Fuyuki, the Bridge, and the Prelude

Daylight passed quietly, and as evening arrived, the sky began to darken.

Shiki was diligently preparing his combat tools when he suddenly sensed an unusual fluctuation in the air.

He subconsciously raised his head, his gaze falling upon the Fuyuki Bridge spanning the Miyou River.

A strange scent permeated the air, wisps of it entering his nostrils and bringing with it a chilling sensation that made his scalp tingle.

"Master."

Lancelot materialized instantly, his Demon Sword gripped tightly in his hand, adopting a ready-to-fight stance.

Shiki stopped what he was doing and stood up, joining Lancelot by the second-floor window. Although the location offered a high vantage point, the Fuyuki Bridge, several kilometers away, was still obscured by the towering buildings lining both sides of the river.

However, this was no obstacle for Shiki; if ordinary eyes couldn't see it, he would switch to his Magic Eye perspective.

In an instant, the world before him seemed to be redrawn.

At the distant Fuyuki Bridge, dense purple mist churned like a surging tide, encircling the riverbanks. The eerie fog even enveloped the sky, forming a shocking expanse of purple.

Lancelot noticed the change in Master's right eye and asked, "Master, what's the situation over there?"

Shiki slowly closed his Magic Eye, took a deep breath, and said, "Mr. Lancelot, let's go. It's time for us to make our appearance."

Finally, it was time to act. Lancelot felt a mix of excitement and complexity within him. He had a faint feeling that he might encounter Saber this time.

"King Arthur, this time, I will fulfill my wish in my own way."

Soon, Shiki packed his belongings and left the Matou Old House alone.

He looked up at a treetop, smiled slightly, and paid no mind to the hidden electronic surveillance equipment.

In this Holy Grail War, given the era, only the "Magus Killer" faction would utilize modern equipment to compensate for the shortcomings of magic.

The few kilometers journey was too far for Shiki to walk. It would be too slow; by the time he arrived, it would likely be too late.

Although he felt a pang about the cost, a taxi was undoubtedly the best mode of transportation at this moment – fast and without too many worries.

When Shiki arrived at the bridge, the battle had not yet officially begun, but he could already see more and more people being drawn by the mysterious purple mist, stopping and chattering amongst themselves.

"These ordinary people, they really aren't afraid of accidents."

Shiki couldn't help but remark that a love for spectacle seemed to be a common trait among ordinary people worldwide.

At that moment, Lancelot's voice echoed in his mind: "Master, to your front left."

"I see it."

The purple mist, invisible to ordinary people, held no secrets under his Magic Eye.

On the side closer to the river mouth, in the center of the river, stood a person with a peculiar appearance and dressed in strange clothing – it was Caster.

At this moment, Caster was holding his Noble Phantasm, unleashing his magic at full power. Intense magical energy continuously flowed into the river, and the eerie purple mist emanated from the river, now infused with magic.

"Tsk, enviable magic reserves."

Shiki sighed inwardly. Both Noble Phantasm and magic were powerful assets he currently lacked. However, he wasn't interested in Caster's so-called book of Noble Phantasms.

"Master, someone is coming."

Prompted by Lancelot, Shiki also noticed a luxury car speeding towards them from the riverbank levee on the left.

Judging by the emblem, it was a Mercedes-Benz. Shiki had long forgotten the model, but he knew it wasn't cheap.

"Rich people~"

As they approached the bridge, the driver abruptly stopped the car with a sideways drift, the maneuver clean and precise. Immediately after, a beautiful woman dressed in men's clothing agilely emerged from the car and quickly ascended the embankment.

A smile played on Shiki's lips as he teasingly asked Lancelot in his mind, "Oh my, is this the legendary King Arthur? She seems quite different from what you described earlier, Mr. Lancelot."

"Master..." Lancelot was somewhat helpless, unsure how to respond.

"Okay, enough talk. Let's split up. Mr. Lancelot, you go support the King of Knights, and I'll go find Caster's Master and settle the score."

Shiki quickly made arrangements.

"Then Master, be careful. If necessary, use a Command Spell to summon me."

"Of course."

After Lancelot dematerialized, Shiki, carrying his small bag, began to patrol the bridge. He vaguely remembered that the murderer was somewhere near this bridge.

Amidst this bustling crowd of people coming and going, it was truly difficult to find his target.

Meanwhile, Saber had already met with Lancer and Rider, and they had agreed to jointly defeat Caster.

After all, the giant Sea Monster summoned by Caster's great magic was too enormous and difficult to deal with.

Just then, everyone noticed a materialized knight walking towards them.

This time, the knight in everyone's eyes was no longer the Berserker they had seen before – the one enveloped in black mist, wearing a mask, and utterly insane. Instead, it was Lancelot, his helmet retracted, clad in black armor, and wielding a Demon Sword.

Among the Servants, Saber was the most shocked.

The golden-haired, blue-eyed, petite Saber's eyes widened, her lips trembling slightly as she murmured, "Sir Lancelot..."

That familiar face, that familiar sword – she wouldn't mistake him. This was Lancelot, who held the first seat among the Knights of the Round Table and served as her right-hand man.

"How could this be..."

She never imagined that the Berserker she'd first fought, the one who had gone mad, was actually her dear friend and comrade, and that she hadn't recognized him.

"Long time no see, my King."

What shocked everyone even more was that this knight actually spoke.

For a Berserker to regain his sanity and communicate normally was a profound shock to everyone's understanding.

Lancelot walked up to everyone, completely ignoring their strange gazes, and knelt on one knee, giving the petite King Arthur a standard knight's salute.

After standing up, Lancelot addressed the stunned crowd. "Today, I greet you all on behalf of my Master. Please forgive my Master for not being able to come in person. At this moment, my Master is searching for Caster's Master, and I believe good news will arrive soon."

"He spoke!!"

Waver took a step back in shock, but he quickly recovered. He looked around at the others and saw that their level of astonishment was no less than his own. Only then did he relax, thinking there was no need to be embarrassed.

"Impossible, Berserker regaining his sanity!"

Irisviel, standing beside Saber, felt a chill despite being from one of the Three Founding Families.

In the first three wars recorded in the Holy Grail system, no matter what kind of Heroic Spirit was summoned as Berserker, there had never been a precedent for them maintaining their sanity.

The word Berserker itself was synonymous with a berserker, a mad warrior, who sacrificed their sanity for increased abilities.

Facing everyone's surprise, Lancelot merely smiled slightly, offering no further explanation.

Truth be told, even he himself had been incredibly shocked by his Master's methods when he first regained his sanity, let alone the others.

Rider and Lancer exchanged glances, both sensing that the situation had become somewhat unexpected. Berserker had regained his sanity, and he was a Heroic Spirit with deep ties to King Arthur.

"Lancelot..."

Anyone familiar with the legends of King Arthur knew who he was.

He was the foremost knight of the Knights of the Round Table, his martial prowess even surpassing that of King Arthur.

The petite Saber bit her lip, her emotions incredibly complex.

She was happy to see her old friend, yet the cruel rules of the Holy Grail War made her realize that they would ultimately have to fight each other for the chance to have their single wish granted. This conflicted with the beliefs she held dear.

"Lord Lancelot, you..."

She hesitated, unsure how to greet him or face this situation.

Lancelot, fully aware of her predicament, smiled and said, "My King, today, you need not think of anything else. I am here to tell you all that in this battle, I stand with you."

"Hahaha!" Iskandar, atop his chariot, burst into laughter. He shook the reins, and the divine bull let out a long cry to the heavens.

"It's even better that the foremost knight of the Round Table, Lancelot, will fight alongside us. Saber, Lancer, we can't afford to waste any more time. I'll take my leave first, ha!"

With a thunderous sound, the chariot shot forward like an arrow from a bowstring. Amidst Waver's screams, Rider was the first to charge towards the massive Sea Monster.

Lancelot then stood beside Saber and declared loudly, "My King, do not overthink it. Let us fight side by side once more. Allow me to pledge my loyalty to you again and clear the path ahead for you."

Saber's heart surged with emotion. At this moment, this feeling became the last spark of passion in her heart.

"Lord Lancelot, you are right. We need not overthink things now."

With a flash of silver light, armor conjured from magic appeared. Saber instantly transformed from a handsome young man into a majestic King Arthur.

"Old friend, let us fight side by side."

"As you command, my King."

Lancelot stomped his foot hard, shaking the very ground. His figure was like a bolt of black lightning as he instantly charged across the river.

He stepped on the river as if walking on solid ground, speeding towards the massive Sea Monster.

His agile and valiant figure reminded King Arthur of their glorious past.

"Then, Irisviel, please be careful!"

"Saber, I wish you good fortune in battle."

With the same speed, the same effortless stride across the river, the petite King Arthur, wielding an invisible holy sword, closely followed Lancelot's footsteps as they charged towards the Sea Monster.

Irisviel, unable to tend to her silver hair whipped up by the wind, stared blankly at the two receding figures, feeling as though everything before her was a dream.

"King Arthur and her loyal knight, fighting side by side."

The legend was being recreated.