"I always feel like something's off about him. That's why I sent him back to notify Lancelot," Gawain said with a confident smile. "Hopefully, I'm just overthinking things."
"Better safe than sorry," Da Vinci responded thoughtfully, then glanced towards the city. "Well, let's focus on sneaking into the Chalk City. The situation there won't be easy to handle."
"Yes, we need to find a way to get inside," Ritsuka Fujimaru agreed.
Hearing this, Gawain waved his hand, brimming with confidence. "What's the big deal? Watch me. I'll charm my way in!"
"Hey, wait—!" Ritsuka started, but Gawain was already striding confidently towards the gates of the Chalk City.
"This will be a piece of cake. Ordinary guards won't even recognize me," Gawain thought, walking towards a female knight standing at the entrance.
As Gawain approached, he suddenly noticed something unusual. "Wait, is this knight taller than me?"
He was about to strike up a conversation when the knight turned her gaze towards him.
"Hello, Miss Knight..." Gawain began, but then their eyes locked.
The knight looked him over, her expression puzzled. "Why do you, a man, look a bit like me? Are you possibly my father's illegitimate child?"
"Miss Gawain..." Ritsuka Fujimaru called out from behind, her voice layered with confusion.
"I'm a man! Why are you calling me 'Miss'?" Male Gawain retorted without thinking. But then he paused, the realization hitting him.
"Wait, you're... Gawain?" Male Gawain stammered, his eyes widening in shock.
"Yes, I'm Gawain," the female knight replied, raising an eyebrow. "Who are you? You're with Ritsuka Fujimaru, so I assume you're up to no good."
"My name is also Gawain," the male Gawain replied, matching her stare.
"Are you kidding me?" Female Gawain scoffed, gripping her holy sword, Galatine. "Since Ritsuka Fujimaru is my enemy, and you're here with her, you're not leaving without a fight."
After a brief moment, she unsheathed her sword, signaling her intent to battle.
"Master, prepare your magic. I'm not losing to myself in this world," Male Gawain called back to Ritsuka.
He then brandished his own holy sword, Galatine.
Female Gawain's eyes widened. "Wait, what's going on? You have the same sword as me?"
"Didn't I say? I'm Gawain too," Male Gawain repeated, his gaze steady.
Without another word, he lunged forward, their swords clashing in a fierce collision.
Female Gawain paused, assessing him with a nod. "I get it now. You're me from another timeline. There's no way I'm losing to a male version of myself."
"I feel the same way," Male Gawain agreed, bracing himself.
The two Gawains clashed in a flurry of strikes and parries. It was daytime, the perfect setting for Gawain's power to be at its peak, tripled in strength. But in this peculiar face-off, their powers canceled each other out, leaving them on equal footing.
"Your strength... It's just like mine!" They both exclaimed simultaneously, their strikes mirroring each other's precision and force.
"Then it's time to see whose technique is better," Male Gawain challenged.
He had faced countless battles alongside Altria, from Vortigern's defeat to the wars in France. His experience was vast and varied. Confident in his skill, he was certain he could outmatch his female counterpart.
But as their swords continued to clash, he quickly realized he was wrong. The female Gawain, though younger and less experienced, had an impressive mastery of technique. Trained by the formidable Scáthach, she matched his every move, countering with skill and precision that left him astounded.
Their intense duel drew a crowd, with Camelot soldiers and civilians alike watching the two warriors battle with rapt attention.
"Mr. Gawain, we need to retreat now!" Mash called out urgently to Male Gawain.
"Right," Male Gawain nodded, parrying a few more blows before using a powerful swing to push Female Gawain back.
"Don't think you can escape so easily!" Female Gawain shouted, preparing to pursue them.
But just then, Mash stepped forward, raising her shield to block Gawain's advance, allowing Ritsuka, Male Gawain, and the rest of the Chaldeans to make their escape.
"Damn it, they got away," Female Gawain muttered, glaring at the space where they had stood.
But her frustration quickly turned into a smirk. "You won't be so lucky next time."
…
As Ritsuka and her group hurried away, they ran right into Lott, who was casually carrying a bench and a fishing rod.
Both sides froze, staring at each other in shock.
"Oh, um, hello there," Ritsuka greeted awkwardly.
"Yeah, hello," Lott replied, equally baffled by the unexpected encounter.
"So, uh, can we go now?" Ritsuka asked tentatively.
"Do you think that's a good idea?" Lott replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, I think it's a great idea," Mash chimed in, trying to sound convincing.
"You're really trying to push your luck, huh?" Lott retorted, rolling his eyes. He then pulled out Joyeuse and pointed it at Mash.
"Why do you look so different from the King Lott I know?" Male Gawain asked, his confusion evident.
"I'm not King Lott. I'm your father!" Lott declared, his voice booming.
Mash, Ritsuka, and Mordred were at a loss for words, unsure how to respond to such a bizarre claim.
"You know what, I don't have time for this," Lott continued, his gaze shifting to the Chaldeans. "But you're not going anywhere."
Male Gawain took a step forward, his expression serious. "King Lott, I don't know what you're planning, but I won't let you hurt them."
"King Lott? I told you, I'm your father!" Lott exclaimed again.
Mash, Ritsuka, and Mordred exchanged confused glances, completely lost in the strange turn of events.
"I don't understand what's going on, but we need to be ready to fight," Ritsuka said, her voice steady as she prepared for what was to come.
The tension in the air was palpable as the two sides faced off, each waiting for the other to make the first move.