[Holy Capital, Atop The Palace]
The Lion King withdrew her gaze from afar and said, "Agravin, have the Enforcement Knights bring Mordred and Tristan back to the estate to recuperate, and tell them that when their injuries have healed, I will carry out punishment."
"As the King commands," Agravin received the order and left.
Only the Lion King remained, her expression hidden beneath the pure white helmet.
"When a person is killed, they die."
Reflected in her yellow-green pupils was the figure of a young man.
He was smiling, his crimson hair so vividly clear even in the darkness.
"I'm sorry, Saber. I have no way to save you, nor the ability to. But I know, if it's you, no matter how much time passes, no matter how long it takes, you'll always be able to find the answer you need."
The first time her wish had been acknowledged as not wrong, the first time she received support, and the first time she was not left alone.
'Why, Shirou?'
'Do you too think that what I am doing is wrong?'
'That I am an unfit King?'
———
[Northern Valley Region]
After witnessing the judgment the Lion King, a heavy atmosphere lingered over this group of refugees and over Fujimaru Ritsuka.
The woman held Rushd close, lips pressed tight, and said to the long-silent Fujimaru Ritsuka, "We've already entered the mountainous region. We just need to keep moving toward the village while hiding along the way."
"'East Village' is hidden on the backside of the mountain. Without someone to lead the way, it's easy to lose direction."
"For knights who excel in mounted pursuit, chasing us here will be troublesome. With luck, we only need to watch out for wild beasts and bandits hiding in the mountains."
"How long will it take? Is it close?", Fujimaru Ritsuka perked up to ask.
She believed that her Emiya-senpai wouldn't die so easily. Didn't the incident in Singularity F prove that much already?
'Besides, that strike just now might not even have been aimed at Emiya-senpai. It is just… what we ourselves assumed.'
The woman was about to reply, when Roman's voice came urgently through the communicator, ["Not good, Ritsuka, there's a high-speed magical reaction closing in behind you!"]
"Of all times, it has to be now?", Fujimaru Ritsuka turned back, barely glimpsing four Enforcement Knights rushing at superhuman speed.
Their horses had been abandoned on the plain.
"Though I know this is tradition…", Da Vinci smiled, "If it ends at the very last moment, that would be far too awful."
"Take another good look, Romani. They should only be the vanguard."
"This reaction!"
Mash suddenly stood up.
Roman's expression changed upon reading the data.
At the side, Olga Marie spoke gravely, ["Fujimaru, your situation is dire. Behind the vanguard, there are at least forty Enforcement Knight energy signatures… and one… a Knight of the Round Table!"]
"Just a little too late, huh!", Roman sighed.
They were right at the mountain's edge. If they had gone just a bit deeper, the knights could never have caught up.
"There's no other way now."
Since regrouping after leaving the Holy Capital, Bedivere had been traveling with them. His expression was firm as he said, "We must engage immediately. At their speed, they'll soon reach the tail of the refugee group."
"Understood."
Fujimaru Ritsuka took a deep breath to clear her mind, "Mash, quickly clear out the pursuing knights, then shake them off."
"By your command, Master."
Mash raised her shield. Working together with Bedivere, they dispatched the four Enforcement Knights in less than thirty seconds.
Suddenly, Bedivere's face darkened, "Such fast pursuit speed… could it be… Sir Lancelot?"
"Lancelot?"
Mash's brows knit tightly at hearing that name.
Seeing this, Fujimaru Ritsuka immediately decided, "Everyone, drop your baggage, quickly! Pregnant women and children to the front!"
The refugees didn't hesitate either. Whatever belongings they had, they all threw to the ground.
"Mash, the Knight of the Round…", Fujimaru Ritsuka asked seriously, "Are you sure you can take on Lancelot?"
Mash didn't even hesitate, "Leave it to me, Master. I absolutely—"
"No!", Bedivere rejected that decision, saying, "Leave him to me."
"But…", Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at Bedivere, whose face showed deep exhaustion and pain, "With these numbers…"
"Indeed," Da Vinci thought seriously, "With this many, not even Sir Bedivere could handle it alone."
"I can fight alongside Sir Bedivere," Mash lifted her shield.
"It won't work."
Da Vinci's gaze went to the Enforcement Knights racing closer, preparing to split into two groups to encircle them before they could enter deep into the mountains.
At the front was a knight whose presence was overwhelmingly strong.
He was the one giving commands.
A member of the Round Table, Sir Lancelot.
"What a pity," Da Vinci sighed, "If it were just one Knight of the Round, leaving it to you would be fine."
As she spoke, she mounted the all-terrain vehicle she had developed.
Fujimaru Ritsuka felt uneasy and asked, "Da Vinci, why are you getting on the all-terrain vehicle?"
"You mean this?", Da Vinci replied in a boastful tone, "This is a modified ornithopter with a central magical energy convergence device installed. Its name, Sphinx Megiddo. Pretty cool, right?"
"Now's not the time to talk about how cool your machines are."
From the communicator, Olga Marie asked, ["So, you already have a plan? As expected of the universal genius!"]
"Well, you're not wrong," Da Vinci answered lightly, "The Sphinx Megiddo can charge into enemy lines and detonate… essentially a suicide bomb. Its one drawback, though, is that it doesn't have an autopilot."
Having explained, she said, "Fujimaru Ritsuka, I'll drive it into their ranks. You take the refugees and go!"
"What are you saying?", Fujimaru Ritsuka was stunned.
"Exactly what I said."
From the other end, Olga Marie sighed, ["Have you really decided? There might be another way."]
"What way?", Da Vinci, looking nothing like someone about to die and more like she was about to ride a rollercoaster, teased, "Don't tell me you're thinking that the Emiya-senpai you all trust so much will show up in time to save us?"
"Let's be clear, the Holy Capital is at least a day's journey away on foot. Even for a Servant, it'd take a lot of time."
"Besides," Da Vinci smiled, "Right now is the grand genius's moment of entrance. More accurately, it's my final appearance."
"Da Vinci…", Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at her, overwhelmed with mixed emotions.
"Don't get it wrong," Da Vinci showed not a trace of facing death, "Servants, by their very nature, are disposable tools to be thrown away after use, aren't they?"
["What nonsense are you spouting?"], Olga Marie's voice came through, harsh and severe, ["Such disregard for life is something Chaldea absolutely will not allow. You'd better abandon that idea."]
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