"Damn it… This is ridiculous. Looks like I've gotten too complacent."
Knee-high black boots, ultra-short shorts barely reaching mid-thigh, a white belt cinched around her waist, a lightweight black tank top layered beneath a black motorcycle jacket—her dark gold hair cascading past her shoulders, tied back with a black ribbon.
Artoria's outfit was strikingly modern, reminiscent of what she wore in Shinjuku in 1999, a clear indication of her preference for this style.
At this moment, her expression was far from pleasant—like someone forced into doing something humiliating. Her teeth clenched in frustration.
"This time, I only managed to eat four hundred and ninety-seven Big Macs before losing interest… utterly disgraceful. Looks like it's been too long since I've swung my sword. A lack of proper activity really does affect digestion."
Of course, Servants don't actually need to digest food.
But the fact that Artoria wanted to swing her sword was very real.
Time passed swiftly, like a fleeting shadow.
In the blink of an eye, Artoria had already spent several months in the world of Campione!
During these months, she had slain two more Heretic Gods—Cú Chulainn and Medea.
From these encounters, she could almost sense a cruel, deliberate malice from fate itself.
What's next? If Shirou Emiya were somehow made into a god, would you throw a "Heretic Shirou" at me too?
"Such cursed ties of fate…"
"What a pity. If that bonfire girl showed up here, I'd let her once again experience the brilliance of my holy sword firsthand. She's worth the effort… but if it's a Heretic Jeanne, chances are it'd just be that white one. Hmm… boring."
Leaning back against her chair, she crossed her right leg casually over her left.
At least in this world, there was no need to worry about crossing her legs leading to skeletal deformities and being sent to a surgery table. That was a small comfort.
"Both of those battles reeked of being observed… I could sense the presence of a Campione too. Such cautious and sneaky methods—seems like it's that dark prince, isn't it? Gathering intel on me, I suppose? Makes me wonder how much they know."
"Guinevere and her people are still searching for the Last King. Since they don't know the King's identity, they're trying to summon every famous [Steel] God one by one. Such a clumsy, inefficient method—but it's working to my advantage. Before the Last King awakens, I'll need to hunt down as many [Steel] Gods as I can to strengthen myself."
"Unfortunately, the two Heretic Gods I killed earlier weren't [Steel] Gods."
Besides hunting [Steel] Gods, Artoria had even entertained the idea of hunting Campiones.
But that plan was impractical for now.
Alexander always fled whenever he spotted her. Luo Hao was holed up in China, likely in seclusion. John Smith rarely left Los Angeles, content with playing superhero.
Lady Aisha, on the other hand, was the most troublesome. Artoria had encountered her once before.
After a brief interaction, Artoria found that Aisha had a surprisingly pleasant personality. Just as she was debating whether to kill her, Aisha had been whisked away to another timeline by her uncontrollable Authority. Artoria, standing close by, had almost been dragged along as well.
Even now, Artoria could tell that Aisha hadn't yet returned to this timeline.
"Really, I can't decide whether to call her foolish or incompetent. She can't even control her own powers, and her innocent, naive personality… makes it hard to feel like killing her would be worth the effort."
"...Hmm?"
Suddenly, Artoria sat up straight.
"...I see. It's ready, is it? Alright, I'll be there."
It seemed like she was speaking to someone, but no one was near her.
Her lips curled into a sly, dangerous smile, her narrowed eyes gleaming.
"How interesting. Looks like today won't be boring after all… Even the dragon's blood in my veins feels like it's stirring."
Before leaving, Artoria paused and glanced at the table, where several untouched burgers remained.
"Waiter! Pack these to go!"
"Got it!"
---
Location: A beach in Greece.
Upon arriving, Artoria quickly spotted Guinevere.
Guinevere greeted her with a small bow.
"You've arrived, Lady Artoria."
Though she was King Arthur's queen, the formality felt distant—exactly the effect Guinevere wanted.
The divine link that tethered Guinevere's soul to Artoria always pulled at her, influencing her deeply. Acting distant was her way of resisting.
And yet… a plastic bag was suddenly thrust into her hands.
"These are the burgers I packed earlier. They're pretty tasty, so eat them while they're still warm."
"Be sure to share some with Sir Lancelot. Also… don't waste them. Wasting food is disgraceful."
By the time Guinevere processed what had happened, she was already holding the paper bag carefully in both hands.
"Damn it… It's just a bag of burgers… Just a bag of burgers given by Lady Artoria… Why are you so happy about this, Guinevere?"
Guinevere muttered quietly, her head bowed.
From behind her, the figure of Lancelot—his body clad entirely in white armor—appeared.
"It's been a while, King Arthur."
"No matter," Artoria replied expressionlessly. "Though your name is Lancelot, the king you serve is not me."
With a calm demeanor, she asked, "So, which [Steel] God are you planning to awaken this time? I hope it's a worthy opponent."
Sensing the growing battle spirit radiating from Artoria, Lancelot fell silent for a moment.
"King Arthur… Though you are not the one to whom I pledge my loyalty, bearing the name Lancelot, I cannot bear the thought of opposing you. Nor do I wish to see our king clash with you… because in front of our king, even you would face certain death."
Artoria's gaze lingered on Lancelot, studying him intently.
"Caught between me and your king, I imagine it's painful for you. But I have my reasons—reasons that leave me no choice."
"…If you have made your decision, then we will say no more."
With his helmet on, Artoria couldn't see Lancelot's expression, but his tone conveyed his inner turmoil.
"My daughter and I… plan to awaken a great hero from Greek mythology. A demigod who rose to divinity after enduring the Twelve Labors—one of the [Steel] Gods."
"Heracles."
---
T/N: damn... they might actually throw a shirou emiya at her
...
Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.
Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.
WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it… or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.
If you had fun, you know what to do:
👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Heads up—Patreon's 50% off for all tiers during May. So if you were on the fence? Now's the time.
And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.
👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]
Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.
—Leaf