[On the light curtain, Ritsuka Fujimaru's confusion was actually shared by the viewers across the infinite multiverse.]
Indeed, the word "Abundance" did not sound like a derogatory term.
Things related to life, in most cases, were meant as a compliment, a symbol of greatness.
So... why would "Abundance," something so closely tied to life, cause people to pale at the mere mention of it?
It was at this moment that Lancelot seemed to recall Agravain's words.
Thinking of the immortal monsters attacking the Holy City, and Gawain who was guarding the city gates, he voiced his hypothesis: "Is it because Abundance... spawns monsters?"
Hearing this, Guinaifen shook her head and replied: "That is merely one aspect of it. The shadow the Aeon of Abundance casts upon the Xianzhou, the influence It exerts across the cosmos, cannot be represented by just a few monsters."
"Its level of terror far exceeds your imagination."
---o---
Light Curtain Commentary—
Detective Conan: "Abundance, an Aeon related to life... From a philosophical standpoint, this is quite a topic worthy of deep study."
Time Spirit: "Ara, but the Xianzhou Alliance seems to treat the Abundance as their absolute mortal enemy. Did something happen in history?"
Jing Yuan of the Luofu: "This matter is quite troublesome to explain. The Path of Abundance itself is a twisted existence."
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Twisted? It couldn't be an existence like the Swarm King or the Aeon of Destruction, could it... That would be troublesome."
...
[On the light curtain, the scene shifted to the interior of the Holy City.]
Almost instantly, the giant tree that had taken root in this Singularity naturally attracted the Lion King's attention.
Her expression remained icy, but it was clear that a dark cloud had settled over the Lion King's peerlessly beautiful, cold face.
"The Ambrosial Arbor that 'heals' the 'world'... this is a Singularity within a Singularity, an existence the Holy City cannot tolerate."
"This Singularity must be purified. All impure things shall be destroyed under the strike of the Holy Lance."
Within the sanctuary of the Holy City, the Lion King spoke in a deep voice, her gaze naturally falling upon Gawain, who was at the bottom of the steps.
"King..."
Gawain knelt on one knee, his body covered in wounds. This knight, previously undefeated beneath the sun, was now drenched in blood, looking as if he had just crawled out of hell.
Yet, he still bowed before the Lion King, expressing his utmost loyalty.
If Ritsuka Fujimaru and the others saw this scene, they would definitely be shocked. Having fought Gawain head-on, they never would have imagined that the knight guarding the gates of the Holy City would be reduced to this state.
Possessing the "Nightless" blessing, combined with his own Spirit Origin which far exceeded the bounds of a normal Holy Grail War, it should have been nearly impossible for him to sustain any damage.
But... the current Gawain bore no resemblance to his legendary image of a prince on a white horse; he looked exceptionally wretched.
"Immortal monsters. Beings that cannot be thoroughly eradicated even with Excalibur Galatine. These things... are creatures that absolutely should not appear in this Singularity."
"King, this land of termination has completely veered in an unknown direction. Are we... still continuing with the original plan?"
Gawain remained silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice to the Lion King before him.
The former Lion King had formulated a series of utterly ruthless plans to preserve Human Order and preserve humanity as a species, precisely because this Singularity was facing its ultimate destruction.
But now... an accident had occurred.
Because of the Ambrosial Arbor's existence, the Singularity's lifespan had been drastically extended.
Just as said before, the Ambrosial Arbor was a panacea that could save the world. Although unbelievable... this world was indeed welcoming a rebirth.
In just a short amount of time, it had already turned the desert into an oasis. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before this land returned to the environment of the Age of Gods.
"Sir Gawain... even beaten to such a state, do you still believe that tree can save this world?"
The Lion King spoke expressionlessly, but upon hearing her words, Gawain immediately broke into a cold sweat.
Although life and vitality were reviving in the Singularity, the countless immortal monsters brought by that giant tree were also a harsh reality.
In front of these monsters, humanity had almost no ability to resist.
Unless all humans were moved into the Holy City and relied on the power of the Holy Lance to isolate those immortal monsters, humanity had almost no way to fight back against them.
Saving humanity and saving the world were two entirely different concepts.
This land was indeed recovering its vitality, but for humanity, it was merely the beginning of another disaster.
"Forgive me... My King, I spoke without thinking."
Gawain first acknowledged his mistake, then took a deep breath.
The King had already sacrificed too much to save this world and this Singularity. How could he, Gawain, question the King's choices?
"Then... King, please heal my wounds. As long as I draw breath, neither the monsters nor the Sun King's soldiers shall take a single step past the Holy City's gates."
Gawain lowered his head and pleaded with the Lion King. Due to an information gap, he had fallen into a disadvantage while fighting over a thousand immortal monsters, eventually facing defeat. Now, his injuries were too severe, and he risked returning to the Throne of Heroes at any moment. Therefore, he needed to borrow the Lion King's magical energy to rapidly restore his stamina.
"Indeed, the gates of the Holy City still require your protection..." The Lion King closed her eyes.
"But... before that, the greatest threat to the Holy City must be thoroughly eliminated."
"The greatest threat...?" Hearing this, Gawain fell silent. By the greatest threat, did she mean the Sun King? But were they really going to war with the Sun King right now?
One had to know, the Holy City's combat power was extremely depleted at the moment. Lancelot and Mordred had not returned, and Agravain's whereabouts were unknown. If they directly initiated a war, the consequences might be dire.
However, the Lion King didn't care about what Gawain was thinking, because...
In the Lion King's heart, Ramesses II, while troublesome, was not an overly difficult existence to deal with. Without his pyramid, this mere Sun King could be crushed with a flip of her hand.
What she was truly worried about were the people of the mountain. Whether it was that first Old Man of the Mountain, or the mysterious woman who had defeated Mordred, neither were entities that could be easily handled.
Therefore... the purification must begin with the people of the mountain.
---o---