Duel between Merlin and Nimueh

"I will make Arthur King. But you will never see that day. Ástríce!"

- An enraged Merlin attacks Nimueh The duel between Merlin and Nimueh occurred on the Isle of the Blessed. When Arthur Pendragon got bitten by the Questing Beast, Merlin was forced to go to the Isle of the Blessed where he met Nimueh again. Merlin offered to give his life to save Arthur's. Nimueh instead took the life of his mother Hunith, while Arthur was saved. When this happened Gaius visited Nimueh and gave his life, saving Hunith.

Merlin rode to the Isle of the Blessed in order to save Gaius, but when he arrived it was too late. Enraged by this, Merlin accused Nimueh of having organized all of this to take her revenge on Arthur, Gaius and Camelot even though she claimed that the Old Religion had no control over who lived and who died. She told the young warlock that they were too valuable to each other to be enemies, but when she said she would be the one to make Arthur king, Merlin attacked her with magic and cast a blast of magical energy stretching out his hand. Nimueh stopped his spell very easily, as she was a powerful High Priestess of the Old Religion.

Nimueh then sent a fire ball at him which he dodged. She then offered Merlin a chance to join her but he refused, stating that she used magic for her own cruel and selfish ends. Nimueh then sent another fire ball at Merlin and apparently emerged victorious when she hit him and injured him badly. Assuming him to be dead, Nimueh began walking away, but he soon recovered. The duel finally ended when Merlin struck her with a bolt of lightning, revealing that he had mastered the power over life and death. By doing this, he sacrificed Nimueh's life to the Old Religion in order to save Gaius' (Le Morte d'Arthur).

Victory: Merlin