Artoria Pendragon.
Itachi Uchiha wasn't unfamiliar with that name.
While unconscious, he had been plagued by repeating dreams. And the one living out those dreams wasn't him—but the king who now stood before him: Artoria Pendragon.
She came from a nation long since destroyed—Great Britain.
Artoria had been created to be the protector and savior of that kingdom. She was born of both royal human blood and the blood of the red dragon, a miraculous union that gifted her a dragon's abilities within a mortal form.
Like Itachi, she had been subjected to rigorous training from a young age.
Military strategy, politics, court etiquette, horsemanship, swordsmanship, spear techniques…
Gifted beyond compare, Artoria had mastered them all.
At the age of fifteen, under the eyes of the kingdom's highest lords and nobles, she pulled the sword from the stone. In that moment, she relinquished her gender, her personal future, and even her human emotions.
As the previous king had hoped, she took the nation's burdens upon herself and became the new monarch.
Known as the Red Dragon of Britain, Artoria was an indomitable force on the battlefield.
She always stood at the front lines, side by side with her knights, fighting against foreign invaders.
Her strength, her composure, and her sheer presence inspired every soldier beneath her. No enemy could withstand her advance.
For ten long years, forged in the fires of blood and war, her name became legend—almost divine—in the eyes of the people.
She alone reversed her kingdom's decline, breathing new life into a dying nation.
But in the end, it still fell.
Though she never once faltered in large-scale military decisions, endless battles came at a cost—resources became increasingly scarce.
To address this crisis, Artoria once again upheld her version of "the king's path." She made the most painful decision of all—abandoning the final thing that tied her to humanity: the code of chivalry.
She ordered her troops to seize supplies from villages and towns—grain, iron, anything that could sustain the war effort.
This cold, pragmatic action violated the very ideals Britain held dear. The knights who had once followed her with unshakable loyalty began to drift away.
Artoria sacrificed her reputation, her identity, and her very humanity to pursue the ideal of kingship she believed in.
She gave everything to protect the nation. Yet in the end, the kingdom wasn't destroyed by its enemies, but by civil strife.
"The king protected the kingdom—but the kingdom did not protect its king. That is all."
Itachi stared quietly at the calm woman standing before him, the memory of her voice echoing in his mind.
He was still too young to fully understand these visions, to comprehend the weight of what he'd seen. But just witnessing her life left a strange, sorrowful ache in his heart.
She could have lived peacefully as a human named Artoria. She could have known joy, love, or rest.
But instead, she discarded her humanity for the sake of her nation—and became King Arthur.
In the end, she was abandoned… and betrayed by the very people she protected.
Was it worth it?
He couldn't answer that.
Hearing those familiar words from his thoughts, Artoria's expression didn't change in the slightest. Her eyes remained steady.
"When I died, I somehow arrived in your world—this world. In this form, I accessed your memories," she said gently. "And from the looks of it… you accessed mine as well."
Her voice was calm and slow, like someone who had already come to terms with her fate.
But had she really?
"I…"
Itachi opened his mouth, wanting to explain—but Artoria lifted a hand and softly stopped him.
"From what I can tell, only you can see me. Only you can hear me or sense my presence," she said, turning her eyes to the tent flap. "Not your father, not the ninja standing outside. And their senses are far sharper than yours."
"If you speak to me aloud in front of them, you'll likely be mistaken as someone under a genjutsu."
"You can speak to me directly in your thoughts—I'll be able to hear you. Of course, if you'd rather not share your inner voice with me, you're free to put up mental defenses."
A true monarch indeed—her adaptability and analytical thinking were frighteningly quick.
Itachi was quietly impressed. He still hadn't fully sorted through the flood of memories he'd inherited, yet Artoria already understood the nature of this world and even used a term like genjutsu.
At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder: why were they here together, and why like this?
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty… I didn't mean to intrude. I saw your life while unconscious, like a dream I couldn't wake from."
Following her suggestion, Itachi spoke to her inwardly, respectfully and politely.
"It's not your fault," Artoria shook her head. "You don't have the ability to consciously peer into my memories. And besides—I saw yours too."
"From what I can gather, neither of us knows how or why we met like this."
"When you were unconscious, I tried to leave. But I couldn't stray too far from you. I also couldn't make contact with you."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"I should also warn you… The reason I was able to comprehend your memories so quickly is because your life is still short. You've only lived four years."
"In contrast, the memories I've given you span a lifetime. The fact you only passed out briefly—and didn't lose your mind from the flood—is actually rather impressive."
Memories… shared experience…
Itachi's gaze narrowed slightly. So even the thoughts he tried to keep hidden weren't truly private?
But… how was he supposed to put up mental defenses?
Right now, all he could do was extract chakra and barely control it. He hadn't even learned the most basic Three Basic Techniques, let alone anything related to genjutsu or mental discipline.
Did this mean that until he learned those techniques, his every thought would be open to her?
"In my memory… I believe it was just after I pulled the sword from the stone, when I left the village to ascend the throne in the capital."
"It was summer… just before sunset. That day, my teacher Merlin had taught me how to control magical energy. Among those teachings, I learned how to protect my mind."
Once again, Artoria gently offered guidance, having sensed his thoughts as naturally as breathing.
Magic…
Itachi closed his eyes, letting his mind retrace the memories he had seen in his dreams.
The sword being drawn from the stone… the warmth of a summer afternoon…
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Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!