Chapter 32. The Call of the King
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"They've really brought out a troublesome Noble Phantasm," Cyd remarked as he grasped the rope on the bridge with his right hand, holding Illya with his left, looking down at the black mist that enveloped Gilgamesh standing at the center of the bridge.
That was EA, the sword that splits the world. It was all too easy for Gilgamesh to slice through space and escape.
"You've been far too lenient with your friend."
"We're... back in the real world?" Illya asked, glancing around as she held onto the lion head on Cyd's shoulder.
"Hey, kid, were you planning on trapping him?" A chariot pulled up in front of Cyd with a thunderous roar, and the owner of the chariot casually asked with a laid-back tone.
"G...Gray?" Illya stared blankly at the wild-looking Gray in front of her.
"Hm? Oh? Is that the name of this young girl?" 'Gray' scratched the back of her head and let her hair down. "Right now, the king is borrowing her body. Listen well, little girl, I am..."
"The King of Conquerors, Alexander the Great," El-Melloi II said with a bit of resignation, holding up a Caster-class card from behind 'Gray.'
"As a servant, shouldn't you announce the king's name with more grandeur?" 'Gray' raised her hand, seemingly trying to pat El-Melloi's head, only to realize awkwardly that she couldn't reach.
"I don't mean to interrupt your friendly chat, but you'd better hurry and trap that guy," Cyd said, pulling himself up with one swift motion and standing steadily on the rope.
"No problem. For some reason, this king is itching to fight him too," the King of Conquerors 'Gray' said, shaking her hair. "I'll trap him with my Noble Phantasm—no, I'll defeat him!"
"Your Noble Phantasm will be sliced apart by the one in his hand," El-Melloi II said, waving his fan.
"Then it's your job as my subject to handle that," the King of Conquerors 'Gray' grinned and snapped the reins forcefully.
"Honestly..." El-Melloi II sighed, lifting his hand to his face. "The king never fails to give me a headache."
"But you seem to be enjoying yourself," Cyd chuckled.
"Uh... will using these class cards always turn out like this?" Illya scratched her face.
She couldn't help but imagine that once Gray woke up, she'd hide under her covers out of embarrassment. The King of Conquerors's outfit was just so revealing!
"Each hero has a different personality. Some are more gentle and will silently support you from behind. Others, well, they'll take over like this," Cyd explained, leaping down from the rope and landing heavily on the ground. He then calmly walked over to the onlookers, including Luvia, and gently set Illya down.
Illya instinctively touched the Archer-class card tied to her leg.
"From here on out, this is no longer a fight mere mortals can participate in. But I suppose none of you are planning to back down, are you?" Cyd asked, a bit helpless as he glanced at the group of girls who clearly had no intention of leaving.
"Of course not!" Tohsaka Rin said, shaking her twin tails, still cradled in Bazett's arms.
"There's no way I'd leave something this interesting," Luvia added, patting Miyu's head. "Besides, this child doesn't want to leave either."
"Together," Miyu said seriously, looking at Cyd.
Bazett thought to herself that if these two stubborn mistresses died, not only would she have no food, no place to live, and no clothes to wear, but her life would also be pretty much over. So, no, she absolutely wouldn't leave!
"Then bear witness," Cyd said as he turned and began walking towards the King of Conquerors 'Gray.' "Remember their figures."
"Hey! You're a king too, right?" the King of Conquerors 'Gray' let go of the reins and drew a sword from her waist, pointing it at the darkened Gilgamesh on the opposite side of the bridge. "How about telling me your name!"
"Ahhhhh!" Gilgamesh responded with a repressed roar, accompanied by a barrage of dozens of Noble Phantasms.
"Such a miser!" the King of Conquerors 'Gray' clicked her tongue and swung her sword, knocking the flying Noble Phantasms aside. "But since you've already made your move, then..."
The King of Conquerors 'Gray' grinned broadly, and cracks like flames spread from her feet in all directions.
"Let the war begin. Come, my army! My pride! Ionioi Hetairoi!"
Scorching sunlight bathed the land, dispelling the chill of the night. A dry wind carrying yellow sand began to blow.
"Is this... a Reality Marble?!" Rin's eyes widened in shock. "How can a Rider-class card manifest a Reality Marble?!"
"Because he's a hero," Luvia said, having long become numb to such surprises.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The synchronized marching of troops resounded throughout the desert, and a vast army of shadows surged past Luvia and the others, heading towards the King of Conquerors 'Gray.' But...
"They're all shadows," Cyd noted as he glanced at the soldiers in the chariots.
Without exception, they were all shadows, their faces obscured.
"Right now, you probably can't manifest the full might of Ionioi Hetairoi. It's really too difficult," Cyd shook his head.
"Well, that's a bit disappointing," the King of Conquerors 'Gray' shrugged her shoulders. "This army is the embodiment of our bond. If you deny it so easily, it'll be quite embarrassing for me."
El-Melloi II allowed a small smile to tug at his lips. He had a feeling this bold king was about to do something extraordinary.
Ionioi Hetairoi was the crystallization of the King of Conquerors's bond with his subordinates. This desert was their shared memory, and every soldier here was a Servant, responding to their king's call to fight alongside him.
No matter what state the King of Conquerors was in, as long as he called, this world-conquering army would always come.
The King of Conquerors 'Gray' took a deep breath and began shouting.
Cyd's eyes slowly widened.
He was calling their names—the names of his subordinates.
The king remembered each and every one of them, regardless of rank, wealth, or birth. He remembered all their names, and because he remembered, he could call them one by one.
The shadowy army began to regain color at the king's call. Each one was a true Servant, some even stronger than the King of Conquerors himself. But now, at the king's call, they stood on the desert, marching forward with him.
Tens of thousands of soldiers, tens of thousands of names, tens of thousands of faces. He couldn't call them all at once—it was simply too many—but each one's image appeared clearly in his mind.
"King!"
"King!"
"King!"
The once lifeless shadow army was now alive, with soldiers raising their weapons, their voices rising like a tidal wave in response to the king who had summoned them.
"This... this is the true Ionioi Hetairoi," Cyd chuckled, resting his axe-sword on his shoulder.
El-Melloi II looked at the soldiers around him with deep emotion. Ten years ago, he had looked upon them just like this. Every time he remembered, it felt as though he was following the king all over again.
"Ah... there's still one more," the King of Conquerors 'Gray' reached for the reins, "Waver Velvet!"
El-Melloi II's eyes widened sharply, and he lifted his hand, pressing it to his chest.
"At your service, my king."
"Now, my subordinates are all gathered," the King of Conquerors 'Gray' laughed, snapping the reins once more.
"Forward!"