(Alaric Pov)
What kind of Servant can I summon?
This question lingered in my mind ever since I decided to participate in the Holy Grail War. Unlike Fujimaru Ritsuka, who could freely choose the class and identity of the Servant they summoned in battle, I, Alaric, had no such luxury.
I could only summon randomly—if I could even succeed at all.
But for the sake of my goal, I had saved my summoning for the last moment. And the result was unmistakable—
As the magical light, symbolizing the summoning of a Heroic Spirit faded, the figure that appeared at the center of the ritual was—
Long hair that should have been pure white but instead shimmered with floral hues, a flowing white robe embroidered with intertwining blue and gold patterns, resembling drifting clouds.
It was a design I knew all too well.
A staff adorned with a longsword emitted an inexplicable magical aura, causing flowers to bloom throughout Ryuudou Temple. In just a few breaths, it had transformed into a sea of blossoms.
"Tada! Here I am!"
Standing before me was none other than Merlin, the British court mage, a Grand Caster candidate, and the renowned Magus of Flowers. With his usual smile, he declared:
"Merlin, Magus of Flowers, has answered your summons! So? Are you surprised?"
"Merlin—"
My face immediately fell with disappointment. Anyone else would have been better than Merlin.
At that moment, I felt the crushing disappointment of a botched gacha pull.
Merlin's illusions were utterly useless for my analysis of the Holy Grail. More importantly—
Merlin would never agree with my plan.
Realizing this, I couldn't hold back my frustration and grimaced. "Why did it have to be you?"
After all, Merlin wasn't supposed to be a Heroic Spirit in the first place. Even if summoned, it was only through his Independent Manifestation, projecting a pseudo-Servant body.
This guy had hijacked my Servant slot, resulting in him being my final summon.
"This is a fraud—this is a complete Servant fraud!"
As I sulked in exasperation, Merlin, standing not far away, noticed my expression and immediately put on a heartbroken look.
"Oh, dear, Big Brother Merlin is so hurt. I thought I'd get some applause upon my arrival, but instead, I get this reaction?"
"Can you supply your mana, Merlin?"
At the moment he spoke, I sensed the Servant contract beginning to siphon my magical energy. Without access to the Greater Grail's system, I couldn't bypass it to draw mana from the leylines.
Even if I could tap into the leylines, it wouldn't be very effective. While Fuyuki City's leylines were of decent quality, the mana regeneration rate was still too slow.
The Greater Grail required sixty years of accumulated mana to initiate a single Holy Grail War—what chance did I have?
I had carefully conserved my magical energy for the upcoming war, only to end up with another mouth to feed.
Hearing my question, Merlin, still teary-eyed, shook his head.
"Nope! But it's just a tiny bit of mana consumption!"
He pinched his fingers together, showing me the tiniest of gaps.
I silently observed his gesture and began to calculate the mana cost. Fortunately, maintaining his presence was manageable, well within my recovery rate, with plenty of surpluses.
Luckily, the Greater Grail bore the brunt of his summoning cost—otherwise, I estimated that sustaining Merlin's presence would have drained most of my magical reserves and energy.
As long as Merlin didn't actively cast spells, the consumption was tolerable. It was as if I just had another mouth to feed at home.
Even so, my expression still betrayed my disdain. If we were in Mesopotamia, maybe I could treasure Merlin, but here—
Ugh, he's such a bother!
With a sigh, I pulled out the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad, drawing Merlin's attention.
The lance in my possession was from another world—one that had not experienced the incineration of humanity or the Lion King's alteration of its nature. Rhongomyniad still stood at the edge of the world.
In other words, my Holy Lance was "excess". Not just the lance—I was an excess existence.
The world's resources hadn't increased due to my presence; rather, they had decreased. Every ounce of magical energy and material I consumed was classified as "excess."
This state would persist until I was once again "shaken", or until I disappeared from this world entirely.
What was Merlin thinking? I had no idea. But instead of putting away the lance, I began to spin it single-handedly, staring at him.
"Forget the mana consumption for now—Merlin, you seem to know me, don't you? Your Clairvoyance seems to be unusually precise."
Not only had he hijacked my Servant slot, but he also gave me a strange sense of familiarity.
"Who knows~?"
Merlin blinked, avoiding a direct answer. But I already knew what his vague response meant.
Seeing this, I decisively abandoned further questioning. At the very least, it was now clear that Merlin possessed the ability to observe parallel worlds.
His Clairvoyance didn't just see "the present"; it saw "the world's present."
And—
Sizzle.
A pitch-black aurora burst forth, erasing the floral illusion Merlin had conjured.
I gazed coldly—sharply—at Merlin.
"Merlin, are you using illusions?"
The presence of flowers was always the telltale sign of Merlin's illusions. That was the essence of the Magus of Flowers.
Since I was sure he wouldn't approve of my plan, it was reasonable to assume that the moment he was summoned, I had already been trapped in an illusion.
The Holy Grail War wasn't dangerous enough for Merlin to personally intervene. The only real threat was me—and even then, I would be easy to deal with. He just had to stall until the war ended.
And when it came to stalling for time, no one was better than Merlin.
His illusions were powerful enough to trap even a Goddess Tiamat. There was no way I could escape on my own—
At least, not if I hadn't experienced the Grand Temple.
But now—
The pitch-black aurora expanded, devouring the world before me.
Lines of death appeared in my vision.
Crack!
With a single slash, I killed the dream.
"You've grown fast."
Merlin remained unchanged as if the world had always been the same. Only the sea of flowers around him had silently faded into stardust.
He wasn't surprised that I had broken free.
"Looks like nothing I say will change your mind," he mused.
"Indeed. So, what will you do?"
I cracked my neck, never taking my eyes off him.
"Will you leave? Or will you stay and watch?"
I understood why he had acted.
Even I knew that my actions were unusual—perhaps even dangerous. But I wouldn't stop.
I would claim the Third Magic. Nothing would deter me.
That was why I felt no hostility toward Merlin.
"Well, since I'm already here, Big Brother Merlin will stay and watch!"
Merlin spread his arms innocently.
"And I promise I won't use illusions on you again!"
With that simple exchange, the final Servant summoning was complete.
The Holy Grail War of Seven Servants had officially begun!
...
As Merlin's summoning was confirmed, the Church, which had been overseeing the war as a neutral mediator, also received the report—Caster had been summoned.
And this information flowed to Tohsaka Tokiomi through the Kotomine father and son.
To divert Kotomine Kirei's combat power into the shadows, Tohsaka Tokiomi even staged a drama with Kotomine Kirei, allowing the golden king to eliminate the Assassin summoned by Kotomine Kirei.
All participants in the battle witnessed this massacre-like spectacle. Though their methods of gathering intelligence varied, they all saw the process of Assassin's elimination.
...
The next day.
Dressed in modern casual clothes, Merlin and Alaric stayed at Ryuudou Temple, never leaving. Merlin's loose hair fluttered in the wind.
"They're coming—"
At this moment, Merlin was fully aware of his role, and precisely because of this, he felt a sense of sentimentality about what was about to happen.
Setting aside the issue of Alaric being a troublesome individual, Merlin still found things quite interesting.
Alaric, with hands in their pockets, tilted their head back to gaze at the approaching flight to Fuyuki. Using Merlin's Clairvoyance, Alaric had already discerned the existence aboard that plane.
Alaric was waiting—waiting for the first clash to begin.
Their analysis of the Holy Grail had already reached the limit. Originally, Alaric had hoped that his summoned Servant could help solve this problem, but who would have thought it would be this useless Merlin?
Thus, Alaric had no choice but to temporarily shift his focus to considering the possibilities of the Lesser Grail.
Unless Angra Mainyu was eradicated, Alaric would not be able to obtain the true Holy Grail and the Third Magic—
Or rather, using the Lesser Grail might achieve the same effect…
Many thoughts surfaced in Alaric's mind, continuously speculating on the feasibility of realization.
Meanwhile—
In a hotel somewhere in Fuyuki, the smuggled-in Emiya Kiritsugu successfully rendezvoused with his assistant Maiya Hisau, who had arrived in advance. They, too, learned about what had transpired at the Tohsaka residence the previous night.
A collaboration between Kotomine Kirei and Tohsaka Tokiomi, one in the light and one in the shadows—
As Emiya Kiritsugu retreated into the darkness to prepare for action—
The artificial saint, Irisviel von Einzbern, and the King of Knights cloaked in gold, disembarked from their flight, stepping into the land of Fuyuki.
As if stepping into the domain of some entity, Artoria's expression sharpened. A surge of magical energy nearly materialized her armor skirt as she instinctively prepared for battle.
"Saber?"
Irisviel von Einzbern, looking a bit bewildered, crossed her arms and gazed with concern at the abnormal reaction of her Servant.
The fact that the world-renowned King of Knights was a woman had taken everyone by surprise.
Even so, the aura exuded by this Knight King made it difficult to associate her with femininity—she was, without a doubt, a true sovereign.
As one of the top three strongest Servants among the Seven Classes, Saber not only possessed numerical superiority in every aspect but was also overwhelmingly powerful in combat.
What had caused Saber to react this way?
"Irisviel, it's nothing."
After what seemed like a false alarm, Saber furrowed her brows and scanned her surroundings. She detected no presence of other Servants nor any unusual magical fluctuations.
And yet—
What was this strange feeling?
Dressed in a black suit, disguising herself in a masculine appearance, Saber positioned herself protectively in front of Irisviel von Einzbern. Only after a long pause did she finally relax.
"Irisviel, we must be cautious from now on. The situation is far more complex than expected."
Unable to pinpoint the source of the sensation, Saber spoke in a low voice:
"Kiritsugu has already arrived ahead of us, hasn't he?"
As the true Master, Emiya Kiritsugu was not responsible for providing magical energy. Instead, it was Irisviel von Einzbern, who maintained Saber's mana supply.
Even so, the Command Seals, which represented the Master's authority, remained in Emiya Kiritsugu's hands.
Despite her distaste for his methods, Saber understood that if she wanted to obtain the Holy Grail, she had to cooperate with this man.
Seeing that Saber was unharmed, Irisviel resumed her usual cheerful demeanor. She clapped her hands lightly and smiled:
"In that case, we should make sure to enjoy ourselves before the battle begins!"
Born only nine years ago—one of which was spent in an incubation tank—Irisviel von Einzbern, who had spent eight years with Emiya Kiritsugu to bring forth Illyasviel, the Lesser Grail, held immense curiosity about the world.
Her entire life had been spent in the pure white world of Einzbern Castle. Yet, she still felt satisfied. The eight years she spent with Kiritsugu had allowed her to experience the beauty of life.
Even though the end was approaching, she had already steeled herself.
It was all for Kiritsugu's salvation—
For his wish to save humanity…
And precisely because of that, Irisviel believed she had to enjoy life while she still could. Before Saber could protest, she grabbed Saber's hand and ran off from the airport, laughing:
"This is my first time in this world! I have to enjoy it!"
Saber instinctively grasped Irisviel's soft, delicate hand. Understanding Irisviel's situation, Saber smiled and said:
"As a knight, I must serve my princess."
...
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, a different Master-Servant pair was watching a history program on television.
"Rider!"
Dressed in casual clothes, Waver Velvet, who was staying at the home of an elderly couple, sighed in exasperation at his Servant.
Despite being the Master, Waver couldn't oppose Rider's overbearing personality and was often led around by him instead.
"Hahaha, it's fine, it's fine!"
Also dressed casually, Rider's white T-shirt looked tiny on his massive, muscular frame, stretched taut by his well-trained body.
With no other choice, Waver flopped onto the bed behind him.
Rider's absolute confidence and overbearing charisma were the very foundations of his conquering nature.
...
A similar scene unfolded at the Tohsaka mansion.
Still clad in his golden armor, the golden king bore a lazy expression, gazing aimlessly at the sky. Beside him, Tohsaka Tokiomi treated him with the utmost respect, attending to him like a devoted vassal.
...
The seemingly long sightseeing tour passed in the blink of an eye. As night fell—
By the seaside, Saber gazed at the ocean spirits.
The pure white saint radiated an untouched beauty, her free-spirited nature on full display.
Irisviel, barefoot, kicked at the seawater with a radiant smile. Her bell-like laughter echoed endlessly.
"Saber, do you like the ocean?"
Stopping in her tracks, Irisviel clasped her hands behind her back, her snow-white hair glowing under the moonlight. Her gaze, filled with joy, was fixated solely on the knight before her.
"If it is something that brings happiness to my people, then I like it."
Saber smiled and continued, "However—"
Before she could finish, her expression changed sharply. She immediately rushed to Irisviel's side and declared:
"100 meters away—there's a Servant nearby!"
This war was not only a hunter's feast but also a challenger's stage.
Some lurked in the shadows, waiting for the right moment. But a true warrior had chosen to fire the first shot to declare their arrival!
And so, as Saber set out with Irisviel to meet the challenge, the watching participants turned their attention to the impending battlefield.
...
From atop a bridge, Rider sat with his Master, drinking as he observed the distant port.
A terrified Waver Velvet clung to the bridge railing, pleading:
"Rider! It's too high! Let's get down! Please!"
"Haha, you're too impatient!" Rider laughed, taking another swig.
"Sometimes, patience is a strategy in itself."
The Holy Grail War was a secret war.
While Masters could gather intelligence to identify each other, the Servants' true identities remained elusive.
After all, they were legends of the past, and little information about them remained.
Their true names were their greatest secrets—because a Servant's true name revealed their entire life… and their fatal weakness.
If one can obtain the opponent's intelligence while remaining hidden, it is undoubtedly a great advantage.
But Rider did not think so.
His so-called "waiting and observing" was merely waiting for all participants to arrive.
...
When the gazes and figures of all the Servants converged toward the port—
Saber, accompanied by Irisviel, finally confronted the Servant radiating battle intent.
A handsome man wielding dual spears, his toned physique visible beneath his form-fitting, light green battle attire, clearly a warrior seasoned by countless battles.
"Only one person has come?"
The dual-spear-wielding Lancer gazed at the two women before him and chuckled lightly. "I spent the entire day out in the open, yet no one showed up. In the end, only you responded to this invitation.
It seems you are Saber, correct?"
Scanning the surroundings and confirming no traces of other Servants or ambushes, Saber looked at Lancer and replied, "Indeed. And you must be Lancer."
Just from their armaments, one could discern their respective Servant classes. Saber also realized that there were no hidden threats, ensuring Irisviel's safety.
Whoosh.
As the twin spears swung, they let out a sharp whistling sound. The bewitchingly handsome Lancer chuckled. "Not even the chance to exchange names before a life-or-death duel? What a frustrating restriction."
Hearing this, Saber, now certain there were no other threats, finally activated her magical energy. A faint blue glow enveloped her black suit, transforming it into a blue battle dress.
An invisible holy sword appeared in her hand.
Surging battle intent coursed through her body. Gripping her sacred sword tightly, Saber fixed her gaze on Lancer and declared, "Irisviel, leave my back to you!"
"I will support you with healing magic!"
Understanding that she would only be a burden, Irisviel shouted, "Please bring me victory, Saber!"
Just as the battle was about to erupt—
Kiritsugu Emiya, who had arrived at the port ahead of time, along with his assistant Maiya Hisau, began eliminating any Masters and Servants in the vicinity.
Boom!
With an explosive burst, Saber transformed into a streak of blue light. The distance of dozens of meters vanished in an instant, her mere movement generating a violent air current!
That was undoubtedly speed reaching multiple times the speed of sound—terrifyingly fast!
The King of Knights—her name was no empty title!
Faced with this overwhelming strike, even a battle-hardened warrior like Lancer had no choice but to assume a defensive stance to block the incoming blow!
Boom!
The clash of sword and spear ignited the night at the seaside port, like a shower of blazing sparks. The sound of metal clashing with metal, combined with the howling wind, composed a symphony of slaughter.
The shipping containers at the port were sliced apart by Saber's strikes, unable to withstand even a single blow!
Lancer, too, was repeatedly wounded by Saber's invisible sword, whose form and length were impossible to gauge!
His proud dual-spear techniques seemed utterly ineffective against Saber. Every time his attacks were about to land, she dodged them by the slimmest of margins!
In less than a few seconds, Lancer had already suffered four wounds—though shallow, they were still injuries. Meanwhile, he had yet to even scratch Saber's armor!
How powerful was she...?
"The game ends here, Lancer. Finish her quickly."
A chilling voice rang out from the void. A male figure, who had been observing the battlefield from above, issued the order.
Lancer, upon receiving the command, simply smiled. He dropped one of his short spears and gripped the long, crimson spear wrapped in cloth with both hands, fully unveiling it.
"You heard him, Saber. From here on, this is no longer a game."
Confident in his abilities, Lancer maintained his smile, his overwhelming battle spirit even catching Saber's attention.
"Still not revealing your weapon?"
Saber remained unfazed. "I will decide the battle before I need to reveal it!"
Hearing this, Lancer suddenly lunged forward like a shooting star. "Then let me be the one to uncover the truth behind that invisible sword!"
The battle resumed, but this time, the very first clash made Saber's expression change.
The moment Lancer's crimson spear made contact with Saber's blade, the magical barrier shrouding her sword was dispelled, and a fierce gust of wind howled in all directions!
Tap tap.
Saber immediately retreated upon impact, her face filled with shock as she stared at Lancer's crimson spear, rapidly analyzing the failure of her barrier.
But Lancer's attacks came like a torrential storm, forcing Saber to block each one. And every time her sword clashed with his crimson spear, her magical barrier would dissipate!
'His spear carries an anti-magic property, nullifying my Invisible Air... In that case—'
Understanding the situation, Saber ceased avoiding Lancer's attacks and instead fully unleashed her golden holy sword!
With the barrier around her sword released, a turbulent storm erupted. The sheer force of the wind was enough to tear through flesh and shatter the concrete ground!
Even without invoking the true name of her sword, simply unleashing the compressed wind resulted in an attack known as Invisible Air—a force that even Servants struggled to withstand!
Lancer barely reacted in time, using his spear as a shield. But even so, he was sent flying dozens of meters away!
This unexpected turn of events caught everyone off guard, even the magus who had been overseeing the battle.
Far away, on Fuyuki Bridge, another king burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Interesting, interesting! In that case, I can no longer remain a spectator!"
"Huh? Rider, didn't you say we should wait and observe? Wouldn't it be better to enter the fray after they've exhausted themselves?"
Hearing his Servant's sudden decision to enter the battle, Waver Velvet looked at the towering Rider in shock.
"Hahaha! To conquer without destroying, to rule without humiliating—that is true conquest!"
Rider drew his short sword from his waist and tore through the sky, summoning his legendary chariot. Billowing clouds heralded the arrival of divine bulls galloping forward.
These were the sacred bulls gifted to Zeus, wreathed in divine lightning, their thunderous roars shaking the atmosphere!
"The time for spectating is over! Let's go!"
Scooping up his Master, Rider let out a hearty laugh as his divine bulls pulled the chariot forward, leaving streaks of lightning in Fuyuki's night sky.
...
At the Seaside Port—
With his Master's healing, the Lancer who had been blasted away by Saber's attack quickly stood up again, his gaze toward Saber filled with awe and caution.
Not only was she highly skilled, but her sheer firepower was overwhelming.
As expected of—
By now, Lancer had realized the true identity of the Servant standing before him.
But before he could act before his Master could even issue another command, a bolt of lightning from above interrupted Saber's movements.
The divine bulls, akin to Phantasmal Beasts, roared incessantly, their violent lightning illuminating the faces of both Lancer and Saber.
From atop the Gordias Wheel, a chariot of divine authority, a high-spirited king made his declaration:
"I am the King of Conquerors—Iskandar!
I have manifested in this Holy Grail War as Rider!
Cease this battle, Saber, Lancer!
I have watched your fight closely—it was excellent!!
Though fate has pitted us against each other for the Holy Grail, I must ask—
Would you be willing to join me and surrender the Grail? If so, I shall treat you as friends and share with you the joy of conquering the world!"
Even Servants—he sought to conquer them all!
"Rider!!"
A despairing Waver Velvet pounded his fists weakly against Rider's back, letting out a helpless wail.
Naturally, the King of Conquerors' spirited invitation was met with absolute rejection.
Moreover, upon seeing Rider and his Master, the magus who had been overseeing the battlefield finally spoke up:
"I was wondering what you planned to do after stealing my relic, but it turns out you joined the Holy Grail War yourself, huh?
Waver Velvet."
With a disdainful smirk, a magus emerged from the shadows—Lord El-Melloi Archibald Kayneth, one of the Lords of the Clock Tower, as well as Waver Velvet's professor and idol.
As soon as he heard Kenneth's voice, Waver, already feeling guilty and fearful, crouched behind Iskandar in even greater fear.
Seeing this, Iskandar immediately burst into hearty laughter:
"Hearing what you said, you intended to replace this kid as my Master? If that's the case, then that's truly the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!
To be my Master, one must be a warrior who can ride into battle alongside me! A coward who doesn't even dare to show himself is utterly unqualified!"
"Rider—"
Listening to this passionate and valiant defense, Waver found his eyes welling up with tears for reasons he did not understand.
Soon, Iskandar shifted his tone:
"Oi! There are others here, aren't there? Surely, I'm not the only Heroic Spirit drawn to the clash of these clear blades!
Heroic Spirits summoned by the Holy Grail, gather here now! Any coward too afraid to show their face shall be scorned by Iskandar, the King of Conquerors!!"
As if in response to the King of Conquerors' declaration of war, a golden radiance quietly bloomed from a high point.
Standing atop a streetlamp, unwilling to position himself on the same level as the others, was a golden king clad in resplendent armor, his expression one of absolute arrogance.
His crimson eyes scanned the crowd below, and his voice, dripping with disdain, carried an unshakable sense of self:
"To think that two mongrels would dare to ignore my presence and call themselves kings in a single night."
"That's not very reasonable of you. After all, I am the world-renowned King of Conquerors."
Iskandar scratched his cheek, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Ridiculous. The only hero truly worthy of the title of king—"
The golden king's gaze sharpened as he declared:
"Across the heavens and the earth, there is only one true king—me. The rest are nothing but mongrel rabble."
Before the King of Heroes could finish speaking, the sound of approaching footsteps and a surge of magical energy drew everyone's attention.
Even the King of Heroes could not ignore this presence.
Tap. Tap.
At last, the crisp sound of footsteps echoed through the bustling port.
Saber was the first to react, turning her head in disbelief to see two figures emerging from the shadows.
"My, my, it's been a long time, little Artoria!"
That unmistakable court magician, the Magus of Flowers—
The one who nurtured her into a king—
The one who ultimately fled.
A presence she could never forget.
Her dragon's heart seemed to roar, and past emotions surged forth at that moment.
"Merlin—"
Saber—no, Artoria Pendragon—slowly spoke the Caster's true name.
The moment Artoria uttered that name, everyone else also heard that infamous title.
"Merlin?!!"
"He can be summoned as a Heroic Spirit too?"
Everyone present had considerable knowledge of magecraft, and they all understood that Merlin resided in Avalon, having escaped the cycle of death as an eternal observer.
Why, then, had such an existence answered a summoning as a Heroic Spirit?
Beyond Merlin, the young man standing beside him did not seem to attract much attention—or rather, much wariness.
A young man appearing alongside Merlin was most likely a Master.
But—so weak.
There was barely any magical energy from him, and at most, he seemed like a slightly trained magus.
Yet, among those present, two individuals recognized the young man's face.
Aside from them, only the Knight King reacted as if she had seen something beyond comprehension—her dragon-like eyes nearly widening into slits.
"I suppose this counts as our first meeting?"
Alaric standing beside Merlin bore a resemblance to her, his pure white hair complementing his features.
Even Artoria, the Knight King, felt her pupils contract sharply.
"You are…?"
PS: Hey guys, please subscribe to our patreon.com/AbsoluteCode for advanced chapters.