The King descends, shaking heaven and earth!
Unlike the unremarkable entrance in the original animation when summoned by the mutt, from the very first moment of her appearance, the turbulent, monstrous aura belonging only to the King of Knights manifested as something substantial, coiling around her like lightning.
Crack! Crack! Crack…
The blonde, armored maiden, holding the golden sword aloft, stood proudly in the center of the field. Her diminutive frame nonetheless exuded a commanding presence that scorned the world below, truly like a sovereign!
No, she was the sovereign!
For she was the legendary hero of Britain—King Arthur! As a Heroic Spirit, her Servant Class was ABER!
Gazing upon the golden-haired girl before her, Tohsaka Rin’s eyes widened in disbelief. But the truth was undeniable; the unique perception inherent to an ATER confirmed it—she was absolutely an ABER!
Success! Finally successful! An ABER had finally been summoned! Rin’s surprise and joy surged, the elation within her almost uncontrollable.
“Please command me.” ABER held both hands upon the sword's hilt, her back to Rin, a crisp voice issuing from her lips.
Though she couldn't see ABER's expression, Rin knew the other's demeanor must be utterly solemn and serious at this moment. Forcing down her complex emotions, she pointed toward Lin Luo, who lay sprawled on the ground opposite them, and issued a single decree:
“Yes!”
Before the word fully left her mouth, the girl had already charged. Her speed was almost impossible to track; she vanished from her spot in an instant, reappearing before Stiyl the next moment, the golden longsword hacking down with terrifying force!
Her speed could not be described by human terms. Even compared to the ultimate velocity Lin Luo achieved by stimulating his flesh with bio-electricity, it was no less. How could a mage with a fragile physique possibly compare? There was no time to react; Stiyl was instantly enveloped by an intensely cold sensation—that of death!
However…
“Seven Flashes!”
Kanzaki Kaori would certainly not allow her comrade to meet an untimely end. The instant ABER moved, her own attack had already been unleashed. Clang!
The strike, which had nearly broken the sound barrier, collided with ABER’s sword, producing a piercing metallic screech, narrowly yanking Stiyl back from the brink of death.
Though the initial strike failed, ABER did not press the attack. Instead, she swiftly scooped up Lin Luo from the ground and flashed back. After handing Lin Luo over to Rin, ABER stood ready, sword in hand, guarding the two before her.
“Lin Luo!” Rin embraced him, confirming he was merely unconscious and not dead. The stone in her chest finally dropped. She raised her head. “The task of guarding them is yours now.”
“Rest assured. No one shall pass this point, by the name of ABER!”
Hearing ABER’s confident reply, Rin broke into a smile, as if infected by the mood. She then crushed a jewel in her hand and immediately cast a healing spell upon Lin Luo’s body.
Across the way, having narrowly escaped death twice, Stiyl’s spirit suffered a massive blow. His face was ashen. Feeling an odd sensation on his chest, he instinctively reached up to touch it. When his eyes followed his hand, he froze in shock.
His hand was slick with blood. Only then did he register the pain radiating from his body. Although Kanzaki Kaori had blocked ABER’s strike, the sword energy had penetrated his body, leaving a wound nearly an inch long across his chest.
“Stiyl, step back,” Kanzaki said softly, moving to his side.
Stiyl looked at her and sighed helplessly. As a mage, his strength was not insignificant; though far from a Saint, he was considered a formidable expert within the Church of England, even dubbed a genius mage. Yet now, facing two consecutive enemies who both possessed the ability to annihilate him in an instant had severely shattered his confidence. This felt worse than death.
He walked to the ruins near the wall and slumped down weakly. As soon as he stopped moving, he unconsciously pulled a cigarette from his pocket, but the lighter failed to catch even after several tries… His hand wouldn't stop trembling!
Watching Stiyl’s crestfallen appearance, Kanzaki felt a degree of pity. Normally, she might have offered comfort, but right now, she had no such luxury.
Turning her head, Kanzaki’s gaze settled on the blonde, armored girl opposite them, her face a mixture of shock and bewilderment. She simply could not fathom how this girl had appeared here. With just a manifestation resembling a magic circle, she had appeared out of thin air.
Summoning? The Church had no such magic. Nor could the Roman Catholic Church possess it… Since this was Academy City, could it be science? That was even more absurd!
Such an event had absolutely no connection to science.
Despite her confusion, these questions were secondary to Kanzaki. What mattered was the unprecedented pressure she felt emanating from the opponent. After that single, brief exchange, her heart had nearly sunk to the bottom.
Whether it was speed, attack power, reaction time, or the transcendent composure she displayed in the face of battle, Kanzaki could judge that the opponent’s strength was at the Saint level, at the very least!
Yes, at least!
She might die here today, but no matter what!
“Ting!”
She drew the long sword she held, gripping it tightly. Infinite fighting spirit flared in Kanzaki’s eyes… This was the first time in her life she had drawn the entirety of the Seven-Day, Seven-Sword in front of an enemy, a testament to how seriously she took this battle, or rather, how seriously she took the girl before her!
Facing Kanzaki’s challenge, ABER, being the King, naturally showed no fear. She raised the golden longsword before her, and then—
Swish!
Whoosh!
Almost simultaneously, both initiated their attacks.
“Seven Flashes!”
Kanzaki Kaori used Seven Flashes to clear the path, her sound-barrier-breaking slash tearing through the air with a mournful shriek toward ABER. The latter moved like lightning, carving trails of afterimages as she moved, easily evading the Seven Flashes attack, and in the blink of an eye, she closed the distance to Kanzaki and brought her sword down!
Clang!
Kanzaki raised her blade to meet it. As the sword and blade collided, ABER remained completely unmoved, while Kanzaki was forced back several steps, blood and energy churning violently in her chest.
“Indeed… Saint level?!” Kanzaki frowned, the tiger’s mouth gripping her hilt already beginning to ache faintly.
She did not pursue, instead standing her ground with a calm expression, and spoke plainly, “Human, you are strong.”
Kanzaki offered a self-deprecating laugh. “Are you mocking me?” She assumed ABER was scoffing at her weakness, unaware that ABER spoke with genuine sincerity.
Though Kanzaki was a Saint, she was still a human being, merely an eighteen-year-old girl. ABER was different; she was not only the legendary hero King Arthur but also a Heroic Spirit who had existed for millennia. In terms of power, swordsmanship, experience, and equipment, she far surpassed Kanzaki.
For a human body to defeat a Heroic Spirit was generally impossible, unless one was a protagonist with overpowered abilities. The fact that Kanzaki could block ABER’s strike without injury proved her strength was already capable of standing at the apex of humanity—at least from ABER’s perspective, Kanzaki's current power was very close to her own strength before she became a Heroic Spirit, limited only to her inherent abilities.
“Whether it is sarcasm or not, since you are my opponent, I never considered walking away unscathed from the start, so…” Kanzaki’s expression grew grave as she spoke, “Extending aid to those who cannot be saved—that is my magical name. And then…”
“True Saying: Flash!” The Seven-Day, Seven-Sword was unleashed; Kanzaki, now in her Saint state, unleashed her strongest strike.
“Magical name, huh? I am truly impressed. Since you have announced your title, it is only proper for a knight to announce his name in return… My name is Arthur—Artoria. I accept your challenge!”
“Hah!”
The golden longsword slashed diagonally, its brilliant light shining brighter than the sun, carving a semicircle through the space. Then, the two strongest slashes in this world collided head-on!
Clang… Crack!
A crisp sound rang out, and a section of the blade flew high into the heavens… The Seven-Day, Seven-Sword—Broken!
The golden longsword rested horizontally against Kanzaki’s neck.
“You are truly strong… as a human.”
Kanzaki offered a wry smile, about to say something, when she suddenly noticed the appearance of the sword held to her throat. The expression on her face instantly shifted to utter shock.
It wasn't just her; the fight had drawn the attention of Stiyl and Rin as well. When they clearly saw the appearance of the longsword in ABER’s hand, neither could remain composed.
Stiyl shot up from the ground, entirely unaware that the lit cigarette was burning his finger, his face looking as if he had seen a ghost.
Rin, having just finished healing Lin Luo, turned her gaze toward ABER’s battle. She hadn't paid close attention earlier because her focus was entirely on Lin Luo, but now she saw clearly.
“Excalibur!?”
“Sword of Promised Victory!!?”
“King Arthur!!!”
The three voices burst out almost simultaneously.
…
Unlike the shock of Rin and the other two, Kihara Gouta was livid. He savagely kicked an armed man beside him to the ground and roared, “You piece of trash, you can’t even watch over a mere brat? Why don’t you just die?! That brat’s ability was clearly sealed, unable to even enter the Misaka Network—were you raised eating shit, you idiot!!!”
Everyone nearby kept their heads down, none daring to speak.
P: Regarding ABER, I feel I must explain here first, otherwise dealing with all the questions in the review section one by one would be too troublesome… There is a reason Rin could summon ABER; the author didn't just make her summon her because they wanted her to (though that is one reason). As for the actual reason, I alluded to it slightly in a chapter in Volume Two. Although it wasn't obvious, attentive readers should be able to figure it out if they reread it a few times. I won't reveal the specifics for now. Also, regarding ABER, whatever her performance in Volume Two, however inconsistent or inappropriate it may seem, you can speculate and question, but please refrain from flaming for the time being. All answers will be revealed in Volume Three… That is all.
Finally, there is only one chapter today.