Chapter. 15 Golden Star.

In the distance, Maiya was already waiting for Kiritsugu on the building's roof. Constantly, they kept an eye on the crane because none of them could say when and if Assassin started to move. The white tide clawed the fetch paths and walls while it seemed to follow Kiritsugu tirelessly. She had positioned herself on one of the rear factory buildings. Her sights were fixed unblinkingly on the battlefield. But even when Maiya could make a clear shot at the stunned Waver, she hesitated. In the presence of the second king, she dared not to, and rightly so. No one could predict how the proud king would react. Irisviel was still defenseless behind Saber. If Rider raged at the sight of his dead master, it could not be ruled out that Lancer, Assassin, and the woman on the shore would seize the opportunity.

The already-old door hinges creaked under the rare strain. Rust had already infested the metal. Kiritsugu came running with quick steps and laid down beside his partner.

"What happened?"

"The woman attacked Rider's master. Probably mentally. No one saw it coming, not even Rider. It was like an invisible arrow whose presence even Servants could not track down."

The heavy suitcase that had been dragged to the roof of the factory slammed to the ground. The clips opened, and the separate parts of the rifle were lifted out.

"Assassin?" asked Kiritsugu as he pushed the pieces together with a soft click.

"Continues to be on the crane. The woman also knows of his presence." Maiya paused briefly to catch her breath, then pointed in the direction of more buildings and structures, which lay behind the buildings in front of which Saber and Lancer were dueling. The front had suffered massively from the chaotic swirling prana. The stones were starting to show cracks, and the metal doors were denting as if a bull had sprinted in.

"She also had her eye on these three areas. However, I couldn't see anything from my position, and my familiars couldn't detect anything either."

"I don't think so. The right place at the edge of the factory will probably be Lancer's Master. Thanks to his illusions, it's impossible to track him down with conventional methods. That another presence besides Assassin is monitoring this place is likely, but I believe Saber and Lancer should have reacted to new Servants."

"Perhaps they used Rider's exploding presence to stealthily get to the battlefield."

"This could be a possibility, but I think it is unlikely that another class besides Assassin would be able to do this."

"How about Archer?" asked Maiya.

"Maybe. Do we have any information on the white woman?"

Maiya shook her head. "The Bounded Field, which spreads out as smoke, concludes the Caster class. However, it would be unwise for a Caster to enter the battlefield so openly with Sabers and Lancers present."

From the shadows, they watched Waver regain consciousness. His hands were still pressed to his head, racked by skull-crushing pain. He was fortunate that his soul did not suffer permanent damage under the goddess gaze. Wobbly, he stood on his legs. From the swaying, everyone could see how hard it was for him to remain on his feet. However, he stayed behind the mighty columns that represented Rider to avoid any eye contact with Shiro.

"But what else could she be?" asked Kiritsugu, to which Maiya remained quiet.

Fully erect, Rider looked back at the mainland, over the roofs of the factory, and to the city beyond. What exactly he had in view, Kiritsugu could not discover, even with his visor. The eye of man could not possess the same perception. But his question was to be answered as the gentle yet powerful voice of the ruler echoed across the harbor.

"All those heroic spirits the Holy Grail has called, show yourselves. All those who are too cowardly have no place in this holy war. Only the wrath of my blade will remain for you while you crush under the bull's hooves of Zeus!"

Kiritsugu's expression stiffened. He still gazed at the hollow city Maiya had pointed her finger at a moment ago. The lights were the only things to be seen. No warm apparition is in sight. And yet, an uneasy feeling arose in Kiritsugu. Events were already so out of control that Kiritsugu couldn't predict what would happen. His heart ached because, as much as he wanted Saber to escape with Irisviel, it would only show weakness that could be exploited by other masters.

The others on the battlefield exchanged glances. What was the meaning of this? But no one could sense another presence in the area that Rider had seemed to perceive.

Just as Kiritsugu and Maiya watched the port, another sinister figure had been keeping an eye on the situation through Assassin's eyes and ears. At the same time, Kirei stood inside the Fuyuki Church, telling his mentor Tohsaka everything he could see through a jewel communication device. Rider's actions were nothing more than pleasing to him. The face put on a serious expression.

Less than an hour ago, Kirei's Assassin had been waging a doomed battle against Kurumi. Whether it was due to a lack of time or not, Kirei did not feel it necessary to inform Tohsaka of these events.

Surprised by the sudden thrill the churchman felt, his thoughts slid again over the withheld information. It was as if Kirei found pleasure in keeping his mentor in the dark. Expectations rose as time went on. And the fall into eternity was imminent. In the face of events, it seemed only logical to him that the Grail itself planned something inconceivably diabolical. The auras of the stranger Servants were so strange that the darkness flowing from within them made the skin turn.

Since the beginning of his life, Kirei has always possessed a heart that has been polished by countless sermons in the church. But the walls erected from it were gray and never got the coating that the Kirei's deepest part wished for. He could not say which color suited him best. And that is why the Servants' strangeness attracted his attention like a spell.

From which legend could such a being come? Well, this question was not only on Kirei's mind. Tohsaka already complained in his heart about the head-scratching circumstances. Who could have expected that four incredibly dangerous Servants would be summoned to the battlefield and could decide the battle single-handedly?

"Then this must be Caster," Tohsaka had said at the beginning when the Assassin first saw the devouring mist. And though Kirei knew better, his lips remained sealed. For he already knew the presence of such a Servant. And then it happened that they conceived the impossible. The lady in the white robe broke through the barrier, and with her mere presence, she frightened away the three heroic spirits who were arguing over the honor of a duel. Unknowingly, Tohsaka classified the white lady as the greatest threat. He had not realized that the three heroic spirits were merely retreating to get a better view. Because there were four powerful Servants, none wanted to take the unnecessary risk of a rash fight, especially the Servants who had the duty to protect a Master.

"This is bad."

From the distant Tohsaka estate, such a sentence could be heard. Only moments before, Rider had given a war cry that challenged the honor of all heroic spirits.

"Indeed," Kirei replied. Although he could not see the facial expressions and could only follow his imagination, he believed that Tohsaka distorted his face with anger. And not without reason. He knew a Servant who could never let such a provocation go unanswered. It was a Servant that even Tohsaka could not control. It could only be one heroic spirit who never let the judgment of others go unpunished.

A golden light that could surpass even the stars in the endless night sky fell brilliantly over the center of the battlefield. The golden sphere spread out like the sun's rays, penetrating even the mist. The black, rotten rock became visible to all human eyes once more. The ground of stone and metal remains had degenerated into a viscous mass that swallowed any light that shone on it.

Irisviel held her hands in front of her eyes in shock and amazement. But the descending star made it impossible for her to admire the brilliance that materialized.

They all knew that a fifth Servant was entering this battlefield.

The light went out like a burned-out star. But the golden glow never left the surrounding area. The mist once again covered the stony ground. Upright, a person stood on a lamp. The golden hair seemed to crown the person, while golden armor sparkled in the last light of the stars.

"Who would have thought that two fools dared to avail themselves of the title of king in my presence? Your impudence should be punished."

The voice was unrivaled with pride, and yet his face showed nothing but anger and disgust. On the one hand, the new person had to look at the other Servants standing at the same height. On the other hand, they forget to mention him, the greatest of all kings to walk on the earth. His arrogance was not comparable to anything in this world.

No one had expected another Servant to appear whose dominance overshadowed the woman in the mist. But compared to the woman, this golden king had no problem speaking up.

"Mhh." Rider grabbed his chin questioningly. "I don't think you understand. I, Alexander, have gone down in history as the king of conquerors. There could hardly be a greater title borne in history."

"You fool, I am the only true king who lived in this world. The rest are nothing but a collection of mongrels emulating my majesty. Your ignorance is a stain in my sight."

"Oh, if you are such a sublime ruler, what exactly is the problem with introducing yourself? Surely you are not ashamed of your identity, not after your proud appearance, are you?"

Rider's calm and curious words hit the king like a hammer to the head, and Archer contorted his face in anger.

"You dare question me and satiate your filthy eyes unasked at my glamour? A lowly bastard like you questions a king like me?"

Even though Iskander's question was understandable to all, Archer seemed to perceive it as an incredible insult. It didn't even occur to him that their identities had to be kept secret during the war. Rather, he thought it impossible not to be recognized.

"I grant you the incomparable honor of standing in my presence, and yet you have the audacity not to know my name?" Archer shook his head. "Such ignorance should have no justification for life."

As Archer came to this decision, the room shook briefly before space curved around the man, and two golden gates rose. Ripples spilled outward from the center that slowly faded as something touched the surface from within. The next moment, the sound of beautiful blades emerged, making the room tremble with their prana alone.

The two golden weapons decorated the night sky. Not only a spear could be seen, but also a sword. Decorated with the finest shining jewels in their light, they were aimed at the person Archer talked to moments ago. Everyone present could only marvel at the overwhelming power. Waver, who had regained consciousness, rubbed his eyes in despair. But even as much as he did not want to believe it, the power representation before his eye did not disappear. Those were the weapons he saw at the Tohsaka estate. For him, it was without a doubt the Servant that killed Assassin.

While Waver stared speechlessly at the Servant, behind his illusion, Kayneth swallowed the spit down his dry tube. Even Kiritsugu and Irisviel could feel the tension.

The weapons began to vibrate, and the pressure of the prana grew worse. Saber was already holding her sword at her hip, ready to defend herself against the incoming weapons. Even though Archer was completely focused on Rider, she couldn't shake the feeling that everyone present would feel resentment of this heroic spirit.

Rider got ready. Fending off an attack from such a powerful Servant was no easy task, and yet he realized that Archer did not perceive him as a threat. The Servant did not shift his position to defend himself but kept both arms folded under his chest.

"Let your death bring me amusement for the wasted trip."

Archer had barely spoken these words when the blades hummed like the line of a catapult, which fell silent after a few seconds.

"You dare put your disgusting spider eyes on my face, you lowly beast that spent his life digging in the mud?"

Archer's entire body spun around, caught sight of the white figure lingering in the mist below. Its eyes, like all the others before, analyzed the energy of the Servant's soul. Disgusted, Archer screwed up his face. The Golden Gates twisted and bent. The golden arms pointed into the mist, where only faintly the outline of the woman could be seen.

"A depraved being like you has no right to pollute my garden!"