In the sky, there is nothing superfluous—only a bright moon hanging high.
The clear night stretches for thousands of miles, and in the bustling city, neon lights flicker, exuding a certain dazzling beauty.
A man, slumped on the ground, wore an expression of shock as he stared at the king not far away. Her luxurious golden hair was not styled into an updo but pulled back into a ponytail, similar to his own, cascading behind her.
Her black suspender top and hot pants accentuated her figure, and the vitality of life seemed to leap within his vision.
Her long, slender legs were clad in black thigh-high leather boots, which made a crisp sound every time they touched the ground.
This was a visage of the king that Alaric had never seen before—imbued with heroic spirit and a modern flair.
Although her attire had changed, and her aura was colder than ever, Alaric could still confirm that this was Artoria Pendragon.
However, it was Alter Artoria—a reversed version of the Knight King.
Since she was the Knight King Artoria, she must be a Heroic Spirit. But in this era—
Alaric stood up from the ground, dusting off his hands. He did not immediately respond to the Knight King's questions but instead turned to survey the surrounding city.
It was a city full of modern aesthetics. Under the night sky, the multi-colored neon lights created a bizarre and fantastical world.
Although the streets were not crowded with people, Alaric quickly realized the true identity of this country—it was Japan. As for which specific city this was, he had no clue.
He didn't even know which city it was, let alone the time period.
Compared to the Knight King standing before him, Alaric was more concerned about the process of his movement.
Putting aside the external time, Alaric was very clear about the passage of time within himself—he had experienced several years of consciousness. Every minute, every second had left its marks on his body.
Alaric trusted his sense of time—it wouldn't be wrong.
Unable to understand where time had flowed, Alaric couldn't find an answer for the moment.
Ending his brief contemplation, Alaric returned his focus to the present. When he met the gaze of Salter again, he noticed her scrutinizing him from head to toe.
Alaric's appearance had piqued Salter's curiosity. More importantly, the presence of the dragon emanating from Alaric's body intrigued her.
The blood of the Red Dragon, which had undergone further transformation at the hands of Tiamat, still resonated with Salter, the source.
"It's our first meeting. Can you tell me what year it is now?"
Alaric, unperturbed, smiled and said, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Alaric, a wandering knight."
"Oh?"
Raising an eyebrow slightly, Salter maintained a cold demeanor, but the interrogative intent in her gaze did not diminish.
This was not a conversation between a king and her subject. In Alaric's eyes, it felt more like an equal exchange between friends.
"I know of you, Sir Alaric."
Summoned by the land, Salter's lips curled into a faint smile. The tyrannical aura of the Dragon King was on full display. "Although I'm not the same 'me' you are familiar with, you are still my knight. I didn't expect to meet you here."
Information about Alaric was not a taboo subject. As someone who had witnessed both the beginning and end of the Age of Gods, many Heroic Spirits were aware of his existence.
Upon being summoned to the present world by the land, even more detailed information about him was provided.
As for this knight she had never met before, Salter expressed her approval.
It wasn't just because of Alaric's personal qualities. More importantly, she now had something to flaunt in front of a certain dragon girl.
"I see. Then, can you tell me?"
Alaric blinked and smiled. "Is this some kind of Singularity-like world? Why do I sense the presence of multiple Heroic Spirits?"
The moment Alaric expanded his senses, he detected multiple spiritual foundations in the vicinity. Though he couldn't identify them specifically, the gathering of so many Heroic Spirits hinted at a Holy Grail War-like situation.
However, Alaric couldn't detect any magical energy indicative of a Holy Grail. Had someone hidden it?
Moreover, besides the spiritual foundations equivalent to Heroic Spirits, Alaric also noticed many extremely weak spiritual responses—so weak that they couldn't even be considered Heroic Spirits.
Yet, despite their weakness, they collectively formed a significant power.
At least, it was not a force to be underestimated by ordinary people.
Hearing this, Salter's expression remained unchanged. She said, "Since you have appeared, things will be much easier. Let's return to the residence first."
"If this is a Holy Grail War, shall we eliminate all the other servants first?"
Alaric quickly adapted to the situation, making a chopping gesture at his neck. "One and done. Saves a lot of trouble."
"Oh? As expected of my knight."
Finding a motorcycle parked by the roadside, Salter effortlessly mounted it with a flourish. She glanced at Alaric, signaling for him to get on as well.
Without hesitation, Alaric climbed aboard. For safety's sake, he rested his hands lightly on her slender waist.
Vroom!
The engine roared as it was infused with magical energy. With the skill of a Rider, Salter pushed the motorcycle to speeds beyond its limits, reaching a godlike velocity.
"So, are you not considering my proposal?"
Alaric's words were drowned out by the rushing wind as the motorcycle roared into the distance.
As Salter sped through the streets, Alaric managed to deduce the corresponding time period from the surrounding architecture and fragments of information—1999, Shinjuku, Japan.
Not only that, but this version of Shinjuku seemed to be teeming with delinquents. Some of them even exhibited power comparable to Heroic Spirits, their strong magical energy surpassing the limits of ordinary humans.
Even more intriguing was the presence of a strange tower standing in the center of Shinjuku—a towering structure so grand that it dwarfed the surrounding skyscrapers.
The multi-layered, circular floors of the tower extended endlessly into the sky, as if attempting to pierce the heavens.
However, whatever was inside the tower seemed to block Alaric's attempts to probe it.
Regardless, the tower was highly suspicious.
But compared to the mysterious tower, the act of following Salter back to her so-called residence surprised Alaric even more.
Getting off the motorcycle, Alaric glanced around and raised an eyebrow.
If his understanding wasn't mistaken, this appeared to be a Burger King.
"Stop dawdling here. Get inside."
Salter, after parking the motorcycle, decisively entered the empty Burger King, with Alaric following her down to its basement.
The basement of the Burger King, instead of being a storage area, was a space designed as a living quarter. There, Alaric spotted an orange-haired girl.
To Alaric, this was a reunion after several years—far more than the single year of the Holy Grail War. The time he had experienced during his transfer felt like four or five years.
Facing the girl he hadn't seen in years, Alaric simply raised his hand with a smile. "Hey, Miss Fujimaru!"
"Sir Alaric?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka—the final Master—was first taken aback. But soon, her expression blossomed into a joyful smile filled with longing.
For her, it had only been a month since they last met.
But how many reunions had it been already?
Fujimaru Ritsuka, who knew everything about Alaric as if counting the treasures in her pocket, smiled at the man she kept missing several times.
"Welcome back, Sir Alaric!"
Alaric's figure not only appeared in Fujimaru Ritsuka's eyes but also reflected in the eyes of everyone in Chaldea.
This included Mash Kyrielight, who had lost the power of the servant Galahad, and Leonardo da Vinci.
Looking at the man's face on the screen, Mash and Da Vinci immediately recalled the last time he had appeared—it was during the story of a certain unnamed Singularity.
Although Chaldea was unable to gather comprehensive information about the events that occurred at the Fuyuki Singularity, it was clear that Alaric had participated in the Holy Grail War to compete for the Grail. Although the outcome surprised everyone, still—
"Is he really Sir Alaric?"
Da Vinci, stroking her chin, gazed at the man on the screen. She couldn't help but wonder if Alaric's timing for appearing was too coincidental.
Chaldea was currently facing a crisis of destruction. After the end of the Human Order Incineration, Chaldea—equipped with Spiritron Transfer technology and many heroic spirits—was viewed as an extremely dangerous entity by organizations like the Clock Tower.
Although Da Vinci and the staff of Chaldea had collectively erased Fujimaru Ritsuka's involvement in the Human Order Incineration incident, the position of the new director of Chaldea remained vacant, leaving the organization in limbo.
This led to the appearance of new Singularities, forcing Fujimaru Ritsuka to resolve them. Without the company of other servants, she could only rely on the shadow servant.
The battles were manageable, but Alaric's sudden appearance—
Da Vinci squinted slightly. Was Alaric's movement across the world happening too frequently?
Unlike Da Vinci, who analyzed everything with a rational perspective, Mash's heart was filled with emotions similar to Fujimaru Ritsuka's.
After Alaric's frequent disappearances, Mash gradually accumulated a feeling called regret.
At the same time, while Salter searched for hamburgers to fill her stomach, Alaric began conversing with Fujimaru Ritsuka.
During the conversation, Alaric also gained a better understanding of the current situation.
In summary, this was indeed a Singularity, but it had occurred not long after the end of the Human Order Incineration. Moreover—
"You're getting a new director, huh?"
Looking at the light screen in front of him, Alaric stared at Mash and Da Vinci with a surprised expression, understanding Chaldea's current circumstances.
Having spent time in the Clock Tower, Alaric had some understanding of the moonlit world. Furthermore, Chaldea was an organization successfully established through collaborations among many factions; no single entity held absolute control.
While Chaldea's current state was concerning, Alaric was more interested in the origin of this Singularity.
Why would a place like Shinjuku contain something capable of influencing human history?
Moreover, Alaric was particularly curious about the Shinjuku Archer that Fujimaru Ritsuka mentioned.
As the first servant Fujimaru Ritsuka encountered after transferring into the Singularity, Shinjuku Archer was shrouded in an air of mystery.
The Shinjuku Archer Fujimaru Ritsuka had encountered seemed completely different from the one Salter had fought.
But could there be two Archers in this war?
Having not detected a multitude of servants akin to those found in a Holy Grail War, Alaric was certain that only seven servants existed in this Shinjuku.
So, was Fujimaru Ritsuka deceived?
Even Fujimaru Ritsuka herself couldn't make a definitive judgment just yet.
After all, she had only been in the Singularity for half a day.
After discussing the information about the Singularity, Alaric immediately noticed Fujimaru Ritsuka's gaze and smiled: "My journey doesn't compare to yours, but it might take a little longer!"
"Tell us, tell us!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash, brimming with curiosity about Alaric's adventures after his disappearance, looked at him with glowing eyes. Even though Mash wasn't physically present, she mirrored Fujimaru Ritsuka's posture, staring intently at Alaric.
"Wait! I'm not ready yet!"
Holding a hamburger, Salter stepped forward and quickly stood beside Fujimaru Ritsuka, declaring righteously, "As a king, it is only natural for me to listen to a knight's tales."
In response, Alarc hid his face behind a fan and smiled: "And how should I address this one?"
Alaric looked at the white dog accompanying Salter. Undoubtedly, it was a Samoyed, a genuine living creature rather than a summoned entity like a servant.
"Cavall II is Cavall II. Do you have a problem with that?"
Unperturbed, Salter replied while biting into her hamburger. Upon noticing the innocent smile of the white dog beside her, her cheeks turned slightly red.
It seemed the Dragon Tyrant had no resistance to such creatures.
Taking this scene in, Alaric nodded slightly and smiled: "I understand, I understand. Ahem, now then, everyone, listen closely."
Alaric didn't have much to hide about his own story. The only thing he didn't want Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others to know about was the existence of Aurora.
As the story unfolded, not only Fujimaru Ritsuka but even Mash, far away in Chaldea, subconsciously quieted down, while Da Vinci's eyes glittered with intrigue.
A brief night concluded with Alaric finishing his tale of his journey. Fujimaru Ritsuka peacefully fell asleep, bringing the day to an end until the next morning arrived.
...
Sitting on a sofa Salter described as extremely comfortable, Alaric leaned his chin on one hand, watching as Salter interacted with Cavall II. He commented, "Hamburgers for breakfast?"
"Of course!"
Salter replied righteously, "Hamburgers are the best junk food!"
Unable to argue with that, Alaric shrugged. After all, it was Artoria Alter.
["What about your wish? What exactly did you wish for?"]
Keeping her voice low, Da Vinci asked, "Is that the only thing you won't tell us?"
That night, not only had Da Vinci foregone sleep to adjust the vast amount of information, but Alaric—who had long surpassed the limits of human endurance—also stayed up, continuously exchanging information with Da Vinci in an effort to understand the current state of Chaldea.
After all, relying solely on Fujimaru Ritsuka's account wasn't very informative; Da Vinci's insights were far more comprehensive.
During this process, Alaric confirmed that Da Vinci had completely forgotten about someone's existence.
Not long after, Fujimaru Ritsuka woke from her dream. The first thing she noticed was the man not far away—a dreamlike sight.
"Good morning, Sir Alaric."
"Good morning, Miss Fujimaru."
As Fujimaru Ritsuka quickly got up and stretched, she noticed the hamburger Alaric handed her, calling it breakfast.
"Thank you."
After quickly finishing the hamburger, Fujimaru Ritsuka couldn't help but marvel at how wonderful the morning was—
But the peaceful morning faded when she noticed the night sky still lingering.
Staring at the perpetually dark sky, Fujimaru Ritsuka wore a puzzled expression. In contrast, Salter nonchalantly explained:
"The brilliance of daylight has long been forgotten. This Shinjuku is a world perpetually shrouded in night."