Mom's Story (Continued)

"What's wrong?" Aya asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Artoria did not answer. Beneath her knight's helmet, her face had gone utterly pale.

It had not been some kind of illusion. Artoria had merely seen one second—one second of a blurry, flickering image, like a distorted television screen. It was the warning given to her by the Blessing of Eternity.

If she killed Aya, that would happen.

She would be killed without any chance to resist, and without a doubt, this world would be destroyed.

"Tiamat."

The instant she heard that name, Artoria genuinely felt the urge to kill. Every Beast was humanity's mortal enemy, and she was a Heroic Spirit who protected humanity.

"I'm guessing you saw the outcome of the future where you 'kill me'?" Aya asked. "Through your Blessing or Instinct, right?"

Artoria stared at Aya, who merely shook her head helplessly.

"Don't look at me like that. Of course I know you very well."

"Because I'm your mother."

If she really was Tiamat, then she was indeed the Mother of All Gods, the Mother of All Things. But Artoria's instincts told her that was not what the girl meant.

"Come on, sit beside Mama. Let Mama explain it to you." Aya once again gestured for Artoria to sit beside her.

What was with this bizarre sense of déjà vu, like some idiot mother wanting to tell her child a story...? Artoria felt an inexplicable chill run through her heart and instead took another step away from Aya.

A visibly disappointed expression appeared on Aya's face.

"Why do I feel guilty..." Artoria grew inexplicably irritated. "If you have something to say, say it already."

"Artoria-chan... have you reached your rebellious phase?"

"You mean you returned from the future to the present?"

"That's right, using Wild Magic,"