As Lancelot abducted Guinaifen, the denizens of the infinite dimensions erupted in discussion.
Frankly, if one were to ignore Guinaifen's true identity, Lancelot's actions were perfectly justifiable.
By capturing Guinaifen, he leveraged Bedivere's and Chaldea's unwillingness to abandon a comrade, setting a three-day deadline.
This move not only cleverly shifted the battlefield from the territory of the mountain people to the Lion King's most elite military fortress but also allowed him to prepare in advance and wipe out Chaldea in one fell swoop.
But... all of this was predicated on Guinaifen being just an ordinary Servant.
Never mind that Guinaifen was a transmigrator from a top-tier faction in the Honkai: Star Rail universe—the Xianzhou Luofu of the Xianzhou Alliance. Merely by virtue of her Guinevere Spirit Origin, Lancelot's action was transformed from a normal tactical maneuver into a clownish stunt.
[King Arthur]: "No matter what, laying hands on an innocent lady has gone too far, Sir Lancelot."
[Knight of the Lake]: "Yes, my King. I will deeply reflect upon my actions."
In the Throne of Heroes, Lancelot was now truly going to have to do some deep soul-searching.
Mash was one thing, but he hadn't even recognized Guinevere!
He had thoroughly made a fool of himself, and now everyone across the infinite dimensions was waiting to see him become a laughingstock.
[Sparkle]: "I really want to see the look on this Knight of the Lake's face when he learns about Guinaifen's Spirit Origin! Ah ah ah~ That's gotta be interesting!!"
[Sushang, the Cloud Knight]: "So what if he finds out? Little Gui is just Little Gui, she's not the Guinevere he knew."
Because of Lancelot's previous actions, the current Sushang just wanted him to stay as far away from Little Gui as possible.
And... for goodness' sake, in the legends, Guinevere and Lancelot had that kind of relationship. Lancelot wouldn't actually start seeing Guinaifen as a substitute for Guinevere, would he?
If that were true, Sushang would absolutely lose her mind. Having such a dangerous person coveting her best friend was simply too terrifying!
---o---
[On the light curtain, Da Vinci, as Chaldea's representative, was in the middle of discussions with the people of the mountains.]
Meanwhile, with the help of the Hassans, Ritsuka Fujimaru had settled the refugees and regrouped with a dejected Mash and Bedivere.
Because of Lancelot's final words, the group wore grim expressions, looking utterly disheartened.
However, the young woman quickly pulled herself together and said, "This is a defeat, without a doubt. It's the first true defeat we've experienced. After five Singularities, a defeat like this is a first."
"Lady Guinaifen may not have a contract with me and is still an independent Servant, but... she is still our friend. Now that her life is in danger, we must find a way to save her!"
"I believe that as long as we don't give up hope, then hope can surely be grasped."
This was not a passionate speech, nor was it a reluctant compromise. It was a statement of firm belief.
A normal person would have their mentality completely shattered after such a defeat, but Ritsuka Fujimaru, as the Last Master of Humanity, still firmly believed that her side could achieve final victory.
Even though the gap in combat power was as wide as the sky, she still firmly believed they could rescue Guinaifen.
This iron will quickly inspired the nearby Bedivere and Mash, rousing the two from their dejection. They nodded resolutely, indicating they would fight alongside Ritsuka to the end.
Just as Lancelot had predicted, even knowing it was a trap, they would not abandon their friend. No matter what, they would rescue Guinaifen within the three-day limit.
At this moment, the image on the light curtain shifted to a prison.
The military fortress, located not far from the Holy City, was where the Lion King garrisoned her troops for the decisive battle against the Sun King.
The number of Purified Knights inside was several times greater than even that of the Holy City!
At the same time, because of its tight security, it was also where special prisoners were held.
"Cough, cough..."
On the lowest level of the military fortress, in the prison, Guinaifen, who had been thrown in here, finally awoke from unconsciousness.
Even now, she could still feel the stinging sensation on her neck.
That part of her neck was probably red and swollen by now.
Guinaifen rubbed her aching neck and then checked the condition of her body.
Lancelot had shown no tenderness at all, knocking her out with a chokehold before capturing her.
Fortunately, she was still alive and had only suffered some minor scrapes.
Most importantly, her phone was still in her pocket. It seemed her captors had simply thrown her into the prison without bothering to search her.
For whatever reason, they had at least left her a sliver of hope.
Looking at the black phone in her hand, Guinaifen sighed. With Lancelot acting like this, Mission Two was likely impossible to complete.
Then, just at that moment, a voice suddenly sounded from beside her ear.
"Were you also captured by the knights of the Holy City? Nameless Lancer."
As the voice spoke, Guinaifen turned her head to the side.
In the cell next to hers, there was another girl who had also been captured.
But unlike Guinaifen, not only was she locked in a cell, but her entire body was bound by chains, making her look like a dangerous individual.
She was a bit shorter than Guinaifen. Her dark brown skin, pure black clothes, and purplish-black hair made her look like a killer hidden in the night.
Assassin!
Without a doubt, this attire screamed Assassin, and she was likely one of the Hassans from the mountain people.
It was just unclear why she had been captured and brought here.
"You are..." Guinaifen asked cautiously, looking at the assassin before her.
"Assassin, Hassan of Serenity. You can also call me Serenity."
Without any attempt to hide her identity, Hassan of Serenity laid her cards on the table, perhaps realizing that she couldn't escape.
After all, the chains on her body had completely sealed her magical energy. Coupled with the fortress's tight security, it was impossible to escape without outside help.
"Hassan of Serenity? Whew, my name is Guinaifen. You can also call me Little Gui."
Seeing someone she could seemingly talk to, Guinaifen quickly started a conversation with her.
This took Hassan of Serenity by surprise. This girl, despite being captured, showed no signs of worry.
It was as if she had simply moved to a new place to live.
"Are you not worried? Although we are Servants, death is ultimately not a very dignified way to make an exit," Hassan of Serenity said, a hint of melancholy in her eyes.
She wasn't afraid of death, but she feared a meaningless one. In the battle between the Sun King and the Lion King, the people of the mountains had no power to resist.
"Aren't I still alive?" Guinaifen, on the other hand, didn't care at all. "I'll worry about it when I'm actually about to die. It's just a prison. It's not like Little Gui has never been in one before."
This statement was true. Guinaifen's brothers had once been interstellar pirates for a time, ruling their own little territory. After hijacking a merchant ship from the Xianzhou Alliance, they were arrested by IPC soldiers. During that time, wasn't she spending her days in a prison cell?
"Little Serenity, trust me. We will definitely be able to escape."
"Ritsuka and the others will definitely come to save me, and... if that doesn't work, I still have a trump card..."
That's right, a trump card.
After hearing Mash's story, Guinaifen already knew how to deal with Lancelot.
All she had to do was use the power brought by her Spirit Origin again. She refused to believe Lancelot wouldn't recognize it.
Although this world's Guinevere had nothing to do with her, in order to survive, she had no choice but to borrow the relationship between this world's Guinevere and Lancelot.
But this was a trump card that could only be used as a last resort.
After all, the current Lancelot was not the betrayer from the legends but a loyal knight of King Arthur.
For King Arthur, he could even kill his former comrades. Such loyalty was beyond words.
Guinaifen estimated that just the Guinevere Spirit Origin would hardly be enough to make this loyal knight switch sides. At most, it would save her own life.
And legends were just legends. What if the Guinevere Spirit Origin agitated Lancelot and caused him to lose control? Then she would be completely finished.
So, if she could avoid revealing it, it was best not to expose her Spirit Origin so quickly.
As Guinaifen was thinking, the Hassan of Serenity opposite her was a little surprised.
It wasn't just Guinaifen's fearlessness in the face of death, but also her surprise at Guinaifen's "treasure."
After all... when a Servant mentioned a "trump card," it surely had to be a Noble Phantasm.
Although Guinaifen looked very weak, the concept of a Noble Phantasm was a tricky one. The Noble Phantasm of any Heroic Spirit was a sublimation of their experiences and legends.
Since Guinaifen was so confident, her Noble Phantasm must be something incredible, perhaps even an EX-rank Noble Phantasm!
This was no exaggeration. After all, the Archer currently helping the mountain people, while not as strong as the Knights of the Round Table in terms of raw power, could force even the Lion King to retreat with a single release of his Noble Phantasm.
Thinking of this, Hassan of Serenity couldn't help but feel a little moved.
After all, Guinaifen was not strong. To activate such a high-level Noble Phantasm, the price would be absolutely unimaginable. Just like Lord Archer, he would only use his Noble Phantasm as a last resort.
And for such a terrifying Noble Phantasm, Guinaifen was actually planning to use it to help her escape. Although this was also for her own sake, after using such a Noble Phantasm, Guinaifen herself would probably be unable to protect herself.
So in the end, the one who would benefit would be her, Hassan of Serenity. Because of this, Hassan of Serenity was deeply moved, and her impression of Guinaifen soared.
---o---
[Light Curtain Bullet Comments]
[Qingque the Slacker]: "Hiss~ This move of Guinaifen's, could it be the legendary honey trap??"
[Utaha Kasumigaoka]: "The Guinevere Spirit Origin. This has truly become a Noble Phantasm against Lancelot. Even if he doesn't defect, he'll probably be scared to his knees."
[Utaha Kasumigaoka]: "For Lancelot, there are many beautiful women, but Guinevere is undoubtedly the most special one. She's like his white moonlight; the lethality is off the charts!"
[Agravain the Iron]: "You all... seem to be overestimating Lancelot's loyalty to the King. Never mind Guinevere, even that girl named Mash is enough to make Lancelot switch sides."
Switching sides was one thing; using Guinevere was making a mountain out of a molehill. Although Agravain and Lancelot didn't get along, he knew him extremely well.
Based on his speculation, as long as Mash revealed her identity and showed a slightly better attitude towards Lancelot, he would decisively betray the King and defect to Chaldea's side.
[Lancelot]: "Agravain! What good does it do you to constantly belittle me! My loyalty to the King can be witnessed by heaven and earth! How could I betray him so easily! No matter what happens, I, Lancelot, will never betray the King again!!"
[King Arthur]: "...Sir Lancelot, it's good to have such resolve, but don't speak in such absolutes. This time, it's not just Guinevere; he is here too. With these two people present, never mind betraying me, if you don't stab me in the back, I'd consider that a testament to your loyalty..."
---o---
[On the light curtain, the scene shifted from the prison back to Ritsuka Fujimaru.]
At this moment, Ritsuka was thanking the Hassans who had come to their aid.
"Hmph, it was just an order from Lord Cursed Arm. If it weren't for these refugees, we wouldn't have bothered with you."
Evidently, due to the previous incident, Hassan of the Hundred Personas' first impression of Ritsuka's group was not a good one.
After all, she had gone through great pains to capture a figure of Nitocris's caliber—a Pharaoh and a powerful Heroic Spirit. Who knows how much food and resources she could have exchanged for from Ramesses II? But in the end, Chaldea ruined everything. Who wouldn't be upset?
"Hahaha~ Hundred Personas, visitors are guests. Since these people from Chaldea helped the refugees and fought against the Knights of the Round Table, doesn't that make them our friends?"
"When dealing with friends, you shouldn't be so exclusionary!"
"Especially since we're already so weak, we shouldn't be pushing away powerful and reliable friends!"
Just as Hassan of the Hundred Personas was speaking unkindly, the mysterious Archer in green leather armor appeared with a cheerful voice.
Faced with the sudden appearance of this Archer, Hassan of the Hundred Personas immediately adopted a respectful tone. "Lord Arash, you are right. But if it weren't for these people, we wouldn't be facing a food crisis, and these refugees we've taken in wouldn't be worrying about food now."
Arash replied with a hearty laugh, "Hahaha~~ But if it weren't for them, these poor refugees would have already died in the holy punishment. It's just food. As long as we're alive, we can always reclaim wasteland, hunt in the mountains, and find other ways. But if you're dead, then there's nothing left."
Hearing this, Hassan of the Hundred Personas fell silent for a moment before nodding. "You are right, Lord Arash. I spoke too harshly. Without them, these poor refugees would never have made it here."
Seeing that he had persuaded Hundred Personas, Arash turned to Ritsuka's group and said with a smile, "As you can see, Hundred Personas bears no ill will. It's just that she happens to be in charge of our food supply."
Ritsuka immediately shook her head and said it was fine. After all, they had indeed fought with the Hundred Personas who was escorting a prisoner earlier. It was only natural for her to hold a grudge.
Then, the silent Bedivere spoke up, his voice tinged with surprise. "Arash... and that masterful archery that forced Lancelot to retreat just now. So that's it. You are the great hero of ancient Persia, Lord Arash?"
Hearing this, Ritsuka hadn't yet reacted, but Mash, who loved to read and had studied many heroic epics, widened her eyes. "Arash... is he the great hero from the legends who is the origin of the word 'Archer,' the one who ended a decades-long war with a single arrow?"
"S-so it's you?"
Listening to Mash's reverent words, Arash scratched his head, a cheerful smile still on his face. "A great hero is too much of an exaggeration. I'm just an ordinary Archer."
"Right, although you already know, allow me to introduce myself again. Archer, Arash. A normal Servant summoned by the Holy Grail. Travelers from a foreign land, it is a pleasure to meet you."
---o---