In this crossover anime, Yoshikage Kira longs for a peaceful life.

If she had clairvoyance, this wouldn't have happened.

Fortunately, it was discovered early, and it hasn't caused too much trouble yet.

"Feel sorry.

Artoria stepped forward, her face pale. Only now, free from the influence of the Holy Sword, did she finally have the opportunity to re-examine her actions.

The ten thousand knights she had killed on the battlefield without any honor, and her attempt to use Guinevere as a tool—every single one of these things tugged at Artoria's heart, and guilt almost crushed her.

"This is not your fault."

Merlin comforted her while explaining, "The mystery carried by the Holy Sword is the most advanced even in the Age of Gods. It is the strongest fantasy that humanity has long desired, accumulated on the earth and crystallized and refined within the planet."

"Its immense power is only one aspect; another is that the Holy Sword also exerts a subtle influence on its user. You hadn't used this sword before, so the influence was relatively small. But on the battlefield, you held the Holy Sword for too long, which is why your mind was gradually affected by the sword."

"What are the specific impacts?" Yoshikage Kira asked.

"Well..."

Merlin frowned slightly. "It's neither good nor bad. The Holy Sword doesn't alter the user's mind; instead, it makes the user more rational." In other words, the Holy Sword strengthens the user's beliefs, whether good or bad.

"For the king, this is actually a good thing. Whether it is a wise king or a tyrant, they are far better than an indecisive monarch. Artoria is influenced by the Holy Sword, which makes her more inclined to take more efficient actions."

"Efficient?"

"Correct."

Merlin's expression was strange.

Is it efficient? Yes, it is very efficient.

Killing tens of thousands of knights could dismantle the alliance of the eleven kings and force them to surrender.

There is no more efficient way to do it.

The same applies to Guinevere, although there are many ways to prevent Artoria's true identity from being revealed.

However, Artoria still instinctively considered the most efficient option, letting Kira Yoshikage take her place in sharing a bed with Guinevere.

To say that this is a bad thing wouldn't necessarily be true.

However, it would be somewhat inappropriate to say that this is a good thing.

Chapter 257 Acceleration!

"The Star Sword, which is meant to save the world, is far too powerful to be regarded as a personal weapon. It is normal for it to be affected."

Merlin held the scabbard of the holy sword in both hands, his brows slightly furrowed:

“I can limit a portion of the Holy Sword’s power, but this seal is only temporary. A true restraint must be applied. However, considering the mystique inherent in the Holy Sword, applying such restraint is not an easy task. Until then, I still suggest you avoid using this sword as much as possible.”

"Is this really okay?" Artoria asked hesitantly as she took the Holy Sword.

"Don't worry, just keeping it with you won't have any problems, as long as you don't draw the sword."

Although the Holy Sword would affect its user, Merlin didn't take it too seriously after careful examination. Making people more rational wasn't a bad thing; at least until now, she had thought Artoria's two decisions were quite normal—otherwise, she wouldn't have been watching from the sidelines the whole time.

Because different people will not make the same choices when they become "rational". For example, a wise king will become more virtuous under the influence of "rationality", but a tyrant will become more tyrannical under the influence of "rationality".

Actions taken in a "rational" state often reflect their deepest, most genuine thoughts. The role of "rationality" is merely to strengthen their convictions, not to forcibly change their values, turning good people into bad people, or bad people into bad people.

If Artoria were still the knight-king she once taught, the Holy Sword would undoubtedly make her actions more in line with a just knight and a selfless king. She would treat all the guilty with a fair judgment, without any favoritism.

But the current Artoria is different; she is too deeply influenced by someone.

This leads her to habitually imitate his behavior before making decisions.

He was neither a wise king nor a tyrant, nor a knight king; he was simply highly efficient.

An efficient modus operandi allowed Artoria to unify Britain and defeat Vortigern at a lower cost and in a shorter time. However, this efficient modus operandi was not understood by everyone, such as the knights loyal to Artoria.

In the long run, this will undoubtedly create a rift between the king and the knight, and ultimately lead to tragedy.

In a sense, this will also lead Artoria to the end of her destiny.

The process may be different, but the beginning and the end of the story are the same.

So Merlin didn't actually think it was a bad thing; she even had a faint sense of anticipation.

Merlin eagerly anticipates how Artoria's focus on "efficiency" will change the story, as these changes are what bring him the most joy. Conversely, a story that remains unchanged is utterly boring, from which Merlin derives no pleasure.

But Artoria clearly doesn't think so.

Although her efficient behavior pattern can solve many problems for her, as evidenced by the collapse of the Eleven Kings' alliance, Artoria still feels guilty and resentful about killing tens of thousands of knights.

"Artoria".

Kira Yoshikage called her name and calmly warned, "Never forget, you are the King of Camelot."

"I understand."

Artoria remained silent for a long time, her eyes gradually hardening. "I will not be defeated by my emotions, nor will I regret it, even if it is wrong."

Killing those knights certainly made her feel guilty, and she would learn from the experience, but she did not intend to "atone" for it. She would reflect on her actions, but she would not repent for the knights she had killed.

The matter itself is neither right nor wrong, but the moment they stepped onto the battlefield, they were already mentally prepared to be killed. Artoria's hesitation stemmed solely from the fact that the matter conflicted with her principles, and had nothing to do with the knights themselves.

Next time she will handle it more appropriately, that's all she's come to.

Merlin asked slyly:

"And what about Guinevere? What are your plans? Or will you let Kira-kun handle it?"

"Hmm~"

Artoria blushed slightly, and now, looking back, she finally realized just how outrageous her decision had been!

Could her decision at the time really be considered rational?

If this is what they call "rationality," then she doesn't need this kind of rationality!

As for Guinevere...

Artoria realized that her behavior was indeed inappropriate, so…

"I will find an opportunity to have a good talk with her."

After pondering for a long time, Artoria gave her answer, "However, I still hold the same opinion as before."

"Huh?" This time it was Merlin's turn to be taken aback. Do you want to hear what you're saying?

Artoria looked away to hide her flushed cheeks.

Although she said she would find an opportunity to talk to Guinevere, Artoria knew very well that now was not the time.

Anyway, her marriage to Guinevere is still a long way off, and reducing contact for the time being will prevent her from being discovered. As for Guinevere, there is currently a lack of trust between them, and the newly born Camelot is not enough to make Artoria gamble on whether a stranger will keep her secret.

Even if we're going to talk, we should at least wait until she gets Camelot back first!

Even though the allied forces of the eleven kings have been defeated, Camelot is still incomplete, and even its former capital, Vortigern, remains in his hands.

If she cannot wrest Camelot back from Vortigern, then Camelot's rise to power is out of the question.

Ultimately, the reason why the eleven kings' allied forces attacked Camelot was because they were instructed by Vortigern!

In present-day Britain, Vortigern is the most powerful king on this land, without exception. If she cannot defeat and reclaim Camelot, and defeat Vortigern, then all her ambitions will remain mere fantasies, forever unrealized.

Artoria knew this, and so did Vortigern.

Only one of the white dragons and the red dragons can rule this land, and neither will sit idly by. Vortigern will do everything in his power to eliminate the newly born Camelot, while Artoria will also try to turn the tide and reverse the huge gap in combat strength between the two sides.

In any case, war was inevitable.

And she must be prepared.

Fortunately, despite still being outnumbered, Vortigern was not superior in individual strength.

Artoria was confident that she could contend with Vortigern, although most of her knights did not have that strength. For example, Lord Kellett and Lord Bedivere, although stronger than most knights, lacked the powerful and mysterious blessing.

The only one who could help him was Gawain, who also wielded the holy sword. Blessed by fairies since childhood, he was protected by the sun, and no one could defeat him at noon, not even Vortigern.

If a fight really breaks out, it will at least be a fair two-on-one situation.

Even if they lost in a two-on-one fight, Artoria wasn't worried that Camelot would perish.

Because she knew someone would always be there to protect her.

Kira Yoshikage's support reassured Artoria, so much so that she didn't even consider it.

What would happen if I lost him?

For example, one morning when you wake up, you suddenly find that he has disappeared.

-

early morning.

When Yoshikage Kira opened his eyes, he saw the familiar ceiling.

"Kira-kun!"

The gentle call made Kira Yoshikage look to the right side of the bed, where a beautiful silver-haired married woman wore an expression of surprise. Despite being married for many years, her face remained as beautiful as a young girl's; time had left no trace on her.

Welcome back, dear!

She threw herself on Yoshikage Kira and hugged him tightly, as if afraid that he would suddenly disappear again.

"Alice".

Kira Yoshikage softly called her name, "How long have I been gone?"

Although the room's furnishings remained unchanged, he had already sensed something was amiss.

"Ten years have passed since you left, and it is now 2018."

2018?"

Yoshikage Kira sensed something amiss again. "I remember leaving in 1994?"

"Yes."

Irisviel said softly, “To be precise, 1994 is one year, 2018 is one year, but there are only eight years between 1995 and 2018.”

2018-1994=24, this is a simple arithmetic problem that even elementary school students can do.

However, time doesn't see it that way; it has its own ideas.

Time seems to think that the period from 1995 to 2018 is only 8 years, so only 8 years have passed in between.