Chapter 694: The King of Knights, Artoria's Predicament!
"I ask of you... are you my Master?"
A solemn, dignified voice echoed through the room, carrying the weight of chivalry and ancient oaths.
A magic circle, glowing with ethereal blue light, had manifested on the floor without warning. From within the particles of mana, a valiant figure emerged. She was clad in shining silver armor over a blue dress, her blonde hair tied in a bun, and her posture straight as a blade.
She was a Servant who had answered a summoning call across space and time, ready to serve her lord in the Holy Grail War.
"Hmm?"
However, as the light faded and Artoria Pendragon opened her emerald eyes to look at her summoner, her expression froze.
The solemn atmosphere shattered instantly.
The single, golden ahoge—the antenna-like hair standing atop her head—twitched violently, signaling extreme confusion and shock. Her eyes widened until they were round as saucers, her pupils trembling.
For no other reason than the scene before her.
There was no battlefield. There was no magus workshop.
There was only a luxurious bedroom filled with the heavy, musky scent of pheromones. And in front of her, on the large bed, were two people who had clearly been interrupted in the middle of a very intense, very private "mana transfer" session.
"Ren-kun, is this... another woman you've found?"
The woman on the bed, Kanae Kocho, leaned her chin on Ren's shoulder. Her body was flushed pink, her purple eyes misty with lingering pleasure, and her voice carried a seductive, breathless rasp.
As the former Flower Hashira, Kanae was gentle and accommodating, but she also possessed a mischievous streak. She was already accustomed to Ren having more women; in fact, she often encouraged it.
"My, my. And right when I reached my limit, too. What perfect timing."
Kanae let out a soft, satisfied sigh. She uncoiled her limbs from Ren's body and got up with a soft pop, the sound of skin separating from skin echoing in the silent room.
She reached out gracefully, picking up her elegant silk nightgown from the floor and sliding it over her curves. The fabric whispered against her skin.
With her long, dark hair flowing like a waterfall down her back, Kanae walked over to the dumbfounded Knight King.
Artoria was still processing the visual overload. She was a virgin King, a warrior who lived by the sword. Seeing such a raw, primal display of affection was like a mental flashbang.
"Good luck, little knight~"
Kanae smiled benevolently, her eyes curving into crescents. She walked behind the dazed Artoria and gave her a gentle, encouraging push on the back.
Then, with a sway of her hips, Kanae walked out the door, closing it softly behind her.
"Ren-kun, you continue. Don't keep her waiting."
...
The room fell into an eerie, suffocating silence.
Artoria, pushed by the Hashira's surprising strength and her own mental instability, stumbled forward.
"Eh?"
She took two uncoordinated steps. Her armored boots caught on the plush carpet.
Gravity took over.
"Ah—!"
She fell forward, her hands instinctively reaching out to break her fall, but it was too late. Her face landed directly on the target.
Thud.
Or rather, Splat.
Her face buried itself into the very "weapon" that had been engaged in battle just moments ago. It was hot. It was hard. And it was right in her face.
"!!!"
The sensation was electric. The smell was overwhelming.
The King of Knights' brain short-circuited.
"Ah ah ah ah!"
A second later, Artoria scrambled back as if she had touched molten lava. She jumped to her feet, her face burning with a mixture of extreme shock, humiliation, and righteous fury.
"You... You...!"
Whoosh!
A gale of wind and compressed air currents erupted around her. The sheer pressure blew the curtains open. Her skirt armor fluttered violently, and mana surged into her hands, forming the shape of a weapon hidden by invisible wind—Invisible Air.
Her murderous gaze fixed on the calm Ren, who was still sitting on the edge of the bed, completely unbothered by the sudden assault.
"How dare you! How dare you humiliate a King like this!" Artoria roared, her voice cracking. "Even if you are my Master, this transgression is unforgivable! I will kill you!"
She didn't care about the Holy Grail War anymore. Her purity had been defiled.
She swung her hands, wielding the invisible Excalibur. The sound of air being sliced apart whistled through the room—a sharp, deadly keen.
Her target was the "weapon" Ren had exposed! The source of her shame!
If the other women in the villa—Erza, Esdeath, Raiden Shogun—knew about this, they would probably skin this Saber alive. That was their precious treasure, the Excalibur of the household, something they both feared and loved.
Ren ignored the incoming blade. He didn't even flinch.
He simply raised his right hand with a strange, amused look. On the back of his hand, three crimson geometric strokes glowed ominously—the Command Seals.
He decided to test the mechanics of this anomaly.
"I command you with a Command Seal... retract your murderous intent and grab it."
Flash.
One stroke of the Command Seal evaporated into red particles.
The absolute magical order bypassed Artoria's Magic Resistance instantly. It drilled into her spirit origin, seizing control of her motor functions.
Whoosh!
The violent wind surrounding her sword dissipated instantly. The Invisible Air faded, and the mana construct of the sword vanished.
"What...? My body...!"
Artoria's eyes widened in horror. She tried to pull back, but her muscles rebelled against her will.
Her hand, which had been swinging down to castrate him, slowed down. The fingers unclenched, the palm opened, and with gentle, unavoidable precision, she reached out.
And grasped the weapon.
...
Ren's expression was peculiar. He looked down at the King of Knights, who was now holding his "Excalibur" with a trembling, armored hand.
'Could this person be destined to be with me?' Ren mused. 'First her face, then her hand... both have been intimate with the family jewels within two minutes of meeting. What kind of foreshadowing is this?'
Thinking of this, he decided to give her what he hadn't had the chance to give Kanae earlier.
"???"
Feeling the pulsing heat and the throbbing vein in her palm, Artoria trembled all over.
"Ugh... Ahhh...!"
Black mist began to emanate from her armor. Her eyes swirled with chaos. The humiliation was pushing her toward her Alter form.
"Heh heh heh heh heh..."
She let out a broken, deranged laugh.
"I will... I will destroy it! If I can't cut it, I will crush it!"
The King of Great Britain had been defiled; the source of the defilement must be destroyed!
She exerted force in her hand. She possessed A-Rank Strength. She could crush boulders into dust. She squeezed with everything she had, not caring about the stickiness or the indecency.
Squeeze!
Unfortunately for her, that part of Ren belonged to the Administrator of the Doomsday Chat Group. It was reinforced by the laws of the universe.
No matter how much strength she used, even exerting the full power of a Heroic Spirit, the "Sword in the Stone" remained unbreakable.
Ren didn't even wince. In fact, the pressure felt like a firm massage.
"Is that all you've got, King of Knights?" Ren teased.
"Die! Why won't it break?!" Artoria screamed internally.
And because she used too much force, squeezing the "tube" too hard...
Splurt!
The contents that had been building up from his session with Kanae erupted.
White fluid splattered onto her face, her cheeks, and even landed on her lips.
"..."
Time froze.
Artoria's astonishment overshadowed her desire to kill. She went cross-eyed, looking at the mess on her face. Her brain shut down completely.
Ren just watched quietly, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips.
[System Notification: Detected that you have come into contact with an uncertain factor! Analysis complete.]
'Hmm, I already knew,' Ren thought, dismissing the screen.
He was too familiar with the blonde woman in front of him. The Ahoge, the armor, the gluttonous energy—it was Artoria Pendragon.
Coupled with the Command Seals that suddenly appeared on his hand, the situation was obvious. A summoning accident caused by the merging worlds.
But this wasn't the Type-Moon universe. Where would a Holy Grail War come from? There was no Alaya, no Gaia, no Root here. So how could there be Servants? How could Command Seals even be effective?
It seemed his Administrator privileges were interpreting the "Summoning" as a contract, granting him absolute authority.
"I command you with a Command Seal... stand still."
Ren spoke calmly.
Flash.
Another Command Seal disappeared from his hand.
"!!!"
Artoria, who was about to wipe her face and scream, snapped to attention. Her legs locked together, her arms pinned to her sides. She stood stiffly like a statue, unable to move a muscle.
Ren stood up from the bed. He grabbed a tissue, casually wiped himself clean, and then, right in front of the immobilized King, calmly put on his underwear and trousers.
Artoria watched the process, her face burning so hot she felt she might melt her armor. She was trembling with a cocktail of anger, shame, and confusion.
"What exactly do you want to do?!" she hissed through gritted teeth. "You summoned me only to humiliate me like this? Is this your idea of a ritual? What is your intention, Master?!"
"Heh."
Ren chuckled, buckling his belt. "Haven't you noticed yet, Saber? Look around you. Feel the mana in the air."
He stepped closer to her, invading her personal space.
"This world is not the world you are from. There is no Fuyuki City here. There is no Holy Grail for you to make a wish on. You are a glitch in the system."
"What are you talking about..."
Artoria wanted to retort, to defend the honor of the Grail, but she suddenly froze.
She closed her eyes and extended her senses.
Nothing.
She couldn't sense the Greater Grail. She couldn't sense other Servants. She couldn't even sense the Counter Force. It was as if she had fallen into a void.
"Understood now, right? I didn't summon you at all," Ren sneered, tapping her forehead. "On the contrary, I should be asking you: My girlfriend and I were having a good time, loving each other, and you barge in like a peeping tom. Who is the rude one here?"
"If... if you didn't summon me, why do you have Command Seals?" Artoria argued, though her voice wavered. "The proof of the contract is etched on your hand!"
Ren shrugged. "I'm sorry, I don't know. Maybe the universe thinks I need a pet knight."
He looked at the single remaining Command Seal on his hand.
"Actually, I'm also quite curious about the mechanics. If I use up the last Command Seal... will you disappear? Or will you stay here, unbound?"
Thinking of this, Ren's eyes glinted with a mischievous, sadistic light.
"Let's test it. I command you with a Command Seal... clean up the mess on your hand. Lick it."
"What?!"
Artoria's face turned pale with shock. Her eyes darted to her hand, which was still sticky with his essence.
"You... you devil!"
"Just consider it punishment for your intrusion," Ren said coldly. "And for trying to crush my junk."
"No! I refuse! This is against the code of chivalry!"
But the absolute order was absolute.
"Ugh... Ahh...!"
Artoria's hand began to move. It jerked upward, fighting her will every inch of the way.
"Stop! Body, stop!" she screamed internally.
She didn't want to taste that flavor again. It was the taste of defeat. It was the taste of this arrogant man.
The process of lifting her hand was a stalemate. Her A-Rank Strength battled the Command Seal's magic. Her arm shook violently, veins popping on her forehead.
The hand inching closer... and closer... to her trembling lips.
Finally, seeing the tears forming in the corners of her eyes, Ren decided he had teased her enough.
"Forget it. Let's leave it at that."
He snapped his fingers. "I release you from the command."
Snap.
The pressure vanished.
"Hah... Hah..."
Artoria relaxed completely and slumped to the floor, gasping for air as if she had just fought Heracles. She wiped her hand frantically on the carpet.
Ren squatted down in front of her. He poked her soft, red cheek.
"Hmm. The Command Seals are gone. But you didn't return to the Throne of Heroes."
Ren tilted his head. "Tsk tsk tsk. That's strange. It seems you are stuck here."
"You...!!!"
Realization dawned on Artoria.
She looked at Ren's hand. The back of his hand was smooth. The red tattoos were gone.
He had no more Command Seals.
He had no more control over her.
"You scoundrel!" Artoria roared, scrambling to her feet. The humiliation of the last five minutes crashed down on her. "You have used all your commands! Now, you are defenseless!"
She summoned Invisible Air again. The wind howled.
"I will wash away this shame with your blood!"
She raised her invisible sword, ready to strike down this insolent Master.
But just as she was about to swing, she froze again.
Ren raised his hand calmly.
Buzz.
Red light flared.
On the back of his hand, and winding up his forearm, intricate red geometric patterns manifested.
One. Two. Ten. Twenty.
Countless Command Seals appeared, glowing with boundless magical energy. It looked like a full-sleeve tattoo made entirely of absolute authority.
"How... how is this possible?" Artoria stammered, stepping back in fear. "A Master only has three...!"
"Rules?" Ren laughed, the sound sending shivers down her spine. "I am the Administrator. Replicating trash power like this takes just a single thought."
With a wave of his hand, the twenty Command Seals vanished, then reappeared, flickering like a faulty light bulb.
"I have infinite commands, Saber. I can make you do anything. Forever."
This scene left Artoria dumbfounded. Her sword lowered. Her will crumbled. She was trapped in a room with a monster who had infinite control over her body.
Ren stood up and pointed to the bathroom door.
"Go take a shower first. Clean yourself up. After your shower, we'll have a good, long talk about your new employment."
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