[Light Screen Projection——
Although the scene was silent and awkward, someone finally couldn't help but break the silence.
"...Ri—Rider, hey, hey..."
Even as Waver called out anxiously, the King of Conquerors remained motionless. He glanced at the surrounding Assassins, his expression still calm and composed.
"Hey, hey, kid, don't look so pathetic. We just have some guests at our banquet, that's all. The wine flows as usual."
"Where do they look like guests!? And Miss Elysia next to us drank all the wine—you idiot!!"
Waver cried out, pounding on the King of Conquerors' mighty chest as if he were about to burst into tears.
The King of Conquerors sighed with a wry smile. Then, facing the Assassins that surrounded him, he greeted them with a placid, almost foolish expression:
"I say, gentlemen, could you please restrain your ghastly aura? You're frightening my friend."
King Arthur thought she had misheard. Even the King of Heroes frowned. Only Elysia was still thinking about how she would prank Kevin and the others after obtaining Assassin's stealth ability.
"Are you planning to invite them to join us? King of Conquerors."
"Of course. The king's words should be heard by all people. Since they have come all this way to listen, it matters not whether they are friend or foe."
The King of Conquerors spoke calmly, ladling crimson wine from the cask and extending it toward the Assassins.
"Come, do not be shy. If you wish to drink with us, take a cup for yourselves. This wine is one with your blood."
Swish— A sound that pierced the air was Rider's only answer.
Only the handle of the ladle remained in the King of Conquerors' hand; the scoop had been knocked to the ground. It was the work of one of the Assassins. The wine within it spilled onto the courtyard floor.
"..."
The King of Conquerors silently looked down at the wine staining the ground. The skull-masked figures seemed to laugh in mockery.
Now, both the King of Heroes and King Arthur were speechless. To be offered a courtesy and throw it back in his face—what was this if not courting death?
The sound of the ladle hitting the ground made Elysia blink, her gaze shifting to the King of Conquerors.
It seemed things were about to get troublesome. The King of Conquerors had already shown the Assassins great respect.
"——Don't say I didn't warn you."
The King of Conquerors' tone was still calm, but it was clear that the feeling behind it had changed. The only ones who noticed this shift were the two who had been drinking with him and Elysia.
"I said, 'this wine' is 'your blood'—did I not? Since you have so carelessly spilled it upon the ground, then I shall have to..."
Before his words could fade, a whirlwind roared to life.
The wind was scorching and dry, as if it would incinerate everything. This was not the kind of wind one would expect in a forest at night, or in a castle courtyard—this wind was born of the desert, and it thundered in their ears.
Feeling sand in his mouth, Waver spat hastily. It was indeed sand, brought by the strange wind—truly, hot sand that should have been impossible to find here.
"Saber, Archer, and Miss Elysia, this is the final question of our banquet——"
Here, the King of Conquerors paused, piquing the interest of the three and filling the viewers of the light screen with immense anticipation.
And amidst this countless curiosity and expectation, the King of Conquerors posed his question: "I ask you, is it inevitable that a king must stand alone in their greatness?"
Everyone was taken aback by this question. On the light screen, Gilgamesh sneered, not even deigning to answer, but his arrogant and disdainful posture already spoke his mind.
King Arthur, after a moment of silence, gave her answer: "A king is, by nature, solitary!"
Elysia, however, shook her head and said, "A king should walk alongside their people, to guide them. To stand alone in greatness will only lead to misunderstanding——"
The three gave their answers to the King of Conquerors' question. Among them, only Elysia, who was not a king, offered a view that the King of Conquerors could grudgingly accept. But it was only a grudging acceptance; his way of the king was ultimately not on the same path as hers.
However, many viewers in the audience strongly agreed with her perspective.
Elysia was human. She naturally understood that more than being ruled, humanity needed to be guided. Absolute rule and absolute non-interference were both irresponsible. Only through guidance could people be persuaded to accept change.
Of course, misguided leadership would only lead to more severe consequences. Therefore, a king, as a ruler, must personally understand the needs and desires of the people. Standing alone in greatness would only create a distance between the king and their subjects.
When a king can walk among the masses, become one of them, protect them, and lead them, that king's way will be a truly invincible path.
After hearing the three replies, the King of Conquerors laughed heartily. As if in response to his laughter, the whirlwind intensified.
"That won't do! It's as if you haven't answered at all! Today, allow me to teach you what a true king is!"
"Watch closely! This is the representation of my way of the king! My path of conquest! And the eternal bond I share with my subjects!"
"This is——the Army of the King!"
As the King of Conquerors boomed out his final words, the storm of magical energy finally materialized, signaling that his Noble Phantasm was ready to be unleashed.
The materialized mana formed a brilliant white light, which then swallowed all life at the scene—including Masters and Servants. Even Elysia could not resist and was drawn inside.
Seeing an Intrinsic Bounded Field for the first time, many viewers cried out in shock, not understanding what was happening.
But soon, even greater and more numerous gasps erupted, for the scene on the light screen had changed dramatically.
This wasn't just a change from one location in Fuyuki City to another; the entire map had been swapped out. Night had turned into a day with a blazing sun. The castle garden had become a boundless desert. Rolling yellow sands, swept up by the desert wind, filled the sky.
The King of Conquerors grinned. "This is the land where my army once galloped, a scene eternally etched into the hearts of the brave warriors who shared my joys and sorrows! Now, witness it!"
As his voice fell, the sound of footsteps approached from the distance, growing in number. When the camera panned to the rear along with everyone's gaze, an astonishing sight was revealed.
It was a legion!
Warriors in various types of armor, wielding weapons, had appeared!
A vast sea of people emerged slowly from the desert horizon, filling their entire field of vision. At the same time, the King of Conquerors spread his arms, showing them off without restraint as he loudly proclaimed.
"This world, this landscape, was formed because it is the mindscape we all share!"
"Behold! My peerless army! Though their bodies were destroyed, and their souls were summoned by the 'World' to become Heroic Spirits, they are legendary warriors who still pledge their loyalty to me!"
As the King of Conquerors spoke, the army was fully revealed. This ancient military force was well-organized and filled with a murderous aura. Each soldier bore an expression of confidence and defiance—the unmistakable bearing of a truly battle-hardened elite.
Finally, as the army halted just before them, the King of Conquerors, his face a mask of zealous pride, spread his arms wide and declared in a voice that could embrace the world.
"Witness! The bond I share with them is my greatest treasure! My way of the king! It is I, Iskandar's, most powerful Noble Phantasm! This is——"
"Ionioi Hetairoi!"
As he uttered the name, the sky-blotting army let out an earth-shattering roar, as if responding to the words of their king.
"These people... every single one of them is a Servant..."
Waver, shaken beyond belief, whispered as if in a dream.
The army's roar caused the King of Heroes to frown. It seemed he truly could not underestimate this king who had once nearly unified the world.
"So many people—and every one is a Servant."
Elysia repeated Waver's words. Knowing the meaning of a Servant, she could guess the astonishing power of this Noble Phantasm.
But while she was amazed, if a real fight were to break out, the confident Miss Pink Elf was certain she would not lose.
"It seems we have the numerical advantage now~~~ Can you still use that stealth ability of yours here?"
Noticing the looks of disbelief and panic on the faces of the Assassins, now stranded on the desert plain, Elysia teased them. She held no goodwill for the Assassins who had so rudely interrupted the banquet, especially after sensing the dark aura emanating from them.
The most noteworthy aspects of Assassin were his numbers and his stealth.
And now, both of these advantages had vanished completely before a vast desert plain and an innumerable army.]
---o---
[Light Screen Bullet Comments——
[Eriri Spencer Sawamura: "He's toast. I can't believe it was actually the King of Conquerors. Pardo's guess was right on the money. Is her luck really that good?"]
[Utaha Kasumigaoka: "Good? I think not. After all, she's probably undergoing some inhuman experiments right now."]
[Yukinoshita Yukino: "Elysia's understanding of the way of the king is simply superior to those three kings. Only a monarch who integrates with the people and leads them is a king who will be truly trusted and relied upon by their subjects——"]
[Conan Edogawa: "That's true, but in a fundamental sense, that has already departed from the scope of kingship. Rather than the way of the king, it's more like the underlying logic of human societal development. It's just surprising that someone so young would have such a profound understanding of it."]
[Otto Apocalypse: "Young? I'm afraid you have some misunderstanding of the word 'young.' Where we're from, she's a figure from tens of thousands of years ago."]
[Elysia: "Hey——! How can you just reveal a girl's age like that? I'm a beautiful girl of only 18!!"]
[Kiana Kaslana: "Hahaha, she's flustered, she's flustered! It's the first time I've seen Elysia get so worked up. But tens of thousands of years... isn't that even older than Aunt Theresa?"]
[Theresa Apocalypse: "Ki—a—na! Do not mention my age! You just wait! When I get back from my business trip, I'll be sure to teach you a lesson——"]
[L: "Is no one going to comment on the King of Conquerors' Noble Phantasm? That doesn't seem like any ordinary Noble Phantasm."]
[Tokisaki Kurumi: "It's just a lot of people. I can summon quite a few myself. I don't have the ability to change the scenery, but I am capable of something similar to a barrier, you know~~"]
[Aizen Sousuke: "Oh? It seems Miss Tokisaki is no ordinary person either."]
[Tokisaki Kurumi: "How could that be? I'm just a perfectly ordinary girl... just a tiny, tiny bit special~~~"]
---o---
[As the bullet comments on the light screen continued their discussion, the story went on——
On the light screen, a magnificent black steed approached the King of Conquerors. The horse's coat was glossy, its muscles well-defined, and its bright eyes shone with clear intelligence. It was adorned with light equine armor and several spikes for charging—a top-tier steed by any measure.
The King of Conquerors reached out and affectionately stroked the horse. "It's been a long time, old friend."
With that, he swung himself into the saddle, assuming the posture of a conqueror as he loudly proclaimed his way of the king: "A king is one who lives more brilliantly than any other and mesmerizes all people!"
As the King of Conquerors made this loud declaration, his army of tens of thousands responded with a heaven-shaking, unified roar.
"Aye!"
"Aye!"
"Aye!"
As they issued this powerful response, the members of the King's Army all raised their weapons in unison.
At this moment, the legion exuded a sense of fearless courage and boundless power.
When the roars subsided, the King of Conquerors spoke again, his voice booming: "He who embodies the envy of all heroes and points the way for his people is a king!"
"Therefore, the king is not solitary!"
"For his great ambition is the culmination of the ambitions of all his retainers!"
As these powerful words landed, the soldiers under the King of Conquerors once again responded with a chorus of 'Aye!', the unified voices of tens of thousands echoing with staggering force.
During this, the camera panned across everyone present. Irisviel and Waver wore expressions of pure shock. The King of Heroes had a cold look on his face, seemingly very displeased with the King of Conquerors' Noble Phantasm.
Saber showed no expression at all, merely positioning herself to protect Irisviel behind her—
Only Elysia was clearly intrigued by the army of Servants before her. After all, she too agreed with the philosophy that a king does not stand alone.
The King of Conquerors drew the sword from his waist and pointed it directly at the Assassins. "As you can see, the battlefield I have manifested is a plain. My apologies, but when it comes to winning through numbers, I believe I have the advantage."
"Trample them!"
With that command, the great army of the King of Conquerors charged, shouting as they went.
Their response was a massive roar. The invincible army that had once swept across Asia now shook the battlefield once more.
This could no longer be called a battle; it was more accurately a purge.
Even grinding a mustard seed with a millstone would have produced more of a reaction than this.
Wherever the "Army of the King" passed, not a single trace of the Assassins remained. Only the faint smell of blood and stirred-up dust lingered in the air.
"——Uooooh!!"
A victory cry erupted. They offered their victory to their king, praising his might. At the same time, their task completed, the Heroic Spirits reverted to their spiritual forms and vanished into the distance.
Then, the Bounded Field maintained by the sum of their magical energy was dispelled. Everything shattered like a soap bubble, and the scenery reverted to the original night. The group was once again standing in the courtyard of the Einzbern castle.
The pale, clear moonlight revealed only silence. Not a speck of dust could be seen in the air...]