A Certain Multiverse's Holy Right

"I didn't expect you to be so generous, Guinevere. Truly unexpected. Your devotion to the Last King runs deeper than I could have imagined."

Roy sighed as he spoke. For the sake of the Last King, this once-revered goddess was willing to sacrifice herself, devoting her existence to her sworn enemy, the Campione. Whatever one might think of Guinevere's character or motives, her dedication alone was enough to stir fascination.

"If I didn't already know that your feelings for the Last King are rooted in friendship rather than love, I'd have called this the purest form of true love."

Thanks to his clairvoyance, Roy had seen glimpses of the past, including the intricate relationship between Guinevere, once a goddess, and the Last King.

Roy's clairvoyance could pierce the veil of history, but it didn't mean he knew every detail of the past. The sheer enormity of history meant he could only focus on specific moments when necessary to uncover secrets.

"The 'King' suffers greatly. He is trapped in an endless cycle of executing demon kings and returning to slumber. Each time he awakens, his power diminishes, forcing him to wander the earth, stealing the essence of Earth Mother Goddesses to recover. His long, lonely wanderings are filled with hardship. Before regaining his strength, he has been defeated and gravely wounded by God Slayers multiple times.

"...I didn't want him to continue suffering like this. That's why I sacrificed myself, storing the essence of the Earth Mother Goddesses for him. When he wakes, he can immediately regain his full strength and quickly slay the demon kings, sparing himself the pain of wandering and solitude. Moreover, his presence awakens the earth's volcanic heat. If he remains active for too long, the ensuing volcanic eruptions will devastate the world. He is merciful and doesn't want to harm living creatures, so he agreed to my plan."

Guinevere's gentle voice carried a tinge of pity for the Last King, her gaze softening as she spoke of him.

"So, you pity him, but sacrifice your own kind in the process?"

Athena's voice was sharp, her amber eyes brimming with anger. If not for Roy's evident scheming, she would have struck Guinevere down on the spot.

Even though killing Guinevere wouldn't be permanent, as the immortality of snakes allowed her to reincarnate, Athena was more than willing to ensure the Divine Ancestor would be incapacitated for decades.

"Lady Athena, even without my intervention, the Earth Mother Goddesses would have perished. The 'King' would have taken the essence of the earth regardless. This is his purpose. I merely accelerated the process."

Guinevere's tone remained composed. Despite being one of the oppressed Earth Mother Goddesses, she showed no empathy for her kind. Instead, she chose to aid in their downfall, making her a resolute, even cold-blooded traitor.

"But you truly are remarkable, Guinevere. The Last King once slew a God Slayer in England. This tale was merely folklore, but you cleverly adapted it into the Legend of King Arthur during the Middle Ages. You cast yourself as Queen Guinevere and ensured the story spread, transforming myth into reality. By weaving yourself into legend, you intended to summon King Arthur to awaken the Last King. I must admit, your manipulation of this world's rules is impressive."

Roy clapped lightly, his applause laced with sarcasm and admiration. Guinevere had indeed taken the world's mythological framework to its limits. Knowing that myths were creations of humanity, she used her immortality to craft and embed herself into them. Over centuries, the false legend of King Arthur had become reality.

"But I failed," Guinevere sighed, her frail figure trembling slightly. Her melancholic demeanor was strikingly pitiable, stirring a natural instinct to protect her. "Four years ago, I attempted to summon King Arthur through a ritual to summon a Heretic God, but nothing happened. It seems that finding the King's final resting place requires more orthodox means."

"Lord Roy," Guinevere continued, her voice soft yet playful, "how about we stick to our agreement? You tell me where the King sleeps, and I will offer you this body. As the fallen goddess who bears the title of 'King Arthur's wife,' I'm certain such a gift will satisfy even you, the Demon King."

Her words were laced with suggestiveness, her noble smile and sweet, coquettish tone drawing attention to her petite frame. For the Last King's sake, Guinevere was willing to do whatever it took.

"Shameless fallen goddess! No, the other Earth Mother Goddesses fell because they had no choice, but you chose this path yourself. I feel ashamed to even share the title of Earth Mother with you!"

Athena's anger flared, her face flushed with indignation as she berated Guinevere.

"Oh, what a saying," Roy chuckled, his tone lighthearted. "To die under the peony flower is still a romantic death, isn't it?"

Roy's laughter held an air of nonchalance. If he revealed the Last King's location now, allowing Guinevere to awaken him prematurely, Roy, unprepared, would undoubtedly meet his end at the King's hands. Trading his life for a night with Guinevere was an absurdly bad deal.

Guinevere was beautiful, but not beautiful enough for Roy to risk his life.

"So, let's change the deal, shall we? Guinevere, let me see the Holy Grail. In exchange, I'll tell you the general location of the Last King's resting place. What do you say?"

Roy shifted the conversation to the real matter at hand. This was his true goal.

"Is that all?"

Guinevere's expression turned cautious. If Roy had demanded her body, she could dismiss him as a typical arrogant, lustful man. But asking only to see the Holy Grail in exchange for such vital information seemed too simple. It made her suspicious.

"That's all," Roy confirmed, though he added with a sly glint in his eye, "but I'll reduce the value of my end of the bargain. I'll only tell you the region where the Last King is sleeping—not the exact location."

As he spoke, Roy activated his authority, The Face of God, subtly weaving its influence into his words. He smiled disarmingly, his true intentions carefully veiled.

Because Roy did not forcibly twist Guinevere's will and instead subtly guided her thoughts to align with her desires, she did not notice him activating his authority. As expected, after a brief moment of hesitation, Guinevere followed the fervent devotion in her heart toward the Last King and said,

"...Very well, Lord Roy. I shall let you witness the true Holy Grail. In return, you will reveal to me the region where the 'King' slumbers!"

Although she couldn't pinpoint the exact location of the Last King's resting place, knowing a general region was sufficient for Guinevere.

She had searched for the Last King for centuries. Waiting and searching for a few more decades made little difference to her.

Guinevere was a decisive individual. Once she resolved to act, she lowered her head and quickly recited an incantation of spiritual words.

Suddenly, an immense magical power burst forth—a power so dense and overwhelming that even the combined force of a dozen Campione would pale in comparison. It was like an erupting volcano, like a tsunami poised to flood the world. The tangible, viscous magic gathered in a singular vessel.

Golden light illuminated the streets of Manhattan as the Holy Grail materialized before Guinevere.

It was nothing like the Holy Grail of myth often imagined by mankind. Towering nearly as tall as a person and just slightly shorter than Roy, it resembled a massive trophy more than a cup.

This was the fabled Holy Grail of this world, and much like the one Roy recalled from the Nasuverse, it was a pure manifestation of magical energy.

Roy had long known that the Holy Grail was in Guinevere's possession but had refrained from seizing it. This was because the Holy Grail was an intrinsic part of Guinevere herself. As a relic of her divinity, godhead, and former body as an Earth Mother Goddess, it could not be forcibly taken from her. Its sole purpose was to collect and store the earth essence of slain Earth Mother Goddesses, ensuring that the Last King could awaken at full strength and immediately activate the Covenant Law to achieve invincibility.

Over the centuries, the Holy Grail had absorbed the essence of at least twenty Earth Mother Goddesses.

Every time the Last King completed his mission, he would deposit his gathered essence into the Holy Grail before returning to slumber, waiting to rise again when needed. As more Earth Mothers were absorbed, the Holy Grail grew stronger, perpetuating this grim cycle.

Because the Holy Grail was a literal part of Guinevere's body, it could not be found or taken unless she willingly brought it forth.

Now, for the first time, this legendary relic had appeared before Roy's eyes.

The Devil King who slew the gods grinned darkly. Roy's right hand emerged from the pocket of his robe, woven from the sacred shroud, and a strange, distorted mosaic-like energy radiated from his right shoulder.

As Guinevere's expression shifted dramatically, Roy raised his hand in a gesture as though gripping an invisible sword. His voice resonated with commanding authority as he chanted:

"Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?

"Thou... art guilty!!"

A crimson cross-shaped sword materialized in Roy's hand, its blood-red blade radiating a divine and ominous power. With a deafening roar, the sword extended, growing to an unimaginable length. In an instant, it swung downward, cleaving the air with unparalleled force.

"Uncle!!"

Guinevere screamed, her voice sharp and desperate. She called out for her protector as Roy struck with no warning, giving no one time to react.

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T/N: Pretty busy these days. But I thought that it has been around a week since the last chapter, so I translated this pretty quite quickly so there might be some small errors. Or maybe in the future chapters there might be errors, since I am going to be busy like this for a long time since I started my residency now.