[Inch Force · Open the Skull]
It sounds like a rather nonsensical skill.
As powerful as it is, what stands out more is its obvious bad taste.
Even Arthur thought so at first.
But that's not the case.
Regardless of its name, the skill itself is terrifying. It functions as a regular attack, but once it locks onto an opponent, both combatants' magic and strength are instantly calculated. If Arthur's judgment succeeds, then no matter how the opponent dodges or resists, their skull will be slashed open.
Just like when Vortigern and Arthur first met—when Vortigern fled, he used magic to conceal his location, which was likely thousands of miles away. Yet even at such a distance, Arthur judged his position solely based on the afterimage left behind, leaving the Humble King with a nasty scar on his head.
But now, comparing their stats, Arthur and Lucius—equipped with the Giant's Arm—were evenly matched in strength.
In terms of magic, no matter how vast Arthur's reserves, they couldn't compare to Lucius, who controlled the spiritual veins of both Rome and the British Isles.
Therefore, it was impossible to instantly kill Lucius by destroying his skull.
But the basic principle of the skill remained.
In other words, this punch would hit Lucius's head no matter what.
The next moment, with a blast of air, Lucius was sent flying.
His head rang with an invisible force, his brain momentarily frozen, unable to process thought.
No counterattack. No clarity. No escape.
Angle adjusted. Lock confirmed.
"Sword of Promised Victory."
A golden light flashed, splitting the battlefield in two.
The earth trembled at the blow. The sky split its clouds in fear.
As the target at the end of the radiant beam, Lucius appeared to give up resisting. He made no move.
He must die!
Victory would be decided in this moment.
No—this was already a foregone conclusion.
But at such critical moments, there's always one or two troublemakers.
This time was no different.
At the same time, a dark beam of light erupted, rushing from the opposite side.
Two roaring lights collided, and like refracted beams, they bent and deflected away from their original paths.
"······"
"You're awake? I told you—you can't defeat him alone. Trust my judgment, follow my tactics, and the final victory will be yours." A black-robed figure appeared beside Lucius, wielding a longsword cloaked in black magic. Its true form was hidden from sight. "Now, we can begin our counterattack."
But that cold, composed presence—
"It's true. You are me," Arthur said, staring at the figure.
[Task Triggered]
[King's Battle.2]
Requirement: The king is always unique—and must remain so.
Reward: Skill – Dragon's Shadow (strength depends on task completion).
It was something he understood the moment they met.
The man in the black robe... no, he should be called Arthur ALTER.
Only Arthur himself could match his own strategy so precisely.
As for why the other had appeared—and how he came into being?
Those questions didn't matter.
Just like Jeanne d'Arc's case, Arthur, the Son of God, had no chance at reversal. In other words, this Arthur ALTER was a complete fake. The Holy Grail had likely created him by distorting a memory from Arthur's past and implanting it into a newly formed vessel.
Still, one had to admit—reproducing such thought patterns and skills to this degree was impressive.
"...It's only natural you discovered me. Our peculiar talents make hiding impossible." Arthur ALTER pulled back his hood, revealing a face identical to Arthur's. "So, are you wondering why I aided Rome—just to destroy Britain? Or are you asking how I weakened the British army?"
So direct.
But none of that mattered to Arthur.
The answers had been clear from the beginning.
The decision to aid Rome came from the fake's distorted memory, implanted by the Holy Grail. Arthur understood himself too well. In a purely rational scenario, he might indeed destroy Britain, depending on the circumstances.
As for weakening Britain's barrier? That was even easier to understand.
Arthur, King of Britain, was Britain itself.
The [Holy King] skill proved as much.
Naturally, the other had a similar skill. If he'd been born with the purpose of destroying Britain, then Arthur ALTER would erode Britain's strength just as Arthur's rule fortified it.
Moreover, Lucius held the Holy Grail, which allowed him to control the ley lines and activate the barrier.
It wasn't difficult to reduce the barrier's size and distort its attributes using Arthur ALTER's servant skill.
In fact, because his skill was essentially tied to the land of Britain, when the city's defense system was triggered, the energy from the magic circle and city wall turrets activated the current barrier.
They'd waited until now to act because they wanted to draw out all of Arthur's contingencies—eliminating any unforeseen variables.
The twenty thousand Roman soldiers who died earlier might have served not only to make Lucius behave, but also to fuel the creation of this new barrier.
The moment Arthur recognized his counterpart's identity, everything became clear.
The other had hidden for so long precisely because he knew—once discovered, Arthur would understand it all.
"You're not going to say anything?" Arthur ALTER said with a sneer. "Of course. I've never cared about Britain. Otherwise, I wouldn't have ignored Merlin's warnings and insisted on attacking Rome. If it weren't for your self-righteous cleverness, Britain wouldn't have fallen. Manaka, Skadi, and Artoria wouldn't have died."
So, he really was a different person.
First, Merlin would never go against Arthur's will. If anything, the two of them had already set out on a path to defy fate itself.
Second, Arthur would never initiate a war without reason. There were countless ways to bring down Rome—leading an army was the least efficient. Even now, if Arthur hadn't known in advance that Rome was preparing for war, he wouldn't have intervened.
If Rome had focused solely on developing its own strength—even expanding to the ends of the earth—it still wouldn't have surpassed Britain.
Because where status is unequal, war is inevitable.
But—
"Let's end this boring charade," Arthur said calmly.
Behind him, several sharp swords floated silently, thrusting toward Arthur ALTER's head. As they approached, they were caught by an equally invisible force. The two opposing powers clashed—until all the swords shattered.
Should one say... worthy of being called "Arthur"?
Even as a fake, this method came naturally.
They shared the same personality. Their memories likely overlapped.
It was like looking into a mirror.
Likewise, all tricks and tactics were meaningless.
Arthur glanced over his shoulder. At some point, the alien army had been completely annihilated. But the knights of the Round Table were no longer able to provide support.
Well, they shared the same power—and this one was even more combat-hardened.
-End Chapter-
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