"Merlina!" Sonic shouted as he saw her alone in the garden of Camelot castle, waiting for him.
"Sir Sonic!" grasped Merlina with happiness as she saw Sonic with the scabbard.
Sonic was smiling at Merlina, but his expression changed when he remembered what Sir Lamorak had said to him.
"After defeating King Arthur, I've faced one of the knights of the Round Table. Sir Lamorak was his name I think…" As Sonic said, Merlina knew where the conversation was going.
"And he told you about Sir Galahad, I assume…" said Merlina softly.
"So it's true tha-" Sonic's words were cut short as he and Merlina were circled by the 3 knights of the Round Table."
"You are completely surrendered Merlina!" said Lancelot with a loud but stoic voice. "Don't make this harder than it's supposed to be." He continued.
"And that bastard is here too!" shouted Gawain as he saw Sonic. He was about to plunge into Sonic, only to be stopped by Percival.
"Hold on, Gawain" Percival said to Gawain.
Merlina just listened to them then smiling she said:
"It's true Sir Sonic, I was the one who stole Galahad's sword. I didn't want such a sacred sword to stay in the hands of nothing but an illusion."
"And what do you mean by that!" Percival broke out, trying to remain calm despite the revelation that not only the person who stole the only thing left from her closest companion but also the person who resulted in the exile of one of the noblest and strongest knights of the Round Table was Merlina, the royal wizard of the court.
"This King Arthur was an illusion made by my grandfather Merlin to make our ideal world." Continued Merlina. All knights of the Round Table were disturbed by this revelation while Sonic was able to keep his cool.
"And that's why when I slay him, he was gone like one of the underworld creatures I've killed," Sonic said to Merlina.
Merlina nodded. She turned her back to the knights of the Round Table to speak to Sonic directly.
"Sir Sonic, thank you for everything you have done." Said Merlina calmly, but her tone sounded as if she was trying to surpass a cry of joy."
Sonic knew she was coming here to get the scabbard. He wasn't sure whether he should give it to her or not. After all, she hasn't told her about the stolen sword. But, in the end, he wasn't aware of such a sword, and she didn't tell him about it since it would have been harder for him to trust her if she told him everything without him knowing King Arthur and the other knights. Although still King Arthur part bugled his mind, he ended up giving the scabbard to her.
"Thank you again, Sir Sonic." She said as she took the scabbard from Sonic and embraced it.
"With this scabbard, I will be able to accomplish what my grandpa and King Arthur couldn't." A pink aura started to appear around her, and the scabbard got a blue aura around it.
"I shall make this kingdom… eternal." She said and stuck the scabbard to the green grass ground. As soon as the scabbard reached the ground, the pink aura that was around Merlina started to extend, crumbling everything it reached to.
Sonic watched everything unfold with shock and disturbance in his eyes.
"Sonic! Get back!" Shouted Caliburn as the destruction made by Merlina has been spreading towards him.
Sonic and all knights of the Round Table rushed inside the Camelot castle. Only Sir Percival took a moment to look back, only to see the aura created by the scabbard being greater and spreading towards the sky. She follows others.
4 knights rushed through the demolished castle. Sonic was in the front of 3 knights, slashing through the walls and rocks tearing down from the crumbling castle, clearing the way, and eventually 4 knights were able to escape from the Camelot castle and rest over a hill, watching the evil spell made by Merlina keep spreading.
"So, it was all Merlina's plan…" told Lancelot to other knights of the Round Table as he collected his thoughts.
"It keeps on spreading," observed Percival.
"It'll eventually spread to the whole kingdom…" continued Lancelot.
"Aghh!" let it out Gawain. "How are we knights of the Round Table if we can't even do something to protect our kingdom?!" continued furiously.
"Gawain…" was all they could say as they were feeling the same as him.
"Are you guys already giving up?" Sonic told the knights annoyingly as he appeared to them just a little above them.
"How dare you!" Gawain snarled at Sonic.
"As I have told you before," continued Sonic, not caring about Gawain interrupting him.
"Isn't there anything more to being a knight than serving a king?
"Sir Sonic is right." Said a feminine voice. It was Nimue, Lady of the Lake.
As she appeared to all the knights, she showed them the location of 4 pillars.
"With your sacred arms, you can make a barrier that will prevent the evil influence from affecting the rest of the kingdom." Explained Nimue.
As Sonic heard what Nimue had said, he returned the sacred arms of 3 knights back to them, although he kept Sir Lamorak's swords, as he knew there was no way he could have accomplished such a task alone, and he knew they were going to do anything to protect their kingdom, even if that it meant they would need to work with him.
Sonic's thoughts only have been reaffirmed when 3 knights took their swords and shouted:
"For the kingdom and its people!"
"And Sir Sonic, what are you going to do?" questioned Percival as she turned herself towards Sonic.
"I will also go after one of the pillars and then try to get in as soon as possible to face Merlina." Answered Sonic.
"We will do our par-" Percival was saying as she was interrupted by another voice.
"Hold on, Sonic!" A knight appeared on the scene as others were preparing to part their ways.
"Lamorak!" Percival and Lancelot shouted together. Gawain just stared at him with contempt
"Sonic, leave that last pillar to me. You deal with Merlina. We have no time to lose"!
"Hehe, I wouldn't mind some help! Sonic chuckled as he gave back Sir Lamorak his sword.
"You faced that guy?!" Gawain shouted with amazement. Sir Lamorak hasn't said anything while Sonic just gave a smile to Sir Gawain.
"He was a nice heat-up for me!" Sonic said with a smirk.
"So, you know the truth about King Arthur as well." Said Percival to Lamorak, with a broken expression on her face.
"I saw it with my own eyes when Sonic beat King Arthur. Merlina's explanation has only proven my suspicions." Said Sir Lamorak. Although he had a stale expression on his face, his tone showed the blown reality done to him as much as the other knights of the Round Table.
"So you were following us all the time?!" Sir Gawain questioned Sir Lamorak furiously.
"Where do you think King Arthur has learned that Sir Galahad's sword was in the hands of Merlina?" Sir Lamorak questioned Sir Gawain mockingly.
"But that person being you still might be a li-"
"I'm well aware of that as well." Lancelot broke out. He was well aware of the long-lasting rivalry between the Echidna tribe and the Babylons due to the Babylons stealing the valued treasures of the Echidna tribe for centuries. Although Sir Lamorak was able to separate himself from his heritage through his chivalry, Gawain was able to put his complete trust over him; not helped by the fact that Sir Lamorak would always carry out Babylons arms on him, proudly.
Knowing this, both Sir Lamorak and Sir Lancelot had agreed upon that it would be best if Lancelot acted as a middle man between Sir Lamorak and King Arthur to not lose a variable knight like Gawain and keep the Round Table together.
"I was the one who Sir Lamorak talked with to inform the King about the sword." continued Sir Lancelot with such an expression that it completely froze Gawain in his place. If there was one thing Gawain knew, it was to not hassle Lancelot about Lamorak, especially at such a time when steaks are up, so he just let out a little whimper sound and didn't say anything further.
"I was still loyal to King Arthur after all that happened." Said Sir Lamorak, looking at the ground, as if he was ashamed about what he was about to say. "That's what chivalry… my pride meant…" Sir Lamorak paused for a moment, glanced at Sonic, and continued, lifting his head this time.
"Now, the only things left of chivalry for me are the kingdom and its people. If there is anything I can do for the kingdom and the people I've sworn to protect, I will do that." Said Sir Lamorak crossing his right arm through his chest with his swords in hand, looking at Sonic."
"I'm counting on you!" declared Sonic boldly, with a determined expression he watched all the knights of the Round Table go to their respective pillars.
"And what are we waiting for?" protested Caliburn, wanting to waste no more time to reach Merlina as wasting more time might mean more destruction to the kingdom.
"I just need to ask one last question." Said Sonic to Caliburn hurriedly, facing himself towards the Lady of the Lake, who was waiting for the departure of Sonic.
"Nimue..." said Sonic gently. Throughout this journey of his and Caliburn, Nimue was the only person who hadn't shown any hostility towards him, so he wanted to keep that tender relationship between them.
"What is it, Sir Sonic?" questioned Nimue.
"You had the scabbard of the Excalibur, but where is the sword itself?"
"Excalibur is not a sword that exists by itself," explained Nimue. "It requires the combined power of all 6 sacred swords, a great willpower shown by the wilder, and…" Nimue was lost in thought for a moment.
"And?" Sonic questioned. Lady of the Lake was still silent for a moment. But then continued.
"It's something my heart cannot bear to think about, let alone tell you Sir Sonic. But I believe you and Caliburn's power should be enough to stop Merlina." Lady of the Lake said with a smile that seemed to be forced, and she was hiding something dreadful. Sonic was aware of that and yet-
"Sonic!" shouted Caliburn. "We have to go now!"
"You are right." Said Sonic looking at Caliburn with a serious expression. But when he turned to Nimue he smiled.
"Thank you, Nimue."
"I am sorry I couldn't help you with Excalibur." Said Nimue with a sad expression.
"It's alright!" Sonic shouted cheerfully. "You helped us all the way 'till now for nothing and even now guiding us what to do!"
"I'm glad I could help you Sir Sonic," said Lady of the Lake, finally showing a tender smile.
"Then gonna see you later!" shouted Sonic as he rushed to [place name] with Caliburn to stop Merlina.
"Farewell… Knight of the Wind." Said slowly Lady of the Lake as the wind made by the Sonic's running brushed her hair.