Here Lies a Friend of Justice

With so many Heroic Spirit and soldiers gathered at the same time, how could he possibly lose? Even if his opponent was the most ancient King of Heroes, how could he possibly withstand the legendary power of humanity? How could he possibly deal with this countless army of Heroic Spirit?

"Haha, this is all thanks to you, Lemon Head."

After unleashing his Noble Phantasm and greeting his old friends, Iskandar didn't forget to thank Kenneth.

"Thank me?" Kenneth, somewhat puzzled.

"That's right, mainly because your furnace is just too useful. Originally, because of Little Master's magic power, even when I used my Noble Phantasm, I couldn't get my soldiers to use their full strength to their heart's content. Thanks to your furnace, plus the three Command Seal I just used, right now, my soldiers and I feel better than ever before! In other words, we can now fight with all our might!!"

Having said that, Iskandar withdrew his gaze and looked once more at the Golden King on the other side of the distant desert, who showed no fear even in the face of a thousand armies. Rather, at this moment, he even sensed a fighting spirit emanating from Gilgamesh...

That's great, that's really great.

It seems the opponent truly deserves to be called a king. Even when facing his own army, he remains calm and composed, able to laugh off victory or defeat. That is the mark of a king!

Sensing the powerful magic that Gilgamesh deliberately amplified in the face of his army, Iskandar raised an eyebrow, his eyes gleaming with unparalleled fighting spirit.

Meanwhile, Lancelot had already infiltrated the army, snatched a horse from an unknown Heroic Spirit, and then, without holding back any longer, suddenly drew his true Noble Phantasm in this final battle—the Lake Sword, the Aroundight.

"Hahahaha, Berserker can't wait any longer?"

Iskandar did not blame Lancelot for stealing the horse. Instead, he laughed heartily twice, then looked at Fionn mac Cumhaill, the only one still standing on the ground, and asked with a smile.

"Lancer, you didn't bring your mount, did you?"

"It's a pity. If I were a Rider, my Underworld Steed and Hound would probably appear as well. But unfortunately, my class is Lancer."

Upon hearing this, Fionn mac Cumhaill shook his head, a hint of regret in his voice.

"Haha, what's so difficult about that?"

Upon hearing Fionn mac Cumhaill's words, Iskandar laughed heartily, then waved his hand, and a spirited white warhorse suddenly leaped out from the army and ran in front of Fionn mac Cumhaill.

"This is?"

Upon seeing the white warhorse, Fionn mac Cumhaill's eyes lit up. In the King of Conquerors's Noble Phantasm, even horses had become Heroic Spirit.

"Mount up, Fionn mac Cumhaill. Though they are far inferior to your divine steed, these children have served me faithfully in my campaigns, and they are all excellent!"

"Thank you, I will certainly live up to your mission."

Fionn mac Cumhaill nodded solemnly.

"Hahaha, now that everyone is all ready to go, then—!!"

"Let this renowned King of Heroes experience firsthand the unwavering resolve of us, even unto death! Let him truly appreciate the spirit of the Macedonian men!!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!!"

"Yes!!!"

After glancing back at the crowd and confirming that everything was ready, Iskandar swung his sword, drawing a dazzling bolt of lightning in mid-air, thus marking the opening ceremony of the war.

—Boom!!

A deafening clap of thunder filled the air, and dark clouds blanketed the sky above, blocking out the scorching sun.

Accompanied by bursts of divine thunder, came the bellowing of the divine ox and the neighing of warhorses.

Iskandar, positioned at the forefront, brandished his sword, pointing it at Gilgamesh, and then shouted, "Kill—!!"

"--kill!!!!"

Rumble rumble rumble.

Yellow sand rolled in, horses' hooves thundered, and a surging momentum swept in.

The unified voice was incredibly loud and majestic, like a sharp blade piercing through the clouds. Then the army pressed in, and the great power known as the Manifestation of Humanity swept across the land, causing even the highest gods to tremble.

"I'm so excited! My heart is starting to race..."

Because of the favor he received, and even more so because he didn't want to let down the warhorse beneath him, the Golden Knight Fionn mac Cumhaill, wielding his divine spear, charged ahead, clearing the way for Iskandar and the Macedonian army behind him in this war.

"Arrrrrrrr..."

Hidden among the crowd, Lancelot unleashed his boundless martial prowess, showcasing his superb knightly skills, and swiftly caught up with Fionn mac Cumhaill from the right, keeping pace with him.

Gold and black—two of the most elite knights from Celtic Mythology transformed into two sharp blades, rushing together to the fiercest battlefield.

"Hahahaha! How exhilarating! I, the King, have arrived too!!"

"—All troops, launch an attack!!"

Seeing the two men's valiant performance, Iskandar, standing beside them, was naturally not to be outdone. He brandished his longsword and commanded his army of ten thousand men to launch a charge.

"--kill!!!"

Behind the three riders came the deafening battle cries, followed by the legendary Seven Guards and tens of thousands of Macedonian phalanxes. Amidst this endless Macedonian army, Ptolemy gripped the reins tightly, his left hand clutching his spear, as he, along with Kenneth and Weber, plunged into this thrilling and magnificent expedition—

"—Aaaaaaah! That reckless idiot, why didn't you just charge in?! Why did you have to drag us along?!"

On the jolted chariot, Kenneth and Weber were so shaken by the super-high speed that they could no longer stand up. They were both so overwhelmed by the magnificent scene that their legs went weak. The swaying chariot made them unable to straighten their backs, so they could only sit on it and hug each other tightly.

"Haha, don't say that. The King's Master and this... Lemon Head? Anyway, let's all join this great expedition."

The screams of the two men reached Ptolemy's ears, which made him laugh heartily. He then accelerated the wheels of his Gordius Wheel again, transforming into a bolt of lightning to catch up with the three riders at the front.

"..."

Gilgamesh stared at him indifferently.

Even when faced with such a magnificent and spectacular scene, the Golden King standing at the edge of the desert remained calm and composed.

Tens of thousands of Macedonian phalanxes?

Countless heroes who created great achievements?

Or is it the work of those who expand their territory?

It doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter to him; all of this is just a pastime for him.

While this thing intrigued him, it was far from enough to awe or instill fear in him. There was only one truly formidable opponent—

"Enkidu!!"

Because he had always observed from a third-person perspective, Gilgamesh had already seen through the so-called Ionian Hetairoi when Assassin and Emiya Kiritsugu attacked, and gradually understood the karma created by humans.

"Hmph, a battlefield of yellow sand constructed from mental images? A great feat created by man, not too boring. I must say, you do have some skill, King of Conquerors..."

"But it is precisely this level of achievement that brings me joy and delight, hahahahahahahahaha—!!"

Gazing at the terrifying, uniform, and imposing army sweeping towards them, and listening to the thunderous battle cries around them.

At this moment, Gilgamesh felt no emotional fluctuation whatsoever; instead, he couldn't help but laugh.

He calmly watched their charge and then uttered a sigh.

"To unite dreams and achieve great things—such willpower truly deserves my praise."

Then, a golden ripple appeared around him, and a golden portal opened, revealing a complex golden key that he held tightly in his palm.

"But, warriors, do you understand? So-called dreams are destined to end..."

He spoke calmly, then slightly turned his hand and gently twisted the bottom of the uniquely shaped golden key in his hand, followed by a burst of crimson light.

Boom—!!

As a terrifying aura rapidly rippled around him, Gilgamesh's figure was suspended in mid-air.

"If you don't want to wake up, then come on then. I'll let you witness the end of this so-called dream, and I will personally make you understand this truth."

He spoke calmly, then slowly raised the crimson light that was constantly flashing in his hand, aiming it directly at the thousands of troops that were still charging towards him. His scarlet eyes remained expressionless, devoid of joy or sorrow...

Chapter Seventy-Six: This place is where Hero of Justice are buried.

—I am a worm, a worm that crawls ceaselessly in the ground, devoid of volatile malice. I hold my head higher than the moon, until I can no longer see you poor wretches.

Meanwhile, in the forest on the other side.

Clang clang clang—!

The clanging sound of metal colliding echoed continuously under the night sky.

In mid-air, dazzling sparks flew from the friction of the dark forest.

Two figures of vastly different heights were moving with ghostly speed, one after the other, constantly traversing the dense jungle.

The young priest, running at the forefront, brandished two weapons resembling short swords, slicing through the night sky with chilling glints. The piercing whistling sound echoed in his ears, and with each swift attack, he flawlessly sliced the insects that attacked from behind in two.

Although they are called insects, these insects, which are comparable in size to the palm of a hand, are insect familiars carefully cultivated by Matou Zouken over the past hundred years. Their hardness and strength are far beyond what ordinary familiars can match. Even the speed at which bullets are fired at high speed cannot match the attack speed of these insects.

This meant that Kirei Kotomine appeared younger and more powerful, was constantly being chased by the old man who looked like a mummy. He could only jump to the treetops to dodge while wielding the Black Keys in his hand to gradually deflect the incoming attacks, and then look for a suitable opportunity to counterattack.

However, Matou Zouken was right behind him, continued his relentless pursuit.

Despite being a decaying body like a withered tree, it suddenly unleashed an unimaginable and terrifying speed. Its originally aged face, which was already halfway into a coffin, became even more ferocious. While chasing after it at a speed no less than that of Kirei Kotomine, it grinned and let out an extremely terrifying laugh.

"Hohohohohoho—!! You little devil from the Church, didn't you just say you were going to purify this vengeful spirit of mine? Where did your original arrogance and determination go?"

As Matou Zouken laughed wildly, black insects that emerged from his decaying body began to gather and swirl around him, quickly forming a dense, dark mass that completely enveloped his body and feet.

In an instant, his pursuit speed, which was already no less than that of Kirei Kotomine, increased even more.

"Um..."

Hearing the sinister laughter behind him, like that of a demon, and Matou Zouken's mockery and questioning, Kirei Kotomine did not respond and continued running through the forest at his own pace.

But to prevent being caught up by the Old Worm behind him, he suddenly flung his hand, which was gripping the Black Keys, in mid-air.

With a blinding flash of cold light, a smooth, clean cut suddenly appeared on the towering tree beside them in the darkness. The next moment—

—Boom!!

A deafening roar filled the air as, under Kirei Kotomine's precise manipulation, the large tree that had been cut in half by the Black Keys crashed down towards Matou Zouken's location, attempting to slow his terrifying speed.

"Heh heh heh, so you're trying to use obstacles to block my path and escape? All that useless cleverness. Tokiomi Tohsaka's apprentice, it seems you're just as incompetent as your teacher..."

Facing the massive tree that crashed down, Matou Zouken, who had been chasing after it, once again let out a sinister smile, his eyes filled with disdain, and his pace did not slow down in the slightest because of this thing.

In the brief instant the tree collapsed, the swarm of dark insects beside it began to move under his deliberate control.

Thousands upon thousands of densely packed black insects suddenly formed a giant black hand, which then held up the fallen tree and, with astonishing force, hurled it directly towards Kirei Kotomine's location.

--call out!!

"What?"

Hearing the ear-piercing sound of something cutting through the air behind him, even the Kirei Kotomine couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, and his previously composed expression underwent a slight change.

He had no time to think, nor any time to hesitate. He leaped and hid behind another tree, using it as cover to barely escape the devastating blow.

"He dodged it... What a lucky kid."

Seeing that Kirei Kotomine had dodged his throw, Matou Zouken's eyes gradually turned cold.

To be honest, this brat named Kirei Kotomine is indeed a very difficult guy to deal with.

His combat experience and combat intuition are outstanding. Even though he has lived for so long, there are very few people among those he has met who can consistently surpass him in combat intuition and instinct.

How could this guy be sent to the Eighth Sacrament?

In Matou Zouken's view, Kirei Kotomine were better suited to be deployed to Western Europe, the main battlefield between the Church and the Dead Apostle, rather than to appear in the mysterious and barren countryside of the Far East.

His talent is absolutely top-notch among the Executor of his age. If he undergoes special transformation by the Church and accumulates enough merit through enough battles, he will have the opportunity to enter the monster gathering place called the Burial Agency in the future and become a minor priest there. Moreover, he has taken the useless mediocre Tohsaka Tokiomi Tohsaka as his teacher, which would be a huge waste.

As for Tokiomi Tohsaka, that brat with no combat experience, dying at the hands of such an opponent without the protection of the King of Heroes, he wasn't surprised at all.

The gap between them is just too big...

If the distance is close enough, and the opponent is unprepared, Kirei Kotomine killing Tokiomi Tohsaka would be as easy as killing an ordinary person; there would be no pressure at all.

After a period of intense struggle, Matou Zouken Kirei Kotomine, had roughly figured out the true level of his strength.

A top-tier mortal, proficient in all the combat skills of the Church's Executor, whether using Black Keys for melee or ranged combat, he is impeccable. With his current mummy-like decaying body, if someone gets close to him, they might actually be pinned to the ground by a set of Black Keys.

However, knowing this, Matou Zouken never engaged in close combat with Kirei Kotomine from beginning to end, and would never give him the chance to turn the tables on him.