They started fighting.
Artoria and Mordred.
It was practically a reenactment of the decisive battle at Camlann.
Mordred, wielding the "Clarent: Brilliantly Shining Royal Sword" tainted crimson with hatred and magic, launched a ferocious barrage of attacks at Artoria.
Although Artoria, due to class restrictions, did not carry her long-time companion, the Excalibur, she managed to counter with a borrowed sword from Astolfo, and her swordsmanship remained flawless.
The slender blade, shrouded in the "Invisible Air," clashed and intertwined with Mordred's magical sword, unleashing a heart-pounding torrent of magical energy.
In an instant, fierce winds roared and crimson lightning flashed, illuminating the lion-faced helmet of Artoria and the horned helmet of Mordred, thus heralding the beginning of a father-son duel that had been awaited for fifteen hundred years.
King Arthur, Artoria, hailed as the king of Britain to this day, with countless legends surrounding her.
Mordred, a member of the Knights of the Round Table led by King Arthur, was Arthur's only child. He was also the rebellious knight who critically wounded Arthur at Camlann, bringing an end to the legend.
Ethically, Mordred was the child of Artoria and Morgan. But essentially, Mordred was an artificial lifeform(homunculus) created by Morgan's trickery—a clone of King Arthur.
Morgan le Fay, Arthur's sister, and a great magus on par with Merlin, had perfectly replicated Arthur's abilities. Physical capabilities, dragon factor, an almost precognitive "Instinct," and innate "Mana Burst"—everything was identical to the Knight King.
And Mordred did not waste this talent. Benefiting from the rapid growth of an artificial lifeform, Mordred began serving as a knight just a few years after birth, silently observing and learning from her father.
Swordsmanship, horsemanship, military strategy, political strategy—she frantically absorbed everything she could from her father, evolving from a mere physical clone to a well-rounded mirror image.
It was for this reason that she could fracture Britain and single-handedly end Arthur's reign. It was also this reason that allowed her to battle Artoria to a near deadlock, almost resulting in mutual destruction.
So, will they reenact that scene this time? Will it once again end with Artoria impaling her son with the holy spear, and Mordred killing her father with the cursed sword?
The answer is no.
—Because Artoria didn't use the holy spear, so the conditions for that conclusion couldn't be met.
Alright, that was just a joke. In reality, Artoria didn't need the holy spear to suppress Mordred.
Initially, Mordred managed to cause Artoria some trouble with equal attributes, intense hatred, and a chaotic, unorthodox fighting style like a mad dog... uh... like a wild monkey. At Camlann, she used this style to catch her father off guard, successfully disarming the holy sword and forcing Artoria to fight with the holy spear.
But this time was different. Although Artoria was still somewhat unaccustomed to this erratic yet effective fighting style—not because her strength was insufficient, but because Mordred knew her too well. This style was specifically designed to counter Artoria's knightly swordsmanship.
However, Artoria's use of a rapier was something Mordred hadn't anticipated. Once Artoria adapted to switching between the rapier and the greatsword, the battle's rhythm gradually fell under her control.
After some time, Artoria completely acclimated to Mordred's wild monkey swordsmanship. Mordred was thoroughly pushed to a disadvantage and couldn't reverse the situation no matter how hard she tried.
Given the high similarity in their base attributes and skills, once one side was suppressed, it was difficult to regain momentum. Even when Mordred used her only advantageous attribute—the "+" in her Strength B+—to barely push back the overwhelmingly powerful Artoria, she couldn't catch her breath before the agile Artoria, enhanced by the "Invisible Air," returned, giving her no chance to exploit any openings.
"No way, no way!"
Mordred, utterly suppressed, screamed and roared like a mad woman. Artoria's dominance wasn't just a matter of tactics or targeted strategy; it was a fundamental, skill-based superiority that Mordred hadn't anticipated, leaving her bewildered and unwilling to accept it.
"Why are you so strong? Why? Why? Why? I caught up to you!!! Arthur!!!"
Already at a disadvantage, Mordred's emotional turmoil worsened her dire situation.
Perhaps not wanting to see Mordred continue her descent into madness, or perhaps having gained a new understanding after resolving her inner conflicts, Artoria, who had remained silent throughout the battle, finally spoke.
"Because I am no longer the me from Camlann, while you are still the you from Camlann."
As Artoria said, perhaps during her lifetime, Mordred's abilities had reached the same heights as hers and even surpassed her in some aspects. However, the moment Mordred was pierced by the holy spear, lost her life and ascended to Heroic Spirit status, everything about her was frozen in the Throne of Heroes.
No matter how many years passed or which era she existed in, her peak would always be the moment she gravely wounded King Arthur—unless there was a way to change humanity's perception or an opportunity to transcend the legend.
But Artoria was different. She hadn't died; she was still alive, still growing, still with infinite potential.
Back then, we were neck and neck, but over the years, you stopped while I kept moving forward. Even if only inching forward, the distance between us has gradually widened. This is why Artoria was able to suppress Mordred.
Artoria's well-intentioned explanation did nothing to calm Mordred; instead, it drove her to further madness. She even abandoned her defense, aiming to strike Artoria out of sheer frustration.
"I don't believe it!!! Impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible..."
However, this reckless strike failed to harm Artoria; instead, it left an opening. The rapier turned into a flash of silver, piercing through Mordred's chaotic defense and aiming straight for her neck.
In the critical moment, Mordred relied on her battle instinct from "Intuition," swiftly dodging Artoria's thrust.
Silver light splattered, embedding itself into the centuries-old medieval city wall behind Mordred.
Seizing the moment when the rapier was trapped by the wall, Mordred swung backhanded, aiming to disable one of Artoria's arms.
But Artoria was prepared. She grabbed Mordred's wrist with her free hand and pressed her entire body forward.
The metallic armor, manifested by magical energy, clashed against the wall with a crisp sound.