68- Summon
We have been waiting for a long time for the tragic king Arthur, also known as Artoria Pendragon, to appear in front of us.
Exactly, if someone calls her Altria, you should punch that person.
Jokes aside, Artoria is now closing her eyes and absorbing the new memories I've given her.
And something extra because I needed a powerhouse and had a lot of points on hand.
She had the appearance of a young girl with a pair of dazzling green eyes whose beauty can only be compared to that of a doll, and in some ways her body was that of one and stayed the same, without aging.
Only Mordred was present this time; Shishou had been away for a few days, and the rest were either uninterested or had better things to do.
I have to say, Mordred's current appearance is... cute?
Like a child about to open a Christmas present.
Mordred knew that after years of training and fighting, her new body, as well as her armor and weapon that had been enchanted, gave her an advantage over her Father.
In other words…
Mordred declared, with a toothy grin and vigor. "Finally! After years of fighting and training I can fight against Father. What do you say? Ahm, I should be stronger than my father, right? " Her toothy grin froze when she saw me, having a smug expression that even Jeanne and Jalter would be proud of.
She is not mistaken; she is stronger than a normal Artoria...
Her trained instincts alerted her to the fact that something was wrong. "I'm stronger than Father... right?" She asks only to see his grin widening.
*Boom*
"Mordred… "
Mordred's entire body came to a halt when she heard that familiar voice, but there was something in it and on her that she didn't recognize.
Mordred could only inquire. "Ahm, what did you do? "
Just then, a darker aura erupted from behind her, and when she turned around, she noticed it.
Her Father's armor, as well as her Sacred Sword, had lost their luster and turned black gaining a sinister feeling to it.
"Y-yes… Father? " Mordred inquired, unsure of what Ahm had done to her Father and wondering how she had become this way, what other changes she should expect.
Ahm would never do something bad to her or her father and she is sure of that after years of living and fighting but… sometimes his ideas end up being quite… chaotic.
Excalibur began to emit a dark and red energy as Artoria grabbed the sword with both hands and raised it to the sky, not before ordering Mordred
"Get ready "
And then with a swing of her sword, a red slash shot towards Mordred at incredible speed.
Mordred evaded the incoming attack, but she was taken aback when she saw the ravine it left on the ground.
It wasn't an attack but more of a test of her own strength but even then...
Father was not this strong.
What exactly did he do to her? "It was the question that popped into Mordred's mind. "Father, can we talk about… this? "
What is Father's motivation for attacking her? She needs to know why, and it can't be a test.
After years of fighting and learning, she realized how important it is to analyze your opponent, especially after following someone like Le Fay who loves to investigate every little thing.
She needs answers, but Artoria didn't stop her assault, putting Mordred's speed, resistance, perception, and even defense to the test as she was bombarded with dozens of attacks, each destroying the terrain until it was a complete shambles.
After a few minutes of evading and fighting back, the entire battlefield had turned into boulders and ravines, to the point where Mordred couldn't see where Artoria was, only rocks and dirt, high as if they were mountains due to how deep she was pushed with the last attack.
Mordred took advantage of the situation to say something to calm her down. "Father! Let's tal- '' However, footsteps were heard on top of one of the larger rocks, but they were too heavy to belong to a person. It sounded like someone was on a mount...
"A… horse? Wait! Why is that horse here? " Mordred exclaimed in disbelief, thinking it was a prank from Ahm, but upon closer inspection of the armored white steed, she saw that it was being mounted by someone, someone familiar and foreign at the same time.
Her figure is tall and curvaceous, dressed in silver and blue armor, a cloak, and a helmet carved to look like a lion's face with a golden mane wielding a spear with a spiral from.
Mordred couldn't help but want to punch an annoying summoner after recognizing her 'form.'
However, the idea was quickly drowned out by the constant assault of an extremely eagger Artoria.
"Now even a caster!? "
…
Later.
…
It's been an hour since the start of the fight and I have to say that I'm surprised by how long Mordred lasted against that monster that I called.
Just took a little 'bribe' to make her fight Mordred.
What is she? Well, I needed someone powerful to support our faction and a normal Artoria won't do so I decided to make use of the fact that she is no longer restricted by the system of fate where she needs to stick to one class.
To resume things, she is a combination of Artorias.
As in many.
This is the only way to strengthen her, especially since Excalibur and Rhongomyniad are both weakened by the nature of their creation.
They both rely on concepts, and they will not be able to regain their strength until those concepts are strengthened and solidified in this world.
Excalibur carrying the 'glory' of humanity would simply take time as her name spreads around the world, especially since the legend of King Arthur already exists in this world.
The issue is not Excalibur, but Rhondomyniad, whose concept is linked to a part of the FATE world, making its true name impossible to reveal...
Even the blessing it carries has been weakened, but it's still a spear with almost no equal in terms of quality and power.
But that doesn't make Artoria any less powerful; on the contrary, she possesses Divinity, or something resembling a Divine spirit, as Shishou did.
That, combined with the experience and memories gained from multiple 'Artorias,' transforms her into a true monster in her own right.
Fortunately, her main personality and memories are based on the Artoria summoned by Emiya, so she will not become a ruthless king; she simply knows more information and possibilities for her paths, including Lily and her Alters.
She has the ability to switch between forms at will, but it appears that she still prefers her original form, based on the fact that she returned to it.
I asked, looking at the girl in front of me with Mordred on her shoulders. "How is it? Do you like your new… bodies? " I need to be sure that she feels comfortable with all this.
She just threw the unconscious Mordred into the couch before answering.
"Yes, It feels strangely natural. You have my gratitude for all… this. " Artoria looked at Mordred, noticing that she appeared happier and more relaxed.
"Will you use this form or the adult version? Your strength should have suffered as a result of the halt in your physical growth." It's natural for it to work that way, but with weapons like Excalibur involved, I can't really confirm it.
"It would be for the best to get used to my grown body, but I feel more at ease in this body," Artoria admitted, which is not surprising.
It's natural to prefer your original body, even if you're someone like me who has been changing form on a daily basis for years, let alone her.
But I must say that her adaptability is admirable, as she handled all of this new information with ease, even smiling slightly when looking at the sleeping Mordred.
"But I have a question: why did you call me? What do you expect from me?" Artoria inquired, curious and concerned, about the true reason for the summoning; she is well aware that this 'gift' was completely unnecessary if her summoning was only to face Mordred so there must be another reason.
"I've already given you a general idea of what's going on in this world and told you that you can return" I tried to confirm if she received the memories at which she nodded
"Have you ever found people you consider your family?" I asked Artoria after looking at Mordred. Artoria nodded, reminiscing about her time with the knights she adored, even if they caused her a few problems now and then.
"Just know that everything I do is for them… So I'll be direct; please lend me your strength, Artoria." I sincerely told her that I wouldn't lose anything if she returned, and I don't want to bind someone against their will, so I always make it clear that they can leave at any time.
We both looked into each other's eyes, but before we could continue, someone jumped at me after she just woke up from her nap.
"It's all your fault! Why did you summon a Super Father instead of a normal one?" Mordred grumbled angrily as he grabbed my shirt.
"Calm yourself," Artoria's voice seemed to calm the enraged Lion cub, but I took advantage of the opportunity to grab her from the waist and place her on my lap.
"Bastard! Get your hands off me!" Mordred tried to fight for her freedom,
"Make me." I decided to play a little bit to calm her down; perhaps the Super Artoria was too much for her.
But Artoria's next words made her stop struggling and look at her father in deslief.
"Many thanks for looking after my unruly... child..." I also gave Artoria a lot of information about what happened in the background with Morgan and Mordred so she could see how wronged Mordred was; her emotions were complicated but sincere, especially after seeing her being so free and wild as she should be, without worries.
Mordred never cared about the throne, the only reason she wanted it is because she had the belief that that will earn her approval, and having the acknowledgment of her loved idol was everything for the young Mordred
Knowing it makes things a lot different...
"Now I'm your child!? Then why were you trying to kill me back there!" Mordred's tone and face may appear angry, but her smile and the sparkling aura around her expressed how much she appreciated being recognized as her child.
Artoria, on the other hand, surprised Mordred by abruptly rising from the couch and striking the table with both hands, her eyes shining while looking at Ahm.
She remembered something!
"Oh? You want it now? " I promised something as motivation to fight Mordred so I guess she wants it now.
Artoria just nodded twice at my question.
"Mmm what about meat? " I remember a recipe from my past life that we used to make.
Artoria nodded twice, this time with more enthusiasm much to Mordred confusion.
"I don't understand, What are the two talking about?" Mordred looked at me as she asked curiously.
"Food. " I gave her a simple and short answer but for Mordred it was a revelation, betrayal even!
Ignoring the socializing duo I started to remember how it was done…
"Food!?"
The meat will be prepared by wrapping it in metal paper, but not before placing liquid, vegetables, species, and other things inside it.
"You attacked me because of some food!?!" Mordred cast a glance at Artoria, who was making her way toward the kitchen; Artoria simply averted her gaze.
Usually beer or wine, the water and alcohol evaporate, leaving the food extremely tender and with an aftertaste that depends on the beer used.
"Come here! "
Shishou is not here so… time to google it.