"Stop! You can't escape!"
A white figure and a golden one flickered rapidly through the alleyways. Their movements were so swift and agile that even the arguing townspeople who glimpsed them couldn't make out what was happening. They only felt a sudden gust of wind rush past and heard a quick "Excuse me, coming through!" before the figures were gone.
"Fou?"
Leaping gracefully over a high wall by using a stack of wooden crates as a springboard, Fou paused and looked back in surprise at the relentlessly pursuing Artoria.
How is this human keeping up with me?
While it wasn't using its full power, it was still running fast enough to put as much distance as possible between itself and Merlin. Yet this person not only matched its speed but wasn't even breathing heavily. For Fou, who had little contact with heroes and knights, such a being was a rare sight.
What is she, some kind of humanoid T-Rex? Fou. The white, monstrous cat licked its little paw, a random, snarky thought crossing its mind.
But it didn't matter. Its mission was already complete.
Seeing the strange cat stop ahead as if waiting for her, Artoria immediately halted, her senses on high alert as she drew her sword and pointed it at the seated Fou. She hadn't forgotten Kay's earlier warning, Merlin's emphasis on this creature's importance, or the sheer power of the kick that had sent Merlin flying. Merlin might be a Caster, but he was still an incubus with a constitution far beyond that of a normal human. To think that this small creature, which looked like a mix of a cat, dog, rabbit, and squirrel, could possess such immense strength was hard to fathom.
And indeed, her caution was warranted. Once Artoria had stopped, Fou dropped its pretense and attacked without hesitation.
"Fou!"
Its small paw swiped at Artoria, who immediately raised her sword to block. But even with her guard up, she was caught off guard by the stark contrast between its tiny body and its colossal strength. She was knocked back several steps.
Fou, however, had no intention of stopping. Leveraging its agility, it unleashed a flurry of strikes at Artoria. After blocking a few blows, Artoria got a rough measure of the three-eyed cat's power. It had great strength, a small body, and incredible speed. While she didn't know if this was its full strength, it was generally stronger than an average magical beast. For the now-experienced Artoria, defeating it was merely a matter of time.
Gripping the golden Sword in the Stone, just as Artoria was about to release her magical energy to aid in the fight, a stream of water suddenly shot out from the shadows, accompanied by a magnetic male voice.
"The spirit stream takes myriad forms, its strange waves a hundred changes."
The indigo stream of water morphed into a sphere, enveloping the mid-air Fou before it could dodge, leaving only its head exposed.
"Fou! Fou!"
Ignoring Fou's protesting squeals and its four little legs thrashing in the water, Cang Ye, clad in dark blue armor, stepped out from the darkness.
"La-Lamorak!!!"
Seeing the newcomer's long, grayish-white hair and his handsome, gentle face, Artoria froze, a strange nervousness welling up inside her. "What are you doing here?!"
"This young... sir, do I know you?" Cang Ye waved his hand, beckoning the struggling Fou, still trapped in its water sphere, over to him. He patted its little head reassuringly before turning his gaze to Artoria, and to the golden sword in her hand.
Caliburn, the Golden Sword of Assured Victory. Inscribed upon it are the Celtic words: 'Whosoe'er pulleth out this sword, is rightwise King.' It is a king's sword whose power grows the more its wielder resembles the perfect king.
"Hmm, or perhaps," Cang Ye continued, "I should address you as the Son of the Red Dragon, His Highness, King Arthur?"
As he said this, Cang Ye felt incredibly awkward. He had known all along that the "boy" before him was the little girl he knew who was destined to become king. But for the sake of his plan and common sense, he had to pretend they were strangers. Seeing the pure, watery look in the 'boy's' eyes, filled with surprise and joy, his sense of guilt intensified.
Dammit, why do I find Saber in her male disguise so cute... Curses! I may be a 'fatherly' figure, but I'm not into little boys!
Ignoring Cang Ye's chaotic internal monologue, Artoria, upon confirming that this was indeed the Lamorak she had been thinking of constantly, found her mind going blank, unsure of what to say. After hearing his words, the 'boy' finally snapped back to reality and hurriedly waved his hands. "No, no, you don't have to call me that! Just call me Lily—oh, no, I mean, Artorius is fine."
After speaking, she watched Cang Ye's expression nervously, silently hoping he would remember something.
"Artorius?"
And Cang Ye did indeed put on a thoughtful expression. He furrowed his brow, pretending to think hard, before looking at Artoria as if suddenly remembering. "You're... Artorius? The little boy I saw practicing his swordsmanship in Sir Ector's domain a few years ago?"
"Yes, yes! It's thanks to your guidance back then that I have my current strength." Seeing that Lamorak remembered her, a bright smile bloomed on Artoria's face.
"I never would have thought that the ideal and mission you spoke of back then was to become the King of Britain. It seems I underestimated you," Cang Ye said with a smile as he stepped towards her.
"It's alright, it's alright."
Whether it was because they had reconnected or because she already had immense faith in Lamorak, Artoria didn't resist his sudden approach. Instead, she fidgeted with the hem of her clothes, unsure how to begin.
Cang Ye naturally noticed this. He smiled, extending a hand to her. "Don't be nervous. I'm human now, not some tricky little fairy."
"Let's go. Since we've had this rare reunion, why don't we find a place to eat and catch up?"
Hearing Cang Ye's reassuring joke and his friendly tone, Artoria, who had been at a loss due to the sudden encounter, began to relax. Just then, she remembered Merlin and Kay waiting for her. Thinking of her two companions, she hesitated at Cang Ye's invitation.
"Well..."
What Artoria didn't notice was that upon sensing the hesitation in her voice, Fou, who had been hanging limply in Cang Ye's grasp as if resigned to its fate, suddenly twitched its rabbit-like ears. In the next moment, a light flickered in its small, purplish-pink eyes. At the same time, a faint pink glow flashed in Artoria's deep blue eyes, the same eyes that had met Fou's earlier.
Hmm, Sir Kay's injuries aren't serious, and Merlin is just unconscious. Besides, Lamorak has already captured the dangerous beast. It should be fine if I'm a little late getting back, right?
Artoria looked up at Cang Ye hesitantly. Seeing his unchanging smile and the gentleness in his eyes, her face grew warm.
I'll just chat with Lamorak for a bit. Maybe I can even persuade him to abandon the witch and join us. If so, even if Merlin were awake, he would surely agree, right? I'm doing this for Britain. Yes, for Britain! If I can bring Lamorak, one of the four famous knights known for his noble character and martial prowess, into our army, our victory over Vortigern will be even more certain! Yes! That's it! I'm only temporarily leaving Merlin and Kay to talk with Lamorak for the sake of Britain, not for any selfish reasons!
With this self-reassuring logic, Artoria finally placed her hand in Cang Ye's, accepting his invitation. Besides, she was, in fact, a little hungry.
Watching the 'boy' accept his demonic invitation, Cang Ye's expression remained unchanged, but a strange feeling stirred in his heart. He wasn't a fool; he could sense that Artoria's attitude towards him was... different. Even with Fou's help facilitating this, it still meant that he held a significant place in the young girl's heart.
As a decent person, Cang Ye felt a pang of guilt. But this was Morgan's plan, a clandestine struggle between opposing factions. When standing on different sides, many things couldn't be explained by simple right and wrong. All he could do, all he had to do, was to remain loyal and obey Morgan's command.
I will bear the burden of right and wrong myself. My master's command is absolute.
Silently apologizing to the trusting Artoria, Cang Ye led her away in a direction far from where Merlin and Kay were. Now, he could only hope that Fou's Merlin-specific special attack had kicked hard enough to keep him unconscious for a good long while.
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