Not far from the town, at least in a place unseen from the town itself, a knight who was clearly over two meters tall, covered head-to-toe in silver armor and holding an exquisite longbow as tall as himself, stood before his target and performed a knightly salute. Behind this leader stood countless other knights, all clad in similar silver armor and towering over two meters tall. These knights shared a common name—the Purge Knights!
The leading knight wore a white cloak, and even the armor on his body was a sleek silver. But what contrasted with this whiteness was the sense of incongruity emanating from him. His long red hair was draped over his body, and in his hands, he held a longbow shaped like a harp. His eyes were closed, and the corners of his mouth were slightly curled into a smile.
"You've worked hard. I already know where our pitiful comrade has gone. It is truly saddening. Why would you betray the King, Sir Gareth... In that case, I can only bid you farewell."
The red-haired knight's brow furrowed slightly. Although his expression seemed so sad, for some reason, the curve of his smiling lips appeared even more joyful. "Alright, let us depart. Although Sir Gareth once fought alongside us, a betrayal is a betrayal. The King of today is not as magnanimous as she once was."
The red-haired knight gently strummed his longbow, and a music-like sound lingered in the air. "It's too sad. Just thinking about it is too sad. But, for the sake of having fought together once, I will give you a swift end, Sir Gareth."
The Purge Knights followed the red-haired knight and began to advance towards the town, spreading out to surround it. The sound of the alarm horn echoed throughout the small town.
Gareth, who had been recovering from her injuries, heard the sound and couldn't help but grab her Lance and head directly to the town's outer defense line. Holding her Lance and shield, Gareth's fists tightened as she saw the Purge Knights and their leader.
"Sir Tristan..."
Gareth gritted her teeth, unsure if she should be angry or sad. Of the knights who stood against the King, he was the only one left. Kay and Percival had already returned to the Throne of Heroes in previous battles. "Why... why are you doing this!"
Tristan's lips curled into a smile, and he slightly opened his eyes. "Why am I doing this? We simply believe in the King and that what the King does is correct. Rather, it is you, Sir Gareth, whom I do not understand. Why, when both Sir Gawain and Sir Lancelot chose to continue following the King, did you choose to remain neutral, and now stand directly in opposition to us? If you had all chosen to stand by the King's side, our campaign against the Demon King Charlemagne would not have resulted in the King's injury. If the King had not been injured, her judgment would have already fallen upon you by now. That would have avoided this current scene of us killing each other. How sorrowfull."
"I hope that after I have slain you, Sir Gawain will not hold any ill opinions of me."
Gareth's eyes widened. She was now completely disappointed in this former comrade.
"Sir Tristan!! Where is your conscience? Look at these people! They want to live too! They are people! Living, breathing people!!"
This Singularity was somewhat different from the one in Aslan's memory. At least in this world, Gareth had not mindlessly joined the Round Table after her brother Gawain and her idol Lancelot chose to follow the Lion King. Instead, following the deaths of Gaheris, Kay, and Percival, Gareth, looking at the faces of these people who wanted to live, ultimately chose her own conscience, even if it meant temporarily betraying the King! If the King returned to normal, then perhaps she would return to her side, but at least for now, she did not want to betray her own conscience!
In the original story's timeline, during the decisive battle before dusk, Gareth fought against Gawain and her former partners Kay, Percival, and others. Gareth's second brother, Gaheris, also fell at their hands. As the Lion King's plan proceeded step by step, Gareth also received the "unclean gift," struggling between her conscience and her actions. During the final battle with the Demon King who called himself Charlemagne, the knights had already accepted that two or three of them would fall there. Gareth sacrificed herself to bind the Demon King, and as a sword pierced her body, she only hoped her comrades would quickly grant her release. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. This was my choice... I can't endure it anymore. I can't fight anymore. Please, please punish foolish me." Lancelot hesitated, Mordred was filled with righteous indignation at this sacrifice, and Agravain also held his sword back. None of the knights made a move. Finally, Gawain, having understood his sister's resolve, slew his already exhausted sister along with the Demon King. Gawain himself then abandoned the last of his conscience, continuing to bear the sins in place of his departed younger siblings.
This time, without Gareth's self-sacrifice, the battle to subjugate the Demon King Charlemagne was much more difficult. The Lion King successfully defeated the Demon King at the cost of being injured herself. Now, she was preparing to begin the Holy Selection, to protect the "unflawed" people like specimens within the Lance That Shines to the End of the World, completing the protection of the human species. As for the others who failed to be selected... death was their only path.
Originally, the resistance forces would have been blasted into a crater by the Holy Lance descending from the heavens, leaving no large cities on the continent outside of New Camelot. The resistance would have ultimately been forced to retreat into the eastern mountains. But now it was different. The Lion King needed time to recover before she could use the Holy Lance again. Furthermore, the current timeline was not as late as when the Chaldea party arrived in the original work. There were still many resistance groups fighting across the continent. After all, no living person had yet witnessed the destructive blow of the Holy Lance, and people still held onto hope.
"Sir Tristan, I will take your head here! And restore you to your senses! You, who were once among the clearest-sighted of the Round Table Knights!"
Tristan opened his eyes—the same eyes he had blinded himself—and raised his longbow. "You said that was before. The Tristan of the past is dead. We are now Servants. We naturally have different views from our living selves. And now, I choose to follow the King, no matter what! Purge Knights! Surround the town! Leave no survivors from the resistance! For the glory of the Lion King!"