Author's Note: This chapter is a little longer than usual due to me not wanting to end the chapter on a cliffhanger, so please take your time with it! Enjoy.
The main body of the festival was centered around Arlam Village with picnic blankets, tables and chairs spreading out across the fields and meadows. The turnout of this festival was simply way more than anyone could've possibly anticipated.
Even if Reinhard and Arthur drew a crowd, the latter was expecting at most 1,000 people to turn up, but the current numbers completely eclipsed his imagination.
Arthur would estimate that roughly 100,000 commoners, 10,000 merchants, and 1,000 nobles had gathered to witness the festival in person. Though that was only a minor percentage of the 50,000,000 people residing within the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica, considering that this was a medieval world, it was an absolutely mind-boggling number.
At the very centre of Arlam Village, the five candidates sat around the round table with a holographic screen at the centre, displaying different parts of the forest. This was the magic of Roswaal, which allowed not just the priestess candidates, but also the villagers, merchants and nobles to spectate, place bets, and enjoy the show.
"The huuunt will begin shooortly." Roswaal explained, turning to Reinhard, Arthur, Julius and Al, each of them standing behind their respective ladies.
Originally, it was just supposed to be Reinhard and Arthur competing, but now, somehow, the Finest Knight Julius and the Gladiator Al had been thrown into the mix, representing their lieges, as well as other random knights that Arthur had never even heard of. They had seen the opportunity to earn glory and honor for their households, and were not prepared to miss out on it.
This originally small Witchbeast extermination had truly become an event for the history books.
Naturally, Ferris was not participating in the extermination. As arguably the world's greatest healer, it would be a waste to send him into the forest, so today, he was in charge of leading the healers and healing any injuries the competitors received in the forest, which was arguably the most important duty.
Although Crusch would not be able to personally fight for glory in today's event, being the one responsible for healing the other participants was impressive in itself.
"The fooour of you will start at four different caaardinal directions." Roswaal looked between us, "You wiiill race to the centre of the fooorest, killing eveeerything in your path. The knight who maaanages to kill the most amount of Witchbeasts will be crowned the winner of this eveeent. The event will not end until every single Witchbeast has beeen slain.
"Speaking of which, Boss, is there a prize for winning?" Al stuck his hand up and asked.
"Oh, nothing muuuch. Only 25% of the profits from one of our maaagic crystal mines." Roswaal smiled, earning quite a reaction from the surrounding people.
"That's rather generous of you, Lord Roswaal." Crusch's eyes gleamed, and Anastasia couldn't help but grin,
"Now I definitely don't regret comin' here."
Looking at their reaction, Roswaal's smile deepened as he turned to Arthur, "Please, fooor my sake, give it yooour best, Sir Arthur."
To which, Arthur could only scratch his head as he looked towards Reinhard. He knew who his biggest competitor was in this competition.
"Money is fleeting, Sir Arthur. Just promise me you'll stay safe, okay?" Emilia spoke worriedly towards Arthur as she straightened out his collar.
"The day a phantasmal beast harms me will never come, Lady Emilia." Arthur fell to one knee, "I shall bring you back glory, my lady."
"Nonsense! Julius, don't listen to those fools! Money is indeed everythin'! Bring me back the gold!" Anastasia cheered happily towards her knight, growing more excited by the minute.
"I will certainly give it my best effort, Lady Anastasia." Julius looked rather helplessly towards Reinhard.
"Al, I don't care whether you win this trivial competition or not, just don't embarrass me." Priscilla spoke coldly towards her knight.
"I don't know, Princess, against these knights, I don't fancy my chances." Al could only chuckle helplessly.
"Look at these idiots, they actually think they stand a chance! Reinhard, I don't care if they're your friends, destroy them!" Felt grinned madly as she crossed her arms in front of her.
"I certainly intend to give it my best, Lady Felt." Reinhard nodded his head solemnly, and with that…
"Let us commence the first Mathers Dooomain Witchbeast Extermination Feeestival!" Lord Roswaal gave his opening speech, and the hunt began.
In the distant past, in the watery annuls of history, there was once an endless sea of Phantasmal Beasts who formed an unfathomable and formidable army, intent on trampling the beautiful isles of Britannia into ashes. Indeed, there was trampling, but it was not the army of Phantasmal Beasts who trampled over Britannia, but rather, King Arthur, who stood on his lonesome, trampling over everything and anything that stood in his path whilst his loyal followers could only gawk in awe.
That day, the sea of Phantasmal Beasts was turned into a sea of blood.
Today was destined to be no different.
The king would be starting from the west entrance, closest to Arlam Village. He had the home field advantage, as well as the conceptual advantage. Just knowing that he was fighting against 'Phantasmal Beasts' caused his skill [Giant Beast Hunt] to churn and roar within him as his dragon heart trembled. Undoubtedly, Arthur was currently stronger than even his standard half-synchronized base form.
With that being said, the forest was indeed huge, spanning for over a hundred kilometres, filled with hundreds, if not thousands of witchbeasts. No matter his strength, it would still be a challenge to locate his foes amidst the vast swaths of verdancy and greenery.
In this way, the competition was not just a matter of killing, but also a matter of locating, like a Monster Hunting event in Fate/Extra.
Admittedly, Al, Julius and Arthur did have one advantage against the Sword Saint, Reinhard, whom all the merchants were placing their money on.
That was the fact that Reinhard physically couldn't draw Reid against a bunch of Witchbeasts, meaning he had to use the sword provided by the villagers. Considering that factor, he wouldn't be able to properly harness his overwhelming destructive power, giving the other knights a big edge on the Sword Saint.
Naturally, Arthur would be using the sheathed form of Excalibur, bound by its thirteen restraints. Though Mana Burst was not off the table, he would not be unleashing the power of his Noble Phantasm against the harmless witchbeasts. That would be like using a sledgehammer to split a watermelon. Not only would all the greenery surrounding the Mathers Domain be destroyed, but those poor nameless knights who joined the competition to earn honour for their households would be swallowed whole.
Either way, whilst waiting for the other knights to get in position, Arthur stood there, gathering magical energy into his nose to enhance his sense of smell, raising it upward to take in the strong scent of beast that travelled with the wind, locating targets before the competition even officially began.
And after roughly ten minutes of waiting, Lord Roswaal's booming voice echoed throughout the forest, "Beeegin!"
With that, Arthur simply stamped his foot down, and immediately, the surrounding tens of meters of forest started to rupture as he launched forward, emitting a blinding golden aura as his magical energy whirred and churned violently, creating a chaotic storm that rampaged around him.
He launched forward like a human rocket, turning into an imperceivable beam of golden light, a singular streak that instantly turned the surrounding trees to ashes due to the sheer speed, force and violence of his movements.
Emilia, who was watching from the centre of the village, felt chills go down her spine as her eyes struggled to comprehend and perceive his movements. She recalled their sparring match before leaving for the capital, where she had tagged her knight on multiple occasions, and immediately realized she had underestimated Arthur. Compared to the speed that he was utilizing currently; the previous Arthur may as well have been moving in slow motion!
So, he was holding back so we could fight against each other properly? Emilia bit her lip and watched as Arthur's terrifyingly destructive form swallowed the surrounding forest whole like a blackhole with immense suction force.
Trees, boulders, and other remnants of nature blocked his path, but before his barrier of magical energy could make contact with them, they were bulldozed by the wind pressure of his movements, folding like paper before his weight and gravity.
Before long he managed to track his first Wolgarm. In a different version of reality, it was these bestial and terrifying man-devouring creatures that hunted down Subaru, but now the shoe was on the other foot, and they were prey for the knights.
Arthur raised his foot and slammed it down atop the Wolgarm, and it offered absolutely no resistance towards the King of Knights, it was immediately shredded and torn to pieces by the maelstrom of magical energy surrounding him before his boot could even reach the creature, its witchbeast blood painting the surrounding area.
Perhaps in the past, such blood and gore would cause the transmigrator to falter, but he too, was now a warrior who had seen his fair share of blood and gore, and this kind of violence was no longer an issue to him.
His transgressions against the Witchbeast did not go unnoticed, and before long, two other Wolgarm raced towards him, their maws gaping open as saliva dripped from their insidious fangs, but the King simply reached out his gauntleted hands, grabbed them by their necks, and slammed them into the earth, causing the surrounding forest to quake and tremble as they were crushed into naught but dust.
In terms of durability, speed and power, the Wolgarm were all Subaru level, and even Rem was enough to demonize them, let alone a half-synchronized King of Knights being amped by conceptual advantages.
Arthur raised his nose and sniffed out his next target, and immediately gave chase, turning into a beam of golden light that melted the surrounding trees. The Wolgarm had naturally noticed the distant trees being devoured en masse, but the difference in speed was simply too exaggerated, and before it even had the chance to move, it was crushed and trampled beneath the King's boot.
Perhaps a small, human part of him felt guilty for hunting down the Witchbeasts like this, but not only were they man-eating beasts that sated their hunger on the lives of the innocent, but he didn't want to let Emilia down, and he definitely didn't want to lose to Reinhard, so any embers of guilt were snuffed out and replaced with a cold, kingly determination as he stomped Witchbeast after Witchbeast beneath his feet.
None of his actions went unmissed by the spectators.
"This is the knight of the other world?!"
"How can he be so powerful?!"
"How many has the Sword Saint slain now?!" one of the Arlam Villagers cried out.
"Seems to be ten…!"
"Impossible! The otherworldly knight has also slain ten!"
"How can he possibly keep up with the Sword Saint?!"
Felt grit her teeth as she watched, not bad, flashy flash, as expected from Rein's friend, you can actually keep up with him! But how long can you last?!
Emilia, who was watching with bated breath gripped her sweaty hands together. She realized for a second time that she had clearly underestimated her knight. In terms of speed and power, he was no less than Reinhard, and in terms of ferocity, he was even greater. Whilst the Sword Saint gently eliminated the Witchbeasts with elegance and restraint, Arthur was showing the demeanour of a rampaging tyrannical dragon as he ruthlessly crushed the surrounding Witchbeasts beneath his boots.
Rem was likewise gripping her hands tightly as she watched his performance, screaming inwardly in her heart, you can do this, Arthur!
Ram had a slight bead of sweat rolling down her brow as she watched. Arthur seemed a little more ferocious than she remembered. That didn't mean, however, that she would stop teasing him in the future, but her genuine respect towards him had grown significantly.
As Arthur continued to rampage amongst the straggling Witchbeasts, they soon realized that running away by themselves wouldn't do them any good, so they made the conscious decision to flood towards him like a wave, hoping that if they attacked him simultaneously from all directions, they would at least be able to slow him down in his tireless onslaught, but it was simply pointless.
Their attacks were wholly futile. His magical energy let out an audible whir as his circuits churned like turbines, and with a slight expulsion of force, he unleashed a minor Mana Burst, the golden magical energy erupting out from him, forming an all-consuming wave of golden light that completely decimated the surrounding witchbeasts and the forest, shredding trees and beasts alike, the ground covered with bark and blood.
"Amazing!" one of the villagers cried out, "With just one move, the otherworldly knight has taken first place!"
"What the hell was that flash of golden light?! He's not human!"
"How are the other knights supposed to compete?!"
"Wait – look at the Finest Knight!"
With that, everyone turned their attention toward Julius, who held out his sword solemnly as an all-consuming tide of Witchbeasts launched towards him.
Closing his eyes, he muttered two words, "… Al Clarista." And with that, the hems of his coat started to dance as a rainbow light gathered on his blade, and immediately, a blinding light shot towards the sky as his sword struck out, slicing through everything that surrounded him, witchbeasts and trees being turned into nothing but cinders and embers swallowed whole by the destructive rays of light the Finest Knight emitted.
"Amazing! How many Witchbeasts was that?!"
"Seems to be twenty! The Finest Knight takes first place!"
"Wait – look at the Sword Saint!"
After hunting down the Witchbeasts continuously, they too decided to surround Reinhard in an attempt to take him from every angle all at once, but it was a fatal mistake on their part.
"My apologies." Reinhard closed his eyes as an absurd an unreasonable amount of mana gathered into his longsword, causing the surrounding area to vibrate and shake as if the world itself was going static before he finally swung his sword, unleashing a beam of pale blue light that erased everything in its path. The witchbeasts, the trees, the boulders, the hills and the surrounding earth, everything was consumed and flattened by the powerful swing of his sword.
"Sorry for asking too much of you." Reinhard looked down apologetically as his sword turned to ashes.
"Amazing!"
"As expected from the Sword Saint!"
"How many was that?!"
"At least thirty!"
"Go on Rein!" Felt roared enthusiastically as she slammed her foot down on the round table.
Emilia held her hands together tightly as she watched the exaggerated swordplay from the other knights, don't lose, Sir Arthur!
Speaking of Arthur, he raised his head towards the sky and watched as a kaleidoscopic rainbow light illuminated the horizon, and he felt the forest tremble and vibrate as Reinhard unleashed his sword swing, dying the clouded sky deep blue, and he could even hear the miserable howls as Al drove the Witchbeasts to insanity with his authority.
Even still, he was not particularly bothered, as he knew that without a doubt, the Sword Saint would now be without a sword and would thus be fighting with his hands and feet, giving Arthur a significant advantage over his competitor.
Unknowingly, a small smile crept up onto his face. He was thoroughly and wholeheartedly enjoying himself, sincerely competing with his newfound friends, allowing his instincts to take over as his kingly, draconic blood boiled, his wariness towards potential foes starting to wane.
His golden magical energy started to vibrate and explode outward, creating a beacon around him as he drew the sheathed Excalibur from his side, closing his eyes as the surrounding mana in the air was drawn rapidly into the Holy Sword, the lesser spirits dancing and chirping happily around him as the surrounding forest started to quake and vibrate.
Mana Burst. Arthur stepped forward and swung Excalibur down, and an unparalleled destructive force was unleashed from the sword, forming a golden crescent moon tens of meters tall that cut through the earth, slicing through dozens of Witchbeasts before eventually exploding outward, an incredible pillar of golden light a hundred meters tall erecting from within the forest as the surrounding witchbeasts were drawn in and devoured by the whirlpool of magical energy.
The spectators did not need to watch on their holograms, they could see the light clear as day with their eyes.
"That's the power of the otherworldly knight!?"
"What the hell! How many Witchbeasts did he just kill?!"
"I can't count – there were too many!"
Sir Arthur… that light… Emilia closed her eyes as she recalled the golden light in the capital from back then. She had assumed that was the ultimate attack of her knight when he was backed into a corner with no other choice, but it seemed that was just a casual move that he could use as much as he wanted!
Crusch watched his attack with sparkling golden eyes, if that attack was to strike the White Whale… surely there would be nothing left of the wretched beast…
Priscilla also watched with growing interest; a knight of that calibre is unfit to be beside a half-devil… should I make him mine?
Naturally, this attack did not go unnoticed by Al either, who gripped his sword with excitement, sure enough, my suspicions were unwarranted. That golden light is unmistakable!
To everyone's surprise, the otherworldly knight responded by raising his sword, once again absorbing the surrounding mana from the air, his sword turning into an intense vacuum before unleashing a second crescent of golden light that shot through the forest, devouring everything in its path before exploding with a second pillar of light.
"Again?! He can use that ability again?!"
"That's too powerful, isn't it?!"
"Wait – the Sword Saint is making a move!"
Reinhard, who kept sensing the mana in the forest getting thinner and thinner, knew that if he didn't want to embarrass Lady Felt, he needed to act quickly, so he picked up a tree branch, and immediately started to compete against Arthur in devouring the mana in the air as the tree branch started to glow with a pale blue light.
He immediately swung out, releasing a devastating sword strike that ravaged the lands, shooting across the forest, slamming into one of Arthur's golden pillars, the two attacks clashing before exploding, causing the entire forest to shake and tremble.
"How many was that?!"
"Who the hell can tell?! This isn't a battle between humans anymore!"
Julius looked up at the explosions and shockwaves sweeping through the forest and made a wry smile, how can I compete with those two? Either way, for Lady Anastasia, I can only give it my best… with that, rainbow light started to gather around his sword once again, illuminating his surroundings as he swung out, his terrific rainbow light clashing with Reinhard's and Arthur's sword light, trees and boulders scattering through the air.
Al held onto his helmet as the shockwaves and debris washed past him, surrounded by the corpses of Witchbeasts, breathing heavily, as expected from the Sword Saint and the King, they're really not normal!
Like that, the Witchbeast Extermination continued, with all four knights making use of some of their most powerful attacks, cleaving through the forest as the poor nameless knights hid behind hilltops and cliffsides for cover, and before long, the first two competitors managed to reach the centre of the forest, having left nothing but destruction in their wake, arriving at the exact same time.
"T-That… that's the Sword Saint!"
"And the Otherworldly Knight!"
"They arrived at the same time?!"
"Impossible!"
Seeing that Arthur had arrived at the centre at the same time as Reinhard, Emilia couldn't help but make a smug look towards Felt, the blonde-haired princess just gritting her teeth as she snapped back at Emilia,
"Don't get too excited yet! It was a competition of who could kill the most Witchbeasts, not who could reach the centre the quickest!"
Emilia did not respond to Felt physically, and just lent back a touch, crossing her arms, and that gesture was enough to infuriate Felt.
Meanwhile, back at the centre, Arthur smiled helplessly towards his friend as he rested Excalibur at his side, "Sir Reinhard, it seems I was unable to best you." Despite having just used a handful of mana bursts consecutively, there wasn't a single bead of sweat on his brow.
"Likewise, I was unable to beat you, Sir Arthur." Reinhard had a very strange look on his face, "This might be the first time in my life I've been unable to best someone in combat."
"It's lonely at the top, isn't it?" Arthur smiled sadly, "Speaking of which, how many witchbeasts did you manage to slay?"
"Unfortunately, I have no idea." Reinhard shook his head, "Things got a touch out of hand towards the end there."
"Mm. I have no idea either, I guess we'll have to wait for Lord Roswaal to decide things officially." Arthur crossed his arms, and was about to speak again, but he caught a flash of white, turning his head to see Julius moving towards the centre, a singular bead of sweat rolling down his forehead, his hair a touch out of place as he strolled forward.
"As expected, I was unable to best the two of you. Though there's no dishonor in losing to the Sword Saint, I can't help but be a touch bitter." Julius made a rather wry look, and Arthur just smiled reassuringly towards the Finest Knight,
"This was not a race, Sir Julius, but an extermination. The results are still unknown."
"The fact you're trying to console me makes me feel even more bitter." Julius let out a heavy sigh, "I just hope that Lady Anastasia won't scold me too thoroughly for losing to the two of you."
"No lady would scold their knight for trying their best, Julius." Reinhard commented, and Arthur couldn't help but quip,
"Actually, there might be one." With that, they turned their heads, watching as Al approached, only half a minute behind Julius.
"Impressive." The Finest Knight nodded his head, "Though your appearance leaves a lot to be desired, in terms of battle, you're a true warrior, Sir Al."
"Oh please, I can't compete with the likes of you knights." Al shook his head before turning to Arthur, "Bro, where'd you rank? Did you manage to beat the Sword Saint?"
"The results are currently pending, I guess we'll have to wait until later to find out how we ranked." Arthur shrugged helplessly, and Al groaned as he sat on the floor,
"I have a feeling I came last – the princess won't be happy with me."
"Well, if nothing else, you would've devastated those competing outside of us four." Now it was Julius' turn to console others, but Al wasn't very interested in his words.
"I just want to return and watch the highlights. I have a feeling I missed out on a lot of good stuff."
"You make a good point, I too, look forward to watching the replays. Sir Arthur, I've been curious about your swordplay since the first time we met back at the capital, and now I'll finally be able to witness it." Julius cupped his chin.
"Highlights and snacks, it's just like old times. I can't wait." Al gripped his hand with a hint of enthusiasm about him.
"It's just a pity that the festival has to end so quickly." Reinhard made a somewhat sad look, "I was just starting to enjoy myself."
"Unfortunately, my friend, all good things come to an end. Thankfully, there'll be plenty more fun to look forward to in the future." Arthur added optimistically, but Al wasn't having any of it.
"You three know nothing about festivals!" He scoffed with disdain, "The festival is not over until every single stall is drained of food and drink!"
Arthur was about to respond to Al when he felt a tinge of electricity jolt down his back, causing him to turn his head in the direction of the five priestess candidates.
In that instant, he briefly caught a glimpse of a black light falling from the sky, bordering on the edge of his perception, and two words immediately appeared within his mind, [Noble Phantasm].
Fear and dread consumed him. It was not a fear towards himself, but a fear for the five eminent candidates gathered in Arlam Village. The fear and dread was soon drowned out by an unadulterated rage as he immediately drew Excalibur from his side, pumping all the magical energy he could into the Sacred Brand, immediately jetting outward, sending Julius and Al flying as he transformed into a human rocket, blasting towards the village.
"Sir Arth-" by the time Reinhard had finished articulating his sentence, Arthur was already halfway towards the village, and in that moment of the utmost direness and severity, the soul and body fully synchronized, allowing for an incredible and momentous burst of speed, ripping and devouring the forest beneath him as he arrived at Arlam Village, rapidly drawing mana into his sword as he let out a roar.
"Roswaal! Puck!"
With that, the King swung his sword, unleashing a fang of golden light that cut towards the sky, intercepting the Noble Phantasm that was descending towards the lands.
The moment the golden light reached the Noble Phantasm, it exploded, black and golden lights swirling together in the sky before erupting outward with a titanic explosion, eclipsing the horizon and dying the world white as flames and shockwaves crashed down towards the hundred thousand civilians that were enjoying the festival.
"Ul… Dooona!" Roswaal let out a cry as the land beneath him trembled, a tremendous dome of earth erecting outward to form a humungous protective shield around the civilians.
Puck also appeared from Emilia's crystal and slapped his hands together, reinforcing the earthen dome in layers of powerful ice using his Fire Magic, and before long, the flaming shockwaves hit, slamming into the earthen dome, causing it to quake, tremble and crumble as the endless waves of heat and magical energy burst outward, the ceiling collapsing, huge chunks of flaming mud falling from the sky.
It was now time for the Knights and Priestess candidates to act, commanding powerful magic and swordplay to remedy the situation.
Emilia was one of the first to react, waving her hands to fathom spears of ice that shot outward, piercing and decimating the falling debris.
Crusch also drew her sword from her side, unleashing scythes of greenish wind that severed the large chunks of mud and scattered them with the wind.
It was Priscilla who showed the most fearsome power, however, swinging her fan to fathom seas of flames that swallowed the debris whole, turning them into naught but ashes and cinders that danced with the winds.
At the same time, whether it was Rem, Ram, Fredrica, or any of the knights gathered, all of them used their physical forms to protect the weak and the innocent, and Felt could only grip her fists helplessly as she watched them.
Screams and cries of panic echoed out from within the dome, but thanks to the efforts of the heroic souls gathered at the festival, no lives were lost in the enemy attack, and the citizens looked towards their prospective rulers with eyes of the utmost admiration and reverence.
Arthur remained atop the earthen dome, looking around at the surrounding countryside that wasn't so lucky, having been ravaged by the attack, the idyllic farmlands having been turned into scorched ash.
His eyes lingered on Emilia, who, despite her status, as well as the terror and panic around her, remained completely calm, protecting and healing injured civilians, the gratitude they held towards her being palpable.
No matter the situation, her intrinsic kindness shines like the stars in the night sky. Arthur thought to himself, heart swelling with pride as he stood atop the dome, the Sword Saint arriving at his side.
Reinhard looked down towards Felt, who had received minor injuries, knowing full well what fate would've befallen his liege if not for Arthur's quick reaction. Despite the fact that his gratitude was overwhelming, he remained silent, as thanks could wait until later.
Entrusting the more minor matters to the warriors beneath them, the two knights that stood at the apex of strength in this world looked up towards the darkening sky, knowing that the true battle for Arlam Village was just beginning.
Arthur watched with growing trepidation as a figure descended from the sky, landing opposite them atop the dome, basking in the shadows of obscurity.
When Arthur saw him, his entire body was paralyzed as pure, unadulterated shock coursed through his veins, as if he was being directly vaporized by an endless rain of lightning. It was as if he had been hit by Medusa's mystic eyes, turning his entire body to stone, or hit directly in the face by Clarent Blood Arthur.
The imposing knight stood opposite them, towering like a giant, dwarfing Reinhard and Arthur at an impressive 191cm in height, clad in deep violet armour, wrapped in a terrifying haze of madness, corruption and taint. He was armed with a variety of long swords, all of them dripping with a repulsive, tar-like substance, his eyes glowing red as he seethed with visceral hatred.
Arthur could not mistake him for anyone else.
It was Sir Lancelot!
Looking at the maddened servant, standing there tall and infallible, clad in a cloak of shadows, emitting a terrifying storm of Magical Energy, Arthur's mind reeled.
What the hell's going on?
What the hell is this?
A Second Servant?
Wasn't I supposed to be the only servant here?
Not to mention… Sir Lancelot?
Where did he come from?!
He didn't know – he couldn't know. All that Arthur did know was that as he looked at that shadowed figure, warped with vehement hatred and maddening corruption, his heart ached with immeasurable pain, making it difficult to breathe.
Roaring with an unparalleled rage, the Berserker shot forward, fuelled by visceral hatred, briefly eclipsing the perception of the Sword Saint as he slammed his armoured foot into Arthur's chest, sending him flying through the rooftop of the earthen dome.
"Sir Arthur!" Although he heard a voice, Arthur couldn't quite hear it. His eyes were simply locked onto that shadowed figure as he blasted through the air, crashing into the earth below.
Is this the pain that the king constantly carried around within his heart? Suppressing it with a calm, tranquil smile on his face, burying his endless regrets from the past deep within his heart whilst wielding his sword for the sake of the future?
The strength of the king… once again, I underestimated it.
As Arthur laid in a pit in the ground, Julius and Al also arrived on the scene, immediately darting towards their respective lieges, wielding their swords defensively.
Reinhard looked worriedly towards the fallen figure of Arthur, but ultimately turned his gaze back towards the shadowed knight, "Your manners are incorrigible, barging in on our festival and wreaking havoc like this. I'm afraid I must ask for you to leave, otherwise, I will have no choice but to slay you where you stand." Even considering the circumstances, Reinhard still left violence as a last resort.
Nonetheless, unfortunately for Reinhard, his opponent was not one who could be reasoned with.
"ARGHHHH!" Lancelot let out a pained roar as he reached for one of the many swords lining his back, and as his arm moved, Reinhard let out a soft sigh.
"Then… it seems I have no choice." With a sigh of resignation, Reinhard gripped the hilt of the Dragon Sword Reid and slowly drew it from its sheathe, the entire world around him vibrating and trembling from the sheer might and power of the sacred blade.
The Berserker howled like a wounded wolf as he launched towards Reinhard with incomprehensible speeds, but the Sword Saint just batted him back, sending him shuttling across the village like a shooting star, Lancelot's figure throttling into the remains of the forest with a velocity the eye could not trace.
I cannot fight him here. Not where Ferris and the others are doing their best. Reinhard turned to Arthur and utilised the Divine Protection of Telepathy to speak to him in a completely indifferent voice that was neither happy nor sad. It was a completely unfamiliar Reinhard; it was the Sword Saint who fought alone and protected alone.
Sir Arthur, I understand that your mind is currently ailed, so I will not request that you fight alongside me, however, I will at least ask that you protect Lady Felt in my stead-
Just as Reinhard was about to finish his sentence, a shadow blasted towards him like a bolt of black lightning, revealing itself to be a corrupted sword.
Reinhard frowned and moved like a ghost, gripping the hilt of the sword, swinging it back towards the forest before it could explode, the sword ripping through the air, devastating the sound barrier, eventually detonating, endless waves of magical energy rushing forth towards the earthen dome surrounding Arlam Village.
"Leave the defense of the village to us, Reinhard!" Julius shouted up to the top of the dome as he swung his sword, creating a multicolored beam of light that intercepted the shockwaves, instantly annihilating them, "Fight to your hearts content!"
Reinhard looked at Julius and nodded his head solemnly, immediately turning into a blue light as he rushed into the forest on his lonesome.
This was the existence known as the Sword Saint. He was the world's last defense. The one that every singular person without question relied on. And he, the Sword Saint, relied on absolutely no one.
As Arthur sat buried in a pit, shellshocked, Lady Felt's cry echoed out from his side, "Dammit, Reinhard, don't die on me you bastard, kick that tin can's ass!"
Arthur listened to her pained cries, and he watched as everyone, including his loved ones, fought valiantly, every single one of them trying their best, dammit, this is no time to be sitting around. No matter the pain, I simply have to suppress it, bottle it, and wield my sword for the sake of everyone present. Especially Reinhard. My desire was to alleviate his burdens, not add to them. And with that, he gripped Excalibur tightly, standing up from the hole in the ground, powerful resolve and determination bubbling within his gut. He knew what he had to do.
"Are you going?" before he knew it, Lady Emilia was standing at Arthur's side, gripping onto his sleeve. Though she was covered in cuts and mud, she didn't look pained at all, just worried towards the welfare of her knight.
"I'm going." It was a short, solemn response, filled with conviction.
"Are you going to get hurt?" she stared directly into his eyes, and he stared back, nodding his head.
"I'm afraid that this time, getting hurt is unavoidable."
There was no helping it. This was not your average witchbeast, bandit or assassin, but an incredibly powerful knight who stood at the apex of swordsmanship, a rival for the prime King Arthur, let alone an imposter like himself.
"I see." Lady Emilia took a deep breath to compose herself before looking towards him deeply, "Though I won't make you make any unfair promises, please don't die, Sir Arthur… make it back to us in one piece."
To which the blonde-haired knight made a faint smile, "I'll do my best, Lady Emilia."
"May the blessings of the spirits be with you, Sir Arthur." Emilia held her hands together tightly with watery eyes. Though she would love to personally assist him in battle, she knew that was impossible. The battle Arthur was about to fight in was not one normal people could participate in. She could only do her best here, wishing him luck whilst she continued to heal those who had been attacked by the shockwaves of the battle.
Arthur fell to one knee and bowed his head, "Thank you for your blessings, Lady Emilia. I shall do my best to return in one piece."
Before he could even raise his head, Felt cried out to him, "Flashy-flash, make sure you bring that idiot back safely, alright?! Don't let anything happen to him!"
"Of course, Lady Felt." Arthur nodded his head towards her, "I'll bring him back safe and sound."
With that, Arthur set off to join Reinhard in battle. After all, though Arthur did not know how Lancelot arrived in this sphere of existence, the Knight was and forever would be his responsibility.
Reinhard didn't hold back in his speed and immediately darted through the forest, morphing into a blue beam as his foot struck outwards, slamming towards the shadowed servant.
However, his eyes widened as he saw Lancelot physically react to his kick, raising his armored arm to block the blow.
The sheer velocity of this kick was nothing to scoff at, and despite having blocked it, Lancelot was still sent barreling back through the forest, annihilating dozens of trees as he slammed into a cliffside, causing massive chunks of earth to fall to the ground.
"What amazing durability." Reinhard couldn't help but compliment as he watched Lancelot climb out of the cracked cliffside.
The largest majority of people would've been completely destroyed by that kick without leaving a body behind to bury, but Lancelot was completely unharmed.
At that moment, Reinhard turned his head, and a faint smile appeared on his face as he noticed the approach of his fellow knight and friend, "So you've snapped out of your stupor? You had me worried there for a moment."
"My apologies for the delay, Sir Reinhard." Arthur gripped Excalibur tightly, determination brimming in his regal emerald eyes.
"Good-" in that moment, as Reinhard had his head turned towards Arthur, Lancelot appeared from behind him with incredible speed, swinging down the corrupted sword in his hand.
The corrupted sword cut straight through Reinhard, severing him in half, but it turned out the Reinhard that was cut was naught but an afterimage.
The true Reinhard was standing behind Lancelot, swinging his sword, slamming it into the side of the knight, sending the armored warrior shuttling towards Arthur like a bolt of lightning.
Arthur's instinct immediately churned into motion, and Excalibur swung downward ruthlessly, looking to destroy the Berserker as he flew.
Lancelot let out a cry and drew a sword from his back, immediately utilizing [Mana Reversal] to explode the thing and release a shocking blast of Magical Energy that immediately engulfed Arthur, creating a titanic shockwave that had the winds howling and trees ascending towards the horizon.
Arthur shot backwards with burns across his arms, the hems of his robes set alight, "What an astonishing display of agility, as expected of Sir Lancelot." He muttered softly, the pain pulsating up and down his arms being completely eclipsed by the rising storm of emotions swirling within him as the lesser spirits showered him in pale blue light.
Knowing that his friend was made out of tough stuff, Reinhard did not ask Arthur whether or not he was okay, and instead, appeared behind the maddened knight whilst Lancelot was recovering from the discharge of Magical Energy, cutting across his unguarded back.
It was an incredibly dangerous situation for Lancelot, yet, he still managed to react, his upper body bending around the blow, his other hand reaching for another sword to cut through Reinhard.
Before he could even grab a hold of his blade, a blast of golden magical energy erupted outward, slamming into the side of the Berserker, sending him shuttling deeper into the forest, granting a brief breath of respite to the two sane knights.
"What a formidable warrior." Despite being enemies on the battlefield, Reinhard was filled with acknowledgement for his opponent as the shockwaves of the Mana Burst spread outwards, uprooting the earth, but Lancelot was mostly unaffected, his armor slightly scorched.
"ARTHUUUUUUUR!" Lancelot let out a shocking cry as his magical energy skyrocketed, devastating the surrounding area, his foot stepping outward as he blitzed towards Arthur, but before he could reach the blonde-haired knight, Reinhard appeared at his side, grabbing Lancelot by the wrist, dragging him through the mud and throwing him back towards his friend.
Arthur raised his hand above his head as Magical Energy erupted from his body, being greedily absorbed by the sword in his hands.
Excalibur shone with a golden light, illuminating the depths of the forest, spanning upward and outward as the swirling torrents of wind revolved around the Holy Sword, rending the surrounding earth.
In an instant, Arthur swung down Excalibur, releasing the Mana Burst, the entirety of the forest being dyed with a terrible white light as the golden magical energy sliced outwards towards Lancelot.
"ARTHURRRRR!" For a second time, Lancelot utilized Mana Reversal to detonate the sword in his hand, unleashing a devastating burst of black Magical Energy that slammed into Arthur's Mana Burst, the two blasts of energy fighting against one another.
"ARGGGGGGHHHH!" Lancelot started to gather more magical energy to launch a second attack, but he was immediately slammed in the side via a kick from Reinhard, the volatile Magical Energy instantly exploding, the golden and black pillars of light twisting upward, piercing towards the sky as devastating shockwaves spanned outwards, flattening large portions of the remaining forest.
The clouds were dyed golden black, and tornadoes of wind spread out across the Mathers Domain as if the apocalypse had arrived.
Whether it was Emilia, or the other members of the Royal Selection, they looked towards the distant battle with shock, fear and reverence. The battle between Sword Saint-level combatants was not something they could engage in. They just had to focus on their own battles, and protecting the innocents.
Back within the forest, Lancelot roared as he regained balance, having been blasted back over a thousand meters by Reinhard's kick, but before he could even draw a new sword, Reinhard was in front of him, delivering a fist into his gut, causing the armored servant to physically bend and wrap around his fist before propelling outward like a rampaging corkscrew.
Lancelot was on a crash course with a nearby cliffside and was most likely going to demolish the entire cliff, but before he could reach his destination, Reinhard once again appeared behind him, grabbing the Berserker by his ankle, swinging him straight down towards Arthur who was standing a few thousand meters away.
The sound barrier let out horrendous screeches as it was mutilated by the incoming servant, and Arthur let out another eruption of Magical Energy as golden light shone brightly around him, swinging down the powerful Holy Sword, overflowing with endless tides of luminous power.
Lancelot met him head on, drawing another sword, reversing the flow of mana, slamming it into Excalibur, the two of them once again clashing with their Magical Energy, rending the earth, bringing nothing but destruction to the surrounding forest and wildlife.
Arthur split through the endless shockwaves and vast clouds of dust with his sword, slashing towards Lancelot, but with unparalleled swordsmanship, Lancelot easily parried Arthur's strike and countered, exploding his sword as he smacked Arthur in the core, sending the blonde-haired knight blasting backwards, wrapped in a maelstrom of rampaging, corrupted Magical Energy, the top of his robe being turned to ashes as his torso turned bright red, the surrounding lesser spirits crying out as they rushed to heal him.
Reinhard immediately appeared behind Lancelot, and the two of them engaged in pitched combat, their swords clashing at speeds that couldn't possibly be described, with Reinhard fully showcasing his incredible, overwhelming swordsmanship, whilst Lancelot displayed his absurd reaction times and otherworldly agility.
With every single swing of Reinhard's sword, scythes of pale blue light devastated the forest for hundreds of meters, completely dominating Lancelot in terms of sheer brute force.
But the agility of Lancelot was completely off the charts. Although he was incapable of outright dodging Reinhard's sword, he managed to either parry or divert each blow, meaning Reinhard was accomplishing nothing but chipping pieces off his armor.
Thousands of blows had been exchanged before a second elapsed, and Reinhard felt nothing but shock and amazement towards the swordsmanship displayed by his opponent. Though Reinhard's skill with the sword was no less, his abilities were provided by the world itself, whereas his opponent had gained a near transcendent sword through countless battles.
Reinhard could not help but wonder what it would be like if he got to fight this knight without the influence of madness enhancement.
And at the same time, Reinhard could not help but notice that the swordsmanship of Arthur was most like that of this Berserker. Although his opponent's swordsmanship existed on a different dimension, the form and style were undoubtedly the same.
The berserk knight had even shouted 'Arthur', and Reinhard knew by now that these two were clearly acquainted, though their relationship with one another seemed to be less than amicable.
By now, Arthur had returned to the battle, his spiritual armor now only covering his bottom half as his upper body was in the process of healing.
Arthur watched the two of them fight, and though his head was still, his eyes were darting around rapidly as he traced their movements, their technique was absolutely incredible, and Arthur did not know whether he was more impressed by Reinhard's swordplay, or Lancelot's insane agility.
Nonetheless, the victor of the battle had been determined. Although Lancelot used his impressive agility to match Reinhard, whilst Reinhard had the unbreakable Dragon Sword Reid, Lancelot was constantly cycling through his limited supply of disposable weapons, and now finally, Lancelot had run out of swords.
"Now then, you have been successfully disarmed. Do you surrender?" Reinhard asked calmly, and in response, the Berserker just raised his head and roared wildly and unintelligibly, causing Reinhard to frown.
"It seems that you have no intentions to surrender… then, as Sword Saint, I can only…" Reinhard's eyes shone coldly as he readied the Dragon Sword Reid, only for Arthur to reach out his hand and stop him.
"Sir Reinhard, whilst I hate to interrupt your fun, I will have to stop you there. This battle does not belong to you… it belongs to me." Arthur always had a mysterious smile on his face, and a calm aura about him, but right now, his eyes were hollow, and his face was grim. Arthur was the very definition of solemnity. Reinhard had never seen such an expression on his friend, and he didn't like it.
However, Arthur's words had indeed managed to anger the Sword Saint, "He put my lady at risk and injured my citizens. As Sword Saint, how can you claim that this fight is not mine?" Reinhard did not hide the frown marring his face.
To which, Arthur turned to Reinhard with an emotionless face, "Will you not allow me this favor, Sir Reinhard?"
"I can consider it if you can give me a valid reason as to why I should allow it." Reinhard looked towards Arthur with mixed feelings, his duty as Sword Saint clashing with his own friendship with the young man.
Arthur closed his eyes and deliberated on whether or not to tell Reinhard the truth, and after some pondering, he decided to place his trust in the Sword Saint, to take a leap of faith.
"That maddened berserker and I, we are not strangers… he is my family."
Reinhard was clearly shocked, but he soon regained his composure, and after some deliberation, he nodded his head, "I understand. If he truly is your family, then it would be boorish of me to intervene. This request of yours… I faithfully abide. After you adhered to my request regarding the Bowel Hunter, it's only right that I do the same. However, Sir Arthur, if I think for a moment that your life is in danger, I won't hesitate to intervene."
"Thank you, Sir Reinhard. I shall surely repay this favor in the future." Arthur made a soft smile, "Oh, and Sir Reinhard, you were wrong about one thing. You have not yet disarmed Sir Lancelot."
To which, Reinhard raised his eyebrow curiously, "And what do you mean by that?"
Arthur turned his head to Lancelot, "Won't you reveal it to me, your sword?"
"ARTHUURRRR!" Lancelot let out a pained roar filled with hatred, and shadows started to converge around his right hand, causing Reinhard to gape in shock as a sword was revealed.
This was no ordinary sword. It was Arondight. The Unfading Light of the Lake. The counterpart sword to Excalibur. Only now, it had been corrupted beyond all imagination, a disgusting shadow of its former self. Though with that being said, a holy sword was still a holy sword, and it would not break so easily like the others. Not only that, but it gave Lancelot an incredible boost to his parameters.
"Look at the state of your sword, Sir Lancelot, dripping with the blood of our comrades, my sister weeps!" Arthur let out a cry as he was overwhelmed by the emotions of the king, and Reinhard could only watch with visceral shock, having never witnessed such a demeanor from his friend before. Not to mention, his words were incredibly ominous.
"ArrrthuuuuUUUUURRRRRR!" Lancelot, in response, flew into a mad rage, launching at Arthur with even greater speed and agility, swinging Arondight forward with enough force to sever mountains.
Arthur's instinct churned, and he raised Excalibur to block the blow, but the sheer force behind Lancelot's sword swing was insurmountable, and the King of Knights was still sent shuttling back, his feet drifting through the mud so quickly the ground beneath him directly melted as the trees and hillsides in his way shattered like glass.
Lancelot let out a roar as he chased after Arthur, catching the collapsing cliffsides as he raced through the forest, turning them into Noble Phantasms, sending them rocketing and launching towards the King of Knights.
Arthur let out a roar as he swung Excalibur repeatedly, making use of his overwhelming physical strength to physically bat aside the incoming projectiles as they hurled towards him, causing them to explode outward, shockwaves flattening the surrounding forest.
As Arthur batted aside the last cliffside, Lancelot appeared in front of him once again, swinging Arondight with unparalleled speed, precision and power, and Arthur blocked for a second time, only to be sent once again blasting through the forest as he grit his teeth together.
"ARTHUURRRRR!" Lancelot roared as he caught up to the flying Arthur, grabbing him by his golden locks, dragging him through the mud, slamming him repeatedly through hillsides and cliffsides, eventually throwing him into the earth, causing the knight to slam into the land like a meteorite.
"Huff… huff…" Arthur looked up at Lancelot towering above him, and the berserk knight slammed his foot down onto Arthur's head, trampling all over him.
With that, the Sacred Brand let out a whir as it sucked in the surrounding mana, immediately exploding outward, sending Lancelot flying backward as the king stood back up, readying his sword, roaring towards Lancelot, "Again!"
Seeing that Arthur was using their duel as a training opportunity, Lancelot's unparalleled rage ascended even further, and he roared wildly and angrily as he launched towards the King of Knights, jousting his sword forward, intending to skewer Arthur through the center.
However, during their brief clash, Arthur had already grown considerably, and he was now quick enough to sidestep past the blow, swinging down towards the jousting knight.
Unfortunately, Lancelot was still the quicker of the two combatants, and Excalibur was parried aside, Lancelot's fist slamming into Arthur, sending him flying into the sky.
Arthur was like a weightless bird, soaring upward towards the arching cerulean sky, however, as he twisted through the air, Excalibur started to whir and churn, turning into a golden star that illuminated the horizon, and immediately, he swung down his Mana Burst, unleashing a devastating and destructive beam that swallowed the surrounding forest whole, slamming into Lancelot, sending him shuttling down through the earth.
Having tanked the Mana Burst head on, Lancelot soon reappeared from within the earth, letting out a shocking roar as he shot towards Arthur, the two of them locking into fierce, pitched, mortal combat.
Arthur and Lancelot were like two wild dragons, clashing and butting heads again and again repeatedly. Like magnets, every time they separated, they immediately slammed back into each other, destroying everything in their path.
With a single breath, thousands of blows had been traded, and the more Reinhard watched, the more amazed he became. The battle had started off with the maddened berserker superior in every way to Arthur, completely dominating him, but as the fight slowly progressed, Arthur grew more and more competent.
In the beginning, a single attempt to block Lancelot's sword would send him flying back a thousand meters, then a few hundred meters, then a hundred meters, and now? Arthur could trade three dozen blows with Lancelot before being sent backwards a few meters.
Reinhard had never seen someone grow so much stronger in such a short period of time, but as he continued to watch, he realized that it wasn't that Arthur was necessarily growing physically stronger, he was simply learning.
Upon thinking that, Reinhard shook his head, no, that's not correct either. The correct term would be 're-learning'. His body is already familiar with every single move his opponent throws his way, and now his mind is growing familiar with them too. Most likely, the two of them have clashed blades thousands, or even tens of thousands of times. This is simply a process of Sir Arthur relearning the movements that have already been engrained into his body. Reinhard watched with piqued interest as the battle waged on.
Arthur's eyes were darting around their sockets as Lancelot swung his corrupted blade repeatedly, and Arthur met him in equal measure, hundreds, thousands, then tens of thousands of times, the two of them clashing again and again until there was nothing left of the forest.
By now, so much of the forest had been cleared that the spectators could even witness the battle, but unfortunately, these combatants were moving so unbelievably quickly that the largest majority of them couldn't see a thing. For the normal civilians, there was no battle to be witnessed, just endless draconic roars and shockwaves as the earth trembled violently, and for the powerful knights and candidates gathered, all they could see was a streak of purplish black light repeatedly clashing with a streak of blueish gold light.
Reinhard was now extremely glad that Arthur had held back so massively against the Bowel Hunter, otherwise there wouldn't have been much of a Capital City left by the time they finished their brawl.
At the same time, Emilia, Rem and Ram now had a keen understanding on how much Arthur must have struggled to protect them without destroying everything in the vicinity or hurting them, and now Ram almost felt bad about mocking him for blowing up houses… almost.
Safe to say, every single member of the Royal Selection was incredibly dumbfounded by the battle. Not only did they have the Sword Saint Reinhard to worry about, but also this new otherworldly knight who had allied with the half-elf Emilia.
It was safe to say that there were no longer four warriors that represented the pinnacle of strength in this world, but five. And considering two of them dwelled within the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica, the entire power makeup of the world had changed with this singular battle.
Roswaal's eyes brimmed with unparalleled excitement, and Al gripped his singular fist as he cheered for Arthur, Priscilla just fanning herself as her interest rapidly grew. The princess had now decided that the otherworldly knight was to be hers.
Arthur did not speak. This entire time, it felt as if an apple had been caught up in his throat, and just opening his mouth caused him pain. Beyond that, he felt as if once again, Clarent was pierced through his heart, making it very difficult to even stand. It was time to put an end to both of their suffering.
Rather than talking to Lancelot with words, he decided to use actions instead, stretching out Excalibur, and Lancelot, even in his maddened state, naturally knew exactly what that meant.
The raging berserker that was only capable of unintelligent babble stood in quiet awe amidst the catastrophic devastation, his silence deafening as he mirrored Arthur's movements, slowly raising Arondight towards the sky, the blade overflowing with repulsive corruption, and immediately, a black light was released from the blade, towering towards the sky, turning every single cloud in the entirety of the Lugunica Kingdom pitch black.
Whether it was the Royal Selection candidates or their knights, all of them looked towards the sky frightfully at the untold waves of corruption and darkness that threatened to swallow the kingdom whole.
"To think you have fallen this far. Sir Lancelot, please allow me to put an end to your misery." Arthur spoke solemnly as he started to glow with a pale golden light, and immediately, Reinhard felt every single one of his hairs stand on end as the sword in his hand screamed and roared at him. For the Sword Saint, this was the first time he had sensed such a visceral reaction from the Dragon Sword.
"Sir Arthur… what're you going to do?" the Sword Saint could not help but ask skeptically.
"What I have to do." Arthur responded back gravely as he slowly raised Excalibur towards the sky, "Sir Reinhard, I will be counting on you to heal the surroundings once I'm finished."
Though Reinhard did not wholly understand what Arthur meant, seeing the seriousness in his friend's eyes, he nodded his head, "Understood."
With that, Arthur turned his gaze back to Lancelot, speaking solemnly and melancholically in a forlorn voice, "Sir Lancelot – let us put an end to this battle once and for all."
"ARTHUUUUUUR!" Lancelot let out an enraged roar as his Magical Energy skyrocketed to its absolute maximum, and the black light that was emitted from his blade was drawn back into Arondight, causing the edge of the blade to glimmer with a pale blue light as a baleful storm of corrupted magical energy erupted from him, creating a cataclysmic singularity of unfettered chaos, and even Reinhard had to frown at the foul storm of madness concocted by the Berserker, the spiraling vortex of energy whipping around madly as the black clouds deepened.
Reinhard did not doubt that the compressed energy within that blade was enough to devastate the entire Kingdom of Lugunica.
If Sir Arthur cannot respond in kind… I'll have no choice but to unleash my Dragon Sword. Reinhard made back up plans upon backup plans as he repositioned himself between Arthur and the village, Dragon Sword in hand, ready to unleash Reid.
But that would be unnecessary, as Arthur's voice echoed out softly amidst the raging tempest of corruption.
"Seal Thirteen. Decision, start." though Reinhard understood each word, when placed together, he found them completely unintelligible.
In response to Arthur, a voice, from where Reinhard could not discern, echoed back in response, "Approved by Galahad… Gareth… Artoria… confirming the release of Three Seals."
At that moment, the sheathe that was binding Excalibur slowly unveiled itself, revealing the Holy Sword in all of its beautiful, incandescent, golden glory.
The moment Reinhard laid eyes on the Divine Construct in its unbound brilliance, his mind immediately buzzed, and his memories started to replay backwards through his mind like a reel, time seemingly rewinding for him, taking him back to the days where he'd sit amongst the fields of flowers with his family, their long-forgotten smiles reappearing before him as his grandmother dutifully taught him how to wield his sword whilst his mother, father and grandfather watched with loving smiles.
Such a long-lost history was brought to the forefront of his mind, and his eyes grew warm, his throat growing tight as he reveled in them, lost in nostalgia.
However, this was just the beginning. Arthur raised the sword above his head, and a faint golden phosphorescence filled the area.
"What… what is this?" Reinhard could not help but mutter as he watched the golden lights dance around Arthur, slowly but surely growing in number. They were like little faeries, fluttering about in the winds, gravitating towards the Holy Sword as it whirred and spiraled.
Though Reinhard was a rather depressed individual, even he could not help but feel incredibly hopeful towards the future, filled with optimism, seemingly as if those faint golden orbs carried his very hopes and dreams for the future.
It was not just Reinhard who felt like this. As the golden lights gravitated towards Arthur at the center of the forest, all who laid eyes on it were reminded of their happier times.
As she gazed on the blade and the golden orbs, Crusch found herself beside Fourier and Ferris, bathed in memories of happiness and joy, and at the same time, she found herself looking brightly towards the future. Her gaze landed on Ferris, who was looking back at her with teary eyes, and she understood that Ferris too, must be reliving all the most beautiful memories, filled with hope and optimism for the coming days.
Priscilla fondly recalled her childhood with Vincent and Arakiya as she gazed warmly upon the golden lights, her shoulders and heart growing relaxed as a strange and indescribable sense of relief and hope blossomed within her. Looking up at the golden light illuminating the surroundings, she now understood that no matter the cost, she would make the otherworldly knight hers, then that golden light could belong to her, free to gaze upon it whenever she wished.
Anastasia too, fondly remembered the warm memories of her childhood, and all those who had helped her grow into the woman she was today, causing her cold, callous heart to warm as her motivation to claim the throne and this kingdom as her own grew exponentially.
And naturally, Emilia was also staring at the golden blade and the dancing phosphorescence, vague shadows of people she could not recall surrounding her in fields of flowers, making her feel incredibly warm and comfortable in her heart. Those memories reeled past her, and she caught up to the future, and tears filled her eyes as she remembered Arthur's smiling face. How could his sword be so beautiful? How could it be so grossly incandescent? She did not know, and the tears simply fell.
Rem and Ram, the two twin sisters held one another by the hand as they gazed up at the golden light, memories of their lives in the Oni village reeling through their minds as they remembered their warm, loving childhood, tears brimming in their eyes as they looked up at the light, their hearts feeling weightless and hopeful.
Even Roswaal of all people was entranced by the blade, remembering the happier days alongside his teacher. His motivation and dream to free her from her castle of dreams only grew all the stronger as he gazed upon the golden glory of the holy sword.
"A star… a bright star… illuminating the night sky…" Al just muttered to himself, completely enraptured and spellbound by the incandescent scenery all around him.
However, no one was more moved than the endless sea of knights who had gathered at Arlam Village, the sword carried their hopes and their dreams, and they could not help but feel both touched and inspired as they gazed upon its glorious golden visage, feeling their eyes water as their blood boiled.
Julius stood at the forefront of these knights, gazing upon the golden light as his heart and pride as a knight roared within him, his dream to make Anastasia queen manifesting at the forefront of his mind. No, it was not a dream, but a reality he would create!
Arthurs bangs and robes started to dance as the winds picked up around the Holy Sword, Excalibur letting out an audible whir as it rapidly sucked in all the golden light from across this planet.
Arthur took a deep breath as he felt the weight and dreams of humanity resting upon his shoulders, and immediately, the golden light exploded out from his sword, spiraling upwards towards the sky. The black clouds that had been covering the Kingdom of Lugunica were immediately parted, revealing the glorious blue sky that existed above, and the radiant sunlight beyond.
Whether it was Emilia, Rem or Ram, all of them watched in amazement, recalling their conversations with Reinhard, and how he had spoken that a true battle between them would destroy the Kingdom, and now they understood what he meant.
Reinhard looked with wet eyes at the Knight that had been blanketed in sunlight, the overwhelming light and radiance of his sword seemingly eclipsing all the light and warmth in this world, a beacon of hope that illuminated every single corner of Lugunica, filling everyone who saw it with endless joy and expectations towards a brighter tomorrow.
Within the Capital, even those who did not attend the festival, such as Wilhelm and Heinkel, gazed upon the brilliant golden light, all of them tearing up as they bathed within the sweet and nostalgic memories of the past. It was almost as if Theresia and Louanna were still at their sides, watching alongside them.
At the same time, they could not help but wonder just what on earth was happening in the Mathers domain.
The corrupted darkness erupting from Lancelot had been completely dwarfed and overwhelmed by the blinding light of Excalibur, and Reinhard no longer worried about the outcome of the battle.
From the moment the first restraint was released from Excalibur, the outcome of the battle had been decided.
As Lancelot launched towards him, Arthur's mouth moved, "Exu…" raising his foot, the golden light around him funneling, swirling and rotating madly, creating a maelstrom of devastation that tore through the surrounding area, endless waves of golden magical energy flooding outward like terrific tsunamis of unfathomable power.
And then, his sword fell.
"CALIUBURRR!"
At first, it seemed to be rather similar to Mana Burst, a thin scythe of ephemeral and transient golden light that cut through the earth, slamming into the center of Lancelot, splitting him down the middle, but the moment the energy made contact with Lancelot, everything changed.
The golden light started to erupt, and unlike the Mana Burst, this was not a pillar of golden light, but an all-devouring wave of destruction that expanded outwards whilst shooting towards the sky.
Arthur had no choice but to physically control the blast of Excalibur, sending it upwards rather than outwards, otherwise there would be no Kingdom left for Emilia to rule over.
Even still, the width of the light was not to be underestimated, and Reinhard held Reid in front of him to block the golden light as he was sent dragging through the grass.
Lancelot's own Noble Phantasm exploded outwards, unleashing tides of corrupted magical energy towards Arthur, but it was pointless.
How could the light of a firefly compare to the light of the sun?
How could the dreams of the sinful and corrupted compete with the dreams of humankind, past, present and future?
The moment the corrupted magical energy made contact with the golden light of Excalibur; it was eviscerated. The rampaging light of Excalibur was unstoppable, and with his Noble Phantasm having been released, Lancelot was devoured whole.
With Arthur at the epicenter, the golden light spread outward and upward. In an instant, the golden light had surpassed the line of the clouds and was towering towards the upper atmosphere.
Reinhard was truly glad that Arthur had aimed it towards the sky, otherwise, he would've cleaved straight through the kingdom, leaving nothing but a horrendous scar on the planet.
This was his first time personally witnessing power that was comparable to his own, and it left him with a satisfied, gratified feeling he couldn't quite properly explain.
The golden light consumed the whole of the forest, bordering Arlam Village, and citizens from all across the globe looked towards the golden sky, and the spiraling pillar that towered into space, in bewilderment and amazement, wondering whether this was the end of the world, or the dawn of a new age.
By the time the attack had finished, a humungous crater had been dug permanently into the earth, so large that it could be seen clearly and visibly from space, and Reinhard, Arthur, and the fallen figure of Sir Lancelot stood at the center, with Arlam village appearing miniature by comparison at the side.
Looking down at the unearthly, apocalyptic crater in the ground, every single spectator had been stunned into silence, wondering what on earth they just witnessed.
The sheer exhilaration of unleashing Excalibur for the first time was immediately devoured and consumed by despair and depression as I watched Sir Lancelot fall to the ground with a heavy thud.
Despite having been completely eviscerated by the golden light of Excalibur, he still somehow managed to survive the blow, with his madness, corruption and taint having been devoured by the incandescent radiance of the holy sword.
Perhaps this was due to the fact that Lancelot was not my target, but rather, the corruption and madness that had consumed him.
His armor was brutalized, and blood covered his figure, and yet, despite how twisted his face had become, he wore a serene smile, as if he finally found peace after a long, long, time.
I immediately appeared at his side, holding up his upper body as he breathed his last breaths, the golden light of Excalibur raining down from the sky as my sword light scattered, the residual heat of the blow causing rainclouds to quickly gather overhead.
"Thank you… for saving me… my king…" he spoke out softly as blood dribbled down his lips, "Your sword… was as beautiful… as ever…" he spoke through grit teeth as he tried to maintain his dwindling life, "Before I go… I need to warn you… your majesty… though I cannot say her name… beware the witch with silver-white hair and diamond blue eyes…" with that, Lancelot had used all his strength and had completed his final objective, his figure dispersing into a cloud of golden phosphorescence.
Sir Lancelot… was dead. And he had perished by my own blade.
Rain started to fall from the sky, growing heavier and heavier, the bitter droplets dribbling down my cheek as I clutched the thin air where Sir Lancelot once laid.
Though I had clearly slain him, it felt like I had slain myself, and yet, despite that, tears did not fall. They could not fall. I just fell to my knees and gripped my chest tightly as I struggled to contain the overwhelming waves of pain that rampaged through my heart.
Rolling my head backward, I simply looked towards the sky, feeling both lost and devastated.
"Snap out of it, Sir Arthur!" Reinhard slapped my back, and I was temporarily awoken from my grief, "As much as I can tell you're hurting, my friend, another wave of combatants have arrived at the village, and they seem to be from the Witch Cult! We must return at once!"
His words echoed through my hollow heart, and my empty gaze drifted towards the distant Arlam Village wherein waves of cloaked, hooded figures had arrived, and I immediately spotted Lady Emilia's hair dancing in the wind as she fought valiantly and bravely, with Rem descending into madness as she combated the witch-following warriors.
Though I wanted to rest my blade, I knew it was not yet time. There were still battles left to be fought, and at least until this immediate crisis had been adverted, I needed to keep a stiff upper lip and remain strong.
With that, I picked Excalibur back up, used it to push myself onto my feet, and the two of us set off to deal with the remnants of Lancelot's squadron, the knight's words echoing in my mind as I blasted up the crater's side.
The witch with silver-white hair and diamond blue eyes… Pandora. I see, I think I'm finally starting to understand just what kind of anomaly allowed the Divine Sword birthed within the Inner Seas of the Earth to be summoned to this world.
And with that, my mind sharpened. Although it seemed that Pandora had servants at her beck and call, that didn't change anything for me, as the Witch Cult was always the enemy that needed to be defeated. Whether she had servants or not, whether they were Knights of the Round Table or not, my blade would not falter, and I would not fall.
Lady Emilia would be queen.
Authors Notes:
Well, that has been Chapter 20, and it has been by far the hardest to write yet. I know expectations were high, and I've given it my best, so I really hope you enjoyed the chapter!
With that, Arc 2 has more or less come to a close, and the next chapter will be the epilogue. Depending on the length of the epilogue, I might start some of the intermission into Arc 3.
But thank you so much to everyone who has read Arc 2, and I really hoped you enjoyed the story, and continue to enjoy moving into Arc 3!
As always, thank you so much everyone! Enjoy your weekend, take care!