A group of uninvited guests arrived at the kings' banquet—no, not just one, but a multitude... In the courtyard, bathed in moonlight, strange white figures materialized one after another. With skeletal masks and black robes, their pale visages resembled cold, dead bone. Slowly, the entire courtyard was encircled by this bizarre contingent.

Kirei Kotomine was an adherent of Tokiomi Tohsaka, and thus, at the very start of the Holy Grail War, he had been instantly eliminated by the King of Heroes with a single move, serving merely as a diversion.

Yet, through the recent skirmishes and independent investigations, everyone present was aware that he was still alive—and this was not just the one who was supposedly slain at the Tohsaka residence.

In fact, several Servants had participated in this Holy Grail War, but the sheer number of these intruders was abnormally high. They all wore masks and black robes, their physiques varied widely. There were hulking giants and lean figures, short ones like children, and the shapes of women.

"Curious," Lin Luo murmured quietly, too low for the others to hear. In the original story, they certainly showed up around this time, as Tokiomi Tohsaka intended to gauge the Rider-class Servant's strength. But why now?

Five powerful Servants were present here. Even if the golden-haired loli was allied with Tokiomi Tohsaka, the other four combined were more than enough to handle this squad of assassins without needing to exert full power. What purpose could there be in sending them here to die?

Lin Luo couldn't quite grasp Tokiomi Tohsaka’s reasoning. If it were him, he absolutely wouldn't squander his available assets in such a situation... Although this particular asset seemed minuscule right now, like a 'four' in a deck of cards, a four can still take a three, right? Was it worth being casually consumed by a King?

Whether for scouting enemy strength or any other objective, this maneuver seemed utterly pointless. So... had the naive Tokiomi Tohsaka devised another plan after his interference?

Heh, that's getting interesting...

"This is your doing, isn't it?" He cast an angry gaze toward the golden-haired girl. Upon learning he was alive, they had already deduced that Kirei Kotomine and Tokiomi Tohsaka were aligned. Therefore, mobilizing such a crowd now couldn't possibly be the sole command of Kirei Kotomine; it was most likely Tokiomi’s intention. And since Archer was Tohsaka's Servant, it made sense that this banquet was a trap they intentionally set.

The girl shrugged dismissively. "Hmph, who knows? Why should I concern myself with the thoughts of these mortals?" Although her face showed no outward anger, everyone could discern a flash of killing intent in her eyes. This wasn't directed at Berserker; it stemmed from her profound dissatisfaction with Tokiomi Tohsaka showing subservience to the King of Heroes. She had acknowledged him as an Archer, but his actions infuriated her.

Although the Conqueror King initiated this feast, she was the one who supplied the wine. Sending assassins into such a gathering, in Gilgamesh’s eyes, was equivalent to intentionally slapping her in the face. For the King of Heroes to stoop to such a base act made her furious.

"What in the world is going on? That's too many of them," Waver and Irisviel cried out, their voices laced with terror. They knew the Holy Grail War had already strayed from convention with multiple Masters, but this nearly three-digit count elicited a near-scream from the two ordinary humans.

"You speak correctly. We are an entity in our totality, and each individual is but a shadow of that whole," the leader sneered upon seeing the prey’s distress.

Waver and Irisviel could not comprehend that the entity summoned by Kirei Kotomine was something so peculiar.

Facing this sudden army of assassins, Berserker couldn't help but shiver, adopting a defensive stance. Those who usually shadowed their target, abandoning their skill of concealment, now approached without fear, signifying one thing...

"They're serious now." Cornered into an unforeseen crisis, Berserker ground their teeth in frustration. A disorganized mob relying solely on numbers—if Berserker faced them alone, they wouldn't lose. But in this situation, Berserker was forced to protect Irisviel.

No matter how weak, they posed a considerable threat to a human. Even Irisviel, an Artificial Spirit of the Einzbern lineage capable of wielding top-tier Magecraft, couldn't fend them off with spells alone; self-protection was impossible.

What surprised Berserker, however, was that these individuals seemed to focus their attention not on him, but primarily on Rider. While this brought some relief, it also sparked a subtle worry.

Even more surprising to Berserker was that for Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, this moment was razor-thin perilous, yet the giant continued to drink leisurely by himself... Wait, not alone. He was sharing drinks heartily with another man?

"Ah, truly excellent wine. If one doesn't drink heartily while such fine spirits are available, there might not be another chance later. Don't you agree?" The Conqueror King said to Lin Luo while taking a deep draft.

"You speak the truth. At first, I couldn't discern much flavor, but now I’m rather hooked," Lin Luo said, already refilling his own glass. "If only I could take some home with me, ha ha ha..."

"You think so too?" The Conqueror King paused, then burst into laughter. "Truly, great minds think alike. I also intend to empty Archer’s treasury."

"Speaking of which, King of Conquerors, I'm quite interested in your War Chariot of Divine Might as well."

"Then you are welcome to try robbing me."

"Oh, I certainly will, I certainly will."

Everyone was speechless regarding these two thick-skinned individuals. To remain so leisurely drinking in this situation, even plotting a heist together, was... Meanwhile, the red-eyed, golden-haired girl was fuming silently. These two bastards were trying to carve up her Gate of Babylon—unthinkable!

"Hey, hey..."

Even as Waver cried out nervously, the Conqueror King made no move. He surveyed his surroundings with utter composure before lowering his gaze back to his drink.

Waver, left with no choice, turned his entreaties toward Lin Luo. With a look bordering on begging, he pleaded, "Brother, you are also a Master. Why are you still drinking? So many enemies are here, hurry up and prepare to fight!"

"Enemies? Where?" Lin Luo acted completely clueless, swirling his wine.

"There, there! Hundreds of them! Can't you see them?" Waver was on the verge of a breakdown, but Lin Luo's next words turned him to stone. Lin Luo casually glanced in that direction, then returned his gaze, took a sip, and said calmly, "Mere ants. Hardly worth noting."

Lin Luo's statement didn't just petrify Waver; everyone else was dumbfounded. However, after seeing Berserker and Nero standing calmly beside Lin Luo, they could somewhat grasp the source of such confidence.

Of course, they didn't know that Lin Luo's audacity wasn't solely based on Nero and Lily. Even without them present, facing Assassins—the weakest class of Servants—Lin Luo felt no pressure. Furthermore, an individual’s power split into hundreds? Didn't they know his strength was best suited for mass engagements?

"Haha, courage! I appreciate you more and more. Letting you drink this wine was the right decision!" The Conqueror King gave Lin Luo a thumbs-up, then noticed his own timid Master looking as if he were about to weep. He patted Waver's shoulder reassuringly. "Hey, kid, don't look so pathetic. It's just guests arriving for a banquet; the drinking must continue. Look, I was just angered by that white-clad fellow, yet I'm drinking as if nothing happened." He gestured toward Lily.

"Can those two things be compared? Besides, do they look like guests?"

The Conqueror King sighed ruefully, then faced the circle of surrounding figures with a look of idiotic placidity and called out, "Say, sirs, could you perhaps restrain your ghostly aura a bit? My friend here is terrified by you."

They initially thought they had misheard. Even Archer frowned in annoyance. "Are you planning to invite them to sit? Conqueror King?" To the girl, only those she acknowledged deserved a seat at this banquet; such lowly ants were unworthy of sharing a table.

But the Conqueror King clearly meant it. He declared proudly, "A King's pronouncements must be heard by all his subjects. If someone has come specifically to listen, whether they are foe or friend matters little."

Saying this, he extended his hand toward them. "Come, don't be shy. If you wish to join in the toast, take a cup for yourselves. This wine flows with your blood."

The reply to the Conqueror King, however, was not the raising of cups, but the sound of something shattering as the wine cup in his hand dropped, spilling red liquid everywhere. Soon, mocking laughter erupted.

"I told you so. This wine flows with your blood. Since you spilled it upon the ground, your blood must also be spilled," the Conqueror King stated calmly, yet his underlying fury was palpable to all.

Iskandar, the famed King of Conquerors—was he a man of good temper? No, certainly not.

Though he seemed like a peacemaker since his arrival, actively restraining conflict, that was far from the truth. On the contrary, as Lily had noted, he was an undisputed tyrant who settled everything through force.

He showed the highest respect to Gilgamesh and Nero, the Kings he acknowledged. To the King of Knights, it was the mutual equality between one sovereign and another. To Lin Luo, it was appreciation for a kindred spirit, allowing them to drink and converse. But what were these invaders?

As enemies, they were beneath the Conqueror King's notice. As competitors, they offered nothing to engage him. As guests to a banquet, they certainly possessed no qualification to take a seat. But now... challenging the King's majesty meant accepting the King's judgment.

The King's wrath could no longer be halted.

As the Conqueror King rose from his seat, a sudden dry wind swept through, seeming intent on setting the very sky ablaze. In an instant, the moonlit castle was transformed into a desert choked with swirling sand—a sight that made everyone’s face drain of color, causing the hundreds of assassins to freeze mid-stride.

"This banquet ends here for now. So, a final question for the Kings... Is a King solitary?" Standing amidst the whistling wind, the Conqueror King was now clad in his battle attire.

"Hmph." The golden-haired, fiery-eyed girl let out a cold snort, answering with silence. It wasn't that she couldn't answer; it was that no answer was needed. Wasn't it obvious? Gilgamesh, the oldest King, was inherently solitary, unique unto himself.

"A King is, of course, solitary!" Even having been so belittled, the King of Knights did not waver in her belief and ideals. Drawing her chest straight, she proclaimed loudly, "Indeed!"

"I, solitary!" Nero harbored no doubts about her own path of kingship. She firmly believed she was an artist rivaling the God of Music, Apollo, and a chariot driver comparable to the Sun God, Thor. She was the absolute Emperor, standing proudly above the world.

"And you?" The three reigning Kings had answered; only the Pure White Knight remained silent. The Conqueror King directed his gaze toward her, appearing momentarily unsure how to address a fellow King.

"You may call me the White King of Knights. As for your question, perhaps you should dispatch these pests first," Lily replied, her expression unchanging. She glanced dismissively toward the surrounding assassins; in her eyes, they seemed no more significant than scenery.

"Good!" The Conqueror King laughed heartily, and the whirlwind in the desert intensified. "In that case, I shall let you witness my path of kingship first, so you may know what a true King is!"

The scorching wind began to bake the earth, eroding the real world until it was utterly overturned. Wherever the gale swept, the surroundings instantly transformed... there was the scorching sun, and above, a clear, boundless sky. The Einzbern castle at night had become an endless expanse of sand in a single moment.

Everyone present, save for Lin Luo, who was familiar with the Conqueror King's abilities, changed color. Such a miracle could only mean one thing: a Reality Marble.

An illusion that corrodes reality with the inner world—a miracle-like thaumaturgy. But the problem was, the Conqueror King was not a magus. Why did he possess a Reality Marble?

When someone asked this question, the Conqueror King laughingly denied it, his voice brimming with pride. "Of course not! How could I achieve this alone? This is the land my army once traversed, the scenery indelibly imprinted on the hearts of the warriors who shared hardship with me."

Following this, as the world shifted, the positions of everyone present were rearranged. Those who had formed a circle around him were now isolated to one side. Facing them was only the Conqueror King. Everyone else had been moved to another area, withdrawn from the main battlefield.

After this, like a shimmering mirage, countless figures of soldiers materialized around the Conqueror King. Though their races and equipment varied, their strong physiques and knightly bearing displayed the power of a disciplined army.

"This is his Noble Phantasm... These men are..."

Watching this spectacle, most people fell into confusion. But the one to voice the truth was neither the plot-aware Lin Luo nor the Conqueror King's Master, Waver. Instead, it was the composed Pure White Knight, Lily.

Hearing her words, everyone understood: the final Noble Phantasm of Heroic Spirit Iskandar had appeared.

"Correct. This is my Noble Phantasm. This world is reproducible because it is imprinted on the heart of every one of us. Behold, my unrivaled army!"

Since he had used it, there was no need for concealment. The Conqueror King, filled with pride and glory, stood before his army, raising his arm in a mighty shout. "Even if their bodies perish, their Heroic Spirits are summoned. These are the loyal warriors of legend, my eternal friends who answer my call across time and space. They are my ultimate treasure, the manifestation of my path as a King—Iskandar’s strongest Noble Phantasm: Ionioi Hetairoi!"

An Anti-Army Noble Phantasm of E-Rank, summoning individual Heroic Spirits sequentially. This host included not just common soldiers, but legendary, unique heroes, each possessing illustrious renown—warriors who had fought alongside the great Conqueror King Iskandar.

Aside from sheer awe, no other sound escaped them. Even the young King of Heroes, who possessed an E-Rank super Noble Phantasm, lost her scorn upon seeing such a radiant army, adopting a grave expression instead.

The heroes who staked their dream of kingship and rode alongside their King, their loyalty unbroken even unto death—the Conqueror King had forged this into an exceptional Noble Phantasm.

She was shaken, not by the weapon's power, but because this Phantasm challenged the very conviction she prided herself on. This perfect support, this bond between a King and his retainers, was something the pursuing King of Knights could never attain in her lifetime.

"A King must live more authentically than anyone else and command the adoration of the masses!"

The Conqueror King sat astride his warhorse and roared his declaration. The Heroic Spirits responded with the clang of their shields, shouting in unison. The King who gathers the convictions of all his brave men, sets them as his goal, and leads them on an expedition—that is a King. Therefore...

"A King is not solitary! Because his aspirations are the desires of all his subjects!"

"Indeed! Indeed! Indeed!"

The Heroic Spirits’ proud cries pierced the sky, soaring overhead. No enemy, no barrier, posed a threat before the Conqueror King and his companions. Their soaring morale could tear through earth and cleave the ocean.

Thus, before them, the assassins were nothing more than passing clouds.

"Alright, let us commence..."

The Conqueror King’s smiling eyes filled with ferocious cruelty. Toward those who ignored his words and refused the wine he offered, he no longer intended to show mercy. "As you see, the battlefield I materialized is open plains. Unfortunately for you, this terrain gives me the advantage in numbers."

The assassins had been completely stunned the moment Ionioi Hetairoi appeared. Seeing such a magnificent army, their fighting spirit had evaporated entirely, their formation dissolving into chaos. Then, the battle began...

"Die!"

A colossal roar shook heaven and earth. This could no longer be called a battle; it was a one-sided slaughter. With just a single charge, the hundreds of assassins vanished. The air was left filled only with yellow sand and blood rain.

But the fighting was not over. Just as the Conqueror King’s army cheered their victory, a voice, not louder than theirs, almost drowned out their cheers: "Conqueror King, is that your Noble Phantasm? Then I can now answer your question... No, that is incorrect. Rather, I must answer your question to prove my own path as a King!"

A fierce wind gusted, making the armor rattle. The pure white figure, untouched by dust, stood perfectly clean. At some unknown point, the Pure White Knight, who had been moved aside by the Reality Marble, was now standing proudly before the Conqueror King's army of thousands.

"Lily!"

This sight shocked everyone, even Lin Luo was momentarily stunned. Unquestionably, Lily intended to challenge the Ionioi Hetairoi, but...

"White King of Knights," the Conqueror King seemed unsurprised. He pointed his sword at Lily and asked loudly, "For whom does your sword exist?"

Lily raised the Sword in the Stone high, her reply immediate and unwavering: "My sword exists only to protect my Master!"

"Protection? I see now." The Conqueror King understood. He finally grasped why Lily had previously refuted his path of kingship. "My path is conquest, and yours is protection. I am invasion, and you are defense... We are indeed natural adversaries!"

"Hoo..." Berserker, standing nearby, felt a surge of relief mixed with shock upon hearing their exchange. Earlier, Lily had rejected his path of kingship, making him fear their ideals diverged. But now, it seemed they were the same—she, too, ruled to protect her people and her nation.

"Conqueror King, I agree with your sentiment that a King should stand with his people, not be solitary. But..." The girl pointed her sword at him, "I ultimately cannot recognize you as the perfect King."

"Whether you recognize it or not, the fact that I am the Conqueror King will never change."

"That is true. At least in the eyes of your subjects, you are a worthy King. In history, you are a great King. Therefore... we must decide whose path is superior with our respective swords."

"You intend to fight me now?" The Conqueror King raised an eyebrow.

"Indeed!"

The girl declared loudly, then, to everyone's astonishment, drew her golden longsword from its sheath. However, she didn't immediately attack. Instead, she raised it high.

"By this sword, in the name of the King of Knights, I proclaim..."

"First, never to rage or murder."

"Second, never to betray."

"Third, never to be cruel, showing mercy to those who surrender."

...Before the girl could finish speaking, the surrounding noise fell silent; not a breath stirred, only stunned silence remained.

Watching her face down thousands of soldiers without a tremor of fear, issuing a challenge and proclaiming that intensely familiar declaration, Ber finally understood why she had felt dread toward the girl from the very beginning.

If the Conqueror King’s Noble Phantasm had only slightly shaken her convictions, then the Pure White Knight before her now had utterly shattered them. The very thing she had longed for, dreamed of obtaining, she never achieved even in death. But... Ber’s snow-white teeth clamped down so hard on her crimson lip that she drew blood without realizing it, her entire frame shaking violently.

Lin Luo, too, finally understood why Lily dared challenge the Conqueror King in the face of such an army.

In what way was Lily, as the perfect King, truly perfect? It wasn't due to her stats surpassing the original's; it was something far deeper—something the true King Arthur could never possess.

E-Rank Anti-Army Noble Phantasm.

Undoubtedly, the Noble Phantasm Lily was about to unleash would be in no way inferior to the Conqueror King’s.

Because she is the perfect King, her Noble Phantasm is... A