"This is the true face of Ascalon. You are a dragon and you are guilty!"
The holy sword that had slain the dragon in Giorgios' hand was pointed directly at Vortigern, who was climbing in the air.
Under the shadow of the white dragon covering the sky and the sun, the holy sword Ascalon lit up with a faint purple halo.
Then the purple light became brighter and brighter, and finally turned into a dazzling light.
Against the wind pressure of the dragon's wings, two beams of light slashed out from the blade.
"The Sword of Strong Slaughter and Blessing! (Ascalon)!"
Giorgios directly liberated his Noble Phantasm.
Just by watching, he could tell that Vortigern was more powerful than any dragon he had ever seen.
So Giorgios directly used his full strength.
Like a hot blade cutting butter, the beam left a clear and deep cross-shaped scar on Bailong's body.
Vortigern, who was in pain, was knocked to the ground.
The moment the huge body landed on the ground, it was like a meteorite falling from the sky to the ground.
Ascalon was originally a gift given to Giorgios by the witch who raised him - one of the swords in the lake that [isolates all harm].
In addition, there is Bayard, the wind horse who made an agreement with the witch to protect Giorgios from an attack, and the lance that can protect him from danger.
It was precisely with the help of these Noble Phantasms that Giorgios was able to finally support the opportunity to join Animusfia and others under the pursuit of the Dragon Witch.
However, Ascalon's protection is not unlimited.
Once the holy sword Ascalon is stained with dragon blood, its property of "isolating all damage" will be transformed into "cutting off all blessings".
The protective sword that can isolate all malice and enemies ceases to exist after being stained with dragon blood.
But Giorgios still resolutely dyed Ascalon with dragon blood in order to protect civilians.
In the final analysis, Ascalon, who can protect everything, only protects himself.
But Ascalon, who can cut off everything, can protect more people.
Giorgios never needed a holy sword to protect himself.
From the beginning, he was more willing to transform into the Holy Sword itself that protects everything.
Let the name "Saint George" be more resounding than "Ascalon".
It was not the holy sword of protection that made him the saint of protection.
It was the existence of Saint George that made Ascalon the holy sword of protection.
As if unable to condense, bright red blood continued to gush out from the cross-shaped wound on Vortigern's body.
On the chest of the pure white dragon, a huge red cross slowly flows.
Just like the pure white red cross flag that is the symbol of England——St. George’s flag.
Animusfia's magic merely extracted Vortigern's magic and enhanced immortality given by Caster Bluebeard.
But Vortigern's own self-healing ability is something he cannot remove.
If you observe carefully, you may be able to find that every inch of flesh and blood on the scar on the white dragon's chest is shining with a faint purple light.
On a microscopic level, it is constantly destroying the blood that is trying to clot.
Just like antibiotics have the same effect on bacteria, the magic power bursting out from the holy sword Ascalon has the same effect on dragons.
The moment he was hit head-on by Ascalon, Vortigern was equivalent to being sentenced to death.
The magic power contained in Giorgos's Noble Phantasm is not even one-tenth of Artoria's.
But even so, the damage caused by [Ascalon] to Vortigern was far greater than the Sword of Victory inspired by Arturia at the expense of her own spiritual energy.
Even though most of his body was evaporated under the darkness that could swallow up the light, Vortigern could recover in just a few seconds.
However, for Ascalon, it only takes a small wound to eventually kill Vortigern in the long future.
Not to mention the huge "St. George" cross on his chest.
Eventually, be it a small wound or a huge cross, Ascalon's power will spread throughout his body.
Did I...fail again?
The huge dragon head was half buried in the soil when it fell.
Rough breaths came out of Vortigern's mouth one after another.
But his breath became weaker and weaker.
Giorgios's attack cut Vortigern's neck in half.
Although he failed to achieve direct decapitation, the air and magic power that Vortigern breathed into his body also leaked out of the wound in large amounts along with the blood.
Is this what death feels like?
Other people may have died because of this feeling.
Memories of the past appeared in front of Vortigern's eyes.
That is a memory that belongs to Vortigern, but does not belong to Vortigern.
"Horrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr'll--"
Using his last strength, Vortigern roared angrily.
However, Bailong's strength failed to manifest, and the foam mixed with blood was finally released from the gap in his throat.
"I... am the embodiment of Britain... I will not lose——————!"
He whimpered intermittently with broken vocal cords.
"If even this gesture fails..."
The white dragon raised its head from the soil.
"Then how can we succeed————!"
The huge dragon stood upright again.
Ignoring the leakage of blood and magic power, Vortigern only wanted to concentrate on one thing now.
Use the last remaining heat of this body.
The white dragon pounced on the dragon-slaying saint.
It doesn't matter if the bones are broken, it doesn't matter if the blood runs out.
When the magic power is exhausted, he attacks with brute force. When he has no strength, he uses his body as a weapon.
If the tail is cut off, use the limbs; if the claws are cut off, use the teeth to bite——————
Vortigern will not give in until the moment when his teeth are all shattered and his scales are all cracked.
Eventually, the dragon's body fell apart.
The white knight in heavy armor appeared in the sky again and fell from the air.
He still didn't stop, and without stopping for a moment, he swung the giant sword in his hand towards Giorgios, who had been fighting fiercely for a long time.
"boom--------"
The broad sword fell hard on the holy sword Ascalon.
What I want to tell next is the story of another king.
The story of a certain "King Arthur" who is not King Arthur.
**********
That was what happened after the Roman Empire declined.
The huge empire that used to cover the entire Mediterranean and occupy most of Europe finally fell apart due to internal and external troubles.
Although the subsequent emperors quickly reestablished their rule, they showed all of Europe the fragility of the former behemoth.
The barbarians classified into three types by the Romans - the Germans, Slavs and Celts also began to move around.
Based on political institutional issues, the Roman Empire's rule over the provinces was never stable.
Britain itself was home to several native Brython-Celtic revolts.
The famous Queen Boudica was also one of them.
The emptiness of Rome's internal strength forced the Roman Empire to shrink its sphere of influence.
Eventually the Romans withdrew from Britain.
Not caring how the Britons who lost their army could resist the invasion of the Picts and Scots from the north, the Romans seemed to disappear from the land of Britain overnight.
The power vacuum lasted only a short time.
But for more Britons, their time stopped at that time forever.
Hadrian's Wall, which was not garrisoned by Roman legions, was like a display. The Picts and Scots marched straight in, plundering semi-Romanized Britain wantonly.
Finally Vortigern stood up and united other tribes to establish the Kingdom of Briton (Briton) belonging to the Briton Celts.
The legend of King Arthur was made up by later generations, and it was a legend that blended the stories of many historical figures.
But Vortigern actually existed, the King of Britain as one of Arthur's prototypes.
If we really want to say it, Vortigern is the King Arthur.
But he is not King Arthur.
Vortigern has neither the Sword in the Stone nor the Sword in the Lake, nor the loyal Knights of the Round Table.
Not to mention the masterful court magician and the Holy Grail.
Vortigern is just an ordinary person who has the title of king and wants to protect his homeland.
It's just that the armies that the tribes barely put together were no match for the Picts and Scots who lived by plundering all day long.
A country as great as King Arthur's legend has never appeared on British soil.
Relying on the cities left by the Romans and Hadrian's Wall for defense, they could barely survive.
As for the farmland and villages, they couldn't take care of them at all, and they were burned to the ground by the aliens after being plundered.
The Kingdom of Briton did not even survive its first winter.
In the end, Vortigern was willing to sell everything in order to gain the power to protect Britain.
He invited the Anglo-Saxons of Denmark.
At the cost of lands in Kent and Sussex, the Anglo-Saxons came to Britain as mercenaries to fight the Picts and Scots in the north.
In the end Vortigern succeeded.
Although they paid a large land price, the Anglo-Saxons also successfully repelled the invaders from the north.
In the future, this group of people will continue to live in the Briton Kingdom and resist the invading plunderers.
Everything seemed to be on track.
Vortigern also thought so.
The Kingdom of Briton experienced a period of peace and stability.
Vortigern was also revered as the king who established the alliance.
This is also the time when he looks most like King Arthur.
But a country that cannot protect its wealth cannot survive forever. At first, the Romans came to occupy Britain, and after the Romans left, they were followed by the Picts and Scots.
After driving away the Picts and Scots, there will still be Vikings and Normans.
There were always few invaders as "moderate" as the Romans.
Unfortunately, the raiders who reappeared this time were the same Anglo-Saxons who had helped Britton before.
Vortigern's method of driving tigers and devouring wolves eventually evolved into luring wolves into the house.
When the Angles and Saxons who had fought on the British soil returned home, they continued to talk about their battlefield past, and they also talked about the fertility and pleasant climate of the British land.
Just like the French soldiers who aided the American Revolutionary War, they continued to tell stories about what happened on a distant continent after returning home, which ultimately led to the French Revolution.
The Anglos and Saxons, who had lived in the bitter cold land for a long time, finally decided to cross the sea to Britain.
'The whole country has been moved'
This is what historians say about the migration of the Anglo-Saxon people.
Millions of Anglo-Saxons came to Briton.
The land of Kent and Sussex alone could not accommodate such a large population.
And so begins the war in King Arthur's backstory.
However, Vortigern is not King Arthur.
After the Jews were driven out of Israel by the Babylonian Empire, they were angry and vilified the newly built ziggurat built by the Babylonians as the half-collapsed Tower of Babel in the Bible.
Other dark stuff such as the Great Whore of Babylon was also added.
However, unlike the Jewish method of spiritual victory, the Britons seem to be more willing to imagine things that have never happened in history.
What if this war is won?
The legend of King Arthur is based on the fact that Arthur successfully led his country to repel the invading Anglo-Saxons. After that, he even went on an expedition to France to meet with the Roman emperor and search for the Holy Grail.
However, Vortigern faced a complete failure.
The two places on the south coast, Sussex and Kent, initially given to the Anglo-Saxons, became the best springboards for their invasion and migration.
There are also no fortifications left by the Romans in the south - the south of Rome is still Rome.
Vortigern's son Vortimer died on the battlefield as commander.
But the already old Vortigern could only cry bitterly under the throne, holding his son's body.
This is all his fault.
Britton lost.
Large numbers of Celtic nobles were executed by the Anglo-Saxons, and the owners of the land were subsequently replaced by Anglo-Saxon nobles.
Vortigern was still the titular king.
But most of the British lands had been usurped by the Anglo-Saxons.
The only place that can really be regarded as the land of the Britons is small Wales.
In the end, even Wales will be captured by the Anglo-Saxons, and the last Celts in Europe will be able to huddle in the corner of Ireland and France - the Brittany Peninsula.
In the distant future, Ireland will be captured by England and spit out half of it, and Brittany will be annexed by France.
England, the original meaning of England is the land of the Anglos, and the original meaning of English is the language of the Anglos.
Britain and Briton were all over.
And Vortigern's later years ended in loneliness and loneliness.
No matter this kind of alien or that kind of alien, no one deserves to be forgiven.
If given a second chance, Vortigern would let all aliens experience such pain.
This is King Vortigern of Saber, whose life is full of failures.
Another similarity with King Arthur may be that the two met the same failed ending.
Regardless of whether they were brilliant or poor, Camelot and Briton faced the same collapse in the end.
Unlike the White Dragon of Britain, he is one of the past Vortigern/Arthurs who was able to achieve the present result.
************
The Sword of Oath of Victory knocked away the broadsword in Vortigern's hand, and on the other side, Ascalon penetrated Vortigern's chest from behind.
"you lose."
Arturia said coldly with an expressionless face.
"...Did I fail again? Two against one is not in line with the principles of knights, Arthur."
Although Vortigern still had obsessions after losing the influence of Caster's magic, he became much calmer.
"I have abandoned the principle of chivalry long ago. Now I only care about whether I can achieve my goal."
"...Really? It would be great if you were the king of Britain."
Vortigern lowered his hands feebly, waiting for his spiritual self to dissipate.
"what are you saying?"
"Ha, you won't understand. After all, she is a little girl who came out of a fairy tale."
Arturia finally found the source of the discord between Vortigern and the humble king in her impression.
Animusfia had long guessed the origin of Vortigern, a dual-career agent.
Similar to Eliza, Vortigern also has a doppelganger.
But it's not like Eliza's messy blending together. Whether it's White Dragon or King Bei, it's all Vortigern himself who is right.
Without the influence of [Innocent Monster], the fusion of the two Vortigerns would have been much smoother.
"You're the one who really didn't understand, right?"
Animusfia suddenly spoke up.
Vortigern looked at him puzzled.
"You have spent your whole life protecting your country, but you haven't discovered what you really should protect."
"Then what should I protect besides my own people?"
"The nation itself is narrow-minded. In the final analysis, the genetic difference between all human beings is less than 1%. You don't understand it... Let's put it this way, even the Anglo-Saxons who were victorious at the time have Nor are we purely Anglo-Saxon today.”
Animusfia walked up to Vortigern.
"Think carefully about what you did on this land. What's the difference between it and the aliens who invaded Briton?"
"Peace, tranquility, happiness, it is you who destroyed the very things you wanted to protect with your own hands."
Animusfia patted Giorgos on the shoulder and continued:
"As for who should protect Britain, St. George, the patron saint of England, is right in front of you. When it comes to protecting, he is more knowledgeable than you."
"Then I'm just a complete loser."
Vortigern smiled bitterly, and the spirit body began to slowly dissipate.
"No."
Animusfia shook her head.
"You have done enough. As long as you understand what you have done, I am afraid no one will blame you."
"No one will ever forget what you did for your hometown."
Vortigern did not respond, but nodded silently.
Then it completely turned into a golden light spot and disappeared into the French singularity.
I'm afraid, Vortigern still feels unwilling deep down in his heart.
It’s not that he is unwilling to lose in the Singularity.
But he is still unwilling to accept his failure as King Briton.
"Saber Rider——Vortigern, elimination confirmed."
Mashu, who has been protecting Fujimaru Ritsuka by her side, said this.
