'Oh? The holy sword Excalibur? One of the five holy blades born from the world itself, said to even have the abilities to harm gods... this mortal can wield it?'
Ishter whispered to herself, her eyes narrowing as they fixated on Artoria, standing amidst the carnage below.
'She managed to choose who Excalibur would harm too, for a mortal that is impressive. But my patience has worn thin. I need only the boy. The death of these fools who worship me holds no importance, though it's a pity the one who read my stories falls here too... mortals are such delicate beings.'
Ishter raised a finger and pointed it directly at Artoria. "No, she must be punished. She did just kill my followers, after all."
Artoria, panting heavily, struggled to her feet, the weight of her blade nearly too much for her exhausted body to bear. Her legs trembled, but she forced herself into a fighting stance, determination fueling her aching limbs.
Pant!
'I... I still need to get rid...of the goddess,' she thought, her vision blurring.
In the distance, the few survivors left in the main capital watched. Their eyes, which had been filled with despair, flickered with something they had not felt in a long time—hope.
Artoria's bravery sparked something within them.
A faint cry rose from the crowd—a whisper at first. "Our king... she's still fighting..."
More voices joined, their whispers growing into a chant. "Long live the King!"
Suddenly, a massive torrent of flames shot forward from Ishter's hand, roaring toward Artoria. The king gritted her teeth, her feet digging into the ground as she raised her blade to meet the attack. The force of the flames was overwhelming, pushing her back, her arms shaking violently as she tried to hold the line.
But it was too much. She knew she couldn't keep it up. Her muscles burned, her vision darkened—this was it.
Tap.
A gentle touch on her shoulder snapped her eyes open.
Standing in front of her was Ha Joon, his jacket resting lazily on his shoulders, flowing with the breeze. His back was turned to her, shielding her from the fire.
Artoria could barely process what was happening.
"You've done well, Your Royal Highness. Let me handle the rest," Ha Joon said softly, his voice calm amidst the chaos.
"Uhn?" she whispered, falling to the ground, her exhaustion finally overcoming her as she watched Ha Joon step forward, one hand extended toward the oncoming flames.
With a single wave of his hand, the flames froze mid-air, their intense heat turning into shards of ice that shattered and fell like rain.
Ishter, hovering above them, smiled—a cold, twisted smile. "I knew you'd do something unexpected, traveler. Yet, you think you can win against me with such parlor tricks?"
Ha Joon's grin only widened as he pointed directly at her, "Young lady! Get your ass down here this instant!"
Ha Joon spread his arms apart, his jacket flowing behind him as if it were alive.
"And so I pray: Decide for the law of the world, and cower under the might of my knowledge. I, Ha Joon Kim permits that.... SYNCRO!!!".
A brilliant flash of light erupted around him as his connection to Ishtar's divine power solidified.
Red patterns glowed across his skin, and the goddess screamed, her essence being drawn into the magic circle at his feet
He had successfully stolen the authority of the Goddess.
And since she was a half made, he didn't need to do much as he did with the Demi Human.
There was nothing more the Goddess could do to harm him, all her authority was gone– Ha Joon became the first to defeat a high level god, all by himself.
[Congratulations, you have successfully tamed the Goddess of Discord.]
Ha Joon watched as Ishtar's body was sucked into the magic circle that opened in front of him, her screams echoing before she was gone, dragged into the void.
Artoria and the rest who witnessed it could barely believe their eyes — it wasn't even a fight, Ha Joon had just defeated a Goddess without any effort needed, complete domination.
And it didn't seem like he was done there.
"Activate the soul plates."
[Request confirmed.]
From across the capital, blue light shot into the sky, cascading down like rain. And as it touched the bodies of the fallen, something miraculous began to happen. People—those who had been dead—were being brought back to life, their bodies knitting together from mere drops of blood.
Ha Joon fell to the ground, a huge amount of mana getting pulled from his body to carry out the process.
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In the streets, those who had once perished were now breathing again.
Artoria, her eyes wide, could barely comprehend it. A city once dead was now alive, reborn...
The Ultimate Rival.
"Un...Unbelievable."
The once silent survivors erupted into cheers, their voices shaking the very ground. Their happiness was evident as they watched their loved ones get brought to life before their very eyes.
Ha Joon turned to look at Artoria, and with a smile he whispered, "I told you, didn't I? I'll take care of it".
He then collapsed to the ground.