Chapter 54. Artoria Template, The Sword in the Stone, the Brits are Dumbfounded!
Seven million Divine Authority Jade—enough to materialize Servants if one so desired.
Take King of Knights Artoria from Fate/stay night, for instance. Compared to her original self residing in the Throne of Heroes, the version Servant summoned in the Fifth Holy Grail War was incomplete. Materializing her wouldn't cost much—perhaps just a few tens of thousands of Divine Authority Jade.(Note: I think Artoria is stuck on Camlann Hill?)
Due to lacking mana, she couldn't unleash her main Noble Phantasm, Excalibur.
But in close combat, she was still a Tier-4 combatant—swinging her sword could flatten entire streets.
She also possessed Skills like [Mana Burst] and [Invisible Air].
Even Isayama Yomi—the "Agent" of the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Bureau in Chiba, commanding hundreds of exorcists and holding a prestigious rank—wouldn't survive a few strikes from Artoria.
Of course, if one were to materialize Artoria with Excalibur, that'd be far more costly.
That's an A++ Rank Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm.
Its sheer power and range were so immense, it left nearly nothing that could compare.
If its true name were released and aimed at a city, it could literally split that city in two.
Its destructive power could rival…
No—exceed the might of the most powerful nuclear bomb ever built by humanity: the Tsar Bomba!
—A blast radius of at least 60 km, extreme heat, and multilayered damage.
However, despite how powerful it was, Raku Sou had no intention of materializing a full version of Artoria just yet.
Not before the Fate/stay night aired the scene of Saber unleashing Excalibur.
Until then, the public's impression of the King of Knights was still vague—most only remembered her raw strength. Her holy sword's grandeur hadn't fully settled in people's minds.
Besides, Artoria's strongest Noble Phantasm wasn't even her sword—it was her scabbard, Avalon.
So there was no need to rush into launching a modern Holy Grail War.
Maybe…
He should power himself up first?
Raku Sou scratched his head.
He did have surplus funds now—why not upgrade himself to Servant-level?
Otherwise, he really couldn't feel at ease.
Might as well use Artoria's body as the template.
Given the global impression of her, he'd even get a 20% discount.
Estimated cost: around 100,000 Divine Authority Jade.
That would be enough to elevate the man named Raku into the Tier-4 bracket.
A top-tier powerhouse among all revealed superpower creatures on Earth.
A bargain too good to pass up!
After a brief moment of thought, Raku Sou spoke in a low voice:
"Void, use the King of Knights from Fate as the template—materialize the strength she currently possesses into my body!"
"Bzzzzt... (Order acknowledged)!!"
A ripple of silver light spread with an almost gleeful shimmer.
The Divine Authority Jade burned away at breakneck speed, as a mystical, invisible light descended from above.
Omnipotent force surged through Raku Sou's body, wrapping his cells in radiant brilliance, nourishing his soul in waves.
It was an awe-inspiring process of transcendence—a metamorphosis to the extreme, like a dragon shedding its skin.
"BOOM BOOM BOOM…!!"
The young man in white closed his eyes, floating midair, his aura pouring out like a flood breaching a dam.
His long black hair fell freely, tinged with a weathered sky-blue hue—ancient and melancholic.
His skin shimmered faintly; his face serene, divine—like his very being had stepped into a higher dimension, sending shivers into the bones of those who beheld him.
His heart thundered in his chest, reshaped by divine might into a Red Dragon's Heart.
Each breath grew deeper and farther, as if his body now contained an endless ocean, with beautiful tsunamis swelling around him.
Every vibrating cell sounded like a roaring ancient dragon, furious and soaring skyward to clash with the heavens!
This was the transformation brought about by Artoria's template.
The original King Arthur of legend bore the title "Red Dragon of Britain", allegedly bestowed by the great magus Merlin.
But that title was only symbolic—it had no true connection to dragons.
Yet in the Fate series, the downfall of Britannia was reimagined as the extinction of dragon bloodlines—the source of all mysticism.
Thus Uther and Merlin created a "human" named Artoria, who perfectly inherited the dragon race's lineage.
Hence she possessed the Dragon Attribute—able to regenerate mana simply by breathing.
She was the King of Knights, standing against the World's Will, leading the Brits people to survive!
From the moment of her destiny, she was already in defiance of heaven order!
Under the ceaseless sweep of pure divine power, every cell in his body became increasingly supple. His skin began to glow faintly, dazzlingly radiant—like Golden Flesh and Jade Bones, or perhaps more like blue-and-white porcelain delicately engraved with the patterns of blood and sinew.
His lower abs were clearly defined, the lines perfect according to the golden ratio, muscles bursting with explosive strength—a vision of mechanical beauty at its peak!
His spine stood straight, and his whole body was so smooth and refined it seemed to radiate divinity, exuding an aura of mystery and majesty.
Just looking at this man gave one the sense that he stood above all others, reigning supreme.
Forget a hundred years—how many beings like this had ever appeared across the long, winding river of time?
"…That direction?"
Raku Sou slowly opened his eyes, frowning slightly.
He was gazing toward Europe—a distant archipelago in the sea.
At the exact moment he materialized the template of King Arthur, he faintly sensed something familiar coming from there, as if something was resonating.
That sacred, noble power… felt strangely familiar.
What on earth was it…?
"Return!"
He grinned—a bold, wild grin.
Then he raised his hand, releasing a gentle golden light that resonated with that mysterious presence.
Whatever it was—summon it, and he'd know.
...
London.
British Museum.
At the deepest part of the exhibit hall stood an ancient stone pedestal, weathered by time.
Mysterious symbols were carved upon it, and embedded within was a rusted, broken sword, heavy and unremarkable.
A blond-haired, blue-eyed curator stood before it, his smile warm and approachable.
Under the admiring gazes of countless visitors, he began explaining with practiced calm:
"Surely everyone is familiar with this—the legendary holy sword of King Arthur: 'Sword in the Stone.'"
"He drew this sword, becoming the fated ancient hero of Great Britain—the King of Knights."
"Ultimately, in a battle that betrayed the very spirit of chivalry, in pursuit of victory, the enemy ambushed him, shattering the Sword in the Stone."
"To be honest… the fate of this sword is rather lamentable."
A visitor leaned in to observe, then sighed, "Feels just like an ordinary sword…"
Not far off, Shiina Mashiro also nodded lightly, a trace of disappointment in her eyes.
After witnessing the majestic, sacred stance of King of Knights Artoria upon the Celestial Curtain, she had built up hopes for the real-world Sword in the Stone—but things hadn't turned out as she'd expected…
At face value, this was just a bronze sword, long eroded by the passage of time.
The tourists all sighed in regret.
The atmosphere grew slightly awkward.
Suddenly.
As if reacting to some kind of signal…
Under the stunned gazes of the crowd, the broken sword atop the stone pedestal began to tremble—joyfully.
As if, after countless years of sorrow, it was finally reunited with a gentle mother's embrace.
Immediately after, the entire museum began to shake violently. Some people instinctively tried to flee, but froze mid-step, eyes wide in shock as they turned toward the display.
"CLANG!!"
A clear, ringing sword cry echoed—like the very first cry of life at the dawn of creation.
The corroded surface of the bronze sword cracked open. Layer by layer, ancient rust peeled away as the sword vibrated violently, unleashing divine golden radiance—pure and proud like snow.
Within the blinding holy light, one could faintly see a holy sword with a deep blue hilt floating in midair.
In the blink of an eye, that snow-white radiance engulfed everything.
"CRACK…!!"
As if reenacting legend itself, the sacred Sword in the Stone, before the astonished eyes of tourists and museum staff alike, joyously shattered the glass case, pierced through the museum's domed ceiling, and without the slightest hesitation shot into the sky.
In the end, it became a magnificent golden comet, vanishing over the horizon.
Everyone present stood gaping, dumbfounded.
The old curator slowly removed his glasses, rubbing them again and again, disbelief written all over his face.
"What the fucking shit holy mother hell no."
That antique just grew legs and ran the hell off!!
"…That was… King Arthur…"
Shiina Mashiro muttered, her whole body trembling uncontrollably, staring blankly into the air for a long while.
Ever since the Glastonbury incident, she was now once again witnessing that brilliant light…
A light that blossomed from the ideals of a knight.
A pure, flawless radiance of virtue.
...
Note:
From the next chapter, the length will double, averaging around 2k7 at most 3k1 words per chapter, so for the rest of the week I'll only post one chapter per day.
Next week, we'll be on a 2-1-2-1-2-1-1 schedule, ten chapters per week, around 28k words.
ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧ That's all, have a nice day.