Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover-Chapter 136: [] Atonement and the Chosen One

That was the fear that cursed the latter half of Lancelot's life.

That was the root cause of Lancelot's descent into madness.

In Celtic mythology, Finn, who had his fiancée taken from him, refused to save Diarmuid, twice spilling the Water of Life, sending the chief of the Fianna to his doom.

Yet Lancelot, who had an affair with Queen Guinevere and fled, was forgiven by King Arthur. The pure and upright king said he would forgive both him and the queen.

"If it is your action, then it must be sincere. I believe in you."

To this day, Lancelot could hardly believe it.

It was true. There was not a hint of falsehood in the king's words. The king was blessing them, blessing the unfaithful knight and queen, as if believing that was the right outcome.

...If he were in the king's position, could he have forgiven the betrayer?

No, that premise was wrong. The king was different from us from the very beginning. Not human, not raised as a human.

She was a king who existed solely to protect the country, after all. For ten years, she had hidden her true self, and stifled herself, all to protect her people to this day.

A person who did not know human happiness yet loved the happiness of people.

Ah, that small, beautiful king was like a monster, surpassing even Vortigern—

A sad monster, distorting and trampling on her own existence.

I no longer have the courage to face my king.

So, consumed by fear, I chose to flee. In the end, I missed the Battle of Camlann, missed my final farewell with the king.

But this time, I will not run away no matter what.

With a loud crash, the armoured knight knelt on one knee, offering the most solemn gesture to the king he served, pleading for salvation.

"I missed the Battle of Camlann, and that is my greatest regret. So this time, please allow me to pave the way for you. My King, if you would permit it, perhaps the sins I bear could be atoned for, even just a little."

Saber looked at the kneeling Lancelot, opening her mouth but unsure of what to say.

She wanted to say, as she had before, that Lancelot had done nothing wrong, that he needed no forgiveness, no atonement. But Lancelot's attitude told her that this was wrong. So what should she do?

A diamond-shaped space unfolded, and a young man with white hair and golden eyes stepped out, speaking.

"This is a simple matter, Saber. Lawbreakers should be punished, and rebels must face retribution. There is an old saying in China: 'Atonement through meritorious service.' This is the path Lancelot has chosen. Do you still wish to refuse? Do you still want to go against his wishes and drive your knight back into madness?"

These words struck Saber like a bolt of lightning. She suddenly realized her own shallowness. What she called forgiveness might be seen as poison in the eyes of others.

Imposing one's will on others is not kindness; it is oppression.

"Lancelot, I permit you to atone through meritorious service. If you can fight by my side, I will pardon your sins, my dear friend."

Hearing this, Lancelot finally showed a relieved smile.

His wish in this Holy Grail War had been fulfilled at this moment!

"As you command, my King! I, Lancelot, will fight with all my strength for you!"

Now that the plan to assassinate Iskandar had failed, Sakatsuki and Lancelot regrouped with Saber and Miyu. While dealing with the onslaught from Aristotle and the priestly group, they quickly made a decision after a brief discussion.

They would fight head-on!

Though facing tens of thousands of soldiers, even with four Servant-level combatants on their side, it would be futile. But the same was true for Iskandar's side—maintaining a Reality Marble of this scale, even with the combined efforts of the summoned heroes, could not last long.

Now, it was a matter of who could outlast the other.

"I have a proposal: rotation."

Sakatsuki shielded Miyu, Rho Aias unfolding to block the rain of spears and magic.

"Our small numbers are a disadvantage, but from another perspective, the area we need to defend is also small."

"I see... If we can break through the encirclement, as long as someone holds the front, we can handle the army's attacks."

Lancelot, who had once worked with Sakatsuki to annihilate three thousand Companion Cavalry and halt Antigonus's charge, immediately understood.

"Especially with those firearms, Sakatsuki provided. In my hands, they are perfect for dealing with armies."

"Not just that. From the start of 'Ionioi Hetairoi' until now, it's about time."

Saber, holding her holy sword, stared intently at the distant figure of Iskandar issuing orders.

"If it were me, I would be consolidating my forces for a final showdown."

If they waited for the Conqueror's army to press in, they would be surrounded and inevitably defeated.

"Sakatsuki, can you still use your magecraft? We need to break free from this enciclement quickly."

"I can, but it's not feasible. That old man is constantly interfering with space."

Sakatsuki gestured toward Aristotle.

"So we have to kill Aristotle first..."

"But that won't be easy. He's surrounded by priests."

Lancelot and Saber looked grim.

Though both were wielders of holy swords, their Masters' mana reserves were limited. If they used their Noble Phantasms now, they would struggle to recover in time for the Conqueror's final assault.

"In that case, I'll go."

Sakatsuki spoke lightly.

"He's just a scholar. I have plenty of ways to deal with him."

"Then we leave it to you, Sir Sakatsuki. Please be careful."

"Sir?"

Sakatsuki was momentarily stunned, then smiled faintly at the serious Saber.

"As you command, my King."

In the next moment, he turned into a blur, charging toward Aristotle, who was heavily guarded.

After he left, Lancelot glanced at Miyu, then couldn't help but ask.

"My King, your earlier address to Sir Sakatsuki..."

"Hm? Is there a problem?"

Saber tilted her head in confusion. Now that her rift with Lancelot had been mended, she seemed much more at ease.

"Sir Sakatsuki... that's a title reserved for the Knights of the Round Table, isn't it?"

"Ah!"

Only then did Saber realize.

"Well, perhaps it's because he addressed me as 'my King,' so I unconsciously..."

"Sir Sakatsuki?"

Lancelot couldn't help but chuckle.

"It seems even someone as proud as him is willing to follow in your footsteps. Ah, it's just like me back then."

Though he had been under the influence of Mad Enhancement, Lancelot had not lost his memories. No one knew better than him just how much effort that young man had put in every day.

To become a peerless warrior requires talent and diligence.

To become a master strategist requires planning and deduction.

But what that young man possessed was far more than the sum of these two.

Even now, with his sanity restored, Lancelot dared not claim he could surpass Sakatsuki, a young man who wasn't even a Heroic Spirit.

Suddenly, Lancelot's heart stirred. He glanced at the distant Sakatsuki, and then gave his king a strange look.

He and Kariya were destined to lose—the effects of the Command Spells would only last a short while, a Berserker returned to chaos and a Master without Command Spells stood no chance of victory in a Holy Grail War filled with powerful foes.

But Lancelot felt no regret. His wish had been fulfilled. Yet there was still one person he worried about.

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That was the king who had been summoned as Saber.

Kariya's current wish was misguided. Though he understood and did not intend to stop it, their defeat was inevitable. But the king was different. Someone had to protect her, stay by her side until the very end, until this earnest, stubborn king resolved her own inner conflicts.

So, who would protect the king?

He thought he had found the right person.

***

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