To be honest, Arthur was genuinely amazed at the thought processes of the Old Gods.
Fighting for the Star Grail was understandable; sentient beings have aspirations. But their inherent arrogance—assuming by default that, as an Old Deus, they were the strongest—was almost comically naive.
To put it bluntly: narrow-minded.
At that moment, Arthur leaned back slightly.
"Rather than calling them gods, they're more like destroyers who have distilled humanity's worst qualities to perfection," he said, feigning indignation on behalf of mankind. "If this is God, then I assert the world doesn't need such a god."
With that, he forced the conversation back to Riku.
"Hmm. I'm furious at the Old Deus' actions, but now that we know the truth, pointless anger won't help. We should consider what we, as weak humans, can do. Riku, now that we know the cause of this ridiculously senseless war, what will you do?"
Yes—what to do, not how to prepare to do it.
Even if humans could survive for now, even if Riku's wisdom could guide humanity for a generation or two, ultimately, when Riku was gone, humanity would inevitably be drawn into a war and annihilated.
It was inevitable.
The gods would clash, lose sanity, and descend into complete madness. At that point, the planet itself would be truly destroyed.
And whether the Star Cup could appear and the planet be reborn? The chances were slim. Humanity could not rely on beings who called themselves gods.
Riku looked at Arthur, understanding his subtext clearly.
In reality, the knife at his neck had not been wielded by some random being—it was the king from another world forcing his hand. Choice? There was none.
"Do I even need to ask? Now that I have this information, I can no longer remain silent. I have no choice but to act… Heh~ When those proud gods strive for the Star Cup, imagine the weakest monkey holding the ultimate prize. Isn't that perfect revenge? Let's do it—give those gods a punch they'll never forget!"
Under the contemptuous, mocking gazes of Think and Jibril, Riku declared his shocking intent.
Remarkable will, admirable awareness. Even though this choice had been forced upon him, he remained calm, disguised his intent, and responded swiftly. Truly worthy of humanity's leadership.
But…
Arthur's expression shifted slightly.
It was almost time to part ways.
"I knew you would say that… But before anything, there's a serious problem. No matter how aligned our goals are, and no matter how much my actions can benefit you, there is only one Star Cup. Let's put aside racial positions for a moment and raise our identities to a global level. Riku, we are enemies—and there is no doubt you see us as such."
Britain from another world. Humans of this world. All existence.
Once the Star Cup became the target, they were opposing forces. Invaders, conquerors, foreign enemies.
"As a prerequisite: are you truly willing to hand over the Star Cup to me? Any cooperation requires a clear leader if the prize is unique. Can you trust me completely and entrust humanity's fate to me?"
"…You brought this up first," Riku said calmly, as if expecting it. "If I said yes, you wouldn't be reassured. As partners… we're both the worst kind."
"Just be competitors."
"Isn't that too much? I have to deal with fifteen monstrous races, plus a world whose depths I cannot even imagine. Leave me alone—I don't stand a chance."
"You just made a grand declaration of ambition, and now you're whining?"
"No, I'm stating the truth." Riku spread his hands helplessly.
It felt like there was truly no way out.
From the sudden topic shift to the current exchange, both were setting verbal traps, guiding the other's responses. Truth was scarce.
But one thing they shared: careful calculation and awareness.
After a pause, Arthur spoke first.
"I'll give you a small break. Thank you for your care these past few days—you've learned much about me. Being a 'visitor from another world' is too troublesome; just thinking about it gives me a headache. How about we establish some rules for this competition?"
"In a sense, an alliance. A covenant," he added.
"I accept," Riku said, smiling slightly. "I won't reveal your identity to any race or faction."
"No matter your plans, I won't interfere with you or humanity. On the contrary, if you can anticipate my strategies, you may act freely. I welcome it."
"It's not enough."
"Fine. Let me add: as long as you appear in my sight, I will do my best to protect you—even if you hold the Star Cup or the God Seed arrives, I will help stop it."
Generous conditions indeed. But for true competitors, this was far from enough to place them on equal footing.
"Let me be frank: I demand fair competition. Since we both consider ourselves human, I trust you understand this small request. Fairness is the fundamental condition for me to honor this covenant," Riku insisted.
And that was fair. Absolute fairness and justice don't exist. Arthur could have exterminated all humans in the tribe to prevent leaks. He was capable, and Schwi alone couldn't stop him.
Riku's insistence was a calculated gamble: he bet Arthur needed him, for the Ex-Machina or other reasons, as long as the bottom line wasn't touched.
Please, let me win this time.
The string in Riku's heart was stretched to its limit. Fists clenched, nails digging into palms, yet he tried not to betray his tension. One wrong move would endanger not only himself but everyone in the tribe, including Chroni.
Being coldly watched by Arthur, he almost lost control—until Arthur finally spoke.
"Alright, you win. I agree to all the above conditions, with one addition: from now until the Star Grail appears, no strangers are allowed in this world. Merlin, Merry, Artoria, and Skadi are all people you know, and all will participate in the battle."
"Fair enough."
"As long as you're satisfied."
"So—"
"Let's cheer each other on, on the basis of fairness and justice."
""That's fair play.""
-End Chapter-
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