Bolting upright from a death-like slumber.
That was roughly Bedivere's experience.
Originally, the burning pain from releasing the Holy Sword in his right arm, combined with being pummeled by Gawain—the double damage had caused Bedivere to faint by the time they left the Holy City.
This was also why he, a high-level combatant, was on the vehicle.
In the end, he had a dream that wasn't very good for his mental state while unconscious, which startled him awake.
In a short time, he concluded: 'I survived Sir Gawain's blade and escaped from the Holy City.'
"Oh, he's awake, he's awake." Fujimaru Ritsuka, who had been observing Bedivere, saw that although his expression was still somewhat haggard, he looked like he could continue fighting, and let out a sigh of relief.
"Is everyone... alright?" Bedivere glanced at the locals following behind the vehicle and then inquired of Fujimaru Ritsuka.
"Most people escaped," Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at the locals behind the vehicle with a worried expression, "but some of those who escaped left our group midway."
"Although we wanted to keep them, there was no reason to," Sanzang added from the side. "After all, we were the ones who caused a scene in the Holy City. When the Holy City sends troops to hunt us down later, they'll only come for us. Staying with us would actually be more dangerous for them."
"I see... Ugh!" Bedivere was about to say something when the pain from his right arm forced him to shut his mouth, his forehead covered in cold sweat from the agony.
"You'd better not push yourself too hard," Da Vinci suggested from the driver's seat. "I noticed when we moved you onto the vehicle—your injuries are not light."
Besides the injuries from Gawain's beating, she even smelled the scent of cooked meat coming from Bedivere's right arm.
"I'm fine," Bedivere forced himself to say.
"Um, Bedivere, Master Xuanzang, as Servants who arrived here earlier than us, may I ask you both about this Singularity?"
"I'm sorry." Bedivere paused for a moment and then replied with a bitter smile, "Although I'd like to say yes, unfortunately, I arrived quite late. I didn't reach the Holy City much earlier than you did."
"Well, what about Master Xuanzang? You and that young man over there must have been in the Holy City for a while, right?" Da Vinci asked.
"Yes, it's true that Daniel and I were in the Holy City for some time, but if you're asking about our level of understanding of the Holy City... Daniel! It's time for your speech!" Sanzang shouted loudly toward Daniel behind the vehicle.
"Ah? Are you calling me?" Daniel, not far away, pointed at himself. Upon receiving a positive response, Daniel nodded and then looked at Mash. "You come along too."
"Before long, Lancelot, who was ordered to hunt us down, should be arriving. We don't have much time left. If you have anything to ask, ask it quickly." After getting on the vehicle, Daniel stretched his legs and then looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka, urging him on.
"It's about the Holy City. If possible, I hope you can tell us all the information you know," Fujimaru Ritsuka requested with a bow.
"Ah, the Holy City," Daniel scratched his hair. "Before I answer, tell me your thoughts on the Holy City from the short time you've spent here."
"A conspiracy to massacre the locals?" Fujimaru Ritsuka hypothesized boldly.
"Regrettable, but that idea is completely wrong," Daniel shook his head, "even if they really did do that."
"Get straight to the point! Aren't we going to fight Lancelot in a bit!" Sanzang urged from the side.
"Alright, alright," Daniel nodded. "Let's use an example you can understand instantly."
"The function of the Holy City is just like a container for butterfly specimens."
"What!" The several people who knew what butterfly specimens were instantly showed expressions of shock.
"Wait a minute! Are you saying that the reason they kill the locals is to preserve their corpses as specimens?" Fujimaru Ritsuka asked with an expression of disbelief.
"No, those who were killed were not killed for that reason," Daniel shook his head and explained. "Only the few who were chosen to enter the Holy City are the specimens to be protected."
"Turning humans into specimens, such a thing..."
"What about such a thing?" Daniel looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka and countered. "In our human eyes, making specimens of rare animals for collection is to preserve their inherent value, so that there won't be a lack of samples to observe and learn from once these low-numbered creatures go extinct in the future."
"Now, the Lion King is collecting precious human samples with pure spirits with that same mindset," Daniel continued. "While it can't be called preserving the embers of humanity, it's the same logic as humans preserving samples of precious creatures."
"We humans make samples of precious creatures out of human arrogance, and the Lion King doing this is also out of her arrogance as a Divine Spirit."
"A Divine Spirit!" Both Fujimaru Ritsuka and Romani on the screen had expressions of utter shock.
But the others caught another key point.
"Mr. Daniel, why do you refer to King Arthur as the Lion King?" Bedivere looked at Daniel and inquired.
"Because the one currently sitting upon the throne and leading the current Knights of the Round Table is a Divine Spirit whose humanity has been overwritten by divinity after being eroded by Rhongomyniad. She can no longer be called King Arthur. She is no longer the King Arthur you once knew."
"And the true form of the Holy City is precisely that Holy Spear, Rhongomyniad."
"How... how can this be..." A look of despair appeared on Bedivere's face.
"Now is not the time for despair, Bedivere," Daniel said, patting his left shoulder. "Wasn't the purpose of you being sent here to return the Holy Sword? The radiance of the Holy Sword might be able to reawaken her suppressed humanity."
"So, your task remains just as arduous, and it is something you must achieve. After all, this is your atonement, Knight of the Round Table who is always late."
"You're right, this is something I must do." Bedivere forced the despair and regret back into his heart, then looked up at Daniel. "How much do you know?"
"Everything," Daniel replied, wagging his finger. "Everything and anything, I know it all."
"The grave mistake you committed, your journey that has lasted fifteen hundred years and is always late, and the unscrupulous court mage who set you on this final journey."
"The reason why the Knights of the Round Table are performing wicked acts that don't fit their original characters."
"The end of the Singularity brought about by the Holy City completing its mission and transforming back into the Holy Spear."
"And who the true culprit of the 'Incineration of Humanity' incident is, how to defeat him, and so on—I know it all."
Daniel said that last sentence while looking at Fujimaru Ritsuka and Romani on the screen beside him.
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