"Vivian..."
"Call me Morgan!"
"Alright, Morgan. You've already waited fifteen hundred years. Can't you wait just two more days? The Holy Grail War only has two days left. They'll stay."
"Then you try it! Every time my foolish sister is summoned, she has someone ask me... 'Sister, is there still no letter from Guinevere?'"
"Oh my, is that so? I get the feeling you're the one who wants to see Guinevere. That Lostbelt you sent your memories back to..."
"Merlin, shut up!"
In Great Britain, within the Inner World, in Avalon, the reclusive Merlin was conversing with Morgan, who had become a Faerie.
Fifteen hundred years ago, after the deaths of the King of Knights and Guinevere, Morgan had brought the King of Knights' body to Avalon as promised, intending to grant her eternal rest. But who could have guessed that without Guinevere's companionship, the King of Knights' soul would never sleep, instead pestering Morgan endlessly.
As for Guinevere, the Counter Force had acted too swiftly. Before Morgan and Merlin could arrive, Guinevere's soul had already forged a pact with it and ascended directly to the Throne of Heroes.
After that, Morgan, Merlin, and the King of Knights tried countless methods to summon Guinevere down from the Throne of Heroes.
But they failed, just like everyone else who had attempted to summon her. They always ended up summoning a Guinevere from a different worldline.
It was as if the True Name "Guinevere" inscribed on the Throne of Heroes didn't belong to their Guinevere at all.
Disappointment, despair, and repeated failures continued until Merlin witnessed the Fourth Holy Grail War in 1990. The Guinevere they sought was summoned there, drawn by a catalyst with strong affinity.
After that, the King of Knights chose to make a pact with the Counter Force. She had grown tired of the fifteen-hundred-year wait and decided to gamble on the chance of reuniting with Guinevere on some battlefield sooner.
Before she left, they specifically summoned Mordred and arranged for the Einzbern family to acquire the Sword and Scabbard.
Otherwise, with them still "alive" and the Clock Tower still standing, who would have dared to excavate Mordred's grave?
"By the way, Merlin," Morgan asked, "after my foolish sister was summoned, why does she act like she doesn't remember her time in Avalon after death? How could she care about that kind of doujinshi and develop such a wish?"
"Well, could it be that she cared all along? As for why she forgot her memories of Avalon... perhaps she found the days without Guinevere's company too painful."
Merlin was only speculating, but given his understanding of the King of Knights, his guesses were as good as the truth.
Furthermore, while guarding Avalon, Morgan and Merlin had also investigated the truth of the Holy Grail War and the Founding Three Families, who were certain to participate in the Fourth Holy Grail War, as the year 1990 approached.
This was why Morgan, unable to bear Sakura's impending fate, arranged a "chance encounter" to inform Kariya that Sakura was to be sent to the Matou House.
But how to put it... after confirming the information was true, Kariya actually tried to strike a deal with the old worm of his family instead of seeking her help.
However, Kariya's ability to summon Fairy Knight Lancelot wasn't solely due to Lancelot's historical falsification. A small part of it was because he had been tainted by the aura of Morgan, who was now a Faerie.
He had gained an extra connection through Morgan.
Meanwhile, shifting focus from Morgan and Merlin, Guinevere and the King of Knights had not yet returned to Einzbern Castle.
At this moment, bathed in moonlight, they sat together atop the Fuyuki Bridge, waiting for the King of Conquerors to arrive.
To gain a physical body and remain in the modern world, Guinevere's plan was simple: bathe directly in the Black Mud. She refused to believe that foul substance could have any effect on her.
The so-called Black Mud was nothing more than the collective negative emotions of all humanity. The reason it could corrupt Heroic Spirits was by forcing them to confront their deepest regrets, leading them to deny their own identities and undergo an inversion.
But Guinevere? Having lived a full life with the King of Knights until their deaths, not a single trace of regret remained in her heart.
Her current desire was nothing more than an extra indulgence.
What if she didn't use the Black Mud? Could she rely on self-falsification again?
In the Holy Grail War, the Holy Grail System itself was responsible for summoning Servants; the Mages merely selected the Heroic Spirit and anchored them to the world.
This meant that if Guinevere hadn't obtained a true physical body by the end of the war, she would be instantly sent back to the Throne of Heroes.
Therefore, to be safe, bathing in the Black Mud for incarnation was a necessary step.
Of course, while Guinevere was confident in herself, she had absolutely no faith that the King of Knights could withstand the Black Mud. But as long as she remained, she believed she could find a solution for everything.
-
"So, you're saying if I want a physical body, I just need to bathe in the Black Mud when the time comes? And the reason you accepted my challenge—instead of wasting time trying to persuade me into an alliance—is because you don't believe I can withstand the mud, and also..."
"Correct. For the Holy Grail to begin manifesting, it requires the souls of at least four Servants to be offered."
"So that's how it is. I've really been underestimated."
"It's because the King of Heroes' EA is a perfect counter to your Ionioi Hetairoi."
Atop the steel structure of the Fuyuki Bridge, Guinevere, the King of Knights, and the King of Conquerors' Master-Servant pair each occupied one side of the summit. They chatted casually, in no hurry to begin the deathmatch that only one side could survive.
In truth, another reason Guinevere had chosen not to ally with the King of Conquerors was that the King of Heroes couldn't be corrupted by the Black Mud, nor would he be strengthened by it into an even more formidable foe.
The King of Conquerors, however, was a different story. If his Ionioi Hetairoi were restored by the Black Mud, Guinevere would face a much tougher battle—essentially, she'd have to deal with an additional powerful enemy.
"Master, I beg you."
Still standing by the King of Conquerors' side, clutching his cape, Waver Velvet's eyes glistened with tears.
In the few days they had spent together, he had been completely won over by the King of Conquerors, just as Guinevere remembered, willingly becoming his loyal subject.
Knowing their farewell was imminent, he fought back his tears and used all three of his Command Spells on the King of Conquerors in a single breath.
Then, the King of Conquerors raised the short sword in his hand and once again unleashed Ionioi Hetairoi.
The same yellow sands and scorching sun appeared, along with the same high-spirited army. But their numbers had dwindled significantly, now fewer than ten thousand, and the Reality Marble they could sustain would not last long.
Thus, upon being dragged into Ionioi Hetairoi and "arranged" on the opposing side of the army, the King of Knights drew her sword and donned her armor, awaiting the start of battle. Meanwhile, Guinevere immediately modified her own Class and began activating her Noble Phantasm as a Rider.
Berseker Knight Order: Galloping Across the Battlefield
Rank: A+++
Type: Anti-Army Noble Phantasm
Range: 1–99
Maximum Targets: 1–EX
Description:
This Noble Phantasm summons all members of the Berserker Knight Order who once served Guinevere. They constantly await her call to return to the battlefield.
Upon being summoned, all knights are treated as Guinevere's Servants. They provide their own Mana, which cannot be replenished. All their Noble Phantasms and basic parameters are reduced by two ranks. They are all considered to possess the Rider Class. If they fall in battle, they cannot be summoned again through this Noble Phantasm.
Unlike other Anti-Army Noble Phantasms, Guinevere's Berserker Knight Order is not a Reality Marble. It is essentially a continuous summoning of the Knight Order.
From the Order's founding until Guinevere's retirement shortly after the "Barbecue Incident," over a thousand knights joined its ranks over more than a decade. Guinevere summons every last one of them into the present era.
After a moment of initial confusion, the knights erupt in joyous cheers. They immediately mount their horses, form ranks, and await their orders.
Two horses break from the formation, one approaching Guinevere and the other the King of Knights.