Artorius vs Space Lion King (II)

In the next moment, if Artorius couldn't find the solution, his heart would be pierced by the charging Space Lion King.

He could only helplessly withdraw from the battle, just like the other Artorias who had long been eliminated, watching the battle within the bounded field with envy and resentment, and hoping that the new head of the Pendragon would treat him a little better.

'No, this won't do.'

'I can't accept that outcome!'

'Think, Artorius, think! What possible way is there to take her down?!'

Artorius entered a state of deep contemplation.

From ancient times to today, the mode of warfare has always revolved around the interaction between cavalry and anti-cavalry tactics. It wasn't until the appearance of modern professional armies, with their disciplined rifle volleys, bayonet charges, and artillery barrages, that cavalry suffered a heavy blow, transforming them from the main force to a supporting role in larger armies.

Later on, they were relegated to the annals of history by barbed wire and machine gun fire.

Before that, the methods to counter cavalry were limited.

Terrain advantage meant utilizing forests, mountains, ditches, marshes, rivers, and other geographical features to restrict the mobility of cavalry.

However, this clearly wasn't suitable for the current situation.

Space Lion King had unmatched speed and strength, and her steed could theoretically navigate any terrain. So, relying on terrain to counter her was impossible.

Next came infantry formations.

Crossbows, combined with long spears, large axes, war pikes, and polearms, were anti-cavalry weapons used by well-equipped and trained infantry formations. In a head-to-head confrontation, infantry could gain the upper hand, provided they were well-prepared and had all their equipment ready.

However, in most cases, cavalry formations could simply choose to withdraw and pick another battlefield. With their superior mobility, they could dictate the strategic initiative.

The impact of having greater tactical mobility on the battlefield has been proven in countless wars throughout history, both ancient and modern, across different cultures.

Now that he thought about it, nomadic cavalry actually had even greater strategic mobility in agricultural areas than on the open plains. There were plenty of fields providing nutritious grain for horses, which was more sustainable and nourishing than dry grass, making their steeds more formidable.

'No, wait, what am I thinking at a time like this?!'

Artorius gritted his teeth.

Despite the lengthy contemplation earlier, in real-time, only a split second had passed. He was just thinking extraordinarily fast.

Yet, even with the swiftest of thinking, there was only a fraction of a moment left before he would be impaled by Space Lion King's lance, as fast as light.

He had nowhere to retreat and no way to escape.

"..."

'There's only one option now.'

In that instant, Artorius made a decision.

Charging cavalry were invincible.

But this 'invincibility' only referred to their offensive capabilities. Charging cavalry, due to their speed, resolute posture, and inertia of their charges, could barely evade any attacks.

However, Space Lion King's Cosmic Rhongomyniad and Avalon armor meant that she didn't need to worry about defense, but her steed did.

'Attack the mount... But earlier, when I used a light beam, her lance blocked it effortlessly. So, what else is there that's stronger than a light beam?'

'What else, what else, what else...'

"..."

'Let's go for it.'

He thought of a tactic. Whether this tactic would work or not, even Artorius himself didn't know. But regardless, it was his final chance.

"Farewell, Artorius!"

Space Lion King moved faster than sound, so Artorius couldn't hear her words. But by looking into her eyes, he understood what she wanted to convey.

"Speaking like that now is still too early..." Artorius responded with a certain look in his eyes.

Faced with a holy lance charging directly at him, his response was to attack, to counterattack.

He didn't stand still, nor did he show any intention of dodging or blocking.

With his will pouring into the scabbard of Avalon, he completely released its restraint, forming a frosty-silver bounded field around him. At the same time, he raised his own Rhongomyniad, aiming at the chest of Space Lion King.

He certainly didn't have her Cosmic Pegasus capable of flying at the speed of light. But that didn't matter.

"Gaia, you have to give me your full support!"

Artorius quickly contacted Gaia.

"Release Rhongomyniad with all your might! Lend me all your power!"

"Uh, but..."

"No 'buts'! Do as I say! Otherwise, face the consequences!"

"Y-Yes!"

Artorius's firm attitude immediately subdued Gaia.

'Ended! I'll definitely get played ruthlessly in a thousand ways by this terrible human. If I don't help him, he'll definitely do it.'

Thinking like that, Gaia couldn't help but shiver. Earth was once again entering a period of frequent earthquakes.

At the same time, Artorius felt it, felt the surge of his power, rising at an unimaginable speed.

No, this wasn't his power; it belonged to Rhongomyniad. The power of Rhongomyniad, combined with the power of Avalon, greatly enhanced his capabilities in both offense and defense.

Rhongomyniad, originally a lance-style weapon, was now fully awakened. Radiance enveloped the holy lance, turning it into an exaggerated and terrifying drill-like monster.

"Thought size equated to strength?! You're too naive, Artorius!"

In the next moment, Artorius clashed head-on with Space Lion King, Rhongomyniad vs. Cosmic Rhongomyniad!

*BOOOM!*

In the piercing sound of clashing weapons, both lance encountered the defense of their respective Avalon. In terms of defense, Artorius, who held the tactical advantage, had a slight upper hand.

Of course, this advantage wasn't significant, nor was it particularly obvious. After all, Avalon was Avalon, known for its perfect defense.

In the original story, Avalon could even withstand the attack from the Ea of Gilgamesh. And now, with Gaia's blessing, Artorius's defense was not merely doubled.

"Is this one of your trump cards? It's quite impressive, but not enough. Avalon is indeed an 'absolute defense', but son, have you ever seen the invincible lance from the galaxy?"

"What?!"

Under Artorius's astonished gaze, and amidst Gaia's tearful exclamation of 'Eh?!', the perfect and invincible frosty-silver bounded field of Avalon, Earth's mightiest defense, was pierced by the invader from outer space—representing the concepts of 'order' and 'power' for the entire Sapphire Galaxy.

When Cosmic Rhongomyniad was fully unleashed, its power surpassed the limits that Avalon could withstand.

On a personal level, this moment meant that Space Lion King pierced Artorius's bounded field. But on a planetary level, it meant that her star-destroyer lance had shattered Earth's orbital defense. This symbolized the complete collapse of Earth's defense, giving an opening to the invader from outer space.

"It's over!" Gaia, witnessing this scene, fell into despair.

At the same time, as Space Lion King's lance pierced Artorius's Avalon, she revealed a confident smile.

"Goodbye, Artorius!"

"No, it's not over yet!"

In the next instant, Artorius's lance also pierced Space Lion King's Avalon armor.

Regardless, this was Earth, his home turf, where Rhongomyniad's power was pushed to the limit. Although it still lagged far behind Cosmic Rhongomyniad, his Rhongomyniad was enough to break through her defense.

Stronger offense, weaker defense. At this moment, both Space Lion King and Artorius found themselves in this situation.

So, what would be the next result? Mutual destruction?

The tip of their lances aimed at their respective hearts, and the next instant should have been a mutually destructive outcome!

"Eliminated!"

"Both of them are about to be eliminated, hooray!"

At the same time, Every Artoria Species who watched the battle of Artorius and Space Lion King also noticed this, and they all wore joyful smiles.

Both Artorius and Space Lion King were formidable opponents. Eliminating them both at once would significantly increase their chances of becoming the winner.

Moreover, it was not them who eliminated Artorius, but Space Lion King. Meaning that they wouldn't be hated or resented by their son, and they didn't need to worry about his favorable impression of them reduced. It was truly a double stroke of luck.

Lost in their happiness and distraction, several Heroines fell victim to the other Artorias in the chaos.

At the same time, Artorius felt waves of heat emanating from his chest, indicating that he was about to be pierced.

However, he was not hopeless.

Avalon's recovery and Third Magic.

Those two were other abilities Artorius was betting on.

Exchanging injuries and relying on his formidable regenerative ability to secure victory.

Of course, this move was still dangerous. The pain from the pierced arm from earlier was not a joke, and his own True Magic might not be able to counteract Space Lion King's lance. So, the probability of mutual destruction was the highest.

In a moment of hesitation, Artorius slightly lowered the tip of his lance, choosing to pierce Space Lion King's abdomen rather than her chest.