Tiamat, I'm going to find a girlfriend!

Such a reply came from a desolate land.

"A land without a king is destined for destruction."

"..."

Artoria's eyes widened slightly.

If you haven't truly understood the prophecy about choosing a king yet...

So--

Now is the time to understand its importance.

Is this our future?

"Yes."

The voices in my dream became clearer and clearer.

"Terrible, isn't it?"

"A future where no one has any hope."

"..."

Artoria felt her heart tighten.

Deep down, she possesses an indelible kindness.

"Then, as long as there's a new king, wouldn't that solve the problem?"

"Isn't that what everyone thinks?"

"Um--"

"Then who will become such a king?"

"I have no idea……"

"But surely there are people who can do it!"

"Artoria said anxiously."

"There must be one!"

"Then, what if I said that person was you—"

"What will you do?"

"Eh?"

Altria was stunned for a moment.

Only after confirming that the information she received was correct did she continue to answer.

"I can't do it, can I?"

“You can do it, Artoria.”

"You are the most suitable king for Britain."

Several petals flew through the air.

The cracks in the soil gradually disappeared, and the sown seeds sprouted tender green shoots.

The dried-up river was once again filled with clear water, and the dead fish regained their lives and swam leisurely.

The collapsed buildings have been rebuilt and are even more magnificent than before.

The bells rang.

The empty bags in people's hands gradually became fuller.

Those were harvested grains, plump and firm.

"The Great King—"

"Your Majesty—"

"The King Who Saved Britain—"

The calls kept coming and going.

Joy was written on everyone's face.

Hope is intertwined in this moment.

The mysterious voice slowly rose.

"See—"

"Everything will be alright once you become the King of Britain."

"Everyone needs you, Artoria."

"Go-"

"Go and become a hero who saves everyone."

"You would be willing to do that, right?"

An ethereal hand appeared in the air.

That meant an invitation was being extended to Artoria.

"..."

"I... can save everyone?"

The girl muttered to herself, her green eyes already tinged with a different color.

A little bit.

Artoria reached out her hand towards the hand in the air.

Hope seemed to be right before our eyes.

only--

At the very moment before they were about to touch.

A burst of flame erupted from behind her, interrupting the ritual.

"Roar—"

A terrifying roar shook everything.

A gigantic dragon appeared behind Artoria!

7. Shatter the Dream Dragon

The blazing flames suddenly erupted out.

The contract, which should have been made in an instant, was forcibly terminated. Artoria turned around, only to see a giant dragon.

It was entirely black, with bright red horns.

The enormous wings were covered with complex, labyrinthine veins, and each flap of them would cause a storm.

The sharp claws gleamed with a black light, as if they could tear space apart at any moment.

"Roar——!!!"

The dragon roared once more.

As the girl watched in astonishment, it took flight and rushed toward the place where the contracted hand had reached out.

Boom!

Flames swirled and spewed out amidst the gale-force winds.

The air was heated in an instant and solidified into a mirror-like shape.

"..."

"What, is there another dragon?" the unseen figure uttered these words.

Petals scattered.

The hand in the air vanished without a trace.

Instead, the petals appeared in the mirrored air.

Like a chain, it charged directly at the dragon.

Grab it, then spin it—

The dragon's wings and four legs were firmly controlled.

The seemingly weak flower unleashed unimaginable power, actually managing to pull the other party to a stop in mid-air.

"This……"

Everything before her eyes was beyond Artoria's imagination.

But she could sense that someone was engaging in a battle with this dragon that she had never imagined.

Before the girl could even process what was happening, the dragon's roar echoed once more.

“Roar——!!”

“Roar——!!”

The mirror-like air seemed to sense fear, constantly emitting shattering sounds.

Immediately afterwards, the flower chains that had been firmly controlling the dragon began to shake violently.

Click——

Click——

The dragon actually managed to pull the flower chains.

What incredible strength!

"You guy-"

The space seemed to be filled with an atmosphere of surprise.

More flower chains flew out from all directions, attempting to subdue the dragon once again.

However, this behemoth gave them no further chances.

"Roar——!"

With a primal and savage roar, the dragon snapped all the flower chains that bound it.

Crimson flames erupted, annihilating all the remaining entities that attempted to "reinforce" the attack.

In this powerful and raging sea, Artoria spotted a figure.

That appears to be the owner of the previous hand.

At this moment, he was clearly also surprised by the appearance of this black dragon.

The mysterious figure in the girl's eyes vanished completely in the next instant.

At the same time, the flower chains that had been trying to control the dragon also vanished completely.

"..."

Artoria felt somewhat at a loss.

After all, everything happened so fast that she didn't even have time to process what was going on.

But the dragon's actions did not stop because of the girl's actions.

Then it flapped its enormous wings.

A strong wind was blowing.

The beauty presented to the young girl gradually faded until it vanished completely.

"..."

Even if she was confused, seeing this scene, Artoria could understand the dragon's meaning.