Bab 195: C195
That child has been missing for almost five years. Looking back from this point in time, what time period would that child be in?
She didn't know. All she knew was that when that child returned, it wouldn't just be Fujimaru Shirou anymore.
The flame that had been ignited was only the beginning. Perhaps that detestable guy was just a small part of that child's journey. However, when she reminisced about those days, even her twisted and desensitized heart couldn't help but be stirred up by some waves of emotion.
Bullying that child, particularly during the Fourth Holy Grail War, watching him cry and act spoiled, brought no guilt to her heart, only pleasure.
Who would have thought that the once crying and spoiled child would grow up to become such a brave and strong king?
At first, she had even believed that she must have mistaken the person. Oh, how laughable reality can be.
However, she would never share this with anyone. The pleasure she derived from bullying that young king, watching him tremble in fear - what kind of satisfaction did it bring to her heart?
Perhaps, besides the fact that her humanity had already rotted and twisted with the passage of time, it was also because that same king had bullied her relentlessly during the age of gods.
This was nothing short of karma.
She would never forget how that king had used her over 1500 years ago, or how she had ended up willingly aiding in the training of their army. Looking back now, she realized it was a time of youth and foolishness.
Even now, just the thought of that king's hateful face was enough to make her twisted and corrupted heart feel a mix of anger, frustration, and deep longing for the times when she was just a plaything in his hands.
Those were the days of being fooled by the king, being teased and ridiculed, running around like a fool here and there. It was a time of both anger and happiness, a beautiful moment in the past that could never be revisited.
Those were the days of bliss that could never be regained.
...
Inside the palace.
Scathach lay pinned to the ground, her eyes obscured by black mud, rendering her unable to see what lay before her.
Gritting her teeth, Scathach shouted, "You coward! Face me one-on-one like a warrior!"
The knights looked up, only to find Shirou preoccupied with political documents, paying her no heed.
Maintaining their positions, the knights allowed Artoria to hold Scathach down, leaving her powerless to stand up.
Despite her persistent calls for a one-on-one fight, no one responded to her. All that could be heard were the sounds of papers being shuffled around and Shirou discussing political affairs.
There was no doubt about it - she had been completely ignored by the king!
Time continued to pass minute by minute.
Eventually, Shirou finished the last of the day's political documents and stood up, looking around with surprise. "Oh my! What has happened here? Who is this? Isn't this the Queen of Shadows Land who always lost to me, yet still pursued me relentlessly? Why are you in such a pathetic state here in my palace? Are you here to submit to me?"
"You shameless scoundrel!" Scathach gritted her teeth.
How could he not have noticed what was happening right in front of him?
No way!
This foul-mouthed jerk was clearly trying to provoke her!
However, as soon as she spoke those words, Artoria's displeasure became evident, and she tightened her grip on Scathach's body.
Shirou looked around and asked, "What happened to the face of the Queen? Who threw the mud? How rude,"
All eyes turned to Merlin.
Merlin stood up and admitted, "My king, it was me who threw the mud."
Shirou expressed his displeasure, "The queen has journeyed thousands of miles to pay homage to this king. How could you bring disgrace upon her? As punishment, you shall go without dinner tonight."
Merlin grumbled in his heart, wasn't it you who told me to do it?
So you told me to do it just to punish me by not letting me eat?
Merlin looked hurt.
Shirou replied calmly, "Why don't you clean the mud off her face?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Merlin responded begrudgingly as he proceeded to clean the black mud off Scathach's face.
As her vision cleared, she glared fiercely at Shirou and gritted her teeth, "I challenge you to a one-on-one fight!"
"One-on-one?" Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Ah, I see now. You didn't come to pay respects to me, did you? No matter, Artoria, let her go."
Artoria and the knights were taken aback by Shirou's sudden change of heart. Hadn't the king previously expressed his desire to have this warrior as their ally? Why was he now releasing her?
Artoria grew increasingly anxious. If she let go of Scathach now, the queen beneath her would likely take the opportunity to attack.
"Your Majesty, this... this isn't appropriate," Artoria attempted to reason with him.
"What are you afraid of?" He looked at Scathach with indifference and spoke, "What could an elderly and feeble person like her possibly do? Do you truly believe that such a weak old lady could harm me? It's both dull and a waste of time. Remove her from my sight; she's far too distracting."
Scathach's eyes blazed with fury.
Good.
Too good!
No one had ever dared to speak to her like that before...
This detestable guy!
She gritted her teeth in anger.
"What? You refuse to accept it?"
"One-on-one!" Scathach's face was contorted with anger, and her voice came out through clenched teeth.
"Foolish. This king has a busy schedule. How could I possibly waste my time with you?"
She glared fiercely at him. This detestable king had no real ability at all, only resorting to sneak attacks and dirty tricks. How dare he belittle her by saying she was just an old lady with no skill?
He gazed at her for a while before finally letting out an exasperated sigh, scratching the back of his head in frustration. "Judging from your expression, it seems you've failed to recognize my kindness. With your shameful abilities, if I had truly played with you, your body would have long gone cold... Oh well, it seems that you are unwilling to accept this."
"Agravain," He called out.
"I'm here, Your Majesty!" Agravain stepped forward.
"What other matters does this king have to attend to?"
"Inspecting the people's livelihood and ensuring their welfare."
"Are there no other state affairs requiring my attention?"
"No," Agravain nodded in response.
"Looks like there's less royal business than usual today. And we've got some free time on our hands," He said, turning to look at Scathach, who was visibly pissed. "You really have no idea how out of your league you are compared to me. I guess I'll have to show you, so you'll stop disturbing me later."
He addressed everyone, "Have the magi remove the suppression field, and Artoria, release her."
The room was filled with shock and disbelief.
Morgan hastily spoke up, "Arthur, you cannot do this!"
Even Artoria's expression changed, and she pleaded with Shirou, "My king, you cannot do this—"
Before she could finish, he raised his eyebrows and firmly stated, "Do it!"
The others had no choice but to obey, even Artoria and Morgan.
Over the course of the year and a half, the king had managed to win over everyone in the room. They would instinctively follow his orders without question.
The suppression field was lifted, and Artoria released Scathach.
She stood up, rubbing her wrists as she retrieved her spears. She glared coldly at Shirou and spoke with contempt, "You despicable guy, you're asking for death!"
Shirou casually picked up a spear, appearing impatient. He spoke dismissively, "I have no interest in your lackluster abilities. Hurry up and come at me; I still have state affairs to attend to!"
The knights gripped their swords tighter, fearful that any harm would come to the king. Meanwhile, Morgan and the other magi kept a watchful eye on the situation, ready to act at a moment's notice should Scathach pose a threat to the king's safety. They remained vigilant, prepared to suppress Scathach at the first sign of danger to the king.
However...
"Clang!"
The sound of metal clanging echoed as Shirou caught Scathach's spear with his own, pressing the sharp point of his weapon against her neck.
Scathach's expression turned incredulous. "How... how did you know the weakness of this spear technique?" she shouted.
This particular technique was one of her most formidable moves, capable of dispatching her enemies straight to the Underworld. Even gods would be at a disadvantage in their initial encounter with her, and some had even fallen prey to it in the past.
The king appeared to have already anticipated her technique, as if he had prior knowledge of it. In a swift motion, he shattered her spear move with his own and held the sharp point of his weapon to her neck.
She struggled to come to terms with what had just happened, her gaze fixed on the lethal tip of the spear.
It wasn't that she couldn't accept being bested in combat, but it was difficult for her to accept being defeated by someone she deemed despicable, who resorted to underhanded tactics.
And to make matters worse, she was defeated with just one move!
The knights were equally stunned by the turn of events.
Having faced Scathach in combat as a group of seven, they were intimately familiar with her techniques and had even found themselves at a disadvantage before Merlin had come to their aid. Yet, they watched in disbelief as the king swiftly defeated her with just one move, even in her strongest spear technique.
Lamorak muttered to himself, "I always believed that I was the best among the Knights of Camelot when it came to spear technique. But it seems that the king's skill with the spear surpasses us all."
However, Lamorak's belief was misguided.
Had he also endured over five thousand fatal stabbings from this same spear technique and even received guidance on how to counter it, he too would have known how to break it.
Shirou had previously broken one of Diarmuid's techniques by utilizing the power of Emiya's Saint Graph. But now, with the power of "All the World's Evils" coursing through him, his strength had surpassed anything he had ever known. With precise, calculated movements, he easily shattered Scathach's spear technique, leaving her defenseless.
"Your pitiful spear technique bores me," Shirou scoffed as he tossed aside his spear and summoned Agravain, heading towards the palace gates.
"Wait... wait, let's fight again!" Scathach hastily called out, hoping for another chance to prove herself.
This was the first time that her spear technique had been effortlessly shattered, and Scathach felt that she had finally found a worthy opponent who could best her in spear combat. As a warrior at heart, she yearned for another opportunity to challenge him again.
"Don't bother using your pitiful spear technique in front of me. I don't have time for it!" Shirou called out dismissively as he strode away without a backward glance.
The entire battle had felt like a mockery. Nonetheless, she couldn't shake off the memory of how easily the king had defeated her prized spear technique. The desire to challenge him once more burned within her.
Unfortunately, the king paid her no heed and continued on his way.
"Cough... cough..." Merlin approached her with a smile and said, "Lady Scathach, you should return to the Underworld as soon as possible. Please rest assured that the king will not cause any trouble in the Underworld in the future."
Scathach ignored him.
Merlin asked with surprise on his face, "From the look of your unwilling expression, you're not thinking of challenging the king again, are you?"
She still ignored him.
"I strongly advise you to give up," said Merlin. "The king's spear technique is unparalleled, not just in the present time but throughout human history."
Merlin let out a sigh and continued, "The king is undoubtedly a skilled warrior, and his martial arts have surpassed the mortal realm and entered that of the gods. However, as a responsible leader, the king cannot afford to act rashly. He has many duties to consider for the people's welfare, so he cannot engage in frivolous battles. The only reason he could spare some time to spar with you today was that he had just finished his official duties. But I strongly advise you not to think about sparring with the king again."
Scathach frowned.
Merlin squinted his eyes and added, "Unless..."
She couldn't help but ask, "Unless what?"
Merlin hesitated for a moment and then quickly changed the subject, saying, "Ah, it's nothing, it's nothing. You should leave now. It's getting dark, and the journey back to the Underworld won't be easy."
Scathach raised her spear and pointed it at Merlin, commanding him, "Stop talking nonsense and tell me!"
Merlin broke out in a cold sweat and waved his hand, saying, "Please, don't be like this..."
Her tone grew more forceful as she demanded, "Tell me now!"
"Ah... okay," Merlin finally relented, "The reason why the king cannot spar with you is that he has numerous affairs to attend to. Otherwise, he would gladly take time to personally teach the knights martial arts. However, if someone could assist him with his duties, such as dealing with the sea monsters that have been blocking the shipping routes, then he would have ample time to spare for martial arts training with the knights, and..."
Merlin didn't finish his sentence as Scathach had already left in a hurry.
He couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
"Fuu~" Fou perched on Merlin's shoulder and asked, "What's so funny?"
Merlin chuckled and replied, "Oh, it's nothing. I was just reminded of something amusing."
...
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Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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