IBHJ Chapter 810

Under Shirou's strategy of preserving his forces by retreating, Bergelmir led the giant army on a march. However, this smooth advance, instead of putting them at ease, made some of the generals increasingly vigilant, their hearts growing heavier with each step.

As they approached Surtr's encampment, the air was filled with tension. Bergelmir brought the army to meet with Surtr, who stood tall and imposing, his eyes scanning the ranks of the giant army. After a round of greetings from the generals, Surtr's brow furrowed, a hint of confusion in his voice. "How did you get here so fast? I wasn't expecting your arrival for another day at least."

Bergelmir folded his arms and said coldly, "Those Heroic Spirits didn't try to stop us. They retreated without putting up a fight."

Didn't stop them? That's impossible, Surtr thought. As he heard this, realization dawned on him, and his face turned solemn. "I see, so that's their plan..."

Bergelmir nodded, his eyes narrowing. "The moment of greatest pride is also the moment of greatest vulnerability. Those Heroic Spirits are probably aiming for the moment when you have created the path to Pan-Human History. They'll strike when we least expect it, when our guard is down and our forces are spread thin."

"You've overlooked one more thing, Bergelmir."

At these words, Bergelmir frowned. "What have I overlooked?"

Surtr stretched out his hand, pointing to the black ring in the sky. He sighed and said, "Those Heroic Spirits may have already established contact with the Heroic Spirits of Pan-Human History, and they are probably lying in wait for us near Iceland, ready to ambush us."

Bergelmir was stunned. This was indeed a detail he had overlooked. In fact, in this situation, who could consider everything? No one. At least among the giants, there was no such cautious sage. However, Surtr had done it. He had considered all situations and contingencies.

"This Eternal King is a big problem," Surtr sighed. If Bergelmir had faced fierce resistance at Eternal King's stronghold, it would've meant Eternal King wasn't a threat. But instead, Eternal King chose to retreat and preserve his forces, which worried Surtr deeply. It meant the other side still had the will and the means to fight back!

"It's a good thing you came to help me, Bergelmir. Without you, I wouldn't have known what to do," Surtr said, looking at Bergelmir with a smile.

Bergelmir crossed his arms. "I'm not helping you; I'm helping the giants. Don't forget our agreement."

"Don't worry. What I'm doing isn't about deceiving anyone; it's about preserving the giant race. Our survival is my top priority, and I will stop at nothing to ensure that we endure, no matter the cost." Surtr assured him.

"Good," Bergelmir nodded, satisfied with Surtr's response. "You focus on building that portal for the survival of our race. It's the key to our future, the path to a new world where we can thrive. As for Eternal King, I'll handle him! I'll make sure he doesn't interfere with our plans, and I'll crush anyone who stands in our way."

Surtr nodded, then chuckled. "This takes me back to when we fought together against Odin and Asgard. With you by my side, I feel much more at ease. This is perfect. I have faith in you, Bergelmir. You're the god of war among the giants. Under your command, no one can threaten us."

"Hmph! That goes without saying," Bergelmir smirked, lifting his head with pride. That's right, as the god of war among the giants, he would overcome any obstacles hindering the survival of his race!

Just as Bergelmir and Surtr predicted, Shirou gathered his troops and assembled his forces. After the defensive line was breached and the main force of the fire giants broke through, Shirou's side no longer had any natural barriers to rely on. Any obstacles would only give the giants a chance to annihilate their forces. So Shirou simply gave up resistance and retreated, instead gathering his troops and planning to launch a counterattack to seize the initiative.

The tables had turned; the defenders were now the giants, while the attackers were the Eternal Kingdom. However, the overall quality of the giants was superior to that of Eternal Soldiers, and with Bergelmir, the god of war among the giants, leading them, it would be an incredibly difficult task. In this situation, there was only one person with the military strategy and ability to complete this campaign, only one individual capable of such a feat.

That person was none other than the one who defeated Attila, the Cerebral Corpus of the White Titan, when Attila was at the height of her power and had become a historical figure dominating the land of that era. The knight and king who single-handedly crushed Attila and her empire, reducing them to mere dust in the annals of history, was her. The very same knight who had previously clashed with Shirou in the Fourth Holy Grail War, but in truth, had a connection with him that stretched back to the distant past.

...

"Awaken and cross the bounds of space and time. By my authority as the Eternal King, manifest in this world, my knight, Artoria Pendragon!" As the words fell from Shirou's lips, crimson lightning ascended from Caliburn, like a great dragon racing toward the sky before descending and slamming into the earth, cleaving the ground and forming a summoning magic circle.

All eyes were drawn to the crimson lightning scorching the land, their faces full of expectation and awe, but also shame, especially the knights.

The crimson lightning raced across the ground, and in the next moment--

"Neigh!"

From within the crimson lightning, a neighing sound rang out, and then a knight clad in lion armor appeared. She held a spear in her right hand and a sword in her left, with a dazzling scabbard on her back, majestic like the lion king of the grasslands.

"She's finally here..." Kay looked at her with a complex expression. He wasn't alone; the other knights and soldiers also wore complicated looks as they silently watched the majestic female knight riding her horse out of the crimson lightning. She was the god of war of the Eternal Kingdom. Riding through life, victorious in every battle, whether it was against Vortigern, Crimson Moon, in the Rome war, or facing Attila, they were all defeated by her hand.

In that dark era, she was like the morning star of the earth, cutting through the dark centuries, truly worthy of being the first and strongest knight of the king. However, this knight's final defeat was caused by her own daughter and the rebellion of the knights and soldiers she had trusted.

She was exhausted and wounded after defeating Attila, and at that moment, they turned against her. This betrayal caused these knights to feel a deep sense of shame when they finally met her again.

"I-Illya, is that... is that really Artoria?" Chloe looked at the majestic female knight and couldn't help but lean close to Illya's ear and ask in a low voice, her eyes wide with disbelief. The Artoria before them was a far cry from the one they knew.

"It... it should be, right?" Illya's tone was also a bit uncertain, her voice wavering slightly as she tried to reconcile the image of the Artoria she knew with the one standing before them. The transformation was so drastic that it was hard to believe they were the same person.

"You're kidding, right? How could that food-loving Munch-toria suddenly become so cool? And... and she looks even taller than Salter!" Chloe couldn't help but blurt out, her voice filled with incredulity. The Artoria they knew was always more interested in stuffing her face than striking heroic poses, and yet here she was, looking every bit the legendary knight she was meant to be.

Salter shot Chloe a look of pure disbelief before turning her gaze to Artoria, who had just arrived in a flash of crimson lightning. Is that... another version of her?

Artoria gracefully dismounted from Dun Stallion and approached Shirou. She knelt on one knee, performing the knight's salute. "Knights of the Round, Artoria Pendragon, at your service, my king."

She raised her head, her gentle eyes meeting Shirou's through the lion helmet. There was a warmth and familiarity in her gaze, a connection that went beyond mere king and his subject.

Shirou smiled warmly and helped her up. "Artie, it's been a while."