People in Type-Moon have a hero simulator.

Vortigern opened his eyes. At this moment, most of his body was connected to the sacred tree. He looked down on this nominal "nephew" in front of him.

This wasn't his brother's child at all; it was just a tool created by Merlin.

“I have arrived, Vortigern.”

Artoria dared not be careless in the slightest when facing the old man before her.

Vortigern was connected to the sacred tree; he was the sacred tree itself, the Age of Gods itself, and... the white dragon.

His muscles rippled with excitement, his once withered white hair now shone with new luster, and his eyes transformed into dragon-like vertical pupils.

Artoria seemed to be affected by this fighting spirit as well, her eyes also switched to vertical pupils, as if the blood of the red dragon was boiling within her.

"Heh~ Merlin, the instigator, doesn't dare to come in front of me, but sends a puppet instead. Oh well."

As Vortigern rose, the vines attached to him burst open one by one, but his aura not only did not weaken but instead increased.

"Let me see what makes you, a puppet, worthy of standing before me."

"A puppet? Well then, savor it. Being defeated by the puppet you speak of must be an interesting experience."

Artoria drew her holy sword, its golden light blending perfectly with the golden light of the sacred tree.

They were all fighting to protect something, but their different paths destined them to be enemies.

Neither side dared to be careless, and neither side made the first move. If it weren't for the leaves still falling from the sacred tree, still proving the passage of time, anyone who saw this scene would have thought it was a painting.

Then... they moved.

Chapter Thirteen: So-called Enlightenment...

Strong, very strong. This is the strongest enemy Artoria has ever encountered. If it weren't for Avalon's protection, she would have been defeated by now.

"An interesting turtle shell. It takes you to a higher dimension and is a defense that has no blind spots. I admit I can't break through your defense."

Vortigern's body was as imposing as a small mountain. Even though he couldn't break through the enemy's defenses, he was not discouraged at all. The reason was simple—time was on his side.

"Even if you don't lose, you won't win either. The roots of the Sacred Tree have already begun to touch the inner sea of ​​the star. You have lost."

You lost.

defeat?

Harsh words entered Artoria's mind. Was she going to lose here?

"No, you and I both know that we can't determine the winner before the final blow. You haven't succeeded until you touch the inner sea of ​​the star."

Even if one is infinitely close to success, if one cannot reach the reality called "victory," then it is "failure."

"The final blow? Can you do it?"

Vortigern naturally understood what this so-called "final blow" was. It was the holy sword in her hand, the legendary Star Sword that had saved the Earth. Once the thirteen seals on it were broken, it could indeed turn the tide of battle.

Can a mere puppet truly break the seal on the Holy Sword?

"What right do you have to wield the Holy Sword? An empty puppet, a borrowed ideal..."

"Even if it's a borrowed ideal, as long as it's carried through to the end, it is... my ideal."

A holy light shone from Artoria's hand, and that light drew Vortigern's gaze.

"The moment Lloyd defeated you, you should have already gained the ability to think for yourself. Even if the future you chose is destined to be a tragedy, will you still resolutely continue down that path?"

Vortigern sensed it; it wasn't the will of a puppet. But why would someone with independent thought choose a tragedy?

"I want both the 'present' and the 'future.' I will ensure a smooth transition into the future and minimize the losses."

"Do you have a solution?"

Vortigern couldn't believe it; he had pondered for so long without finding an answer.

"No."

Artoria answered with such confidence that even Vortigern was stunned by her ability to spout such blatant nonsense.

This shamelessness... should we say that one is influenced by one's surroundings?

Lloyd, you're a real menace!

"But I've already come to my senses, and what I mean by 'enlightenment'..."

Artoria raised the holy sword, her eyes showing no confusion; she would use the sword in her hand to illuminate the path ahead.

"It's about forging a path forward in the dark wilderness!"

The roundtable voting begins.

This is the seal Avalon placed on the Holy Sword, its glory revealed only under the watchful eyes of the just knights.

This is a battle for survival;

This is a one-on-one battle;

This is a battle in pursuit of truth;

This is a battle against evil;

This is a battle for glory;

This is fighting against someone stronger than oneself;

……

With half of the thirteen seals broken, the Holy Sword's radiance once again descended upon the world. This was the Holy Sword's recognition, acknowledging that the one wielding it was not a puppet, but a worthy king.

"This is... a battle to save the world."

A golden pillar of light rose from the ground into the sky, sweeping away the clouds and shattering the sacred tree's majestic light.

"Saving the world? Haven't I been saving the world?"

Vortigern gazed at the radiance of the holy sword, a power beyond his physical body's resistance. A lance burst forth from the earth beneath his feet.

The Holy Lance Rungomminiad.

"Let me see your resolve."

Vortigern raised the Holy Lance and walked toward Artoria; victory was within his grasp, and he could not afford to fall here.

……

[You are bathed in the radiance of the sacred tree, and as its roots draw ever closer to the inner sea of ​​the star, your power grows ever stronger.]

Even without being told, Fujimaru Kyo could sense this; the fact that these renowned knights were struggling against his sword was the best proof of it.

Among them were powerful figures like Gawain and Lancelot, virtuous individuals like Bedivere, and people like Kay who had a good personal relationship with him.

But at this moment, Fujimaru Kyoya showed no mercy whatsoever.

If it weren't for their large numbers, ensuring that someone would come to their aid whenever someone was in trouble, and without this mutual support, some of them would have already died on the spot with regrets.

"Can a person really be that strong?"

Kai couldn't believe that Lloyd had become so strong. He was someone who had lost to Artoria countless times before. Even if he was stronger than them, he should only be slightly stronger.

"It is a blessing; under this sacred tree, he has the protection of the sacred tree."

As a fellow Blessed Warrior, Gawain naturally understood that Fujimaru Kyoya was not in his normal state at this moment. Facing an enemy in a Blessed state, it would be extremely difficult to defeat them unless the Blessing was removed.

He himself is an example; Gawain, three times stronger, has never been defeated while under the protection of the Blessed.

"Is there protection simply by being under the sacred tree? What a troublesome protection."

At other times, Agraven would have disregarded such territorial restrictions and simply avoided them, but now they had to fight.

Vortigern was already incredibly powerful, and if Fujimaru Kyoya were to help him at this moment, King Arthur would undoubtedly be defeated.

This kind of thing must never be allowed to happen.

"Should we fight even when we're destined to lose? But who in this era isn't like that? Your qualities are not uncommon."

If it were in later times, Fujimaru Kyouya might have admired such courage, but in this era, he, like Vortigern, fought with the awareness that he would be utterly defeated.

"Defeat is inevitable? If Vortigern is defeated, and the protection of the Sacred Tree is gone, how much fighting power will you have left?"

"Enough to defeat your fighting force."

Just as Fujimaru Kyoya launched another attack, a pillar of light shot into the sky, bringing with it immense pressure and a sense of unease.

A golden light emanated from the direction of the sacred tree; it wasn't a light belonging to the sacred tree, but rather a different, familiar sensation.

[You can sense the immense power within the Holy Sword, far surpassing the power of Vortigern in your memory. You understand that this is King Arthur's trump card.]

At the same time, a dragon's roar came from the direction of the sacred tree, and a huge white dragon shadow flew into the sky, then crashed into the golden pillar of light.

……

The dust has settled.

Everyone present stopped and looked at the towering pillar of light and the arrogant dragon shadow. Once the winner was decided on their side, the battle here would be over.

The white dragon shadow crashed into the golden pillar of light, and the golden pillar of light collapsed and smashed into the dragon shadow. After the sky collapsed and the earth caved in, everything... came to an end.

Chapter Fourteen: Even the remnants are at their end; defeat is like a landslide.

It's over, but who won and who lost?

Everyone wanted to know the answer, but the dragon shadow and pillar of light in the sky had disappeared, and Fujimaru Kyoya was holding the line under the sacred tree. Who could step forward to check the situation?

The sacred tree begins to wither, heralding the end of the war, and the blessings upon you gradually fade.

"I'm sorry, I disappointed you."

The falling leaves carried a message; they were Vortigern's last words.

"I thought you were going to blame me for not killing him back then."

"You can't kill him."

Vortigern naturally didn't think that Fujimaru Kyou also had a chance to kill King Arthur. After all, Merlin was not only a scoundrel but also a swordsman. If he couldn't win, he could use illusion magic as a way to escape.

"The blame for all the failure lies with me, it's just Lloyd..."

Vortigern's voice grew weaker and weaker. He had been so confident, but he hadn't expected to lose. The "puppet" had found its own belief and emitted such a dazzling light.