Chapter 9: A Moment, Destined by Fate

Chapter 9: A Moment, Destined by Fate

Everyone in the national square was shocked by the recent loud noise.

Fujimaru Mikihiko also gave it his all.

Although his body could still sustain the extreme output of magic power from just now, he understood that even if he destroyed the high platform,

he would not be able to truly pull the sword from the stone.

There was no special reason; if it couldn't be pulled out, it just couldn't be pulled out. The owner of the sword in the stone was not him.

Slowly releasing his grip on the sword in the stone, Fujimaru Mikihiko shrugged his shoulders, his smile still directed at the people: "There should be no more doubts about the authenticity of this sword in the stone, right?"

The middle-aged knight from before cast an apologetic and respectful look at Fujimaru Mikihiko, solemnly performing the knight's salute.

"Sir Knight of the Holy Light, please accept my respect. You are, aside from Prince Arthur, the person with the most kingly aura I have ever seen."

Following this, the other knights guarding the square's high platform also saluted Fujimaru Mikihiko in unison.

This was not submission, but respect.

Because they all knew that today was the script for King Arthur's ascension to the throne.

From today onwards, there would only be one protagonist of the era.

That would be the new king of this land, Arthur Pendragon.

He, Sir Knight Austin, had become the past, merely a foil.

Artoria stared blankly at the ground; beneath her feet, due to Fujimaru Mikihiko's attempt to pull the sword, cracks appeared on the ground, spreading like a spider web.

"Arthur."

At some point, the absent-minded Merlin finally returned to his senses, softly reminding King Arthur.

King Arthur took a deep breath and also saluted Fujimaru Mikihiko.

Previously, Fujimaru Mikihiko had received salutes from other knights, but this time he returned the gesture to King Arthur.

Under the watchful eyes of the public, King Arthur approached the sword in the stone, reaching for the hilt.

Almost without seeing how he exerted force,

a 'clang' of the sword's ringing was heard.

This moment.

Was destined by fate.

King Arthur pulled out the sword from the stone without a hint of hesitation...

[Yes, it was destined by fate.]

[Right there, within arm's reach, you witnessed Artoria pulling out the sword from the stone.]

[No one saw more clearly than you how effortlessly King Arthur drew the sword.]

[It was at that moment, you saw the sunlight pause on King Arthur's gauntlet, just for an instant, triggering the star-like sparkling of the sword in the stone.]

[It was this instant, truly a moment that changed fate, dissolving all traits of the blue sky, sunlight, and stars, crowning this chosen king, elevating her to something beyond mortal.]

[So close, your soul trembled incessantly for that indescribably beautiful and unspeakable trait.]

[You knew, this was Morgan le Fay's acknowledgment.]

[You knew, the era belonging to King Arthur had begun.]

[Everyone showed a smile.]

[But at that moment, you did not; you looked at the azure sky, lost in thought.]

[Knowing the concept of Heroic Spirits, you thought, if you challenged King Arthur to draw the sword at that moment, perhaps an Alter version of you might appear on some Holy Grail War battlefield in the future.]

[You then thought of the first time you ran away from home, hearing what those villagers said about chivalry, the spirit of knighthood, and the virtues of knights.]

[You thought, if you were not a knight, wouldn't that be better?]

[You could openly challenge King Arthur, even ambush, and thoroughly defeat him from the front, confident in defeating King Arthur who hadn't received Morgan's acknowledgment.]

[Then you could ascend the throne and be king, also riding a horse under the attention of thousands.]

[Even more, you could marry Guinevere as your queen.]

[You felt your own 'sin', and suddenly felt some disgust towards yourself.]

[You realized that if you continued like this, you might go mad, so you quickly adjusted your mindset.]

[The king is not the king, this king, is destined to be tragic, she is not Arthur, she is Artoria, she is just a girl destined for tragedy, you comforted yourself in your heart.]

[Previously, you were just an abandoned infant left in the lake, but now not only have you become the guardian knight of Princess Guinevere, but you can also watch another world's you, the obsessed King of Idiots, step by step, personally create a brand new, grand, and not self-righteous world.]

[You finally felt, this was already very good, after all, this king, is worth following for a lifetime.]

[You showed a smile again, looking at this king recognized by the people.]

[She also smiled at you.]

[Her lips moved slightly, as if saying something.]

[Suddenly, you noticed, it was at this instant, the crows on the golden dome of the palace flapped their wings once more.]

[The next second, you understood her words.]

[She said: Many people are smiling, that must be right.]

[At this moment, you thought so too.]

[Yes, even if you really could pull out that sword, it would still not compare to her.]

[But still, you felt some regret, but it was just regret.]

[Your Noble Phantasm 'Sword of Revelation' has been unsealed, you can now absorb more kinds of aura.]