Chapter 6 - Duel? (Edited)
Hearing Gon's ridiculous demands, Arthur felt his vein would pop.; he snapped, "Hand over your sword to him!"
A nearby soldier took the sword from his waist, still inside the scabbard, and threw it to Gon.
Gon looks at the sword flying toward him; he sees its movement in slow motion, and he catches it easily.
"Alright, thanks. Now, about the other things I asked? If those are too much to ask for, perhaps some pois…."
Before he could finish, Arthur's patience snapped. Enraged, he jumped forward, halberd gleaming menacingly as it cut through the air towards Gon.
Gon clicked his tongue, "So much for the honor of ambushing me during a conversation. I shouldn't expect much from someone who'd take away his friend's fiancée."
"How dare you? I won her fair and square in a bet right in this very arena!" Arthur says in rage.
Dodging Arthur's relentless attacks with ease, Gon's mind raced. Hearing Arthur mention the bet, he doesn't want to lose out. "A bet? So, if I were to win this duel, what would I get?"
As another of Arthur's strikes narrowly missed Gon, Arthur growled, "Your life."
Gon looks at the Lady of the Lake, an idea that comes to his mind. "Such a noble emperor, yet it seems the Lady's favor holds no value to you. Should've known better."
"How dare you question my integrity! The Lady's favor means everything to me." Arthur retorted, his eyes filled with rage.
"Prove it then. Stake everything you have in this fight."
Arthur's blade cut through the air, narrowly missing Gon, who had jumped back in time. "Fine! I take the bet."
With a dramatic movement, Gon stabbed his sword into the ground, arms folded across his chest.
"Hear this, people of Camelot! Your emperor has bet all he possesses in the honor of this sacred duel. I demand this wager be formally notarized!"
Arthur paused, looking at the audacity of Gon's action. With a sigh, "Will you ever quit with these games? Just face me head-on!"
"Of course, but only after everything is properly notarized."
Arthur, exasperated, gestures his counselor over. "Write it all down, every last detail."
The counselor frowned, "My lord, listing everything individually could take hours."
"Just write it as everything, then," Arthur answers with a frown
Hearing their discussion, Gon's grinned. "No! You should write it one by one, down to the number of clothes you have. Don't you dare miss a single coin?"
Arthur's lost his patience. With a fierce roar, he slammed his halberd into the ground, causing an ethereal dragon to emerge and twine around him, amplifying his strength.
The halberd gleamed under the arena lights, reflecting the immense power it now held.
Every fiber of Arthur's being glowed with energy. He leaped off the ground. It cracked and crumbled beneath him, producing a shockwave that sent ripples through the arena.
The spectators could feel the immense energy as Arthur jumped at Gon.
Looking at Arthur, Gon smirked.
Gon could see every detail: the gleaming weapon, the dragon's ethereal shimmer, even the determined glare in Arthur's eyes. But what startled Gon the most was how effortlessly he could track Arthur's every move. It was as if he was watching a playback in slow motion.
Waiting for the right moment, Gon punched Arthur, sending him flying backward. The emperor skidded to a halt only by driving his halberd into the ground, using it as an anchor.
The audience was left in stunned silence.
Blood dripped from Arthur's broken nose. His face drained of color. Gon, with speed that belied human capability, closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye.
"What honorable emperor, attacking your opponent without any weapon!" Gon's voice was filled with scorn.
In a fluid motion, Gon struck Arthur in the gut while simultaneously gripping his collar to keep him upright.
The force of the punch was so immense that Arthur felt as though his very essence was being ripped apart. As the halberd slipped from his grasp, Gon tightened his hold around Arthur's neck, lifting him off the ground.
The entire arena watched in stunned silence. Soldiers shouted in disbelief, "My Emperor!" and Mordred yelled, "Arthur, how can you fall so easily?"
But no one dared to move, seeing how strong Gon is.
Gon shifted his gaze to the councilor. "Start listing everything Arthur owns. Don't you dare miss a single item?"
He turned his attention back to the defeated Arthur still clutched in his grasp. 'System, can I kill Arthur now and make Merlin the queen? That should complete the mission, right?'
[You still need to steal Excalibur.]
'Ah, right. I forgot about that.'
Clap, clap, clap. The Lady of the Lake gracefully rose from her seat and approached Gon. "what splendid show."
Her eyes glinted mysteriously, emitting a soft pink light. "I knew it. Bringing a warrior from another world was the right decision. You are stronger than anyone I meet here."
"With you, we can finally defeat the Qillin, and I can return to my world. Pledge your allegiance to me, become my knight, and serve me faithfully."
As Gon met the Lady of the Lake's gaze, a strange sensation washed over him.
His vision blurred momentarily, and he felt as if invisible tendrils were trying to creep into his thoughts. But just as abruptly, a red-bordered message flashed before his eyes:
[Warning! Mind control spell detected.]
[Initiating mental defense protocols... Complete.]
Gon's gaze sharpened as he realized the truth behind Arthur's weird behavior.
The once noble and proud king was now nothing more than a puppet, his mind controlled by the Lady of the Lake."System, must I kill Arthur?"
[Arthur is merely a shell now. His consciousness has long been erased, and what is left is just a robot that answers to any of her whims.]
Gon's heart ached for the fallen king. To see such a majestic and honorable figure reduced to a mere pawn, committing atrocities against his own people, what a tragic sight.
With a swift, merciful motion, Gon ended Arthur's suffering. The distinct snap echoed throughout the silent arena.
Seeing Gon's action, The Lady of the Lake realizes her spell is not working. "Impossible! No matter how strong your psyche is, you are still mortal. How are you resisting?"
Gon laid Arthur's body down respectfully, feeling a profound sadness.
"Controlling someone's mind... to do something he resents…. such a vile act…" Gon felt disgusted.
Lifting his gaze, he locked eyes with the Lady of the Lake. Without hesitation, he dashed at her. But as he neared, Mordred and the legion of soldiers swiftly moved to her defense, forming a protective barrier between Gon and their lady.
Gon's fist connected with the front soldier, sending him hurtling backward like a cannonball. The sheer force triggered a domino effect, causing each soldier behind the first to be thrown off their feet, catapulting them skyward.
Looking at the situation, Gon realized that trying to break through this defense would be a waste of time.
He quickly changed his direction and headed for the caged lady. He feels it should be Merlin, but after all the twists and turns so far, he doesn't know if it's right or not.
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