Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

Although he didn't know why she stopped attacking, Shirou wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by.

"Strike -"

The red-haired boy remained unfazed, gripping the raging storm of magical power tightly in both hands.

"Wait, wait... wait a minute!"

The "Red" swordsman shouted in a panic, but Shirou would not easily believe the despicable enemy who was sneaking up from behind the door.

"Iron Hammer (Airrrrrrrr) ————!!!"

The gale that was swirling around Excalibur was compressed and condensed to its limit in an instant, and then released along with the golden light.

This is the advanced move of "Wind King Barrier", "Wind King Iron Hammer".

"Goo...!"

The "Red" swordsman raised his demonic sword as if facing a formidable enemy, and simultaneously donned his helmet.

However, in the face of such overwhelming destructive power, defensive actions are completely futile.

Mordred was struck in the chin by an upward strike, sending him flying like a cannonball, with a momentum comparable to "Magic Release".

"Gah... Haa!"

The "Red" swordsman first hit his head on the ceiling, and then fell heavily back to the ground.

The emergency helmet was damaged during the attack and became fragmented.

Mordred lay sprawled out, his eyes rolled back, and passed out.

Volume 5, Chapter 212: Red Thunder's Recollections

—I still vividly remember the emotion I felt when I first welcomed King Arthur back.

"King Arthur!! Our great King Arthur!!"

"The Nameless King!!"

"Please bring peace to Britain!!"

The King's Triumph—

The king who won the battle and returned to the capital Camelot, and the Knights of the Round Table who served him.

All citizens, regardless of age or gender, gathered on both sides of the street, joyfully praising the great king and his knights.

Brave, ruthless, steady, and resolute.

Witnessing such royal majesty for the first time in her life deeply shocked the young girl.

"Father... is completely different from usual..."

“That’s right, Mordred. That’s the true form of your father—our king and savior.”

"Standing atop the chalk wall," Morgan said, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder.

Mordred looked up and saw that the fairy queen, known for her aloofness and cruelty, was gazing at her husband with a look of infatuation, overflowing with passion and love.

The girl was speechless.

To this day, her perception of her father remains that of a gentler and kinder figure.

She enjoys cooking and doing housework, and is good at repairing broken items.

He had a chaotic love life with women; despite having two wives, he still had many extramarital affairs, which often angered his mother.

He would cheat during games with his daughter, and when caught, he would try to justify himself.

Mordred could not possibly equate that kind of father with the glorious king who saved Britain.

However, amidst the almost frenzied cheers around her, the girl gradually came to understand.

Her father was a perfect, complete hero.

Mordred thought to himself that he would probably never be able to catch up with his father's figure in his lifetime, and no matter how hard he tried, he could never recreate today's glory.

So she decided to serve that king.

I am determined to become the king's shadow, to be the one whose sword he points to punish the filthy.

With this in mind, Mordred tried to imprint his heroic figure in her eyes.

To never forget the scene of this day, I opened my eyes as wide as possible.

"Hey! Look at that...!"

"Oh... is that girl the legendary one!?"

Suddenly, the sound of conversations among the nearby people reached his ears.

Just as they were trying to listen closely to hear who they were talking about, the crowd suddenly erupted in thunderous cheers.

"Look! It's Princess Artoria!"

"The daughter of the King and Guinevere! A disciple personally taught by the sage Merlin!"

"At a young age, she followed her father and teacher into battle, and it is said that she even distinguished herself in the war against King Vortigern!"

"How charming and endearing she is, just like a white lily on the battlefield...!"

Artoria—

Mordred looked in the direction the crowd was looking, as if he had been electrocuted.

The pure white-clad girl who drew all eyes to the crowd was none other than her younger sister, Artoria Lily.

"Hehehe... Lily, all the people's attention has been drawn to you."

Not only are you cute, but you're also so outstanding... In a few years, you'll steal my place as "the woman beside the king"~

Merlin, who was following behind King Arthur, struck up a conversation with the girl beside him.

"Please stop joking with me, teacher."

Lily frowned slightly and said, "I am still just an apprentice swordsman, far from being a knight."

Technical skills are, of course, beyond question, but mental fortitude hasn't been properly developed yet.

How could someone as immature as me possibly replace you, Father, as your pillar of support?

"Hehehe, so you mean you want to replace me?"

The girl gritted her teeth: "Waaaaah... If you tease me again, I'll tell my father!"

"What's wrong? Lily, is there something you want to tell me?"

"Father, my dear father!"

The red-haired youth slowed his pace and approached the court magician and the girl.

"Listen to me, Arthur..."

The female magician grinned mischievously and said, "Lily said she's going to defeat me and become the one standing by her father's side to support her. Isn't that terrifying?"

"Wait, I didn't say that—"

"Oh? Is that so, Lily?"

When she met King Arthur's gaze, the girl's rebuttal suddenly stalled, and her cheeks flushed red.

Not wanting to disappoint him, Lily nodded with great embarrassment, swallowing her teacher's joke with a bitter expression.

"I see. That's a remarkable ambition. I'm proud of you."

"Father...Father King?"

"Speaking of which, Lily... if you want to become an excellent knight, start by doing small, easy things."

"It was just a small favor...?"

The girl tilted her head in confusion and blinked.

"Wave to the people, they will be very happy."

The moment Lily followed her father's advice and waved to the citizens lining the road—

A burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted.

While its scale couldn't compare to that of King Arthur, it was still comparable to a thunderous roar.

Mordred stood atop Camelot, gazing at it from afar, utterly dumbfounded.

What shocked the girl the most was—

The father's tender gaze toward his younger sister.

The girl once thought that her father would only show that kind of expression to her.

Mordred's mother was Morgana, the fairy queen who was King Arthur's favorite woman and also possessed the power of the island, symbolizing the bloodline of the British royal family.

Compared to Artoria Lily, who was born into a political marriage, her origins were far more noble.

Therefore, when people said that Mordred was King Arthur's most beloved daughter, she naturally accepted this statement.

Mordred has always strived to be a good older sister.

When Lily was little, she was very timid, and Mordred would always step up to comfort her sister on stormy nights.

Mordred's determination to be a good older sister stemmed from two reasons: firstly, she wanted to earn her parents' praise, and secondly—

To say that she didn't feel superior to her younger sister would be a lie.

But since when did that frail girl (my younger sister) who always hid behind me go to my father's side before me?

Upon witnessing this scene, Mordred felt an overwhelming sense of frustration welling up inside him.

It's as if the dream you just set out to pursue is ahead of you, but suddenly an insurmountable mountain appears.

This guy is the only one I absolutely cannot lose to, I don't want to lose to.

At that moment, Mordred thought so strongly.

……

……

As time went by, Mordred and Artoria both turned 15.

From that triumphant day onward, Mordred seemed like a completely different person.

She was determined to surpass her sister and become the closest person to her father, King Arthur.

Mordred began to refuse to wear the dresses the maids had prepared for her.

Lily always wore the light, flowing dresses Merlin had prepared for her, but Mordred didn't need them.

She refused to be seen as a woman.

Of course, right?

Because I'm destined to become King Arthur's shadow knight!

Mordred thought it was only natural.

Despite her parents' objections, Mordred applied to join the Round Table and eventually became a knight of Camelot.

The girl believed this was her only option to get closer to her father.

This is the most difficult road.

She approached her father not as a daughter, but as a knight.

Fortunately, Mordred inherited her father's fighting talent and her mother's island mystery.

She overcame numerous obstacles in battle after battle, gradually building her own reputation.

People no longer called her "Princess," but "Mordred, the Knight of Crimson Lightning."

However, on the other hand, there are also some sharp voices.

The public believed that Mordred's fighting style was too brutal and barbaric.