Hearing that loud confession, the Magi hiding and watching from a distance choked. An apprentice Magus? Someone radiating a terrifying aura and capable of putting two knight-class Servants under immense pressure claimed to be just an apprentice?! Impossible. The boy must be lying through his teeth.
Meanwhile, in a dimly lit room illuminated only by faint light, a well-built man stood facing the wall, speaking through a magical communication device.
"That is the situation, Tokiomi-sama. Such is the appearance and power of the unknown magus who just appeared," reported Kotomine Kirei in his signature flat tone.
From the other end of the line, the usually calm voice of Tokiomi Tohsaka was now tinged with doubt. "A living human interfering in a Servant battle? And he possesses such immense power? Could he be a hunter sent by the Clock Tower? No, that doesn't make sense. Kirei, did Assassin detect the presence of a foreign Servant near that boy?"
"No, Master. But the biggest anomaly is... that person knows Lancer's True Name. He just referred to him as Diarmuid—"
Kirei's sentence was suddenly cut off. In the darkness of the room, Kirei's eyes widened. Through the shared vision connection he shared with one of the Assassin personas hiding atop a harbor crane, he saw something impossible. The mysterious teenager at the pier... was looking directly at Assassin and waving his hand cheerfully.
"Hello, up there! The Assassin named Hassan-i-Sabbah!" Ritsuka shouted casually, his voice echoing through the silent night and stopping the heart of every Magus who heard it.
"How about you come down and join us here? There's still plenty of room, you know!"
Kirei froze stiff hearing that.
"Tokiomi-sama..." Kirei called back into his communication device, his tone now sounding slightly heavier. "That teenager... he also knows Assassin's identity. And with his shout just now, all the Masters at the pier surely know that Assassin is still alive."
At the Tohsaka residence, Tokiomi was stunned stiff. His perfect plan had just fallen apart. With a panicked tone, he immediately issued an emergency order, "Pull Assassin back right now before he is exposed any further—"
"Tokiomi-sama... Assassin was just attacked," Kirei interrupted.
At the pier, one of the Assassin personas who was preparing to escape suddenly felt an unfamiliar presence from his blind spot. With high-level agility, the killer leaped away from where he stood.
BOOM!
A massive blunt object smashed the iron structure where Assassin had been a second ago, creating a thick plume of smoke in the air.
"Wow... I told you not to interfere, Mash. Why did you still follow me here? I'm going to punish both of you later," Ritsuka grumbled from below, his eyes staring at the billowing smoke up there. However, despite his grumbling, a faint, proud smirk was carved on his face. "But... her attacks are getting stronger," he muttered softly.
Ritsuka's attention was diverted again when the tip of an invisible sword was pointed right at him.
"You! Answer me! How can you have that inside your body?!" snapped Artoria, referring to the Dragon Core resonating in the young man's chest.
Ritsuka turned his body back to face the Knight King casually. "Haaah... calm down first, Artoria... or should I call you by your real name, Arthur Pendragon? I'll explain it later—"
Ritsuka's words were cut off. The name spoken so blatantly became a trigger. Without the slightest hesitation, Artoria dashed forward at full speed, swinging her sword to silence the young man's mouth.
Sensing pure killing intent, Ritsuka immediately jumped back.
BAM!
Artoria's slash missed and shattered the pier's concrete where Ritsuka had just stood, leaving a small, cracked crater.
"How do you know my name?!" Artoria growled, glaring sharply at the young man who had now landed smoothly not far from her.
"About that..." Ritsuka didn't look intimidated at all. Instead of answering, he looked up at the empty night sky. "Hey, you can come out now, Rider! Iskandar, the Conqueror... Alexander the Great!"
Right after that loud shout echoed in the air...
KABOOM!
Lightning struck violently from the night sky. A deafening thunderclap exploded in the middle of the arena, accompanied by the rumbling footsteps of giant bulls. Gale-force winds swept across the pier, forcing Lancer and Saber to raise their arms to shield their faces from the flashing light and flying dust.
However, in the midst of the lightning storm, Ritsuka merely closed his eyes calmly, enjoying the gust of wind from the arrival of the Gordius Wheel chariot.
Opening his eyes again, Ritsuka stared at the giant, red-caped figure now standing gallantly atop his chariot. He smiled broadly.
"As always... so magnificent."
From behind the flashes of lightning and billowing dust, the form of an ancient war chariot pulled by two giant divine bulls slowly became visible. Atop the chariot stood a massive, muscular man standing tall in his grand red mantle. He spread his arms wide and shouted with a baritone voice that echoed across the pier,
"Hold your sword strikes! Lower your weapons in the presence of the King!"
Then the giant man puffed out his chest. "I am Iskandar—"
"Yeah, yeah, I just said that. Iskandar the Great, Rider-class Servant. You don't need to repeat it, you know," interrupted a very casual-sounding voice.
The Conqueror King's grand declaration was cut short instantly. Iskandar looked down and found that the black-haired teenager from earlier—who a second ago was still within Saber's striking distance—had somehow relocated and was standing right in front of his chariot with an innocent smile.
Hearing that casual interruption, Iskandar slowly lowered his arms. Instead of feeling insulted, his eyes actually sparkled with interest.
"Wow, you are a very interesting Magus!" exclaimed Iskandar. "You are facing the King of Conquerors, dare to interrupt my words, and there isn't a shred of fear on your face, huh?"
Ritsuka only smiled faintly. Casually, he raised his hand and began patting the forehead of one of the lightning bulls pulling the chariot.
"Why be afraid? Fear will only make you weak, right?" he replied lightly.
As he spoke, he kept petting the monster's head. Miraculously, the divine bull that should have been fierce and dangerous snorted softly instead, closing its eyes, and looked completely tame enjoying Ritsuka's strokes.
Iskandar stroked his thick beard, then his laughter erupted loudly. "Gahahaha! It seems not all modern Magi are stiff and cowardly! Look, boy, you have to learn to be as tough as him later!"
The King looked back, glancing at a skinny teenage boy trembling in fear behind the shadow of his large mantle.
"W-what are you doing, you idiot?! Why are you casually chatting with the enemy?!" the teenager whispered in panic while desperately tugging at Iskandar's mantle.
Feeling annoyed by his Master's panic, Iskandar casually raised his large hand and flicked the teenager's forehead.
FLICK!
"Ouch!"
A Servant's physical strength was too much for an ordinary human. Instantly, the young Master's body was thrown backward and tumbled down from the chariot, hitting the ground in a very ungraceful manner.
"Hello, Waver," Ritsuka greeted casually, waving his hand at the young magus who was still sitting on the ground rubbing his forehead.
Waver flinched in shock, his eyes widening in panic. Iskandar, seeing that, laughed out loud instead.
"Hoho! Not only do you know the True Names of the Servants here, but you also know my Master's name? Kid, it seems you know too many things, huh?" the King of Conquerors remarked in an amazed tone.
Ritsuka just shrugged casually. "Well... let's just call it experience."
Iskandar stared at him intently for a moment. "I am very interested in someone like you, but before that," after saying that, Iskandar then shifted his gaze toward Lancer and Saber. His face now turned serious and full of authority.
"It is destiny that brought us here to fight for the Holy Grail," Iskandar stated with a loud voice that echoed across the harbor area.
"But before the bloodshed begins, I want to make an offer to all of you... How about you hand the Holy Grail over to me, and join my army?"
He spread his arms wide, radiating the absolute charisma of a leader. "I will welcome you as honorable allies! We will share the pride and pleasure of conquering the world together!"
A brief silence blanketed the pier after that grand speech.
"Too bad, but I must refuse it firmly," Lancer replied sharply, breaking the silence. "I will only present the Holy Grail to one person, and that is my new lord. The Grail is absolutely not for someone like you, Rider!"
On the other hand, Artoria, who usually responded harshly to such provocations, fell silent instead. The words caught in her throat. She couldn't focus on Iskandar's declaration at all; her instincts and breathing were a mess because her Dragon Core resonance kept churning in response to Ritsuka's presence nearby.
"Sorry, King of Conquerors, but I can't do that either," Ritsuka chimed in suddenly, drawing everyone's attention back. "That Holy Grail will be mine. And that means... I will defeat all of you here."
Iskandar's eyebrows rose high. "Does that mean you intend to challenge all the Servants here with that human body of yours? Your bravery is truly fitting to be my ally! Are you not afraid at all to fight us all alone?"
Ritsuka stopped petting the lightning bull. His casual smile slowly faded, replaced by cold eyes.
"Do you think... I still look like an ordinary human?" Ritsuka said softly yet full of pressure. "And yes, I will challenge all of you if necessary."
Slowly, the young man turned his head, looking up sharply at the top of a tall streetlamp towering in the middle of the dark pier.
"The same goes for you... Gilgamesh," Ritsuka called out, his voice cutting through the night wind. "I won't hesitate in the slightest, even if the opponent is you."
A roaring, arrogant laugh instantly shattered the tension of the night.
"HAHAHAHA! This is truly a spectacle beyond my expectations!"
Atop the streetlamp, blue motes of light began to gather, weaving the form of a blond-haired man with a pair of ruby-red eyes that glared sharply like a ruler of the world. His entire body was clad in dazzling pure gold armor.
Sensing the immense pressure from the new Servant, Lancer and Rider instantly went on guard. Lancer shifted his spear into a defensive stance, while Rider swiftly hid Waver behind his large mantle. On the other hand, Artoria, who was still struggling to catch her breath, forced herself to stand in front of Irisviel.
Oddly enough, despite the new danger appearing, the Knight King's gaze remained fixated—almost hypnotized—on Ritsuka's figure.
"Hahahaha! Tokiomi, it seems I won't need to regret answering your summons in this war," exclaimed the gold-armored man. He then looked down at Ritsuka. Interestingly, the arrogant glare he usually gave to lowly creatures was completely absent. Instead, his eyes hinted at a rare acknowledgment.
"Hi, how are you, Gil?" Ritsuka greeted casually, waving his hand without a care.
Hearing that familiar and impudent greeting, Gilgamesh didn't get angry; instead, he just smirked faintly.
"You've changed a lot, huh," Gilgamesh said meaningfully. "Do you have absolutely no regrets about doing something that extreme to your own body?"
Ritsuka paused for a moment. "As expected from the King of Heroes, those eyes can truly see everything. I can't hide anything from you," Ritsuka smiled faintly. "Well... I did all this to gain power. The power to protect the people who are precious to me, and of course... for the future of humanity."
Gilgamesh nodded slowly, radiating an aura of satisfaction. "Very well. Since you shoulder that burden willingly without lamenting your fate, I shall accept it—"
"Hoho! Is this the form of the legendary King of Heroes?! Your appearance is very grand, hey—" Iskandar shouted loudly, unknowingly interrupting Gilgamesh's words.
In that instant, Gilgamesh's gaze sharpened. The air beside him rippled with gold, and a sword shot out as fast as lightning from the void straight towards Iskandar's face. Thanks to his extraordinary combat instincts, Iskandar immediately realized the deadly threat. He jumped back from his chariot while pulling Waver's body.
SWISH! KABOOM!
The sword pierced and shattered the ground near Iskandar's chariot.
"Silence, mongrel," Gilgamesh hissed coldly, his aura turning deadly once again. "I did not give you permission to interrupt my conversation with my subject."
"Wow, you've already claimed that boy as your subject? It seems I'm getting even more interested in him too!" Iskandar teased with a heavy laugh.
Gilgamesh completely ignored Iskandar's chatter. His ruby eyes locked intensely onto Ritsuka.
"I only have one question for you," said the King of Heroes in an authoritative tone. "Do you stand here as my ally, or my enemy? If you wish, I could just hand that item over to you, but you would have to handle your problems yourself."
"Well, if I accept that offer, maybe I could indeed finish all the business here very quickly," Ritsuka smiled faintly, his tone implying a sense of nostalgia understood only by the two of them.
The young man paused his sentence for a moment, staring straight into the King's red eyes. "But, if I keep taking the easy way out like that, I will never grow. I will only continue to hide and let myself stay behind your back like in the past."
The smile on the young man's face slowly faded, replaced by eyes radiating pure resolve.
"So... forgive me, Gil. Just for this once, I choose to be your enemy." Ritsuka gave his final answer firmly, without the slightest hesitation left in his eyes.
Gilgamesh fell silent for a moment hearing that outright rejection. But a second later, he smiled broadly and his laughter exploded in the air once again.
"HAHAHAHA! Good! Since that is the path you choose, then I will face you not merely as an Archer-class Servant, but as the King! Consider this my trial for you, my subject. Defeat me with all the power you possess!"
Gilgamesh spread both of his arms grandly, radiating his golden aura of arrogance.
Ritsuka met that gaze. A slightly manic smile was slowly carved onto the young man's face. "That is exactly what I want."
Behind his ribs, Ritsuka's heart beat incredibly fast.
'This feeling again...' he thought. This was not the trembling of fear or panic. This was pure ecstasy. A wild rush of adrenaline making him thirst for a battle on the brink of death. An extraordinary sensation that made him feel truly alive. 'In my previous life, this never happened. Is it because of that wheel, or because...'
Responding to its master's explosive desire to fight, the Magic Circuits in Ritsuka's body instantly activated to the maximum. Glowing lines of energy pierced through his skin, spreading like luminous tattoos from his chest, extending to both arms, legs, up to his face and head. A highly dense wave of prana burst forth, pressuring the air around him.
"However, before you step up to face me..." Gilgamesh suddenly lowered his gaze, looking in disgust towards the shadows in the corner.
"...it seems you have to take care of that mad dog first."
Right in the direction of Gilgamesh's gaze, black fog began to gather. From within that pitch-black darkness stood a knight clad in pitch-black armor.
Dark smoke and a miasma of madness billowed from his entire body, polluting the night air and radiating an absurd killing intent.
Seeing that very familiar armored silhouette, Ritsuka's eyes widened slightly. "You... Lance—"
Ritsuka's words were cut off. The black knight suddenly dashed, cleaving through the air with incredible speed. Driven by his mad instincts, he reacted to the energy overflowing from Ritsuka's body. Assuming the young man radiating the strongest dragon energy was his main target, Berserker lunged straight at Ritsuka mercilessly.
"AAAAAARTHUUUUUUURRRRR!!!" a shrill roar of despair tore from
behind the black knight's steel helmet, echoing terrifyingly amidst the crashing winds of the harbor.