The Immortal Abominations??
Throughout the infinite multiverse, upon hearing this term, countless viewers felt their interest ignite.
Gawain's strength was plain for all to see. He was entrusted by the Lion King with the duty of guarding the Holy City's main gate, capable of crushing four opponents at once. With the blessing of "Nightless," even Lancelot would have a hard time facing him. His Noble Phantasm, Excalibur Galatine, could turn an area of dozens of miles into scorched earth with a single sweep.
Yet, a man as powerful as Gawain was being driven to his wits' end by a group of immortal demonic beasts.
Then there was Agravain. Although he hadn't shown his combat prowess, just as his title suggested, the impression he gave was that of an iron-willed, cold-hearted adjutant. For even a hint of anxiety to appear on his face was enough to prove the severity of this incident.
---o---
[Light Curtain Commentary]
Future Sword Master: "Immortal demonic beasts… Undying, humanoid creatures with life-symbolizing sprouts on them… Could this characteristic be…?"
Within the Xianzhou Alliance, Yanqing's expression grew solemn. He turned to the pensive Luofu General beside him and said in a low voice, "General, this should be… an Abundance Abomination."
"The Voracity of Longevity and Plague… To think its footprint has already spread to another world." Beside Yanqing, General Jing Yuan of the Luofu spoke gravely.
"However, this is not entirely unexpected."
During the third viewing, the Voracity of Swarm, the Voracity of Annihilation, and even the Arbitrator of Providence and the Lord of Celestial Joy had all made appearances. It was no longer surprising for the footprint of the Voracity of Longevity and Plague to show up in this fourth viewing.
Right now, the most important question was: who were the Denizens of Abundance that had infiltrated this land of finality?
Immortal abominations do not arise from nothing. Behind them, there must be Denizens of Abundance who worship the Voracity of Longevity and Plague.
If they were just ordinary followers of the Apothecary or the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, the problem would be manageable. But if an Emanator was involved, then things would get troublesome…
Detective Conan: "Is this another creature from that world the viewing calls Honkai: Star Rail? Last time it was the Swarm King, what is it this time?"
Sampo Koski the Cold-Legged Uncle: "Immortal abominations, the Abundance, you say? While these things aren't as much of a cosmic menace as the Swarm King's brood, they're not easy to deal with either. Their defining trait is their tenacious life force. It's no wonder that guy named Gawain can't kill them."
Sparkle the Little Gremlin: "Heehee, haha, the Abundance has appeared? I remember that girl, Guinaifen, is an Outworlder from the Xianzhou, right? That makes her a follower of The Hunt. Oh, oh, oh, this is getting exciting! The fun of The Hunt versus The Abundance, I could watch this for a whole hundred Amber Eras!"
---o---
[On the light curtain, upon hearing Agravain's instructions, Lancelot's first reaction was disbelief.]
Even if the King had become a goddess, her intention was still to save this world. It was for this very reason that the Knights of the Round Table were willing to fall into such a state and continue following her, even if it meant turning on each other.
But now, the Lion King wanted him to annihilate all of humanity, regardless of good or evil. No Knight of the Round Table would ever commit such a cruel act!
Lancelot, for all his moral failings, was by no means such a monster.
In response to Lancelot's clear rejection, Agravain simply said in a low voice, "I know what you are thinking, Lancelot. The King knows as well. That is why she sent me here."
Looking into Lancelot's eyes, Agravain, for once, did not reprimand him. After all, with his loyalty, his reaction upon hearing such an order from the King would have been the same as Lancelot's.
Recalling the Lion King's words, Agravain continued, "The King said that those immortal monsters are, in essence, human beings. A power from beyond this world is transforming them into undying beasts."
"That existence, which contains immense life energy, is a sweet poison most terrible to humans. The vast majority of them cannot resist its temptation. They will transform into immortal abominations, turning this already terminal land into an even more tragic hell."
Lancelot frowned, then said gravely, "This thing sounds very strange, almost like a virus that turns humans into monsters. Whose handiwork is this, and what is their purpose?"
Hearing this, Agravain shook his head. "That is not for you or I to concern ourselves with. The King has already said there is no need to investigate the identity of the mastermind. For when the final plan is complete, this land of finality will collapse. At that time, everything outside the Holy City will vanish."
"Therefore, the King has decided now, before the humans are corrupted, before they turn into undying monsters, we will first purify all of humanity in this Singularity."
"Humanity cannot escape its doom. This is the fate of this Singularity, and it is the reason the King has given this cruel command."
Agravain believed this firmly.
Only King Arthur could save this Singularity on the brink of ruin. Only King Arthur could allow humanity to continue anew.
Therefore, even if King Arthur's command was to exterminate all of humanity, Agravain would only hesitate in surprise before choosing to carry it out. This was the quality a loyal knight should possess.
However… while Agravain could steel his heart, Lancelot still found it difficult to accept the Lion King's sudden decision. A look of struggle and confusion flickered in the eyes of this premier Knight of the Round Table.
Seeing the internal conflict in Lancelot, Agravain fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "Sir Lancelot, do you intend to betray the King again? Just like your last betrayal? And, just like that time, will you kill me?"
This single sentence completely shattered the wavering Lancelot.
As everyone knew, Lancelot and King Arthur's queen, Guinevere, had a secret love affair that they dared not tell anyone about.
At that time, a blackened Mordred exposed Lancelot's actions.
And it was Agravain who led the soldiers to arrest the unfaithful pair.
In the process of Lancelot and Guinevere's escape, Lancelot, in a moment of panic, accidentally killed the Agravain who blocked his path. He then accidentally killed several other Knights of the Round Table, which directly led to the fracturing of the Round Table.
So now, for Agravain to say these words was undoubtedly a heart-piercing blow.
Although he greatly disliked Agravain, Lancelot had to admit that he was indebted to him. Of course… the one he was most indebted to was the King.
No matter what, Lancelot would not betray the King this time.
At this thought, Lancelot's expression hardened, his eyes growing even more complex. He then closed his eyes in silence for a long moment. When he opened them again, his previous coldness had returned.
Immediately, the man spoke in a low voice, "Rest assured, Lord Agravain. The King's will, I will carry it out to the end. This is our choice."
"So, you need not remind me of the past. We have come this far, our hands stained once more with the blood of our comrades. There is no turning back for us."
Agravain nodded. "It is good that you understand, Sir Lancelot."
A faint flicker crossed his eyes. In truth, Agravain did not trust Lancelot. This man had betrayed the King in life; would he truly repent after death?
However, one thing was undeniable: they needed Lancelot's strength. Whether it was against the Sun King or the other rebels, Lancelot's power was indispensable.
So, the words he had just spoken were merely a diplomatic maneuver to stabilize Lancelot…]
---o---
Throughout the infinite multiverse, upon hearing Agravain's inner thoughts, the viewers on the other side of the screen couldn't help but sigh. As expected, the hearts of politicians were all filthy.
All Riejuu Should Explode: "It seems Agravain will never trust Lancelot, not even in death. He only said that to trigger Lancelot's guilt and make him less likely to betray them so quickly."
Sunday: "Because Lancelot has betrayed them once before. If it were me, I wouldn't trust him either. But the superficial effort still has to be made. After all… Lancelot is a threat."
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Indeed. With Lancelot's strength, if he had chosen to stand against the Lion King during the Round Table's civil war, the other knights wouldn't have been defeated without even a chance to fight back."
Fallen Black Cat: "Sigh, no matter the era, it's always the common people who suffer the most. I never thought that even without the Saint Selection and the Saint's Punishment, King Arthur would still begin to slaughter ordinary civilians."
---o---
[On the light curtain, while Lancelot and Agravain were conversing, outside the fortress, several figures were stealthily approaching under the cover of dusk.]
"We've arrived. That's the knights' fortress." Hassan of the Cursed Arm led the way, with Hassan of the Hundred Personas, Li Sushang, Bedivere, their new addition Xuanzang, and the rest of Chaldea following closely behind.
Lancelot had given them a three-day deadline. Ritsuka and the others weren't foolish enough to wait until the third day to act. Moreover, the person they had to rescue was no longer just Guinaifen. Being able to do some reconnaissance in advance was certainly better than going in with no preparation at all.
Besides, they now had Li Sushang's help. Even if they had to face a blessed Knight of the Round Table head-on, they would not be at a disadvantage.
Gazing at the fortress before them, Hassan of the Hundred Personas, who had followed them, let out a scornful laugh. "Though they say its defenses are impregnable, it's nothing. The guards are just a bunch of scarecrows who go blind at night. They're no threat at all."
To an assassin like her, a fortress that looked so heavily guarded was nothing but a paper tiger. Without a Knight of the Round Table, infiltrating it would be a piece of cake.
"The patrol routes are roughly ten men on the outer walls and ten on the ramparts."
Mash, on the other hand, was diligently scouting, carefully observing the fortress's defenses and relaying information to the Doctor on the other side. "Doctor, can you scan the interior?"
As Chaldea's crucial support for Singularity investigations, Romani's importance was self-evident. As long as Ritsuka and Mash were in the area, Romani could use Chaldea's facilities to conduct scans.
In a room filled with equipment, a white-robed Dr. Romani was rapidly typing on a keyboard, constructing a model of the fortress on the virtual screen before him.
"It's quite a large structure. There are many Purified Knights inside. It seems this is a staging point the Lion King prepared for the decisive battle against the Sun King. There are two large buildings and one small one… that should be the stables."
Soon, via the virtual screen, Dr. Romani relayed the entire fortress's layout to Mash, Ritsuka, and the others.
However, due to the high concentration of magical energy, he couldn't determine exactly how many Knights of the Round Table were inside.
"Ritsuka, there are no prison-like facilities on the surface, but there seems to be space underground. It's likely that Guinaifen and Hassan of Serenity are in there."
Hearing the Doctor's words, Ritsuka nodded and relayed the situation to Hassan of the Cursed Arm.
"An underground prison? They must have committed quite a few cruelties. Hassan of Serenity, and Guinaifen… I hope they are alright."
Cursed Arm said with concern. As an assassin, he understood all too well the fate of those who were captured. In fact, Cursed Arm himself was an expert at interrogating for information. In his heart, he feared that Guinaifen and Serenity had already been subjected to inhuman torture, which only strengthened his desire to rescue them.
Now that they knew the fortress's specific layout, the rescue plan could be put into action.
The only problem was, this fortress, with its towering walls, was easy to defend and hard to attack. How were they supposed get inside?
"I can scale the walls directly, as long as I can skillfully avoid the eyes and ears of the patrolling soldiers… but as for you, Senpai."
Mash said, glancing at Ritsuka. With her current abilities, getting Ritsuka inside without being discovered would be exceedingly difficult.
"If we are to send Master Ritsuka inside, then it will have to be up to Master Sushang."
Xuanzang put her palms together, a hint of resentment in her eyes as she looked at Li Sushang. She had been hiding perfectly fine behind the mountain, but Li Sushang had dragged her out and inexplicably made her join the rescue team. In a situation like this, she would naturally slack off if she could. Besides, she was very weak to begin with and couldn't be of much help anyway.
Hearing Xuanzang's words, Li Sushang did not refuse. Instead, she patted her chest—which put all the other women present to shame—and said, "Me? No problem. I can definitely get Miss Ritsuka into the fortress safely."
Looking at Li Sushang's impressive figure, Ritsuka deliberately averted her gaze and asked, "Sushang, how are you planning to get me in?"
At Ritsuka's question, Li Sushang revealed a faint smile. She brought two fingers together, forming a sword seal, and said, "Do you even need to ask? Naturally, we'll fly over on my sword."]
---o---