Chapter 221: The Post-Event King Arthur
Britain was destined to fall. The primary reason was not because of some human catastrophe, nor was it because of the rebellion ignited by Mordred. It was simply because Britain was fated to perish. The people and things living within it were all deemed "doomed," destined to be liquidated by the Counter Force as remnants of the Age of Gods.
This is the history of Britain in the Type-Moon world. Merlin, who had understood this fact long ago, had once told Saber this truth. However, the Saber of that time could not accept it.
Britain would fall simply because they were "doomed"? Were all those born on the land of Britain inherently born with original sin, targets that the Counter Force had to eliminate? ...What kind of logic is that?! How can anyone be born "doomed"?
Saber, who could not accept this back then, still could not accept it now. Therefore, even if it were only for once, and even if it were in a parallel world, it did not matter. As long as Britain could continue, that was enough. After all, no matter how bad the situation might be, could it be worse than the ending in original history, where after Britain's fall, even the original Britons were all killed and replaced, just to ensure that the mystery of the Age of Gods would vanish completely?
"Since that is what you think, Saber, then go and do it." Emiya Shirou said this while briefly bidding farewell to Tohsaka Rin—who was still going through her mental struggle—and Miyu Edelfelt. He walked with Saber toward the location of Mt. Enzo in this parallel world, heading toward the Great Hole where the Greater Grail had been displaced. "However, whether your wish will succeed in the end remains, after all, just a guess of mine."
"It is only one possibility that this parallel world, after experiencing the incident with [Pandora's Box], will be unable to pay attention to your wish via the Holy Grail in the first instance." "Perhaps after the Counter Force has suffered a loss at the hands of [Pandora's Box], even if their influence is not as strong as it was in their prime, they will still remain vigilant against things that go against normal history." "It is entirely possible that as soon as you intend to make this wish, the Counter Force will immediately arrive to intervene."
Having finished stating the good side, Emiya Shirou began to explain the bad side. Admitting to Saber that the Counter Force truly would not intervene in such matters was nothing more than a beautiful fantasy. One must know that in Prisma Illya, even the semi-comatose [Gaia], upon realizing that Illya and the others had begun traversing parallel worlds, was able to create a human terminal to meet and communicate with them, attempting to assist them in saving the Earth.
Moreover, Emiya Shirou had now resolved the problem created by [Pandora's Box]. To think that the Counter Force, while exhausting its energy to eliminate the influence brought by [Pandora's Box], would have no time to pay attention to these small, secret actions they were taking... that really could only be counted as a fantasy.
"But this is also the time when the Counter Force's ability to intervene is at its lowest, is it not?" Saber nodded in understanding. "Rest assured, Shirou." "If, in the end, the Holy Grail still fails to realize my wish, I will not blame you." "Although it would be a great pity, as you once said to me, shifting the blame for one's own inability to accomplish something onto another person is, in itself, an act of avoidance."
Saber mentioned the counsel Emiya Shirou had once given her. She had felt Emiya Shirou's genuine support for her wish through his actions—even now, after seeing the consequences of changing history (the [Pandora's Box] incident), he still chose to help her. Because of this, she looked back and realized that in those rare moments beyond just eating meals at the Emiya household, the words Emiya Shirou had spoken to her showed he had always been helping her, perfecting her rather unreliable wish.
He had helped her refine it, for instance, into the wish that upon returning to the past, she would choose not to pull the Sword of Selection, instead leaving that opportunity to someone else—someone with more capability to lead Britain and ensure its continuity.
A "Post-Event King Arthur" who knew exactly why Britain ultimately fell and what needed to be done to achieve a better outcome might perhaps lead Britain better than a new King. After all, even knowing it was the Counter Force that wanted to exterminate Britain, Saber actually still felt it was her own fault that Britain ultimately fell. Relying on the magical energy supply from her Dragon Reactor Core, even after losing [Avalon], Saber could still sweep away foreign enemies with [Excalibur].
She had basically resolved Britain's external threats. Yet, in the end, Britain fell due to the interpersonal relationships she failed to handle well. It was no wonder Saber felt that replacing herself with someone else as King Arthur would lead to better results.
Just as a certain meme goes: even if one is slow, can one not learn calculus? Even if one is weak, can one not manage to clear out all the invading Anglo-Saxon bandits, or run into Roman territory and beat up their army so that the Roman Empire wouldn't dare take advantage of the situation to invade Britain?
Likewise, Saber—who never sought causes in others and only sought errors in herself—would not feel that Emiya Shirou's method was wrong if the wish were to fail. Instead, she would feel that she had failed to live up to Emiya Shirou's help.
As they spoke, they had unconsciously finished the journey to Mt. Enzo. Upon arriving inside the Great Hole, Saber could not mask her excitement as she looked at the Greater Grail summoned by Emiya Shirou through the ability of [Pseudo-Atum]. After a long while, Saber, having regained her composure from the excitement of a child on their first field trip, began—under Emiya Shirou's affirmative nod—to stutteringly utter the wish she had long prepared to the Greater Grail, which had initiated the ritual: "My wish...
.........My wish is for me to return to the past, to the day of the Sword of Selection!
Holy Grail, realize my wish!"
Will this work? Saber looked at Emiya Shirou with trepidation. However, very soon, Saber no longer had that worry. Because a magic circle—a vast and complex magic circle—suddenly began to expand beneath her feet the moment her wish was uttered! It enveloped her within it!
Only... "?.........What is happening? Why am I in here too!?"
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