from Misaka and the Sisters, he had glimpsed what lay beyond the limits of humanity…

What exactly were those things? Lin Luo hadn't known before, but now he had some inkling. To put it simply, if he had to use one word to describe it... it was—Rule.

Of course, mastering these Rules would still take time. That’s why he had asked Mugino Shizuri to go and assist Mikoto and the others first. As long as they could hold out until he comprehended the Rules, reaching LV3 held no fear.

… Unsure how much time had passed, various points and lines converged around him, giving Lin Luo a strange sensation—as if, when these points and lines truly exerted their power, they could create worlds…

Quietly savoring this feeling, Lin Luo felt the gateway named Rule opening before him, inviting him to step through into a far more expansive domain…

Kazari Hyouka, Misaka Mikoto, Mugino Shizuri, Accelerator… At this moment, these four unleashed unprecedented power. Stationed at the four cardinal directions, they completely encircled Shige, deploying Rule Power against Rule Power, successfully suppressing him entirely.

Shige gritted his teeth, struggling desperately to defend. He was so frustrated he was nearly driven mad.

He simply could not comprehend why these seemingly weak individuals could erupt with vastly superior strength precisely at crucial moments, almost as if they were tailor-made to counter him. Every time his own power increased, they somehow grew stronger too—it was practically a protagonist's plot armor… Damn it.

Since these four had all turned into "bird-people," in less than five minutes, the Flaming Giant behind him had been shattered fifteen times. As for the Black Flames clinging to him, there was no point even counting the demolitions—it was well into the double digits. If not for being a tier above them in realm, he likely would have already been obliterated by this level of sustained assault.

Admittedly, this level of attack wasn't yet beyond his resistance. But… he was waiting. Waiting until his own Rule could be fully utilized, waiting until the river became an ocean…

Boom!

Kazari Hyouka’s Purple Lightning Sword cleaved through, Mugino Shizuri’s Atomic Collapse enveloped the area, Misaka Mikoto’s Wings of Water surged, and Accelerator’s Black Vortex struck directly… Under this four-pronged assault, the black flames coating Shige were utterly extinguished. Scarlet blood erupted from his body like a spring, and the Flaming Giant behind him was annihilated for the fifteenth time.

And it did not reform.

"Did… did we succeed?" "Did we finally defeat him?" "He's more terrifying than a monster, but… he must be done now, right?" "Let’s hope… so?"

Gazing at Shige, who remained still with his eyes shut, Kazari Hyouka, Misaka Mikoto, Mugino Shizuri, and Accelerator harbored a shared, nervous anticipation… Don’t get up. Please, don't get up.

Having sustained such high-intensity combat for over ten minutes, they had nearly exhausted all their strength. If Shige could fight again, whether they could endure was a complete unknown.

Mugino Shizuri clenched her jaw, hatred blazing in her eyes stemming from the memories of the Fallen Angel. She extended a finger toward Shige, which shimmered with brilliant white light, preparing to deliver the final blow with Atomic Collapse. But…

Before she could fire the attack, an earth-shattering, world-destroying demonic aura violently erupted from Shige’s body, as if a world-ending demon lord was about to manifest.

The four were involuntarily forced back. Driven by instinct for survival, they unconsciously clustered together, leaning on each other, their faces masks of shock: He’s not dead? How is that possible? Just how powerful is this guy?

But the reality was stark: Shige was alive, and very much so.

"Four wet-behind-the-ears brats, you think an attack of that caliber could finish this Seat?" Shige opened his eyes, staring at the four before him with a savage grin.

"What… what kind of monster are you?" They were all shaken to the core.

"Monster? Heh heh heh. Since you call me a monster, then… I shall show you what a true monster looks like!" With maniacal laughter, the black flames on his body surged anew, completely engulfing him. Then, a Flaming Giant, massive as a mountain, materialized behind him…

"This… this is…"

Almost too stunned to speak, when they saw the Flaming Giant behind Shige, disbelief contorted every face, for this was a sight none of them had ever witnessed.

It was a Flaming Giant easily exceeding a hundred meters in height. The abnormal heat radiated outward, causing even the seawater hundreds of meters below to begin evaporating.

This… this far surpassed the limits of power; it was not something they could possibly contend with. Merely the aura emanating from it made it nearly impossible to breathe. Fear… the emotion flooding their hearts was absolute terror.

"Gahahaha… this is the fullest extent of my Rule Power!"

Shige threw his head back and roared with laughter. He had finally reached it. From the springhead to the river, and from the river to the vast ocean—he had finally reached the point where his Rule Power could be unleashed at one hundred percent capacity.

To achieve this, he had barely attacked proactively during the preceding fight; it was all to hasten the convergence of his Rule Power.

Now, Shige, capable of wielding his Demonic Flame Domain at one hundred percent strength, was unstoppable. He was certain that nothing in this world, not even the gods, could withstand him easily.

"Come on, you brats. Unleash your power again and let this Seat see it! Gahahaha!"

Laughing wildly, Shige waved his emaciated arm. The hundred-meter-tall Flame Demon roared heavenward, and its fist, condensed from fire, slammed down with crushing force…

Bang!

It was a force of pure annihilation. With a single punch, Kazari Hyouka’s Wings of Purple Lightning shattered, Mugino Shizuri’s Fallen Angel form was rent apart, Misaka Mikoto’s Wings of Water collapsed, and Accelerator’s Control Field disintegrated…

The four lost all ability to remain airborne and plummeted rapidly, crying out as they fell.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

With lightning speed, just as the four were about to impact the ground, ABER, who had been standing on the ground all along, caught them all, finally averting the horrific scene of their deaths upon impact, before gently setting them down.

At this point, the four were completely spent, lying weakly on the ground. Thanks to the protection of Rule Power, their bodies hadn't sustained grievous wounds, but rising in the short term was impossible.

"As expected. I knew you weren't that simple," ABER said calmly, looking up at Shige above her.

"Now only you remain. Can you take one punch from it?" Shige extended his hand, and simultaneously, the Flaming Demon extended its own, forming a fist.

"You are welcome to try," ABER met his gaze without a trace of fear.

Shige frowned. Although he now possessed his ultimate power, for some unknown reason, facing this blonde girl filled him with an abnormal sense of unease… What was going on?

No matter. Eliminate her.

After a brief hesitation, Shige channeled all his power into the Flaming Demon. Instantly, the demon’s fist swelled madly, burning fiercely, soon obscuring half the sky…

"Truly terrifying power. Even I could not block a force like this. Perhaps only that legendary Noble Phantasm could stop it. But that is not my Noble Phantasm; if I were to force its use, I would probably vanish—no, I definitely would vanish. But still…"

Facing the mountain-like fist, ABER stood firm, utterly fearless, raising Excalibur. A radiance brighter than the Flaming Demon emanated from her as she shouted aloud.

"...As a King, at any time, even in death, one must not turn their back on the enemy! As a King, at any time, one must never flee without fighting! As a King, at any time, one must never abandon comrades! As a King… protecting everything is the dignity of the King!"

"My name is Artoria Pendragon—King of Knights!"

The mountain-like fist smashed down.

"Manifest reality within illusion—that faraway utopian land, its name is… Avalon!"

A scabbard appeared on Excalibur, bathed in a divine glow. Resolution shone in ABER’s eyes.

The faraway utopia, ignoring any worldly attack, impervious even to the legendary Five Great Magic, truly an absolute defense.

Boom! When the Flaming Demon’s fist struck the scabbard, it unleashed an earth-shattering sound, but… it could not be moved. Even with such terrifying power, the scabbard did not even tremble a fraction.

"Th-this… how is this possible?" Seeing this, Shige was completely unable to process it.

After reflecting the fiery fist back, ABER raised Excalibur behind her. The next moment, she unleashed her strongest cleave.

"Excalibur—Sword of Promised Victory!"

The relentless slash tore the heavens and earth apart. The hundred-meter-tall Flaming Demon was instantly severed in two, and even one of Shige’s right hands, high in the sky, was sliced off, eliciting a scream.

Clang.

Inserting Excalibur back into the ground, ABER rested both hands overlapping on the hilt. Her ribbon loosened, and her golden hair swayed slightly. A bittersweet smile graced her face as she spoke tenderly.

"Rin, it’s a regret that I cannot accompany you to win the Holy Grail War…"

As she finished these words, ABER’s figure began to fade away.

When reality converges with illusion, the illusion must vanish. The pure white knight, the noble king, exchanged her very existence for one absolute defense and the strongest attack—all merely for the sake of protection.

P: Ten thousand words in three chapters—seeking monthly votes!