Chapter 377: Regardless

"Saber, are you sure her aura is that of your queen, but her appearance and personality are completely different, right?" Tengwan Lixiang asked.

Artoria nodded solemnly: "Aside from the spiritual core aura, nothing is similar. Unless my own memories have been massively altered or overwritten, I cannot regard them as the same person."

This was her judgment based on the knightly virtue of honesty.

"Then that's correct!"

Tengwan Lixiang wore an "I get it now" expression, began to exert the "insight" she had accumulated from traversing countless singularities, and said, "This is very likely another Guinevere—her from another world line, another possibility!"

"Another world line?" Artoria and Ailisi Feier both showed thoughtful expressions.

Mashu timely added: "Just like Arthur Wang, our senior has encountered more than one during travels—male, female, different personalities, different experiences… all are Arthur Wang, yet not entirely the same. The Heroic Spirit throne records the hero's aspects, and those who answer the summon are often a specific aspect, possibly even a possibility from an 'if' line."

Tengwan Lixiang nodded firmly: "Exactly! Miss Ailisi Feier's heroic spirit information, and that noble phantasm just now— the thoughts contained within point to the identity of Guinevere. But the Arthur Wang she knows and the Camelot she experienced might not be the same historical timeline as yours. So she is Guinevere, but not your Guinevere."

This "parallel world" explanation, though it sounds a bit mystical, is actually far more reasonable than a "personality mutation" within the mysterious system of magic and heroic spirits.

Artoria's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly; she looked again at Gui Naifen, and the confusion in her eyes gradually gave way to a complex emotion.

Another… Guinevere?

From a possibility she didn't know, a perhaps more… free and fervent "branch."

Her heart was a mix of five flavors—curiosity, doubt, and a hint of indescribable sorrow.

Perspective shift.

Weber stared blankly at the direction where the "King's Army" finally dissipated; only ordinary night sky and ruins remained there.

The emptiness from the contract being completely severed, and the last boisterous laugh and resolve of that heroic figure in his mind, made his nose sour, yet his eyes were no longer weak as before, but gained a few degrees of tempered resolve.

That man gave him his final lesson through action.

YinZhi walked to his side, without many words, just placed a hand on his trembling shoulder, voice gentle yet full of strength: "Lord Weber, there's no need to drown excessively in sorrow."

"Lord Conqueror King, he fulfilled his oath of conquest in his own way, his brilliance like a meteor streaking across the night sky—brief yet eternally radiant. His will and bearing have been etched into your heart like stars; this itself is the most precious inheritance and the finest gift."

Weber took a deep breath, nodded firmly, wiped the corner of his eye, and his gaze became even more resolute.

Not far away, San Yue Qi had already approached the still dazed Gui Naifen, curiously sizing her up: "You're amazing! That light just now, and that castle! You're a Lancer, right? I'm Berserker, San Yue Qi!"

"Ah, hello hello!"

Gui Naifen came to her senses, quickly replied, still not fully out of the shock: "I'm a Lancer, Guine… uh, just call me Lancer!"

She almost gave her true name again, but stopped in time.

Then she realized the other's class.

"Berserker? Wow, I can't tell at all!"

Gui Naifen looked at the energetic pink-haired girl before her, and indeed felt no berserker savagery.

"Hehe, maybe it's because I'm a bit special!"

San Yue Qi felt a little proud, then curiously asked: "Are you a heroic spirit of this world? I feel your power is quite special, and that outfit… has a sort of… New Year vibe?"

Gui Naifen scratched her head: "This… maybe? Actually I'm not entirely clear on the specifics either."

She spoke vaguely, then recalled something: "Right, you just said you were… San Yue Qi? That name rings a bell..."

"Eh? Do you know the Astral Express?" San Yue Qi's eyes lit up.

"The Astral Express?!"

Gui Naifen was genuinely surprised this time, her voice rising a bit: "Your trains have come all the way here?!"

"Ah? Here?"

San Yue Qi also froze; she had always thought Gui Naifen was a native heroic spirit of the Type-Moon world, "Could you also be…"

The two stared at each other, both seeing surprise in the other's eyes.

On another side, Chang Ye Yue held up a black umbrella, quietly walked to A Xing's side, her crimson eyes scanning over the whispering Ailisi Feier and her companions, and the happily chatting San Yue Qi and Gui Naifen, she asked softly: "Have you contacted the lady?"

A Xing shook his head, his golden pupils gazing toward a certain direction.

"Regardless,"

Chang Ye Yue's voice calm: "First ensure Alice's safety. She is one of the keys."

A Xing silently nodded.

Just at this brief rest after the battle——

"Boom——!!!"

An extremely abrupt purplish-black light pillar shot up from another direction of the city without any warning!

Within the light pillar, countless insect shadows could be seen churning, architectural debris flying about, and moreover a sharp will that seemed to tear the soul spread outward!

Instantly, everyone's attention was drawn to this sudden change, the previously relaxed atmosphere tightening again.

Perspective shift.

The Black Curtain Lady leaned on the soft couch in the guest room, her purplish-black eyes intently fixed on the semi-transparent operation panel only she could see.

At the panel's center was a real-time status model of "Huan Long (Fusion Body)," surrounded by densely packed, constantly flashing benefit icons, dazzling to the eye.

(Tsk, this cheat is way too overpowered……)

Her fingers swiftly swiped and clicked in midair, like handling a lengthy, headache-inducing negative report.

"System, prioritize deleting these 'concept-level' and 'rule-level' immunities and resistances! Especially this one——"

She pressed hard with her fingertip on an icon emitting an ominous purplish-black glow, labeled 【??? ·Existence Erosion Exemption】, saying, "Immune to all forms of energy and impact? No wonder the previous mechanized Assassin's attacks felt like tickling! Delete it!"

【Attempting forced deletion…… encountering fierce resistance from the target's will……】

【Warning: intensity of target consciousness backlash increasing, estimated modification window remaining: 15 seconds.】

A calm but urgent prompt tone came from the system in her ear.

"I know, I know!"

Heimu sped up her actions, her fingers almost drawing afterimages, like playing a match‑three game, selecting those overly balance‑breaking "HP lock," "invincibility," "damage reflect," "probability instant death" etc. positive buffs one by one and dragging them to the corner's "deletion zone."