"Arthur, your existence will only lead to Britain's destruction!"
"Arthur, you are a mistake!"
The Silver Dragon of Britain. Having witnessed the fall of the Vile King Vortigern with her own eyes, Saber swore it was the most deeply etched memory of her life, its importance even surpassing her coronation or the moment she and the rebellious knight, Mordred ended each other.
Now, suddenly seeing that silver dragon reappear, the feeling, the terror, was identical to that of Vortigern back then.
Staring dumbfounded at Ryuya, after a brief moment of astonishment, Saber cast aside all else and approached Ryuya to inquire about Vortigern.
"Ryuya, just who are you? What is your relationship with Vortigern?"
"Vortigern? He is my father."
No matter how much time passed, no matter the world, Ryuya remembered the three simulations, the three lives where Vortigern trusted him immensely and entrusted the entire northern territory to him.
Openly acknowledging Vortigern as the father in his heart, in the eyes of the Sun-Crowned King, there was nothing to hide.
"Father? That can't be! I know for sure Vortigern would never have any children. And you couldn't possibly have lived from Britain until now. Even if you are a silver dragon..."
Her words gradually lost strength.
Before Saber could finish, Ryuya impatiently waved his hand to interrupt, "King Arthur, I have no intention of debating my identity with you. It holds no meaning for me."
The King's Pride of Gilgamesh.
The King's Ambition of Iskandar.
Just like the feast of kings in the Fourth Holy Grail War, Ryuya, as a King, also acknowledged the paths of the two kings mentioned above.
But Saber's hesitation was, in Ryuya's view, an unacceptable display.
It wasn't that he found Saber's wish to return to the past and save Britain laughable, because Ryuya himself was also searching for the only path forward through countless simulations, having returned to the starting point himself, he certainly had no right to deny Saber's thoughts.
What he rejected… what he denied… was Saber's naivety!
Yes, since the path to becoming King would inevitably encounter mountains of corpses and seas of blood, Ryuya, having long been prepared for this, strove forward whether in Camelot or Britain.
Failure didn't matter, death didn't matter, and he would continue to climb from the deepest depths of hell and fight again.
But Saber was different. What she denied wasn't her outcome, but her very life.
To give a simple example: Ryuya and Saber learn swordsmanship and then challenge an enemy.
Ryuya loses, but Ryuya will try every means to change himself, make his swordsmanship gradually stronger, forever advancing on the path of a King until he brings victory to his people and his nation.
But Saber is different. After failing, she would abandon her swordsmanship and start learning other methods, like dagger techniques, spear techniques.
She simply believed the path she chose was wrong, the way she became King was wrong. Isn't such a thinking an insult to the King, an insult to the knights who followed her?
You can reflect on your shortcomings as a King. Anyone, any King, has flaws… even Ryuya is no exception.
But you cannot deny the path you took as a King. If you deny even that, what right do you have to return to that land?
Recalling the legendary Saber of Garden of Avalon, Ryuya remembered that she was the true King of Knights, her inner resilience absolutely worthy of being the King the people yearned for.
The current Saber was merely a little girl draped in King Arthur's cloak, only capable of doubting herself.
Not wanting to speak with Saber, Ryuya looked at the others, nodded, and continued, "Mmm, that means everyone for this Holy Grail War is here. The banquet begins in three days. You can come directly to the Einzbern Castle then."
"Ohhh! The banquet can finally start?"
Iskandar shouted excitedly. The stronger the enemy, the happier he was. Even dying on the path of conquest was fine, as Iskandar would never feel hesitation or regret because of it.
He really couldn't wait to attend the feast.
In contrast, Tokiomi looked at the spot where Golden Gil had vanished unnoticed, roughly guessing that his Servant had probably been humiliated by Ryuya's appearance again and simply chose not to show up.
"Ryuya-san, has the Matou Family's Master appeared?"
With Caster's appearance, six of the seven Holy Grail War's True Masters were accounted for. The only one left was the Matou Family, who had been silent.
Having met Matou Zouken when he was very young, Tokiomi found a terrifying quality in the old man that even he couldn't comprehend.
Not wanting to contact Zouken, he asked.
"Mmm, the Matou Family will also attend."
Looking at the ordinary people tragically killed near the pier, the parents who lost their children, the children crying for their mothers amidst the bloodshed, Ryuya's voice carried a hint of melancholy.
"Unrestrained Servants and magi are truly a disaster for ordinary people."
Witnessing the aftermath for the ordinary people, Tokiomi expressed a similar sentiment.
And Kiritsugu, the agent of justice, had already stepped forward, starting to do his best to help those people.
Simultaneously, various police, fire department, medical units, and other vehicles and ordinary people were rushing to the scene.
Taking a few steps forward proactively, Ryuya grabbed Kiritsugu by the shoulder.
Kiritsugu; "???"
The moment Ryuya touched him, his heart nearly stopped. Kiritsugu never expected this incredibly powerful, enigmatic man to do something to him.
But before he could ponder further, he was thrown back towards Tokiomi and the others.
Snap!
With Ryuya's snap of his fingers, a phenomenon that once again shattered Tokiomi and the others' understanding occurred.
"This... what is this?"
"Time? How is that possible?"
"You've got to be kidding me!"
As Ryuya snapped his fingers, a circle of light suddenly enveloped Tokiomi and the others. Outside their circle, the entire pier was rewinding in a bizarre phenomenon.
Yes, it was rewinding. A scene not even seen in sci-fi movies, like a videotape playing backwards, unfolded before their eyes.
The destroyed buildings, the blood and dismembered limbs, the dead people… all were rapidly restoring. In just a moment, the world seemed to have reversed at this instant.
Looking at the high sun overhead, Tokiomi and the others were completely numb this time.
"Is this... a miracle of God?"
'Time reversal? Reshaping the world?'
Staring bewildered at the pier, which is now indistinguishable from its normal state, without a single drop of blood or sacrifice, everyone present was once again shocked by Ryuya's actions.
'What did this person do? How did he achieve it?'
'Is he really... a god?'
"Remember, three days from now, the banquet. If you don't attend, I'll use compulsory measures."
Not bothering with Tokiomi and the others' reactions, having used the Clow Card, Ryuya said no more.
His figure turned into a flash of light and vanished on the spot.
He left behind Tokiomi and his two 'allies', who started questioning their life choices and even pondering the meaning of their three-way alliance, along with the equally shocked Iskandar and Waver.