Join the Fight

"No matter who you are, you're not allowed to harm my brother!"

Mordred swung her sword, blocking Scathach's attack.

"Oh?"

Scathach's attitude was slightly peculiar in response to this action.

"A lively child, huh? I don't dislike it... but by saying those words, you understand that you've become the target of my wrath in his place, right?"

"No matter who you are, no matter what you intend to do, hurting my brother is unacceptable!"

"Oh? You've been educated well. Let me see then, aside from your big talk, what else do you have."

While speaking, Scathach brandished her dual spears, unleashing a fierce and swift storm-like assault that engulfed Mordred.

Scathach's attitude was relaxed, and her demeanor was equally carefree. It was evident that she didn't consider the battle against Mordred as something too significant or consequential.

"Damn it!"

In contrast, Mordred, despite her fierce determination and desire for victory, fell short compared to Scathach in the most crucial aspect—strength.

If one were to compare their stats, Mordred was considerably inferior to Artorius. After all, he was the 'Frost Dragon', while Mordred was just a young dragon.

However, when it came to pure technique, Mordred was somewhat stronger than Artorius.

As mentioned before, Artorius was a leader with a larger army and territory. He was a ruler. That's why he rarely took matters into his own hands to defeat someone. It was more common for warriors like Mordred to handle such tasks. As a result, she gained more experience points than him.

Although Mordred appeared foolish on the surface, it was mostly a facade.

The true Mordred was intelligent, even cunning. Especially after receiving Artorius's careful guidance over the past two years, her adaptability in actual combat had grown stronger.

Therefore—

"You can do it, Little Mo."

From the rear, Artorius acted as a cheerleader, encouraging and supporting Mordred. And now, she had realized that her strength fell far short of Scathach's, and if she continued to engage in a head-on fight, she would definitely be no match for her. So, just like the previous battle between Artorius and Scathach, she switched from offense to defense, employing numerous tactics.

"You're a clever child. I don't dislike that."

Watching this scene unfold, Scathach's lips curled up, revealing a pleased smile.

"Damn you!"

Although Scathach's statement was not intended as mockery, it felt that way to Mordred. And just like an angered lion, her fur stood on end.

"I will definitely defeat you!"

Meanwhile, Artorius had completely taken on the role of a bystander and began analyzing the match between Scathach and Mordred.

'Little Mo's physical attributes are almost on par with Scathach. However, her combat experience and technique are far inferior to Scathach...'

'Hmm, today Scathach didn't use magecraft and solely relied on martial skills alone to fight. But even so, the chances of Mordred winning are not high. It's a 70-30.'

While Artorius was thinking this, he was earnestly observing Scathach and Mordred's moves, trying to grasp their fighting styles and tactical considerations. He pondered whether he could integrate these techniques and ideas with his own to enhance his own strength.

'Scathach is truly amazing. Every inch makes her stronger. Perhaps I should learn some spearmanship as well. They seem advantageous in one-on-one combat.'

Artorius couldn't help but contemplate.

Recalling the battle between Diarmuid and Artoria during the Fourth Holy Grail War, it all felt quite strange. It was one sword versus dual spears, and in the end, without unleashing their Noble Phantasms, the odds were evenly split.

This probably indicated that Artoria's actual combat prowess was stronger than Diarmuid's.

"Keep it up, Little Mo!" Artorius encouraged his sister while letting his mind wander.

"Oooooh!" Mordred responded, whether in anger or in acknowledgment of her brother's call, it was hard to tell. But one thing was certain, after Artorius's words of encouragement, she seemed to have gained a significant boost, and her combat prowess had become even stronger.

'They have such a good bond.' Scathach couldn't help but think as she witnessed the scene.

Then she shifted her attention to Artorius and playfully said, "Hey, hiding in the back while your little sister fights in the front, are you even a man?"

Artorius replied with a relaxed tone, "I had my turn a couple of days ago. It was more like an introductory test for the new disciples. So this time, it's Little Mo's turn."

"Heh..." Scathach chuckled, her long purple hair flowing. It seemed odd to have long hair like that during a battle, as it would typically be a hindrance. However, Scathach had infused her flowing locks with magecraft, allowing them to effortlessly dodge her own weapons, line of sight, and even her skin.

On the other hand, Mordred occasionally found her face tickled by stray strands of her hair, causing a slight itch. It was frustrating for her as she couldn't scratch it with her hands, leading to a feeling of discomfort that made her fiercely angry. She let out an irritated howl.

"I had the same thought as—"

Mordred began to speak, but before she could finish, multiple magical spears appeared behind Scathach, numbering a total of thirty-two. They were all Gae Bolgs, identical in style and seemingly just as powerful as the two red spears she held in her hand.

"Seeing you enjoying yourself so freely, makes me feel annoyed," Scathach said, and all the red spears were unleashed toward Artorius in unison.

"Oh!" At first, Artorius contemplated mimicking Berserker Lancelot when using 'Knight of Owner' against Gilgamesh. But unfortunately, his combat skills were slightly inferior to Lancelot's after he became a Berserker Heroic Spirit.

The barrage of magical spear attacks unleashed by Scathach with her long spear was far more potent than those of Gilgamesh since he simply haphazardly threw his 'collection' of weapons without the level of mastery and familiarity that she possessed.

So, after reluctantly intercepting the first spear and using it to deflect the second, Artorius abandoned the spear and drew his sword, Clarent.

After all, using an unfamiliar weapon in battle was akin to suicide.

And thus, Artorius Pendragon joined the fight.