Chapter 282: Artoria [Alter]
[Name: Artoria Pendragon (Alter)]
[Age: 15 years old (The moment she drew the Sword in the Stone, time froze for the king, and Artoria's body and appearance stopped growing or aging, forever preserved at the age of 15.)]
[Physique: 8 Stars (Corrupted by the Black Mud, her physical abilities have increased.)]
[Swordsmanship: 8 and a half Stars (The corruption doesn't affect Artoria's swordsmanship.)]
[Magic: 9 Stars (An oversized magic core that allows her to release Noble Phantasms at will.)]
[Armament Haki: 8 Stars (Ability to imbue her weapons and body with magical power for reinforcement.)]
[Observation Haki: 7 and a half Stars (Skill: Twilight Star: Maintains reason under the corrupted state, requiring constant self-restraint. Because of the focus on suppressing her violent tendencies, her sensitivity to the outside world becomes dull, and her intuition becomes slower.)]
[Conqueror's Haki: 6 Stars (Regarded as a symbol of fairness and selflessness in the eyes of her enemies and the citizens of her kingdom. The king's decisions are always considered correct.)]
[Weapon: Excalibur (The Sword of Oath Victory) (Like the spirits of the lake, good and evil exist, and even the Holy Sword has its opposite.)]
[Bond Level: 1 (Ordinary Friend)]
[Skills: Riding, Mana Release, Leadership, Twilight Star, Excalibur Morgan (Excalibur)]
[Comprehensive Combat Power: 8 and a half Stars]
[Remarks: Artoria Pendragon, corrupted by Black Mud, can release Excalibur Morgan without limitation. After being defeated by Rider and Shirou, Shirou killed her using Rin's Azoth sword. In the end, she didn't say much, just silently looking into the other person's eyes.]
The immobile King of Knights, in an instant, donned a pitch-black suit of armor adorned with ominous crimson patterns, resembling flowing veins.
"Disappear." With an oversized magic core, Artoria Pendragon [Alter] had no hesitation in using her tremendous magical power. Her cold and ruthless nature left her unbothered by the surrounding destruction.
Her immense magical energy gathered into the pitch-black Holy Sword, and the extremely dark sword of light instantly expanded. The overwhelming magic surged uncontrollably, distorting the form of Excalibur.
Chiron shouted, "Captain!"
"I understand!" Eric and Chiron quickly dodged.
"Feel honored! —Humble King's Hammer, Reversed Morning Light—Devour the light, Excalibur!" The black knight king, holding the pitch-black Holy Sword, swung the black pillar of light forward.
The dark magic mixed with scarlet red surged from Excalibur, and a thick column of light formed by magic moved along the sword's tip, following Artoria's will.
The unstoppable torrent of magic swept across everything in its path, instantly reducing trees and rocks into dust.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
It was like a world-destroying beam, disintegrating everything it touched, and sweeping across Artoria's dark figure.
As the dark light faded and the violent winds dispersed, the land was left melted into lava by the magic flood, with countless ashes floating in the air. The heavy smell of smoke caused those who inhaled it to feel their throats sting, and purple flames burned everywhere, turning the scene into something resembling hell.
"So boring," the King of Knights said indifferently, "It's over."
"Scáthach ..." Eric muttered uneasily, "Please don't get hurt."
"Of course!" A proud and cold voice echoed from above, "How could I lose to such a little girl!"
Artoria, wearing the black mask, looked up, spotting Scáthach in the sky, preparing to throw her attack.
The razor-sharp spearhead erupted in scarlet light, shining so brightly that it made the surrounding environment seem dull in comparison.
The spear tip gathered even more powerful magic, and the air was shattered into a wind barrier.
"Take this! Gae Bolg (The Spear of Death's Piercing)!"
Wrapped in the red light, Gae Bolg shot like a meteor across the sky, heading straight for Artoria.
"Oh, is this the Valkyrie from Celtic mythology?" Artoria immediately recognized the technique. "Let's see which is stronger, your cursed spear or my pitch-black Holy Sword!"
"Humble King's Hammer!"
Unconcerned with the loss of magic or the waste, Artoria released her trump card, the extreme dark light capable of devouring light, striking towards the oncoming Gae Bolg.
"Boom!"
The red magic spear collided with the endless black torrent in midair, and neither of them was pushed back. The flashing red spearhead cut through the pitch-black darkness, inch by inch, forcing its way forward, sending magical waves scattering into the nearby forest, creating two dirt paths.
"!" Though no direct contact was made, Artoria could feel the power of the spear through the magic storm. Her eyes, hidden behind the black mask, shot out a terrifying glare.
Her pale lips parted, and she uttered, "Mana release."
Even more overwhelming magic surged from her magic core, powered by the "Dragon's Factor," as she held the Holy Sword. Once again, it erupted in light. The once thick column of light instantly expanded, blocking the continued breakthrough of Gae Bolg.
After several seconds or possibly minutes of intense magical conflict, violent winds swept across the area.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The magic spear, having lost its forward momentum, returned to Scáthach 's hand as she summoned it back.
Landing heavily, Scáthach stomped on the ground. Her powerful strength shattered the loose soil, sending dirt and winds flying behind her. But no matter how fast they moved, they could never catch up with her slender figure.
"Take this!" Scáthach twirled her spear, the sharp spearhead flashing like a venomous snake waiting to strike.
"Hmph." Suppressing her violent nature and maintaining her composure, Artoria read Scáthach 's attack target and took the initiative, intercepting it. The pitch-black Holy Sword collided with the scarlet cursed spear, sparking a flurry of sparks as the ground beneath their feet cracked.
Artoria, having her strength increased due to the Black Mud's influence, had a slight advantage in terms of physical strength. However, due to the corruption, her armor had become heavier, and her movements were no longer as agile as before.
With her rich battle experience, Scáthach immediately seized Artoria's weakness. Instead of engaging in a direct clash of strength, she used her speed advantage and magic spear, turning into a red lightning bolt, to engage Artoria in close combat.
Knowing her own limitations, Artoria also crossed countless battlefields and used her steps to minimize her movements, directly facing Scáthach 's rapid attacks.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The storm of thrusts was blocked by the Holy Sword, and the sparks from the collisions leapt around. The two fought tirelessly, clashing fiercely, like the sound of metal being forged. Both of them poured all their strength and magic into their blades, with no leftover power released.
"Is this your strength?" Artoria's voice was cold as ice. "If this is all you have, then just die without struggling!"
"Heh!" Scáthach 's observation haki, paired with her Clairvoyance, allowed her to see several seconds into the future. "You think one Excalibur will defeat me, little girl?"
"Hmph, Humble King's Hammer..." As Artoria accumulated more magic, her Holy Sword began to glow again, shrouded in tangible darkness.
"Too slow!" Scáthach , who had only used one spear before, now projected a second identical magic spear with her left hand.
"What?!" Artoria was shocked.
"Gae Bolg is not just one spear, little girl!"
The magic spear in her right hand struck Artoria's blade, and the spear in her left hand swept horizontally toward her.
Artoria, slightly disturbed, tried to raise her arm to block, but she was a step too slow. The sweeping spear passed through her defense and struck her dark chestplate.
"Crack!"
The black armor formed from magic shattered suddenly, and the storm from the collision scattered. The King of Knights was sent flying by the sudden attack, crashing into the stone mountain behind her.
"Boom!"
"Thud, thud."
Countless stones fell from the collapsed stone mountain.
"Her aura is still so thick. As expected, I can't defeat this guy without using my ultimate move..." Scáthach sighed.
A jet-black pillar of light shot through the heavy rocks, burning everything in its path.
"Ha!" Scáthach 's surroundings projected dozens of Gae Bolgs, shooting towards the incoming black light pillar.
"Boom!"
The world-destroying treasure, Gae Bolg, devoured the black light, hitting Scáthach , who was holding her spear in defense. The massive black light pillar shot into the sky, and its dark purple glow could be seen from miles away.
◇
"Ah..." Kurumi looked at the distant black light pillar, asking curiously, "Did something go wrong again?"
The shadow on the ground rippled like a lake, and another clone emerged, explaining, "Eric used a pitch-black Holy Sword to summon a pitch-black 'King of Knights.'"
"Arthur? The one who led the Round Table Knights?" Kurumi chuckled, "You summoned another big shot, huh? Good job, 'I.'"
"It's fine, 'I.'" The clone replied, heading back into the shadows. "If you really want to thank 'I,' then complete your mission properly!"
"Eh?"
"Victory undergarments! If the main body doesn't step in, how can we clones live happily?!"
"Alright, alright, go back!" Kurumi covered her forehead with her hand in frustration.
"While the girls are out shopping, now's the time—don't miss it, it won't come again... mm... mmm!" The clone's mouth was covered by a pale hand extending from the shadow, forcibly pulling it back into the darkness.
"Kurumi-nee? What's wrong?" Wendy, who had just run out of the clothing store, asked quietly, looking at where Kurumi was staring. The black light pillar had already disappeared.
"It's nothing, Wendy." Kurumi smiled and asked, "Did you get your clothes?"
Upon hearing this, Wendy shivered, shrinking behind Kurumi.
"Wendy-chan, don't run away!" Miku, running out from behind, called out, holding two pieces of clothing. "You haven't tried them on yet!"
"Excuse me, dear customer! Please don't take the store's merchandise!" A female clerk chased after Miku.
"Sigh..." Kurumi's head started to ache again.
◇
Artoria, whose mask had broken, coldly asked, "How was that?"
"Heh, the output of your magic is indeed overwhelming," Scáthach stood on the scorched earth, enduring the pain. "It's been a long time since I've felt such pain... is this your full power?"
"However, even with your oversized magic core, how many times can you release Excalibur Morgan?"
"..." Those familiar with their own powers knew how things worked. There was no extra magic provided by Sakura's dark power, nor any support from the Holy Grail. Although she could release her Noble Phantasms multiple times, using them consecutively, along with the fierce battle, had already drained almost half of her magic and stamina.
'If this continues, my magic will run out.' Artoria reformed her chestplate and calculated in her mind, 'Without the support of my master's magic, this is troublesome.'
"Let me show you my specialized technique..." Scáthach 's magic spears once again glowed with red light.
"Ah..." Artoria gripped her Holy Sword tightly. "Next attack, I will burn your spear and you to ashes."
"Then let's see..." This time, Scáthach 's eyes didn't glow red. She didn't use [Clairvoyance] to predict the outcome. She trusted her own strength, and more importantly, her masterful technique.
At the same time, Scáthach 's reliance on her [Clairvoyance] had led to a self-imposed limitation on her abilities.
With her hands raised high, Artoria's surrounding magical energy became foamy, breaking apart and turning into black light. Evil purple combined with endless black energy spiraled around Excalibur Morgan.
Scáthach , bending low in a sprinting stance, flipped her spears, sending dazzling red light arcing through the air. She simply muttered, "—Up."
"Humble King's Hammer, Reversed Morning Light—"
Artoria gathered all her remaining magic, and the massive magical surge erupted from Excalibur Morgan, the red-black-purple magic flow connecting to the sky.
"My research! My ultimate technique!" With her purple steel boots slammed into the ground, Scáthach 's red-black electric arcs surrounded her twin spears as she charged toward Artoria.
"Devour the light, Excalibur Morgan!"
"—Piercing Death's Spear!"
The dragon-like breath of the attack shot toward Scáthach , who, like a red lightning bolt, charged directly at the intense light column.
The fiery heat was no match for the boiling blood, and the overwhelming magic couldn't stop her sprint. The sharp lightning pierced through the massive river of magic.
"What?!" Artoria widened her eyes in disbelief, staring at the scarlet light.
Though small within this torrent, it was shining brightly.
As Artoria tried to release more magic, she realized her reserves were already running low.
The magic spears pierced through the darkness!
"Clang!"
Artoria, who had been holding her sword horizontally, was struck by the unstoppable force, and as she tried to adjust her body midair, she realized she couldn't move!
"My body won't move—this is your Noble Phantasm, Queen of the Shadowlands?"
"Until I defeat you, I won't recognize you as my master, will I?" Scáthach shouted, "Take my spear!"
With all the power infused into the spear, it shot like a rainbow piercing through the sky at Artoria.
"…Is it over?" Artoria watched the incoming magic spear, her mind utterly calm, until the moment it struck, and a violent collision sensation overwhelmed her as darkness swallowed her vision.
◇
"Are you awake?" Opening her tightly closed eyes, Artoria saw the face of that man.
"Ugh..."
Click.
Her armor creaked as Artoria struggled to get up.
"Your magic is exhausted, and your body is severely injured. Don't push yourself," Eric said, pulling out a large stack of burgers he had bought. "Are you hungry?"
Gurgle...
The smell of fried junk food filled Artoria's nose. Her mouth watered as she swallowed and swallowed.
"Hmph, I'll temporarily admit you as my master." She picked up the burger and began eating it.
[Artoria Pendragon [Alter]'s Affinity Increased, Bond Level Remains the Same.]
(END CHAPTER)
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