At the dock under the night sky, Gilgamesh was engaged in fierce combat with Lancelot, who had taken on the form of the Black Knight.
The intense battle brought a sense of heat and tension to the cold, deep autumn night.
Gilgamesh raised his hand and unleash the legendary Bab-ilu, as countless Noble Phantasms poured forth like cannonballs toward the Black Knight.
*Boom!*
The continuous roar of explosions filled the air as the Noble Phantasms fell, sending clouds of dust into the atmosphere. The immense shockwaves caught the attention of both Artoria and Fionn nearby.
Seeing Gilgamesh, who possessed numerous Noble Phantasms and could easily unleash such destructive force, Fionn fell into deep thought, and in a moment of clarity, he instinctively sucked his thumb, as ideas began to crystallize in his mind.
On the other hand, Artoria, who was watching the battle, was astonished by Gilgamesh's power. At the same time, she furrowed her brow, sensing a strangely familiar aura emanating from the Black Knight.
Even though it was thinned by madness, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had some connection to this Black Knight.
Was he an enemy from a past life?
"Arrrr..."
In the midst of battle, Lancelot who was keenly aware of Artoria's gaze, fought even harder upon noticing her attention.
Since Matou Zouken had been killed by the Count, Matou Kariya did not proceed with the second madness incantation as planned. This allowed him, despite being a Berserker, to maintain some awareness through sheer willpower. Sensing the familiar gaze from the King, he became even more excited.
'It was the King's gaze!
The King was watching me!!
I cannot let the King down!!!'
Like a pumped-up athlete, Lancelot faced the incoming Noble Phantasms without fear. With his boundless martial prowess, he handled even these cannonball-like Noble Phantasms with ease.
The Black Knight reached forward, firmly grasping the second incoming treasure, and with a swift movement, he transformed the two Noble Phantasms into his own weapon before hurling them back, accurately deflecting several more incoming Noble Phantasms.
"What incredible skill! Even as a Berserker, he can display such power…"
Witnessing Lancelot's maneuvers left even the spectators in shock, while Gilgamesh, high above, had a face marked with changing emotions.
"Not bad skill. To retain and execute such prowess as a mad dog, you have given this King quite the surprise."
"Arrrr..."
Ignoring Gilgamesh's golden taunts, the Black Knight roared as he continued to catch the incoming Noble Phantasms, using them as his weapons to knock down the subsequent projectiles, all while casting glances of concern toward Artoria.
"…"
However, the Black Knight's actions did not concern Artoria; instead, they furrowed her brow.
'What does Berserker mean? Is he provoking me? Is I his next target?'
With these thoughts, Artoria tightened her grip on Excalibur, determination flaring in her eyes, especially since the Black Knight's performance was no less formidable.
"Tsk! Disgusting dog."
Seeing his Noble Phantasms being tainted and transformed by Lancelot, Gilgamesh, who had a slight obsessive-compulsive disorder, naturally discarded those Noble Phantasms. He was also unwilling to use more advanced Noble Phantasms, fearing they might be similarly tainted by Lancelot.
Although they were not high-grade Noble Phantasms…
"How dare you turn my Noble Phantasms into this state! You shall pay for this!!"
Throughout his various periods, while his temperament wasn't the best, it was certainly among the top. Even he could not help but feel anger rise within him when he saw his Noble Phantasms being mistreated by Lancelot. Gripping his dual blades, he dove down from a streetlight, ready to tear apart this mad dog who defiled his Noble Phantasms.
*Boom!*
But suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed from the distant sky.
Saber and Lancer exchanged glances, quickly retreating, while Gilgamesh, wielding his dual blades and pressuring Lancelot, remained undeterred as he sensed the approaching magical energy, deploying the King's treasury to unleash it toward Lancelot at such a close distance.
"Arrr..."
Upon seeing the golden gates of light so close, Lancelot hesitated for a moment, wanting to employ the same technique to catch the flying Noble Phantasms. However, he was halted by Gilgamesh pressing against his arms, looking at him with a teasing gaze.
"Come on! Mad dog, come grab them! Let this King see how you plan to block this one!"
The moment the weapons met his armor, a tremendous explosion followed, sending Lancelot hurtling backward in disarray. The terrifying power left cracks in his armor, and his eyes glowed red as he glared fiercely at Gilgamesh.
"Arrrr!!"
New Servants Have Arrived!
With the approaching source of magical energy and the booming sounds coming from above, the source of the noise became clear.
Everyone present looked up to see a flying object tracing an arc in the sky, surrounded by a series of purple electric sparks, steadily coming closer.
"What is that?"
Hidden in the shadows, Matou Kariya had a grim expression. From this close distance, he could naturally see the approaching flying object, but when he recognized it, he found it hard to believe.
A vehicle flying through the sky…
"It's a war chariot." Fionn sucked his thumb and looked up, revealing the true nature of the flying object.
However, it was no ordinary war chariot.
This chariot was an ancient vehicle carved with a bull's head, and the steeds harnessed to the chariot were not horses, but two azure divine bulls, stomping through the thunder as they pulled the luxurious chariot. Fionn, of course, knew that the owner of this chariot was none other than the King of Conquerors, Alexander the Great.
However, he was puzzled as to why they chose to arrive at this moment. Wasn't their Lord's command to observe and provide support? What was the significance of their arrival now?
Compared to Fionn's confusion, Artoria on the other side was filled with apprehension. She sensed that the magical energy emitted by the chariot was formidable, rivaling the impact of that Black Knight. This new Servant would undoubtedly be a troublesome enemy.
"Hahaha!"
Accompanied by Iskandar's hearty laughter, the hooves of the bulls struck the ground, crashing the asphalt below into spiderweb-like cracks.
The burly man on the chariot made his grand entrance, embodying Iskandar...Rider.
"Rider!" The chariot came to a halt, and Waver, who had been caught in a thrilling roller coaster ride beside Iskandar, stood up in a daze, looking as distressed as a cat whose tail had been stepped on, shouting in dissatisfaction at Iskandar.
"Baka, baka!! What were you thinking with this reckless flying? You almost got me killed just now!!"
*Slap!*
"Hey, hey…" Iskandar smiled faintly at him and then extended his hand.
Ultimate Skill: Finger Snap.
"Ah!" Waver let out a scream, clutching his reddened forehead as he sat back down.
"Just stay quietly on the side for a while, my little Master. The stage now belongs to the King, hahahaha."
Laughing heartily, Iskandar turned to the other Heroic Spirits present, starting to declare his true name to those around him.
"I am the King of Conquerors, Iskandar, descending to this world as Rider. Heroes from different times and spaces, would you be willing to reveal your names?"
This sudden and baffling action left Fionn perplexed; even Gilgamesh was momentarily stunned, while Waver could only cover his head in disbelief.
"Rider!! What are you doing? Are you just going to expose your true name to the enemy?!"
Artoria was taken aback by the King of Conquerors's casual revelation of his true name but, feeling the need to reciprocate, introduced herself.
After all, her true name had nearly been revealed when Lancer recognized her; thus, there was no longer a need to conceal it.
"Oh? So this female hero is none other than the famed King Arthur? What an honor! I never expected to encounter another king during this Holy Grail War."
"And what about you? You also possess the aura of a king, golden Servant; you must also be a king!"
"Are you asking me?"
Seeing Iskandar barge into the battlefield, Gilgamesh lost interest in continuing his confrontation with Lancelot.
Though this mad dog had some skill, it did not pique his interest.
Gilgamesh transformed into golden particles, returning to his beloved streetlight, looking down at everyone and declaring, "Among the heavens and earth, only I can command humanity and be worthy of the title of King! The rest are merely imposters masquerading as kings. Do I need to tell you my name again?"
Imposter King?
Hearing this term, all the Servants present raised their eyebrows. After all, aside from Lancelot, wasn't everyone else a king in their own right? Hearing Gilgamesh's arrogant claim, they couldn't help but feel some dissatisfaction.
However, Iskandar merely laughed it off, saying, "Even if you say you're so impressive, nobody knows. After all, there are so many kings out there."
"How about you reveal your own grand name? As a king, you shouldn't fear having your name known, right?"
Listening to Iskandar's jest, Gilgamesh's red eyes flickered.
'So he's trying to provoke me to expose my true name, is he? This King has indeed been underestimated.'
Yet, he was right; he truly did not care whether his true name was exposed to them. There was nothing shameful about being a king.
However…
With this thought, a smile curved on Gilgamesh's lips as he slowly spoke, "If I am the most noble and ancient king in this world, the king of kings, and you cannot even know my true name, then I have no choice but to leave it at that."
"However…"
Gilgamesh asserted this, and the Bab-ilu behind him opened once more. This time, golden swords, spears, and countless weapons floated in the air, shining with brilliance.
Unsheathed swords, sharp spears, and those weapons radiating powerful magical energy all appeared simultaneously. Unlike the earlier skirmishes, he no longer limited the number of gates, allowing countless golden portals to surround the scene.
"You can use your strength to prove whether you are qualified to know this King's name. Become my opponent; whether you are that mad dog over there, the Holy Sword wielder, or Lancer, you can all prove your worth to me through your strength!"
Faced with the barrage of attacking Noble Phantasms filling the sky, Waver panicked, hurriedly hiding behind Rider. Meanwhile, all the Servants present, both visible and hidden, felt intimidated by the sheer number of Noble Phantasms.
Even from a distance, watching the battle through a telescope, Roy was shocked by Gilgamesh's displayed power.
This was clearly the Fourth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki, so how had it escalated to this point?
Why Prototype Gilgamesh is here?
Was Tokiomi Tohsaka cheating?
Although both were Gilgamesh, this Proto Gilgamesh was much harder to deal with than the original one. While the original was arrogant, he was not foolish enough to hold back or put himself in danger; the Proto Gilgamesh always gave his all against his enemies.
The formidable strength of this Proto Gilgamesh had been experienced firsthand by the Holy Sword Excalibur wielder, Arthur Pendragon.
In normal conditions, he could suppress the Proto Gilgamesh in close combat, while the Bab-ilu could strike opponents from afar. The bow, composed of two finishing swords, had power rivaling EA. This guy's strength was completely off the charts, placing him among the top tier of Heroic Spirits. If he truly wanted to, he could potentially sweep through this Holy Grail War.
At the very least, he could not defeat the Proto Gilgamesh with the Count, and must plan carefully.
Though there had been instances of Arthur Pendragon defeating him before, that was against the Proto Gilgamesh, and it was the fully liberated Arthur, who far surpassed Artoria in every aspect. Therefore, having Artoria replicate him to deal with the Proto Gilgamesh was simply impossible.
Instead, among the Servants present, Lancelot would not be an enemy to him, while Artoria would indeed be the easiest to handle.
However, at this point, aside from Gilgamesh changing form, the Lancer group had completely switched from Diarmuid to his superior Fionn, but the other Servants had not undergone significant changes.
So, having completed the objective of scouting the enemy's situation, it was best to withdraw quickly. Who knows if Emiya Kiritsugu was lurking nearby, ready to take a shot at him with a sniper rifle.
After confirming this, Roy prepared to leave, uninterested in watching this iconic scene play out again.
However, he was most surprised by Kayneth's group, who had managed to upgrade their Servant, transforming from a deceptive trickster into the reliable Fionn. Furthermore, upon seeing Waver's appearance, the opponent did not come out to taunt him, which was very unlike Kayneth.
Fionn?
Could it be that the Lancer group had switched members? That was impossible; it was widely acknowledged that Kayneth wouldn't survive the Fourth War. What could have possibly gone wrong this time?
What he didn't know was that Kayneth was currently engaged in friendly magical exchanges with a certain magus killer.
Tonight's battles among the Servants were exciting, but the action among the Masters was equally fierce.
Emiya Kiritsugu was limping desperately through a jungle of steel, with Kayneth figure continuing to pursue him like a demon.
Despite his doubts, Roy did not plan to probe further; he was already prepared to retreat.
He had no intention of revealing himself in battle at this moment. After all, the count could not be exposed. With the count's strength and characteristics, he could serve as an Assassin. If he were to clash head-on with these guys, he would undoubtedly suffer a brutal defeat; tactical maneuvering was essential, and returning to finalize future plans was crucial.
He somewhat agreed with Emiya Kiritsugu; since he couldn't defeat these Servants, he would target their Masters!
By the way, where did the Count go?
Didn't he say he would stay nearby to keep watch and return soon?
"Seriously?"
Looking at the empty surroundings, Roy suddenly felt a sense of insecurity.
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