"Eh? Why did it suddenly become bright?" Seeing the surroundings suddenly light up, Fujimaru Ritsuka widened her eyes in surprise. "Yes, this doesn't seem to be an illusion. What is going on?"
Seeing the Chaldea group suddenly falling into confusion, Guinevere's expression grew serious as well.
Although a long time had passed, no matter what, he still could not forget the opponent they were about to face.
The Ever-Bright Gawain—that was the title given to the Round Table Knight Gawain, whose strength was three times greater under the sun, after receiving the blessing of "Ever-Bright" from the Lion King in this singularity. In this Sixth Singularity, wherever he went, the sun's brilliance followed, eternally granting him triple power.
It was from this Ever-Bright Gawain that the game difficulty of FGO began to spike. Back when Guinevere first played through this chapter, he had been beaten up badly here.
At the same time, because almost all the Round Table Knights in this singularity had received blessings from the Lion King and gained great enhancements, this singularity was called the "Sacred Round Table Domain."
And not just the knights—at this moment, the refugees gathered here were also bewildered by the sudden phenomenon.
"What's happening…? The sun rose without us noticing?"
At this moment, a tall figure wearing a cloak and armor appeared by the city gate:
"Everyone, please calm down. This is a miracle brought by the Lion King, a blessing bestowed upon me, called 'Ever-Bright,' which allows me to forever bask in the sun's grace."
As soon as he appeared, the refugees began to cheer loudly:
"Ohhh! It's Sir Gawain! The Round Table Knight Gawain! The Holy Selection is starting! We can enter the Holy City!"
However, unlike the refugees, Guinevere froze slightly upon seeing the Round Table Knight Gawain appear, surrounded by his fellow knights.
This Gawain felt… different from other FGO characters Guinevere had seen.
Unlike the others, who instantly gave off the impression of being their true selves, this Gawain gave him a strange sense of dissonance—like a cosplayer he might encounter at a convention. The outfit was right, the demeanor was right, even the gorilla-like muscles were right… yet something about him felt subtly off, not quite matching the original.
But just as Guinevere pondered the source of this uncanny feeling, Chaldea's spiritron projection appeared again, and Romani's hologram popped up:
"Are they about to start accepting refugees? I'm detecting a powerful Servant presence here! And not just one!"
At the same time, Da Vinci's expression darkened sharply. Perhaps sensing something, she spoke urgently: "Retreat, retreat immediately! There's still time if we leave now—"
"Eh? Da Vinci-chan? What's happening…?"
As the Chaldea crew grew confused by Da Vinci's sudden warning, Gawain continued his speech at the main gate:
"The Age of Man has perished, and this small world is about to end. The Lord has delivered judgment. There is no longer a place for humans anywhere—except within the Holy City of Camelot. There, a perfect, pure-white kingdom awaits you."
As he finished, the refugees erupted in cheers.
But Gawain had not finished speaking:
"Thank you all for your support. Our King will welcome everyone, regardless of creed or origin. But before that, you must first receive the King's permission—through the Holy Selection."
At that moment, a figure cloaked in pure white, clad in white armor and a white mask, appeared atop the city wall. The instant she appeared, her overwhelming presence spread across the area, drawing every gaze toward her.
The voice of the White King carried outward in all directions:
"Only a limited few may reach the end. Human nature is corrupt and ugly. Thus, I will select only those whose souls are utterly pure, who will never be swayed by evil, who were born incorruptible and will remain so for eternity."
After speaking, the White King raised her hand. Light radiated from her palm, and several golden pillars of light shone upon individuals within the crowd—brilliant but not blinding—enveloping them.
Guinevere noticed that among those chosen was the mother from the refugee pair they had previously saved—the one who had come to thank them. Her child stood beside her, exclaiming excitedly, "Mommy's glowing!"
The White King then lowered her hand and said calmly:
"The Holy Selection is complete. Only these three will be welcomed into the city. Retrieve them, Sir Gawain."
Having issued her command, the Lion King turned away, vanishing from the wall without another word, leaving the Sun Knight to bow respectfully in her direction.
"That's King Arthur, huh? Her voice really is so much like Miss Artoria's… No, actually, except for her tone of speech, it's practically identical," Fujimaru whispered to her companions.
But Da Vinci had no time for such comments—she quickly grabbed Mash and Fujimaru by the hands, intending to leave immediately.
"Not now—we have to go."
But it was too late. At the main gate, Gawain spoke once more:
"Everyone, my deepest regrets. But for the sake of the future, the King desires your purging. Now—let the Holy Punishment begin."
Before the refugees could comprehend his words, a wave of knights advanced, swords raised high.
In an instant, dozens of civilians fell into pools of blood. And the knights showed no sign of stopping—they moved forward again, blades rising for the next strike.
As more blood sprayed across the crowd, panic erupted. The remaining refugees screamed in terror and turned to flee toward the edge of the holy city's walls.
But the wall was concave in shape, with the gate at its deepest point. Refugees had already moved too far inside. Rows of Correction Knights with longbows now appeared atop the wall, loosing arrows upon them. Meanwhile, more knights had blocked the entrance behind them—trapping them completely.
"Damn it! These Holy City knights are the same as Tristan yesterday! This was a trap from the start—they prepared this slaughter well in advance!" Da Vinci said grimly.
"Ritsuka! Prepare to retreat! The refugees can't escape now, but we can still save ourselves! You know what to do, right?"
"I know!" Fujimaru nodded quickly. "Mash, Kyrei-senpai, Guinevere-senpai, help break through the knights blocking the way out for the refugees. Bavanzi-san, can I ask you to snipe some of the archers on the walls?"
"I understand!" Mash nodded instantly. "I'll help break the siege! We can't save them all, but we'll save as many as we can!"
"You guys…" Da Vinci sighed, finally nodding. "Fine… since you've decided, I'll help too. Guinevere, can Chaldea count on you?"
"Of course," Guinevere nodded slightly, then turned to Bavanzi. "Bavanzi, follow Ritsuka's lead and handle the archers. As for…"
He suddenly turned toward Gawain, still standing at the main gate.
"That guy is the biggest threat here. If you start fighting, he'll intervene. I'll try to hold him off."
Ritsuka hesitated, feeling the overwhelming pressure emanating from Gawain. She didn't want Guinevere to face him—but rationality told her he was right. If Gawain joined the fight midway, they would all die here.
So she nodded solemnly. "Please, Guinevere-senpai. Be careful."
"Don't worry," Guinevere smiled. "If it's too much, I know how to run."
With that, the group split up—Ritsuka leading most of them to help the refugees break through, while Guinevere alone advanced toward Gawain.
Before he got far, he saw the chosen refugee mother being grabbed by a Correction Knight, who was clearly about to drag her into the city.
"Please, let my child come with me," she pleaded.
But the knight coldly replied, "Unfortunately, your child was not chosen in the Holy Selection. He must receive Holy Punishment here."
The knight raised his sword to strike the boy. But at that moment, the mother broke free with desperate strength, rushing toward her son to shield him with her body.
"Of course, I won't allow that."
Guinevere's spear thrust in from the side, intercepting the knight's sword. With a flick of his wrist, he forced the blade aside, sending the knight stumbling back.
Before the knight could recover, Guinevere drove his spear forward again, piercing its chest and kicking it away.
"What are you standing there for? Run!" he shouted to the stunned mother and child, pointing toward Ritsuka's direction. "My companions are clearing a path! Go now while you still can!"
"T-thank you!" she stammered, pulling her son and fleeing toward safety.
Watching them escape, Guinevere exhaled in relief and turned to move again—only to hear a voice sigh behind him:
"So it wasn't that person after all…"
Chills shot down his spine. He spun around, bringing his spear up just as a massive sword came crashing down, sending him flying through the air.
After tumbling through the air and skidding backward several paces, Guinevere steadied himself, glaring toward his attacker.
Standing where he had been moments ago, Gawain slowly lowered his greatsword, examining him closely before shaking his head.
"What a shame. I heard a familiar voice and thought he had manifested in this singularity… but it seems I was dreaming."
"With his deeds, he likely isn't qualified to become a Heroic Spirit yet…"
Lowering his gaze, Gawain sighed softly.