When Zuke entered the palace, he saw Agravain lying severely wounded in the corridor.
In the original storyline, Agravain faced Lancelot, who had defected to Chaldea's side. This time, however, he was up against an alliance of several heroic spirits.
In the original plot, Agravain had little chance of winning against Lancelot and only managed to secure a victory by baring his heart, catching Lancelot off guard during his moment of shock.
Facing multiple heroic spirits this time, his chances were even slimmer, and he was quickly defeated.
He lay on the ground, his eyes vacant as he stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.
Most of these heroic spirits had their own stories and often fell into strange contemplations. Zuke had no desire to engage with him further and simply walked past.
Agravain held little value. Before Zuke's transmigration, Agravain had not been implemented as a servant in the game, so Zuke had no knowledge of his abilities or Noble Phantasms.
Just as one wouldn't recklessly eat food without knowing its ingredients, Zuke wasn't about to take any risks with Agravain. He let him be.
Agravain, of course, heard Zuke's footsteps as he walked past, but he was powerless to stop him. He could only watch as Zuke moved through the corridor toward the throne room.
...
The situation before the Lion King's throne was far from optimistic.
Hassan of the Cursed Arm's arm had been severed, Hassan of the Hundred Faces was nowhere to be seen, and Attila's chest had been pierced.
The Lion King's strength exceeded Ritsuka Fujimaru's expectations. The assistance they had brought from the mountain people seemed to be of little help.
Every time she swung her holy lance, a golden "divine punishment" would flash, leaving a heroic spirit severely wounded. Even Hassan of the Hundred Faces's use of all her clones was futile.
Beside Ritsuka Fujimaru, several phantom images of heroic spirits were assisting in the battle—a unique combat method of Chaldea.
By summoning "shadows of servants" recorded in Chaldea's "Spirit Origin Portraits," they could fight temporarily in battle, though they couldn't be sustained for long.
From Zuke's perspective, this was just a way to give a reasonable explanation for the inexplicable participation of heroic spirits in the game's battles.
Even so, the shadows of servants around Ritsuka Fujimaru were about to disappear—despite the battle having gone on for some time, the Lion King remained undefeated.
In fact, there was no sign of her being defeated at all. Instead, Ritsuka Fujimaru and the others were at a disadvantage.
The Lion King's expression was far from calm. Before her stood a holy sword—the restored form of Bedivere's silver arm.
The holy sword had been returned, and the Lion King's mental state was already unstable. Yet, even in this unstable state, she wielded power that was overwhelming.
Bedivere, kneeling nearby, wore a pained expression, his body covered in blood, clearly wounded by the Lion King's holy lance.
"Though the holy sword has been returned, if we cannot defeat the Lion King, it's all for naught."
Bedivere watched the Lion King nervously, holding the holy lance. He had done all he could, but the Lion King showed no signs of weakening.
The shadows of servants around Ritsuka Fujimaru had also vanished. Bedivere could sense that these shadows were powerful servants, but they were no match for the Lion King's holy lance.
Just as everyone was at a loss, the doors to the throne room were suddenly kicked open.
"Still not done? You're much slower than I expected."
Zuke leisurely walked into the throne room, surveying the scene.
The heroic spirits were severely injured. Though the Lion King's expression showed some pain, she still stood before the throne, holding the holy sword, completely unscathed.
The only uninjured heroic spirit was likely Mash, who, as a Shielder-class demi-servant, was adept at defense.
But before the Lion King, Mash could only protect herself and, at most, shield Ritsuka Fujimaru behind her. The other heroic spirits weren't so fortunate.
"Zuke!"
Hearing Zuke's voice, Ritsuka Fujimaru turned around in surprise, looking at him as he entered the room.
The others also relaxed—though it sounded a bit embarrassing, Zuke's presence lifted a great weight from their hearts.
The sheer power of the punch that shattered the Holy City's barrier was incredibly reassuring. Even the Lion King hadn't given them such a sense of security.
"...It's you."
The Lion King now turned her gaze to Zuke, her expression darkening.
Earlier, when Zuke had confronted the three Knights of the Round Table, the Lion King had considered striking him with a divine punishment from her holy lance.
But just as she was about to act, the Chaldea team had stormed in, forcing her to deal with them first.
At that time, she had just gathered the magical energy for a divine punishment, and her state was at its peak—enough to instantly defeat the heroic spirits before her.
However, Bedivere had drawn the holy sword, disrupting her thoughts and preventing her from unleashing her full power. In the end, she had expended most of her gathered energy without completely defeating everyone.
Now, in her weakened state, seeing Zuke enter made her heart sink.
"The holy sword has been returned. So now, you're no longer the goddess Rhongomyniad, but just King Arthur, corrupted by the holy lance, right?"
Zuke also noticed the Excalibur planted before the throne—he had once faced its Noble Phantasm release in the "Fate/Zero" storyline.
The Lion King didn't respond. Instead, she raised her holy lance without hesitation, aiming it at Zuke. A dazzling light erupted.
It was "Rhongomyniad," the Lion King's Noble Phantasm—a terrifying surge of magical energy that filled everyone present with dread, further emphasizing her overwhelming power.
Everyone, except Zuke.
"Impressive magical energy, but that's about it."
Zuke narrowed his eyes, observing the immense magical energy gathering on the holy lance.
Once released, this "Rhongomyniad" would cause destruction on a massive scale, easily obliterating several cities.
But such power was no longer a threat to Zuke.
"In response, I'll end this with this move."
Zuke slowly brought his wrists together, fingers slightly bent—the stance of the Kamehameha.
The Lion King, however, had no idea what this stance meant. Her pupils contracted, and she instantly released the magical energy she had gathered on her holy lance!
"Rhongomyniad!"
"Kamehameha!"
As the holy lance's light reached its peak and was unleashed toward Zuke, he thrust forward the "ki" gathered in his hands.
In an instant, blinding light filled the entire throne room.
To be continued…
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