The night was deep, the bright moon hung high in the sky.
Matou Mansion!
Except for Sakura, who had stayed at the Tohsaka Residence to help her sister with the funeral arrangements,
Ayato and the others had declined Rin's invitation to stay and had long since returned here.
"Funerals and such... are really not very pleasant."
Irisviel breathed in the air. "Indeed, this place is much more comfortable."
"Master, do we really not need to leave anyone to protect them?"
Medusa said in a low voice. "This is the Holy Grail War period. Won't someone try to target them?"
"Don't worry. Sakura and Rin are both geniuses. They're not weak after becoming Devils."
Ayato shook his head. "And as long as they're in this city, I can be there instantly if anything happens. So don't worry."
"It seems Master has thought of everything."
"Of course. I take all my wings very seriously."
"Hey, Master, you really are a bastard."
"What are you thinking? They're still children."
"..."
Medusa's eyelids twitched.
Well, that was logical and convincing.
But she didn't believe it for a second.
After all, they were both so petite and cute.
What if her Master stopped liking her because of that?
After all, her body type was far from that.
"???"
Ayato's expression was strange.
'What kind of expression was that?'
'Had I fallen into another strange misunderstanding?'
Boom!
Just then, the entire night sky became overcast with dark clouds, thunder and lightning flashing without end.
"With this kind of display, it should be Rider's chariot."
Artoria looked up at the sky. "But I don't feel any hostility or fighting spirit. Isn't he here to fight?"
"Regardless, let's go take a look."
Ayato shrugged. "Whether friend or foe, it needs to be resolved."
Medusa and the others nodded and followed Ayato out of the mansion.
"Yo, young Devil, King of Knights, hello."
Iskandar jumped down from his chariot and waved with a smile.
"What... is that outfit?"
Artoria's ahoge twitched as she looked at his white T-shirt, momentarily speechless.
Irisviel voiced her thoughts. "What a tasteful attire."
"Is that so?"
Iskandar looked down at himself. "I think it's pretty good."
Nearby, Waver complained helplessly, "I told you not to dress like that."
"Haha, none of that matters."
Iskandar laughed nonchalantly. "This place is very spacious, perfect for a banquet."
As he spoke, he hauled a large barrel of wine off his chariot and smashed the lid off with a slap.
Instantly, a rich aroma of wine spread through the air.
"A banquet?"
Artoria was stunned. "That's why you came here?"
Medusa and the others were confused, unable to keep up with the King of Conquerors' train of thought.
Holding a banquet on the enemy's home turf... was hard to judge.
Instinctively,
They looked at Ayato.
"A little liveliness is good."
Ayato smiled, pulled up a chair for himself, sat down, took out a magic book, and quietly began reading.
'The King's Banquet seemed to be a thing.'
'If all went well, the remaining Servants should gather.'
'Then the Holy Grail War would be over.'
"Haha, I knew this young Devil wouldn't refuse."
Iskandar laughed heartily, took a bamboo ladle, scooped up some wine, and downed it in one go.
"Then, let us hold a Holy Grail Q&A as kings."
"Mongrel, even jokes have their limits."
Just then, a flash of golden light, and Gilgamesh's figure materialized out of thin air.
"Archer, do you want to fight?"
Artoria looked alert, her hand already on her sword hilt.
"Haha, King of Knights, don't be so tense."
Iskandar laughed. "I invited him as well. Since it's a king's Q&A, naturally all the kings need to be present."
"But Gilgamesh, you're late."
"Who chose a place like this?"
Gilgamesh glanced at Ayato. "If I hadn't promised you beforehand, I, the King, would never have come."
If not for a king's promise and magnanimity,
Facing this Devil who had slapped him twice, he would have long since been unable to resist attacking.
He looked at the barrel of wine and said disdainfully, "Drinking such inferior wine. It's an insult to a king."
"Ah, I think it's pretty good, though?"
Iskandar said awkwardly. "I'm told this is top-quality liquor."
"Mongrel, and you call yourself a king?"
Gilgamesh snorted coldly and produced a series of exquisite wine bottles and utensils, seemingly forged from gold.
"Let me show you. This is the wine of kings."
[Origin +8]
Glancing at it, Ayato's eyes flickered.
'As expected of Gilgamesh, he really had a lot of good things.'
Iskandar glanced at Ayato and smiled. "What, young Devil, are you interested too?"
Gilgamesh said arrogantly, "Forget it, you're just a mere Devil. This is a feast of kings."
"Who says I'm not a king?"
Ayato put away his magic book and smiled. "If you count it carefully, I am the king of an empire."
"..."
Gazing at Ayato, who radiated an air of nobility, the others, surprisingly, did not refute.
With this kind of aura and strength,
If he really was a certain king, it wasn't unacceptable.
But in history, they found that there didn't seem to be a king who was a Devil.
"Young Devil, though it's somewhat rude..."
Iskandar hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "What is your true name, and what kind of king are you?"
"My true name is Mori Ayato."
Ayato smiled faintly. "As for what kind of king... you could call me the Harem King, for now."
"After all, I am a Devil who wants a harem."
"Oh my, as expected of Ayato-sama. What a great ambition."
"Master, can't you think about anything else?"
The other three kings were also somewhat silent.
The proper king's Q&A,
The rhythm seemed to have deviated somehow.
"But... the Harem King?"
Iskandar grinned. "Though it sounds absurd, if that is your kingly way, then there's no problem."
"The problem is huge, okay?"
Artoria said, "As a king, how can you just be..."
"Why not?"
Iskandar said boldly. "My kingly way is conquest and aggression."
"Essentially, it is also being true to one's desires. No different from the young Devil."
"Though I dislike this Devil."
Gilgamesh said. "I'll tentatively acknowledge his desires."
'These two... unexpectedly had good judgment?'
Ayato gave them an approving look.
"You guys..."
Artoria stood frozen in place.
'Why?'
'My own kingly way seemed to run counter to their understanding.'
'Where exactly had I gone wrong?'
"Alright, back to the point."
Iskandar drank a mouthful of wine and spoke. "King of Knights, since you have been summoned, what is your wish?"
Hearing this, Artoria snapped back to reality and said seriously, "I want to save my homeland. I want to change the fate of my country's destruction."
Her voice was resolute, firm and earnest.
As soon as she said this, the atmosphere in the venue changed slightly.
Artoria, with her serious expression, gradually showed a change.
'Had I said something wrong?'
Iskandar was the first to break the silence. He asked puzzledly, "Your country was from a very distant era, wasn't it?"
"Yes, that is why I cannot forgive myself no matter what."
Artoria said sadly. "So I want to change that outcome, that tragedy that happened because of me."
"Haha, how ridiculous."
Gilgamesh laughed loudly. "I must admit, this banquet has finally become interesting."
"As a king sung by the people, to be denying your own existence... how amusing."
"Is something wrong with that?"
Artoria said firmly. "As a king, my own country was destroyed. Shouldn't I regret it?"
"No, you are wrong."
Iskandar spoke seriously. "A so-called country exists to serve its king."
"If, for your own reasons, your country is destroyed, even if you grieve, even if you suffer, you should never regret it."
"I cannot agree."
Artoria firmly refuted. "Because in my view, only by saving one's people and giving one's all can one be called a king."
"And your way of thinking, King of Conquerors, is nothing more than that of a tyrant."
"I am a tyrant, but that is better than being a puppet without desires."
The King of Conquerors stood up and said word by word, "To blame all the faults on yourself, to become like a saint."
"How can such a being command their subjects? How can they correctly guide their people?"
"In the end, you, as the King of Knights, are just self-intoxicated. You are not a qualified king at all. The destruction of your country was an inevitable outcome."
"You..."
Artoria was stunned.
In a daze, she seemed to return to the memory of that blood-red sunset.
But at that moment, a voice rang out.
"Gilgamesh, Iskandar, are you bullying my future servant?"
Ayato spoke. "If that is the case, I cannot pretend I didn't hear."
Though he remained motionless, an indescribable sinister aura, like a wave, instantly enveloped the entire courtyard.
His gaze swept over the two.
"My servant's wish is not funny at all. Whether it's changing history, altering time, or even destroying the world."
"Do it if you want to. What does it matter?"
Yes, he had finally found his opportunity.
To truly win Artoria's loyalty, a mere promise was far from enough.
And what he said was not false.
If one day he was powerful enough, so what if he helped his own servant toy with fate?
'Destroy... destroying the world?'
'I hadn't misheard, had I?'
Gilgamesh and Iskandar's eyelids twitched as they gazed into Ayato's eyes.
'There was indeed not a shred of falsehood in his words…'
'But to say something so exaggerated so casually...'
'This style truly was that of a Devil.'
"Master..."
Hearing this, Artoria stood frozen in place.
To be honest, she had not expected that the one to support her would be Ayato.
But she had to admit, she was touched.
'If the Holy Grail couldn't do it, then perhaps with Master's power...'
Unconsciously, her fists clenched slightly.
"..."
Medusa and Irisviel exchanged glances.
'Indeed, to build a harem, the Master's / Ayato-sama's tactics were truly grandiose.'
'Toying with fate or something...'
'That was just too exaggerated.'
'However,'
'It's unexpectedly trustworthy.'
"Wait!"
Iskandar snapped back to reality and looked at Artoria. "You called him Master just now. Isn't he a Servant?"
Gilgamesh also showed a puzzled expression.
"That's right, he is my Master."
Realizing she had revealed it, Artoria nodded calmly.
"How is that possible?"
"A mere Devil can become a Master?"
Turning to look at Ayato, Iskandar and Gilgamesh's gazes were somewhat uncertain.
"None of that matters anymore."
Ayato stood up from his seat.
"Since we've come this far, there's no need to continue this so-called king's Q&A."
As his momentum surged, he slowly spoke.
"Berserker has become my servant and withdrawn from this Holy Grail War."
"Lancer, Caster, Assassin have all died by my hand."
Ayato's voice was like rolling thunder. His not-so-tall figure seemed to become level with the sky.
"So, with only you two left, this Holy Grail War should come to an end."
Rumble!
Vast magical energy shot into the sky, spreading through the night like layers of clouds.
At this moment, the entire world seemed to shake.
One by one, the Magus of Fuyuki City all felt something and looked into the distance.
'What kind of person possessed such magical energy?'
Irisviel and Medusa looked at Ayato, feeling their minds go blank.
'How... domineering and unparalleled.'
The Ayato now was such a contrast to before.
Under his gaze, the surrounding air seemed to submit, trembling constantly.
They felt this Ayato was so charming.
Unconsciously, an unnatural flush appeared on Irisviel and Medusa's pretty faces, their legs rubbing together unconsciously.
'So this is Master's true face?'
Artoria's heart surged, and the way she looked at Ayato changed once again.