"Huh?"
Gordes widened his eyes, staring at Arthur with a confused expression, as if he hadn't quite understood what he had just heard. But the bewilderment lasted only a heartbeat. The very next moment, his face twisted in fury, flushing red like a furnace on the verge of explosion.
"You insolent brat!!" he roared, stepping forward with his fist clenched, ready to unleash his anger on Arthur.
CLANG!
Before he could take another step, a golden portal opened beside him, flooding the air with radiant light. From the void, a gleaming sword shot out, stabbing violently into the ground mere inches from his foot. The impact echoed like metallic thunder.
Gordes choked in shock, nearly stumbling backward.
Arthur, however, didn't so much as flinch. He simply lifted his gaze, cold and merciless, as though Gordes' life was something that could be erased with a mere blink.
"If you dare take even one more step," his voice rang out—icy, dripping with disdain, and carrying an authority that allowed no defiance—"I swear, you insolent swine, your head will be torn from that pathetic body before you even have time to scream."
The threat wasn't uttered in anger, but in a chilling whisper, spoken like a sentence already passed.
"Guh!"
Gordes shuddered involuntarily. When his eyes met Arthur's, a freezing dread crawled down his spine. For one terrifying instant, he swore the whites of the blond's eyes had turned black as pitch, reflecting not a man, but a being cloaked in silent fury.
The heavy silence shattered under another voice.
"So that was your plan?" Karna spoke at last, his tone steady but tinged with curiosity. "You intended to face me in a three-on-one battle?"
A faint smile curved his lips, and though his stance was relaxed, it failed to hide the blazing aura radiating from his body.
"I wouldn't mind fighting all of you at once."
Arthur tilted his chin upward, replying with scorn:
"Don't be foolish. I have no intention of wasting my time interfering in a fight that isn't mine. If you wish to burn yourself out, do so far from me."
His tone carried no humility, no hesitation—only absolute arrogance, as though he alone decided the worth of others' existence.
Still trembling, Gordes snapped with a roar of anger:
"Saber!! Kill him now!!"
Until then silent and unmoving, Siegfried finally raised his eyes to his Master and gave a small nod, his expression as unyielding as steel.
Karna watched him intently, and in that moment, recognition sparked in his gaze.
"I see…" he said, adjusting his grip on his spear. "So at last, it seems we can continue our fight to the death, Black Saber."
Siegfried gave no reply, but his eyes said everything. They did not waver. They carried the weight of an irreversible choice.
Karna let out a sigh, almost nostalgic, murmuring under his breath:
"Once, I knew a man who bore the same eyes as you… eyes that never wavered before fate."
He raised his spear and grinned fiercely.
"That man was a true hero. If you face me with those same eyes, then our meeting is no accident. It is inevitable. It is destiny itself that has led us to this battle."
The air around Karna seemed to ignite, his fighting spirit blazing like a wildfire ready to consume everything.
"I am Karna, son of the Sun God!" he declared. "If you do not fear my spear, then fight me!"
Siegfried lifted his sword in both hands, the blade reflecting the golden light still flickering from Arthur's portal.
"I am Siegfried, the wandering knight of Holland… Now, prepare yourself!"
In the next instant, the two heroes charged at one another, the imminent clash of their weapons promising to shake the battlefield itself.
The first impact struck like thunder.
CLANG!!
Karna's spear, wrapped in crimson flames, collided with Siegfried's sacred sword, Balmung. The clash released a shockwave that tore through the air, scattering dust and stone as though a storm had erupted.
Jeanne raised her flag to shield herself from the blast. Even Gordes, despite standing farther back, was forced to step away, shielding his face with his arms.
Arthur, on the other hand, remained motionless, watching with eyes filled only with boredom.
Karna retreated a single step, spinning his spear with such skill that the air hissed around it. His body stood like an unshakable bastion of serenity in the midst of chaos.
Siegfried, unwavering, did not yield ground. His expression was unreadable, yet the way he gripped Balmung revealed that every muscle in his body was braced for battle.
"You have my respect, wandering hero. Few can withstand my first strike without retreating," Karna said, his calm voice at odds with the burning heat that enveloped him.
Without further words, he launched forward again. His spear carved incandescent trails through the air with every thrust. Siegfried blocked, deflected, and countered, his blade moving like an indomitable wall of steel.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Each strike reverberated like the tolling of war bells. The ground cracked under their feet, and the nearby trees bent as if bowing to the power of the two heroes.
"He does not back down for even a moment…" Karna thought, his spear sweeping in a fiery arc toward his opponent's throat.
Siegfried blocked once more, though this time the clash forced him sliding several meters back, gouging deep furrows into the earth with his heels.
Gordes, despite his earlier fear, broke into a triumphant grin.
"Yes! Keep going, Saber! Show that cursed Lancer the might of the Black Faction!"
Arthur scoffed with disgust, not even sparing him a glance.
"Shut your mouth, mongrel. You can't even see what's really happening."
Suddenly, Karna leapt back, widening the gap. The flames on his spear flared brighter, illuminating the field with a scorching glow.
Siegfried adjusted his stance, raising Balmung in both hands. His cold, unyielding gaze betrayed no hint of fear.
Karna charged like a blazing meteor. Siegfried, like a living fortress, raised his blade to meet him head-on.
The next impact wasn't merely a strike—it was an explosion. The air itself ignited around them, and the earth quaked beneath their feet.
---
While Siegfried and Karna exchanged blows that shook the ground, Jeanne approached Arthur and sat beside him, quietly observing the clash. Gordes, however, grew increasingly restless.
What infuriated him most was that his Saber had yet to win. In his mind, there was no doubt—Siegfried was the strongest, the unbeatable one. So why had victory not come?
"Ruler!" he cried desperately. "At least use your power to reveal the true name of the red Lancer!"
Jeanne kept her gaze fixed firmly on the battlefield, her reply unwavering:
"I refuse. As Ruler, I must remain neutral."
"But he came here for you!" Gordes insisted, sweat dripping down his temple. "If Saber loses this fight, he could attack you at any moment!"
Jeanne sighed softly, though her expression remained serene.
"I have told you before: an attack on me and his fight against the Black Saber are separate matters. Regardless of the outcome, I will not interfere."
'Damn it!'
Gordes cursed inwardly, his fists trembling in frustration. He was on the verge of screaming, of demanding to know who Lancer's Master was, when a calm voice cut in.
"If you're so desperate to know his name…" Arthur lifted his eyes, a cold smile tugging at his lips. "I can tell you."
Gordes snapped his head toward him at once.
"You know? Then tell me!" he shouted, desperation gleaming in his eyes.
Arthur crossed his arms, answering unhurriedly, as if laying down a card that had already guaranteed victory.
"He is the hero of charity—Karna."
The name echoed in the air like a heavy verdict, silencing even the distant clash of steel for an instant.
---
End of Chapter
Author's Note: What did you think of the first battle?
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."