Chapter 673

Everyone quickly

"His dear, that blue guy didn't say he'd come scout ahead? He hasn't sent any word back—could he have been schemed by that old cutie?"

Saber looked around at the exquisite furnishings: "No signs of battle; not really Lancer's style."

"Maybe he went fishing."

"According to my understanding of that guy, he'd even pick meaningless arguments, then turn away satisfied..." As Archer spoke, Miss Note suddenly appeared, blocking everyone.

Zhigengniao was overjoyed: "Miss Note! You're all right——"

Shajin stopped the Zhigengniao behind him who was about to step forward: "Wait, everyone, something seems off. Miss Note, have you seen Lancer here?"

"Not bad, he came to the grand theater, intending to get straight to the point, using his spear to pin Mr. Ode on the curtain. I fully agree with his view……but gaining a second life is no easy feat, I still have unfulfilled wishes. So I asked him to rest a moment."

Miss Note paused, then continued: "At the same time, I also have to ask everyone to take a brief rest…until Mr. Ode finishes the ritual."

"No need to worry, there won't be a bit of pain. Please detach yourselves from the fiery passion and grand ambitions on the stage…just as the actors backstage take off their fatigue and makeup…rest well."

Zhigengniao knew the opponent wouldn't leave easily, and immediately raised her right hand, intending to use a Command Spell to force them——

A sound of tearing air so faint it was almost undetectable rang out.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh——"

"It wasn't coming from the Caster obstructing them ahead, but from……above?"

Two strands of silk suddenly descended, deftly wrapping around Zhigengniao's wrist just raised, then tightened sharply, hoisting her whole body into midair!

More silk threads tore through the air; Xing, Botello, Saber……all were lifted by these eerie threads into midair, like marionettes controlled on a stage.

The grand theater backdrop behind them began to peel and dissipate like patches of oil paint, and a star‑like fantasy started to swallow everyone—just as it was about to engulf Saber, Xing strained with all her might and grabbed Saber's hand at the last moment.

"Curtain down, the mundane mortal's lament!"

"……"

When Xing woke again, she found Saber beside her; she lifted her gaze over the golden plains, and everything smelled familiar.

"Where……is this?"

"How……is this possible? Why am I in Britain?"

——

fate/apocrypha

"Hey, Master, what the hell is that?!" Mordred pointed her fork at the all‑consuming darkness in the sky, "Caster's Noble Phantasm? She said she didn't have one, but this looks way more impressive than that Assassin's black‑and‑white silent film!"

"No, that's probably not what we understand as a Noble Phantasm in the Holy Grail War; it's likely a power manifested by the Grail based on the Harmony path." Shizi Jie slowly exhaled a smoke ring, eyes sharp, "Being able to so easily control Saber and so many others—this Caster is quite troublesome."

"By the way……" Shizi Jie pointed at the wheat field in the sky, "Is that your hometown?"

"Hmm." Mordred said glumly, "Surely this is Britain, but it ought to……" She trailed off, raised her hand and slapped her cheek, making a crisp "pa‑pa" sound, "Illusion… it must be an illusion……"

"It's just an illusion, probably similar to Xingqiri's 'Taiyi Dream' trick."

"However, its range is far smaller than Xingqiri's Taiyi Dream; Shizi Jie still recalls how the original Taiyi Dream affected the world beyond the sky—blanketing the entire planet, everyone falling into Xingqiri's illusion. Caster's barrier isn't as vast as Xingqiri's, but breaking free would likely be several times harder."

——

"Where the hell did she bring us?"

Saber nodded: "Not bad, I remember this place…every blade of grass and tree. The plains, the scent of wind, and this town……Caster wants to trap me with these memories?" As she spoke, Saber let out a soft hum, "This town is where I began as a knight."

Suddenly, a young villager walked over and greeted the two: "Yo! Are you Artorius? You here to pull the sword too?"

Saber blinked, her thoughts drifting to the distant past: "Since you call me Artorius……are you Aiden?"

"I've been saying, that Merlin guy's hype about 'whoever pulls the sword from the stone will become king of Britain' is over the top. Even a novice knight can't help wanting to try." The other paused, eyes scanning Saber up and down, "But someone as small as you pulling the chosen sword to become king—I just can't picture that."

"…That's true, I feel the same. I hope the sword in the stone chooses the right king." Saber lifted her head, "Master, let's go……"

"He just called you……"

"Artorius, that's my male name. After all, in that era a female ruler of Britain wouldn't be conducive to governance. Where we are now……should be the moment just before I drew the sword."

——

fate/apocrypha

"Hey hey……you're taking this too seriously, huh?"

Shizi Jie patted Mordred on the shoulder; this guy had been staring at Saber in the sky for a long time, not blinking for fear of missing any important detail.

"Even if your wish is also to challenge that 'sword in the stone,' there's no need to be so obsessed, right? We're still in the middle of the Holy Grail War……"

"Aw, don't worry, Master—I'll definitely get the Holy Grail for you." Mordred pouted dissatisfiedly, "I've never seen Father pull the sword from the stone; I certainly can't miss this scene. Besides, this is Father's past……"

She also wanted to know what Father had gone through; as the Once‑and‑Future King, a king's ability surely isn't acquired overnight, and through Xing she could hear more of Father's true thoughts.

——The other side of that knight‑king, little known.