King Garrie walked toward his knights and mages. His face was stern and even appeared tense. The knights and mages who saw him immediately seemed to feel the weight he was carrying.

They had, of course, heard what the man had said. The man who had revealed himself as the Void Architect had spoken about a contest to determine the fate of this kingdom.

It was not difficult to understand what he wanted to achieve. He wanted to take control of this kingdom, Leonora, and claim the Sky Anchor that had been gathered here.

Now that the Dragonborn were gone, the Void Architect had finally dared to appear before them.

King Garrie stopped in front of his mages and knights. He looked at them one by one and saw that their expressions were just as tense as his own.

"You all heard him, didn’t you?" King Garrie asked, his voice low. "He said I have to fight him for the fate of this kingdom. Now that the Dragonborn are still away, they can’t protect us. We have to defend this kingdom through our own efforts."

"But, Your Majesty," one of the senior mages said, "how can you fight that thing? I don’t mean to disrespect you, but you’ve seen his power."

The other knights and mages seemed to agree with his words. A being capable of launching attacks on such a massive scale against all five kingdoms at once did not seem like something a single human could defeat.

"But," one of the knights said thoughtfully, "perhaps this is actually a good opportunity. Think about how much Magic energy the Void Architect spent attacking us earlier. And yet he still failed. Now that he has somehow drawn the Dragonborn away, he has come here to offer a challenge."

"What are you trying to say?" King Garrie asked.

"Perhaps he’s already very weak, Your Majesty. This may be his final attempt to achieve victory. He might be desperate."

The knight’s words sank into everyone’s minds.

They had to admit that it made sense.

What other reason was there for the Void Architect to appear here in person after launching such relentless attacks from an unknown location earlier?

Perhaps it was because he had grown weaker.

"So... you’re saying I should accept?" King Garrie asked.

The mages and knights looked at him.

Their hearts were in turmoil.

On one hand, they could not bear the thought of their beloved ruler facing that being alone.

On the other hand, only he could do it.

As the king, it was his duty to protect his people, even if that duty felt like an unbearable burden.

King Garrie looked at the people around him. Their gazes felt heavy as they rested on him.

He knew there were things they could not bring themselves to say.

Even so, he understood exactly what every one of them was thinking.

The king let out a slow breath before smiling faintly.

"All right," he said. "I’ll accept the challenge."

"Your Majesty," one of the senior mages said, "since he is the one proposing this challenge, I think you should demand some kind of contract that will place restrictions on him."

King Garrie nodded.

"Yes. I’ve already thought about that."

The king turned around and walked back toward the Void Architect.

The Void Architect watched him approach with a calm smile, as though everything was unfolding exactly as he had hoped. There was not the slightest hint of concern on his face, only quiet confidence that made it seem as if victory was already within his grasp.

King Garrie kept his eyes fixed on the man.

"Or perhaps," he thought, "that smile is only hiding the fear he refuses to show."

]]]

"So, I take it you’ve decided to accept the challenge?" the Void Architect asked.

"Before that, we need to establish an oath," King Garrie replied. "I have no intention of being deceived by a creature like you."

The Void Architect remained silent.

"Why would a being like you come here and challenge me personally?" the king continued. "There is only one answer."

"You’ve become desperate."

The Void Architect’s face twitched.

For a brief moment, his composure cracked. His smile faded and was replaced by an expression of anger.

The change lasted only an instant.

A smile soon returned to his face as though nothing had happened.

But King Garrie had already noticed that tiny reaction.

He had not taken his eyes off the Void Architect since their conversation began.

Now he knew his suspicion had been correct.

"What do you want?" the Void Architect asked.

King Garrie looked at him calmly.

"If we’re going to settle this with an oath, then the conditions will be clear."

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"You will fight me using only the power of this manifestation. You are forbidden from drawing strength from your true body or any other manifestation during the duel. You are also forbidden from receiving assistance from any outside source. The battle will be decided solely between you and me."

The Void Architect’s smile slowly narrowed.

King Garrie continued without hesitation. "If you truly believe you can defeat me, then those conditions shouldn’t be a problem."

Silence fell between them as the Void Architect considered the proposed restrictions.

But the Void Architect did not think for long.

Only a few seconds later, he nodded with a smile still resting on his face.

"Very well, human. I will make the oath."

At that moment, King Garrie suddenly felt something enter his body.

It was an incredibly powerful foreign force.

The power flowed not only into his body but also into his soul, binding itself to his entire being.

The Void Architect felt the same thing.

Inside his mind, he cursed the king.

He had been forced to lower himself to this level just to make this plan succeed.

While Nyssara kept the Dragonborn occupied, he had to seize this opportunity.

"That is the power of the Oath," the Void Architect said. "Now... let us begin."

Without waiting another moment, the Void Architect charged straight at King Garrie.

—