Let us take a moment to review who exactly Ozymandias is.
The Sun King Ozymandias, also known as Ramesses II—often referred to simply as "Rameses the Second" or "Ra II"—is one of the most renowned pharaohs of ancient Egypt. He was not only a ruler but also a famous politician, military commander, artist, and architect. In ancient Egypt, his name was revered on par with—or even above—most deities, enough to be compared to the supreme Egyptian god, Ra, the Sun God himself.
In Egypt, the authority of the Pharaoh—the King of Egypt—was on an entirely different level from that of kings in other nations. While alive, they were worshipped as divine rulers, and upon becoming Heroic Spirits, their legends naturally granted them powers akin to divine authority. Among these Heroic Spirits, Ramesses II stood at the absolute pinnacle.
He is an extraordinary Heroic Spirit possessing "Phantasmal Beasts," "Multiple Noble Phantasms," "Anti-Army Weapons," "Fortress-Class Constructs," "Reality Marbles," and even the "Universal Emperor Privilege." His strength is so overwhelming that in a typical Holy Grail War, he could easily serve as the final boss, rivaling those just beneath the rank of Grand Servants.
In Fate/Prototype: Fragments of Blue and Silver, he once fought five Heroic Spirits at once without being at a disadvantage. His opponents included top-tier figures like the great hero Arash and the legendary Old Saber. He even annihilated an American fleet with the main cannon of his temple. Because he is frequently used as a benchmark for battle power in fan forums, players often group him with Gilgamesh and Karna under the nickname "The Golden Trio of Targets."
Incidentally, though Nitocris now stands respectfully beside him like a servant, her historical era predates Ra II by a wide margin. In fact, by lineage, she could practically be his grandmother. Ramesses II lived during what would have been the Shang Dynasty in China, whereas Nitocris was a Heroic Spirit from an era contemporaneous with the legendary Yao and Shun of ancient Chinese history.
However, given Ramesses II's far greater achievements as a monarch and his overwhelming strength as a Heroic Spirit, Nitocris willingly serves at his side without complaint.
Naturally, an opponent of such overwhelming caliber is someone that Gawain—or rather, Guinevere—could not hope to defeat in his current state… yet he still wanted to try.
After all, this opponent possessed everything he needed. If Guinevere could somehow defeat him, it would fulfill two of the conditions required for his Fated One skill awakening—defeating a Heroic Spirit with the "King" trait and one with the "Divine" trait. And in the game's storyline, the Chaldeans eventually manage to defeat Ramesses II later on.
So Guinevere thought, Maybe I can try, too.
"What are you doing? Surely you are not foolish enough to behave disrespectfully before the Sun King? Kneel and pay your respects at once!"
Nitocris, sensing the sudden tension, called out sharply to Guinevere and his group.
"No, this is fine," Ramesses II said with an amused smile, his gaze settling on Guinevere. "You wish to challenge my Servant—or no, perhaps you yourself are merely human? How interesting. Such reckless courage is a rarity these days; it stirs even my ancient spirit."
Looking down at Guinevere, he asked again, "Let me confirm this once more, human. Do you intend to challenge me? Me—the Sun King himself? If that is truly your wish, I will gladly grant you such a foolish desire!"
He raised one hand slightly, poised to attack the moment Guinevere uttered a single word of confirmation.
"Uh… no. Honestly, I do want to… but only in thought."
Surprisingly, Guinevere—who had been brimming with fighting spirit just moments earlier—suddenly looked serene. Bowing deeply, he said, "Honored one, I mean no disrespect. Please forgive the instinctive urge to challenge a great warrior when one such as yourself stands before me. It is simply the nature of a fighter's heart—difficult to suppress."
"Oh?" Ramesses II raised an eyebrow. "I had thought you would attack me outright. I was even looking forward to it."
"That was never going to happen," Guinevere replied with a smile. "Though I am eager, I also know full well that I am no match for you. Even should I one day challenge you, today is certainly not that day."
Because if he did challenge him today, he would most certainly die here.
Indeed, this Guinevere was one who had already seen what would happen. During their earlier exchange, tension had flared immediately, and Guinevere had already triggered his Endless Trial. This time, the save point was set just before the battle would begin.
In the previous (failed) timeline, when Guinevere had boldly answered yes, Ramesses II had gleefully unleashed a storm of lightning spheres, flooding every possible escape route. Even with time-stop abilities, Guinevere had realized despairingly that he had no way to dodge; the moment he resumed time, he would be obliterated instantly.
Against an opponent like this—one who could casually blanket the battlefield with AoE attacks—his usual strategies of rewinding and optimizing his moves offered no chance of survival.
Boss fights with multiple allies and one-on-one duels… they're not the same difficulty at all, he thought.
Challenging Ramesses II now was simply too reckless. It would be wiser to wait until he returned later with the Chaldean team.
Sometimes, a person just has to know their limits. Pride has its place, but so does humility.
"Hmph, an interesting human indeed… But you are right. If you had been a fool unable to grasp the gulf between us and challenged anyway, you would not have lived this long."
Guinevere: "…"
"Well then, let us skip the idle chatter and get to the point. Travelers from another world, I am weary—like an old man rousing himself from the depths of death. Chaldean emissaries, I know of your origins, your purpose, and your quest. As for the Holy Grail you seek…"
With a casual wave of his hand, Ramesses II produced a brilliant golden cup, gleaming with extraordinary light.
"As you see, it is already in my possession."
"The… the Holy Grail?" Mash and the others stared in astonishment. Fujimaru murmured, "Does this mean… you are one of the Demon Pillars…?"
"Who would consort with that detestable King of Mages? Do not insult me so!" Ramesses II snapped. "This, I seized from the Crusaders before I descended upon this land—"
Halfway through his words, his head suddenly slid from his neck, nearly falling off entirely. With practiced ease, he caught it and set it back in place, continuing as though nothing had happened.
"—seized from them as befits a true king such as myself."
"Uh… King Ozymandias, that was… surprising. But… um…" Mash began cautiously.
"Just now… did your head… slip a little?" Fujimaru added.
"How absurd. You are merely seeing things from exhaustion. Though it borders on disrespect, I shall forgive you once. There is nothing wrong with my—"
But as he shook his head, it slid off again, forcing him to hurriedly push it back into place.
This time, he couldn't bring himself to insist nothing was wrong. An awkward silence fell over the group, and Fujimaru quietly looked away. But Ramesses II only grew angry.
"Excellent! Chaldeans, that silence just now pleased me greatly! Very well! Nitocris, summon the spirits of flame to drive away my drowsiness. Let us entertain our guests with a proper battle!"
With that, he grasped his scepter and leapt from his throne, landing before the Chaldeans to begin his assault.
But as the fight commenced, Guinevere froze for half a second, then widened his eyes in surprise.
Wait a minute… what's with the number of lightning spheres? Isn't this… a bit too few?
The attack was nowhere near as overwhelming as the previous timeline's. It was merely a small volley from one side—not the apocalyptic storm he had seen before.
Ah… I see. So this is why the Chaldeans managed to beat him in the original story… It all makes sense now.