By the Black Lake, Hermione filled Arthur in on everything he'd missed.
During the break, Harry had finally found the entrance to the Chamber and—predictably—Gryffindor had banked a small fortune in House points. Draco hadn't pestered Harry at all; he was too busy hovering over his Welsh Green egg. The funniest turn, though, was Snape versus Lockhart. Ever since Easter holiday, the Dueling Club had become their private arena. With Severus's newly minted lightning, the two of them traded wins, traded barbs, and served Hogwarts a steady stream of free, front-row "expert duels." No wonder half the school was crammed into Dueling Club earlier.
"And Hagrid?" Arthur asked.
"Cleared!" Hermione beamed. "Dumbledore pushed it through at the Ministry. The old accusation is gone, and Hagrid's officially allowed to carry his wand again."
Which explained why Hagrid had celebrated himself under the table—with Radahn, no less.
Speak of the devil. Hagrid's hut sat just up the slope. A moment later, Radahn felt Arthur's aura and came pounding out first.
"Ha! Brother-in-law! You're out! Stronger, too!"
Hagrid followed, eyes going wide. "Blimey, Arthur—you've changed. Nearly didn't know you, I did."
Arthur waved, grinning. "Long time. Good to see you, Big Brother Radahn… and you, Hagrid."
Radahn took one look at the two girls at Arthur's side and tactfully shifted Hagrid's elbow. "You're back. That's enough for today—we'll leave you to it."
Arthur could only shake his head. Since coming to Hogwarts, his brother-in-law had maxed out the social sense skill tree.
The three of them spent a lazy, sun-soft afternoon by the water.
That evening in the Great Hall, his reappearance caused a second wave of commotion. Friends swarmed him from every table—Ravenclaw's Penelope and Luna included. Even Draco, lodged among Slytherins, looked like he wanted to slide over.
Arthur managed quick hellos, packed a dinner to go, and escaped before the braver girls decided to surround and conquer.
That night, he had Ranni cut his hair short. At the very least, it would stop the boys from staring.
He checked in with Lockhart to set the plan in motion for that Board of Governors seat, then headed for Snape's office. He hadn't greeted Severus properly since returning.
Snape looked up, took him in, and for once allowed himself a joke. "Did you… have cosmetic work done?"
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Find me a surgeon who can do this. Power-up came with a makeover."
Severus couldn't argue. He'd never heard of strength ups that buffed your face. If such things existed… could he get one?
"So," Snape said at last, genuinely curious, "how much stronger?"
Back when they'd crossed wands, it had looked like Snape had the edge—truth was, plenty of cards remained unplayed on both sides. Even then, Arthur's level for a thirteen-year-old had been ridiculous. Now Arthur was claiming another leap? To this degree?
Arthur thought a moment. "Hard to say without a proper test. Roughly Ranni-tier?"
In manipulation he still lagged behind her—but overall? He'd edged past.
He fully intended to ask Ranni for a crash course in demigod control—and a spar.
He didn't realize how much that sentence rattled Severus. Snape had felt Ranni's pressure before, the way it made breathing tighten like a drawn bow. And now Arthur, too? So in the East, being like that was… standard issue? A fiancée like that, and now he himself like that. How were normal wizards supposed to live?
"Anything big I should know about?" Arthur asked, breaking Snape's silent spiral.
Severus was about to say no, then paused. "Nothing… urgent. Although there is something odd. A few days ago, Dumbledore asked whether I'd be interested in being Headmaster."
"Giving up the chair?" Arthur blinked.
"It seems he plans to go hunting for something and needs someone solid to hold Hogwarts."
Arthur got it at once. Horcruxes.
Seeing Arthur's expression, Severus narrowed his eyes. "You know what he's after."
Arthur didn't dodge it; he laid out Horcruxes in clean, clipped lines. "And if he's seen your jump in power lately, asking you to sit the castle makes sense."
Severus went quiet. The annoyance that flickered wasn't aimed at Arthur; it was for Albus. A matter this serious and not even a heads-up? Afraid he'd what—betray him?
"Hmph. The old honeybee hasn't changed."
Arthur waved it off. "Old men, lots of time, too many thoughts. Either way, this is good for you."
Snape considered it and, yes, found his answer. Not long ago he couldn't even get DADA; now the Head's chair was on the table—even acting would do. With a little courtship of the Board, acting could become permanent.
"I'll speak to him," he said at last.
—
After that, Arthur slipped back into the Zen Garden.
He found Ranni and explained he wanted a trial by power. She nodded immediately.
"Only… where? If we clash here, even holding back risks breaking things."
"Then we go to the Lands Between," Arthur said.
Ranni blinked, then smiled. Ever since he'd brought her to this world, her true body hadn't stepped back through. She'd almost forgotten she could.
"Let's."
Arthur took her hand and willed the crossing.
The System popped up, as if offended that he'd nearly forgotten it existed.
[Avatar: gone. Enter the Lands Between with your true body?]
"Yes," Arthur said. "What do you think I'm bringing, a spare avatar?"
They arrived at the Church of Elleh, exactly where Arthur had logged out before seclusion. On the road toward Leyndell he'd found a sword monument, poised between Volcano Manor and the capital. The inscription had stuck with him:
First Defense of Leyndell: the King's allied host splits from within; defeat ensues; threads of a blood-stained conspiracy remain.
Whoever put it there had pointed the finger Arthur already suspected. The King's host had never been exactly cohesive; a third party's needle-work turned the line into a fray before they even reached the capital's first wall.
Add the bloodroses strewn at the ruined Second Church of Marika, add the Bloody Fingers—fanatics of Mohg, Lord of Blood—lurking near the First Step where White Mask Varré haunted new-made Tarnished. The picture wasn't subtle.
Which was why Arthur's next Great Rune target would be Mohg.
But first things first: testing.
They walked to a blank stretch of plain and faced each other.
"Ready?" Arthur asked.
"Please," Ranni said, bow dipping. "Show me, my king."
Habit carried Arthur's hand: glintstone to open.
Demigod-level mind made itself known immediately. Tricks he'd only theorized before were now… easy. He multi-cast—several glintstone forms spun together and stitched into the same breath—then sent the constellation screaming forward.
Ranni's wand traced a crescent. Moonlit ward blossomed and tanked the barrage.
They didn't go for the throat. Ranni played wall while Arthur explored the edges of his new ceiling.
He felt the first: depth. Mana was both vast and dense, and each spell drank less of it.
He saw the second: impact. A "simple" glintstone strike punched a two-meter crater into the packed dirt. He could do that before, sure, but only by over-feeding a spell.
The more he moved, the clearer the truth became: his base had climbed; his "attack stat" had gone through the roof, and the whole toolkit was riding it.
Which raised a question. If this is what a demigod feels like, how did I beat so many demigods before?
The System, never shy about being right, chimed in:
[The demigods you faced were not at full strength. Recall that Radahn had already fought Malenia to a standstill beforehand.]
[Consider, too, the game's opening CG—everyone appears in death scenes, each near a Site of Grace. Grace brings them back, yes—but not for free. Every return costs them.]
"Right." That tracked.
Satisfied, Arthur lifted a hand. Ranni lowered her guard and crossed the field to join him.
"Your power," she said softly, "now stands beyond mine."
She could feel it: his magic struck harder than her moon and stars.
And it made sense. His leap had come by reclaiming an avatar that had already hit the limit, then fusing it with a core forged from the Erdtree's root. In essence, Arthur was now a sapling—a different flavor of Elden Beast.
Let him grow, let him feast on more light and life.
Matching gods wouldn't be a question of if. Only when.
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