The sky no longer held a bright moon, but a scorching sun. Night was replaced by daylight, and the distant view was distorted beyond recognition—the land and air scorched by the blazing sun. This was what magi called the forbidden spell among forbidden spells, the ultimate mystery among ultimate mysteries—the Reality Marble!
It was a miracle of magecraft, materializing the scene of one's inner world, replacing reality, and thus creating one's own world!
"Ri-Rider, you're not a magus!" Waver exclaimed, his mouth agape.
"Of course not, how could I possibly do it alone!"
A sturdy figure stood firm on the earth, the endless sandstorm seemingly existing only to highlight his presence.
"This is the land my army once traversed. This scenery is firmly imprinted in the hearts of the warriors who shared my joys and sorrows!" Rider proudly declared. As he spoke, everyone present shifted positions. The Assassins moved to Rider's opposite side, while the others were behind Rider, as if two armies were facing each other.
One by one, figures gradually emerged from the distorted air—an endless army!
"This world can be recreated because it is etched in each and every one of our hearts!"
The materialized soldiers wore different armor, wielded different weapons, and even their races were completely distinct. What they shared, however, was their imposing demeanor and their worshipful devotion to the figure standing in the center!
These were all Servants! They were comprised of heroes from various nations and peoples during the era of the King of Conquerors—brave warriors who had been conquered by Iskandar, shaken by his grand ideal, and willingly followed in his footsteps!
Among them were kings renowned in their time, generals who had never known defeat, and warriors invincible against a thousand men. But now, they were merely soldiers under Iskandar!
"Behold, this is my peerless army!"
The leader, standing at the forefront of this army, raised his arm and shouted!
"Even if their bodies perish, their Heroic Spirits will still be summoned by me. They are my loyal warriors, my friends who answer my call across time and space. They are my greatest treasure, the path of my kingship, the proudest and most powerful Noble Phantasm of I, Iskandar, the King of Conquerors—Ionioi Hetairoi!!!"
A horse galloped forth—the mount of the King of Conquerors, Bucephalus, a warhorse famous throughout history!
And now, even the horse had become a Heroic Spirit... Heroes who staked everything a king possessed, who charged onto the battlefield alongside their king, whose loyalty endured even unto death—this unparalleled bond allowed the King of Conquerors to transform it into a Noble Phantasm.
Gilgamesh no longer mocked; this peerless army left him with no room for ridicule.
However, the greatest blow was to Saber. She gazed blankly at everything before her. That bond between a king and his subordinates was precisely what she, Artoria Pendragon of Great Britain, had pursued her entire life!
She couldn't help but question whether her path was right or wrong. Rider had clearly and unequivocally shown her, through this great miracle, the manifestation of the King of Conquerors' overbearing!
"A king lives more truly than anyone else! A king is not isolated, for his ambition is the desire of all his subjects!"
"Exactly, exactly, exactly!!!" Responding to the King of Conquerors, countless heroes, wielding various weapons, raised their arms and cheered!
No matter how powerful the enemy, they would charge without fear. The Assassins before them were utterly beneath their contempt!
"Let's begin, Assassin!"
Rider smiled. For these individuals who knew nothing of courtesy or respect, he had no mercy left!
"As you can see, the battlefield I materialized is a plain. Your scheme to win by numbers has been completely shattered!"
Rows of cavalry slowly advanced. On this plain battlefield, cavalry was the symbol of invincibility!
The Assassins stared blankly at the boundless army before them, their minds completely gone... "Ah la la la la la la la!" The King of Conquerors charged first, leading the assault!
"Woo-oh, woo-oh!!" The endless soldiers cheered excitedly, following their king's footsteps and rushing towards their enemies!
This was not a battle, nor a war, but pure, unadulterated slaughter... From start to finish, it was merely an instant.
The Assassins were all annihilated, not a single one remaining.
The desert vanished, and moonlight once again shone into the courtyard, as if the previous events were merely an illusion.
But the disappearance of the Assassins proved that it was real, not just a hallucination.
Everyone was silent. Rider drained the last sip of wine from his cup and sighed, "What a buzzkill..."
Gilgamesh was the first to break the silence, sneering, "Rider, you truly are an eyesore..."
Rider laughed, unconcerned, "Let me be clear, no matter what, I intend to settle things with you!"
"Hmph!" With a cold snort, Archer did not refuse him.
"Well then, since we've all had our say, let's end tonight's feast here!"
"Wait, Rider, I haven't..."
"Shut up!" Rider coldly interrupted Saber with a forceful tone.
"Tonight was a banquet for kings, but Saber, no matter what Lancer's Master over there says, I do not acknowledge you as a king!"
"You! Are you trying to fool me again!" Saber glared, agitated.
"Let's go, kid!" Ignoring Saber, Rider waved at Waver.
"..."
"Kid?"
"Huh? Ah!!!" Waver, still dumbfounded, had just reacted when Rider, in a daze, was pulled onto the chariot.
Before his massive form boarded the chariot, Rider turned back to look at Saber, saying with a pitying tone, "I say, young lady! You'd best wake up from your painful dream quickly, or else, one day you won't even have the qualifications to be a hero!"
Having said that, he no longer paid attention to Saber. Driving the chariot, accompanied by lightning, Rider was the first to depart!
Gilgamesh lowered his head, toying with his wine glass. After seeing Rider leave, he said with a pleased expression, "Saber, you shall play the role of a clown on your path to amuse me. I quite enjoy it, you know. If you make me happy, perhaps I'll bestow the Holy Grail upon you!" With a wicked grin, Gilgamesh spoke maliciously. His answer, however, was a sharp sword qi... The wine glass in his hand shattered instantly.
Saber calmly watched Archer. Rider was someone who could be reasoned with through words, and Saber would argue and get agitated with him. But this golden Servant, Saber regarded him entirely as an enemy.
"The banquet is over, Archer. Either leave, or draw your sword!"
"Hehehehe!" With a strange expression, Archer sneered. Golden light gradually enveloped him. "...Keep trying, King of Knights. I still find you quite adorable, hahahaha!" The golden light flared, and in the next instant, Gilgamesh had already left.
"..." Seeing everyone leave, Ryougi Raku also stood up, looking at Saber. He said calmly, "Saber, don't mind them. Your path is not wrong, but... I hope you can understand!" With a sigh, Ryougi Raku turned and left. Lancer bowed and then dematerialized, disappearing. He hadn't spoken a single word the entire time; he didn't understand the path of kingship... Saber didn't reply, only watched Ryougi Raku leave, but her heart was truly lost. She no longer knew who was truly right...
In the underground workshop of the Tōsaka household, Tōsaka Tokiomi's face was grim as he recalled the scene he had just witnessed.
"Fortunately, the one who summoned the King of Conquerors is a third-rate magus..." Tōsaka Tokiomi muttered to himself. This was a blessing in disguise. That EX-ranked Noble Phantasm made Tōsaka Tokiomi tremble!
However, a Servant summoned by a third-rate magus would have relatively lower stats, so Tōsaka Tokiomi still had a greater chance of winning!
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(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) ‹ (TL : More Chapters @patreon.com/c/Gooberilla)