[104] The Best Old Man Is Back!

"The summoning circle in our house has vanished..."

"Shinji, what the hell are you saying?!"

The gaunt and shadowy old man leaned on his cane, staring in a daze at the worm pool in his basement.

Within the dimly lit worm pool lay a heap of desiccated, leaf-like corpses of his precious engraving worms.

Zouken Matou bent down, trembling as he picked up one of his prized engraving worms.

The worm's corpse wriggled feebly a couple of times, then crumbled into dust like a pile of ashes.

Completely drained...

First came the stupor.

Then... rage.

Zouken Matou's eyes twitched violently, and his already shadowed face turned a sickly liver color.

Thud!

The old man struck his cane against the ground, letting out a roar of impotent fury.

"Damn it! Who the hell did this...?!"

Damn it, the magical energy I've accumulated for so long!

Do you know how troublesome it is to produce even one crest worm? No, you don't! You only care about yourself!

The seaweed-haired youth beside him, Shinji Matou, couldn't care less about the summoning circle. Looking at the pile of withered worm corpses, Shinji felt an urge to laugh but restrained himself.

He had been disgusted by these worms for a long time, and his schadenfreude was evident, but he couldn't show it in front of Zouken Matou.

Shinji still didn't comprehend what the death of all the worms truly meant.

"What happened, old man?"

"...I don't know."

Activating the Matou family's summoning circle, Solomon's clairvoyance had noticed the crest worms and thus drained all the accumulated magical power from the pool, leaving nothing for the old bastard.

This level of skill was beyond Zouken Matou's understanding.

Even after surviving for five centuries, how could the old man compare to the might of the King of Magecraft?

After the rage came...

Fear.

As reason gradually returned, Zouken Matou felt... fear.

What kind of power is this?

Overnight, his entire worm pool had been destroyed without him even noticing. This meant that if the perpetrator wanted to kill him, it would have been just as easy.

A purple-haired girl stood timidly in the dim basement, her hands nervously clutching her chest.

The fading Command Spells on the back of her delicate hands still bore faint red marks.

"I-I'm sorry..."

Sakura Matou didn't understand what had happened, but she could sense the grave atmosphere. Instinctively, she began bowing and apologizing in a pitiable voice.

She must have done something wrong again, right?

Zouken Matou, glancing at this useful tool, started to regain his composure.

There were still fragments of the Lesser Grail embedded in Sakura's body... In other words, he still had a chance to turn the tables.

After collecting his thoughts, the old man began to see things more clearly.

"Our summoning circle was triggered by someone else, and the summoned Servant was directly taken from us.

"This level of skill... It can't be the work of an ordinary magus. No magus in this era could do such a thing, not even the highest ranks of the Clock Tower.

"It must be... a Servant.

"That individual has mastered the use of magecraft to an extraordinary degree.

"There is only one possibility.

"Someone has expended a great deal of effort and a terrifying relic to summon...

"...a monster-class Caster."

Summoning a Servant prematurely, given that the Holy Grail is not yet full, requires the Master to bear a substantial amount of the magical energy consumption, making such an action rare.

After all, even if a prospective Master is killed, it doesn't matter much, the Grail will simply choose a new candidate.

Only the death of a Heroic Spirit matters, as it allows the collection of their Throne of Heroes record, thereby opening a pathway to the Root.

Therefore, the most suitable for early summoning is typically a Caster.

This class's establishment of a territory grants the Master a significant early advantage.

And now, King Solomon...

Had turned all of Fuyuki into his territory.

Muttering these incredulous words softly, although shocking, they were undeniably true.

Zouken Matou, having pieced together a bit of the truth, suddenly lifted his head.

"Shinji, we must flee!"

A useless grandson is still his grandson, as long as the green hills remain, there's hope for the future.

Unfortunately... at the very moment he realized this,

It was already too late.

"Heh, trying to escape?"

A lazy and indifferent voice echoed unexpectedly in the Matou family basement.

Appearing from spiritual concealment, a white-haired, dark-skinned man in red clothing materialized, casually juggling a pair of dual swords, one black and one white, with a mocking smile.

"You're quite clever, old man." Archer EMIYA smiled at Zouken Matou, "But it's too late for an epiphany, you have no idea what you're up against."

"A Servant..."

Seeing the intruder, Shinji Matou's legs began to tremble uncontrollably. Having been educated about the Holy Grail War since childhood, he knew well that these beings were monsters beyond human ability to combat.

He backed away fearfully, instinctively trying to grab onto Zouken Matou's robe, seeking some form of protection.

But... Shinji grasped at nothing.

"Farewell, my dear grandson."

Zouken Matou took a step back, suddenly laughing maniacally.

"In terms of combat ability, I can't compare to a Servant, but if you think you can kill me, you're sorely mistaken!"

With a sharp strike of his cane, the countless blood worms comprising his withered body scattered, crawling and wriggling away rapidly in all directions, diving into wall crevices and various drainage pipes.

Seeing this, EMIYA frowned.

Indeed... unless all of the old man's worms were exterminated, Zouken Matou's life force was as tenacious and repulsive as a cockroach.

Should he use a large-scale attack?

EMIYA hesitated... Solomon had instructed him to avoid causing a large-scale disturbance if possible.

While pondering...

A girl's furious shout suddenly pierced the air...

"Clarent Blood Arthur!"

"Rebellion against my beautiful father!"

A bolt of purple-red lightning surged from the collapsing ceiling, pouring down like a tidal wave, reducing Zouken Matou's escaping worms to a smear of dust.

Boom!

A violent gas explosion erupted, and the Matou family residence resounded with a deafening roar.

Fuyuki City once again experienced a long-awaited moment of obliteration.

Amidst the dissipating smoke and dust.

Standing in the ruins of the basement, EMIYA, coughing from the dust, waved his hand, dispelling the projection of a large shield.

Behind him.

A purple-haired girl sat dazedly in the rubble, lifting her gaze. She stared blankly at the white-haired stranger who had protected her.

"Are you alright?"

With a gentle smile, EMIYA extended his hand towards the girl.

For some reason...

Sakura Matou felt a strange sense of familiarity from the Servant before her.

"I'm... I'm alright..."

Instinctively, she took his hand and slowly stood up.

"T-Thank you."

She nodded and bowed deeply.

Summoned by Solomon under the guise of a Counter Guardian dispatched by the Counter Force, EMIYA retained all of his clear and complete memories.

So, he knew exactly who he was.

Looking at the familiar, gentle face of the purple-haired girl before him, EMIYA lowered his deep russet eyes.

Their paths had diverged, there was no need to get involved in their past.

"There was no need to use your Noble Phantasm, Mordred..."

EMIYA admonished, sounding like a nagging parent.

"King Solomon's magical energy shouldn't be wasted like this, and he told us to move discreetly."

"Why do you care so much? Stop nagging."

The blonde girl in grey armor squatted on the edge of the rubble, impatiently ruffling her hair.

Even after releasing her Noble Phantasm's power, the rebellious knight imbued with the blood of dragons, Mordred, showed no signs of fatigue.

"It was already at its lowest output. I just found those worms disgusting, so I got rid of them."

Standing atop a distant hill, cloaked in shadows, Alcides observed the now-concluded assassination. Seeing that the task was nearly complete, he lowered his bow,

Archer had dived into close combat, leaving Alcides to handle long-range fire support. Who was the real Archer here?

Clop. Clop. Clop...

Accompanied by the crisp sound of hooves, a nightmare steed shrouded in dark flames emerged from the void, its iron hooves crushing the broken corpses of worms beneath it.

The black-clad King of Knights extended a hand towards the bewildered purple-haired girl, his voice cold and indifferent.

"Get on."

"Eh...?"

Sakura Matou instinctively glanced at EMIYA.

He nodded towards her, signaling her to comply.

"We're here to protect you."

"P-Protect?"

Solomon had taken over the summoning ritual and the Servants' magical energy, but Sakura Matou was still the Master. The rules of the Holy Grail War remained in effect... if she died, her Servants would naturally vanish as well.

These individuals before her... even in her confusion, she could see they were all Servants.

Three Servants, all present simultaneously.

The Holy Grail War was supposed to be a brutal conflict between Servants, wasn't it?

Sakura's head swirled with confusion, stars almost visible above it as she struggled to comprehend the situation.

"We'll explain everything later. Just come with us. If we wanted to kill you, we would have done it already, right?"

The steady, reliable tone of the white-haired man brought a rare and long-missed sense of comfort to Sakura.

...That's right.

If the Servants wanted to kill her, it would be easy, there was no need to take her along.

But...

"What about Nii-san...?"

Sakura's gaze timidly shifted towards the bloodied, barely conscious Shinji Matou, collapsed in the rubble.

"Can you... also... save him?"

The girl's voice flickered like a dying flame, gradually dimming to silence.

Looking at Shinji Matou's pitiful state, Sakura, who had endured so much torment and humiliation in the Matou household, felt a surge of grim satisfaction. Yet, her inherent kindness compelled her to make this request.

EMIYA sighed at her words. Even after all these years of suffering, Sakura's kind-hearted nature hadn't changed. He couldn't help but think how useless he had been in the past, failing to notice anything for so long.

As Sakura's plea faded, EMIYA glanced at the tense mother and daughter.

"What do you think?"

"I don't care. Do as you please, Archer. Kill him or save him, it doesn't concern us."

Mordred's indifferent tone matched her complex expression as she watched her mother from her perch on the nightmare steed.

"To encounter you again in this Holy Grail War, mother, is the most disappointing reunion imaginable. I can hardly contain my disgust."

Feeling the prick of her daughter's gaze and hearing her nearly offensive words, Artoria lifted Sakura onto the horse, shifting her cold gaze away.

"If you feel like vomiting, go ahead. I couldn't care less."

A playful smile tugged at her lips.

"Or do you still want to compete with me for your father, Mordred? Your father will always belong to me."

Crunch. Crunch.

Mordred ground her teeth so hard they seemed to crack. Her fierce eyes twitched uncontrollably.

"Yours? Father never belonged to you, not even once!"

The iron-grey eyes, inherited from the white dragon's blood, glared icily at the dark knight before her.

"You pitiful failure. You killed my father with your own hands, without a shred of remorse!"

I did feel remorse. I felt pain and despair. But what of it?

Artoria was tired of arguing with Mordred. You think you can break me, rebellious child? You are unworthy!

She knew that Mordred was summoned here to revive Alvin, but the irony was that this rebellious child didn't even know where her father was.

Mordred had no mark in the Holy Lance. The rebellious knight had never left any proof of her existence there. But summoned to Jerusalem by Goetia from the Throne of Heroes, Artoria had already received information about his whereabouts from Morgan.

I'm here to reclaim him, and you foolishly want to revive him? How adorably stupid.

"You've never even seen your father's face. Pathetic."

"But I revere him! He saved Britain, and you killed him!"

"You understand nothing, Mordred..."

"Of course I don't understand as much as you, mother! When you swung that sword, didn't your conscience hurt?"

The dark knight lowered her golden eyes, lost in silent contemplation.

Artoria didn't know where Mordred had gathered information about the brutal battle in Londinium, which had shaped such an extreme character. She had never told her daughter anything about it.

Was it the Knights of the Round Table who told her?

Dwelling on such things was pointless now. Artoria didn't want to argue over who was right or wrong in the rebellion. She acknowledged her significant faults in Mordred's upbringing.

The blackened monarch disappeared into the wind, and as the ruler of Britain, seeing Mordred always brought her pain.

She had wanted to give her daughter love, but at the time, she had none to give. She herself was devoid of love, a mere puppet named King Arthur, sitting numb on the throne of Camelot.

Thus, she chose to distance herself from her daughter.

Artoria couldn't refute Mordred because, in her own view, even if manipulated by the Counter Force, she was indeed the one who killed Alvin.

If only she had trusted him more...

If only she had given him some time...

Could all this sorrow have been reversed?

Perhaps, as Mordred said, she was indeed a complete failure. But... perhaps it was not too late.

"Stop arguing..."

Alcides sighed, appearing between Artoria and Mordred.

How many times had they argued already?

Ever since these two were summoned by Solomon, they had quarreled multiple times a day, and he was becoming a professional mediator.

However...

Mordred's expression nearly froze.

The dark knight gazed at her, her voice soft and ethereal like the wind.

"I'm sorry, Mordred.

"I don't expect you to forgive me. Not giving you love was undoubtedly my fault. I didn't know how to interact with you then, but if you're willing to give me a chance to repent, I will try to learn how to love you... to give you a mother's love.

"I'm sorry. I don't understand 'love' very well. You, who never received my love, probably don't understand it either, right?

"So, perhaps we can learn from each other... learn how to love.

"If we can do that...

"Maybe we can present a better face when we meet your father."

The blonde girl's lips trembled as she stared at her mother, almost quivering.

Listening to Artoria's gentle words, she heard her mother say.

"Your father, he is still alive."

...

[In Fuyuki City today, there were several gas leaks. The city emergency services are currently handling the situation. These incidents appear to be isolated, so citizens are advised to remain calm.]

In the family restaurant named Koushuuensaikan Taizan, a television hung on the wall was broadcasting this monotonous news update.

Before him was a feast of mouth-watering dishes, but the opulent, golden-haired youth insisted on holding a glass of red wine, swirling it in his hand. The juxtaposition was stark and somewhat absurd.

"Mapo tofu with red wine, Gil. Only you could come up with that."

Kirei Kotomine remarked, struggling to maintain a straight face as he watched the King of Heroes delicately sipping his wine. Even the spicy mapo tofu in front of him seemed less appetizing now.

Pairing mapo tofu pudding with wine... who could come up with such a strange combination?

"You understand nothing. This is the elegance of a king." Gilgamesh responded with a haughty expression, savoring his drink. The pleased smile on his face stood in sharp contrast to the now less amused priest.

"Not drinking wine with a meal reflects poorly on one's culture and personal taste."

"Is this how you evade taxes? Because you've been spied on?"

"Exactly. That disgusting gaze is finally gone. I managed to take a bath immediately, and it feels refreshing."

"A Heroic Spirit like you, afraid of being watched?" Kotomine shook his head. "No matter who is summoned in this Holy Grail War, it's unlikely they can match you."

"Hmph... imagine if it was a beautiful woman, I'd have no issue. But that mongrel kept watching me, even when I bathed. Who knows what vile thoughts he harbored? Just thinking about it makes me want to vomit."

It's well known that Gilgamesh and Enkidu were close friends, but he certainly had no fondness for men in that way.

"It's good that it's over. Remember my sensing yesterday? That mysterious voyeur might have run into some trouble."

Kotomine, taking a large bite of mapo tofu, rolled up his sleeve to reveal an arm covered in command spells, reminiscent of an old sorcerer's cursed tattoos.

"This news... what do you make of it, Gil?"

"Gas leaks?" Gilgamesh sneered. "Not even a dog would believe that."

Watching the news report on the television, the golden youth swirled his wine glass with an amused look.

"Look at where these gas leaks occurred... at the Matou residence, the Tohsaka residence, the Einzbern castle, and the small house Kiritsugu Emiya bought.

"It's quite obvious the mongrels are fighting each other.

"They're back. They're all back... my youth has returned!"

"It seems... there was a large-scale premature summoning yesterday. Such phenomena are quite rare."

Kirei Kotomine stroked his chin thoughtfully, pondering the unusual events.

"Not a single Master has reported to the Church... my role as Overseer is practically non-existent."

"They summoned yesterday and started fighting fiercely today. They didn't have time to report to you."

Gilgamesh sneered.

"The premature summoning must have been out of necessity... clearly, someone applied pressure."

"Caster?"

"Hmph, you figured it out. As expected from my chosen accomplice, your intelligence is slightly above that of the common rabble."

A cold smile appeared on the golden-haired youth's face.

"Someone summoned a monstrous Caster. The one who's been spying on me these past few days was likely that creature. It's easy to deduce... they tried to monitor everything with clairvoyance, and the other parties noticed.

"That disgusting old worm, the Einzbern homunculus, Tokiomi's useless daughter... none of them would miss this opportunity.

"It's best if they fight each other fiercely. Once they're all worn out, I will descend from my throne and bestow my grace upon the mongrels."

Kirei Kotomine nodded, understanding the arrogance of the Heroic Spirit before him. While he found Gilgamesh's pride overbearing, he knew better than to confront him directly... his words needed to be carefully measured.

"The time was short. This time, I'm not aware of which Servants have been summoned. Are you confident, Gil?"

"As long as that madwoman doesn't appear, no one can stop me."

As he spoke, Gilgamesh seemed to recall some unpleasant memories, his eyes growing distant as he clutched his left shoulder.

Ten years ago, as the King of Heroes, he had sat with Iskandar the King of Conqueror and Artoria Pendragon at the Einzbern castle to discuss kingship.

Gilgamesh desired to collect all treasures in the world, believing a king should bear everything with pride, viewing the Holy Grail as just another item in his collection.

Iskandar expressed his desire for a grand expedition, leading his followers across the seas.

And then there was Artoria, the dark knight king, who did not consider herself a king and scorned the idea. She merely wanted to return to history and save one life, even if it meant the collapse of Britain.

Such selfishness, such blasphemy, such decadence...

It rendered Iskandar speechless.

Destroying the world to save one person.

This was nothing like the noble king recorded in the annals of history... was this truly the same person?

Upon hearing this, Gilgamesh laughed heartily, greatly admiring Artoria's dark, fallen nature, and proposed to her on the spot.

...And she cut off his left hand in response.

"The pain... Kirei, I can still recall that excruciating pain. It was one of the greatest humiliations of my life."

Although later reattached with a healing elixir, the incident left a profound scar on Gilgamesh's psyche, causing him to lose his composure during the final battle, where Artoria's sword scattered him into the black mud of the Holy Grail.

"I've always been curious... why did that woman despise the Holy Sword that floated behind her so much, Kirei? To the point that she only used it reluctantly when commanded by Emiya Kiritsugu's command spell?"

This baffled Gilgamesh endlessly. If she hated the sword so much, why not place it in his treasury?

"Why dwell on it, Gil? You resurrected from the black mud, making you the ultimate victor. Not even the black mud could corrupt your will. Why argue with a lovesick girl?"

Kirei shook his head. Artoria was indeed formidable, strong enough to leave even the King of Heroes with a psychological scar.

However, it seemed unlikely she'd be summoned as Saber again, considering the Holy Grail War had only been held five times...

Against other opponents, Kirei had no doubt that the golden king before him would prevail.

The King of Heroes stood at the pinnacle of humanity. As for gods... they would not stoop to contend for the Holy Grail.

"Hmph... enough of this. I'm going to investigate the battlefield. If I can kill that mongrel who's been spying on me, all the better."

Gilgamesh felt a pang of annoyance recalling that ten years ago he had been summoned in the Archer class, sealing his clairvoyance. Otherwise, things wouldn't be so troublesome... his clairvoyance was of an EX rank, capable of seeing through the future.

"If you had been summoned as the wise King of Uruk, we wouldn't be here enjoying ourselves like this, Gil."

Kirei Kotomine felt fortunate about this circumstance.

"Heh..." Gilgamesh couldn't help but sneer. "The wise king I would likely detest the current me, wouldn't he?

"Still, I couldn't care less!

"A king acknowledges, a king permits, but who can guarantee they won't become what they despise the most?

"Stopping one's progress out of fear of change is just a sign of weakness, a thought befitting of mongrels.

"Weakness is a flaw..."

Gilgamesh raised his head, downing the blood-red wine in one gulp.

"...And I, as king, have no flaws."

Kirei Kotomine applauded at just the right moment, "As expected of you."

Having finished his mapo tofu, he wiped his mouth clean, satisfied.

The two men stood up, pushing open the doors.

"Let's go. Having enjoyed the pleasures of life, it's time for us to act."

Kirei Kotomine smiled as he caressed the command spells on his hand.

"I've already stored up plenty of magical energy for you, Gil. Fight without holding back. Besides the command spells, the church's batteries still have plenty of life left... they should prove useful."

"Hmph... no need to remind me."

Suddenly, as if sensing something, Gilgamesh looked up at the night sky, where a plane was flying through the dark expanse.

"What is it..." Kirei Kotomine smiled, thinking Gilgamesh was looking at the lights. "Did you find a streetlamp you like?"

"A plane just flew over us, Kirei."

"And so?"

"... No sound." Gilgamesh said. "Except for our voices, there's no sound at all."

Kirei Kotomine's expression froze.

He began to sense the surroundings.

Gently rubbing the command spells on his hand, he slowly furrowed his brows.

"Indeed, there's not a single person.

"The street... it's so quiet, Gil..."

Just as he finished speaking.

On the empty, silent street, clear hoofbeats suddenly echoed.

Clop.

Clop. Clop. Clop...

In the nearly frozen gaze of Gilgamesh and Kirei Kotomine.

The dark King of Knights, riding a nightmare steed wreathed in shadowy flames, slowly emerged from the void. With cold golden eyes, she halted before them.

"Artoria, you..."

Gilgamesh was utterly astonished. This posture was unmistakably...

"Kirei Kotomine, you've got to be kidding me!"

"She's not Saber, but Lancer. It seems the Excalibur has bound her to this form. Is this the true liberation of King Arthur, in Lancer form?"

Kirei held his chest, the splendor of this king truly sending shivers through one's brain.

After understanding people, she grew larger and stronger.

"Are you here for revenge?"

After the surprise, Gilgamesh smiled slowly.

"No, I'm not even a participant in this Holy Grail War... unless, of course, you're here to meet an old friend."

"Old friend? You dare to consider yourself my friend? I see you as nothing more than a mongrel, Gilgamesh."

The dark King of Knights lowered her eyes indifferently.

"Your current form disgusts me."

It was rare for him to feel anger

Because... beauties always had certain privileges.

He raised his hand, and behind the King of Heroes, countless golden circles began to appear, from which hundreds of different swords slowly emerged.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend..." Gilgamesh smiled. "Your current state, Artoria, is an early summoning, isn't it?"

"During the day, you should have been battling other Servants, right? With your Master's intense magical expenditure, can you maintain this form? Meanwhile, I have stored ten years' worth of magical energy..."

He said this slowly.

With thousands upon thousands of golden ripples, the space behind Gilgamesh began to ripple, nearly blotting out the night sky.

"I acknowledge your strength... but unlike ten years ago, your Master should be Shirou Emiya now, right? An insignificant magus like him would struggle to maintain your form. Can you unleash your Noble Phantasm?"

"Lancer, the esteemed King Arthur." Kirei smiled, rolling up his sleeve to reveal the command spells on his arm. "As an overseer, I shouldn't participate in the Holy Grail War... so... I suggest you retreat now. We can pretend this never happened."

In the slightly tense atmosphere.

A somewhat impatient voice came from the golden-haired girl.

"I can't stand these two idiots anymore, Mother."

Manifesting from her concealed spiritual form, Mordred strode out with her sword, standing beside Artoria in a carefree manner.

"Mother?" Kirei raised an eyebrow. "The rebellious Knight, Mordred... I see, you two Masters have formed an alliance, huh? But this has no meaning... you'll still have to fight each other until the end."

Kirei's words suddenly stiffened.

The radiance of the Gate of Babylon began to flicker and tremble, indicating that Gilgamesh's emotions were surging.

On the silent street.

Two figures emerged in succession.

Four Servants slowly surrounded Gilgamesh and Kirei.

The curve at the corner of Kirei's mouth, previously barely noticeable, finally faded away.

"Gil... what is this..."

"What are you doing? Have you lost your minds?"

Gilgamesh slowly raised his crimson eyes.

"Are you banding together to eliminate me as an external factor? Is that meaningful? It won't stop the conflict between you."

"... Just to spare your life, Gilgamesh, because you still have a little use."

Artoria's voice was indifferent.

"I'm afraid that if I act alone, I won't be able to control my strength and might end up killing you."

With those words, the most ancient and arrogant King of Heroes was finally provoked to his core.

"You bunch of trash...! You've really angered me!

"Do you think mere numbers can overpower me?!"

A dazzling halo suddenly appeared in front of Gilgamesh.

Accompanied by ripples of time and space, a strong, world-destroying aura emanated from it.

Gilgamesh raised his palm, and a strange giant sword, made up of countless interlocking gears, suddenly appeared in his hand, raised high into the sky.

All projections from the Gate of Babylon were extinguished and dissipated, as before this sword, any weapon in any treasury had lost its meaning.

Beside him, the command spells on Kirei's arm burned and rapidly dissipated one by one, supplying Gilgamesh's consumption with majestic magical energy.

Complex, branch-like patterns slowly rose from the tip of the sword, seemingly spreading to cover the night sky of Fuyuki.

"I will tell you of the beginning. Heaven and Earth split."

"Nothingness congratulated Creation... and my sword cleaved the world!

"Mortar of the stars...heaven's hell is the eve of creation's celebration!

"Enuma Elish!!!"

But...

Faced the Sword of Rupture's full-power release, with momentum as if it were splitting heaven and earth...

The four Servants in front of him didn't make a single move, as if they didn't even intend to defend.

As if sensing something.

Holding the blazing Sword of Rupture, Gilgamesh slowly raised his gaze.

Above the deep sky, stood a white-haired figure, with the radiant moonlight and glittering stars adorning his eyes, his large robe rustling in the wind.

"You are-"

Suddenly.

Kirei... felt a spiritual shock.

Thud.

As if his body were acting on its own, Kirei involuntarily knelt before the figure in the sky.

"My Lord..."

Standing between the moonlight and the stars.

Facing the Sword of Rupture that seemed to split heaven and earth.

Solomon slowly raised his hands, forming a gesture with his ten interlocked fingers.

Ten rings emitted a profound and deep radiance.

"Nega-Summon."

In the moment of the inverted prayer.

A silence seemed to fall.

The patterns spreading across the sky began to collapse and crumble.

The process of the Sword of Rupture's release was abruptly obstructed, disrupted, and interrupted...

Gilgamesh looked at the Sword of Rupture in his hand, which had stopped moving, frozen for a moment, then suddenly let out an uncontrollable cry of shock and rage.

"Nega-Summon?! Impossible! A Servant couldn't possibly have such authority! Who are you...?"

"Rhongomyniad Morgan!"

"True Nine Lives!"

"Clarent Blood Arthur!"

"Caladbolg!"

The figure of the King of Heroes was engulfed in countless bursting lights.

...

In front of the great cave of Mt. Enzou.

The appearance was incredibly miserable, like a tattered cloth, the King of Heroes, covered in cracks and damages, was thrown to the ground by Artoria, as if he were trash.

"King Solomon, what do you want him for?"

"His body seems like it was made from black mud."

"It's none of our business, anyway, let's just do it."

Gilgamesh was completely caught off guard and unprepared today.

As they had planned before.

To mitigate potential issues, they devised a plan when visiting each master's residence, where some servants would pretend to engage in combat there and leave traces of battle.

That's what caught Gilgamesh off guard as he never anticipated that all the servants would be in one faction.

Shirou Emiya, Rin Tohsaka, Sakura Matou, Illyasviel von Einzbern... These boys and girls who had their command spells taken away by Solomon were now sitting inside the Ryuudou Temple, looking at each other, utterly confused.

Today's mission was all done.

In front of the great cave of Mt. Enzou, EMIYA lounged idly against a tree, a blade of grass hanging from his mouth, attempting to strike up a conversation with his temporary companions.

"Hey, you guys, who's that father you were arguing about?"

Artoria gave him a indifferent glance.

"That shouldn't concern you, right?"

"...Sorry, just curious, no offense intended."

"Instead of this topic, we're actually more curious about you, Archer."

The dark-clad King of Knight gazed at him, slowly speaking.

"Why are you unwilling to reveal your true name, Archer? After all, we've all disclosed ours."

As her words fell.

Alcides and Mordred also turned to look at the red archer.

Indeed...

While everyone else had no reservations, why are you the only one so mysterious?

"I have no name." 

"Heh..."

This forced excuse was unlikely to be believed.

"Alright, since we're all temporary allies summoned by King Solomon, with the same goal in mind, as an exchange for my namelessness, I'll tell you."

EMIYA looked at the expressions of everyone, pondering for a moment.

"I'm actually not a Heroic Spirit, but a Counter Guardian sent by the Counter Force... here to help King Solomon, and to do my utmost to kill his opponent.

"So, I have no wish to fulfill, and accordingly, I have no name, just a nobody.

"I suppose everyone's goals... are the same, right?"

...

Inside the great cave, in front of the massive leyline array.

Artoria held the unconscious Gilgamesh and threw him into the surging black mud.

"Gilgamesh's body won't be corrupted by the black mud... It'll save me a lot of trouble."

As the leyline ritual activated, immense magical power poured into Solomon's body.

Feeling the surge of magical energy, the King of Magecraft couldn't help but nod in satisfaction.

"Stuff him into the Holy Grail as a battery, acting as the filter for the black mud, purifying the contamination of this world's evils, and we'll be able to obtain a steady stream of pure magical energy.

"We no longer need a Master as a conduit, and the remaining two Servants can begin to be summoned."

"Facing that Chaos, we must not relax. These two months have been precious preparation time for us. The entire Fuyuki will be transformed into our impregnable fortress."

As Solomon's words fell.

Before them, the Holy Grail into which Gilgamesh was inserted as a battery, the black mud began to surge violently and intensely.

The entire leylines brimmed with a fierce glow, even stronger than when summoning Artoria.

Amidst the trembling black mud.

Slowly rising from it was an elderly man with silver hair, his majestic figure seeming to support the sky and the earth.

The old man took a step, slowly walking out of the array, gazing at the stunned Artoria before him.

A gentle and affectionate smile appeared on his face.

"Rider...

"Vortigern Pendragon."