"Clang!"
The emerald demonic lance, wrapped in a magic wind, struck toward Gawain but was blocked by his holy sword, Galatine, producing a crisp sound of clashing metal.
Even the wind blades formed by the magic wind seemed to have crashed into the sun, shattering one after another under the scorching radiance.
"It's useless, Lamorak. You cannot defeat me."
Effortlessly raising his sword to block Souya's repeated attacks, Gawain was currently enveloped in a brilliant light. His terrifying aura pressed down on Souya like a mountain.
It was currently 4:00 PM. There were still two hours left until the triple enhancement ended, and about three hours until the sun completely set and he lost all enhancement effects.
As much as he hated to admit it, Souya had to acknowledge the strength of a tripled Gawain.
His current state wasn't something that could be overcome with simple martial arts and techniques.
Even when Souya used 'Intercepting the Flow' to its limit, channeling his entire body's strength into an attack, it only managed to push Gawain back a few steps.
On the other hand, Gawain only defended from start to finish, showing absolutely no intention of attacking.
Clearly, this man who valued friendship and loyalty still didn't want to hurt Lamorak.
"Give up, Lamorak. If you agree to return to the Chalk City with me right now, I can call this duel a draw. I could even concede and let you win."
"Aren't you talking a bit too much, Sir Gawain?"
Souya forcefully swung the demonic lance again. A blade formed of emerald wind slashed toward Gawain's neck with a howling sound.
True Name Release: Penetrate Blaiddyd.
Facing this attack with the demonic lance fully released, Gawain's expression finally changed.
This time, he didn't choose to block it forcefully with Galatine itself, but channeled magical energy into it.
The next moment, scorching flames ignited on Galatine's blade. Accompanied by a suddenly amplified golden light, it met the emerald blade.
"Excalibur Galatine!"
"Boom!"
Accompanied by the sound of shattering glass, Gawain's flaming beam of light shattered the demonic lance's blade and continued blasting toward Souya with barely diminished power.
Seeing this, a blue light flashed in Souya's eyes. Magical energy like water transformed into a flowing stream covering the lance, which then swept upward to meet Gawain's attack.
In an instant, the flowing water reacted with the raging flames, and a thick white fog instantly enveloped Souya and Gawain.
"Mana Burst?"
Noticing the blue magical energy covering Souya's lance just now, Gawain couldn't help but be secretly surprised.
Lamorak looks only seventeen or eighteen years old, yet he has already mastered Mana Burst? Is it because of that lance?
But why is his Mana Burst water? Isn't the element of that lance wind?
Gawain was somewhat puzzled by this question, because he felt it was highly probable that Souya's mastery of such an advanced skill as Mana Burst at this age was due to being imbued by the demonic lance.
Just like himself, who only learned 'Mana Burst (Flame)' under its influence after obtaining the holy sword of the sun, Galatine.
However, before Gawain could think deeply about it, he saw the fog before him churn rapidly, followed by a black iron fist hurtling straight toward his face.
"Trying to use the fog to create an opening? Lamorak."
Seeing this, Gawain chuckled and raised his sword to block the fist.
But the moment he firmly caught the fist, Gawain suddenly felt killing intent coming from behind him.
Immediately after, a lance formed of water thrust toward his back.
"What?!"
Gawain was greatly shocked. In his desperation, he didn't have time to dodge completely. He merely shifted his shoulder slightly, allowing the water lance to pierce his armor and skin, leaving a wound on his left shoulder.
With a successful hit, Souya didn't linger. His figure instantly vanished into the fog, followed immediately by Gawain's horizontal slash sweeping through the spot he just occupied.
Feeling the pain from his shoulder, Gawain's expression finally turned serious. He understood that words alone couldn't persuade Souya; he had to use his full strength.
"Shine! Galatine!"
Without hesitation, Gawain raised the holy sword high and shouted.
Following Gawain's shout, a radiance as brilliant as the sun erupted instantly. The light and heat vaporized the fog in a flash, exposing Souya, who was preparing another surprise attack, and the detached 'Queen's Fortress'.
The next moment, a slash of light erupted toward him.
Souya's expression remained calm. He raised his hand and gave a light wave. The black armor instantly returned to his body, narrowly blocking the slash of light.
"Finally getting serious, Sir Gawain?"
Looking at the somewhat disheveled Gawain before him, Souya said with a smile.
"Hmph. Sneak attacking from behind isn't something a noble knight would do."
Gawain's expression was a bit stiff, feeling somewhat regretful for underestimating his opponent.
The other party was Lamorak. Aside from being his 'brother' who was 'bewitched' by his evil mother, he was also a highly renowned knight.
He shouldn't have underestimated him under any circumstances.
"Come, Lamorak. It's time to bring this battle to an end."
Gawain assumed a stance for an all-out battle, holding his sword and looking at Souya, who was clad in full black armor before him.
"Bring it on."
Souya's expression, hidden beneath the helmet, couldn't be seen clearly, but his tone was full of seriousness.
There were no explosive shouts, no battle cries. The two men's lance and sword clashed once again, and this time it wasn't just a duel between a holy sword and a demonic lance.
It was also a struggle between fire and flowing water.
At this moment, Souya completely abandoned the wind magic inherent to the demonic lance. Instead, he channeled his entire body's strength, transforming it into streams of flowing water that coiled around the lance's blade and tip.
For a time, white fog scattered in all directions, only to be instantly pierced by the light.
With the buffs from 'Queen's Fortress' and 'Mana Burst (Water)', Souya was unexpectedly fighting Gawain to a standstill.
This couldn't help but make the latter secretly surprised.
But the sheer difference of a tripled full-body strength wasn't something a (C+) rank Noble Phantasm could compensate for in the end.
After fighting for another half hour, Souya gradually fell into a disadvantage.
However, even though he was suppressed by Gawain to the point of almost being unable to stand, Souya's eyes were incredibly bright.
After such a long time, that feeling of comprehending everything, akin to an epiphany, resurfaced once more.
A tripled Gawain and a fully released Galatine once again put him under immense pressure. Although it hadn't reached a life-or-death situation, this was enough.
He could feel he was only one step away from breaking through the barrier between skill and Noble Phantasm, but he just couldn't figure out what that step was.
Right at this moment, noticing an opening exposed by his opponent, Gawain let out a loud shout.
The Excalibur Galatine in his hands once again erupted with scorching golden light, cleaving heavily onto Souya's breastplate.
Souya was subsequently sent flying backward, landing in the stream behind him.
Feeling the dull sensation of his chest being struck by immense force, Souya couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.
But then Souya froze, because he felt a power slowly seeping through the heavy armor of the 'Queen's Fortress', gathering within his body and healing his injuries.
Souya instinctively looked down, only seeing the trickling water of the stream.
Is the 'water' saving me?
This thought suddenly popped into Souya's mind very abruptly.
Water... water...
Yes, it's water. I was born in water, my power comes from water. So what I lack isn't exactly water, but myself, isn't it?
Countless thoughts about water suddenly arose in Souya's mind. They were the scenes branded in his memory, recorded by his Fairy Eyes alongside countless martial arts while traveling the waterways of all Britain.
The myriad forms of water.
Souya felt the strange changes occurring within his body, and the increasingly clear and integrated knowledge in his mind.
He had a realization.
[Ding! You have comprehended the ultimate meaning of water, awakening the Noble Phantasm: 'Myriad Flowing Spirits: Unpredictable Waves (A++)'.]
[Myriad Flowing Spirits: Unpredictable Waves (A++): Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm. Awakened after the Knight Lamorak's Fairy Eyes recorded countless martial arts and forms of water, leading him to comprehend the ultimate meaning of water. Upon activation, attacks become as agile, unpredictable, and all-encompassing as water.]
Gawain stood by the stream, quietly watching Souya, who lay motionless in the water with a blank expression.
Around them, many spectating commoners were whispering, discussing whether Souya had lost.
Among them, Britomart was also gazing nervously at Souya.
After a long while, just as people were starting to get impatient, Souya stood up again.
"Hmm, you seem to have made a breakthrough?"
Gawain looked at Souya, whose aura had changed somewhat, a hint of surprise in his tone.
"Yes. Speaking of which, I have to thank you, Sir Gawain. You made me understand what the 'ultimate meaning of water' is."
Souya returned a smile.
"Then let's bring this duel to a complete end. Let me see what you have comprehended."
Hearing Souya's words, Gawain's expression was somewhat complex, but he still spoke.
"Bring it on."
Souya's eyes held eager anticipation. He couldn't wait to test the power of his Noble Phantasm.
Thus, after two rounds, the third and final round began.
Without a shred of hesitation, both men activated their Noble Phantasms immediately.
"Shine!"
"Excalibur Galatine!"
Gawain raised Galatine high and roared. The holy sword in his hands unleashed a beam of light as scorching as the sun.
"Myriad Flowing Spirits: Unpredictable Waves."
There was no flashy radiance, no cool special effects, only a gleam as clear and steady as the water of a lake.
Souya brandished the demonic lance to protect his entire body. In a trance, a giant mirror as vast as a lake blocked his path.
Then, accompanied by the sound of explosions and the spread of light and heat, the lake mirror crashed down, but Souya within it remained completely unscathed.
"How is that possible?!"
Gawain looked horrified. Meanwhile, Souya's attack had just begun.
A clear light flickered on the demonic lance in his hands. The next moment, a tempestuous flurry of lance strikes swept forward.
Gawain had to raise his sword and defend with all his might, but unexpectedly found that the attacks landing on his sword were as weak as the steady flow of a stream.
Just as he was feeling confused, the next strike was as fierce and momentous as a rushing waterfall descending from the sky.
This instantly left Gawain, who hadn't generated new strength, looking extremely disheveled.
Giving Gawain absolutely no chance to catch his breath, Souya moved with his lance. Lance strikes like falling rain and various martial arts techniques followed one after another.
It seemed the victor was about to be decided.