Fate: Hero Simulator

[3rd POV]

Knights are warriors who speak through their swords.

Since he cannot persuade with words, then let the swords do the talking.

The golden and blue sword lights crossed in the air; one was bold and side while the other flowed relentlessly. 

The golden light of the king was surprisingly suppressed by the traitor's blade.

Lloyd had grown stronger. 

He had become even stronger.

"Artorius" could feel the immense pressure on his sword. 

What was once an easily defeated enemy was now slowly being pushed into this desperate situation.

The beliefs behind the swords were conveyed through their clash without words...

Ryūka had already taken shape, and Kyouya's sword was relentless, steadily suppressing him. 

"Did you know? Once the Age of Gods declines, our families and friends will die. King Arthur, you were born to protect Britain, but in the end, what have you actually protected?"

Kyouya couldn't understand why the person in front of him had chosen this path.

This person was definitely not a puppet who would blindly follow orders. 

They clearly had their own will.

"But have you ever thought about what will happen if the Age of Gods continues?"

"Artorius" understood well what would happen to Britain after the decline of the Age of Gods. 

However, Merlin had told him what would happen if the Age of Gods continued.

"The gods will return to the earth to once again rule over humanity. The damage to the Great Source from long ago must be relieved through the decline of the Age of Gods. If the gods return, it will only accelerate the destruction of the world."

"How many years will it take for the world to be destroyed?"

"This..."

Artorius didn't know. 

The Great Source had been damaged and was inevitably heading toward destruction, but no one, not even Merlin, could say exactly how long it would take.

"A thousand years? Ten thousand years? Or tens of millions? It doesn't matter anymore. By then, we will be long gone, and the future will be left to the next generation."

Kyouya clearly didn't care about the big picture because he was never a hero.

"Why are you like this..."

"This is how it should be. Not everyone has noble sentiments, not everyone has the will to sacrifice. Artorius, you are the perfect king, but... you're not human."

Not human.

This was Kyouya's evaluation of King Arthur.

He had always sensed something strange about Artorius, and now he finally understood where that strangeness came from.

It was a problem similar to that of Emiya Shirou. This person, too, was someone who didn't place any value on themselves.

This is not a quality a human should possess.

"I... am not human?"

The brief hesitation caused Artorius' sword to slow, and in that moment, his strength and will weakened drastically.

Kyouya wouldn't miss this opening.

The accumulated force of the Ryūka exploded in an instant. The blue light slashed toward Artorius's shoulder. 

Clang~

This one was crisp and sharp, unlike the previous dull strike, as if it had broken something.

"Broken?"

Artorius stared in disbelief at the half-broken sword in his hand. 

It was merely a symbol of his identity as the king of Britain, but breaking it was not an easy task.

"Your will wavered, and the sword became unstable. This time, I won."

Kyouya placed his sword on his shoulder but did not cut his head and instead he slowly sheathed the swor

This was to repay the person before him for protecting his parents.

"As for the other question you mentioned, it doesn't matter to me when the gods return to this world."

"Why?"

Artorius couldn't understand.

He didn't understand why he lost, why the Sword in the Stone had broken, or why the person before him seemed so indifferent to everything.

"It's because that's how humans are. They expect a powerful being to arrange their fate for them. This being could be a king or a god as long as it allows them to live peacefully, most people are willing to give up their own fate in exchange for peace."

Kyouya looked at him, this life created by Merlin.

"Aren't you the same? As powerful as you are, as noble as you are, as kind as you are, aren't you essentially a god?"

That's right. 

In Kyouya's eyes, the person before him was essentially evolving toward becoming a god.

This so-called "perfect king" was basically a god among men. He had unmatched power and authority, as well as a kind heart and a noble character.

That's why Kyouya called him "not human."

"Merlin didn't let you become human first and made you into a god instead. Did he treat you like something to use and throw away when you were no longer needed?"

Kyouya turned to leave. Even though it was the perfect time to kill King Arthur, he still didn't strike.

[You have defeated your rival, Artorius. The status "Rival" has transformed into the talent "Dragon's Rival."]

["Dragon's Rival": You deal special damage to enemies with dragon attributes. Whether they are dragon gods or dragon-blooded beings, you have the means to defeat them.]

[You have severed the Sword in the Stone. The effect of the skill "Vortigern's Blade" has been enhanced.]

"Lloyd, forsaking the greater good for personal desires is not something a knight should do."

Artorius only had one last weak sentence left, but could those words change Fujimaru Kyouya's belief?

No.

"The so-called knights you speak of exist only to protect. You protect everything for future generations while I protect this small corner of the world before me. Who is more noble, and who is more humble?"

Kyouya understood that this question had no real answer.

"I can't answer this question, and I don't expect you to answer it either. All I have is this."

Kyouya drew the holy sword in his hand. 

It was a blade as clear as flowing stream water, a sword forged from pure courage.

"If the people of the future resent me, then let them be. If I were to retreat, I would no longer have the right to walk my own path."

He left.

Under the setting sun, Kyouya's figure gradually disappeared, leaving Artorius standing alone, staring at the broken sword.

"Lily, the sword is just broken. It's nothing serious."

Merlin appeared by Artoria's side. 

It wouldn't have changed anything if Kyouya had struck just now.

"The broken sword is indeed nothing serious, but Merlin... are there really so many people in this world who don't want the Age of Gods to decline?"

"They are simply selfish." 

Merlin replied.

As a nightmare, Merlin could never truly understand human thoughts. He merely labeled Kyouya's belief as "selfish."

However, can a selfish person truly wield such a pure sword?

"Merlin, before I become a king, can I first become a human?"

"..."

Merlin fell silent.

To have a nightmare teach someone how to be human... was a bit too much to ask.

To be continued...