After a night of feasting, Aozaki Rin and Bedivere, accompanied by over sixty wanderers, proceeded toward the Holy City.
Perhaps because they were drawing closer to their destination, and with the lingering atmosphere of the previous night's banquet, the spirits of the wanderers were visibly lighter. Laughter punctuated their journey from time to time.
After another day of trekking, a city of pure, untainted white chalk, nestled at the edge of the yellow sands, finally appeared before them.
"Camelot... It's really her. The King is there! Lord En, it seems we did not come here in vain."
Listening to the celebratory cheers of the wanderers growing ever more boisterous, Bedivere gazed at the City of White Chalk in the distance, an irrepressible joy and a wide smile spreading across his face.
But hearing this, Aozaki Rin frowned in confusion.
"Is that really Camelot, Bedivere?"
Unable to see the details, he could only "observe" the outline of a city through his paper crane. Although its form was indeed that of a magnificent capital, Aozaki Rin felt it was something much grander, like the manifestation of something that had been sealed away.
"What are you saying? Of course, that's Camelot. My eyes would never mistake it. I believe you will recall the feeling once you enter the city later."
"...Still, how on earth was this city built?" Bedivere replied with conviction, though a moment later, a slightly puzzled expression appeared on his face.
But merely thinking about these questions would yield no answers. Soon, the two followed the group of wanderers toward the main gate of the Holy City.
It seemed the environment outside the Holy City was truly harsh, forcing people not only to worry about sources of food and water but also to evade vicious demonic beasts. By the time Aozaki Rin's group arrived at the main gate, hundreds of wanderers from different places had already gathered before the pure white walls, forcing their party to line up at the very back.
"Are all these people trying to enter the Holy City? They mentioned before that you need some kind of qualification to get in, didn't they? What do you think that means, Bedivere?"
Standing in the crowd with his hood up, Aozaki Rin felt a sense of unease rising in his heart for some reason.
"...I don't really understand either."
Bedivere shook his head. The young man's question had snapped him out of his earlier joy, forcing him to cool down and consider the current situation.
Before the two could discuss it any further, a commotion suddenly erupted from the front of the crowd. Aozaki Rin and Bedivere subconsciously "looked" over and saw that the previously shut city gate had suddenly opened.
Following that, a golden-haired knight clad in white armor and a blue cloak emerged from the main gate, leading a contingent of Purge Knights.
"It's Sir Gawain! One of the Knights of the Round Table, Sir Gawain!"
"Wonderful, the [Holy Selection] is finally starting! We can finally enter the Holy City! I was worried that after missing the last one, we'd have to wait for a long time!"
"Mama, does this mean we won't have to worry about food anymore?"
"Yes, if the rumors are true, the King will surely save us."
...
"Everyone, please be silent."
Gawain raised a hand to quiet the crowd. He stepped forward and said gravely, "First, I thank you all for traveling so far to reach the Holy City. You must understand that the Age of Man has been destroyed, and this last remaining world is also on the verge of ruin. To preserve the spark of humanity, the 'Lion King' whom we serve has specially created this City of White Chalk to serve as the final sanctuary."
"I understand you are all eager to enter Camelot, but before that, you must pass the trial established by our King. Only those who pass the ritual are qualified to enter the Holy City."
The moment he finished speaking, another commotion broke out among the crowd. This was not only due to the wanderers' awe at the confirmation that the "Holy City is the last paradise," but also because two figures had now appeared atop the city walls.
One was clad in pure white armor, wearing a lion-shaped helmet and a cape. The mane spreading out from the helmet made them look like a raging lion. Even without being told, the wanderers understood that this must be the legendary "Lion King," the master of the Holy City.
The other figure was her aide, Agravain. He stood respectfully just behind and to the side of the Lion King, looking ready to receive orders at any moment.
"The essence of humanity is decay and corruption. Only the pure and untainted are permitted to enter the Tower at the End of the World, which can only hold a finite number."
Under the curious gazes of the crowd below, Rhongomyniad's emotionless voice offered no further explanation. She simply raised a hand and continued.
"Therefore, the ritual of the [Holy Selection] will now commence. Only the chosen qualifiers may enter the Holy City."
What does that mean?
Her personality and manner of speaking were completely different from the "Artoria" he remembered as his sworn sister. Aozaki Rin frowned, the sense of unease in his heart growing stronger. Beside him, Bedivere seemed not to have expected that the King he had been searching for would say something like "humanity is decay and corruption," and he stood frozen in disbelief.
However, before the two could react, as the Lion King's words fell, several beams of light suddenly shot out from the crowd, causing the wanderers to gasp in amazement.
"Lord En, y-you're glowing!"
A strong but not blinding light suddenly emanated from the young man beside him, snapping Bedivere back to his senses.
"I'm glowing?"
Aozaki Rin blinked blankly. To be honest, all he felt was a gentle wave of magical energy wash over his body. Since the energy carried no malice, he had assumed it was just some special kind of reconnaissance from the Holy City and paid it no mind.
However, the light emanating from the young man quickly faded. What followed was the Lion King's cold, emotionless voice.
"The [Holy Selection] is complete. Only these five will be welcomed into the city. Go and retrieve them, Sir Gawain."
With those words, the Lion King turned and left without a backward glance, heading for the stairs on the rampart. Agravain gave a slight bow to the Lion King before stepping forward to look down at Gawain outside the city, giving him a nod.
Receiving the order, Gawain, despite having done this many times before, suppressed the inappropriate emotions in his heart. His gaze turned icy as he announced loudly, "Now, the Holy Punishment will be carried out! I regret to inform you all, but for the sake of preserving the future, the King wishes for you to be purged."
"Purge Knights, bring those five into the city. Deal with the others as you did last time."
At Gawain's command, the dozens of Purge Knights standing around him raised their swords in unison.
"Wait, why are you raising your swords? I never heard about this part! You... you're planning to..."
The wanderers seemed to sense what was coming. Expressions of terror spread across their faces as they spoke in disbelief.
But Gawain, like a merciless sun, spoke.
"My apologies, but this is the nature of the [Holy Selection]. Purge Knights, begin."
A burly knight, completely encased in armor, swung his blade at the nearest wanderer without hesitation.
Just as the shadow of death began to loom over everyone's hearts, a white figure suddenly leaped from the back of the crowd, planting a foot directly into the chest of the Purge Knight who had already made his move.
BOOM!
With a tremendous crash, the knight's sturdy body was sent flying into the city wall behind him, unable to rise again.
Before the main gate, a golden spear was pointed at the blonde knight. The white-robed young man lifted his head, his expression impassive as he questioned him.
"'This is how it is,' you said... Then let me ask you, Gawain. What happened to all the people who failed the ritual before this?"
-------
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