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ARTHUR'S BASE – ARENA
The ground bore faint scarring from previous clashes, but not a single dent from this one. Whatever Shadow Lex had done to the Arena, it was working.
Arthur stood in the center, clad in shadow uniform, Kamish twinblades in hand humming with power, their curved edges catching the violet sheen in the air.
Before him stood three of his most powerful shadows, his Marshals.
Igris, commander of elegance and death, now wielding the Demon King's Longsword, the jagged blade pulsating with lightning like it remembered a thousand wars.
Ultra, still, hovered an inch above the ground, his violet gaze locked on Arthur with unwavering intensity.
Doom, the brute colossus, cracked his fists. No weapons. Just the bone-wrought knuckles and the raw hatred of Doomsday etched into his being.
The silence was broken not by words, but movement.
They came at him as one.
Igris struck first a sweeping lateral slash with a turn of the hip, elegant, precise. Arthur tilted his head slightly, dodging by a hair's breadth, and twirled his twinblade upward, catching the edge. Sparks flew as metal screamed against metal.
At the same instant, Ultra descended like a meteor, fist coiled with velocity. Arthur slid under the blow, pivoted, and used Igris's own back as springboard, flipping over to meet Doom, who had already charged with the weight of a landslide.
A brutal haymaker flew. Arthur parried with his twinblades. The impact sent a boom echoing through the arena, his boots dragging back several feet, but he smiled.
"Good," Arthur muttered, breath steady. "Try attacking faster this time."
They didn't speak, they obeyed.
Igris blinked behind him, sword coming down in a vertical slash like judgment from above. Arthur spun, catching it with his twinblade, and used Igris's own momentum to fling him sideways right into Ultra, who let Igris pass through harmlessly.
Ultra then blurred. The world caught up a second later as Arthur blocked three rapid strikes, the fourth hit him in the ribs, sending a shockwave through his body. He grunted, rolled, and leapt skyward, catching Doom's leaping tackle mid-air with the blades to the creature's chest.
CRACK they collided in mid-air. A vortex of power blew outward as they slammed into the ground, Arthur skidding backwards in a crouch, twinblades flicking residual energy.
He rose, smiling wider. His irises pulsed faint violet.
Then he vanished.
Speed Step, he moved faster than sound.
Suddenly, Igris was blocking. Sparks burst as Arthur struck him from behind, blade meeting longsword with fury. Arthur spun, slashed across Igris's chest, used that momentum to vault over him, and kicked Ultra mid-dash, sending the flying shadow into a wall.
"My liege adapts,"Igris murmured mid-motion."Even now."
Doom roared, charging with reckless abandon.
Arthur didn't move until the last instant. Then he pivoted, sidestepped the punch, and stabbed one end of Kamish twinblades into Doom's side, flipping off his shoulder and landing in a three-point crouch.
Doom stumbled then turned, snarling but before he could retaliate, Ultra flew in, spinning into a tornado kick. Arthur caught it with one hand above him, from his heels, and launched Ultra with a blast of violet energy.
Arthur backflipped midair and the moment he landed
Igris was already there.
They clashed blade-to-blade, a storm of sparks between them. Igris was faster now sharper. Arthur grinned through it all. This was training. This was perfection.
Their swords met mid-air in a final clash shockwave pulsing out and shaking the space.
Then Arthur raised a hand.
Everyone froze.
The Kamish blades hummed down. Breathing slowed.
Arthur's chest rose and fell as he looked at them. But his grin hadn't faded.
"You're getting better," he said. "All of you."
Doom pounded his chest once, then stood at ease. Ultra lowered to the ground. Igris sheathed his longsword with a smooth motion, his head bowing low.
"My liege," Igris said, kneeling first.
The other two followed.
Arthur walked forward, placing the Kamish blades across his back.
"Excellent coordination. Doom, your charges were clean but a bit reckless. Ultra… good pressure. Igris…" He turned. "You're reading me faster than ever."
Igris bowed deeper. "It is an honor to sharpen ourselves against you."
Arthur chuckled. "Not too sharp, I hope."
Just outside of the arena, Raven watched with folded arms. Her eyes widened slightly as she whispered, "That was… synchronized insanity.. This level of combat is a bit dangerous don't you think ?"
Arthur glanced her way, chuckling. "Worried I was going to lose to my own soldiers?"
She rolled her eyes. "Maybe.."
Arthur turned back to his kneeling Marshals, nodding once.
"Well, I need this. My soldiers too."
Then he said louder and sharp, commanding:
"Rise."
The shadows moved as one. The three Marshals stood, the arena trembling subtly beneath their ascent. Energy hissed. There was no hesitation. No doubt.
Arthur's smile returned, the thrill dancing behind his eyes like lightning. "One more time…" His stance lowered, switching his weapon to his gauntlets, shoulders rolling back as he welcomed the coming storm. "And don't you dare pull your punches just because I'm your Monarch."
Raven leaned on the wall and crossed her arms, her eyes traced Arthur's expressions.
"Battle-junkie…" she muttered under her breath, shaking her head but there was a faint curve of a smile on her lips.
****
ARTHUR'S ESTATE -
The polished floors of Arthur's estate thrummed with a low, rhythmic pulse, as though the very foundations were being tested by some colossal force. The tremors rolled upward from the depths beneath them, rattling the fine china on the table. George, ever the portrait of composure, steadied the saucer with a gloved hand while the other poured tea with the precision of a surgeon. Not a drop spilled, though the table itself quivered faintly with each impact.
Across from him, Kara lounged with an air of casual grace, one leg hooked over the other. The sunlight streaming through the tall windows caught in her golden hair, yet her gaze was elsewhere, piercing, searching. Her lips curved into a sly smile.
A soft laugh escaped her. "Well… I'll give him this...he actually managed to block my vision."
George glanced up from the teapot, brow lifting ever so slightly. "I take it, Miss Kara, that your… remarkable gift of sight is yielding you nothing?"
She leaned back in her chair, a faintly irritated sigh slipping past her lips. "Surprisingly, no. Feels like the whole lower level's wrapped in some weird metal, magic, or some ridiculous combination of the two. And with Arthur? I'm betting on both."
Setting the pot down, George straightened, his every movement smooth despite the persistent shaking. "Well, Master Arthur is currently engaged in combat with his shadows."
Kara's posture snapped upright, eyes brightening in an instant. "Seriously? Why didn't he tell me? I should be down there..."
George raised one gloved hand, halting her before the sentence could gather momentum. His tone was unfailingly courteous, yet carried the firmness of quiet authority. "Forgive me, Miss Kara, but he expressly forbade it. When Miss Raven offered to fight alongside him, she too was refused. He insisted that this trial be undertaken alone, an exercise, he claimed, in pressing both himself and his shadows beyond their present threshold."
Kara frowned, confusion tugging at her expression. "I don't get it. He's already plenty strong. Stronger than…" She trailed off, the end of her thought left hanging, her gaze drifting toward the floor.
George allowed himself the faintest of smiles. "It is not for me to presume and I admit, the reason is beyond me as well. However, I have observed that his definition of 'enough' is… somewhat elusive."
A sudden, heavier impact rippled through the estate, sending a faint tremor through the porcelain cup in his hand. He adjusted his grip without even glancing down. "I merely hope the structural integrity of this estate proves sufficient to withstand such… enthusiasm."
Kara smirked at that. "You mean strong enough to handle him being a battlejunkie."
George's gaze flicked briefly toward her, the barest glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "If you wish to employ such a term, Miss Kara, I will not dispute it."
/-\
If you Like this story! Check out my other stories! Solo leveling in Westeros.
&
If you wish to read more or simply support me than check out my patreon at
"https://www.patreon.com/FrenzyAren"
You can Get Access to 3 More Chapters OR 7 More Chapters if you want