Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

On that solemn face, a thoughtful expression lingered. His lips moved as if he were reminiscing, or silently murmuring as if he were expressing gratitude.

—: [Ah—I understand now, so that was your long-cherished wish—The Lion King…]

—: To protect, one must first destroy; to do good, one must first do evil.

—: [Do you wish to bear the burden of this doomed kingdom? Will you once again raise the banner of solitary salvation?]

—: [Even if it distorts the entire world and turns everything into fuel, I would not hesitate.]

But how tragic, how twisted!

The girl gripped her wand tightly, her thoughts racing, a resolute expression on her solemn face.

—: [Unacceptable, unacceptable!]

—: [It is because of the integrity of a king, it is because of the code of chivalry—]

—: [If my kingdom is destined to be nothing more than a fleeting dream, it should still shine brightly and uprightly! Not languish and languish, burdened with sin, as it feasts on the flesh of its own kind!]

—: [No matter what, the king who protects the people and the god who safeguards the nation will never degenerate into a beast that ravages this land and harms its own people!]

—: [Not for personal glory.]

—: [It is to prove that these patterns, etched on the surface of stars by human civilization, are traces of life worthy of a fleeting moment of beauty!]

—: [With the king and the people united, the nation and the family coexisting, working together to defend against external aggression! This is the Britain we all yearn for!]

—: [Though the world changes, it will remain forever!]

—: [This is something that divine will cannot distort, darkness cannot shake, and that shines deep within the human heart!]

—: [Therefore, what you want to give up, I am destined to protect!]

This is my answer!

Artoria straightened her young back and stood tall in opposition to the lonely king in the tower.

The goddess who ruled the Tower of the End paused, and from those stubborn and unyielding eyes, she understood everything.

"Since that's the case, then let my other half, with your so-called resolve, witness the cruel reality revealed beneath the surface of this world... Holy Lance, pull anchor!"

In an instant, the golden-green flames in the goddess's eyes flickered violently, and a chilling declaration echoed across the dilapidated tower. A dazzling stream of ethereal light coalesced between her clenched fingers.

"The Tower of the End, the end of time, is the anchor of the storm that tears the sky and connects the earth, it is the wedge of light standing at the end of the world..."

The towering structure that stood in this dying world crumbled and collapsed. Strands of light containing intricate incantations wrapped up the last bit of power that supported the world's order, gathering within those slender fingers to condense the rudimentary form of the Holy Lance.

Boom!

As the gods chanted, thunder roared across the sky, and howling winds swept up low-hanging dark clouds, stirring up fierce air currents that poured into the glaring gap in the tower, causing the clothes of two slender figures on the rubble to flutter loudly.

What lies before them, about to be crushed, is the power of the entire world!

Time, space, and laws—whether tangible or intangible—all turned to dust in the final light.

Its power and ability are unstoppable!

Before the collapse of the rubble, the blonde girl, who was the first to be hit, was pale and her body, which was tightly gripping her magic wand, was already suffocating under the pressure of the vast divine will. Even though she tried her best to hold on, the dark blue light screen that supported her was on the verge of breaking. She herself was like a small boat tossed and turned by the wind and waves in the vast ocean, in danger of capsizing at any moment.

Although, the souls share the same origin.

But humanity is incredibly fragile; how can it possibly contend with the will of the gods?

Teacher, I'm sorry, I have let you down...

I cannot save this world, much less protect you...

Artoria's sharp teeth left bloody marks on her cherry lips. Her body swayed precariously in the brewing ethereal storm, held together only by her last ounce of willpower. But even that stubbornness from the human heart was gradually dissipating under the erosion of the divine power.

Is it impossible?

No, there is still a chance!

The cry of the human heart is the battle song of life!

At this moment, the dim star-forged holy sword in Samael's hand resonated with a fervent tremor, accompanying that indomitable and tenacious spirit, and proclaiming the answer of the human heart to the high and mighty gods.

"Glory, here it comes! — Shining on the spear of the end!!"

The Lone King of the Tower roared coldly, and the Holy Spear, woven from countless golden light bands, crushed down from the chaotic sky. The space above and below viscously collapsed, squeezing all the weight onto the two tiny beings on the field.

"Artoria!"

At the critical moment, the ancient serpent had a sudden inspiration and immediately threw the sheathed Star-Forged Sacred Sword in its hand at its disciple.

Artoria instinctively took it, and as the aura swirled, the wand and the holy sword in her hand intertwined and merged, forming a magnificent weapon with the lower half being the sword blade and the upper half the staff head.

At the same time, an obscure and profound divine incantation flooded into the girl's mind. With the movement of her lips and teeth, a solemn low chant was uttered, and streams of light flowed and separated the chaotic world, as if making time and space stand still.

"Twilight returns, the thirteen restraints unfold, defense against the end, defense against purgatory—activated!"

"It is—the ideal land, its name—Avalon!"

boom!

The last two beams of light in this dark world collided violently, unleashing a chaotic storm that raged on, leaving the world utterly pale.

Chapter 116 Become a Dragon, Artoria (4.1k)

Amidst the interplay of light and darkness, the world's rebirth is born from fragmentation.

It felt like a fleeting moment, yet also like eternity.

A nameless place covered in lush green grass, teeming with life. The clear blue sky is vast and boundless, free from the gray and desolate dust of the past. Under the warm sunlight, a gentle breeze carrying the fragrance of earth blows softly, and the verdant grass and trees undulate like waves.

rustle……

With a soft rustling in the grass, a petite figure with blonde hair and green eyes stood on the grass, her eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and bewilderment.

The wind picked up, and the blue bowler hat on the blonde girl's head swirled and fell, her long, golden hair, like ears of wheat, cascading over her shoulders, revealing a touch of ethereal beauty.

Suddenly, those pure, emerald-green eyes were drawn to a stone platform revealed by the wind blowing through the grass.

The stone platform is very ancient, and it is engraved with some very beautiful patterns.

In the central recess, a dazzling beam of light connecting heaven and earth shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight.

Without realizing it, his blue and white travel clothes had transformed into a neat, coarse white shirt.

A strange sense of familiarity welled up in her heart, and the blonde girl's emerald eyes gradually broke through the confusion and regained their clarity, as a jumble of memories surged into her mind.

Her name is Artoria Pendragon.

He is the Lion King who rules this land, the King of Knights.

Born with the expectations of the nation and its people, he drew the chosen sword, defeated the lowly King Vortigern, drove out the foreign enemy Saxons, won the Twelve Dynasties War, and established the holy city of Camelot. However, because he was too close to divinity, he lost the hearts of the people and ultimately became a monster who lived for a purpose and stubbornly continued the British Empire...

The blonde girl looked down at her calloused palms, a sudden realization dawning in her eyes.

So this is the real me.

This is the crux of fate...

"Welcome back, Artoria..."

A gentle murmur sounded behind me, a sound I had heard throughout the journey.

A tall, slender figure pulled down his white hood, stood in the sunlight, and smiled with his arms outstretched.

"teacher……"

Artoria subconsciously called out, trying to show a smile, but because she hadn't truly smiled in a long time, her facial muscles were stiff and her expression was somewhat awkward.

But the joy that came from the bottom of his heart could not be concealed.

The master and apprentice stood in the shade of greenery, under the sunlight, their eyes meeting, gazing at each other silently, like a beautiful painting frozen in time.

"The journey is over. Congratulations on finding yourself again."

Samael smiled faintly, a mixture of emotion, relief, and deep regret.

The journey is over, which means it's time to wake up from the dream.

That's right, this is not reality, but a mental world woven from years of unwavering dedication, aided by the power of the Holy Lance.

In reality, his plan, along with Morgan, Merlin, Kay, and others, to extract the Holy Lance Rungomminiad from Artoria's body, was only half successful.

The Lion King's humanity was indeed awakened because of the physical degeneration of his infant body.

However, over the years, the will of the divine side has become too deeply ingrained to be completely separated from the Holy Lance.

Therefore, Artoria's self is divided into two.

A portion of her retained the most beautiful innocence, transforming into Artoria Caster, awakening from the place where destiny began.

But human emotions are far too weak in the face of God's will.

That activated divine will instinctively resisted the restoration of emotions and the regression of the self. Thus, it built barriers and towers within the mind, becoming the goddess who continued to control the external body while ruling this mental world—the Lion King.

Once the mental world is completely closed, the newly awakened humanity will likely be completely unable to resist the vast divine will, and will naturally be erased, or even cease to exist forever.

Therefore, at the crucial moment, Samael chose to rely on the power of the two nightmare demons, Merlin and Merly, and with his own consciousness, he delved into the world woven by the Lion King, found that humanity, and accompanied her as a mentor to perform the fairy tale of the prophesied child. Finally, he climbed the tower, defeated the Lion King who represented the will of the gods, and completed this journey.

Therefore, everything that happened before was just a dream that was both real and illusory.

Now, with his help, Artoria has completely broken free from the Holy Lance's possession and regained her true self.

At this moment, what is locked on that high platform is not only the beginning of destiny, but also the original form of the Holy Lance that has been separated.

"Artoria, the war is over, and Britain is on the path to prosperity. Now you have a chance to choose again, not as a god who rules the country and its people, but to live for your own will."

Samael opened his arms in a welcoming gesture, awaiting this new life, his eyes filled with tenderness and anticipation.

Are they new students?

They are not burdened with the responsibility of governing the country, and even their sleep is taken away from them;

There is no need to force yourself to raise a gun or sword and take another's life;

You don't need to keep a straight face. You can cry when you want to cry, and laugh when you want to laugh...

Yes, it's wonderful...

Artoria lowered her head, savoring the blessing and expectation, her eyes brimming with longing.

All you need to do is turn your back on that tragic fate and take one step forward.

However, Artoria stood still, her head raised, gazing quietly at her mentor on this journey.

"Teacher, can you tell me, if I abandon my duty, what will happen to Britain's future?"

"The external enemies have been eliminated. Even without the power of the Holy Lance, under your and the Round Table's rule, Britain will surely prosper."

Samael smiled, full of confidence.

"I mean, a thousand years from now..."

After a moment of serious contemplation, their eyes met, and an eerie silence fell over them.

Samael moved his lips several times, but under that silent gaze, he ultimately sighed in silence.

Yes, that's the answer he's been avoiding.

What will Britain be like a thousand years from now?

Camelot will eventually fall, the Anglo-Saxons will dominate the land, and the Celts will suffer oppression and enslavement from other races for thousands of years, becoming a minority in Britain.

In the end, even the Druidic culture and natural beliefs rooted in their blood will be reduced to mere historical symbols, to be chewed and consumed by future generations.

Besides, the runes that continue the mystery of Norse mythology are still recorded, but the Ogan runes that carry Celtic magic will disappear into the long river of history long ago.

Even the knight king, who was a spiritual symbol, could become a symbol of conversion to God under the spread of Christianity.

Yes, the Celts' ideal kingdom was destined to never exist.

Stripping away the Holy Lance and eliminating its remaining mystique would be tantamount to removing the pillars supporting this miniature divine age, and would also mean completely severing the last possibility of creating this thousand-year-old pure white kingdom.

Samael never mentioned these things to anyone.

Including Morgan...

But by sheer coincidence, when Samael entered the Lion King's mental world, he also brought with him his own inherent power of destiny and inevitability, causing the idealized mental world to collapse and mutate at an accelerated pace, allowing Artoria to glimpse the true future of Britain.

"Teacher, you are so mean-spirited. You have been hiding the most important point all this time."

Artoria pursed her cherry lips, a faint smile appearing on her face. The purity and naivety on her pretty face made Samael unable to look directly at her.