('Alright, now that the bonds have deepened... Bedivere? Can you tell us your history?')
Roman spoke sharply.
('I will keep the video record hidden. I swear to tell only the Director and Da Vinci-chan, the highest responsible class. ...Tell us. The journey that caused your soul and body to perish.')
There was concern and care in his voice.
Roman, who saw through that he was 'just a human,' did not ask out of curiosity.
Purely... he just wanted to ask 'the reason for such a painful journey.'
"—Yes. I will speak. You all... I believe you will surely aid my battle."
—And so, Bedivere began to speak.
Of the gentle sin. Of the deeds of that sin born of his own feelings...
...I am Bedivere, a Knight who served King Arthur in a place not here.
A Knight who served King Arthur, who continued to hold the Lance that maintains the Farthest End while possessing the Holy Sword.
Should I call it an 'If'? I, who am here now, am a resident of that possible history.
...The compelling force of history is immense. No matter the spacetime, no matter the karma, Britain falls, the Round Table breaks, and the Knight King faces death.
—...
I apologize, Knight King. ...But this is something I must convey to everyone.
—I do not mind. Continue, Bedivere.
Yes. ...I carried the dying King to the forest.
Holding the Lance in his left hand, the King entrusted the bloodstained Holy Sword to me.
—Take this to the Lady of the Lake. The Star's Holy Sword is no longer needed. I want you to return it to where it belongs.
I shook my head and begged for the King's life.
—Why do you let it go! That is something you should hold! You must not die! You, you are...!
I shed tears and begged unsightly.
I wanted him to live. I just wanted you to live.
King Arthur simply told me.
—Fulfill the King's Order. Bedivere.
...I obeyed his words and rode my horse.
The King told me gently and certainly. Then, as a Knight, I must fulfill it.
Standing before the lake, I tried to throw the Holy Sword in.
This is the King's Order.
If I return this, the King will be released from suffering and reach Avalon.
I know, I know.
I know, but...
—King, O King...! I...!
I couldn't do it. No matter what, my body wouldn't move.
If I let go of this, King Arthur will die.
The honorable King who dedicated everything, more than himself, to the country.
In exchange... the Ideal King who threw away every human life.
I had only seen that King smile once.
...I want him to live.
Not as a King, but I want him to regain a natural life as a human.
Not just watching the happiness of human life without knowing it.
I want that King to taste that splendor too—
...Prioritizing such foolish selfishness, I lied about the King's Order.
—I have returned the Holy Sword. Please...
The King was smiling gently.
—Sir Knight, you are a poor liar, Bedivere. —I want you to fulfill the King's Order.
My face was swollen with tears. No matter what, no matter what. I couldn't carry through the lie.
The King forgave such a me. He entrusted it to someone like me... saying 'I want you to fulfill the King's Order.'
I ran through the second time. But, standing before the lake, poised to throw the Holy Sword—it crosses my mind.
The noble figure of the King.
That figure, holding the Holy Sword, existing proudly.
And—that smile, cherishing life, which I saw only once.
—I don't want to lose him.
I don't want to lose King Arthur.
I don't want to let a single girl, who dedicated her all to protect that King, the country, everything, end like this.
Thinking of that... I lamented and continued to cry.
I knelt, staining the Holy Sword with tears, leaking sobs continuously.
—I, I cannot... King...!
Despite it being the second time, I shamelessly ran back. I committed disrespect, saying 'I returned the Holy Sword.'
To such a me, he spoke calmly.
—I want you to fulfill the King's Order. Bedivere.
Not once, but twice, the King forgave me.
...This is the last. Truly, truly the last chance.
Normally, the return is fulfilled at this third opportunity, and the Knight King departs for the Land of Fairies.
That was the correct choice.
That was the correct history.
And yet.
—Ah, aah, aaaaaah...!!
And yet...—
—Forgive me, forgive me...! King Arthur! I, I am...!!
I——even at the third opportunity...
—I want you——to live...——kh!!
...My sin of not fulfilling the King's Order would fall upon the King.
—King!? King Arthur!?
The King had vanished. Without a trace, to where.
—Where! Which way! King! King!!
—Conversion of attributes by the Holy Lance, Rhongomyniad. Not a legend belonging to the earth, but a transformation as a God existing in the heavens.
...Yes. King Arthur, who had possessed Rhongomyniad for many years, was completely taken in by the Lance.
Unable to even die as a human... becoming a Divine Spirit wandering the world, reaching Avalon became eternally impossible—
—King Arthur...——kh...——
The King disappeared. With only me, a foolish disloyal subject, and in my hands... the proof of my eternal sin...
—King Arthuuuuur————!!!!!
Leaving only the unsullied Holy Sword behind—
('...The Holy Sword grants agelessness and healing to the wielder. You continued your journey without letting go of it, didn't you. Bedivere.')
Roman spun words. Because Mash had started crying, and Ritsuka was hugging and comforting her.
"Yes. I wandered for about 1,500 years and arrived in this land. This time, this time for sure. To kill the Lion King. To return the holy object."
"—You lived carrying the King's Order you could not fulfill, didn't you. Bedivere."
To the Knight King murmuring quietly, Bedivere shook his head.
"—I am sorry, Knight King. I committed disrespect and disloyalty to you... to King Arthur himself... —King!?"
Bedivere opened his eyes wide at the Knight King's action.
Because the King drew the Holy Sword from its sheath and embedded that sheath into Bedivere's body.
"—First, heal your body and soul. If you are not perfect, you will not reach the Lion King."
With the King of Heroes' capsule and the Knight King's sheath, Bedivere's body and soul recovered with tremendous speed.
"To me, such... even the sheath..."
Unable to hold back, the Loyal Knight, Bedivere, shed tears.
"I am a King who does not understand the human heart. Therefore... I am not the King you served. I know nothing of your sins."
The Knight King spoke gently to Bedivere.
"Because I am not your King, I want to save you as myself. You, who worried about the King's body and harbored a gentle sin. I know exactly who you are. A single, kind-hearted Knight—who stayed close to me until the end and worried about me."
"—King Arthur...!"
"This time, fulfill the King's Order. And return the holy object. The holy object 'dwelling in that right arm.'"
('Yeah, yeah! After everything is over, come to Chaldea! 1,500 years of fatigue will be gone in a week! Right? Ritsuka-kun!')
"Yeah! —Bedivere. The only ones who can forgive your sin are surely that Lion King... and yourself, I think."
Ritsuka clenched her fist and thrust it out.
"—But, we can shoulder the sin together! Let's go! To the Lion King! This time—let's fulfill the duty!"
Cheerfully, Ritsuka laughed.
Not with platitudes like 'You haven't done anything wrong.'
Not with tears, mourning, sentimentality, or pity.
She showed Bedivere the courage and determination to fight together and advance together.
"—Yes! With everything of this body, together with you all!"
Face bright red with tears, Bedivere nodded.
"I will also do my absolute best! Let's do this, everyone!"
Mash also roused her determination of snowflakes.
"Yes. —Galahad, Mordred. And... Bedivere. You are my Knights of the Round Table."
Holding the Holy Sword high against the rising morning sun, the morning glow.
"Master, let us go together. Under the name of the Knight King, to restore the stolen history and the mad Round Table to their correct forms."
"Yeah! Alriiight! Let's do it——!!"
"...Bedivere. As Roman says, there is a place I wish to invite you to. —If you call the sentiment I showed a sin, then protect my King's Order."
The Knight King announced.
"—After finishing everything safely, heal your fatigue at Chaldea. I make this an Imperial Order to you."
"—Yes! Knight King——!"
Here, the power to stand against the Lion's Round Table gathers.
This time, to kill the King.
This time—to fulfill the King's Order...—
Epilogue: The Dragon Knight Takes Flight
('Grandfather, Grandfather recognized me as a Round Table...')
('Bedi... As I thought, you were always on my side...! Touching Bedi's kindness moves me to tears... supremely precious...!')
"So that was why the reaction of that thing was uncertain. That Flower Mage, pulling such a vicious stunt."
(Normally, the mind would burn out first; it's quite impressive, truly. Well, I'd live not just 1,500 but hundreds of millions of years for Air, though.)
(Death is something one can taste as many times as needed. Truly, humans harboring faith and loyalty cannot be underestimated because of this. They are too unstable to determine value. Truly, it is irritating to the extreme.)
(A miracle achievable by a mortal, huh...)
—Munya, munyu...
(—You too are a life living in the now... capable of causing such miracles, Air...—)
"Knight King! Take care of Mash and Bedivere!"
"Where are you going?"
Drawing Doujigiri, she drew a circle in the air to summon and don her armor...
[Imitate Mother!]
Forming a Pegasus with wings and eyes of pitch black and deep crimson out of mud, she mounted it and ran through the sky.
[Name it [Dragon Knight (Dragoon)]! Someone is calling me, so I'm going there! I'll be back soon, say hi to everyone——!]
"Master——..."
[Mausoleum]
[...—Evening Bell, do you invite the Dragon of Dialogue?]
『Al-Bukhūr (The Smoke)』
[Do you demonstrate recklessness, or——]
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