I, Rin Tohsaka, Will Be a Demon God in Type-Moon Chapter 10

Lord Conqueror scratched the back of his head, his expression no longer carrying its usual ease, though he still replied with a chuckle.

"Ah, it seems the little miss has really cooked up something extraordinary. I'd love to plunder it, hahahaha!"

Off to the side, Kiritsugu Emiya, his expression grave as he sensed the 'Garden of Avalon,' had already slipped a hand into his coat, gripping the pistol loaded with the Origin Bullet, and assumed a combat stance, ready to fire it at Rin at the first opportunity.

Among those present, only Saber paid no heed to the 'Garden of Avalon.' All Saber wanted now was to know whether the current Holy Grail could still fulfill her tragic wish—even if it came to pass in the worst possible way. For now, Saber firmly believed that as long as someone else could take her place as king, no matter the outcome, it would be better than her own reign.

Rin looked at the tense crowd, a proud smile curling on her lips, seemingly satisfied with their reactions. But when she caught sight of Saber, radiating a chilling, gloomy aura, she dropped the smile. Damn, if Saber goes dark, that'll be trouble. Looks like I'll have to let Berserker show his face early.

"Saber, why are you so fixated on the Holy Grail?"

Faced with Rin's sudden question, Saber instinctively stepped forward and declared loudly.

"I wish to use the Holy Grail to save my kingdom. For that, I would stop at nothing!"

"Are you trying to deny the history you yourself wrote?" Lord Conqueror questioned, his tone skeptical.

Seeing the conversation veering toward the familiar clash of royal ideologies from the Three Kings' Meeting, Rin quickly cut in.

"Lord Conqueror, this is a conversation between Saber and me."

"Very well, little miss. But Saber, if that is your wish, I cannot acknowledge you as a fellow king."

"You!"

Just as Saber was about to argue with Lord Conqueror, Rin shot a quick glance at Sakura. With a flick of thought from Sakura, Berserker lunged forward in a single stride, landing beside Saber and roaring at her relentlessly.

Mistaking this for Rin's signal to attack, the others immediately gripped their weapons, poised to counter. But Rin's words halted their next moves.

"Saber, your wish is to save your homeland, your kingdom? Then how do you intend to save it?"

"By going back to before I became king, of course, and letting someone more capable take the throne."

"Then, Saber, how about hearing what your own vassal has to say?"

With that, Sakura, standing beside Rin, gave a faint smile. Berserker revealed his true face—none other than Lancelot, a former member of the Knights of the Round Table, known as the Knight of the Lake.

Then, Sakura raised her hand, marked with Command Spells, and shouted.

"Berserker, by the power of the Command Spells, I temporarily restore your reason!"

As one of Sakura's Command Spells faded to a single remaining stroke, the rampaging Lancelot returned to a calm demeanor.

Once composed, Lancelot immediately knelt on one knee before his former monarch, King Arthur, Artoria, his head bowed, not daring to meet her gaze.

King Arthur, startled at the sight of her vassal, quickly moved to help Lancelot up.

"Sir Lancelot! How could it be you? Rise first!"

Lancelot brushed aside the hands King Arthur extended to lift him, keeping his head low as he spoke.

"My king, I beg you to punish me! It was my transgression back then that set off everything that followed. As such a treasonous vassal, I only ask that you mete out my punishment."

"Ah! Sir Lancelot, why would I punish you? I have never believed you did anything wrong. Guinevere and I were more friends than husband and wife. I failed to withstand the pressure and sentenced her to the stake, yet you protected her—for that, I am deeply grateful. Your departure from me must have been my own failing as a king."

Rin muttered quietly from the side, "Gawain, you died so tragically."

Lord Conqueror frowned at the scene before him, but since it was a matter between a king and her vassal, and given Rin's earlier interjection, he could only watch this spectacle that grated on his nerves in silence.

Gilgamesh, meanwhile, watched the pair of lord and vassal with evident delight, as if savoring an exquisite drama.

Lancelot, who had long believed himself at fault, stared dumbfounded at his king. A wave of sorrow welled up from his heart, and he spoke helplessly.

"Arthur, you truly do not understand the hearts of men."

King Arthur, stirred by her former vassal's words, replied passionately.

"Sir Lancelot, why do you say that? Once I obtain the Holy Grail, I will overturn that tragedy. A better king will surely lead you all to a life of happiness..."

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Chapter 18: Section 17: On My Path to Becoming a Demon God—King Arthur, I Understand the Hearts of Men!

Fuyuki City, Zenchou Villa.

Lancelot, watching King Arthur lost in her idealized vision, rudely cut off her speech. His expression firm, he issued an invitation to his king.

"My king, after a thousand years apart, we meet again as lord and vassal. For the conclusion of this Holy Grail War, I humbly request that you and I begin with a knightly duel."

A flicker of nostalgia passed through King Arthur's eyes. Her expression calmed, and she readily agreed.

"Sir Lancelot, then let us demonstrate true chivalry to all present."

With that, she summoned Excalibur, gripping the sword tightly in one hand as she faced Lancelot.

Off to the side, Gilgamesh curled his lips into a smirk and snapped his fingers. A golden ripple appeared behind him, and with a shing, a gleaming blade shot down, landing at Lancelot's feet and embedding deep into the ground.

"Since you, this Mad Dog, are still my guard for now, I am not one to stint on rewards. Come, guard, show me your valiant form. But if you dare bare those rabid fangs again, I will surely mete out your punishment."

Lancelot paid no heed to Gilgamesh's words. He firmly drew the sword from the ground, gripped it with both hands, and charged at King Arthur.

The crisp clash of weapons rang out instantly in the remote villa.

Lancelot and King Arthur's superb martial prowess immediately captivated all the Servants present, while the Magi could only follow the battle of these ancient heroes with eyes enhanced by magical reinforcement.

"Truly remarkable skill. Even in my peerless army, I doubt I could find anyone to match these two in combat." With that, Lord Conqueror downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, his bulging muscles betraying his eagerness to join the fray.

"Magnificent skill!" Lancer sighed, a note of admiration in his voice.

Sola stared at Lancer in shock, speaking in disbelief.

"Lancer, are they really stronger than you? No way—Lancer, you're the strongest, right?"

Lancer first glanced at his master, Kotomine Kirei, who blinked his sore eyes and waved helplessly, signaling Lancer not to mind him. He thought, 'Anyway, the Holy Grail War looks like it'll end tonight. No matter what, Lancer will vanish by tonight. Once he's gone, Sola will surely come back to me.'

Lancer bowed respectfully to Sola before explaining.

"Miss Sola, the two currently fighting surpass me in martial skill. But battle isn't just about technique—I have confidence I could face them both."

"Is that so? See, Lancer, you're still the best."

Hearing Sola's childish words, both Kotomine Kirei and Lancer wore faint, bitter smiles.

Meanwhile, the clash between the two combatants escalated again as their warm-up ended.

King Arthur, who hadn't fought so freely in a long time, cast aside her tangled thoughts and threw herself wholly into this knightly duel.

Once she immersed herself fully in the fight, she felt the will transmitted through Lancelot's sword—a blade filled with sorrow, longing, craving, and anxiety!

Sensing the intent in Lancelot's sword, King Arthur was puzzled. 'Why, Lancelot, would you convey such a will to me through your blade?' Then she recalled his earlier words—"King Arthur, you truly don't understand human hearts"—and it suddenly clicked.

King Arthur let out a sharp cry, poured her own will into her sword, and swung down.

With a crisp crack, Lancelot's C-rank Noble Phantasm, unable to withstand the abuse any longer, snapped in two. At the same time, King Arthur's will reached Lancelot's heart. Smiling, he took the blow on his shoulder, ignoring the pain, and shook his head at Sakura, who was about to heal him with magic. He looked expectantly at King Arthur.

King Arthur planted Excalibur on the ground and faced Lancelot with a stern expression.

"Lancelot, do you know your crime?"

Lancelot knelt on one knee, overjoyed.

"My king, your guilty servant Lancelot, after a thousand years, accepts the punishment I have long deserved."

"Then, Lancelot..."

At this, Rin couldn't hold back. Since King Arthur wasn't going to turn dark anymore, there was no need for her to let her Servant punish her enemy.

"Wait, King Arthur. Lancelot is my sister's Servant now, isn't he? What right do you have to punish my sister's Servant?"

King Arthur saw Lancelot about to retort, raised a hand to stop him, and smiled faintly.

"Indeed, under the Holy Grail War, I have no standing to punish Lancelot now."

She then turned to Lancelot.

"Thank you, Lancelot. Your sword's will made me see what I did wrong—that my beautiful wish was actually a tragic one. You were right: King Arthur doesn't understand human hearts. I made a grave mistake. While denying myself, I never considered those who followed me, admired me, and fought for the ideal. I was lost in my own dream, and that pitiful wish sought to negate your past struggles for the nation and the ideal through the Holy Grail. Rest assured, Lancelot, I won't do that now. But I still intend to claim the Grail if I can. Lancelot, would you walk the same path again with a king who understands human hearts?"

"Your servant will await in any age, ready to be your subject once more."

"King of Conquerors, you can't hold back any longer, can you? I can feel your surging battle lust clearly. So, dare you face me and Lancelot together?"

"Hahahahaha! I, Iskandar, have never found anything unworthy of conquest. But my Master—can I entrust him to you, young lady?"

Rin, who had fully grasped King Arthur's intent, nodded to reassure the King of Conquerors. It seemed King Arthur planned to take Lancelot into battle against him, letting Lancelot seek redemption in this fight. No matter who lost, Rin's side came out ahead—she had no reason to refuse.

Nearby, Kiritsugu Emiya approached King Arthur, staring at her intently.

King Arthur smiled at him.

"Kiritsugu, I've always disliked you. But after Miss Tohsaka explained the Holy Grail, I understood your wish. I never imagined someone like you could harbor such a noble desire. Still, give it up, Kiritsugu, or you'll drown in your own ideals, just as I once did."

Kiritsugu Emiya, unmoved by the advice of his utterly incompatible Servant, raised his hand bearing the Command Spells, as if to stop her. Suddenly, his body stiffened. A purple mist floated around him, and he stood frozen, completely out of control.

Rin nodded approvingly at Assassin, the ancient Queen of Assyria, Semiramis. She looked at Irisviel, who had rushed to Kiritsugu's side in alarm, and Maya Hisau, who raised her gun warily, and said, "Relax, I just had Assassin paralyze him with poison. Now, King Arthur, King of Conquerors, you may begin."

King Arthur turned to Lancelot.

"Lancelot, I command you to join me in fighting the King of Conquerors. In this battle, you must fight to the death without retreat, and secure victory for me."

"Your servant obeys!"

On the other side, Waver raised his hand bearing the Command Spells and looked seriously at the King of Conquerors.

"Now comes the battlefield of the strong. My Servant, Waver Velvet, commands by this Command Spell: you must win to the end. By this second Command Spell: you must claim victory. By this final Command Spell: you must conquer the whole world—no failure allowed. Now, I am no longer your Master. Allow me to witness the end as your subject."

"Hahahahahahahahahaha! I permit it. Come, King Arthur! But I have one last question: King Arthur, is a king meant to be solitary?"

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Section 19, Chapter 18: I, Rin Tohsaka, Will Also Become a Demon God—Holy Grail Clash!

King Arthur answered without hesitation.

"A king should be solitary. He must sacrifice himself for the happiness of his nation, his people, and his subjects. All right and wrong—the king bears them, the king shoulders them, the king decides them."

"Oh, King Arthur, is that your conclusion? And you two over there?"

Gilgamesh crossed his arms and sneered.

"A boring question, you mongrel."

Semiramis gave a similarly contemptuous smile.

"As one revered by my subjects as the incarnation of the goddess Ishtar, isn't it only natural?"

The King of Conquerors shook his head. Mana surged, and a fierce gale of magical energy began to radiate from his core.

"No good. You lot clearly don't understand. For those of you who don't, I must show you the true form of a king right here."

In an instant, the scene of the Zenchou Villa was replaced by a vast expanse of yellow sand. Within the boundless desert, a colossal army marched forward in perfect unison.

Rin surveyed her surroundings, pulled out a few gems engraved with runic characters, casually tossed them onto the ground, and then spoke with a hint of theatrical flair.

"Oh! This is quite something—a Bounded Field, no less."

Sakura looked at her sister with slight confusion and asked, "Sister, what's a Bounded Field?"

"Sakura, a so-called Bounded Field is a magecraft that materializes one's inner landscape. It's said to be the magecraft closest to true magic. Oh!"

At that moment, Kotomine Kirei nodded from the side.

"Correct. However, in theory, this kind of magecraft isn't something a human can perform. Rin Tohsaka, those gems of yours are meant to analyze this Bounded Field, aren't they? Don't waste your effort. Hmph."