To Lost Youth

An oracle was a god's guidance. Himiko and Iyo were both shrine maidens, and they possessed the same ability.

If Himiko could discover something, Iyo could discover it too.

After that, the other Rulers besides Red A felt something similar when they saw Yuan Shikai.

Unfortunately, Jeanne d'Arc was not here. With her True Name Discernment, she could have identified him at a glance.

At last, Himiko spoke for the group. "Unknown Ruler, we are here to help the Counter Force protect the world. May we have your name? The oracle revealed that you possess the power to defeat an Evil of Humanity."

Yuan Shikai said, "My name is Yuan Shikai. I'm a guardian of the Human Order and King Arthur's husband. When I entered this Holy Grail War, my wife lent me Excalibur and the Holy Lance."

"By the way, the goddess Ishtar and I are married too." He remembered that Ishtar had made a point of reminding him, so he added it after some thought. Otherwise, she might hear about it and sulk.

Himiko's first reaction to his answer was confusion.

Britain, where King Arthur had lived, and Uruk, where the goddess Ishtar belonged, were separated by an immense gulf of time. What a tangled love life.

Then the words "guardian of the Human Order" gave her pause. Somehow, the title sounded a rank above guardian of the Counter Force. Could he be a senior?

But he had mentioned King Arthur's Excalibur and Holy Lance. Weapons bearing those names had to be the legendary Sword of Promised Victory and The Spear that Shines at the End.

The former had defeated Sefar, the Harvest Star Vanguard, while the latter was an anchor connecting the world's surface and reverse sides. Both were weapons far beyond the human realm.

What their