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It was late. The moon hung high in the night sky.
Back at the Matou residence.
Aside from Sakura, who stayed at the Tohsaka mansion to help her sister with the funeral, the rest of the group had already politely declined Rin's offer to stay over and returned here.
"Ugh, funerals are seriously such a downer," Irisviel took a deep breath of fresh air. "This place feels way more relaxing."
"Master, are you sure you don't want to leave someone behind to guard them?" Medusa asked quietly. "It is the Holy Grail War—won't someone target them?"
"Don't worry," Minato said, shaking his head. "Sakura and Rin are both geniuses. Now that they've reincarnated as demons, they're far from weak."
"And as long as they stay in this city, if anything happens, I can get there in an instant. So there's nothing to worry about."
"Looks like you've thought this through, Master."
"Of course. I take my wings very seriously."
"Whoa whoa, Master… you really are trash, huh?"
"What the hell are you thinking? They're just kids."
"..."
Medusa's eyelid twitched.
Okay. Fair point. Hard to argue with that logic.
Still… she couldn't help doubting it.
Those two were so small and cute…
What if Master doesn't like me anymore because of them?
Honestly, my body doesn't even compare…
"???"
Minato gave her a strange look.
What kind of face is that?
Don't tell me she's spiraling into weird thoughts again?
BOOM!
Just then, thick clouds rolled in and thunder cracked across the night sky.
"With that kind of noise, it's gotta be Rider's chariot," Artoria looked up. "But I'm not sensing any hostility or killing intent… could he be here for something other than a fight?"
"Whatever the case, let's check it out," Minato shrugged. "Friend or foe, we'll settle it either way."
Medusa and the others nodded and followed him outside.
"Yo! Demon bro! King of Knights! Good evening!"
Iskandar leapt off his chariot with a grin, waving enthusiastically.
"What are you wearing?"
Artoria's ahoge twitched as she stared at his outfit—a plain white T-shirt. She was left speechless.
Irisviel just blurted out what everyone was thinking: "That's some horrible fashion taste."
"Is that so?" Iskandar glanced down at himself. "I thought it looked pretty good."
Weber sighed from the side. "I told you not to dress like that…"
"Haha, ah, who cares," Iskandar laughed it off. "This place is nice and spacious—perfect spot for a banquet!"
As he spoke, he dragged a giant barrel of wine down from his chariot and smashed the lid open with a slap.
The air was instantly filled with the rich aroma of alcohol.
"A banquet?" Artoria blinked. "That's why you're here?"
Medusa and the others looked totally lost. They could not follow this King of Conquerors' train of thought at all.
Throwing a party right in enemy territory? That's… beyond words.
Instinctively—
They all looked at Minato.
"A little party doesn't sound too bad."
Minato smiled, grabbed a chair, sat down, and pulled out a magic book to read casually.
Ah yes—The King's Banquet. That was a thing.
If all goes well, the remaining Servants should show up too.
Then maybe… the Holy Grail War could finally end.
"Haha, I knew you wouldn't say no, Demon bro!" Iskandar laughed heartily, scooping up some wine with a bamboo ladle and downing it in one gulp.
"Well then—let's have ourselves a proper kingly Holy Grail Q&A!"
"You mongrel. Even jokes have their limits."
A flash of golden light burst through the air, and Gilgamesh appeared out of thin air.
"Archer, are you here to fight?" Artoria stepped forward, hand on her sword.
"Haha, don't be so tense, King of Knights," Iskandar chuckled. "I invited him too. A King's Q&A needs all the kings gathered, right?"
"But Golden Boy, you're late."
"You chose such an awful location," Gilgamesh sneered, shooting Minato a glance. "If I hadn't given you my word, I wouldn't have come."
If it weren't for his pride as a king and his promise…
He'd have smacked that demon across the face already.
He glanced at the wine barrel with disdain. "And this… this cheap swill? You call this wine? It's an insult to kings."
"Eh? I think it tastes fine," Iskandar replied awkwardly. "I heard this was top-quality stuff!"
"Mongrel. And you call yourself a king?"
Gilgamesh snorted and summoned a full set of elegant, golden wine bottles and goblets from a ripple of golden light.
"Now this—this is wine fit for kings."
[Origin 8]
Minato's eyes lit up.
Damn, trust Golden Boy to have all the best stuff.
Iskandar looked at him and laughed, "What, Demon bro, interested in this too?"
Gilgamesh huffed proudly, "Forget it. You're just a lowly demon. This is a royal banquet."
"Who says I'm not a king?"
Minato put away his magic book and smiled. "If you think about it… I am the ruler of an empire."
"..."
Everyone stared at Minato, his aura absolutely regal. And surprisingly, no one said anything.
With that kind of presence, that kind of power…
If he really was some king of demons, it honestly wouldn't be that hard to believe.
Still, no one in history had ever heard of a demon king like this before.
"Demon bro, this might be a bit forward, but…" Iskandar hesitated for a moment before asking, "What's your real name? And what kind of king are you, exactly?"
"My real name is Minato."
Minato smiled casually. "As for what kind of King I am... I guess you could call me the King of Harems."
"After all, I am the kind of demon who's building a harem."
"Oh la la, as expected of Lord Minato. What a noble ambition," someone teased.
"Master, can you please think of something else for once?" another complained.
The other three Kings fell silent for a moment.
This was supposed to be a serious discussion between Kings.
Somehow, the whole mood had totally gone off track.
"Harem King, huh?"
Iskandar grinned. "It sounds ridiculous, sure, but if that's your version of the 'King's Path,' I guess that's fair."
"How is that fair at all?" Artoria frowned. "A King shouldn't rule just to—"
"Why not?" Iskandar cut her off boldly. "My King's Path is conquest and domination."
"In the end, it's just following your desires. That makes me no different from our demon friend here."
"I don't like this demon much," Gilgamesh added, "but I'll admit, his ambition is real."
Wait a minute—these two were actually understanding?
Minato gave both of them a look of approval.
"You guys..." Artoria stood there frozen.
Why?
Why did her version of kingship feel completely at odds with theirs?
Where had it all gone wrong?
"Anyway, let's get back on topic," Iskandar said, taking a swig of wine. "King of Knights, since you've been summoned here, what's your wish?"
Snapping out of it, Artoria straightened and answered firmly, "I want to save my homeland. I want to change the fate that led to its downfall."
Her voice was resolute, serious, and full of strength.
As soon as she spoke, the atmosphere subtly shifted.
Her serious expression slowly changed too, like she was unsure.
Did she say something wrong?
Iskandar was the first to break the silence. He asked, "Your homeland... that must've been ages ago, right?"
"Yes," Artoria said sorrowfully, "which is why I can never forgive myself. I want to change that ending—the tragedy that happened because of me."
"Hahaha! That's hilarious."
Gilgamesh laughed loudly. "I have to admit, this banquet just got interesting."
"A King who was praised by the masses, yet now denies her own existence. How very amusing."
"What's so funny about that?" Artoria stood firm. "As a King, if my country was destroyed, shouldn't I feel regret?"
"No. You're wrong."
Iskandar looked serious. "A country exists to serve its King."
"If the country fell because of your decisions, even if it hurts—even if it's painful—regret is still not something a King should feel."
"I can't agree with that," Artoria argued. "To me, a true King is someone who gives everything to save their people."
"Your view of kingship, Iskandar... at best, that's the mindset of a tyrant."
"Better a tyrant than a puppet with no desire."
Iskandar stood up, speaking slowly and clearly. "Blaming yourself for everything, trying to act like a saint…"
"How can you expect your people to follow you? How can you lead anyone like that?"
"In the end, King of Knights, you're just lost in your own ideals. You're not a qualified ruler. Your country's downfall? It was inevitable."
"You—!"
Artoria froze in place.
For a second, she felt like she was back in that blood-soaked sunset in her memories.
But just then, a voice cut in.
"Gilgamesh, Iskandar... are you two bullying my future follower?"
Minato spoke up. "If that's what's going on, I can't just sit here and ignore it."
He didn't move a muscle, but an overwhelming, eerie energy rolled out from him like a tidal wave, flooding the entire courtyard.
He glanced at both men.
"My follower's wish isn't funny at all. Whether it's changing history, rewriting time, or even destroying the world…"
"If she wants to do it, then go for it. So what?"
Finally—he'd been waiting for this.
Words alone weren't enough to truly win Artoria over.
And everything he said... he meant it.
If he ever got strong enough—so what if he helped his follower toy with fate itself?
D-Destroy the world?
Did they hear that right?
Gilgamesh and Iskandar both twitched slightly, staring hard into Minato's eyes.
There wasn't even a hint of falsehood in what he said.
He really meant all that insane stuff?
This guy... what a demon indeed.
"Master..." Artoria murmured, stunned.
Honestly, she never expected Minato to be the one to stand up for her.
But she couldn't deny—she was moved.
If the Holy Grail couldn't do it… maybe, with her Master's power...
Without realizing it, she clenched her fists slightly.
"..."
Medusa and Irisviel exchanged a look.
Yep. All this… just to build a harem.
This was some next-level stuff.
Messing with fate itself?
Way too over the top.
But... unexpectedly trustworthy, huh?
"Hold on a sec!"
Iskandar blinked, turning to Artoria. "Did you just call him 'Master'? Isn't he a Servant?"
Gilgamesh also looked confused.
"That's right. He's my Master."
Realizing she'd revealed the truth, Artoria just nodded calmly.
"No way!"
"A mere demon… actually a Master?" Iskandar muttered.
Both he and Gilgamesh turned to Minato, their eyes full of suspicion and disbelief.
"Doesn't matter," Minato said as he stood up. "Since we're being honest now, there's no need to keep this so-called Holy Grail debate going."
He spoke slowly, but his words carried weight.
"Berserker is already my follower and has left the Grail War."
"Lancer, Caster, and Assassin—killed by my hand."
His voice rumbled like thunder. He wasn't tall, but right now, he felt like he stood shoulder to shoulder with the heavens.
"That leaves just you two. So I say… let's end this Holy Grail War here."
BOOM!
A massive surge of magic exploded skyward, spreading across the night like a sea of dark clouds.
In that moment, it was like the whole world shook.
Every mage in Fuyuki City felt it and turned to look in the same direction.
Who the hell could have this kind of power?
Irisviel and Medusa stared at Minato, their minds going totally blank.
What… what overwhelming dominance.
This version of Minato was so different from before.
As they looked at him, it felt like the very air around them bent to his will, trembling with submission.
This Minato... was dangerously attractive.
Without realizing it, both Irisviel and Medusa's faces turned bright red. Their legs squeezed together awkwardly.
So this… this was the real face of their Master?
Artoria's heart pounded. The way she looked at Minato subtly shifted again.
"....."