Chapitre 444: C444
Inside the room, Shirou observed the somewhat awkward and restless Artoria standing before him.
She appeared in her initial travel attire—a gown of pure white that made her look like a blooming lily. Despite this, his expression remained stern, lacking any softness.
She kept her gaze down, her heart pounding with a mix of discomfort and apprehension.
Seeing the king again should have been a moment of joy and relief, but instead, she felt nervous and jittery.
Deep down, a nagging fear tugged at her. Her instincts warned her that something bad was about to happen. Yet, she didn't question it, nor did she voice her concerns. She obediently kept her head down.
The air seemed to shift as he unsheathed Caliburn. The gleaming edge of the sword traced a graceful arc as he held it steady, the blade's shimmer capturing the reflection of his eyes.
But those eyes had changed. The once unyielding, focused gaze had vanished, replaced by a look of uncertainty and vulnerability.
It was almost unthinkable that this iconic figure, a king famed for facing any adversity with unwavering strength, could look so bewildered and out of his depth.
The hand that gripped the sword trembled ever so slightly.
The room was thick with silence.
With a gentle sliding sound, he returned the sword to its scabbard, then unbuckled both sword and sheath from his waist, setting them aside.
"My king..."
She was about to speak, but at that moment, he extended his hand and grabbed her hair, roughly dragging her to the edge of the bed.
Her face twisted in pain, but she dared not resist.
He sat on the edge of the bed, pressing her petite body onto his lap. Using one hand to restrain her, he roughly lifted the hem of her white gown with the other.
"My king...?" Panic flooded her expression.
He ignored her and lifted her skirt. The bright silver armor attached to the skirt made a 'crash' sound as it fell, revealing the black pantyhose underneath. Her delicate body trembled slightly, but she didn't dare to resist.
Mana Burst [C]
Mana Burst [C]
Mana Burst [C]
He activated three stacks of Mana Burst [C] on himself, and for a moment, the flames burning all over his body were dazzling.
He took out Avalon, raised it high, and then dropped it heavily.
"Slap!"
"Ahh—!"
His physical strength was only at D-, but with the three stacks of Mana Burst [C] added, his strength became even stronger.
And the moment Avalon fell onto her butt, convulsions of pain spread throughout her body.
He demanded in a deep voice. "Why would you do something like that to me? Do you have any idea how much I trusted you? Why did you use that love potion on me? Tell me, Artie. Why?"
As she heard his words, a cold shiver ran down her spine. Her heart sank, confirming what she had already suspected but had hoped wasn't true.
"I... I..." she stammered, struggling to find the right words.
Before she could even finish her words, he lifted Avalon high and brought it down forcefully.
"Slap!"
"Ah, ah—"
With the addition of three stacks of Mana Burst [C], his strike was far from gentle. Her body convulsed, but she dared not struggle. She simply lay compliantly over his lap, gritting her teeth and enduring the pain.
He spoke in a low voice, "I want the truth, no lies!"
Once again, he struck heavily with the scabbard.
She bit her lower lip and said, "I... I... I... admired you my king... I had feelings... for you."
Once again, he struck down harshly on her butt and asked, "Did having feelings for me lead you to exploit my trust by using a love potion on me?"
"I'm really sorry... I'm so sorry..." Her body shook, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I didn't mean for this to happen... I really didn't... I didn't know how to handle these feelings... It was the first time I had ever felt anything like this... And I was completely overwhelmed by my emotions..."
"Slap!"
Her slapped her again, "How did your emotions end up affecting your judgment?"
She unconsciously squeezed her legs together, a sheen of sweat forming on her forehead. She stammered, "Um... mmm, at that time... Arcueid used her Mystic Eyes on me... I'm really sorry, my king... I apologize... I know I'm acting so shamefully..."
"Hmm? So she played a part in this mess as well? That's unexpected." He stopped for a moment, then smacked her butt again.
"Slap!"
Her slender frame shivered on his lap, her cheeks tinted with a subtle flush and a thin glisten of sweat forming on her forehead.
He continued, "Why did Morgan step down? Why did you succeed the throne? Was Mordred manipulated into rebelling against Morgan?"
"No, I... I'm not sure why my sister chose to give up the throne... Ahh—!"
She tried to explain, but his face suddenly turned cold, and he delivered another firm smack to her backside.
Her form quivered, and words came out in a strained, uneven manner, "My king... Morgan chose to step down of her own accord. When Attila threatened our kingdom, and with Camelot lacking a ruler, I... I was thrust into that position..."
"And why did Mordred decide to turn against you?"
"I don't know... I don't know... Right after defeating Attila and returning to the kingdom, I was surrounded and attacked by Mordred..." Her eyes were brimming with tears, "I'm sorry, my king... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
He stopped his hand and remarked, "You know, I've just dismissed Gawain, Kay, Agravain, and several other knights involved in the internal strife..."
At his words, she went rigid, a deep-seated fear taking hold of her heart.
No matter how many times she was struck, chastised, or even if it came to losing her life, she'd take it all without a fight. Like right now, with him pinning her down and wielding Avalon as a tool of punishment, she wouldn't resist. She'd just bear it until he decided it was enough.
Yet, there was one thing she couldn't bear...
Just not that...
Not that one...
And then, in a tone devoid of warmth, he declared, "Hence, I shall also strip you of your knighthood."
The words hit her like a bolt of thunderbolt, shattering her spirit. Yes, this was how it should be. Losing her knighthood was the ultimate punishment, and in a way, it felt fitting.
Tears flooded her eyes and spilled down her cheeks as she bowed her head, despair evident in her choked sobs. "Yes... my king... hic..."
He dropped another scabbard, and her body trembled instinctively. Her face was flushed, her breathing heavy, and her whole face moist. Her once-bright blue eyes had dulled, and she repeated in a low voice, 'I'm sorry, my king... I'm…sorry…'
He was about to continue punishing her when suddenly he frowned and glanced at his gradually depleting magical energy—
[Mana: A++]
"Hmph." He snorted.
He lifted her face and kissed her.
Her dulled eyes gradually widened in surprise.
She had been claimed by the king, yet she dared not resist.
He raised his head, a long silver line drawn from his lips.
Licking his lips, he then glanced at his mana—"
[Mana: A+++]
He let out a disdainful snort. "You're just a disgrace now. All you're good for is providing me with magical energy."
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Her head sank even lower, tears still streaming as she sobbed uncontrollably.
He moved to pin her down again, raising Avalon high above his head. He was moments away from bringing it down when he suddenly stopped.
He closed his eyes, took three deep breaths, and then slowly put away Avalon. He removed the three stacks of Magic Burst [C] from his body and raised his palm high, delivering a smack to her butt, which was clad in pure white panties.
"Slap-!"
Trembling, she cried and choked out, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry, my king..."
He extended his palm, inserted his fingers into her mouth, and then delivered another smack to her butt.
With her mouth covered, her response was muted, but she didn't struggle; instead, she closed her eyes with trembling eyelids.
"Slap!"
"Slap!!"
"Slap-!!!"
...
Outside the building, Scathach stood near the entrance, her eyes tightly closed.
She and Artoria shared a deep bond. Not only were they both part of the Hair Victims Association, but she was also the one who honed her friend's skills with the spear and taught her the art of spearfighting. Their bond ran deep.
But right now, all she could do was keep her eyes closed, pretending as if nothing was happening inside.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone