(3rd person POV)
On the next day, Einar and Artoria could be seen standing face to face each other on a wasteland. None of them were speaking as if just fighting with their imagination using various tactics in their arsenal before the start of the actual duel.
They were not amateurs who needed rules or referees. They were hot-blooded knights and knew their strength when to hold back and determine victory.
Einar was now serious about facing Artoria in her youth and post-prime stage. He couldn't take any chance against her this time since she was different from before. She was not a loser who just set foot in cavalry but a supreme king who was leading the army of British Isle. Although he has a versatile weapon, compared to Artoria's Excalibur and Avalon, Chastiefol lacks the firepower compared to a weapon forged by the hope of humanity.
Artoria can't also underestimate Einar since he was the strongest knight and mage of the round table. After her first battle with Einar with Caliburn, she barely won against him till this day. In their spars, even if she was able to win, the victory was more like granted by Einar when he was too lazy to use full power against her. She knew that the real reason was his love for her since a man can't hurt his woman; she wanted to be respected for the victory she earned with hard work.
"Einar, I have a request." Artoria was first to break the silence.
"What is it?"
"Use your full power. Don't show the slightest bit of mercy."
"I am not stupid enough to go easy on you now that you have one of the strongest weapons."
Einar smirked and then took out the spear from the book and started to levitate while holding the spear. He was also casting defensive buffs since he still had a weak physique compared to Artoria's monstrous draconic strength.
Artoria also took out Excalibur from the sheath Avalon that vanished into tiny gold particles and she took the stance. She was now surging with holy power that was arriving from the sword while her body was being strengthened by Avalon.
Like sensing the beginning of the war, both of them disappeared.
Clang* Bam*
A wave of air bubbles exploded due to a clash between two holy weapons. Craters were forming beneath their feet due to brute force they were putting on the ground to push each other.
"Damn, you have become strong!" Einar was excited by he was then started to be overwhelmed by Artoria's newly arrived strength.
"And you have also gotten stronger!" Artoria was also using her strength to push Einar. She couldn't believe that Einar was holding against her even after she was using 10 times of her former strength.
Although Einar's expression didn't show any weakness, the fact that his feet were pushed back, was the result of Artoria's strength over Einar.
"Hah!" Artoria roared and then used mana burst impelling Einar several meters away with a thrust.
Einar rolled a few times before flipping and stabilizing himself.
"That was some power…" He smirked and wiped dust.
Both of them leaped forward and their weapons clash one again and then engaged in close combat.
Clang* Clang* Clang*
Blades were reverberating in the wasteland and with each clash, the part of the ground of being peeled.
"Gaa!"
"Hyah!"
Both of them were using their every move but the one who was getting pushed back was Einar.
Even after using all the tactics in his arsenal, he couldn't get through Excalibur. He was naturally not a close combat fighter and didn't have any kind of special mastery over the spear. Every technique was self-taught but it was useless against Artoria who had both class and mastery advantage.
However, he was not so weak as to let Artoria push him back.
Although he was not as proficient combatant as Artoria and was getting driven away with each strike, he was reading and memorizing every move Artoria was using. All he need was a good time.
And he soon got that.
Even if Artoria was a master swordsman, it was a fact that she was a petite girl with a shorter build and Excalibur was a new sword so she was leaving some flaws.
Just when Artoria made a head slash, Einar ducked and cast a quick small smoke bomb spell on Artoria's face blinding her view temporarily.
"Khuh…!"
"Got you."
Einar first deflected Excalibur with Chastiefol to create some space, enchanting his fist with multiple strengthening buffs, and then punched Artoria's abdomen with a loud impact.
BAM*
Artoria was pushed backward with remaining force destroying the surrounding behind her back.
"What the!" It was Einar's turn to be shocked as she didn't even take much damage and was only push a meter away. The punch was so powerful that it could have easily destroyed 12 inches thick concrete wall yet Artoria was still standing after receiving such a connected punch.
"Ah, that was quite the force," Artoria replied with one eye close and rubbing her belly and a smile on her face. She didn't reveal it but that punch almost destroyed her stomach and shattered her ribs if not for Avalon healing her on critical timing. She also used a quarter of her mana at that moment but again thanks to Avalon's cheat abilities even her mana was getting restored not as fast as her healing but still quicker if she could prolong this battle.
"I have complicated feeling whether to praise of your new profound power or envy you." Einar shook his head nonchalantly but then he took his stance with cold and serious eyes. 'Now is the time to use my new move.' He thought as he started to glow.
"But you are still going to lose!" After saying this, he vanished in a blink of an eye.
"You are not getting easy of me!" Artoria was also determined to win and blocked Einar's lightning strike. However, Einar didn't stop and he delivered another strike and continued to strike after one and another.
This time he was several times faster than before and couldn't even be seen with a normal eye.
He was glowing like a torch. His hair was waving like golden flame and his eyes were glowing blue. It was the result of using fairy magic. It doubles his strength but the stat that is boost the most was his agility.
He was just like a human torch moving with lighting speed.
Bang* Bang Bang*
"Aaah!"
"Arggg!"
Each of his strikes clashing with Excalibur created a small blast changing the surface. He was also delivering successful strikes to Artoria who was barely managing to answer each bombard.
It was now his time to push away Artoria.
"Muda! Muda! Muda! Muda! Muda!"
First Einar's lighting strikes and then his weird 'Muda, muda' battle cry was getting good out of Artoria too.
Forget about making a quick strike, she was barely managing to even properly defend herself.
'Wait a minute.'
She then realized something. Although Einar's strikes were connecting perfectively, those quick cuts were getting healed before the spear could even cut further. She was still underestimating the healing power of Avalon and its defense mechanism helping her. The most she was feeling was pain but not a critical wound.
Why she was even trying hard to defend? Although Einar's strikes were fast and precise, her defense was on another level and each of his strikes was not going through Avalon's defense.
She then thought of a tactic.
"Here I go!"
Einar made a needle thrust on her belly but she only moved an inch and received the connected thrust to her rib cage. However, that 4/10th part of the second was enough for Artoria to take a precise aim and deliver a connected vertical slash on Einar's left chest.
"Arg!" Einar groaned in pain but Artoria didn't miss this chance and kicked Einar's face and propelling him 7 meters away.
Einar rolled several meters on dirt and blood flowing out of his left part of his chest. He was still dozing from what just happened but Artoria was quick as she jumped over grounded Einar and was going to finish him but Einar tilted his head to dodge the tip of the sword.
"Oi, are you trying to kill me?" Einar complained, rolled his legs, and kicked Artoria away.
He then took this chance to fly in the air and make some distance from her.
'She is a monster now. I can't take any chance.'
Einar though while he changed Chastiefol spear form into Pollen Garden to quickly heal himself.
"Einar, I told you that I won't be going easy on you so you should go the same," Artoria called Einar and explained her resolve. She then grasped Excalibur that started to glow brightly.
"Yeah, my Artoria is growing now that she was teaching me." Einar also remarked and then reformed Chastiefol into spear again. This time he was keeping his distance in the air and decided against close combat.
Both of them smirked and their second round of battle began.
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