Merlin’s hope would not come to pass. In an iconic display of elegance and ferocity Artoria manifested Excalibur, very real, very physical, very sharp; the wind twisted around her form as the blade was realized and brought into the physical world, something that Merlin might not have seen for hundreds of years given Artoria’s death. With a simple spin she swung the tip of the blade at Merlin’s torso, landing a swift strike that would see the very tip of Excalibur cut through his flesh. Though this cut was only superficial, the length of the blade just barely grazing the flesh. ”I am as real as you, Merlin. As is Amara.”Merlin's reaction to Artoria's sudden appearance was tame in comparison to when they first met at the Port of Innovus. Even still, Merlin's breath caught in his throat, his gaze quickly darting from the image of Amara to the figure of Artoria. Her voice was stern, not dissimilar to when she was addressing her fellow Knights of Round during their many meetings, and paired with the blunt observation of Merlin's condition, it was of little comfort to the incubus. Not that he expected any from this twisted reunion. He could only feel needles running through vertebrae in this moment, provoking a pained gasp "Gah!"
Clutching his shoulder with his right arm, Merlin answered in winces "Spirits... given form. Merely an illusion of flesh and blood. You... are not real." He addressed both women, hoping in vain that they would disappear in that moment, as if to wish them away. His brows were furrowed in a mixture of pain and anger, at his current condition and the images of people he once knew. Their very presence taunted him. About days long gone. Lives long lost.
-stroy...
“We come from the seeds,” Amara whispered, pointing a pale finger and gesturing at the seeds as she slowly walked around Merlin. “They carry different worlds and they are now buried inside you.”
“I once told you that your world is crumbling, it’s very foundations in flux. That tree is the cause of it. It grows into this planet, an entire universe contained within it. Your body contains the secrets of the cosmic titan.” She paused, wind swirling around her again as Excalibur disappeared. “In a sense, we are of a different timeline. But our truth is as real as yours. Our realities have anchored themselves into you. Into this world.”
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