"Beast."
After restarting for the forty-eighth time, watching Artoria fall to a fairy's surprise magic attack in the display, Guinevere closed his eyes in agony.
To be honest, when he first began this, he truly did not expect this stage to be so torturous.
At a thought, his attribute values flickered into view:
[Blacksmith – Guinevere]
[Rarity: SR]
[Strength: B]
[Agility: C]
[Endurance: B]
[Mana: D]
[Luck: A]
[Noble Phantasm: None]
Two Bs and a C may sound ordinary, but for a human they are extraordinary. Even Percival—hailed as Britannia's strongest human—only had three Bs. If Guinevere, in his current state, were to face Percival one-on-one (without relying on the Endless Trial), he would still stand a good chance of victory.
By all rights, with Guinevere's power now, mowing down every fairy in Manchester single-handedly should be a breeze… but those fairies were simply monsters.
Once they realized they couldn't match Guinevere, they would quickly shift their focus onto Artoria—despite knowing nothing beforehand about where her loyalties lay, they would take out their wrath on her.
And now, at eight months' pregnancy, even walking was a struggle for Artoria. How could she stand against those fairies?
If Guinevere came back to protect her directly, the fairies would discern that he worried for Artoria's safety—and they'd launch a ruthless attack on her to tie him up.
No matter how strong Guinevere was, he was still only a mortal. Facing so many fairies who wielded countless magical powers, without miraculous skills, flashy Noble Phantasms, or elaborate long-range techniques—armed only with a longsword and unwavering resolve—how could he possibly guard both himself and his pregnant companion?
—He had to change his approach.
At the very least, there had to be something that a mere human Guinevere could do.
…
[You and Guinevere have been discovered by the fairies.]
[Fortunately, because the fairies' attention is entirely on Guinevere the human, none of them notice you initially.]
[Moreover, because your pregnancy hinders your mobility, Guinevere instructs you to hide inside a nearby building and wait for the right moment.]
On the display, Guinevere fixed his gaze on the fairies charging toward them, then spoke quietly to her:
"Do me a favor, Artoria. Hide here and don't let them spot you."
"But when you hear me shout 'Bring it on,' strike with your staff at the fountain in the square—give it everything you have. I'll lure the fairies there so we can wipe them out in one fell swoop."
"However, until then, you absolutely mustn't show yourself. If they discover you're hiding here, we're in serious trouble. So memorize your position, and cast your spell through the wall toward that fountain when the time comes. Do you understand?"
[How will you choose in response to Guinevere's request?]
[A: Refuse Guinevere's request and fight alongside him.]
[B: Partially obey Guinevere—hide for now, but you'll personally confirm the timing before attacking.]
[C: Fully comply with Guinevere's instructions and execute them exactly.]
Artoria hesitated. From her heart, she really wanted to choose the first option—but she also knew that, given her condition, going out there would only add to Guinevere's burden. So that choice was out of the question.
Between B and C, the only difference was whether she trusted her own judgment more or Guinevere's.
"…In situations like this, I suppose I should trust Guinevere."
After all, whenever she herself made decisions, she almost always picked the wrong option. But Guinevere… he never made mistakes. Compared to her endless failures, Guinevere's flawless track record made him far more deserving of trust.
In Artoria's eyes, Guinevere was more reliable than she was.
She selected the third option.
The simulator's view shifted again. From Artoria's perspective, she could only see herself pressed against a wall, hands gripping her staff as she listened, heart pounding, to Guinevere's battle cries echoing from the other side. She anxiously awaited that fateful moment.
Though only a little time passed, every second felt like an eternity. Then, the moment arrived. When she heard Guinevere's shout of "Bring it on," her body moved unthinkingly—drawing on all the magic she had stored, she unleashed a single surge that shattered the wall and flew toward the agreed-upon fountain.
After the magical pillar shot forth, dizziness from overexertion hit her like a wave. Artoria staggered, nearly collapsing—yet she drove her staff into the ground, using it as support so she wouldn't fall. Only then did she lift her head to look toward her target.
But what she saw left her mind blank. Along the path that her magic had pierced, there was not a single fairy corpse—no fairy at all had been struck.
The only figure affected was Guinevere himself, thrown back into the fountain pool. He lay there, soaked by fountain water and his own blood, one arm shattered. With his remaining hand, he clutched at the edge of the broken fountain, staring at her in utter disbelief.
"How could—"
Artoria began to speak in shock, but another voice suddenly drowned hers out:
"Why!"
Struggling, Guinevere hauled himself out of the fountain, blood trickling from his mouth. Even so, his eyes remained locked on Artoria as he roared:
"Why did you betray me, Artoria?!"
"I—no, I—"
Artoria's mind reeled in chaos as she reflexively tried to deny his accusation. But a chorus of voices rose from every direction:
"Ha! Well done! Well done!"
"What a perfect strike, Artoria! I've completely changed my opinion of you!"
"What's the matter? You've been acting so convincingly. Do you still feel the need to keep pretending?"
Fairies scattered all around had begun cheering and praising Artoria's magical strike.
"Again! Again! I want to see that damned human's despairing face more!"
"Don't worry, Artoria! We'll protect you! Just finish off that human!"
They were not only applauding—they advanced toward Artoria, eager to swarm around her and continue their assault on Guinevere.
Only now did Artoria realize the truth of what had happened. Guinevere had deliberately severed himself from her—no, he had ordered her to cut him off.
Through tears blurring her vision, she saw Guinevere mouth a few silent words to her before turning away. He pressed his remaining hand against his bleeding shoulder, then staggered off into the distance as a horde of enraged fairies gave chase.
After that, Artoria could no longer see clearly. Sobs choked her as tears streamed down her face. Though his final words went unheard, his pent-up love and sorrow had already been laid bare to her fairy eyes:
"Sorry—this was the only way a mere mortal like me could think of."
"Live on, Artoria."
"Carry my love with you, and love our child well."