C471

Artoria wasn't the only one taken aback; Gilgamesh was also momentarily surprised before breaking into laughter. When he turned his eyes to Shirou, they burned with intensity. "Heh, look who's back."

Shirou stepped in to stop Gilgamesh from badmouthing Artoria and openly declared her as his woman. But really, was that even a surprise? Granted, under the influence of Crimson Moon, he had entertained some less-than-honorable thoughts about her. But could anyone blame him?

Back when he first set foot in Britain and stayed at Ector's estate, young and impressionable Artoria had definitely caught his eye in more ways than one. Was that really shocking? He wasn't made of stone, after all. How could he not have some fantasies about such an attractive woman?

In fact, she wasn't the only one. During the Fourth Holy Grail War, he also found himself thinking some pretty impure thoughts about Scathach.

There was no denying it; at that time, her mature body had been highly stimulating for him. However, he had strong self-control and managed to restrain himself. After ascending to the throne and facing numerous tribulations, his thoughts were cleansed, and he no longer entertained such impure thoughts.

Nowadays, he was indifferent to gender or appearance, focusing solely on one's talents and usefulness.

Nevertheless, he could not deny that he had once had impure thoughts about Artoria, a vulnerability that Crimson Moon exploited.

He acknowledged his own weaknesses, but that did not make him a coward. It was difficult to face Artoria, true, but he was prepared to take responsibility for his past actions.

Artoria, taking in her king's profile, found herself without the right words to say.

A whirlwind of emotions enveloped her—there was happiness, but it was shadowed by sorrow. What should've been a pure love had been tainted by Crimson Moon.

The king had recognized her, and even acknowledged that regrettable moment in their past. But acknowledgment didn't erase her own mistake, a reality she had no choice but to face.

She's a woman marked by shame, a knight whose loyalty was questionable, and these facts are now permanently recorded in history. Her love has been tainted, forever stripped of its purity. Could it be that the king's acknowledgment isn't really about love but more about his own sense of guilt and self-reproach?

He recognized her, yes, but was it driven by guilt and self-blame? Should she feel elated about this recognition, or should she be sad?

Artoria didn't know. And the truth is, neither did Shirou.

Because whether it was him or her, both were experiencing this for the first time. Who has experience in such matters? They were both inexperienced.

He buffed her with three stacks of Mana Burst (C) and then said, "Let's head to the side hall first and take care of the enemies there."

"Understood, my king."

Gripping her sword tightly, she dashed out of the main hall, her speed almost making it look like she was running away.

Whether her heart was bubbling with joy, weighed down by sadness, or perhaps even filled with a sense of avoidance, she couldn't say. What she did know for sure was that her feelings hadn't changed. If it was for the king she looked up to, there was nothing she couldn't do!

She summoned the king's steed, Dun Stallion, and joined the battle. Straddling the horse, she held her holy sword in her left hand and the holy lance in her right, with Avalon's scabbard securely fastened at her waist. To top it off, Gray's massive magical support backed her up. This was Artoria at her peak, the very same Artoria who, over fifteen hundred years ago, had taken down the White Dragon, vanquished Crimson Moon, defeated the Sword Emperor Lucius, and killed Attila.

Mounted on Dun Stallion, she made quick work of the one-eyed giant, wielding her holy sword and lance. Her performance was amplified by the three layers of Mana Burst (C) bestowed upon her by the king.

She was even more efficient than Karna and Arjuna, lagging only slightly behind Scathach, who could take down a giant with just a single stab.

It wasn't surprising. Armed with two Noble Phantasms and protected by the invincibility granted by Avalon's scabbard—plus Gray's magical support—anything less than top-tier performance would be unthinkable.

Karna and Arjuna did notice this formidable presence on the battlefield, but they didn't seem to give her a second thought because, in their eyes, there was only each other.

For Karna, everything else was optional; he couldn't afford to lose to Arjuna, and Arjuna felt the same way.

Artoria charged through the temple on Dun Stallion, her majestic presence capturing everyone's gaze as the King of Knights.

The performances of the other Heroic Spirits went without saying, but Emiya Kiritsugu, squatting on the side and smoking a cigarette while watching this scene, couldn't help but sigh. He realized that the Heroic Spirit he had once summoned was incredibly powerful!

And then...

Well, there wasn't any "and then." He just puffed on his cigarette, eyes fixed on the ongoing battle between the demon god pillars and the one-eyed giants that seemed to rage on without end.

Barbatos, in the midst of the fray, shouted: "Hmph! Shua! Ultimate Mystic Eye Cannon! Eat this burst of Myriad Blossoms!... You're still standing? Here's the Heavenly Domain Demonic God Cannon for you!"

Barbatos looked pleased with himself, a glint of self-satisfaction in his eyes. He wasn't just firing off attacks; he was naming them, even throwing in his own sound effects. Whether it was a grandiose name like "Heavenly Domain Demonic God Cannon" or a strange shout like "Hmph! Baboom! Why won't you just go down?" There were even occasional curses directed at Kiritsugu, such as "Why am I stuck with such a trashy support?"

Kiritsugu didn't react much to Barbatos' complaints. He simply took another drag from his cigarette and relocated to a safer vantage point, from where he could better observe the ongoing clash between Barbatos and the one-eyed giant.

Meanwhile, Artoria burst into the side hall on Dun Stallion. Upon seeing her, Merlin was overcome with emotion, his eyes welling up. "It's a glorious moment, Lily. The king has finally acknowledged you, accepted you as his woman. I couldn't be happier for you."

Ripping a piece of cloth from his robe to dab away his tears, Merlin wore the expression of a sentimental dad about to give his daughter away in marriage. All Artoria could do in response was to run away in panic.

Merlin's heart swelled with emotion. With his Clairvoyance (EX), he had naturally seen what had just happened in the main hall. The moment the king called Artoria his woman, there was no doubt that the king had acknowledged her. For Merlin, who had always regarded her as his daughter, this brought him immense joy.

"Uther, did you see that? Our girl is finally finding her happiness..."

As he dabbed the moisture from the corner of his eyes with his robe's edge, his expression suddenly froze. Did he just say something truly disgusting? After a moment of reflection, he concluded that it wasn't as bad as he initially thought. He shook off the momentary doubt and returned to his emotional state.

With Artoria entering the fray, the rate at which they were taking down the one-eyed giants skyrocketed. Even the huge dragon head looming over the main hall seemed to sense the pressure, letting out uneasy roars as numerous gigantic arms began to cluster around it.

Gilgamesh took a brief look at the dragon before turning to Shirou, "Do you have enough magical energy?"

Shirou quickly checked his status. "I used some skills not too long ago. Right now, my magical energy is at a D-level."

Gilgamesh looked surprised and asked, "Then how are you still maintaining your true form?"

Clearly, what Gilgamesh referred to as his "true form" was the one he was currently maintaining.

In response to Gilgamesh's question, he said with exasperation, "Do you think I'm a Digimon, evolving and de-volving when I want to?"

"What's a Digimon?" Gilgamesh asked.

"Look it up with your Noble Phantasm."

Gilgamesh made a face that clearly said he wasn't pleased.

"Your emotions are...quite something," King Solomon chimed in.

Shirou retorted, "Get lost!"

Gilgamesh snorted. "Watch your words, mongrel!"

As the duo started bickering, the eerie humanoid figure on the massive dragon's head still clutched the black cup, emitting a sinister light. Meanwhile, other humanoids on the dragon's neck let out a bone-chilling howl, further intensifying the aura of dread.

"Hateful... hateful... hateful..."

"Vessel... vessel... vessel..."

"My vessel..."