"Honestly, Lamorak, you still see me as a child, don't you?" In the end, it was Artoria who broke the deadlock with a joking tone. "I've grown up, you know. I only look young because drawing the Sword in the Stone halted my growth."
"I've been training for a year. I'm a capable and responsible knight now."
"So... so please, don't lie to me anymore... Lamorak."
Hearing the forced cheerfulness in the girl's voice and the undisguised melancholy beneath it, Cang Ye found himself at a rare loss for words. Looking at that face, so nearly identical to Morgan's yet so distinctly different, he truly didn't know how to respond. With Morgan, he could repent, he could beg for her punishment, and he trusted that she had enough faith in him. After the due punishment, they would still be the queen and knight devoted to each other.
But with Artoria, it seemed there was nothing he could say but "sorry." And in this situation, an apology felt utterly hollow.
"Artorius... I'm sorry. I must have disappointed you greatly," Cang Ye said with a bitter smile. As if sensing its master's mood, the golden ahoge on her head drooped. "This Lamorak, who approached you with deceitful intentions, probably doesn't match the image of the radiant knight in your heart."
Cang Ye rubbed his forehead, averting his gaze from Artoria. Her sorrowful look was too much to bear, making his already guilty conscience feel even heavier.
But to his surprise, Artoria shook her head, denying his words. "Not at all."
"Lamorak, you were only fulfilling the duty of a knight. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it proves that you are a truly good knight."
"Huh?" Cang Ye looked at Artoria, astonished. Is that how she sees it?
The girl didn't notice the surprise in his eyes and continued, "The way I see it, you coming here and approaching me was simply you carrying out your lord's mission. It's a symbol of your loyalty. Frankly, if I were my sister, whom I've never met, I would surely be overjoyed and deeply value having a knight like you."
At this, Artoria blushed slightly and glanced cautiously at Cang Ye. Seeing that he was still in a state of shock and hadn't noticed her subtle feelings, she felt a pang of disappointment along with her relief.
In this world, the things you love but cannot have are always the most desirable.
"So, Lamorak, you don't need to blame yourself. In fact, I should be the one apologizing to you. It was I who first tried to bind your actions with my personal feelings." With that, Artoria stood up and bowed to Cang Ye.
"No, Artorius, you don't have to do that." Cang Ye quickly stopped her. No matter what, he had approached her with the intent to deceive and even harm her interests. There was no way she should be apologizing to him.
But now, he was at a loss for what to do. The original plan was unusable, and he hadn't prepared a Plan B. To complete Morgan's mission, did he have to resort to force?
Cang Ye hesitated, conflicted, not realizing that his current state was quite different from his usual self. If someone were to look closely into his eyes at that moment, they would see the same faint, almost imperceptible pink glow that had been in Artoria's.
Seeming to notice the conflict in his expression, Artoria, after a moment of silence, spoke again. "Lamorak, can you tell me why you joined Morgan—my sister's—faction?"
The girl's gaze was fiery and earnest. "Is she... good to you?"
Hearing this question, Cang Ye froze. As if realizing something, he pushed aside the chaotic thoughts in his mind, shook his head slightly, and answered slowly, "Many times, it's not that I choose who to serve and be loyal to, but that someone important chose me."
This time, Cang Ye did not avoid Artoria's gaze but met it head-on. "And she is that important person to you?" Artoria couldn't help but ask.
"Yes. Just as Merlin and Kay are to you, Morgan is a very important person to me," Cang Ye nodded in confirmation.
"Even if she has a bad reputation? Even if people call her a witch, a bewitching consort, you will still serve her?" Artoria pressed on, unwilling to give up.
This time, Cang Ye smiled. "Artorius, do you remember what I told you long ago? The world is full of brilliant and varied things, but many people and events are veiled. You cannot see their true form through the words of others."
"The slander against Lady Morgan is nothing but Uther's scheme to suppress her. You shouldn't just believe what certain people want you to see and hear. You should go to the royal city of Camelot and see for yourself what kind of person she is, and what kind of king she is."
"Besides," Cang Ye paused, "she is very good to me."
"...I understand." Seeing the faint smile on his face, Artoria felt a strange sting in her nose. But at the same time, his words stuck with her.
Perhaps she really should go to this Camelot, to meet this sister she had never known, the one who had stolen away the knight she valued most. But for now, she had something else to do.
"Come, Lamorak. Let us have a knight's duel."
Her tone was calm and firm, but combined with her beautiful face and incredibly serious eyes, it was impossible to ignore.
"Artorius?" Cang Ye's expression showed his confusion. She knew his intentions were malicious, that he was here with a purpose. Even if she trusted him, she should at least be keeping her distance, avoiding too much contact. While he could guess that the Saberface had feelings for him beyond that of a normal friend, he wasn't confident enough to think his place in her heart could rival the ideals Merlin had instilled in her since childhood. At most, it was just a case of unrequited affection. So why would she actively propose a duel?
Although this was precisely his objective, he still had to ask.
And the girl's answer once again left him speechless.
"Because I don't want you to be punished by Morgan on my account." Artoria said with great sincerity. For some reason, however, her words had a certain "noble loser" quality to them.
"Besides, we haven't seen each other in so long. I want to see how much of a skill gap there is between us," she quickly added, as if afraid he would have reservations. "Didn't you say that the conversation and feelings between knights are conveyed through the clash of their weapons? I want to convey my feelings to you, too."
With her putting it like that, for him to refuse or make excuses would be the height of hypocrisy. So he sighed softly and stood up. "If that is the case, then come, Artorius."
With a wave of his hand, the pseudo-Holy Lance forged by Morgan's magic in imitation of Rhongomyniad appeared in his hand. The black and blue spear emanated a faint pulse, the power of the World's End flowing through it. "Let me be the one to test if your skills have reached the level I spoke of all those years ago." Cang Ye smiled at Artoria.
"Alright!" Hearing this, a smile bloomed on Artoria's face again, as if all her earlier unhappiness had been swept away.
After leaving a large bag of gold coins for the tavern owner, Cang Ye led Artoria without delay to a clearing he had scouted earlier. The area was flat and open, without any obstructions, perfect for an honorable duel between knights. Although his original plan was less than honorable, he had his own bottom line when it came to combat; he wouldn't resort to ambushes or cheap tricks. A true man always respects a fight.
Soon, the two stood on opposite ends of the clearing, having drawn their weapons and prepared for battle. Just as Artoria was fully focused, gripping her Sword in the Stone and waiting for the signal to begin, she was caught completely off guard by the sight of Cang Ye starting to remove his armor.
"Eh? Ehh?!" The girl's determined face instantly turned beet red. She instinctively looked away, but couldn't stop her eyes from darting back towards him. "What are you doing, Lamorak!"
"Taking off my armor," he replied matter-of-factly.
Tossing the upper half of his heavy, black-and-blue armor aside, his upper body, clad only in a tight black undershirt, was revealed to Artoria. The form-fitting garment outlined his muscular physique and tall, lean frame, causing the girl to blush furiously.
As if just noticing her abnormal complexion and confused tone, Cang Ye couldn't help but find it amusing. Still so shy at your age? You really don't know anything, do you?
"Don't worry, I'm only taking it off for the sake of a fair duel."
"Fair?" Artoria blinked, finally understanding that his sudden action was because she wasn't wearing armor, and he felt it was unfair to her. Instantly, the way she looked at him brightened even more.
Brave, humble, compassionate, generous, kind, loyal... and now he shows the quality of justice. I wasn't wrong about him. Lamorak is the greatest knight in all of Britain. If only a man like him... were my knight...
Unbeknownst to her, the rose-tinted glasses through which Artoria viewed Lamorak were growing thicker and heavier.
By now, Cang Ye had removed his armor and felt much lighter. He stretched a bit, then looked up at Artoria. "Are you ready, Artorius?"
His voice pulled her back from her thoughts. She subconsciously composed herself, adopting a serious expression for the fight. "Come! I will show you my strength and my resolve, Lamorak!"
"Then let us begin." Cang Ye chuckled, and in the next moment, a torrential river of magical energy surged through his body. Wielding the black pseudo-Holy Lance, he became a black streak of light, charging towards Artoria.
Artoria only saw a black shadow flash before her, and Cang Ye, who had been at a medium distance, was suddenly right in front of her, the black spear tip aimed at her flat chest.
Intercepting Flow!
This technique, which Cang Ye had developed himself with the aid of his Fairy Eyes, looked simple but was incredibly powerful. The saying "human potential is limitless" was not just empty words. Humans were creations that condensed the essence and wisdom of nature, and the power they contained was far beyond what other beings could compare to. The foundation of 'Intercepting Flow' was this very principle. It was the near-miraculous ability to control one's body, to exert 100% of one's strength when attacking, and 100% of one's speed when advancing. It was the impossible made possible, like截断流水 (jiéduàn liúshuǐ - cutting off the flow of water).
But Cang Ye was not the only one who knew this technique. Artoria, taught by him when he was still a fairy, had also mastered it through daily practice and her own innate talent. Thus, in the nick of time, Artoria erupted with terrifying speed. Her magnificent golden sword struck upwards from below, knocking the spear tip skyward. At the same time, she retreated slightly, dodging Cang Ye's follow-up upward slash.
CLANG!
With the sound of clashing weapons, a single golden strand of hair drifted down.
"Not bad, Artorius! You're very strong!" Cang Ye's eyes held a hint of surprise and admiration. That speed, that reaction, that intelligent response—it all told him that the boy he had once said had great talent had grown into an incredibly powerful young woman. "Alright, I'm getting serious now. Be careful, Artorius."
The words had barely left his lips when the girl, who had been feeling a small bit of joy from his praise, instantly regained her focus, her eyes fixed on the spear he raised.
"The spirit stream takes myriad forms, its strange waves a hundred changes."
With the release of his magical energy, the power of flowing water enveloped his hands and spear. In the next instant, he brandished the pseudo-Holy Lance, and a storm of black spear strikes, carrying the force of flowing water, rained down upon Artoria.
Seeing him get serious, Artoria no longer held back. She gripped her Sword in the Stone, her entire body highly focused, her pupils slowly narrowing into draconic slits.
Thump-thump...
The sound of her heart, like a drumbeat, grew louder. The Dragon Core of Britain's Red Dragon, spurred by its master's accelerated breathing, beat faster, channeling streams of incredibly pure magical energy into her golden sword. In the next moment, the magical energy formed an invisible wind around her golden blade, like an unseen warhammer.
She chose offense over defense. Faced with Cang Ye's downpour-like spear strikes, Artoria responded with the most ferocious storm.
"Strike Air!"
BOOM!
The wind and the rain clashed like two opposing armies. The collision sent torrents of magical energy scattering in all directions, creating a terrifying low-pressure zone around them. Yet the two at the center seemed unfazed, their weapons blurring into afterimages under the power of two 'Intercepting Flow' techniques and their different magical energy releases.
But this was merely a surface appearance.
Cang Ye held too many advantages over Artoria. Whether it was the overpowered 'Glimmer of the Age of Gods' or the thousands of combat techniques and experiences recorded by his Fairy Eyes, he had a significant edge over the Artoria who had only been training for a year.
As it was now, the 'Intercepting Flow' he executed with just his physical prowess was far stronger than hers. And when he mixed the persistent state of 'Constant Flow' into his stormy spear assault, the outcome of the battle was already decided. The Noble Phantasm 'Spirit Stream: Myriad Forms' was just that comprehensive and overwhelming.
CLANG!
With a crisp sound of metal on metal, Artoria, finally running out of strength, had the Sword in the Stone knocked from her grasp. She stumbled back several steps.
"You lose, Artorius," Cang Ye sighed softly. He had to admit, Artoria had truly amazed him. Even with his Age of Gods physique, after that frantic exchange, his arms were numb and his hand was bleeding slightly. If Artoria's physical stats were on par with his, he was almost certain he couldn't win without an incredibly difficult struggle.
But although he had defeated her, the Sword of Selection was not yet broken. He glanced helplessly at the pseudo-Holy Lance in his hand. Morgan had said the spear held a curse strong enough to shatter the Sword in the Stone, but she hadn't told him how to trigger it. During their fight, his lance had clashed with her Sword of Selection hundreds of times, yet the curse hadn't activated. Did he need to recite some strange, embarrassing chant?
But was that really the case?
Artoria hung her head, looking at the Sword of Selection in her hand, which now bore a crack. A storm of complex emotions, like an undercurrent, swirled in her eyes.
-------
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