Chapter 42: Mordred's Second Noble Phantasm!
Pitch-black mana oozed from Lancelot's armor, like a venomous serpent,Continuously corroding Clarent—Brilliantly Shining Royal Sword.
"Let go! Lancelot!!!"
Mordred struggled to pull her sword free, but one end of Clarent had already been warped and deformed by the twisted red-black mana.
Damn it…
If she released her Noble Phantasm now, the mana would spiral out of control, ultimately resulting in a massive explosion.
But even if she lost this sword—
She absolutely would not let Lancelot take it!
Mordred had made up her mind—
She was ready to unleash her Noble Phantasm at point-blank range.
Suddenly, Ethan's voice rang out from behind.
"By Command Spell— I order you! Mordred, Now is the time to release your second Noble Phantasm!!!"
The moment the Command Spell activated—
A tremendous surge of magical energy flooded through Mordred's body.
"Haha, thank you, Master."
Mordred smiled.
"Lancelot, let me give you some advice."
"You'd better let go right now."
"Because even I don't know what's going to happen next."
Lancelot sensed something was wrong—
He immediately poured all his mana into trying to snatch the sword from Mordred's grasp.
"Now that I think about it… Clarent."
"You were locked away in Father's armory for so long."
"Perhaps even He has forgotten about your existence, hasn't He?"
Suddenly—
Clarent's blade began radiating a brilliant silver light.
"But it doesn't matter."
"Because whether He acknowledges it or not— I am still the rightful heir to the throne!!!"
Mordred gripped the sword tightly and shouted at the top of her lungs:
"Show your true nature—
The sword chosen as the Holy Sword of the rightful successor!
The sword that ended the legend of the King!
Clarent!!!"
A radiant silver light—
Swept away all the dark mana clinging to the sword.
The brilliance was so overwhelming that no one could approach.
And then—
A massive storm of magical energy erupted around Clarent,
Revealing its true form!
The silver radiance—was the regal light of the successor's sword.
The black glow—was the lingering sin of the one who had spilled a king's blood.
The two lights intertwined—
Generating a tremendous shockwave that rippled outward!
"Ga!!"
Lancelot immediately let go—
He swung his worn greatsword and charged straight at Mordred!
BOOM————————!!
Crimson lightning struck down from above, crashing directly into Lancelot!
He was sent flying,
Tumbling across the ground before slamming into a rock wall and coming to a stop.
"Gaaaaaaaaa!!"
His armor was damaged, but Lancelot still stood.
Shaky, unsteady—yet still standing.
"Even when facing the rightful heir to the throne— you still choose to fight, Lancelot?"
Mordred slowly stepped forward—
Clarent in her hands was now fully unleashed.
"A———th———ur———!!"
From within Lancelot's helmet— a blazing red light flared!
Dark mana surged from his armor, transforming into wild, writhing tendrils—
Billowing like the cloak of a demon.
CRACK!!!
In an instant—
Lancelot's D-rank greatsword
Was shattered by Clarent.
For a brief moment—
Clarent granted Mordred the trait of "King."
With the successor's sword in hand, her entire foundation of power surged dramatically!
"Snap out of it, Lancelot!"
Mordred clenched her sword with both hands.
"You've been tormented by madness—
Blinded to the truth until the very end—
Even allowing yourself to be used by others."
"But that's fine."
"I shall end your rampage in my Father's stead."
She raised Clarent high—
A massive surge of mana gathered along its blade!
"I am not the King—
But the one who walks in His footsteps!"
"For His peace—
I will wipe out every enemy!"
"The rebellion against the great Father—
Clarent Blood Arthur!!!"
"Hooooooo!!"
Lancelot swung his half-broken greatsword with all his might,
Charging straight at Mordred!
BOOM————————!!
Clarent's radiance erupted—
This time, the magical energy shockwave was many times stronger than before!
Like the divine radiance of a sovereign—
It annihilated all who dared challenge the King's authority!
The black armor was crushed within the light.
Lancelot's face was gradually revealed.
His Saint Graph shattered.
The Frenzy binding him was dispelled.
Perhaps—
This light felt familiar.
A radiance reminiscent of the one he had once sworn fealty to.
Lancelot stopped moving—
He gave up resisting.
...
"My King…"
"I could never abandon my feelings for Guinevere."
"I could never forgive myself."
"My King… why have You never condemned me?"
"Why have You never allowed me to atone for this sin?"
"Because I could not atone for my own sins—
I fell into the abyss—
And became a sinner for eternity."
"My King…"
"If only You could judge me Yourself."
"If only You could unleash Your wrath—
And execute me with Your own hands…"
"Then, surely, I would—"
…
Lancelot's presence… fading.
All around—
Only a massive crater remained, pierced through by the shockwave of the attack.
A whole section of the mountain range ahead had been completely obliterated.
"Tch… If you've got something to say, go tell my Father yourself, Lancelot."
Mordred rested Clarent on her shoulder, sighing.
"...But if I do get to meet my Father again—
Maybe I'll pass on your message for you."
...
The livestream had captured the entire battle.
The chat exploded with comments:
[Truly a Round Table Knight— they're all just Artoria fanboys at the end of the day.]
[Bro above, I'm not even a Round Table Knight, and I simp for Artoria too.]
[Too bad Lancelot mistook the wrong person this time.]
[Even if he mistook the person, I still hope Lancelot finds salvation.]
[Netorare is a sin undeserving of salvation!!!]
[Bro....]
[Father's debt, the daughter repays. Mo-chan's got it tough.]
[Host, will Lancelot appear again? Please!!]
[Swear to god, is this just a Round Table Knight gacha collection game??]
[Next up is Gawain? =)))]
[Curse Chef: This is more like an NP upgrade than a second NP]
...
[System: 'British Brat' has sent 10 Saint Quartz!]
[Message: Mo-chan is so badass, keep going strong!]
[System: 'Bruce-kun' has sent 5,000 Saint Quartz!]
[Message: Feels better to donate to the host than to rebuild a city for that guy in red underwear.]
[System: 'Young Master' has sent 10,000 Saint Quartz!]
[Message: Mongrel! How dare you compete for the top donor spot with this Young Master!!?.]
...
"That Berserker… is he really eliminated?"
Sensing Lancelot's mana vanishing—
Vlad III's expression darkened.
"Looks like I need to wrap this up quickly…?!"
But at some point—
Silver chains had already bound Vlad III's spear—
And coiled tightly around his body!
Johanna, who had been impaled through the chest, stood back up.
The sharp stake that had pierced her chest had vanished.
Even—
The blood on her body was gradually disappearing.
"Still struggling?"
Vlad III clenched his fists.
He attempted to activate his Noble Phantasm once more—
But nothing happened.
Johanna stood there—
Not a single spike emerged from her body.
"Impossible… This is still my territory!!!"
Vlad III roared in disbelief.
"Your Noble Phantasm can be freely activated within your domain."
"Failing to realize that sooner was my mistake."
"But— You are the 'Voivode of Wallachia,' the one who carries the legend of the vampire."
"Whereas I— am merely an existence born from imagination."
"Your Noble Phantasm— I'm afraid it can no longer touch me."
"————————?!"
The silver holy staff in Johanna's hand—
Began to shine brilliantly!
"Oh Lord— I shall deliver Your glorious light."