Chapter 13: Rhongomyniad
In the original work, Vortigern should have been defeated by Artoria.
Although Type-Moon never detailed the specifics or process of how Vortigern was defeated in the normal route, the outcome suggests Artoria must have succeeded.
Thus, Vortigern was not invincible.
But...
When recalling it from memory, Noah felt that colossal White Dragon seemed synonymous with invincibility.
In the memories he obtained, Britain at that time possessed formidable combat strength due to highly advanced alchemy, even giving rise to forces similar to the Enforcement Knight seen in FGO's Sixth Singularity.
With minimal troops, they could suppress the Saxons.
Yet they lost to Vortigern himself!
At that time, Artoria had already obtained the Sword of Promised Victory and its scabbard. Merlin was present, Morgan was there, and although the Knights of the Round Table lacked Gawain and others, they were not weakened due to the highly developed alchemy.
With Lancelot, Tristan, Percival, Palamedes, Kay, and other Round Table Knights, plus warriors dispatched from Pictland...
They might have been even stronger than the original Knights of the Round Table!
And although he had drawn talent in alchemy during this simulation, his own abilities had not regressed—he still possessed the Left Hand of God—Gandálfr.
Even with such a lineup, they still lost!
And they lost decisively. They seemed to glimpse victory twice during the battle, but neither opportunity was real.
Vortigern, transformed into the White Dragon, trampled Britain underfoot. A mere roar unleashed colossal storms, and black flames laden with intense malice incinerated even the earth... The island's power could not oppose him, or else King Uther would not have failed initially.
The radiance of the Holy Sword could not oppose him either, for he was the very antithesis of light—the light-devouring dragon.
From the memories, Noah could sense that the White Dragon intended to destroy all of Britain!
This was its method of halting Britain's inevitable demise.
It would destroy Britain before its mystery fully faded, then use the last remnants of that mystery to transform the ruined land into a scorched earth hell!
Just as when the Age of Gods faded, those chaotic secret realms were sealed away rather than destroyed.
Vortigern aimed to turn Britain into a unique Secret Realm: Scorched Earth Hell by destroying the present Britain.
It differed from both Merlin and Morgan.
What it deeply loved was solely this land—literally, the soil itself.
Everything upon the land was unnecessary.
Humans were vermin, plants and animals were vermin, structures and all else—none were needed!
It loved only the island, not anything on it.
Thus, it sought only to save the island, even if it meant sacrificing everything upon it.
This was Vortigern.
The White Dragon of Britain, born from the island's dying self-preservation instinct, as if it still belonged to the Age of Gods.
But then... how did Artoria win in the original work?
If even Excalibur couldn't harm it, then...
At this thought, Noah suddenly realized.
That's right!
Artoria possesses far more than just the Holy Sword!
Moreover, Artoria is different from King Arthur—her Excalibur either has extremely stringent release conditions or cannot be fully unleashed at all, never manifesting as the Star Holy Sword capable of saving the world.
Additionally, confronting Vortigern likely wouldn't trigger the Star Holy Sword's release, as the enemy conditions aren't met. Vortigern isn't a planetary threat like the Alien God's heralds; he might even be considered an ally by the planet itself.
Under these circumstances, Artoria's strongest Noble Phantasm isn't the Sword of Promised Victory.
If her ultimate defensive Noble Phantasm is undoubtedly Avalon, then her ultimate offensive Noble Phantasm should be the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad!
The Holy Lance, bound by thirteen restraints, can barely be categorized as a "Noble Phantasm."
But once those restraints are lifted, it becomes the true "Pillar of Light" that maintains the surface of the world—
something far beyond the definition of a Noble Phantasm.
Fully accepting the Holy Lance could even transform Artoria into a deity known as Goddess Rhongomyniad!
A terrifying divine being akin to those in the Sixth Singularity, capable of wandering beyond the world and "unmooring" reality itself!
Yes, it must be this!
The current Artoria isn't a Heroic Spirit.
She isn't bound by class restrictions.
So in the original context, if she used the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad to defeat Vortigern, it would make perfect sense.
And that Holy Lance was indeed in her possession—she used its restrained form to kill Mordred.
Noah pondered this, carefully sifting through his newly acquired memories, but found no trace of the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad.
Thus, the key to defeating Vortigern must lie with this lance.
As for locating it... Merlin, if no one else, should know its whereabouts.
But why didn't Merlin guide Artoria to retrieve the lance during the recent simulation?
Did Merlin not want to win?
That seemed unlikely... Though Merlin was a notorious trickster, Noah sensed from the simulation that, perhaps due to some pact with King Uther, Merlin genuinely desired victory over Vortigern.
If that were the starting point of reasoning, then only one answer remained:
The conditions weren't met!
Either Artoria couldn't yet wield the Holy Lance, or the prerequisites for its use were insufficient!
It had to be something along those lines!
At this realization, Noah glanced at the back of his left hand.
"Though it's only a Legendary-grade emblem, this is the Left Hand of God—Gandálfr... If it's truly an issue of usage conditions, could this divine left hand allow me to wield the Holy Lance?"
Noah wasn't certain, but during the third simulation, he had tested Gandálfr's power with Excalibur and Avalon—it worked.
In that case...
"Let's give it a try!"
He had only used one simulation today, with two attempts remaining.
He could review the emblems again and subtly probe Merlin or Morgan for information about the Holy Lance.
If all else failed...
During his earlier recollections, Noah actually made an unexpected discovery among the Picts.
After the Picts submitted to him, among the warriors dispatched from their lands was one who wielded a crimson spear imbued with unerring accuracy!
His martial skills were exceptionally refined, reportedly taught to him by his mentor.
That spear was also said to be a gift from his teacher.
Yet when asked about his teacher's identity, he claimed he dared not speak the name directly. Moreover, he hadn't completed his training and thus had no right to proclaim himself the teacher's disciple.
But that style of combat, that spear... even without him revealing it, Noah had guessed who the teacher was.
If it were her—the Queen of the Land of Shadows—would she possess the strength to defeat Vortigern?