Bab 509: C509
Shirou and Saber hurried back to the Fortress of Millennia. Once they reached the castle, they made their way to the court.
Shirou wanted to tell Lancer about the underground garage, but the atmosphere in the room felt strange.
Vlad III was perched on his throne, seeming detached.
Arjuna stood by with a calm expression.
Avicebron's face was hidden behind a mask, making it impossible to read him.
Astolfo, however, was clearly upset, with a homunculus lying motionless behind him.
Avicebron shot a furious glare at Astolfo, pointing accusingly at the homunculus behind him. "Enough of this, Rider! Give him back!" he thundered.
"In your dreams, Caster!" Astolfo stepped in front of the homunculus, protective and defiant. "He's staying with me!"
Avicebron's voice was dripping with frustration. "You should understand, that's just a consumable, merely a tool to be discarded after use. What are you getting emotional about?"
"He asked for my help, Caster. Reached out to me! He thinks, he feels... he's alive! He's gained self-awareness, so he's more than just a tool now. I am one of Charlemagne's Twelve Paladins, I am a Hero! When someone calls out to me, how can I not answer?" Astolfo's voice was filled with passion.
"You, you...!"
Avicebron was practically vibrating with rage.
The sight was somewhat strange. Vlad III remained aloof on his throne, projecting an air of indifference with his kingly aura, while Arjuna, standing a short distance away, kept his arms folded.
In the midst of all this, only Astolfo and Avicebron were engaged in a heated argument about the homunculus. That homunculus was pressing his hands to his chest while looking at the others with both fear and unease.
Only Astolfo in front of him seemed to offer a sense of security. This scene made Saber frown. However, Shirou laughed and stepped in slowly.
Every gaze in the room shifted to him.
With a smile, he said, "Saber and I just got back from our patrol. It's quite lively around here. Are you all welcoming us?"
"It's just a trivial matter that was blown out of proportion by someone who acts without thinking," Vlad III remarked.
"A trivial matter?" Astolfo gritted his teeth and said, "Lancer! Before you were a hero, you were a king. Perhaps in your eyes, the masses are important, but individual subjects are not. However, I am a hero! When someone seeks my help, how can I just stand by and do nothing?"
Arjuna, with his arms crossed, blandly said, "Boring."
Astolfo shot him a defiant look, "Isn't it true, though? Weren't we, and all of you, summoned as Heroic Spirits due to the hopes and wishes of humanity?"
Arjuna sighed, "Don't drag me into your melodrama, Rider." He remained calm, utterly unfazed by Astolfo's words.
"Saber, Shirou, don't you feel the same way?" Astolfo looked earnestly towards them.
Saber hesitated a moment, then said, "I apologize, Rider. I don't have a complete understanding of the situation, so I can't offer my opinion just yet."
Avicebron stepped forward with a grave tone, "What's happening is that Rider wanted to jeopardize our black faction all because of a mere talking tool!"
He continued passionately, "Do you understand the difficulty of creating such a thing? It is a fragment that will inevitably become the core of the 'Primordial Human'! When my 'Primordial Human' project is complete, do you realize how much it can increase our odds of victory?"
"I don't know, okay! I don't know the worth of your 'Primordial Human.' But must our victory be built on the sacrifices of others? If we go down that path, what kind of heroes, what kind of Heroic Spirits are we?" Astolfo shouted.
"It's just a creation! It's not a real human!" Avicebron countered loudly.
"But look at him! He looks like us, has a functioning human-like system, shows self-awareness, feels pain, and clearly wants to live. If he isn't human in every sense that matters, then what defines human?"
"Spare me your sentimental nonsense, you fool!" Avicebron snapped.
"Call me a fool if you like, but at least I never forget what I am — a Servant, a hero! The hero people wished for!"
The atmosphere grew thick with tension, and the court had become quite chaotic. Vlad III's patience wore thin. With a sharp frown, he slapped the armrest of his throne and exclaimed, "Enough of this!"
The force of his command silenced Astolfo and Avicebron instantly, restoring a semblance of order.
Avicebron glared at the homunculus behind Astolfo, not concealing his malice.
Vlad III tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, taking in the room, his eyes especially lingering on the homunculus.
Off to the side, Arjuna remained stoic, arms crossed, observing the scene with a detached indifference, as if he were watching a play.
Saber's brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of the situation.
Tension filled the room as the other Masters turned their gaze to Vlad III, waiting for his decision.
In this situation, Astolfo was the only one standing before the homunculus, protecting him from the malicious stares of everyone else.
Shirou's gaze settled on the homunculus. He saw the raw fear, the panic, and how the homunculus clung to Astolfo—like a drowning man desperately holding onto his last hope...
"It's so similar..."
These words, soft and unexpected, flowed from Shirou's mouth, catching Saber off guard.
"What do you mean?" Her voice tinged with uncertainty.
Shirou closed his eyes as memories from the past rushed in. He could vividly remember the early moments of the Fourth Holy Grail War.
He felt the same way back then.
A sense of loneliness in a vast and hostile world.
He felt utterly alone, without any support, facing a wave of animosity that threatened to drown him.
That kind of fear, that paralyzing dread, isn't something just anyone can understand.
Back then, only Spartacus had been there, protecting him from all the malice and hostility of others.
To Spartacus, it might have been just an instinct. But for him, that moment, that protector, had forever changed his whole life.
Shirou let out a deep breath but didn't say anything to Saber's question. Instead, he walked over to Astolfo.
His movement seemed almost magnetic, drawing the attention of everyone in the room toward him.
Arjuna's usually stoic face revealed a slight frown as he observed Shirou's approach. He recognized who Shirou truly was.
While Astolfo was, in Arjuna's eyes, a third-rate Heroic Spirit, hardly worth his time, Shirou was an entirely different matter.
Or rather, Eternal King was different.
That entity was a Heroic Spirit that existed on a level even above Arjuna, at the utmost zenith.
And though Arjuna carried the pride and self-assurance of a seasoned warrior, having been a part of that brutal war, he couldn't help but acknowledge this reality.
Vlad III's eyebrow quirked up in interest. He had his reasons to place significant importance on Shirou, not just because of Shirou's royal background, but also because Shirou had earlier pulled off the unbelievable—getting Arjuna and Karna to back down from a full-blown fight. If Shirou wasn't powerful, no one would believe such a feat was possible.
Astolfo was more straightforward, saying emotionally, "Shirou...!"
He had mentally braced himself for condemnation from everyone for protecting the homunculus, so the fact that someone willingly stood by his side touched him deeply.
Shirou smiled and nodded at him, then approached the homunculus and looked at him with a gentle smile.
The homunculus met his gaze timidly.
With his Saint Graph reversed, he currently gave off an ominous and sinister aura. It was only natural for the homunculus to be skittish around him.
"Do you have a name?" He asked.
The homunculus hesitated, then whispered, "No... I don't."
Avicebron sternly said, "What do you mean you don't? A-11072, that's your name!"
Astolfo shot back, "That's clearly a code, not a name!"
But Shirou paid no heed to their bickering, maintaining his gentle gaze on A-11072 as he asked, "Do you want to be free?"
"No! He doesn't! His only purpose is to be the core of my 'Primordial Human'!" Avicebron yelled.
Astolfo snapped, "Shirou's talking to him, not to you!"
Avicebron gritted his teeth. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't best Astolfo in a brawl, he would've charged at him already.
He paused, trying to reign in his irritation. He shifted his attention to Vlad III. "Lancer, all I want is to create the 'Primordial Human.' I couldn't care less about the Holy Grail or the rest."
Vlad III gave a nod of understanding and then tilted his head towards Shirou. "Assassin, where do you stand on this?"
"Could I have a moment, King of Romania?"
"Both of us are kings. I understand the importance of respect," Vlad III nodded in agreement.
Shirou shifted his attention back to the homunculus, his expression softening. "Tell me, do you want to be free? I want to hear your true feelings."
The homunculus looked at him with some fear, mainly due to his ominous aura. But looking into Shirou's eyes...
Those eyes, which seemed to burn like flames, although cold on the surface, emitted an indescribable warmth.
Both options looked grim, but... he didn't want to die.
Even the proudest and most arrogant people would cry out in desperation when faced with the threat of death.
Who will—
Save me?
These thoughts were nothing more than beautiful illusions. No one answered, and no one responded. In the world of dreams, everything was possible, but in reality, who were the heroes? Who would risk their lives to save another?
Yet, Astolfo had responded to him.
And now, this man was asking him if he wanted to live.
Wasn't the answer obvious?
"I... I... I don't want to die! I'm more than just A-11072!" He declared with gritted teeth.
"I hear your call, the cry of the weak," he reached out, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "But always remember this: only those who constantly strive to become better can shape their own destiny."
"Watch closely."
Shirou raised his hand and began pointing to the person in question. "That," he said, indicating Arjuna, "is the strong one."
He pointed to Vlad III and said, "That's the distant king."
He then pointed at Avicebron. "That's your oppressor."
Finally, his finger landed on Astolfo. "And that's your hero."
Locking eyes with the homunculus, he asked, "Do you remember everything?"
The homunculus nodded, "Yes, I remember."
Everyone that Shirou pointed out furrowed their brows, even the Masters present were puzzled, not understanding what he was trying to say.
But in the next moment, what he did left everyone in shock.
Shirou projected a sword and handed it to the homunculus, pointing at Avicebron. "Forge your own future, weakling. Rise against your oppressor and pave your path to freedom."
Everyone was stunned.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone