Silence.
A deathly silence.
No one expected Gray to have this side to her. Even Lord El-Melloi II hadn't imagined that the girl who once feared looking in the mirror would actually say such things in front of a proper Servant.
"Miss Akatsuki!"
"Hmm? What is it, little Gray?"
"Please allow me to duel with King Arthur!"
"Wait!" ×2
Lord El-Melloi II and Ad hurriedly spoke up to stop her. Standing before them was a proper Servant; even if Gray had grown a dragon's heart by now, facing her directly would be fraught with danger.
"Hey, hey, hey! Gray! What on earth are you doing?! That's King Arthur! The master of the Holy Sword and the Holy Spear!!!"
"You know the legend of King Arthur well. I do not recommend you rashly challenge her to a duel."
"Eh? Saber is King Arthur?!"
Aside from Shirou Emiya, who was surprised by Avenger's identity, both Ad and Lord El-Melloi II advised Gray against challenging the legendary King Arthur. After all, King Arthur was known in legend as the King of Constant Victory.
Akatsuki, on the other hand, looked like she was enjoying the spectacle. If Gray could truly make Avenger change her mind, that would be for the best; even if Avenger persisted in her ways, she was no match for Akatsuki.
They arrived inside the dojo of the Emiya Residence.
"Let's agree beforehand: no Noble Phantasms, no magical energy, no damaging the grounds. Only bamboo swords are allowed."
"As a knight, I accept your challenge!"
"Please guide me!"
Both sides held bamboo swords, standing opposite each other.
"Hey, hey, Gray, are you for real?!"
"I absolutely do not acknowledge the current King Arthur! Such a wish is an insult to the knights who walked alongside her! There must be a limit to this nonsense!"
For some reason, Ad felt that the current Gray seemed a bit different from her usual self. The introverted and shy Gray had become extremely assertive upon meeting Avenger.
"What? Why did it suddenly turn into a battle?"
Arcueid looked at the two in the dojo with bamboo swords in confusion. Things had developed too quickly; they were just discussing how to handle the Holy Grail, and the next second, the two had begun to spar.
"Hmm... how should I put it? You can understand it as a younger King Arthur seeing the current King Arthur and being unable to resist scolding her."
Akatsuki had produced a lounge chair from somewhere and was lying on it leisurely.
"I see." Lord El-Melloi II nodded, seemingly agreeing with Akatsuki's explanation. "Gray's body was already transforming into King Arthur's. Directly contacting King Arthur now has had a certain impact on her psyche, causing her to subconsciously mimic King Arthur. And the noble King Arthur does not seem to agree with that Avenger's ideas."
Everyone watched the two figures constantly clashing in the center of the dojo. One was Avenger as King Arthur, and the other was Gray, who had once been treated as a vessel for King Arthur. Initially, Avenger overwhelmed Gray with her superior swordsmanship, but as time passed, Gray seemed to grasp some sort of knack, gradually narrowing the gap between her and Avenger.
"Saber is a King..."
Combining what she had said before, Shirou Emiya now vaguely guessed her wish. However, his viewpoint remained unchanged: to do something akin to overturning history just to make up for one's mistakes was undoubtedly wrong.
Suddenly, Gray's speed increased sharply, for a moment forcing Avenger to switch from offense to defense.
The bamboo swords in their hands collided, producing crisp sounds.
"Not bad, little Gray."
Akatsuki said with a smile. Originally, she thought Gray would at most struggle to defend against Avenger's attacks, but Gray had exceeded her expectations by actually forcing Avenger back. However, that was as far as it went.
Just then, a sharp crack echoed in the dojo. Gray's bamboo sword snapped into two pieces, while Avenger's bamboo sword was held against her throat.
"You lost."
"Yes, I lost."
After the farce ended, Avenger turned to look at Akatsuki. Although she said nothing, Akatsuki understood: she wanted the greater grail to fulfill her wish.
"I never said that if you won, I would give the greater grail to you."
However, at this moment, Avenger couldn't listen to Akatsuki's words at all. The Spirit Foundation of an Avenger ignited the darkest corners of her heart, manifesting pitch-black armor. Flames of anger flickered in Avenger's eyes.
She directly grabbed Akatsuki's collar and lifted her up.
"Give me the Holy Grail!"
"I'll give you one chance. Let go of me."
Akatsuki narrowed her eyes. "Does this behavior fit your identity as a knight? I brought the greater grail back; logically, I am the winner of the Fuyuki City Holy Grail War. Yet now you are trying to force me to hand over the Grail. Is this your chivalry?!"
Akatsuki's voice wasn't loud, yet it seemed to carry a magical power. After hearing it, Avenger felt as if she had just woken up; she hurriedly released her grip and stepped back a few paces in disbelief.
"Just now..."
"It's fine, I forgive you."
Akatsuki straightened her collar.
"Lord El-Melloi II, you and Tohsaka Rin should start preparing the ritual needed to dismantle the greater grail. I'll have a good talk with Avenger."
Once everyone had left, Akatsuki used Marble Phantasm to create another lounge chair beside her.
"Lie down and let's talk."
After Avenger lay down, Akatsuki spoke. "Your reason for participating in the Holy Grail War and wanting the greater grail is nothing more than three points: First, you believe you were an inadequate king and want the sword in the stone to select a new king; second, to save your homeland, Britain, from the devastation of war and division; third, to become the guardian deity of Britain after your death, protecting the country you fought for forever."
"That's right..."
"The sword in the stone would not have chosen any king other than you, because it was originally designed specifically to make you the legitimate king. Therefore, if you hadn't pulled out the sword in the stone, Britain would only have been consumed by endless war."
"..."
Akatsuki looked at the silent Avenger and sighed inwardly. "Fine, I will let you use the Grail, but before that, let's do a test."
Akatsuki's words startled Avenger, who looked at her somewhat confusedly.
"Relax, just treat it as a dream. When the dream is over, you can tell me whether you want to realize your wish."
Her vision began to dim, and an irresistible wave of exhaustion washed over her. The final image was fixed on Akatsuki's face, and at that moment, she remembered her thoughts when she pulled out the sword in the stone.
"Many people are smiling, so I thought it must not be wrong. Even if hell lies ahead, I will protect their smiles."
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