As the group exited the dungeon, triumphant and holding the Holy Grail, a voice cut through their celebration. "I didn’t expect this development," said General Lancelot, standing in the blizzard with his arms crossed.
Mixarnt grinned. "Oh hey, old man! As you can see, we passed. Hehe."
Lancelot chuckled. "Yes, now tell me, who among the six of you will be teleported back to the colosseum?"
Mixarnt and the girls were stunned. "What do you mean, old man? All of us found the grail, so all of us should pass," Mixarnt protested. The girls nodded in agreement.
"T-that’s right, General! Didn’t you say that whoever—" She trailed off, her face falling as she realized the truth. Misa recalled Lancelot’s earlier announcement.
"Looks like you finally understand," Lancelot said coldly.
"Understand what!?" Nessa snapped, annoyed.
Kara’s expression darkened as she pieced it together. "The grail was meant to be found by only one person. Even though we formed a group, it doesn’t mean everyone passes. This is the endurance trial—a test of individual survival. Only one of us can pass."
"But that’s unfair! We went through so much together!" Poppy cried.
Jenna added, "We protest! You should pass all of us—" Before she could finish, Lancelot hurled his spear toward her face. Mixarnt reacted instantly, blocking the spear with his wooden sword. The spear flew back to Lancelot’s hand, and he noticed Mixarnt’s sword wasn’t ordinary—it was made from World Tree material. Jenna collapsed to her knees, shaken, as her friends rushed to her side.
"Hey, old man. Isn’t that rude? Attacking a woman? Is that how a knight acts?" Mixarnt said, annoyed, taking a fighting stance. Although he was able to block Lancelot's spear, he felt the heaviness of that attack.
Lancelot was amused. The kid had guts, just as his friend Gundrik had said. Still, he wasn’t fond of being insulted. "This is a testing ground, kid. Even if someone dies, it matters little," Lancelot replied, gripping his spear and sword.
Mixarnt grinned. "Let’s make a deal. If I injure you, you’ll pass all of us. How about that?"
Lancelot chuckled at the audacity but couldn’t help admiring the boy’s spirit. "You’ve got spunk, kid. Fine, let’s see what you’ve got."
Back in the throne room, Eclipse’s eyes narrowed as she watched the situation in the magical screen. Her grandfather, Lancelot, was about to fight Mixarnt, and she knew how serious and brutal Lancelot could be in battle. As the person who has the title God of War, Lancelot was one of the strongest figures in the kingdom, and while Eclipse herself was stronger than him, Mixarnt was nowhere near that level yet. Despite her worry, she couldn’t help but find Mixarnt’s audacity amusing.
"For the love of god! That idiot! Why are you trying to pick a fight with Lancelot of all people!?" Sunshine exclaimed, her voice filled with frustration. She, too, knew how formidable Lancelot was, and the thought of Mixarnt facing him made her anxious.
"Oh! It’s Mixarnt!" Retired General Gundrik said with a grin, his eyes lighting up as he saw the magical screen. The magical observer had shifted the focus to Mixarnt and Lancelot’s confrontation, not because Mixarnt was popular, but because Lancelot was about to fight. Still, many people already recognized Mixarnt as the boy who worked at the adventurers’ guild.
"Gundrik, so that’s the boy you’ve been telling us about during our get-together?" Former General Rosalinda asked, her tone curious. She was the grandmother of Rosalind, one of the participants in the trial.
"Hahahaha! That boy has guts!" Former General Lusaric laughed, clearly entertained by the situation.
"No. That boy is foolish and illogical," Former General Xavier said sternly, his arms crossed and his expression serious.
"Kehaha. Reckless indeed!" Former General Leoric added, his grin sharp and anticipating.
"Gundrik, are you okay with this? We all know Lancelot is brutal. This Mixarnt is your prodigy, right?" Former General Theron asked, his voice tinged with concern.
Gundrik just laughed heartily. "Gahahaha! Don’t worry! He’ll think of something! Gahahaha!" His casual attitude made the other former generals sweat awkwardly. They couldn’t believe how nonchalant he was about the situation.
Sunshine, overhearing her father’s laughter, was beyond annoyed. "Ugh, my father is so irresponsible!" she muttered, her worry for Mixarnt growing. She couldn’t understand how Gundrik could treat such a serious situation as a laughing matter.
Meanwhile, across Aetherlight, the magical screens in every corner of the kingdom were now focused on Mixarnt and Lancelot’s impending fight. People who knew Mixarnt, like Elara and Guild Master Orion, were stunned. Orion choked on his drink, his face pale. "My god! That boy is reckless!" he exclaimed, nearly fainting at the thought of Mixarnt facing such an overwhelming opponent. As an adventurer with great potential, Mixarnt’s death would weigh heavily on Orion, who had encouraged him to join the trials.
"I-it’s okay, Guild Master. Aha...haha..." Elara said awkwardly, though her voice betrayed her own worry. She, too, was anxious about Mixarnt’s fate.
As the entire kingdom watched, the tension in the air was palpable. Mixarnt, standing against Lancelot, seemed like a tiny flame facing a raging storm. Yet, despite the odds, Mixarnt’s grin never wavered. He was ready to fight, and the world held its breath.
