In Type-Moon, it all starts with adopting Sakura.

Challenger: King Arthur, King of Britain, the Knight King, Artoria Pendragon.

——Normal ではない!

The outcome is determined by the decision——! !

……

The final advice had been given, but seeing that the other party remained unmoved, Artoria closed her eyes, exhaled, and after a moment opened them again, speaking slowly.

"Then... Mr. Luo Wei, show me your resolve with your swordsmanship."

This time, Artoria's tone gradually turned cold, and then she made one last confirmation to Lovi in ​​front of her.

"Of course, isn't this something that's already been made clear? Although I prefer to strategize from the rear and use various methods to defeat or eliminate you rather than personally fight against heroic spirits like you, but..."

Luo Wei gently shook his head and slowly said, "Since you've promised someone something, you should fulfill it properly, shouldn't you? Just like the purest principle in alchemy..."

"There is no such thing as creation out of thin air or the power to turn stone into gold in this world. The principle of everything is ultimately just equivalent exchange."

Luo Wei remained calm and composed as he gazed at Artoria before speaking.

"So, Saber, so much time has passed now. Have you opened the envelope I gave you last time? And have you found the answers in your heart to the three questions I asked you?"

The envelope, the answer...

As Luo Wei's words fell softly, they pierced Artoria's heart like a sharp sword, causing her to drift off into thought. She couldn't help but recall the questions Luo Wei had asked her at the King's Banquet that night, and then subconsciously began to ponder their answers.

"..."

"Honestly, you're completely ignoring what I said."

Seeing Artoria's performance, Rowe sighed.

"But that's understandable. If you could figure it out yourself, you wouldn't have been stuck in this situation for so long. In that case, let me help you recall and find the answer."

"So Saber, my first question tonight is: are you still stuck in the quagmire of the past, unable to look to the future?"

"That kind of thing, I..."

Lovi's words startled Saber. Just as Artoria hesitated for a moment and had not yet had a chance to answer, a dazzling golden light accompanied by a sharp whooshing sound suddenly flashed past her eyes, heading straight for her head.

"Incorrect answer, please answer again."

--boom! !

A dazzling golden light flashed before her eyes, and Artoria's gaze sharpened. Then, relying on her excellent intuition, she predicted Lovi's sudden sword strike and swung her Star Holy Sword to meet it.

The azure gale and the golden sword light collided suddenly in the night sky. The two completely different and terrifying forces merged together in the center of the two, unleashing an extremely terrifying impact that even blew the stone slabs around their feet away.

"it's useless!"

With her innate intuition and extensive combat experience, Artoria once again withstood the attack launched by Lovi.

"Whether it's swordsmanship or strength, you're far inferior to me. Even if you use some tricks, you can't beat me at all. You should have already recognized this reality."

“Indeed, whether it's the sword skills I crammed into in the dream or the physical strength barely enhanced by the runes, I'm at a complete disadvantage. If this continues, I see absolutely no hope of winning. But…”

Before he could finish speaking, Luo Wei suddenly released his grip on the staff and planted it firmly in place. He then switched from holding the sword with one hand to holding it with both hands, and launched another swift slash at the blue iron hammer that Artoria was spinning in her hand, accompanied by a sudden, alluring floral fragrance wafting from behind him.

——Bang bang bang bang! !

This time, the speed was even greater, and the clanging sound of clashing blades rang in our ears once more. A terrifying force erupted wildly in all directions, stirring up clouds of dust.

Despite it being the same clash and attack as before, Artoria attempted to repeat her previous tactic, parrying Lovi's sword and snatching it from her grasp. However, this time the result was utterly unexpected. The instant the azure gale clashed with the golden sword light, Saber, who clearly had the numerical advantage, was forced back several steps by Lovi's attack.

This bizarre scene caused a look of shock to appear in Artoria's originally calm eyes, clearly indicating that she could not understand the change that had occurred in Lovi at this moment.

"Hey, King of Knights, didn't Merlin tell you never to underestimate any opponent on the battlefield? Even a fragile mortal like me, under certain conditions, can gain power comparable to heroes like you..."

"Hey, it's my turn to make my appearance, isn't it?"

Upon seeing Luo Wei release the staff he had given to the other party, a white-haired man in the Star Inner Sea revealed an excited expression.

"Little Artoria, don't blame me later. After all, I'm doing this for your own good. You've been caught up in this for far too long..."

Although it murmured apologies, there was no trace of remorse on the face of this inhuman being; all that could be seen was a hint of...pleasure.

【Dreamy Charm A.】

【Hero Shaping EX.】

High atop the tower, Merlin waved his staff, then, through the connection he had established with Rowe in the dream, unleashed all his most powerful enhancement magic and techniques upon Rowe's body, cheering him on: "You've been enhanced! Go and deliver him!!"

That familiar taste, and that magic...

There was absolutely no mistake, it had to be him; my intuition at the time was right.

"It's Merlin!"

In the brief instant when the fragrance of flowers and magic appeared together, Artoria immediately recognized whose work it was and exclaimed in surprise.

However, Lo Wei had no intention of explaining Merlin to her. He slightly turned the holy sword in his hand, and then his aura began to rise steadily.

"Finally, Merlin..."

It wasn't just Scáthach's original rune, but also Merlin's overpowered abilities, that gave him the stats to be able to compete with top-tier Servants like Artoria.

"I never expected even Merlin to get involved, and who else is involved? Just how far are you trying to fool me?!"

Artoria felt a pang of sorrow upon seeing her former comrades standing opposite her once again.

"Why? Why are you all trying to stop me, even after death you'll oppose me? I only need to..."

"What do you want?" Rowe interrupted her.

"Obtaining the Holy Grail will change the past tragedy."

He chuckled softly, his gaze towards her filled with a hint of pity: "How tragic, this Holy Grail War... only you are immersed in this beautiful lie."

"What exactly are you trying to say?!"

"I've already said what I wanted to say. Now it's time for you to seriously consider my words. Knight King, I'll ask you again: is everything you're pursuing truly right? Are you still stuck in the past, unable to move towards the future?"

As they spoke, the two made another move. Accompanied by a piercing "clang—!!" sound, the Golden Sword and the Star Holy Sword clashed again in mid-air, and the two remained locked in a stalemate.

"Although I am not a knight, and even my swordsmanship was forcibly implanted into my brain by that nightmare to prevent me from being killed by you in a few moves, I can sense that you still have hesitation. Is it because you have been betrayed three times, or for some other reason..."

"Shut up!"

—Clang!

Suddenly, two sword lights flashed with a cold light as they met. In an instant, sparks flew everywhere, and the two figures had already darted far away.

Under the cover of night, a cold light suddenly flashed, and the clash of swords was also a clash of wills. Although Artoria was clearly superior in swordsmanship, Lovi, who had been enhanced by Merlin, was able to barely keep up with Artoria's pace.

This performance prompted Scáthach, who was sitting on the steps, to applaud them.

It's starting to look decent. This level of combat is no longer the playful fighting of before; it's finally showing some signs of a real warrior.

As she thought this, her gaze remained fixed on the two figures fighting in the courtyard.

He couldn't help but seriously reflect on the joke he had made earlier.

If Lovi really died, could she really bring his soul back to the Land of Shadows and nurture it slowly until it reached the state she wanted?

Although it was just a joke at the time, thinking about it now, it doesn't seem so bad...

Having a disciple like him—who is interesting, talented, unafraid of me, and even knows how to make me happy—by my side would be a good choice.

If he were here, my future years might not be so boring.

Scáthach thought to herself as she watched the two dueling on the battlefield.

※※※※※※※

-

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I'm recommending a book, one by a friend.

Ark Agency: Starting from Finding Texas

Chapter 72 Saying Goodbye to Your Past Self (6,000 words)

The night was quiet, and the moonlight was cool and clear.

Under the watchful gaze of the Queen of the Land of Shadows, the two swordsmen standing in the center of the moonlight immediately made their move.

Ding! !

Suddenly, a cold glint flashed by, and then two figures emerged from the darkness like ghosts, their swords clashing and sparks flying.

—Clang!

The clash of weapons, the metallic clang of swords striking each other, echoed in the air. Sharp sword moves, carrying unparalleled momentum, pierced the night sky, and two figures constantly crisscrossed in the darkness.

The two began to fight their way down, their sharp swords clashing repeatedly, creating a series of metallic booms in mid-air.

Golden and blue light streamed across the night sky, their occasional collisions creating sparks and magical vibrations that were dazzling and captivating.

From these sword moves, which were both clumsy and incredibly familiar, in the clash of swords, Artoria vaguely sensed the will that Merlin had deliberately left in the golden sword. In a daze, Artoria seemed to see a pure white shadow on Lovi, like a blooming lily.

Raw, pure, and flawless... everything is as it was in the beginning.

Upon seeing the blurry figure that suddenly appeared, Artoria was certain that she was not mistaken.

That is……

Lily, the original Artoria, the lily knight!

But why am I seeing this?

Upon seeing that familiar figure, Artoria's thoughts involuntarily drifted back to the past, and memories from bygone days surfaced in her mind.

"Hey! Don't get distracted during the battle, Saber!"

A reminder shattered her illusion.

clang!

Lovi, holding his straight sword, once again thrust it straight at Artoria in front of him. With the help of Merlin's special magic preserved in the sword, he swung the blade and swiftly threw three golden sword lights at Artoria at an extremely tricky angle.

——Swish, swish, swish! !

Three sharp, piercing sounds suddenly rang in her ears, and a fierce, fluid sword light hurtled towards her at lightning speed, causing Artoria to be slightly taken aback.