"My heart is not ready for this!"

"That's not good! You should be ready all the time!"

I shouted as King Arthur carries me on his, or rather, Daisy's shoulder while sliding down from the barrier that I keep making. Using a plate of metal King Arthur bisected earlier as our platform to slide, he glides swiftly.

Well, it is better than free-falling that has a higher risk of death but it is still intense. Since the Ether Ship we are pursuing descends to the sea at a frightening velocity, we are also doing our best to keep up with it.

"What do we do if we get there?"

"Simply just ramming and slicing will do? Well, unless they have anything deploy as a defensive measure, we are safe."

"I think you are setting a terrible flag right there!"

As I shouted that, King Arthur leans forward, further accelerating the velocity of our descent. And because it became faster, my reflex to create a barrier as a slide started panicking as I am having difficulty bridging our path.

I could think of a lot of ideas to descend safely towards the Ether ship, however, this is undoubtedly the fastest but it is also extremely risky and tiring.

"Contact in ten seconds!"

"How did you even estimated that?!"

My question goes ignored as King Arthur brandishes his sword towards the ether barrier. Caliburn was so sharp that even the air gets cut, however, the problem is about our landing. At this speed, we are just going to splatter on the ether shield, and even if King Arthur and I manage to sweep past the ether barrier, nothing is in the ship that could cushion our landing.

"Now!"

"Huh?! That was ten seconds already?!"

King Arthur, at short proximity, swung his sword upwards. The stoke was so strong that it cleaves the air apart together with the ether barrier.

He didn't even make any direct contact with the ether barrier, yet, he was able to make a path for us to squeeze in.

"Ki!?"

Ki was the only possible answer to it. King Arthur already knew how to control Ki through Daisy's basic knowledge. He was able to draw out power just from Daisy's experience alone, letting us easily get through this difficulty,

However....the landing...

"Leave it to me too."

"You should have told me earlier that you have plans."

"Don't you like it, like a surprise?"

"...You got my heart thumping like crazy!"

As we talked, before we even hit the surface of the ship, King Arthur breaks off from me suddenly. After that, there was a sensation that someone catching me in their arms gently. Any signs of our initial speed before landing wasn't visible.

As I look at King Arthur, he is also in the same situation. He smiled at me before the unseen helpers gently bring us down.

Confused, I glare at King Arthur.

"It's fine, they are brothers at arms."

"...?"

I tilted my head in utter confusion. At that moment, the unseen helpers started manifesting as their forms become more visible.

Standing behind me and King Arthur are two knights garbed in a sturdy yet majestic armor colored in steel plating, The one who catches me has a blonde hair with a well-chiseled countenance of British descent accentuated with his clear blue eyes.

The knight behind King Arthur has a fierce countenance with velvet eyes strongly junctures to his maroon hair. From his countenance alone, you can already see the face of a seasoned veteran who has gone from countless battles.

"Let me introduce them to you. The knight standing behind you is Sir Gareth. The one beside me is Sir Aggravain."

"...Wait, Knights of the Round Table?!"

"Correct. They have been with us for the whole time. They always act as another set of blades for me."

I gawk at the two knights back and forth and I was only met with curious stares.

The knight behind me, Sir Gareth, got in front of me and got on his knees.

"You certainly possess countenance that could bring other people demise. It is a beauty to watch out for. I was slain for doing duties involving fair maiden after all."

"Aren't you just unlucky?!"

"I am, I guess."

Sir Gareth smiled at me nonchalantly that it made my face a bit hot. I look over at King Arthur and he just returned a curious gaze. Sir Aggravain met my eyes and did no expression, but it was cool.

I can feel my heart getting swoop over by these handsome knights but I will not falter! I am still a man inside, or so I'd like to think after a long period in this body, which most likely permanent at this point.

"Nope! I am not going to fall for this! I've been around with a lot of handsome guys before, this much won't sway my heart!"

"You are quite an erratic one."

King Arthur commented.

I already knew that characters from fiction will always be described as handsome or hideous exaggeratedly, but this, was too literal my heart cannot take much.

Even the jerk face of a wizard can pass off as a gigolo at this point.

"Wait a minute! I never heard that you can call your knights for help!"

"Of course, I always have an ace up my sleeve. So, shall we proceed and successfully conquer this ship as planned?"

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"O-Oh...alright..."

Cheating, that's totally cheating!

With Sir Gareth and Sir Aggravain by our side now, what else could happen to us? However, contrary to my expectation, the two knights slowly diminish into thin air leaving me with a gaping mouth.

"I cannot maintain their form for too long. It drains too much magical energy."

"Ah...too bad."

"Let's proceed as it is. I may call one or two at times of emergency, but the knight that will heed my call is random. So, it is also possible for me to call forth Sir Mordred or Sir Lancelot."

"It would be...really awkward?"

"I dare say no, but I do not have the will to face them or condemn them of their past actions."

I stood there quietly without any additional words to say. Even if I complain that King Arthur has a power that we could use for the best, if he feels that it would only cause him discomfort, I'd rather not him use such a thing.

The two of us proceeded to invade the ship. With our keen teamwork and having seen the blueprint of the ship similar to any of the ether ship, we immediately tracked the control room and took over.

With a simple push, the ether barrier protecting the ether ship vanishes and Ferd's group, th the company B, was able to invade the command room.

SS Iowa has sustained so much damage when it engaged the first ether ship so it only flies around the second ether ship to charge in for the occasion.

With Ferd's knowledgeable management, we were able to keep the ship afloat and prevented it from crashing itself.

Completing the task, we have now hauled in two Ether Ships to confront the other five Ether Ships heading from the west by the enemy.

It's nothing much compared to what Dylan can do but we have at least have something.

Needless to say, we went straight for the Western District. By now, it should be a battlefield, one that is fought by our comrades.

King Arthur and I are currently in the docks, watching the scenery outside as we traverse from sea to land. we are currently resting and preparing for the next battle. With nothing to do, I confront him about something.

"King Arthur, I wonder why Merlin has gone off somewhere."

"That's what I'd like to know too. His actions and motives have always been shrouded in curtains of darkness."

"I was wondering too if, with your power, can also call out to Merlin."

"That's not possible. As you have seen, Merlin is alive and well. Those who have perished under the banner of the Knights of the Round Table are only eligible to gather under the name of Camelot's regime."

"There were a lot of members of the knights of the round table, yes. The story of Camelot isn't known to this world. As far as I know, such a tale only exists in my world. If there are any other worlds, then it must have some variations from what I know."

"Merlin called it the theory of intersecting worlds where a single strand that represents a world is connected to another by even a prospect of a single item."

"...Meaning? I don't quite understand."

"The Legend of King Arthur, the battle with the Saxons, the internal feuds, as a set of the story in a book, entwines another world other than the one you know. Having the same story, same concept, but a visible variation."

I see...

Basically, it tells that someone from a similar world like mine has read about the Legend of King Arthur but if we start comparing the story, there would be a glaring difference which is called a variation of the story.

It goes without saying but, this just doesn't extend from the Legend of King Arthur, but also towards other prominent tales, figures, or even items.

It is like how the greek gods and goddess of this world are just a fragment of their original self. From what they have said, there is an original, however, all of them are linked to the original or more accurately, the root of their origin.

"Do you think it will be possible for you to summon a variation of your knights?"

"That's quite a peculiar question. I do not have any subjective knowledge about it but it could happen. What variation are you specifically referring to?"

"Hmm, for example, if you happen to call forth Mordred, but it turns out that he became a girl."

"A variation of the legend where Sir Mordred is a female? I can hardly imagine such a spectacle. But if it is possible, I would like to witness that."

"Don't you feel offended by such farce depiction?"

"I do not want to describe it as farce. It was simply a misdeed of fate, I guess? Like the phenomena in front of you right now."

"Yeah..."

"I am currently possessing a body of a young girl, however, I am still a man and you refer to me as King Arthur. If by chance that I appeared with this form without even possessing anyone, what would you think?"

"Well...it will be quite a dilemma because you are a man in your legend."

"That's just how you simply will perceive it. For the people of this world who don't have a background about the Legend of King Arthur, they will associate this current appearance of mine as the one who introduced himself as a King."

"Isn't that just one way to look at it? Well, whatever. This is turning into a mind game."

"You are quite sharp."

"I wouldn't say that. King Arthur, how did it felt when Mordred, the one who was called as your bastard son, hacked you with his sword?"

I raise a question to which I am extremely curious.

"...It was indeed more mentally crushing than physically."

"The battle of Camlann is where your life ended, right?"

"Tragically, yes. It was all because of the negligence of my subordinates and subjects."

"I see, I see, then, do you remember...what age did you drew Caliburn?"

"...You are indeed sharp."

I quickly made a huge distance between me and the one who I call King Arthur and drew a sword. King Arthur made no visible movements and only smiled at me.

"Who...exactly are you? If you do not answer honestly, I will have to forcefully purge you out of Daisy!"

"When did you raised your suspicion?"

"...Since Sir Gareth and Sir Aggravain showed up."

"What about Sir Gareth and Sir Aggravain?"

"When they showed up, it felt like they didn't even know much about you despite being the one who called them. I doubt that was enough to raise any suspicion."

"Yes, it sounded far fetched for you to doubt me based on that."

"You have all the qualities of a king, the ideal ruler King Arthur dreamt of when he was a child. I know King Arthur has to drop his emotion somewhere when he ruled steel resolved, however, you are just too flat."

"...I still don't see any sense in that."

"What I am saying is, you do not show any fondness of the memories of your life. You talk as if King Arthur is not you, and lastly, you are only using the sword called Caliburn, a sword for a king, not for a knight."

"That's right, I am not King Arthur."

He admitted as he closes his eyes. I slowly approach him on my guard even knowing it is futile in the face of his might with the sword.

"I only have the memories of King Arthur, his beliefs, his virtue, and his dignity, but not the emotion he kept in his heart. Merlin already knew this as the true King Arthur has decided to rest for eternity in Avalon."

"Then, who or what are you?"

With a defeated smile, he walks towards me.

"I am..."