Golden ripples spread open, glittering noble phantasms aimed at the Mysterious Servant...
They seemed like a threat, yet also like a warning.
The ultimatum had been delivered. Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, seemed to have reached the end of his patience...
Faced with Noble Phantasms practically pressed to his throat, the Mysterious Servant remained as immovable as a mountain. Looking at Gilgamesh, who was still lounging lazily on the ornate sofa before him, he continued to sit there, towering and unmoved.
"Hmph...!"
With a cold snort, Gilgamesh seemed to lose all interest in speaking with the Servant before him after he once again fell silent. He then tipped back his head and drained the wine from his cup in one gulp.
"Tomorrow at sunrise, if you still dare stand in my way... even if it is you... I shall still pass judgment!"
Just as the two Servants of Tokiomi Tohsaka's faction seemed to be having a rather unpleasant dispute in the Tohsaka Basement...
The master and disciple, Tokiomi Tohsaka and Kirei Kotomine, appeared to have nothing better to do than play chess in Tokiomi Tohsaka's study.
Looking at the white pieces pressing forward step by step across the board, Kirei Kotomine, who held the black pieces, had no thoughts focused on the game at all.
He did not seek the Holy Grail... nor did he have any wish... If there was anything Kirei Kotomine wanted to know... it was the Value of Existence of himself...
And according to the information Kirei Kotomine had gathered for Tokiomi Tohsaka...
That Magus Killer... seemed to be his kindred spirit... Thus, Kirei Kotomine, who had experienced the birth of a certain desire within himself for the first time, had not been distracted only once during this period.
Kiritsugu Emiya... what Value of Existence did you find?
As Kirei Kotomine recalled Kiritsugu Emiya's files and guessed what sort of answer he might obtain from him, he failed to notice that... this game had already ended while he was distracted.
Kirei has gotten distracted again... It seems the Holy Grail War has placed too much pressure on him... But I'm sorry, Kirei. For now, you are Necessary Sacrifice to me...
Thinking of the Servant Kirei Kotomine had summoned, Tokiomi Tohsaka, already completely convinced that he would win the Holy Grail War, did not choose to disturb Kirei Kotomine. Instead, he simply turned his chair and looked out at the bright moon beyond the window, revealing an elegant and confident smile...
Yet Tokiomi Tohsaka did not know that his Servant, Gilgamesh, was quietly standing in the Tohsaka Garden in Spirit Form, looking mockingly at Tokiomi Tohsaka as though he held Certain Victory.
"Hmph... boring mongrel."
Einsbern Castle... Kiritsugu Emiya and Zouken Matou had completed their so-called alliance.
Like a puppet, Shirou Chiko, controlled by Zouken Matou, officially moved into Einsbern Castle that night.
Awakening in an empty room, Shirou Chiko, who had already had a set of False Memories implanted in his mind, looked around at his surroundings, then at Berserker, who had barely left his side these past few days.
His eyes slightly dazed, he shook his head.
He naturally did not lack memories of how he had arrived at this castle or why he had slept in this room.
Yet for some reason, after waking up, Shirou Chiko always felt that the memories surfacing in his mind were somewhat false... as though he had never personally experienced them at all.
Just as Shirou Chiko planned to use the magecraft he had learned from Zouken Matou to examine the state of his body.
A few knocks sounded at the door.
The "Grandfather" in Shirou Chiko's perception walked straight into his room with a valiant-looking blonde lady.
"Shirou, did you rest well last night?"
Still feeling that his memories of last night lacked a sense of reality, Shirou Chiko pressed down on the soft mattress beside him. Then, smiling, he nodded at his kind-looking "Grandfather."
"Yes, Grandfather. I rested very well."
"Hohoho, that's good... Shirou, let this old man introduce you. This is our ally's Servant, Saber. Over the next few days, she will join you in... the true Holy Grail War!"
Looking at Artoria, Shirou Chiko could not help but feel a favorable impression toward the older woman before him, even though he was not looks-obsessed. Smiling, he nodded at Zouken Matou and immediately jumped out of bed.
"Big Sister Saber, my name is Shirou Chiko. You can call me Shirou from now on... I'm participating in the Holy Grail War to help Grandfather heal his body... Please take care of me!"
Artoria lowered her head and stared at the Red-Haired Boy before her, who was looking up at her with an innocent smile and an outstretched hand.
Expressionless, Artoria seemed somewhat stiff at that moment.
Only after Shirou Chiko had held out his hand for quite some time did Artoria finally remove her gauntlet and gently take his hand, a trace of self-reproach, reluctance, and confusion flashing deep in her eyes.
"I am the Servant Saber... Shirou, you may simply call me Saber from now on."
Unrestrained Recklessness, Attack on Einsbern Castle...
She was a King, a King who could give everything for her people. She was the Perfect Saint King Britain had praised for a thousand years...
She eliminated monsters that plagued the land, issued Benevolent Rule after Benevolent Rule praised by the people, and led her knights against invaders... It seemed she had done everything a King could possibly do for her subjects...
Yet betrayal, betrayal, and more betrayal...
Perhaps she had been too selfless, so selfless that people wondered whether she was even human.
Or perhaps it was because she had given everything for her people, making others feel pity for her...
In the end, this King ended her life amid bleak betrayal...
At the very end... only her old friend, both mentor and friend, pushed the vessel carrying her sleeping body, sailing lonely across the tranquil surface of Avalon Lake...
This maiden who had seen the ending from the Time of Drawing the Sword, this King who had offered nearly everything for her people, slowly opened her eyes within Einzbern Castle.
She looked at the Morning Sun already rising in the sky, then at the Red-Haired Boy in the Castle Garden not far away, undergoing physical training.
Artoria of this timeline could not help but have a trace of self-reproach and confusion flash through her eyes.
Even as she repeatedly told herself, this is a Necessary Sacrifice, Artoria's heart still could not calm down.
Just as Artoria stood there in silence.
Shirou Chiko, who had already been undergoing physical training in the garden for quite some time, did not know whether it was by some strange impulse or because of his natural favorable impression of Artoria. He noticed that she seemed to be in a bad mood.
The instant he finished his training, Shirou Chiko wiped the sweat from his forehead and walked over to Artoria.
"Big Sister Saber... did I do something wrong and make you angry?"
Her gaze flickered slightly. Shaking her head, Artoria stared at Shirou Chiko's innocent eyes, secretly gritted her teeth, and then forced a smile as she replied.
"No, Shirou, you did nothing wrong. I was merely thinking about the previous battle... I made you worry, Shirou."
Hearing Artoria's reply, Shirou Chiko smiled again.
Just as Shirou Chiko was about to continue speaking with his Big Sister Saber.
Suddenly... Artoria's expression changed, and Berserker behind Shirou Chiko threw back his head and let out a roar at the same time.
Noble Phantasms... a rain of Noble Phantasms like a torrential downpour descended at that moment, hurtling toward the garden of Einsbern Castle from the direction illuminated by the Morning Sun.
A massive warblade swung out, tearing the air apart like rotten cloth.
With a boom, an enormous explosion reverberated through Einsbern Castle... as though it had been struck by a heavy bomb.
In an instant, Berserker, who had swung his warblade against the Noble Phantasms, was completely swallowed by the rising cloud of dust.
Holding the bewildered Shirou, Artoria immediately brought him to safety. After setting him down, she instantly drew her Noble Phantasm in vigilance and looked gravely toward the Morning Sun.
"Roar~~!"
Like a tiger's roar, yet also like thunder.
Berserker, who usually followed quietly behind Shirou Chiko, seemed to have discovered the invaders' trail. After roaring, the afterimage of Berserker's swift movement tore straight through the rising dust and charged toward the forest in the direction of the Morning Sun.
"Saber, go support him!"
Just as Artoria looked at the bewildered Shirou Chiko beside her, then at the forest where explosions continued to ring out, unsure whether she should attack or remain to protect Shirou Chiko.
Kiritsugu Emiya, appearing in the garden with Leonidas, immediately gave Artoria the order to attack.
Like a gust of wind, Artoria immediately rushed into the forest as Kiritsugu Emiya arrived.
But at that moment, where was there any forest left?
Under the lingering force of the Servants' clash, the forest that had previously been filled with trees too thick for a single person to wrap their arms around had become a pockmarked stretch of bare ground.
Gilgamesh spread golden ripples and continuously unleashed wave after wave of Noble Phantasm rain. Watching Berserker leap about like a monkey within the Noble Phantasm rain, trying to approach him, he wore a crazed and somewhat sickly smile.
He had truly been stifled. Nearly three days of boredom had thoroughly stifled this King who carried himself like a tyrant...
"Hahahaha, excellent, mongrel. That's it. Continue amusing me with those ridiculous movements..."
Arriving swiftly at the battlefield, Artoria happened to witness that scene. Hearing Gilgamesh's boastful words, she did not immediately join the battle. Instead, she raised the Noble Phantasm in her hand while looking at the golden Servant who called everyone Mongrels.
A massive amount of mana surged out, gradually strengthening her body... As Artoria assumed the stance to release her Noble Phantasm, Gilgamesh... had no choice but to shift part of his attention toward her.
"Are the Mongrels trying to join forces?... Hahaha, come then, you fools who know neither heaven nor earth... Show yourselves before me!"
Gilgamesh, who had long been stifled, welcomed additional enemies without hesitation.
Gilgamesh had no desire to care what the Counter Force was doing. Right now, he only wanted to vent properly and clear away some of the trash polluting his "Garden," so that he could end this boring "farce" sooner.
The golden ripples directly doubled!
Even though Artoria successfully drew part of Gilgamesh's attention with a tactic of attacking the enemy's rear to relieve the front, two Servants alone were still far from enough to make him feel pressured.
Much less stop his unrestrained recklessness.
As the golden downpour doubled, the pressure Berserker endured naturally became even heavier.
If Berserker had still been able to protect himself and weave through the Noble Phantasm rain just now.
Then now, wounds had begun appearing across Berserker's body.
At the same time, as the pressure increased, Berserker naturally began absorbing even more mana from his Master in order to handle the situation.
For the young Shirou Chiko... this burden was absolutely beyond what he could bear.
"Aah...!"
Scorching pain... As Berserker drained his mana, Shirou Chiko could not help but scream...
"...Shirou!"
PS: I have something to do tonight... This chapter is being updated early...
"Command Seal" and Berserker!
"...Shirou!"
At the edge of the pockmarked battlefield, hearing Shirou's scream, Artoria could not help but let out a worried cry.
Just as Shirou Chiko had immediately developed a favorable impression when he first met Artoria.
Artoria had likewise felt a favorable impression toward Shirou Chiko the first time she met him.
Coupled with the guilt she already felt over having to use the little boy, Shirou Chiko.
Now, upon hearing Shirou Chiko's scream... Artoria pressed her lips together, tightly gripped the holy sword, and directly launched a fierce attack on Gilgamesh.
Kiritsugu Emiya coldly glanced at Shirou Chiko, who had fallen before him and was crying out in agony.
Though he did not understand why his heart had suddenly trembled at Shirou Chiko's cries just now, it was clearly not the time to investigate the reason.
On the battlefield, even with Artoria, one of the top Servants, joining the fight, nothing could change when facing Gilgamesh, the strongest among ordinary Servants, the "favored son."
If they did not think of something... their side's Servants would likely all be defeated very soon.
Just as Kiritsugu Emiya struggled to think of a way to break the deadlock.
The true body of Zouken Matou, hidden within Shirou Chiko's body, began to act...
The appearance of an overpowered Servant like Gilgamesh had absolutely been beyond Zouken Matou's expectations.
But... as the founder of the Holy Grail War and the one who had personally created the Pseudo-Holy Grail in this Holy Grail War... how could he possibly have failed to leave himself some contingency?
As Zouken Matou's true body, attached to Shirou Chiko's heart, suddenly bit down on the boy's beating heart.
Already in unbearable agony from Berserker draining his mana, Shirou Chiko, who had been continuously crying out, opened his mouth so wide it seemed about to tear apart. At the same time, his already dim eyes seemed as though they were about to bulge from their sockets...
Extreme pain was soundless... When the suffering someone endured exceeded the limits a human could bear, they could not make even the slightest sound.
Amid Shirou Chiko's silent scream... every Master participating in this Holy Grail War suddenly felt the Command Seals on the backs of their hands turn scorching hot...
Then, before any of the Masters could respond to this sudden change...