And just like that, Ritsuka Fujimaru's first kiss was gone.
Across the infinite multiverse, countless viewers who witnessed this scene couldn't help but mourn for Mash for a few seconds.
Mash was clearly the one who came first, and she obviously had a better relationship with Ritsuka. But who would have thought… Hassan of Serenity would be the one to steal the prize in the end.
Although they were all women, it didn't stop the viewers outside the light curtain from letting their imaginations run wild.
---o---
[Light Curtain Commentary]
Dr. Romani: "Tsk, I never thought Ritsuka would have such a romantic encounter. It really makes one envious."
Da Vinci: "If Ritsuka wants to experience the joys of being a man, I can help you with that~~"
Gudako: "That's not it, Doctor, Da Vinci-chan! What are you two talking about! It was just an accident!"
Tsumugi Kotobuki: "Ah, the bonds between girls are just so wonderful~~"
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "Ah, the season of blooming yuri has arrived, and it's come at the same time as the season of White Album."
Ultraman Zero the Universal Loiterer: "Hiss— I don't really get it. Did something just happen?"
Stelle the Galaxy Baseballer: "Kids should go back and watch the previous viewings. This isn't the bus to kindergarten."
March 7th: "He's not the kid here, you are…"
---o---
[On the light curtain, just as the group was about to retreat, Bedivere suddenly sensed something. His face changed, and he looked unnaturally towards the exit.]
[At the same time, Li Sushang, Hassan of the Cursed Arm, and the others also stopped in their tracks, all turning to look in the same direction.]
In front of them, a figure had been waiting for Ritsuka for a long time.
A group of Purified Knights formed a phalanx, appearing before them and blocking their path of retreat.
And it wasn't just the Purified Knights. Standing before them was a knight clad in black armor, his expression cold and grim, looking like someone you wouldn't want to mess with. He stared at Ritsuka's group with a pair of icy, emotionless eyes, exuding immense pressure.
In the next moment, Bedivere and Mash both frowned and stepped in front of Ritsuka, their faces grave as they looked at the black-armored knight.
"Agravain…"
Gazing at the knight before him, Bedivere slowly spoke his name, a clear sense of apprehension in his eyes.
Agravain was not popular among the Knights of the Round Table. It was clear that even the good-natured Bedivere was wary and concerned about the "Agravain the Iron" standing before him.
As for Mash, although this was her first time seeing Agravain, she somehow knew his name.
A Knight of the Round Table, Agravain!
Although his legend paled in comparison to the grand tales of Gawain, Lancelot, and Percival… Agravain was a man who could be called King Arthur's adjutant. He was one of the sons of Morgan, King Arthur's sister, who had spent her entire life cursing and despising the King.
And at this moment, Agravain was surrounded by a host of Purified Knights. His gaze naturally fell upon Bedivere, his eyes narrowing slightly, showing no surprise at seeing his former comrade.
"So it is you, Sir Bedivere. Just as Mordred said, not only have you failed to answer the King's summons, but you have also sided with the rebels."
It seemed that after Mordred was repelled yesterday, she had reported Bedivere's presence to Agravain on her way back. For a third-rate knight to be remembered and reported by Mordred to Agravain was, in a sense, an acknowledgment of Bedivere's strength. As for Gawain before him, for some reason, he had not mentioned Bedivere.
Faced with Agravain's words, Bedivere could only remain silent. No matter the reason, the one standing on the King's side now… was Agravain.
Agravain paid him no mind, his gaze sweeping over the others. His chilling, cold stare passed over each of them, making them feel as if they were being buffeted by an icy wind.
Finally, his eyes landed on Ritsuka Fujimaru. "Even thieves are guests from afar. Welcome, people from a distant, foreign land."
Agravain's appearance had instantly dropped the atmosphere to a freezing point. It seemed a fierce battle was unavoidable.
"One Master, one exclusive Servant, two old men of the mountain, the arrogant Monk Xuanzang who left our capital, and her Servant bodyguard."
Agravain's eyes sized up the group, and then his gaze fell upon Li Sushang.
A human?
The human characteristic of Li Sushang made Agravain frown. "A rescue mission values speed and efficiency. To bring so many people along… it seems the so-called Last Master of Humanity is nothing special after all."
To be fair, Ritsuka's rescue mission was truly a rare sight. The number of Servants present in the dungeon alone already exceeded five. The Hassans were one thing, as this was their specialty. But to bring along a Caster and a human… even as a civil official, Agravain couldn't figure out what was going on in Ritsuka's head.
Or was she willing to sacrifice everything just to save two strategically worthless individuals?
Even if that were true, such a sentimental act was, in reality, a decision only a fool would make. How could someone who couldn't abandon anything possibly save humanity?
Agravain silently gave Ritsuka a low score in his mind, his expression remaining as cold as ever. "Although I'd like to wait for Sir Lancelot to finish dealing with that old man of the mountain before we act, his speed is too slow. And all of you are targets for purification. We must clean this up as quickly as possible."
"You're as stubborn as ever, Agravain! Don't you know that's why everyone dislikes you so much!?"
Hearing Agravain's words, Xuanzang, who had been a brief guest in the Holy City, spoke out in frustration.
Agravain, however, merely sneered. "It matters not. I detest humanity. To be despised by all is just as I wish."
"I am the exact opposite of you, who dreams of guiding all living beings. I am a boring man."
Hearing this, Monk Xuanzang was speechless. She couldn't reason with Agravain. Against a man like this, perhaps only force would work.
"People who say things like that usually don't want to be despised by everyone," Guinaifen spoke up from within the crowd, just as Xuanzang was preparing for battle.
For some reason, the moment she saw Agravain, her Spirit Origin began to stir restlessly. This feeling was different from when she met Lancelot or King Arthur. It seemed to be a sense of disgust.
Unlike Mash, the influence of the Spirit Origin on Guinaifen was minimal. She could only guess how the Guinevere of this world viewed Agravain.
As Guinaifen's voice fell, Agravain's already grim face darkened even further. "An escaped criminal. If not for Sir Lancelot's dissuasion, your interrogation should have begun last night. And now you dare to speak in such a manner."
Anger. Rage. As an adjutant, he should have his emotions under control. A verbal jab of this level should not have been able to provoke him like this.
And yet, for some reason, upon seeing this person, Guinaifen, the man known as "Agravain the Iron" felt an emotion called anger.
Why was this? Who was this person, whose true nature he could not see through?
It was at this moment that Agravain began to display his formidable force of will.
The instant he sensed the change in his own emotions, Agravain was able to directly suppress them.
"Come to think of it, aside from the Lancer, I cannot see through her Spirit Origin at all."
"So that's how it is? If she is similar to the Shielder girl next to her, then I can think of one possibility."
Agravain closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew himself too well, better than anyone else at the Round Table.
There was only one girl in the entire world who could make him feel such annoyance, hatred, and even jealousy. And that was the person who should never have become the King's wife, the Queen of Camelot, Guinevere…
"I see… So Lancelot is still outside. Although his martial arts are superb, faced with the Hundred Personas who only wish to delay and flee in all directions, it will still take some effort to deal with them all."
Facing Guinaifen, Agravain spoke coldly, his tone now laced with boundless killing intent.
If the previous Agravain was someone they could still reason with, the current Agravain was someone who wanted to kill Guinaifen no matter what.
Her existence was a mistake. She should not have appeared in this Singularity. The ideal kingdom that the King had established should not contain Guinevere.
With this wish in his heart, the air around Agravain began to tremble. In the next moment, blood-red chains materialized out of thin air, their target none other than… Guinaifen!]
---o---
[Light Curtain Commentary]
Detective Conan: "Agravain actually guessed Guinaifen's Spirit Origin? I have to say, he truly is worthy of being the adjutant. Although his strength isn't outstanding, his strategic mind far surpasses the other Knights of the Round Table."
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "Alright, now only Lancelot is left who doesn't know Guinaifen's Spirit Origin. I wonder if he'll give himself a good slap after he finds out the truth."
Sushang (Cloud Knight): "Even if he slaps himself a few times, I won't forgive him. How dare he treat Little Gui like that! I'll definitely make him pay!"
Mordred: "Tsk, it's just a woman. Sir Lancelot, sigh, I really don't understand him."
---o---
[On the light curtain, no one had expected Agravain to launch a surprise attack.]
And it was aimed at Guinaifen, the one with the least ability to resist.
"Watch out!!"
"Miss Guinaifen!!"
In that instant, Bedivere and Mash reacted, shouting towards Guinaifen and running towards her position.
However, at that moment, someone else was faster than them.
Clang!!
A crisp sound rang out—the sound of a sword being unsheathed.
"A sneak attack? To strike at someone with no ability to fight back is something this young lady absolutely will not permit."
Li Sushang!!
Although she didn't know what nerve Agravain had struck, to make a move in front of her, Li Sushang, was clearly… something Agravain was not capable of pulling off.
"Hmm!? A human? No, that stance… is that the one Mordred mentioned, from the Unfettered Self Sect… Li Sushang?"
Agravain had not expected that the mysterious person who had defeated Mordred would be this seemingly harmless human before him.
"Damn it!"
It was no wonder Ritsuka could appear here with such confidence. She had actually managed to persuade a powerhouse of this level. It seemed his earlier assessment of Ritsuka was a bit too arbitrary. If not for Li Sushang, his last blow would have at least heavily injured Guinaifen!
But now, with this opponent who had defeated Mordred in a head-on battle, his chances of eliminating the source of this disaster for the King were practically zero.
"..."
Agravain clenched his fists, the killing intent in his cold eyes not diminishing in the slightest. His eyeballs were shot with blood, looking utterly terrifying.
The others didn't matter, but for the sake of the King, he now… had to eliminate that witch-queen!
"Hostile reaction continues to increase…! The Purified Knights are constantly heading underground…!"
Back in Chaldea, Dr. Romani detected the information from the Purified Knights' gathering. His expression changed as he urgently informed Ritsuka and the others.
Clearly, these Purified Knights were being controlled by Agravain. He would absolutely not allow Guinevere to leave this military fortress alive.
"Even if we continue to fight, we can't hold back their human-wave tactics! Find an escape route quickly!" the Doctor said urgently into Ritsuka's ear.
Li Sushang was powerful, but this was a dungeon. To protect so many people while fighting an endless stream of Purified Knights, even for this girl from the same world as her, was no simple task. After all… Li Sushang's strength was much weaker than her own.
However, the dungeon exit was blocked by Agravain. It seemed they had no other way to escape besides fighting.
"There's absolutely nowhere to run. Have we been forced into a corner, Agravain…!"
Hassan of the Cursed Arm stared at the Agravain before him, his expression grim.
Agravain, however, spoke with a calmness laced with a hint of madness. "Of course. Unlike the other members of the Round Table, I do not seek superficial glory. I only seek to achieve my objective."
"And killing you is my objective!"
Agravain pointed at Guinaifen. Without a doubt, the madness in his words existed because of her.
In life, due to Lancelot's presence, he was unable to execute that witch-queen. But now, Guinevere sought to continue bringing disaster upon the King's ideal kingdom. In that case, Agravain would not let her go, no matter what.
"Agravain, no, Little Ah. Although this is just a whim, I'll call you that. Can you calm down and listen to me for a bit?"
Just as Agravain was about to give the order, Xuanzang, who was standing to the side, spoke up. Her eyes, as she looked at Agravain, held a trace of complexity.]
---o---