A group of Camelot soldiers suddenly surrounded the temporary base, and among them stood two men and two women at the front. One of the men was Galahad, who had just fought with Mordred, and the other three were formidable knights equipped with weapons.
"How did you find us!?" Ritsuka Fujimaru exclaimed, stunned by their sudden appearance.
"In Orkney Castle, no one can hide from us," Galahad responded honestly. Though he did not elaborate, the truth was somewhat embarrassing. Who would have thought that the information came from elderly women gossiping while shopping, giving away Mordred's whereabouts? It was almost laughable how easily they had tracked her down.
Galahad's eyes then fell on Lancelot, who was standing nearby. "You shouldn't have come," he said firmly.
Lancelot's expression faltered, but he responded, "I'm just trying to do what I believe is right." Despite knowing his intentions were justified, guilt weighed heavily on him as he faced the son he had abandoned.
Seeing Lancelot's uneasy expression, Galahad softened slightly. He knew the truth of his origins and understood why things were the way they were, but it didn't matter. As he had said, he had his duties to perform.
Galahad was about to step forward to confront Lancelot when Melusine moved in front of him.
"Sir Lancelot, leave this to me," she said softly, her voice calm and gentle.
"Alright," Galahad nodded obediently. To him, Melusine was somewhat of a maternal figure, and he respected her greatly.
Melusine approached Lancelot, her twin swords gleaming in the dim light. "We never finished our last duel. If you can defeat me in swordsmanship, I'll let you go."
"You've sided with Morgan," Lancelot said, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Melusine nodded. "Yes."
"Why?" he demanded.
"Because this is where I can be of value," she replied, tilting her head slightly as if pondering the question.
Lancelot sighed, understanding that avoiding this confrontation was impossible. "In terms of swordsmanship, I'll never admit defeat to anyone," he declared, raising his sword and charging at Melusine.
Their blades clashed with a ringing sound, each strike precise and powerful. Melusine parried Lancelot's strikes effortlessly, her movements fluid and graceful.
On the other side, Mordred found herself facing Gawain, who towered over her. She couldn't help but feel a bit envious. Why is she so tall? Mordred wondered, glancing at Gawain's chest. And why is it so big? The thought made her even angrier.
"Come on, your opponent is me!" Mordred shouted, pointing her sword at Gawain.
"Alright!" Gawain responded enthusiastically, drawing her sword, Galatine, which glowed with a radiant light.
Seeing the Sword of Revolving Victory in Gawain's hand, Mordred's eyes widened in shock. "Where did you get that sword?"
"My name is Gawain!" Gawain declared, ignoring the confusion in Mordred's eyes.
"What!?" Mordred was stunned, unable to believe her ears. Gawain had been a man in her past life. How could she now be a woman wielding the same sword?
Gawain, unfazed by Mordred's disbelief, raised her sword high. "You doubt whether I'm Gawain? Let's settle this. I'll prove it by defeating you with my Galatine!" The sword began to glow even brighter as its power increased.
Mordred gritted her teeth and swung her sword to meet Gawain's. The two holy swords clashed repeatedly, each strike sending sparks flying.
She's even stronger than the Gawain from my previous life! Mordred thought, feeling the force of Gawain's strikes pushing her back.
"I am Mordred, The Knight of Treacheryt! I will not lose to any other Knight of the Round Table!" she shouted defiantly.
Hearing her words, Gawain's eyes narrowed. She swung her sword down with even more force, driving Mordred back further. "The Knight of Treachery? Do you intend to betray your lord?"
Meanwhile, Galahad turned his gaze towards Mash, who stood ready with her shield.
"Miss Mash, I'm going to attack you. Please defend yourself with your shield," he said gently.
"Yes, I understand, Galahad. I'm ready," Mash replied, nodding seriously. She lifted her shield, prepared to meet Galahad's assault.
Galahad launched his attack, but it was clear from his movements that he was holding back, more interested in testing Mash's defenses than overwhelming her.
Back with Ritsuka, the Camelot soldiers had encircled her, their weapons drawn. Ritsuka raised her hands in a gesture of surrender.
"Let's not fight, okay? How about we just watch the others battle and decide what to do from there?" she suggested, trying to sound as non-threatening as possible.
The soldiers exchanged glances and, seeing no harm in it, nodded. They kept their spears pointed at her but shifted their focus to the ongoing battles.
The results of the fights were soon clear.
Lancelot, despite his skill, couldn't defeat Melusine. In the end, he fell to the ground, defeated.
On Gawain's side, she overpowered Mordred, knocking her to the ground with a powerful blow. Mordred lay there, unable to move.
As for the skirmish between Galahad and Mash, it was more of a training session than an actual battle. Galahad swung his sword at Mash, who parried with her shield, both of them exchanging polite, measured strikes.
Seeing that the other battles had concluded, Galahad stopped and lowered his sword. "It seems our match is over. There's no need for us to continue, right?"
Mash nodded, lowering her shield. "Alright, I hope you'll treat us fairly."
"Don't worry," Galahad assured her. "We just want to understand the situation. Besides, Sir Lott and Lady Morgan are not the type to mistreat prisoners. You can trust me."
Ritsuka, still watching the scene unfold, asked curiously, "What happens if you encounter real troublemakers?"
"Oh, we hang them," Gawain replied matter-of-factly, earning a shocked silence from everyone around.
The soldiers escorted Ritsuka, Mash, Mordred, and Lancelot back to Orkney Castle, their fate now in the hands of Lott and Morgan.
Back at the castle, Morgan had been busy making preparations. She was about to meet her child from another timeline for the first time, and she wanted everything to be perfect. The kitchen staff had been woken up to prepare a lavish banquet, and she personally oversaw every detail.
As the feast was being set up, Galahad entered the hall with the captured knights. "Your Majesty Morgan, we've completed our mission and brought Mordred and her companions," he announced respectfully.
Morgan's eyes lit up as she saw them. "Thank you, Galahad. You've done well. Now, please, join us for dinner."
Galahad nodded, smiling. He was no stranger to Morgan's hospitality. As everyone settled in, Morgan's gaze fell on Mordred, a mix of curiosity and affection in her eyes. Tonight would be a night to remember, for the future was now face-to-face with the present.