"Irisviel!"
Saber, disregarding her turmoil and the debate with Rider, rushed to the side of the proxy Master.
Irisviel struggled to lift her head and spoke intermittently.
"There... are new invaders... monsters summoned by Caster... coming from the rear, surrounding us, their numbers exceed 500!"
"What? Caster?"
Both Waver and Shinji jumped up simultaneously.
The former forcefully pulled Rider's arm and exclaimed excitedly, "Hurry, hurry and go exterminate them!"
The latter looked at the back door of the castle with a bewildered expression.
"Is this guy crazy? Well, he is indeed crazy, but he shouldn't be this desperate. We have four Servants here. Does this guy intend to take them on alone?"
The Servants and Masters present couldn't possibly understand. Caster was only unwilling to accept his failure from last night and was prepared to make a comeback, specifically choosing this undisturbed moment. Little did he know--
There's no need to think about it. You didn't die earlier due to various disturbances, but this time you'll die.
"Miss Irisviel, can you confirm Caster's location? Let's kill Caster together, and I'll evenly distribute the additional Command Spell."
"It's not possible." Irisviel, who had recovered from magical feedback, activated the "Clairvoyance" magecraft. "He hasn't entered the bounded field, so I can't locate him."
"Even more cautious than before!" Saber gritted her teeth.
Scáthach, the only one who never belittled Saber's kingship and desires, put down her wine glass and stood up.
"Saber, Archer, Rider, you continue. I'll clean up. Master, care to join me?"
"No problem." Shinji's expression was relaxed as if he didn't care about Caster's summoned creatures at all.
He didn't care about these small fries. Within the past two nights, he killed over 200 monsters, not to mention having Scáthach by his side now.
As for the castle, he had nothing to worry about. Firstly, he trusted the pride of the three kings. Secondly, he left an eye here. She was currently secretly watching from the third-floor corridor of the castle.
"There's no need for that."
Just as the two were about to leave, Rider suddenly spoke.
"Just now, Saber's Master also said that Caster's monsters are scattered and surrounding us. It's inefficient to defeat them one by one. It's better to wait until they gather here and wipe them out all at once."
"Don't make decisions on your own, Conqueror King." Archer narrowed his crimson eyes and coldly snorted. "Do you want to let these rabble tarnish the banquet? Or do you want them to soil the treasures of this king?"
"Neither." Rider smiled and shook his head. "Well, you'll see. I'll make sure they stop below the castle walls. Saber's Master, is there a way for us to see the movements of the monster army?"
"Yes." Irisviel once again entered the castle, this time to retrieve the crystal ball.
The Einzbern family's bounded field was indeed of high level, and the accompanying "Clairvoyance" magecraft allowed for long-range viewing and observation of the activities within the field from multiple perspectives. This excluded the parts that had already been destroyed by Rider and Archer, but fortunately, there was no indication of the presence of the monsters in that area, which emitted their distinct evil aura.
As Rider watched the images in the crystal ball, he revealed a smile filled with admiration.
"To think that mindless monsters could form a military formation. Caster truly deserves the title of a former marshal."
"Don't, don't laugh. They're approaching." Waver tugged at Rider's sleeve and whispered.
"Rest assured, don't worry." Rider's expression remained unchanged as he focused on studying the formation of the monsters. "They're still 500 meters away, it's too early. Remind me when they're 50 meters away."
...
"It's 50 meters now."
"Remind me again when it's 20 meters."
...
"It's 20 meters now, 19 meters, Rider."
In an instant, a whirlwind roared into existence.
The wind was scorching and dry as if it could burn everything in its path.
This wind did not belong to the nocturnal forest or the courtyard of the castle.
This wind came from a blazing desert, roaring in the ears.
Waver felt the sensation of fine, stinging sand on his tongue and quickly spat a few times.
The saliva mixed with sand and dust, brought by the strange wind, carried the heat of the sand that should not exist in this place.
"Saber, Archer, and Assassin, this is the final question of this banquet—Is the king aloof?"
Standing in the center of the swirling hot wind, Rider asked.
The crimson cape fluttered and billowed on his shoulders, and at some point, his appearance as the conqueror king had transformed into the original attire of a Servant.
A smirk appeared at the corner of Archer's mouth, silently answering the question. It was a matter that didn't even need to be asked.
Scáthach also remained silent, her aura already speaking volumes. In the current Shadow Land where no living beings remained, she, as the sole ruler and sole anomaly, how could she not be aloof?
Saber didn't hesitate. Her kingship and the years she had spent as a king had given her the most genuine answer.
"The king... naturally stands aloof."
Upon hearing the answers of the three, Rider burst into laughter. The swirling hot wind seemed to echo his laughter, growing even more intense.
"No, this won't do! You truly don't understand at all! Today, I will show you what true kingly demeanor is all about."
Abnormal hot winds finally began to subvert and erode reality.
In this impossible phenomenon, distance and location lost their meaning and gradually transformed into the place where the dry gusts with hot sand should blow.
"How... how is this possible?!"
The astonished voices came from Waver and Irisviel, who understood the meaning of magecraft.
"Is this... a Reality Marble!?"
The scorching sun burned the land. The vast field of vision extended to the horizon, which was covered by violent sandstorms, under the cloudless sky thousands of miles away.
The scene that transformed from the Einzbern Castle at night was an illusion that eroded reality, a limited magecraft that was on par with miracles.
"How is it possible... to materialize the scenery of the mind... when you're not even a magus?"
"Of course not, I alone couldn't accomplish this."
Standing proudly in the vast Reality marble, Iskandar's face was filled with a proud smile as he denied Waver's question.
"This is the land where my army once galloped, imprinted deeply in the hearts of the warriors who fought alongside me."
With the world's transformation, even the positions of the people involved changed.
The numerous monsters that surrounded half of the castle became a collective mass driven to the wilderness on the other side. In the middle stood Rider, while Saber, Archer, Assassin, and the three magi were transferred to another side.
In other words, Rider was now facing hundreds of monsters alone.
No, was Rider truly alone now?
Everyone widened their eyes and stared at the shadows that appeared around him, like mirages.
There wasn't just one shadow, but two, four. The blurry equestrian figures increased in multiples, resembling an army, and their colors gradually became clearer.
"This world can be reproduced because it's engraved in the hearts of every one of us."
Under the amazed gazes of the others, the cavalrymen materialized one by one around Iskandar. Though their races and equipment differed, their sturdy physiques, shining armor, and extraordinary valor displayed the might of an army.
Only Waver and Shinji could truly understand the true nature of these extraordinary phenomena.
"These people... every single one of them is a Servant..."
Only the Masters who had completed a formal contract possessed the insight to see through and evaluate a Servant's Spirit Origin. Only they knew Iskandar's true trump card, the true form of his ultimate Noble Phantasm.
"Look, this is the unmatched military might of the King of Conquerors!"
At this moment, the King of Conquerors raised his arms and, with an extremely proud tone, loudly boasted about the formation of the cavalry.
"Even if their bodies are destroyed, their souls are summoned by the world in the form of 'Heroic Spirits.' They are the legendary warriors who pledge their loyalty to me, responding to my summons and transcending time and space. They are my eternal friends. The bond between them and me is my greatest treasure! My kingly path! My strongest Noble Phantasm, 'Ionian Hetairoi'!"
At the EX rank of military Noble Phantasms, Independent Servants are continuously summoned.
There is the war god Antikythera, the warrior king Porus, the grand meeting of Iskandar's generals, Leonato, the governor of Pannonia-Frigia, Ptolemy, the governors of Libya and Arabia, and of course, the first close advisor, Hephaestion, whom Iskandar trusts the most. There are also the founding monarchs of future dynasties. How many heroes have gathered here, how many legends, each one of them a unique Heroic Spirit.
They all possess illustrious reputations, all warriors who fought alongside the great Alexander the Great.
A horse, the only one not ridden by anyone, approached Rider. It was an exceptionally strong and fierce stallion, worthy of being called a beast. Though not human, its strength was not inferior to the other Heroic Spirits.
"Long time no see, my comrades."
Rider showed a childlike innocent smile and tightly embraced the giant horse's neck with both hands.
It was the legendary horse Bucephalus, later revered and deified. Under the King of Conquerors, even the steeds themselves have ascended to the status of Heroic Spirits.
Everyone was too astonished to speak. Faced with this magnificent army, even Archer, who also possesses an EX-ranked super Noble Phantasm, no longer mocked.
The King of Conquerors transformed the undying loyalty of his followers after their deaths into a tangible form, turning it into an extraordinary Noble Phantasm.
Saber's entire body trembled, not out of fear of Rider's Noble Phantasm's power, but because the Noble Phantasm itself shook the very foundation of her honor as the King of Knights.
An unwavering and immensely powerful support--
An emotional bond with his subjects that runs deep, even reaching the realm of Noble Phantasms--
As an ideal king, the one thing the King of Knights couldn't obtain throughout his life...
"King-- must live more vividly than anyone else-- admired by everyone!"
Rider mounted Bucephalus and shouted.
The Heroic Spirits, neatly lined up, echoed his words, raising their shields and cheering in unison.
"To embody the wishes of all the brave souls and become their exemplar is what makes a king. So--"
Filled with overwhelming confidence and honor, the King of Conquerors looked down on everything around him.
"A king is not aloof, for his wish is the wish of all his subjects!"
"Indeed! Indeed! Indeed!"
The resounding cry of the Heroic Spirits shook the earth and reached the heavens. No matter how formidable the army or how fortified the walls, they could not surpass the King of Conquerors' comrades. Their passionate battles were capable of splitting the heavens and breaking the seas.
Not to mention a mere group of monsters that do not belong to this world.
"Very well, let's begin, monsters-- trample them!"
Rider's command echoed throughout the surroundings, ruthless and decisive. And then--"
"!!"
The deafening sound of the charge resounded. This was no longer a battle; it didn't even feel like a rampage. It was pure devastation.
Wherever the King's forces passed, the monsters summoned by Caster were wiped out, leaving only a swirling cloud of dust mixed with the smell of blood, carried by the hot wind.
"-------Oooohhhhhhhhh!!"
Victorious shouts filled the air. The Heroic Spirits, having completed their mission, offered their glorious victory to the King, praising his name. Then they returned once again to being spiritual entities, disappearing beyond the bounds of time and space.
As the Heroic Spirits vanished, the Reality Marble that relied on their magical power was also lifted. The scenery transformed back into the forest of the night, the courtyard of the Einzbern Castle.
====
Note: It's kind of late, but this fanfic has already achieved 100k words. So, I think it's time for reviews. For every Five 5-star review, I will provide 1 bonus chapter. I repeat, only 5-star reviews will qualify.
Also every 100 Power Stone Growth = 1 Bonus Chapter
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