Everyone on the battlefield was shocked by the sudden and bold entrance of the King of Knights. However, the person most shaken wasn't on the battlefield but in a small grove nearby. A cloaked girl stood there, her face almost identical to Artoria's—she was Gray.
The girl, who always considered herself gloomy and unlikable, bit her lip in frustration.
She was conflicted.
On one hand, she detested the face she shouldn't have, but couldn't escape from, and she even harbored so resentnt toward her ancestor, the source of it all.
On the other hand, that very ancestor—the king that her entire family idolized—was so dazzling, so radiant. No matter how much she resisted in her heart, no matter how much she told herself to leave, to run away as far as possible, to hide in a place where no one could find her, her legs and eyes refused to move. She could only stand there, gazing dazedly at her ancestor.
"So cool."
Beside her, Flat was jumping up and down, yelling excitedly.
Though she didn't want to admit it, that was exactly how Gray felt too.
"She looks just like Gray-chan, and the vibe is the sa too. Gray-chan—"
On the other side, Svin was speaking the painful truth without thinking, stating the very fact that hurt Gray the most. Unsurprisingly, before he could finish, Faker rcilessly scolded him.
"Shut up, you wolf brat!"
As a magus from the Age of Gods, Faker fully understood the price Gray had to pay for such resemblance.
"W-Why? I an, she really—"
Even Touko couldn't hold back anymore and stomped on Svin's foot with her high heel.
"If I were you, I wouldn't say another word."
Svin looked aggrieved. What did I do wrong? Is it a cri to tell the truth?
In the end, it was the sensible and emotionally intelligent Caules who couldn't bear to watch any longer. He quietly whispered a few words into Svin's ear, after which Svin drooped his head and ears, apologizing.
"Sorry, Gray-chan."
Gray, lost in thought, didn't respond. She continued biting her lip, hard enough to draw blood, whispering to herself in a voice only she could hear:
"What should I do? What should I do... Add..."
"I don't know."
Add's voice carried an inexplicable complexity, along with an unfamiliar gentleness. This was the first ti the usually mocking Add, who loved to tease Gray for her weakness, spoke softly, like a caring older brother.
"She wouldn't know either. This is sothing only you can decide."
"...?"
"Yes, you, and only you. All I can tell you is that no matter what decision you make, I will support you. And so will she."
"Add? Are you... okay?"
At that mont, Gray finally sensed that sothing was off about the friend who had been with her since childhood.
"I-I'm fine, of course. It's just that I might have to leave you for a little while."
"Wha-wha-whaaaat?!"
Gray panicked.
The Cage hidden beneath her cloak began to stir restlessly.
...
anwhile, a thousand ters above the ground, Roman paused for the first ti in his drinking competition with Karna.
"What's wrong?"
Karna, always sharp, asked softly, his previously relaxed body quickly tensing.
"Nothing, don't worry."
Roman waved his hand dismissively, continuing to munch on popcorn and sip his soda.
"It's just that sothing feels a bit off—the timing of the entrance, the overly exaggerated style... it doesn't seem like the King of Knights. Is it you, Magus of Flowers?"
"Magus of Flowers? The great sage rlin?"
Karna's ever-perceptive eyes shifted slightly.
"Yeah, that's him. But you don't need to worry about it. Let magus handle magus affairs. Besides, it'll be interesting to see what he's up to."
As the possessor of one of the highest levels of Clairvoyance in human history, Roman gazed thoughtfully into the distance, as if speaking to himself or asking soone else a question.
...
"Spill it. Was this your doing?"
In a parallel dinsion, a thousand ters to the side, the Black Princess planted her hands on her hips and asked a similar question.
The one she was staring at—a small black cat—finally let out a laugh, reminiscent of DIO—no, more like a playful chuckle.
"Of course, it was . Cool Big Brother rlin, experienced love expert, at your service."
"What exactly are you scheming?"
"Don't look at like that. I'm not defying the Counter Force or anything. I just want to use this opportunity to settle an old score. Those foolish grave keepers still won't give up after all these years, and they've nearly succeeded. But we can't let that happen. Morgan missed her chance once before; she can't miss it again. If they're trying to bring back Artoria, they'll have to get my approval first!"
At that mont, rlin finally exuded the aura of an eternal being, a legendary magus. However, it only lasted for a split second before he reverted to his usual frivolous, cheeky deanor.
"But of course, the most important thing is still to support Artoria's love life. Just think about it—when you're surrounded by enemies, in a dangerous situation, and suddenly soone makes a cool entrance, fights their way to your side, and stands by you in battle. Wouldn't you be touched? Your affection points would shoot up! This is a classic plotline, tiless and—whoa!"
rlin, growing more and more excited, suddenly felt a cold wind brush over his forehead. Glancing sideways, he saw that a nearby tree had been sliced in half by sothing. Turning back, he noticed that Arcueid's hand had morphed into the signature sharp claws of a True Ancestor.
rlin, who had been borrowing the black cat's body to appear in the mortal realm, gulped involuntarily and cautiously asked, "Is there... sothing wrong, White Princess?"
"No," Arcueid replied, shaking her head as she stared at her hand in confusion.
"I'm just in a bad mood, stuck here like this."
"...You're not in a bad mood because you're stuck here. You're in a bad mood because Artoria stole the spotlight."
Though rlin's voice was soft, Arcueid's sharp ears caught every word, and her mood worsened. Her hands twitched restlessly.
Nearby, Fou suddenly jumped up, growling and rushing toward the black cat.
His intent was clear—"Don't move. Leave it to . Beating up rlin is my specialty."
Unfortunately for him, rlin was faster. He quickly shrank back, and amid a swirl of white mist symbolizing dreams, his playful deanor disappeared, replaced by a serene, tranquil presence.
Yes, faced with two overpowered entities like Arcueid and Fou, rlin wisely chose to retreat, handing control back to Len.
Seeing this, Arcueid pouted, expressing her frustration, while Fou began to curse.
"Fou, fou, fou, fou, fou! (rlin, you bastard! rlin, you coward! rlin, you idiot...)"
Nearby, Altrouge rolled her eyes repeatedly.
"A bunch of idiots."
She was, after all, the most perfect and noble princess among the Dead Apostles, but the longer she spent around these eccentric people, the more her carefully maintained princess deanor began to waver.
Mother, can I apply for a new team? I can't do this anymore.
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