Fate: I Will Eventually Become the Hero of Justice

Chapter 174

"Why are you still wasting time, Arax? Prince Lancelot is waiting," Shirou said in a cold tone. "Don't ruin the mood and make sure you have a 'proper' match with him."

Shirou emphasized the word 'proper' with a threatening tone, making it clear he meant business.

It was obvious that if Merlin dared to slack off now, he would not hesitate to give him a beating when they returned. He would even enlist the help of Morgan, Artoria, and the others!

The verbal sparring between the kings was a battle of wits and courage, focusing on emotional intelligence, information, and expression. It required skillful mental defense and sharp language, and every word had to be carefully considered. It was an exhausting ordeal.

He had worked hard to get them to this point. If Merlin messed it up, Shirou's patience would be tested to the limit, and he might just explode.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Merlin said reluctantly as he set aside his staff and picked up a sword from an attendant. He then stood facing Lancelot.

Lancelot put away his holy sword Arondight and took up a regular sword instead. He spoke in a serious tone, "Even though I've put away my holy sword, I still intend to take this seriously. Be on guard, Arax!"

"Go on, Lancelot! Show King Arthur the power of Benoic!"

"To let a magus use swordsmanship against Lancelot, King Arthur must be confused or perhaps underestimates the valor of the brave men of Benoic."

"I doubt it will take three strikes. Lancelot will likely knock the sword out of the magus's hand with just one hit, won't he?"

The king's generals cheered and rallied behind Lancelot.

They thought that by having a mage use swordsmanship against Lancelot, Shirou was underestimating their abilities. They cheered Lancelot on, eager for him to put on a good show!

King Ban picked up a bowl of grape wine and drank it while squinting his eyes at the arena.

As Lancelot was his son, he was familiar with his abilities. King Ban believed that Lancelot could probably knock Arax's sword out of his hand with just one strike, without having to use a second one!

However...

With a loud "clang" sound, Merlin deflected Lancelot's sword with just three strikes and pointed the tip of his sword at Lancelot's neck.

"How...is this possible?!" everyone was stunned, and even Lancelot was left dumbfounded. Despite claiming he would give his best against a mage, he had been a bit careless.

But as they began to fight, he immediately felt the pressure. It wasn't strength or agility, but rather the sheer suppression of skill level!

Merlin's sword struck straight through Lancelot's defenses, as if he had anticipated his every move. His sword was like a ghost snake, coiling around Lancelot's sword before knocking it away with ease!

Was this really the kind of swordsmanship one would expect from a mage?

The most important thing was that if this were a real battlefield...

Lancelot couldn't help but tremble in fear as he stared at the tip of Merlin's sword.

Merlin set down his sword, retrieved his staff, and approached Shirou, saying, "I'm glad I could keep my promise, Your Majesty!"

Shirou nodded and smiled as he looked at the surprised King Ban, "It seems I won't be needing my sword tonight. I apologize for ruining everyone's fun."

"Arthur, why not give it another try? Lancelot was just caught off guard earlier!"

"Exactly! Anyone would have been caught off guard facing a mage!"