NOVEL NEXT Chapter 43: Watching drama 4
The battle began. Artoria, Lancelot, and Gawain stood on the front lines of the war against Vortigern. Lancelot, with his unparalleled combat skills, severed one of Vortigern's wings, but Vortigern regenerated his wing with unbelievable speed. As Lancelot stared in wide-eyed astonishment at the scene, Vortigern struck him with a devastating blow from his massive tail. Lancelot's body was sent crashing through several buildings at breakneck speed, finally coming to a halt in a large crater after a long fall. Blood flowed from his mouth, and Vortigern's blow had broken several of his ribs.
Meanwhile, Gawain and Artoria continuously attacked Vortigern, while the other Knights of the Round Table supported them from behind. Gawain, at the peak of his power, still couldn't match Vortigern. Vortigern, exhausted by the relentless assaults of these knights, opened his mouth and unleashed his dragon's breath in the form of a destructive purple beam. Due to their small size, the knights managed to dodge the beam, but it obliterated everything in its path, eventually striking a mountain and completely annihilating it. This scene vividly demonstrated the immense power of Vortigern's breath. Artoria stared wide-eyed at the spectacle, realizing that she must never allow that beam to hit her.
Lancelot, despite his severe injuries, returned to the battlefield and joined forces with the other knights and Artoria to launch the final assault. Even Merlin, who usually avoided conflicts, entered the fight more seriously than ever. At any moment, one of them could have been killed by Vortigern. Vortigern's power was no joke, and nearly the entire city had been destroyed in the battle. Even the shockwaves from Lancelot's strikes were demolishing buildings.
With the combined power of the Knights of the Round Table, Artoria, and Merlin, Vortigern was truly in trouble. If Vortigern had been able to unleash even ten percent of the power of Grimoire 999, they would all have been dead by now. A complex golden magical circle appeared around Vortigern, and destructive beams shot out from it. Each beam was as devastating as an atomic bomb.
But Vortigern's efforts were in vain. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't kill even one of the Knights of the Round Table. It was as if the world itself had cursed him. Vortigern let out a desperate roar, but it was no use. As two of his wings were severed by Gawain and Lancelot, Artoria raised her sword and delivered a fatal blow to Vortigern with a massive golden light. This light was like a flame that punished all evil. Nearly all of Vortigern's body was destroyed by the strike. He tried to regenerate, but this time, he was not allowed to do so.
Vortigern let out a desperate roar as his body began to glow. Artoria's intuition told her that something terrible was about to happen. So, she moved at supersonic speed toward Vortigern and severed his head from his body. Vortigern's massive head fell to the ground like a building, but this wasn't the end. Luminous tendrils emerged from Vortigern's headless body and quickly reattached to his head. His body began to glow, undergoing a strange transformation. The transformation happened rapidly, and Artoria stared in shock at Vortigern's new appearance. His wings had regrown, but this time, they resembled the feathers of an angel, with enormous eyes embedded in them.
Sheer madness was visible in Vortigern's eyes. It was as if he had become a fusion of divinity and dragon. Ancient primordial energy radiated from him, and his golden, insane eyes stared at the knights. Vortigern's consciousness had been completely consumed by Grimoire 999, and now Grimoire 999 controlled his body. Vortigern let out a thunderous roar and began his final attack.
Shikama Doji, who had been watching the battle from afar, smiled with satisfaction as he followed the progression of events. Perhaps Artoria and the others didn't realize it, but Counter Force had been supporting them since the beginning of the battle. Vortigern's defeat was inevitable, unless an entity from a higher dimension intervened. But as Shikama Doji had expected, Vortigern was ultimately defeated.
The Knights of the Round Table, panting heavily, stared at Vortigern's nearly destroyed body. His body transformed back into a humanoid shape, becoming a wounded old man sitting on the rubble of a building. Numerous cracks were visible on his body. Vortigern had regained control of himself.
"That was quite an interesting fight. Congratulations, Artoria. You've won," Shikama Doji appeared calmly before them and spoke these words. Artoria, with exhaustion etched on her face, couldn't muster the strength to respond. This battle had truly been grueling.
Vortigern stared wide-eyed at Shikama Doji. Through his fusion with Grimoire 999, he had been able to see Shikama Doji's true nature. "Why...?" was the only word Vortigern could utter. His body immediately disintegrated, turning into a blue light. Shikama Doji smiled with satisfaction as he gazed at the spot where Vortigern had been.
After Vortigern disappeared, Grimoire 999 was detached from his body and fell to the ground. Arturia went and picked it up. "We need to seal this thing away. If it falls into the hands of evil people, there will be a great disaster," Arturia said in a firm and majestic voice as she stared at Grimoire 999.