"Is this your loyalty to the king? Mordred, at such a crucial time when we're meant to subdue the Lionheart, you're insistent on creating unnecessary trouble and dispersing our forces."
"You're so annoying!"
Mordred's expression darkened. With a sharp tug, she yanked Alaric's arm aside and threw a punch directly at his face.
Bang!
A heavy, muffled sound echoed as Mordred's fist, powerful enough to shatter stone, collided with Alaric. Yet, he only swayed slightly under the impact.
Sizzle—!
Red lightning coursed through the air. Alaric glanced down at Mordred, who barely reached his chest. For some reason, facing her stirred strange emotions within him—similar yet distinct from what he felt when confronting the Lion King.
Without a word, and with barely any distance between them, Alaric countered with a swift punch to Mordred's abdomen.
[Thunder Flash]
His strike was an explosion of speed—far surpassing anything he had shown before. Mordred, unarmored and in her lighter form, took the full force of the blow. Her small frame bent sharply and was sent flying backward.
"You bastard!!"
Mordred planted her feet into the ground, digging deep into the rock to halt her momentum. Her gaze at Alaric now brimmed with fury.
"Come, Mordred, let's test each other—"
Alaric spread his arms wide, signaling that he would not use his ultimate blade and would only fight her barehanded.
Mordred smirked.
"You're pretty confident, huh?"
Bang!
[Thunder Flash!]
As red lightning crackled around him, Alaric closed the gap in an instant. Yet, just as he prepared to strike, Mordred's reaction was even faster.
Since his duel with Gawain—or perhaps even earlier—Alaric had realized that Thunder Flash, once his pride, was merely the baseline speed of top-tier Servants like Gawain. Victory would only come from the explosive power unleashed in that fleeting instant.
Boom!
Their fists collided, unleashing a shockwave that sliced through the surrounding mountains.
In his usual state, Alaric was no match for Mordred. But with the Holy Grail's endless mana coursing through him, he could now even clash with Gawain for a short time.
"Not bad!"
Mordred, unaware of Alaric's prior duel with Gawain, was both curious and impressed by his strength.
"Fighting you, Mordred, is truly the best—"
Alaric's eyes glimmered with amusement, sending shivers down Mordred's spine. Her moves were straightforward and easy to predict—a trait Alaric noted after crossing blows with her.
Perhaps it was his growing experience, but Alaric was becoming increasingly adept at Servant battles. Combat and the forging of his body had granted him unparalleled skill and strength. Even if this borrowed power was fleeting, in a world destined to end, it was enough.
While Alaric kept Mordred occupied, the shadowy figures resembling Hundred-Faced Hassan disappeared. The gem-like gleam in Alaric's eyes also faded quietly.
"Hey, you're not hiding something shady, are you?"
Unable to pursue the figures, Mordred clicked her tongue and eyed Alaric suspiciously. She seemed genuinely frustrated that he wouldn't let her join the fight.
Looking at her furrowed expression, Alaric's tone remained calm.
"My heart and actions are as clear as a mirror. All I do is for loyalty and righteousness."
"Tch—"
Mordred turned away, still grumbling. Her complaints, however, were minor compared to Alaric's real concern: why had Hassan attacked them?
Neither he nor Mordred had encountered refugees or provoked an attack, making this unexplained hostility puzzling. Could it be that Mordred had met Hassan of the Hundred Faces before?
Glancing at her in the distance, Alaric doubted it. Even if that were the case, it didn't make sense for Hassan to recklessly attack someone like Mordred. That would be suicidal.
Strange…
The interruption brought by Hassan passed quickly, and Alaric and Mordred finally ventured into the vast mountain range. Beyond the endless peaks lay the horizon's edge.
Though their journey into the mountains had been smooth, a new problem emerged.
It wasn't just desolate—Alaric and Mordred had encountered no attacks since entering. Apart from the initial clash with Hassan, their path had been eerily quiet.
After over an hour of uninterrupted travel through the mountains, the silence was unnerving.
"Huh? Didn't Agravain say we'd draw the Lionheart's attention? Why is nothing happening?"
Disappointed, Mordred grew visibly impatient, while Alaric furrowed his brow.
If the Lionheart had yet to intercept them, it could mean only one thing: he had already seen through their plan. Either he had retreated or was focusing his forces on Lancelot and Tristan.
"The plan has changed, Mordred—"
Regardless of the truth, Alaric knew they couldn't wait idly.
"Finally, time for a fight!"
Hearing this, Mordred's irritation vanished, and she eagerly asked, "What's next?"
"Catch up to Sir Lancelot and the others. By now, Sir Lancelot and Sir Tristan should have reached the valley and are nearing the Crusader remnants' magus workshop."
Alaric remained calm, recalling their earlier discussions. The only option now was to rendezvous with Lancelot and join the battle.
As for Gawain, the deciding factor, depended on whether he would make an early move.
"What are we waiting for then?"
"I'm thinking… about the route."
Alaric gazed at the mountains ahead, desperately trying to recall the path Alaieka had described.
"Huh?"
Mordred turned, her wide eyes filled with disbelief.
"We don't have a guide like Sir Lancelot does with Alaika, right?"
Alaric replied unapologetically as if being bad with directions wasn't a problem.
"You're not expecting someone to lead us, are you, Mordred?"
Before he could finish, a deafening explosion shook the air, accompanied by a blazing firelight.
Even from kilometers away, the fiery glow was enough to draw their attention. Countless green drakes shot out from a valley, surging toward the sky!
Sharing a glance, Alaric and Mordred wordlessly charged forward.
As they advanced, they were met with a tide of emerald-green creatures—green drakes speeding toward them!
"Shall we see who can kill more?"
Mordred showed no trace of fear, her battle spirit soaring.
Boom!!
A crimson torrent swept across the sky, evaporating nearly half of the oncoming green tide in an instant!