Chapter 121.5 – Excalibur
"Kid, I have to admit, you're quite good at making people angry."
"Since you claim your weapons are better than mine, I have to test them out properly."
Shiki sneered as he finished speaking and could no longer endure it. He charged forward and clashed swords with Arton.
Arton, at that moment, did not use his fire or lightning abilities but simply wielded his blade.
Shiki also refrained from using Armament Haki.
He genuinely tested his strength against Arton, wanting to see if Arton's projected Kogarashi and Oto could match the original swords attached to his feet.
He also wanted to confirm whether the combat techniques Arton was using were those he had used when he still had his legs.
As time went on, Shiki's expression grew increasingly grim.
"This kid is really using my combat techniques?"
"And not just any techniques, but the ones from when I still had both my legs?!"
Shiki gritted his teeth, feeling immensely mocked, and the old wounds at his amputated legs seemed to ache again.
At that moment, a strange, crisp sound came from the clash between Shiki's Oto and Arton's Oto.
Shiki's lips curled into a smile.
He knew that sound all too well.
When two blades collided and one of them got nicked, it made that exact sound.
"Arton, you claim your copies are stronger than my originals, but it seems your weapon is the first to give in."
"Or are you planning to use inferior sword skills as an excuse?"
Shiki laughed as he looked at Arton.
"Shiki, take a closer look."
"Whose weapon really gave in first?"
Arton withdrew his Oto and stepped back, pointing at Shiki's Oto with a smile.
Shiki frowned and looked down, and the next moment, his eyes widened in shock.
There, on his famed blade Oto, a nick had appeared.
And that spot was exactly where it had clashed with Arton's Oto earlier.
Charlotte Smoothie: "This is incredible. Arton managed to project a weapon stronger than the original!"
Gion: "If Arton can project an Oto stronger than Shiki's, can he also project a sword stronger than my own?"
Kozuki Hiyori: "It's astonishing! The rule that Emiya Shirou's projections can only be infinitely close to the original weapon doesn't apply here! Is it because Great Grade swords are too ordinary? What level of swords are those 'Noble Phantasms' that Arton mentioned?"
"Captain Hina, did you see that?"
"Arton projected Oto and Kogarashi that are stronger than Shiki's original ones."
Tashigi, lying on the edge of the hot air balloon, stared intently at the battlefield between Arton and Shiki. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and even her body trembled slightly.
"Of course, Hina saw it."
"Tashigi, you shouldn't be too excited. Also, we can't get too close."
Holding a specially made Den Den Mushi, Hina cautiously advised Tashigi.
"But those are famous swords."
"And they belong to the Golden Lion Shiki."
"Such famous swords are rare in the world."
"For so many years, no master craftsman has forged weapons that can be called famous swords."
"But Arton can easily project weapons of the famous sword level."
"He can even project replicas that surpass the original famous swords."
"And, and Arton mentioned earlier that 'Noble Phantasms' are even harder to project."
"Famous swords are already extremely rare treasures in the world."
"What kind of treasures are those 'Noble Phantasms' that Arton mentioned?"
Tashigi spoke excitedly.
Hina glanced at Tashigi. If Arton and Shiki weren't fighting right now, she would suspect that Tashigi, a lover of famous swords, would rush over to talk to Arton about famous swords and 'Noble Phantasms'.
"However, when Arton mentioned 'Noble Phantasms' earlier, he seemed to despise the so-called famous swords."
"It seems that swords labeled as 'Noble Phantasms' are extremely rare and precious."
"Not just Tashigi, but other swordsmen would be very curious about these 'Noble Phantasms' if they knew about them."
"If the world's greatest swordsman, Mihawk, knew that Arton could project and replicate famous swords and these so-called 'Noble Phantasms,' Hina wonders what actions he would take. That man might personally seek out Arton," Hina muttered softly, gazing in the direction of Arton and Shiki.
***
"Shiki, why so silent?" Arton asked with a smile. "Are you doubting that your Oto can't compare to mine? If so, let's have another clash. Once your Oto shows some marks, maybe then you'll accept the reality."
"Arton, you're really good at angering people," Shiki glared coldly at Arton. "I've had enough! You know what, you'd be better off dead."
With a cold glance, Shiki raised both hands, causing the ground beneath Arton to tremble violently. In the next moment, the entire floating island below Arton seemed to come alive and began to break apart.
As Arton lost his footing, he started to fall rapidly, yet he remained calm. Utilizing his projection magic, he created another set of Oto and Kogarashi as stepping stones beneath his feet, allowing him to hover mid-air.
"Humph!" Shiki snorted at the sight of Arton standing on his projected swords. He then clenched his hands together, and the separated earth chunks transformed into several enormous lion heads, lunging at Arton with fierce intent.
"Lion's Might: Earth Roll!"
This was a move Shiki would later use against the Straw Hat Pirates, which ultimately proved more show than substance. However, facing it firsthand, Arton found the attack terrifying. The gigantic lion heads formed from the entire island posed a genuine threat to his life.
"Haha, that's more like it, Shiki. If you don't hit hard, how can I improve?" Arton laughed heartily. To him, only a life-threatening battle could further advance his Emiya Shirou template. Shiki's previous holding back had disappointed him instead.
"In that case, I'll show you some real skills. Projection, begin!"
A hum resonated as magical circuits covered Arton's entire body, and blue-white magical particles sparkled around him.
"Excalibur!" Arton intoned solemnly, his eyes focused.
***
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