Kapitel 102: Chapter 102: Lion King
Form and essence.
These are the two central things that beings have according to Aristotle. They are inseparable to one's sense of "self".
Fairy Knight Lancelot… or rather, Melusine, saw the man's 'essence' from their connection. It is extremely similar to the Galahad that she knew about—the same girl who wielded Black Barrel's replica in a bid to go against fate.
However, he is different from the girl in all aspects. His existence remains a mystery.
'His voice reached me and…'
It happened abruptly.
One moment, she killed her; the next moment, she responded to his words and was summoned. She became a Heroic Spirit and formed a bond with her Master… no, her partner.
Nobu's strength, in particular, was something she found surprising. Even in her world, he'll be able to fight at the top.
As for his personality, it is just as he said. She'll know more about him as time passes.
'He isn't bad…'
*****
Lancelot…
I couldn't prevent the twitching on my mouth last night. I expected a familiar acquaintance to show up. It also sounds quite ridiculous to be honest. I was half-expecting to see my 'father', not a young girl like her. It is something I found funny.
Nevertheless, I am not underestimating her. I could feel a dragon's core within her. It is almost certain she is one. If I haven't reached the level of a Magister, going in this world is self-inflicting myself with injuries.
Fortunately, those three years weren't wasted. The Infinite Conversion is one thing, but my magicka arsenal was bolstered with continuous studies and the findings inside Tri-Hermes.
In fact, I am planning to take it for myself this time.
Beep-!
Beep-!
Beep-!
An alarm suddenly rang off.
{An upsurge of magical energy has been detected two hundred kilometers away.}
{Appraising…}
{Appraisal complete.}
{It experienced a sharp increase of heat from nowhere. It is fully isolated from its surroundings, however. The amount of heat remains enclosed in its system.}
"It has begun…"
A scene is currently projected inside the monitor.
A tall golden pillar of light rose out of nowhere. It surrounded the entire city of Jerusalem. It reached out to the skies before I saw a slight fluctuation.
Hum.
Buzz-!
The world started shaking. A transparent barrier started to engulf the continent of the Middle East, as if containing itself from the outside world.
"...She's done it."
I couldn't prevent my disappointment and anger from rising up.
I know this is bound to happen. In exchange for the entire world, she would be able to preserve humans against the ongoing singularities—the incineration of human history.
From a utilitarian standpoint, it is correct; from an ethical perspective, it is not.
This time, I chose to stand with the latter.
"Rhongomyniad…"
A flash of light appeared beside me, manifesting Lancelot back to her 'human' form. From the looks of it, she knows about Rhongomyniad.
"Do you know something about it?"
"...Not much." She replied.
I nodded before scanning the perimeters shown on the screen.
She is about to use that move. By summoning Rhongomyniad, she could form a sanctuary that couldn't be defiled. Its castle walls are impregnable as I have seen from several iterations.
Without the grail's power in those iterations, I could barely preserve the humans outside of its specified range. It took a planetary-wide grand magicka to barely resist it. That bought around a day's worth of time for me to swiftly settle things.
"What should we do?"
{I am awaiting orders, goshujin-sama.}
Two voices overlapped on my ears.
To them, I declared:
"We'll be able to see a miracle soon."
*****
Jerusalem.
A day after Ozymandias claimed the corrupted holy grail, another Servant laid claim to the city. The very first thing she had done was to summon her retainers.
Surprisingly, two of them rejected her summons. Nevertheless, it continued with everyone on the Round Table appearing in this singularity.
"Tsk… Why would they choose to oppose..?"
"Prepare yourself. We shall personally execute such traitors later."
Mordred couldn't understand their reason behind their 'opposition'. As for Agravain, he already treated them as traitors.
Due to the Lion King's loss of humanity, she is willing to preserve humanity at any cost, even if that means killing billions of lives. Such conduct is not in line with several Knights who valued justice, morality, and loyalty out of all things.
Agravain shifted his sight to the newcomers inside the throne room.
Leading them is a tall white-haired knight—the man known as Sir Percival. Along with him is Sir Kay, Arthur Pendragon's foster brother. Everyone along with them wore solemn looks.
Only Gareth felt different from them.
"..!"
She met her brother's gaze, worsening her already complex mood.
Sir Lancelot saw everything and heaved a deep sigh. He feels just as complex as others. He knew about the betrayal he did and feels extremely guilty about it.
In the end, he already chose a side. Those who went and opposed his King would be met by his blade.
"You have already decided?"
The Lion King's indifference voice resounded in their ears.
Immediately, five out of the thirteen went on their knees and bowed to their king. The ones left standing are Percival, Kay, Gaheris, Gareth, Bors, Sir Pellinore, and Palamedes.
Gareth kept looking back and forth between the group and Lion King before stopping at Lancelot. She clenched her fist as she couldn't find the courage needed to make a decision.
At last, Percival smiled at her.
'What should I…'
In the end, she found herself kneeling.
"My King… You are no longer the one I know. You have strayed too far." Percival said. "I am ready to receive your ire… but I will fight until the end."
"It is a brother's duty to set their sibling on the right path." Kay followed Percival's words. "Let us fight again, Arthur."
The rest of them said nothing. They simply drew their swords against their very King.
The clash of morality and loyalty took place.
"My knights." She said. "Execute them."
Immediately, Gareth's countenance changed upon hearing that.
"Wha—?"
She was the only one caught off guard. Modred, Agravain, and the rest charged swiftly towards them.
Clang-!
Clang-!
Percival, Kay, and the others reacted swiftly. They countered the incoming sword strikes in their direction. Still, it wasn't enough to maintain their formation.
In a single clash, they were separated from each other.
"Brother… Why did you choose this?"
Gawain asked Gaheris. Their aqua-blue pupils stared at each other.
"Our King is no longer the same King we knew… Knights fight for the right. It was our shared belief, but it isn't now."
Gaheris saw the current changes of his King, Arthur Pendragon. He explicitly stated he would sacrifice billions of humans in order to preserve humanity.
If that was their King, he wouldn't even have chosen that path. They fought for the prosperity of their populace.
If they sacrificed the said populace without any remorse, would they still be called knights?
Was it right?
Was it just?
"I see. If that is so..!"
Gawain made up his mind. For his brother… he would end everything swiftly without pain.
"Galatine!"
"Hm..!"
Clang-!
Percival planned to push back Lancelot with that strike, yet the latter held up his ground. With his Longinus missing, he couldn't completely match his strength. He had to rely on his techniques.
Unfortunately, even that is an area where Lancelot is far superior.
The two men didn't say anything; their sword and lance are enough to do the talking.
Seeing this chaotic fight, Gareth couldn't react properly. She blankly looked at the stoic Lion King who sat indifferently at her knights killing each other. She then shifted her sights to her brothers. It is far different from their normal training.
Here—
Clang-!
—she felt the strikes to kill.
'Everyone…'
Gareth's thoughts headed into a random direction.
'Did Galahad predict this would happen? Is that why he didn't answer her summons?'
As the purest knight of them all, Gareth knew Galahad's tendency to be inhuman. At the same time, he upholds righteousness, justice, and loyalty the most.
He wouldn't sit still upon knowing all three of them are being violated right at this moment.
Little did she know…
She was right.
"Hum…"
The Lion King—Artoria Pendragon—was the first one to sense it.
Out of nowhere, the judgment she spread over with her Rhongomyniad fell apart. It happened instantaneously. There weren't any obvious signs that it happened.
However, Artoria is currently a Divine Spirit.
In that brief moment, she knew what had caused it.
Miracles.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Low sounds of footsteps appeared from outside the throne room. Slowly, it approached the open door, revealing a knight adorned in full black armor.
Everyone stopped fighting momentarily. The arrival of this strange man disrupted their conflict.
"...It is still painful to see everyone like this."
A mature yet slightly familiar voice reverberated within the room.
"I entrust them to you."
Behind him, another Servant appeared. Melusine's blue dress changed into a set of black armor. She instantly gave off a familiar vibe to everyone inside the throne room.
Wielding her set of twin blades, shet off to target the second most troublesome of them all—Agravain.
Bam-!
With that, she drew the first strike.
*****
Canceling Rhongomyniad's 'isolation' was successful. The humans from other parts of this Earth remained alive, unlike the first two iterations.
'Our King.'
…
Shit.
Complex emotions flooded my mind. Seeing her in that state challenged my beliefs.
Would I choose not to do anything despite her wrongdoings?
The answer to that is… no.
I will do my best to set her on the right path again. This is what Galahad wanted as well.
'Really… I, no, we changed.'
My mind went back to reality. I felt a surge of power when I fought for the right.
'This skill... I didn't make a mistake when choosing it.'
Holding the sheathed Sora, I made a swift draw.
"Veritas Lux." (The truth enlightens me.)
Shiing-!
Sou-!
Bam-!
The intangible strike managed to reach its target… my father. It sent him flying to the walls, which remained pristine after everything.
It didn't take long for me to reach Sir Percival's side.
"You…"
"Let's do the talking later."
"..!"
His eyes widened as he had seemingly realized who I was.
Clang-!
Clang-!
Bam-!
My gaze shifted to Lancelot's (young girl) situation. She is single-handedly fighting Sir Tristan and Sir Agravain at once. The freed-up knights then decided to assist her.
When I took my glance back, I met Artoria Pendragon's gaze.
She… is not the King I knew.
Appearances aside, she didn't possess a hint of humanity left.
…
Just like me in the past.
An attack came from behind. I intertwined my index and tall finger. It partially activated the Militaris Fortilitia around me.
Bam-!
Mordred's Clarent was repulsed, forcing her back.
"...I see. You are the irregularity. You went on a long journey… Galahad."
As expected, her Divine nature allowed her to see more things. Her reaction is similar to the other iterations I have experienced before.
"...HUH?!"
Mordred's disbelieving shout infected the entire room.
In the midst of it, I responded to my King's words.
"I would prefer if our reunion hadn't turned out like this, my king." I lamented. "I could partly understand your decision. However, I don't agree with it."
While it may look like my emotional side suppresses my rational side, it hasn't. I could analyze the reason behind her decision to choose five hundred pure souls that could repopulate Earth after Solomon's plans take effect.
These Singularities are a proof of how far Solomon could go.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, or so they say.
"If that is your choice, then so be it."
She lifted her hand. A golden light converged at her fingertips before heading to my direction.
Instead of using my barrier magicka, I opted for a safer choice. This would also let me verify Rhongomyniad's perimeters.
With that, I chanted:
"Praetirium, ostendo tu ipse." (Bygone events, show yourselves.)
The specific thing I chose appeared at this moment. Rhongomyniad's blow seemed to be a second away from reaching me when it seemingly stopped mid-air. Its stored heat started 'dying out' before completely disappearing.
At the same time, a complex chunk of information entered my mind. I started sorting through them which prevented my brain from being overwhelmed. The Thought Partition and Acceleration I picked up years ago helped in this regard.
"Hm."
"What..?"
For the second time, Mordred was shocked by what she saw.
"How did you..?"
Out of the three chances I have to use this magic, only two remain. It served a huge purpose, though.
After all—
"Satoru-san is indeed Satoru-san."
—it allowed me to use Satoru-san's Limitless.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein