Type-Moon: My Destiny Guide

Artoria, in particular, stared blankly at the dying android, with only one thought in her mind.

Where is Shuoyueqing?

They promised to save everyone, and that no one would sacrifice or die tonight!

Chapter 427 The Battle of Avalon, Astor's Imminent Departure

Chapter 428 The Battle of Avalon, Astolfo's impending exit!

【New Moon, New Moon Lord!】

The causal link with the Servant was shaken, and feeling Artoria's silent yet firm will, Sakuyue opened her eyes from meditation and reconnected with the causal link.

"What's up,?"

Artoria noticed the change in address and her heart skipped a beat. She tried hard to suppress her anxiety: "The homunculus is on the verge of death, and the situation is about to reach an irreversible point. Master, where are you now?"

“Where I belong,” Shuoyue replied. “Not far from you. I can save him anytime I want.”

"Then why hasn't he appeared yet! Are you just going to watch him die?!"

"The time is not right. I've said before that we can only maximize our gains by acting at the last minute."

Even when faced with Artoria's questioning, Shuoyue did not waver in the slightest. He was like a precise scale, with only 'gain' and 'loss' on both sides, allowing no room for human sentiment.

"You can be angry, and feel free to blame me, but all of that will have to wait until things are over, until my aid is declared a failure. I hope you can tell in your heart which is more important, the life of a stranger or your Master's plan."

After a pause, Shuoyue finally added another explanation.

"Moreover, the plan never included the option of sacrificing androids."

There's no room for jokes or maneuvering; this is how Shuo Yueqing is when she's serious... no, it should be said, yes, that's Shuo Yueqing...

Artoria seemed to understand something. She bit her lower lip, wanting to say something, but Astolfo's exclamation rang out first.

"You! Pull yourself together and answer me!"

The knight with a pink ponytail and a black bow ran towards the android. Artoria was stunned and subconsciously looked at Siegfried, only to find that not only him, but even her own arm had lost its grip at some point, letting go of Astolfo who should have been unable to move.

“Hello…Hello!”

Freed from his restraints, Black ignored Gorde, who was standing to the side panting like a wild dog, and knelt down in front of the android, tightly gripping his hand.

But it was too late. The android's heart was gradually losing its vitality, and even Astolfo, the renowned paladin and adventurer, had to surrender to death.

For this paladin whose rationality had evaporated, how much of a blow must have been dealt to the homunculus's death?

His promise to the homunculus was broken, and his dignity and pride as a hero were trampled upon. The homunculus died in his arms, and even though Astolfo had the strongest grimoire and the most magical musket, he was powerless to save him.

With nowhere else to turn, he looked at his two companions with resentment and condemnation:

"You beast, it's too late...too late! Why didn't you make a decision sooner! You could have stopped him! Before that idiot did anything!"

Siegfried remained silent, like an unchanging rock; but Artoria was tormented by the paladin's condemnation, her face beneath her black robes covered with regret and self-reproach.

She was the Knight King, a radiant and holy queen, a wise monarch whose fame continues to this day even after the destruction of her kingdom.

How could she, who drew her sword to protect the people, tolerate a life slowly withering away before her eyes?

In the end, Artoria's resolve as a Servant snapped.

【Shuoyueqing! I want to use Avalon!】

That wasn't the tone of a follower, but a king's natural declaration to a knight.

Shuoyue, not far away, remained silent, not out of astonishment, but out of a sense of naturalness, letting out a sigh in her heart.

He doesn't know what the real entity will do, and he's too lazy to think about it, but right now, I am the one experiencing this Holy Grail War.

From Black's perspective, he is undoubtedly a member of Red's team, and to gain Black's utmost gratitude, he must appear at the most critical moment.

Just like playing Pokémon, you can't catch legendary or mythical Pokémon unless they're in a near-death state.

Therefore, we must wait. Only when Siegfried makes up his mind, when he is willing to give his heart to save the homunculus, will the new moon make its appearance.

"The Distant Ideal Land, being an EX-rank and a rare defensive Noble Phantasm, cannot be wasted on a mere homunculus. Yet, he knew Artoria's character well; once she made a decision, she would not change it."

Therefore, the task at hand has been determined.

Above the treetop, the young man's eyes were deep as he slowly raised his arm.

"Order it with a command--"

!!!

Even though it was only halfway activated, Artoria could still feel her hair stand on end, as if a sword of Damocles was hanging over her head.

When a Command Spell is cast, the Servant ceases to live according to their own will.

However, she never expected that Shuoyue would use a Command Seal to express her determination in order to resist her ideas!

"Shuoyueqing!"

The causal threads reconnected, and before Artoria could even voice her question, she was interrupted by Shuoyue's cold words.

"Don't force me to use Command Spells, my king. I don't want the trust between us to be broken because of a homunculus."

The young man's words revealed an unwavering will, and even though Artoria was still unwilling, she could only stand there obediently as a silent spectator.

But deep down, this knight king was filled with mixed feelings.

This is no longer a problem with artificial humans; fundamentally, something is wrong with the new moon.

If it were the real person who came, Shuo Yueqing would never stop her.

Rather, it's more likely that the young man would take her feelings into account and tolerate her willfulness.

Beneath her black robe, Artoria closed her eyes, her emotions a complex mix.

When exactly did she and Shuo Yueqing reach this level of trust, a conclusion that can be drawn without intuition?

And how should I approach this assassin with such a drastically different personality?

The girl knocked on the door of her heart, but the door was empty, offering no answer. She wanted to seek help from Liudao Lingxia, who was far away in the fortress of Mirenia, but for some reason, even Liudao Lingxia refused her communication request.

Beside Artoria, the homunculus's breathing was barely perceptible; Astolfo held him, whispering 'I'm sorry'; Gordes was still immersed in the fear of death; and Siegfried, the Black, slowly closed his eyes.

With his vision completely dark, the familiar cries seemed to transcend time and space, reminding the dragon slayer of the past once again.

Once upon a time, there was a hero. A hero who slew a dragon.

He was a prince of the Netherlands, brave and noble. Everyone praised his majesty and lauded his glory. Men vied to serve under him, and women offered him faithful love.

And the heroes lived up to their expectations.

Heroes rarely rest, only pursuing battle. No, it's not that he seeks battle himself, but rather that the struggles of the world refuse to let him and his immense power go.

He possesses an invincible sword and an invincible body. Therefore, it is only natural that he is pursued by numerous desires. However, he is too perfect as a hero—to the point of excess. He grants every request. If one kneels before him and begs, he will surely grasp that pleading hand tightly.

If someone asks him to slay a dragon, he will go through fire and water. If someone wishes for a peerless beauty to fall into his arms, he will rack his brains to make it happen. He never considers good or evil…

His way of life was like a wish-granting machine; he always believed that doing this was enough. Good and evil are ultimately just a matter of perspective.

If an official who had embezzled public funds came to him and told him that his family members had been murdered, he would avenge them.

He ignored the villagers struggling on the verge of poverty simply because they did not ask him for help.

Because if he didn't do this, things would never end. It's impossible to embrace the world with one's own arms. So he only responded to those who asked him for something—this was the only rule he set for himself.

Actions are not based on one's own will; battles are not fought according to one's own preferences.

Lord Siegfried, I wish to possess that mountain.

I beg you, Lord Siegfried, please punish the thieves living in the mountains!

[I hope you can defeat that monster]

"Please, Lord Siegfried, I want that beautiful woman."

I want to rule that country.

Lord Siegfried, I beg you...

[I beg you, I ...

【it is good】

That was the blood accumulated on the sword, that was the karma piled up on his body.

Until one day, the hero suddenly realized that he couldn't understand what he even hoped for. There was no hope, no dreams. He couldn't even picture the future in his mind. Everyone saw the hero as an ideal, but the hero himself had lost the ideal itself.

What a deception! It's like two gears that can't mesh; if they grant every request, of course they won't understand what they're asking for.

He is nothing more than a "holy grail" called a hero.

That's alright, the hero thought. After all, receiving thanks from others isn't a bad thing; it's only natural to feel a wavering in one's heart when someone earnestly begs for something.

Therefore, the hero persisted in his course of action—and as a result, even accomplished the great feat of vanquishing the dragon. Yet, somewhere within him lay an emptiness. An emptiness containing nothing but boundless, empty darkness.

She clearly loves people.

I clearly love the world.

This emptiness can never be filled, not even until death.

Now, the dragon slayer, who has been given a second, brief life, once again stands before two paths.

This time, however, he finally took a step and embarked on a completely different path.

"Master, can you treat that homunculus?"

"What did you just say?"

Seeing that his expression remained unchanged, Gold thought for a moment that he was hallucinating, until Siegfried spoke again:

"Hopefully, you can heal the android and then free him."

"Are you kidding me..."

Gold's voice trembled. He was so enraged that he seemed to have forgotten how to even make an expression. Even so, he took a deep breath and spoke in a commanding, authoritative voice:

"You're just a useless familiar, don't offer me any opinions. Just shut up and obey orders..."

Faced with his Master's spittle flying everywhere, Siegfried, who was more than half a head taller than him, simply stepped forward calmly, forcing him to swallow the rest of his words.

"Aren't you going to save him?"