Fate: I Will Eventually Become the Hero of Justice II

Chapter 227

Shirou and Arcueid raced northward on Dun Stallion, the wind whipping past them as they made their way to the defensive line. Before Guinevere regained consciousness, Shirou had already instructed Merlin to hasten to the northern defensive line ahead of them.

Merlin's strategic importance lay in his eyes, or more precisely, his Clairvoyance. With the ability to see everything on a global scale, he had a god's eye view - an invaluable asset in times of war. So, Shirou knew he couldn't afford to let Merlin leave the front lines for too long, given his crucial role. As soon as he awakened Arcueid, he sent Merlin back to the front lines.

Despite Merlin's resentful expression, he obeyed Shirou's command without a word.

It's worth mentioning that over the past two years, Merlin's emotions had become quite rich and varied. However, Shirou was unsure whether these emotions were truly Merlin's own or simply copied from others.

"How are you feeling, Arcueid?" Shirou asked as he controlled Dun Stallion, with Arcueid sitting behind him, holding onto his cloak for support.

"I'm okay, but I won't be able to fight at full strength. Ro-... Shirou," Arcueid instinctively wanted to call out Roa, but a phantom pain in her scalp made her quickly change her mind.

"I'm sorry... I needed your power as soon as you woke up," he apologized, his tone soft and remorseful. In front of Arcueid, who hailed from the same era, he was simply Fujimaru Shirou, not the mighty King Arthur.

"It's alright. You said it yourself - in order to go back, we need to defeat that... thing. Helping you is helping myself, so use my power as much as you need," she reassured him with a bright, sunny smile.

Despite finding herself inexplicably transported to the unfamiliar fifth century, abandoned by her once-relied-upon "Gaia," and rudely dragged out of a dream by Shirou while still weak and recovering, Arcueid maintained a smile on her face and readily agreed to help him without any grievances. She was so bright and cheerful.

"Just one thing though! Absolutely no more pulling my hair! Otherwise, I'll be really angry!" she said firmly, her expression serious.

Shirou nodded in agreement, holding the reins of the horse.

It was only natural - even if he wanted to, grabbing Arcueid's hair was no easy feat. The Arcueid in this world had short hair, and he wasn't particularly interested in short hair anyway.

But was this really the same Arcueid he knew?

When he first discovered he was in the fifth century, he had panicked and been troubled for a long time. In contrast, Arcueid seemed unfazed by their situation. She was like a curious little girl, eagerly taking in the new world around her.

Perhaps this was the composure befitting a True Ancestor Princess. Despite knowing they were in an era when the Crimson Moon still existed, and being the best vessel for the Crimson Moon's reincarnation, Arcueid remained remarkably calm.

Speaking of which, there was still a piece of the Crimson Moon residing within Arcueid's consciousness - a Crimson Moon from the 20th century, always watching over Arcueid's body. Should Arcueid ever give up her identity as "Arcueid" and release her vampiric impulses, this body would belong to the Crimson Moon from the 20th century.

However, Shirou had yet to encounter that Crimson Moon from the 20th century. But as he thought about it, there was another Crimson Moon in this 5th century...

The timeline was in chaos!

Perhaps this world was a parallel universe, Shirou thought to himself. During the Fourth Holy Grail War, he had interacted with Artoria. If this was the same world, his actions would have left a significant mark on Artoria's life, and she should have recognized him. However, she didn't seem to know him at all. In fact, during the Fourth Holy Grail War, the Artoria he had encountered even pointed her sword at him.