84 Human King vs God King
"Hmm?"
Lamorak suddenly paused, realizing that his heart rate had gradually returned to normal.
This meant that the magecraft exerted on him had vanished.
The rest of the knights also stood up, exchanging puzzled glances, completely unaware of what had just occurred.
"Let's not dwell on it for now; dealing with the enemies in front of us is the most important." Lamorak furrowed his brow slightly and said to the knights.
The knights jolted back to reality, suddenly remembering they were on the battlefield. They immediately cast aside all other thoughts and responded loudly.
""YES!""
===
On the ground, the war between humans and monsters was gradually reaching its climax.
Both sides had become completely frenzied, unleashing their last reserves in a desperate struggle.
In the skies above, the battle between the God King from the past and the Human King from the present had just entered an intense phase.
*Swoosh—!*
*Cling!* *Clang!* *Cling!* *Clang!*
Claiomh Solais and Caliburn clashed with a deafening sound of metal meeting metal, sending blinding sparks flying everywhere. The speed of their sword swings was inhuman, and the force was enough to easily cleave the mountain as a tempest of energy enveloped an area of nearly five hundred meters in all directions.
Profound black eyes and brilliant golden eyes locked onto each other, radiating an icy indifference and a fiery determination.
"Huff..."
Arkhan exhaled a scorching breath, a result of his overflowing magical energy.
It was two whole months since the first awakening of the Black Dragon Body, and during this time, the power that Nidhogg had sealed within him had gradually fused with his body, making him twice as strong as when he first awakened.
Now, his body contained a seemingly boundless reservoir of magical energy, allowing him to unleash attacks almost on par with 'B+ Rank' Noble Phantasms with every movement alone.
Surging magical energy swirled around Arkhan, faintly taking on a silhouette of a black dragon. Its pitch-black vertical pupils reflected apocalyptic scenes, and its death-infused wings acted like a protective shield, perched on his shoulders.
This was a new power that manifested after the further awakening of the Black Dragon Body.
Arkhan called it the 'Black Dragon Guardian'.
Although it wasn't as outrageous as Artoria's 'Avalon', its defensive capabilities were enough to withstand an attack from 'A Rank' Noble Phantasm.
Furthermore, the Black Dragon Guardian possessed the ability to influence the minds of its opponents. Those who met the gaze of the black dragon eyes' silhouette gradually succumbed to fear. Weaker-willed individuals might even collapse on the spot.
However, this level of mental influence was utterly ineffective against opponents like Nuada.
As a King of the Tuatha De Danann, a god who had seen countless battles and reached the realm of the 'God of War', Nuada's willpower was basically invulnerable. Even if a goddess renowned for her 'charm' stripped naked before him, he would remain unfazed.
Therefore, Arkhan piled the power of Fenghuang Down onto the Black Dragon Guardian, instantly boosting its mental interference capabilities by several levels.
He wasn't sure if this would make any difference, but in this life-and-death battle, he wasn't going to give up on even a one percent chance of victory.
"Haaa—!"
Nuada let out a low growl as his sword, Claiomh Solais, suddenly radiated like a rising sun, and he brought it down with full force.
Arkhan instinctively raised his Caliburn to block the strike. A thunderous collision ensued, and it felt like a mountain had descended upon him.
*CLANG—!!!*
The terrifying force transmitted through the sword caused the silhouette of the black dragon to tremble as if it might dissipate at any moment.
"Ugh!"
Arkhan emitted a muffled groan and was instantly pushed back hundreds of meters. His right hand that gripped the Caliburn trembled slightly as a trickle of blood wound its way down, resembling a small river.
"You clearly don't know how to use a sword." Nuada said in a deep voice.
"As expected from the God of War of the Tuatha De Danann. I thought I had disguised it pretty well, but I can't keep anything from your sharp eyes."
Instead of anger, Arkhan replied with a carefree smile, openly admitting to Nuada's observation, without any attempt at evasion.
Yes, though it might sound unbelievable, Arkhan had never actually learned anything about swordsmanship all these years.
Neither Scathach nor Cu Chulainn had ever imparted any sword techniques to him. Both of them had an almost fanatical obsession with spears, showing disdain for any other weapons. Though Scathach was known as a master of all weapons, she was a spear maniac and Arkhan never saw her wield other types of weapons.
When he first started his martial training, Arkhan had struggled vigorously against this reality. After all, in the world of Nasuverse, Lancer was infamous for their 'bad luck' and that wasn't something to be taken lightly.
The proof of that was how Lancer Servants in the anime always had miserable ends.
However, no matter what reasons Arkhan presented, Scathach remained resolute in her stance and refused to let him wield other types of weapons.
At that time, he was still young, with no room for resistance in the face of the mysterious power known as 'Mother's Authority'.
However, whether it was due to the presence of the Abyss Flower or his past life's influence, even after learning spearmanship, his luck didn't turn too bad.
Arkhan understanding of swords, on the other hand, was solely based on the impressions he had gathered from watching Artoria's practice. When it came to swordsmanship, he estimated he couldn't even measure up to Kay.
Due to the immense magical energy bestowed upon him by the Black Dragon Body, Arkhan never considered delving into swordsmanship further.
—If I can take down my enemies with a single stroke, why bother with sword techniques?
Unfortunately, this time, Arkhan wasn't facing the weak foes of the past. He confronted the God King of the Tuatha De Danann, who held the Divine Construct, Claiomh Solais.
"I advise you to bring out your true strength now, or you won't have any chance left."
Nuada said with a stern tone as his patience waned even with his temperament. Throughout history, this new king of Camelot named Arkhan was the first opponent who dared to conceal his true power in front of him.
"What a coincidence, I have the same idea."
Sheathing Caliburn to his waist, a tangible black-and-white radiance enveloped Arkhan's hands, transforming into a massive lance in the blink of an eye.
Arkhan extended his hands, gripping the lance's shaft, which slowly split apart into two amidst a faint and hazy light.
In his left hand, he held a black spear known as 'Black Abyss' suffused with an aura of boundless death.
In his right hand, he held a white spear known as 'White Flower' emanating an aura of boundless life.
Compared to the previous massive lance, these two weapons which resulted from splitting the Abyss Flower, had a noticeable difference in size, appearing nearly identical to regular spears.
*BOOOM—!*
As Arkhan grasped both spears, his aura suddenly changed, shooting up like a rocket. It was as if he transformed into a different person.
Nuada tightened his grip on Claiomh Solais, his golden eyes reflecting a strong sense of apprehension. Naturally, he understood that only now, at this very moment, his opponent was revealing his true power.
Casually swinging the two spears, a faint smile appeared on Arkhan's face.
"Are you ready? The real battle begins now."
===
Author's Note:
The original Abyss Flower takes the form of a lance. In this fanfiction, I've chosen to transform it into two spears upon separation. This idea is inspired by the official Honkai Impact 3rd manga "Elan Palatinus" where Eleanor Schariac wields Black Abyss in spear form.
