Observing the many armies approaching their town through the projections, Artoria frowned as she walked outside the castle, thinking of the best way to resolve the current problem.
'Alright, what would Brother do if he was in my shoes…'
"My lord!"
As she stepped outside of the castle walls, Artoria was swarmed by a group of panicked villagers who approached her, fear in their faces.
"Is it true that we are attacked?!"
"Will we be okay? Or will we lose our home once again, or worse... our lives?"
"Please, do not worry. We will definitely take care of this problem, so all I ask you is to have faith in us." Artoria said as she spoke over the villagers who kept bombing her with questions, managing to stop them but it didn't erase the frightful expression on most of their faces.
'I suppose just talking to them won't reassure them. Then the only thing I can do now is bring them results. Just as Brother often says, it's do or die.'
"Merlin, can you project my voice and face to the kings? I want to speak with them before we fight them." Artoria asked the bound and gagged the succubus who was being carried like a potato sack over Kay's shoulder, both not caring of the gazes they received from both the knights and villagers in their surroundings.
Seeing her mentor nod at her question, Artoria nodded back and took a deep breath as she readied herself for a future confrontation.
As the many armies across Wales marched in the direction of Caerleon, they soon stopped as a projection of Artoria appeared before them, gazing at them with a solemn gaze.
[My name is Arthur Pendragon. I ask of you all, o' kings of Britain, what is the meaning of this action, marching towards Caerleon with those armies of yours?]
"Is this Merlin's work?"
"It seems like it… So, that's Uther's brat, he looks younger than I expected..." Urience muttered as he looked at the projection, a bit stunned by its sudden appearance, but Lot scoffed at him, a sneer present on his face.
"It's of no importance. Arthur Pendragon, do you really believe that, after receiving that letter of yours, we would just sit back on our throne and do nothing while you insult us behind our backs?"
[Insult… I see. So, you decided to attack us in retaliation for Merlin's letter. A little excessive in my opinion, however, I will not blame you for wanting to demand reparation for your bruised egos. It may not be much, but I offer you my apologies on her behalf.]
"How nice of you to act so politely towards us... but do you really think that you can quell our anger just by apologizing? You shouldn't dream too much, brat."
[I had to try. After all, tonight is a day of celebration and I do not wish for blood to be shed tonight, so I hope you can find it in yourselves the will to show Merlin some mercy and let that grudge pass. There is no need for us, people of Britain, to fight against each other when the threat of the foreigners invading our country is currently looming over us. Of course, I am willing to make amends for her offense towards you all, so I implore you to agree to my request and pull your armies back.]
Seeing Artoria bow her head to them, Lot couldn't restrain his disdain over his late lord's child from appearing on his face.
"As expected, we can't trust this country to someone like you... It seems like you are misunderstanding something, brat. While it is true that we came because of that pesky monster's letter, we also came because of you."
[Me?] Artoria uttered a bit surprised by Lot's words, blinking her eyes in confusion.
"Of course, you. I don't know if you are aware of this, but let me tell you this, you are a thorn in our side as your actions have caused nothing but troubles in our kingdoms since your appearance in Londinium. Ever since that day... No, I'd say ever since Merlin made that prophecy of Uther's heir and the one king that would save Britain nine years ago, everything went bad for us."
And then, all the kings started to let out their complaints about Artoria's actions and how they affected their reign in their kingdoms.
Some told about how their subjects started to question their sovereignty when they've done nothing to help them against both the bandits and invaders roaming in their territories, or help their lands regain its past vitality when they are slowly becoming more barren as days pass, leading to the common people to be hit by famine, some dying from starvation.
A few even lost some subjects who preferred to serve under Artoria's rule, defecting from their realms, while others blamed her and Merlin for "stealing" the vitality of their lands to heal hers. She was also accused of deceiving her people and all the knights in the land, Merlin and Uther having rigged the king's selection in her favor, and that her fate of saving Britain is nothing but a delusion made by the foolish king who died by his brother's hands.
But there was one topic that all of the kings mentioned which is that, because of Artoria's actions since her appearance in Londinium, the intensity of the invaders' attack on their territories has increased by many folds, leading them to fight a war they could barely win on their own territories.
Artoria, who listened to all of their complaints with a blank face, just stood speechless before them.
[So, if I understand your words correctly, you are saying that my actions of saving people from slavery and those who are hit by the war, taking care of both the outlaws and foreigners roaming in our country, is nothing but an inconvenience to all of you? When it is nothing but obvious that our country and people need to be saved and helped? And that despite the foreigners attacking your kingdoms, you found the time to come to this place with a part of your armies just to settle a grudge? I don't know what to say, except that it's a foolish thing to do.]
"What?!" Nentres screamed out, hearing Artoria's words, his face becoming red with anger, a reaction that was shared with the other kings.
"Looks like someone's got a big head over here... Allow me to teach you something, Arthur, just because you were made a king by that debauchery of a sorceress doesn't mean you are considered by us as our equal, so you should learn your place and address us with due respect."
[In that case, allow me to correct you on one thing, Lot of Orkney. I never considered myself as a king, especially the 'Once and Future King' that would save Britain, for there is a person I consider a better fit for the role than I am. I have always seen myself as nothing but a simple knight, fighting to save my hometown, my country and my loved ones.] Artoria solemnly said with a soft and gentle look on her face, her hand over her armored chest.
And then, her expression quickly changed into a stoic one as she glared at the kings, all flinching as they felt like she was staring straight into their soul.
[It looks like I won't be able to stop you all from attacking us or changing your minds, so let me give you a warning. I am fully ready to retaliate with everything I've got, for I have people to protect who are counting on me.]
"Ah, how laughable! Do you really believe you can win against all of us?! As far as I know, you don't even have an army of your own."
[What we have is largely enough.]
As soon as the words left Artoria's mouth, a pillar of light emerged from Caerleon, much to the surprise of the kings and their armies.
"What is that? Another one of Merlin's tricks?" Nentres mumbled under his breath as the pillar of light soon dissipated, leaving behind three bright lights that all went in different directions, traveling across Wales like shooting stars with one of them flying in their direction, landing in front of the three kings and their united army.
What fell down from the sky was a lone brown-haired young man, wearing a black armor coated with a white cape, and in his hand was an azure sword that shone in a bright light.
"My name is Kay, the Star Sword Sovereign. I won't show any mercy to any who dares to take a step forwards."
Hearing the young man, standing alone leisurely in their path, the kings only saw red for what they saw as disrespect in their regards.
"I don't care who is it, kill him! I want his head on a spike!" Lot shouted at his soldiers who all charged at the young man, all enraged by Kay's apparent arrogance, their weapons raised. However, they were quickly brought down in the blink of an eye by Kay who sliced through them effortlessly with his swordsmanship, seemingly gracefuly dancing to the eyes of Lot and the other kings.
"This can't be happening... Archers, pummel him your arrows! I want to see him become a porcupine!"
Obeying Lot's orders, the archers readied their bows and quickly unleashed a myriad of arrows at Kay who, after taking a deep breath, swung his sword upward in the air, the force behind it splitting apart both the sea of arrows and the clouds covering the sky.
"A monster..." A soldier muttered as he looked at Kay in fear, a reaction that was shared by many of them.
In another part of Wales, Carados of Estrangore could only widen his eyes in surprise when he and his army suddenly found themselves facing a giant woman as tall as trees.
"Is that... a giant fairy?" Carados could only mutter as he watched the giant fae-like being begin to sing, a sea of roots emerging from the ground around her and coming their way, quickly swallowing him and his entire army away, trapping them.
"Hey, someone help me… Huh?!" He tried to shout out for his soldiers, but he widened his eyes when he saw a massive meteorite falling down from the sky, one large enough to wipe out him and his entire army.
"This can't be happening!"
In another area of Wales, Brandegoris of Stranggore found himself surprised when he saw Artoria standing before him, her golden sword in her hands.
"To think that the imposter decided to grace his presence in front of the glorious me! Now, prepare to die by my divine hand!"
Drawing out his sword from its sheath, Brandegoris charged at Artoria while riding his horse while she stood firm on her feet, but before he could blink, he could barely react to Artoria charging at him at a speed faster than that of his horse and got beheaded by her.
A pure silence roamed in the area as the soldiers could only blink at the scene happening in front of their eyes, not comprehending it. And the one who broke the ice was Artoria herself as she pointed Caliburn at the leaderless army.
"Surrender or fall by my blade. Your choice."
Meanwhile, in the fields near Caerleon, the kings of Wales were facing Ector's group, made up of the militiamen from Carmenthen and the aspirant knights of Caerleon, and the troops brought by his old comrades.However, an unatural silence permetued the area as they all looked at the anomality present on the field.
Cavall who was standing proudly at the head of the troops defending Caerleon.
"Ector, why is there a dog ahead of us? And why does he have a sword on him?"
"Just... do me a favor and go with the flow."
"Huh?" Ulfius let out, surprised by Ector's exhausted answer, before he stared at Cavall in confusion and blinked when he saw the dog giving him a smirk.
{Have no worries, messiers, for I, Cavall, shall lend you my paws.} He barked to Ulfius before he faced his opponent, leaving the old knight baffled as he looked at his friend.
"Ector... Did the dog just talk to me?" He asked, having heard nothing but barks seemingly aimed at him.
"How should I know. I don't speak the language of dogs."
{You bunch of lowly monkeys. How dare you interrupt my mistress's celebration like that. I, Cavall, won't forgive this affront! Now, prepare yourself as you shall suffer from my mighty fang! En garde, you hairy monkeys, for this Cavall is fighting for his mistress's smile, her mate's dishes... and their belly rubs!!}
"Ector, just what..." Ulfius started to say, watching Cavall charge at the Welsh kings' troops faster than a horse and swing the sword in his mouth with more skills than his own soldiers.
"Don't question it, it get easier over time."
Meanwhile, back at Caerleon, Merlin was having fun broadcasting the fights all across Britain, but also the prior discussions between Artoria and the kings that happened as well.