That very morning I was barely able to sit on my throne before the door was softly pushed open and Agravain stepped inside.

"Good morning, your Majesty." He said with a bow. "We had a situation last night." He began explaining the entire series of events from the night before.

"Show me this weapon of the modern age." I was well aware of what had happened, but the mentioning of the lance did intrigue me.

Agravain bowed deeply at my request, his expression calm but serious. "As you command, your Majesty. I shall bring it at once." He said as he quickly left, and returned but a few moments later.

Carefully carrying the broken lance. Its sparking circuits were dim now, the energy core clearly spent, but the intricate design was still visible.

My gaze fell on the fractured weapon, its design an odd fusion of precision engineering and raw ambition. "So this is the tool of the one who dared challenge Camelot," I said, my voice steady, tinged with curiosity. "A marvel of ingenuity, but so utterly lifeless."

Agravain stepped closer, his voice low and calculating. "Indeed, your Majesty. It is a product of modern ingenuity, relying solely on technology with no trace of magic or mysticism. It may hold power in the world outside, but within Camelot, it is nothing."

I turned the weapon around in my hands. According to the file sent by SHIELD, this was a truly fearsome weapon, able to destroy entire buildings and armored vehicles.

And that was according to files from decades ago. Technology wasn't really a thing in my time, magic was the order of the day. Yet here? In the Marvel Universe? Tech was very much a thing.

I didn't believe that some C-tier villain I had never heard about could really harm Mordred, but for the difference between them to be so great, that was still unexpected.

From my limited knowledge of the Marvel Universe, which was mostly the MCU and some mutants thrown in here and there, I knew well enough that technology was big, from Ironman to Hulk.

Most of the Earth's big heroes were the result of science in some way, and given how big that whole part of the universe was, the scaling for it was also to the roof.

Yet, part of what made Heroic spirits so special was the fact that they were made of mystery, they were the crystallization of belief. Which came with a near immunity to harm and didn't contain mysticism or wasn't in some way a magic attack.

Yet, I couldn't deny that given what SHIELD had told me, this guy was pretty much an older and less cool Ironman. So I had expected more of him.

Yet, now I realized just how broken my Knights seemed to be. Sure, against the Ancient One, they would likely struggle, or rather I didn't see any hope of them winning. Even high magic resistance could only go so far against her.

But it really did feel like my Knights were just a tiny bit overpowered, at least for now. I had no doubt that soon enough people would find out what they were weak to, if it could even be called a weakness.

And then start making weapons to target them, special magic bullets and arrows, that kind of thing… but I did have a chance to make use of the time until then.

"Agravain." I said, my voice firm. "We won't hide this, send out an enforcement knight, bring them the message that we have dealt with this evil villain, no longer will we remain in our city alone."

Agravain bowed deeply, his expression unflinching. "As you command, your Majesty. The world must see Camelot's strength and know we are not mere relics of legend. I shall dispatch a knight immediately to deliver the message."

-----

The sun hadn't been up for long before people started to arrive at the outside of the Camelot Perimeter. It was mostly older local people, those who didn't have work.

They would gather around, sit next to their friends in folding chairs, look through binoculars. Watching the city as if they were bird watching.

Most days, there wasn't much to see, but just sitting there with a cup of tea and chatting away while getting fresh air was fun enough; it beat sitting inside watching TV alone.

Even though it was early, and even if fewer people came each day, there were still quickly a few hundred people crowding around the best spots.

They didn't expect much, but suddenly, the calm that reigned out there was broken by someone shouting. "Hey! The gates are opening!"

Now, the gates opening was nothing new, they did so every day, whenever those sent out by the government came up to visit, the gates would open for them.

But today, it was too early for that, and as people looked over, they noticed that there wasn't anyone, so the question was, why were the gates opening?

Something unexpected hadn't happened since the city itself appeared, so instantly everyone was watching, which included TV crews from around the world who had been staying here pretty much day and night, even if it was B and C teams these days.

"Hey! Look at that! Someone is coming out!" Someone shouted as the impossible happened, one of the Knights of Camelot started walking out and towards them all.

Everyone watched the knight slowly walk out, the blue and silver armor shining in the morning sun. They also quickly noticed what the knight was carrying, it was hard to miss it really.

It wasn't a weapon, but a large banner or flag; it was the insignia of Camelot, the banner of King Arthur.

Given how slow the knight was walking, everyone knew it would take a few minutes to reach where they stood, though they didn't know if he would come all the way down to them.

Whatever if they waited, excited, or quickly got in touch with their superiors. Around the world, news channels changed to live footage as part of a breaking news segment.

The military, on the site to keep people away from Camelot, was scrambling to find out what to do. Their orders said nothing about what to do if someone came out of the city.

And given how important an event it was, everyone they contacted couldn't make a decision on the matter, and so they just stood by as the Knight reached before the large gathering.

The knight stopped just at the edge of the perimeter, standing tall and proud. His armor gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight, and the banner of King Arthur fluttered in the gentle breeze.

The crowd fell silent, the tension palpable as the knight raised his head and, with a commanding voice that carried effortlessly over the gathering, began to speak.

"Behold! I stand before you as an envoy of the Lion King, the Lord of storms, Wielder of Excalibur and Rhongomyniad Lord of Camelot, Sovereign of the Round Table, Protector of the Realm, Champion of Justice, Arthuria Pendragon!"

The knight's voice was resonant, each word striking like the toll of a great bell. The crowd, mesmerized, listened intently as he continued.

"By the grace of the king, the light of Camelot shines once more upon his realm. Citizenry of the King's land, subjects of his majesty's reign, Hear this proclamation!"

He planted the banner firmly into the ground, the sound reverberating through the crowd as though it marked the finality of the knight's words.

"This night, for the second time, someone dared invade the great white city of Camelot, the most despicable of villains, the Black Knight, the heir to a legacy of lies, dared to raise his hand against the eternal glory of Camelot! He sought to defile its sanctity, to mock the majesty of the Lion King, and to challenge the unyielding strength of the Round Table!"

"This vile villain claimed himself the heir to Camelot, Yet, their strength did not match their madness, and so the one and true heir to Camelot, and to this realm, Sir Mordred slew him in honorable single combat, proving once and for all that the life and legacy of Sir Percy of Scandia is just that, a lie."

The crowd murmured in awe, the weight of the knight's proclamation sinking in. Cameras zoomed in, capturing every glint of his armor and every ripple of the banner. The knight's voice carried effortlessly, as though speaking not just to those gathered, but to the entire world.

"However, the fact that such a vile person reached into the walls of Camelot itself greatly worries the merciful king. That if such evil can reach the white city, then you who live outside of it, must face even more cruelty and evil."

"Therefor, the king, in his infinite mercy, shall ensure your safety, and that of his entire realm, all enemies of the king, and of his realm shall know the might of his noble knights, as his banner shall fly high over his land!"

The knight's words hung in the air, powerful and unyielding. The banner of Camelot fluttered in the breeze, a symbol of strength and protection. The crowd remained silent, their awe turning into a palpable sense of anticipation as the knight continued.

"Let it be known!" the knight declared, his voice unwavering, "The Lion King, Arthuria Pendragon, does not act out of ambition, but out of duty! This proclamation is not one of conquest, but of guardianship! Camelot's light shall extend across this land to banish the shadows of evil and cruelty!"

He gestured toward the horizon, his gauntleted hand sweeping across the landscape. "The king's mercy is infinite, but so too is their resolve. Those who bring harm to the innocent, who seek to corrupt and destroy, shall find their malice met with the righteous fury of the Round Table. No evil shall endure under the gaze of the Lion King!"

The crowd buzzed with whispers, some inspired, others apprehensive. Cameras zoomed in, capturing the knight's every movement as he retrieved the banner from the ground, holding it high.

"To the people of this realm," he continued, "take heart! The king's knights will not rest while danger lingers. To the enemies of peace, know this: your time is at an end. Camelot's strength is eternal, its justice unshakable, and its light unending. You have been warned."

The knight paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, meeting the eyes of those gathered as though to ensure every soul understood the gravity of his words.

"With the king's blessing, Camelot shall not remain silent nor its knights seated, we the shields of the innocent and the sword of justice shall bring this realm back into the light. Let this proclamation resound across the land: The Lion King is awake!"

Turning sharply, the knight began his measured march back toward the gates. The crowd erupted into frantic discussion, reporters shouting into microphones, capturing the scene that would soon dominate news cycles worldwide.

(end of chapter)

Damn, I hope that speech is as badass as I think it is, the Lion king is back, and they mean business.