[After finalizing your plan with Morgan to defy the prophecy of the two dragons, you no longer indulge in the gentle comforts of her company. Instead, you begin preparations for the plan.]
[You learn from Morgan that she intends to meet with Vortigern under the pretext of a joint effort against the Red Dragon. As for how she plans to cooperate with that old fox, or what traps she has set, you are not told.]
[However, you are not idle either.]
[While contemplating how to complete Morgan's mission, you dispatch spies to gather information on Artoria.]
[Based on your simulation experience, you know that although King Arthur's army has already gathered and launched a counterattack against the Usurper King, the Saberface King has not yet returned to the army and is still undergoing training.]
[She is currently traveling the land as 'Lily,' her pure, white knight-princess form, not yet fully molded by Merlin.]
[Fortunately, your efforts pay off. Although you don't find Artoria directly, you get news of her foster brother, Kay.]
[According to your spies, after handling the basic affairs of King Arthur's army, Kay has resumed his travels. He is currently heading to a territory to deal with a magical beast that has been terrorizing the populace.]
[You realize this is a golden opportunity.]
[Kay is Artoria's foster brother, the knight who has been with her the longest. If you want to find the Saberface, finding him is the surest way.]
[After reporting to Morgan, you receive permission to leave.]
[Perhaps because this mission is part of Morgan's own plan, your parting is not overly sentimental or reluctant.]
[Before you leave, Morgan bestows upon you a black spear.]
[Morgan explains that this spear is a Noble Phantasm she created through magic and rituals, a replica of the Holy Lance of the Storm, Rhongomyniad. It is imbued with a curse powerful enough to shatter the Sword in the Stone.]
[It is worth noting that although the spear is a replica, it still possesses a fraction of the power of the original that pins the World's End.]
[You can't help but marvel at Morgan's immense talent and power in magecraft.]
[Without further hesitation, you take the pseudo-Holy Lance and ride towards the territory where Kay is headed.]
[Perhaps because you are traveling alone and unencumbered, you arrive at the town while Kay and his companions are still on their way.]
[This gives you a moment of relief.]
[What Morgan gave you was less a plan and more a mission to be completed. She only provided the objective, not the process. It was up to you to figure out how to approach Artoria and how to break the Sword of Kings.]
[Therefore, arriving before them to scout the environment and gather useful information is essential.]
[However, as you step into the town, you discover that something is deeply wrong.]
"What are you posturing for, you loser? Just because you have a little money, you think you're better than me? Can all your money buy you a happy family and life like mine?"
"That's hilarious. You think I'm not happy because I'm rich? I eat fish and meat every day. Can you?"
"My wife prepares lavish meals for me and takes care of me. Do you have that?"
"I never have to worry about a thing. People fawn over me with a wave of my hand. What about you?"
"I am honest and my character is noble! People genuinely love me! Besides, my ancestors were nobles!"
"So what? My family used to be a cadet branch of the royal family!"
"Well, let me ask you this..."
"No, let me ask you this..."
Cang Ye stared, utterly baffled, at two men arguing not far from him. They were red in the face, spittle flying as their faces nearly touched. Yet, despite their fury, they showed no intention of coming to blows. They just stood there, endlessly arguing, comparing their own merits and advantages.
This was incredibly strange.
In fact, it wasn't just these two. Everyone Cang Ye had encountered since entering the town was the same. Fields were left untilled, goods were left unsold. Everyone just stood in the streets or in corners, in groups of three or five, arguing and comparing. Even two kids on the street were shouting things like, "My mom is prettier than your mom!" and "No matter how pretty your mom is, my dad slept with her!" The arguments were bizarre.
It was as if the entire town had fallen into a strange state of mind called 'Comparison.' The people just endlessly argued and competed, but no matter how fierce it got, they never fought physically. It was incredibly eerie.
"Then why am I unaffected?" Cang Ye stroked his chin, pondering the question. "Is it because of the 'Blessing of the Lake'?"
For some reason, this phenomenon and the word 'Comparison' sparked a flicker of memory, but he couldn't quite grasp it. His brows knitted as he walked through the town streets, observing the state of the others.
He gradually realized that they weren't constantly arguing. When they got tired or thirsty, they would rest and drink water, and then, once rested, they'd go right back to their verbal sparring. Cang Ye couldn't help but feel these people were acting remarkably like his netizen friends from the 21st century...
With this strange thought in mind, he walked towards the town center, and it was there that he finally understood the source of the town's bizarre state and what that elusive memory was.
It was a small animal with fluffy, snow-white fur, ears like a rabbit's, and a tail like a squirrel's.
At that moment, the little creature was perched on a large tree in the center of town, licking its little paws with a soft, pink tongue. Its eyes would occasionally glance at the arguing humans below with a look of contempt and amusement.
"So it's this little guy."
The moment he saw the small, white animal, Cang Ye understood everything. He knew why the people here were trapped in this strange state of comparison.
Because this was the Fourth Beast. The one who holds the Principle of 'Comparison,' the one who is always stronger than you, the eternally unbeatable Fourth Beast.
Of course, beyond its future titles and its current name in Britain—the three-eyed monstrous cat, Cath Palug—Cang Ye, an old Chaldea Master, preferred to call it 'Fou.'
"If it's Fou, then this situation should be easy to resolve."
Thinking this, Cang Ye felt a wave of relief. Although Fou was an immature Beast and didn't particularly care about human lives, it was, on the whole, fond of humanity. This was because 'Comparison' is an emotion unique to humans, and Fou, as the Beast of Comparison, fed on human competitiveness and desire. So, under normal circumstances, it wouldn't harm them.
Of course, the Primate Murder from the Tsukihime world was a different story. Fou must have intentionally come to this town to stir up trouble among the residents just to get a meal. A beast's gotta eat, after all.
Suddenly, an idea flashed in Cang Ye's mind. He had been struggling with how to break the Saberface's Sword in the Stone, but thinking of Fou's abilities gave him a clear path forward.
With that, a friendly smile spread across Cang Ye's face as he walked towards the tree where Fou was perched.
"Hello there, Fou~"
"Fou?"
Hearing someone call its name, the creature, still in its monstrous cat form, paused and looked around. It quickly noticed Cang Ye standing under the tree with a strangely doting smile.
Is this guy calling me? What kind of name is that? And why is he smiling so creepily?
Seeing Cang Ye in his armor but without a visible weapon, Fou was a bit puzzled. For some reason, however, the moment it saw this man, it felt a strange, inexplicable urge to get closer.
And without realizing it, Fou did just that. Seeing the little creature leap lightly down from the tree, the smile on Cang Ye's face widened even more. He had absolutely no resistance to cute creatures that looked like a cross between a cat and a dog.
With this thought, Cang Ye slowly crouched down, extending a hand towards the little Fou, who had stopped a short distance away and was now watching him with some suspicion.
"Fou, Fou-kyu!"
Seeing a mere human dare to extend a hand towards it, Fou, just now realizing it had come down, felt a little annoyed. It took a step back, lowered its body slightly, and let out a low, adorable growl meant to be threatening.
In response, Cang Ye simply softened his voice even more, cooing gently, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."
As if understanding his words, Fou looked up into Cang Ye's eyes. Seeing no malice in those clear blue irises, only joy, Fou's tense body relaxed slightly. Then, under Cang Ye's watchful gaze, it cautiously brought its head forward and sniffed his hand.
-------
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