…
Artoria Pendragon sensed the surge of magical energy released by Gilgamesh.
She immediately headed for the Civic Hall.
Although she had formed an alliance with Gilgamesh, the other Servants would surely gang up on him. She had to go help.
Along the path she had to pass—
Haruka Kasugano, Circe, and Lancelot were lurking in the shadows, snickering.
----
Gilgamesh's figure appeared at the entrance of the Fuyuki Great Bridge, his gaze as sharp as a cheetah's.
Iskandar and Waver Velvet followed behind him, stepping onto this bridge that connected their fates.
"Rider, where is your chariot?" Gilgamesh mocked with a smile. "Without it, how can you possibly contend with me?"
Iskandar shook his head indifferently, his eyes shining with determination. "A chariot is merely an aid on my road of conquest, not the source of my courage. Today, with this mortal body, I shall challenge you—the King of Heroes!"
A hint of admiration flashed in Gilgamesh's eyes. "Well said, King of Conquerors. I acknowledge your courage. Come—let us decide this upon the battlefield!"
As soon as his words fell, a blazing magical whirlwind swept in, twisting the surrounding space.
When calm returned, they found themselves standing in an endless desert.
Beneath a cloudless sky, tens of thousands of soldiers cheered in the distance—this was Iskandar's Ionioi Hetairoi, the King's Army.
Iskandar stood atop a sand dune, gazing at the heroic spirits surging like a tide.
He took a deep breath and shouted, "Our opponent today is the invincible King of Heroes! Let us give our all and display the dominance of the King's Army!"
"Ooooooh—!" the soldiers roared in unison, their voices shaking heaven and earth.
Gilgamesh stood at the far end of the desert, eyes blazing.
Facing the vast army, he showed not the slightest fear—only confidence.
At Iskandar's command, the King's Army surged forward like a tidal wave.
Amid swirling sand and dust, they charged with earth-shaking momentum.
Gilgamesh watched the advancing enemy with delight in his eyes.
Only such a powerful foe was worthy of his full strength.
Slowly, he drew a bizarre-looking sword from the Gate of Babylon. The mere act of unsheathing it stirred terror deep within the soul.
Iskandar did not retreat.
He knew that only by enduring this strike head-on could he hope to defeat the King of Heroes.
He inhaled deeply and spurred his horse toward Gilgamesh.
"Enuma Elish—Star of Creation that Split Heaven and Earth!" Gilgamesh raised the divine blade and roared.
The sky trembled. The earth howled.
A vast surge of magical power shook the very laws of the universe.
With a flash of light, the land itself seemed torn apart. A massive abyss appeared out of nowhere.
Not only was the earth cleaved—the very void split in two.
Before this overwhelming force, Iskandar's army collapsed instantly, scattering like grains of sand in a storm.
The sky fell. The earth shattered. Everything returned to nothingness.
Before Gilgamesh's anti-world Noble Phantasm, the King's Army was utterly powerless.
Iskandar rode back into reality with Waver.
Without his chariot, he no longer had the strength to fight.
He set Waver down and launched a final, suicidal charge toward Gilgamesh.
The result was inevitable—he fell before Gilgamesh's countless Noble Phantasms.
Without mobility, he was nothing more than a target.
Bound by the Chains of Heaven, pierced through the chest by Ea—
Iskandar died.
From afar, Waver broke down in tears.
Gilgamesh spared him, dematerialized, and left.
----
The earth-shaking battle was naturally sensed by Artoria in the distance.
She immediately headed toward Fuyuki Bridge.
But a few hundred meters ahead of her, Haruka Kasugano and the others were stunned.
"Piglet, why did she suddenly change direction? Didn't you say she would definitely go to the Civic Hall?" Circe asked.
"Uh…" Haruka Kasugano hadn't expected this either.
In the original storyline, she did go to the Civic Hall, didn't she?
Why was she detouring toward Gilgamesh instead?
"It's fine. The Holy Grail will descend soon. She'll definitely head to the Civic Hall afterward!" Haruka Kasugano laughed.
"How would the Grail descend now? It only manifests when there are two Servants left—or at least three. But here… there are still four." Circe chuckled.
"Huh?"
Right…
Haruka Kasugano slapped his forehead.
He had been fixated on the original plot points and forgotten that he had changed the course of events.
In the original timeline, Gilgamesh and Iskandar fought one-on-one. After Iskandar's death, only three Servants remained.
That was when Irisviel von Einzbern's body transformed into the Holy Grail and automatically flew to the Civic Hall.
But now, because Circe was his Servant and had not died like Gilles de Rais originally did, there were still four Servants left.
The Grail would not manifest.
Which meant Artoria had been heading to the Civic Hall only because she believed Gilgamesh was there. Now that he was elsewhere, of course she would detour.
And she might not return to the Civic Hall at all.
This was bad—things were no longer predictable.
"Hahaha! Piglet, this is the first time your prediction was wrong!" Circe laughed.
"It's fine. A wrong guess doesn't matter. I'll find another chance to help you capture her," Haruka Kasugano replied.
Circe hugged his arm, swaying her hips.
"Forget it. We ambushed the wrong place. We'll wait for next time," Haruka Kasugano sighed.
Suddenly, Circe's expression turned serious.
"Piglet, that little sister you hid in the sewer workshop—she's in terrible pain right now!"
"What?" Haruka Kasugano was shocked.
Right!
Iskandar had just died. His heroic spirit must have just been injected into Irisviel's body.
That would accelerate her physical collapse.
She must be in agony now.
"Forget Saber. Let's hurry back and deal with her situation first!" Haruka Kasugano said anxiously.
"Okay~!"
Circe swiftly brought Haruka Kasugano back to the sewer hideout.
"Ah!"
"Ahhh!"
Irisviel writhed in pain. The injection of Rider's heroic spirit made her suffering unbearable.
Her limbs had gone completely numb. Sweat drenched her as she trembled.
Haruka Kasugano walked over and pulled her into his arms.
"Madam, don't be afraid. I'm here," he comforted her.
"Don't…" Irisviel clutched his clothes and said weakly, "I know you like me, but don't… there's no meaning in it…"
"I am the vessel of the Holy Grail. This is my fate. With one more heroic spirit entering me, I will become the Grail…"
"Let go of your feelings. Liking me is meaningless…"
What a kind and gentle girl—even after everything, she was still thinking of him.
How could that not move one's heart?
"Madam, listen to me…" Haruka Kasugano began.
"Don't comfort me… I was prepared for this long ago… As for your love, I can only say I'm sorry…" Irisviel cried.
"I'm not trying to comfort you," Haruka Kasugano said with a smile.
"I'm saying—since you're about to die anyway, why not cast aside all burdens and moral restraints and enjoy yourself properly with me?"
"The dead deserve respect. Your family won't blame you."
Irisviel: "..."
---
Haruka Kasugano then brought over the computer from his office.
He began playing videos and photos for Irisviel.
Using his [Incitement] skill, he stirred her emotions—no, inspired her.
He also used his [Narrator] ability to refine his words.
"Madam, look—this is Huangshan. Beautiful, isn't it? Have you ever been?" he asked.
Irisviel shook her head. "No…"
"Madam, this is the Great Wall. So majestic and magnificent. Have you been?"
"So beautiful… No…"
"Madam, this is Zhangjiajie. They say there are even wild men inside—so mysterious and splendid! Have you been?"
"It looks amazing… I haven't…"
Haruka Kasugano kept showing her scenic wonders and famous travel destinations from all over the world.
Then he played food videos.
"Madam, this is Cantonese cuisine—fresh and light, focusing on the natural flavor of ingredients. The requirements for ingredients are very high…"
"It looks so delicious…" Irisviel swallowed.
"Madam, this is Sichuan cuisine—look how vibrant and fiery it is! Especially hot pot—it's famous!"
"I want to try it…"
"Madam, this is world-famous Peking duck. Have you ever had it? No way—the Einzbern family is so rich, and you've never had Peking duck?"
"We usually only drank nutrient solutions… After marrying Kiritsugu, I only occasionally ate outside food…"
"Then your husband is really no good! He's eaten so many delicacies himself, yet never brought you any!"
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Bonus Chapter
Power stones 50 + 1 chapter
Power stones 100 + 1 Chapter
power stones 200 + 1 chapter
power stones 400 + 1 chapter
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