Fate: The Rise of Shikama Douji

The journey continued, and time passed. Artoria, still a young girl, was forced to mature quickly during the journey. The state of the island was dreadful; it was the last remnant of the Age of the Gods. The people of the island had grown accustomed to the true ether, and their lives depended on it. However, the amount of harvest was decreasing day by day, and hunger was rampant everywhere. The attacks by the Saxons had worsened the situation, and on top of that, the arrogant nobles and the White Dragon King, Vortigern, further exacerbated the people's suffering. With the death of Artoria's father, the nobles had gained absolute power over their territories, and the lives of the people under their oppression grew harder by the day. Artoria was deeply horrified by the corruption, hunger, and chaos she witnessed on the island.

Shikama Doji, a new companion for Artoria's group, joined Kay and Merlin. At first, Merlin treated Shikama Doji with caution, but over time, he realized that Shikama Doji had no intention of interfering with their plans and felt reassured. To Merlin, Shikama Doji seemed more like an indifferent observer, as if he found the situation entertaining. It seemed as though he did everything for amusement. Artoria and Kay felt the same way. Shikama Doji mostly watched and occasionally helped. Over time, the relationship between him, Artoria, and Kay improved, and they accepted him as a companion and friend.

Time passed, and the day of the king's selection arrived. As Merlin had planned, Artoria pulled the sword from the stone and was chosen as king. Thanks to a spell Merlin had cast on Artoria, the people saw her as a man. At first, the people did not trust her, but Artoria quickly proved herself. With her immense power and unparalleled wisdom, she reclaimed the conquered territories one by one, and her fame spread throughout Britain. The people saw her as their savior. The nobles, too, were forced to submit to her due to her power and royal blood. The White Dragon King, Vortigern, seemed indifferent to this immature Red Dragon, as if it didn't matter to him.

Faster than expected, the legendary Knights of the Round Table were formed. As had happened in the main timeline, everyone gathered, except for the rebellious knight, Mordred. Regarding the Round Table, Shikama Doji could only say, "Morgan, are you Artoria's enemy or her ally?" Half of the Knights of the Round Table were Morgan's children. The help Morgan provided to Artoria was unparalleled. Of course, if Morgan were to learn of Shikama Doji's thoughts now, she would likely die of anger, for all her children had betrayed her.

More territories were conquered under King Arthur's banner, and for the first time in a long while, the people felt hope in their eyes. To the people, Artoria was the embodiment of an ideal king, like a perfect saint. Unlike the oppressive nobles, Artoria was an angel who seemed to embody all the virtues of humanity. However, this perfection of hers sometimes seemed inhuman. Artoria was so perfect that her subjects couldn't understand her. She suppressed all her emotions and made decisions solely based on logic and the interests of her people. But was this really a good thing?

Shikama Doji, as the creator of greedy beings called humans, could answer: "No." Artoria was more like a saint than a king. She was a young girl who acted solely based on pure ideals—ideals that had been instilled in her by Merlin. Under King Arthur's banner, all of Britain united, and an attack on the White Dragon King, Vortigern, began. With the invincible King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, victory seemed easy. The conquered territories were quickly reclaimed until King Arthur's army reached the stronghold of the White Dragon King, Vortigern.

"Your tyranny ends today, Vortigern!" Artoria declared with a majestic voice as she and the Knights of the Round Table stormed Vortigern's castle. In response, Vortigern, seated on his throne, smirked mockingly. A dark and powerful aura emanated from him. Vortigern held a white and sacred grimoire in his hand, creating a strange contrast with his dark presence. He was like a black hole that swallowed light, while his grimoire appeared as a holy and divine artifact. Just a glance at the grimoire made Artoria's body tremble. Her intuition warned her that this was something extremely dangerous.

Beautiful flowers gathered before Artoria, and Merlin appeared. Unlike his usual calm and carefree demeanor, Merlin's expression was serious this time. "It seems we're in big trouble," Merlin said with a helpless smile. Everyone's eyes turned to him.

"Do you know what this is, Merlin?" Artoria asked seriously, tightening her grip on her sword. The Knights of the Round Table were equally tense. The oppressive aura emanating from the grimoire had even frightened them.

"This thing is called the Grimoire 999," Merlin began to explain. "The origins of this grimoire date back millions of years. Long ago, there was a being who brought order to chaos and shaped the chaotic world into what it is today. With his absolute power, he created various beings: mythical creatures, gods, and even humans. In Sumerian mythology, he was the creator of all things—the father of creation. He is known as the [Divine Ancestor] Shikama Doji." Merlin's explanation caused Artoria and the Knights of the Round Table to widen their eyes in astonishment. The legends of the [Divine Ancestor] were well-known, and even a child had heard of them.

"What does this have to do with the [Divine Ancestor]?" Artoria asked, cold sweat dripping from her forehead.

"The real problem starts here," Merlin continued. "This grimoire was created by the [Divine Ancestor]. It is said that all his knowledge is contained within this grimoire. There are even rumors that the knowledge of creation itself lies within this grimoire. I thought this grimoire was just a legend and didn't actually exist. You've really gotten us into big trouble, Vortigern!" Merlin said, glaring at Vortigern.

"As expected of you, Merlin, you know about the Grimoire 999. That's right, this grimoire is the remnant of the great creator, Shikama Doji. Of course, I can only release a small portion of the grimoire's power and knowledge, but it's enough for you insects," Vortigern said mockingly. Suddenly, his body transformed from a human form into a giant white dragon. His body was over 40 meters long, and the Grimoire 999 merged into his body. Vortigern's body began to grow larger until it reached 100 meters. He now resembled a mountain more than a living being. Vortigern's eyes were filled with madness. Artoria and the others stared at him in shock. The aura emanating from Vortigern caused the palace to crumble and spread throughout the city. The weaker individuals in the city began to suffocate, and some even coughed up blood and died. It seemed as though the density of the true ether emanating from Vortigern was too much for humans to bear.

Meanwhile, atop a castle, Shikama Doji stared at Vortigern with despair. Vortigern's fusion with the grimoire had left Shikama Doji disheartened. "Either Vortigern is a fool, or he's very brave," Shikama Doji muttered to himself. As the creator of the Grimoire 999, he knew that the corruption of this grimoire was equivalent to the corruption of an outer god. Unlike other Noble Phantasms, the Grimoire 999 had the consciousness of an infant and made decisions based on instinct. Merging with such a thing, in Shikama Doji's eyes, was nothing but foolishness. "As expected, there's always a fool."