C256

Shirou had no intention of selling himself to Alaya or becoming one of Gaia's lapdogs. However, facing Gaia's relentless pursuit, Shirou became annoyed and decided to divulge the existence of Arcueid, the Princess Arc, to the planet.

"Create a vessel and put the touch of the planet inside it?"

"Yes, there's nothing quite like creating something with your own hands," Shirou replied.

"But in doing so, the touch of the planet will be imbued with the personality of the body. If something goes wrong, I won't be able to control it..."

"So, you need to choose your vessel carefully,"

"Can you be this vessel?"

"No, please stay away from me," he replied without hesitation.

Shirou had informed the planet about the existence of Arcueid, the Princess Arc, but he had no personal investment in whether the planet created a version of her in this world.

His top priority was to gather all possible allies and eliminate Crimson Moon at all costs.

Finally, a reply was received regarding the sending of envoys to the Hun's King who was hailed as the Scourge of God.

The reason for the previous lack of response became clear when Shirou instructed the envoy to mention the term "Vanguard of the Umbral Star." 

Sure enough, Attila replied.

Shirou couldn't help but sigh. It was evident that this Attila was not the Hunnic King from history, but rather the Vanguard of the Umbral Star, a Giant God of Destruction whose true body resided on the moon.

It was no wonder that Crimson Moon had agreed to a non-aggression pact with Attila - this was no ordinary foe.

There were malicious speculations that Crimson Moon had chosen to invade Earth due to the presence of the Giant God of Destruction. However, Shirou dismissed these thoughts and had no interest in knowing the specific reasons. All he knew was that recruiting Attila would increase their chances of defeating Crimson Moon.

Attila had requested that Shirou not bring a large army to the meeting and Shirou had agreed. He brought only his knights, Merlin, and a translator to the meeting.

Shirou brought his most luxurious entourage, leaving only essential domestic officials to handle the affairs of the kingdom. As the heir, Morgan couldn't accompany him and had to continue her studies alongside Guinevere.

Moreover, as the other party was an invader, it was necessary to bring Artoria with the Sword of Promised Victory for negotiation and intimidation purposes when dealing with Attila.

Rhongomyniad had to be transformed into the Tower of Light to maintain regulation of the True Ether on the island, so Shirou couldn't bring it along. Instead, he quietly arrived at the meeting place with his group, carrying only Caliburn.

Upon entering the designated location, Shirou immediately spotted Attila sitting on a throne. Her skin was slightly tanned, and she had long white hair, holding the Rainbow Sword, also known as the Sword of Mars.

Her expression was very flat, giving people a hollow feeling, similar to the first time Shirou met Artoria.

However, Shirou's knights were taken aback by the revelation that the infamous Hunic King was, in fact, a girl.

As they were processing this information, a general standing beside Attila spoke in ancient Hunnic, a language that Shirou couldn't comprehend. Fortunately, he had brought a translator along, who relayed the general's message: "Your Majesty, the King Attila welcomes the arrival of the Eternal King."

"Please convey my pleasure in meeting Attila," Shirou responded.

The translator nodded and conveyed his message in Hunnic.

Thanks to the translator's assistance, the group was finally able to communicate with Attila's party.

One of Attila's generals asked, "Has the Eternal King come here to offer tribute to our country and seek our protection against attacks from the Roman Empire?"

Shirou sneered and looked towards Merlin, who understood the situation and stepped forward to clarify, "That's not correct. Our king has come to establish an alliance with your country."

Upon hearing this, the general gestured towards a prepared seat below the steps and said, "If you've come to form an alliance, please have a seat so we can discuss it in detail."

Shirou glanced at the offered seat and sneered, "While it's customary for guests to follow their host's lead, kings are not beholden to such traditions."

With Gawain carrying a chair behind him, Shirou made his way towards Attila's throne at a slow and steady pace.

The general's expression tightened, and he drew his sword, demanding, "Eternal King, what do you think you're doing?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm here to form an alliance with your king, not with you!" Shirou scolded, taking a seat on the chair that Gawain had brought over.

At this, the Hunnic generals surrounding them drew their swords and pointed them at him.

Undeterred, Shirou remained calm, while his knights drew replicas of the holy sword, each emitting a dazzling light. With the exception of Artoria, all of the swords were replicas.

The sudden appearance of the holy swords made the Hunnic generals suspicious.

Artoria, who held both Excalibur and Avalon, stood closely by Shirou's side.

Attila couldn't help but notice Excalibur in Artoria's hand, and her body instinctively shook with fear and heaviness. She stood up and tightly grasped the Sword of Mars, saying, "It doesn't matter. I'll destroy everything in my path. Fight with me."

Shirou pointed to himself and asked, "You want to fight me?"

"No," Attila replied, pointing to Artoria. "Her!"

Artoria looked at Shirou, who nodded in agreement. "Go, Artoria."

"As you wish," she responded before descending into the arena with Attila.

The Huns around them scattered without waiting for Attila's command.

Attila and Artoria remained calm, though their eyes betrayed their vastly different intentions. Artoria's gaze was filled with determination, while Attila's eyes were empty, consumed by destructive desires.

Attila held the Sword of Mars, which shone with a dazzling rainbow-colored light. Artoria, on the other hand, kept Excalibur at her side, its golden light radiating a serene aura.

With a sudden clash of swords, the two began their intense combat.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The metallic echoes of their swords filled the air, the clashing of steel reverberating with an ominous undertone.

Their sword shadows intertwined, gleaming with danger and flashing with deadly intent.

In terms of swordsmanship alone, neither combatant could claim the upper hand. Their battle was a true clash of equals, a meeting of two exceptional talents. Hidden within each move were layers upon layers of lethal intent.

It was a spectacular sight, one that left Gawain sweating profusely as he watched, realizing he was no match for either of them. Even Lancelot, with his exceptional swordsmanship, wore a grave expression on his face.

The intensity of the fight continued to escalate, with each stroke of their swords illuminating the arena as if the next moment would bring a clash of magical energy.

Seeing this, Shirou drew Caliburn, skillfully controlling his magical energy, and swung the sword with precision. A small beam of light shot out, forcing the two combatants to push apart.

Shirou sheathed Caliburn, smiling as he addressed the King of the Huns. "Shall we call it a draw for this match? You are no longer the Vanguard of the Umbral Star, and Artoria is not the first holder of the holy sword."

Attila regarded Shirou for a moment before nodding and speaking. "Very well. We can form an alliance."

With Attila's agreement, the formation of an alliance became significantly smoother.

After several days of negotiation, everything was settled.

According to Attila, the Roman Empire was originally her intended target for conquest. However, with their current focus on ravaging other civilizations, she had put her plans on hold for the time being.

After finalizing their agreement and bidding farewell to Attila, Shirou and his group prepared to depart.

However, Artoria appeared to be lost in thought, her gaze fixed on Attila. She occasionally widened her pupils and furrowed her brow, as if something about the King of the Huns was perplexing her.

"What's wrong?" Shirou asked, noticing her distracted expression.

"It's nothing, my king," Artoria replied, shaking her head as she followed Shirou. However, as they were about to depart, she couldn't help but glance back at Attila, who was also looking at her.

For a moment, their determined blue eyes and hollow, destructive red eyes met in the air. Artoria wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but facing those red eyes, she felt as if she were glimpsing the end of her own life.

Shaking her head to dispel these thoughts, Artoria turned to follow Shirou. She was a knight, and her duty was to protect her king.

"That person..." Attila muttered to herself.

"What's wrong, my king?" one of her followers asked.

"That woman," Attila replied. "The one with the sword. It's either I die by her hand, or she dies by mine. It's inevitable ever since she started wielding that holy sword. Our very existence is fundamentally different from each other."