"Are you kidding me, you bastard?!"
The great court magus of Britain, a household name, the wise sage himself, was actually caught by a mere giant to be used as roast meat? Who would believe such a story?
But faced with Kay's furious roar, Merlin could only manage an embarrassed smile and explain.
"I couldn't help it. I bit my tongue while chanting a spell earlier, then I went and lost my staff, so I was..."
However, before he could finish his sentence, the now-standing giant sprang into action.
Feeling a powerful gust of wind rush past his cheek as his own body was swung through the air, Merlin seemed to anticipate the giant's next move and frantically tried to stop it.
"Hey! Wait, wait! Mr. Giant, I'm not a weapon, please calm down—Eeeek!!!"
A tragic scream echoed through the forest as the wooden club, with a certain strange object tied to it, was swung. The giant unhesitatingly launched its attack at the spot where Aozaki Rin and the others stood.
In that same instant, having grasped the situation, Aozaki Rin grabbed Artoria's wrist and leaped back just in time, calling out a warning.
"Sir Kay!"
"Got it!"
With an unspoken understanding, Kay dodged the giant's attack and immediately thrust his sword forward.
To his surprise, the giant suddenly swung the wooden club back around to face him. The sharp edge of his sword grazed past the ear of a certain white-haired man on the club, nearly stabbing him directly.
"Tsk! Did I miss?"
Kay clicked his tongue, his face full of regret, while Merlin demanded in terror.
"Hey, tell me first, what exactly did you miss? Was it me?!"
"Who knows."
Shrugging, Kay leaped aside, dodging the swinging club.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Artoria quickly regained her composure after a brief moment of panic.
—That's right, it's just a giant. There's nothing to be afraid of. And En is right behind me. As his older sister, I have to protect him.
But before the girl could make her move, the boy who had been at her side shot forward first.
Sensing the direction of the air currents and vibrations, Aozaki Rin executed a sliding tackle. Leaning back and lowering his waist, he dodged the "Merlin-cudgel" as it swung over his head.
Taking advantage of the gap before the giant could retract its arm, he leaped up, landed on its arm, and ran straight up the massive, sturdy limb.
Then, upon reaching the shoulder, he spun around, drew his sword, and landed a solid blow on the back of the giant's neck!
Unexpectedly, however, the sound that accompanied the blade sinking into flesh was not a satisfying slice, but a dull, stuck thud.
The sword in his hand only cut a quarter of the way into the giant's neck before getting stuck on bone. Aozaki Rin froze for a second, but he quickly recovered.
But the giant's rage, sparked by the injury, came faster than he could react!
In an instant, a frenzied shaking sensation, accompanied by a roar, assaulted him. It looked as if the boy was about to be flung high into the air.
"—En!"
Artoria cried out in alarm, subconsciously rushing forward and slashing at the giant's ankle. But this did nothing to stop the giant from trying to grab at the back of its own neck; instead, it only made the creature more violent.
Kay, who was nearby, noticed the boy's predicament at the same time, but he didn't charge forward like Artoria. Instead, he took a few steps back to create some distance.
At the same time, he threw a rock he had just picked up, which struck the giant squarely in the eye, causing it to cry out in pain.
"Hey! You weak little runt! Didn't you drink enough milk when you were born!? Come and get me if you've got the guts!"
Flipping his middle finger at the giant, Kay shouted a taunt in a mocking tone.
It was hard to say if it was the pain in its eye that drew the giant's hatred, or if it was provoked by Kay's taunting words.
The giant threw its head back and roared, then charged in Kay's direction, swinging the wailing wooden club.
Artoria seized the opportunity. She was just about to climb onto the giant's back to rescue the boy on its neck when the unexpected happened.
The giant didn't charge all the way to Kay.
Instead, it stopped its massive body midway, raised both arms above its head, jumped straight up, and then slammed down hard, crashing its arms into the ground!
—BOOM!
The earth seemed to crack open.
Caught off guard, Artoria was thrown into the air by the violent shockwave. She instantly lost her footing and, flailing her sword helplessly, could only watch as her body plummeted downward.
But to her surprise, she realized she wasn't the only one who had been thrown into the air.
"Sister, let me borrow your sword for a moment..."
A young, clear voice faintly drifted by her ear. Before Artoria could react, a small figure had already taken the Sword in the Stone from her hand.
At the same time, he plummeted downward with incredible speed!
Aozaki Rin gripped the sword, his body rotating sideways, continuously accelerating.
Finally, upon reaching the giant's neck once more, he swung the sword!
—SCHLICK!
The sound of cutting was clean and sharp, without the slightest pause.
A massive head soared into the sky, tumbling through the air.
The giant's charging body came to a halt, digging a trench in the ground. The boy landed on the severed neck and reached out, catching the falling girl just as a drizzle of blood rained down behind them.
"Sister, are you okay?"
Aozaki Rin asked with concern, facing the girl in his arms.
After a brief moment of shock, Artoria stared at the boy's face, which was unstained by even a single drop of blood. She blinked, and as if finally coming to her senses, she hurriedly said.
"I-I'm fine. Anyway, put me down! Also, are you hurt, En?"
"No. But the sword Father gave me is probably broken."
Setting the girl down and handing the Sword in the Stone back to her, Aozaki Rin shook his head, signaling for his sister not to worry.
Although he had been startled by the giant's frenzy at first, its strength hadn't been nearly enough to throw him off.
"As long as you're okay... As for the sword, we can talk about that later."
Artoria let out a heavy sigh of relief. Perhaps because she had relaxed, her mind began to wander again, and the image of the boy rescuing her replayed in her thoughts.
Am I still too weak after all...?
She silently tightened her grip on the hilt of the Sword in the Stone, her lips pressed together.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the clearing, where a certain large wooden club was now stuck upside down in the ground, Merlin twitched a few times, fighting back the urge to vomit.
"Excuse me," he said, his face pale, "could someone untie me first? I think I'm about to die... blegh!"