There once was a time where chivalry, honor, and duty carried a certain weight and meaning. Far beyond just moral obligation and weight of character, it represented a way of life dedicated to righteousness and principle.

Although not all aspect of chivalry had died in the modern era, it was in a form that was no longer recognizable to what it had once been in a time of knights, damsels, and dragons.

Instead, it was abolished and thought to be outdated with the passing of the times and era, and yet, even now a distant nostalgia remains.

Whether it was longing or, a feeling of loss, men and women still recall the legend of what chivalry once represented.

King Arthur, the King of Knights.

Though nothing about him in history could truly prove his existence, the meaning of his struggle and his path to kingship were still conveyed despite the passage of time.

A king for the people, O how the people wept at his passing yet yearned for his return.

.

.

.

Olivia Davis was Britain's representative in Japan after a long string of political maneuvers finally forced Japan to acquiesce and give some leeway to the international community.

The legend of the undefeated king still resounded in Britain to this day. It spoke of the adoration the people had in their King, and of the character of the stalwart Knight who led his people through the bitter years of the Anglo-Saxon wars.

"It is done."

A single voice echoed in the quiet medical ward where even the doctors had put down their equipment and opted to stare at the man who had soothed the tormented. His means were inexplicable, and yet they cared an air of old mystery that had once intrigued mankind when it came to the whimsical concept of 'magic.'

After all, how else could you explain it?

"All they'll need now is a bit of rest to let their bodies recover from the curse." Shirou said as he pulled away from the last patient who fell unconscious as the pain settled and relief flooded in.

It was only then that the doctors snapped out of their stupor.

"Y-You," one of the guards that had been once been guarding Shirou's door spoke up. "You're codename, 'Arthur.'"

"That is my name." Shirou said without pause. A subtle nod of his head revealed the compassion he had in his eyes.

"What did you mean when you said they were afflicted with a curse?" A doctor readily stepped forward to ask.

Shirou opened his mouth, but quickly thought better of it as Merlin took over to explain. A Third-Rate's knowledge on magecraft could never beat Merlin's.

"A curse is a hex, something that only had fledgling influence in Britain at the time. They are designed to inflict suffering, and are rooted in pagan ritual and ill omens. Strips of hair, body fluid, or even a personal item can be used as mediums to affect a person. My sister Morgan dabbled with them, and her machinations inevitably found those curses directed at myself."

"That's not scientifically possible…" One doctor said while knitting her brows.

"Back in my time, science was the practice of disproving magic." Merlin raised his eyes to meet the doctor's head on. "Tell me, what does science say to the inexplicable? 'You just haven't found the answer yet.' Sounds reasonable, doesn't it? Until you see a person become a ghoul or a beast, and are left with no answers. Or perhaps walk into a bog or forest and be enchanted by the Fae? Nevertheless, curses aren't things that can be avoided using medicine. To fight a curse, you must eliminate or purify the root."

"And that sheath does that?" A voice inferred.

Merlin grunted, turning his attention to the newest addition to the medical ward.

"Arthur." General Iwatani greeted.

"General." Merlin replied, using the title with loose tongue as if unable to determine if it were a noble title or not.

"It seems that you've been busy. "General Iwatani did not dwell on Merlin's tone. Rather, he stared with hardened eyes at the people healed before him. It wasn't just a curse that was relieved, but their natural complexions and physical health practically glowed.

"I have." Merlin said, Shirou standing up to his full height and nodding down at the smaller general.

"Why did you help them?" Iwatani asked with a straight face, not giving anything away.

"Should I not have? These people were afflicted with a curse that would have killed or permanently injured them. "Shirou said, overriding Merlin. It was the sincerity in how Shirou said it that gave the Japanese General pause.

General Iwatani furrowed his brows. So, it wasn't to put pressure or leverage on him?

By currying favour with those in the military camp, Arthur would elevate his position in the hearts of the soldiers. That or to incur debt from Iwatani.

-No, by the expression on Arthur's face, that man genuinely did not have an ulterior motive.

"...Your character and integrity is truly impeccable." General Iwatani ground out.

"Naturally," Merlin took over once more, expression growing nostalgic. "A King is a man that helps the people. His followers do not follow him out of a sense of obligation, but by their own virtue and belief."

"How idealistic."

Arthur shrugged. "On my shoulders I carry the dreams and beliefs of those that follow me. It was a personal pledge made on the day I received Excalibur."

General Iwatani's face twitched at the name of that particular sword: The damning proof of what made Arthur, 'Arthur.'

"What is that sheath?" General Iwatani changed the subject to something less ambiguous. Rumours were already spreading through the base, and he'd rather not propagate them.

"Curious, aren't you?" Merlin smiled before having Shirou dismiss Avalon in a wave of golden motes."One shouldn't give away all their tricks, now, should they?"

"Indeed." General Iwatani knew when to push and pull. "However, a guest should also know not to wander inside another's home- or would the more apt term for you, be a castle?"

"I get the point." Merlin willing conceded before nodding his head. A king who knew when and how to act was something he exemplified. "I've overstepped myself and will return."

"Please do so."

Under the sound of clanking armour, Arthur made his exit from the medical ward on Alnus Hill.

Left behind, General Iwatani let out a long-suffering breath.

General Iwatani massaged his temples while listening to the fervent whispers around him that expectedly blew up at Arthur's departure.

Intentional on Arthur's part or not, this was going to make things difficult.

Should Arthur be deemed an enemy by the government, would a soldier fire if Code Name Arthur's character was so radiantly bright?

If Arthur had been the one to heal one's comrades from death, and sway the heartsof others with just his actions.

There was a word for Arthur and his presence, one highly valued in any military or position of power.

It was called Charisma.

A charisma at a level that was beyond ordinary humans and leaders.

General Iwatani opened and closed his palms to calm himself down, goosebumps still running down his skin.

Arthur Pendragon…

Iwatani could see why the man was so beloved numerous centuries ago.

But this and that were different.

He had his duties.

Now then.

"Olivia Davis."

Olivia's face blackened as General Iwatani turned and glared at her as she tried to exit the room.

"Will you return to your quarters, or will you be needing another escort?"

Olivia's expression fell, her shoulders slumping when two soldiers appeared on either side of Iwatani.

The choice was not in her hands.


The other side of the Gate that the Japanese Military eventually escorted Shirou through did not take him by surprise.

The modern buildings, the vehicles, and even the infrastructure around him did not strike him as unfamiliar. Rather, he was used to everything as he had grown up in Fuyuki in the early 20th century.

However, Merlin did an astonishing job of managing Shirou's expression to reveal curiosity and wonderment upon noticing the shadow of ginormous sky scrapers. Yet, the moment was rather short lived.

Japan's Military had made and extensive perimeter around the entrance of the Gate in Japan's Akihabara district. Military vehicles and personnel patrolled around the area, keeping the civilian populace at bay.

There were no crowds or paparazzi waiting to flash a photo of 'Arthur' which belied the Japanese Government's subtle attempts to keep political matters under wraps.

Olivia was understandably unhappy as she and Shirou were ushered into a black sedan with tinted windows and driven off to some other government facility. She'd had no more time to speak to him individually, and Iwatani had posted a guard to tail her twenty-four-seven. She was supposedly an instigation risk, the bastard.

The expression Olivia made when she was again blocked from a private meeting with Arthur in Japan's government building, or the Kantei.

Instead, Arthur found himself in a private meeting with no one else but Japan's current Prime Minister, a gruff yet stern looking man in a formal suit and tie.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," Japan's Prime Minister spoke in English.

Arthur paused as Merlin feigned ignorance of the changes that had occurred in modern English before speaking.

"The pleasure is mine. Where about is this Japan in the world relative to Britain?" Arthur asked before anything else.

"In due time," the Prime Minister deflected before shaking his head and sighing when Arthur stared at him flatly. "Is there anyway I may dissuade you from your current course?"

"None," Arthur said.

"I see," the Prime Minister opened and closed his eyes.

"You are but one man," he said slowly. "No one knows you're even here aside from Olivia Davis and a select few others whose positions are all known."

"Are you threatening me?" Merlin raised a brow.

"No," the Prime Minister sat back on his desk with a cryptic gaze. "I'm just trying to enlighten you about modern realities. You are one man, and the times have changed from the era of swords and shields-"

"And magic. Clearly." Merlin said with a frown.

"…" The Prime Minster grimaced at the word, like it was leaving a bad after taste, or dread. No, it was more disbelief that anything. "Magic or what not, it won't make a difference in that you are alone."

Having grown up in a world where magic could never be real, seeing it first-hand left a lot to be imagined.

"You don't quite seem to believe me, do you?" For the first time in the conversation, Merlin sighed, his eyes glinting with mischief. "It's like the concept of magic is nothing more than a tavern trick in this 'modern era.'"

The Prime Minister did not deny it.

"It's make-believe, a concept shared by a vast majority of modern humans. The only ones left who believe in that are children and uncivilized remote tribes."

"Care to test it then?" Merlin goaded, much to the Prime Minster's chagrin.

"Listen, Arthur." The Prime Minster leaned forward, his fingers steepling together. "What magic can supposedly do; science can replicate using other methods. You do not know the extent of the world's advancement. Wiping out a country with a click of a button is no exaggeration."

"Sure, but how would you deal with something outside the bounds of common logic?" Merlin countered while Shirou listened on. "This science and advancement you speak of, all of it just sounds like you've abandoned the old ways."

"You make it sound as if magic has an equivalent to wiping out a country or even the world?" The Prime Minister probed with a straight face.

"That's why my sword exists." Merlin said without a shred of hesitation or doubt. For it was the truth and nothing but the truth. "Its light is the breath of the planet that shines at the world's end."

The Prime Minster was not impressed, or rather, his mind could never wrap around the notion.

"A bold claim." Was all the Prime Minister said.

"But nonetheless true."

"Let's agree to disagree." The Prime Minster put aside the subject, getting a feel for 'Arthur's' character. "Magic or not, the world's rules have changed. There are procedures that must be followed not because of selfishness or greed, but as a due course to prevent corruption."

"I find in my time as King, that for all the rules and changes, the fundamental ones never change." Merlin interjected and leaned forward to meet the Prime Minister's gaze. "Power and influence. They go hand in hand you see. People do not follow the incapable. I follow your procedures not because I'm weak, but because I'm a foreign royal adhering to the customs of a different land. You have been civil, and I in turn, am reciprocating the gesture. That is all. Enough probing. There's only one reason why I'm still here speaking with you."

"What is it that you want?" Japan's Prime Minister relented and leaned his back into his chair, a tired look in his eyes.

"I wish to visit my home country," Merlin said without pause. "I plan to reveal my castle, and to let Camelot's glory shine once more for those who have waited for their King."

The eyes of Japan's Prime Minister glinted with a sharp hue.

A return to politics- no a return to a role of leadership.

The Prime Minister tapped a finger over the desk he sat across from 'Arthur.'

Britain's political pressure would be impossible to hold back any longer. The United Kingdom had its allies, and the former empire that spanned across the world had deep roots and vested interests. Not the least of which was the United States and its interest in the Gate.

Japan was not in a position to remain stubborn.

Arthur couldn't be stopped, and in that case, Japan might as well garner some benefit to the arrangement. After all, the real goal was not the Gate itself, but the world on the other side and its resources.

The army whose troops and personnel are the most adapted to the other side would be the ones to receive the most gains.

"Let's make a deal." Japan's Prime Minister said slowly. "Japan will help you, and in exchange, please let our army experience this magic you wield in mock training. In the meantime, we will arrange political talks with the current Britain for your arrival."

Merlin inwardly flashed a winning smile.

Checkmate.


Japan's military was abuzz with a certain rumour after several units were required to attend a new mandatory combat class. Even the veteran soldiers were not excused from attending, leading to further rumours of upheaval in the military courses.

"Anti-Magic Warfare?"

The course was ludicrous. Yet, it was expected.

Not everyone was privy to the video regarding Code Name: Arthur, nor did the government want such information to spread to the public.

As such, the rumours of the sudden mandatory class were treated as an exaggerated joke among the military personnel. Sure there was word of magic existing on the other side of the Gate, but not much was really known, and the magic the exploration groups did come across weren't anything impressive.

And yet, what the heck was this?

Standing on a military training field, smoke billowed from the muzzle of a fired gun while sparks grated from the echo of split metal. On either side of a man who stood with a sword drawn, were two halves of a bullet that dug deep grooves into the dirt beneath.

"No way…?"

"How is that…?"

"D-Did he just cut through the bullet?"

A prolonged silence stretched through out as the man clad in the regal armour of a knight stood across from a retinue of a military squads, one of which had been directed to take the armed knight down.

Any unit that managed to take down the armoured knight would receive a reward and paid time off. The use of lethal force was actually permitted, causing mass confusion, and a growing hubris towards a man who had brought a sword to a gun fight.

That all changed from the moment the first bullet was fired in jest.

"Is that your source of confidence?" A voice, calm yet drowning as the sea reverberated in the silence. "It doesn't matter how many of those tiny metal shells you launch at me. The result will be the same."

Clangclangclangclangclangclangclangclangclangclangclangclangclang!

Smoke and sparks wafted as the edge of an invisible sword cut apart numerous bullets.

"…What sort of magic is that?"

"Magic?" The armoured knight almost laughed. "No, this is merely skill."

"This," a blaze of burning blue mana surrounded the knight, cracking the training floor beneath him and rapidly spreading out.

Closing his hand into a fist, the knight gathered just a small portion of that mana over his knuckles.

"-Is magic."

Mana Burst.

The knight punched the air, numerous trees toppling in the distance as the compressed mana that formed into a fist, flew through the air and reached its target.


Thanks for reading and sorry for delays! I was hit by a persistent cold this week and it made things quite difficult to think while writing.

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