Demon Slayer World, Demon Slayer Corps.
"That shield is so strong."
By now, Agatsuma Zenitsu had recovered. He felt that reality couldn't possibly be this absurd, so he returned to his normal state. Looking at Mash, who was enduring the Artoria Pendragon's Noble Phantasm, he couldn't help but exclaim, "It feels like it can block any attack."
Agatsuma Zenitsu was quite envious. This shield was just too strong from any angle. Previously in Uruk, it had blocked that'something-something' attack from Goddess Tiamat.
Now, facing this Artoria Pendragon who had become a god, Mash could actually still withstand the opponent's attacks.
To be honest, Agatsuma Zenitsu was envious. What was the point of having the strongest attack if it was just blocked by Mash? If he had this ability...
He could openly defend from the back and wouldn't have to go to the front lines to fight demons.
"Yes, it is indeed very strong," Tanjiro also nodded slightly, then looked at Mash with some confusion and asked, "Why is she shut outside the city gate?"
"This..."
Agatsuma Zenitsu was silent for a moment, his expression a bit subtle as he said, "Probably because outside the city gate is the strongest defense. Those inside are the ones being protected, so Mash, standing at the gate, has to bear all the damage."
"Didn't that Bedivere say it earlier? This is a Noble Phantasm to protect others, not just a Noble Phantasm to defend against attacks."
Thinking of this, Agatsuma Zenitsu instinctively looked at Tanjiro. He scratched his head and remarked, "Just like how you want to protect your sister, Tanjiro, I believe Mash also wants to protect Fujimaru Ritsuka, which is why this Noble Phantasm has become so powerful."
Without realizing it, Agatsuma Zenitsu seemed to understand why Mash had become so strong.
It was because she had someone she wanted to protect.
Agatsuma Zenitsu fell into a brief moment of confusion. Both Tanjiro and Mash had someone they wanted to protect, but what about himself? Who was the person he truly wanted to protect?
His senior? Or his master?
While Agatsuma Zenitsu was lost in his own thoughts, Tanjiro also understood why Mash, who was such a 'fragile' Little Girl at the beginning...
Could now look the Artoria Pendragon in the eye and tell her, "You are wrong."
Because she had someone she wanted to protect. This protective power born from caring for others was what made her so strong.
"She's grown up."
Tanjiro sighed with emotion. Originally, he was still thinking about what secret Dr. Roman was hiding, but now his full attention was on Mash.
This girl, who was as pure as snow at the beginning, had not changed her ideals even after seeing so much tragedy and the dark side of human nature.
She believed in humanity, in human kindness, and in that sun-filled side of people.
Even after being exposed to so many events of inherent human evil, Mash still hadn't changed her mind.
Although she hadn't changed her ideals, Mash was still constantly moving forward and continuing to grow.
And this Noble Phantasm was the best proof of her growth.
After experiencing this Singularity, Mash could be considered to have truly grown up; Tanjiro could feel this.
Seventh Singularity, Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia.
"Oh, Mash has grown too."
Merlin looked at Mash in the video, who had activated her Noble Phantasm to block Rhongomyniad. A gratified smile appeared on his face, as if he were looking at a junior.
"Indeed, she has grown a lot," Wise King Gilgamesh also nodded in agreement. Mash's figure was reflected in his red pupils as he said calmly, "But if it's only this much, she won't be able to defeat the Artoria Pendragon at all."
Mash's defensive power was certainly impressive, but if that was all she had, she couldn't possibly defeat the Artoria Pendragon.
The opponent was not someone an ordinary Servant could handle. Even for so-called top-tier Servants, defeating the Artoria Pendragon would likely come at an unimaginable cost.
After all, Ramses II had to burn his own saint graph to attack the Tower at the End, and even then, he only barely managed to destroy it.
But did the Artoria Pendragon lose anything? No. She could even recreate the Tower at the End with a bit of effort.
Yet Ramses II had paid with his life to destroy the Tower at the End.
From this, one could see just how powerful the Artoria Pendragon was. Although she didn't fight Ramses II head-on...
In a sense, she had killed Ramses II.
Therefore, Wise King Gilgamesh felt that if his current self went to Sixth Singularity, he probably wouldn't be able to do anything against the Artoria Pendragon either.
It was a pure gap in strength. But if it were during his peak, hmph—then it would be hard to say.
"It's fine, victory is already in sight."
Merlin blinked and looked at Bedivere with a smile. "He is about to fulfill his own mission."
"Oh?"
Hearing Merlin's words, Wise King Gilgamesh showed an interested smile. He looked at Merlin and said, "As I thought, Bedivere is the true trump card against the Artoria Pendragon."
"No." Merlin shook his head and looked at Wise King Gilgamesh. "He's not a so-called trump card; it's just about letting him complete what he is meant to do."
"Complete what he is meant to do?"
Wise King Gilgamesh smiled. He seemed to have thought of something, and the smile on his lips gradually became amused.
Naruto World, Konoha Village.
"So strong!!!!"
Naruto watched Mash in the video blocking the Artoria Pendragon's Noble Phantasm attack, his eyes widening slightly. He said excitedly, "This defense is amazing!!! Pervy Sage! Can I learn it?!!"
Compared to the Artoria Pendragon's Rhongomyniad, Naruto preferred this kind of technique that protected others.
"This..."
Jiraiya fell into a brief silence. He looked at Naruto with a complex expression and said helplessly, "I want to learn it too, but I can't. I've more or less understood how Noble Phantasms are formed through that beautiful lady, Fujimaru Ritsuka."
"But the problem is, you have to die once and then enter that so-called Throne of Heroes before you can obtain a personal Noble Phantasm."
Jiraiya shrugged and looked at Naruto. "But as you can see, our world doesn't have a so-called Throne of Heroes, only the Pure Land where the dead reside."
"Ah."
Naruto was suddenly unhappy because he really wanted this technique. Therefore, he asked Kurama inside him if there was any way to create such a large city wall.
"If I could do something like that, I would have locked myself up immediately instead of being caught by Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara."
"However, compared to the Noble Phantasm you mentioned, I prefer the one called the Artoria Pendragon's."
The Nine-Tailed curled his lip. He was also watching the video, but unlike Naruto, who liked Mash's Noble Phantasm...
He preferred the Artoria Pendragon's Noble Phantasm. It was violent enough and full of aesthetic beauty; he quite liked it.
Because if this thing were used on Uchiha Madara, he probably wouldn't have a very good time either!
At the thought of this, the Nine-Tailed couldn't help but show a 'ferocious' smile; clearly, he was quite a vengeful fellow.
"Eh?! That one?!"
Naruto fell into a brief contemplation, then nodded slightly and said 'reluctantly', "Ah, to be honest, I feel that one is also not bad. I want them both. These Noble Phantasms seem much stronger than Ninjutsu."
"Hmph~" Kurama didn't refute him. He continued watching the video, clearly looking forward to how the Chaldea group would defeat the Artoria Pendragon.
After all, the current Artoria Pendragon was a truly invincible existence.
Unless that King Hassan made a move, but since he only said he would stop Gawain and not deal with the Artoria Pendragon...
Then he would definitely be as good as his word, because that was the personality he had shown.
The video continued playing.
The Artoria Pendragon's Rhongomyniad versus Mash's Lord Camelot.
Terrifying magical energy swept in all directions. Mash's face was full of determination; her expression faintly revealed a hint of pain, but there was no fear in her eyes.
And the Artoria Pendragon continued to output her Noble Phantasm, her eyes devoid of any humanity.
Having become a goddess, her only thought was to kill all enemies before her to complete her plan.
Destroy that familiar city and completely crush this shield! That was the Artoria Pendragon's current thought.
Just at this tense and exciting moment, the scene shifted slightly, moving into a world filled with a warm atmosphere.
This left many people stunned, not understanding what had happened.
They were still waiting to see who would win between Mash and the Artoria Pendragon. Why did the scene suddenly switch?!
In this scene, there was no Mash or Artoria Pendragon, nor any other members of Chaldea. Only a familiar voice rang out.
"...So that's how it is."
Merlin's voice sounded. His voice was very distinctive; people recognized it as soon as he spoke. He continued as if talking to someone, "The Artoria who appeared in that Singularity might become something quite extraordinary."
"The legendary Wild Hunt, the King of Storms."
"The King of the Dead, who leads the deceased."
"Of course, that's one of the anecdotes later generations added to her. There are many other figures who fit the criteria for the Wild Hunt."
"But that Artoria is different. She really became the Wild Hunt."
"Though accurately speaking, she isn't the true King Arthur."
"She is a King Arthur whose nature changed due to a certain error."
As soon as Merlin spoke, the eyes of many intelligent people across countless worlds suddenly lit up. Without a doubt, this was the secret of this Singularity.
As expected, how could a guy like Merlin not appear in Sixth Singularity, especially when so many Knights of the Round Table had shown up?
How could he not appear?! It turns out he had already started placing his pieces, but no one knew.
Merlin's voice continued in the video, sounding gentle: "A fake that was originally impossible to appear has appeared due to the influence of the Singularity."
"Or should I say, is that King Arthur the real one, and the King Arthur we know is the fake?"
"The King Arthur who remained on earth as the King of the Dead, and the King Arthur who was sent to Avalon as the King of the Future."
"The one I know is, of course, the King Arthur of Avalon."
At this point, Merlin's voice paused slightly, and then he chuckled to 'the other person', "But the one you know is..."
"Is the King Arthur who remained on earth."
Another familiar voice sounded. Clearly, this was Bedivere's voice. His voice was quite hoarse as he said, "But, I couldn't find her."
"Even though I kept searching, I couldn't see her. In the end, I drifted here and became a living corpse."
"Yes, that's right." Merlin's gentle voice sounded again as he continued, "You were lucky—no, I should say your luck was quite bad."
"The fairies have been talking about a human-shaped rock at the edge of Avalon."
"It's been there since who knows when. No one knows its origin. Although it looks like a human, the terrifying thing is that it's actually still alive."
"Although alive, it cannot move. The body is covered in wounds, and the soul has been burned to cinders. It truly is a living corpse."
"But surprisingly, the spirit hasn't been completely exhausted yet. That rock, with incredible persistence, still refuses to allow itself to die."
"Do you understand? Lucius? That is you."
Under Merlin's gentle words, the image of a human-shaped rock named Bedivere appeared in the minds of people in all worlds.
What on earth had he gone through? And at this moment, everyone seemed to understand why any Heroic Spirit who met Bedivere...
Would tell him to take a good rest. It turned out... a long, unknown time ago, he had already become like this.
What remained puzzling was what he had experienced that made him refuse to allow himself to die.
And what kind of spirit had brought him into Avalon?
At this time, Merlin continued, "A possibility that came from a certain end of the world and appeared in Avalon under the influence of the Singularity."
"Lucius." Merlin uttered the name, and then his voice became quite tender. "My dear Sir Bedivere, good morning. Hello."
"Although you've just woken up, I'm sorry to say that I don't have much time either."
"As usual, I'm going to tell you some very cruel things~"
"Can you still fight? Can you still carry out your mission?"
When Merlin's question fell, Lucius, or rather Bedivere, said in a hoarse voice, "Of course. That is why I have come this far."
"Is that so?" Merlin was silent for a moment, then he seemed to sigh and said, "Is that so? Then, this is my parting gift to you."
"First, I'll cast a Concealment Magecraft on you, so that no one will be able to perceive your true identity even if they see you."
"So that no Heroic Spirit will be able to perceive the truth about you."
"Why?" Bedivere spoke, not understanding why Merlin would do this.
"Why?" Merlin replied with a hint of a smile, "Because if they knew your true identity, they would definitely do everything in their power to stop you."
"They aren't fools either. Although Mordred is a fool, once they know the truth about you, they will discover the truth about the Artoria Pendragon."
"They will never let you approach the Artoria Pendragon, and the Artoria Pendragon probably doesn't remember you anymore."
"You must have an audience with the Artoria Pendragon alone and complete your task before she denies you. This is an extremely lonely journey, but you've long since grown accustomed to such things."
"Because you have endured a long journey enough to drive one to despair."
As he spoke, Merlin's voice was full of lament; clearly, in his eyes, Bedivere had endured unimaginable suffering.
Even so, Merlin still asked in a gentle tone, "But let us confirm it anyway, shall we? Regardless of the battle's outcome, you will die here."
"Your soul exhausted, you will drift from the tracks of reincarnation, and your existence as 'you' will surely fall into the void."
"Even so, do you still wish to proceed toward the end of this journey?"
"Yes." Bedivere's voice held no hesitation as he said firmly, "My spirit remains, even now, for the sake of that Light of the King."
Even if the end of this journey held only death and nothingness, he did not hesitate for a moment.
"...Is that so?" Even Merlin seemed moved by this spirit at this moment. He said in a gentle voice, "Then this is an extra parting gift. I've made some modifications so that you can fight."
"Renamed the Silver Arm. Although it will violently burn your soul every time you use it, you'll just have to bear with it."
"Your goal is a possibility—a land at the end of the world where chivalry is about to transform into its ultimate form."
"Even if you must fight your former comrades, even if you must face your past sins."
"The brilliance of this arm will never diminish in the slightest."
"Because this is precisely the greatest sin you have committed."
Finally, as Merlin's words fell, the scene switched back again.
Mash deployed her Noble Phantasm, struggling to withstand the Artoria Pendragon's attack. She grit her teeth, a look of pain flickering across her face, but her eyes remained filled with determination and a refusal to give in.
"Interesting." The Artoria Pendragon looked at Mash in front of her and said indifferently, "With those slender arms of yours, how long can you support the Chalk City?"
With that, the Artoria Pendragon increased the output power of Excalibur Galatine in her hand.
"Guh! Ugh!!! Aaaaaah!!!" Mash let out a cry of pain.
"Hang in there, Mash!!!" Fujimaru Ritsuka cheered Mash on, then she tried to step out from within the castle walls, shouting, "I'll help you support it!!!"
"No, you mustn't, Fujimaru Ritsuka."
At that moment, Bedivere snapped back to his senses. Seeing the long-lost Camelot naturally caused him a brief lapse in concentration, but now he reacted, grabbing Fujimaru Ritsuka and saying seriously, "A human body cannot withstand this. Although I understand your feelings, please stay here."
Saying this, Bedivere slowly walked toward Mash.
Seeing this, Da Vinci said with some confusion, "Sir Bedivere? Why are you walking toward Mash so slowly?"
At this moment, Da Vinci felt a faint, ominous premonition.
"Wait!!!"
Suddenly, Da Vinci's eyes widened. As if she had discovered something, she looked at Bedivere and shouted, "Wait, stop! Your body!!!"
At this moment, Bedivere's body began to break down, gradually revealing its true state.
"Please relax, Knight Kyrielight." Bedivere looked at Mash, who was working hard to block the Artoria Pendragon's Noble Phantasm with her shield, and said in a gentle voice, "This shield will absolutely not break, as long as your heart is not in turmoil."
"Mr. Bedivere?!" Seeing Bedivere walk out from within the castle walls, she also fell into a brief state of surprise. Then, following his instructions, Mash took a deep breath and steadied her heart.
Then Mash discovered to her surprise that the bouts of pain she could feel before had now completely disappeared. This made her look at Bedivere involuntarily and ask, "Is that how it works?"
"That's right." Bedivere said with a smile. Looking at Mash, he remarked, "You're very talented. Listen closely, and please do not forget."
"The Chalk City changes according to the heart of its wielder. If there is gloom or defilement in the heart, flaws will appear, and it will be crushed by the raging waves."
"But if there is no hesitation in your heart, its front gate will never collapse."
Saying this, Bedivere showed an extremely gentle smile and looked at Mash, saying softly, "You are not a knight meant to defeat enemies; you were chosen by the Round Table to display your kindness."
"...Who are you?"
At this moment, the Artoria Pendragon looked at Bedivere, her voice carrying a hint of confusion. "By the looks of it, you should also be a knight."
"?!"
Mash looked at the Artoria Pendragon in total shock and shouted, "It's impossible that you don't recognize him!! This is Sir Bedivere!! A Knight of the Round Table!"
"What are you... saying...?" The Artoria Pendragon seemed to glitch, her voice somewhat intermittent. "I do not know... a knight by that name."
"I thought as much." Bedivere felt no surprise at the Artoria Pendragon not knowing him, because Merlin had already told him so before he came.
However, Bedivere slightly raised his Silver Arm and said calmly, "But, seeing this, your memory might become clear."
"Grasp the sword, Silver Arm (Switch On Agateram)!"
"Now, sever that light of judgment!!!"
The magecraft on it was completely unsealed, and a golden brilliance lit up the entire room as Bedivere swung his 'Silver Arm.'
A massive amount of golden energy was released from his hand, severing the light beam fired by Excalibur Galatine.
Outside the video.
Magical Girl Illya World.
"This... this..."
Illya's eyes were wide. She couldn't believe everything she was seeing. Was Bedivere in the video really this powerful?!
No! Wait!!! What's happening to his body?! Why is his body starting to crumble?!!
"Has he... already reached his limit?"
Watching this scene in the video, Miyu seemed to understand something. She said with a look of lament, "Or rather, he has already reached the end of his journey; there's no longer any need to keep hiding."
"Now is the final moment."
"I don't quite understand." At this point, Illya was already a bit dazed because the amount of information just now was simply too much.
First Merlin suddenly appeared and said a whole bunch of things, and then Bedivere walked out and used his Silver Arm to sever that light of judgment.
Regarding what Miyu just said, although Illya felt it sounded impressive, she always felt like something was off.
She didn't get it! She just didn't get it!!!!
"Well, basically, the Artoria Pendragon before us is the disaster caused by Bedivere."
magical ruby seemed to have understood something. She floated in mid-air, her tone sounding quite subtle as she said, "Merlin said that Artoria—the King Arthur of that Singularity—is the greatest sin Bedivere committed."
"Although I don't understand how he did it, judging from Bedivere's previous expression, he must have committed an unimaginable sin."
"And he himself came to this Singularity to atone for that sin, and based on Merlin's words... Bedivere seems to have reached his limit."
Compared to the confused Illya, magical ruby roughly understood what was happening before them.
Although she herself only understood a little bit, that little bit was enough.
"Miyu!!!!" Illya looked at Miyu with teary eyes, hoping that the all-knowing Miyu could help her with an explanation.
"magical ruby is right."
Seeing Illya like this, Miyu also let out a quiet sigh, then replied calmly, "I can probably confirm now that Bedivere is not a Heroic Spirit; he is likely a human who has survived since a long time ago."
"Although I don't know how he survived—after all, surviving on willpower alone is a bit difficult."
"So... he must have some kind of treasure in his hand that allowed his physical body to be preserved, and his soul also persisted thanks to his incredible willpower."
Saying this, Miyu looked at Bedivere and the Artoria Pendragon in the video. She shook her head and then said calmly, "As for what comes next, I don't know how to guess either, because I think it's better for Illya to see some things for herself."
Miyu had already seen through a corner of the truth, although this corner was enough for her to deduce the full picture of the situation.
But for now... Miyu chose not to deduce, but instead intended to quietly watch this knight named Bedivere as he completed his final mission for his King.
"Eh?!"
Seeing that Miyu wasn't going to say more, Illya looked a bit disappointed. But soon, she perked up and focused all her attention on the Artoria Pendragon and Bedivere in the video.
Since Miyu said so, she believed she should experience the next scene slowly for herself!!!
At this moment, Illya's heart was filled with resolve!
Detective Conan World.
"So that's how it is?"
Even though the theme had deviated slightly from the Human Order Incineration incident, Kudo Shinichi still instinctively began to deduce the current situation.
He looked at the video in great surprise. Seeing Bedivere's body crumbling into clods of earth, Kudo Shinichi's eyes were filled with complexity.
Based on what Merlin and Bedivere had said previously, Kudo Shinichi had roughly deduced the entire truth.
"What a cruel truth this is."
Looking at Bedivere, who still maintained a smile in the video, Kudo Shinichi for a moment actually didn't know what to say.
That was because Bedivere in the video had indeed made a mistake. As for what mistake he made, Kudo Shinichi could roughly guess.
That was failing to complete King Arthur's order—the failure to return the Holy Sword to the Lady of the Lake.
Because perhaps only during that period would Bedivere make a mistake! And it was an unimaginable one.
Failing to return the Holy Sword for the third time caused an abnormality in Artoria—that is, King Arthur.
This ruler who should have died became the King of Storms, or the King of the Dead, wandering the mortal world.
"Even though I know Bedivere is the 'culprit' of this Singularity, he's just too pitiable."
At this moment, even though Kudo Shinichi had deduced that this was all Bedivere's fault, as he looked at this knight whose body was collapsing yet still wore a gentle smile...
The heart of this great detective, known as the Holmes of the Heisei Era, was still filled with pity and a faint sadness.
His end would likely be his own death. Yet even knowing this, this silver-haired knight still showed no resentment; his heart was even filled with determination and a lack of regret.
Kudo Shinichi stopped speaking as well. He stared at the screen, wanting to see what Bedivere's final end would be.
Would it be death, or would a miracle happen?
The video continued playing.
"That brilliance just now was..." The Artoria Pendragon looked at the golden brilliance released from Bedivere's hand. Various images surfaced in her eyes, and her voice was no longer devoid of emotion, but showed a hint of fluctuation as she said, "I know it. I know this..."
"Who are you? Why do I... Ugh!!!"
The Artoria Pendragon showed a look of great pain, as if something was about to erupt from her mind. It was the thing called 'Remembrance.'
"Fujimaru Ritsuka."
Bedivere, whose body had already begun to crumble, looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka behind him and smiled. "I was able to make it this far thanks to you."
"I express my heartfelt gratitude for the kindness you have shown me until now... and please, allow me to express my apologies."
"I have kept things hidden from you. I knew the reason for the Artoria Pendragon's transformation. Even though I knew, I remained silent."
"For this, I ask for your forgiveness."
Perhaps thinking of Dr. Roman's concealment and what Holmes had said, Bedivere apologized to Fujimaru Ritsuka for his own concealment, hoping she could forgive him.
"Bedivere..." But Fujimaru Ritsuka's voice trembled slightly. Her pupils reflected Bedivere's current figure, and she said with a shaky voice, "Wait... your body... is crumbling?!"
"No way?!"
At this time, Dr. Roman's voice came through again. He said in disbelief, "What is going on?! Why has it been in an erroneous operating state until now?!"
"Fujimaru Ritsuka!! Is the Bedivere on your end real?!"
Dr. Roman seemed to have sensed something. His voice was full of shock as he said, "The observation results are abnormal. There is no saint graph reaction at all! The Magic Circuits are also at a human level... I should say! This!!!! This is a normal human!!"
"The person beside you is not a Servant; he is a normal human, just like you!!!"
Dr. Roman's words directly shocked the three people on the scene, as well as most of the people outside the video who hadn't yet guessed the truth.
Bedivere is a human?! This existence who had been fighting all kinds of Servants and enemies alongside the Chaldea group was actually a normal human?!
How was this possible? And what exactly was going on?!
Mash and Da Vinci both had their eyes wide, expressing great shock at Dr. Roman's words.
Even Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at the gradually crumbling Bedivere in front of her in disbelief, asking with shock and confusion, "How is that possible... but, why?"
"No." Bedivere smiled and continued, "The Doctor's analysis is correct. Because I am not a Servant, I deceived everyone with Merlin's magecraft. It's the same with this Silver Arm. This is..."
"Excalibur." Da Vinci's expression was still one of shock, but as the Almighty, she had already seen through part of the truth. She looked at Bedivere's Silver Arm and replied very seriously, "That arm is the Holy Sword, Excalibur!"
"Excalibur!!!!!"
At this moment, the Artoria Pendragon seemed to have finally reacted. Her expression remained pained as she watched Bedivere's body gradually crumble, her eyes reflecting him. She spoke, "Bedivere... I remember that name should be... Could it be, you?!"
"Yes." There was no longer anything to hide. Bedivere looked at the Artoria Pendragon before him and said in a very calm voice, "I committed a sin. I did not want to lose my King's feelings, and that led me to commit an incredibly foolish crime."
"In that forest, I hesitated at your command. If I had returned the Holy Sword to the Lake, you truly would have died."
"I was afraid of that happening, so even on the 'third time,' I failed to return the Holy Sword."
Hearing this, the Chaldea group showed expressions of'so that's how it is.' This was the branch point!
In history, Bedivere returned the Holy Sword on the third attempt, but the Bedivere here did not. Did this lead to the emergence of the Artoria Pendragon?
Bedivere continued, "When I returned to the forest, the King had already vanished... Later, I understood."
"Because the Holy Sword was not returned, the King could not even seek death. The King took up the Holy Spear that remained by her side and became the King of the Dead wandering the world."
"To atone, I have been searching for you—always—searching for a figure that didn't even exist."
With just a few simple sentences, Bedivere explained everything that had happened to him and the truth of why King Arthur had become the Artoria Pendragon.
"That's impossible!!!" Dr. Roman shouted, his emotions highly agitated. "If that's true, that's 1500 years!! Have you been searching for King Arthur for 1500 years?!"
"A human cannot live that long, but Excalibur halts the holder's aging."
"But that's a physical matter; the spirit does not become ageless! In such a vast span of time, all alone?!"
"Did you continue your journey of atonement all by yourself?!"
Dr. Roman seemed to feel Bedivere's current situation personally. His voice sounded exceptionally sorrowful as he said, "How could there be such a tragic thing! There should be a limit to cruelty!"
"Thank you, Dr. Roman." Facing Dr. Roman's sympathy, Bedivere smiled. "However, it wasn't quite that hard."
"Furthermore, I was granted a final chance like this, all thanks to Fujimaru Ritsuka."
"If you hadn't been there on that Night of the Holy Selection, I wouldn't have been able to reach this place."
Even now, Bedivere was still comforting Dr. Roman. His kindness and persistence were truly moving.
This is a persistence spanning 1500 years!!!!
"I cannot remember." The Artoria Pendragon's expression was still quite distorted. She looked at Bedivere, a hint of tenderness mixed in her pain. "I remember the name Bedivere, but I cannot recall any memories regarding you at all."
"Are you truly Sir Bedivere?"
Before Bedivere could respond, the Artoria Pendragon looked at his determined expression and knew in her heart that he was the real Bedivere. She said seriously, "Fine, then return to my side. Throw away that sword; it is something I no longer need."
"If you are my knight, then follow my voice and return to my Round Table, Bedivere!"
Unlike what Lancelot and Gawain had said, and unlike the other Knights of the Round Table who could leave at will or even rebel...
The Artoria Pendragon didn't seem to want Bedivere to leave her. Instead, she wanted him to stay by her side.
The slight emotional fluctuation in her voice was enough to prove how much she valued Bedivere.
"No, that won't do." Bedivere looked at his King with gentle eyes and said firmly, "Artoria Pendragon, incarnation of the Holy Spear."
"To you, I am an enemy to be struck down, because you must take your revenge on me."
"And! And...!!!!"
Bedivere recalled everything he had experienced in this Singularity. He looked at his King and declared loudly, "I have the duty to stop you! As a member of the King of Knights' Round Table, I declare to you!"
"I am the Knight of the Round Table, Bedivere!"
"As one who acts for good, I am the existence that shall strike you down, who acts for evil."
"No!" The Artoria Pendragon frowned, her pained expression not fading. She shook her head forcefully and looked at Bedivere in denial. "What are you saying, Bedivere?"
"You are mine... you belong to that person who once was me..."
The Artoria Pendragon wanted to say something, but her memories had not returned. She could only feel that Bedivere was extremely important to her.
Therefore, her words were fragmented, making them feel quite strange.
However, to make the Artoria Pendragon—who had previously been so cold and heartless, looking down on the Chaldea group—show such an expression and say such things...
One could imagine just how important Bedivere truly was.
"Come, Fujimaru Ritsuka." Bedivere's body was crumbling, yet he still looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka with a smile, unhurried like a true knight. "Please give me your final instruction. Please give me my fourth chance."
"The Holy Sword is to be entrusted to its rightful owner by the hands of a person of good heart."
"I... no longer have that qualification."
Looking at the dimmed expression of Bedivere, Fujimaru Ritsuka wanted to say that they would take it from here, that he didn't need to work hard anymore and could rest in peace.
However, she could not let that 1500-year will be tarnished because of her.
Thinking of this, Fujimaru Ritsuka clenched her fists, a steel-like will flowing in her eyes. She shouted, "If this is your wish!"
"Go! Bedivere!!!"
Hearing Fujimaru Ritsuka's words, Bedivere showed a relaxed smile. He looked at Mash beside him and said, "That's wonderful. Then, Sir Mash, I ask that you come with me."
"Please, support this me who is full of shortcomings."
"Yes." A trace of sadness appeared on Mash's face, but it quickly vanished, replaced by determination. She said seriously, "I will respond to Sir Bedivere's request with all my strength!"
"The enemy is the Artoria Pendragon, the Goddess Rhongomyniad! Let the final battle in this Holy City begin!!"
Accompanied by Mash's shout, Mash and Bedivere moved together, charging toward the Artoria Pendragon.
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