Fate: I Will Eventually Become the Hero of Justice

Chapter 119

"Guinevere... Guinevere, what in the world is happening?" Kay gestured towards the sword in Shirou's hand, his speech faltering and his expression blank.

This situation was beyond odd.

Hadn't it been said that only her younger sister could extract the sword from the stone?

"I... I don't know! The sword just came out on its own! I didn't apply any force!" Shirou was equally perplexed.

How had he managed to extract Artoria's sword?

Sensing the power coursing through the sword, Shirou's inner black mud surged forward and swallowed the blessing whole, leaving nothing in its wake.

Shirou glanced around in alarm and swiftly reinserted the sword back into the stone.

"Guinevere... Guinevere, what is happening?" Kay repeated, his words once again stuttering.

"Please don't say anything, I didn't do anything, and you didn't see anything either," Shirou said seriously.

"But... but there were other people who saw it too," Kay stuttered, pointing to the crowd around them.

Shirou glanced around and realized that everyone, from the nearby knights fighting to the gathered spectators, was staring at him intently. His forehead broke out in a sweat as he nervously added, "Anyway, it's none of my business!"

"That's right... it's like that..." came a soft, complicated yet relieved voice drifting into Shirou's ear.

He turned his head to see Artoria walking slowly towards him, holding Kay's spear.

The sharp tip of the spear shone in the sunlight, causing Shirou to break into a sweat. He quickly waved his hands, anxiously saying, "Artoria, please listen to me..."

Artoria made a loud clanging sound as she plunged Kay's spear into a nearby stone and reached out to pull the sword from the stone. She carefully examined the sword, her blue eyes flashing with confusion and distress before firming into determination.

Kneeling before Shirou with the sword held at an angle, Artoria's pretty face was serious as she held the sword with both hands and said, "As a knight, I, Artoria, pledge my loyalty to you, my king!"

She felt lost about her ability to serve as a king. Was it truly right for her to have pulled the sword from the stone and become the chosen one? This sense of confusion only intensified after playing the game of kings with Shirou a few days ago. Despite using all that she had learned, she was defeated fair and square. The people scorned her, and she was taken captive and given to Shirou as a sign of surrender.

At that time, she was unsure of her ability to lead as a king.

Artoria accepted the responsibility, not out of personal desire, but because it felt like the right thing to do. The sounds of people's revelry and cheers, along with every ordinary day she had lived for the past fifteen years, were her motivation.

Therefore, when the correct answer appeared in front of her, she didn't hesitate to pledge her loyalty as a knight.

However, Shirou shook his head in horror and stepped back, "No - no no no no! You can't! I'll never get on that sinking ship!"

He was worried about being made king. Where would he get the experience to rule a country? Would the noble ministers, who knew the inside story, even accept him? It seemed impossible to him.

Moreover, ancient Britain was destined to perish!

But most importantly, Shirou wanted to go home.

As he saw more knights gathering around him with complex and angry looks on their faces, and the crowd staring intently. Without a word, he turned around and ran away.