This Isn't the Something Unexpected You Were Hoping For
Hedonist Safir & Heretic Merlin #9
By: Aviantei
^^^^
lo0ol
"Luna Artur, one of the eleven chosen candidates for the King Arthur Succession Battle, the time has come for you to summon your Jack and Excalibur from Camlann Hill."
The summons is a simple one, but that doesn't stop Luna from letting out a cheer as she reads the letter. Your King is so elated by the news that she tosses the paper up into the air (without even bothering to read the rest, mind you) and grabs Rintarou's hands to twirl him around the parlor. Luna's shouting and Rintarou's griping, but you notice the slight smile he has anyways. From your spot on the sidelines, you smirk at him, and he clicks his tongue, but Luna's enthusiasm keeps him from bitching at you. Also holding her own letter is Emma, who pumps her fist in excitement. You reach over to ruffle her hair.
"I take it you still wanna do this then?" you ask, just to make sure. Whatever decision Emma makes, you'll support her without question, but it's best to know what you'll be supporting her doing in the first place.
"Yes," Emma says, and that settles that. "I don't think I want to be King Arthur's successor, but I believe that I'll learn something important by taking this on, so I want to keep going."
"Heheh! You say that, Emma, but admit it. You just know that you don't stand a chance against me." And there's Luna's arrogant side coming out, puffed up chest and all. "It's alright, it's alright! Second place is a great goal. We all need to know our limits after all, so you're doing amazing. Besides, once you end up losing, I'll take care of you as my vassal for sure, so you have nothing to worry about."
"You say that, but I'm willing to bet Emma can still beat you in a fight," Rintarou says, which is a fair enough assessment. Luna is skilled, but Emma's pure level of talent makes it an uneven playing field—not that you have any room to talk. "Don't tell me you were just planning on letting me and Safir do all the fighting for you, now were you?"
Luna shrugs and shakes her head. "Now, now, Rintarou, don't be silly. My vassals' power is my power, so I'd still be fighting, don't you get it? That's why I know that no matter what happens, I'm gonna always come out on top. Plus I bet my Excalibur and Jack are gonna be super awesome and wipe everyone else out, no problem!"
Rintarou does a valiant job of not giving away that he knows Luna's Excalibur and Jack combo were enough to mark her as the weakest candidate in the light novels. "Remind me why I agreed to follow you again?"
"Now, now, let's just enjoy ourselves, okay?" you say. After all, you've been looking forward to this, too. "The King Arthur Succession Battle is a rare chance to fight people from the Legendary Era. What better opportunity do we have to go all out against someone else?"
Rintarou grins. "You better not go all out too fast, Safir. If you do, there won't be anyone else left for the rest of us to fight."
"Rintarou-chan, you wouldn't happen to be asking me to hold back, would you?" He's just aware of your rules as you are, and fuck holding back is number one at that. "You know I'm not capable of such a thing." Though, if you're being honest, you don't expect anyone else besides Rintarou to be able to hold a candle to you. Maybe some Jacks and their Excaliburs will bring some issues with them, but nothing the two of you won't be able to handle. The real satisfaction at the end of it all is going to be having Rintarou get much, much stronger from all the battles and the possibility of getting to the other side of the Curtain of Consciousness.
Well, that and getting to kick the shit out of Morgan le Fey, but that one's obvious.
"Aw, don't worry, Rintarou," Luna says, popping up and draping her arm around your shoulder. She hadn't escaped your notice as she approached, but you don't mind. "Like I said, I have the strongest vassals around, which is just proof that I'm meant to be the one true king! You two can have all the fun you want."
Rintarou huffs. "You do realize that if Safir does everything I'm not going to be able to have any fun at all, right…?"
Emma giggles, though there's a bit of an edge to it. You give her your attention, not even bothering to hide your gaze, so of course she notices you staring her down. "Sorry! I was just thinking that I can't help but feel like I'm starting this fight at a bit of a disadvantage." You…can't deny that. Your presence in Luna's camp alone has made this battle royale not much of a battle at all. "I'm not going to give up, though, so you don't need to worry, Master."
"Of course. You know I believe in you, Emma." Besides, she's going to have a great Jack and Excalibur on her side, which will compliment Emma's own excellent skills. It should be a fun bout once the time comes. Emma beams at the praise. "Still, if we're not starting out as a united front, then we should keep some info secret." No need to reveal Jacks and Excaliburs just yet, even if you know how this all works out. "Sound good?"
Emma nods, not having any objection. "Makes sense," Luna says, still draping half her weight onto you. That doesn't stop her from smirking in Emma's direction. "I may be gonna win no matter what, but I'll be kind enough to take you on as a proper opponent, Emma. Be ready!"
Much more refined, Emma gives Luna a smile in return. "Of course, Luna. I'll take you on at any time."
^^^^
lo0ol
You may have your dates set for when to rendezvous with the new upper management of the Dame du Lac (AKA Nimue AKA Fuyuse Nayuki), but there's still about two weeks until that happens. And in the meantime, you still need to do things like start the new school year, both on the student council end of things and on the doting guardian side of things.
Emma looks far too precious in Camelot High's uniform. You take enough pictures to fill up a photo album on the first day alone. Emma insists on being able to take pictures with you in return. In all of them, you're wearing the new hijab your mother sent you—bright yellow with cobalt blue stripes—as a scarf once again. Classes are just as lackluster as always, but there's plenty to be excited over. The new student council sessions means you have plenty of paperwork to handle as ever, and your new understanding with Nayuki means you feel much more relaxed while doing it. And, well, there's always the idol performances to take care of, and you've managed to wrangle together an exciting new addition to your shows.
"Good morning, everyone, and welcome back to the new school year!" you shout after your opening song. Your stage in the middle of the campus courtyard is as simple as ever, but over the past year you've expanded your setlist along with your merch options, and all of that has turned into a pretty decent fanbase. It's those dedicated fans that are in the crowd now, plus a few curious first-year students. Emma is in the front row, of course, looking ecstatic. "I hope you're ready for our usual Monday showtimes. For those of you that don't know me, my name is Safir, they/them, and I am your current student council treasurer. But as fun as being a campus idol has been, I thought it would be even better if I shared the fun with someone else. Everyone, give it up for your student council vice president, Magami Rintarou-chan, he/him!"
Nayuki—running the sound system and having way too much fun with this—plays a fanfare as Rintarou copies you in making his real teleportation magic look like a stage trick as he appears in a puff of smoke. Whereas your stage costume for the day has yellow as its primary motif with a bit of blue, his is a deep, deep violet, though with the same navy accents and enough visual stylings that it's clear you two are a pair.
Well, it's clear that you two are a stage pair, at least. Not everyone's going to realize you're a romantic pair, too, but there's no doubt someone will get the idea in their head. And, hey, you've always been a sucker for matching outfits.
Putting all that aside, though, Rintarou looks good, what with the crisp detailing on the costume and him slicking part of his hair back with gel. You're dating him, and even you're more aware than usual that he's hot. And if you're affected, then there's no doubt whatsoever that he's gaining fans in the audience by the second.
Just like you agreed upon, Rintarou lets out an affected sigh, not unlike the performative ones he gives at every other thing to come out of Luna's mouth. "Aren't you getting too into this, Safir?"
"Come now, Rintarou-chan. You say that, but I know you were looking forward to this." Looking forward to getting to be a duo act with you, at least. Leaning into his edgelord vibe, he pretends to sulk, and you hold your hand up to your mouth as you address the audience in a stage whisper, "Don't let him fool you, everyone. Rintarou-chan's been watching all my concerts the past year, so he knows my songs by heart. So we've got a new duo arrangement of a classic for you right now. Hit it!"
You point to the sky, the music starting to play—and from there, it's just as simple as ever to get into the groove of the song, even if the two of you have gone over the updated choreography a grand total of one time before this. Much like you, Rintarou is good at everything, though you can't help but get a silly sense of amusement out of the fact that you're making the legendary Merlin of all people be your idol partner. For the sake of the performance character, he does a good job at keeping a stoic, concentrated expression, but you recognize the glitter of excitement in his violent eyes, and the sight of it makes your heart oh so very warm.
Yeah. You have a good feeling about this year.
^^^^
lo0ol
The official visits to Camlann Hill for the start of the King Arthur Succession battle have begun, but your first visit is not in the presence of your king. Luna's isn't scheduled for another three days, and yet you're already there, tucked into the Netherworld created by the Dame du Lac that has recreated the setting from the Legendary Era, except in a much more peaceful state than the end of the myth. There are no bodies strewn about, no scars of war upon the land, just the peaceful sight of a grassy hill at sunset, a single sword stabbed into the dirt at the top. Leading the way up the hill is Fuyuse Nayuki, except not, because she is in every capacity at the moment Nimue, the fairy you helped ascend to the leadership of the Dame du Lac, and she is regal, each step elegant as her snow blue hair trails behind her. It's a sight you would've liked to see for the first time in Luna's presence, but you've kind of picked up a habit of trying to prevent stupid Canon tragedies this round, so you've called in a favor.
As such, you are not following in step behind Luna Artur, but instead Tsukuyomi Reika.
You haven't laid eyed on the girl since the immediate aftermath of removing her and her younger sibling from their abusive home. She hasn't wanted anything to do with you aside from the you-call-it-an-allowance-but-it's-more-like-a-salary-except-for-the-part-where-they-don't-have-to-work-for-it you provide, which you've respected. Emma says she's been doing well, but now you can bear witness to it: the determined expression on her face, the stronger confidence in her gait, the extra healthy weight she's gained since she's no longer struggling against malnutrition.
It would kind of be a shame if she happened to get her body stolen by her own Jack and turned into King's Candidate with a penchant for murder. Not that you're judging, but you know.
You just think that not having your life snuffed out in an angtsy tragedy is neat.
So does Tsukuyomi Reika, which is why she's tolerating your presence. The Dame du Lac technically (and that's a fucking big technically) can't interfere with the Succession Battle, and hence can't impact Jacks or Excaliburs after they've been drawn. You, however, are a free agent, have the magical ability to prevent Mordred from going on a murder spree, and live by a primary rule of fuck holding back. All you had to do was act like you have precognition magic, use a vision as an excuse, and—boom—Nimue and Tsukuyomi Reika agreed to let you do your thing.
Until you need to do your thing, though, you are nothing but an observer. Your procession of three makes it to the top of the hill, where it's time to pull the most Classic King Arthur move one can do: draw the sword to prove their worthiness as King.
Tsukuyomi Reika steps forward, placing her left hand upon the hilt. The sword is a generic model, one that will change its form once drawn by the user. On top of that, the Round Fragment strung on the necklace Nimue gave her will react at the same time, summoning her Jack from the Knights of the Round. That's when you'll be able to step in, let Reika keep her existence intact.
(You wonder for a moment if Canon Vivian just stood by and watched, or if Mordred acted afterwards. Given that Mordred was able to summon her own Jack, you're inclined to believe the former, which is all sorts of messed up.
Man, fuck that bitch.)
No sense in getting angry over a problem you've already solved, though. You have a whole new host of problems that you can vent your feelings on, and, if that doesn't work, then you know Rintarou's always willing to fight with you. It's those sorts of thoughts that occupy your mind until Tsukuyomi Reika walks up to the sword in the stone waiting for her. You make a show of looking nonchalant, hands in your pockets and posture lax, but you're more than alert enough to act the moment that Mordred decides to raise hell.
Tsukuyomi Reika draws Excalibur from the ground.
Mana pulses, transforming the blade from the basic model to the dark red blade with its thorn-styled edges you remember from Canon. At the same time, the Round Fragment around her neck glows, beginning to float from the magic channeling through it. The light grows, turning into a near-blinding flash that fades soon after, revealing the shape of a person in the aftermath.
Despite the fact that you have never seen Mordred's design pre-possessing Tsukuyomi Reika, you recognize the Jack that's materialized: an older man with such peak Ojī-san Background Character energy that's pretty much underwhelming for a summon from the Legendary Era. Sir Dinadan isn't even considered one of the original Knights of the Round. If you were a Succession Battle candidate and he showed up, you'd feel pretty cheated.
In your current position, you're just confused.
I didn't misremember, right? Tsukuyomi Reika should have summoned Mordred as her Jack, otherwise she wouldn't have had the chance to possess her, right? Yes, that follows through, but you're combing over your memories, trying to find any sort of answer. Did someone else summon Mordred beforehand? No, Nimue would've told you as such; she owes you that much.
You don't have a perfect answer, but you have a theory:
I changed enough to alter the base fate of Canon. Which means there's every chance that the exact combo of candidates, swords, and Jacks is going to be very, very different than you remember.
You should be concerned that you have no idea where Modred is.
Instead, you can't stop the grin from forming on your face, the laugh that spills out of your mouth soon afterwards.
There might be something I have no idea is coming at all.
What a novel idea.
^^^^
lo0ol
One thing you do know is coming, on the other hand, is Luna's own Succession Battle Inauguration. Your king is an excitable being by default, but giving her the looming prospect of being able to accomplish the dream she's been seeking for so long? Yeah, it's a wonder she's been able to focus long enough to even attend school, and while she's been there, she's been bouncing in her seat, full of hyper energy. Does Luna have ADHD or autism? Should you get her in touch with a counselor? Man, you should've thought about that sooner.
You aren't doing much better, though. You already knew you were fucking up the Canon timeline, what with rescuing Emma and saving Tachibana Kotone and usurping Vivian with Nimue and such, but now you have concrete proof that the unexpected can happen, and why wouldn't you want the rush of a timeline where you know enough to enjoy yourself but you don't know everything down to the precise details? Sure, that could lead to tragedy at some point, but you trust that you and Rintarou are powerful enough to handle it.
And then the day arrives, and you realize there's one more thing you didn't account for.
"Nayuki?" Luna asks, sounding beyond flabbergasted. You're in the same boat, too. "What the hell are you doing here?"
What is she doing here indeed. Like, yeah, she's in charge of the Succession Battle now, which you already knew, but you at least expected her to put up a Deceit to hide her identity—not come in, guns blazing, the fact that your student council secretary has been Nimue of the Dame du Lac the whole time. It's her secret, so you're not going to stop her from revealing it, but a little warning would have been nice.
Not for your sake, but Rintarou's.
If you didn't know him, you'd say that he's fine, that nothing's wrong. But that's the thing: he's having no reaction, and isn't that unnatural, whenever said fellow student council member is there and also in charge of the King Arthur Succession Battle? Of course it is. He knows that, too, but the alternative is letting out all his messy, messy feelings about Nimue out right then and there, so a blank expression it is. You want to respect his choice on the matter, but you also don't want to leave him unsupported, so you offer him your hand, and it's his to take or not.
Rintarou grabs it with enough force that anyone else's fingers would've cracked from the pressure. You just squeeze back.
Nimue offers your group a beautiful smile. "Hello, Luna. Sorry I didn't get the chance to tell you before, but I wasn't able to until now. But I am Nimue, and I'll be the Dame du Lac overseeing the King Arthur Succession Battle." Rintarou already knew you were involved with such shenanigans, but that doesn't stop him from squeezing your hand again. "I figured that now would be the best time to tell you. I hope you continue to allow me to help you on the Student Council afterwards."
"Of course I will! Why wouldn't I?" Luna asks. Oh, yeah, neither you nor Rintarou have gotten into the whole reincarnation part of your shenanigans, huh? That's…kind of important, at least with Rintarou's whole past life as Merlin. "But this is so cool! You're a Dame du Lac, huh? Do you have magic, then? Fairy powers? Ooh, do you think you could—"
"My King," you say, hoping to get things on track. This is a momentous occasion, there's no doubt about it, but Rintarou has a limit to how much he can take, and it's fast approaching. "You'll have plenty of time to talk more about this later. Weren't you ready to get your Excalibur and your Jack?"
Luna's enthusiasm is so intense that it's almost manifesting an aura around her. "Ooh, yeah, let's do it, let's do it! I'm gonna get the coolest Jack and Excalibur in the world, just you watch!" Not even waiting for Nimue's guidance, Luna races up the hill, waving down to you and Rintarou once she reaches the top. "Hey, hey, hurry up, you two. You're about to witness the beginning of a legend."
You and Rintarou both already have an idea of where this is going to go—there do still be the possibility of things deviating from Canon, after all—but you comply anyways. When you get there, Luna is bouncing in place, unable to contain her excitement. Beside you, Rintarou has a wistful smile on his face, the scene no doubt reminding him of when he was there at Arthur's side, baring witness to the same exact moment. That legend may have ended in tragedy, but this round will be different, for both him, and you.
And so your King Luna Artur pulls her Excalibur, the same light show taking place as it had with Tsukuyomi Reika. Like then, you recognize her sword—the golden ornamentation along the blade, the guard that's reminiscent of a flower in bloom—and unlike then, the Jack that manifests is who you expected: a young woman with blue hair reaching to her shoulders. It's nice to see Sir Kay in her armor rather than a dumb fanservice costume—and even more incredible is that the armor she's in is functional, not any anime bullshit! A miracle upon miracles!
Should I blame the light novel writer or the artist for that travesty? Eh, fuck it, at least this timeline has some decency to it. That's always refreshing when you end up in an anime world.
"Are you the King who has summoned me?" she asks, and you realize you kind of tuned this part out when it came to Tsukuyomi Reika and Dinadan. Whoops. Luna nods, her attention torn between checking out her new sword and her new Jack. If the two acts weren't intertwined, it might've been best to give her one at a time, so she could process them. "Then I look forward to serving you. My name is Sir Kay, of the Knights of the Round. I shall fight beside you in this battle until the very end."
"Alright! My name is Luna Artur, and I'm going to become the next King Arthur. Welcome to our team, Sir Kay!" Luna is bursting with energy, bouncing in place, and Sir Kay watches her with a sense of awe. Is she seeing the reflection of her brother, the original Arthur, in Luna? When you cut out all the fanservice nonsense, the two of them managed to have a pretty wholesome bond in Canon, so you hope that stays the same.
In the end, Sir Kay smiles, her beauty more than evident in that simple expression. "I look forward to serving you in battle, then." She accentuates the words by putting a hand to her chest and getting to one knee in a bow. "My power is yours, Luna Artur."
"Alright, this is what I'm talking about!" Luna pumps her fists into the air. "Is this what being a king feels like? It's awesome. Hey, hey, Rintarou, Safir, why don't you take a few pages out of Sir Kay's and give me the respect I deserve?"
You do nothing but offer an enigmatic smile—you and Luna both know your role very well, and she doesn't mind how you treat her, so it's not even a matter up for debate. Rintarou, on the other hand, always takes the bait, so he scowls. "I'll start bowing down to you once you stop trying to sneak your way out of training every other day. Oh, and when you stop foisting off your student council duties onto me every damn time." His complaints, much like Luna's, are half-hearted at best, but the act of complaining is what gives him more satisfaction than seeing actual results. Rintarou catches Sir Kay's look, who is squinting at him, and he raises a hand in greeting. "Yo. It's been a while."
"Have we met?" Sir Kay asks, looking befuddled, but her tone indicates she doesn't think her question is that outlandish.
Putting on an expression of mock pain, Rintarou clutches a fist over his heart. "You don't recognize me? I'm wounded." The sarcasm drips off his voice, and a second later he's grinning wide and cocky. "Nah, I've changed up my look a bit, so I'm not surprised. It's me, Merlin. Unlike you, Kay, I've changed quite a bit since last time."
"Merlin?!"
"Yup, that's me."
"B-but— How— You—" Poor Kay looks like her head's about to burst, and you can't quite blame her for that. Merlin himself just so happening to reincarnate during the King Arthur Succession Battle? You'd find it suspicious yourself if you didn't already know you were in a light novel universe along with all the spoilers about Balor's petty little plans going on. "If you're here, what are you doing with my King?"
Luna launches herself at Rintarou. "Whoa, Rintarou, you're from the Legendary Era?" ("You didn't even know?" Kay asks, a tsukkomi to the end.) "That's so sick! Why didn't you tell me? Wait, wait, wait, if you're Merlin, that means I gotta be the destined king to win it all, right? Holy shit, everyone around me is super cool!" She goes to catch her breath, but stops short as her eyes fall on you, leading to her biggest gasp yet. "Safir, Safir, don't tell me you're from the Legendary Era, too!"
You offer her a mile. "I'm afraid not, my liege. I'm much, much older than that." Which is about as much as you're willing to tell her with Sir Kay and Nimue listening, but that doesn't matter, since that little bit of intel is enough to make Luna's eyes sparkle even brighter than they already are. Damn those things put the sun to shame.
"So badass!"
On the side of the conversation, Nimue lets out a gentle laugh. "I was a bit worried about Luna, given her Excalibur's power, but I suppose it'll be fine," she says. Yeah, the Steel Sword of Camaraderie is kinda busted when you have a light novel protag teamed up with two very broken reincarnated souls. "Congratulations, Luna. I'm wishing you luck. Now, I'd love to talk more with you later, but I do need to induct the next candidate, so do you mind stepping out for now?"
Luna nods, though she's already half-distracted by her new sword. "That's fine. We'll see each other at school tomorrow. Though at this point, you already have the true King in the fight, so I wouldn't blame you if you wanna tell everyone else you're bringing into the Succession Battle that they don't have a chance!" She buffs up her chest, and you notice Rintarou's smile, meaning she's no doubt acting as a perfect incarnation of the original Arthur.
Nimue shakes her head, bright blue hair swaying. "It's part of the battle that we need eleven candidates for it to be valid, so you'll just have to accept that without issue. Now, if you don't mind—
"Safir-san, are you ready?"
When you're such an ancient soul, you've been through some shit, which means that it's difficult to surprise you. But those words, the ones Nimue has spoken with such a casual elegance—they almost knock the wind out of you. What? You? In the King Arthur Succession Battle? Since fucking when? You're not even part of the source material; there's no reason that you should have to take part; you've been banking on being part of Luna's faction the whole goddamn time, so what is this? Shit, did you manage to get born into a family that just so happened to have some ancient connection to King Arthur's bloodline?
Of course you did. You should be used to getting fucked over by the universe. You just didn't expect for the big reveal to be so late into the game.
You lock eyes with Rintarou, try to communicate that none of this is on purpose, that you had zero clue. He's keeping his calm, but Luna looks shocked by the concept, and where does that leave you?
There's just one choice. You know that.
"I decline," you say. You have your King, and your pride won't let you betray her—not to mention you swore to always be on Rintarou's side, didn't you? "I have no intention of participating in this battle as a candidate. Count it as a forfeit if you have to, but I'm not going to do it." For starters, you have no intention of being King Arthur's successor—and that's what would happen if you fought, isn't it? You're confident in your skills. You think that it would take all eleven other candidates (plus Rintarou, because of course Rintarou would be necessary) to even have a chance of toppling you, and good luck with that level of coordination happening. If you fuck holding back—as you would—then you'd crush it all in an instant, and wouldn't that be boring?
You don't have any intention of giving her argument any weight, but you let Nimue open her mouth. "Safir-san—"
"Why the hell would you forfeit?"
There's a beat where you're surprised all over again—and of course it's because Luna's said something ridiculous. You stare at your king, as if that's going to make her words make any more sense. "You should fight, Safir. Doesn't that just sound fun?" No, it sounds like a fucking disaster is what it does. "If we can overcome you, then that's just a guarantee that I'm the true King! Right, Rintarou?"
"Yup." Oh, Rintarou's smiling about the idea, too. You're not sure how to feel about this. Then he grins at you in that way that makes your heart flutter, and you don't think either of them are going to take your side on this matter. "What better opportunity to have a real fight with each other, yeah? Come on, Safir, you're the ultimate final boss. Let us take a crack at you."
The excitement of the prospect starts to make your blood pump faster. A true showdown with a Rintarou who is about the only person in this world who can match you? You want nothing more, fuck all the logistics to get there. And this, right now, giving you a perfect opportunity to go wild, with both Rintarou and Luna's blessing?
Fuck holding back fuck holding back fuck holding back—
"I'll do it." Nimue smiles, Luna cheers, and Rintarou pumps his fist. Sir Kay, with no real context, looks puzzled, but she has no objections since Luna seems pleased with the outcome. "But if we're doing this, we're doing it right. If we meet on the battlefield, I'll be coming at you with full force. Don't expect to survive just because we're friends." If you're going to play, then you're playing to win, and there's nothing you'll allow to stop you aside from the perfect victory on their part. "Nimue, do you mind escorting them out? If we're doing this, it should be a proper battle with my Jack and Excalibur a mystery."
"Of course. Luna, you don't mind, do you?" And with Luna's agreement, she, Rintarou, and Sir Kay are popped out of the Netherworld, leaving just you, Nimue, and Camlann Hill. Nimue passes you a Round Fragment, and you string the pendant around your neck without any ceremony. The sword in the hill has replenished, as if to taunt you with being a true Succession Battle Candidate, and you grab it with one hand, yanking it out in one swift movement.
The sword warps, rippling for far longer than Luna's or Tsukuyomi Reika's before settling into its final form. You recognize the blade—though not as one that existed in the Last Round Arthurs canon. No, it's a blade from another franchise, another world you were once familiar with but have never been born into, a silver sword with gold and blue ornamentations, once wielded by another King Arthur, one who also bore the name of Saber.
No frills, no gimmicks. Just Excalibur, the sword of the king.
You look up, finding your Jack standing at the ready. He's a tall man, one with long black hair and a stern expression. Lancelot, the first seat of the Knights of the Round, and the most busted of all the Jacks. As if you on your own were not enough of an ultimate final boss on your own, the deck is stacked in your complete and utter favor.
What a perfect set up for a light novel protagonist to make a comeback victory. Now she just has to be capable of pulling it off.
^^^^
lo0ol
And so with your induction into the ranks of candidates, the King Arthur Succession Battle can begin.
[Author's Notes]
Happy Safir anniversary. My mental health is kinda drained atm, so bear with me through these notes.
Thanks to Mariendall, Helpless Hare, Crystal, and mojo72400 for the comments on AO3, plus the recent surge of kudos and hits. Y'all are cool.
Extra thank to Punk Trash Noiz as ever for being a super cool beta who puts up with my funky posting schedules. Ily.
So my original plan was to cook up the entire second season and have that release on a regular schedule, but then my Moriarty the Patriot fic (please go check it out; I worked hard on it) took over my life and I've added a ridiculous amount of words to it and it's still not done, so I'm deep in that. But I'd also set the goal at my birthday last year to update all my active fics at least once, and I've kinda been behind on that, so I figured I could put this out for the anniversary.
We have officially hit canon territory. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) for Safir, canon is no longer going to plan whatsoever. So they'll be part of the King Arthur Succession Battle, and I can continue to try and figure out just how I want all my canon alterations to work (lol).
Because I don't have a complete season, I can't guarantee when the next chapter will be, but know that it's in the slow cooker while you can have my heart (and i would break it for you) is in the primary stove area.
That said, I do have regular updates of one of my original works on Ream, which is an author platform that allows for original works in a serial based format. The story is called Twelve Zero Zero, and it's queer-led urban fantasy with ghosts and gays. You can find it on Ream by looking for the title, or also looking up me as Aviantei. That updates every Tuesday and is a project I've been trying find the best way to share with the world for a while, so I'd appreciate it if you checked it out.
Thanks again for the recent support on this story. See you next time for "Antagonist Mode Go." Please look forward to it!
-Avi
[18 April 2024]