Arararara!
The tense, frigid air was shattered by a thunderous roar.
All eyes, within and beyond the battlefield, turned toward the southeast sky, the source unmistakable.
A flying object streaked in a straight line, trailing purple lightning sparks across the night.
A chariot!
Its ancient design featured two yokes, pulled not by horses but by muscular, wave-rippling bulls.
Their hooves trod the void, hauling a magnificent chariot.
Not merely floating, its wheels rumbled, and the bulls' hooves struck not earth but lightning.
Each step or roll in the empty sky sparked purple, web-like tendrils, their deafening booms roiling the air. The mana unleashed rivaled a full-force strike from Kingu or Assassin.
Only a Servant's Noble Phantasm could wield such bizarre power. Clearly, a third Servant was intervening in Kingu and Assassin's duel.
"I am Iskandar, King of Conquerors, summoned as Rider! I ask: will you join my banner, yield the Grail to me, and share the thrill of conquering the world as friends?"
As when Samuel first glimpsed him, Rider boldly declared his True Name.
Age of Babylon!
Kingu's attack intensified, hundreds—no, thousands—of chains and spears erupted from the earth, radiating fearsome mana, falling like a meteor shower that ended the Jurassic.
Unleashed fully, it could raze a city's surface.
Yet now, this terrifying barrage targeted Assassin alone.
Boom!
Assassin stomped, shattering the floor, raising his greatsword. Blue flames surged from his armor's gaps, evoking death and souls.
The flames climbed the blade as he swung with earth-shattering force.
A single, ordinary strike—not just from Assassin, but Kingu's Age of Babylon was also a basic attack.
Golden chains clashed with blue flames, splitting the world into two hues.
"…"
"Shouldn't we run?"
Waver, watching their godlike power, whispered weakly.
He and Rider were ignored as Kingu and Assassin's battle raged on.
Their clash shook space itself, forming a "singularity" in the sky, potent enough to destroy Fuyuki if unleashed. An unseen force channeled the energy skyward, golden and blue flames entwining into a pillar piercing the heavens.
Depleted chains fell, smashing the Tohsaka mansion. Countless magecraft defenses crumbled like tofu under a hammer, half the estate reduced to rubble.
These chains, imbued with "divine power and human wisdom," linked earth and sky, effortlessly destroying the mansion.
A refined patriarch stood on the second floor, staring at the half-vanished room, lost in thought.
"Vile assassin!"
"…"
Kingu sprang like a coil, his body an arrow breaking ten times the speed of sound.
"No fighting before this king!"
Rider yanked the reins, his chariot charging. Violent lightning sparked beneath the bulls' hooves, a Noble Phantasm embodying "thunder" racing forth.
"Hey, what are you doing?!"
Waver, awed by the Servants' might and their disregard for him, wanted to flee, but Rider charged in.
"!"
Kingu frowned, his arm gleaming metallically, body swiveling.
This sudden interloper caught him off guard.
Would Assassin seize the chance to strike?
Hah…
Kingu knew him. Despite calling him a vile assassin, they'd been rivals once, and Assassin preferred frontal assaults.
Even a sneak attack didn't faze Kingu.
Planting his feet into the earth, he gripped the bulls pulling the chariot. Lightning scorched the road, and their charge's impact slammed into him.
The force transferred through Kingu to the ground, shattering stone tiles, proving they weren't from the same supplier as Ryuudou Temple.
"No way! That's insane!"
Waver shouted, incredulous. He knew Servants were impossibly strong, but as someone who'd felt the chariot's speed, Kingu's brute-force resistance was absurd.
"You're not a Berserker, are you?"
Rider asked, shocked. Berserkers typically had the best base stats, enhanced by Mad Enhancement.
Rider knew his chariot's power—a Noble Phantasm against armies. Though not fully unleashed, its charge could level a hill.
He'd meant to force Kingu to dodge, not expect him to tank it.
"Hah!"
With a heave, Kingu flipped the divine bulls, upending the chariot.
"Aaah!"
Waver, caught by Newton's laws, was flung from the chariot.
Rider, steering to adjust, grabbed Waver, holding him tight.
After Waver's wails, the chariot righted itself, landing aside.
"What's your deal?"
Kingu glared at the burly man on the chariot, irked by the interloper.
"Whoa, that power's terrifying!"
From his chariot, Rider eyed Kingu, who'd landed nearby. In their brief clash, he felt an unmatched strength, a tier above his own. Due to Waver's lackluster Master qualifications, Rider's stats were lowered, his strength at B-rank.
From that exchange, he judged his foe's strength at least A-rank, possibly higher.
***
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