In the world of Type-Moon, start by becoming Morgan's husband!

Blood is warm.

But—

How does someone uninjured know that?

Because it isn't their own blood.

It's someone else's.

To be precise—it's Rei's blood.

The moment she realized this, the joy that once filled Artoria's emerald eyes instantly shattered, plunging into an abyss of freezing darkness.

The twinkling starlight that once danced in her gaze was swallowed whole by endless blackness.

Her heart—one that shared the lineage of the dragon—began beating at an unimaginable intensity.

Mana Burst.

Within just a few breaths, the girl's body had been reinforced to a terrifying degree.

Even without the Sword of Promised Victory by her side, in this moment, she had enough power to kill anyone.

"Who are you?"

"Why did you do this to Sir Rei?!"

At the mention of Rei's name, the shadowy figure wrapped in magic froze.

As if struck by some devastating realization, he staggered backward in retreat—only to trip over a stone and crash onto the ground.

That reaction—

It was as if he had even forgotten to escape.

Everything was chaotic.

But amidst this turmoil, one thing was absolutely certain—

Artoria would never let this shadowy figure escape.

With Mana Burst surging through her, a single punch from her would be more than enough to end him.

And yet—

The furious girl found herself unable to move forward.

The one holding her back wasn't an enemy.

It was Rei himself.

Blood continued pouring from his chest, yet with all his remaining strength, he held onto Artoria, locking them together as if bound by chains.

Neither could move.

And in that brief moment—

The black-clad figure snapped back to reality.

"I'm sorry... Father, I never intended for this to happen."

"Please forgive me."

Muttering words meant for no one but himself, the shadow scrambled to his feet.

By the time Artoria regained her focus—

He was already fleeing into the distance.

Sunrise.

The light of dawn illuminated Rei's body, casting its glow upon the dagger embedded in his back.

There was no time for vengeance.

Right now—

Artoria only wanted to save him.

"Sir Rei, hold on! I'm getting help right away!"

[Artoria cast aside all regard for her image and carried you, rushing straight toward the camp.]

[Your blood trailed from the river all the way to Camelot's banner.]

[New Trait Acquired: "Princess's Curse++" – The dagger that pierced you carries Morgan's wicked curse, binding you to its fate until death.]

[Lost Trait: "Blessing of the Lake+" – The curse weakens your resistance to magic, leaving you drained and unable to recognize spells.]

[Activated: "Gift of the Red Dragon+" – Artoria's mana surges through your body, greatly increasing your magical resistance, allowing you to sense magic once more.]

[Activated: "Sword of Revolving Victory++" – The Sun's blessing envelops you, fighting against the curse from your beloved.]

[Activated: "Battle Continuation" – You refuse to fall, but the wounds you bear are grave.]

[You have fallen into a coma, and it is uncertain how long it will take for you to awaken.]

The Knights of Camelot halted their advance.

It was not because they had encountered a formidable enemy or suffered a catastrophic upheaval.

It was solely because of King Arthur's will.

"Until Sir Rei awakens, all military actions are strictly forbidden!"

The young king, wielding the Sword of Promised Victory (Excalibur), issued this command to all knights under their banner.

Not a single soul voiced an objection.

Rei was King Arthur's shadow, and no ruler could ever disregard their own shadow.

The knights, too, earnestly wished for their powerful comrade to regain consciousness, to once again command them with the Sword of Revolving Victory (Excalibur Galatine)—a command no less resolute than that of the king.

This was the unspoken desire for the dawn of victory in everyone's hearts.

But what they did not know—

At this moment, the girl who bore the title of king was enduring immense pressure.

Her cold, composed demeanor shattered the instant she stepped past the curtain.

The face that had once been devoid of emotion now twisted with sorrow, then gave way to tears.

Clear droplets pooled at the corners of her eyes, forming tiny lakes before falling like severed strands of rain onto the ground.

Endless grief bloomed into a flower of damp sorrow.

Regret echoed through the depths of the young girl's heart:

"If only I hadn't brought him to the lakeside because of my selfish desires."

"If only I hadn't woken up early out of longing for him."

"If only I hadn't called him to my side."

Countless regrets, all stemming from her own misguided choices, coalesced into a crystalline constellation—an unshakable scar etched deep into her heart.

This was something she would never, ever forget.

Day and night blurred together in an endless cycle of agony.

She shed her royal armor and regal mantle, remaining by his side in nothing but her bare skin.

She waited.

Waited for that familiar voice to call out to her once more.

Shame meant nothing.

All she wished for—was to hear his voice again.

[Gifted Maiden's Prayer Activated: The final trace of Artoria's emotions entrusted to you has become a bridge of sound.]

[You heard her call.]

[You refused to surrender your life to the gods.]

[This decision seems to have brought you some misfortune.]

[Gifted Princess's Curse++ has been strengthened to Princess's Curse+++: You feel your life entering a countdown, though it still appears to have some time left.]

[You have awakened.]

[The first thing you see—is Artoria.]

—

Rei opened his eyes—uncertain of how much time had passed since the last time he had done so.

And within his gaze was Artoria, resting beside him.

To be precise, the word resting wasn't quite right.

Rather, she was in a state of half-sleep, half-wakefulness.

Her beautiful golden hair was messily tangled together, appearing rather disheveled.

Her snow-white body leaned against the bedside, her chest pressed slightly, causing the two rosy peaks to resemble the shape of hearts.

Yet despite her disarray, she still clung tightly to his hand, as if terrified that she might miss the moment he awoke.

Seeing Artoria like this, Rei felt as if his heart was being torn apart once more.

"Artoria." He softly called her name.

The girl's eyes slowly fluttered open.

Confusion.

Hesitation.

Shock.

Confirmation.

"Sir Rei, you're awake!"

At that very moment, she practically threw herself into his arms.

"Hngh—"

Rei inhaled sharply.

"Artoria, could you be a little gentler?"

"That kind of hurts."

"Ah!"

Artoria hastily pulled her hands back.

"I'm so sorry, Sir Rei!"

"You don't have to be that formal."

"…"

"…"

The atmosphere grew heavy with an unspoken tension.

Bit by bit, Artoria shifted closer—then lifted her face to kiss him.

Rei did not reject her feelings.

His fingers gently played with the rosy tips of her chest, his lips responding in kind.

For a long while.

Only when Artoria's breath grew ragged, her face flushed red, did Rei finally pull away.

"Sir Rei…"

She clung to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I thought I'd never see you again."

"…"

Rei ran his hand down the small of her back.

"At first, that might've been the case."

"But, Artoria—"

"I heard your voice."

"My voice?" The girl blinked in surprise.

"Yeah." Rei nodded.

"You kept calling out to me, telling me not to leave, didn't you?"

"Mm."

Artoria nodded without hesitation but still looked a little astonished.

"Sir Rei… You actually heard it?"

"Yeah." Rei's tone carried deep emotion.

"It was probably something that could be called a 'miracle.'"

"Is that so?"

Artoria pressed her cheek against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

"Then I suppose I really am lucky."

"…"

Lucky?

Rei didn't think that word suited Artoria at all.

Her fate had been sealed long ago.

Her life had been dictated by King Uther and Merlin.

Her emotions had been stripped away the moment she drew the sword.

And then, she met someone like him—someone undeserving.

If this was luck, then no one in this world would be worthy of misfortune.

This was never the life she should have had.

"Sir Rei? Sir Rei?!"

Artoria waved a hand in front of his face several times, pulling him back from his thoughts.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Rei smiled faintly.

"I just woke up, so I'm still a little dazed."

"I see."

Artoria nodded in understanding—then suddenly remembered something that made her expression darken.

"Speaking of which, who was that assassin?"

"To dare attempt something so vile!"

"I will never forgive them!"

Despite her petite frame and soft voice, the aura emanating from Artoria at that moment was overwhelmingly intense.

The sword of a king, when wielded in vengeance, remained as sharp as ever.

Yet Rei chose this moment to fall silent.

After a brief pause, he spoke.

"Artoria."

"Sir Rei, what is it?"

"I want to ask a favor of you."

"A favor?"

"Yes—" Rei grasped her hands, gazing at her with utmost sincerity.

"If possible… Could you let this matter go?"

Rei was not the kind of person to easily forgive and forget.

Under normal circumstances, if someone dared to stab him, he would never let it slide.

But this time, there was something more important.

Because Rei knew exactly who had been responsible.

It was Agravain—the only one who would wield a dagger with the finesse of both an Assassin and a knight.

And this was merely the beginning of the thought.

The one who wielded the dagger was indeed Agravain.

However, if all the blame were to be placed solely on him, that would be a grave mistake.

"As long as Britain can continue to exist, any path is acceptable."

That was what Rei had learned about Agravain's beliefs during their conversation.

This silent knight thought far more than most people could imagine.

So—

There was no way he would act solely on his own will to assassinate King Arthur, the undefeated monarch whose presence alone revitalized Camelot's strength.

The only person who could have orchestrated such an act—was one and only one.

His mother, Morgan.

Thus—

Artoria absolutely could not pursue this matter further.

Otherwise, the one who would ultimately be implicated—would be Morgan.

And that was something Rei could never allow.

"..."

Artoria remained silent.

She gazed at him, sensing something unexplainably strange.

"Sir Rei, can you tell me why you're doing this?"

"Because I don't want the knights to waste their time on this matter."

Rei met Artoria's eyes.

"We have far greater enemies to face, don't we?"

It wasn't a lie.

But as an explanation, it was far too weak.

The girl looked at him and, after a brief pause, parted her lips again.

"Sir Rei, may I ask you one more question?"

"Of course."

"Then—"

She recalled the scene from that moment—

It wasn't a conscious memory but something imprinted in her body's instinct.

The dagger's true target—

Had not been Rei.

It had been her.

The body of a dragon-blooded maiden could feel the hatred imbued in that blade.

However—

Even if that dagger had pierced her, it was unlikely to have caused any harm.

On the surface, she had only taken the Sword of Promised Victory (Excalibur) and the Sword of Revolving Victory (Excalibur Galatine) from the Lady of the Lake.

But in truth, she possessed something else—

The holy scabbard known as Avalon.

Its immense power was more than enough to shield her from that level of resentment.

This assassination attempt had been doomed to fail.

At least, if King Arthur had been the intended target.

So—

She chose to ask the question that truly mattered.

"Sir Rei, why did you step in front of that dagger for me?"

She looked directly at him as she asked.

"..."

Rei fell silent for a moment before replying.

"Because you're important to me."

"That's why—"

"I believed I had to protect you from that strike."

"Even if it cost me my life, I wouldn't have hesitated."

He was lying.

Artoria was indeed important.

But her significance extended beyond just a personal level.

Everything he wanted to achieve—

All of it relied on her, the one who bore the title of King.

But—

Was that truly the only reason?

Or was it just an excuse fabricated to answer her question?

Rei found himself unable to distinguish the truth anymore.

But that didn't matter—

Because it was enough to create a reality-like illusion for Artoria.

She was important to him.

But what had her kingly identity brought him in return?

A wound so deep that it nearly separated them by life and death.

If that was the case—

Then at the end of this war, a choice had to be made.

The girl nestled into the embrace of the man she loved, having made up her mind.