Under the watchful eyes of countless onlookers…
Artoria's steps paused ever so slightly, her eyes casually sweeping over the surroundings.
The densely packed crowd swelled like an ocean, making it impossible to distinguish one person from another.
Have you really come?
Artoria was momentarily dazed—less than half a second—before continuing forward with natural, steady steps.
She had sensed the faintest fluctuation of Avalon.
So faint, it felt as though it had been completely shattered into dust and then forcibly reassembled.
No—even worse.
It was as if it had been utterly obliterated, leaving behind only the barest trace of a "concept of existence", without any physical form.
And now, it was slowly reviving under the influence of some mysterious power.
Was this the result of Alaya's video?
A soft, almost imperceptible smile appeared on Artoria's flawless face.
It had been over 1,500 years since the final Battle at Camlann. Since then, you disappeared from my world.
And now, I've come to yours.
I wonder... would you be willing to meet me again?
Beside her, Tamamo-no-Mae's three large golden tails swayed slightly as she asked curiously, "What's the matter?"
"Nothing, just surprised by how enthusiastic the people of Japan are," Artoria replied with a gentle smile.
"When friends come from afar, isn't it a joy?" Tamamo-no-Mae answered naturally. "It's part of our country's hospitality that's been passed down for thousands of years."
Tamamo's foxlike eyes were filled with amusement.
The little tricks being played might deceive others, but not her—a nine-tailed fox.
Artoria had clearly sensed the trace of the Nameless.
Interesting!
And soon, another person would arrive.
She was truly looking forward to it.
Let them fight! Let them fight!
Still, as the host, she had to be polite.
With graceful courtesy, Tamamo guided the way. "Next, I'll escort you to the Fuyuki Grand Hotel. Tonight, you'll meet the student representatives from Fuyuki Academy City."
"Thank you."
Artoria followed her through the crowd.
Their group boarded the long-prepared motorcade and headed toward the Fuyuki Grand Hotel.
There, a press conference and a lavish banquet of Heroic Spirit-level grandeur would be held.
Attending would be top-level figures, as well as representatives of Fuyuki Academy City, allowing them to interact up close with the Heroic Spirits.
It was the dream of every student representative—
Except for one ordinary high schooler.
Sanjiro wiped a cold sweat from his brow. The faint Avalon pulse had completely disappeared.
Hopefully, he hadn't been discovered?
But… who could say for sure?
That artifact originally belonged to her, after all.
During the Battle of Camlann, he had tried to mediate—only to be blasted by both Artoria and Mordred.
To save him, Artoria removed Avalon from herself and implanted it into his body.
That was also why she ended up grievously wounded and corrupted by the Holy Lance, becoming the Lion King.
With Avalon's protection, it was simply impossible for Mordred to have killed her—
No, not even to have scratched her.
But this… was just the beginning.
Sanjiro's headache worsened.
"What the hell do I do about tonight's banquet!?"
If he got recognized on the spot, it'd blow the whole place sky-high.
And then, the peaceful life he had fought through countless timelines and worlds to finally enjoy would vanish completely.
At that moment, Sanjiro could almost hear the voice of a devil:
"You're not allowed to rest yet, Master~"
Damn it!
Sanjiro finally understood—
Alaya was deliberately exposing him again and again, clearly intending to wear him down until he was forced back into labor as a Heroic Spirit!
Where else would they find someone as dedicated to preserving humanity as him!?
Alaya, do I amuse you? Are you happy!?
No. This time, he had to avoid detection at all costs.
I have a good chance of success! As long as the brat didn't bring her home—
Wait.
That last time, the brat's identity was exposed only because Gilgamesh sensed the presence of Enkidu's Chains of Heaven.
Since Chains of Heaven and the Wedge of Heaven were destined enemies, it made sense for him to react.
But the brat shouldn't carry Avalon's aura, right?
Avalon – The Ever-Distant Utopia.
A magical-level ultimate defense, even Ea couldn't tear it apart.
The strongest defense naturally becomes the strongest shield.
During the final battle, Avalon had become the final prison that sealed Sanjiro and a terrifying enemy inside.
The clash shattered that invincible defense, and Avalon itself became a sacrifice to reboot the world.
So the brat shouldn't carry any residual aura, right?
"…Just to be safe, I'll get Gilgamesh involved."
Sanjiro made a call to the King of Heroes.
The King in his strongest Heroic Spirit form was nearly impossible to measure in power.
With his help, things would definitely be secure.
"Don't even think about it. I came here specifically to watch you get chopped up with a cleaver. Why would I help you?" Gilgamesh responded with a grin.
He had already arrived in Fuyuki City via private jet.
After meeting with the provincial governor, he went straight to the Fuyuki Grand Hotel.
And since he had bought the hotel along with the bank that owned it, he was now redecorating it according to his taste—to be gilded in gold.
Magus's rushed around frantically, painting the hotel walls with real gold.
When you have money, even magus's do your bidding—let alone ordinary people.
Sanjiro gritted his teeth and hung up. "Fine, you bastard!"
"Hahaha! How delightful!"
Gilgamesh laughed heartily.
After his laugh, he transformed into his ordinary "Mr. Gold" appearance and called for Kirina.
He handed her a beautiful golden gift box. "Kirina, I didn't give you anything when we last met. Here's a gift now."
"Huh? I can't accept this…" Kirina said solemnly—
before accepting it anyway.
She eagerly opened the box to find a beautiful white hat. Its wide brim was trimmed with gold and embroidered with green leaves.
A perfect blend of luxury and nature—it instantly mesmerized her.
"Mr. Gold, this must be really expensive, right?" she asked cautiously.
"Not at all. In fact, it's quite cheap," Gilgamesh said with a smile.
Though it looked like an ordinary elegant hat, it was actually one of the top-tier divine weapons from the Gate of Babylon.
Its true name was—
[Hades' Cap of Invisibility]
The legendary hat from Greek mythology that let Hades vanish without a trace.
Its greatest power was to erase all signs of existence, even gods couldn't detect it.
After some painstaking re-refinement, it was now tuned to specifically hide any unusual aura from Kirina's body.
Even that worthless goddess Ishtar wouldn't notice a thing!
Once worn, it activated automatically.
Even an ordinary person could use it.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Gold! You're more of a brother to me than my actual brother!" Kirina beamed and put it on.
"As long as you like it."
He waved farewell.
Kirina skipped away gleefully—before remembering it was a formal banquet, and quickly adjusted to a proper young lady's stride.
Just as she exited Mr. Gold's VIP lounge, she could already hear the roaring cheers outside.
From the window, she could see the massive crowd of King Artoria fans.
She felt incredibly lucky.
"If not for Mr. Gold, I'd probably be one of them too."
At that distance, what could they even see?
Not even a whiff of her scent!
Just then, she saw Sanjiro rushing over. With a serious look, he warned, "When you meet the Heroic Spirits later, don't get nervous or get too close."
"Hmph! I'm not a kid, obviously I know that!" Kirina pouted.
This guy was way too tense.
She had seen plenty of the world—how could she mess up that easily?
"…Hey, that green hat you're wearing—who gave it to you?" Sanjiro asked in surprise.
"Mr. Gold gave it to me—HEY! YOU'RE the one wearing a green hat!"
Kirina couldn't help but grind her teeth.
Such a beautiful hat, and yet he'd called it something so insulting. She really wanted to bite him.
"That looks expensive. Don't take it off—someone might snatch it," Sanjiro warned again, seriously.
But deep down, he was full of helplessness—
Oh, my dear tsundere friend Gilgamesh, if you keep up this contradictory tough act, I swear I'll use my heavy boots to kick your royal behind.
You clearly want to help me, yet you can't say a kind word first.
Is that really necessary?
Sanjiro instantly understood what the hat truly was.
A gift from the mighty King of Heroes? Of course, it had to be that cap of the Underworld.
With that helmet hiding his presence, this plan was practically airtight!
As long as he made it through this crisis, he could go back to enjoying a normal, peaceful life.
Perfect!
"Hmph, I'm not staying with you, you shut-in loser. This young lady has a banquet to attend!"
Like a proud little peacock, Kirina turned and left with her head held high.
"Don't stick your chest out like that. Nothing's there anyway."
The voice behind her nearly made her trip over her own feet.
She stomped hard in frustration and stormed off.
Just wait—one day I'll grow up, and then you'll be begging at my feet!
===================
Fuyuki Grand Hotel, First Floor
Artoria and her group arrived along with Tamamo and the others.
Some people were already waiting at the entrance.
Leading them was Illya.
She wore a pure white princess dress, her long silver-white hair swaying slightly behind her.
Those ruby-red eyes fixed directly on Artoria.
Artoria gave a slight wave. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine," Illya responded, a little nervous.
This was her first time appearing at such a grand and glamorous event. The most crucial part was—this woman in front of her seemed to be her...
Rival in love?
Yet the other party didn't even spare her a second glance, just greeted her casually and brushed past.
"She just walked past me?"
Illya's nervousness turned instantly into inexplicable irritation.
Clearly, in Artoria's eyes, she wasn't even worth noticing!
====================
Inside the Presidential Suite
Only the Britannian party was present in the room.
Mordred gave a light scoff.
"Father, you're as arrogant as ever. You ignore everyone."
Even though they had both appeared in Unlimited Blade Works, and Illya had been protected at all costs by Nameless, Artoria had just casually brushed her aside.
"I am a king. I represent the face of Britain."
Artoria answered calmly.
As a king, she had to act like one. She couldn't behave like an ordinary girl, jealous or flustered.
"Heh, since you want to be a perfect king, why not leave Nameless to me?" Mordred teased, "Didn't you say you'd dedicate your life to Britain? Then don't hold back Nameless's future."
She said she didn't care, claimed she wanted to be the perfect king—
But didn't she happily come all the way to Fuyuki just to see Nameless?
"Mordred, you're getting bolder."
Artoria's holy-blue eyes bore down on her, radiating crushing pressure.
But—
Mordred was unfazed. "I'm just telling the truth."
Nearby, Gawain stayed far out of the way, quietly watching them face off.
Terrifying.
They're really about to fight again.
What should I do? Should I bring the lance or the cursed sword—
No, no!
Am I going to be the one who imitates Nameless and risks his life to stop these two?
But under Gawain's tense watch, the two didn't actually come to blows.
Mordred gave a cold snort and left the suite, heading out for a walk.
Crisis temporarily averted!
The presidential suite was on the top floor of the hotel—no chance of random people wandering in.
Yet the moment she stepped out, she spotted a girl wearing a white hat with green embroidery.
"Hey, you're Mordred, right? I bought your 'cursed gear'—I mean, your merchandise!" Kirina looked thrilled.
"Oh? And who are you?"
Mordred frowned slightly.
"Just an ordinary person. I'm a fan! I came just to see you all!" Kirina said, still excited.
Mister Gold really has powerful connections—letting her get this close to real Heroic Spirits!
Totally worth it!
"A fan, huh?"
Mordred visibly relaxed.
She didn't sense any magical energy—clearly, this girl was just a normal human.
"Lady Mordred, could I have an autographed photo?" Kirina asked carefully.
This might be her only chance in life to meet a Heroic Spirit—she had to take it.
"Let's take a selfie instead."
Mordred was straightforward.
She didn't often meet fans who genuinely admired her, so she was happy to show appreciation.
"Really?! Thank you!"
Kirina joyfully rushed over.
They struck a simple pose, and she hit the shutter.
Click!
The screen immediately displayed the photo of them together.
Kirina tucked her phone away like it was the most precious thing in the world, eyes sparkling. "Thank you so much. It's such a blessing to meet you!"
"Lucky, huh? What do you think of me?"
Mordred suddenly asked.
"You're a true knight! If I may say something bold… back then, the king really pushed Britain too far. You simply responded to the circumstances," Kirina said thoughtfully, then added, "Even if it wasn't you, someone else would've eventually stepped up. The decades-long war had to end!"
"Is that so…"
Mordred looked stunned.
Everyone had always seen her as the traitor, the one who destroyed Britain.
But this little girl had such a different take.
"Yes! It wasn't your fault—it was the world's!" Kirina declared without hesitation.
"Interesting. You really are interesting."
Mordred smiled, genuinely enjoying their conversation.
If this girl were a Heroic Spirit too, she'd probably be the kind of knight Mordred saw in herself.
"Even parents can't truly understand their children. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many rebellious kids," Kirina said seriously, clenching her little fists.
"Exactly. I just wanted to be acknowledged, not to steal the throne."
Mordred sighed, glancing at the hat on Kirina's head.
"Back then, I wore the Helm of Hidden Infidelity to conceal my gender and face. I worked so hard every day… just for my father to recognize me.
But she never did."
If she had, would things have turned out that way?
"Totally! The king aimed so hard for perfection, she forgot how to guide the confused knights."
Kirina, following her gaze, removed the hat and grumbled, "I work hard at school too! But that guy won't even let me play video games!"
Mordred had always valued that helmet, so wearing one in front of her might seem disrespectful—of course Kirina had to take it off.
And the more she talked, the more upset she got.
She was always top of her class, and that shut-in still wouldn't let her game!
"I get it," Mordred nodded.
When she was being trained by Nameless, she had also pushed herself to the limit—only to be constantly scolded.
Yet under that harsh discipline, she became the finest of the Round Table.
The more they talked, the more they clicked.
If it weren't for the massive gap in their identities, Mordred really wanted to be this girl's big sister.
Just as she was about to continue—
Suddenly, a door opened in the distance, and Artoria stepped out. "Mordred, it's time to go."
"Alright."
Mordred turned to Kirina. "Sorry, I have to leave."
"No worries! Go ahead."
Kirina's eyes gleamed as she stared at the distant figure of the king.
That's King Artoria herself!
Today really was the luckiest day ever—getting to meet two Heroic Spirits up close!
Unfortunately, in the face of a king whose presence was as overwhelming as a god's, Kirina didn't have the courage to approach—let alone ask for a photo.
She didn't dare go to her, yet the king stepped directly toward her.
No helping it.
Kirina was standing in the only path out.
Trembling slightly, she greeted her, "G-Greetings, Your Majesty…"
"Mm."
Artoria gave a gentle nod as she passed, walking by with regal calm.
But then—just two steps later—she suddenly stopped.
"Wh-What's wrong?" Kirina flinched, instinctively shrinking back.
Under that gaze, it felt as if she were being watched by a dragon—her whole body tingled with fear.
"Little one, that hat you're holding is quite lovely. Who gave it to you?"
Artoria asked in a soft tone.
Behind her, Mordred looked baffled—she couldn't understand how a mere hat could draw her father's attention.
Could it be… she was reminded of the helmet she once wore?
"I-It was Mr. Gold—he gave it to me!" Kirina stammered, fumbling with the hat as she hurriedly held it out. "W-Would you like to have it?"
"It's a very pretty hat. You should keep it."
Artoria took the hat and gently placed it on Kirina's head herself, her expression softening even more.
Impressive, Gilgamesh.
If the girl hadn't taken the hat off on her own, I really would've been fooled.
A completely ordinary girl… wearing a divine-class Noble Phantasm-level artifact.
Well played, Gilgamesh.
Now the question is—what exactly are you trying to hide?
"Mhm! I think it's really pretty too!"
Kirina's face was flushed with excitement.
This was just—too lucky!
Artoria herself had just personally placed a hat on her head. You couldn't find a second person in the world with that honor.
If she told Sanjiro, he'd definitely be stunned, eyes going green with envy!
Then Artoria reached out her hand and asked, "I saw you chatting happily with Mordred just now. Would you like to join us?"
"E-Eh?!"
Kirina was sure her ears and eyes had glitched. Was she actually seeing and hearing King Artoria inviting her?
She froze for a moment before frantically nodding like a pecking chick.
This wasn't just luck anymore—this was being chosen by Alaya itself, raised like some kind of destined protagonist!
"Huh?"
Mordred looked genuinely surprised.
Her father seemed… slightly off. Why was she giving so much attention to a random little girl?
Could it be—
She saw Kirina getting along well with Mordred and wanted to bring her along, just so the girl would admire her more and end up resenting Mordred?
No way!
She quickly stepped forward and protectively pulled Kirina behind her.
You wicked Father—I won't let you get away with this!
"It's time to go. Another Heroic Spirit is arriving," Artoria said, completely unfazed by Mordred's small rebellion, striding off ahead.
Her blue cape fluttered behind her as she led the way.
The rest quickly followed.
Gawain rubbed his nose, feeling like things were starting to spiral a little out of control.
So there really were other players joining this bloodbath—
Wait, no, official diplomatic visit, right?
==================
Hotel Lobby, First Floor
The top brass of Academy City had already gathered in full force.
Even Sanjiro, the representative student, had been summoned to wait.
"What's going on? Who else is even coming?" Sanjiro muttered, baffled.
The Britannian delegation had already been welcomed.
Everyone knew Gilgamesh had arrived early—there was no need for a second round of reception.
But speak of the devil...
Gilgamesh strode out, gleaming from head to toe in golden splendor, impossible to ignore.
Countless cameras clicked furiously, snapping 360-degree shots of the radiant Heroic Spirit.
"Damn it, Goldie—you're just here to watch the show, aren't you?!"
Sanjiro wanted to say a few heartfelt curses to the man.
That bastard had glanced at him earlier, with a faintly amused look in his eyes.
Yep. No help from him whatsoever.
Still, at least he'd given Kirina Hades' Helm of Invisibility earlier—no one should be able to detect her true nature.
So bring it on—let the storm come!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A procession of hyper-luxury cars—Bugatti, Maybach, Rolls-Royce—roared in from the distance, forming a fleet so extravagant it bordered on surreal.
Sanjiro's heart sank instantly.
He stared in shock as a woman stepped out of the lead car.
It was—the Empress of France, the Dark Saint—
Jeanne d'Arc!
A thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd.
Flashes exploded again from every direction.
The entire hotel burst into a sea of ecstatic noise.
In that instant—
Sanjiro finally understood why Gilgamesh had decided to personally show up today.
It was all to watch his reaction.
That damn showboating bastard!
The unexpected appearance of Jeanne d'Arc sent a chill straight through Sanjiro's core.
Because as a mere student representative of Academy City—
He was about to face these legendary spirits up close.
===========
T/N: I was having a seizure translating this chapter, fuckk!
Fucking fuck, I need to watch something wholesome.
----
I severely underestimated the dudes that said I was in a world of pain by translating this.