In the forests of Germany, Europe, within the church of the Einzbern family, Kiritsugu dropped the cigarette in his hand to the ground. He looked at the person standing in the middle of the summoning circle, and his expression shifted slightly. Narrowing his eyes at the man among the two figures within the array, he asked, "Are you King Arthur?"
The Heroic Spirit with light golden hair quickly raised a hand, rubbing his temple with a weary sigh. His other hand gestured toward the petite girl standing beside him—clad in silver armor and a battle skirt, her hair tied in a neat bun.
"No… she is the legendary King Arthur.
"As for why I was summoned, and in such an incomplete form… maybe parts of my legend were integrated into the broader mythology of King Arthur. Or perhaps it's because people often confuse us, blending different tales into one.
"Either way, if this little girl leaves, I'll disappear too."
Kiritsugu clenched his fists. As a Master, he could clearly view the name and data of his summoned Servant. He had hoped it was a mistake, or perhaps his eyes were deceiving him—but no. King Arthur was indeed that girl. He turned to look at the other Heroic Spirit, the man who claimed to have been summoned independently.
This Servant's stats weren't even on par with King Arthur's, and it seemed that his summoning had left him far from his prime.
[Aslan Pendragon (Male)]
[Class: ???]
[Strength: B] [Endurance: B] [Agility: B] [Mana: C] [Luck: B] [Noble Phantasm: A++]
[Traits: Riding, Dragon, Heaven and Earth Aligned, Beloved, Humanity]
[Noble Phantasm: Sword of Glorious Victory (A++ • Anti-Fortress)]
[Class Skills: Magic Resistance (C), Riding (D)]
[Personal Skills: White Dragon Blood (A++)]
[Intuition (A)]
[Mixed Legend (C): Due to the fusion of various myths, qualifies as an Arthurian figure; benefits and penalties apply.]
As the summoned Aslan reviewed his own stats, he merely curled his lips. Compared to his complete self, he was significantly weakened, both in raw attributes and Noble Phantasm strength. Still, based on the current numbers, he was a top-tier Servant.
Kiritsugu glanced between the two Servants, then turned and left the church without another word. His reaction left Arturia momentarily bewildered. Was her summoner displeased because she was a woman?
Standing nearby, Irisviel had naturally witnessed her husband's retreat and offered a somewhat apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Saber. Kiritsugu isn't upset because of your gender. It's just that having two Servants summoned completely disrupts all of our previous plans. We'll need to reorganize everything from scratch now."
She blinked at the two of them with a gentle expression. "I know Kiritsugu's mind is probably spinning with contingency plans right now, but he isn't angry with you. Anyway, since we'll be working together for a while, how about joining me for some afternoon tea? Illya will be thrilled to have two new friends to play with."
Aslan simply shrugged. Of course, Kiritsugu's main reason for leaving was to revise his strategy—but to say the presence of a female King Arthur didn't rattle him at all would be a lie. Still, Arturia had already been summoned. He couldn't send her back.
That said, Kiritsugu did treat his Servants well.
In the original timeline, when Saber's arm was injured, he had done everything he could to help her recover. Of course, his ultimate goal was to win the Holy Grail War and exchange the prize for world peace.
To this man, whether it was himself, the legendary King Arthur, or any other Heroic Spirit, all of them were tools for achieving final victory. And whether a tool was in working condition was naturally a matter of tactical importance.
Frankly, such a Master was rather frustrating.
Most importantly, a Master like this might share hardship—but whether he could share fortune was uncertain. After all, aren't most tools discarded after their purpose is served? Of course, before achieving a definite victory, the bow would not be cast aside simply because the birds had been shot. This man would continue to maintain his weapons.
Still, I never imagined I'd become someone's tool one day.
More importantly, I ended up manifesting as a Heroic Spirit in such a familiar world. Another Type-Moon twist of fate.
Irisviel walked ahead, leading the two Servants toward afternoon tea. Their family's castle was cloaked in snow year-round—and especially now, in the heart of winter, a warm drink was a most welcome invitation.
As they walked down the corridor, Artoria glanced at the snowy scene outside the window before shifting her gaze back to Aslan. For her, the time between leaving her final battlefield and arriving here was merely the blink of an eye. At least, compared to Aslan, little time had passed.
But for Aslan, this reunion had been a long time coming.
"I didn't expect to see you here. It feels like a miracle," she said softly. "Aslan, I imagine your journey after the final battle was long. Would you tell me about it?"
Aslan placed his hands behind his head. Now that he'd been summoned as a Servant, the distant past was just that—distant. There was no reason to feign detachment from his sister. He smirked and said, "During my long journey, I encountered Mordred in a Holy Grail War from another world. Want to hear how she's changed?"
Arturia froze for a moment. The mention of that unfilial son sparked some lingering frustration, but she couldn't deny her own faults either. Has that child changed? she wondered.
She nodded gently. At this point, the past no longer weighed so heavily on her. Listening quietly to Aslan's story, the blonde girl suddenly stopped walking and stared at the boy before her with wide green eyes.
"Brother Aslan… the sword in the stone chose you as well, didn't it?"
-End Chapter-
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