Location: The Holy City - Main Street
Status: Invaded
The pristine white streets of Camelot were silent, save for the footsteps of Raiden's group.
Tristan (Archer) floated on a rooftop, his fingers hovering over his harp, Failnaught. His eyes were closed, his expression one of tragic boredom.
"Intruders..." Tristan strummed a chord. "To disturb the King's peace... How sad."
TWANG.
He didn't fire an arrow. He plucked a string.
Vacuum blades of sound, invisible to the naked eye, sliced through the air at the speed of sound. They aimed for Raiden's neck, Mash's legs, and Ishtar's boat.
Nyx: [Warning. High-frequency sonic attacks detected. Invisible trajectory.]
Mash raised her shield blindly. "I can't see them! Senpai!"
Raiden didn't move. He didn't dodge.
He simply inhaled deeply.
[Void God Azathoth: Gluttony - Vacuum Eater]
Raiden sucked the air in front of him.
The sound waves, which required air to travel, were pulled into his mouth along with the oxygen.
The invisible blades distorted, spiraled, and vanished down his throat.
Gulp.
Raiden exhaled.
"Pop rocks," Raiden commented. "Tingly. A bit loud on the palate."
Tristan's fingers froze on the strings.
"You... you ate the sound? How sad. My melody was consumed before it could reach the climax."
Raiden pointed at Tristan.
"Your music is depressing. Play something with a beat."
Tristan opened his eyes (which were actually red and terrifying in this "Reversal" state).
"You insult my art. How... unforgivable."
He plucked all the strings at once. "Failnaught!"
A sonic boom, enough to shatter every window in the district, launched toward them.
Raiden stepped forward.
"You like noise?"
Raiden expanded his chest.
[Dragon Roar: Silence Breaker]
He didn't use magic. He just yelled.
"QUIET!"
The sheer physical force of Raiden's shout collided with Tristan's sonic boom.
Raiden's voice was louder.
The shockwave blew Tristan's attack backward. The redhead Archer was blasted off the roof, his harp twanging discordantly as he crashed into a bakery.
"Too loud," Raiden rubbed his ears.
Before Raiden could finish Tristan, a purple blur slammed into the street between them.
A knight in full violet armor, wielding the demon sword Arondight.
Lancelot (Saber). The Knight of the Lake.
"Hold!" Lancelot shouted, sweat visible on his brow. "Tristan is down! I, Lancelot, shall take command of this sector!"
He drew his sword, looking heroic.
"Intruders! Prepare to fa—"
He stopped.
He saw Mash Kyrielight.
Specifically, he felt the Spirit Origin inside her. Galahad. His son. The son who hated him.
Mash froze. Her eyes went wide behind her glasses.
The Galahad part of her soul screamed 'DEADBEAT DAD DETECTED'.
"Lancelot..." Mash whispered, her voice dropping an octave into pure rage. "Sir... Lancelot."
Lancelot flinched. He took a step back.
"Ah... That shield... That glare... Is that you? My... er... Galahad's vessel?"
Raiden looked between them.
"Mash," Raiden asked. "Is this the dad?"
"Yes," Mash cracked her knuckles. "This is the Knight who had an affair with the Queen, ruined the Kingdom, and went buy milk and never came back."
Bedivere sighed heavily. "Sir Lancelot... this is awkward."
Suddenly, a jet engine roar filled the air.
Melusine (Fairy Knight Lancelot) dropped from the sky, landing in a superhero pose next to Raiden.
She deployed her arm-blades. Her eyes locked onto Saber Lancelot.
"You," Melusine pointed a blade at him.
Lancelot blinked. "Me? Who are you, child?"
"I am Lancelot," Melusine declared. "The Fairy Knight Lancelot. The strongest dragon knight."
Lancelot (Saber) looked confused. "Excuse me? I am Lancelot. Of the Lake."
Melusine scoffed. "You are the Old Lancelot. The inferior model. I am the newer, cuter, stronger version."
She turned to Raiden.
"Master. Can I kill him? There can only be one Lancelot in this household."
Raiden scratched his head.
"So," he pointed at Lancelot Saber. "You're Mash's dad."
He pointed at Melusine. "And you're Mash's... step-mom? Or step-self?"
Ishtar laughed. "This family tree is a wreath! It's circular and flammable!"
Jalter grabbed popcorn (from Raiden's inventory). "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Mash raised her shield. "Lord Camelot: Daddy Issues Mode!"
She charged Lancelot. "Why are you serving the Lion King?! Why are you killing civilians?!"
Melusine launched herself. "Hollow Heart Albion!"
She charged Lancelot. "Die, impostor! Give me the copyright to the name!"
Lancelot (Saber) panicked.
"Wait! Let's discuss this! I am a Knight of the Round! I have dignity!"
BONK.
Mash hit him with the shield.
SLASH.
Melusine cut his armor.
Lancelot, being the strongest knight in pure skill, parried both attacks, but he was sweating bullets.
"Tristan! Wake up! Help me! My daughter and my doppelganger are jumping me!"
Tristan groaned from the bakery ruins. "How... sad. I am pretending to be unconscious."
Raiden watched for ten seconds.
"Okay. Enough."
[Lust: Sovereign's Command - Father Figure Authority]
"SIT. DOWN."
The gravity in the street increased tenfold.
Lancelot (Saber) was forced to his knees.
Mash froze mid-swing.
Melusine hovered in place, unable to move.
Raiden walked into the middle of the family circle.
He looked at Lancelot.
"You. You're grounded."
Lancelot gaped. "I am a grown man! A knight!"
Raiden slapped him.
"You're fighting your daughter. That's bad parenting. Go to the corner."
He looked at Melusine.
"You. No killing the in-laws until after dinner."
Melusine pouted. "But he's using my name!"
"He had it first," Raiden noted. "Just call yourself 'Better Lancelot'."
Melusine's eyes lit up. "Better Lancelot... accepted."
Raiden looked at Mash.
"And you, Eggplant. Hit him later. We have a King to visit."
He grabbed Lancelot by the collar of his armor and dragged him up.
"You're coming with us. You're the key to the elevator."
Lancelot sighed, defeated. "This... this is worse than the time Guinevere found my stash of romance novels."
With Lancelot captured (and Tristan still pretending to be dead in the bakery), the path to the Royal Palace was open.
The massive tower of light stood before them.
The Lion King waited at the top.
Bedivere looked at the tower, his hand shaking.
"My King... I have returned."
Raiden patted Bedivere's back.
"Don't worry, Silver Arm. If she's crazy, I'll eat her lance."
Romani (Hologram): "Readings from the tower are off the charts! It's Divine Spirit class! Raiden, be careful. The Rhongomyniad isn't just a lance, it's the anchor of the planet!"
Raiden smirked.
"An anchor? Sounds heavy. High iron content."
He dragged Lancelot toward the palace doors.
"Open up, Dad. Or I'll tell Mash about your search history."
Lancelot turned pale. "Opening! Opening immediately!"
Location: The Throne Room - Camelot
The doors opened.
The room was vast, filled with holy light.
At the end of the hall, on a throne of light, sat a figure.
She looked like Artoria Pendragon, but older, colder, and emanating pure divinity. Her eyes were glowing green. She held the spiral lance Rhongomyniad.
The Lion King (Goddess Rhongomyniad).
She looked down at the group.
"Bedivere," she spoke, her voice echoing like a bell. "You have wandered for a long time."
She looked at Raiden.
Her divine eyes narrowed.
"And you. The Beast of the Void. The Devourer."
Raiden stepped forward, releasing Lancelot.
"Nice place," Raiden said, looking at the ceiling. "Very bright. Do you have a dimmer switch?"
The Lion King stood up.
"I am preserving humanity in my lance. You are a threat to my eternal museum."
She raised the Lance.
"Begone."