C505

Kotomine couldn't help but give a wry smile watching his Servants bicker, yet he felt a hint of relief knowing Assassin still heeded his words.

He shifted his attention to Karna. "Karna, do you think our plan will work?"

Karna replied with a slight shake of his head, "Considering Eternal King isn't back at full strength, we can't be sure of his combat abilities or if he has any hidden aces up his sleeve."

Kotomine's brow furrowed, "So, are you saying our odds aren't great?"

"If we were relying on just a surprise attack from me, then yes. But we have the most suitable candidate to fight Eternal King."

"Who?"

Karna simply raised his hand and pointed towards Achilles.

"Wait, me?!" Achilles blurted out, taken aback.

Kotomine's eyes widened with understanding. "Ah, right! Achilles' Diatrekhōn Astēr Lonkhē would be the perfect Noble Phantasm to counter someone whose power we can't gauge."

...

Back at the Graveyard...

Sisigou and the petite knight had returned to their base.

Yet...

Chomp, chomp, chomp...

The distinct sound of someone devouring food filled the otherwise quiet graveyard.

Sisigou looked somewhat speechless as he watched the petite Knight, who was constantly munching on potato chips, hamburgers, and other junk food.

"Didn't you say that we should return and talk about our strategy, Sir Galahad?" 

Crunch, munch... The petite knight barely paused from her snacking, her words muffled, "Later. I'm not in the best mood, and I'm starving. Need to eat first. Chomp, chomp..."

He asked in bewilderment, "Can't we plan and eat at the same time? And seriously, how much can you eat? Did you just plow through an entire McDonald's worth of burgers?"

She didn't even pause in her meal. "I have a big appetite, and I eat until I'm satisfied. You see, hunger is a formidable enemy!"

He tilted his head, "Why are you keeping your back to me? Is there some kind of Medusa-like curse I should be aware of?"

"Nope, I just don't like people seeing my face while I eat. Trust me, Master, you won't like me when I'm annoyed. So give me some space and find something to occupy yourself until I'm done."

He gave a resigned nod.

The small knight had only raised her helmet slightly, leaving the back of her head still concealed. However, there was one thing he was absolutely sure of.

She had golden hair.

He saw it, a glimmer of gold peeking out from under her raised helmet. Just that one strand told him everything he needed to know.

After devouring all 120 burgers he had brought, the petite knight finally gave a contented burp.

"Whew... I feel human again."

With a quick swipe across her face, she secured her helmet and faced him.

"Alright, let's get down to business." she stated.

"Wait, I need some explanation. Who or what exactly is this Eternal King?" He looked genuinely puzzled. "I'm drawing a blank on this Heroic Spirit."

She blinked, taken aback. "Didn't I mention this before? It's another version of King Arthur."

"That's my point. I have no idea who that is."

Feeling out of the loop when everyone else seemed in the know was, without a doubt, uncomfortable.

She chuckled, "It doesn't matter if you don't know. Just understand that this Heroic Spirit is very powerful, and that's enough."

He raised an eyebrow, "That strong, huh?"

The knight smiled, "Did you see how that heretic freaked out when he heard about Eternal King? Doesn't that say enough about how strong this person is?"

After a pause, she added, "As for the rest, I'm not sure. But I can guarantee that this Heroic Spirit is definitely powerful."

He looked at her, impressed yet still a bit skeptical, "How can you be so sure?"

"Master, are you familiar with Pan-Human History?"

He gave a nod. "Yes, I do."

She explained, "Think of Pan-Human History as the "official" storyline of humanity. Countless parallel worlds branch out from this "official" narrative. No matter what, whether it's meddling from the past or the present, this main storyline remains unchangeable. Let's use Camelot as a case in point: its downfall is engraved in Pan-Human History. Even if someone were to time-hop back to Camelot and stop "Mordred" from destroying it, when the time comes, Camelot will still mysteriously be destroyed."

He raised an eyebrow, "The way you're putting it about pan-human history and parallel worlds is new to me. But to boil it down, you're saying pan-human history is set in stone and cannot be altered under any circumstances?"

"Yes," she nodded, "Once I became a Heroic Spirit, I understood that any attempts to mess with the timeline were pointless. The flow of history is absolute. But then—"

She paused, her voice dropping low, "That person defied everything. Out of countless realities, he alone managed to change Pan-Human History."

He took a moment to digest the information, nodding slowly, "So, someone actually managed to change the unchangeable?"

The petite knight's gaze was sharp, "When he can take the form of an Assassin, it implies he's even more suitable for that class than I am. By any measure, he's a significant threat. That's why the priest wanted him gone."

"And not just 'wanted'," she stressed, "He needed him gone as soon as possible! Had he remained, this Holy Grail War might've ended overnight."

"It seems like... you have a strong animosity toward this Eternal King?"

"It's more than just animosity. I have to take him down," her eyes blazed as she spoke, "It has to be me. I have to be the one to defeat him."

She added, "When it comes to him, there's no room for mistakes. You strike hard, strike fast, catch him off guard, and take him out before he catches on. Because once he does, there will be no second chance. I'm pretty sure about this." 

Her voice was thick with passion, her hand clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Sisigou looked at her with a sense of curiosity.

Her passion seemed out of place, no matter which angle he viewed it from. It wasn't just determination he saw; it bordered on an obsession.

An unyielding need to bring down a specific enemy.

Then, it clicked for him. 

He remembered who the petite knight truly was.

She was a Heroic Spirit, summoned from the shards of the Round Table. While her exact identity remained a mystery, it was undeniable that she hailed from the legendary Knights of the Round Table, associated with King Arthur's legend.

Both the petite knight and the priest had hinted at the fact that the so-called Eternal King was none other than King Arthur himself – the very King Arthur who had defied and changed the trajectory of pan-human history.

Sisigou couldn't help but wonder if she might actually be one of those Knights from the legend of Eternal King. The idea kept bugging him, but he couldn't quite figure out why she hated Eternal King so much.

And another thing...

"Why do you keep calling the priest a heretic?"

She scoffed, rolling her eyes, "That priest? Total heretic. You heard his wish, didn't you?"

"A world where everyone's chill and happy," he shrugged. "Sounds pretty good to me. What's the issue, Sir Galahad?"

"Come on, don't make fun of me, Master. Sounds like typical heretic talk to me! I've seen his type before. He's probably dreaming of something big like 'the salvation of all humanity' or some other bullshit like that. The idea that humanity needs a savior is just... ugh. And the craziest part? Some people actually fall for it."

She sneered and said, "People like him, even if they mean well, usually end up stirring up trouble. When he's up to no good, he somehow manages to convince himself it's for the greater good. Basically, they're people who live in their own world and refuse to see reality. So, Master, I'd advise you not to get too close to him. If he starts messing with your head, you can bet I won't hesitate to stick a knife in your back!"

He said helplessly, "Can you please stop mentioning backstabbing all the time? Even though I know you won't do it, it still makes me uneasy."

She chuckled, "Can't help it, it's kind of my thing."

...

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