Arthur fell into a brief silence.
Richard I, the Lionheart?
Your train of thought is… unusually erratic, Sister.
Not only is this version of her honest to a fault, she's also a little slow on the uptake.
That said, Artoria's deduction did make a twisted kind of sense. After all, he had once seen a certain lunar satellite that seemed capable of unleashing the Sword of Promised Victory—albeit a fake.
For a moment, he didn't even know how to refute it.
No, wait—why am I even trying to justify myself? When did I, the great King Arthur, ever need validation from anyone?
Besides, if I really were the Lionheart, then wouldn't that make me… your—
Arthur's expression darkened. He felt as though Artoria had just taken advantage of him, though he had no proof.
"I see. There's indeed a huge difference between you and the Sister I know," Arthur said stiffly. "If nothing else, you're surprisingly talented at provoking people."
"…Isn't that a compliment?"
Artoria blinked, replying with a hint of caution.
That look… Arthur recognized it immediately.
Oh, right—that's the face you make when you're worried a fanatic is about to mob you.
Damn it, she still thinks I'm Richard I.
I'm not going to ask for your autograph, nor am I going to beg to be near you—so don't make that face!
"Very good, Sister. You've succeeded in making me angry. I was planning to let you retire from knighthood gracefully, but now…" Arthur's eyes narrowed. "Now I've decided I will conquer you—mind and body—until you're utterly convinced and willingly become my maid."
Originally, his plan had been to let Artoria leave with dignity.
It wasn't fear, nor dislike.
The real problem was her Master—Emiya Kiritsugu. Too paranoid, too prone to underhanded tactics. Utterly untrustworthy. With a Master like that, Artoria couldn't be relied upon for anything. Eliminating her early on was the most logical move.
Kiritsugu himself, however, still had value.
Given his personality, even if he lost his Servant, he wouldn't withdraw from the Holy Grail War as long as there was the slightest hope. That meant Arthur could subtly guide him toward his own ends.
But now? Even if it meant killing Kiritsugu outright, Arthur was determined to teach his "sister" a lesson.
Which, unfortunately, also meant he'd have to change the plan for Kayneth and Diarmuid. The pair couldn't be allowed to dissolve their contract—replacing Kayneth would be the better move.
"What are you plotting?"
Snapped from his thoughts by Artoria's suspicious voice, Arthur shook his head. "Nothing. I just lost interest. Let's end it here for today. I'll correct your misunderstanding another time."
"Running away?"
"Don't put it so harshly. If we fought for real, you'd have no confidence in defeating me."
"You only know that by trying."
"Hmph. Stubborn as ever," Arthur muttered, remembering the day he drew the Sword of Selection. "Whether you're a magician or a knight, that's one thing that never changes."
With that, he turned as if to leave.
He knew her character—she'd never strike from behind. And Kiritsugu certainly wouldn't order something so foolish in plain view of so many watching forces.
After all, while Arthur's abilities were strange, they weren't impossible to counter.
And if one person could deal with them, others wouldn't want to miss the show.
Boom—
Thunder roared as an ox-drawn chariot crashed down from the sky, blocking his path.
"I am Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, appearing in this Holy Grail War as Rider!" the man boomed. "Don't leave yet, self-proclaimed King Arthur. I have a question—"
Boom!
Arthur had no interest in bantering with fools. He immediately fired the Star Sword.
If it hit head-on, even Zeus's own bull would be in trouble.
Iskandar yanked the reins, the sacred bulls bellowing as thunder rolled, barely dodging the streak of starlight.
"You're a hot-headed one, little brother. I was trying to be friendly." Iskandar scratched his head, genuinely puzzled as to what offense he'd caused.
"From the moment you doubted my identity, you committed a crime worthy of death. Do you think you deserve kindness from me?" Arthur's voice was ice.
Ignoring the Conqueror King, he narrowed his eyes, scanning for Assassin.
Time to introduce more Servants and then… call out Assassin—
No?
Arthur frowned.
Even with Assassin's aura concealed, his clairvoyance should have caught something. Magic detection might fail, but his sheer visual acuity was enough to find the man.
Yet the field was crystal-clear.
He spotted Kayneth retreating, Gilgamesh lurking in the shadows, and—oddly enough—Ryunosuke Uryuu, the "former Caster Master," who shouldn't even be here.
Someone unexpected was present.
Someone expected was missing.
Even Kiritsugu wasn't in sight—unless he was under cover.
But Assassin, the observer, should have taken the highest vantage point.
And yet… nothing.
Arthur's frown deepened. Something was wrong.
Up until now, he'd never tampered with the fated paths of these Masters.
And yet, somehow, an unseen hand had shifted events.
Impossible.
"Even so, I still can't tell which one of you is really King Arthur," Iskandar said with a sheepish grin.
Arthur, already annoyed, waved him off.
This time, he really was going to leave.
Unfortunately, the "plot derailment" was far worse than he'd imagined.
"Wow~ Even after a thousand years, you're still as cold as ever! Artorius, after so long apart, show me a little more emotion!"
That arrogant, all-too-familiar voice rang out.
A red figure streaked through the air like a comet, hurtling toward Arthur.
In the blink of an eye, they were almost upon him.
Instinctively, Arthur wrapped a shadow around his arm and lashed out.
But the newcomer's movements were inhumanly sharp—they slipped past the blow and closed the distance in an instant.
"Who—?"
"Forgotten me already? Then remember Rome! I am Rome!"
"Lucius… How is that even possible?!" Arthur was stunned.
And as if that wasn't enough chaos—
"I didn't expect four rats, each daring to call themselves 'king,' to appear in one night, ignoring my existence entirely."
Great. Now everyone's a king.
Yes, Diarmuid, I'm looking at you. Don't you think you're just a little out of place here?
-End Chapter-
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