IBHJ Chapter 965

"Ugh..." Shirou's cries of pain continued, and the helpless expressions on everyone's faces deepened.

Suddenly, Morrigan shouted, "Sis, stop! Don't go over there!"

Everyone turned their heads in shock. Faced with the surging mud sea, they had all retreated several steps, but Artoria hadn't. Instead, she was walking towards the center of the mud tide, where Shirou was.

"You can't go there! You'll die! It's real death!" Morrigan yelled.

But Artoria seemed not to hear as she approached Shirou.

She remembered.

Although it had been a long, long time.

She remembered it all clearly.

Because it was the only thing she had, the only precious memories that hadn't been tainted by Crimson Moon.

As she walked towards the mud tide, these memories flashed through her mind, each one a bright spark against the encroaching darkness.

Her foster father's garden, where Shirou had freed her from the burden of the "Ideal King" with nothing more than a gentle smile and a hair tie.

The riverbank on their travels, where he'd caught fireflies just to show her their beauty. 

That same night under the stars, when he'd helped her understand the true meaning of beauty, teaching her that it was okay to appreciate life's wonders even as a knight.

And during that fateful Holy Grail War, when he'd reminded her that Camelot's light lived on in her heart, freeing her from the chains of her past obsessions.

These weren't just memories. They were treasures, each one a testament to how Shirou had touched her life, had helped her grow not just as a king or a knight, but as a person.

With each step towards the mud tide, she held these memories close. They were her strength, her purpose, her reason for moving forward when everyone else had stepped back.

No matter what happened next, she knew one thing for certain: she would not let the man who had given her so much face this darkness alone.

Crimson Moon had ripped apart her life with Shirou, leaving it in tatters, but these memories, these precious moments they'd shared, were something Crimson Moon couldn't destroy.

They were all she had left.

As long as she held onto them, as long as these beautiful memories lived on in her heart, she was the invincible Red Dragon.

"My king, no matter what you become, I will be by your side. You won't be alone."

Artoria walked alone into the mud tide, and the Lord of Salvation's power began to devour her soul.

"Why..." Shirou struggled to open his eyes, watching Artoria as she drew closer.

He didn't understand. Even if she was a knight, even if she felt guilty about her betrayal, she didn't need to do this.

"You'll die," he said, "and you won't even be able to ascend to the Throne of Heroes."

"Mm. I know," she replied.

Of course she knew. The Lord of Salvation's power was absolute, erasing everything in its path. There would be no heroic afterlife, no grand tales of sacrifice. Just oblivion.

Shirou's voice was barely audible, but filled with disbelief. "Then, why? Why are you still coming towards me, even now?"

He'd always trusted Artoria's loyalty, but this... this went beyond anything loyalty could ask for. To risk complete destruction of body and soul...

"Because I love you," she said with a gentle smile on her face.

At last, she spoke the words that had been buried deep in her heart for so long.

She was the knight of the king, so she was loyal, but not a mindless soldier. She would do what a knight should do, but wouldn't sacrifice everything, including her life.

But for Shirou, it was different. She felt a pure, almost naive love. It made her endure, suffer, even become obsessed... and now, it brought her here.

Humans were flawed beings, incapable of being eternally rational. And it was Shirou who had shown her what it meant to be human, to feel and love beyond duty and honor.

"You fool." Shirou closed his eyes, feeling powerless and exhausted.

He knew there was no escape now. The Lord of Salvation's power was overwhelming; he was doomed to become a monster of pure evil.

Artoria, too, closed her eyes. A sense of peace settled over her.

This was fine.

Maybe they'd both be wiped from existence, unable to reach even the Throne of Heroes. But at least this way, Shirou wouldn't be alone.

"Sis...!"

Morrigan and the others were stunned.

None of them had seen this coming. Artoria's reckless leap into the Lord of Salvation's mud tide, her determination to reach Shirou's side – it defied all logic of self-preservation.

For a moment, it seemed like all hope was lost. There was no way to save them now.

But...

It's often in these desperate moments that the impossible becomes possible, that fate takes an unexpected turn.

Morrigan's eyes widened, her voice a mix of confusion and budding hope. "Why?" she breathed, staring at Artoria. "She... she hasn't been assimilated either? What's... what's going on?"

Artoria's eyes snapped open, filled with confusion.

She was just as surprised as everyone else. Somehow, she hadn't been swallowed up by the mud, hadn't been wiped from existence. Moreover, a faint glow had appeared on the surface of both her and Shirou's bodies. This ethereal light seemed to be pushing back against the Lord of Salvation's corruption, creating a barrier between them and total annihilation.

What was happening? Artoria was completely confused.

"They're leaning against each other, and it seems there's a strange force resisting the mud tide's assimilation!" Morrigan exclaimed in surprise.

Then, she realized something and said in astonishment: "It's the swap!"

Of course! The body swap! Only the formless vortex could resist the Lord of Salvation's overwhelming power.

Before they'd arrived at this Connection Point, Shirou and Artoria had accidentally triggered the formless vortex, swapping their records and bodies. The swap's time limit hadn't run out yet, leaving traces of its power on Artoria.

When the two of them made contact, that dispersed power of the formless vortex suddenly combined. It tore a hole in the Lord of Salvation's grip, fighting back against its all-consuming force.

"Hurry, sis!" Morrigan yelled, her voice urgent. "Pull him out while you can!"

"I know!" Artoria didn't hesitate for a second. She wrapped her arms around Shirou and started pushing towards the edge of the mud tide.

This chance seemed to come out of nowhere, a sudden ray of hope in their darkest moment. But really, it was the result of something set in motion long ago, only now bearing fruit when they needed it most.

If they hadn't swapped bodies, they might truly have been beyond saving now. That accidental swap at the beginning had given them this slim chance at survival.

"I won't let you disappear, Shirou!" Artoria's voice was filled with determination as she held him close. She moved as fast as she could, fighting against the pull of the corruption with every step.

The protective glow around them flickered and pulsed, struggling to maintain its barrier against the Lord of Salvation's power. Artoria could feel the resistance growing with each passing second, but she refused to give up.

Her eyes were fixed on the edge of the mud tide, on the faces of their friends watching with bated breath. Just a little further, she told herself. Just a little more...

But how could the Lord of Salvation let Shirou go so easily?

The air grew thick with malice as the Lord of Salvation focused its will, battering against the formless vortex, trying relentlessly to invade it. At the same time, the mud tide around them began to churn and rise, like a predator preparing to strike.

It wanted to subject this woman, who dared to try and take away its vessel, to the most severe punishment!

Just as it seemed the mud tide would overwhelm them, a flicker of crimson caught Artoria's eye. She glanced down to see a faint, blood-red Command Seal materializing on the back of Shirou's hand.

The sight of it sent a jolt of recognition through her. That Command Seal had vanished when they'd swapped bodies. And now, in this moment of desperate need, it had resurfaced.

Her eyes widened as she remembered what this particular seal meant. It wasn't connected to just any Servant. It was connected to one of the most powerful Servants, Saver — the Enlightened One!