Chapter 56: The Irresistible Aslan

After helping Balin stabilize his injuries and explaining the consequences of the desperate spear thrust he had unleashed, Aslan parted ways with Balin with Spear of Longinus in hand.

Unlike the spiral and forked shape described in legends, this version of the Spear of Longinus was composed almost entirely of shimmering silver, with golden embellishments. Rather than resembling a twisted helix, it looked more like a knight's sword. Compared to the bloody image of legend, this spear radiated a sense of tranquil sanctity and divine serenity.

Recalling the world in his memory, where anyone could summon Heroic Spirits, the weapon held by Lucius Longinus—the original bearer of the Spear of Longinus—was a deep crimson lance, much more faithful to the traditional legend.

Sensing the rank of this holy spear, Aslan raised an eyebrow. Logically, the spear that once pierced the Son of God should manifest as a Noble Phantasm with a rank of at least A++, possibly even EX. Yet the power of this particular spear, even at full strength, seemed to hover only between A+ and A++.

As for why it looked like this—whether it had been reforged after breaking into three parts, like in later legends, or if it was a different version altogether, separate from the crimson spear that pierced the divine—Aslan wasn't particularly interested in exploring its origins.

What truly satisfied him was the spear's current state: not only did it possess offensive capability, but it also held healing power.

When the knight Percival became a Heroic Spirit, the spear he wielded carried the seals of both Balin and Galahad, similar to the Thirteen Seals. But now that this powerful weapon was in Aslan's hands, those restrictions no longer applied.

Come to think of it, Percival's spear as a Noble Phantasm was called Longinus Count Zero, not Spear of Longinus. Perhaps that wasn't just a difference in translation—maybe this spear really was distinct from the legendary crimson one.

While Aslan could technically wield this weapon himself, as a lancer…

Better not. There's an old joke: "Among all lancers, fortune was divided into eight parts—Zhao Zilong alone took one, and the rest fought over the remaining seven." And it's not without basis. How many male Lancers even have a Luck rank above B?

Besides, both he and Balin had studied swordsmanship. He knew nothing about spearmanship. Keeping the spear in his own hands would be a waste.

Aslan still planned to embed the spear into Melusine's body, just as he had envisioned before. When she attacked in her original dragon form, she could launch the spear like a magical projectile—one charged with devastating magical energy. That way, its destructive power would be amplified even further.

However… Aslan's plan was one thing; whether the Spear of Destiny would cooperate was another. After all, the Sword of Glorious Victory had already set a precedent.

Looking at the spear before him, Aslan pulled out some leftover materials from his pocket—scraps from when he reforged the Sword of Glorious Victory. He quickly hammered them into a rope-like shape and fashioned two round tags resembling dog tags. He affixed these to the spear, using forging tools to fasten them securely.

On the tags, he inscribed two blessings in the language of the fae: one to enhance divine power, the other to strengthen healing.

Lifting the Spear of Destiny, Aslan handed it to Melusine. He was about to ask whether she could cultivate the weapon within her draconic form when the spear, just barely grasped by Melusine, burst forth in a flash of radiant silver light. The sudden glow and surge of magical energy startled her, and she lost her grip.

The spear bounced away and landed back in Aslan's hand—as if it had never left.

"Huh?"

Aslan's unnaturally sharp intuition stirred uneasily. The more he interacted with unclaimed weapons, the more he sensed they were oddly drawn to him—like catnip to a cat. If he hadn't infused it with magic, maybe it wouldn't be a problem…

Wait—hadn't he just enveloped the entire spear in magic while crafting those enhancements?

Damn. Habit will be the death of him.

With an ordinary sword, washing it in a bit of his magic wouldn't matter. Ordinary blades don't have spirits. But this—this was the Spear of Longinus. A Spear of Destiny. A high-rank Noble Phantasm. Of course it had a spirit of its own!

Unwilling to give up, Aslan tried handing the spear to Melusine again—only for it to suddenly double in weight.

Oh, great. The exact same stunt the Sword of Glorious Victory pulled.

Don't tell me this spear's clinging to me now? If I ever become a Heroic Spirit, besides being a Saber and a Rider, would I now have a Lancer aptitude too? If I got summoned as a Lancer… Aslan didn't even want to imagine his Luck stat.

One hand holding a holy sword, the other a holy spear—wasn't this lineup starting to resemble King Arthur's a bit too much? If future writers took creative liberties while retelling history…

Aslan shook his head rapidly. No way. So long as he made his own deeds unique enough, that shouldn't be a problem.

Almost as if sensing the spear's intention, the Sword of Glorious Victory hanging at Aslan's waist burst into a brilliant golden light. Faintly, the sound of dragon roars echoed in the air.

You little brat, where the hell did you come from?! Don't you know Aslan is already taken? You think I'm just some shiny belt ornament?! Do you know how hard I fought for the chance to be this close to Aslan? To finally walk with him forever? And now you show up trying to cut in?!

The Spear of Destiny seemed to respond to the sword's indignation, its silver glow intensifying as if to flaunt its power and elegance while resisting the golden blaze.

Melusine's face turned bright red at the sight, not from embarrassment but from anger.

"Aslan! Are you serious?! Besides men and women… you're hunting swords and spears now too?!"