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Even Artoria, who also inherited the dragon factor and was described by Quinn as a humanoid dragon, was shocked by her opponent's ferocity.
Before the battle began, she discussed techniques for dealing with dragons with Lancelot, who had experience slaying dragons. Lancelot shared his knowledge candidly without holding back, which made her believe that even if it was her first time fighting a dragon, she wouldn't be at a disadvantage due to lack of experience. However, when she actually faced Meryuchina, who had transformed into the Albion Dragon, Artoria realized that Lancelot's experience was completely useless.
The dragons of Albion are completely different from the dragons that Lancelot once fought. Although Meryuchina, as its descendant, is not as large as that terrifying dragon, the dragon she transforms into far exceeds the conventional definition of a dragon.
Normally, even though dragons come in all shapes and sizes, they are generally still peculiar creatures with two wings and four legs, covered in sturdy scales. However, apart from having the general appearance of a dragon, the dragon that Meliuqina transformed into could not be found to resemble any other living creature. Rather than saying that she transformed into a dragon, it would be more accurate to say that she was a mecha or silicon-based creature with the appearance of a dragon.
Lancelot's experience in slaying dragons involved first stripping them of their ability to fly, seizing the opportunity when they fall from the sky to the ground and then take flight again to cut off their wings, thus forcing them to fight him on the ground.
This technique is perfect for dealing with normal dragons. After all, even as a fantasy species, a normal dragon will always have a pre-flight animation once it lands on the ground and wants to take off again. As long as you can catch this pre-flight animation, it won't be difficult for Lancelot and Artoria to cut off the dragon's wings with their martial arts skills. However, this tactic is completely ineffective against Melyuchina.
Because Melyuchina's flight logic, just like her appearance which is completely different from other dragon species, does not have any biological sense at all, but is closer to a fighter jet. If she wants to take off, she does not even need to flap her wings. She can directly lift off by expelling a large amount of true ether from her body. This anti-biological behavior logic makes her have no aftershocks and there is no gap in her movements that Artoria can catch.
If Artoria still possessed the treasures she once owned, she could have easily created an opportunity to strip Melyuchina of her ability to fly, using the power of the scabbard, the holy sword, and the holy spear. But now…
Neither Lancelot nor Artoria possessed any attack methods that Melyuchina could not avoid. On the contrary, Melyuchina, with her mobility advantage and breath attack comparable to a direct hit from a Noble Phantasm, had countless opportunities to defeat the two of them. Under such a zero-tolerance situation, Artoria knew very well that the longer the time dragged on, the greater the possibility of her and Lancelot being defeated.
We must find a way to break this deadlock as soon as possible.
Just as she was thinking this, a blinding crimson flash suddenly swept across most of the battlefield, rising from the ground and shooting straight at Meliuchina, who was flying high in the sky.
The sudden attack caused Meryuchina, whose attention had been focused on Artoria and Lancelot, to immediately shift her gaze. The dragon dodged the attack with an almost impossible sharp angle, while casting an angry glare at the attacker. In that one glance, the furious Meryuchina froze on the spot, silently hovering high in the sky.
Artoria and Lancelot finally had a chance to catch their breath. The two knights worked hard to recover their strength while looking towards their allies who had come to their aid. As their allies appeared before them, the two knights understood why the dragon, which had been so invincible just moments before and had even gained the upper hand against two opponents, was no longer moving.
"Mordred?"
"Yes, it's me."
Even from hundreds of meters away, Mordred clearly heard Artoria's surprised tone, and a smug look appeared on her face. She carried the newly made holy sword on her shoulder armor, and the blood-red light shining on the sword was like a dazzling sun on the dim battlefield.
Her forceful intervention in the battlefield immediately made her the most eye-catching figure. Both the Vikings and the Holy War Army seemed to have their brains shut down, simply because Mordred was not hiding her face with her helmet, but openly displaying her face, which was no different from Europa II's, in full view of everyone.
Mordred's intervention silenced the battlefield. The kings of Europe and Ragnar all felt as if their eyes were playing tricks on them. The shining royal sword and the face that was almost etched in the hearts of all Europeans terrified those who did not know of Mordred's existence. They all thought that Europa II had personally come to the battlefield, but soon the silence was broken.
The holy warriors erupted in deafening cheers, and the Vikings began to stir, showing signs of defeat.
The European kings, who had initially cherished their heavy cavalry and wanted to retreat to the front lines, suddenly became frantically roused, ordering their soldiers to return to the battlefield, hoping to make a good impression on their "emperor." However, when the remaining heavy cavalry began to show signs of returning to the battlefield, Mordred, who had been pleased with Artoria's shocked expression, suddenly revealed his displeasure.
She hates it when people mistake her for someone else.
And so, the holy sword she carried on her shoulder was raised once more, and the next moment, a crimson torrent of magic swept over the heavy cavalry rushing to the battlefield. It was far more powerful than the holy swords in the hands of Artoria and Lancelot. The release of this Noble Phantasm, which could be considered "anti-city level," engulfed the last of the Holy War Army's heavy cavalry.
In an instant, the hearts of the kings of Europe plummeted, and the Viking army, which had been showing signs of defeat, stared blankly at this incomprehensible scene.
Why would an enemy king turn against his own army?
Such doubts kept flashing through the Vikings' minds, but Mordred didn't care about them; she only wanted to do one thing right now.
"Hey, dragon in the sky, when are you going to stop flying around? Come down here and fight me! I'll use your head to prove to my Master that I am the strongest Servant!" (The rest of the text appears to be gibberish and unrelated to the previous sentences.)
Chapter 231 The Dragon Girl's Defeat
The annihilation of the Holy War Army's heavy cavalry did not stir Meryuchina's heart. Her gaze was fixed on the ground, holding the holy sword and pointing it at Mordred. Her heart pounded violently at Mordred's face. She never expected to see that face in this place.
Clearly, the emperor couldn't possibly leave London...
fake.
This person is fake.
Meryuchina's rationality gave her the answer. After a brief moment of stunned silence, anger burned in Meryuchina's chest. She immediately threw everything else to the back of her mind and, as if she had seen her father's killer, swooped down from the sky and pounced on Mordred.
Your plan succeeded.
Just as you suspected, Mordred's appearance with the Royal Sword drew everyone's attention on the battlefield, leading to a misjudgment by the Holy War Army's high command that resulted in the annihilation of the main force. The power unleashed by the Holy Sword far exceeded your expectations. Originally, Mordred's Noble Phantasm was only effective against armies, but with the modified Holy Sword, her unleashed power could easily reach the level of attacking cities. All of this is proof that your decision was correct.
But most importantly, it was Melyuchina's emotional changes.
[The enraged Melyuchina relinquished her greatest air superiority and engaged Mordred on the ground. Even so, Melyuchina still held an overwhelming advantage over Mordred, who wielded the Holy Sword. In a one-on-one duel, Mordred would undoubtedly lose. However, there are no "ifs" in reality, and Mordred was not the only one fighting on this battlefield.]
When Melyuchina landed on her own initiative, Lancelot and Artoria, who had been struggling to find an opportunity to cut off her wings, finally got their chance and joined in almost without hesitation.
Facing attacks from three people simultaneously, Melyuchina finally fell into a disadvantageous position. When Lancelot used his holy sword to try to cut off Melyuchina's wings, Melyuchina, overwhelmed by excruciating pain, finally regained her senses and realized that she had fallen into a trap. But it was too late. Although the dragon, whose wings were severely damaged, had not completely lost her ability to fly, she could no longer take off and land as freely as before. Her openings became more and more numerous, and Artoria and Lancelot's attacks became more and more intense.
[Soon, as Artoria and Lancelot simultaneously unleashed their Noble Phantasms, Melyuchina collapsed on the battlefield. Seeing their commander fall, the morale of the Holy War Army utterly crumbled. Led by the kings of Europe, the entire Holy War Army retreated like the receding tide.] Melyuchina, I'm thinking... (The rest of the text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated.)
[You won the Battle of Copenhagen and also gained an important hostage—Meliuchina]
[Faced with the enemy's most powerful general, you did not behead him, but imprisoned him. To restrain this dangerous dragon, you had Lily and Morgan specially create a chain to bind the dragon, and at the same time ordered Nightmare to cast an illusion spell on him that would force him into a deep sleep. With the combined spells of the three great magicians, you barely managed to break through the magic resistance of this descendant of Albion, allowing him to be peacefully imprisoned in the dungeons of Copenhagen so that you could interrogate him later.]
But before that, you must attend the banquet hosted by Ragnar.
To celebrate this victory, the Vikings brought out almost everything they had, to commemorate the first defeat of the Britannian Empire in nearly a thousand years. With this victory as a foundation, the Vikings were no longer afraid of the authority of the Britannian Empire. They finally realized that this behemoth was not invincible, and that as long as they followed in the footsteps of their chosen king, they could completely break free from the rule of the Britannian Empire, and even replace it.
In your view, this so-called victory is not important. After all, the Holy War army failed, but the foundation of the Britannian Empire remains unshaken. As long as the Order of the Righteous Knights exists, the country retains its strongest military force. However, you did not reject the goodwill from the Vikings because it is still a great victory for them.
However, as the banquet drew to a close, the half-nightmare Melly suddenly approached you, asking you to leave the banquet alone with her, saying that an acquaintance of yours wanted to meet with you privately.
Looking at this nightmarish girl whose mind was filled with strange thoughts and whose reasoning was unclear, you hesitated for a moment before following her out of the banquet hall. In any case, you were confident that you could protect yourself even if something unexpected happened, regardless of what Meryl's purpose was.
However, when you see the acquaintance that Mary mentioned, you have to admit that you are still shocked.
"So, who wants to see me?"
"It's her."
Following the direction Meryl pointed, Quinn caught a glimpse of a thin figure hidden in the darkness. Quinn's eyes widened the moment he saw the person.
"Emiya? Aren't you in London?"
Faced with Quinn's question, Shiro Emiya, hidden in the darkness of the night, showed a hint of embarrassment. But before she could speak, Meryl spoke up, "Of course he was kicked out by Europa II! My esteemed Your Majesty, the commotion you caused by forging the Holy Sword was quite significant. That emperor only needed to use his brain a little to connect the theft of the Royal Sword with the independence of the Norse ley lines. Under such circumstances, how could she possibly allow your good student to stay in her court?"
Quinn raised an eyebrow and looked at Shiro Emiya. He didn't believe Meryl's words. Based on his understanding of his good daughter, Europa II wouldn't do such a thing even if he was angry. After all, Shiro Emiya was like an ambassador between him and her. Once Shiro Emiya disappeared, she would completely lose her channel of communication with him.
As expected, Shiro Emiya hurriedly spoke after only being glanced at by Quinn.
"Don't listen to her nonsense. I wasn't kicked out. I was assigned here as a negotiating envoy. I should be in the other military camp right now, but I think you should know in advance what I'll be saying when I come to communicate in a couple of days."
"A diplomatic envoy? What message does my daughter have specifically for you to deliver to me?"
When Quinn asked, Shiro's embarrassment became even more obvious. She stammered for a long time before finally managing to squeeze out a sentence.
“She offered to redeem Melyuchina, and in return, she would pay with the scabbard of Avalon.”
Emiya Haku's words fell silent.
You didn't expect that news of Melyuchina's defeat would reach Europa II so quickly, and you certainly didn't expect that Europa II would be willing to exchange the Avalon sword sheath, an item that would make her invincible, for Melyuchina's freedom. You realized something.
[In Europa II's eyes, Melyuchina's value far exceeds that of Avalon's sword sheath; this dragon maiden may be more than just powerful.]
Chapter 232 She had always longed for
The dungeons of Copenhagen.
In the place where Melyuchina was imprisoned, numerous magical artifacts were laid out on every inch of the land, walls, and ceiling. Multiple chains bound the petite dragon girl's body, making it difficult for her to move. The fairy Lily of the Paradise was always outside Melyuchina's prison, acting as her guard and occasionally casting sealing magic on her.
As Quinn entered the dungeon, he happened to see Lily casting another spell on Melyuchina.
"It's too tight. Are you afraid of me?"
Because she was so tightly restrained, Melyuchina didn't notice Quinn, who had already entered the dungeon. Instead, she stared at Lily, who was nervously continuing to cast spells on her body, with displeasure. Being stared at like this, Lily became even more nervous and immediately conjured a chain, adding another layer of restraint to Melyuchina's body.
Watching this scene, Quinn couldn't help but think of the White Gate Tower in the old Three Kingdoms. In a sense, this Dragon Girl was replicating the feat of a man who liked to recognize adoptive fathers. Moreover, in a sense, she was also the kind of person who was rebellious by nature.
So Quinn simply came out, saying, "After all, you're the one being held here, so we can't be too careful."
As soon as Quinn appeared, Melyuchina cast a slightly fierce look at him, but there was no hatred in that look.
“You treacherous man, you actually dare not respond to my challenge. I thought that as a former founder of a nation, you would be a strong person who would not be afraid of challenges, but…” Clearly, more than losing herself, Melyuchina was concerned that Quinn did not respond to her challenge and did not give her a chance for a one-on-one duel.
Sure enough, fairies are simple creatures. Even after being captured, this guy is still thinking about one-on-one duels.
"No matter how it happened, you lost."
Quinn had his own way of dealing with such naive people. Sure enough, after presenting the facts, Melyuchina was speechless. She was silent for several seconds before trying to change the subject, "If it were a fair fight, I wouldn't lose, and... I can't understand why you would stand against Her Majesty, even though you are her family."
“Really? I think she’s actually quite good to you, even better than to me. If I were captured, she might not be willing to use the Avalon sword sheath to ransom me.” Faced with Melyuchina’s stiff attempt to change the subject, Quinn directly stated his purpose in coming to this dungeon to see her: “I’m curious, why is that? Tell me the reason.”
What makes you think I would answer that kind of question?
"you lose."
The law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak, is a principle of nature and one of the beliefs that Melyuchina holds. As the defeated, she must obey the victor's arrangements and has an obligation to answer all of the victor's questions, even if she feels that your victory was somewhat unfair. But a loss is a loss, and Melyuchina does not intend to deny this fact. Therefore, after a moment of silence, she answered your question.
[You learn that the reason Europa II wanted to redeem Melyuchina was because she possessed his blessing, something akin to the Holy Grail blessing the Lion King bestowed upon the Knights of the Round Table in Chapter 6 of FGO. However, unlike the wish-granting Holy Grail, Europa II used the ley lines of Britain.]
In order to create a force that could easily surpass the Knights of the Round Table, Europa II bound the ley lines of the British Empire to these fairy knights when he summoned Bavanshi and Melyuchina. As long as these fairy knights remained loyal to Europa II, they could draw power from the ley lines of the empire's territory to strengthen their own spiritual origins. This is why Melyuchina could freely transform into a dragon and unleash the power belonging to the Albion Dragon.
The reason why Europa II wanted to exchange the Avalon sword sheath for Melyuchina was because he was worried that you would use Melyuchina as a medium to influence the ley lines of the entire empire, and thus affect her personally. After all, you may not have the ability to break this kind of reverse magic, but Morgan by your side definitely does.
However, the problem now is that even if you knew this secret, it would be difficult to refuse Europa II's offer.
[Because the scabbard of Avalon is the biggest bug in the entire Type-Moon universe. This item is so precious that in the early stages of creating any Type-Moon work, the scabbard must be removed before King Arthur can appear. As the only treasure recognized by Nasu as truly capable of protecting its wielder from any harm, not removing this item from Europa II's hands would weaken Europa II's control over the Empire's ley lines, greatly reducing his strength and making him unable to contend with you, and you would be unable to completely defeat him.]
[If Europa II cannot be completely defeated, the sixth beast lurking within his body and consciousness will eventually awaken. At that time, everything you have done now will be in vain, and you will lose your precious daughter forever.]
[You know you have no choice but to release Meiliuqina, but before exchanging Meiliuqina for the sword sheath, there's one more thing you plan to do.]
[You walked into the dungeon in front of Lily and reached out your hand to the petite dragon girl.] Mei ne xiang mei ne mei kong ni lin zai zai mei ne...
The next moment, the chains binding Meliuchina fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
"Alas! Your Majesty?!"
The fairy in the park cried out in fright.
Meiliuqina stood there, stunned. She felt a sense of relief and ease, and the true ether that was flowing through her blood and breath again made her mind go blank for a few seconds before she came to her senses.
So... I've been released?
"What...are you going to do?"
Meliuchina looked at Quinn warily, not quite understanding why, just a moment ago, Quinn's subordinates had been nervously imposing more restrictions on her, but now they had suddenly released her.
But she still understood the simple truth that unsolicited kindness is either a sign of ulterior motives or theft.
“Since there’s no need to waste manpower and resources keeping you locked up any longer, I plan to agree to your lord’s suggestion. In a couple of days at most, you’ll be free again. In that case, why keep you locked up in the dungeon?” Quinn said. “Besides, we’ve met a few times and know each other to some extent. I believe that since you’ve lost, you’ll accept your fate and wait obediently for the handover ceremony to be completed, won’t you?”
Upon hearing this, Melyuchina hesitated, wanting to ask Quinn where he got the confidence to so readily assume she wouldn't run away. However, she swallowed her words, because she quite enjoyed this tacit trust.
Although they are enemies, but...
This feeling of being trusted and recognized is something she has always longed for.
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