The morning sun spilled across the training yard, gilding the dew-slick grass. Arthur, now twelve, moved with a quiet confidence that had been absent even a year ago. Every swing of his steel practice sword carried weight, precision, and purpose.
Kay charged first, grinning as always. "Think you've finally caught up, Arthur?"
Arthur smirked, adjusting his footing. "I'm done playing catch -up, Kay."
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The clash of steel rang out. Arthur blocked Kay's strikes with ease, countered, and pushed forward. Kay stumbled back once, then twice. His laughter faltered, replaced by a sharp edge of surprise. Arthur didn't pause—he pressed the attack, forcing Kay to retreat, struggling to regain balance.
Ector observed from the side, arms crossed. The older man's eyes were sharp, but there was pride in the corners of his mouth. "You've improved, Arthur. Faster, steadier… but remember, strength without control is not dangerous to yourself, but you're ally's as well."
Arthur nodded, not taking his eyes off Kay. Every motion was measured. Every strike has intention. He felt the pull of instinct, the faint hum of something ancient stirring beneath his skin.
Kay finally stumbled and lowered his sword, panting. "Alright… alright man, you've beaten me."
Arthur exhaled slowly, holding his sword upright. "I didn't want to humiliate you. Just… show progress."
Merlin appeared beside the fence, as always, hair catching the sunlight. "Remarkable. Faster than your rival, steadier than your teacher. The magician in me is… impressed."
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Magician, I don't care and need praise from a fool."
Merlin only grinned. "I'll take it anyway."
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Ector stepped forward, placing a firm hand on Arthur's shoulder. "You're ready."
Arthur's chest tightened. Not just ready for the next bout, but something beyond these walls. Beyond Kay's teasing. Beyond the quiet fields he had grown up in.
"Ready for what?" Arthur asked.
"To move forward," Ector said simply. "Your training has brought you close to mastery here. But there is more outside these walls. Lessons no sword can teach fully."
Arthur's gaze drifted to the distant hills, where forests stretched endlessly and the horizon promised unknown lands. A stirr inside him—excitement, curiosity, something deeper just pushed against his chest.
Merlin floated closer, eyes glinting with that teasing certainty. "You've grown strong, Arthur. But strength alone won't define you. The world is bigger than any training yard. Bigger than any rival."
Arthur nodded. "I understand."
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The rest of the day passed in quiet reflection. Arthur polished his steel sword, adjusted his armor, and observed Kay practicing on his own, now with respect rather than rivalry. Ector offered advice occasionally, guiding him, correcting posture, reminding him of patience, of balance, of the discipline that would define him not just as a fighter, but as a leader.
By evening, Arthur stood at the edge of the yard, sword in hand, eyes scanning the horizon. The wind carried the scent of distant forests, of roads yet untraveled, of adventure waiting to be claimed.
He was twelve, yet felt older in ways that felt out of place. The boy who had once struggled to lift a wooden sword, who had tripped over his own feet and stumbled under Kay's teasing, was gone. In his place stood someone sharper, steadier, more aware and someone the girls can't resist.
Someone ready to step into the wider world.
Arthur inhaled deeply. "Tomorrow," he murmured, "I begin something new."
Merlin's voice floated from the fence, soft but certain. "And I'll be watching. Guiding—perhaps. Nurturing and Testing. Don't disappoint me, boy."
Arthur only smiled faintly. "I won't."
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The stars came out, and the fields fell quiet. Arthur remained on the ridge for a while longer, feeling the weight of what lay ahead. Adventure, unknown challenges, the wider world calling him—he didn't yet know the trials, nor the people he would meet, nor the dangers that would test him beyond measure.
But he knew one thing: he would be ready.
And with that resolve, the boy who would one day challenge fate, who would grow into the Red Dragon, took his first steps toward a destiny that was far larger than the training yard, far more dangerous than any sparring match, and far more profound than even he could yet comprehend.The stars came out, and the fields fell quiet. Arthur remained on the ridge for a while longer, feeling the weight of what lay ahead. Adventure, unknown challenges, the wider world calling him— he didn't yet know the trials, nor the people he would meet, nor the dangers that would test him beyond measure.
When he finally returned to the household, Arthur moved quietly through the rooms, gathering his essentials. His steel practice sword was replaced with a light, well-balanced blade that Ector had sharpened and tested for him. A small pack held basic provisions: dried meat, bread, a flask of water, a wool cloak for cold nights, and a few personal items he hadn't thought he would ever need outside the yard.
Ector had left a note, simple and precise: "You know what to do. Trust your training. Keep your wits about you."
Arthur checked each strap, each buckle, the way his sword rested across his back. Every movement was careful, deliberate, the habits of years of training now ingrained into muscle memory. He paused before the door, hand resting on the frame, and let the quiet settle around him.
Merlin's soft hum drifted from the corner, unseen but present. "Preparing now, are we? Good. But remember, even the best preparation can't account for everything the world throw's at you ."
Arthur glanced back, eyes narrowing. "I know. That's why I'll adapt."
ಠಿ_ಠ
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He stepped into the night, the first real steps into a world that would test him beyond any sparring match, beyond Kay's teasing, beyond Ector's guidance. The horizon stretched endlessly before him. Somewhere beyond those hills were forests, towns, people, and dangers he had never imagined.
Yet he felt ready—sharp, steady, alive. Tomorrow, he would leave the familiar, and the boy who had learned to stumble, fall, and rise again would begin the path that might one day lead him to the Sword of Selection, to kingship, and to a destiny no one had dared predict.
Arthur inhaled deeply. "Tomorrow," he whispered, "I begin something new."
Merlin's voice floated softly from the shadows. "And I'll be watching. Guiding, testing, perhaps laughing a little. Try not to disappoint me."
Arthur only smiled faintly, adjusted his pack, and stepped forward into the unknown.
A/N: Happy New Year ♪ヽ(･ˇ∀ˇ･ゞ)
Ps. Finally the childhood Arch is finished now wait for next episode of Fate/Apocaly...The Empire That Never Set emerge too early