Artoria's Defeat

"It's been ten years, King of Knights." The King of Conquerors looked at Artoria and laughed heartily.

Behind him, several Heroic Spirits and humans filed out of the cars.

After getting out, Tohsaka Rin even dry-heaved a few times. Iori's excessive speed had nearly made her heart and lungs stop.

Once Waver got out, he too greeted Artoria with a touch of nostalgia. They had met several times during the Holy Grail War ten years ago, so they could be considered acquaintances.

Meeting again today, her voice, face, and smile were exactly as he remembered them. Time had left no trace upon her, while Waver himself was no longer that green young boy. The years had carved the marks of growth into him.

Heroic Spirits had gained eternal life, but they could never grow again. Even Artoria, whose original body still barely clung to life, was no exception.

He thought once more of the King of Conquerors he served. That was probably why he wanted to obtain a physical body.

[One, two, three, four, five, six. Six Servants had actually come out together. And among them is a powerhouse like the King of Conquerors. Damn it, is this Holy Grail War going to end here?]

Artoria silently counted the Servants in the opposing camp. Though her will was unshakable, facing such a powerful lineup still left her with a faint sense of despair.

A normal Holy Grail War only had seven Servants in total. Fighting one against six was equivalent to asking her to single-handedly clear an entire Holy Grail War at once.

Only at the height of her strength, with the holy sword, holy lance, and scabbard in hand, would she have had any chance of accomplishing such a thing.

But reality was cruel. Looking at her current state,