I, Guinevere, am going to crush you, you curry stick, today!

Nuada's sword is like water.

Like a mighty river, like a tidal wave, like a whirlpool, like an undercurrent, once the two swords clash, what follows is a continuous barrage of attacks. One is like a small boat in a raging storm, floating or sinking against one's will. By the time one comes to one's senses, the weapon has already slipped from one's hand, and defeat is inevitable.

When both sides have suppressed all other aspects to a near-equal level, the deciding factor becomes the superiority of their skills, and the difference in their swordsmanship is vast. This is only natural—one is a god who has experienced countless battles, large and small, while the other is a "rookie" who has only studied swordsmanship for less than ten years and lacks practical experience. Even with great talent, it would be difficult for them to overcome this enormous gap in a short time.

Fafnir's earlier words about defeating the God of War now seemed like an utterly absurd joke, utterly impossible to achieve. Was it all a meticulously planned prank, or had she overlooked some detail?

Another clash of swords, like a powerful wave crashing down, sent a jolt through Guinevere's right arm. Her sword, as it had seven times before, flew from her grasp and embedded itself in the boulder where the king was to be chosen. Staggered back, her gaze remained fixed on the imposing figure, unwilling to miss any possible crucial detail—

But they still gained nothing.

The girl finally calmed herself down and drew the sword from the stone for the eighth time. With a flick of her wrist, the blade pointed directly at her opponent. No matter how turbulent her thoughts were, the moment she gripped the sword, all other unnecessary thoughts settled down.

"……bring it on."

she said softly.

The longsword in his hand responded with a low hum.

……

Above Plymouth, a deserted town, black fog and a dazzling light are locked in a fierce struggle, seemingly wearing each other down.

Gawain watched this scene from afar. In the end, he still couldn't find Guinevere in the pile of ruins. The girl seemed to have vanished from the world into thin air, nowhere to be found. Thinking of some bad possibilities, the knight's heart couldn't help but sink little by little.

But at that very moment, in this place where there should have been no one else but him, a series of heavy, stumbling footsteps suddenly echoed. The footsteps came from behind, and the moment Gawain noticed them, he turned around warily. Upon seeing who it was, he lowered his sword, which he had already raised halfway.

“You…you…”

He hesitated for a moment as he looked at the newcomer, then his gaze fell on a sword in the other's hand: "This is..."

“You recognize this sword… so you’re that little girl’s companion? In that case…” The voice paused for a moment, as if making a decision: “…Please do me a favor.”

……

"Although I came here to guard this place as Merlin told me to, I'm really curious, will there really be any enemies?"

"Hold on."

"We can only wait."

Kai spread his hands, sighed, his courage more mocking than anything else. He looked around, chose a rock of suitable size, sat down, propped his head up with his hand, and looked at Lily with great interest.

Perhaps his gaze was too strange, making the latter feel extremely uncomfortable. Remembering the man's long list of misdeeds, she couldn't help but glare at him: "Stop staring at me—"

"Yes Yes Yes."

Despite the white-skirted girl's somewhat unfriendly tone, Kai didn't seem to mind and actually smiled as he looked away. Lily, who had expected the conversation to drag on for a while, paused for a moment, then heard Kai say, "Speaking of which, there doesn't seem to be anything worth going west or east from this intersection. Going north leads to Plymouth, and going south..."

"I remember there were only a few small fishing villages." When discussing the plan, the group had heard about the general terrain of the area from Merlin, and Lily answered as she recalled the information.

Kai nodded: "That's why I found it strange. It would be understandable if someone wanted to go north from the other three directions, but Merlin's idea is for us to guard this intersection and stop any enemies coming from the north..."

"Since Merlin says so, she must have her reasons. Let's wait here."

"You trust her a lot."

“Well… I just feel that if we don’t believe Merlin, the consequences could be serious.” Lily’s expression turned slightly strange, as if she had remembered something. Kai smiled. “Alright, since we can stay here comfortably like this, it doesn’t matter… Why don’t you come sit down and rest for a while?”

Seeing that the girl refused, he sat down by himself, casually tapping one leg. After a moment, he spoke again: "That little princess named Guinevere..."

"Ok?"

"She's quite pretty."

Before she could finish speaking, she felt a gaze as sharp as a knife fixed on her. Lily didn't speak, but Kai shrank back, saying, "Okay, I got it. Don't stare at me like that, it's scary. I won't take it from you..."

"Ratch me?"

"what?"

"What do you mean?"

Their eyes met, and Kai was taken aback for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter: "I see. Hahaha, so that's how it is. This is even more interesting than I thought... Hahaha."

Lily stared at him, vaguely understanding what Kai was saying, but upon closer examination, she was still completely confused. Just as she was about to ask further, she suddenly sensed a presence approaching from afar, her expression changed, and the question that was on the tip of her tongue was swallowed back.

At the same time, Kai stood up from the large rock he was sitting on, reached out and grabbed the spear leaning against him. Looking in the north, his playful expression slowly turned serious: "Merlin was right..." He didn't say the rest of the sentence, as if it was stuck in his throat.

It must have been late at night, but thanks to the Radiant Tower, the sky remained a clear, bright blue, just like daytime. The two stood in the sunlight, gazing at the winding path to the north. A gust of wind blew, stirring up dust, and a strange shadow gradually emerged from the distance. Initially only the size of a grain of rice, it grew larger and larger, and Kai's expression became increasingly odd: "That…this thing…"

He looked at the thing whose general shape he could now make out, "Is it really an enemy... or can it even be considered human?"

Lily remained silent and shook her head.

Before their eyes, a body resembling a man's, headless, with a small, blood-stained spine protruding from its empty cavity, clutching a blue scepter in its left hand, staggered toward them in a grotesque and chilling manner, its body riddled with numerous wounds.

They pounced on the two people in this direction!

P.S.: I finally caught up! Qingbai, who still tries his best to update even with a cold, is the epitome of diligence. Please give him your recommendations, rewards, and thunderous applause!

Chapter 133 Beasts of the Divine Age (Part 2)

"stop!"

Regardless of what kind of monster it was, it was impossible to expect a headless creature to obey. As he shouted, Kai took several steps forward, held his spear horizontally, and blocked the monster's path.

As expected, the monster charged forward, its speed undiminished by the appearance of the obstructer. The distance closed rapidly, twenty steps, fifteen steps, and when Kai shouted again, "Stop—", only ten steps remained between them. The young man's gaze fell on the deep blue scepter, and his heart sank.

The Scepter of Neptune... If it's genuine, things could get complicated...

The thought had barely crossed his mind when the headless body rushed in front of him, swinging its scepter with its left hand and striking heavily. Kai pulled back his spear and thrust it forward, and in the blink of an eye, their figures intertwined, and half of the spear plunged into the monster's chest.

Blood splattered everywhere!

For most knights at this time, spear fighting was as essential as swordsmanship, and Hector's skill was beyond question, as he was chosen by King Uther and Merlin to raise and nurture Artoria.

Unlike Artoria, who for some reason had never touched a spear, Kai had undergone rigorous training since childhood. Over the past ten years, if Artoria had inherited Hector's swordsmanship well, then Kai had truly mastered the old knight's lance. Although he had been living a semi-secluded life with his father and did not yet have much fame, once he unleashed his true skills, the way he wielded his spear displayed a level of skill that would make many people feel ashamed.

With a whirlwind, the spear thrust out fiercely, then returned with a spray of blood. The monster wielded its scepter with one hand, its movements powerful yet chaotic, unable to even touch Kai's clothes. In the blink of an eye, several more transparent holes appeared on its body, blood flowing out continuously, mixing with the previously dried dark red blood, making it difficult to distinguish between old and new.

Although these injuries seemed serious, they had no effect on the monster. Its movements did not slow down; it continued its frantic attacks, like a child swinging and hitting wildly. Combined with its bizarre and terrifying appearance, it gave people a sense of unease.

Whoosh! Kai leaned back, dodging the sweeping scepter, but the gust of wind nearly cut his face. He then stepped back, about to thrust out his spear, when suddenly, something seemed to grab his arm from behind.

Startled by the sudden restraint, Kai paused in his movements. The next moment, a blue shadow whistled past him!

Click!

The spear snapped in two. At the last moment, he raised the spear to block it, and the standard weapon, which was made of ordinary materials, broke in two, but it also slowed down the force of the scepter falling.

Taking advantage of the moment, Kai raised both hands, using the two broken spear fragments as short clubs. With a few swings, he forced the monster back several steps, and then retreated as well. He discarded the two broken weapon fragments and drew his sword from his waist with a "whoosh." Once the distance was created, he took a few deep breaths and looked down at his right arm.

"What the hell..."

Upon looking at it, his expression changed.

At his elbow, a semi-transparent, misty substance was almost lying on top of him, still slightly wriggling. It was this sudden appearance of the substance that had slowed his final attack. Kai reached out and grabbed it; the substance shattered instantly, disintegrating into countless water droplets that splashed outwards.

"……water."

He frowned, but it was during these few moments of respite that the headless monster, which had been forced back, arched its body and lunged forward viciously again.

Having lost his spear and knowing that the scepter of the sea god in his opponent's hand was genuine, Kai became even more cautious. As he swung his longsword, he tried his best not to clash with the scepter, and each strike was aimed at the opponent's left hand. This was not only because the monster used his left hand to hold his weapon, but more importantly, because that left arm was out of place with the rest of his body. It was slender and pale, with a fragile beauty like glass.

No matter how you look at it, this monster doesn't seem to be alive normally. Rather than acting on its own will, it's more like a puppet controlled by something, and at first glance, the most likely culprit is undoubtedly its strange left hand. In a flash, Kai slashed with his sword, forcing the monster to retreat. He then thrust his sword straight at the monster's left wrist—forcing it to retreat again.

Even when its heart was pierced, the monster showed no reaction, but when its left wrist was about to be injured, it actually chose to dodge. More certain of his guess, Kai immediately thrust his third sword forward, as fast as lightning, piercing the monster's left wrist before it could raise its scepter to parry. He watched as a drop of blood seeped from the wound, rolled on the tip of the sword, and gradually slid down the blade, leaving a long red line.

With a twist, the monster's left arm was flung to the side, and the scepter slipped from its grasp. Just as Kai was about to continue his attack, a chill, as if being stared at by a ferocious beast, rose from his back. Under his gaze, the left arm, which had been raised high, made several cracking sounds as if its bones were breaking. The hand and forearm were dislocated and bent inward, the palm facing him. The flesh split open, revealing two blood-red eyeballs.

Wow!

Wow!

The illusory sound of flowing water grew louder as it approached, and the surrounding scenery seemed to rapidly turn black and white. He was petrified, frozen in place, unable to move, and could only watch helplessly as a hand with two eyeballs grew closer and pressed against his face...

Swish!

With a sharp whooshing sound, Kai's vision and senses returned to normal. He shook his head and realized that he had been terrified and broke out in a cold sweat just moments before. Looking ahead, he saw a white dress fluttering in the wind, and Lily holding a sword in both hands, a glint of blood flashing on the blade.

And before the sword's edge.

The monster's body suddenly swayed, and with a snap, its left hand, severed at the elbow, fell into a pool of blood on the ground.

Still in the final sword-swinging posture, one second, two seconds, Lily slowly exhaled. However, at the very moment she exhaled, the severed hand in the pool of blood on the ground twitched, suddenly leaped up, its palm eyeballs spinning wildly, its five fingers wide open, dripping with blood, and it reached straight for the girl's face!

But Lily only raised her left hand.

As if grasping at thin air, the severed left hand was suspended in mid-air, and then a glove woven from magic and shimmering with metallic luster gradually appeared on the girl's snow-white palm.

Amidst the scraping sound of metal plates, Lily gripped the other person tightly with the iron glove, her face tense as she stared at the still motionless headless monster: "You..." She seemed to want to say something, but hesitated at the last moment.

"Ok?"

Suddenly, she seemed to hear the distant sound of flowing water, splashing and gurgling—Lily's mind went blank for a moment, but then she found that her left hand was empty. Following her intuition, she turned around sharply in a certain direction and saw the headless monster grabbing her severed hand, desperately trying to reattach it to the broken arm, while stumbling and running towards the direction where the scepter had fallen.

Kai, however, had already moved closer to the headless monster a step ahead of her, and was about to stop it—if she could delay it for just a few seconds until it arrived, she would be very confident of stopping it. But at a certain moment, Kai's body suddenly stiffened, and his eyes became blank. The headless monster took the opportunity to bypass him, reached out, and grabbed the scepter.

Her severed left hand had been reattached, looking perfectly fine, without even a scar!

Even Lily felt a chill run down her spine at the sight of this bizarre and eerie scene. Her grip on the sword tightened, but before she could move, the cascading sound of flowing water rang out once more!

Splash—splash—splash! La—

The strange, hallucinatory sound caused Lily to momentarily lose her senses. Even so, when something whistled towards her, she instinctively blocked the attack. With a few clangs, her longsword broke into several pieces and fell to her feet. When she came to her senses, the headless monster and the scepter had vanished without a trace.

"We still couldn't stop them..." Kai seemed to have regained consciousness at this moment, and he walked over while sighing.

Lily bit her lip: "That's the Scepter of the Sea God."

"The ability to manipulate water... I felt that way from the beginning. But the scepter appearing here means that there's been another problem with the Poseidon's Trident and Fisher's side. Ugh, this is really bad."

"That person is Dreem."

“Dream? Oh, I remember now, he's the owner of the inn where you stayed…” Kay recalled, his tone turning somber. “Yes, he always had his left hand wrapped in bandages. Was he a traitor, or was he also a victim?”

“I don’t know…” Lily shook her head.

"But what is he doing heading south with the Scepter of the Sea God? There's nothing there except a few small fishing villages... It doesn't seem like he's meeting with his accomplices either. What could it be...?"

While he was still thinking, Lily on the other side seemed to have thought of something, her expression suddenly changed several times, and she turned gloomy: "No, there are more than just a few fishing villages in that direction."

"What do you mean?"

Just as he posed the question, the girl in the white dress turned around abruptly, her serious gaze causing Kai to swallow back the words he was about to say.

"Sir... Sir, the situation is serious. Could you please persuade the people in those fishing villages to leave?"

"Leave?" Kai was taken aback, then realized the implied meaning in those words, and his eyes widened suddenly: "You mean—"

"Although it's just speculation, the fact that the other party specifically carried the Scepter of the Sea God to the south suggests that their target is very likely that thing..."

The two men exchanged a glance, both seeing deep concern in each other's eyes. Until just now, they had both forgotten that further south from here, besides those few fishing villages that had recently become prosperous, there was another place.

A place that few people would mention anymore.

"Going south from here, there's a huge cave along the coast... That's where, according to legend, the Fisherman King used the Trident of the Sea God to seal and imprison the demonic beast..."

Lily sheathed her sword and nodded, "Since what happened back then really happened, then the other party's goal is very likely to break that seal."

"Is it too late?" Kai asked.

"...We have to give it a try."

The girl answered.

……

"There are three villages here. I hope you can help me get these villagers away from the seaside to a safe place as soon as possible."

"A safe place? Can I understand that something bad might happen at the beach?"

Within the deserted town, the blue-haired woman lay quietly in the shadows under the eaves, as if asleep. Gawain looked at the ragged, disheveled old man before him, his hand on his longsword, and asked in a deep voice.

"Exactly."

"May I ask what exactly will happen? Depending on the situation, I might be able to help."

“I know you…” The old man did not answer the question directly. Instead, he looked at his holy sword, which symbolized the radiance of the blazing sun, and smiled with a touch of nostalgia: “Or rather, I know your sword. I was fortunate enough to witness those three holy swords that contained great power. When I was desperate, I even asked the witch for those three swords… but in the end, I was refused and hid away.”

“According to them, I haven’t received the Holy Sword’s approval…not a single one. But now it seems, at least the sword in your hand, and this one…” He looked at the longsword he was holding, and Gawain looked over as well.

"...They have all found masters they recognize. This is a good thing. Unlike thirty years ago, this time, truly talented people can finally take on important responsibilities..."

"And you are?" Gawain asked, though he already had a vague idea of ​​the answer. The old man twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a helpless smile: "Perez."