A round of applause echoed through the hall.
"Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!"
"Your Excellency's strength is truly astonishing. You've really surprised me," Tokiomi Tohsaka said as he approached Arthur. Tokiomi was a shrewd man—he never made enemies without reason. As seen in the original timeline, if he hadn't placed too much trust in his disciple, things might have ended differently for him.
What a shame.
"You're too kind. If I couldn't even defeat an ordinary man, then—" Arthur paused mid-sentence, casually stepping toward Rin Tohsaka before scooping the little girl into his arms. "—I wouldn't be worthy of being called a Heroic Spirit, right, my little Master?"
"H-Heroic Spirit?!" Tokiomi's expression stiffened as shock rippled through him. His gaze locked onto Arthur, disbelief evident in his eyes.
"Impossible! You're telling me you're a Heroic Spirit?" He frowned, mind racing. If Arthur was indeed a Heroic Spirit, that meant there were now two Servants aligned with him—at least for the moment. (Kirei Kotomine had yet to receive Assassin.) This turn of events brought him one step closer to his goal.
"You're mistaken," Arthur interjected, noting the thoughtful look on Tokiomi's face. It was clear the man's mind was already strategizing. "I am a Heroic Spirit, yes—but not one summoned by the Holy Grail. I am a Heroic Spirit who answered a wish. That makes me quite different from what you imagine."
"Not summoned by the Holy Grail?"
"That's right." Arthur nodded. "I heard Rin's wish—she didn't want Sakura to leave. So I came here. As long as you don't cause trouble, I won't bother you. As for the Holy Grail?" He smirked. "That depends on my mood."
Arthur was easygoing most of the time, but only with his people. When it came to nuisances like Zouken Matou and—frankly—Tokiomi Tohsaka, he had no intention of being polite.
Of course, Arthur understood that, in Tokiomi's mind, everything he did was for his daughter's future. The man had assumed Rin shared his ambitions for magecraft. Unfortunately for him, that worm-infested old man would never hand over his secrets so easily.
Tokiomi had made a fatal mistake in judgment. But Arthur wasn't about to lecture him on it.
---
As Arthur and Tokiomi continued their conversation, a certain little girl in Arthur's arms grew increasingly irritated.
"Put me down!" Rin huffed, squirming. "There are so many people here—this is embarrassing!"
Arthur chuckled. "My, my, such a tsundere already. How adorable."
"You're the embarrassing one!" Rin shot back, glaring up at him with fiery eyes while kicking her legs in protest.
"Rin! Where are your manners?" Tokiomi's sharp voice cut through the room. Immediately, Rin fell silent. Her father was a stickler for noble etiquette and wasn't one to indulge her rebellious streak too much.
"…Got it," she grumbled, reluctantly crossing her arms.
Tokiomi nodded in approval before turning his attention back to Arthur. "In that case, would you be willing to share your true name?"
Arthur smiled. He had no reason to hide it. Given his flashy entrance, anyone familiar with Heroic Spirits would have a good guess anyway. Unlike other Servants, he had no intention of keeping his identity secret. After all, even if they knew his name, could they predict his methods?
A surge of magical energy pulsed through the air, causing the surrounding space to tremble. The sheer force of it made it difficult for those nearby to keep their eyes open.
In Arthur's hand, a golden sword materialized out of thin air.
It was Caliburn—the Sword in the Stone.
With a confident smirk, Arthur took a step forward, his aura commanding absolute attention.
"Let me formally introduce myself," he declared. "My name is Arthur Pendragon—King Arthur of Great Britain!"
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