"Yes, even if a miracle were to occur, this wish would still be impossible to fulfill. But if the Holy Grail is truly omnipotent, then it must be possible—"
Saber's words were cut off midway. At that mont, she finally understood the subtle yet intense atmosphere between Rider and Archer. The two Heroic Spirits before her wore expressions of quiet disinterest.
"Saber, let confirm sothing... That country called Britain—was it destroyed during your ti? Was it under your rule that it fell?"
"That's right! That's why I cannot accept it."
Saber was even angered by Rider and Archer's reaction. Her tone grew sharp.
"That's why I feel regret. I want to change that ending! It was all because of ..."
Suddenly, the room erupted with unrestrained laughter, as if all decorum and dignity had been tossed aside. The laughter ca from Archer, the ancient king.
Saber's expression darkened with anger at the unbearable humiliation. Archer had trampled upon the most precious part of her soul.
"...Archer, what's so funny?"
Gilgash ignored Saber's fury entirely. Still laughing to the point of breathlessness, he managed to speak between bursts of laughter.
"...A self-proclaid king—respected as a ruler by the people—yet such a person feels 'regret'? Ha! How could one not laugh at such nonsense? Truly, Saber, you are the most ridiculous jester!"
Archer laughed so hard he nearly collapsed, completely unable to contain himself. anwhile, Rider furrowed his brows, showing an uncharacteristic look of displeasure as he observed Saber.
"Wait a mont—King of Knights, hold on. Are you saying you wish to deny every action you took in history?"
Saber had never once doubted her ideals, nor had she ever imagined that soone would question her so directly.
"Yes! Why should that be surprising? Why is that funny? The country for which I raised my sword and gave my life was destroyed, so of course I feel sorrow! What's wrong with that?"
Once again, her words were t with Archer's unrestrained laughter.
"Hey, Rider, did you hear that? This little girl who calls herself the King of Knights... actually said she 'dedicated her body and soul to the country'!"
Rider remained silent. He paid no attention to Archer's laughter. Instead, his expression grew even more solemn. To Saber, however, Rider's silence was no different from Archer's mockery—it was a form of humiliation.
"What is so funny about this? A ruler should wholeheartedly wish for the eternal prosperity of their land!"
"No, you're wrong."
Rider's voice was firm as he rebuked Saber's words.
"It is not the ruler who dedicates themselves, but the country and its people who must dedicate themselves to their king. It is never the other way around."
"What—?!"
Saber's voice grew hoarse with rage.
"That is nothing more than a tyrant's rule! Rider, Archer, you villains have no right to call yourselves kings!"
"That's right. And precisely because we are tyrants, we are great heroes."
Rider remained unfazed, replying calmly.
"But Saber, if a king regrets their own rule, if they mourn the path they have chosen, then they are nothing but an incompetent fool—far worse than a tyrant."
Unlike Archer, who rely mocked, Rider responded with a reasoned argunt. When Saber realized this, she steadied her voice, choosing to counter with logic.
"Iskandar, you're no different... Your heir was murdered, and the empire you built with such effort was ultimately divided into three. Do you not feel even a little regret? If you had another chance, wouldn't you try to save your holand?"
"I would not."
Rider's answer was imdiate. The King of Conquerors straightened his imposing fra and t Saber's gaze head-on as he replied.
"If the decisions I made, if the lives of my people, led to that conclusion, then destruction was inevitable. I will mourn for it, I will shed tears, but I will never regret it."
"How can that be..."
"And I would never undo it! Such foolishness would be an insult to everyone who lived alongside in that era."
Rider's proud declaration was t with Saber's denial.
"Only warriors see honour in destruction. The people do not. They seek salvation."
"You an they want their king to save them?"
Rider chuckled.
"I fail to see the aning in that."
"That is the true wish of a ruler!"
Saber spoke with fervent conviction.
"A rule based on justice and righteousness—this is what all subjects desire!"
"So you an to say that a king is a slave to 'righteousness'?"
"That is exactly right. A true ruler must devote themselves to their ideal."
The young King of Knights nodded, her tone unwavering.
"The people learn the principles of law and order through their king's actions. A ruler must leave behind sothing far greater and more eternal than their own fleeting existence."
As he watched Saber's unwavering expression, Rider let out a long sigh, his gaze tinged with pity.
"That... is not the way a human should live."
"Of course not. One who would be king cannot expect to live like an ordinary person."
To beco the perfect ruler, to embody her ideals, she had cast aside her humanity, forsaken her emotions, and dedicated herself entirely to the throne. From the mont she drew the Sword of Victorious from the stone, Artoria's life had ended. From then on, she was nothing more than a legend, a symbol of victory, a dream.
She had felt pain and doubt, but her pride had always outweighed them. Her unwavering belief still gave her strength and supported the sword in her hands.
"King of Conquerors, you will never understand. You, who sought only your own desires—who beca a tyrant to satisfy your endless greed!"
Saber's rebuke rang out like a decisive strike against her opponent.
Hearing those words, Rider's eyes widened.
"A king without desires is worth less than a re ornant!"
Rider's thunderous voice echoed. His overwhelming presence made his already massive figure seem even larger.
"Saber, you claim that 'a king must die for their ideals.' I see. You must have lived your life as a saint—pure, perfect, untouchable. But tell , who would ever look upon such a life of suffering and aspire to it?"
The undefeated tyrant declared his judgnt upon the saintly king.
"A saint may comfort the people, but they can never lead them. A true king must embody boundless ambition, revel in grandeur beyond all others, and be the pinnacle of both virtue and vice. Only then will their subjects admire them and strive to follow in their footsteps!"
"A rule like that... where is the justice in it?"
"There is no justice. A king does not need justice. That is why we have no regrets."
Rider's words were so absolute that Saber trembled with rage.
What is true happiness for the people? On this fundantal belief, the gap between them was too vast to bridge.
One ruler prayed for peace.
The other sought prosperity.
One longed to quell chaos.
The other created it.
Their ideals were irreconcilable.
Rider's fearless grin remained as he continued.
"King of Knights, your justice and ideals may have saved your country and people once. That alone is worthy of legend. But you should know—what ultimately beca of those who only knew how to be 'saved'?"
"You... what are you saying?"
A crimson battlefield under the twilight sky.
The sight returned to Saber's mind.
"You saved them—but you never led them. You never revealed a king's desire, and in your holy solitude, you abandoned your lost subjects. You are not a true ruler. You are rely a little girl bound by an illusion of kingship, living for others instead of yourself."
"I..."
Words of rebuttal filled her mind, but whenever she tried to speak, the blood-soaked hills of Camlann surfaced before her.
And then, a calm voice cut through the tension.
"No, you're wrong, Rider."
The white-haired youth, who had remained silent until now, smiled faintly. His empty goblet rested in his hand.
"Your tyranny is nothing compared to the King of Knights' rule."
***
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