One minute later… Noelle continued stacking more and more layers of shields.
"You… just how many shields are you planning to stack before you actually start fighting?!"
Mordred stared at Noelle with trembling eyes, almost in disbelief, as if her entire worldview was being slowly shattered before her. Facing a maid-knight who openly declared—without the slightest shame—that she "defended herself out of fear of pain," all Mordred could feel was an overwhelming pressure, greater than any opponent she had ever faced before, whether on the battlefields of Camelot or against legendary monsters.
And as if that weren't enough… Noelle was still strengthening herself.
Noelle: "Activating Geo Element Resonance… activating Heart Armor… activating Earth Guardian… hmm, still doesn't feel like enough… in that case, I'll add another layer… you can never be too safe!"
At that moment, the maid-knight was completely enveloped in multiple layers of magical shields. They overlapped like invisible plates, forming a living fortress. Even without carrying a physical shield, her very existence had likely become the most absurd defense in the world.
---xXx---
Leon and Morgan watched the battle from a distance.
Leon wore a satisfied, almost proud smile, while Morgan… was completely speechless, her eyes filled with pure astonishment.
Leon: "Hm… it seems Noelle has truly evolved after following my teachings. Honestly, there's no one in this world who gives me a greater sense of security than her."
Morgan: "…At this level of defense… I believe that even with a full True Name release, Artoria's Excalibur wouldn't be able to break through it in a single strike."
Noelle had stacked at least fifty layers of shields around herself, each one dense, resilient, and powered by elemental energy. The overlap of these barriers created an absurd, almost unreal level of defense.
On top of that, there was the set of sacred relics Leon had granted her, whose bonuses dramatically enhanced the strength of her shields. With the full set, her defense increased by over 35%, while under protection, her overall power and critical damage received a massive additional boost.
And that wasn't even mentioning her weapons.
The massive sword in her hands, combined with equipment that amplified defense and resistance, turned Noelle into something that simply defied conventional combat logic.
To be honest…
Even if Leon fought personally, a fully prepared Noelle would be able to withstand several of his direct attacks.
In a world where 99.999% of people would be defeated by him in less than a second…
That alone said everything.
Morgan hadn't been exaggerating—this level of defense could truly withstand attacks equivalent to the full power of the King of Knights.
One strike wouldn't be enough.
Two might barely crack the shield.
Three… might finally deal damage.
That was exactly why Leon always kept Noelle close.
He didn't need defense, because almost no one could even push him to that point.
But the world was vast… and there was always the possibility of someone capable of harming him.
And as long as Noelle was there…
He had nothing to worry about.
She was his absolute shield.
A flawless maid, a devoted knight… and above all, a living wall capable of intercepting any attack—even using her own body if necessary.
(Leon: "Total defense… Noelle, advance!")
…
"Interesting! I truly didn't expect even a maid serving my new master to be this strong!"
Mordred grinned, her eyes shining with pure battle excitement.
"Then let me cut through all your shields!"
She had already understood.
The girl before her… was strong.
Very strong.
At least on the level of the greatest names of the Round Table.
"Gawain, Lancelot… hm, yes… she's on that level."
Even if, in theory, someone with overwhelming offensive power could break through that defense with continuous attacks…
Mordred smiled.
Because brute force… was exactly what she had in abundance.
As an artificial being created from the genes of the King of Knights, she possessed immense magical power, along with mastery over red lightning—a destructive and swift force.
"Please take care of me."
Noelle took her stance.
Two massive swords appeared in her hands—weapons that ordinary people could barely lift even with both hands, yet she wielded them effortlessly, as if they were weightless.
A single leaf drifted down slowly between them.
And in the next instant…
Both moved.
Mordred charged like a bolt of red lightning, her body vanishing from its spot and appearing before Noelle in the blink of an eye.
BOOM—!!
The impact was like the collision of a meteor.
"Gh—!"
"So strong!"
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Two of Noelle's shields shattered instantly.
Her eyes widened.
At the same time, Mordred was also pushed back, her armor covered in cracks.
"…This… is way too heavy…!"
She had never faced someone like this before.
Not only was the defense absurd—the attack power was devastating as well.
In the next moment, her armor began to regenerate, the cracks closing as if they had never existed.
It was self-repairing magical equipment.
Mordred licked her lips, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Now this… this is getting fun."
She charged again.
DANG! DANG! DANG! DANG!!
The battlefield was consumed by a storm of strikes.
Sword against sword.
Impact after impact.
The sound echoed like a forge in operation.
Nearby residents might have thought a blacksmith was working tirelessly…
But no.
It was two girls staging a brutal, pure, and beautiful battle—the true aesthetic of violence.
"Hahahahaha!! Again!"
Mordred roared, being launched backward once more, her armor nearly completely destroyed.
Noelle was also surprised.
"…There are knights like this…?"
Even though it seemed like she had the advantage, she knew it was only because she had prepared beforehand.
Mordred's style was wild.
Fierce.
Unpredictable.
She fought like a beast.
She used her sword, her fists—anything.
"As long as you win… any method is valid! Punches, kicks… even biting, if necessary!"
"I see… so this is also a path of knighthood…"
Noelle reflected seriously.
From afar, Leon nearly collapsed.
"No. That is definitely not necessary."
The idea of his gentle maid adopting such a brutal fighting style was unacceptable.
…
The battle was nearing its end.
Both paused for a brief moment.
Magical power began to gather in their blades.
The air trembled.
Noelle: "Let's finish this quickly."
Mordred: "Clarent Blood Arthur!!"
And then…
They charged.
---
(End of Chapter)