Is this death?
It feels weird to think that death could be this peaceful. I thought it was going to be painful, or that I'd be trapped in endless nothingness forever.
But no, it's just a peaceful transition from one world to another, from one life jumping into the next.
Just like a dream. When we die in a dream or get killed, the dream doesn't really end. We just transition into another dream, or we get thrown into a false awakening where we mistake the dream for reality.
Everything in a false awakening feels real. We do the same mundane things, we repeat daily routines, only to realize later it was all just a dream. The eerie kind. We wake up in our beds, do those routines again, then find out it's another dream. Over and over, repeating until we finally wake up for real.
Since that time, I've always wondered if reality itself works the same way.
Is that why I always feel déjà vu? Why I keep thinking I'm repeating routines that already happened?
Maybe the only way to break free is to awaken. Maybe that's why I remember my past life. Maybe I've already broken free from the curse of endless reincarnation, where you live and die again and again without remembering.
At least I was lucky. I didn't get reborn as a cockroach, or a cat, or some random animal. I came back as a human. But not just human, I also have the red dragon's blood flowing in me, burning in my heart.
I've become Artoria in this life. And as much as she was the shining heroine of the Arthurian era, as much as she stood in glory, her life was never free. From the very beginning to the bitter end, her path was chained. Arranged by King Uther and Merlin to take the throne and save this cursed island from Saxons and Vortigern. I can't help but roll my eyes at that.
I never believed they were true enemies. The real enemies were always Alaya and Gaia. Without their oppression, how could Artoria have fallen?
As long as I change the flow of history and break out of Artoria's scripted tragic fate, I know what will happen. They'll send their Counter Guardians, maybe even Chaldea itself. They'll come with their moral blackmail, preaching that my actions are destroying humanity's future. But that's a lie. There are countless parallel worlds out there. Is it really that hard to let me take one for myself and build my own paradise?
So petty.
I can only hope this isn't the FGO timeline. I don't want to deal with Chaldea and their constant meddling. Hopefully, this is Fate/Prototype instead, the timeline where that omnipotent, omniscient girl was simping over Arthur. Which, in this case, means me. And with a girl like that on my side, it would be so much easier to bitchslap Alaya and Gaia out of the picture entirely.
Of course, ideals belong to ideals. For now, what I wanted was simple: to build my own paradise, a place where I wouldn't be bothered by Chaldea, Alaya, Gaia, or Merlin's endless schemes about me becoming the "good king" who sacrifices herself for the country. No. I don't want to die for strangers. Especially not after what I saw, those nobles who straight-up rebelled the moment I pulled the Sword of the Stone, while the common people didn't even bother supporting me.
They fled from Camelot the second they felt intimidated by the rebel army, who marched with fifteen thousand men, while I only had one thousand soldiers left who were still loyal to Camelot.
I knew it was normal for people to run away when things went south, but it still hurt. I had dedicated my entire life for this day, only to be deserted and betrayed at the very first test.
In the end, I sighed and cast my downcast gaze at Merlin.
"Tell me, Merlin," I asked, my voice hollow, "is Camelot worth saving?"
Merlin scratched his head awkwardly, then asked dumbly, "What do you mean, my king?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about." I snorted, disgusted at his fake act of playing dumb.
The real Artoria, the one he wanted, wouldn't question him. She'd be his obedient puppet, the so-called "perfect king," desperate to save the island no matter what. But not me.
I wasn't going to bend to his script. Instead, I began questioning Merlin's sanity for wanting to save such a wretched people, people who so easily betrayed their own country and monarch for nothing more than power and position.
I honestly couldn't understand why those nobles were so obsessed with Camelot's throne and Caliburn. Were they stupid? Blind? Or just power-hungry beyond reason?
This kingdom was poor. Its people were barely surviving, gnawing on hard black bread. And Caliburn, the sword I held, wasn't even the strongest. Excalibur was still waiting for me after this blade inevitably broke.
"Well, King, don't worry. This is just your first trial. They're just stepping stones for your glory. As long as you prove yourself unmatched and show the demeanor of the prophesied savior king, the people will love you and regret abandoning you." Merlin's voice dripped with his usual fake optimism. He dodged my core question, like always, changing the subject instead of giving me a real answer.
"Understandable. Have a nice day." I clapped him on the shoulder and walked away without looking back.
"My king! Where are you going?" Merlin called after me, panic creeping into his voice.
"Since they want the throne, let them have it. Open the gates for them, Merlin. Don't regret it later. I have a better throne to take." My words were cold, my steps faster, sharper.
"But my king…" he tried again, but I didn't listen.
In the end, he sighed, almost defeated. "I get it, alright, Lily. I'll be honest."
That made me stop.
"Honestly, just like you, I don't want to save Camelot or Britain either. It's already doomed. They can't be saved. Unfortunately, we can't quit halfway. Whether you or I like it or not, this world has its own will. It would crush every attempt to escape. We're forced to play our roles until it's over. I just want to see whether you can surpass fate or if everything we've done will turn out pointless."
I turned and glared at him. "Then work for it yourself. If you want miracles, why dump everything on me, bastard? I've already given you time. Whatever method you use, I want Morgan here tonight, willingly. If she can support me this early, then fate can be changed. But if she stays stubborn and keeps hating me for the sins of her father, then goodbye. You can all fuck yourselves along with this broken throne."
"Uhm, my king, that's very straightforward of you," Merlin replied, a troubled look on his face. "Okay, I'll go. But if in the future the outcome of these meetings isn't what you want, and you decide to leave, bring me along too. I guess Camelot will be boring without you."
He chuckled lightly.
With that, he disappeared, leaving me alone. I headed straight to my bedroom, closed my eyes, and waited for Morgan to arrive. However, instead of her, I suddenly found myself in a strange space.
An endless void. Silent and stretching. But I wasn't alone. There was someone else standing there.
A girl. She wore a gothic-style dress, with pink hair and crimson eyes that glowed. She had a small, loli-like body, which only made it better. I recognized her instantly.
Could it be? My favorite loli vampire queen, Krul Tepes?
For some strange reason, I felt an intimate connection with her, one so strong I couldn't explain it. She also stared back at me with a confused expression, like she couldn't figure out why she knew me either.
But something felt off. In canon, Krul had a short temper. If she didn't understand something, she'd knock you down first, drain you dry, and only then ask questions. Yet here she was, standing still, looking confused instead of feral.
"Who are you?" Krul asked first, her voice sharp but hesitant. "Why are we here? And… it feels like you're very familiar to me. I don't know where I saw you… Uhm, let me think. Yes. It's you. The Saberface."
My face darkened immediately, glaring at the impolite loli. "Are you a transmigrator? Why do you know about the Saberface meme?"
Krul smirked at me smugly, her crimson eyes gleaming. "Maybe we'll get the answer later. It'll be over soon anyway."
Before I could react, she suddenly stepped closer. In an instant, she tried to bite me, fangs flashing, but the moment our skin touched, a strange surge of electricity exploded between us.
Both of us froze, staring at each other awkwardly.
"Are you another me?" we both asked at the exact same time.
And with that, the truth became clear. We were the same. One soul, split into two bodies. I was Artoria, and I was Krul Tepes. Krul was me, and I was Krul. We were one. And that's why we felt this strange, unshakable bond.
The real question was… would we go down the path of self-cest, loving ourselves too much because we were both beautiful, narcissistic, and perfect? Or would we choose the boring route of plain vanilla?
The answer… will be revealed in the next episode of Dragon Ball!
Stay tuned, folks. Because this is just the beginning.
...
Yeah, before you read further, I hope you've already gone through the synopsis of this story. I've already warned you that this story is going to have futa elements, and it's going to fully embrace degeneracy.
The MC is the consciousness of 99 waifus, not a single individual. Each of the 99 versions of the MC will have their own arc, story, and harem. They won't interfere with each other. I don't write Artoria self-inserts, but rather 99 waifus, mind you. So if you're looking for a standard power fantasy that sticks to a single fixed POV, this isn't it.
Everything written in the synopsis is true, no falsehoods.
Now, about the self-cest part: this is a story about loving oneself, not possession, not toxic control, but pure love for oneself. There's no competition, no jealousy, and no conflict between selves, only mutual help and love.
That means sometimes Artoria might have sex with another version of herself, Krul, or Gabriel. Then Krul with Gabriel or Artoria. Gabriel with Artoria or Krul. Or even a threesome with all of them together. That's the kind of story this is.
Now, for the futa part: it's purely the MC, and yeah, it's going to be kinky. Futa isn't permanent, it's magic. Sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not. For example, sometimes Artoria uses futa for fun when having sex with her harem or with another version of herself, like Krul or Gabriel. Sometimes it'll be pure yuri. There will even be threesomes where Krul gets railed by futa-Artoria, or scenes where a futa version of herself, Esdeath enters the mix.
I know this is kinda fucked up and too degenerate for some, but these things are non-negotiable. You can skip the lemon parts if you don't like them and just follow the story, or skip the story altogether.
That's the spoiler for the degenerate and smut parts. As for the plot, I won't spoil it, but yeah, expect Main God Space, a Dimensional Game, and a Multiverse Chat Group too.
So, if you enjoy what you've read so far and are fully ready to embrace the degenerate side of the story, then welcome and enjoy.