Chapter 108

As the winter sun set, we had lunch at the amusement park restaurant, and then the three of us strolled around the shopping street, where we also had dinner. We wandered around under the colorful neon lights.

“Hey, Jian, let’s go see the sea as our last stop today.” Having seen many sights she had never seen before, Irisviel was in exceptionally high spirits and made the new suggestion while we were taking a walk.

Before coming, Irisviel and her companions had already learned some information about Fuyuki City, so they knew that as long as they crossed the Fuyuki Bridge that spanned the Mien River, they would see a large seaside park.

It was late at night, and the three of us were walking slowly along the quiet path. The sounds of my conversation with Irisviel and Artoria could be heard from time to time. After half a day, Artoria finally stopped giving me the cold shoulder.

The sea breeze blew by, ruffling Irisviel’s long silver hair, which danced like the tail of a shooting star, while Artoria’s ahoge (cowlick) swayed in the wind.

“The sea is indeed beautiful.” Irisviel listened to the heavy sound of the waves and revealed a pure smile. Her snow-white cheeks were flushed with excitement, making her the most beautiful sight on the coastline.

“Are you happy today?” I gently brushed the strands of silver hair that the sea breeze had blown across Irisviel’s face, and looked at her beautiful face as I spoke softly.

“Mmm.” Irisviel gently leaned against my chest, feeling the warmth of my embrace and the strong heartbeat from my chest.

Artoria stared at the two of us silently, feeling like a giant third wheel. Even she, who was standing nearby, could feel Irisviel’s deep affection and love for me. Her Master, with whom she had such poor compatibility, had truly lost miserably.

Suddenly, Artoria stepped forward and stood in front of me and Irisviel. Seeing Artoria’s action, Irisviel looked up at me in confusion, and I nodded.

“Looks like the enemy has arrived, right, Saber?” Since the enemy had arrived, Irisviel got up from my embrace and prepared for battle. I shrugged. What an ungrateful enemy.

“Yes.” About a hundred meters away, the enemy exuded an astonishing aura, but she did not reveal herself. Instead, she remained in her spirit form and gradually moved away.

“Looks like they want to change battlefields.” I looked at the departing heroic spirit with amusement. Even in spirit form, I could still recognize its figure. I didn’t expect it to be some dual-wielder.

“Hmm.” With our own strength, we naturally didn’t need the other side, so we followed. Irisviel pointed to her pocket from behind, and I nodded before she reached in and pressed a button in the device.

That was a communication device left behind by Kiritsugu Emiya. Irisviel had just asked me if I wanted to notify him. There was no point in hiding this battle, so I told her to press the button.

Adjoining the eastern part of the seaside park is a warehouse street. This area is almost deserted at night, and the dim lights illuminating the street only make the scene appear more empty.

The enemy’s servant also revealed herself upon arrival, her entire body clad in black armor, yet her graceful figure, which even the armor couldn’t conceal, suggested she was a female knight riding a black horse with a white mane.

She also held a long, black striped spear in her hand, which was covered with red and black crystal prisms of varying lengths.

Artoria looked at her opponent with a solemn expression. Although she was confident in her own strength, the aura and powerful magic emanating from her opponent were not to be underestimated.

“I never expected that the first Heroic Spirit I would encounter would be you.” A mature yet dignified voice came from beneath the helmet.

“Do you know me?” The person who could recognize her must be from the same era, but she had no impression of her. A powerful person like her should leave an impression if she had met her before. Hearing the other person’s words, Artoria pondered in her mind whether she had met her before.

“Who knows?”

“In that case, let’s begin.” The other party was vague, and Artoria naturally wouldn’t be foolish enough to reveal her identity. She unleashed a powerful burst of magic, stirring up a whirlwind of air that enveloped her petite body.

In an instant, Artoria was encased in silver armor, her magic transforming into armor and gauntlets. Fully armed, she exuded an aura no less powerful than her opponent’s.

“Saber.” Irisviel looked at the two who were now poised to fight with some nervousness. She was drawn to the strong aura emanating from the two. She had already keenly sensed that even though her strength was much greater than before because of me, she still didn’t have much room to intervene in such a battle between top-tier Heroic Spirits.

However, Irisviel glanced at me beside her, and her tense mood instantly relaxed a bit. With me there, she didn’t need to worry too much.

“Be careful, Saber, I will use magic to help if necessary.”

“Yes, leave the other side to me. I’m just a little worried about why their Master hasn’t shown up.” Hearing Irisviel’s words, Artoria nodded.

“Perhaps he has some kind of conspiracy, so you and Jian should be careful. Alice, I’m entrusting my back to you.”

“Understood, Saber. Don’t worry, I’ll protect Jian.” Although she was somewhat powerless against top-tier Servants, she wasn’t afraid of her Master, who was a magician. After saying that, she winked at me playfully.

No sooner had Irisviel finished speaking than Artoria took a step forward, quickly approaching the female knight on horseback, and an intense battle instantly ensued.

The ground cracked from the silver armor boots’ impact, and the air pressure from the swinging sword sliced ​​through a street lamp. Artoria swung her sword at lightning speed at the female knight, who calmly and swiftly returned fire with her spear.

A violent storm raged through the deserted warehouse street, destroying everything in its path. A mere hand-to-hand combat between two people could destroy an entire street.

“This is a battle between Servants.” Irisviel watched the battle unfold with some amazement, as if a fantasy world had been brought to life before her eyes.

Meanwhile, Artoria was also quite surprised. Although he was riding a horse, it shouldn’t be Rider. Judging from his proficiency with a gun, it was more likely Lancer.

However, this was not what surprised Artoria. What surprised her was that the way the other person fought gave her a strange sense of familiarity. This feeling was not about clearly understanding her moves, but rather as if she were fighting another version of herself wielding a gun.

“What’s wrong, Saber? Your attack didn’t seem to have any effect.” After another clash of swords and spears, the two separated slightly, and the female knight on horseback uttered a slightly teasing remark.

“Isn’t this the same for you?” Her directness was obvious. Although her sword was still enveloped by the Wind King’s barrier, her opponent should be able to guess what kind of weapon it was once they exchanged blows.

“That’s not the case now.” The female knight in black armor pushed off with her legs, and her black steed immediately launched a rapid charge, charging straight towards Artoria with the momentum of a single rider against a thousand.

There was no time to dodge. Artoria had been constantly fighting to prevent the opponent from launching an attack, but the opponent still seized the opportunity, knocked her back, and immediately launched an offensive.

Artoria had no choice but to use her sword to block the opponent’s charging spear. The powerful impact carried Artoria backward, and her armored boots left two long scratches on the ground.

Knowing that this couldn’t go on, Artoria used the red and black crystal ridges on her spear, tilted her sword, and leaned against the bottom of the crystal ridges. Using the momentum of the spear, she slid past the female knight, spun around behind her to dissipate the force, and then immediately pursued her from behind.

The female knight knew that turning back now would inevitably lead to Saber’s direct attack, so she spurred her horse forward and, upon reaching the container, ordered it to push off and leap onto it.

When Artoria also jumped onto the container, she had already turned around and raised her spear, ready to meet Artoria’s slash from the air.

The sound of weapons clashing suddenly rang out. This time, Artoria didn’t give the female knight a chance. After landing on the container, she immediately launched a sprint.

The battle between the two intensified. The magical shockwave emanating from the female knight’s spear caused Artoria to break the barrier on her sword. The resulting gale collided with the magical shockwave, producing a deafening roar.

“Jian, is Saber alright?” The tense battle situation made Irisviel somewhat worried about Artoria’s condition.

“It should be fine, besides, I’m here.” Artoria and the female knight on horseback are evenly matched in strength. Who will win depends on their performance on the day. So far, it seems that the two are evenly matched.

At this moment, Artoria’s holy sword was revealed, its golden blade clashing with the jet-black spear. In the brief moment between the two brushing past each other, bright red blood blossoms bloomed and then vanished in an instant.

Artoria’s arm was scratched by the red and black crystal shards, leaving a thin wound, while the armor on the female knight’s calf was also torn, revealing a bright red mark.

Irisviel, who had been closely observing the battlefield, immediately used healing magic to heal Artoria’s wounds. The opposing Master also quickly healed the female knight’s wounds, indicating that the opposing Master was a skilled magician.

The two have clashed several times, each injuring the other, but these have all been minor scratches and not serious injuries. They have all been healed by healing magic. It seems that it will be quite a while before a winner is decided without the use of Noble Phantasms.

Despite the fierce battle, Artoria’s fighting spirit only grew stronger. In the first battle of the Holy Grail War, she encountered an evenly matched opponent. How could a swordsman not be full of fighting spirit?

Their holy swords and spears clashed once more, the air was once again turbulent, and the sounds of weapons clashing rang out continuously. Just then, Artoria and the female knight suddenly separated in perfect unison, followed by a thunderclap.

A flying object streaked across the sky, heading straight for them, scattering purple lightning sparks across the night sky, before crashing into the open space between Artoria and the female knight.

“Both of you put away your weapons before me!” With a calm and unhurried roar, the burly man on the carriage exuded a kingly aura with his piercing eyes, showing no fear of the swords and spears.

Needless to say, Artoria and the female knight did not put away their weapons because of the words of this newly appeared Heroic Spirit. Instead, they stood ready and prepared for battle, but for the time being, they had no intention of continuing to fight.

“My name is Iskandar, the King of Conquerors. I participated in this Holy Grail War and obtained the Rider class.” Upon hearing the burly man’s words, Artoria and Irisviel’s expressions immediately turned strange, while the most uneasy was the Master sitting next to the burly man.

“What are you thinking, you idiot?” the boy named Webber said in a panic, clutching Rider’s coat tightly.

“You are fighting each other for the Holy Grail. Before you clash, I have something to ask you. I don’t know what your expectations are for the Holy Grail, but think about it now. Is your wish more significant than a grand ambition that encompasses heaven and earth?”

Rider, or rather Iskandar, ignored Waver’s protests and glanced at Lancer and Saber on either side of him before asking directly.

“What exactly are you trying to say?” Artoria frowned slightly, not directly answering Iskandar’s question.

The female knight riding the black horse was even more decisive. She scoffed and turned the horse around, disappearing into spirit form. I watched the female knight’s disappearing figure, a strange look flashing in my eyes.

“It seems Lancer is a very decisive person.” The female knight’s abrupt departure made Iskandar feel a little awkward, but he quickly recovered.

“Saber, what I mean is, now that I have arrived on this battlefield, do you have any intention of giving me the Holy Grail? If you do, I will consider you all as my companions and share the joy of conquering the world with you.”

“You’re going to interfere with my duel with the female knight just to spout these jokes?” Artoria looked at Iskandar with a serious expression. To her, this so-called proposal was extremely unpleasant.

Feeling Saber’s intense gaze upon him, Iskandar muttered to himself in confusion, unconsciously pressing his temple in a helpless gesture, but his imposing posture remained unshaken.

“Stop talking!” Sensing that Iskandar was about to say something flattering, Artoria immediately interrupted.

“No matter what, I am the King of Britain, and I will never submit to or bow down to anyone.”

“Oh? The King of Britain? Could it be…” Iskandar raised his eyebrows, clearly having already guessed Artoria’s identity.

“Alright, since Saber has rejected your proposal, Rider, do you want to fight next?” To match my words, Artoria raised her sword at the same time. The previous battle hadn’t taken much to her advantage, so she was fully capable of fighting.

“Then our negotiations have broken down. What a pity, what a shame.” Iskandar looked at me with some surprise, as I stood leisurely between the two kings, seemingly unaffected in the slightest.

“I was wondering why you stole my artifact, so you wanted to join the Holy Grail War yourself, Mr. Waver Velvet.” A voice suddenly broke in, presumably the Lancer Master who had been watching silently.

When Waver heard someone call his name fiercely, he trembled. He already knew who the voice belonged to. If it was someone of high status, such as a lecturer at the Clock Tower and from a prestigious family, even if the relic was stolen, other heroic spirit relic could still be prepared.

Therefore, it’s not surprising that in this land of Fuyuki, even if that man stands here as Weber’s opponent or enemy, it’s not surprising at all.

“What a pity. I wanted to make your lovely student happy, Waver. A prisoner like you deserves the peaceful life that only mortals have.” Hearing this, I feel like you’re gay. It seems that even if the Servant has changed, the Master hasn’t, Kenneth El-Melloi.

“It seems Rider and Lancer’s Masters are old acquaintances. Iskandar doesn’t seem to have any intention of fighting either, so we’ll take our leave now and not disturb your reunion.” The female knight had already left, and I had no interest in watching a bunch of grown men chatting here.

“Wait a minute.” Seeing that I really intended to leave, and that Saber and another silver-haired woman were also preparing to leave with me, Iskandar couldn’t help but speak up to stop me.

“What’s wrong?” Artoria remained wary of Rider, ready to retaliate immediately if Rider launched an attack.

“Come out! There are others, aren’t there? Accomplices hiding in the shadows watching.” Iskandar’s words surprised both Artoria and Irisviel.

“What’s wrong, Rider?” Iskandar greeted Saber with a broad smile and a thumbs-up.

“Saber, your battle with Lancer just now was truly spectacular. The clash of swords and halberds was so crisp; it must have attracted more than one opponent.” After saying that, Rider wanted to send the deafening sound to every corner of the surrounding area, so he shouted it out again.

“How pitiful, how truly pitiful. The heroes gathered in Fuyuki, seeing the grandeur displayed by Saber and Lancer here, do they have no thoughts at all? To possess a true name worthy of praise yet keep peeking, how cowardly.”

After a burst of loud laughter, Rider tilted his head, a fearless expression on his face, and finally looked around with a defiant gaze.

“Heroic Spirits invited to the Holy Grail War, gather here now! Cowards who are afraid to even show their faces, don’t blame me, Iskandar the Conqueror, for insulting you. Prepare yourselves!”

Rider’s passionate speech reached the ears of several Masters and Servants who were secretly observing. Each person reacted differently. The first to react was a burst of golden light, and then the fourth Servant appeared.

At the top of a streetlamp, about ten meters above the ground, appeared a figure in golden, shimmering armor—the Streetlamp King. Seeing the newly appeared Servant’s arrogant demeanor, I couldn’t help but mentally complain. I didn’t rush to leave, but waited to see how things would develop.

“Two people who don’t respect me and arrogantly claim to be kings have appeared overnight.” As soon as he opened his mouth, the Golden Heroic Spirit curled his lips in displeasure, revealing his contempt for the other two Heroic Spirits.

“Even if you speak disrespectfully to me, Iskandar, I am still the world’s most famous conqueror.” Rider seemed not to have expected someone with an even stronger attitude than himself, and stroked his chin with a puzzled look.

“The only true hero worthy of being called a king is me; the rest are nothing but bastards.” The golden, gleaming spirit uttered a declaration that was even more insulting than a direct insult.

“Since you’ve brought it up, why don’t you state your name first? If you’re also a king, you wouldn’t be afraid of your own reputation, would you?” Iskandar joked, his golden, gleaming eyes fixed arrogantly on the burly man before him.

“Are you asking me? A mere bastard asking me, the king? If I grant you the honor of worshipping me, and you don’t even know my name, there’s nothing I can do about your ignorance.”

After the golden-glowing spirit made this assertion, strange, flame-like energy slowly rose from his left and right sides. In the next instant, swords and blades, gleaming with dazzling light, suddenly appeared in the empty sky.

The unsheathed sword and the gun were both dazzlingly decorated and exuded an undeniable magical power, clearly not ordinary weapons, but rather treasures.

Waver was terrified, and even the invisible Kenneth Lancer held his breath. In the distance, Kiritsugu Emiya and Maiya Hisau were also extremely tense.

Just then, a torrent of magic appeared from nowhere, and the upward-swirling magic gradually solidified into a gigantic figure, which was then enveloped by white mist.

Almost everyone present watched the newly appeared Servant with vigilance, except for a certain golden figure on the streetlight. His eyes showed no wariness or suspicion, but rather a pure killing intent as he looked down at the newly appeared Servant.

Because the newly appeared Servant is looking at the glittering gold Servant with indifferent eyes, such direct gaze is an unbearable humiliation for a Gold Servant. Now, for the Gold Servant, this new Servant is even more unforgivable than Rider, who claims to be a king.

The swords and spears floating to the left and right of the Golden Heroic Spirit changed their direction of attack. The tips of the swords and spears were now pointing towards the Golden Heroic Spirit’s top priority target: the Heroic Spirit enveloped in steam.

“I will tear you to pieces to vent my hatred, you bastard.” With this cold declaration, guns and swords flew through the air.

He threw the Noble Phantasm recklessly, like throwing a stone. It was an extremely violent throw, but despite the force, it was still incredibly destructive. The road surface was shattered, and the steam surrounding the newly appeared Heroic Spirit was blown away, revealing the true form of the Heroic Spirit inside.

A massive robot with a metallic sheen appeared, steam billowing from the vents of its cold armor. It held a huge, serrated blade in its hand, and a reddish eye was visible through the armor on its head.

Faced with the oncoming swords and spears, the robot Heroic Spirit did not dodge or slash back. Instead, it stood still and then released a large amount of steam. The resulting powerful airflow directly changed the trajectory of the incoming swords and spears, causing them to fall to the ground and explode.

“Hmph.” The golden hero was once again surrounded by light, and this time a new group of sixteen Noble Phantasms appeared behind him.

“You impudent bastard, let me see how many of my Noble Phantasms you can withstand!” With a command from the Golden Servant, or rather Archer, the swarm of Noble Phantasms floating in the void rushed toward the robot Servant.

Faced with such a large number of Noble Phantasms, the robot Heroic Spirit did not release Steam Impact in place this time. A red light flashed in its red eyes, and a large amount of steam spewed out from the robot’s arm holding the giant blade. With the propulsion of the steam, the thick mechanical arm swung the serrated giant blade.

The jagged giant blade, carrying the momentum of sweeping across a thousand armies, collided with the incoming barrage of Noble Phantasms. Accelerated by the steam, the blade swung up and down once, sweeping away all the incoming Noble Phantasms with a deafening explosion.

“That Heroic Spirit seems to have considerable strength wielding the giant blade, and with the added power of that energy, his strength and speed are even greater,” Rider analyzed with ease from the sidelines, while Artoria observed the battle between the two Heroic Spirits intently.

With a loud roar, the last of the sixteen Noble Phantasms was knocked to the ground. Amidst the billowing dust, the robot Heroic Spirit remained standing, while the warehouses, streets, and all the surrounding buildings collapsed.

The serrated greatsword held by the robot hero in his right hand was now riddled with dents and bumps. The explosion that had just occurred when the Noble Phantasm struck it had still damaged the thick blade, even though the airflow from the swing had slowed down the impact.

“Very well, your disrespect towards me is enough to make you die a thousand times over. You bastard standing there, I will kill you without leaving a trace.” Archer was so angry that his eyes were slightly wide open as he glared at the robot spirit and roared.

A new array of weapons appeared around him, causing space to twist. This time, a total of thirty-two Noble Phantasms shone brightly, a number that even surprised Rider, who fell silent.

The robot hero spirit deflected the continuous attack of sixteen Noble Phantasms, but now the gold hero spirit has brought out even more Noble Phantasms, something most people present did not expect.

At this moment, Tokiomi Tohsaka, who had been observing from the shadows, could no longer sit still. It was too early to fight with all his might now. He gritted his teeth and stared at the armor on his right hand.

At that moment, Archer’s gaze, which had been fixed on the robot spirit, suddenly shifted, looking towards the southeast. There, the hilly area of ​​Fukayama Town met the upscale residential area, and the Tohsaka family lived in that area.

“Using words of advice like ‘Your Highness’ to quell the king’s wrath? You’re getting bolder and bolder, Shichen.” Archer uttered these words in a low voice, and the countless Noble Phantasms around him concealed their brilliance and vanished without a trace.

“I’ll spare your life, you bastard.” Although the Golden Heroic Spirit’s face was still filled with anger, the murderous intent in his eyes had dissipated, but his proud expression remained unshaken as he looked down at all the Servants present.

“You bastards, next time we meet, stay away from scumbags. Only true heroes will see me.” After Archer’s final outburst, he vanished in spirit form.

After the Golden Heroic Spirit disappeared, the Robotic Heroic Spirit seemed to lose its purpose and simply vanished, leaving us and Rider behind.

“Now that the show is over, we’re leaving too, Rider.” The chaotic battlefield returned to calm, and my voice rang out.

“Alright, then let’s have another epic battle next time.” The successive departures of Servants had clearly dampened Iskandar’s enthusiasm. He and the Master boy summoned the oxcart from before, and with a roar of thunder, Rider’s chariot sped towards the southern sky.

“Phew, that was a really intense battle. I was so nervous watching it.” Irisviel finally relaxed and let out a long sigh of relief.

“Yes, the Holy Grail War is truly an exciting battle.” Artoria said calmly, but her heart was far from calm; the flames of battle as a hero were already burning fiercely within her.

“Alright, let’s head back to the Einzbern stronghold. It’s getting late, and not getting enough rest will be detrimental to our fighting ability.” Irisviel and Artoria nodded in unison, and then the three of us left the ravaged battlefield.

At the same time, in a 24-hour dessert shop, two lovely blonde girls were sitting. One was enjoying her dessert with satisfaction, while the other was looking out the window with great interest.

“It seems the party is over tonight. What a pity I couldn’t make it. But this makes me even more excited for the moment I meet him.” The blonde beauty placed her slender white fingers on her moist cherry lips, revealing an excited and expectant smile.

“…” The beautiful girl, while eating her dessert, silently watched her master’s excited expression, and for a second, she mourned for him before continuing to devote herself to the great cause of eating dessert.