[Arthur's POV]
Being in the right place at the right time was crucial. While on the way to Winterfell, he felt that something was off and chose to unite with the main force instead. As it turns out… the Night King would've been waiting for him and Daenerys, which would have not ended well.
Now, he was a step behind the Night King's Champion… which could end terribly. In desperation, he put forth all his magic into Rhaegal to increase the dragon's speed and endurance to maintain the fastest speed possible.
Faster… faster.
With Edric updating the location of the Champion, Arthur was able take the shortest route possible and… eventually, catch up near his final destination, over the skies of Kingswood. It seemed that the royal entourage hadn't reached Storm's End yet, which played greatly in the other's favour.
The Champion would seek to descend directly at the centre, but Arthur hastened Rhaegal and slammed the winged beast to the side. Both winged creatures crashed to the ground, crushing a stray guard under their weight. Suddenly, the other's beast began to glow a luminous blue as its body surged with magic.
Arthur formed a shield right before it exploded, although it shattered immediately, with Rhaegal taking the brunt of the blow. The Champion rose to his feet, forming an exceedingly long, thin, blade of ice. Arthur drew his own in response...
Before he could blink, that very sword was going for his throat.
He was about to blow the swing, when another came... deathly fast. The blade was as fluid as water, like the water dance he dabbled in. It was too fast, or rather... he had been too slow. It cut into his armour. Right as he was about to reply, the Other dashed back.
Arthur unleashed a wave of flame, which the Other countered with a wall of ice. It melted after a few seconds, but had nullified his attack completely. The air had also grown substantially colder.
Arthur took a deep breath, realising that hastening Rhaegal may have been necessary... but the act left him thoroughly exhausted before the fight had even begun.
The Champion would soon realise that, if he hadn't already.
He would need to maximise every strand of elemental power in his body, or... dig deeper, at a great price.
Arthur's eyes widened as great walls of ice emerged from the cold air, surrounding him. In merely a second, he had been trapped in a coffin. The walls grew and grew, shrinking the space within. It was no ordinary magic... this was very clearly one of the Champion's greatest abilities. He wanted to put an end to him as swiftly as possible.
Holding anything back would mean certain death... Arthur had no choice.
He unleashed every bit of magic in his body all at once, in a fiery explosion that melted the great coffin.
However, the effort had left him on his knees. The Other dashed forward with the intent to kill, and Arthur could hardly raise Nightfall.
This...
A figure engulfed in lightning dashed forward, in front of him.
It blocked the Champion's blade and unleashed a chain of lightning from the off-hand, shocking the Other. The figure then smashed its lightning-charged sword against the Champion's armour, cutting into it. The Champion swung to counter, but the figure had dashed around him, leaving several lightning shadows before slashing in a different area, damaging the Other's armour further.
The Champion proceeded to retreat with several graceful leaps back.
"The roles are a little reversed this time, Ser Arthur."
Arthur managed a smile under his helmet as he saw the white cloak waving in the wind. The shining armour and control of lightning couldn't be mistaken for anything else. It was his fellow sworn sister.
"... Yeah, I am in quite a sorry state," Arthur admitted, raising himself from the ground. "You have my eternal gratitude, Lady Brienne."
"I'd rather you thank me after we live through this."
"I'm afraid there's no certainty of that..."
"Uncle!"
"..." Arthur frowned slightly as he saw Victoria flying in. "What are you doing here? This is a battleground, not a playground-"
"So, that's what an Other looks like," Victoria remarked. "He's quite strong. What happened to your reserves, uncle? You could hardly light a campfire with what you have left..."
"... You shouldn't be here."
"I'm not going to sit back and watch you struggle when I can do something to help."
"You'd have better luck convincing the Other to retreat," Brienne remarked.
The Champion almost seemed amused before forming a javelin of ice and tossing it Arthur's way. Arthur dodged to the side, while Brienne charged in. He suddenly felt a surge of energy as a hand tapped his back. Despite telling her to leave, he wasn't going to reject a supply of magic...
"You were saying?" Victoria had her father's smugness.
He was in some disbelief as his reserves were completely restored. Not only that, but his blood... it seemed to be rushing with greater ferocity. It seemed that Victoria was not far from the magical prodigy that Alysanne was... if not entirely equal in that regard.
"Maintain a safe distance and keep your guard up, don't remain still for too long," Arthur advised, setting Nightfall aflame. "Do not engage..."
"I'm not an idiot," Victoria replied. "I haven't learned anything that could harm that thing substantially... so this is the best that I can do. Actually, I'll bring reinforcements..."
"Reinforcements?"
She flew off without elaborating. Meanwhile, Brienne was being pushed back. She was able to keep up with the Champion if she fought at her very best... but it was not sustainable.
Arthur dashed forward like a wave of flame from behind.
The Champion was caught between lightning and fire as both Kingsguard unleashed their strength at maximum capacity all at once. No words were needed, they understood eachother as if they shared the same mind. The benefit of well over a decade of sparring alongside one another.
The massive wave of flame and smaller chain of lightning wrapped around the Champion, leading to a great Overloaded elemental reaction. Flames burst in a brilliant explosion, cracking and even shattering the Champion's armour.
Arthur and Brienne both retreated, avoiding the worst of the explosion.
There was a moment of silence as smoke veiled the result. Arthur still sensed the cold presence of the Other... this was not over.
The explosion had caused a sizeable crater in the ground from which the Champion rose. He was covered in golden burns, which very slowly recovered. The two Kingsguard gave no time for the Other to breathe, sliding down to jump him.
They coordinated their attacks in a perfect dance, one blocking for the other and the other striking from another angle. The Champion was not fast enough to evade both at the same time, especially in his damaged state.
With a greater blow, Arthur had cut off one of his arms. It seemed like the tides had shifted greatly in their favour. Brienne attempted a stab into the Champion's core, only for her blade to glance off to the side and tear into his side.
Ice spread out from the Other's body, freezing not only Brienne's blade but also her lower arm, which left her stuck to him. He was about to stab into her heart, and Arthur surged forward and deflected the swing. He swiftly melted through the ice and freed Brienne. However, the Other had regenerated his arm in reply... in the form of a long spear.
It thrusted Arthur forward with great force, smashing him into the ground.
He coughed up some blood, as Brienne joined him.
"He turned his lost arm into a weapon so swiftly..." Arthur remarked. "I wasn't expecting that."
"His regeneration is rapid," Brienne added. "We will need one mighty and decisive blow if we hope to put an end to this. Otherwise, he will outlast us..."
"There's only one thing I can do which could accomplish that… but I'll need time to do it right. It's no use if he's not destroyed completely."
"Leave that to me," Brienne said without hesitation.
"Are you certain?"
"What is a kingguard if they fear the face of death?" Brienne questioned, nodding. "I will do my duty and fend him off."
"... Very well,"
While they spoke, the Champion used the time to recover to a greater extent. Arthur retreated to the top of her crater, while Brienne remained at the bottom. He raised Nightfall as the blade was engulfed in pure white flames. They shot up into the sky, clearing the dark clouds and revealing the radiant sun, which shone upon the knight.
"By solemn oath, I swear once more,"
"To be the bloodied blade in the light,"
"The nightmare that brings the end,"
"To be the shining blade in the darkness,"
"The bearer of hopes and dreams,"
With each word and passing second, the sword's brilliance grew as elemental energy gathered around it. Meanwhile, the Night King's Champion understood the threat behind the sword and did his utmost to get past Brienne. She kept him grounded, using all her might.
Arthur took a deep breath, focusing on the task at hand entirely.
In desperation, the Champion sealed Brienne in an ice coffin. Then... the earth shook and began breaking it apart. The Champion turned back to see Garth's Geo golem upon him.
"The reinforcements in question!"
It was... a formation of Artoria and Edric's eldest four.
The winter's chill was replaced by a false summer's embrace, the sun's radiance expanding as Alysanne's magic surged. A wave of water emerged at the Champion's feet, grasping and restraining the Other. He froze it still and broke free, only for another wave to follow. This time, the water was dyed a crimson red as Victoria and William seemed to merge their magic.
The crimson water seemed to not only burn, but also spread into the Other's body, actively weakening him. Even Artoria added a blast of flame, which smashed against his back. Meanwhile, Garth's Geo allowed Brienne to escape the coffin as the earth shifted and collapsed one side of it.
The Champion fought the golem, defeating him with greater difficulty than he would have normally had.
"The shield of the one true Realm,"
"The sword of the divine Emperor,"
"The flame that purifies the world,"
"Light and darkness, unify..."
"By unwavering hand, by steadfast sword, by unrelenting soul..."
"CARVE A PATH TO THE FUTURE!"
Arthur surged down like a bolt of lightning, the sword in his hand having transformed completely. The Champion had desperately tried to escape the myriad of magic wielders keeping him down, but he failed. And now...
Arthur's shining blade was right upon him. The two warriors clashed, creating a shockwave. Despite being wounded and held down, the Champion was still a worthy foe. Still... Arthur's resolve was much greater.
After several bouts, Arthur's blade deflected the Champion's. In the next instant, he lowered his sword and drove it up from the groin all the way to its head.
"Let dawn be forged through death..."
The brilliant white light from Nightfall had burned through the core of the Other and perfectly split him in half.
"Eclipse."
The Champion's entire body was consumed by the white light, which purged him from the world. The result was a rain of white crystals flowing up into the sky. He sheathed Nightfall, which had lost its majestic shine, and observed the spectacle.
It was... beautiful.
"The sword that embodies the spirits of those around it..." Brienne remarked, looking at Arthur. "I suppose that is what Edric meant by an elemental burst, the representation of a vision wielder's soul in the form of one great ability."
"Yes... that is mine," Arthur nodded. "Realising the truth of my heart allowed me to unleash it."
"Light and darkness..."
"The hypocrisy of being a true knight and an Emperor's sword... to defend the weak and innocent, I must point my sword at those who are just the same, only under a different banner. To some, I am a hero... and to others, I am the devil's retainer," Arthur smiled slightly. "It's an unfortunate reality that I had to come to terms with. I could never be the perfect, true, knight that I sought to be... but I can try my very best to live up to those ideals regardless."
"You are the truest knight of all," Brienne replied, shaking her head. "If you aren't, then none of us are."
"... Why, the truest knight is right in front of me," Arthur's smile widened. "You've earned a hundred knighthoods by deed and character, it's a shame our Faith will not acknowledge that-"
"Faaaather, that was amazing!"
Arthur blinked as Arthoria was launched into him by Victoria.
"The greatest knight in the Realm lives up to his name," William added.
"Indeed, that was a splendid showcase of your martial prowess, uncle," Victoria nodded. "Not to mention Lady Brienne... she was no less brilliant."
"Uncle's magic output surpassed father's usual in that final moment," Garth remarked. "That is no small feat."
"I'm so glad it's over," Alysanne took a breath of relief. "And that everyone is okay..."
"You five are the true heroes," Arthur chuckled. "None of this would be possible without your efforts."
As he looked at the group, he could only imagine how unstoppable they would be in the future...
Certainly, they'd take the world by storm.