Chapter Eighteen: Lancelot's Defeat

"𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹d. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹," 

- 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲

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Alaric POV

It took me a long while to calm down from my rage "exhale... that's much better," I muttered letting out a deep breath. The aftermath of my outburst left me feeling drained, but I managed to regain my composure just as a knight approached.

"Sir Alaric the battle between Sir Lancelot and Sir Agravaine will be starting soon enough I would suggest you head there now unless you want to be late," the knight informed me.

"Ah right thank you," I replied giving a quick nod I had almost forgotten about those two facing each other. I knew Lancelot was going to win he's the most skilled and currently most powerful of the knights under her majesty compared to Agrovaine who was a bit below him and Gawaine. 

When I arrived to the stands the crowd, I could see that the battle between the two had already begun 

Lancelot fought like the skilled warrior he really was compared to Agrovaine who was currently fighting like a rageful beast. 

Agrovaine gave a shout his sword aimed at Lancelot's midsection Lancelot calmly sidestepped gracefully parrying the blow with his sword and countering with a swift slash aimed at Agravaine's shoulder "my if I didn't know any better Sir Agrovaine I'd say you were trying to kill me with the way you're fighting me right now," said the knight of the lake. 

 Agrovaine blocked Lancelot's shoulder strike their swords now locked against one another although one could see that Lancelot was clearly going to win. 

His sword was no ordinary one but rather a holy sword that can be considered to be the counterpart to the king's Excalibur, its name was Arondight. Agrovaine's own weapon was just an ordinary crafted sword that possessed no special abilities. 

"Perhaps you should spend less time talking Sir Lancelot and more time focusing on this fight!" Agrovaine replied through gritted teeth

With a grunt Agrovaine pushed Lancelot back and swung his sword in a wide arc Lancelot ducked rolling to the side and coming up with a swift thrust aimed at Agravaine's leg. 

Agrovaine jumped back his eyes narrowing as he reassessed his opponent "you are without a doubt certainly the most skilled in the round Lancelot but never forget I am Agrovaine of the Iron Hand the most ruthless knight that has never tasted defeat from any battle," Agrovaine said his voice dripping with contempt while his eyes took on a more crimson like tint.

Lancelot's eyes narrow at this his grip on Arondight tightening "and yet you wonder why most of the other knights dislike you so much Agrovaine" he replied lunging forward with a strike.

Agrovaine parried and blocked each blow his sword moving with practiced ease he countered with a powerful overhead strike that Lancelot barely managed to deflect. 

The force of the blow drove Lancelot to one knee but he quickly rolled to the side avoiding Agravaine's follow-up strike aimed at his head.

Rising to his feet Lancelot circled Agravaine looking for an opening, but Agravaine pressed his advantage launching a series of rapid sword strikes that forced Lancelot to stay on the defensive.

I watched their match with an impassive gaze, but my hands were clenched in both anticipation and worry for my teacher. I had thought that he would certainly have won by now but seeing Agrovaine's ruthless style of fighting I may very well have been wrong about the outcome of this battle.

Agravaine swung his sword in a powerful arc aimed at Lancelot's torso. Lancelot caught the blade with his own the impact sending a jolt up his arm. Using the momentum Lancelot twisted his sword disarming Agravaine with a deft flick of his wrist.

The crowd gasped as Agravaine's sword flew through the air landing several feet away. Lancelot moved in for the finishing blow, but Agravaine was ready. With a swift unexpected movement, he swept Lancelot's legs out from under him sending the knight crashing to the ground.

"Skilled you may be Lancelot, yet you could have been better if you dedicated more time in training instead of perverting around with the women at the bars," Agrovaine said with a sneer of disdain "and clearly you've passed this particular habit of being such a gentleman to your former apprentice over there," he continued shooting a look at me causing me to grit my teeth together. 

He opens his mouth to speak again when the King's voice came forth from the stand "that is enough Sir Agrovaine the match is over return back to your quarters," she said. 

Agrovaine gave one last glare towards Lancelot's down form before complying "if it's a fight you want Agrovaine then it's a fight you'll get," I whispered never noticing my eyes shifting into a sinister yellow color while bits of darkness began to fly out from my cape. 

Retreating back to my own quarters I quickly took my halberd equipping it over my back I then placed my helmet on and left Lot's castle heading deep into the forest. 

For the rest of that day, I trained going through all the movements that I knew of with the halberd. 

Darkness soon engulfed the spear spinning it around I unleashed large rapid slashes of darkness that practically decimated the area around me "Fury of Darkness...that's a good attack name," I mutter stabbing the spear down in the dirt. 

I took a small break on a small boulder watching the endless blue sky bringing my right hand up I bought forth a small fume of darkness watching it wrap around my hand just like I had done so many times before. 

Closing my eyes I focus on a particular memory the image of my supposed future self-one where flames of pure darkness wrapped around him as he started one shotting a bunch of nameless knights that had him surrounded. 

My hand closes the smokey visage of darkness shifts opening my eyes I am met with black, purple like flames that emitted enough heat to start leaving smoke in the air. 

Standing up from my position on the boulder I get into a spear throwing stance only my right hand was pulled back instead of a spear "hrahhhhhh!!" I roared letting the flame of darkness shoot out from my hand a streak of black and purple was all I saw until an explosion of flames went off incinerating everything in sight.

Steam emits off from my gauntleted hand "not enough," I whispered as I reached out grabbing my halberd and went over the same process of training with an imaginary opponent. 

 -end of chapter eighteen- 

next chapter will cover a very motivated Alaric vs Agrovaine then the time skip.