Chapter 25
Extinguished
— Prior to the start of Round 3 —
Arthur grunted as he tightened the straps of his shield around his arm, the King was currently alone in his waiting room, making the final preparations before his match started. The prior few days had been spent researching his upcoming foe, Nezha with Melin. But beyond learning that his opponent also carried more than one Divine Weapon, and apparently had access to a so-called,"Three Heads, Six Arm form". There wasn't much else to be found.
Picking up Excalibur as he glanced down at his attire to ensure that everything was properly secured and in place for the umpteenth time.
"I know you're hiding behind those doors, just come in already…" The King suddenly spoke, seemingly to no one in particular as he took a hold of his crown and placed it atop his forehead, before turning to face the double doors leading into the room, "Lancelot…"
As he said this, the doors slowly creaked open and the aforementioned knight slowly peaked his head inside, his face a mixture of nervous fear and embarrassment.
"H-how long did you know I was there?" Lancelot asked nervously.
"From the very start," Arthur answered, "I could hear your muttering and mumbling whilst you paced to and fro, twiddling your thumbs."
"I…See."
This was followed by a minute or two of awkward silence between the two former friends, before Arthur broke that silence, "Well? Do you not have something to say to me then? Stop fiddling about and get in here."
Tentatively, Lancelot stepped into the room, "So, you're going up next I believe? How's the preparations for your match?"
"Definitely could be better, " Arthur sighed heavily as he poured himself and Lancelot a drink each, "The god I'm up against seems to be quite the fighter, but I can handle him no problem at all, anyways, beer?"
"W-well, good to know that you've got it all figured out as usual, Arthur… Uh I'll pass for the beer though." Lancelot said, as he politely declined the offer.
Arthur shrugged, "One last drink for the road then," He said before downing the entire glass, "Well, if that is all you have to say Lancelot, I suggest you leave. My round will be starting soon, and the rest of your former comrades will be coming to accompany me to the arena, and we both know how unreceptive they are to your presence as compared to me."
Lancelot nodded weakly at this, slowly backing away towards the doors, that is until his mind reminded him of the reason he had even come here in the first place. Standing his ground, the fallen knight turned towards Arthur, raising his voice to get the king's attention once again.
"NO, I mean… N-no, Arthur. Even though I believe in your abilities with all my heart, and hope for your victory. There is still that slim chance you may fall in battle, and I CAN'T have that happen, knowing that I could have prevented it. Hence… I have something I wish to gift you before your fight…"
Arthur raised an eyebrow as Lancelot got on one knee, "Prevented it? What are you saying…"
The King of Camelot's words were cut short, as his eyes widened in shock and amazement at the object Lancelot had just produced from behind his back, "It… It can't be…"
In Lancelot's hands was an all too familiar scabbard, made of fine red leather, and golden accents that Arthur could recognise from anywhere. But Arthur had not seen it in so long, and he assumed that he never would! How was it now here in the hands of his former friend?
"It is, your majesty. The Scabbard of Excalibur, the very one you lost all those years ago. And now, I, your humble servant, return it and its incredible powers back to you, its original and true wielder."
Arthur could only let Lancelot place the scabbard into his outstretched arms as he stared at it gobsmacked, it took quite a while before the king finally regained his senses and looked at the knight in awe.
"Lancelot… How, WHERE on earth did you manage to find this? I… I thought it was lost after Morgan Le Fay stole it from me! I never thought I'd see it again!" The King of Camelot said as his eyes shone with excitement as he inspected the scabbard, still not daring to believe that it was the real deal.
"It was buried deep in a lake," Lancelot answered, "The witch must have thrown it in there at some point to ensure no one would ever find it again. But I dedicated the rest of my life to recovering that scabbard, traveling all across England, enquiring about it or Morgan's whereabouts. It took me nearly a lifetime, but I eventually succeeded in my quest, and so here we are right now.
"So you had it with you in Heaven this entire time?" Arthur asked incredulously.
Lancelot lowered his head ashamed once again, "I had every intention of returning it to you at first, selfishly hoping that it would be sufficient enough to earn your forgiveness. But when we met for the first time in so long and I saw the viciousness and hate in your eyes as you did, I realized that it was not, and lost my nerve. So I stored it away and chose never to speak of it ever again… I'm sorry."
"I… See." Arthur said after another period of silence between the two, "What made you change your mind now then?"
Lancelot lifted his head to meet Arthur, "Like I said, I simply couldn't live with myself if I didn't. Once before I've failed you as a friend and subject, by allowing my lust for Guinevere to be used against the kingdom. So if you truly did lose your soul to Niflheim in Ragnarok because of my cowardice…" The knight shook his head as tears stung his eyes, "I don't think I could live with the guilt of causing your demise twice…"
With that, Lancelot got to his feet, ready to leave the room as he wiped his face, "Arthur… I've said this many times before, even though I know that words will never be enough to fix what I've done… Nor do I expect this simple gesture to be sufficient either. But even if you can't find it in yourself to forgive me, I don't blame you, I just want you to know that truly, with the utmost sincerity, I am sorry for everything."
"Apology accepted."
Lancelot froze in place when he heard those words come out from Arthur's mouth, "W-what?" He replied in bewilderment.
"You heard me," Arthur said rather nonchalantly, "Actually I already forgave you all those years ago when you first apologized during our fight, it's kind of why you're even still standing in front of me here today in case you haven't noticed. I just… Needed time to think and ponder.
"I… But… Why would… So easily?" Was all the shocked Lancelot could muster up in response.
The King of Camelot sighed, "Look it's just all in the past already… Guinevere, Camelot. Even if I killed you back then, or a hundred times more, I would gain nothing from it besides having more blood on my hands. There was no point in me carrying so much baggage over it after so long. So yes, though it definitely wasn't easy for me to do so… I choose to accept your attempts to mend the broken bridges, to let go of all the anger and resentment I've held against you for far too long. And from what I've seen," Arthur made a point of holding up the scabbard, "You are sincere in your quest for atonement. Hence I chose to forgive you Lancelot, but now…"
Arthur placed the Scabbard of Excalibur back into Lancelot's hands, and looked at him with a warm smile that Lancelot has not seen in many a century, "I want you to give me the scabbard again, this time not to atone for past wrongdoings, or as a knight paying respects to his king… But as a simple gift from one friend to another, can you do that for me, old friend?"
Lancelot looked at the scabbard within his palms, and back to Arthur's kindly expression again. More tears began to form in his eyes, replacing the ones he had just wiped off and streamed down his cheeks. His mouth slowly breaking as well, into a smile as he nodded dutifully.
"Yes…Yes… Of COURSE!" He replied loudly as he held the scabbard with one hand towards Arthur, the smile on his face radiating with gratuity and child-like glee, "Your scabbard Arthur Pendragon! I wish you all the best for your match, my friend! Go give those gods a run for their money!"
Arthur answered with a wide grin, taking hold of the scabbard as well, "Thank you Lancelot, my friend! I shall do my very best to meet all your expectations! I had better see you cheering for me by the sidelines during my match, as well as attend my celebratory feast once I've won! Or else I really won't forgive you this time!"
With that, the two reunited friends temporarily forgot their troubles and worries, as they both shared a laugh, reminiscent of the many ones they had shared when they were younger. But as they did, unbeknownst to either of them, the Scabbard of Excalibur that was held simultaneously by the duo, began slowly pulsing with a faint blue light…
(Present Day)
As all in the arena focused their eyes back in the center of the arena, their eyes all widened in shock at what now stood before them. For in the hands of King Arthur Pendragon, currently blocking the dangerous spearpoint of Nezha's attack, was no longer the crude makeshift weapon he had constructed after Excalibur's blade was shattered. Rather, the King of Camelot now held with both hands, what could only be described as some sort of mechanized greatsword, a core placed between the weapon's guard, made from the crystal blue material that formed Excalibur's blade prior. It's massive blades too were formed from the same stuff whilst separated into two parts with a gap inbetween, and the entire thing seemed to glow with a regal blue light.
"W-what is this?" Heimdall called out, "Just when it seems like it would be humanity's fighters final hour, Arthur's sword has somehow… Repaired and improved itself? And has become some sort of… Well I don't even know WHAT, that is! But more importantly, SINCE WHEN COULD IT DO THAT?"
"P-prometheus," Asked Pandora from their viewing room, as she turned to the Titan looking for an answer, "W-what just happened?"
"I do not know, Pandora," The Titan admitted, "Though something tells me that this must be due to Excalibur's origins with Avalonian magic, a subject most beings, including myself, have little knowledge on."
"The specifics don't matter!" Said Göll excitedly, "What does matter is that now, we still have that fighting chance to win this round! COME ON ARTHUR! YOU CAN DO THIS!"
The Valkyries' cheers soon riled up the rest of the audience members from their confusion, and each side began cheering loudly for what was undoubtedly the finale of the match.
Despite his own confusion on what had just happened, the support coming from his side filled Arthur's heart with resolve and determination. The King of Camelot swung his heavy blade with a roar of effort, forcing Nezha back a few steps, the Lotus Prince's eyes widened in surprise at the fact that his opponent's new weapon could even withstand the power of his Samadhi Flames. Quickly following through with his last strike, Arthur raised Excalibur high above his head, a powerful blue aura gathered around its crystal blade as he let loose a mighty strike, the aura that surrounded the blade now shooting towards his foe in the form of a large X.
The attack struck Nezha in the abdomen, knocking him backwards, slightly disorganized. And with this, Arthur held Excalibur with both hands at his side like a lance, and this time, the aura that surrounded his sword began condescending into a singular point at the tip of the blade, Creating a almost comet-like trail as the king charged straight towards his opponent.
"CAMELOT CHARGE!"
Fortunately for the Third Lotus Prince, Nezha quickly regained control of his spinning senses, and in just the nick of time, he held up his left arm and with the use of the Samadhi Flames took the full force of Arthur's attack. However this time, the king's blade seemed more than capable of withstanding the intense heat of the flames, and Nezha was knocked backwards for what must have been the hundredth time throughout their battle. Though he was quick to recover and quickly jabbed the blazing point of his spear forward, meeting Arthur's swordpoint as the King of Camelot thrusted his sword forth again. In turn, this transformed the finale of the two adversaries' match, into a contest of which would overpower the other first and run his foe through.
As Nezha and Arthur roared with effort, each trying their utmost best to gain the upperhand, both fighters soon found that their concentrations began to slightly waver, with certain thoughts and individuals beginning to flow through their mind as they continued to push forward.
For Nezha, he heard the loud cheers coming from the sea of gods, who were all yelling for his victory. Yet somehow none of them really resonated with him, how could they? Most of them came from other young gods, all of whom had looked up to the Third Lotus Prince and respected him for his strength. Yet he never returned them that respect, only keeping them around and treating them like an entourage, he didn't know any of them on a personal level, he hadn't bothered. He had let his one bad experience with Ao Bing get in the way, the Third Lotus Prince felt a pang of guilt as he realized this.
Filtering past those voices, Nezha soon heard the voices of those he wanted to hear the most, his two brothers, both competing to see which of them could scream his name the loudest whilst his loving mother, who would normally be against them making such a ruckus, was too doing the same, albeit much softer. The Lotus Prince couldn't help but chuckle as he heard their voices.
Then there were Erlang and the Jade Emperor, mentors of sorts to him in Heaven, as well as respectable figures of authority. Yet even though one was an honored warrior, while the other was the Chief God of the Chinese Pantheon, both of their voices were united despite their own past grievances between each other, and cheered loudly for his victory. Thinking this, made Nezha feel warm inside despite his left arm literally blazing with fire.
Suddenly he realized something, someone else was loudly calling his name, in fact the loudest of them all. He recognized that voice… How could he not? It was the same one that was always nagging and berating him for not being better, every waking hour of each day, so it couldn't possibly… Despite the dangers of doing so, Nezha tilted his head slightly to the stands, and lo and behold. There was indeed his father, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, Li Jing himself, standing tall, his face filled with pride and of course a slight pinch of stress and worry, because Li was never complete without that, cheering on his son so loud that a few gods around him had plugged their ears whilst cheering themselves.
"COME ON NEZHA! SHOW THAT HUMAN THAT BURNING DEFIANCE YOU'VE BEEN BLESSED WITH! SHOW HIM WHY I'M PROUD TO CALL YOU MY SON!
"Well I'll be…" Nezha muttered in surprise, before a wide grin spread across his face, the flames on his arm burning brighter and brighter as he pushed himself to the very limit of his power.
Arthur meanwhile, whose weapon despite having received a boost in strength, was only matching the intense heat and firepower of the Samadhi Flame, but not yet overpowering it, also heard the loud cheers of those closest to him. And so, he too quickly turned his head to have a look.
There of course were his loyal Knight of the Round Table, with Galahad and Percival currently leading the rest of the group in banging their swords against their shield as they cheered on their king. Creating a loud rhythmic clang that echoed across the arena, which Arthur found to be quite a nice touch indeed.
Then there was his mentor and father figure, Merlin. Who was normally much more composed, but was now whooping and cackling like a madman, as tears of pride and joy leaked down his wrinkled face for his prodigy. In fact the wizard was cheering so vigorously, that he accidentally fired off a few blasts of magical energy that thankfully, exploded in midair and failed to hit any of the spectators. If he did indeed end up winning this, Arthur made a mental note to tease Merlin for losing himself to the excitement of the crowd.
Finally, there was Lancelot, but unlike the others, Arthur's best friend was not screaming his name loudly in the air to show his support. But instead, Lancelot's eyes were fixed on Excalibur's new form, a mixture of shock and recognition on his face as he seemingly focused on the gap in between the it's two separate blades. Lancelot looked up at Arthur, holding up his hands and arms to mime, firing a shot with a bow and arrow. He vigorously repeated this strange choice of actions multiple times as he nodded his head, hoping that his silent message could be conveyed over to his friend.
It took Arthur a while before it suddenly dawned on him the message Lancelot was trying to convey. The King of Camelot's eyes widened in shock as he turned to closely inspect his weapon again, blade split right down the middle into two separate parts with a gap in between, that description sounded incredibly familiar now that he gave it some more thought… His mind brought him back to that particular day by the creek during his youth, where a younger Lancelot had pitched to him his most outrageous idea yet… Yes… Yes… Could it be that his friend had truly caught on to something he too had just now realized?
Suddenly, Arthur felt himself getting pushed back by Nezha, so he quickly refocused his attention back into standing his ground and began to push back against the opposing force himself. It didn't matter if Lancelot was truly on to something if he allowed Nezha to gain the upperhand and run him through before he could use it.
Nezha gritted his teeth as he felt the King of Camelot making a comeback, even though it felt slightly underhanded, he still had one more Divine Weapon in his possession that was currently not being used at the moment.
"Ah screw it, sorry Arthur, but I'm going to have to resort to this." Nezha said apologetically in between grunts of effort, and as he did, the Huntian Scarf once again came to life, and with snake-like agility and speed, it slithered right off Nezha's shoulders, trailing down the length of the Lotus Prince's right arm, before shooting forward and latching on to Excalibur. The scarf then proceeded to coil around the blade, quickly making its way to Arthur's hands and arms that were holding on to the sword, undoubtedly in an attempt to hinder the king's performance in battle.
The Huntian Scarf soon wrapped one end of itself around Arthur's wrists, and as it did, the King felt both of his arms getting squeezed by the scarf, which had begun tightening its grip around them. Arthur growled in frustration, after all he was still locked in standstill against Nezha, and it was getting harder for him to focus with all this going on. But with both of his arms trapped, there was no way he could release himself from the scarf's grip! His only choice right now was to push through the pain and continue holding his position.
And so, no matter how tightly the Huntian Scarf coiled around his arms and wrist, or how bruised his arm felt, the King just bit his lips till they bled as he continued to persevere through. His teeth gritted with effort as he kept attempting to drive his swordpoint forward to pierce his foe, in spite of all the pain.
"Not… Going… Down… THAT easy, Third Lotus Prince!"
Nezha gave a weak grin as he heard this, "Good grief, even with that you're still pushing on? Gah… You really are committed to this whole, 'winning this for your people' role huh? Guess I really have to up the heat if I want to win…"
With no other choice, and despite the dangers of the resulting flames burning out of control, potentially injuring himself. Nezha willed the Samadhi Flames to grow with power, which in turn caused the intensity of the heat to increase, as well as making it spread out even further across his body. With the fire now covering the entirety of the left side of his chest, as well as slowly growing across his spear, which Arthur realized with a start, meant that there was a good chance he would be experiencing the painful burns of the Samadhi Flame once more if he didn't do something!
Without another thought, Arthur closed his eyes, silently hoping that Lancelot's hunch was correct as he envisioned clear as day in his mind what he wanted Excalibur to do…
At that very moment, the core of Excalibur and it's two blades suddenly began to glow brighter than before as they let out a loud hiss before beginning to shift and adjusted themselves upwards until the gap in between them was considerably larger. Arthur's eyes shone with child-like wonder as he let out a sharp laugh, Lancelot had been right all along!
Blue aura began to gather once again, though they did so within the space between Excalibur's two blades rather than around them. Slowly but surely that aura soon turned into an ethereal blue glow that shone bright in between the blades. The glow pulsed with more and more energy after each passing second, till it was so bright that it pierced straight through the smothering fabrics of the Huntian Scarf that was wrapped around it. The pulse grew stronger, and stronger still, blue smoke now billowed from between the two blades as the Huntian Scarf began to shrivel and shake as the blazing heat of the blue energy had begun to burn away at it's seams. His eye's widening, Nezha made the shocking realization that somehow… his opponent's sword seemed to be preparing to fire a shot?
Quickly Nezha began channeling the power of the Samadhi Flames once more, intending to once again use his ultimate technique. The flames that held on to his Fire-tip spear slowly began spinning and tightening around it to increase the force behind his strike. Both fighters realized that with how close in proximity they were to each other, either strike from each other now would be impossible to defend or dodge from, it now all boiled down to who could fire off their shot first.
There was now so much light pulsing from Arthur's blade that spectators had trouble even focusing on the fight after being forced to squint their eyes. Excalibur had begun to violently shake, indicating that it was now ready to unleash all the energy it had stored within the two blades. Arthur grinned widely as he locked eyes with his opponent, letting out a final battle cry as he prepared to unleash his attack. Meanwhile, the Samadhi Fire that spawned from the Qiankun Ring now covered the entirety of Nezha's left arm and upper torso. The Third Lotus Prince's eyes now glowed with the same fiery blue glow as the flames, as he too grinned widely in return before opening his mouth to let out his own mighty battlecry, the flaming muscles of his left arm tensing as an indicator that he too was prepared to unleash his own final strike.
But which would strike home first? Would the incredible combined might of the Fire-tip Spear and the Samadhi Fire pierce through Arthur's defenses once more, and finally strike him down once and for all? Or would it be this not yet seen power that the King of Camelot's new sword was about to unleash that would triumph in the end? It was time to see…
"THE NINE DRAGONS HOLY FIRE SPEAR!"
"BLAZING LANCE OF CAMELOT: EXCALIBUR!"
…
The winner? Arthur. From the pent up energy that was held between the two blades, a blazing bright arrow of light shot forward, piercing through the still not yet formed Samadhi Flame. And blasting straight through the left side of Nezha who was connected to it, sending the Third Lotus Prince flying backwards as he was bathed in a bright blue light.
The entire arena drew their breath, as they awaited to see what had happened, and at first to Li Jing and the rest of Nezha's family's relief, it seemed as though he was still standing up straight. But as the dust settled, they saw what had truly become of their son, the Samadhi Flames that formed his left arm had all but dissipated, with only a few dying embers floating in the air around him before being snuffed out. The Qiankun Ring from whence they were produced, lay on the ground, shattered into two, as for Nezha himself, it was now not only his arm that was missing, but the entire left side of his body…
"N-no… My boy…" Li Jing whispered as he saw this, the Pagoda-Bearing King fell to his knees in defeat, while Lady Yi choked back a sob as she covered her mouth in horror. Erlang, Muzha and Jinzha fell back into their seats in shock, unable to process that their friend and brother had lost, while the Jade Emperor simply sighed gravely and massaged his eyebrows with his hand, a single tear rolling down from his right eye.
Nezha tried to remain upright, but with such a huge chunk of his body gone, he soon started to teeter and lost his balance. Nearly landing on the ground if not for Arthur dropping his sword and rushing over to catch his fallen foe.
"Well… I guess it's my loss then," Nezha said as he coughed loudly whilst being supported by Arthur, "Sorry man… I know I said I wanted both of us to be standing upright when this all ended… But I guess my sorry ass couldn't do even that, heh."
"Nonsense," Arthur replied, "You did amazing! Were it not for the Scabbard of Excalibur, you surely would have won this round."
"Thanks, although what the hell dude!" Since when could your sword turn into a frigging Gunlance or something? What is this, Monster Hunter? Haha."
"Is that what it is called?" Arthur chuckled, "Honestly I was just as surprised as you when that happened, I only sheathed my broken sword so as to still be able to fight. The scabbard is also made from divine material you know? I was planning to use it as a bludgeon of some sort, definitely didn't expect it to repair and upgrade Excalibur to such an extent! Avalonian Magic is really something else!"
"Haha… Oh well…" Nezha smiled, at that moment, the Third Lotus prince's body began to glow green as cracks started appearing all across his body, signaling that he was about to turn into dust and lost to Niflheim, "Hey… Arthur? I feel a bit lousy for doing this to you, but is it alright if you do a favor for me? Sort of like a dying wish if you get what I mean?"
"Of course," Arthur replied gently, "What are friends for?"
The Third Lotus Prince's eyes widened silently in surprise, but nevertheless he continued, gesturing towards the stands "You see that guy with the long black beard and the mini Pagoda in his hands? That's my father, Li Jing, I'd like for you to deliver a message to him on my behalf."
"The same one from your story?" Arthur asked, "Nezha, if you're attempting to use me to send some final colorful words to your estranged father, I assure you that is one thing I will not do."
Nezha snorted, "Nothing of the sort, nothing of the sort… In fact, quite the opposite… I… I want you to help me give my remaining weapons to him, as well as tell him… How sorry I am… Sorry for being such a crappy son, sorry for never taking his words into account and realizing how much he cared for my safety and wellbeing, even if he was terrible at expressing it… Let him know that… I am grateful that he was my father. Help me ensure that he does not spend the rest of his days under the assumption that he was a terrible father…"
Arthur gave a sad smile, "I see that my tale had it's intended effect on you, Nezha… Do not fret, my friend… That I shall do as soon as possible."
Nezha nodded as he slowly began to disintegrate, "Thanks… Heh, yeah… You were right, I feel much better going out like this knowing I've said that… Maybe… Maybe if souls still have consciousness in Niflheim… Perhaps I can find it in me to make peace with Ao Bing, like you did Lancelot as well…"
"I very much hope so, Nezha, very much so…"
With that, only Nezha's head remained as the rest of his body transformed into green dust, dissipating into the wind, "Well… it's been one hell of a ride, King of Camelot! I'm just glad to have spent it with a guy like you! So long, Arthur Pendragon!"
"As was I, Third Lotus Prince, Nezha!" Arthur replied, saluting his fallen foe with two fingers as the last few pieces of the god vanished into the wind.
"A-and… I guess that's it for this one folks!" Heimdall said shakily as he raised his Gjallarhorn, "Once again, humanity has scored their first point in the third round of this Ragnarok, in spite of his myriad of Divine Weapons and incredible Samadhi Fire, Nezha was still unable to overcome the legendary King of Camelot, Arthur Pendragon, himself! Who has now become the first victor on humanity's side of the second Ragnarok!"
Ragnarok Round 3
Nezha vs Arthur Pendragon
Winner: Arthur Pendragon
Deciding Move: Blazing Lance of Camelot: Excalibur
Timing: 13:12
Arthur let out a sigh as he picked up Excalibur, the Fire-tip Spear and the Fire and Wind wheels, now that the fight was over and all adrenaline had left his body, Excalibur in particular seemed much heavier to him than before. Nevertheless, he slowly carried all three weapons with him towards the corridor of the arena, pausing to accept the cheers and applause of humanity, as well as to wave at his Knights of the Round Table and Merlin before he allowed the darkness of the hallway to consume him as he left the battlefield.
Immediately, under the dim glow of the torchlights mounted against the wall, the King of Camelot found the sharp point of a jian directly in his face, as the Pagoda-Bearing King made his presence known. Li Jing's face could only be described as maddened with grief, tears streamed down his cheeks and stained his robes as he stared daggers into the man who killed his son.
"You… YOU!" Li snarled through gritted teeth, as Arthur calmly stood still, "I should strike you down right now! How DARE you even stand here before me holding onto my son's arms after taking his life! I swear, I'll tear you limb from limb! I'll avenge Nezha! I'll avenge MY SON…my son…"
Li Jing fell to his knees, his jian clattering to the floor as he howled in anguish, "Nezha… I am so sorry… I've failed my duty as a father! I should have fought that disgusting Sun God and removed you from his roster! You… you never were the cause of pain in our family… It was ME! I was the vermin! I was the monster! What I would not give for the opportunity to see you once again to apologize for all my wrongdoings… How he must have cursed my name when he pointed at me in those final moments of his…"
Arthur watched the god who knelt before him slam his fist into the cobblestone ground with a look of pity, "With all due respect, mighty Pagoda-Bearing King… Nezha held absolutely no animosity towards you in his last moments."
Li growled as he wiped his eyes, "Lies… He had every reason to hate me! I was a terrible father! On earth and in Heaven! Incapable of even the slightest display of pride or affection, I do not deserve to be known as one!"
"No," Arhur insisted firmly, "He did not, I can swear with my very honor and soul that he did not."
"Huh!" Li laughed without any joy, "My attempt on your life suggests otherwise! Not only am I a terrible father, I'm a COWARD! A coward who cannot even admit to his own faults! Blaming others for things HE himself has caused! There is no need to lie to me, King of Camelot! I know what I am, as Nezha did before his untimely demise!"
Arthur sighed as he thought for a moment, recalling all that Nezha had said before responding, "Nezha… He said… that HE was sorry, sorry for not being a good son," To this, Li Jing looked up in confusion as the King of Camelot continued to speak, "He regretted not listening to your words enough, regretted not realizing how much you truly loved him… Even if he couldn't see it at first. He didn't die hating you, Pagoda-Bearing King, he died without the burden of negativity weighing down his soul, grateful to have you as his father. And the only reason I am telling you this, is because he didn't want you to go about the rest of your days in Heaven thinking otherwise. So I swear, that I am not lying when I say that during his very last moments alive, Nezha did not hate you, he loved you."
Li Jing did not meet Arthur's gaze, instead he stared at the floor, face still racked with grief as he softly murmured to himself, "My son… Even though you are no longer here… You still can make this old fool feel terrible about himself…"
It was then Arthur gently held out Nezha's arms towards the Pagoda-Bearing King, "Here… He also wanted me to return these to you."
Li Jing stared at the wheels and spear, before shaking his head as more tears streamed down his face, "No… I'm sorry… I just can't… It's… Too soon…" The god pushed Arthur's extended palms backwards gently, "Please forgive me for my previous outburst, King Arthur, I am ashamed to ask this of you… But please, hold on to my son's arms for a while longer… I cannot bear to see them without being reminded of my failings at the moment…"
Arthur pursed his lips and nodded, "I understand, feel free to drop by my room and pick them up whenever you feel fit to do so."
Li Jing got to his feet, and gave the King of Camelot a curt bow, "You… Truly are an impressive one, Arthur Pendragon, both as a leader and a person… I am thankful that my son was able to meet someone such as yourself before he passed. Now I believe some of your comrades are here to celebrate your hard-earned victory…"
And with that, the Pagoda-Bearing King disappeared from Arthur's view, teleported away from the arena's hallway undoubtedly to return to his families' side and properly mourn the loss of his son with the rest of them. And without the Pagoda-Bearing King obstructing his view, Arthur could now see his Knights of the Round Table, Merlin and Lancelot, all waiting for him impatiently at the end of the corridor.
A loud cheer arose from the gathered knights as all but Lancelot and Merlin rushed towards their king, congratulating him on his victory, with some helping to carry the three Divine Weapons for him, while others insisted on carrying him to the infirmary, though he politely declined this kind offer.
Lifting his head, Arthur was met with the warm and relieved smiles of his best friend and mentor, to which he returned with a wide toothy grin as he pumped a fist in the air which made all his subjects cheer,
"After a quick stop at the infirmary, we shall head back to my room for a good old fashion FEAST! All drinks are on me boys!"
FINALLY! Round 3 is done! Big thanks to everyone who waited so patiently for my procrastinating ass to finish it. There will be a short intermission in-universe to the story prior to Round 4, but I can't wait for you all to see whose up next to fight! Till the next chapter!