What the hell is going on?
Wasn't that thing used as a sacrifice to repair the Earth?
Sanjiro could hardly believe it.
Back during the final battle, the entire Earth had plunged into an apocalyptic collapse.
To reboot the world, he had sacrificed his spirit origin, all his Noble Phantasms—everything. Only by doing so could he exchange it for the peaceful, ordinary life of the present.
Among those sacrifices, [Avalon], which could block all magical and physical attacks, had been one of the most precious.
Only with it could he manifest miracles beyond the scope of magic!
"Alaya, was this your doing?"
A suspicion surfaced in Sanjiro's mind.
After sacrificing everything, his entire existence had disappeared.
Even the heroic spirits who once fought by his side had completely forgotten him.
But now, Alaya released a video, awakening the lost memories of those Heroic Spirits and restoring his presence in the world.
Which meant—he had returned to human history, and even the spiritual foundation he gave up could be restored through this!
The [Avalon] echo lingering in his body now was the best proof of this return.
"Are you trying to compensate me for everything?"
Sanjiro's emotions were complicated.
Back then, he carried the mission of a savior, traversing through various human histories, growing stronger at incredible speed.
He fulfilled countless people's dreams of becoming a "Hero of Justice," and in the end, he was no longer just one man—
He had become a mythological battle weapon created by the collective faith of mankind and the hopes of countless Heroic Spirits.
A man who, with a human body, slew gods.
Unfortunately, those days were long gone. Now, he was just a half-crippled, nameless nobody.
Did Alaya release that video to compensate him? To help him return to the peak?
Watching the news broadcast, Sanjiro saw the smiling face of the king and let out a soft sigh. "Your strongest guardian knight… can no longer protect you. I'd better just go home and grow sweet potatoes…"
======================
"You protected me. You protected everyone. Why should we enjoy everything in peace while you remain nameless and forgotten?!"
Artoria, standing before the camera, issued a bold proclamation.
The earlier enshrinement of the Knights of the Round Table hadn't been a traditional one—it had been akin to a summoning ritual.
As long as the chosen one responded, they could be summoned instantly.
Unfortunately, he had refused.
But it didn't matter.
Artoria still had one trump card: the sheath she secretly embedded in him before their parting.
Historical records about her said this:
Losing the sheath was the cause of her death.
She had searched for it for a long, long time, but could never find it.
But after watching Alaya's The Perfect King video, she finally remembered everything.
If the world was like a network, and he was like a mobile phone, then the sheath was a signal beacon linking her to him.
"Found you… Nameless."
Artoria gazed eastward.
She could faintly sense that the sheath was somewhere in Japan. To pinpoint the exact location, she'd have to go there in person.
But the sheath's condition was abnormal, as if it had suffered catastrophic destruction—its signal was extremely faint.
A defensive Noble Phantasm that could withstand even the Sword of Rupture from the King of Heroes had been reduced to nearly nothing.
She couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of battle he had endured.
One that could surely destroy the entire planet.
Even Avalon had been shattered—he must've been critically injured and on the brink of death.
A hero who protected humanity and saved the world, now silently licking his wounds in some forgotten corner.
Just the thought of it made her angry.
He should receive the glory he deserves—let the whole world know what he did!
And so, Artoria issued a forceful, unilateral knighthood—she didn't even ask for his opinion.
[Knight of Holy Light]
That title actually came from something he used to say—
"Holy Light? That evil looks worth fighting!"
He would shout that holy-sounding line, but then ruthlessly obliterate his enemies one by one.
It had nothing to do with "light" at all.
He was more like an assassin who walked in the shadows. A true knight who cared nothing for reputation.
"Nameless… you once said you wanted to be a Dark Knight or a Death Knight."
A flash of memory crossed Artoria's eyes.
The gold-trimmed royal cloak on her shimmered brightly, her expression full of unshakable confidence.
"But the title I give you is yours! What I don't give you—you don't get to take!"
Beside her, Mordred blinked in surprise, feeling like she'd been caught in a side swipe.
This was his knighting ceremony—so why did it feel like she was getting scolded too?
Was this an open warning not to think about taking either the throne or him?
Damn that vile father-king!
Just as she expected—they were using the sheath to locate Nameless.
…Fine then, I'll keep a close eye from now on. With me here, you two can forget about meeting in secret!
"If you'd been this headstrong back then, maybe Britain wouldn't have fallen to ruin…"
Sanjiro's expression was tinged with melancholy.
The first time they met, she was already a perfect martyr—like a blank sheet of paper, untainted by any worldly desire.
She willingly offered everything she had to Britain.
Even before she drew the sword, Sanjiro had told her that Britain was doomed.
That she would face betrayal, despair, and hatred.
And still, that girl drew the Sword in the Stone without hesitation, choosing to bear it all. She was willing to sacrifice herself to lead Britain toward a better ending.
That was the act of a saint—
Not a king.
But now, she had finally shaken off the saintly self-sacrifice and grown into a true king.
To Sanjiro, it felt like he had reshaped a pure white girl into his own image.
Almost like… corrupting her.
Even Jeanne, the once-pure Saint of Orleans, had become a dark saint because of his influence...
No, no!
This isn't my fault—blame Tokiomi!
I'm just a minor Master—how could I have any evil intentions?
"I'll be waiting for you to come see me!"
With that final declaration, Artoria turned and left.
The grand Round Table knighting ceremony came to an end.
All across Britain, people erupted into celebration, cheering the birth of a new Knight of the Round.
Given Nameless's strength, if he were to return to Britain, he would undoubtedly restore its former glory!
"King Artoria really is as strong as a god!"
Kirina's eyes sparkled brightly.
Little stars practically twinkled in her gaze as she stared at the King with boundless admiration.
Strong, beautiful, majestic…
All the best qualities were gathered in this nearly divine king.
"She really is like a god…"
Sanjiro nodded.
This girl had actually become a god for a time.
Ding-dong~
Just then, Kirina pulled out her phone and exclaimed in surprise:
"Alaya actually posted again!"
"What, again?!"
Sanjiro clenched his jaw.
Alaya wasn't even giving him a moment to breathe!
You work like a damn draft animal on a collective farm!
"Eh? This time it's not a full video. Just a five-minute short special."
Kirina cast it onto the LCD screen.
Lines of text appeared:
[Side Story of The Perfect King — The Flower Magus]
[This special tells the rise and fall of Britain and what happened after King Artoria's death—from the perspective of the Flower Magus!]
=========================
T/N:
Yo.
Only one chapter for the day as its the only one of my extra draft.
Theirs a fiesta in the neighboring Village and I know a lot of mfs there so I know as heck imma get hammered.
Thats all.
Xiao~