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82.37% Reincarnated as a dragon egg in DxD with a Fate System! / Chapter 243: Saber vs Saber

Chapter 243: Saber vs Saber

Mordred and Artoria were staring at each other.

Father and son, or mother and daughter. It was difficult to describe the relationship between these two individuals.

Mordred initially admired Artoria as the "perfect King" and tried to defend the King's name from slander.

However, there was one event in Mordred's life that turned everything around.

This is when a third character crucial to understanding the father-son/mother-daughter relationship enters the picture. And this is none other than the Knight King's sister, Morgan le Fay.

In an attempt to dethrone Artoria, Mordred was conceived by Morgan. The only reason why Mordred existed was to inherit Artoria's throne.

Mordred felt ashamed of her twisted birth, unconsciously acting jealous of normal people, and, with the special innocence that children possess, she worshipped the "perfect king." Given a helmet she was told never to remove in front of others, she was eventually sent to Camelot under Morgan's recommendation, and through a presentation of her own superb swordsmanship, became one of the Knights of the Round Table. She was given her sword despite her unknown origins because of her abilities and straightforward mental chivalry.

She protected the way of the knights much like that which could only be found in picture books, working hard daily in being the ideal knight, all while hiding her dislike of others. In the end, even that innocence was shattered by Morgan, who revealed the secrets of her birth. She learned of her parentage and was told that the King didn't know either. Morgan tried to instill that the King would never accept such a filthy child, but she was, while shocked, wrapped in joy. While not a proper human being, sharing the same blood as the King, being the "son" of a superior king, she was proud of the fact that she was not human. She felt that in name, reality, mind, and body that she was fit to be the true successor of the King of Knights.

She went without having the slightest feelings of rebellion, spurred on by the truth, and approached the King with delight. Raised without a father, the King was the very form of a godlike "father" to her, but Artoria rejected her very clearly. She said that, while Mordred is certainly born from her and her sister's plotting, that she will not recognize Mordred as her "son" or give her the throne. Mordred believed that it was all due to the King's hatred for Morgan, that it would be impossible for her "son" to be accepted. Thinking that was the reason her title was the weakest, believing that no matter how hard she tried, even if she excelled over everyone, that the King would forever view her as a dirtied child from the moment she was born from Morgan, her great love for the king up until then made her hatred burn.

Mordred began to use her magical power, and her characteristic heavy armor covered her body. In her right hand appeared her sword, Clarent, and she pointed it at Artoria.

Artoria was not left behind, and she too began to circulate her magical power. Lighter armor appeared on what was once the uniform of a butler, and in her right hand lay the famous sword, Excalibur.

"Sigh..." Artoria sighed unconsciously. "How many times do I have to tell you? As much as your heavy armor intimidates, it is useless against opponents of great caliber. You should wear armor according to your short stature, Mordred."

"Shut up!" Mordred shouted. "You're nobody to tell me anything! You're just a fallen king!"

A twinge of pain passed through Artoria's face. Mordred's comment had hurt.

"Let's get this over with, Mordred," Artoria said. "Let's end this damn battle."

"Yes, we agree on something, Fallen King," Mordred replied from under her helmet.

A second later, they both disappeared.

Mordred lunged mercilessly at Artoria, delivering swift and powerful blows at the Knight King.

"Although she has no refined style, I have to admit that her blows are more powerful than mine," Artoria thought as she deflected each and every one of Mordred's blows.

The battle seemed to be advancing in slow motion in Drako's eyes, even though the two women were moving at exorbitant speeds.

"So this is a battle between Servants," Irisviel muttered. "I can hardly see any movement."

"Yes, it's an interesting battle," Drako said.

"Can you see what is happening?" Irisviel asked, pleasantly surprised.

"Of course," Drako smiled, "Mordred wouldn't call me 'Master' if I wasn't strong enough."

"So that's how it is," Irisviel murmured. "However, I did not expect Mordred to be like this."

"If Artoria is a girl, Mordred, who is her clone, is a girl," Drako responded. "It would be strange if she were a boy in that case, wouldn't it?"

"Is Mordred a clone? I thought because her parents are siblings, she looked so much like them," Irisviel commented.

"No, like you, Mordred is a homunculus," Drako resolved the Einzbern woman's doubt.

"I see..." Irisviel began to feel a kind of connection with Mordred.

Actually... shouldn't Mordred be about the same age as Irisviel?

As homunculi grow faster than humans, they have a shorter life expectancy than humans. However, physical growth does not mean mental maturity.

"She was just a child!" Irisviel came to the realization of something.

"That's right, Mordred was only 9 years old when she found out that Artoria was her 'father,' the same age she was when she was rejected by her," Drako said. "The famous final battle that destroyed the Knight King's Britannia was nothing more than the tantrum of a child who had been abandoned by her parents."

Drako oversaw the battle. Mordred was the weakest of the Knights of the Round Table for a reason. Even if her stats exceeded Artoria's, it was difficult to know if she could defeat the strongest Saber or not.

And the problem was even more remarkable when Artoria's stats were superior to Mordred's.

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

[Mordred]

Race: Human/Servant (Homunculus)

Status: Normal

Lv: 49/100

Strength: 7063

Defense: 4594

Magic: 4055

Agility: 3929

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

[Artoria]

Race: Human/Servant

Status: Normal

Lv: 50/100

Strength: 6951

Defense: 8688

Magic: 8688

Agility: 8688

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Why did Artoria have more level than Mordred?

And her stats... were overwhelmingly superior. Drako already knew that Artoria's parameters were far superior to Mordred's; he didn't expect her to double up on several of them.

Fortunately, Mordred's armor was very powerful. It is said that even Tristan fired at Mordred's back and she didn't even feel contact with her skin, and can even withstand Frankenstein's Noble Phantasm boosted by a command spell.

But, Artoria was beginning to gain the upper hand. Slowly, Mordred was forced to remain on the defensive, something she hated. Artoria was beginning to dominate the fight.

But, Drako had noticed something.

"Mordred," Drako called her.

"I'm busy, Master!" She shouted back. "I'm asking you to stay away from this."

"I just wanted to tell you that you don't have to hold back. You have nothing to hide."

Inside her helmet, Mordred opened her eyes wide and smiled. Immediately, she took a few steps back and removed her helmet, showing her face to her opponent.

"Okay, Master," Mordred smiled. "This time, I'm going all out."

Red lightning began to flow through Mordred's body, covering all the way to Clarent. Immediately, she fired at Artoria at a much higher speed than before.

"What just happened?" Irisviel asked.

"As long as Mordred hides her face, she can't show her true power," Drako said. "That is the curse of the girl who was forced to hide her face from others."

Now, the fight between Mordred and Artoria had come to a head.


Chapter 244: I have a way

Secret of Pedigree: Helm of Hidden Infidelity

Secret of Pedigree. The Noble Phantasm of Mordred. She hid her face with a helmet given to her as a set with a suit of armor by Morgan in order to prevent King Arthur and his subordinates from learning of her true identity.

It's a little like a simplified version of "For Someone's Glory: Not For One's Own Glory" from Lancelot/Berserker. The condition to negate the effects of this Noble Phantasm is solely the act of her removing her helmet on the battlefield, so it will continue to hide her stats even if she walks around normally with her face unhidden.

Perhaps due to having been enchanted by Morgan, both the helmet and armor are quite sturdy in terms of defense as well. Furthermore, "Clarent Blood Arthur: Rebellion Against My Beautiful Father" cannot be used until the helmet is removed. As a result, Mordred keeps it almost always removed after she first takes it off the time.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Mana Burst: A

Weapons and body are infused with magical energy, this instantaneous release elevates ability. In other words, magical energy as jet propulsion. With this she is able to fight equally with the King of Knights.

------------------------------------------------------------------

As Artoria does, Mordred impregnates her body and her weapons with magical energy. In addition, once she takes off her helmet she can raise the amount of magical power much higher. This is so high, it feels like the difference from a small stream to a jet of propulsion.

Her increased physical strength is enough to overwhelm fighters with far greater power, and even fight on an equal footing with the King of Knights who surpasses her in stats.

Artoria's physical power, which was already inferior to that of Mordred, was now causing the thrust of Drako's Saber to gather momentum and slowly begin to overcome the battle.

Unlike Artoria, Mordred cannot apply Mana Burst to her entire body. That's why her fighting style is different from that of the King of Knights. While Artoria keeps her Mana Burst at its maximum constantly, Mordred applies it for surprise attacks at maximum power.

Considering Mordred's fighting style, similar to that of a Berserker, the use of Mana Burst by Mordred is really problematic for her opponents. You never know when she will use her full power.

"Are you sure you are a Saber-class?" Artoria asked as they fought.

"Hmph, I've never been more sure," Mordred replied as she cut violently with her sword.

Artoria frowned. This fight was really problematic.

Unlike the rest of Heroic Spirits, she had never stepped foot in the Throne of Heroes. Therefore, she was unaware of Mordred's fame or any of her Noble Phantasms.

The only information she had about Mordred was what she knew when she was alive. But... those data were not very reliable at this time.

Mordred's style had not changed one bit. That wild style would never go out of Artoria's mind. Of all the knights at the Round Table, Mordred was the worst in terms of swordplay, but at the same time, she killed the most enemies. Artoria would never forget how Mordred went into battle on her own while slaughtering the enemies of Britain.

It was the skill of Mana Burst and Instinct that had guided Artoria all her life, and Mordred, her clone, was no different. Morgan had done a good job, as much as Artoria did not like Morgan's objective.

Her Noble Phantasm should be that armor and sword, Clarent. But, Mordred could have some card of triumph that she had achieved with her fame.

But... there was something that really had changed in Mordred, and there was no way that Artoria had overlooked it.

For her, who had signed the contract with Alaya at the very moment of Mordred's death, only about two weeks had passed since her fight to the death with her "son". And while the strength levels hadn't deviated much, there was one thing that had.

Mordred's skill with the sword.

While Mordred was the least skilled knight with a sword, the same could not now be said. At the Battle of Camlann, it seemed that Mordred had been training in the art of the sword for less than five years.

However, she was now much better than before. Artoria could no longer predict her attacks as easily, nor could she defend herself from her movements as she had done two weeks earlier (although to say that it was more than a millennium ago was better said).

It seemed that she had been training for many years, but it should not have been possible by following the rules of the Holy Grail War.

No, they had previously claimed that they were external agents. Therefore, she could have been summoned much earlier.

But this was not the time to think about that.

It didn't matter if Mordred was stronger or weaker.

It didn't matter how long Mordred had been summoned.

It only mattered that she was victorious in this fight, as she had always been.

Because she was the King who did not know defeat.

Her sword said so.

Excalibur: Sword of Promised Victory

"Saber is having a tough time," Irisviel commented slightly.

Although, as much as she wanted to appear calm, she obviously wasn't.

The variable known as Mordred and her Master (who had not yet given his name) was something Kiritsugu had not considered.

Irisviel, who knew Kiritsugu's meticulous plans, knew that this strange and unexpected variable that had appeared out of nowhere could make these plans fall apart.

"Are you really willing to die for someone else's dream that you know is going to fail?"

"... huh?"

Irisviel didn't expect Drako's question, as sudden as it was shocking. For a moment, thinking about what Drako had said before, Irisviel really wondered if a dream destined to be thwarted was worth dying for.

But, she finally shook her head. A pitiful smile appeared on her beautiful face.

"I am destined to die, no matter what my wishes are," she said. "My death is inevitable. That being the case, I prefer to give my life for the person I love and his ideals."

Drako nodded.

That was the answer he expected from Irisviel.

"Even if that dream ends up destroying the lives of the two people you love," he asked slightly.

"What do you mean?" Irisviel didn't hesitate to grab Drako's arm. "Explain yourself, please!"

Drako sighed and pulled Irisviel aside to look at her better in the eyes. Her crimson pupils really did look like rubies.

"Do you think old Einzbern will let Kiritsugu into the castle if he fails?"

Drako watched in amazement as the little color in Irisviel's skin faded.

"How do you think Illya would react?" Drako asked again, not giving Irisviel time to respond. "In ten years, the Holy Grail will call a war again. I think it goes without saying who the Einzberns would send to participate in this war, who would become the next sacrifice."

"And how do you think Kiritsugu would feel about not being able to see his daughter again? For five years, he will visit the castle several times each year only to be turned away. Afterward, he will die without being able to talk to his daughter once more."

*Thud*

Irisviel fell to her knees.

If everything this stranger said was true... then Illya could not escape from the destiny of being a Homunculus created by the Einzberns either. Everything she and Kiritsugu had planned, trained, and sacrificed for was going to fail.

All for nothing.

"It can't be..." She muttered.

Her eyes sank into a dark pit of despair.

For a moment, she saw herself reflected in the dark well. As if in a mirror, a version of her dressed in dark clothes looked at her with a sadistic smile.

A chill ran through Irisviel's body.

What this man was saying was right. That person she was seeing was real, and he was inside her. He was the manifestation of the corruption of the grail.

The god created for the sins of mankind, All the World's Evils.

Angra Mainyu.

Could she escape this darkness?

Irisviel could not take her eyes off her counterpart. It was inevitable that they would attract each other as if they were two opposing poles.

But... something blocked her vision. Something cut the connection between the two magnets.

It was a hand.

Irisviel raised her head to see the person who had extended his hand to her, finding a smile that was not much different from that of her counterpart, but that had strangely calmed all her anxiety.

"I have a way to save yours and your daughter's life ."


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