"Artorius, just bear with it for a moment."
Space Lion King, who was clad in silver armor and possessed a regal figure and the aura of a mature woman, said to Artorius who contemplated which course of action to take in subduing the Artoria Species.
"After everything is settled, we can discuss some personal matters." She calmly added.
One could say she truly was a mature big sister. Even when discussing such trivial matters, her expression remained unchanged.
Thinking back, Artorius was used to dealing with the regular-sized Artorias. But facing an Artoria of this 'colossal' size was first.
He remembered, there was also Morgan, but a witch and a knight were entirely different styles, not to be confused.
Artorius remained silent, just gazing calmly at Space Lion King, seemingly accepting her decision.
"Good, we can continue our conversation now!" Z chirped. "By the way, X and Artoria of this world are doing well. Don't worry; I won't harm them. After all, they're still 'sisters' of Artoria Species."
'That is, as long as you behave.'
Z didn't say the last sentence and only said it inside her mind, but even without her saying it, just by looking at her smug expression, Artorius knew what she was thinking.
"I thought you were our enemies."
Artorius responded with a calm tone. His restless feelings aside, at least on the surface, he showed no fear.
"I originally intended to mediate the war between all of you."
"You have good intentions." Space Lion King said with a gentle look at Artorius.
"We are, of course, enemies. If we met elsewhere, we would surely clash. But this time is different; our goals are aligned, Artorius." Ex said while gazing at Artorius with a stoic face. "Artorius, you want to resolve our problem, right? If you want to do that, then be serious; don't attempt to deceive us."
Artorius found himself being lectured like a child, and what's more, it was by Ex, who was the most innocent and adorable among the Artoria Species. This made him feel somewhat embarrassed.
"..."
He remained silent for a few seconds, then nodded. Since emotions couldn't solve the problem, it was time for action.
He was also curious about what these three strongest Artorias wanted to say. They seemed to know something about the Artoria Species that others didn't.
"Artorius, do you know why we came to find you? What motivates us, what purpose and reason do you think we have?" Space Lion King spoke while gazing at Artorius's face.
Artorius nodded, indicating that he knew.
"In addition to what you already know..." Ex continued. "Aside from the bonds between us, aside from our love and care for you, do you know anything else?"
"..."
Apart from emotions, love, and the affection between mother and son, what drove these people forward was something more practical, more straightforward.
Interests and desires.
"..."
Things like always being together with their son go without saying; every Artorias would want those things.
But from what Space Lion King was pointing out, it wasn't about that.
"Could it be, Artorium?" Artorius voiced his earlier speculation. "Do Artoria Species get stronger when they're around me?"
"That's part of the reason." Z responded.
When it came to 'interests', most of the Artorias, including XX, had this thought in mind, aside from their desire to shower their son with affection and have a joyful time with him.
"Any Artoria Species who possess Artorius will have her strength increase. So why can't that person be me?—This is what every Artoria Species thought."
Space Lion King, who played the role of the eldest, spoke the reason.
"But this is only talking about potential—the potential of the Artoria Species. The reality is, within the Artoria Species, there are strong and weak ones. What determines the strength of an Artoria Species, apart from training, effort, battle experience, weapons, and some adventures, is a very important factor—Artorium."
"This element was discovered by Mister Universe Merlin and is exclusive to the Artoria Species. It exists in every Artoria Species and unconsciously radiates as Artoria Species takes action."
"When many Artoria Species gather together, the Artorium will converge, greatly enhancing their power. Moreover, with the actions and deeds of the Artoria Species, the quality of this element will continuously improve."
"Artoria Species from Sapphire Galaxy will all have their abilities strengthened as the Artorium within them improves. That's why, the reason why our strength will increase dramatically when we possess you is—"
"Because there's a significant amount of Artorium within me...?" Artorius interrupted and looked at Space Lion King strangely.
"No." Space Lion King shook her head. "It's because of a special substance in you, we called it sub-element. This sub-element can stimulate the Artoria Species to produce Artorium faster, sometimes even dozens or hundreds of times faster than usual. The production speed becomes even faster during various intimate interactions with you."
"It's because of this reason that X, who was just a mere stupid brat, has now grown to be that strong. It's truly beyond my imagination." Z quipped.
—Whoever possesses Artorius can become the strongest Artoria Species.
Once considered a mere legend, the appearance of stronger Mysterious Heroine X has turned that legend into reality.
"In Sapphire Galaxy, Artorius is like a strategic weapon. Any Artoria Species organizations that have Artorius will experience a rapid increase in strength, dozens, or even hundreds of times over. With such power in Sapphire Galaxy, they could achieve dominance." Ex calmly uttered words that left everyone in awe.
In Servant Universe, the Artoria Species were already a top-tier force. If the power of them were to increase dozens or even hundreds of times again, it might be possible to unify the entire universe and establish a galactic empire.
Ex's statement about Artorius being a strategic weapon was entirely accurate. His mere presence could reshape the entire Servant Universe. At that point, no matter who, a single sword beam from any Saber Artoria could demolish anything!