(Einar's POV)
The time for the final moment was upon us, that was to defeat Vortigern and claim loyal cathedral Camelot.
After the invitation of proper war, Vortigern agreed to face King Arthur with his own army.
The venue for the historic war was a plain field near the hill called Camlann. It was a beautiful hill followed by a grassy plain but sadly, it would be soon painted with blood because of two selfish ideologies.
The army of Vortigern and King Arthur could be seen standing against each other. One was led by evil to Britons who was also the uncle of King Arthur and the other was the army of King Arthur, the 'son' of Uther Pendragon, former king of Britons and British Isle.
If you look in general perspective then both armies seemed on an equal level.
Army of Vortigern was well equipped and trained with foreign tactics. The army was also resourceful since the capital was near and under the guide of Vortigern; they didn't seem to hesitate to sacrifice their life for him.
On the other hand, Arthur's army was not standing on equal terms. Although they were greater than the army of Vortigern in numbers, they were less resourceful, less equipped, and suffering from fatigue from continuous travel of long journeys.
However, the number doesn't explain the end result. All Knights of the Round Table were kings on their own. Moreover, all of them were reinforced by buffs and holy weapons in addition to the two greatest mages like Merlin and me.
King Arthur's victory was assured even before the battle took place by the prophecy of a magus of flower and later confirmed by me.
Everything looked in favor of King Arthur, however…
"What is this feeling…?" I muttered those words with slight uneasiness on my face and upon looking at all other knights, you could see the same expressions on other knights. Even Artoria who was now King Arthur and Merlin were also feeling the discomfort that was coming from the other side.
None of us could see Vortigern from here but his presence was like that of a giant. We were so far but almost all of us could feel that Vortigern was sitting on the corner of his army as if inviting us to take his head and claim victory.
That was the only time where someone was able to make me feel a little bit of fear. Artoria looked at me and I looked at her and I knew what she wanted to tell me, Vortigern appeared to be a lot stronger than any of us knights.
Even I was unable to fly towards him and confront him alone. I was not stupid enough to match my luck but there was one thing that could assure our victory, the sword of victory itself, Excalibur.
Artoria unsheathed her radiating sword and raised it in her sky. "In the name of this holy sword, we shall claim victory over the evil king. Are you with me my men?!"
"Aoooo!"
"Then charge!"
"Aooo!"
Knights raised their swords and upon hearing the war siren, both armies soon merged with each other and blood started to split.
Unlike the first battle where our army was weak and needed mass destruction of Sunflower to reduce the number of enemies, I didn't use it here. It was due to knights becoming more dependable on my strength without focusing much and second was because I didn't want to deliver a massacre without the proper fight that knights deserved.
Sure if someone was evil, I don't mind chopping him into pieces without caring for such pride but these were people who were just happened to be from the other side. They deserve some recognition if not the mercy of being forgiven.
Anyway, I also fought with knights and killed anyone who was coming on my way along with other knights of round table marching together.
I could also see eight feet big Vortigern smashing anyone into chumps of meat with his long halberd while his eyes glued on Artoria whose eyes were also facing Vortigern.
Not long after continuous bloodshed, we soon reached the forces protecting Vortigern.
I was the first one to reach him and confront him.
Clang*
"Sup, evil uncle?" I smirked with my spear facing Vortigern's halberd.
"Oh ho? Look a dwarf got here first! Well, another one was soon joining you!" He also smirked and slashed his halberd to push me a little far away. He was so big that I was only half of his size and his strength was like that of superhuman, no he was far stronger.
"You fucker!? What are your real intentions?!" I erupted when he called me a dwarf.
The reason why I asked this was because he was neither afraid nor eager to kill any of us. He was not even using his full strength! Just from one measly push and I was dragged away.
"So the Mr. Unknown finally realized that I am not using my full strength. As expected someone from age of men, you are indeed sensitive to this play." Vortigern just smiled as if smiling at someone of a friend.
I gritted my teeth and in a desperate attempt to if not kill then weaken him even a little bit before Artoria arrives here, I shoot my flying spear towards him but with one fast powerful hit, he broke the spear into pieces. I was shocked since the spear was not that weak to break that easily.
"How about you join my side? Wealth, women, everything you need. What do you think my villainous line?" Vortigern was still looking at Artoria while chatting with me.
"No thanks! Do you think I would do something like slaughtering innocent people?!"
"What? You won't? So Mr. Someone from age of men, why do you think that these old bunch of old magical people with cursed fate going to obey your way of beliefs?"
"What do you mean by that? And I still find it hard to believe but it seems you knew what's gonna happen to you?" I was very confused by how he and Uther were acting. Just like characters from a drama, they knew what is gonna happen to them in the play.
"Don't you also want me dead?"
"Answer me!"
"Hahahaha, why don't you wait and see?! You have already meddled with those garbage of cursed fate, take your time and see with your own eyes!" He said and then blocked the sword slash delivered by Artoria.
"Vortigern, you evil king! Today is the day that I will clear this island with someone like you!" Artoria yelled and then delivered another attack.
"O my lovely Arthur, I was so tired of waiting for your death. How about I kill you and hang your head on the top of the ruined cathedral?!" Vortigern, as if acting like a villain, changed his tone unlike when he was talking with me.
What is happening? Why is everyone acting like puppets knowing their cursed fate? I had no idea.
Just like a spectator, I could see that happening in life but why was there was nothing I could do.
I gritted my teeth as shook my head from those useless thoughts and entered fight together with Artoria against Vortigern.
I used almost all of my tactics and skills, same with Artoria, but except for superficial cuts and bruises, we were unable to deliver a decisive blow.
"Enough!!" With one roar and swing of his magical halberd, all the knights including me and Artoria were pushed far away. That simple force was enough lethal to kill anyone but thanks to magical jewels they were protected from killing blow.
"Huff* tell me, Arthur, why do you want to kill someone like me when another person with my ideologies, is here with you?" Vortigern asked Artoria covered in blood while his finger was pointing at me.
"What do you mean? Einar is my most trusted friend! He is nothing like you? He is loyal to me." Artoria also replied.
'This idiot! Why the hell is she answering him? Can't she see that he is trying to slander me?' I looked at Artoria who was playing right into the hands of Vortigern.
"Arthur, stop talking with him, and let's finish him!" I ordered Artoria who also realized her mistake and nodded with Excalibur in her hand.
We were about to charge at him when we felt a sudden surge of dense draconic pressure from Vortigern and saw him changing his form.
"Phuahahaha, you are so damn idiots that I can hardly stop myself!" He burst into loud laughter and his voice echoed all around the battlefield. Two draconic wings came out from his back and he rose in the air.
I knew where this fuck cliché train was going.
"Trying to escape? Not on my watch!" I yelled and used Increase to damage his wings and stop him from escaping but before small kunai could hit him, he again swung his charged magical halberd towards me and released a big crimson magical arc.
"Einar, stop!!" Artoria who realized the situation much earlier than me, summoned Avalon and protected me along with other knights who came under the radar of attack.
Boom*
The attack rendered like a fly against shield-like Avalon but that gave Vortigern enough time to escape.
"Farewell, I will soon crush all of you, Arthur and my friend Einar Sirius!" His voice was heard by everyone on the pain.
"Stop treating me like a friend!" I gritted my teeth and roared towards leaving Vortigern.
"It's okay, Einar. Don't take his word to your heart." It was Artoria who put her hand on my shoulder and came for my aid after seeing me angry like this.
Though she was assuring me on the surface, she was instead of putting more oil on fire since Vortigern's voice was heard by everyone. If she does something like that then it will only increase curiosity and give birth to baseless rumors.
"I am fine. You should worry about him since he is still on the run!" I was a little annoyed so I shook away her hand rudely in front of everyone and left the avenue.
She raised her sword on claiming the victory on Camelot but none was mattered to me. I was not happy with the way things were going.
However, on that day with the victory of Camelot, a rumor started to spread which is, 'Einar the mage is the friend of Vortigern and a possible traitor of Britons.'
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I am very happy that I completed the milestone of 50 chapters here alone. With the workload and my illness, I was a little downhearted but your appreciation made me continue this work. The story is reaching on its conclusion in my pat.reon and it would probably take 85+ chapters to complete this story.
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