Taking Flight (1/2)

Okay, we've managed to break through the line. What's the situation, Romani!?

The knights' formation has broken in two places, and refugees are escaping through them.

I detect about 50 life signs around Fujimaru, and about 100 from the other location!

There are more over there... But none of them can fight back, right!?

...We have to leave them on their own. Considering how far they are, if we tried to join them, we'd all be rounded up together.

The only thing we can do now is escape in different directions!

Lucius Bedivere is correct. We need to guard the rear for the refugees here.

Fortunately, Sir Gawain isn't pursuing us. Look, the sky has turned back to night.

I would hazard a guess that he hasn't received orders to leave the gate and give chase.

Before that happens, we'll use the cover of darkness and get as far away from the Holy City as we can!

Oh, but before that

Don't let them escape! Those given Holy Punishment must be purged! They will cause calamity if left alive!

We need to crush these pursuers first! Are you ready, Fujimaru!?

Wow, you've gotten pretty gallant, Fujimaru!

I'll take charge of leading the refugees! Our efforts will be in vain if the refugees end up scattering everywhere!

Yes, good decision, Fujimaru! I won't let you down!

This is such a large group of panicked people after all. Someone needs to take charge here!

？！

Enforcement Knights are closing in on the refugee group! Engaging!

Gawain reporting in. Where is the Lion King, Sir Agravain?

The king has gone to sleep. I already explained the situation.

You will be punished later, Sir Gawain. You are to wait in your manor until then.

...How unfortunate. I cannot see the king even in a time like this?

Naturally. It is merely the escape of some refugees. We can handle it ourselves.

Or, Sir Gawain, are you saying you wish to trouble our king?

...I would never do such a thing.

...Looks like there was some misconduct. This blunder is unfitting of you, Sir Gawain... How tragic.

Hah, maybe he went easy on them again? The Knight of the Sun is such a kind man!

That isn't kindness, Sir Mordred. That is disrespect.

It is by the order of the king that the Holy Selection take place. Death awaits any failure, Knight of the Round or otherwise.

There is no need to wait for the king's verdict. Agravain, may I cast judgement on Sir Gawain myself?

Hey, that's harsh. House arrest should be punishment enough for him. No need to cut his freaking head off, right?

Mordred... This is why I say you don't understand the king's heart...

You would wish our king to personally take the head of a Knight of the Round? I am sad... such would indeed be the end of the world.

For our king's sake, I must take the life of my friend... Do you understand, Sir Gawain?

A swift decision from Tristan, as expected. Yes, here in the throne room, my Gift is useless.

Go ahead and take my head. The sharpness of Failnaught would do so without doubt.

Indeed. I can cut it so cleanly that no blood will spill out. It would be ill-mannered to stain the throne, after all.

Hey, wait, are you serious!? You really are! Hey, stop it, I said stop!

Tristan cutting off Gawain's head? Father would never allow such a thing!

"If you are to die, I will butcher you myself!" I'm sure that's what King Arthur would say!

...No, wait. Put down your bow, Sir Tristan.

I find it hard to believe that Sir Gawain would meet such resistance from refugees, much less allow their escape.

Did something unforseen happen? Circumstances may dictate Sir Gawain's punishment be eased.

What say you, Sir Gawain? Were the rebels who attacked you at the gate truly refugees?

I have nothing particular to report. There were simply two unknown Servants mixed in with the crowd.

Both likely wandered in by the call of the Holy Grail. They are not the kind of Heroic Spirits who could threaten us.

I see. Thank you for the clarification. Sir Tristan, the punishment for Sir Gawain is

What's this ruckus? Have you started a war council for the desert invasion, Agravain?

Your Majesty!

...

...

...What's this? To think you would come to the throne room so late at night.

Allow me to make a report, my king.

Half a year has passed since your rule began. Our Holy City is more prosperous than ever.

Markets are full of bustling voices, wheat grows thick, flowing waterways glimmer, and flowers bloom in the gardens.

The sky is perfectly clear and blue, and the desolate winds of famine cannot reach our lands.

We know that everything... everything is all thanks to our king's rule.

O Lion King, you are revered by all.

Your rule must be free of all impurity. This latest disturbance will be treated as a mere mishap.

Flattery is unnecessary, Agravain. I came to hear a report from one of my knights.

Now, state your business, Gawain. I will believe your words.

...

Yes, Your Majesty. The Holy Selection was carried out correctly.

As a result, we discovered three compatible candidates.

Two were secured and given a warm welcome as citizens of the Holy City.

However... The remaining one was lost. This was due to my negligence in supervision.

I also allowed the refugees to resist, losing 12 Enforcement Knights in the process. The enclosure was broken and over 100 refugees fled.

They split up. One group headed to the mountains.

The other was sheltered by suspicious merchants. Their destination remains unclear.

Suspicious merchants? That sounds like Agravain's problem.

Does that mean they haven't been wiped out?

...It would seem so. Indeed, we still haven't confirmed the death of one merchant leader.

That concludes my report. I am prepared for any judgment you may hand down.

I already dedicated my life to you Please make your decision, my king.

I see. Very well then, raise your head, Gawain. Ah, you may remain on your knees.

For you have no need to ever stand again.

How... enviable. It may have been but a small amount, but to receive the king's sacred lance...

Gawain! Mordred, what happened to Gawain!?

Calm down, Agravain. Let's see...

Hah! I'd expect no less from Gawain, the toughest bastard of the Round Table! Hah! Look at him, so pathetic!

Not only did he blast through the castle wall, but he was blown out to the Holy City's outer wall!

And on top of that, he managed to survive! But man, it's gonna be a pain in the ass to fix that wall...

...He's alive? Sir Gawain is alive?

Hear me, Knights of the Round Table. That strike was death itself.

The fact that he survived shall be considered Sir Gawain's pardon. Are there any objections?

...Nobody would ever object to you, Your Majesty. There is, however, one sad thing about all this...

Starting tonight, we'll be hearing yet another song at the tavern, extolling praise upon the magnificent Sir Gawain.

...How truly sad. The number of songs written about Lancelot or myself hasn't grown at all lately...

I said from the start to leave everything to Father. There's no way I'd complain.

Mordred. I don't recall granting you citizenship to the Holy City.

You are only allowed to stay in the city during the day. Return to your natural domain.

Yeah, I'll go back to the wasteland! Leave guarding the outside to me, Father!

...Your Majesty. This may not be my place to ask, but why do you not allow Mordred to stay in the Holy City?

Indeed, it is not your place to ask.

Do you wish to measure up against Sir Gawain's toughness? Even you, Agravain of Iron, would suffer after one of my blows.

Wh-What!? No, I simply thought that stationing Sir Mordred in the Holy City would solidify our guard

Unnecessary. That one has no use beyond roaming the lands outside. Keep them alive until our eventual battle against the Sun King.

...I see. Temporary freedom is a great reward, so to speak.

Very well, I shall issue the order to pursue the refugees. I'm sure Sir Mordred would be happy to be of use to the king.

Also unnecessary. Leave the refugees. They'll die eventually in the wasteland.

The Sun King will soon realize our true intent. Prepare for the coming battle with him.

When the Knight of the Lake makes his triumphant return, we'll settle things with the Sun King. Understand, Agravain?

...You still rely on that man...

Agravain? Is it really okay not to pursue the refugees?

...Of course. This is a direct order from the king. Still, be that as it may, we cannot ignore the outsiders.

If they managed to repel Gawain, they are likely led by the foreign Master.

The Master causing a revolt at the gate is hereby considered a rebel. Send pursuers their way, and destroy them.

Whatever happens to the refugees accompanying them as a result of that is simply... inevitable.

I see. That plan sounds like something you'd do, Agravain. Who will you entrust the mission to?

Let me think Ah, I know of one knight who happens to be free at the moment.

Raider Knight Lancelot. Contact him. He should be making his way back to the Holy City.

Tell him to pursue the foreign rebels, and that he is not allowed to return to the Holy City until they are dead.

...No more enemy groups in the immediate vicinity. We've managed to distance ourselves from the Holy City.

Fou, fooou.

Thank you. I wouldn't have escaped if it wasn't for your help.

These people would also like to thank you.

...Yeah. So you're the ones who beat the Holy City's knights... We were watching.

...Thanks. We are in your debt, but... Sorry. We can't exactly celebrate right now...

We can't really express our gratitude... from the bottoms of our hearts...

...I can understand. It is not exactly an occasion for smiles and laughter after such tragedy...

...Sorry. Also, this is hard to say, but... how long do you intend to accompany us?

We're grateful that you're protecting us. We're thankful, but you, uh

You're saying you don't trust us, right? We're of a different race, we have different goals...

Furthermore, you can't give us a proper show of gratitude! So, there's no reason for us to escort you, right?

...That's right. We want to trust you, but at this point...

So yes, we want to know why you're helping us.

On a whim? You decided to rebel against the Lion King on a whim!?

Couldn't stand it... Well, I get that... Nobody would be able to stand such a thing...

？！

Excuse me. Would you mind if I made a proposal?

We'd like to continue guarding you. And for that, we'll request compensation.

Whatever the reason may be, we've all made enemies of the knights of the Holy City.

To survive, we require more cooperation. Thus, we would like to borrow your strength.

We'd love to help... But only a few among us can actually fight.

We have wives and children among us. To fight alongside you, we would

No, that's not what I meant. We'd like you to be our guides.

We need trust to enter the mountainous region to the north. As you can see, some of us are the same race as those in the Holy City.

We can't enter a region controlled by the mountain people. A battle would ensue the moment we tried to.

Combat is the last thing we want. If possible, we too would like them to shelter us.

However, they have no reason to trust us. Do you understand what I mean?

I get it, they'd see that you saved us! Indeed, if so, even the Old Men of the Mountain wouldn't treat you with disdain!

Yes. That would be enough to give us hope.

We will protect you with all our might and escape to the mountains.

After that, we would like you to mediate between us and those of the mountain... Does that sound agreeable?

Yeah, I can convince everyone if that's the case! That we can continue to put our trust in you!

Thank you... Thank you! And thank you for saving us earlier, I mean it!

Just wait a bit, I'll go talk to everyone!

...That's good. This should unify the group under a common cause, Fujimaru.

Oh... I'm sorry! Should I have taken that liberty!? I ended up speaking on Fujimaru's behalf!

Geez. You've taken my opportunity to be in the spotlight.

Fou, fooou!

Yes. It seems that was my only merit as one of the Round Table.

？！

Still, I'm sure they need some rest, too. We've run all this way, after all.

...While I'd love for them to have a good night's rest, we don't have time to spare.

Let's take an hour break here, then head north. We'll force our way through the night to reach the mountains.

Okay. I'll tell the refugees what you said.

I'll also treat the wounded, and provide some food. Roman, I'll leave Fujimaru to you.

Yeah, yeah, leave the difficult verifications to me. Fine, I'll do it.

...Long-distance communication via Magecraft, hmm? I heard his voice earlier as well, but...

From his voice, I imagine him to be a delicate man, but strong of heart, with intelligence and a quick wit... Am I close?

Hurray, a Servant who finally understands me! To think the day I'd be praised so much would actually come!

？！

Wait, this isn't the time for celebration.

I'm Romani Archaman of Chaldea. Just call me Doctor Roman.

You must be Lucius... I mean Sir Bedivere, who saved Fujimaru out in the desert?

...My apologies for the false name. I could not fully trust you then...

Yes. I'm sure you had your own circumstances, and that doesn't change the fact that you helped us.

Fooou!

That's... You're right... I'm sure you did... I'm rather suspicious... Especially with my shining arm...

？！

Anyway, now that you've told us your True Name, you've got our full trust.

Sir Bedivere. We still don't know your reasons, but the situation is clear.

The Holy City is occupied by the Knights of the Round Table, Heroic Spirits of the 5th century related to King Arthur.

Those that gathered at the Round Table would naturally become the greatest force in this era. Unfortunately, this time, as tyrants.

And you, Sir Bedivere, are one of them.

Normally, you'd be a Heroic Spirit that sides with them, and yet you decided to save Mash.

...Someone helped Fujimaru break the lines of those knights.

That was you, right? You concealed yourself and blended in with the refugees...

Most likely to enter the Holy City without anyone's notice.

But upon seeing Fujimaru do battle with the knights, instead of slipping into the city amid the chaos, you joined in.

I'm sure it wasn't your intent to clash with Gawain there. But you saved us.

You're a hero. And not just that... You're a true hero of justice.

...Who knows? It's true that I was influenced by Fujimaru, though.

Lord Magus. As you guessed, I was hiding my identity hoping to enter the Holy City alone.

It was all to have an audience with my king... To ask why he had resorted to such violent acts.

...Yes, I still can't believe it either. The Knights of the Round Table are supposed to be a group of righteous knights...

Yeah. A shining achievement atop the legend of King Arthur. The proudest and most powerful knights gathered at that table.

Why would they do such a thing

？！

...Hmm. This is just my speculation, but...

Originally, the Sixth Singularity would have seen the Crusaders overrun the Holy City, resulting in an endless crusade.

...A never-ending war for the Holy Land that would lead to the collapse of humanity.

The Crusader army, transformed into a Demon God, would end up doing battle with Chaldea... Or rather, Fujimaru.

But, as you can see, the Crusaders were defeated before we even arrived...

At the hands of King Arthur, striving to defend humanity.

Foooou...

As a result, the Singularity was never repaired. In fact, the distortion grew even stronger.

...The reason being that King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table built their Holy City and took control of this era.

They make no effort to save this land as it burns away; they only seek to enrich their own city.

...That's likely the case. It may be true that the inside of the Holy City is a utopia...

However, Servants are mere shadows of their souls. They should not exist on this earth forever.

Heroic Spirits should only exist temporarily. The earth is for those living in the present.

The wise King Arthur should be fully aware of this...

...Yes. I hate to say this, but the Round Table has gone mad. The knights are now distorted existences who must be defeated.

...So that's why you decided to fight Sir Gawain?

By the way, it seems like you knew about Chaldea already. Was Merlin the one who sent you, by chance?

Indeed. I heard all about your situation from him. He told me that those who intend to repair the Singularity will appear.

He said to be on the lookout for a Romani Archaman from Chaldea, and to lend you strength if our interests align.

Merlin!? By Merlin, do you mean the court mage of King Arthur!?

Correct. He has shut himself away, however, speaking of how his preparations were not yet complete, or something of that nature.

Yeah, sounds just like the legend. Merlin should be confined at the edge of Avalon.

Wait... But... Senpai, I feel like Mr. Merlin

？！

...That about explains it all. I am a knight who arrived here late.

When I arrived, the Knights of the Round Table had taken the Holy Land from the Crusaders and turned it into the Holy City.

...I've come this far to correct their deeds. Even if it means cutting down my former friends.

...Sir Bedivere...

？！

Yes. We also have a mission to restore humanity.

The Sun King may have the Holy Grail, but the cause of the Singularity this time is the Holy City

As such, we must enter the Holy City, and face the Lion King.

Isn't that right, Master?

？！

Thank you, both of you. I may not be of too much use, but I look forward to working with you.

Fou, fou fooou.

Oh, are you done talking? Then we should set out.

I talked to the refugee leader. He said we'll reach the village of the mountain people if we continue north for two days.

If we can make it, we should be safe for a while. We can plan our comeback there!

How's this drifting!? It's faster not to drift, but cornering like this is more impressive, isn't it!?

Awesooome! So fuuuun!

What exactly is Lady Da Vinci doing? And what exactly is that box-like object?

That's just a type of vehicle. We're playing with Rushd to try and cheer him up.

？！

The child we saved back at the Holy City. He finally woke up a short while ago.

However, he was quick to notice that his mother isn't here.

The others told him she went with a different group, so we've been able to dodge the issue, but...

I see, so that's why... Looks like even Da Vinci has a human heart.

Mash! You should try this too, it's so fun!

Okay! Senpai, I'll be over there for a bit.

...That boy has a strong will, but so does Lady Mash. We walked for an entire day, but she shows no signs of fatigue.

We've been through a lot of fierce battles up to this point.

This is the sixth trip for Fujimaru and Mash, after all.

Looking back, they've visited a lot of different worlds. Isn't that right, Fujimaru?

？！

What? You have done so much!? I was confident of my own travels, but the sea was...

The Knights of the Round Table were based in Britain. You didn't have reason to cross the sea.

And the era of King Arthur was a time of civil war and ethnic strife. It wasn't really a time for making journeys.

...Oh, right. Uh, Sir Bedivere?

About that arm of yours... Is that really Airgetlám?

I would hesitate to call it real. This is an artificial arm given to me by Merlin.

It was a plan he devised. He told me that I would have a difficult time facing the Round Table, seeing as I only had one arm...

So this is an artificial Noble Phantasm of his creation. A replica of the silver arm used by the Celtic war god Nuadha.

My body can't handle it for long periods of time... Only short bursts, like you saw.

Hm... That technology is amazing. I wonder what kind of raw materials Merlin used to replicate the arm of a Divine Spirit.

I bet even Da Vinci's pride is hurt, deep down.

I can already imagine her flying into a rage and yelling, "My gauntlet is way better!" Well, it would just be talk though!

？！

Of course, I have no plan to admit my defeat! That's right, I heard everything!

Prepare yourself when we get back, Romani. I'll prove that I'm not all talk, with you as my guinea pig.

Hahaha. No way, even you couldn't best Airgetlám. This is Merlin we're talking about. THE Merlin.

He's the scummiest of scummy mages that would do anything to win, you know?

With your fixation on beauty, there's no way to beat him.

I would win, and win beautifully. In fact, if I don't, we can't beat the Knights of the Round Table!

？！

Huh? Oh... I let my tongue slip because of you, Romani.

I didn't want to worry you, but too late now. Let me do a little explanation!

Remember what Sir Gawain said? That he had a "Gift" from the king?

That's a blessing from the Holy Grail. But I don't mean the Art Graph Grails we're collecting.

I mean the Holy Grail of the Savior, from Arthurian legends. The Knights of the Round Table are blessed by God.

Oh, right. You're an exception, Bedivere. To be exact, we're talking about the Knights of the Round Table under the Lion King.

...It would seem so. Those knights are no ordinary Servants anymore.

In terms of divinity, my Airgetlám is about on par...

Without the ability to "sever the Holy Grail," that Gift cannot be broken.

Then, if the Knights of the Round Table decide to show up...

Only Bedivere would be able to fight them. But he would reach his limit quickly.

Isn't that right, Sir Bedivere? How many times can you still fight? Once? Twice?

...What are you implying? I can fight as many times as needed. It would indeed be a bit painful, but still...

Oh? I see. Well, we'll just leave it at that!

But I'm a universal genius. A big sister you can rely on, Fujimaru!

We need to prepare countermeasures against the Round Table, just in case. For that, I'd like to settle down somewhere ASAP.

If I have a workshop, I can analyze their Gift. But before that

Aaah!? Monsters, monsters! Protect the supplies!

Before that, we need to fulfill our task as guards! Let's go, Fujimaru!

Just a little further. We'll be in the mountains soon.

Once we're in the mountains, we can make our way to the village while staying out of sight.

The eastern village is hidden, sheltered by the mountains. You can't reach it easily without a guide.

It would be all the more difficult for knights from the plains. Especially when there are wild beasts and thieves up there.

？！

Ah... Right, I knew it. Of course, there's no way it would be that easy.

Leonardo? No, wait. Magical energy signatures are closing in quickly from the rear!

I detect four... They're Enforcement Knights! The quickest we've seen so far!

Yup, they must be vanguard units on horseback. Fast horses at that. Anyway, look just a little further behind them, Romani.

See that massive response? It's most likely a Knight of the Round Table.

Ah!

Damn it, and you're so close! Anyway, you have to intercept them, Fujimaru!

The Enforcement Knights will reach the rear of the refugee group in a few minutes! Hurry over there!

？！

Yes! We'll attack swiftly, and shake them off our tail, Master!

Enforcement Knights intercepted! Refugees are abandoning their belongings and running for the mountains!

No good, a second wave is coming! This speed... Could it be you, Lancelot!?

Sir Lancelot, we've tracked down the enemies. Shall we wait for the third wave?

No, we attack.

Split the third wave horizontally. Have them surround the refugees while we're in combat.

Our orders are to capture the rebels. If they do not resist, there is no need to fight them.

Do you understand? This is not the king's orders, but Agravain's. There's no need to work so hard.

Sir Agravain has stated he cannot give us clearance to set foot in the Holy City before this mission is complete.

Unbelievable

A pathetic trifle, a petty scheme. Let us quickly deal with this and return to the Holy City.

Understood! Let our flag bear the pride of the King of Knights!

Enemy units are moving faster! I count 40 total! They'll catch up to us, Master!

If push comes to shove, then I'll...

No, you can't possibly handle that many, Sir Bedivere.

Pity. I'd have let you deal with it if that Round Table knight was alone.

？！

Hm? This thing?

The new and improved ornithopter, now with my magical energy collection device in its core... I call it Sphinx Megiddo!

Basically a self-propelling bomb that charges and explodes in the enemy camp. Its only flaw is the lack of autopilot.

This should clear those guys out. So, Fujimaru, you go with the refugees.

It's my time to truly shine... Or rather, my final scene, as it were.

Um. What do you mean

Oh, come on, Da Vinci. You make it sound like you're going to pilot that thing or something!

This thing's got it, right? An autopilot? I mean, wouldn't that be easier than making a bomb?

Well, I call it a bomb, but it basically uses my staff and my magical circuits to self-destruct.

This tactic requires me to be the one driving. That's why there was never a need to develop an autopilot.

Are you insane!? We can't let you do that!

Now, now... I had predicted this before we reached the Holy City, when we saw that redheaded knight. We can't help it.

If they catch up to us, this is the only way we can escape.

So, well, personally, it's nothing much. Like, my turn has finally come.

Right, Romani? Servants are actually disposable. You use them for a day or two, and then get rid of them.

I just happened to be around a little longer. Maybe too long, if you ask me.

I'm leaving the rest up to you. For a chicken, you actually made it this far, right?

Da Vinci... Don't do it! Doctor, please stop her!

...

Well, that's Da Vinci for you. I don't think there's anything I can do to stop her. Why don't you go on ahead?

Doctor!

Ahaha! All right, full speed ahead! I'm gonna blast the entire enemy camp!

Doctor Roman, Mash, Fujimaru... Ci vediamo!

Don't worry. Genius is immortal! If I survive this, we will meet again!

The ornithopter is plunging into the enemy camp Contact soon!

Master! Da Vinci is... Da Vinci is...

Fou...

We can't! The enemy's third wave is still up! They split up to flank us!

？！

Don't let her sacrifice be in vain! We'll escape into the mountains before the third wave arrives!

Get a grip, Fujimaru! That Servant entrusted everything to you!

？！

...Yes. We will return... Da Vinci, I promise we'll come back for you.

Sacrificing one's life to buy time... Foolish, yet radiant all the same.

Someone with this much resolve cannot be a simple rebel.

...Hmph. In fact, they were formidable enough to fluster even Agravain, huh?

Sir Lancelot. We have lost only six men, but all of our horses are down.

We will have to pursue on foot...

No. I will be fine, but you will not be able to catch up. Such is the flaw of heavy armor. We need cavalry to traverse this area.

Send word to the fort to our west, and replenish our cavalry. Do not forget to find a guide that knows the mountains well.

...It will be a week until we can return to the Holy City. Get ready to comb the mountains.

Yes, my lord!