Alaric stood on the platform, facing the woman he knew all too well.
No, perhaps she was more like a mother dragon.
Suddenly, he felt a pang of regret... if only he had chosen the green ball?
Then it would have been Artoria's turn to guess his thoughts.
"Though she'd probably figure out what I'm thinking in an instant."
Alaric had no doubt about Artoria's perceptiveness in this regard, especially since her choice of the green ball proved she had already seen through him completely.
"There's hardly any secret left."
Alaric thought with a sigh.
He knew he wasn't exactly a "smart" person... when it came to cleverness, he couldn't even compare to that guy Kay.
At least in terms of social finesse and sly maneuvering, that knight-who-didn't-seem-like-a-knight had reached the pinnacle of mastery.
As for Artoria... she lacked Kay's cunning. Or rather, she knew of it but never used it.
At their core, Alaric and Artoria were the same kind of people.
They knew what was right, what was wrong, and how to solve problems faster and better. Yet, they both had stubbornly unyielding personalities... the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's [Head-On Clash] and the Britannian Red Dragon King's [Chivalry].
When it came to solving problems in their own way, these two dragons' personalities were remarkably aligned.
And it was precisely this trait that often turned simple matters into complicated ones.
... Take dealing with Vortigern, for example.
If Britain's fate was destined to culminate in drawing that holy lance, was it truly necessary for him to risk his soul falling into chaos to become the [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon] that guaranteed victory?
"At the time, it seemed necessary."
"It's just that now, with a more mature perspective, I'm looking back on past events."
Alaric let out a sudden sigh.
He suddenly realized what this ahoge knight wanted him to do.
...
Alaric closed his eyes.
And, as if by coincidence... at the very moment he closed his eyes, Artoria, who had kept hers shut, slowly opened them.
She gazed calmly at the white dragon before her, no longer a juvenile.
Tempered by the long passage of time, she could hardly distinguish their relationship anymore.
Siblings? Teacher and student? Friends?
"A bit of each, perhaps?"
"But maybe there's no need to define it so clearly."
A faint smile appeared on Artoria's face.
She recalled holding the newly "hatched" little white dragon, sneaking it into a cave to hide.
She remembered the nights when the two dragons secretly indulged in extra meals.
The scene of the covenant between god and king was awe-inspiring... but looking back now, what truly thrilled Artoria was the moment Alaric defeated Scáthach, displaying that majestic form.
[Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon].
What a sacred, elegant presence.
Bringing the joy of life to the world, effortlessly dispelling the shadow of death.
At that moment, Artoria's heart, like that translucent, radiant Spirit Dragon under the sun, was filled with joy and hope.
Back then, Artoria Pendragon truly believed that, together with this white dragon, they could overcome any obstacle and build a perfect kingdom!
... But now, looking back, Artoria knew it was merely the naive delusion of a young girl.
"The Age of Gods had to end."
"Britain had to fall."
This wasn't a prophecy but an inevitable future. No matter how hard the girl tried, she and her kingdom could never escape that fate.
Alaric knew this outcome, so he used his wings to forcibly prop up the crumbling Britain.
Artoria only learned of this later.
And it was from the [Knights of the Round Table] that she discovered what her counterpart in another world had endured... and, more importantly, why she hadn't faced the same fate in this one.
"Growth is always painful."
"If you haven't felt pain, it means someone else is bearing it for you."
At that moment, Artoria realized how naive her dreams had been and what price Alaric had paid to turn that foolish girl's dream into reality.
So, she accepted the outcome of [Britain's destruction], drawing the holy lance that symbolized the end of an era.
It was her farewell to her past self, a mark of true growth.
But what about Alaric? In all this time, had he ever truly "grown" in any meaningful way?
Artoria suspected he hadn't.
Because he had descended into this Holy Grail War, facing an enemy that sounded all too familiar... [All the World's Evil].
Even using the ahoge on her head to think, Artoria could guess how Alaric would tackle this troublesome entity.
"Resilient, invincible, supreme!"
"Crush, shatter, triumphant roar!"
This was a phrase Alaric often said, perfectly encapsulating his dragon's philosophy.
He had absolute confidence in himself, never taking any enemy seriously... not even [All the World's Evil].
Artoria believed he had the ability to solve the problem alone.
But this time, they had a better solution.
Didn't they?
...
"Women are such a hassle... "
Alaric opened his eyes.
His blue pupils met Artoria's emerald-green gaze... though only for a fleeting moment, it was enough for him to understand many things.
This was why Artoria had kept her eyes closed earlier.
They knew each other too well, so well that a single glance could reveal what the other was thinking.
And now, what was Alaric thinking?
Artoria, having read the answer in his eyes, looked at the man on the platform and smiled.
"Don't get cocky, woman."
"I'm not asking for your help!"
"... I'm just fulfilling your wish, that's all."
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