Chapter 427: Your Father is Still Your Father

Chapter 427: Your Father is Still Your Father

They started fighting.

Artoria and Mordred.

It was practically a reenactment of the decisive battle at Camlann.

Mordred, wielding the "Clarent: Brilliantly Shining Royal Sword" tainted crimson with hatred and magic, launched a ferocious barrage of attacks at Artoria.

Although Artoria, due to class restrictions, did not carry her long-time companion, the Excalibur, she managed to counter with a borrowed sword from Astolfo, and her swordsmanship remained flawless.

The slender blade, shrouded in the "Invisible Air," clashed and intertwined with Mordred's magical sword, unleashing a heart-pounding torrent of magical energy.

In an instant, fierce winds roared and crimson lightning flashed, illuminating the lion-faced helmet of Artoria and the horned helmet of Mordred, thus heralding the beginning of a father-son duel that had been awaited for fifteen hundred years.

King Arthur, Artoria, hailed as the king of Britain to this day, with countless legends surrounding her.

Mordred, a member of the Knights of the Round Table led by King Arthur, was Arthur's only child. He was also the rebellious knight who critically wounded Arthur at Camlann, bringing an end to the legend.

Ethically, Mordred was the child of Artoria and Morgan. But essentially, Mordred was an artificial lifeform(homunculus) created by Morgan's trickery—a clone of King Arthur.

Morgan le Fay, Arthur's sister, and a great magus on par with Merlin, had perfectly replicated Arthur's abilities. Physical capabilities, dragon factor, an almost precognitive "Instinct," and innate "Mana Burst"—everything was identical to the Knight King.

And Mordred did not waste this talent. Benefiting from the rapid growth of an artificial lifeform, Mordred began serving as a knight just a few years after birth, silently observing and learning from her father.

Swordsmanship, horsemanship, military strategy, political strategy—she frantically absorbed everything she could from her father, evolving from a mere physical clone to a well-rounded mirror image.

Perhaps not wanting to see Mordred continue her descent into madness, or perhaps having gained a new understanding after resolving her inner conflicts, Artoria, who had remained silent throughout the battle, finally spoke.

"Because I am no longer the me from Camlann, while you are still the you from Camlann."

As Artoria said, perhaps during her lifetime, Mordred's abilities had reached the same heights as hers and even surpassed her in some aspects. However, the moment Mordred was pierced by the holy spear, lost her life and ascended to Heroic Spirit status, everything about her was frozen in the Throne of Heroes.

No matter how many years passed or which era she existed in, her peak would always be the moment she gravely wounded King Arthur—unless there was a way to change humanity's perception or an opportunity to transcend the legend.

But Artoria was different. She hadn't died; she was still alive, still growing, still with infinite potential.

Back then, we were neck and neck, but over the years, you stopped while I kept moving forward. Even if only inching forward, the distance between us has gradually widened. This is why Artoria was able to suppress Mordred.

Artoria's well-intentioned explanation did nothing to calm Mordred; instead, it drove her to further madness. She even abandoned her defense, aiming to strike Artoria out of sheer frustration.

"I don't believe it!!! Impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible..."

However, this reckless strike failed to harm Artoria; instead, it left an opening. The rapier turned into a flash of silver, piercing through Mordred's chaotic defense and aiming straight for her neck.

In the critical moment, Mordred relied on her battle instinct from "Intuition," swiftly dodging Artoria's thrust.

Silver light splattered, embedding itself into the centuries-old medieval city wall behind Mordred.

Seizing the moment when the rapier was trapped by the wall, Mordred swung backhanded, aiming to disable one of Artoria's arms.

But Artoria was prepared. She grabbed Mordred's wrist with her free hand and pressed her entire body forward.

The metallic armor, manifested by magical energy, clashed against the wall with a crisp sound.