Chapter 1177 The Secret Of William"s Wooden Staff
"I just want to know if you are an idiot or not."
This sentence, that was spoken in a teasing manner, spread across the venue, making all the spectators wonder if they heard the young knight"s words properly
Lancelot was the strongest knight of the Round Table, and was even said to be on par with King Arthur himself. However, the Dark Knight had chosen to challenge him, and his weapon of choice was a wooden staff.
This made the people scratch their heads in confusion. But, since the young Knight was already the Champion of the Tournament, they thought that this was just a simple exhibition match done for everyone"s entertainment.
William stood in a carefree manner while the wooden staff rested on his shoulder. He had already challenged Lancelot, and if the latter were to reject his challenge that would make him a Killjoy.
No one liked Killjoys.
Not even during medieval times.
Lancelot didn"t even bother to don his armor and only carried his sword, Arondight, to the battleground.
Merlin and Morgaine exchanged a glance before nodding at the same time. They once again cast a barrier spell in order to reinforce the protective array that they had placed earlier. Now that Lancelot had accepted William"s duel, this battle could no longer be considered child"s play.
"Protect the people," King Arthur ordered. "Make sure none of my subjects get hurt."
The Knights of the Round Table stood up from their seats and hurried to where the spectators were watching. All of them were carrying their magical artifacts, and would not hesitate to use them to ensure the safety of the innocent.
William and Lancelot stood facing each other, but neither of them moved. They allowed the Knights to position themselves just outside the barrier to prepare for any incidents.
"Are both Knights ready?" King Arthur asked as he raised his hand to signal that the battle would start after his command.
William and Lancelot nodded their heads. Both fighters then took a fighting stance at the same time, waiting for King Arthur"s prompt to start.
Seeing that both fighters were ready, he no longer wasted any time and shouted, "Duel Start!"
A second later, a crisp, cracking sound, reverberated in the arena as Lancelot drew his blade. It was as if the very air was cut in half the moment when Arondight was unsheathed from its scabbard.
Arondight, the sword which was said to be indestructible when attacked by any mortal weapon, was only given to the strongest of knights in the current era. The fact that Lancelot held this sword in his hands, meant that the sword had recognized him as the one-true-knight that was capable of wielding him.
William also knew Arondight"s power, so he didn"t use Rhongomyniad to fight against it. Since it was a sword that couldn"t be defeated by a weapon forged by mortals then a wooden staff that belonged to a G.o.d was the perfect counter for it.
The moment Lancelot took his first step, it was as if the entire world flickered for a brief moment.
The next second, the Fairy Blade was only a few inches away from William"s neck, and was only kept at bay by the wooden staff in his hands.
"Not bad," William said. "You didn"t even hesitate to go for the kill on your first strike."
"Shut up," Lancelot replied. "Words are not needed during duels. I didn"t come here to chat with you."
William smirked. "Well said."
He no longer said anything and instead, unleashed a kick towards Lancelot"s groin.
To his surprise, Lancelot moved his body to the side, allowing Lux"s kick to pa.s.s harmlessly to his side.
Using the moment of his turn, Lancelot used his elbow to attack William"s face that was covered by his visor without holding back.
The Half-Elf took a step back and deftly used his wooden staff to block Lancelot"s strike, while raising his left knee to counter attack. Just like what he did earlier, Lancelot moved his body once again to evade the Dark Knight"s attack, as if he was dancing.
These exchanges only happened in the span of a few seconds, and yet, all the spectators could see was a blur.
Both fighters were moving too fast for their eyes to follow. Only the King, Merlin, Morgaine, and the Knights of the Round Table could see the incredible scene that was happening in front of their eyes.
Suddenly, the ground shook and a meter deep fissure appeared on the arena. But, it didn"t end there.
With every strike Lancelot unleashed, more fissures appeared on the ground. However, no matter how much he tried to land a hit on William, none of his attacks landed.
This was very similar to what happened when he was fighting against Izaak. For William, unless Lancelot used the full power of Arondight, his ordinary attacks didn"t pose a threat to him.
After a minute of evading, William no longer stayed pa.s.sive and moved in for a strike. He had lowered his strength to match Lancelot"s because fighting the knight as a DemiG.o.d would be too boring for him.
The moment William crossed the gap between them, Lancelot knew that his opponent had finally decided to fight seriously. However, just as he was about to unleash a sword strike at his opponent, he felt that something was amiss the moment Wiliam pointed the tip of his wooden staff in his direction at close range.
"Quick Shot War Art Second Form…" Wiliam"s words reached Lancelot"s ear, which made the Knight raise his weapon in a defensive position.
"Shotgun!"
Immediately Lancelot"s body skid on the ground after receiving William"s unexpected blow. However, the Half-Elf wasn"t done with his attack just yet.
"Quick Shot War Art Fourth Form," William declared. "Grand Bazooka!"
The attack was shot at almost point-blank range. A second later, Lancelot"s body flew several meters in the air as if he was. .h.i.t by a speeding truck.
William then moved his hand on the handle of his wooden staff as if he was reloading a shotgun.
As Lancelot propped himself up the ground, his body jerked several times as invisible bullets smashed on his body, making him take a few steps back every two seconds.
After using Arondight to block the invisible bullets from hitting his body, the Strongest Knight was finally able to take a breather.
Lancelot"s mouth was filled with the salty taste of his own blood, and knew that he could no longer take his opponent lightly.
"Can you still fight?" William asked as he twirled the wooden staff in his hands. "You can concede anytime you want, you know?"
Lancelot ignored William"s taunt and wiped away the blood that flowed out from the corner of his lips with the back of his hand.
"Cut through the firmament," Lancelot declared as dark clouds covered the heavens. "Raze the world, Arondight!"
The sword in Lancelot"s hand turned purplish in color as the power of the world revolved around it. Clearly, he finally decided to stop holding back and just wanted to kill the person in front of him.
Seeing that the worst case scenario had happened, Merlin threw a ball made of crystal at the arena. The moment the ball hit the ground, William and Lancelot were sent to a Domain, where they could not kill any innocent during their no-holds-barred battle.
William smiled after seeing the full power of the Fairy Sword, Arondight. Even in his DemiG.o.d Form, Lancelot"s sword could still kill him if it landed cleanly on his body.
"Say, we"ve been together for a very long time," William said as he held onto the wooden staff firmly in his hand. "I know that the current me doesn"t have the qualifications to order you around, but just this once, lend me the power that I need so I can put an end to this chapter of my past life."
The wooden staff in William"s hand vibrated as if agreeing to his request.
William had carried the wooden staff since he was a baby, and it had protected him when he was about to be killed by a goblin. Although he hadn"t used it for quite some time, this was a weapon that had been entrusted to him by the G.o.d of Shepherds himself.
A moment later, a steady, and determined voice echoed within Merlin"s Domain where the two combatants were facing each other.
"I am a Marvel to see and know, for no one has ever been able to see and grip me, and never will, no matter how large his hand, except one man alone. And this man will surpa.s.s in skill all those who have come before him, and all who will follow afterward."
A thunderous clap resounded in the Heavens as the voice continued to utter the words that made the very fiber of the world tremble.
"The man who will carry me must be more valiant, and confident than any other if he is to carry me as purely as he should. I cannot be taken to any vile, or sinful, place. He who would put me in such a place will be the first to regret it, but if he takes proper care of me, he can go everywhere safely."
The wooden staff in William"s hand glowed like the sun, and he watched with amazement as the wood on the staff was stripped away, similar to an apple being peeled in a circular motion.
"In your current state, you are unable to wield me. However, just this once, I will lend you my aid."
The weapon in William"s hand hummed as the weapon that had never been seen before appeared in the closed off domain.
It was the sword that belonged to a King.
It was a sword that belonged to a G.o.d.
"Strike with all the power of the Virtues of the World," William ordered as he raised the sword towards the sky. "Cut through time and s.p.a.ce, Sword of ******* *******!"
On the first day, G.o.d said.
"Let there be Light."
And by his words, the world that belonged to Merlin, was covered in Light…
Before it was split in half.