Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King [146]

Credits: Kloud Paradizo

For thousands of years, the sheer amount of knowledge accumulated, though impossible to record in its entirety, far surpasses human comprehension. It is not something the human brain can fully understand or bear. Yet, all Alaric felt was a boiling, searing pain in his head, while his body seemed to be immersed in a sea of life, healing rapidly.

"…I'm not dead?"

In a daze, Alaric scanned his unfamiliar surroundings, finding himself in a dense jungle.

Sunlight filtered through the canopy, scattering faint rays in front of him.

Thump. Thump.

At that moment, his heartbeat thundered like a drum, and in just an instant, every part of Alaric's body surged to its peak vitality. Yet, this was accompanied by an overwhelming pain, enough to crush his spirit.

The injuries in his body were instantly reopened, and his sluggish regeneration seemed utterly meaningless in the face of this agony.

Yet, Alaric's expression remained unchanged. He blankly took in his surroundings, his face a mask of bewilderment.

His heartbeat accelerated further, each pulse slamming into his consciousness like a heavy hammer.

Alaric's lips trembled slightly as an uncontrollable wave of emotion surged within him.

Warm tears welled up in his eyes. Alaric opened his mouth, slowly bent down, and prostrated himself on the ground.

The earth and the world, which he thought he would never touch again, once more embraced him.

"Ah… ah… AHHHH!!!"

No one can truly ignore the specter of death.

The emotions that had been deliberately suppressed and ignored for six months now erupted in full force. The calm demeanor Alaric had shown when saying goodbye to the Lion King was completely gone.

At this moment, all Alaric wanted to do was cry his heart out.

Rustle—!

The lush greenery of the jungle parted, the sound of branches rubbing against each other breaking the stillness.

Light footsteps approached gradually until they stopped in front of Alaric.

A white-robed magus stood before Alaric, bent down slightly, and chuckled softly: "Oh, oh, this young man looks quite familiar. Have we met before?"

Alaric, who had just let out all his pent-up emotions, slowly raised his head.

Scattered golden sunlight poured through the treetops, making the white-haired figure before him shine brilliantly.

He was like a gentle breeze sweeping across the grasslands. Just meeting his gaze inexplicably calmed Alaric's heart.

"You are—?"

Alaric opened his mouth. He could already sense the spiritual foundation within the man—a Servant, no doubt.

It was only now that Alaric's mind seemed to start functioning again, piecing together the situation and questioning where he was.

"You can call me Merlin, a never-before-seen Round Table Knight!"

The Wandering Magus of Paradise, the court magician, mentor, and prophet of Arthurian legend: Merlin had met the final Knight of the Round Table.

"M-Merlin?"

Upon hearing the man's introduction, Alaric, still groggy, immediately perked up and scrambled to his feet.

"That's me! Surprised?"

Holding his staff, Merlin made a playful peace sign and said with a smile: "I'm the ever-so-kind big brother Merlin! If you're troubled, you can always tell Big Brother!"

Fully awake now, Alaric looked up. Though the canopy obscured much of the sky, the radiant halo in the blue heavens above still caught his eye.

It was the symbol of Solomon's incineration of humanity—a mark of his grand deeds.

Still a Singularity?

Alaric's expression grew serious. The Singularity he was in before was the sixth one that Fujimaru Ritsuka had experienced. The previous Singularities had already been corrected, so this must be the seventh one, right?

And as for the magical energy lingering in the air around him—

It was true Ether!

True Ether from the Age of Gods, which Alaric had once sought but never obtained. Even when Paracelsus and Da Vinci worked together to create it, they had only managed to produce Pseudo-True Ether.

Yet here, in this jungle—or rather, this world—True Ether was everywhere!

The high concentration of magical energy and mystery made Alaric's draconic heart beat rapidly, surging with vitality that even he found exhilarating. At this point, he also noticed his body healing. The catastrophic injuries from his battle with Gawain, which had nearly destroyed half his body, and the fatal wound from Rhongomyniad had almost killed him.

Yet all these wounds had silently healed, leaving behind only a scar on his chest from where the Lion King had pierced him—an indelible mark.

"So… you're Merlin?"

Now fully aware of his situation, Alaric wiped the dried tears from the corners of his eyes and curiously examined the white-haired man before him.

Although the man's handsome features, flowing white robes, and self-proclaimed identity as Merlin exuded an undeniable charm that put people at ease, Alaric instinctively felt that this guy had an irritating air about him—especially that smile.

"Hm? Little brother, don't go thinking about anything dangerous now!"

Merlin's smile remained unchanged as he subtly took two steps back, putting some distance between himself and Alaric. "And yes, I'm the genuine Merlin! Although this is just my Servant form—my real body is still in the tower."

The tower, huh—

Hearing this, Alaric recalled the Lion King Artoria's final, breathtaking form.

A king who disappeared into the waves at the end of the world.

It was an eternal farewell.

But in the very end, Alaric had received a true blessing.

'I will live on—'

Snapping out of his brief reverie, Alaric raised his gaze to meet Merlin's. As magical energy coursed through him, a layer of armor formed from mana wrapped around his body, covering his exposed form.

Merlin, noticing the familiar design of Alaric's armor, raised an eyebrow and smiled even more brightly. "Oh, oh, little brother, you've recovered quite well! Looks like I won't need to do any healing after all."

In front of Merlin, Alaric stretched his body. Like a slumbering dragon stirring awake, his incredible power and aura lay dormant within his human form.

Reborn, Alaric was unafraid of being in this Singularity. He was resolute!

Artoria had saved him from despair. The courage she had given him would keep him from fear.

Now, Alaric was determined to face this world with a better, stronger mindset.

Feeling his body rapidly recovering—and even growing stronger—Alaric smiled faintly. "Merlin, what time is it now?"

If Merlin had been able to find him, then it must mean—

You were watching all along, weren't you, Merlin?

As a Grand Caster with Clairvoyance, Merlin would certainly have witnessed what happened in the sixth Singularity. Besides, the sixth Singularity was deeply tied to Merlin's fate.

There was no way he could have ignored it. That would explain why Merlin had been able to locate Alaric so quickly after he entered this Singularity.

"Ahem, let your kind and gentle big brother Merlin answer that question for you! The current time is 2600 BCE, in Mesopotamia—during the First Dynasty of Uruk."

Merlin confidently raised two fingers and gestured repeatedly toward Alaric. "This is the final Singularity, the one where those Chaldeans you encountered in the Middle East will eventually arrive."

Listening to Merlin's explanation, Alaric nodded thoughtfully. "And the crisis here is…?"

With Merlin's abilities, he must have already figured out what kind of crisis this Singularity faced.

To be honest, Alaric didn't know much about this Singularity. When he had played Fate/Grand Order, he had just finished the sixth Singularity and only half completed the seventh. Thus, his knowledge of this Singularity was limited.

He couldn't plan as he had in the past.

"Originally, there was one crisis. Then it became two. But now it seems to be back to one again."

The Flower Magus Merlin smiled knowingly as he gazed at the lost knight before him.

PS: Oh! We will see Eresh-chan here!