Chapter 166.5 – Mihawk wants to see the Holy Sword

Meanwhile, the explosive vortex began to subside.

When Mihawk emerged from the swirling chaos, still holding his black blade, Arton was surprised to see that Mihawk bore only superficial wounds—not a single fatal injury.

"He's… unbelievably strong," Arton muttered in astonishment.

"Even that great hero was taken down once by the Pseudo-Spiral Sword."

"This guy… he actually endured it," Arton muttered to himself. Although he couldn't tell exactly what Mihawk had done within the vortex of the explosion, thinking of Mihawk's swordsmanship, which could rival the Four Emperors and produce flying slashes capable of effortlessly cleaving meteors, Arton found himself somewhat at ease with the outcome.

"That was quite the unexpected arrow," Mihawk said as he stopped before Arton, his tone tinged with curiosity.

"I didn't think it would trigger such a massive explosion. What's the name of that sword, Arton?"

"Pseudo-Spiral Sword," Arton replied with a faint smile. "It's a modified version of Caladbolg."

"I see," Mihawk nodded. "So its special ability is self-detonation?"

"Not quite," Arton clarified. "The explosion occurred because I triggered it mid-flight. You can call it Phantasm Collapse."

He continued, "As for the Caladbolg and the Pseudo-Spiral Sword I crafted from it, their unique ability lies in their immense stored energy."

"When triggered to self-detonate using Phantasm Collapse, the resulting effect is exactly what you witnessed."

"It took quite a bit out of me to use it," Arton admitted with a smirk.

"But to think it only left you with a few scratches… It's almost tempting to project that Holy Sword and unleash a beam of light, just to see if you could withstand it."

"Detonation, huh? How extravagant of you," Mihawk said, shaking his head.

"To discard such a valuable sword so casually… That's the luxury of a man who can forge swords at will, I suppose."

"Whether it's unleashing countless swords like arrows…" Mihawk remarked, "or detonating an exquisite blade outright…"

"Haha, I'm beginning to understand why you call yourself an archer."

"Launching innumerable swords as if they were arrows—that's certainly something an archer would do."

After a brief pause, Mihawk appeared to consider something and asked, "You mentioned a Holy Sword earlier. What is it?"

For Mihawk, a sword that could prompt such a statement from Arton couldn't possibly be ordinary.

Mihawk had a faint feeling that the sword Arton mentioned might possess the power to defeat him outright. Yet, even knowing there was a possibility of being bested, the allure of witnessing such a weapon remained irresistible. After experiencing the power of the Pseudo-Spiral Sword and hearing Arton's reverence for the Holy Sword, Mihawk's curiosity only deepened.

"That sword, huh? It's called Excalibur: The Sword of Promised Victory," Arton explained without hesitation.

"It's akin to the Caliburn you might've seen mentioned in the papers."

"Both are the weapons of a king hailed as the Knight King."

Introducing the beloved weapon of a cherished character to the world's strongest swordsman was a moment Arton relished. Additionally, he intended to give Mihawk some time to recuperate. The better rested Mihawk was, the more likely he could push Arton into another breakthrough.

"Excalibur, you say? Very well. I'll give you the time—craft it for me now," Mihawk urged, intrigued.

"Don't be ridiculous, Dracule Mihawk," Arton replied, shaking his head.

"That sword is far beyond my current limits."

"It's a true Divine Construct, a weapon forged by the gods."

"If I were to project it, it would come at the cost of my own destruction."

"And even if I managed to project it, I wouldn't have the strength left to wield it."

Without a source like the Holy Grail to provide an endless supply of mana, creating Excalibur was an impossible feat for Arton.

"Is that so? A shame," Mihawk remarked, though his smile hinted at lingering curiosity.

"But don't you have the ability to heal your injuries?"

"If you craft that Holy Sword and then recover, wouldn't that suffice?"

Mihawk's persistence was evident, but Arton shook his head again.

"Come on now, that kind of ability isn't something I can use casually."

Crafting Excalibur was not about engaging in an exhilarating duel. It would only result in Arton's certain demise, making progress in the Emiya Shirou template impossible.

"Still," Arton continued, "even if I can't let you witness the power of Excalibur: The Sword of Promised Victory, perhaps there's another way to satisfy your curiosity."

"This sword, however, will allow you to witness other powers," Arton declared, extending his right hand to the side.

In the next instant, a deep crimson, uniquely shaped double-edged sword shot up from the ground and landed in his grasp.

"That's... the same sword you held earlier?" Mihawk raised an eyebrow, recognizing it as the Aestus Estus, or Original Flame, which Arton had attempted to wield before advancing his template.

"Previously, I wasn't skilled enough to fully utilize this blade," Arton admitted with a smirk.

"But now, things are different."

"This sword is known as the Aestus Estus, though you may also call it the Original Flame."

"It was personally forged by a remarkably talented individual, the Emperor Nero."

"And yes, it has unique abilities."

Arton's lips curled into a confident grin as he bent his knees, preparing to sprint. Simultaneously, the sword in his hand burst into roaring flames, causing the temperature around him to spike noticeably.

Seeing this, Mihawk tightened his grip on his black blade, Yoru.

"Its special ability lies in its reaction to heightened emotions—it ignites in flames when the wielder's spirit soars," Arton explained.

"And right now, my emotions couldn't be higher."

As if to validate his words, the flames on the Aestus Estus flared even more intensely following his statement.

In the blink of an eye, Arton pushed off the ground with immense force.

BOOM!

A loud explosion echoed as the earth beneath him shattered. Using the rebound force, Arton closed the gap between himself and Mihawk in an instant.

With a swing of his flaming blade, Arton sent the Aestus Estus straight toward Mihawk, fire trailing behind it like a comet ready to strike.