The dead of night was shattered by the revelry of the banquet. Beneath the starry river in the sky, surrounded by countless glittering lights, the feast held for four kings was now underway.
Drinking with kings, reveling with kings—this was a gathering at the very pinnacle, one that only those who were kings themselves could enjoy.
"The glory of kings!"
The Conqueror King raised the wine cask in his hands and shouted, then tipped his head back and drained the nearly half-meter-tall cask in one go.
"Hmph. Are you so crude in both your conduct and your manner? What an ill-bred king!" Though the Hero King looked down on the Conqueror King's boisterous display, he too raised his goblet and drained it.
He savored the lingering fragrance of the wine. Even someone as particular as the Hero King looked pleased.
"Whew! Hahahaha! This is incredible wine! It's like heavenly nectar! Eternal King, you've got so many treasures!" Having finished his drink, the Conqueror King casually tossed aside the empty cask, grabbed another one beside him, and began drinking again.
"Hmph..."
The Hero King didn't offer much praise, but the satisfied look on his face and the goblet he raised to his lips once more made it clear how much he enjoyed Xia's collection.
Watching the Hero King and the Conqueror King drink so heartily, Xia knew his own collection had earned their approval.
"I've reincarnated through countless lifetimes and seen more worlds than I could count! If I couldn't produce even something like this, wouldn't that be embarrassing?" Xia said with natural confidence. Indeed, having lived through countless worlds was more than enough reason for him to be proud.
"Oh?" Seeing Xia's confident expression, the Hero King grew displeased.
"You get a little taste, and now you're mouthing off? Well, I'll show you what wine truly worthy of a king is!"
With a crisp snap of his fingers,
a golden ripple shimmered behind the Hero King. From within it slowly emerged a white jade goblet, along with four delicate little cups arranged beside it.
In the goblet, the wine shimmered with iridescent colors like rippling water, giving off an intoxicating aroma.
The moment he smelled it, the Conqueror King stopped drinking from his cask and stared, dumbstruck, at what the Hero King called "the wine of the gods." Even Artoria, who had been focused on devouring the food, raised her head and stared wide-eyed at the rainbow glow in the goblet. Her little nose twitched as she sniffed at the alluring fragrance.
"Open your eyes and look! This is the wine fit for kings! Eternal King, compared to this, all that stuff you just brought out is no better than foul water in a gutter!" Seeing the stunned expressions of the other two kings, the Hero King's pride was thoroughly satisfied.
"Hmph. You dare call that stuff the wine of the gods? Foolish Hero King! Even the oldest king of mankind can't escape such a narrow worldview?"
Looking at the wine glowing in rainbow hues, Xia sneered coldly.
Then, at a thought from Xia, the food and decorations on the table vanished instantly. In their place appeared a massive wine jar, with a golden dragon coiled around it.
Golden dragon patterns, a body edged with emeralds, and a splendid lid fashioned entirely from lustrous white diamonds!
Xia swept his hand out and flipped open the lid that had been sealing in the wine jar's fragrance.
The instant the lid came off, dazzling golden light burst from the jar, turning the dark sky into a sea of gold!
It illuminated the entire land.
"This wine is called 'Return to Emptiness.' I came across it by chance in my nine thousand four hundred and thirty-third lifetime. It's not only a peerless delicacy, but can also grant humans eternal youth and immortality at no cost! It's also the finest medicine for healing wounds! Hero King, this is a hundred times greater than your wine of the gods!"
"Well, Hero King?!"
Folding his arms, Xia raised his head proudly.
He held that pose as he looked down at the Hero King and declared, "You wanted to compare treasures and collections? Then you picked the wrong opponent!"
"Hmph! Very well! Let this oldest king of mankind show you what a true difference looks like! Prepare yourself for total defeat!"
With a shout from the Hero King, the golden light of the Gates of Babylon appeared once more, even brighter and denser than before!
That meant the Hero King was about to bring out something from the most treasured depths of his collection!
"Hah?! You think your title of 'oldest' can bridge the gap between us and countless worlds?! Don't get too arrogant, Hero King!"
"Silence! Gates of Babylon!"
"Laughable! Fantasy Barrier!"
As the two spoke their words of release, the powerful kings brought their treasured possessions into the world one by one!
Gold, silver, bronze; noble, splendid, dazzling—treasures that could even stir the hearts of the gods.
One after another, they appeared in the golden light behind Xia and the Hero King.
Artoria and the Conqueror King stared in astonishment at the countless splendid objects floating through the sky. It was hard to believe that a single Heroic Spirit could possess so many Noble Phantasms at once!
And none of them were ordinary, either. Truly...
"Damn rich people..." "Damn rich people..."
With two resentful mutters, Artoria and the Conqueror King exchanged a glance, then hurried toward the dazzling display of wealth.
They uncorked every bottle of wine they saw! They ate every delicious dried fruit they found!
As they ate, they grumbled, "We'll eat you out of house and home! We'll drink all your treasures dry! You damn nouveau riche!"
Unfortunately, even after Artoria and the Conqueror King had eaten their fill, Xia and the Hero King were still grinding their teeth and comparing their wealth...
The contest had already moved on from rare wines to weapons and armor!
The banquet grounds were now crammed with dazzling Noble Phantasms.
You could step on an A+ Noble Phantasm just by putting your foot down. If the Conqueror King hadn't known that he wouldn't be able to use them even if he took them, he would've been the first to snatch them all up!
A whole floor full of A-rank Noble Phantasms! The torment of being able to see them but not take them left the Conqueror King feeling more helpless than ever!
The Conqueror King let out a long sigh and stared helplessly at the two kings who were still comparing their treasures with all their might.
"I suppose this is the first battle I've ever lost before it even began?"
Hearing the Conqueror King's words, Artoria comfortingly patted his broad back.
"Don't worry about it. Those two have already gone beyond the usual category of Heroic Spirits. They're practically some kind of special existence... (Like spendthrifts, for example.)"
"Heh, that's true. At least you don't have to worry about being poor. After all, that Eternal King seems pretty fond of you... hehehe..."
At the Conqueror King's mischievous chuckle and suggestive look,
Artoria's face immediately turned bright red.
"N-no! Xia is only my guardian knight! It's not that kind of relationship! We... we're just protecting and supporting each other, that's all! Like... like...! Right! Like companions!"
The Conqueror King watched the flustered, red-faced Knight King with amusement. He had only meant it as a joke, but hadn't expected such a strong reaction.
Still, who would've thought the usually stern Knight King could show such a girlish side? Heh.
The Conqueror King smiled and spread his hands to show that he understood the relationship between Xia and the king before him. Only then did Artoria's excitement begin to fade.
But her slightly bowed head and still-flushed cheeks showed that she hadn't quite calmed down inside...
To spare the king before him any further embarrassment, the Conqueror King turned to the two kings still locked in their contest and spoke.
"My esteemed kings, why don't we take a break and talk? Why are you seeking the Holy Grail?"
At his words, the two kings stopped. One stood there with an expressionless face, while the other lifted his chin and looked at the Conqueror King with disdain.
" mongrel, what a pointless question! Everything in this world belongs to me already! I'm merely reclaiming what was mine to begin with. It's as simple as that!"
After he finished speaking, the Hero King plopped down on a splendid Noble Phantasm, casually popped open a bottle of wine, and gulped it down.
The contest had consumed a fair amount of his magical energy.
"Artoria wants it. That's all."
Xia had also taken a break. Sitting across from the Hero King, he opened a bottle of wine and drank as he spoke.
"Hmph! You'd abandon a king's dignity for a woman? Mongrel!"
After gulping down a large mouthful of wine, the Hero King smirked and jeered.
"Dignity? If she wanted it, I'd gladly offer her even the soul of this broken body! What the hell is a little dignity worth?"
"Hmph! Is that how you choose to live, Eternal King?!"
"It's the source of my life! You know nothing of love, Hero King!"
Xia glanced contemptuously at the Hero King, then clinked his goblet against the other king's and drained it.
{I acknowledge your place as a king, you who are called the "Eternal" King...}
"Then what about you? After hearing the Eternal King's declaration, what do you have to say, Knight King?"
Turning his head, the Hero King looked at Artoria with a mischievous grin.
All three kings present turned their gazes toward the uneasy-looking Knight King.
Xia seemed to be looking down, half-hidden, as if he were a little nervous.
Artoria took a deep breath.
"Phew..."
After exhaling, Artoria glanced at Xia, who was sitting nearby with his goblet raised as if he were drinking, though not a drop had passed his lips.
"My wish is to use the Holy Grail's power to return to the past and undo my mistake! I want to choose a true king to rule the Empire of Britannia!"
"This is my one and only wish as the King of Britannia."
As Artoria's words fell,
crack!
The goblet in Xia's hand shattered completely. The priceless wine slowly trickled through his fingers...
The Hero King lifted his head slightly to look at Xia across from him, covering his face as he grinned.
"Young man... what a difficult road you've chosen!"
If it doesn't work, just say so.
If it doesn't work, I'll change it!
That's all~!
By the way...
Saturday and Sunday,
can I take some time off?
I want to play games... hehehehehe.
Before you continue