Luo Hao

Golden sword fought against golden fist. The two clashed with titanic force, air roaring in distress as sparkles erupted from all the magic each brought to the fore and consumed in order to crush the other one.

At the end the fist was the first to yield. The golden sword sliced all the way to the body, bifurcating the opponent into two halves.

"Magnificent!" The beautiful girl with black hair and wearing ancient Chinese attire of the Han period exclaimed with joy. "The title of 'Strongest God of Steel' bears some truth after all. Rejoice, for I am going to grant you the honor of being slain by me!"

Arthur frowned. Ignoring the disappearing Buddha statue, the second of the original pair he destroyed, he concentrated all his attention on the God-slayer standing before him, the one that presented herself as Luo Hao, given name Cuilian, and style name Hao.

It was only recently that he woke up from his self-inflicted artificial slumber, a decision made in order to restore all the energy spend during many battles. Only to find out that not few decades had passed but three centuries. During his sleep someone moved the island where he rested in orbit to prevent his companions from reviving him. He already suspected Susanoo, the Heretic God that flew into the Netherworld in the past, and his court to be the culprits. It was only thanks to the continuous efforts of Guinevere and Lancelot that he was released from it.

The world had progressed much since the last time he saw it, it was now at the same level of modernity of Fuyuki during the Holy Grail War. And it was populated by seven Devil Kings. Seven. It was a wonder the entire planet wasn't in a state of perpetual warfare.

And then one of them challenged him: crashing into the town where he was resting and starting a battle, heedless of the innocent citizens fleeing from the site. Truly, righteous God-slayers were as rare as a hen's teeth.

"I would like to reciprocate..." His eyes, full of disdain, surveyed what was once a prosperous city, now reduced to a dilapidated battlefield. "But I find hard to show respect to someone willing to sow so much destruction with such carelessness." He pointed Excalibur at her.

"How disrespectful of you. I am the Ruler of the Martial Realm, the conqueror that none may oppose. My will is the will of the heavens and the truth of the earth. However, in my view, humans are undeserving of mercy or benevolence. From the perspective of the earth and the sky, it is debatable whether human existence is good or bad..."

Without a ounce of hesitation she declared her outrageous worldview. 'It's official.' Arthur thought. 'All God-slayers are crazy.'

"Ridiculous!" The King's entire being mercilessly rejected his opponent's convictions. "And you call yourself a Ruler? What proof you have of it?!"

"Obviously my authority and martial arts. Luo Cuilian can slaughter thousands of soldiers with a simple punch or kick, and slay tens of thousands with just a wave of a blade or a spear. Were I to display the true essence of martial arts, mighty armies of millions will be turned into mountains of corpses and rivers of blood. All lands will be wiped out, leaving nothing but mountains and rivers."

A methodology based purely on strength. The Once and Future King believed beyond doubt that the girl before him was completely serious. Taking absolute pride in one's own might, it didn't matter how much lives would be lost: all was a reasonable sacrifice if it means displaying her skills against a foe she deemed worthy.

Arthur relaxed his arm and let the tip of the blade graze the ground. "False."

"What?" For the first time Luo Hao looked confused.

"You are not a King." The blonde swordsman's face was calm, but his eyes burned with cold fury. Fury and absolute conviction. "Some would call you a Tyrant, but you aren't even that. You're just a delusional berserker who got away with too much."

Images of a red-haired giant and a golden-haired archer flashed in his mind. Yes, they did have their differences. But, Arthur realized, all three of them shared the same foundation.

"Let me ask you: what makes a King? Strength? Money? Influence? A great army?"

"Obviously it's strength!" Luo Hao released magical power and assumed a martial stance.

"Wrong." Arthur raised Exaclibur, otherworldly pure light irradiating from its pristine surface.

"Be it a King who sacrificed his humanity for his people, a Tyrant who chased an endless dream or a Monarch who believed himself greater than the Gods...their proof of kingship was the same."

Arthur looked the Chinese girl in the eyes. "It was their 'ideals'. For all three of them endlessly pursued something not of this world. And so in their search they transcend their limits and became 'legends'."

With a war's cry he changed at the girl. "Luo Hao, allow me to teach you about them!"

[*]

Thinking like people with too much ego, like Luo Hao and even Gilgamesh, is hard. I prefer idiots like Doni. Does it mean I am a idiot too?

Hope you enjoy. Next is the chapter proper. Now then...

Would you kindly review?