Miracle Summoner

In the Arthurian legends of Celtic mythology, King Arthur's passing is described in detail.

This was also something that had been mentioned before when Bedivere was encountered.

"King Arthur ordered her first and last knight, Bedivere, to take her holy sword to the lake where the Lady of the Lake resided and return the sword to the stars. However, due to Bedivere's reluctance and grief, he brought the sword back twice and did not return it. Only on the third attempt did he finally cast the sword into the lake."

Thus, only then, protected by the holy sword and unable to die, was King Arthur finally freed from her suffering and able to rest peacefully.

This marked the end of the legend of King Arthur and was the greatest honor of Bedivere's life.

Because of this, as the knight who stood by the dying king, Bedivere became widely known to the world.

However, this was the development in normal human history.

Now, with the incineration of humanity, human history itself has been distorted. The seven Holy Grails created by the Mage King have each caused disturbances across different eras, leading to the emergence of seven Singularities, drastically altering the proper course of history.

And this distortion is not without manifestation.

Who can say for certain?

Under the effects of humanity's incineration, one of the most famous myths had deviated.

That myth was none other than King Arthur's final moments.

"Because if I were to lose the holy sword, the King would perish. Just the thought of that pained me so much that I could hardly breathe."

Holding the holy sword, shining with the light of the stars, Bedivere stepped forward, finally confessing his sin.

"In the end, even on the third attempt, I was unable to return the holy sword."

Upon hearing this, everyone gasped.

"Sir Bedivere did not return the holy sword...!?"

Mash was utterly shocked.

Even the members of Chaldea were in disbelief.

"Does this mean that this Bedivere is not the Bedivere from the legend!?"

"Has the distortion of human history altered the events of the Arthurian legend?"

"How could this happen?"

Roman, Da Vinci, and Olga Marie all cried out in astonishment.

But this was the truth.

Because of a moment's hesitation and grief, Bedivere had committed an unforgivable sin.

"Since the holy sword remained, the King, still protected by its power, could not find rest and struggled in agony. By the time I returned with the sword for the third time, the King was already gone."

Bedivere continued to look straight at Artoria, as if trying to confess all his sins, speaking each word with weight.

"Later, I learned that, unable to find peace, the King took the holy lance by her side and left the forest."

In her final battle against Mordred, King Arthur had used the holy lance to pierce through the rebellious knight's abdomen, slaying her.

Thus, the holy lance had remained by the King's side.

With the holy sword never returned and unable to pass on in peace, King Arthur, in the throes of his suffering, took the lance and became the wandering King of the Dead.

Then, under the divine power of the holy lance, King Arthur, who had roamed the world for a millennium, ascended into godhood, becoming the Lord of the End, the King of Storms.

The Lion King had thus appeared in this world.

In other words, the reason for the Lion King's existence, at its very core, was because Bedivere failed to return the holy sword.

The goddess Rhongomyniad appeared in this era, wielding the sacred lance and enacting the Holy Selection, all because of Bedivere.

His loyalty to the King had ultimately led to this heartbreaking outcome.

Thus, Bedivere always claimed he was guilty.

If not for him, King Arthur would not have become the Lion King, would not have annihilated humanity, would not have caused such havoc in this Singularity, would not have slaughtered so many, and would not have committed such heinous acts.

If not for him, the King would not have become a heartless deity, would not have wandered the world in agony for a millennium, and would not have turned into what he was now.

Artoria [Alter] had previously stated that the Lion King was wrong and must be corrected.

This did not mean that the Lion King had done wrong, but that her very existence was a mistake.

A King who could not rest, that was the Lion King.

Because of this, Artoria [Alter] could not possibly ignore the existence of the Lion King.

As for Bedivere, there was even less doubt.

"I know how deep my sin runs. That is why, for the past 1500 years, I have been searching for you."

Bedivere's voice spread solemnly.

"Thanks to the protection of the holy sword, I too was granted an unaging body and eventually made it here."

Yes.

That was why Bedivere had embarked on a journey spanning 1500 years.

Due to the holy sword's blessing, the undying Bedivere was born. For 1500 years, he wandered ceaselessly in search of Artoria.

The being known as Bedivere was not a Servant—he was a human.

"How could this be...!?"

Mash covered her mouth in shock.

"He's been wandering with the holy sword for 1500 years...!?"

"That's just too tragic...!?"

"Bedivere was just an ordinary knight. Even if his body doesn't age, over such a long period, his mind and soul would be eroded, eventually breaking apart!"

Roman, Da Vinci, and Olga Marie found it hard to believe what they had just heard.

But this was the truth of Bedivere.

For 1500 years, he had borne the erosion of his spirit and soul, with only an uncorrupted body carrying him forward.

And after wielding the holy sword once more, his body and soul suffered further burning.

As Rozen had mentioned earlier, Bedivere was already on the verge of collapse, unable to hold on much longer.

Yet, he had kept all of this hidden. With the help of an incredibly skilled mage, he had been placed under a disguise so profound that even Chaldea's scanners had failed to detect it, mistaking him for a Servant.

However, this could not deceive Rozen, nor could it escape Artoria [Alter]'s notice.

The moment she first laid eyes on Bedivere, Artoria [Alter] sensed the holy sword within his silver arm.

After all, it was the sword she had wielded. Even if others failed to recognize it, Artoria [Alter] could not possibly overlook it.

Then, based on her knowledge of the sacred lance and holy sword, and analyzing the current situation, Artoria [Alter] deduced the entire truth.

Thus, she had long known everything about Bedivere. That was why she had claimed that he was not her knight, for her knight had perfectly completed his mission. The Bedivere standing before her now, the one still carrying the holy sword, was the knight of the Lion King.

Rozen, too, had realized this the moment he first encountered Bedivere.

With Mind's Eye, Rozen had detected the enchantments placed upon him and observed his deteriorating condition.

With Spirit Vision, Rozen had seen the flickering spirit energy within Bedivere—clearly not that of a Heroic Spirit, but of a human.

Having already encountered the holy lance, Rozen had pieced everything together.

That was why both Rozen and Artoria [Alter] had repeatedly prevented Bedivere from stepping onto the battlefield, insisting on bringing him before the Lion King.

This was the final elegy of King Arthur's most loyal knight.

No one could interfere.

"Now, I shall return the holy sword."

Bedivere raised the blade high and declared in a resolute voice.

"Please accept my final act of loyalty, King Arthur!"