Walking up to the stand I could see that Arthur was waiting for me. Arthur stood up as I walked up the stairs of the stand and many of the others stood up as well. I didn’t know what else to do so when I got in front of him I knelt down on one knee like they do in the movies. Arthur seemed pleased with this and held out a sword; the hilt was fairly normal as was the sheath. Unsheathing it Arthur revealed that the blade itself was glowing a faint purple-ish red hue. Based on his face he was impressed with it and held it out to me.

“Do you, Sir Micheal swear that you shall serve me until you die as a loyal knight? Do you promise to uphold the standards held by your fellow knights as well as protect those who are weak from evil, no matter who or what that evil may be?” Arthur asked.

“I do.” I replied.

“Then take this blade and wield it with honor and loyalty. Your first test as a knight shall be to defeat Merlin and myself in combat. Do so and you shall be recognised as a knight of the round table.” Arthur stated. I took the sword and stood up. Both Arthur and I walked down the stairs and into the arena. The crowd cheered as we entered. As we walked down I strapped the sheathe to my belt and gave the sword a couple of test swings as one does.

“May the best one win.” the woman who I believed was Arthur’s wife said as she raised up a handkerchief. Once we were in a ready position she dropped the handkerchief. No one moved as it fell down to the arena but the second it touched the ground Arthur charged at me.

Like I was taught in the forest I focused on getting faster and I became shrouded in a layer of black-ish blue mist.Arthur still charged forward but he didn’t seem that much slower than I was. We met near the middle of the arena and clashed swords. When we did, dust blew from the center of the arena in a large gust that made many of the spectators shield their eyes. Our blades clashed repeatedly as neither one of us could get the upper hand.

Swinging my blade down on him he deflected it and attempted to jab me with Excalibur. Jumping back I barely avoided it but returned to where I was for a counter attack. Swinging at his side he stabbed Excalibur at the oncoming blade and caught it with his hand guard. Then driving it towards me along my blade he slammed into my chest with his pommel. The force of it sent my flying backwards a few meters.

Getting back up I went to charge at him again but as I did several hulking warriors appeared from the ground as they did the last time I fought Merlin. They were all dressed in strange trojan armor and each one was armed with a spear and a shield. Since they were in my way I simply began cutting them down. My speed was far too great for any of them to keep up with so they all fell with ease. However, I noticed something strange when I cut into them. They almost seemed to be burned by my blade rather than cut. Though they still fell down dead and disappeared back into the earth like fleshy golems.

As I cut down the last one I searched for where Arthur was but before I could pick him out I noticed the blade of Excalibur swinging at my face. I didn’t have enough time to dodge nor the time to block with my sword so I raised my arm to block it. Strangely though, Excalibur didn’t cut through my arm but rather slammed into it and stopped. Looking at my arm I noticed that I was now wearing a gauntlet on each of my hands that went all the way up to my elbow and was the same hue as the blade.

The crowd cheered on in shock and awe as they watched me defend myself from Arthur’s attack. Even though I have no clue how that happened. He swung at me again but this time he went for my legs. As he did, a steel purple-ish red shin guard appeared on each leg and stopped his blade from taking out my leg.

“I must say that the Lady of the Lake has outdone herself this time. Crafting spirit armor into the blade is genius and damn near impossible.” Arthur said as he stepped away from me. Several more of Merlin’s soldiers appeared from the ground but not just a few. This time there were nearly a hundred in the arena.

“Shit.” I said to myself before charging at them. Cutting them down one at a time as I tried to get back to Arthur or at the very least, keep him in my sights was difficult but manageable. They fell rather easily and every now and then I would have to deflect a spear. The problem was that the sheer number of them was enough to slow me down and make me mess up. Despite the fact that I am saying that they fall easily, they are still rather skilled. They just aren’t as fast as I am. However, had it been a normal person then they would have died easily.

Eventually there were too many swarming me for me to attack Arthur or even catch a breath. As I was being swarmed and the crowd was certain that I was going to lose, the warriors suddenly all collapsed as if cut by a thousand blades. Everyone stood shocked as they fell around me. Around my body were thousands of crimson blood strands floating like spider webs. The crowd was shocked as was Merlin who didn’t seem like he could produce any more as he was holding himself up with the side of the chair. Even Arthur stood in shock at the sight but he was still aware of the fight.

Charging at me again he stabbed the blade at me. I deflected it but he responded by doing it again. Deflecting it once again he did the same thing. For two minutes we did this back and forth until he finally pulled back and swung at me. Since I wasn’t expecting it I didn’t have enough time to block it and he took my right arm off near the shoulder. Holding the sword with my left hand I jumped back as the crowd gasped in horror.

“I’m going to need you to have someone sew that sleeve back on. I have become really attached to this coat.” I said as my arm grew back. Many of the onlookers looked sick at the sight of my bones magically regenerating followed by the tendons, flesh, blood vessels, and finally several layers of skin.

“I think I’ll owe you that much for taking your arm off.” Arthur said.

“tis only a flesh wound.” I replied before charging at him again.