At around 9 a.m. the next morning, a white car came to a smooth stop in front of the hotel where Eriri and the others were staying.
Riding in the car were Rin, Sakura, and Aoi Tohsaka. The three had departed from the Zenjou residence early that morning and had just arrived in Fuyuki City.
However, their first destination upon returning wasn't the Tohsaka household—it was straight to see Eriri.
Having learned all about the Holy Grail War from her daughters the previous day, Aoi now knew everything that had happened during Sakura's absence. Naturally, she felt deep gratitude toward Eriri for saving her youngest daughter. That was why she rushed to the hotel as soon as they arrived.
After closing the car door, the three headed straight to the floor where Eriri and the others were staying.
About four or five minutes later, they finally arrived at the living room and saw Eriri, Irisviel, and the others gathered there.
The moment Aoi appeared, everyone's eyes turned to her, which caused her to feel a strange sense of pressure.
Fortunately, Rin stepped in to ease the tension.
"Eriri-nee, this is my mother," Rin said cheerfully, pulling Aoi forward to introduce her.
"Mm, I know." Eriri nodded and rose from the sofa, walking over to greet the three.
"Hello, Auntie Tohsaka," Eriri greeted her with a light smile.
In contrast to Eriri's casual tone, Aoi appeared a bit nervous.
"Ah, h-hello," she replied with a slight bow, somewhat tense.
Though she had already heard from her daughters how powerful and beautiful Eriri was, seeing her in person left Aoi truly awestruck by her beauty and noble aura.
So much so that she instinctively addressed her with formal speech.
Quickly remembering her purpose for coming, Aoi took a deep breath and bowed again, her expression solemn.
"Miss Eriri, thank you so much for saving my daughter, Sakura."
"Auntie, you don't need to bow. And there's no need to thank me. Sakura is already part of my family, so this was simply something I had to do."
Eriri waved it off and reached out to gently help Aoi up.
Her kindness helped Aoi relax significantly, though her words left Aoi momentarily speechless.
Aoi had already heard from Sakura that she now belonged to the Sawamura family.
Although it wasn't a result she was entirely comfortable with—having suffered the pain of losing her daughter once—seeing the joy and attachment on Sakura's face whenever she mentioned Eriri made it clear.
Ultimately, Aoi could only accept it.
Shaking her head slightly, Aoi looked firmly at Eriri and said, "Even so, as her mother, I still have to thank you. Without your help, I don't think I could have ever forgiven myself."
"Alright then, I'll accept your thanks. Let's leave it at that."
Since Aoi was so insistent, Eriri had no choice but to graciously accept.
Having expressed her gratitude, Aoi finally smiled with relief.
As for Eriri's personal opinion of Aoi—she didn't harbor any particular dislike, though her affection wasn't especially strong either. Overall, she found Aoi only marginally more favorable than Tokiomi.
Back when Tokiomi Tohsaka decided to send Sakura to the Matou family, Aoi had felt reluctant but never objected. She simply went along with her husband's decision, even saying, "Sakura is no longer my daughter, nor Rin's sister."
Though Eriri understood that Aoi had been concerned about maintaining the relationship between the families, she still found it hard to support such behavior.
After expressing her thanks, Aoi didn't linger at the hotel. A few minutes later, she politely took her leave.
Originally, Rin and Sakura had planned to leave with her, but after hearing about something Eriri had to share, they decided to stay longer.
After all, the Tohsaka estate wasn't going anywhere. What was about to happen next, however, was something truly rare to witness.
Eriri and the others were about to watch what happened to Artoria after she returned to the day of the king's selection.
...
Once Aoi left, Eriri and the group gathered again on the sofa.
Suddenly, a large glowing screen—taking up half the wall—appeared across from them.
In the center of the screen was Artoria, dressed in male garb. The camera followed her as she walked away from the bustling city center.
This was the scene where Artoria had just received her knightly equipment from her foster brother and turned away from the Sword of Selection.
The footage wasn't a live broadcast, but rather a condensed playback that skipped to key events, so the timeline progressed quickly.
Since Artoria had chosen not to draw the Sword of Selection, it remained stuck in the stone, untouched by anyone.
That outcome was inevitable. The sword had been specially prepared by Merlin for Artoria—only she could pull it free.
If she refused, no king would ever be chosen—unless Merlin and King Uther abandoned their plans for her ascension.
But that was never going to happen. They had been preparing her to be king since before she was even born.
Even so, Merlin had clearly underestimated Artoria's determination. No matter how he tried to persuade her in dreams, he couldn't change her decision.
The unusual development made Merlin suspect something had changed inside Artoria.
However, when Artoria returned to the past, Eriri had cloaked her with powerful concealment magic. Even Merlin, with his EX-ranked Clairvoyance, couldn't detect that this Artoria had lived through another timeline.
And since her mannerisms and personality remained identical, Merlin could only bury his doubts.
Though Artoria chose not to become king again, that didn't mean she gave up. Even if another king rose, she vowed to serve them as a knight.
She ignored all pressure and expectations while seeking someone who could change Britain's destined destruction.
But as time passed, she found no suitable candidate.
The prolonged stalemate—no one pulling the Sword of Selection—led to growing pessimism among the people.
Eventually, with no better option and to prevent Britain from collapsing prematurely, Artoria took up her old path. She drew the sword once more and became king of Britain again.
This time, armed with the experience of a full lifetime, she ruled carefully, avoiding many of the missteps of the past.
In her campaigns against foreign nations, Artoria—now seasoned with two lifetimes of combat—proved even more valiant and unbeatable. Every battle ended in overwhelming victory.
To prevent the betrayals of Mordred and Lancelot that occurred in her previous life, Artoria successfully avoided Morgan's repeated schemes, which ultimately prevented Mordred's birth.
She also stood firm in her decision to remain single, refusing to marry Guinevere—thus eliminating the root cause of Lancelot's betrayal.
However, her unwavering devotion to the kingdom and disregard for personal feelings gave rise to a new issue. Among the Knights of the Round Table, the belief that "King Arthur does not understand the hearts of men" began to spread.
Britain may have avoided internal rebellion, but its fall was already fated—one that no amount of Artoria's changes could reverse.
With the Age of Gods in decline, food shortages struck, and even their last staple—potatoes—eventually vanished.
Artoria tried seeking food sources elsewhere, but whether in enemy lands or unexplored territories, nothing could sustain the people of Britain.
Driven by starvation, the people eventually erupted in an unprecedented rebellion.
Despite being starved herself, Artoria and the Round Table Knights managed to suppress the uprisings. But by then, Britain was a hollow shell—less than one in ten knights and citizens remained.
As time passed, the number of deaths continued to rise. In the end, only Artoria sat alone on the throne of a barren Britain, unable to die so long as the holy sword remained in her hands.
It was then she finally realized that all her past convictions had been futile. No matter how hard she tried, Britain was destined to perish.
Having lost the will to live, Artoria decided to return the Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake and peacefully embrace death.
As she reached the lake's edge and prepared to cast the sword away, a flash of light burst beside her, forcing her to squint and pause.
When the light faded, standing before her were Eriri and the others, who had traveled through time and space.
"Artoria!"
Seeing Artoria crouched beside the lake, lifeless and worn, Irisviel rushed to her side with concern.
Illya, Sakura, and Rin followed close behind, all wearing anxious expressions.
Artoria looked at Irisviel, then at the others gathered around her. A wave of long-buried memories surged to the surface, and light finally returned to her empty eyes.
"It's been a long time, everyone," Artoria said weakly. "I never expected to see you again at the end… but it's comforting."
"Don't say that, Artoria," Irisviel said, taking her hand with worry. "We know everything that happened, but none of this is your fault. You don't have to give up."
But Artoria gently interrupted her.
"Thank you, Iri… but I no longer have the will to go on. Let me sleep forever with Britain…"
Eriri slowly approached and placed her hand on Artoria's cheek, speaking earnestly. "Artoria, are you sure this is the path you want?"
Artoria didn't speak—she simply gave a small nod.
"No, Artoria-nee!"
Her response threw Illya, Sakura, and Rin into a panic. They rushed to her side, pleading with her to reconsider.
Even Medusa, who had only spent a few days with her, looked on with concern. A quiet friendship had formed between them, and she couldn't bear to see her friend disappear.
Stheno and Euryale, meanwhile, simply watched in silence. They had no real connection to Artoria and had only glimpsed her life through the glowing screen, so they couldn't fully relate to what the others felt.
"If you've given up on pursuing the Holy Grail, then that means you've accepted Britain's fate. But why not consider living in another world? A different environment… maybe there, you can find a new purpose."
Eriri gently stroked Artoria's cheek, not dismissing her desire to pass on, but offering another choice.
Feeling the warmth of Eriri's touch, Artoria instinctively leaned into it.
She hadn't experienced physical contact throughout this entire new life. That simple gesture stirred a long-lost warmth within her frozen heart.
Artoria didn't respond right away, and Eriri didn't rush her.
But the room wasn't silent. Irisviel, Illya, Sakura, and Rin all tried their best to persuade Artoria to stay.
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