Miracle Summoner

"Ugh…!"

Every word and every syllable from Bedivere felt like a tangible assault, making Artoria's head throb more and more. She clutched her head, letting out pained groans.

"—!"

Dun Stallion seemed to sense his master's distress and let out a cry, but Artoria did not respond.

At that moment, as she gazed upon the Holy Sword in Bedivere's hands, feeling its familiar aura and resonance, and looking at Bedivere's resolute face, Artoria felt as though her head was about to split apart.

Then, she began to see it—an unbelievable scene.

It was an image of herself, before she had taken up the Holy Lance, covered in wounds, soaked in blood, barely clinging to life as she lay in the forest before a tree.

Artoria knew this was her past self—before she had abandoned her humanity, before she had cast aside her mortal existence. This was her at the end of her life as a human, on the brink of death.

The pain from those wounds seemed as vivid as if it were happening now, making her body ache faintly.

The sensation of impending doom she had felt back then resurfaced, making it hard to breathe.

And before her dying self stood a knight holding her Holy Sword, his face streaked with tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

That knight's face and figure overlapped exactly with the Bedivere standing before her now.

Artoria did not know the knight's name, nor could she recall any memories related to him.

However…

"I know that face…!"

Clutching her head in unbearable pain, Artoria stared at Bedivere, her voice filled with struggle and turmoil.

"You are… you are…!"

She kept repeating the same words, yet no matter what, she could not recall the name Bedivere.

But there was one thing Artoria had to stop.

"Don't come near me with that sword!" Artoria couldn't help but raise her voice at Bedivere. "That is something I have already abandoned—throw it away immediately!"

Artoria rejected the Holy Sword she had wielded all her life.

It was inevitable.

Artoria could already sense it faintly—if she were to take hold of that Holy Sword once again, she would be finished.

And that was no exaggeration.

Due to the distortion of human history, Artoria had become the undead king who wandered the world with the Holy Lance after losing the Holy Sword. If she were to take the sword back, history would correct itself.

At that moment, she would lose the Holy Lance, regain the Holy Sword, and all the divinity she had accumulated over these 1,500 years would be suppressed by the humanity she had once cast away. Everything she had now would vanish into nothingness, all her efforts rendered futile.

In other words, if she were to reclaim the Holy Sword, the 1,500 years she had lived until now would cease to exist, returning her to the state she had started from.

That was something the current Artoria could not accept.

Unfortunately…

"This is your possession—the very thing you entrusted to me. Only by returning it to you can you be reborn."

Bedivere declared firmly.

"No matter what, I will not let it go."

Far from discarding it, Bedivere was determined to return it to Artoria.

But that would lead to another consequence.

"If he do that, then Bedivere will disappear…!"

In Chaldea, Da Vinci couldn't help but speak up.

It was an undeniable fact.

"Right now, Bedivere is only alive because of the Holy Sword's power!"

"The moment he loses it, his body will collapse instantly!"

Roman and Olga Marie's voices also became frantic.

Upon hearing this, Mash's eyes trembled.

"Senpai!"

At that moment, Mash grasped Rozen's sleeve, speaking with urgency.

"We have to help Sir Bedivere!"

Help?

How?

Prevent Bedivere from returning the Holy Sword?

That was impossible.

"This is the vow of a loyal knight—it is the mission he must fulfill. We have no right to stop him."

Artoria [Alter] spoke in an indifferent voice.

Rozen also shook his head.

"We can't do that, Mash."

Rozen sighed with a bitter smile.

That's right.

They couldn't do it.

Not that they were incapable, but that they must not.

"Because of his failure to return the Holy Sword, King Arthur wandered the world as an undead for 1,500 years, slaughtering humans as a goddess, collecting them like fuel to ignite the Tower at the End, attempting to call forth the world's demise and completely discard human history. All of this was caused by Bedivere's moment of hesitation. He has already borne the weight of that sin for 1,500 years, an endless cycle without pause. Now that he finally has a chance to atone, would you really take it away from him?"

Rozen's words left Mash speechless.

And the bitterness on Rozen's face faded away.

"He has carried this guilt for 1,500 years. Even though his spirit is nearly broken and his soul is on the verge of collapse, he never stopped desperately searching for King Arthur, never once giving up. Now, to gain the strength to face the Lion King in battle, he has pushed his life to the limit, wielding the Holy Sword, forcing himself to come this far. That alone proves how determined he is."

That was why, before the battle, Bedivere had cried so bitterly.

Because he was truly exhausted—buried under the weight of his guilt to the point of suffocation.

Just imagine—if it were you, and you knew that your actions had caused the one you cherished most to wander as an undead for 1,500 years, transforming into a god who had discarded humanity, committing countless atrocities—who wouldn't break down?

Bedivere had already been at the brink of collapse. Now that he finally had a chance for redemption, there was no way he would let it slip away.

Bedivere had even refused Rozen's offer to heal him.

Even though Bedivere was gravely ill and near death, Rozen, out of compassion, had considered treating Bedivere's body, even healing his spirit and soul before the final battle.

With Rozen's current abilities, accomplishing that was not difficult.

If nothing else, using Sadalmelik Albus to reverse time and restore Bedivere to his prime was something Rozen could easily do.

But Bedivere had rejected it without hesitation.

"This is the fate I deserve. My sins do not allow me to be saved. Please… let me truly give everything for my atonement."

That was Bedivere's request.

Rozen could not stop him.

Of course…

"You think you can defeat me alone, nameless knight?!"

Artoria spoke, her voice filled with both pain and resistance.

But Bedivere did not waver.

"I know that alone, even with the Holy Sword, I cannot defeat you."

That was why Bedivere needed Rozen's strength.