Lancelot brutalizing Guinevere?
Heavens, what kind of sleeping position does one need to have such a ridiculous dream?
If the people of the Type-Moon world identified others based on their Spirit Origin, what kind of expression would the current Lancelot have if he knew he was beating up his Guinevere?
He might be so frightened that his grip on his sword would loosen, and he might even suffer from cardiac arrest.
On the Xianzhou Luofu, when Sushang saw Guinaifen being held by the throat, she had already imagined dismembering Lancelot into ten thousand pieces in her mind.
"Lancelot!! Killing you a thousand times over wouldn't be enough!!"
Sushang gnashed her teeth as she stared at the Lancelot on the screen, her heart itching with rage. If Guinaifen weren't right beside her, she would have already started swinging her greatsword at him, even if it would have no effect on the Lancelot in the video.
"Shang-shang, calm down! I'm perfectly fine right here."
Seeing her best friend's fury, Guinaifen wiped the cold sweat from her brow.
While it was nice to have someone care about her, Sushang looked like she had gone berserk. The greatsword she usually couldn't even lift was now being swung around effortlessly. It was hard to imagine this was the same Sushang she knew.
"Calm down? There's no way I can calm down! Damn it, why wasn't I the one who transmigrated?! If it were me, I'd definitely use the precious greatsword my mom gave me to smash Lancelot's brains open!!"
Sushang continued to vent her emotions at the Lancelot in the video. It was clear she was genuinely furious.
Seeing this, Guinaifen did her best to soothe her. Honestly, she was the one who had been attacked, yet Sushang was having a much stronger reaction.
Perhaps this is what friends, what best friends, are like. When you encounter difficulties, they are always the first to worry about you.
Seeing the indignant Sushang, a warmth spread through Guinaifen's heart. After her parents' death and the destruction of her home world, it had been a long time since she had felt this kind of emotion from someone other than her family.
"Thank you, Shang-shang..." she said silently in her heart. Meanwhile, her hands were still physically restraining Sushang. What good would it do to smash the light curtain? She had to fight the actual Lancelot...
---o---
[On the light curtain, Lancelot, worthy of his title as the strongest Knight of the Round Table, exuded a magical energy so immense that it was enough to make everyone present, Servants included, feel suffocated.]
This was nothing like the Berserker Lancelot from the first viewing.
In fact, the current Lancelot could probably take on ten of his Berserker-class counterparts without breaking a sweat.
"I understand, Sir Bedivere. No, just Bedivere. Since you have made your decision, then I, in the name of the King, shall sentence you to death."
After tossing Guinaifen to the Purified Knights behind him, Lancelot gripped his sword with both hands. He was clearly getting serious.
Bedivere, however, simply lowered his head slightly. "That is indeed a sorrowful decision. However, I am not qualified to say such things. After all, with the sins I have committed, I should have died long ago."
Lancelot shook his head. "There is no need for such a burden. I have done the same. Before you arrived, of the thirteen Knights of the Round Table, all but you and Galahad answered the summons."
"However, just as you have done, the King's ideals were not accepted by all the Knights of the Round Table."
Hearing this, Bedivere was stunned, as were the others. Bedivere's eyes widened, his pupils quaking. "You don't mean... you all..."
Lancelot stared at Bedivere with cold eyes, speaking word by word. "Just as you suspect. A rebellion, a suppression, an internal conflict among the Knights of the Round Table has already taken place."
"This land has long been stained with the blood of the Knights of the Round Table. We, who have survived the sin of killing our comrades, are all unforgivable sinners."
"Now, whether it is I, Sir Gawain, or any of the others still living, our existence has but one meaning."
"And that is to remain loyal to the King, even if the path ahead is paved with endless blood and death, even if all that remains is endless sin."
"Or rather, this is all we have left."
After revealing the truth of their fratricide, Lancelot had no interest in continuing the conversation.
A murderous aura spread across the battlefield. It was clear that even though Bedivere was his former comrade, Lancelot was now resolved to cut him down.
Ritsuka Fujimaru watched this scene with utter panic. Surrounded by so many Purified Knights, and with the strongest Knight of the Round Table, Lancelot, before them, they were completely outmatched.
Was the journey of Chaldea to end here?
Just at this most perilous moment, an arrow suddenly streaked across the distant sky. Though it seemed unremarkable, its speed was incredible, even producing a sonic boom!
Its target, naturally, was Lancelot.
The arrow shot across the landscape like a meteor, leaving a trail of torn air and a violent gust in its wake.
An ordinary Servant would have had no chance of blocking this arrow. But this was Lancelot.
A knight renowned throughout the world for his absolute martial prowess. Though he was surprised by the perfection of the shot, he could still block it with ease, even in a sneak attack.
Without the slightest hesitation, Lancelot swung Arondight, cleaving the arrow in two!
Seeing this, Ritsuka Fujimaru and the refugees all turned to look in the direction the arrow had come from, but they couldn't find the archer's position at all.
Only Lancelot, with his sharp eyes, had already spotted the enemy's location—among the northern mountains, in the territory of the people of the mountains, between two peaks.
A man in green leather armor stood there.
He held a longbow, and his wheat-colored skin was tanned by the wind and sun. The exposed muscles on his arms were taut, brimming with explosive power.
Beneath a head of short, black hair was the handsome face of a heroic Persian man, filled with a masculine spirit. He was clearly another hero from history or legend.
His class, naturally, needed no further explanation.
To be able to shoot an arrow from such a distance with such power, what else could he be but an Archer? Moreover, judging by its power alone, this person was undoubtedly a top-tier figure even among Archers!
"Hah, it wasn't a Noble Phantasm, but it's the strongest arrow I can shoot right now. I thought it would be a hit, but it seems I've underestimated the Knights of the Round Table."
As he spoke, the unknown Archer channeled his magical energy into another arrow.
He continuously drew his bowstring, and several arrows transformed into white "meteors," flying one after another towards Lancelot.
The powerful arrows became streaks of white light, shooting towards Lancelot at a terrifying speed.
Faced with this attack, Lancelot's expression did not change in the slightest. He raised Arondight, successfully recreating the scene from the first viewing where he faced the bombardment of the King of Heroes' Noble Phantasms.
With the most precise angles, as if dancing in a rain of arrows, he sliced through every arrow imbued with magical power.
Not a single arrow from the sky-rending volley could harm Lancelot.
At the same time, a group of black shadows suddenly appeared.
Hassans! And it was the same Hassan that Ritsuka Fujimaru and the audience had seen before, the one who had previously abducted Nitocris.
Hassan of the Hundred Personas!
These Hundred Personas assassins fully utilized their skills as killers, throwing a pile of projectiles at the Purified Knights.
The next moment, the roars of explosions and multicolored smoke filled the air!
In a direct confrontation, the Hassans were no match for them. But when it came to creating chaos and carrying out assassinations, no one was better.
In an instant, the Purified Knights suffered heavy losses, thrown into disarray by the Hassans' sudden attack.
Lancelot noticed this, but after a cold glance, he gave the order to retreat.
"The mountain people's reinforcements have arrived. Continuing to fight is not to our advantage. Retreat immediately!"
With that, he leaped towards the rear. With a single slash, he killed a Hassan who was trying to rescue Guinaifen amidst the chaos. Then, Lancelot grabbed the already unconscious Guinaifen with one hand and led his knights in a retreat.
Upon hearing Lancelot's order, the Purified Knights also acted at once, quickly reforming their ranks and retreating in unison.
Seeing this, the Hassans did not give chase.
Relying on the terrain and the element of surprise, the Hassans could hold their own against the Purified Knights for a time. But if they were to chase them onto open ground without cover, it would be meaningless no matter how many of them there were.
Seeing Lancelot retreat, Da Vinci, who was responsible for protecting the refugees, breathed a sigh of relief.
The refugees were safe, the mountain people's support had arrived in time, and Chaldea had not been wiped out here.
However, looking at Lancelot's retreating figure, Da Vinci bit her lip. The only flaw was... Guinaifen had been captured...
Although the enemy's retreat was a stroke of luck for Chaldea, the fact that Guinaifen was captured was something they could not accept. Especially for Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash, they would absolutely not abandon Guinaifen.
Therefore, just as Lancelot was about to leave, Mash and Bedivere immediately gave chase.
"Wait! Give Lady Guinaifen back to us!" Mash shouted, shield in hand, towards the departing Lancelot.
Hearing this, Lancelot, who was preparing to mount his horse, turned his head. He glanced at Mash, then at the grim-faced Bedivere, and said with a cold expression, "If you wish to accompany her, then by all means, come along."
In an instant, the two froze. Before Lancelot, they had no room to negotiate.
Bedivere's face darkened as he asked, "Lancelot, what do you intend to do with Guinaifen?"
Lancelot snorted coldly. "Since she has been captured, she is a prisoner."
"As a knight, I know you will surely come to her rescue."
"Therefore, this is a blatant scheme. I will give you a chance. After you have made your preparations, come to the military fortress next to the Holy City!"
"I will be waiting for you there."
"Remember, you only have three days. If you do not come within three days, then I will execute this woman named Guinaifen."
With that, Lancelot summoned all his Purified Knights and turned to leave.
Faced with this, Mash and Bedivere desperately wanted to give chase, but the enormous gap in power made them feel completely helpless.
Just as Lancelot had said, chasing after him now would only lead to them being captured as well, keeping Guinaifen company.
Weak, powerless. The current Chaldea simply did not have the ability to fight the Holy City, not even against a single one of its knights.
At the same time, Lancelot successfully escorted Guinaifen out of the mountain people's territory, leading dozens of Purified Knights towards the military fortress.
It was worth mentioning that after confirming the mountain people had no intention of continuing the fight, Lancelot specially arranged a horse for Guinaifen, letting the well-trained warhorse carry her on its own.
He himself didn't even know why he did something so meaningless. But since the thought occurred to him, he just naturally did it.
Just then, a Purified Knight beside him asked in confusion, "Lord Lancelot, why did we do that? We clearly have the power to overwhelm the mountain people, yet now we are retreating. The King's order was to kill those strangers on sight!"
Hearing his subordinate's question, Lancelot replied without turning his head, "That was not the King's order, but Agravain's. He just doesn't want me back in the Holy City so soon. It just so happens that doing this suits my own wishes."
"Besides, you all saw that Archer's exquisite archery skills. Continuing to fight would not have ended well. What's more... the Old Man of the Mountain is still asleep. Forcing the mountain people into a corner is by no means a wise move."
As Lancelot said this, for some unknown reason, a flicker of fear passed through his eyes when he mentioned the Old Man of the Mountain.
This puzzled the audience outside the video. Isn't the Old Man of the Mountain a Hassan? Which Hassan could possibly threaten Lancelot?
Before the audience could ponder this in detail, Lancelot continued, "Capturing this woman is enough. Just as I said, that Master and Sir Bedivere will not abandon her."
"Since fighting on enemy territory is not to our advantage, we shall shift the geographical advantage to our side."
At that moment, another Purified Knight asked, "But Lord Lancelot, forgive my bluntness, but this woman's combat power is pitifully low. She is clearly a Servant, yet she has almost no magical energy. She has no strategic value at all. What if the enemy doesn't come to rescue the prisoner?"
Hearing this, Lancelot shot a cold glance at the Purified Knight who had spoken. "Do not imagine Sir Bedivere and the Last Master of Humanity to be such petty individuals. They will absolutely come. And even if they don't, after three days, we can just execute the prisoner. For us, it is no loss either."
Hearing this, the Purified Knights all nodded in understanding and followed Lancelot's steps towards the military fortress.
---o---