Chapter. 18 Declaration of war

A wave of displeasure spread. The voice thundered across the battlefield, startling those present. But even as servant and master alike tried to spy the existence that eluded their wandering gaze somewhere in the dark alleys, the cold wind was all that crept over their skin.

In slow steps, Irisviel could feel her strength disappearing. The excitement, desperation, and fear of tonight made itself known in her chest. At first, it only crept over the skin and felt like a swollen wound that throbbed unpleasantly. But as time went by, she noticed that the pushing got to her. She could hear her heart pounding with each breath as the inflating lungs pressed against her soul. The natural balance of the body was shaken, and the mana raged inside her veins. The white woman's eyes had tugged at Irisviels Magic circuits, even though Saber stood in front of her. Slowly the fire that made her pale skin burn subsided, and her taste gradually returned with a bitter iron-rich aftertaste.

"Irisviel?..."

The pale face made the exhaustion so clear that even Saber recognized it. And even if the duel with Lancer was still open, Saber assigned Irisviel's well-being higher importance. There were too many servants in one place for Saber's liking. It almost seemed impossible to ensure the protection of her mistress if another servant should seize their weakness.

"I'm all right now. Thank you." With a smile, she tried to reassure her knight, but Saber knew better.

"You sent a lot of invitations, King of Conquerors. I can't say I'm pleased about that." Lancer spoke with a raised eyebrow.

"Haha, indeed. But I don't remember sending out so many papers. I hope you won't hold that against me, will you?" Saber shook her head. She couldn't believe that Rider was still playing around. Not in light of the grave situation.

"But our new friend seems a little shy."

Waver just managed to duck as Rider raised his arms again. "I, King Alexander, ask you why you hide in the shadows of the night! You don't keep a king waiting; show yourself if you have any honor!"

The air seemed to stand still as everyone waited for an answer that would break through the sloshing of the waves. Only after a few moments did a deep, slow sigh sound. Astonished, Rider raised an eyebrow and scratched his chin. He had not seen such a reaction coming.

"What a disappointment! I guess I expected too much from your heroic spirits, and you baptize yourselves as Mighty Heroes for children and adults to look up to. Even little rugrats from my village could see through such simple tricks."

With his arms folded under his chest, the man looked at the battlefield. His red armor of plates would normally rattle in the wind. But he didn't hide. The veins, burning with the desire to fight until a moment ago, were completely extinguished. The remaining servants did not correspond to the image that Archer and the white woman presented. He was disappointed by those who were supposed to be the most powerful people in history. They were all not worth giving him the time of his life. What was he summoned for if not to fight duels of blades that revived his soul? Was he just doomed to fight against his only friend?

He had no answer to this development; only a snort escaped his disguise. Frustrated, the man looked down at his body. 'Another mistake. Once again, I have given information to the enemy. Perhaps the loneliness that gnawed at me all those years in the cave was too much for my mind.'

The man's presence was one with nature. It was a technique to hide from strangers' eyes. Light and other waves curled around the body, allowing only the harmonious sound of nature to be heard. As long as the person did not decide to make a sound, it was impossible to detect unless you mastered the technique yourself.

The sound came from the front. The trained ear that Saber developed throughout countless battles to help her distressed subjects in their time of need struck like the needle of a compass in the direction of a container. She could not believe her eyes. Nothing but air. The place she heard contained nothing but flickering lights and the frosty wind of the sea that froze her hair.

'Truly a master of disguise. Never have I seen anything like it.'

"Perhaps you are not as pathetic as I originally thought, little girl."

"How about you come forth. Out of the night's veil that hides you? It's cowardly not to show yourself to your interlocutor. I take it you're not afraid of us?"

"Hahaha, after all, you should know what impossible hurdle you must overcome to reach your miracle. But as you are now, you will never get past me."

They all worried about the fact that their enemy could wander away from their eyes and that they could only follow the voice. Despite this, the postures did not show any gaps. They were already ready should an attack come. The steps themselves were swallowed by his soles. The movements were so light as a feather that no one could hear the rhythm. Combined with his concealment technique, one could truthfully say that no one could detect his presence. The wind flowed around the man, and the night full of stars settled around his hair. The light on the containers flickered, and a figure stepped into a world of colors. His black hair, pointed like a kunai, hung behind his back and cut through the breezes.

But no sooner did the camouflage come off than the alien or foreign aura, as one might call it, permeated the harbor. Waver visibly frowned. One could not blame him; after all, his presence was hardly distinguishable from that of the white woman.

"Another one of those," muttered Saber, clasping her Sacred Sword with both hands, which had previously rested loosely in her right hand. But contrary to Saber's expectation, the man sat down, put one arm over his knee, and made no indication to initiate a fight. The legs dangled down from the container and struck against the dull metal.

"Your world is bleak and drained of all color. The people themselves have become a pestilence that can do nothing but exploit each other. Evolution has stripped the world of all strength. It is no fun to fight against weaklings who wander this world. Your world is rotten. How else can proud warriors allow themselves to be controlled by weakling masters?"

The man lifted his gaze. The black and red eyes seemed to intimidate the others at the mere sight of him. Waver gazed spellbound at the figure, a servant whose status he wanted to read. But the woman's memory still plagued his mind. The pain and fear that his mind would be crushed by agony again kept him from doing so. With each breath, he could feel his body, and relief blasted through his veins. The icy air flooded his lungs and numbed his every sense. It was an experience he never wanted to walk through again because he didn't know if he would ever be able to see the light of the stars again should he fall into the deep corners of damnation. 'Mystic eyes,' thought Irisviel shocked. She had heard a lot about it from Kiritsugu, but these eyes should be rare.

"Weaklings?" asked Rider in an amused and imposing voice. "Every master present has managed to summon a heroic spirit from the past. Yet you compare the body of a servant to that of a human? You dare to show yourself in front of us, but aren't you ashamed to appear without your master? Or do you not think you can protect him?"

"Hahahaha."

Saber and Lancer narrowed their eyes at the resounding laughter. Something was wrong, but neither could make out what it was. What was so funny about Rider's statement to make an enemy lose his temper?

"I think you're confusing the roles of mana batteries and master. I'm not like you to take orders from an insect. Isn't it a shame for you proud heroes to stand among unimportant people who want to win this war only with your help? An ant should not get the right to command a lion around. That's something Archer and the horror in the form of a woman understood."

The masters were left breathless. Never would they have considered that a servant could operate without restraint. The heroic spirits also showed their displeasure by increasing their killing intent. For them, as noble spirits, it was unthinkable to eliminate the master just because they could.

"It is a sign of respect and honor to help the weaker in times of hardship!" replied Saber.

"You speak of need, yet I see no human soul that fits your description. I see only fools who could not win the battle with their strength alone and looked up to the past for help. Is it your task to correct the mistakes of future generations? Don't make a fool of yourself!"

The aura tugged at the surroundings. Despite the cruel, skin-turning feeling, Saber kept a stiff expression. It pained her not to raise a response to the man's words, and she could only silently watch him shake his head.

"How a human of your kind could become a heroic spirit is a mystery to me," spoke Saber, but her words were weak and only skirted the man's question. The man did not honor the rules of conduct of the knights. He did what gave him pleasure. Could Saber tolerate such behavior? For years, she fought for the freedom of her Kingdom and tried to save them. Now she was facing a man filled with sorrow but still spoke some truth. The air growled under the fingers that clutched the handle.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to know what class you're competing in," Waver said meekly. His legs were shaking from the events, and since the man once again has eyes that could well be mystic eyes, he didn't want to take any chances.

"You have enough guts to address me, boy? I guess I have to apologize for that, but I wouldn't have put it past you. I just came to have a little fun, but I think I'll save that until the big ones are present."

"If you're talking about our golden boy and the White Lady, I hardly think you're going to get much out of them," Lancer interjected.

"Well, honestly, I had other things in mind... Even though gold sparkles like the sun, it remains a soft metal. In my village, even children aged 11 and 12 could throw kunai more purposefully, but who knows? Maybe something exists beyond the gates that can bring out the song of battle. As for the fog, well, you don't need to start a conversation with a hollow shell. It is just a river that meanders to its destination. But in the end, it too will crash against cold walls."

All at once, he raised his head. The stunned factory buildings were all that lay in those directions. A smile spread. Had the man found something? A meaning that, for him, did not exist in this Grail? Unfortunately, it was too late to find out. With a groan, he rose from the hollow container.

Lightning shook the concrete. The hooves of the bulls clacked like the march of the soldiers who went to war with their king. "Do you want to declare war on us? Do you think you are above everyone else? If so, you are a greater fool than I had supposed."

The man smiled. The anticipation of the coming battle tingled in his fingers. The feel of the heavy blade was in his hand. Despite the spiritual body, his heart pounded magma through his veins as his body began to burn.

But Saber and the others were terrified by the mad terror. The prana in their bodies began to pulsate and take over like adrenaline. What the man tied to the sound of battle, she could not understand. Only suffering would come out when warm blood desecrated the body and ground. For the man, however, this was the greatest pleasure.

The sudden murderousness disappeared. Saber couldn't say why, but she concentrated completely on the enemy so that even Rider and Lancer faded out. With a serious expression, the man looked silently at the prey. A fight would not fulfill him. It would be an insult if the enemy could not do everything in his power. And with Saber and Rider dragging their masters along, only a half-hearted fight would result. With a shake of his head, he opened his mouth and let his knife-shredding voice ring across the harbor so that even Kiritsugu and Maiya heard the words.

"I hereby declare war on all of you. The fourth Great War of the servants, as the class of the invader, I answer the call of the Grail and will crush all your attempts at obtaining it!"

They all did not know how to respond to the words. And how could they not be blamed? It was sheer madness to declare war on all servants without protection or allies. And yet this is what happened. The shock was deep. Was the man working together with the woman? But there were too many possibilities. Iskander was the first to catch himself. His deep laugh brought him only the annoyed face of his master. Just remember that Iskander was the king of conquerors; he could not ignore such a call.

"Very well, I accept your challenge!" answered Rider in a similar enthusiastic voice.

"Why do you decide such a thing easily? I am your master!"

"I will see you on the battlefield soon, then. It would be wise to leave your masters behind. I will not tolerate weakness on the battlefield. Do not try to hold back, or you will be crushed under my heavenly blad!"

His words dissipated like the wind. Saber could have sworn his eyes turned purple before the man was blown away by the wind without a trace. Concerned, she looked for Irisviel, who, with a warm smile, tried to relieve her. Even if Saber's mind tried to become calm, her senses did not let go. For her, it was a problem that an enemy could hide from her own eyes. How could she go to battle against something whose wind-like blades could emerge at any moment? She had to learn how it worked if she wanted a chance of winning the war.

'How did he hide?'

The weight of the sword in the hand almost pulled her to the ground. What was the trick behind the ability? What did the man have that she lacked? Was he a better warrior than she was? And could she fulfill her promise to Irisviel? Before she wandered further between her thoughts, a voice brought her back to her senses.

"You have found yourself a true enemy. Even a powerful king like you will face an uphill battle. I hope you realize that," said Lancer with a raised eyebrow.

"Hahahaha, probably. However, I'm more concerned about the class of the enemy. I've never heard of an invader, have you, lad?"

He slapped Waver on the shoulder with a grin, not wanting to embarrass the boy. But his mask couldn't fool Saber's eyes. As king, she had just as often tried to give courage to her loyal subjects and always appeared before the people with a smile on her lips.

"I don't know; in the books, there was always talk of only the seven classes." His hand was on his chin, and his head tilted down as he sought a solution, but his face told everyone his body was on the brink of collapsing.

"It's true," Irisviel replied. "An invader is not a class that can participate in the Grail War."

"Lancer!" The master's voice sent shocks through Waver's bones. The sound, the intonation Somewhere, he'd heard it before. But how he knew the voice that caused absolute terror in him, he could not say. "You'll have to pause your fight with Saber for now. We're leaving."

Lancer, looking at his master, turned his head to Saber and bowed. "It seems we must continue our fight another time, my beauty. Who would have thought our friendly duel would turn into such an eventful evening? And yet I look forward to our next encounter."

"The pleasure is all mine," Saber replied. But despite her warm words, her posture showed extreme wariness. "I hope you won't be hastily defeated by someone else."

"Big words for a little girl."

Like Archer and the white woman before her, Lancer dissolved with a small bow to the Kings and dematerialized. Only Rider and Saber remained behind with their respective masters.

"Well, Saber," Iskander spoke as he grabbed Waver by the sweater and pulled him onto his vehicle. "It was nice to meet you. Even though our meeting was regrettably interrupted,"

His large hands gripped the reins that hung loosely over the metal.

Saber looked at the last threat left on the battlefield. "So, Rider, why did you come here?"

"Oh, I hadn't thought it through that much. Maybe it looked fun; who knows." Pressed by Saber's inquiry, he shrugged his shoulders as if he had no interest in what was happening.

"We shall see again, King of Knights, but first I have another opponent in my sights. After my victorious march, you will be next. Whichever of you two will be standing" How was he going to find the invader? There was no real idea because the man had already proven that he could hide in the unseen world. However, Rider did not need to know. The man would find him when the time was right. A fight from the shadows was not what the man longed for. Why else would he have publicly declared war? Rider was sure of that.

Waver, meanwhile, had passed out on the chariot. Today's tension had been too much. And yet he had held out for a long time. Even after the woman's mental attack, he got up again. 'He's earned a rest.'

The Rider's strong hand steadied the boy before he slapped the reins, and the stampeding of the bulls made the fabric quiver.

"My goodness, he must work on his stamina in the future. Farewell, King of Knights."

The chariot moved into the night from which it had come and disappeared peacefully behind the stars.

Saber had fallen silent. Her eyes followed the chariot even after it disappeared. Her delicate silhouette showed no signs of exhaustion from the ongoing battle. The figure of the girl dressed in armor was like a painting, an image of indescribable beauty and strength. Irisviel was spellbound and did not notice how her faltering breath was released because she had been holding it due to the unbearable tension.

"Saber, thank you for accompanying me through the city and always standing by my side."

Saber's gentle gaze reached Irisviel, who bowed her head in shame.

"It has been my pleasure to accompany you. I fight only to protect you."

Like a blow, Irisviel was struck. Saber's strength, courage, and kindness. She was her hero—a young woman who was a true knight.

"The battle has begun, Irisviel; this night was only the first of the battles to come."

Irisviel could not detect any fear in Saber's voice. The battlefield lay before her like a bomb blast. A place that had to endure the might of six servants. And yet, in the sight of this natural violence, Saber's mind remained calm and prepared for the next day. Both of them looked at the immaculate sky, a place of freedom and countless uncertainties.