Just as Daniel stepped into the highest level and caught sight of the blonde queen in silver-white armor sitting upon the throne at the end, a hollow sense of loneliness suddenly washed over him.
Unconsciously, Daniel turned his head to look at the motionless pyramid floating in mid-air.
"It shouldn't be, right? I put Arash and Sanzang together..."
Atop the pyramid, Arash was looking down with a helpless expression at the two female Heroic Spirits who had begun to release their Noble Phantasms, prepared to crush each other with their very lives.
"Good grief, how am I supposed to interfere in this... Sorry, Daniel. It seems I've lost the role I was meant to play. But... that nun, who could possibly stop what she wants to do now?"
"After all, subduing and guiding is exactly what a monk is supposed to do."
A crimson beam of light, a golden phantom, and then a pink flower bud...
"Clarent Blood Arthur!"
"Five Elements Mountain - Buddha Palm!"
"It's over." Looking at the golden light that was unilaterally overwhelming the other, Arash gave a bitter smile and shook his head before leaping down from the pyramid.
This was no longer his battlefield.
It was time to return to the main front.
"...Should I say that's just like that meddling woman? She checked out early." As Daniel saw the pink flower bud gradually bloom and then dissipate, he knew exactly what had happened over there.
Sanzang had used her Noble Phantasm, burning away her spirit core.
With Arash supporting her, she didn't need to go that far, but it seems she did it anyway.
Her goal was likely to release Mordred from the pain of her 'Gift'.
"Don't think you can get rid of me that easily, Sanzang," Daniel murmured as he turned to follow Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others.
With the Wanderer's help, he would eventually meet Sanzang again in some other world.
Perhaps because of the nature of Singularities, she wouldn't remember his existence at all.
But the watch that Da Vinci and Fujimaru Ritsuka had given him could prove that he once had a close relationship with Sanzang.
This move... it's like getting on the bus before she has any memories!
On the throne, the Lion King looked at the group appearing before her with an indifferent expression.
Beside her throne stood a beautiful woman in blue attire, her expression dim and melancholic.
She had a very beautiful face and a fine figure, but she gave off a sense of being an unfamiliar presence.
Except to Daniel, who held Gareth's spirit core, and Mash, who held Galahad's spirit core.
And Bedivere, who stood beside the group, dumbfounded.
"How can this be... even the Queen is here..."
The Queen... that woman is Guinevere!
Daniel rubbed his head in confusion.
What the hell is going on with this place?
The development follows the movie version, but the characters are always doing unexpected things.
Now even Guinevere, who shouldn't have been eligible to become a Heroic Spirit, has manifested as a Servant.
"I am the King of Storms, the master of the Tower at the Edge, the Lion King. Answer me, for what reason have you ascended this tower?" the Lion King asked, as if reciting lines.
The expression on her face was as indifferent as ever, as if she placed little importance on anything.
"We came here to stop you!" Fujimaru Ritsuka responded. "To correct the Human Order and take back the future!"
"The Human Order has already been incinerated. Now, salvation exists nowhere but within this Tower at the Edge," the Lion King said as she slowly stood up to face them.
Just as Fujimaru Ritsuka was about to argue, Daniel stopped him.
"Fujimaru, remember one thing: never delude yourself into thinking a god can understand human sensibility. What is a devastating disaster for humans might be seen as salvation by a god; we can never truly understand a god's love for humanity." Daniel's spirit core was slowly intensifying and burning.
"Sensibility between humans is hard enough to communicate, let alone between humans and gods! Words are at their weakest and most powerless here. What you need to do is endure and gather your strength."
"Universal harmony is a pure fantasy in this world, and peaceful coexistence between humans and gods is an even greater one. Otherwise, why would so many people work so hard to bid farewell to the gods?"
King Solomon, King Gilgamesh... countless humans have bid farewell to the gods.
That is because they realized long ago that a god's sensibility is a terrifying disaster that humans can never comprehend.
"Gareth, is this why you chose Chaldea over the Holy City?" the Lion King asked, looking at Daniel with indifference.
"No," Daniel shook his head and replied. "I'm not someone with such noble sentiments. The reason I chose Chaldea is very simple: because I am human."
Daniel responded earnestly.
"I cannot empathize with the Lion King's love for humanity. As a human with intellect, I refuse to end up like those butterfly specimens. Isn't that only natural?" The tip of the lance in Daniel's hand began to emit a faint light. "I, for one, absolutely hate specimens!"
"They call it the eternal preservation of a species or beauty, but at its core, it is indifference and cruelty toward life. Humans are the most cruel, naive, ridiculous, and yet most brilliant species in this world."
"However, Lion King, you still possess a human side. That's why I'm certain your divinity is incomplete." Daniel nodded to Bedivere, who stood to the side. "And so, I've brought the ultimate weapon specifically designed for your human weakness."
"Meaningless." Glancing at Bedivere, the Lion King's expression remained unchanged as she gathered the light of the Holy Spear before her.
"Sir Bedivere..." Seeing that battle-scarred figure, Guinevere's face was bathed in tears.
Because of her repentance and guilt, she looked all the more closely.
Guinevere had immediately realized the truth that all the other Knights of the Round Table had failed to notice.
The Bedivere standing before them now... was human.
"Your loyalty to the King brings one to tears. Even though your body is in tatters, you still insisted on walking to the King's side, Sir Bedivere."
"Rhongomyniad, anchor released."
"It is the storm anchor that tears the sky and connects the earth..." The Rhongomyniad slipped from the Lion King's hand, its tip piercing the floor.
"It is our homeland that heals all wounds and all grievances..." Mash also began to chant the incantation for the liberation of her Noble Phantasm.
"Let the light bloom at the end..." Radiance gathered in the sky, "Rhongomyniad."
"Manifest! Lord Camelot—!"
The collision between the light of the Rhongomyniad and the white city of Camelot did not trigger any phenomena, but this was precisely what made it the most terrifying.
Because it was not a fleeting attack, but a terrifying assault that could continuously suppress the white city of Camelot.
Until this white city was completely shattered.
"Bedivere, go." Daniel looked at Bedivere, "The Lion King, having released her Noble Phantasm, has no time to pay attention to you now. This is your chance to make the brilliance of the Holy Sword bloom before the Lion King's eyes once again, and to take back King Arthur."
"Yes. Then, I leave this place to you." A soft smile appeared on Bedivere's face, "Lord Daniel, Lady Mash."
Just as Mash's legs began to buckle under the pressure of the Rhongomyniad, two hands pressed against the shield.
Fujimaru Ritsuka's hands gave Mash the confidence in her heart.
So, even though those hands provided no direct physical support to the shield, they reinforced Mash's firm resolve, strengthening the sturdiness of Camelot.
And Daniel began to channel Gareth's spirit core along the shield and into Camelot.
Adding the power of one more Heroic Spirit would be good, right?
"command spells!" Fujimaru Ritsuka was someone who could make up his mind as soon as he decided to act, so without hesitation, he used a command spell to strengthen Mash, allowing her legs and arms to straighten.
The originally lonely and cold top of the high tower was transformed into the ancient city of Camelot through the concerted efforts of the three.
Bedivere had now reached a distance not far from the Lion King.
"Switch On Agateram." The brilliance of the Holy Sword began to radiate from Bedivere's right arm.
The moment the Lion King saw that radiance, a look of astonishment and loss of composure appeared on her face.
Guinevere, who had been able to stand by the throne, felt her legs go weak and collapsed to the ground.
That was the radiance of the Holy Sword, the Sword of Promised Victory.
With her mind shaken, the power of the Rhongomyniad plummeted drastically.
"That light is—"
Bang—!
The radiant Rhongomyniad that had been pressing down on the shield suddenly shattered, its offensive halted.
The Lion King raised the materialized Rhongomyniad, its tip gathering the light of the spear as she pointed it at Bedivere.
"Mash! Now!" Fujimaru Ritsuka, having regained his stance, shouted loudly, "Cover Bedivere!"
"Yes!" Mash immediately ran forward, holding the shield in front of her to cover Bedivere behind her.
"Excalibur... Bedivere... this name..." The Lion King's wavering was astonishing; she, who had never shown any change in expression, not only displayed a look of hesitation on her face but even hunched over, pressing her body against the ground.
"I have committed a grave error." Bedivere looked with a guilty expression at the Lion King, whose face flickered with struggle, and said, "I returned the Holy Sword three times, but out of selfishness, three times... not once did I truly return it. The result is that I, as a Knight of the Round Table, committed the most serious sin, a sin absolutely not inferior to that of Sir Mordred and Sir Lancelot. I have made it so that the King can never find rest."
"Since then, to atone for this sin, I have embarked on an endless journey, with the goal of one day seeing you again and returning the Holy Sword to you, My Lord... But now, the prerequisite for returning the Holy Sword is to defeat you."
"Bedivere, you... are my... Aaaaaah—!"
Runaway memories began to torment the Lion King, causing her to involuntarily use Mana Burst.
"Bedivere, go." Daniel gently patted Bedivere on the shoulder, "Ahead lies the end of your journey."
"Oh King, it is I, Bedivere, who shall defeat you!" Golden radiance manifested on his right arm, and the Holy Sword Excalibur materialized in his hand.
"Mash! Protect Ritsuka well, those Mana Bursts are not easy to deal with!" Daniel, watching Bedivere's back, reminded the two behind him.
"Yes!" There was still more than half of the mana from the command spells provided by Fujimaru Ritsuka, and Mash had plenty of energy to continue holding the shield to protect her senior behind her.
Slowly removing his helmet, Daniel sensed the surging spirit core within his body, the corners of his mouth slightly curling upward.
"Ah, I understand, Gareth. At this moment, how could I let Bedivere face the King alone?"
The elevation of the spirit core never ceased, and Daniel slowly followed behind Bedivere, ready to deflect any lethal blow aimed at him at any moment.
Bedivere, holding the Holy Sword, did not disappoint Daniel.
Even covered in wounds, even with his stamina significantly depleted, he could still firmly maintain his pace and continue advancing toward the Lion King.
The lightning from the Mana Burst was cleaved apart by him with the Holy Sword; obstacles blocking the path were sliced open; all objects that could stop his advance were split in two under the radiance of the Holy Sword.
And the Holy Sword, through the contact of its radiance, channeled the shared memories of Bedivere and King Arthur along the source into the Lion King's mind.
Fragments of memories began to stir in her mind.
The Mana Burst of the Rhongomyniad could no longer play the role of blocking the opponent, so the Lion King held the Rhongomyniad and thrust it toward Bedivere's chest.
A physical strike.
"Well then, it begins." The spirit core reached its peak, and his power was so abundant that there was not a trace of pain in his body.
Daniel lifted his refined face, a green radiance flashing in his eyes.
"Here I come! This is Ira Lupus—!"
Experience began to merge into Daniel's limbs, as if having gone through thousands of tempers and ten thousand trainings; Daniel used extremely refined spear techniques without any sense of awkwardness.
Thrust, parry, lift, roll, smash, shake, coil, block, deflect, parry, collapse.
Although these were just the most basic spear techniques, with the addition of proficiency and the power of the Noble Phantasm, the Lion King, who had not had time to react, was ultimately knocked away with her Rhongomyniad.
Bedivere also stumbled to the front of the Lion King.
The collision between the radiance of the Rhongomyniad's Mana Burst and the radiance of the Holy Sword was something that he, a knight of flesh and blood, could not possibly withstand.
Being able to persist for so long and walk to here was already a testament to his firm willpower.
"You... who exactly are you?" The Lion King stared straight at Bedivere, murmuring again.
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