Mordred still recognized the long spear in the hands of the tall woman before her, the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad, the weapon that had killed her. After all, it was the last thing she had seen before her death; how could it not be deeply etched into her memory?
Furthermore, the appearance of the voluptuous woman before her was also extremely familiar. Even if Mordred was unwilling to believe it, she had no choice but to cautiously utter those two words: "Fa... Father."
Seeing White Lancer Artoria nod, Mordred didn't know whether to be angry or happy. If it were her normal Father, she would definitely engage him in a fierce battle, because the dissatisfaction between them had reached its limit, and only life and death could sever it. But this Father seemed to be different in some way, not just in her figure, but also in her temperament, which was just like the ideal King Arthur should be.
"I ask you, for what purpose do you wield the sword in your hand now?"
"Huh?" Mordred didn't expect her Father's first words upon meeting her to be such a question. For a moment, she was stunned. "Sword? For what... Isn't this thing supposed to be swung however one wishes?"
Hiding in the shadows, Sisigou covered his face in helplessness. Wasn't this obviously a question like a test for an heir? Why did she say it without thinking? Besides, Mordred seemed a bit different from what he had heard. Her relationship with her mother... Father, anyway, King Arthur, didn't seem as bad as he had imagined. Also, no matter how you look at it, King Arthur was a voluptuous, wife-like character. How on earth did she get rumored to be a man?
Furthermore, Sisigou felt that the atmosphere between the two sides was strange right now. The other party didn't seem to be here for a life-or-death battle, but rather to cause some kind of scene. That black-haired Heroic Spirit leading them was probably no weaker than the Beast that everyone was treating as a formidable enemy. He had originally planned to seize the opportunity while the two sides were talking to release his Giant Hunting Bulldog Ant Legion. This was his trump card: a legion of ant remains controlled by fungi. Although their release speed was worrying, no different from a normal army of ants, their power was astonishing. Even the Magical Beast known as the King Snake was devoured in the blink of an eye.
But the release failed. It was hard to imagine that the mindless fungal mycelium, which controlled corpses, would react with fear to a Servant. Even Tiamat couldn't achieve such a feat, as if the opponent were some higher being.
Sisigou took it all in stride. After all, there was no room for him to intervene in this battle anymore. If possible, he'd even like to withdraw. The reward from the Clock Tower wasn't enough to save the world.
White Lancer Artoria also felt a headache coming on. Although her life trajectory differed from that of the Artoria in the proper history, Mordred's thought process was almost identical. How could she trust her with Camelot? "It seems you're still not ready."
This time, Mordred understood exactly what White Lancer Artoria was saying—she was saying Mordred lacked the qualifications to become King. Now the child's temper flared again. This time, she had answered the Holy Grail's summons because she wanted to pull out the Sword of Selection (?) to prove herself. Of course, her true intention was to share Artoria's responsibilities so she wouldn't always be so gloomy (which was why Mordred treated the more perfect White Lancer Artoria much better). However, Mordred would never admit this true wish. These three were just like Morgan from the Lostbelt—if any one of them in the family could just speak properly, things wouldn't have reached this point.
"It seems that even if your appearance is different, you are just the same as her." Mordred composed herself, and since her Father had once again denied her, it was time to prove herself again! "You're the one who doesn't understand! Only I can, only I have this qualification!"
Mordred had always been proud of being King Arthur's son (daughter), she just wanted Artoria to acknowledge her.
"Is that so?" White Lancer Artoria also lifted her weapon and summoned her mount. "Then let us fight (show me why the sword is swung)."
"You're the one who said so (then I will fight you until you acknowledge me)!" Mordred completely discarded her armor, understanding that in the face of the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad, the defense of armor was completely a burden, a lesson learned with her life.
The golden light of the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad and the brilliant red lightning of the Sword of the King intertwined, whipping up a massive blast of air.
Jiang You, sitting on the sofa, watched his popcorn being completely blown away, and could only take out a watermelon as a substitute.
"Do I need to join in?" Melusine stood by Jiang You's side. The battlefield was a complete mess, with double-digit numbers of Masters and Servants splitting the field into several pieces and fighting with great fervor. Melusine felt that if Jiang You wanted, it wouldn't be this complicated at all. She and Tiamat together could basically wipe out everyone here. To be more precise, Tiamat alone would be enough. She just couldn't quickly deal with Karna and Siegfried; the rest were essentially just fodder.
"We'll just watch the show." Jiang You patted the spot next to him, gesturing for Melusine to sit down. Now Melusine was being very well-behaved, almost ridiculously so. It felt like her self-perception was acting weirdly. Jiang You tried to close the distance a bit, "I didn't pick these people randomly. Look at the Round Table Group over here. Mordred is a King-fanatic awkward to the point of death, the kind who would rather die than speak the truth. White Lancer Artoria is a more ideal Artoria, not hiding things like the original. Faced with Mordred, she will definitely say what Mordred wants to hear. So, after they fight for a while, many things can be resolved."
Melusine blinked. The relationships between the Knights of the Round Table really were messy.
Then Jiang You pointed over to the Lord's side: "Actually, Vlad III and we don't have much of a conflict. His psychological burden is just a bit heavy. Elizabeth's situation is similar to his, but someone like her who can unreservedly cut off her own past could serve as a reference for the Lord. After all, she actually committed a crime, while this one is innocent. Heroic Spirits, you see, are that kind of thing. Take Jeanne d'Arc's acquaintance, Gilles de Rais, for example. His Saber self and Caster self are practically different species. When it's time to cut ties, you have to cut them."
Melusine nodded, but she felt like she was somewhat similar to Lancelot in some way.
"As for Amakusa's side..." Jiang You smiled mischievously, "The main goal is actually to torment Kiritsugu. With Kiritsugu's own strength, it's fundamentally impossible for him to be a match for a top-tier servant."
"Then, do you need me to..." Melusine volunteered.
"No need. Today, just watch the battle with me properly. I've given Kiritsugu something to increase his strength, and it's about time for him to make an appearance."