Chapter 19

Artoria and the roundtable could be seen marching along with Leodegrance's army toward Vortigern's castle, where the battle to free Britain will go down.

Artoria sat upon her horse thinking about what was going to go down between her and Vortigern when Leodegrance strolled up on his horse.

"Where is Sir Sirius? I haven't seen him with your other knights."

Artoria shook her head. "He had something to do. Don't worry with his magecraft he will be at the battle."

At first Leodegrance almost blew a fuse. Had something to do? Right now?

"Might as well not show up if he is such a coward." Leodegrance snorted in disgust at Sirius's supposed cowardice.

Then the area he was in felt cold as Artoria's bloodlust leaked out. "Never call one of my knights a coward Leodegrance. You may be helping us take on Vortigern's forces but we will still be doing most of the work."

The king left with the perpetual feeling of fear in Artoria. That's when Merlin appeared. "Not the wisest thing to say to him. You could have agreed and just brushed off. Now he's probably afraid of you and won't be able to stand your presence."

Artoria shook her head. "He has always been there for me, I can't defame him like that. He said he would be there to have my back."

Merlin shook his head. "And if he doesn't show up?"

Artoria shot a look at him. "Merlin if you can't have faith in the man whom is your student. Then have faith in the man that is my friend." Then she left Merlin to stew in his thoughts.

'Friend aye? Well Sirius hope you can prove her words right.'

…

Sirius cycled prana through his eyes again and again gaining a deeper level of connection each time. When he was done he sighed and got up.

"Time to go love?" Sirius nodded.

Vivian chuckled as she wondered what Merlin would think of Sirius now that he was a lot stronger. "Alright, but remember." Her eyes gained a sharp glint. "You HAVE to come back to me alive ok?"

Sirius nodded. "Of course. If I promised it would work out, t will work out." He kissed her before leaving.

Then he left in a flash of light. Vivian stood there solemnly before shaking her head and casting aside her worries. 'He said he would come back, so he will come back.'

…

Artoria and the knights were in the middle of a meeting with king Leodegrance when the gem Sirius ad given Artoria started glowing. Artoria immediately put it down on the floor and told everyone to give it space.

When the flash was over Sirius stood there in his red robe and black outfit with Arcane strapped to his hip like always. "As promised Your Highness I've come back~" He said with a bow.

Artoria smile. "I knew you would. Was your journey a success?"

Sirius smiled as he opened his closed eyes for everyone to see. "You tell me."

Merlin gawked. "You-, I can't believe you transplanted Mystic Eyes into yourself! Do you even know how dangerous that is? Why didn't you come to me?"

Sirius shook his head. "I had Vivian watch over me as my golem did the operation, she even helped a little. So everything is good~" He said with his thumbs up.

He may despise Merlin for what he did with Vivian and her feelings but the man was still his teacher when it came to magecraft and he can't exactly scorn him right here in front of all these people now can he?

Artoria simply smiled. "I knew you would keep your promise. Are you ready to storm Vortigern's castle?" Sirius nodded. "Good. Knights of the Roundtable, saddle up we have a traitorous king to slay!"

"HOORA!"

Before Sirius and Artoria could leave they were stopped by Merlin. "Before you go Your Majesty, Vortigern is the incarnation of the white dragon, born from within Britain to destroy human civilization and keep the island in the Age of Gods. He drank the blood of the white dragon, lost his humanity, and became the very will and avatar of Britain."

Vivian was born as the Embodiment of the British Isles' Mystery. Vortigern represents the will to keep the Age of Man from progressing hence why he has devolved Britain and is destroying it with his rein.

The king and magus looked at each other and grinned as they turned back to Merlin. "A dragon? We've handled worse~"

…

On his throne Vortigern sat as he listened to the incoming reports of Artoria marching on his kingdom. That's when one of his subjects mention something.

"Sire.....Are you sure that we can combat Arthur Pendragon's and King Leodegrance's combined forces? I mean they have the famed Knights of the Roundtable, especially Sir Sirius Wilhelm. I heard that he was able to defeat a whole fortress, armed with thousands of men all by himself!"

Before he could continue on his head flew off his body with the swipe of a tail. Vortigern turned to his other subject who were shaking in fear at the display.

"Arthur is nothing but a boy playing king! This knight Sirius is nothing in front of me! You will send in our soldiers to defend and you will not run away!"

His voice booming as it vibrated the stone castle's foundations. Even the people outside boarded up in their houses could hear the booming orders Vortigern had given.

Vortigern turned toward his servants. "Fetch me my sword and armor." He smiled, filled to the brim with arrogance. "If I am to march on my nephew's corpse then I will do so gallantly~"

…

Artoria galloped her horse as she inspected the lines of soldiers and knights lined by her side. "You see that castle." She pointed Excalibur at Vortigern's castle. "That is the castle of my uncle. My uncle who terrorizes the people! My uncle who feeds the corrupt nobility! my uncle who killed his own brother for the throne!"

The soldiers moral slowly rose to her words. Artoria stopped at the very front of her army and gazed at the castle. "I will not let you go alone. I will be your sword and shield for the fortress." Then she turned to he soldiers once more. "All I ask of you is to be the sword and shield for the people stuck in their homes, to the people forced to obey a tyrant."

Artoria closed her eyes. "Can you do that?"

""""Yes!""""

Thousands of soldiers spoke in unison. "Good! now then." She hoisted up Excalibur. "Charge!"

She stirred her noble steed forward into a sprinting gallop as Artoria raised Excalibur high in the air, it's blade glowed with it's golden hue. "All right. Let's do this. Sheathed in the breath of the planet, a torrent of shining life. Feel its wrath."

The golden light of the sword exploded forth as a blade of light ready to be wielded as it's master wishes.

"Excalibur!"

The sword of light clashed with the incoming fortress completely demolishing the walls allowing entry for her army. "Ride!" She galloped right in among the hundreds of arrows from the archers still alive from her attack.

Her army followed right behind her dealing with any stragglers that got passed Artoria. Sirius was following Artoria via rooftops as he ran straight to the castle to assist her in taking down Vortigern especially after he found out about Vortigern being a dragon.