"Even when giving my all, it's still not enough..."
Recalling the sensation during the clash of weapons just now, Artoria couldn't help but feel a deep sense of frustration.
It was a feeling of powerlessness, like a reef facing the vast ocean... No, to be precise, with her performance just now, compared to the sea that was Souya, she was at best a piece of driftwood.
Could someone performing as poorly as her truly leave a deep enough impression on Lamorak to earn his recognition?
Or, to ask her heart directly: Could this version of herself truly surpass her sister and become the person Lamorak would swear fealty to, his most important person?
Yes, from the moment she proposed the duel, this was the heart that Artoria wanted to convey to Souya.
She didn't want to simply hand over the knight and friend she had yearned for for so long to Morgan.
Artoria wanted to prove to Souya.
That she, Artoria Pendragon, had the strength and the resolve.
She wanted Souya to see that whether as a King or as a Lord, she would not be inferior to Morgan—in fact, she would only be better!
Most importantly... I was here first!!!
A flash of pink crossed the girl's eyes. Her gaze fell upon the golden sword in her hand that had nearly been sent flying by Souya, instinctively ignoring the black crack running along its surface.
"No, I haven't lost yet. I still have a chance to prove myself."
Artoria gripped the Sword of Selection once more. The light in her eyes was less like perseverance and more like a stubborn obsession to outdo someone.
"Fou~"
In a corner ignored by both Artoria and Souya, a joyful cry from Fou rang out.
"Lamorak! Please give me one more chance! I haven't lost yet!"
The girl's plea interrupted the chaotic thoughts in Souya's mind. He looked with some surprise at Artoria, whose fighting spirit had reignited.
"Artoris, but your body..."
Souya felt bewildered. He didn't know what the girl was thinking, but he could perceive that after the previous battle, both Artoria's physical stamina and magical energy were almost depleted.
Even in this state, she still wanted to fight. Why?
This wasn't a life-or-death struggle.
"No 'buts', Lamorak."
To Souya's surprise, Artoria interrupted him this time.
"You know that for a knight, as long as the weapon hasn't left their hand, they aren't defeated."
"Even if I lack strength, I still have my spirit."
The girl's eyes held a light that bordered on obsession. Sensing the change in the wielder's emotions and state of mind, Caliburn—the sword that represented the Perfect King—began to vibrate slightly.
It was wailing. It was protesting.
The meaning of its existence was to be the symbol of a King. Every swing of its blade was for the sake of royal authority, for the sake of carrying out the 'right' path.
Caliburn: The Golden Sword of Assured Victory. Its Noble Phantasm classification was Anti-Unit.
But this "Unit" wasn't the enemy; it was the wielder themselves. Only when the holder acted correctly or became a perfect ruler could it unleash its true power.
Yet at this moment, this sword—which should have been completely submissive to Artoria, who was destined to become the Perfect King—was rejecting her.
It did not recognize the girl's current actions. It believed that using it with a heart completely at odds with the King's Way and righteous deeds was an insult to its existence.
But a sword is fundamentally a tool used by humans. How could its will override that of a human?
The vibrating hilt was held firmly by Artoria. Black cracks crawled across the golden blade at a visible speed, but beneath those intersecting fractures was a scorching, pure white light.
"Just one strike, Lamorak! Just give me the chance for one final strike, and I will make you see and acknowledge me!"
Artoria's hands were trembling, but her gaze was exceptionally firm and persistent.
"I understand."
Souya didn't say anything more. He could feel her resolution from her words and her eyes.
In this moment, Lamorak no longer saw her as the girl who once needed his guidance, who moved forward on a borrowed ideal and was lost regarding the future.
He treated her as his opponent—a respectable opponent.
"Use your full power, Artoris. Let me see your resolve."
Without need for excessive words, Souya responded to Artoria's expectations with action.
"Myriad Flowing Spirits: Unpredictable Waves. Full Release."
For the first time, Souya used his full strength to activate this Noble Phantasm. However, he didn't turn it into an offensive water form. Instead, he compressed its power, brandishing his lance to manifest a lake as clear as a mirror before him.
This was the defensive stance of the Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm 'Myriad Flowing Spirits: Unpredictable Waves'. It was a shield Souya had constructed based on the Holy Lake he had once seen and countless deep pools, merging all the defensive techniques he knew.
If the storm and flowing water represented 'Movement' in the ultimate meaning of water—embodying the strength and tenacity of water carving stone—then this lake state represented 'Stillness'.
"The heart of water is like a mirror, without a single speck for a thousand miles."
Calm lake water is like a mirror without the slightest ripple. That clear water represents the ultimate purity that rejects all filth.
Rumor had it that Lancelot, the Knight of the Lake, was raised by the Lady of the Lake and possessed a Holy Sword famous for the 'Indestructible' trait, which represented the clarity and tranquility of lake water.
At this moment, under Souya's full-hearted activation, the defensive power of this lake had barely reached the level of that Holy Sword, manifesting a certain 'Unfading' characteristic—an echo of Arondight.
He did not choose to attack, but to defend.
Facing Artoria's final strike—one that contained all her obsession and longing—Souya chose to take it all to experience what the girl wanted to tell him.
Seeing this, Artoria also understood his heart. She stopped trying to control the Sword in the Stone that was trembling to escape her hand and poured every last drop of her strength and will into it.
"Go! Caliburn!"
Crack.
BOOM!
Accompanied by the crisp sound of an object shattering, Artoria's golden sword snapped at the blade in that instant, turning completely dull.
The shattered fragment of the blade, mixed with terrifying magical energy and the massive energy released by the breaking of a Holy Sword, transformed into a giant beam of light that crashed violently against Souya's lake.
On the street not far away, Merlin—who had just woken up with a face swollen like a pig's head—rushed over with Kay. They arrived just in time to see Artoria facing off against Souya with the nearly shattered Caliburn.
"Lily! Don't—!"
Merlin, realizing what was about to happen, tried to intervene, but he was only in time to see the girl shout as she swung the King's Sword down. The already precarious Sword of Selection shattered instantly.
"Too late after all..."
Ignoring Kay's expression beside him, which was as grim as if he'd swallowed something foul, Merlin watched the scene and finally let out a sigh.
Meanwhile, after the light and heat were completely exhausted, the golden pillar of light slowly dissipated, revealing a charred figure inside, looking incredibly battered.
Souya looked down at himself, then at the pseudo-Holy Lance in his hand, which had already turned to dust. A bitter smile played on his lips.
"You've grown up, Artoris."
"Lamorak... I didn't disappoint you."
Hearing Souya's words, a smile finally bloomed on Artoria's beautiful face. Then, her body went limp, and she began to fall.
In the final moment before her consciousness fell into darkness, the girl only saw a black shadow flash. The figure that had been some distance away appeared before her instantly, and she felt herself fall into a warm embrace.
[With this, the story of you and King Arthur jointly defeating the magical beast Cath Palug, and the shattering of the Sword in the Stone during your duel, spread throughout the land. The eyes of all Britain were once again drawn to the two of you.]
[Because you shattered the Sword of Selection, people began to call you the 'Rival of the King'.]