"What did you say?"
"Altoris—"
This familiar string of syllables sent a tingling sensation, like an electric shock, through Su Shu's brain.
The details that his mind had subconsciously ignored resurfaced. A single golden ahoge, swaying in the wind, suddenly became incredibly conspicuous.
The Ultimate Life Form's A-rank Magic Resistance kicked in, allowing Su Shu to violently break free from the subtle cognitive veil that had been cast.
..."Altoris"?
—"Artoria"!
The moment he made the connection, the feeling of looking at a flower through fog vanished.
Lifting his head and looking again at that original Saber-face, Su Shu finally realized he had encountered the genuine, bona fide ahoge!
Holy... shit!
So that's how it is—
The bloodlines prophesied to be fated rivals, the Red Dragon and the White Dragon of Britain, destined to clash in this life.
So, just like an ordinary office worker fantasizes about his wife's sister, or an Unkindled One encounters moving firewood...
—My body, with the blood of the White Dragon, feels this twisted desire for him!
Su Shu found a rational explanation for his physical and mental impulses.
However, that didn't change the fact that he was acting like a total gaybro.
...The pain, it's too much!
The golden-haired boy's face was just like the King of Knights from his memories, delicate yet filled with resolve.
How could King Arthur be a woman... even a cold-blooded killer like Kiritsugu Emiya couldn't help but roast such an absurd setting.
—So, in this Fate timeline I'm in, Saber is a man?
It's certainly logical, but...
I don't want that!!!
Having been simulated into 5th-century Britain, Su Shu had actually been quite excited at the thought of seeing a living, breathing Artoria.
After all, the saying that for every ten Fate fans, there are a hundred Saber fans wasn't an exaggeration. Saber's strength, resolve, and determination were truly as dazzling as starlight.
But more importantly... she was a beautiful girl with golden hair and an ahoge, her slender body as strong as a vise, beautiful and easy on the eyes.
Damn it! System, give me back my beautiful girl rival!
The thought of having to engage in a literal, forceful "fencing" match with this man named Altoris made Su Shu's future seem utterly bleak and gray.
Ahh, is this what they call instant karma...?
After making him disillusioned, it was immediately my turn for my Dao heart to shatter.
Looking at the handsome golden-haired boy, Su Shu let out a long sigh.
Who the hell wants to corrupt a guy...
On the other side, just after stating his name, Altoris saw the silver-haired boy's expression shift through various shades of light and shadow before he finally sighed deeply, covered his face, and sat down in the wheat field as if disheartened...
Uh, did my immaturity trouble him that much?
Yes, if I were in his shoes, I wouldn't like such almost-mocking praise either.
"I-I'm sorry, Sir Alvin.
"The field is dirty. Please get up, don't soil your clothes..."
Looking at the hand extended to him, its skin so fair and delicate it almost looked like a woman's, Su Shu couldn't help but be slightly stunned.
No... that's not right—!
The gears of his mind clicked into place, and he realized an even more fundamental incongruity.
My perception is still being influenced...
To the point of ignoring the most obvious possibility!
Rubbing his brow, Su Shu quickly sorted through the tangled mess of his thoughts.
He then took her hand and slowly stood up. The softness of her palm's skin immediately confirmed his suspicion.
Raising his gaze, he re-examined "Altoris."
With his newly-gained out-of-character perspective, it was now easy to spot the... almost blatant clues.
Although her body's curves and androgynous voice showed no signs of being a beautiful girl, the overly soft lines of her jaw and the delicate touch of her palm betrayed her true gender!
I see... so that's how it is—
Saber's original setting was a village girl disguised as a man...
No wonder she has the same face as that certain village girl from Orleans.
Just as Radagon is Marika—Altoris is Artoria!
Type-Moon, isn't it wonderful?
Su Shu, a casual fan, had at this moment finally uncovered this secret known to all old-school Fate fans.
He let out a long, slow breath.
Thank god, thank god. Turns out I'm not really gay. That's a relief.
My Dao heart almost wavered there.
In fact, after discovering this truth...
The urge to corrupt her became even stronger!
How should I put it? I'm destined to be the ultimate, evil-to-the-core villain.
And as King Arthur, Artoria is naturally the undisputed, heaven-mandated protagonist of Britannia.
As a villain, isn't it a basic move to want to corrupt the protagonist?
An interesting thought popped into Su Shu's mind.
Yes.
If I want to prove that this simulation isn't just a fated loop, the easiest way is to break the established history, to stir the original timeline into as much chaos as possible.
For example... making the pure and innocent King Arthur fall, corrupted and ruined.
Perhaps even... with lifelong regrets?
Although... killing her right here and now would be a more direct way to alter fate.
But, Su Shu was, at the very least, a semi-Saber fan. Killing a beautiful girl went against his aesthetics. He'd rather steer clear of the R18G genre.
Besides, could he really kill her?
Su Shu had his doubts.
Setting aside the absolute defense of Avalon, the future King Arthur before him was a man-made child of the Red Dragon. As a non-human entity on the same level as himself, even crushing her heart might not kill her.
Furthermore, just like his own witch cousin, it was hard to say that the legendary great magus Merlin, who served Uther, wasn't protecting her.
Yes...
—Come to think of it, that magic that silently distorted perception must have been Merlin's handiwork, right?
Good thing my Ultimate Life Form's resistance is maxed out, or I'd have been kept in the dark too.
The fact that she doesn't know I've seen through her disguise is my advantage.
As a magus skilled in manipulating shadows, Su Shu understood the principle of being in the dark while the enemy is in the light.
With a character like Artoria, crushing her body is meaningless. Her true strength lies in her resilient heart. Not to mention, the scabbard of Avalon she possesses can heal any wound.
As the saying goes, attacking the body is inferior to attacking the mind.
To truly defeat her, I must shatter her Dao heart.
I must make her lazy in spirit, weaken her will, erode her beliefs, and crush her resolve.
The true art of killing is to break the heart...
Contemplating his own vile thoughts, the young man gave the young woman a gentle, warm smile that felt like a spring breeze.
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