10 years ago, before the Solidarity Age, the Elohim was sealed away from the Mortal realms, alongside Asgard.
This was known as the Legendary Age, which some also refer to as the Age of Legends.
The Almighty King, Arthur Pendragon, wielded the holy sword, Excalibur; a powerful weapon that could vanquish the authorities of the Gods—that is the laws that govern over the world itself.
Each god maintained a certain law that would balance Yggdrasil.
Without the authority/law of fire, there could be no fire. Without the authority of ice, there could be no ice.
It was inevitable to keep the Elohim alive. Without them, authorities would crumble away and be cast into the Ol'trinian, where it would be absorbed into the infinite Sea of mana.
As a result, the law that governs the world will vanish forever, erasing the very concept of what it represents in reality.
Think of destroying the God of Fire. If he were to die, then so would the law of fire, thus, it would vanish throughout Yggdrasil as a whole, and fire, or anything associated with it, would be eradicated permanently.
But there was more to it than that; destroying an authority not only unbalances the world but also erases it from the past and present, eliminating traces of its existence from memories and experiences. This phenomenon was known as the Notion Decline.
However, Arthur Pendragon and his men were different. In their prime, they were men with willpower that could surpass all of the Champion users combined.
There was no Notion Decline whenever he or his Knights of the Round Table killed an Elohim.
They were unbound by the framework of authorities.
Their very nature was an error within the system of the gods.
And without Excalibur and Arthur Pendragon's bravery, the world would've long been gone.
+
There he was, seated within the Grand, opulent hall, with large stained glass windows, lavish decorations formed by magic, and massive ornate columns that spread throughout the elegant room.
He sat atop his golden throne, adorned with light blue nobleman attire, blue and silver armor, and a red dandy cape with the symbol of Camelot engraved at the back.
Handsome in his appearance, his eyes stood out the most; being that of fiery gold, matching his blonde hair.
Even without the crown atop his head, one would be able to tell that this man was King.
"Are there any signs of Merlin?"
Arthur asked, facing his secretary.
"No my lord, I'm afraid not."
She appeared as a beautiful woman with fine clothing and the posture of nobility.
"How troublesome, it's not like her to be late when dealing with important matters like this…"
His secretary nodded.
"Yes, it is very concerning, but I'm sure she'll arrive just before we begin our meeting. Merlin is a busy woman."
Arthur smirked.
"Ahahaha, that she is! Merlin always gets herself tangled up in some new problem."
The secretary nodded with a smirk.
"Once she returns, we can discuss our plans to wipe out Dracula and his army, but for now, how about dinner my lord?"
Arthur lifted his hand and cast Clivha, manifesting a cock to show the time.
"Ah, it's past that time already, is it?"
He stood up from the throne as the knights within the Grand Hall bowed before him.
Arthur ambled forward, walking through the golden Grand Hall as his secretary trotted next to him.
"It's best to not stress so much, my lord, I can tell that you're anxious."
Arthur tittered at his secretary's comment.
"Naturally—Dracula is a powerful foe—he has magic that even Excalibur would struggle with, and yet, my men are out there fighting him."
She nodded.
"Yes, but it's not just your men; it's Lancelot's, Tristan's, Gawain's, and Percival's as well. We are all working together to defeat Dracula and his army."
Arthur nodded as they continued their stroll to the dining room of the castle.
"Yes, but that's the problem… why do we need so many of our people for the sake of one man? Dracula is on a different level. He's far stronger than the Witches of Calamity."
The secretary widened her eyes.
"Isn't that bit of an overestimation, my lord?"
Arthur lowered his head with a smile, chuckling.
"Perhaps so. I'm a very anxious man, so forgive me, Scarlet. Whenever the lives of my people are at stake, I overthink things a bit too often."
She giggled.
"That shows that you care, my lord."
"Does it now?" Questioned Arthur with a smirk.
"Oh yes, it does indeed, O' Mighty King!"
A whimsical voice came from the throne, immediately catching their attention.
Both Arthur and Scarlet turned around, laying eyes upon a Dark Elf with gray skin, red eyes, and the appearance of a jester.
"And you are?" Asked Arthur in a stern, demanding voice.
"Greetings O' Mighty King! My name is Cielero, the Secretary of Lord Dracula - Ruler of Nosferatu."
Arthur pressed his palm against his sheathed blade.
"And how did you find your way within Camelot? The castle is sealed off with powerful barrier magic that prevents teleportation."
"Oho Ho Ho! No need to get in a tizzy, O' Mighty King! I am everywhere and nowhere at once. You may seal off your castle—but I am the castle—you may strike me with your blade, but I am your blade."
"What sort of parlor trick is this?" Said the aggravated Scarlet. "You walk into King Arthur's Grand Hall and not expect to be attacked?! I'll have your head!"
"Halt, Scarlet." Said the King, extending his arm to stop Scarlet's advancement. "Let us hear him out, then we'll decide whether or not we should apprehend him."
"Oho Ho Ho! Good, good!" Cielero spun around, akin to a ballerina, as he made his way toward them both, stopping a dozen meters in front of them.
"I've come here under the orders of Lord Dracula to deliver a message."
Arthur lifted his brows.
"What kind of message?"
"The downfall of Camelot."
"What did you say?!" Shouted Scarlet, unsheathing her blade.
"Scarlet."
Arthur gripped her wrist.
"There is no need for violence."
"But lord, he just threatened Camelot!"
"No." Arthur shook his head. "It isn't he who threatened Camelot, but Dracula." Facing the jester, Arthur scowled. "Go on… what do you mean about the downfall of my Kingdom?" He released Scarlet's wrist.
The jester cackled.
"Three years from now, there will be a great disaster that not even Excalibur can put an end to!"
Arthur's frown slowly turned into a smirk as he laughed.
"Bwa Ha Ha!"
"Hmm?" The jester tilted its head.
"You play your role well, jester."
"Ohh?" Muttered the dark elf.
"This sword was entrusted to me as the symbol of hope and victory, yet you claim that there will be something capable of surpassing its power?" Arthur's smirk grew. "I may be a humble man, but I know nonsense when I see it."
"Ekekeke, how bold! How confident! Your ego shows the most whenever Excalibur is involved, doesn't it, O' Mighty King!?"
Arthur lowered his brows.
"Everyone has an ego, Cielero, but mine just happens to exist for the sake of Yggdrasil."
Cielero cackled.
"Ah yes, the one who has an ego usually has the most willpower."
The jester's smirk became mischievous.
"But it doesn't rival Lord Dracula's I'm afraid…"
Arthur gripped the Blade of Hope within his sheathe.
"How could a shadow possibly surpass the brilliance of the sun?"
"You dare disrespect my lord?"
The tension in the air grew as they both frowned at each other.
"And what if I am?"
Scarlet widened her eyes and slowly took a few steps back.
"…Then I'm afraid I'll have to teach you a lesson."
Cielero chuckled, and there was a silent pause.
"Alto Rinnia!"
A magic circle was immediately cast from the jester, bombarding Arthur with a series of spatial-cutting slashes.
But he wasn't fast enough.
Arthur had already drawn Excalibur, remaining unaffected by the powerful magic, thus, Alto Rinnia vanished the moment it made contact.
"Those slashes are known to cut through space… how are you alive?!"
"Excalibur is a blade that acts non-linearly."
Wielding Excalibur with both hands, the jester jumped back to gain distance.
"It can act independently from the present, serving me in both past and future."
"Is that so? I'm afraid it still won't be enough!"
Arthur lunged forward, plunging his blade into the jester's gut.
"Ugooaaah!!"
Blood splurged from Cielero's mouth as he gripped the blade with both hands.
"That… hurts!"
"I'll show you what it means to face a King within his castle."
Plunging Cielero into the wall, the light faded from their eyes.
But they vanished.
"…"
Cielero turned into a cloud of smoke, manifesting behind King Arthur.
"Ekekeke, foolish Hero! Didn't I already tell you? I am everywhere and nowhere at once."
Arthur held Excalibur low in his hand, turning to face the jester.
"You may have struck me down, but there was nothing to strike."
"Indeed. That's why I struck you everywhere and nowhere simultaneously."
"…Kukuku, if that's the case, then why am I- huh?"
Blood started pouring from Cielero's gut.
"No… how is… this possible?"
"I'm well aware of Schrödinger's cat theory, but that's nothing that Excalibur can't overcome."
"My nature exists within other parallel worlds of Midgard… how can you strike them all at once?!"
He spat out blood and ran toward the exit, but Scarlet tripped him, pinning the jester down.
"You aren't going anywhere."
"No, let me go! Release me!!" He squirmed, struggling to break free as Arthur sheathed his blade.
"I can't teleport… why?! What's happening to me?"
"Excalibur destroyed that paradoxical physiology of yours. Your ability to appear nowhere and everywhere is now gone."
"Damnit… damn it all!!!"
"I'll handle him, Scarlet." Arthur approached the jester, his eyes brimming with a golden hellfire.
"Aaahh…. Aaghhhhh!"
Cielero was horrified.