Seeing the longsword pressed against her throat, Nimue was in utter disbelief. She knew Kay was powerful, but she never imagined she would lose. As a Master Sorceress, she had a thousand ways to defeat Kay, yet here she was, defeated by him in such a clumsy, almost comical fashion. (Note: The name 妮微 (Nīwēi) is being adapted to the more recognizable Arthurian figure Nimue.)
"Do you really think you've won?" Nimue was deeply resentful. She felt that given another chance, she absolutely wouldn't lose. If she hadn't underestimated the trouble Merlin was causing on the side, and if she'd had a straight one-on-one fight with Kay, Nimue was certain she would have prevailed.
"Pretty much. Isn't it obvious enough?" Kay didn't care much for her argument. If you lost, you lost. Why all the excuses? Does using a pitchfork instead of a sword mean you didn't kill the man?
Nimue's expression froze, and she was speechless. Of course, she was unhappy, but she didn't know how to argue back. True to form as a sorceress, however, she didn't dwell on it. Instead, she put on a fragile, vulnerable look, then spoke to Kay with the air of someone bravely facing execution: "Then just kill me!"
"Ugh..." Kay looked completely uncomfortable watching a woman who was at least fifty years old act like a teenager. This woman was just like she used to be—even at her age, she loved playing innocent and cute. That was one thing. The problem was, she genuinely looked young. Anyone who didn't know her history would swear she was only sixteen or seventeen. Her appearance was incredibly deceptive.
But that wasn't the main point. The main point was that Kay genuinely couldn't bring himself to do it. If this were any other enemy, Kay wouldn't waste words; he'd have cut off her head already. But Nimue was different. Kay had known her for a long time; she arrived at King Uther's court around the time Kay was born.
In other words, she had practically watched Kay grow up. Because of that relationship, Kay truly couldn't deliver the killing blow. While Nimue was King Uther's mortal enemy, Kay personally held no grudge against her.
Kay wasn't the type of ruthless warlord who would sacrifice a family-like connection for a cause. In his previous life, he had been a regular police officer and simply wasn't capable of that kind of cold-blooded determination.
Nimue knew Kay's personality, which is why she was so calm and collected. She knew Kay wouldn't kill her. After all, she hadn't yet committed any evil deed that Kay would find truly unforgivable. Why would he kill her?
In short, Nimue's confidence was rock-solid right now.
---
Seeing Nimue's smug expression, Kay felt trapped. What should he do? He had no solution for her. Kill her? Impossible—he couldn't do it. Arrest her? That would be worse than killing her, as King Uther would never let her go. Let her go? That didn't feel right either, since she was still an enemy.
Kay was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"Heh heh heh. I knew you didn't have the heart for it. You still love me, Kay." Nimue wore an expression of triumph.
"Hey, hey, hey, cut that out. You're at least thirty years older than me. What do I 'love' about you?" Kay genuinely felt awkward with Nimue's inappropriate comments. When he was a child, this woman used to tease him with all kinds of provocative remarks, and even though Kay's mental age was that of a man in his thirties or forties, he still felt embarrassed.
"Alright, tell me: Do you have a way to save Arthur without a major cost? I can accept a smaller price!"
Nimue lay on the ground, too lazy to get up. She settled into a more comfortable position and said disdainfully: "Hmph! What do you think the Water Beast is? What do you think Ancient Magic is? Ancient Magic is the very rule of the world, the essence of all things! Its laws are unchangeable. No one can circumvent them. Not me, and not even the creator of Ancient Magic can break its rules. Arthur being wounded by the Water Beast was the choice of Ancient Magic. There is no way around it except for an equivalent exchange!"
Kay fell silent for a moment. He watched Nimue's face and determined that she wasn't lying. With that, Kay had to prepare for the worst. He only had that one remaining option, and while the success rate wasn't 100%, it wasn't low either. He had to take the risk.
With that thought, Kay put away his weapon and said to Nimue:
"You can go..."
He was done with Nimue and decided to simply let her go. As for King Uther... as long as he and Merlin didn't say anything, the King would never know.
Nimue's eyes flashed as Kay backed away, a mischievous smile crossing her face.
"No matter what you say, I won't leave without the Niyaad Crystal!" At this point, Nimue decided to play dirty.
Kay glared at her, turned to Merlin, and took the Niyaad Crystal. Nimue's eyes immediately lit up, fixed intently on Kay.
"I really can't kill you, but..." Kay threw the crystal onto the ground. Nimue was stunned for a moment, then instantly realized what Kay was planning. "I can't let you use this thing against Camelot!"
"No!!!"
Amid Nimue's desperate scream, Kay's sword came down hard on the crystal. Kay's twin swords were already legendary artifacts, crafted by the Asgardians specifically to honor Kay's achievements. To forge them, the Asgardians had used countless precious materials and enlisted the help of Dwarves and Light Elves. The raw power of the blades was immense. Even though the artifact was currently split into two halves and all its magical effects were sealed, the physical properties alone—derived from the materials—were almost godlike.
Coupled with having been bathed in dragon fire and Merlin's magical reinforcement, the Niyaad Crystal, though touted as indestructible, was shattered in an instant.
The moment the crystal broke, a massive beam of light shot straight into the sky. The perpetual dark clouds gathered over the Isle of the Blessed were torn open, and for the first time in memory, the sun's grace shone down.
As the light column gradually shrank, the remnants of the crystal turned to dust and blew away in the wind.
"You... how could you... how could you do that..."
Watching the Niyaad Crystal, which she had worked so hard to obtain, turn to dust in Kay's hands, the usually composed and calculating Nimue finally lost control of her emotions.
"Whatever your plot was, it's over now. Leave... I advise you not to do anything foolish, for your own sake." The Niyaad Crystal might have been vital to the sorcerers, but it was useless to Kay. He couldn't perform Celtic magic, and it wouldn't upgrade his power, so destroying it was the best choice. It also put an end to Nimue's immediate plans.
"Heh heh heh, give up? Never! Not unless I die! I will have my revenge! This is the choice of Destiny! You can't stop it, Kay! This is only the beginning!" Perhaps truly enraged, Nimue screamed and ranted relentlessly. "Just like you want to save Arthur! You must pay the price! And Uther too!"
With a final, sharp shriek, Nimue vanished into the wind, leaving only her piercing curse echoing through the abandoned castle.