"Wait... what's happening?" Artoria, who was in combat with Meruem, suddenly felt her body seemingly lose control, launching a fierce attack towards Meruem.
"SABER!" Irisviel, standing nearby, sensed something unusual and called out worriedly, but she chose not to disturb Artoria. She knew that with her abilities, she would only be a hindrance. Right now, she could only serve as a mana supply for Artoria.
Unlike Meruem and Goldie, Artoria didn't possess such powerful Independent Action, so she needed someone nearby to supply her with mana during battle.
Otherwise, she couldn't stray too far from her Master.
"It's Kiritsugu!" Artoria reacted very quickly. This was also because Kiritsugu Emiya had previously used a Command Spell to force her to attack, so she had experienced this sensation once before. When it happened a second time, she naturally recognized it.
There's a conspiracy! Artoria intuitively sensed a problem. Although she didn't know why Kiritsugu Emiya suddenly ordered her to attack, there was definitely something wrong.
What is that guy Kiritsugu planning? Why didn't he tell me again?! A hint of anger towards Kiritsugu Emiya welled up in Artoria's heart. Although adherence to chivalry came first in the King of Knights' heart, it didn't mean she wouldn't get angry. She was once a King. She had a temper too!
However, if Kiritsugu Emiya had told her, would Artoria have agreed to his plan? Probably, let alone fighting Meruem to stall him, even coming to the Matou mansion would have required Kiritsugu to use a Command Spell.
Artoria instantly converted the anger in her heart into combat power against Meruem. Since she didn't know what the other party was doing, she wouldn't think about it. Right now, she was in battle!
"King of Knights!" While the two were exchanging blows in a fierce, evenly-matched fight, Meruem suddenly swept Artoria away with his spear and looked at her with a dark expression.
Meruem's expression gave Artoria a bad feeling.
And Meruem's subsequent words confirmed this.
"I didn't expect that you, who call yourself the King of Knights and follow the code of chivalry, would do such a despicable thing! Originally, during the previous banquet, I quite acknowledged you. I didn't expect it was just to gain my trust."
A sentence deeply pierced Artoria's heart. Despicable? Me? Why say that?
"KING, please take back that statement!" Artoria suppressed the uneasiness in her heart and said.
"Hmph, take it back? King of Knights, don't you know what your MASTER has done?" Meruem stared at Artoria with a look of regret as if he had misjudged her.
"Kiritsugu..." Hearing Meruem's words, an unnatural look appeared on Artoria's face. Sure enough... it's related to him.
Damn it, what exactly did he do?
"Hmph, talking is useless... you'll know in two minutes. I didn't expect the dignified King of Knights to use such low-down dirty tricks." Meruem glared at her with a dark face, then turned his body away, ignoring Artoria no matter how much she shouted.
The atmosphere in the scene became unusually eerie.
Not long after, the gate of the Matou residence opened from the inside.
Artoria looked at the figure walking out from the gate in disbelief, a fire of extreme rage almost erupting from her chest. Gripping the holy sword tightly, Artoria suddenly felt her face burning as if a ball of fire was blazing on it, and her fingertips turned white in an instant.
For a moment, she didn't even dare to look up at Meruem again; she was afraid to see his questioning eyes.
The person walking out from the gate was Kiritsugu Emiya, but he wasn't alone. Standing beside him was his assistant, Maiya Hisau. And... in her arms, she held a sleeping child. Artoria recognized that child—it was Meruem's Master! Sakura!
I was actually an accomplice!
"Ki! Ri! Tsu! Gu!" Artoria felt these syllables squeezed out from the depths of her throat. If she made such a sound normally, she would have startled herself. But right now, besides endless rage, she felt extreme grievance.
Why is my Master such an unscrupulous person!
I tried so hard, why... This is simply an insult to me! An insult to my faith!
However, facing Artoria's rage, Kiritsugu Emiya didn't say a single word in defense, or rather, he never thought of explaining anything to Artoria. Everything was taken for granted. Don't you just want the Holy Grail? Chivalry? Laughable spirit, hypocritical person. Kiritsugu Emiya didn't care how bad his status was in his Servant's heart. As long as the other party wanted the Holy Grail, she had to follow his will. You have no choice...
Such thoughts are dangerous; the mindset is almost identical to Tokiomi Tohsaka's. It's just that what Tokiomi pursues is completely different from Kiritsugu. But they both share the same disgusting magus style.
Kiritsugu Emiya and Maiya Hisau brushed past Artoria. Artoria gripped the holy sword tightly. For a moment, Artoria even wanted to swing her sword at Kiritsugu and cut down this damn person who insulted her faith.
Kiritsugu Emiya didn't speak, Artoria remained silent, and Maiya Hisau also said nothing. In her view, obeying Kiritsugu was enough; that was the meaning of her existence.
Irisviel looked at the two with concern. Although she still firmly believed Kiritsugu's approach was correct, at this moment she didn't know how to evaluate Kiritsugu's actions, whether they were good or bad. After all, as a homunculus, she had only been "born" into this world for nine years.
And now, the atmosphere on the field was weirdly suffocating.
"King of Knights' MASTER, so what exactly do you want to do now?" At this moment, the first one to speak was actually Meruem.
"Just want you to exit first." Words as cold as a machine came out of Kiritsugu Emiya's mouth.
"What if I say no?"
Hearing Meruem's words, Kiritsugu Emiya didn't say anything more. He simply aimed the gun in his hand at Sakura, who was sleeping soundly in Maiya Hisau's arms.
He completely disregarded the gazes of the two Heroic Spirits present, which looked as if they wanted to slice him into pieces.
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