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In the center of the garden lay a beautifully paved marble path lined with stones. Even the benches were intricately and tastefully decorated.

The first one to gasp was Jomei. His eyes widened as he quickly stopped holding his breath. He seemed to be in awe of his surroundings. But Jomei wasn\'t the only one taken aback by this stunning garden.

Rich, along with Jeanne and Boris, were also in awe. Boris grinned and reached out to pick a flower, but upon noticing the sharp gaze of the Pope, he withdrew his hand with a frustrated sigh.

"Tell me, old man," Boris said, turning heads. "Why did you bring us here? I\'m hungry and could use some food."

"Patience is a virtue," Pope Bartolomeo calmly stated. Although these words irritated Boris, the Pope didn\'t care in the slightest and continued. "The reason I summoned you here is to help you discover your powers."

Then, fixing his gaze on Boris, the Pope added, "From this point on, consider this place your home."

"Our powers?" Jeanne asked curiously. The Pope turned his gaze to the blonde woman. "Yes, each Hero is blessed with incredible powers by the Goddess upon arriving in this world. These powers will protect you from Demons and might even help you eliminate them."

"How are these powers determined?" Rick asked, and everyone turned to the Pope in anticipation. The Pope paused briefly before explaining, "They are chosen by the Goddess herself. Don\'t worry, the Goddess has selected the best power for each of you."

Satisfied with the Pope\'s response, Jeanne started wondering about her power. Perhaps she would possess saintly powers like Jeanne d\'Arc.

Meanwhile, Boris looked at the Pope with a bored expression. "So, how do we learn our powers now? Some magic device? Or maybe one of those clowns will tell us what our powers are?"

The Pope remained unfazed by Boris referring to the priests as clowns and looked at him with narrowed, slightly mocking eyes.

"No, there\'s no need for that. I am more than enough to help you discover your powers." Boris struck his fist into his palm and grinned at the Pope, ready to teach him a lesson if his powers turned out to be impressive.

"Your enthusiasm is good..."

The Pope tossed his staff aside. His face turned emotionless as he straightened his posture, his gaze sweeping over each of the heroes.

While Jomei looked away, Jeanne grew tense. Rick sighed, and Boris stepped forward, ready for a fight.

"I\'ll go first," Boris declared. The others didn\'t object, curious to see his power. Boris stepped up, stopping five steps away from the Pope.

"Let\'s get started."

Boris dashed forward with a speed that, while impressive for a regular person, was like a turtle\'s pace to the Pope. Holding Boris\'s fist lightly, the Pope swiftly tripped him at a speed Boris couldn\'t even register.

As Boris hit the ground hard, Jomei winced, as if feeling the pain himself. "That must have hurt."

"I doubt it. Look at him," Jeanne said, gesturing curiously toward Boris lying on the ground. Boris, attempting to stand up, seemed to have a faint glow around his hands.

"Old man!" Boris charged at the Pope again, throwing punches that the Pope deflected effortlessly with a single finger, causing Boris to stumble back to the ground.

After a two-minute scuffle, Boris fell once more, unable to control his frustration. A heavy feeling washed over him, sensing he had no other option.

It was the urge to kill.

"Stand up and fight me, clown." The Pope\'s words were the last straw for Boris, who swiftly got up and rushed at him.

But this time, something was different about Boris. Mystical white tattoos had begun to glow on his fists. Although Boris hadn\'t noticed it, the others had.

Increasing in speed, Boris disappeared from everyone\'s sight except for the Pope\'s. The Pope, holding Boris\'s fist, felt the power behind it increasing and gently countered with a weak strike, sending Boris to his knees.

As Boris gasped, the white mystical tattoos extended up to his stomach and finally reached his face, shining brightly.

"I understand," Jeanne murmured, observing the mystical tattoos around Boris with understanding. "His power must be super strength. It seems to also offer him some kind of body protection."

"Wow! That\'s pretty impressive," Jomei said excitedly, silently praying to the Goddess for an interesting power of his own.

"This feeling..."

Boris touched his chest, grinning with satisfaction. With a swift punch to the nearby marble bench, the sturdy bench sank into the ground and shattered instantly.

"That\'s enough, young hero," the Pope said, ignoring Boris\'s actions. Although Boris was eager to keep testing himself, the lingering pain in his abdomen made him cautious.

He may have been a brute, but he wasn\'t stupid.

Stepping back reluctantly, Boris made way for Jomei, who advanced with a mix of excitement and nervousness. He looked at the Pope with curiosity.

"Gentle Hero, it\'s your turn," the Pope said in praise of Jomei, who nervously stepped forward as the Pope advanced slightly.

Jomei was rolling up his sleeves, preparing to attack the Pope, when the Pope suddenly appeared right in front of him, startling him.

The Pope gave Jomei a slight shove, causing him to stumble backward.

"Hey, hey! I thought I was the one supposed to be attacking here!" Jomei shouted in distress. The Pope frowned. "I never said that, Gentle Hero."

As Jomei stood up quickly, the Pope struck him in the stomach with his palm again. Jomei coughed, clutching his stomach as he knelt.

"Damn! That hurts!"

Seeing the Pope lift his foot as if to step on him, Jomei cried out in fear and scrambled away. As the Pope\'s foot hit the ground, it cracked the surface, making Jomei wipe the sweat from his brow.

"Wait, why don\'t I have hands!"

Jomei wiggled around, confused when he couldn\'t feel his hands. He turned to Jeanne for an explanation.

"No need to worry, Jomei. You\'ve simply turned into a snake."

"Eh??!"

Not quite understanding, Jomei started moving and, noticing a tail behind him, watched his snake-like body in amazement and shock.

"Damn it! I turned into a snake!" Jomei wriggled excitedly, and the Pope\'s voice echoed again. "It seems you\'ve found your power. Now, please return to your original form."

"Is my power only turning into a snake?"

"Why don\'t you try transforming into another animal?" the Pope said calmly. Eager to test it, Jomei concentrated and soon transformed into another animal, his body glowing briefly.

"Meow?"

Startled and delighted by the meow that escaped his lips, Jomei jumped as Jeanne quickly picked him up, and he allowed it.

"You do know this cat is actually a man, right?" Rick stated calmly. Jeanne turned to Rick. "The cat\'s quite cute."

"But I tried to become a lion, and instead, I turned into a cat. Why?"

"Perhaps you\'re still getting used to it."

"Maybe."

Jomei wriggled out of Jeanne\'s grasp, landing on the ground, and his body glowed one last time as he returned to human form. Feeling a deep fatigue as soon as he transformed, Jomei sighed.

"It seems this power is quite exhausting," Jomei remarked as he relaxed his body. Rick stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "Maybe, if you get good enough, you could even turn into a Dragon?"

"Wait, do Dragons really exist?" Jomei asked the Pope, who confirmed with a nod, making Jomei thrilled to see a Dragon one day.

"A Dragon, huh?" Boris grinned, stroking his chin. "I\'ve never tasted Dragon meat before."

Jeanne shot him a disgusted look. "Where have you seen that Dragons are edible?"

"Then I\'ll try and find out," Boris said with a laugh. Then, the Pope looked over and set his eyes on Jeanne, ready to call her forward.

"Come, Lady Hero. Discover your power."

"No need," Jeanne calmly shook her head. Everyone looked on in surprise as she raised her hand, summoning golden flames that spun around her hand, freezing everyone in awe.

"This is an intriguing power..."

Even the Pope was slightly surprised. He then looked at Jeanne with admiration as her flames slowly faded, and she adjusted her hair with a satisfied expression.

"Then, let us finally take our last Hero," the Pope said calmly as Rick stepped forward. For some reason, Rick suddenly felt tense.

A voice had abruptly appeared in his mind, causing a slight dizziness. Rick had ignored this voice throughout the entire process, but at last, he could no longer endure the discomfort and decided to listen.

"Pope, I think I can feel my power too," Rick said, closing his eyes. The Pope narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing Rick\'s words, hoping for a Hero as powerful as Jeanne.

Rick focused on the voice echoing in his mind. It was constantly whispering the same words: release me and let all my glory be revealed…

Listening to this voice, Rick steadied his heart and tried not to think of anything. With his mind completely clear, he suddenly saw a golden seed appear, illuminating everything around it. Rick reached out his hand.

As if plucking an apple from a tree, Rick grasped the golden seed and pulled. When he opened his eyes, his gaze fell calmly upon the Sword that had materialized in his hand.

The Sword radiated a light that surpassed even Jeanne\'s flames, leaving everything else dim in comparison. Its glow wasn\'t as merciless as the angels\' light or as sharp as the Pope\'s judging light.

It was better than all of them. For a brief moment, everyone gazing at the Sword felt their minds go blank, consumed by a single thought: kneel before its magnificence.

Of course, nobody paid heed to this urge except for the Pope. Rick tilted the Sword slightly forward. When the Sword\'s name surfaced in his mind, he shouted it instinctively.

"Awaken and guide me… Awaken and illuminate me… Awaken and be my companion, Excalibur!" As Rick\'s golden hair stirred with might, his eyes shone with power.

A great holy energy radiated from the Sword, forcing everyone, including the Pope, to kneel. Even as the ground cracked, the Pope struggled to stay on his feet. Trembling, he looked at Rick with awe.

"At this age… after all this time…" Pope Bartolomeo, shedding the frail and pitiful old man he had been, spoke with a newfound fervor, his eyes glinting with greater respect for Rick.

As the Sacred Sword slowly dimmed, the overwhelming pressure lifted. The Pope was the first to stand.

"I proclaim it!" Pope Bartolomeo, trembling, walked quickly to stand before Rick and knelt. "You are the reincarnation of King Arthur!"

Rick\'s eyes widened as the Sacred Sword Excalibur\'s will seemed to glow, affirming the Pope\'s words. The Pope\'s gaze flickered between the sword and Rick, appearing almost mad with reverence.

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"It is an honor to meet the Holy Emperor of Albion, the Supreme King of all Kings, the Greatest Hero who wields the Goddess\'s own sword."

"Wait, I—"

Rick tried to deny the Pope\'s claim. The Pope interrupted, and Rick sighed. The Pope said, "The Goddess\'s sword Excalibur has its own will. That will knows and acknowledges King Arthur. Do you need any further proof?"

Casting a conflicted look at the Pope, Rick sighed, realizing there was no turning back from this. With a resigned nod, he accepted the Pope\'s declaration.