Chapter 88: Chance to fully unlock Excalibur
Arthur frowned, but didn’t ask about it again.
He paused for a moment before gesturing toward the fading green light of the sliced shield. "Besides... that shield is only a fake, there was no way it would’ve blocked me."
He spoke of the defense with complete indifference, highlighting the fundamental flaw in relying on an imitation.
He scoffed lightly, his golden crown shimmering under the brilliant illumination of his throne as he added, "Even if you somehow had the original, it still wouldn’t make a difference."
Leon unsummoned the shield, watching as the two cleanly severed halves of the green barrier dissolved into fine particles of light and were sucked right back into his ring.
He held his hand over his bleeding torso, looking up at Arthur with a furrowed brow as he muttered, "Why’s that....?"
Arthur burst into loud, booming laughter, the sound echoing endlessly through the dark expanse before he looked down at Leon and said, "That’s cause the original was destroyed by me, a long time ago."
He shared the ancient secret with a proud, casual grin, revealing that he had already shattered the legendary shield in a forgotten era.
Despite his confident words and boastful demeanor, Arthur was troubled inwardly as he evaluated the situation.
Behind his calm, relaxed expression, his mind churned with heavy questions regarding the origin of the strange equipment bound to the young warrior’s soul.
’Why would Athena, the goddess of wisdom, create an even weaker version of Aegis? It doesn’t make any sense.’ he thought.
He knew the strategic mind of the goddess, making the existence of a fragile, secondary replica of her famous shield an absolute mystery that defied logical explanation.
He didn’t think of it for long though, pushing the puzzling mystery to the back of his mind as he turned his full attention back to Leon.
The pressing matter of judging the young man’s worthiness and testing his resolve took immediate priority over gods motives for now.
He raised Excalibur slightly, pointing the golden tip of the holy blade directly at the battered hunter as he said, "You stand no chance, will you give up now?"
His voice carried weight, offering Leon a chance to surrender gracefully and accept his judgment without enduring further physical destruction.
Leon chuckled dryly, a dark, raspy sound escaping his throat as blood trickled down his chin. He tightened his grip on his sword, wiping the crimson stain from his mouth with the back of his bruised hand.
"No, I already told you, I’ll make you eat your words." he said.
Arthur’s lips curled slightly into a faint smile, his golden eyes flashing with a mix of mild amusement as he looked at the stubborn boy, saying, "I don’t know if I’ll call that bravery or stupidity."
Leon didn’t answer the king’s mockery, choosing instead to roar at the top of his lungs, "Unleash Excalibur!"
The blade immediately lit up with a blinding, golden light, shining brilliantly and cutting straight through the thick darkness.
Leon’s hair rapidly turned into a brilliant golden color, starting at the top middle of his head and sweeping downward before stopping right at the edges.
The transformation was instant and dramatic, altering his appearance as holy power surged violently through his body.
The edges of his hair were still black, but they thrummed with intense, raw power, floating slightly in mid-air along with the rest of his golden strands.
The aura rippled through the air like a localized storm, bending light and physics around his entire silhouette.
His dark eyes turned a bright, divine golden as well, crackling violently with sacred flames and arcs of golden lightning.
The energy danced across his pupils, reflecting the surge of divine power that was currently surging through his veins and muscles.
Arthur scoffed lightly under his breath, looking at the transformed young player with an unimpressed, almost bored expression on his face.
He rested his weapon casually over his shoulder and said, "Radiant Ascension, huh... do you really think that would change anything?"
Leon gnashed his teeth in silent frustration, knowing deep within himself that Arthur was completely right.
His jaw tightened as the overwhelming reality of their massive power gap weighed heavily on his mind, refusing to leave any room for false hope or blind arrogance.
He could feel an immense, terrifying amount of power coursing endlessly through his body, but he also knew that even this boosted state was far from enough to beat Arthur in a direct clash.
The pressure radiating off the king was simply on a completely different level, making him feel like an ant before a mountain.
Arthur also had Excalibur in his hands, and he hadn’t even used a single one of its skills yet, yet he was already overwhelming Leon easily with basic strikes.
The ancient king hadn’t even broken a sweat or taken a serious fighting stance throughout their entire encounter.
The worst part was that Arthur’s Excalibur was probably fully unlocked also, meaning he would be able to draw more power from it then Leon ever could.
Even if Radiant Ascension managed to even the scales for a brief while and allow him to trade a few blows, he would still inevitably lose once the skill’s duration ran out.
The severe stamina drain would leave him completely defenseless, at the mercy of the man.
Leon frowned deeply, his golden eyes narrowing into sharp slits as he gripped the burning hilt of Excalibur with both of his trembling hands.
He tightened his stance, taking a deep breath and thinking to himself, ’But still... I have to try. This is my chance to fully unlock Excalibur!’
Apart from that, he also wanted to show Arthur that he was wrong about him being a ’dishonorable’ fighter that was unworthy to wield the holy blade.
Sure he might not be a noble knight like the king, but Excalibur was his at the end of the day, and he wouldn’t allow an old king reject him from unlocking its full power.