"This is…" The Lion King struggled to support her body, trapped between the weight of worlds... above and below, identical yet crushing her in between.
Under Morpheus's control of this force, she was compressed but not killed, merely immobilized, unable to escape or even move.
"The weight of the world. You represent the Holy Lance that anchors the world's surface, but I've imposed upon you the very weight of the world you seek to hold," Morpheus said with a smile, stepping forward to face the woman glaring at him.
Then, he asked, "We've got some time. Shall we talk?"
"What do you want to say?" The Lion King responded.
Unable to resist, engaging with him to understand his intentions seemed a reasonable choice.
"This era must be corrected; history must return to its proper course. There's no way around it," Morpheus said. "And that means you'll die, as your existence has contributed to this era's creation. In essence, this era isn't just the King of Magecraft's interference... it's more like a parallel world that was meant to develop independently."
The Lion King, with her divine perspective, understood the implications of his words.
In this world, King Arthur was destined to become the Lion King, to wander this realm. Whether she would be slain by Bedivere or regain the power of the holy sword to become a humane god in the present world was a matter for the future.
But the King of Magecraft's interference changed everything. The world failed to diverge into a parallel one, instead becoming a flawed history on a singular timeline.
"You're right. To correct history is to kill me, making you my enemy."
Bedivere watched their exchange from a distance. Hesitating briefly, he stepped forward, looking at the king from his memories and speaking softly, "My king…"
The Lion King, now defenseless, could have her divinity erased by the power of the holy sword if he acted!
It would return her to death!
This was his mission, but Morpheus stopped him.
"Hold on. I have more to say."
Morpheus turned back to the Lion King. "Do you want to live?"
She looked at him, puzzled. "You're not correcting history anymore?"
"No, I will correct history, but I can also let you live... not as just King Arthur, nor solely as the Lion King or Lord of Storms, but as all three. I'm not certain it'll work, but I think it's worth a try. I want to experiment."
"Experiment?"
"Rhongomyniad is a tool to anchor the laws of this world's surface, essentially capable of creating an independent small world within a limited scope. When all the lances are embedded, they equate to an Earth. That's the ability I need."
Morpheus reached out, lightly touching the tip of Rhongomyniad, feeling the immense power within.
"Give it to me. Let me try. If it works, you live, this world is saved, and everything ends perfectly. Isn't that good?"
The Lion King studied Morpheus, finally understanding why her vision couldn't see his future. He was a divine-level entity, wielding the power of multiple deities, each surpassing the might of any chief god she knew.
And that unique technique... imposing the world's weight on a target without killing them... what kind of magic was that? It transcended her understanding.
She hesitated, then released her grip.
He could have taken Rhongomyniad by force but chose to ask her consent, showing respect.
Morpheus took the lance, feeling its power. Without hesitation, he raised it, his magical energy surging. The lance began to dissolve into threads of golden magical runes, like stigmata. Sensing the laws within, Morpheus's lips curled into a slight smile.
"As expected, it's possible…" Replicating these runes, he channeled his magical energy and chanted a unique incantation.
"I swear by the cycle of the four realms, reforging authority in the void of Ain Soph!
"My right hand lifts the Wheel of Metatron, turning the seventy-two holy names into an infinite line... behold! The path of lightning from Keter to Malkuth, granting equal divinity to all values!
"My left hand grips Samael's inverted blade, condensing the fifth essence's flame into an absolute singularity... hear! The throat of Binah trembles with ten billion collapsing possibilities, the prime number of finality taking form!
"With the Rose Cross as the axis, let the branches of the Sefirot and the Qliphoth intertwine!
"Now, Thoth's silver hammer strikes the Eye of Horus, tearing the triple veil in Tefnut's storm... manifest! The Merkabah's geometry bears Sariel's lunar shadow, Babel's fragments reassemble into Jacob's Ladder, and Sophia's tears climb the third pillar against the flow!
"With Hermes' staff as the conductor and the Wheel of ROTA as the foundation, let this primal bolt piercing the twenty-two paths... 'LIGHTNING OF AIN SOPH'! Forge chaos into the newborn Tarot Fool!"
In that moment, a unique force descended from the highest realm, following a specific path. Lightning-like patterns appeared in the air.
But this lightning struck into the spaces. For an instant, the Lion King sensed a profound change. This wasn't mere lightning... it was a unique force, seemingly encompassing everything in this world!
"What is this lightning?"
"Exactly as it sounds: Genesis Lightning," Morpheus said with a smile, sensing the small world... or rather, phase... he had created.
Building a phase wasn't simple. It required many people, vast mysteries, and immense time.
"Normally, a myth I create alone couldn't form a phase large enough. Even if I did, the Lion King born within wouldn't be you... just a version I wrote."
Morpheus looked at her, explaining his actions.
"It's the realm of myth, akin to a divine kingdom. I've been attempting this, but it's difficult. Touching Rhongomyniad showed me I could execute my plan.
"Rhongomyniad's power to shape a region's laws is more than enough to catalyze a phase."
As he spoke, Rhongomyniad's power flowed into the phase, not to anchor but to catalyze. Once it reached a sufficient level to house the Lion King, the lance could be returned.
If the phase couldn't contain the deity within, it risked collapsing.
Fortunately, the Lion King's power wasn't overwhelming. A world the size of a continent would suffice, not an entire Earth.
As myths spread and the phase developed, its future was beyond Morpheus's knowledge.
He used the Fool as his symbol, representing rebirth and chaos, aligning with Kabbalah's "Tzimtzum" Theory: God's self-contraction to create a void, enabling creation.
He avoided a fixed world, hoping this one would expand, not reach a final state.
After settling this, Morpheus turned to Bedivere with a smile. "Take off your arm and give it to her."
Bedivere, bewildered by Morpheus's words, complied, feeling their grandeur. He removed his arm, constructed from the holy sword, and handed it to the Lion King.
With the sword's return, her divinity began to wane, and her humanity resurfaced. Her eyes cleared, though the gold within lingered.
The Lion King was transitioning from a divine spirit to one with humanity.
"Bedivere…" She softly called to her vassal, her eyes free of blame. "Don't dwell on it. This is fate. Fate made me the Lion King, foresaw the King of Magecraft's plot, and brought me to meet Morpheus here…"
"You keep talking about fate. If someone I know heard that, he'd probably punch you," Morpheus muttered, thinking of Academy City's director, Aleister Crowley.
The golden book continued writing, its contents linked to the phase. It recorded recent events.
[The Lion King received her holy sword, restoring her humanity. With both sword and lance at Arthur's side, she became a true god... a paradox of humanity and divinity, fully unified.]
Artoria looked at Morpheus. "Why have me enter? What's the point?"
"If you don't, a new Lion King will arise in this phase. If you enter, you become this world's Lion King. The phase will envelop the world like an invisible shield, protecting it from evil with divine mythic power.
"Others can connect to the phase, wielding its power to perform magic, like invoking your authority as the Lion King. In doing so, they'll spread this myth, strengthening your existence and power."
Morpheus smiled.
"How's that for a deal?"
"So, if I choose death, it doesn't affect you?"
"Honestly, no. I'm just giving you a choice," Morpheus said sincerely.
Artoria fell silent, then smiled. "I planned to choose death, as I should have died. But thinking I might be this world's last witness, I'll accept your plan. I'll enter your phase world."
Morpheus clapped. "Deal! I might summon you for help later if needed."
Artoria nodded lightly. "Fine."
"Don't worry, I won't summon you often. I can handle most troubles myself." Morpheus took the lance and sword, planting them into the ground. "Once you're inside, the phase will create new versions of the sword and lance, just as powerful, so no worries about your weapons."
If he could, Morpheus would love to take Rhongomyniad and analyze it thoroughly. His earlier study of its runes was incomplete, only scratching the surface.
But he feared taking it might disrupt history's restoration due to its unique status.
So, he abandoned the idea.
The world's weight lifted, and Artoria stood, feeling the phase's call... an instinct guiding her to enter that world.
A rift remained, like a spatial passage. She glanced at Bedivere, bidding him farewell, and stepped inside.
The Lion King took her place, the rift vanished, and the world trembled violently, beginning to collapse!
"You can rest now. Your mission is complete," Morpheus said, patting Bedivere's shoulder in farewell. Bedivere bowed, looking at the collapsing world and exhaling. "Humanity will have a bright future, right?"
"It will. My magic should show you how strong future humans are. The King of Magecraft and his ilk are no match. The future should be a world where everyone becomes a god," Morpheus assured as Bedivere faded.
In the distance, Ramesses II smiled, conversing with his ancestor.
"What a surprising man, suppressing a full-powered Lion King so effortlessly. He even created a unique small world to let her persist. In time, that world may become a divine realm."
He laughed, allowing himself to fade back to his Throne of Heroes.
The world was restored!
***
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