Standing before Mordred, Shirou asked, "The one you were waiting for...it wasn't me?"
She looked at him, her expression lonely and disappointed. "The one I was waiting for was Eternal King, not you, Assassin."
"I'm sorry, Mordred. Eternal King...won't appear before you." he sighed.
He knew. Yes, he understood that the one she sought was not Shirou, but the legendary king himself.
"Why?" she demanded. "You said you could become Eternal King. So why won't you transform? I don't want to defeat you. That would be meaningless. I want to defeat Eternal King! The founder of the kingdom I destroyed - not you!"
He gazed at her determined face. As desperately as she wanted to best Eternal King, it simply wasn't possible.
He glanced at his [Mortal Awakening] skill.
100%!
In fact, [Mortal Awakening] had reached 100% back when Mordred first stormed the black faction's castle.
Yet he didn't use it.
"Why?" she demanded loudly.
She knew he was capable of manifesting as Eternal King after he had revealed as much to bolster Gray's confidence.
The one she wanted to face was Eternal King.
The one she wanted to defeat was Eternal King as well.
Not Fujimaru Shirou.
Facing her questioning, he sighed, "Because after I become Eternal King, I won't be myself anymore."
"I was the one who established eternal kingdom," he said. "Eternal King is an aspect of me. But I - am not him! Eternal King has been distorted by legends, by praise and condemnation alike. If I manifest him, those legends will influence me, and I'll lose myself. He is the perfect, rational ruler - an ideal king with a heart of steel who judges all by worth alone, using people without a shred of compassion. If I become him, I will lose the tenderness in my own heart."
After a pause, he said, "Mordred, I know you have suffered a lot. You resent me, hate me, want to vent your resentment, that's all fine, but if this is just being willful, can we stop here for now and make a decision after this is over?"
"This is not about me being willful!" she shouted. "I'll ask one last time - will you really not summon the Eternal King?"
"I refuse. I cannot let him appear before you." he said solemnly. "Due to his influence, I've already watched helplessly as my friend departed in anguish. Eternal King is a weapon I wield against enemies - not to hurt myself or those I cherish. I will never let him dictate my choices, temperament or thoughts again."
"I see." she gripped the sword tightly, "Since you won't let him out, then I'll force you to summon him! Just you now, you are by no means my opponent!"
Gripping her sword, she charged at him with single-minded purpose.
I must...see him!
...
Kiara Sessyoin, Jeanne d'Arc, Nero, and Saber had gathered together.
Bringing Kiara along was a bold move on Shirou's part. Though notorious as the future Beast III, currently she was just an ordinary girl without magecraft or any special abilities - at best, the daughter of a Buddhist sect's leader.
Fortunately, after meeting up with Nero and Saber, Jeanne soon found Kiara, preventing any danger.
"Where is our current location, Emperor of Rome?" Saber asked, eyeing Nero. Though extremely annoyed by their near-identical appearances, duty came first.
Checking her map, Nero mused, "Hmm...Area 12, it seems. Next we must proceed to Area 13..."
"Thirteen..." whispered the others, exchanging odd glances.
"Um..." Kiara asked hesitantly, "Is something wrong?"
"It's nothing," Nero dismissed with a shake of her head. "While I don't usually indulge in superstition, I admit I have no love for that particular number."
"Indeed," Saber nodded.
"It's considered an unlucky number," Jeanne explained.
"Unlucky?" Kiara asked in confusion. "I've always thought thirteen was auspicious."
She realized there was a fundamental gap in understanding between herself and the others. How could they see thirteen as unlucky instead of fortunate?
If Shirou was here, he would naturally be able to discern the key point of misunderstanding between the two parties.
The number thirteen was extremely taboo in Western circles - whether in Norse, Celtic, or Christian culture - leading Westerners to studiously avoid it. Hence Jeanne d'Arc, Saber, and even Nero harbored an instinctive aversion to the number.
Yet for Kiara, raised in Buddhist culture, thirteen represented the perfection of merit and was thus a highly auspicious number.
Kiara understood now where the difference lay. With a smile she said, "Fretting over something like this won't bring happiness. Why don't we take a different path instead?"
"That won't do," the three unanimously shook their heads.
"This is the most direct path to the central area," Saber explained. "Any detour could cost us precious time. Assassin and the others must be close to the central area by now. We can't fall behind!"
"You're right!" Nero agreed. Jeanne had no objections either.
Kiara looked puzzled but followed along silently.
The group proceeded cautiously towards the central area.
Saber held her invisible sword at the ready, frowning. "Does it seem oddly empty here?" she asked the others warily.
Nero glanced around the empty landscape. "Now that King Arthur mentions it, something does feel strange. Earlier, swarms of magical beasts barred our way between areas, but now we haven't even seen a Dragon Tooth Warrior."
"Could another group have already passed through and cleared out the beasts?" Jeanne said.
"It's possible," Saber nodded.
Just then Nero held up a hand, pointing ahead. "Someone's over there!"
They looked over and sure enough, they saw a lone figure wandering through Area 13.
"Let's go after them, but carefully," Saber cautioned. "It's likely an enemy."
The group nodded and set off after the figure. As they drew near, however, they froze in surprise.
The stranger had originally seemed worried and frantic. But upon seeing Saber's group, her face lit up with pleasant surprise. "Miss Jeanne!" she exclaimed.
"How...can this be?" Jeanne was astonished, because this person was none other than Kiara!
Another Kiara!
The group instinctively glanced at the Kiara next to them - who was currently panting and covered in sweat from chasing after Jeanne and the others. Seeing her doppelgänger happily crying out, she too was shocked. "How can there be another me?"
"Be careful!"
Saber was the first to regain her senses. She shouted a warning and leapt out, her vigilant blue eyes fixed warily on the two Kiaras.
Jeanne and Nero jerked back to alertness. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Saber, also eyeing the pair with caution.
They remembered Shirou's warning - the descending Beast was likely Kiara Sessyoin!
If there was a second Kiara here, undoubtedly she was the Beast!
But...which one?
"Are you... the evil me that Mister Assassin talked about?" the first Kiara asked, sounding hurt.
"An evil person? That's not me. Father said being bad is wrong," insisted the second Kiara, looking distressed.
"Father also said lying is wrong," countered the first.
The two Kiaras argued without yielding. Finally they looked expectantly at Saber's group, hoping they could discern the true Kiara.
However, Saber and the others were utterly confused. They had no idea which Kiara was real and which the imposter.
The two Kiaras were identical - not just in looks, but in temperament, speech, memories and even thoughts. They seemed the exact same person. So how could Saber's group possibly discern true from false?
Nero glanced at Jeanne. "Ruler, don't you have [Revelation]? Has it given you any clue?"
Jeanne shook her head. "Since entering here, I can no longer hear the Lord's voice."
"King Arthur, what do you..." Jeanne turned questioningly to Saber, but before she could finish, Saber had already raised her invisible sword. The brilliant starlight of her Noble Phantasm blasted toward both Kiaras!
The starlight sparkled, illuminating the twin looks of surprise.
Jeanne cried out in shock, "King Arthur, what are you doing?!"
Saber tightened her grip. "Assassin said sometimes eyes and thoughts can deceive you, but your heart knows what's right."
Jeanne looked bewildered. "What do you mean?"
"My intuition says...they are both enemies!"
Saber tightened her grip, looking grave. This had clearly been an excruciating choice - to aim her sword at both Kiaras. One was the true Kiara while the other was the descending Beast, as Shirou had warned.
Yet Saber's intuition said they were both enemies. So she had swung her blade.
In the past, she never would have acted so arbitrarily, risking innocent lives. But Assassin had told her to follow her feelings...
So she was trying. Trying to change herself. Perhaps only by becoming someone new could she still save her doomed homeland!