"Gawain, are you sure this is really fine?"
Lancelot asked, still carrying a faint trace of doubt in his voice as his eyes remained fixed on his companion.
"Of course. Even though Mordred left the Round Table, she is still, without question, a knight. In that case, there is no way she would refuse our duel!"
Gawain nodded firmly, his expression resolute, as though there were absolutely no room for uncertainty.
"That makes sense… then let us share our king's burden!"
The two exchanged a brief, silent glance before lightly nodding to each other. In their eyes burned unwavering loyalty, the determination to ease the weight their sovereign had been carrying for so long.
They were Lancelot and Gawain.
The first and second seats of the Round Table.
Their strength was so overwhelming that not even the King of Knights, Artoria Pendragon, would confidently claim she could easily defeat either of them in a fair one-on-one battle.
Furthermore, both wielded holy swords.
Without question, they were knights among knights.
---
"Hmph… my father… ah, I mean, the King of Knights sent the two of you to kill me? Lancelot, Gawain… hahaha! In that case, I won't hold back!"
Mordred rested the shining Clarent upon her shoulders.
Her eyes, sharp like those of a lioness preparing to hunt, stared at the two knights before her as though they were prey. Excitement burned within her gaze.
She raised her sword with one hand and pointed it directly at them.
"Consider this a warm-up before I defeat the King of Knights! There's no need for a formal duel… I'll allow both of you to come at me together!"
"You wish to face both of us at once… you're still just as arrogant as ever, Mordred."
"In that case, as you wish. If you dare set your sights upon my king, then we shall defeat you here and now!"
Gawain and Lancelot also raised their swords.
Although fighting two against one went against the principles of chivalry…
Both of them had promised Artoria they would defeat Mordred.
And they intended to fulfill that promise no matter the cost.
In truth, Artoria had originally intended to come personally.
But Gawain and Lancelot insisted that Mordred was nothing more than "a rebellious child," someone unworthy of the king's direct involvement.
Thus, they came in her place.
Their reasoning was simple:
If they publicly defeated Mordred, her momentum would be shattered.
And perhaps Leon would abandon her afterward.
That way, Artoria could continue ruling Britain firmly from the throne.
And above all, they were extremely confident.
Gawain: "According to the Round Table rankings, Mordred is inferior to the two of us."
Lancelot: "Furthermore, it's two against one… and our swords are superior to hers."
Arondight, wielded by Lancelot, and Excalibur Galatine, in Gawain's hands, were weapons of incomparable prestige.
Meanwhile, Mordred's Clarent, though powerful, was still slightly inferior in quality.
After all, one was an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm…
And the other, an Anti-City Noble Phantasm.
The difference was far from small.
Gawain & Lancelot: "Hmph… victory is ours!"
---
Little did they know that the Mordred standing before them was no longer the same as before.
She had been strengthened from head to toe.
Even Avalon, the secret behind the King of Knights' invincibility, had now been sealed within her body.
Mordred: "Hmph! I don't even remember what losing feels like anymore! Now… I'm invincible!"
All three wore expressions of absolute confidence.
And ironically, without realizing it, they were all applying the "defeat debuff" to themselves.
But from the looks of it…
Gawain and Lancelot had exaggerated that negative "buff" just a little too much.
---
One hour later.
The battlefield had been transformed into scorched ruins.
The air still shimmered with the lingering heat of battle.
Mordred panted heavily, her chest rising and falling intensely.
Her right foot was firmly planted atop Gawain.
Meanwhile, she casually sat on Lancelot's back.
"Guh… I never expected…"
"You… why is your equipment so absurd…?"
"Hahaha… hahaha! And does that even matter?! I won! Hahahaha!"
She kicked Gawain aside without ceremony.
Then repeatedly slammed her armored fist against Lancelot as though venting years of accumulated frustration.
At last, she had defeated those two.
Mordred hated those two more than anyone else at the Round Table.
One constantly mocked her for being number one.
And the other…
Gawain's mashed potatoes.
That was an eternal trauma for someone who inherited the king's palate!
Especially after living alongside Leon…
Her standards for food had risen to absurd heights.
Now, whenever she looked at British cuisine, Mordred could only think:
"This isn't food fit for humans…"
Every Round Table gathering had been collective suffering.
Everyone sitting there, chewing that mashed potato with hollow expressions…
The taste? Pure dirt.
---
Meanwhile, in the distance—
"Tsk… tsk… Mordred almost lost. They nearly turned the tables on her… hmm… no, she still has energy left. She's stable."
Leon calmly observed the entire scene.
Mordred's victory was largely due to her overwhelming equipment advantage.
An extremely high-level enchanted heavy armor.
Numerous magical accessories amplifying her power.
And Avalon… granting her practically infinite regeneration.
Even with holy swords…
Gawain and Lancelot simply could not inflict any decisive damage.
In the end, the technical gap between the three was not that large.
But the gap in equipment…
Was simply far too obvious.
---
"Your Highness! I won!"
Dragging the two unconscious knights behind her, Mordred returned to camp with a wide grin on her face.
She looked like a mischievous child returning home after playing all day long, completely satisfied.
"Alright, alright… in that case, throw those two into the dungeon. Afterward, notify the King of Knights… and spread the news everywhere… Countess Charlotte."
"Yes, Your Highness. Understood."
Charlotte nodded immediately.
Her eyes sparkled brightly.
Another explosive headline was about to be born!
She raised her camera and began taking numerous photos of the unconscious Gawain and Lancelot.
At the same time, headlines were already forming in her mind:
"Shocking! Gawain and Lancelot Defeated — Britain's Strongest Knight Changes Hands!"
"Hey, wait! Let me strike a cool pose!"
Mordred quickly stacked the two together, stepped on top of them, and raised her hand with a radiant grin.
"Perfect… perfect! This pose is incredible! Extremely impactful!"
Charlotte narrowed her eyes excitedly.
Without hesitation, she continued snapping pictures.
---
The following day.
News of Mordred's victory spread throughout all of Britain.
Newspapers, kindly sponsored by Leon, rained down across every corner of the kingdom.
The tale of the rebellious knight's triumph echoed everywhere.
Leon:
"After this… the King of Knights will have no choice but to act personally, right?"
"A loving father and a filial son? No… a loving mother and a filial daughter… that still sounds strange…"
"Ah, whatever. A legendary battle is about to happen."
He smiled faintly.
"Now then… perhaps I should give Mordred a few more weapons?"
(End of Chapter)