"This is bad—"
Alaric could already imagine the punishment the Lion King would deliver.
While Alaric was lost in thoughts of the troubles to come, Mash and her group found themselves in battle. A mysterious merchant had suddenly attacked Mash.
"Hyaaa!"
With swift and powerful movements, Mash quickly ended the fight, leaving the mysterious merchant wailing, "I surrender, I surrender! No need to risk my life over this!"
"What a reasonable thief. Judging from the accent, he's a Muslim merchant, right?"
Da Vinci examined the mysterious merchant with a smile.
"Ah, it's been a long time since I've been called that! You're right, ma'am. Until not long ago, that's exactly what I was! Full of mirth and greed, I even traded with the Crusaders—until the Lion King and her aides wiped us out."
The merchant named Saruhan laughed and said, "Of course, if you want to trade with me, I can find anything for you—if you've got the goods to trade!"
"Wow!"
Seemingly influenced by the merchant's enthusiasm, Mash instinctively responded, "That's amazing!"
Noticing someone who had yet to acknowledge his presence, Saruhan approached with the professionalism of someone eager to expand his business.
"You there, young man—"
"Hm?"
Alaric, who had been facing away from the merchant, turned slightly, raising an eyebrow at the now visibly sweating merchant.
"Oh, it's you, sir knight. These people must be your companions. Then I won't intrude—"
Seeing Alaric's face clearly, Saruhan immediately broke into a nervous smile, rubbing his hands together as he tried to leave the area quickly.
"Hold on. What are you up to this time?"
As soon as Alaric spoke, Saruhan froze mid-step and slid to his knees before him.
"The People of the Mountain asked us to gather manpower—!"
Mash, taken aback by the merchant's sudden shift in attitude, asked curiously, "Sir Alaric, do you know this man?"
"I might have seen him before. Were you one of those from Sir Lancelot's refugee?"
Alaric asked, stroking his chin.
"This time, have any strange figures come to the outskirts of the Holy City?"
"Yes, yes! It seems Sir Knight still remembers me! As for strange figures, not many—just the People of the Mountain and those Hassan!"
"I see—"
"Anything else you need? Just let me know, and I'll give you the best price possible!"
Saruhan rubbed his hands and smiled. Seeing that Alaric didn't seem inclined to continue, he quickly made his escape.
Watching the merchant disappear, Alaric's interest in the upcoming Holy Selection grew. Though he had been secretly working with the People of the Mountain over the past six months to honor his agreement with Serenity, his efforts had been fruitless, unable to save those sacrificed in the Holy Selection.
It seemed the People of the Mountain were planning something big this time—
Mash appeared as though she wanted to say something, but before she could, they were interrupted by a wave of cheers.
At the gates of Camelot, thunderous applause erupted. The main gate was opening.
"I might have to part ways with you for a while. Afterward, I hope Miss Ritsuka Fujimaru can help me create True Ether."
Alaric's expression turned solemn as he gazed at the opening gates.
Before Mash and the others could ask why, the sun rose—
"!"
Mash and Da Vinci both felt the overwhelming pressure emanating from the main gate. It was like the sun rising in the eastern seas—a blazing sun descending upon the earth! In an instant, the pitch-black night turned to day. The scorching radiance of the sun illuminated everything.
Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd as people marveled at this extraordinary phenomenon.
["Huh? What's going on? Aren't you in the middle of the Holy Selection? Why is there such a powerful Servant's presence, even greater than that of Tristan before?!" ]
Romani exclaimed in disbelief.
"It seems like a very familiar Servant—"
Mash frowned, struggling to describe the emotion welling up in her heart.
"This is terrible. Impossible. How could something like this happen?"
The moment Da Vinci saw Gawain, her expression turned grim, her whispered words heavy with dread.
["Da Vinci, what's going on? This isn't like you! What happened?!"]
Da Vinci's expression grew even graver.
"Mash, Ritsuka! Leave here immediately—there's still time!"
Before Mash and the others could respond, Da Vinci turned to Alaric, her voice sharp.
"This isn't a Holy Selection—it's a massacre! What are you screening for?!"
"Souls. The Lion King seeks pure, eternal souls to populate her envisioned future. As for those who fail, Sir Gawain handles them the same way Sir Tristan did—"
Alaric's gaze turned to the radiant figure on the pure white wall, a divine aura radiating.
During their brief conversation, the Lion King's magical energy engulfed the entire area. Among thousands of refugees, scattered points of brilliant light appeared. Unlike the individual selections carried out by knights like Gawain, this Holy Selection was performed by the Lion King herself.
["What is that?! Is that King Arthur? The magical energy output far exceeds any record of King Arthur—this isn't something a Servant can even compare to! How did King Arthur become such a monster?!"]
As the Lion King appeared, Romani finally detected the overwhelming magical energy. He couldn't stay calm and shouted, ["Standing there—is that a god?!"]
With the selection complete, the second phase—collection—began.
Step!
Step!
The Enforcement Knights began to move. Their orderly footsteps overlapped, creating a thunderous roar. The falling blades revealed to Mash the true meaning of hell!
"How can this be? The knights are slaughtering defenseless civilians!"
Mash's expression was grave, her teeth clenched, as though even uttering those words drained her strength.
"This is the cruelty the Sun King wants you to witness—the true face of this era and the tip of the Lion King's grand plan."
Alaric's calm statement left Mash and Ritsuka silent.
"The Enforcement Knights have surrounded the area. If it's just you, you can break through their lines. With the current knights, they can't stop you."
Alaric calculated the strength of the Enforcement Knights created by Agravain. While powerful, approaching the level of Heroic Spirits, they weren't enough to stop Mash, Ritsuka, and especially the genius Da Vinci.
Without hesitation, Ritsuka firmly declared, "Mash! Help these people break through!"
"Yes!!"
Mash responded to Ritsuka's command, charging at the knights who were slaughtering civilians. Ritsuka, meanwhile, began summoning a Servant.
"Where are you going?"
Da Vinci, who had yet to join the battle, stared at Alaric curiously.
Alaric, who had intended to leave, stopped in his tracks and turned to face Da Vinci.
"Where do you think I should stand, Lady Da Vinci?"
There was no answer. At this moment, Da Vinci couldn't tell what Alaric was thinking.
Possessing the Holy Grail and seeking True Ether—these two alone would usually make someone the cause of a Singularity's distortion. Yet Alaric wasn't; he was merely a knight under the true cause—the Lion King.
Unable to judge his intentions, Da Vinci could only silently watch as Alaric disappeared into the crowd.