[FMMIKA] Chapter 216: Artorius vs Ultimate Heroine Z (II)

Among the four contenders who stayed, a new leader and head of the Pendragons were about to be born.

Artorius continued to face off against Z, while XX also took on Ex.

The battles raged on vigorously.

"I will win!" Artorius declared confidently. "I've already figured out your weakness."

"Talking big is one thing; you have to prove it." Z retorted, not impressed by his words.

Their combat style was straightforward and robust, with swords clashing, techniques, strength, and skills on full display, occasionally punctuated by bursts of light beams.

As time passed, Z's strength indeed grew, but simultaneously, her inner turmoil intensified.

'Does Artorius really have a way to deal with me, or is it just a bluff?'

If it's a bluff, then great—she could continue steadily and eventually become the head of the Pendragons. The more she fought, the stronger she'd become, establishing dominance.

But if it's true, she needed to weigh her options. Delaying might give Artorius the time he needed to defeat her.

'So, should I go for an aggressive move?' Z couldn't help but ponder. 'But what if Artorius anticipates it?'

'If I lose my composure because of his words, I'll be at a disadvantage... darn it, is this Artorius's plan?' Z's emotions were in turmoil, affecting her combat tactics.

'Sure enough, young folks lack experience huh...' Artorius couldn't help but think.

Although Artorius and the Z were about the same age, he had significantly more combat experience.

From the British Isles to the Black Forest in Germania, from prosperous Gaul to ancient Italy, Artorius had ridden across them all. Whether it was one-on-one combat or leading armies, his combat experience was vast.

Staking his life, going all-in, giving it his all—Artorius had the upper hand in practical experience compared to Z, who had mostly engaged in combat against Saber and Artoria Species. If he had an absolute advantage, it was this.

However, at the moment, it seemed that this advantage had yet to be fully realized, as Z still held the upper hand in the battle.

Similar to the battle between XX and Ex, the latter's firepower had diminished, allowing XX to catch her breath. The fight had entered a stalemate. Besides evading Ex's beam attacks with agility, XX occasionally fired back.

In the current situation, what used to be a one-sided fight had turned into a fifty-fifty struggle, and at times, XX even felt like she had the upper hand.

"Infinite bean paste is overrated."

"Mind your own business."

Confronted with XX's taunts, Ex replied calmly.

In this showdown, it seemed that the victor would be chosen from these two pairs.

"Who do you think will win?"

Meanwhile, outside the bounded field, the Artoria Species brought out their communication devices and huddled around a screen, nervously and somewhat expectantly watching the final battle.

"I'd still prefer Artorius to win if possible."

"That's funny; I was thinking the same."

"Hey, me too!"

The Artorias chatted away, then were surprised to find that almost all of them hoped for Artorius to win.

Some Artorias found this surprising, but most thought it was only fair. The logic was clear—any Artoria Species winning would mean a significant share of Artorius and more time to spend indulging in their desires with him.

Only Artorius's victory could potentially make everyone treated equally.

'No, it's not necessarily treating everyone equally. Whether it's being cuter, sexier, or more kind, in any case, Artorius would definitely prefer a better Artoria Species than the normal one. A more unique Artoria Species, maybe even a more powerful one. So, as long as he wins, a new round of battle will begin. But this battle isn't about strength, it's not about combat. It's a competition for his favor.'

Lion King thought like that as she looked around, watching her eager sisters who were rooting for Artorius. Her lips curled up, revealing a confident smile.

Others might worry, but not her.

She was strong enough, gentle enough, excellent enough, and had left a deep impression in Artorius's heart.

And so, she would surely be the victor.

Artorius's victory, in Lion King's eyes, was a foregone conclusion.

No matter how agile XX was, no matter how powerful Ex's firepower was, and no matter how strong Z's were, they would not be Artorius's match.

'It's really something to look forward to...'

Lion King couldn't help but think with expectation.

'Next will be the era of Artorius and the Pendragons, fufu.'

===

At the same time, both battles underwent drastic changes.

"I like you, Mother."

"?!"

In the midst of the battle, Artorius showed a gentle smile to Z and said that to her.

Z blushed.

On one hand, she felt happy, and on the other, she felt a bit embarrassed. Being praised and liked by Artorius was wonderful, and it made her very happy—but if she could, she would prefer him to say such things on a different occasion.

Under a blue sky on a quiet deserted beach as the sun sets, or beneath the moonlight during a meteor shower, or under cherry blossom trees.

In short, it had to be a very romantic place. Artorius would gaze at her affectionately and then confess his feelings.

At that time, even if she was ecstatic inside, she had to remain composed, hold back, and play hard to get. She would say—"Artorius is indeed wonderful, but..."

She couldn't accept Artorius's confession immediately. This was what her experience in the 'galgame' had taught her. The one who confessed first would lose the battle.

But now.

Even though it wasn't the right place, her heart was racing. Although she wanted to appear calm and composed like Lion King, it didn't seem possible.

With just a single sentence of "I like you" from Artorius, her heart was conquered.

"E-Ehh?!"

At this point, Z seemed to understand what Artorius was up to.

'Artorius, you're so despicable!'

This made Z very anxious—to the point where she wanted to scream, but it was already too late.

"I really like you, Mother."

Artorius began with his strongest weapon that he had since he was a child—his charm, especially if used against the Artoria Species, the effect would be deadly. He continuously expresses his deep affection for Z during the fight.

"That shining hair, star-like eyes, and Mother's slender and fair legs, everything about you made me feel wonderful... I want to be with you forever, and ever... my dear mother."

"Stupid, idiot, stop saying that, stop it, ahhh!"

Z finally couldn't muster the courage to continue the battle and instead chose to turn around and flee. Of course, Artorius wasn't going to let her just leave like that.

"Come on, leap into my arms, let's love each other, Mother!"

"Don't come near meee!"

===

Why would Artorius use this tactic and why did Ultimate Heroine Z find herself in a state of collapse just because he spoke so affectionately?

It was the Artorium.

Z's absorption rate of Artorium far surpassed that of the average Artoria Species, which was why she claimed to be the strongest Artoria Species.

However, this kind of absorption came at a price. When she absorbed too much of it, Z would experience a state of confusion, much like being drunk.

Headaches, discomfort, nausea, and various negative conditions follow suit. Eventually, it culminates in a profound sense of chaos.

Mysterious Heroine A, discovered this secret when all the Heroines gathered to discuss Artorius. Everyone seemed happy, but when everyone left satisfied, Z suddenly looked dizzy. She was curious, so she followed Z quietly. After that, she saw Z collapse and muttered something like—"Too much, it's about to overflow."

"As I thought, even the invincible Ultimate Heroine Z has weaknesses." Heroine A, with a mischievous smile, whispered to herself as she watched Z's condition.

That's right, Artorius took advantage of Z's characteristics and turned her strengths into weaknesses.

When facing Artorius head-on, the secretion of Artorium increased. Fighting Artorius led to another increase in secretion. Simultaneously fighting Artorius while being stirred by his sweet words.

The end result was like cramming more than 20 liters of water into a 10-liter bucket that was only 15 centimeters deep.

"Ahhhh!!!"

Facing the fleeing Z, Artorius did not relent; he chased after her directly.

In an instant, the battle between Artorius and Z turned completely.

"Why run, Mother? Don't you love me anymore?"

"Love? Of course, I do! But..."

"Then, don't run away, Mother, please accept my love!"

Finally, Artorius caught up with Z.

In her panicked state, Z had no strength left and collapsed into Artorius's arms.

"Dammit..."

"Mother..."

"Being caught like this... gnununu..."

Though she had no fighting spirit left, tears welled up in Z's eyes, as if she were being thoroughly bullied by Artorius.

"Why did it become like this? Even though, I surpass everyone..."

"That doesn't matter." Artorius held her tightly in his arms and whispered gently in her ear, "What matters is that we can live happily together, right?"

For an ordinary girl, this would be tender. But for Z, who was already in a state of Artorium's intoxication, it felt like a heart-wrenching blow.

"Stupid son..."

"What's important is that we can always be together." Artorius continued to say gently.

"But, even if you say that..." Z still muttered unhappily, "If there are so many Artoria Species around you, my position—"

"Relax... No matter how many Artoria Species there are, I won't forget Mother. I'll make sure Mother is happy."

Watching Z, who seemed to be throwing a childish tantrum, Artorius interrupted and stroked her little head while speaking to her in a tone as if comforting a child.

"Is that so... in that case, I'll let you off a little..."

With these words, Z closed her eyes and muttered:

"I lost."

"But it's nice..."

"I also want to be held by Artorius like this and treated so gently."

"It's not that bad... I think..."

Watching the treatment Z received, the Artorias observing from outside the bounded field couldn't help but sigh with envy.

When Z was expelled from the bounded field, she wore a proud smile.

"Even if I lose to Artorius, I'm still the strongest Artoria Species... From now on, as long as Artorius can win, it's all good."

Just like any other Artoria Species, after losing a match, she genuinely prayed for Artorius's victory.