Chapter Six: My King Is So, So, So Cool / Chapter Seven: So You're the Legendary Streetlamp King

"Just now, a battle broke out at the Tohsaka residence." Emiya hurried in and told Yuxian the intelligence he had just received.

Yuxian had no interest in it at all. He said blandly, "A clumsy little act. It won't fool anyone; if anything, it'll make Kiritsugu Emiya even more wary.

"Speaking of which, are you confident you can defeat Golden Flash? He is, after all, Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes known as the oldest king. If you can't get past him, your plan will ultimately fail."

"Ah! Mr. Golden is an opponent this time too?" Mash had just come out after a bath, her slightly damp hair giving her a distinctive charm.

Yuxian quickly withdrew his gaze and composed himself. "Yes, that Golden Flash who calls everyone mongrels at the drop of a hat and reeks of teenage delusion."

"Mr. Golden is among the strongest in all of Chaldea. Can he really be defeated?" As Mash spoke, she looked toward Emiya. Clearly, she knew this task would have to be completed by him.

Emiya's expression remained calm. He had long prepared himself for a battle with Golden Flash. "I know him, but he does not know me. Didn't Master say, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated'?"

"Then I'm relieved. After all, you have experience defeating him. At most, I can use Command Spells to strengthen you. The rest is up to you." Yuxian had great confidence in his own Brother B.

Yuxian continued, "Any news about Gilles de Rais and his Master? Without Jeanne d'Arc keeping him in check, he's a completely deranged lunatic. We need to find a way to make him leave the stage early."

Emiya shook his head. The other side was hiding well, and he had found no trace of them.

"Ugh... he hides better than a rat." Yuxian sighed. "Artoria and Irisviel will arrive in Fuyuki City tomorrow. Try to keep it from Illya. Don't let her find out. She isn't like you—she might not be able to accept such a complicated relationship."

Emiya nodded. "I understand."

Mash had a favorable impression of Yuxian's actions and could not help saying, "Senior really is gentle."

"Then come here, Mash. Let me pinch your cheeks." Yuxian somewhat missed the feel of pinching Mash's face when he had first awakened.

"Senior!" Mash's cheeks immediately flushed red at Yuxian's teasing.

Yuxian did not dare go too far and immediately changed the subject. "Where is Kariya Matou? I haven't seen him all day. Where did he go?"

"After summoning Berserker, he left the Matou Family. His whereabouts are unknown."

"What a headache!" Yuxian could guess what Kariya was thinking. He was probably going to confront Tokiomi Tohsaka. How pitiful and tragic.

Yuxian felt a headache coming on and could not help complaining, "This damned Holy Grail War!"

Seeing Yuxian's troubled expression, Emiya said guiltily, "I'm sorry, Master."

Yuxian waved his hand. "Don't start acting like Brother Fei. Since I'm your Master, I can't just stand by and do nothing."

"Thank you, Master."

After thinking for a moment, Yuxian made a decision. "Tomorrow, Mash and I will go meet Artoria and Irisviel. At least for now, they are not enemies. It would be best if we could become allies."

Mash asked, "Can we find them?"

"If they aren't deliberately hiding, they shouldn't be hard to find. At worst, we can wait near the Miyou River." Yuxian was not worried about failing to find them. He remembered the Warehouse District battle that would happen tomorrow night clearly.

"Get some rest early. Tomorrow night will be a sleepless one."

Yuxian stood up from the sofa, stretched, and returned to his room to sleep.

My King Is So Cool, So Cool, So Cool

The next day, Illya was still required to go to school.

Meanwhile, Yuxian and Mash spent time alone together again. Emiya had prepared phones for them so they could stay in contact.

Near dusk, the two encountered Artoria and Irisviel near the Miyou River.

Yuxian respectfully bowed. "Hello, Artoria."

Artoria looked at Yuxian in confusion. "You know me?"

"The renowned King of Knights—how could I not know you?" Yuxian smiled, feeling a little excited. After all, this was a living My King. "We mean no harm. We simply wish to speak with you two."

"Are you a Master in this Holy Grail War?" Seeing that Yuxian knew her origins, Artoria understood that he had come because of the Holy Grail War.

"No." Yuxian shook his head.

Though he was a Master, he was not a Master in this Holy Grail War. He was Chaldea's Master; the difference between the two was enormous.

"Tell Kiritsugu Emiya that we hope our sides can form an alliance."

"An alliance?" Irisviel took over, asking in confusion, "If you aren't a Master, why do you want to ally with us?"

"Mash!"

The moment Yuxian's voice fell, Mash immediately transformed and summoned her shield.

"Does this bring back memories, King of Knights? Is that reason enough for us to form an alliance?"

"Galahad... is that you?" When Artoria saw Mash's shield, her expression instantly softened. Memories of bygone days surfaced as she gazed at Mash. "No, you are not Galahad. Who are you? Why do you possess it?"

Mash explained, "My name is Mash Kyrielight. This is power Sir Galahad lent to me, Miss Artoria."

"Since Sir Galahad has acknowledged you, you are my companion, Mash Kyrielight."

Artoria's expression was resolute. She trusted every knight under her command, even Lancelot, who had made mistakes, and even Mordred, who had betrayed her.

She would only blame all mistakes on herself. Just as Tristan had said, she was a king who did not understand human hearts.

Yuxian had expected Artoria's attitude. The King of Knights was simply that kind of person, so he turned to Irisviel and said, "If possible, you must not give up hope of living."

After a pause, he added, "Even if it is for Illya."

"Illya..." Irisviel thought of her daughter far away in the Einzbern family in Germany, and her heart softened.

Yet she ultimately shook her head and refused. "I must let Kiritsugu fulfill his ideal."

Seeing how stubbornly she wanted to fulfill the wish of the person she loved, even at the cost of her own life, Yuxian felt helpless and said no more.

Suddenly, Artoria sensed the presence of a Servant. She immediately moved close to Irisviel and protected her at her side.

Seeing her reaction, Yuxian understood that Lancer Diarmuid had arrived. "It seems someone is inviting you. Will you accept his invitation to battle, King of Knights?"

Artoria looked toward Irisviel. At this moment, she was Irisviel's guardian knight. Fighting without permission would violate her code of chivalry.

At the mouth of the Miyou River, in the Warehouse District.

A battle between Artoria and Diarmuid was about to unfold here, while Yuxian and Mash watched from the side.

Others were also watching the battle from the shadows, such as Kiritsugu Emiya, the Magus Killer.

Yuxian's appearance made those hidden in the dark wary, especially the shield in Mash's hands. Anyone with even a little knowledge could guess its origins.

Kiritsugu Emiya received word the instant Yuxian came into contact with Artoria, so naturally he would not take a shot at Yuxian.

Besides, Mash guarded him closely at every step, and Shirou Emiya was surely watching from somewhere as well. Yuxian might look reckless, but he was actually steady as a rock.

"Senior, is it really okay not to tell Artoria Diarmuid's true name?" Mash was a little worried. She knew Diarmuid's Noble Phantasms. Without knowing his true name, even the King of Knights could easily be injured.

Yuxian said helplessly, "You know how rigid she is. Telling her Diarmuid's true name is no different from going up to gang up on him with her. She won't accept it. Let her be. She won't lose that easily."

Diarmuid Ua Duibhne in the distance bore the title Radiant Visage. He had a handsome face just as the legends described, and the enchanting beauty mark beneath his right eye made even Yuxian's thoughts waver slightly when he saw it.

Yuxian asked curiously, "Mash, would Diarmuid's charm affect you?"

Mash gently shook her head. "You get used to it after spending enough time around him."

Neither side on the battlefield knew the other's true name. Amid their fierce battle, they tested each other's abilities.

It was Yuxian's first time watching a duel between two legendary heroes from such close range. He watched with rapt attention, unwilling even to blink.

After the testing ended, Kayneth's low voice came from the darkness. "Lancer, do not let this battle drag on any longer. Finish her quickly. You are permitted to reveal your Noble Phantasm."

"Understood, my Master."

After receiving Kayneth's order, Diarmuid set down the yellow short spear, leaving only the red long spear, Gae Dearg, in his hand.

It was a crimson long spear capable of ignoring magical defenses.

Under the assault of the red spear, Artoria's armor became as good as useless, and she was soon forced into a disadvantage.

"What an ingenious strategy. As expected of a warrior seasoned by countless battles!" Seeing Diarmuid's action, Yuxian sighed inwardly. His true trump card is another Noble Phantasm, yet he deliberately puts it down to lull his opponent into complacency.

Sure enough, Artoria was misled. She discarded her armor and attacked her opponent with all her strength, exactly as Diarmuid intended.

As sword and spear clashed, Diarmuid hooked the yellow short spear back with the top of his foot and stabbed Artoria's left arm.

That yellow short spear was Diarmuid's other Noble Phantasm, Gae Bulg. It carried the curse of an "unhealable wound." Once struck, it inflicted an injury that could not be restored.

"Oh no, Artoria has been hurt." Mash was somewhat anxious. Compared with Diarmuid, she was closer to Artoria.

"It's fine." Yuxian remained calm. He already knew the outcome. The greatest restriction caused by Artoria's injury was that she could not release her Noble Phantasm, Excalibur. But Yuxian had decided to make Gilles de Rais leave the stage early. In this Holy Grail War, there would be no need for the King of Knights to use her Noble Phantasm.

So he chose to enjoy this battle, once seen on a screen, from up close.

At this point, Artoria had already guessed Diarmuid's true name. "The strongest warrior of the Knights of Fianna, Diarmuid of Radiant Visage. I never expected to have the honor of crossing blades with you."

"The honor is mine, to contend with the famous King of Knights." Diarmuid looked excited. He turned toward Mash, who was watching from the side. "The shield in this young lady's hands must be the renowned The Lord of the Lost. To uphold the spirit of chivalry and refrain from interfering in this battle—truly worthy of the name Knights of the Round Table."

Hearing Diarmuid's praise, Mash felt a little embarrassed. She had not thought that much about it; she had merely followed Yuxian's arrangements out of habit.

"Now that both sides know each other's true names, let us have a true duel between knights."

As Diarmuid's words fell, both sides took their stances and prepared to fight again.

Then, with a thunderous boom from the sky, King of Conquerors Iskandar made a dazzling entrance.

So You're the Legendary Lamp King

Alexander the Great, King of Conquerors Iskandar, made a domineering entrance in Ionioi Hetairoi with Waver Velvet, interrupting the battle between the two.

The moment he arrived, he announced his true name and class. Waver beside him was so angry he was nearly crying.

Afterward, the King of Conquerors launched into some awkward chatter. Listening from the side, Yuxian could not help smiling knowingly as he understood the man's charm.

Perhaps that was the King of Conquerors—the charm that made countless people fall for him.

"So it was you who stole the Holy Relic I had prepared to take part in the Holy Grail War, student Waver Velvet."

Kayneth's low voice rang out again. He mocked Waver sharply and harshly. "Allow me to give you a special extracurricular lesson. Feel the fear and pain of Magi slaughtering one another."

Waver trembled with fear, clutching his head in helplessness. The King of Conquerors reached out and patted his back.

"Oh? So you originally wanted to become my Master? That is truly laughable. A coward without even the courage to show himself is far from qualified."

Hearing the emperor say that, Kayneth's face twisted with rage.

"Sure enough, a wife-protecting maniac." Yuxian muttered softly.

Mash heard Yuxian talking to himself and could not help reproaching him. "Senior, you're talking nonsense again. If Second Generation heard that, he would definitely go on strike."

Yuxian replied perfunctorily, "All right, all right. I'll watch quietly."

The King of Conquerors raised his voice and shouted, "There are others here, aren't there? You lurkers peeping from the shadows, cowards afraid to show your faces cannot escape the contempt of I, King of Conquerors Iskandar!"

His taunting skills were quite impressive. Unfortunately, aside from the arrogant Golden Flash, no one else would be provoked by him.

Neither the Mad Enhanced Lancelot, nor Hassan, nor Emiya would be shaken by a few taunts.

A burst of golden light flickered, and Golden Flash slowly appeared. Standing atop a streetlamp, he looked down with disdain. "To think that in a single night, two vermin who ignored my existence and called themselves kings have emerged. Among heroes truly qualified to be called king, above and below heaven, only I exist. All others are nothing but mongrels."

The King of Conquerors said, "Since we have come this far, why not state your name first? Since you are a king, surely you would not refuse to reveal your name."

Yuxian muttered under his breath, "Lamp King!"

Mash rolled her eyes at that. She would never dare say such a thing. Mr. Golden was not an easy person to talk to, and if he heard it, a great battle would be unavoidable.

"You dare ask my name? Ignorant fools who do not recognize my face are unworthy of living." With that, Gate of Babylon appeared behind Gilgamesh.

The instant Golden Flash appeared, Mash focused with utmost concentration. Seeing this, she immediately raised her shield in front of Yuxian.

On the other side, Artoria also rushed in front of Irisviel and protected her.

Battle was about to erupt at any moment.

"Kill."

With Kariya Matou's whisper from the darkness, Lancelot appeared in the center of the chaotic battlefield, his gaze fixed directly on Golden Flash.