Splash.
Splash.
In a vast red sea, a shadow floated motionlessly beneath the waves.
Pale skin, bewildered eyes, and a body already beginning to stink...
"Where am I?"
"This is the Land of the Dead."
"Am I dead?"
"You are."
His pupils contracted slightly. Even though he had already come to terms with it, hearing that certain answer made his body, already beginning to decay, tremble involuntarily.
The sound of the waves washing over him again and again filled him with unbearable irritation.
"Question...!"
An aged voice suddenly rang out across the sea.
"A question... about what?"
"Question. What is love?"
A brief silence followed.
"Answer. To smile at the happiness of the one you love—that is love."
"Question. What is true love?"
"Answer. To endure nine lifetimes of hardship in exchange for one smile from the woman you love in this life."
"Question. What is Artoria to you?"
"Answer. My soul."
"Question. What does Artoria's existence mean to you?"
"Answer. The only reason I exist."
"Question. Do you love her?"
"Answer. I have already gone mad for her."
"One final question. You are dead. How will you fulfill your vow again?"
"One final answer. To go mad for love, roar for love, weep for love, and fight for love. From the distant shores of the underworld, I will use my soul as the bait and my blood as the path, and split myself in four."
"Then the contract is established. From this moment on, the existence known as Drake D. Xia will vanish from this world forever. In his place, the 'thought-form' split from his soul will fulfill his vow."
The one who had truly returned: "Drake D. Xia"
"Special move! Second High Reverse Source, First Form! Pangu!"
Beneath the cloud-covered sky, a sound like an exploding thunderclap rang out! A brilliant golden light suddenly burst across the heavens, like a straight sword cleaving the sun-blocking clouds apart in an instant!
"Don't get cocky, mongrel!!! Gate of Babylon!"
Above the clouds, now split in two, a red-eyed man clad in golden armor stood aboard a magnificent golden ship. He roared his insult, then swept out his hand! A rain of Noble Phantasms came hurtling down!
"Hmph!" came a cold snort.
On the castle ruins below, a streak of blue light suddenly blazed upward! The azure radiance, bright enough to completely obscure the golden light, surged into the sky! Then it split into countless blue streaks, charging headlong into the golden rain of Noble Phantasms!
A tremendous boom shook heaven and earth! The blue rain and the golden rain of Noble Phantasms clashed in a spectacular battle across the sky!
Clang, clang, clang—clang! Clang!
The ceaseless impacts sounded like a fierce war drum, stirring the blood!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The echoes thundered through the world.
"Don't underestimate me, mongrel!! Gate of Babylon! Maximum!"
"Drop dead, you true half-human, half-god mongrel! Blue Sky Storm!"
The once-gloomy sky was now obscured by two extremes of light!
With two more furious roars, the clashes overhead rapidly intensified! Their forceful impacts were now loud enough to be heard throughout Fuyuki City!
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield...
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The two figures crossed paths, each landing on a different rooftop among the castle ruins.
Saber, holding the Holy Sword, watched the hulking man before her with wary eyes. Facing a Rider should have given her an advantage, but the man's completely unorthodox fighting style, along with the two blue oxen beneath his chariot that breathed lightning, made him a formidable opponent.
A tough opponent... A bead of sweat slid down Saber's cheek. Her emerald eyes remained fixed on the powerful enemy before her.
But a king's honor must never be profaned! This is a battle of honor for the King of England! At the thought, her slightly weary body seemed to regain its strength. She stood once more, straighter and more resolute than before.
"Ha! As expected of Saber, the Knight of the Sword. You actually managed to change the course of my Gordius Wheel with that wild swordplay of yours. Impressive!" The boisterous Conqueror King did not hold back in praising Saber.
"But if this is all you can do, then it's nowhere near enough to defeat me, Alexander the Great, the Conqueror King!" As he spoke, arcs of electricity flickered across the chariot beneath him. The two blue oxen snorted and prepared to charge again.
"I'll return those words to you, Conqueror King! The Knight King of Britannia can't be defeated just by two little oxen used for plowing fields!"
Saber met the Conqueror King's taunt with a slightly wicked grin.
"Huh?! Wahahahahaha!!! If that's true, then I really will have my work cut out for me! You see, I was planning to save my other move for that troublesome 'Eternal King'!" The Conqueror King said with a laugh, one hand on his forehead, after hearing Saber's taunt.
"Hmph! Then I'll force you to use it! Take this, Conqueror King!"
As soon as she spoke, Saber gripped the Holy Sword and became a raging gale, instantly charging at the Conqueror King atop his chariot!
"Come! Let me, Alexander the Great, the Conqueror King, conquer you, proud Knight King! Wahahahahaha!"
With that, the Conqueror King's Gordius Wheel sprang into action, becoming a streak of light even swifter than Saber's blue gale as it charged toward her!
Clang!!
The two streaks of light collided once more, ringing with a clear metallic crash! They immediately separated, adjusted their paths, and slammed together again!
The two intertwined streaks of light fought as they raced across the battlefield! Shock waves from their fierce clash ravaged the already-ruined castle, leaving it even more miserable and broken!
Powerful gales swept up the wood chips and stones scattered across the ground, sending them all soaring into the sky!
"Excalibur!!!!!!"
A sudden roar burst forth, and an intensely white beam of light cleaved the gale in two before continuing upward, its force undiminished, into the higher sky.
"Pathetic!!"
Watching the white beam rush toward him, the Hero King aboard the golden ship sneered and casually drew a magnificent jeweled shield from his treasury. Then he hurled it into the air!
The jeweled shield expanded from the size of a forearm into a massive barrier in midair.
It firmly shielded the golden ship from behind.
Whoosh... BOOM!!
The white light struck the jeweled shield and exploded at once! But even the violent blast failed to pierce its defense. As the smoke cleared, the golden ship appeared in the sky, completely unharmed.
"Hmph! Do you see now?! This is the vast gulf between your power and that of the oldest king! You foolish king, who thinks you can challenge the name 'the Oldest' with nothing more than the paltry name 'Eternal'! Vanish forever like the setting sun! Hahahahahaha!!!"
Aboard the golden ship, the Hero King threw back his head and laughed mockingly.
Click...
A blade suddenly appeared at his neck.
"Is that so, foolish, arrogant king?" came a whisper like the Grim Reaper's.
"Mongrel...?! When...?!"
A flash of cold light!
Blood sprayed across the sky!
On the other side of the battlefield...
The Holy Sword was planted vertically in the ground. Saber, battered and disheveled, struggled to stand upright.
"Ha... ha...!" Her ragged breaths showed just how much strength she had expended.
Blood trickled down from her forehead.
She wiped it away with a sharp motion, her resolute green eyes still fixed on the powerful enemy before her.
The Hero King lowered his head and silently glanced at the two blue oxen lying on the ground, their bodies covered in blood.
Then he turned back to the Knight King, who was clearly covered in wounds but stubbornly remained standing, head held high.
"Are... are you still not going to use your trump card, Conqueror King?! Is this... the end?!" Though gravely injured, the Knight King retained her royal pride. She gave a slight smile, the corner of her mouth still wet with blood.
"...I sincerely apologize for what I said earlier, Knight King." The Conqueror King's voice was low, no longer carrying its earlier ease. He looked seriously at the petite girl before him.
"You are the third person in this Holy Grail War to have earned the right to witness my final move."
With that, the Conqueror King's expression suddenly grew solemn. He slowly opened his mouth.
"Before the Oldest King and the Eternal King, I'll let you witness it once! My final move! Ionian Hetairoi!"
Before you continue