The duel scheduled for the next day happened exactly as planned. Almost the entire city turned out for it. Nobody wanted to miss seeing the duel of Camelot's premier knight in person. That urge to watch a spectacle isn't unique to one culture—people all over the world can't resist the draw of excitement and drama.
Perhaps because King Uther realized just how much attention this duel was getting, he had to preemptively deploy countless soldiers and knights to the venue just to manage the crowd. This created an impressive, almost overwhelming, atmosphere for the gathered citizens.
Kay, wearing a standard set of knight's armor, stepped onto the center of the dueling field, where the Black Knight had been waiting for a long time. The Black Knight had stood motionless like a statue in front of the palace gates for a day and a night, neither eating, drinking, nor sleeping. It was almost as if he was afraid Kay, the one who accepted the challenge, might try to run away.
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Knights' duels usually come with a very strict set of ceremonial rules. For instance, before the duel officially begins, a knight is supposed to remove his helmet, wear a flashy cloak, raise his family's crest banner, and deliver some kind of formal address in the center of the arena.
Kay was usually the quiet one in these situations; he found this "ridiculous" opening ritual incredibly awkward. So, he typically just gave a quick self-introduction, put on his helmet, and waited for the duel to start.
But today, Kay didn't stick to his routine. He looked at the familiar Black Knight with a complicated expression. The crown, the armor, and the heraldic shield—Kay was intimately familiar with them all. This was the same gear he'd seen when Tristan last dueled King Uther.
Originally, Tristan didn't look like this. When he was a passionate young knight, he, like all the others, favored flamboyant, ornate gear. Coupled with a handsome face that could make any woman swoon, he was once the quintessential Prince Charming in every woman's eyes.
But after that tragic, star-crossed love affair, Tristan felt he had dishonored his knighthood. He felt he had lost his honor, so he cast off the fancy clothes and began appearing only in black armor.
Seeing Tristan like this, Kay would be lying if he said he wasn't moved.
Even before Kay's transmigration, when he was a mature adult, he wasn't interested in celebrity culture or hero worship. But after meeting Tristan, he had to admit that some people are just born to be idolized.
Take Tristan: his sincerity, kindness, and courage were things Kay—an "old man" in his thirties before he crossed over—deeply admired. Kay often thought back then, how great would it be to become a man like him?
But because of a romance the world wouldn't accept, this near-perfect knight ultimately fell into the abyss...
To be honest, Kay didn't entirely approve of the relationship between Tristan and the Irish Princess Isolde. Kay was a traditional guy with an instinctive distaste for a love triangle. In his mind, it was fundamentally immoral, and the fact that the woman was his uncle's wife only made it worse. Tristan had everything—looks, strength, money, and status—what kind of woman couldn't he have? That relationship felt like a rash, impulsive decision from the start.
Still, Kay had to concede that love isn't something that can be easily summarized by logic and reason.
In short, Kay had complex feelings about Tristan's downfall. But mostly, it was a deep sadness. He was unfortunate enough in life, but now, even in death, his soul was being desecrated!
"Good morning, Sir Tristan." Kay motioned for the attendant holding his helmet to step back, then bowed, performing a knight's salute with his sword to the Black Knight.
The Black Knight gave no response, remaining as still as a statue, staring at Kay. Kay didn't take offense. Strictly speaking, the person standing there wasn't the real Tristan; his soul was consumed by sorrow and hatred—it couldn't be considered a normal spirit.
"It's ironic that after twenty years, our reunion takes place in a setting like this. It truly makes you think. It feels like those moments from two decades ago just happened yesterday. I always thought your silhouette would forever be something I could only look up to, yet here I am, finally standing before you to issue a challenge."
While Kay was saddened that Tristan's body and soul were being desecrated, he couldn't help but feel a certain sense of fortunate destiny being fulfilled. To Kay, Tristan was an absolute idol. Dueling a powerful opponent is one of the dreams of every true knight, because win or lose, it guarantees honor. A knight's honor is never defined simply by victory or defeat.
Having received years of knightly education, and being trained in martial arts from a traditional background, challenging the strong was practically an instinct etched into Kay's bones.
Twenty years ago, during Tristan's prime, Kay was just a kid and completely unqualified to fight a top-tier knight like him. It was just a pipe dream. But now, that aspiration was being realized in a different way.
Kay's heartfelt reminiscence didn't elicit any reaction from Tristan.
Seeing this, Kay felt a bit let down. Although his opponent was indeed Tristan, how could a mere puppet driven by slaughter and hatred compare to the magnificent, high-spirited Tristan of old?
Kay waved his hand, taking his helmet from the attendant. He put it on, then had the attendant remove his ceremonial cape.
Patting his helmet, Kay took out his dual swords and walked toward the Black Knight.
"I have one last request, Sir Tristan. If you can, I hope you will fight me as a true knight, not in this horrifying, detestable form that insults your honor. I believe you can hear me. After all, you were once the finest knight in this world. You must be able to overcome that vile, despicable sorcery!"
Even though the Death Knight is a puppet, the core of the soul still belongs to the person—there's no doubt about that.
Kay, like many old-school Chinese people, has a mysterious obsession with the power of the mind and spirit; they believe that where there's a will, there's a way. Just look at the early days of modern China: despite the difficulties, they relied on outdated equipment and sheer effort to develop their nuclear program. That's the best evidence.
Therefore, Kay believed that with the strength of Sir Tristan's will, he could break free from the control of the evil spell.
Kay's words caused the Black Knight to lift his head slightly, then he immediately returned to his rigid stance. Kay couldn't tell if his plea had managed to awaken Tristan's will.
But it didn't matter anymore. The duel was on!
As the duel bell rang, the two knights immediately charged toward each other.
Kay was clearly being very cautious, not launching an attack right away, but instead searching for any weakness in the Black Knight's defense. He wasn't going to rush the fight.
The Black Knight, however, showed no caution at all, immediately raising his greatsword and swinging downward.
The Black Knight was using a two-handed greatsword. While sometimes used for training, this weapon wasn't often seen on the battlefield. It's simply too heavy; unless a knight is exceptionally gifted, they can only swing it a few times in a real fight. Also, the attack speed is genuinely slow.
But one thing is certain: the weapon packs a huge punch. A single downswing is even more devastating than an axe.
Facing the incoming strike, Kay was perfectly calm. An attack of this magnitude wasn't enough to make him panic. He smoothly sidestepped the giant sword, and at the same moment, his left hand countered with a strike of its own.