"Using me as a medium to summon the Last King?"
In a small pizzeria in Italy, Artoria, dressed in a leather biker jacket and shorts, sat casually at a table. She didn't bother with gloves as she picked up a slice of pizza, stuffing half of it into her mouth while the other half dangled from her hand, its golden cheese stretching as she bit into it.
"Yes, honorable King Arthur, this is the method we recently devised," Guinevere replied, seated across from her at the square table. She sat upright, her gaze lowered slightly as she spoke with utmost respect. "Since I was reborn, I've lost my memory of the Last King's identity. Over the years, I've repeatedly summoned every [Steel] that could potentially be the Last King, but all I've found is disappointment."
Her delicate face was filled with melancholy, an expression so pure and sorrowful that one might instinctively feel pity for her—like a princess in need of comfort.
Of course, the Guinevere of Arthurian legend did indeed possess the title of a princess.
However, Artoria's cold, indifferent gaze betrayed no sympathy for Guinevere's apparent fragility. Her golden eyes showed more warmth when they flickered toward the pizza in her hand than when they regarded the woman before her.
To Artoria, this delicate flower-like girl seemed far less important than the meal in front of her.
Guinevere's resentful glance lingered on Artoria for a moment. Then, as if trying to shield herself from the sight, she closed her eyes and continued speaking.
"Though I am an ancestor god and have an eternal lifespan, even I am growing weary of this fruitless and hopeless approach. I want to try something new."
"The Last King is the prototype of King Arthur. If we amplify that connection, it might just be possible to summon him!"
If the Last King could be likened to a weapon forged by the gods to defeat Demon Kings, then Guinevere served as the mechanism that allowed this weapon to emerge at the right moment.
Whenever Campiones arose, Guinevere would fulfill her mission to awaken the Last King, who would then slay the Campiones.
However, to Guinevere, awakening the Last King seemed far more important than exterminating Campiones.
During their time together, Artoria had grown somewhat familiar with Guinevere, enough to know that the girl understood Artoria didn't particularly care whether every Campione in the world was eliminated. Artoria had refrained from eradicating them purely because such battles would inevitably cause immense destruction to nearby cities.
If Guinevere's sole goal was to wipe out Campiones, she could have lured them into isolated areas far from civilization and let Artoria handle them there.
Since her battle with the rogue Heracles, Artoria had defeated several other [Steel] gods. Her magical reserves now surpassed those of an average Campione by at least tenfold.
If sheer power were enough to guarantee victory, Artoria could effortlessly defeat any individual Campione—or even all of them combined.
But if the opponent was the Last King… Artoria wasn't as confident.
In her hazy recollection, the Last King was described as "1000 times stronger than the protagonist in offense, 500 times stronger in defense."
She suspected the original author of that lore must have been drunk when they wrote it.
Artoria didn't immediately respond to Guinevere's proposal. Instead, she continued working her way through her 89th pizza with a casual indifference.
Only after finishing her 90th pizza did she gracefully wipe her mouth and hands. Her golden gaze locked onto Guinevere with an intensity that made the latter tense up, like a student nervously awaiting their teacher's feedback on an assignment.
"If you want to proceed, then go ahead," Artoria finally said, her tone calm but firm. "Just as long as this summoning ritual doesn't involve human sacrifices."
Guinevere blinked in surprise at first but soon broke into an ecstatic smile that radiated like a tulip blooming in spring sunlight.
"Yes! Thank you so much!"
Artoria remained unfazed, her icy expression unchanged. Deep down, she didn't hold much hope for Guinevere's plan.
She knew the Last King himself resisted being awakened. No matter what medium Guinevere used, the Last King would never answer her summons. It was all just Guinevere's wishful thinking.
"Let's get started right away! There's no time to waste, King Arthur!" Guinevere exclaimed, practically leaping to her feet, her enthusiasm bursting forth like a firework.
But Artoria's sharp glare made her freeze mid-motion. Her voice carried a commanding weight that pinned Guinevere to the spot.
"Sit down. Wait until I'm done eating."
The abrupt shift in tone was like a bucket of cold water dumped over Guinevere's head, immediately extinguishing her excitement.
"Wasting food is punishable by death."
"Don't make me repeat myself."
Guinevere's face went pale as she obediently sat back down, reaching for her untouched plate with trembling hands. She finally began eating, using her knife and fork with care.
Occasionally, she would steal cautious glances at Artoria, who was still radiating a palpable aura of authority. Only when that oppressive presence began to subside did Guinevere allow herself to relax, letting out a heavy sigh of relief.
"I… I almost got killed for wasting food…"
Watching Guinevere nibble at her meal with teary eyes, Artoria misinterpreted her reaction. She assumed the girl was moved to tears by the exquisite taste of the food and nodded to herself with satisfaction.
It seems Guinevere has finally come to appreciate the value of good food. Commendable.
Perhaps in time, Artoria thought, she might reveal the location where the Last King, Rama, lay sleeping. That place was guarded by two powerful [Steel] gods—one of whom had been her childhood idol.
The great Sun Wukong, reduced to being caged by the Japanese? What a disgrace to his name. It's high time he returned to myth where he belongs.
After finishing her lavish feast, Artoria grabbed a bottle of soda—her guilty pleasure since becoming Artoria Alter.
While pizza didn't count as junk food in her eyes, it felt right to indulge in local specialties while in Italy.
Once her meal was complete, it was time to prepare for the summoning ritual.
The task of organizing the ritual fell entirely to Guinevere. The prospect of summoning the Last King seemed to ignite a boundless energy in her, and she threw herself into the preparations with unparalleled enthusiasm.
---
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