The rain had ceased by the time the battle was utterly concluded, and Mordred lay flat on the ground, the long spear still impaled in her chest, unremoved. The blood around the wound had begun to congeal, and the serene expression on her face seemed to whisper that her passing had been without pain.

Altria simply stared, neither weeping nor speaking.

“My King.” A voice sounded beside her—Bedivere’s.

Perhaps shielded by her loyalty, or perhaps blessed by the Creator, she had been struck down during the chaotic melee, yet only lost consciousness, not her life. Aside from a few cracks in her armor and a disheveled appearance, she bore not a single wound... leading one to suspect she had poured every attribute point into Evasion to achieve such a feat.

“Bedivere, I am so glad you are alive.” Altria’s gaze finally shifted away from Mordred’s corpse. She hadn't seen Bedivere during the fight and had feared her dead; the sight of the knight lessened the crushing grief in her heart.

“My King, we must depart.” Bedivere’s call was soft. From Viviane, she had learned of Morgan’s scheme... and also of that tangled, forbidden affection. She deeply understood the King’s sorrow.

“Yes, we truly must leave this place.” Altria slowly rose, glancing once more at the body on the ground—a single look that contained the entirety of her emotion.

This life had passed them by, unredeemable now. Yet, she could not collapse into despair, for others waited for her, and she had things more vital than her own life to protect.

But the instant she straightened, Altria’s brow suddenly furrowed, and she nearly fell to her knees again.

“My King!” Bedivere’s face changed, and she instinctively supported her.

“I am fine, just weary.” Altria turned back with a light laugh to reassure her, “Let’s go. They are still waiting for us. This time, we absolutely cannot be late.”

“Yes, My King. I shall guard you until the very end!”

The loyal knight whispered the words, confirming her unbreakable resolve.

When Altria and Bedivere returned to the small forest path where they had last parted with Lin Luo, they found him standing there as if he had never left, holding the infant and waiting quietly. As Lin Luo watched their figures approach, he said nothing, offering only a faint smile.

“As promised, I have returned.” Altria approached him and spoke softly, but upon finishing, she seemed to lose all strength, collapsing gently toward him.

Lin Luo reached out and caught her, his gaze falling upon a faint, hairline wound on her forehead, from which red blood was seeping, tracing a path down her cheek to the ground.

“My King?!” Bedivere gasped sharply. Though she had sensed something was wrong with Altria upon their arrival and had initially believed it was mere post-battle exhaustion, she now realized it was the injury inflicted by the Bow of Transience!

Of the ten Holy Swords gifted by the Lady of the Lake, the Bow of Transience was not the mightiest, but it was certainly the most insidious. Any foe struck by it, even by the slightest graze, would have their internal veins and nerves ruined moments later, and the blood would be nearly impossible to staunch. A cut on a limb might not be fatal—though that limb would certainly be useless—but a strike to the head meant irreversible necrosis of the brain; no deity could save them.

And Altria had been struck on the forehead. The outcome was clear.

“M-My King!” Bedivere, intimately familiar with the Bow of Transience, turned ashen upon seeing Altria’s wound. Her knees buckled, and she sank down, tears streaming down her face. Though her personal honor remained unsullied by the chivalric code she believed in, this result... she had failed to protect her King in the end!

“Do not worry, Bedivere.” At that moment, a voice—not loud, but filled with power—sounded by her ear. Instinctively looking, she saw Lin Luo gazing at her with a smile. “I anticipated this outcome, so preparations were made from the start. Though I cannot change the predetermined end, some things can still be accomplished.”

“Then, My King,” Bedivere immediately stood, hope flickering in her eyes upon hearing this.

“Yes, I will not let her die.” Lin Luo nodded, handing the infant to her.

Bedivere took the baby and quietly stepped aside.

Lin Luo held Altria around the waist, gazing into her eyes, which had already lost their luster and were beginning to glaze over. Considering that Altria might not fight at full strength, or might still be gravely injured even if she did, Lin Luo had painstakingly used his unique vision to solidify the energy of the Scabbard—which was stored within his own body—and deliver it into Altria’s mouth during that kiss of farewell.

The Scabbard’s power could shield her from harm, but the portion he transferred was merely a drop in the ocean. Even minor injuries could be neutralized, but the wound from the Bow of Transience could only sustain her life temporarily. To heal her completely required returning the Scabbard to her, and currently, there was only one way to achieve that.

“This moment is when you and I must choose: one path leads to the finality of death, the other to an unending road fraught with thorns. Are you willing to walk that path with me, the one with no visible end?”

Lin Luo gently brushed a strand of hair from her forehead and whispered the question.

Altria answered without hesitation: “Whenever, wherever, no matter the ends of the earth, even the depths of Hell, I am willing.” Lin Luo smiled faintly, closed his eyes, and lowered his head, capturing her lips in a kiss.

“Heart Contract activated. Deploying Pact Mode.” Altria, who had been on the brink of death, radiated an overwhelmingly brilliant golden light under the influence of the contract, forcing one to look away. Her weak gaze suddenly became vibrant and full of life. A sword and a scabbard materialized on either side of her, shimmering like treasured artifacts.

The moment their lips parted, Altria’s gaze fixed upon the sword sheath she hadn't seen for so long. She smiled radiantly and said to Lin Luo, “So, the sheath that can protect me has been by my side all along.”

“What protects you is neither I nor the sheath, but your own heart.” Lin Luo stepped back a few paces, spreading his hands to face her squarely. “Now, make your choice, Altria. Do you choose the indestructible Holy Sword, or the impenetrable Scabbard?”

“I choose—” Altria extended her hand toward the right without hesitation. “I choose the Scabbard!”

The power of attack alone could secure victory, but it could not guarantee happiness. What she needed now was not mere triumph, but the ability to protect those she held dear, to ensure the happiness of the man she deeply loved—only the Scabbard could accomplish that!

“In the name of Altria, I choose the Scabbard!” the girl declared loudly, grasping the sheath tightly.

Just then, a figure burst forth from the girl’s body—golden-haired, armored, an exact replica of her. This figure reached toward the left. “In the name of King Arthur, I choose the Holy Sword!”

“How could this be?!” Lin Luo watched without speaking, as if he had known all along, but Bedivere was stunned speechless. The King had become two people—such a thing was the stuff of fantasy!

Ignoring the surroundings, Altria and Arthur turned to face each other, looking at the identical person opposite them. They merely exchanged knowing smiles; everything was understood between them.

This was not a split personality, but a divergence of choice. They were the same person, complete yet incomplete. One chose to advance in their identity as a human, while the other chose to advance as the King. Their paths diverged, tracing separate trajectories, yet the Heart of the World remained solely within Altria.

Then, as the two figures turned their backs to each other once more...

“Pact complete. Current Contractor and Contracted have achieved coexistence. Current Contractor obtains the Proof of Restraint: Bond of the Sword. Current Contracted obtains the Proof of Restraint: Guardian of the Sheath.”

Contractor Lin Luo: Traveler (LV2) Physical Strength: B Spiritual Strength: A Overall Power: Spirit Tier Intermediate Proof of Restraint: Angel’s Nose, Unrivaled Radiance, Path of Benevolence, Bond of the Sword. Level up requires three more Pacts.

Contracted: Altria Physical Strength: A Spiritual Strength: A Overall Power: Spirit Tier Advanced Proof of Restraint: Guardian of the Sheath Heart of the World: Heart of Courage (No. 1, Form: Glorious Radiance, Origin)

Upon the completion of the contract, Altria regained the Scabbard’s protection, and all her injuries healed instantly. The complete release of the Restraint Seal further elevated her power. However... King Arthur, whose path diverged from hers, began to bleed from her forehead and collapsed softly.

Having chosen the Holy Sword, she was not influenced by the Scabbard’s power and could only await death.

Lin Luo cradled her body, helping her lean against the tree, holding her delicate hand and gazing at her.

“Don’t look at me like that. This was my choice, and you couldn’t have stopped it, could you?” The King looked at the apologetic expression in his eyes and smiled gently, slowly reaching out to caress Lin Luo’s face. “Will we have a chance to meet again?”

“Of course. In the future, we will surely meet again.”

“Then I can rest easy.” The King smiled with relief, turning her gaze to the other side. “Child, let me see the child one last time. That is my child too, isn’t it?” Altria gently cradled the infant, kneeling down, her eyes brimming with tears. “Of course, it is. This child is yours and mine.”