The war was gradually drawing to a close, not because the King of Conquerors and the White Knight King were close to settling their scores; quite the opposite, the two were engaged in a furious, evenly matched battle where it was impossible to tell who held the upper hand. The problem was that the Reality Marble was on the verge of collapse.

After all, they were not the complete versions of Heroic Spirits; their own magical energy was limited, and whether materializing or fighting, they required mana borrowed from their Masters. Normally, a large-scale Reality Marble like this could not be maintained for long, let alone while hosting such a fierce engagement between two powerful armies. Typically, maintaining it for more than five minutes was considered quite good, yet here they were, past the ten-minute mark.

Rin, as Lily’s Master, was certainly among the top-tier Magi, possessing abundant magical energy. However, since she wasn't present, Lily could only draw a meager fraction of Rin's mana. As for the King of Conquerors’ Master, Waver, he was not a particularly outstanding magus himself. Simply maintaining Iskandar’s physical form each day was taxing enough; sustaining a Reality Marble for this long was an entirely different burden. He was clearly at his limit, looking as if he might collapse at any moment.

Furthermore, and more crucially, the two Reality Marbles cast by the combatants were opposing each other—a situation vastly different in terms of consumption compared to merely eroding the existing reality.

Thus, amidst the head-on clash of the two armies, the Reality Marble began to tremble, with localized ruptures already appearing. Perhaps due to the imminent breakdown, observers could even witness the warriors of both sides, mid-exchange, suddenly vanishing without apparent injury, as if forcibly ejected from the space.

This sight left the spectators feeling somewhat deflated, a sense of inescapable frustration, much like reaching a climax only to find the strength to continue utterly depleted.

However, the two Kings locked in mortal combat seemed oblivious to this development; their hearts were completely ablaze, resolved to fight until their opponent was struck down.

“King of Conquerors, Iskandar! With this single strike, I claim supremacy!” Having already dismounted his warhorse to stand firmly on the ground, the Conqueror raised his sword high, shouting his challenge before bringing the blade down upon the pure white knight before him with merciless force.

“King of Knights, Artoria! With this sword, I validate the path of my kingship!” For Lily, remaining mounted on the dragon horse was disadvantageous for a close-quarters duel. She wisely abandoned her aerial advantage, launching herself towards her opponent in a slash as swift as lightning.

Hummm…

Before the blades could even connect, violent vacuum fluctuations emanated from the air, testifying to the immense power channeled into their attacks. But…

Nothing happened.

The two swords failed to clash; their attacks halted mid-swing, arrested by another force materialized directly between them.

It occurred in an instant; no one had time to react. But in the next second, every single person—spectators and combatants alike—froze, staring as if they had just witnessed a monstrosity, their faces etched with utter shock.

“No, impossible…”

“How?”

“Who is that guy…”

“The King was blocked?”

“Tch, the mongrel…”

Lily and the Conqueror remained frozen in their attack stances. Not only were their swords suspended in mid-air, but they themselves were immobile, as if petrified, unable to utter a word as they gazed at the figure before them.

For standing between the two kings, dual-wielding white swords that halted their onslaught, was… Lin Luo.

“W-why? H-how… How can that guy block it? This is impossible! Is he also the King of Conquerors’ Master?” Waver pointed at Lin Luo, his face a mask of disbelief, his voice tight with agitation.

“No, he is entirely human, but…” Waver gazed fixedly at the center of the battlefield, his emerald eyes sharp, before trailing off. Indeed, how could a mere human repel the attacks of two Heroic Spirits? Both the King of Conquerors and the White Knight King were figures at the apex, even among Heroic Spirits. Their full-power strikes, even without Noble Phantasms, were overwhelmingly potent. Why could he stop them so easily?

He used no sorcery, nor did he emit any discernible magical aura. Wait, if there was an anomalous force… how did he cross the distance to the center of the battle in less than a second, moving as if teleporting? Even Waver didn't possess such speed. And those two swords, appearing both like mist and solid matter, how were they conjured in such a short span?

Everyone was consumed by confusion, refusing to believe what they saw—save for one individual.

The fair-haired, crimson-eyed girl wrinkled her nose, lifting her chin with a cold huff, almost a sneer.

“What do you know?” Waver immediately turned to her, demanding in a low voice.

“Hmph, mongrel,” the girl declared, proud as a phoenix, turning her head away, whether out of disdain or refusal to answer unknown.

He knew something.

Seeing this exchange, the onlookers understood. At that moment…

“How strange,” Nero tilted her head in confusion, “I recall when my Master first summoned me, he was barely a scrap with a combat power of five. How did he become this formidable?”

Hey, are you sure talking about your Master that way is alright?

Those nearby couldn't help but develop a collective dark line on their foreheads. Even the girl known as the King of Heroes instinctively frowned, privately musing that this red bovine might be even more troublesome than herself.

On the other side.

The two Kings, blocked by Lin Luo, saw their astonishment. Before they could speak, Lin Luo broke the silence. “This battle ends now.”

“What?” Lily and the Conqueror spoke in unison.

“Look around you,” Lin Luo retracted his hands, and the two swords of white mist vanished instantaneously, a sight that made everyone watching’s eyes widen. “The Reality Marble is beginning to collapse. How many minutes, or seconds, do you think you can sustain this?”

“Uh…” Hearing this, Lily and the Conqueror finally noticed the changing environment. They instinctively frowned; continuing the fight under these circumstances was indeed difficult.

“Moreover…” Lin Luo swept his gaze over both of them, continuing, “The Holy Grail War has only just begun. It would be a great pity if either of you were eliminated now. Therefore, instead of this…”

Lin Luo looked at them, smiling, spreading his arms as if to embrace the world on the brink of ruin. “Let us reserve this unfinished banquet of kings, this incomplete clash, for a later date—at the finale of the Holy Grail War—to settle the victor upon the pinnacle of your respective paths to kingship. Conqueror, do you accept?”

“Hmm…” The King of Conquerors frowned slightly, appearing to deliberate. After a brief moment, he erupted into booming laughter. “Hahahaha! I was not mistaken, Lin Luo! I remember you now. Very well, I have no reason to refuse this proposal!”

With that, he sheathed his sword and raised a hand, calling out, “Warriors! Retreat to rest and sharpen your edges! We shall clash again another day against the Knight King and her heroic company!”

“Clash again! Clash again!” The Army of Conquerors, now reduced to two or three hundred, maintained an aura no less potent than at the start. With loud cheers, they slowly dissolved into spiritual forms and vanished into the distance.

“Lily,” Lin Luo turned to the Pure White Knight.

The Pure White Knight nodded immediately, raising the Sword of Stones. “Knights, today’s battle pauses here, but the fire of our conviction remains unextinguished! Next time, we shall contest for glory with the King of Conquerors and his undefeated army!”

“For the King’s glory! For the King’s glory!” The Knights of the Round Table, numbering only a few dozen survivors, responded to their King’s call by waving their Noble Phantasms, also dissolving into spirit form and gradually disappearing.

Once only the original few remained on the field, the Reality Marble dissipated. The vast battlefield, once stained crimson by the setting sun, reverted to the night, and everyone stood once more within the courtyard of the Einzbern Castle.

The pure, pale moonlight illuminated a profound silence. Not a speck of dust lingered in the air, as if the preceding war had never happened.

Only upon relaxing did Lily and the Conqueror register the exhaustion in their bodies. They had entered the fight far from their peak condition yet performed with their full capabilities. At this point, both were severely weakened. As Lin Luo had stated, pressing the fight further in this state would result in a regrettable outcome, regardless of who won or lost.

“That was exhilarating!” The Conqueror picked up a wine cup from the table and drained it in one gulp, looking towards Lin Luo before sighing regretfully. “A pity, such a pity.”

“What is a pity?” Lin Luo smiled and inquired.

“If you had been born in an age of turmoil, you would have been a king yourself. If you were in my era, we could have conquered battlefields together. What a pity!”

“You are mistaken there, King of Conquerors,” Lin Luo raised his own cup in a toast. “You are currently my adversary, but under the premise of the Grail, are we not still commanding the battlefield of Fuyuki?”

“Hmm, that is also true, hah, good, very good!” The Conqueror nodded with a laugh. Suddenly, thunder and lightning ripped across the distant horizon. The Chariot of the King of Conquerors sped towards them amidst the clap of thunder.

“White Knight King, I eagerly await our next decisive battle. Be sure you are prepared.”

“As you wish.”

“Wait, Rider, I haven’t…” Seeing the Conqueror about to depart, Waver rushed to call out. She still had words regarding the 'Path of Kings' she wished to voice.

“Silence!” The Conqueror cut her off with a sharp tone, unwilling to listen. “Tonight was a banquet among kings, but Waver, I do not acknowledge you as a king.”

“Are you still trying to mock me?” The girl fixed him with an angry glare.

The King of Conquerors looked at her with pity. After lifting his own Master onto the chariot, he spoke with genuine sincerity, “Listen here, little girl, you need to wake up from that painful dream quickly. Otherwise, one day you will lose even the minimum self-respect of a hero. The so-called kingship you speak of is merely a spell you cast upon yourself. After witnessing the Noble Phantasm of the White Knight King, have you still not understood?”

“No, I—” Waver’s face changed as she tried to protest.

Ignoring Waver’s final retort, the Conqueror mounted his Chariot and sped off. Amidst flashing lightning, all that remained was the roar of thunder as the chariot vanished into the eastern sky.

For the Conqueror, who refused to listen to Waver until the very end, humiliation was natural. Yet, what weighed most heavily on Waver was not the insult, but the anxiety churning within her heart: rule enforced by violence for selfish desire, devoid of righteousness or ideals. Despite this, a loyal retinue was willing to forge an unbreakable bond with him. This stood in direct opposition to the Knight King’s code; she could not accept such a conviction.

But she also could not simply dismiss Iskandar’s words as idle chatter. A fierce unwillingness burned within her, a desire to force him to retract those statements. It was these words that lodged deep in Waver’s mind.

“Since the banquet is concluded, it is time for us to depart as well,” Lin Luo scooped little Waver out of her wine cup and placed her into his own pocket… Those who witnessed this were speechless. They could even hear the little Master’s drunken ramblings: “I can still drink, I can still drink… What King of Conquerors, what Golden Flash, in front of me, you are all scum…”

“Mongrel!” The flash-loli girl’s face turned green with suppressed rage. While anger was expected, engaging seriously with such a small, inebriated child felt beneath her dignity. After spitting out a curse, she too dissolved into spiritual form and vanished.

Approaching the Knight King, Lin Luo saw the young girl’s face was still ashen. He smiled. “If you disagree with the King of Conquerors, if you wish to prove your own Path of Kings, then prove it with your own sword. Just like in the fight just now, Artoria, where is your power?”

“You, I…” Facing the man before her, the girl found herself unable to formulate a rebuttal; every word struck straight at her heart.

“Alright, everything that needed to be said has been said. Lily, Nero, let’s go.” With that, Lin Luo walked out without looking back. Nero followed, but Lily remained rooted to the spot.

The Pure White Knight and the Knight King stood facing each other, silent, watching one another. After a full minute, the Pure White Knight finally turned. “Knight King, I too look forward to our fight.”

After everyone else had departed, Waver stood alone in the garden, silently rooted to the spot. Irisviel couldn't help but find the scene strangely familiar—that solitary silhouette was identical to the one she’d seen during the chaotic brawl in the warehouse district the previous day. The contemplative melancholy in her expression caused Irisviel deep unease.

And so, a battle drew to its conclusion.

Though distinct from ordinary warfare, this was undeniably a struggle, a contest where Heroic Spirits risked their lives to uphold the conviction of their kingship.

And without question, this battle yielded no victor—only a loser.

But… she would not be a loser forever.

Irisviel was certain of that. A