Marvel: Impregnation System-Chapter 206 - 193: Ricky vs. Arthur Pendragon, Part 2!

"But I’m willing to kill for it." Ricky smiled, his teeth streaked with black blood as Arthur’s golden eyes snapped up to meet him, burning with his virtues.

Their gazes locked, while the trembling citizen sat between the mercy of a king and the cruelty of a monster.

All the while, clarity swirled within Ricky’s eyes as he finally understood how to beat someone like Arthur.

From the very start, he’d been measuring this fight by his own standards and for good reason.

Most of Ricky’s life-and-death encounters had been against foes who were, in their cruelty and ruthlessness, not so different from him.

Beings willing to do whatever it took to win.

But Arthur wasn’t like them, like him.

Not at all.

Arthur was a hero.

A good man.

That was what set Arthur apart from every other monster Ricky had ever crossed.

Arthur was a genuinely good soul, a true hero in every sense of the word.

The kind of person who sought to lift others up rather than elevate himself, who aimed to save everyone, even at the cost of his own life.

And in finally grasping that, Ricky saw exactly how to tear him down.

That was the truth buried in that quiet whistle, the revelation that finally broke through to Ricky.

He’d been fighting Arthur the wrong way from the very start.

Because Ricky shouldn’t have been attacking Arthur at all.

He should have been attacking everything Arthur wanted to protect.

Throughout this entire clash, Ricky had only managed to land two real wounds on Arthur.

Once when he tore at Arthur’s chest with monstrous claws, a blow that had taken so much effort and so many strikes just to pierce the surface, and again when the Ebony Blade nicked Arthur’s cheek in a single flash as the king moved to shield another.

Though the first wound seemed promising, the effort required to land it was not something Ricky could sustain.

The second, however, had cost him almost nothing, yet it delivered an immediate payoff.

So, upon this revelation, one that seemed obvious from the very start, he nearly burst out laughing on the spot.

For the first time, Ricky truly saw the battlefield, not as Arthur had set it, but as it really was.

He saw the board Merlyn had painstakingly built all this time, every move designed to safeguard Arthur and secure a victory that would define the ages for Camelot.

Then Ricky swept that board clean.

In that instant, this entire battle flipped upside down and for the first time, he felt like he truly understood how to fight Arthur.

"You coward, to strike an innocent man just to reach me is truly despicable!" Arthur’s voice thundered, his words rippling across the scenery as a righteous fury burned in his golden eyes.

But Ricky only lifted his gaze along with that same sleazy smile.

"Hey man, that’s just how the cookie crumbles." Ricky gave a careless shrug, as if the horror of it all wasn’t his problem, but Arthur’s alone to shoulder.

"You-" Arthur began, ready to unleash another breath of his noble outrage, only for his words to die in his throat as a young boy suddenly bolted from one shattered column to another in a terrified scramble.

Ricky’s eyes drifted lazily after the child, watching him with a calm that mirrored Arthur’s at the very start of the fight.

Then he turned back to Arthur, the king hanging on his every move with an intensity that only made Ricky’s eyes curl into mocking crescent moons.

That was all it took to send Arthur’s golden eyes flying wide in horror.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Arthur roared, his white aura blazing around him like a rising sun as he rocketed toward Ricky in a desperate blur.

But Ricky was already in motion, turning his body toward the boy and, for the first time since this fight, disregarding Arthur’s oncoming attack.

His senses screamed at him, yet Ricky’s maniacal eyes reflected the image of that little boy running for his life in the distance.

Because Ricky was going to force Arthur to play right into his hands, whether he wanted to or not.

WHOOSH

The ground split open, a jagged line of earth tearing apart as red electricity tore towards the little boy at a lightning fast pace.

The little boy’s entire body froze, eyes wide with horror as the very ground beneath him slithered and parted, torn open by Ricky’s devastating slash cutting straight toward him.

Until Arthur was there.

White armor gleaming, his cape fluttering, he planted himself firmly between the boy and the coming doom.

With a precise swing, Excalibur met the oncoming slash, redirecting its all-cutting force in a graceful arc that curved harmlessly around them both.

Arthur stood tall while the boy’s mouth opened to whisper a trembling word of gratitude.

Only for Arthur’s head to jerk in alarm and interrupt him completely.

Because there, darting through the air with impossible speed was Chastiefol, hurtling straight at the child’s unprotected back.

Only for a gloved hand to suddenly wrap tight around the boy’s shoulders, pulling him closer into the king’s embrace just as Arthur’s heart seemed to stop.

In that instant, he realized exactly what it would cost to shield the child, feeling the boy press against him as he turned his back to protect him completely.

Just as Ricky had expected.

BAM

The spear crashed into Arthur’s back with a thunderous impact, stalling out before it could breach his armor.

Though the tip failed to pierce, the violent force sent shuddering vibrations through his entire body, making his teeth grind together.

’More, I gotta find more.’ Ricky’s mind raced, eyes darting across the battlefield, hungry for another opening.

Arthur didn’t even glance at him as his entire focus was on ushering the terrified boy to safety, never once lifting his sword to strike back.

Ricky’s smile couldn’t have stretched any wider, even if he tried; his willingness to cross that line was something he had stomached long ago.

Once upon a time, he had vomited at the sight of mass killings, the sheer horror twisting his guts.

But now he didn’t even flinch.

It was why it allowed him to do the unthinkable.

Without hesitation, Ricky grabbed the Ebony Chalice mask and pressed it to his face, drawing in a deep, deliberate breath.

SNIFFFFFFFFFFFF

"C’mon buddy, show me the way." Ricky inhaled a stream of white smoke as his eyes glazed over with thoughts of not killing Arthur, but searching for where Arthur’s citizens were hiding.

Thousands upon hundreds of thousands of screens flooded Ricky’s field of vision, each one displaying attacks against his surroundings.

Buildings crumbled, the city trembled, and the earth itself was torn apart, all as the hidden shelters where Merlyn had stashed the people were relentlessly sought out.

"What are the odds?" Ricky muttered, hovering just above a specific spot as he wound up the quiet Ebony Blade and slashed through the air.

WHOOSH

The earth split cleanly in two, the fracture widening as Ricky yanked the parted ground back to reveal a hidden bunker teeming with Camelot’s citizens.

"Seriously, what are the odds an entire group of your faithful citizens was hiding right beneath me?" Ricky laughed, sweeping a hand toward the stunned crowd as his telekinesis tore their bunker from the ground.

They all crouched low, desperate to put as much distance between themselves and Ricky as possible, as if pressing themselves to the ground could somehow shield them from his looming presence.

Then, cutting through the fear like a blade, a young woman no older than nineteen stepped forward.

Her parents tugged at her sleeves, pleading for her to retreat, but she held her ground, locking eyes with Ricky.

"WAIT!" Arthur screamed, his voice cracking with urgency as a white aura swirled and gathered around him.

He stretched out his hand, ready to protect those under Ricky’s cold gaze, until his head snapped back.

Through Ricky’s telekinesis, another massive boulder hurled through the air, aimed straight at the child he had just saved.

Arthur’s body reacted instantly, sparing no effort to shatter the incoming threat before it could reach its target.

Meanwhile, Ricky’s eyes locked onto the young woman standing firm among the frightened crowd.

"I will not bow before anyone who is not my king." the girl declared resolutely, locking eyes with Ricky to show she would not yield to his rule.

"I’m not asking you to bow," Ricky said nonchalantly, shifting his gaze back to Arthur who was a half-step behind from saving that boy.

And the promised king knew it too.

"WAIT-"

"I’m just telling you to burn." Ricky’s words cut through the air, and the girl’s face drained of color.

His eyes locked onto Arthur’s with unwavering intensity, a flicker of sovereign fire dancing dangerously close to her trembling face.

BOOM

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Screams of agony erupted from the bunker, wails that clawed at their burning throats and echoed through the area.

Green sovereign fire surged like a living nightmare, engulfing the shelter as terrified people grasped at themselves and their loved ones only to feel their skin melt, flesh char, and bones sear like fragile parchment.

All while Arthur froze, his resolute expression cracking as the anguished screams pierced through him.

The weight of innocent lives consumed by Ricky’s fire shattered his focus, leaving him momentarily paralyzed by the horror unfolding before him.

"How-........COULD YOU!" Arthur roared, his voice echoing through the shattered bunker as a pillar of white aura erupted around him.

RIP

Meanwhile, Shadow Broker calmly tore another sheet of paper, beckoning on this train of thought that was forming in Arhtur’s mind.

To save everyone.

’Arthur, you mustn’t fall into his whims-’

"Man, that kid sucks at getting away," Ricky quipped, his eyes flicking to the fleeing boy who still hadn’t managed to escape, while Excalibur’s voice tried to steady the heroic king beside him.

Suddenly, the earth beneath Arthur’s feet rippled violently and with a powerful leap, he launched himself forward, leaving behind a trail of cracked stone as he hurtled straight toward Ricky.

BAM

Arthur arced Excalibur beautifully down onto Ricky’s ebony shield, which flared with a brilliant blue energy.

But at the exact moment of collision, Ricky leaned forward, eyes locked on Arthur.

Instead of speaking, he slammed his black helmet hard against Arthur’s gleaming white one, then shoved off him with brutal force.

BOOM

Ricky suddenly burst forward, igniting the space between them with a roaring blaze of sovereign fire.

The intense heat surged around him like a living force, propelling his form through the air toward the direction the innocent child was fleeing.

"I WON’T LET YOU TAKE ANOTHER INNOCENT SOUL!" Arthur screamed, his voice ringing with desperate fury as he pursued Ricky, tracking the glowing green trail left in his wake.

Ahead, the frightened child hesitated, slowly turning back just as a shadowy hand lunged toward him.

Only, it wasn’t Arthur’s.

BOOOOOOM

Arthur collided with Ricky in a violent clash, white and black armor spiraling together as they crashed into the desolate streets of Camelot’s downtown.

The boy was thrown aside, tumbling away as Arthur fought to wrestle Ricky to the ground.

Until suddenly, Ricky’s hand shot out, gripping Arthur’s face and shoving it hard into the cracked road beneath them, sending a sharp jolt through the would-be king.

BAM

His white helmet slammed into the cracked sidewalk, sending shards of stone skittering outward as Ricky seized the ebony shield.

With a fierce grunt, he hoisted it high and then slammed it down with brutal force.

BAM

BAM

Ricky slammed the ebony shield against the white helmet repeatedly, each impact rattling the king’s head within its bindings as Arthur’s eyes flickered toward the little boy nearby.

"RUN!" Arthur shouted urgently to the little boy, driving his fist toward Ricky’s chest.

But the black knight twisted sharply aside, narrowly avoiding the blow, then smashed his ebony shield into Arthur’s head with a bone-shaking force.

Huff

"Hold this for me, will ya?" Ricky huffed, his exhaustion barely hidden beneath his witty comments.

In one swift motion, he yanked the massive clock tower with his telekinesis, sending it crashing down toward Arthur.

Arthur’s eyes snapped to the side, tracking Ricky’s lunge toward the fleeing child just as the towering structure was about to slam down on him.

WHOOSH

Slashing upward in a flawless arc, the clock tower split in two, shards of stone tumbling to the ground.

But in that fleeting moment, Arthur’s gaze wavered just long enough to catch the child being dragged into a nearby building.

"YOUR MAJESTY-" The boy cried out, fear lacing his voice as Ricky’s hand clamped over the child’s mouth, pulling him swiftly into the shadows.

"NO, I WON’T LET YOU-" Arthur’s proclamation faltered the moment he entered the building as his voice abruptly ceased.

Only then did he realize there was no sound; complete silence enveloped the area, as if a skill had muted everything.

(Legendary Skill) Veil of Silence: A skill that allows the user to create zones of absolute silence, cutting off sound in a designated area. Within this veil, the user can move unnoticed, and all sound-based abilities are rendered ineffective. The longer the user maintains the zone, the more physically draining it becomes.

Utilizing the new skill he gained from entangling his body with Morgana’s, he shrouded the entire building in a veil of silence as Arthur raised his sword.

’Arthur, this is a trap-’

"Even so, I cannot leave this boy behind." Arthur said resolutely, his golden eyes glimmering as he scanned his surroundings.

His footsteps made no sound as he moved slowly through the building until he reached a darkened room.

There, a small circle of light pierced the cloak of darkness, revealing the boy curled into a ball, quietly crying.

’ARTHUR-’ Excalibur shouted at the Promised King, fully aware it was a trap, but Arthur advanced slowly nonetheless.

’It’s alright~’ Arthur murmured, gently removing his helmet to reveal his face to the boy, who slowly lifted his head.

"ARTHUR, BEHIND YOU!" Excalibur roared inside his mind, watching Ricky’s figure suddenly lunge out from beneath the veil he had created.

In that instant, Arthur jerked his head to his flank, catching Ricky winding up Chastiefol before hurling it straight at him.

But the very moment Chastiefol was about to strike Excalibur’s blade, it suddenly exploded into a storm of spears after having triggered its fifth form, increase.

The entire room was flooded with piercing spears as Arthur, for the first time since the fight began, shifted his weight onto his back heel and turned toward the little boy.

BOOOM

The building exploded outward in a storm of spears as Arthur swung wildly, Excalibur in one hand and the child clutched in the other.

But it was then that the child grinned widely and materialized a dagger, while Arthur’s eyes stayed fixed on the spear storm.

Until Excalibur’s voice shattered his focus, screaming in his mind.

’YOUR FACE, TO THE RIGHT!" Excalibur shouted urgently inside Arthur’s mind, without time to explain or choose his words carefully as the knight instinctively obeyed.

But it was already too late.

The Venomous Fang, a dagger consumed by Ricky’s eldritch abomination skill that coated the blade with a venom feeding on life force, pierced his skin.

Arthur felt the pain instantly, a small cut appearing on his cheek as his white helmet swiftly reformed.

He spun toward the child and hurled him away, realizing in that moment it had been Ricky all along.

"WHERE IS THE BOY!" Arthur roared, lunging at Ricky, who was summoning the ebony artifacts back to himself.

CLANG

"Where’s the boy?" Ricky laughed, blocking Excalibur with the ebony shield as he locked eyes with Arthur.

"Not how I did any of it, or how I made a perfect replica of myself, but where I chucked the kid?" Ricky said, with a hint of surprise in his voice that Arthur’s only concern was the boy’s location before he slashed down at him.

CLANG

"Fine, he’s over there." Ricky said, gesturing to the side as Arthur turned his head but saw nothing before quickly looking back.

BAM

Only to have the ebony shield slam into his face as he was propelled toward the ground, crashing hard into the earth’s crust.

’Damn, I really wish I had my dreadfiend form right about now.’ Ricky muttered in his mind, his eyes glazed as he watched the scenario unfold exactly as he had planned.

The scenario Ricky had picked out involved the kid believing he had escaped their entanglement, only to stumble upon another small bunker Merlyn had scattered throughout the city.

Though hiding civilians underground in the midst of a siege seemed desperate, Merlyn believed these bunkers were the safest refuge from the war raging above.

He understood that letting the people flee Camelot entirely would only grant Ricky the leverage he craved, the ruthless thing Merlyn had sought during the Long Night.

Yet, beneath it all, Merlyn held onto a fragile hope: that Arthur would emerge victorious.

The bunkers existed but not as permanent safe havens, but as temporary refuges meant to give way once the battle was over, allowing the citizens to safely return to the surface and witness their king’s return.

To show Arthur that his people never forgot about him.

Yet all they became was Arthur’s Achilles’ heel.

"Whatever, roll with the punches, like my pops always says," Ricky muttered to himself, his eyes flickering back to their green shimmer as Arthur sprang up from the dust and debris that once surrounded him.

BAM

But instead of holding his ground and meeting the blow head-on, he mirrored Arthur’s fighting style, letting himself be pushed back as he rocketed toward the side.

To beat Arthur, Ricky knew he had to crush him completely.

But not in the conventional sense, only with the unconventional.

So when Ricky started rocketing away, towards his unconventional method, Arthur was met with barrier after barrier, blocking his way as he slashed through them all.

Only to suddenly see Ricky halt mid-air and slash down at the earth below him.

What appeared to be a small bakery was revealed to be another hidden safe haven bunker of Camelot, just as Arthur lunged toward it.

It was then that he didn’t dodge but let the psychic gatling gun’s bullets slam into him.

Gritting his teeth and using every ounce of his body to push just one second closer to his citizens that, before his very eyes, would ultimately scream out wails again.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Another wail of misery echoed through the air, but this time, it pierced the ears of one particular being.

Merlyn’s horrified expression lifted as he gazed upward toward the source of the anguished cry.

"No." Merlyn muttered, the weight of realization sinking in at Ricky finally uncovering Arthur’s only weakness, the very thing that was meant to be his greatest strength.

It was true that Arthur was the perfect swordsman; in a one-on-one duel, he remained utterly undefeated to this day.

Merlyn had never once seen him lose, because Excalibur’s blade carried a unique trait, one that granted its wielder near-absolute invincibility in combat.

But to even be chosen by Excalibur, a weapon crafted around impossibly narrow ideals of purity and unwavering virtue, meant that such power wasn’t simply given; it was a direct reflection of the soul who bore it.

It almost wasn’t surprising that someone worthy of Excalibur would also seem untouchable.

And so yes, against Arthur himself, it was truly impossible to win.

But that wasn’t the case for everyone else.

Because not everyone around Arthur was perfect.

Not everyone could share in that invulnerability.

And that’s the tragic flaw that came with having a pure soul, a heart dedicated wholly to others, determined to stand as their guiding light.

It meant that while Arthur himself was unbeatable, the people he fought for were not.

When a duel stopped being between just two men, and others became involved, they inevitably turned into liabilities.

It was, in fact, the very reason Arthur fell to Necromon in the first place.

Because he was willing to save everyone, everyone but himself.

Merlyn realized all of this at that moment, trying to get a word out or an action that would do anything to help Arthur.

Except there was a glaring problem.

BOOM

Namely, the relentless barrage of fists, each one bathed in divinity, crashing into Merlyn’s face, over and over, courtesy of none other than Asterion.

Merlyn gritted his teeth, desperately weaving spells to soften the blows as the only way to truly defeat Asterion now was to unleash his void form, a power he couldn’t summon in this critical moment.

BOOM

A deafening roar ripped through the air as Asterion’s rage surged, growing just a sliver more monstrous.

It was then that he just punched the empty space before him, and the sheer force of it slammed into Merlyn, driving him further back.

Merlyn scrambled to conjure more spells, weaving defensive magics to blunt the impacts but every time he tried to turn to the offensive, another problem arose.

It took longer than she would’ve liked, but Morgana finally understood that she couldn’t lead this battle.

She had to attack off of Asterion’s brutal momentum, not forge her own path.

And that cold, sharp realization flickering across her features made Merlyn’s grimace deepen.

’She’s no longer stuck in time.’

Because the thing about chaining Arthur to Camelot, about keeping him alive all this time, was that nothing ever truly grew.

Nothing ever changed.

The entire kingdom had been caught in a kind of beautiful, tragic purgatory, waiting endlessly for its heart, Arthur, to beat again so it could finally move forward.

As a result, everyone bound to Camelot faced the same silent curse.

No one ever grew beyond the roles carved for them.

No one ever became worse, or better, than they were when time first anchored itself to Arthur’s throne.

The population might live and die, but their number always balanced out, the story never evolving.

And for those who were immortal, or simply lived far longer than the common peasant, this was a prison of identity.

They could never become more or less than the person they were when Camelot first became tied to Arthur.

For someone like Merlyn, it was a torment beyond words.

He could amass knowledge, manipulate destinies, extend his schemes across centuries, but he could never surpass the man he had been on that day Camelot’s fate locked into place.

He would always be precisely that Merlyn; no wiser, no crueler, no more compassionate, and no closer to anything he already knew.

Trapped forever at the ceiling of who he could be, Merlyn found himself stagnating, unchanged and unchanging, locked into the person he was the moment Camelot froze.

That was why he had turned his attention to Chimeras.

They were malleable life, unbound by Camelot’s stasis, creatures he could shape and evolve outside the suffocating limits that shackled everything else tied to this place.

But that was the true cruelty of Arthur’s timeless Camelot: a land forever poised on the edge of greatness, yet never allowed to step forward, leaving all who dwelt within to stagnate in the perfect, hollow moment they’d been sealed in.

No one else really knew, nor could they have ever figured it out.

The only one who understood beforehand was Merlyn which is precisely why he recognized what was happening.

Why would someone like Morgana, who had been selfish and emotional at the very moment Camelot was frozen and had remained that way for over a century, suddenly start behaving differently?

Because Camelot’s heart had started beating again.

For the first time in ages, Morgana could step beyond the narrow self she’d been shackled to for decades.

Instead of falling into the same tired patterns while using drawn-out, domineering attacks, trying to seize control when it wasn’t needed, always making everything orbit around her.

She finally recognized she had been approaching this fight all wrong.

Morgana realized she needed to take a supporting role, to let go of her compulsive need to lead and instead channel her power to amplify Asterion’s relentless assault.

She saw, perhaps for the first time, the sheer weight of Asterion’s might, and understood how to shape it, bend it, propel it toward Merlyn in a way that would finally crush him.

It was the first subtle sign that the chains Camelot had wrapped around her soul were beginning to break.

But in that realization, Merlyn had become worried.

’I need to end this now,’ Merlyn muttered, pulling out the last card he had in this fight.

’I suppose these knights finally show their usefulness,’ Merlyn thought inwardly, turning his focus to the five remaining Knights of the Round Table, all channeling their soul convergence.

The power that bound them, the so-called soul convergence, wasn’t what they truly believed it to be.

If it had been a genuine merging of souls, then when Sir Bors fell, the others would have perished alongside him.

But they didn’t.

In truth, it was all just another one of Merlyn’s cards since in reality it was an arcane tether not just linking the knights to each other, but anchoring them all to Merlyn himself.

Merlyn was the one who had bestowed this light upon them, carving the precise runes that not only allowed the knights to share their power but also gave him the ability to command it as he willed.

In that moment, his consciousness surged into the tether, merging with the collective energy of the knights, even as his physical form vanished beneath the nearby rubble.

BOOM

As Asterion rocketed his fist toward the spot where Merlyn had vanished, his eyes caught the golden aura glowing around the five Round Table knights.

Nearby, Morgana’s gaze widened as she noticed the light intensify, sensing something was wrong.

Using his body as a conduit, Merlyn poured his magical power into the knights, fully merging his consciousness with theirs, commanding their movements and turning them into living vessels of his will.

BOOM

Now empowered with the full magical density of Merlyn’s being, fused seamlessly with bodies honed to wield their swords with deadly precision, the five Round Table knights under his control utterly crushed the legendary undead they faced.

Alexander’s head snapped toward the scene, eyes narrowing as he watched the five knights unleash Merlyn’s invigorated power, cleaving through their legendary foes with just a few decisive swings.

"Captain Britain Corps, that raging minotaur over there must not advance, you must stop him!" The five Round Table knights shouted in unison, their voices booming across the battlefield like thunder, rallying the troops with unwavering authority.

Alexander’s eyes flicked over the chaotic chessboard of war he’d so meticulously arranged and it was then that he saw it clearly: one move had shifted the entire game.

"DO NOT-"

"ADVANCE!" The five Round Table knights roared in unison over Alexander, their voices cutting through the chaos like a clarion call as they lunged fiercely at the undead that the Captain Britain Corps had been entangled with for so long.

The Captain Britain Corps, valiant heroes determined to halt the rampaging minotaur and aid Merlyn, seized the moment without hesitation.

Dozens surged forward, throwing themselves into the fray with desperate resolve, their shields aimed at Asterion’s monstrous form.

BAM

Only to be sent flying with a single, effortless swipe of Asterion’s massive arms and yet, that was exactly why having good cannon fodder mattered so much.

Though the first waves were easily discarded, more and more Captain Britains poured in, throwing themselves at the raging minotaur with desperate bravery as he hammered them back with relentless aggression.

CRACK

Although Captain Britain’s shield isn’t made of vibranium, it is made of iridium, which is why they were able to hold the line against Alexander’s army for so long.

So when Asterion fist collided with the shield in a blinding shockwave.

Hairline fractures spiderwebbed instantly across the iridium surface, glowing briefly from the kinetic energy forced into the metal.

The shield emitted a high-pitched, strained metallic shriek and then shattered, shards of iridium tinkling to the ground like glass.

Then another Captain Britain took his place to meet the blow head on, but the berserking Asterion whose mind was lost to the raw power, saw the shield like a red cape and punished the newcomer just as mercilessly.

CRACK

The same scenario repeated as another Captain Britain stepped into the fray, only for his shield to be crushed, and then replaced, leaving Asterion essentially dealt with for now.

"Curses," Alexander spat spitefully, knowing he was just a hair’s breadth away from crushing the Captain Britain Corps’ line, scattering their forces across the battlefield, and sending the golden cloaks supporting them into a panic.

But Merlyn’s intervention changed everything as he hurled the Captain Britain forces at Asterion, commanded the five Round Table knights under his control to assault the undead, and finally ordered the remaining Golden Cloaks to target the coven members.

CRUNCH

A spearbearer’s skull was crushed by Sir Galahad as Merlyn forced him to look not at Alexander, but at the single piece that would decide the outcome of the fight.

"FORWARD BUCEPHALUS!"

That’s why Alexander made the questionable decision not to lunge at Merlyn directly, but instead commanded Bucephalus to charge toward the Golden Cloaks, towards the coven members.

Throughout this journey and the battles leading to this moment, the coven had been treated as nothing more than spare batteries.

Tossed aside as a mere footnote in this story, their true significance was far greater as they were the most valuable chess piece in the entire game.

The reason was simple: until now, they had never been truly tested or exhausted.

Throughout the entire battle, their only real strength lay in the combined magic that Merlyn had effectively rendered useless.

Even when they finally regained their power, they were still pushed to the sidelines, held back, but under careful control and deliberate guidance.

"Bucephalus, the coven is our key to victory. We must crush these cloaks to tip the scales of this battle," Alexander whispered sharply to Bucephalus, who charged forward with renewed fury, fully aware of how crucial their strike was in this decisive moment.

During the fight, the casualties told a harsh story:

Sixty percent of the Chimera had fallen,

Forty percent of the heavy undead infantry were lost,

Thirty percent of the spear bearers were killed.

Yet, the Coven members had not lost a single soul and even more surprising, their magic had begun to replenish from the wait at the side.

Over one hundred strong, these battle magic wielders served as cannon fodder but as mentioned earlier, their numbers and resilience made them a relentless force on the battlefield.

At this very moment.

"Even cannon fodder can tip the scales." Alexander mused, casting a sharp side glance at the five Round Table knights.

Their grim expressions betrayed no surprise since after all, it was no shock that one of history’s greatest conquerors recognized a truth so simple, yet so often overlooked.

"So this is your final trick, Merlyn?" Morgana asked, her hands erupting in vibrant green energy.

With a sudden, fierce motion, she slammed them onto the battlefield, the magic curling and twisting as it wrapped around Ricky’s undead forces.

Ranging from the chimeras to the legendary undead, Morgana’s green magic surged through them, unnaturally amplifying their strength and resilience.

As she raised her hand, the earth trembled beneath her command as hundreds of black skeletons clawed their way up from the soil, rising like a tide of death.

With ruthless precision, Morgana unleashed the full might of her army, weaving a complex web of undead-boosting spells that turned Ricky’s forces into what seemed like an unstoppable, lethal horde.

"SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Ricky’s undead erupted in a terrifying chorus, green flames bursting from their hollow sockets and swirling around their skeletal frames.

The raw energy coiled tightly around their beings, igniting ancient runes that shimmered across their bones like armor forged from pure magic.

But this was leagues beyond what Agatha could conjure as Morgana’s entire magical arsenal revolved around the undead, and with a mere snap of her fingers, Ricky’s legendary knights seemed to surge into mythic power.

Merlyn scowled, pushing the five round table knights harder as they struggled against this overwhelming force.

This was exactly why he had wanted to dwindle the number of undead in the first place as he knew Morgana was holding back her undead army, reserving their full strength for this very moment.

’I need more time-’ Merlyn thought, his focus never turning from the gold cloaks meant to mitigate the coven members before a certain warehouse touched down onto the castle walls.

BAM

BAM

BAM

Golden cloaks, mages under Merlyn’s careful command, were suddenly hurled into the air, forced aside to clear the path for Bucephalus’s thunderous charge.

The coven members, who had only just regained access to their grimoires, looked up for the first time since being pinned down, their eyes locking onto Alexander’s looming figure above them.

"HERE ME, COVEN!"

With two words, the battlefield held its breath, the tide shifting with every powerful stride he took atop Bucephalus.

"FOLLOW ME, SO THAT WE MAY CRUSH MERLYN’S ARMY AND BRING ABOUT AN END TO THIS BATTLE!" Alexander roared, holding up his tiny paw as Bucephalus crashed into the fragile golden cloaks, shattering their bodies and spirits alike.

"HAZZAY!" Alexander roared, eyes blazing as Bucephalus lowered his head and slammed it into a fleeing golden cloak, folding the soldier in half with brutal force and breaking his spine.

"HAZZAY!" Dexter shouted in response, charging fiercely along the trail of shattered bodies Alexander was leaving in his wake, while the other coven members watched the fierce onslaught unfold.

SPLAT

SPLAT

Blood and flesh splattered across the walls as Dexter swiftly finished off the golden cloaks left staggering by Bucephalus and Alexander’s brutal charge.

Using fast, easy-to-cast spells, Dexter swiftly finished off the stragglers, following Alexander’s path while supporting him.

The other golden cloaks quickly realized what was happening but the moment they tried to shift their spells to attack, Bucephalus pounced, tearing towards them before they could react.

Forced onto the defensive, one golden cloak managed to cast a simple attack spell just before Bucephalus kicked his hooves into the man’s head, snapping his neck instantly.

Dexter’s face lit up with the fiery glow of a fireball hurtling toward him, showing that there wasn’t enough time to cast a defensive spell.

Boom

The spell exploded, sending a burst of light and debris into the air.

When the smoke cleared, Eldric stood firm in front of Dexter, his hands still glowing from the defensive ward he’d cast just in time.

"COVEN, PROTECT YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND FOR F*CK’S SAKE, FOLLOW THAT GERBIL!" Eldric roared, charging forward with a handful of others.

They formed a protective barrier around Dexter and the other mages who chose to stand and fight, pushing back against the golden cloaks with fierce determination.

In a matter of minutes, the golden cloaks were being slaughtered, their disciplined ranks shattered beneath Alexander’s relentless assault.

’Just a little more,’ Merlyn thought inwardly, watching Morgana slowly grow full of herself as her ego started to control the battlefield while she started slipping into her old ways.

His main body lay battered beneath the nearby rubble, aching but alive.

Since he knew the moment he cast a teleportation spell, Morgana would sense it immediately and track him down.

That’s why he was forced to weave through countless obstacles, jumping through hoops just to inch closer to Arthur, his only hope in this desperate fight.

’When I make my way to Arthur, this fight will be over,’ Merlyn thought, his resolve sharpening as he knew that once he intervened to stop Ricky from using Arthur’s people against him, everything would change.

This was his original plan and why he had sent the Captain Britain Corps to engage Asterion and take control of the five Round Table knights to draw Morgana’s attention and free his own body.

Now, all that remained was to wait and see it through.

"COVEN, ATTACK THE DEBRIS!" Alexander roared, turning toward the Coven members taking all of his kills.

Eldric scowled at this weird command, but before he could say anything, Dexter had already commanded his grimoire to unleash an attack spell, sending it hurtling forward.

Merlyn’s eyes snapped open in his real body as a dozen attack spells suddenly struck the debris crushing him.

The slab of stone that shielded him from the eyes of everyone had shattered with a thunderous crack.

Because the major truth for those like Merlyn, beings whose entire existence revolved around perfect plans, was this: every plan carried variables.

Unpredictable elements that could upend even the most meticulous designs.

It’s just that this time, it wasn’t Ricky, but Alexander.

"BUCEPHALUS, ONWARD TOWARDS THE COMMANDER!" Alexander roared with a triumphant laugh, his eyes fixed on Merlyn as he maneuvered to corner him and bring the battle to a decisive halt.

All this time, Merlyn had believed Alexander’s goal was simply to win the fight, but the truth was far simpler since Alexander was never aiming to win the battle.

But to win the war.

It was true that Merlyn had done a fanatic’s job halting Alexander’s progress, but in this moment, he was completely cornered.

He wasn’t the only one who understood how quickly the scales of battle could shift, and by halting Merlyn’s advance, Alexander had effectively placed the king in check.

Exhausted and with his mind splintered six ways, including himself, Merlyn now faced Alexander’s undivided attention, while a fully brimming coven of members prepared to breathe down his neck as he gave chase.

"No, I will not allow-"

COUGH

Merlyn was about to speak when Bucephalus suddenly slammed into his half-hovering body.

Hurling out a cough, the grand wizard pushed himself off the impact just in time to see a dazzling barrage of attack spells hurtling toward him, their colors swirling wildly in the air.

BOOM

An explosion roared not just on the battlefield in the distance, but deep within the heart of Camelot as another building collapsed beneath Ricky’s relentless assault.

Turning the once-mythical city into a shattered ruin, all smashed and fused together in chaotic disarray, a perfect mirror of Ricky’s own battered body

Ricky felt the haggard effects of this prolonged battle as his breath came in jagged, uneven gasps, each inhale stabbing at his lungs like shards of glass.

The exertion weighed on him like a crushing force, dragging him closer to collapse with every savage move.

Even now blood trickled steadily from his eyes, ears, and nose, streaking down his battered face which only spoke inklings of what was transpiring within his mind.

Constantly feeling his brain pound, his mind felt shattered, fractured by the toll of his own constructs being torn into pieces, and poisoned by the choking fumes he’d inhaled from the cursed ebony chalice.

Even his focus was strained by the battle raging around him and the countless scenarios flashing through his mind like a fast-moving, relentless movie.

And yet, through that exhaustion so deep it threatened to swallow him whole, Ricky’s eyes burned with a hateful fire.

The pain, the suffering, the agony, it all paled in comparison beside one undeniable truth: Arthur was finally feeling it too.

The king was no longer untouchable and for the first time, Ricky knew his fury, his sacrifice, was making a mark.

That knowledge drove him forward, even as his body screamed to stop, even as his very soul begged for rest.

The sight of Arthur, hunched over and leaning onto his left side in obvious pain, cut through the chaos and noise.

Allowing Ricky to tune out everything else as his mind narrowed, fixated solely on one thing: complete and utter victory.

Staring off, the fresh cut from the dagger earlier marred half of Arthur’s face, now corrupted by the poison it carried.

Black veins pulsed like dark rivers across his otherworldly features, the venom not merely draining his vitality but siphoning his very life force with each passing second.

Arthur discovered too late that channeling Excalibur’s power into the wound didn’t accelerate healing; instead, it fed the venom’s strength.

The poison grew more potent, seeping deeper into his veins with every pulse, corrupting his very essence.

Having to endure an exhausting, agonizing pain that slowly syphoned his life force and eroded his stamina.

All while his body took blow after brutal blow, armor battered by Ricky’s relentless blunt-force attacks.

But it was the psychological toll that truly weighed down on Arthur, desperately trying to hold Ricky back, only to watch him uncover three more bunkers beneath the city.

Every effort, every sacrifice, felt wasted as Ricky’s relentless advance pushed forward.

At every opportunity, Arthur threw his very body on the line, yet the results slipped further from his grasp.

His own body had become a mirror of Ricky’s deteriorating state, and yet the Promised King’s mind couldn’t even allow himself to see it.

Because of one key reason.

RIP

A single piece of paper being torn into two.

Reassembling Arthur’s focus that had become so divided and yet, utterly consumed by Shadow Broker’s influence which had completely taken hold, coercing his mind to prioritize saving as many lives as possible.

It forced the Promised King to bury any thought of his own pain or survival beneath the weight of protecting others, leaving no room to even acknowledge his own faltering condition.

BOOM

BOOM

BOOM

Gatling projectiles tore across the ground, kicking up dirt and shards of stone, carving a merciless path straight toward a little girl sobbing beside the still, dead body of her mother.

Even now, Arthur didn’t hesitate.

He lunged, white-clad arms sweeping the girl into his chest, curling protectively around her just as the first volley struck.

"Argh-" Arthur choked out, armor reverberating with the brutal impact.

But the projectiles didn’t stop; they pummeled him again and again, drilling into his side with enough force to buckle him to his knees.

And still they pushed on.

The relentless barrage drove Arthur backward, smashing him through wall after wall, ancient stone exploding around them.

He could have halted the momentum, could have turned his blade or summoned a burst of Excalibur’s power, but to do so meant risking even a single shard of that force reaching the fragile body in his arms.

So he let himself be carried, every collision another fracturing bolt of agony through his already poisoned veins.

Because if this little girl lived, if one more innocent was spared, then all the pain, all the ruin carving up his body from the inside out, was worth it.

BOOOOOOOOOM

Arthur’s body tumbled across the ground, every roll another explosion of pain that rattled through his bones and churned his poisoned blood.

When he finally came to a jagged stop, he gasped, forcing his battered arms to unwrap from the girl.

It was then that she scrambled free, tiny feet pounding over shattered cobblestones as she fled, sobs ripping from her throat.

Looking upon the sight, Arthur managed a faint, aching smile since at least she was safe.

But as he lifted his gaze, vision swimming with black spots and golden light leaking from the cracks in his armor, he saw it.

Through the trail of pulverized stone his body had carved, beyond the splintered walls and drifting dust, a lone silhouette hovered in the distance.

Ricky.

HUFF

HUFF

HUFF

Both of them were exhausted, brutally so.

Ricky’s chest heaved, every breath rattling with blood and smoke, green eyes narrowed beneath matted hair as he hovered just above the ruin-strewn ground.

Arthur stood with one knee threatening to buckle, his brilliant white armor fractured and dark veins creeping beneath it, yet still he raised Excalibur.

"Where are you going to go, huh?" Ricky laughed, his voice ragged and almost delirious as he stared down at Arthur, who grimaced behind his helmet at the cruel truth of that question.

"We both know the second you try to come at me, I’m just gonna hurl this spear right at that girl still trying to run away." Ricky casually swung his floating spear to point past Arthur, toward the distant figure of the terrified child stumbling over rubble.

Arthur’s body instantly tensed, stepping sideways to plant himself directly in the line of sight, his breathing harsh, his grip on Excalibur white-knuckled.

They had suddenly been thrown into a brutal, suffocating stalemate.

Arthur couldn’t advance since if he did, Ricky would simply turn his wrath on the innocents still scattered through the ruins.

It left him with only two grim choices: either stand there and endure the torment, protecting lives at the cost of his own body, or strike and watch people die for it.

But it was that cruel simplicity that made it so effective.

"How could you do something so cruel?" Arthur asked, his voice cracking under the weight of it all, unable to summon any words beyond those.

"I crossed that line a long time ago-" Ricky merely shrugged but it was this nonchalance that made Arthur interrupt him.

"Killing innocent people, children!" Arthur roared, golden eyes blazing through his helmet as he took a step forward, fists clenched.

"FAMILIES HOWLING IN AGONY AS YOU BURN THEM TO ASH!"

The words stabbed into Ricky deeper than Arthur could’ve known, dragging up the ghost of Frank Nitti’s family and how it all began with him coming to this point.

"IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK IS FAIR, WHAT IS RIGHT?" Arthur demanded, unable to comprehend how something so twisted could exist within a man.

"HOW CAN YOU-"

"BECAUSE I DON’T F*CKING CARE ABOUT ANYTHING THAT AIN’T IN MY CIRCLE!" Ricky exploded, pointing the Ebony Blade at Arthur, cutting off the king’s outrage like a guillotine.

"And as I see it, Camelot and everything that belongs in this shthole is far out of my orbit to give one single fck." Ricky laughed, unable to like this city if he forced himself too.

"So if people have to die screaming bloody terror, then let them shout until their goddamn lungs burn out with them." Ricky ruthlessly said, suddenly having an idea and looking upon all that remained of Camelot.

There was so much frustration gnawing in Ricky’s head it felt like his skull might crack open from the pressure.

The rage boiling inside Ricky wasn’t born in this moment, it had been simmering since the second he stepped into this cursed world.

Since Overworld.

Since Merlyn started toying with him like a goddamn puppet, pulling strings while grinning behind layers of prophecy and riddles.

Since he watched his family nearly slaughtered before his eyes, forced to play the part while his heart was being torn apart in silence as he agonized about what was happening in New York.

And so, after gazing back at the lone man standing between him and the finish line, something inside Ricky snapped.

If he couldn’t destroy Arthur physically, he’d do it internally.

"In fact, let’s just let it burn!" Ricky roared, holding out his hands as Arthur huffed out a cold breath.

However, the flames didn’t immediately erupt.

Pain radiated through Ricky’s mind like shards of ice, each convulsion wracking his body with brutal force.

His muscles spasmed uncontrollably, sweat mixing with blood as his breath came in ragged gasps.

’Come on, COME ON!’ Ricky roared, forcing his body to expel these flames as more blood poured from his nose.

BOOOM

"LET THIS CITY BURN!" Ricky howled again, voice cracking, pouring everything into his surroundings as the very air warped around him, heat shimmering off his skin like a furnace from hell.

And as the roar of unleashed power thundered out, Camelot began to ignite, street by street, house by house.

The sacred city that had stood as a beacon for centuries now suddenly flooded in the embrace of Ricky’s hellish green flame.

As Shadow Broker ripped another page.

RIP

"LET IT ALL BURN WHILE THEY ALL SCREAM OUT FOR YOUR HELP ARTHUR!"

And then ripped another one.

RIP

"BECAUSE OF ALL OF THIS, EVERYTHING I’VE DONE!"

And another one.

RIP

"IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

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