Anime: Blue-Eyes Baby Dragon, picked up by the Knight King

——But in the blink of an eye, Fujimaru Ritsuka seemed to have forgotten about it.

Did she really forget?

No, it's impossible to forget.

Gudako has traveled all over the country for so many years and has seen all kinds of things, including mountains of swords and seas of fire, and even storms like the alien god - she has no reason to forget this simplest and most important thing.

But she just ignored this matter.

"Did I become careless?"

After Lu Mingfei's reminder, Fujimaru Ritsuka, who had already realized this problem, stroked his chest with his hand and asked himself.

She wanted to say that she was careless and had forgotten such an important thing - but her intuition told her that this was impossible, because she was not the kind of person who would fail at the critical moment and forget key details.

To be precise, "noticing things that others don't see in critical moments and using those things to avoid danger" - this is her greatest strength.

If she were a Heroic Spirit, her intuition would definitely be A—that's the power that allows her to overcome any crisis, and it could definitely be called a "miracle."

But just now, she "forgot" this matter.

Or perhaps, I deliberately ignored this matter.

why?

Because of the spiritual pollution of the [Beast], she can no longer maintain absolute rationality?

That may be part of the reason—but it’s definitely not the most important reason.

The more important reason is... fear.

"She" is afraid.

Afraid of knowing the truth about this issue.

——And when the girl named Fujimaru Ritsuka thought of this, all the difficulties were solved.

……

Fujimaru Ritsuka suddenly laughed.

That smile was not the compassion of a god looking down on all living things, nor was it the twisted madness of a beast, but the most ordinary and tired smile - the smile of a human.

“I see,” she whispered softly. “The Grand Heroic Spirit… is me.”

Her voice was soft, but it sounded like some kind of announcement.

Fujimaru Ritsuka's fingers suddenly curled up as if in spasm.

The twelve halos spinning behind her made a crisp sound like shattering glass. The outermost halo, inscribed with the inscription "Historical Records," suddenly dimmed, flickering a few times like a light bulb with poor contact, before finally going out with a snap. Then came the second, the third... and with each halo that went out, the golden halo flowing from the ends of her hair faded a little.

At the same time, the humanoid belts orbiting the Earth suddenly trembled violently, like silk being grasped by invisible hands. The bronze gears, steam pistons, and integrated circuit boards that recorded human history began to rotate in reverse, emitting a metallic whine under the heavy burden.

First to disintegrate was the band of light over North America, its illusory images of bronze gears and steam pistons dissolving into billions of points of light, like a meteor shower rising in reverse. Next came the band of light over Eurasia, its cuneiform inscriptions vanishing like a pencil mark erased by an eraser. Last to disintegrate was the band of light over the Pacific Ocean, where the DNA-like structure there fractured, scattering the entire ocean surface in iridescence, like an overturned palette.

Ritsuka Fujimaru is falling.

Her robes returned to a hoodie and jeans, and her long hair no longer shone, merely ruffled by the wind. The transparent threads connecting these parallel worlds snapped, vanishing like melting spiderwebs in the sunlight. As she passed through the clouds, a petal, seemingly from nowhere, suddenly grew larger, carrying her like a small boat, and slowly descended through the air.

Ritsuka Fujimaru slowly opened his eyes.

She found herself standing in a sea of ​​pure white flowers. The petals were incredibly soft, each one carrying the memory of a different world. Stepping barefoot on the sea of ​​flowers, she felt the warmth of countless timelines.

here it is...

Your mind is like a landscape.

A familiar voice came from behind him. Fujimaru Ritsuka turned around and saw the Flower Magician who had looked like he was about to die just a moment ago - he was always so good at disguise.

"Hey, hey, thinking like that is a bit too hurtful to me."

"I really almost died this time!"

The Flower Magician said something that sounded terrible in a very terrified tone.

But just look at the smile on his face and you will know that he is not that "dangerous" after all.

Or perhaps it could be said that being able to see such a beautiful scenery and such a beautiful "ending" in this life. Even if it means sacrificing his life for it, this flower magician feels that this life is worth it!

Human evil is born from human love, and the crown comes because of human evil.

"You are both a beast of destruction and a heroic spirit of salvation.

"Anyway, congratulations, Fujimaru Ritsuka."

"After so much hardship, you've finally arrived here—you can take a break now."

The Flower Magician said with a smile.

The sea of ​​flowers suddenly surged, and countless fragments of memories rose from between the petals.

Fujimaru Ritsuka stared blankly at the swirling sea of ​​flowers before her, fragments of memory flickering on each fluttering petal. She saw herself working late into the night in Chaldea, sorting through documents, fighting alongside Mashu in the snowstorm, and herself in countless parallel worlds, laughing and crying.

Rest...? She murmured softly, her fingertips touching a passing petal. It reflected the burning pain of the Command Seal on the back of her hand when she first summoned a Servant.

Merlin's staff had been restored to its original state at some point, and the crystal ball on the top was filled with countless stars.

He gently waved his staff, and suddenly a simple stone tablet rose in the middle of the sea of ​​flowers. On the tablet was engraved the image of a big-headed girl - in any case, Fujimaru Ritsuka would never admit that it was her own.

But you understand, don't you? Merlin's voice suddenly became serious. This was just the calm before the storm.

Fujimaru Ritsuka's pupils narrowed slightly. She saw the stone tablet's surface begin to crack, and a dark red light seeped from the cracks. Those lights intertwined in the air, gradually forming the outlines of seven ferocious animal heads.

The beast's persona won't vanish in a vacuum. Merlin's fingers traced the cracks on the staff. You're only temporarily...

Sealed within himself. Fujimaru Ritsuka took over the conversation, his right hand unconsciously pressing against his chest. There, a faintly visible cross-shaped scar burned.

The sea of ​​flowers suddenly shook violently, the pure white petals stained with dark crimson streaks. The distant horizon began to distort, and the sky, like a torn curtain, revealed a pitch-black background. Fujimaru Ritsuka felt a scalding liquid trickling from the corners of his eyes—not tears, but a molten-gold-like magical power emanating from him.

Time is running out. Merlin smiled wryly as his mental world began to crumble. "Do you want to hear the final advice from a useless magician like me?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka took a deep breath, and her casual clothes suddenly transformed into a Chaldean uniform. She raised her hand to wipe the tears from her face, and the remaining golden light between her fingers condensed into the familiar pattern of the Command Seals.

Just say it, you will be rejected anyway.

Merlin's smile suddenly became bright, just like when they first met in Avalon. He raised his staff and tapped Fujimaru Ritsuka's forehead, and a rainbow of colors bloomed beneath their feet:

Remember, there is more than one way to save the world—

Before he could finish his words, the entire mental landscape shattered. Fujimaru Ritsuka felt himself plummeting, the whistling wind in his ears mingling with the calls of countless people:

senior!

Master!

Stand incense!

She snapped her eyes open and found herself suspended above Tokyo Bay. Below her, Mashu's desperately outstretched hand, above her, the fragments of light beginning to coalesce. Within her, two opposing forces violently collided—the holiness of the Grand Master and the chaos of the beast.

I see...

Fujimaru Ritsuka suddenly smiled. She opened her arms, letting the torrent of magic within her body pour out. The light split into seven beams in mid-air, transforming into chains that wrapped around the reorganizing band of light.

"Since it cannot be eliminated, then..."

The chains suddenly tightened, and the light belt emitted a sharp, twisting sound. Under everyone's shocked gaze, the human record tape surrounding the Earth began to deform and reorganize, eventually transforming into seven massive wedges, driving deep into the void at seven points.

"Turn it into a weapon to protect humanity."

Suddenly, a rain of light began to fall from the sky. Each drop contained purified fragments of humanity. As they fell on the scorched earth, withered plants sprouted anew; as they fell on the ruins, broken buildings automatically repaired themselves; as they fell on the wounded, their hideous wounds began to heal.

Mashu stared at the scene in amazement. The crack on the shield had disappeared without a trace. When she looked up to find the figure, she saw only an orange petal slowly falling.

The petals fell into her palm, with a line of small words written in childish handwriting:

See you tomorrow, Mash.