Who is he?
As she noticed Alaric standing beside Merlin, Artoria couldn't help but question herself. It wasn't just the resemblance in appearance—she could feel the dragon's blood coursing through his body, resonating with her own. Her Dragon Heart became more active as Alaric approached.
But Artoria couldn't arrive at an answer. And if Merlin had appeared as his Servant—
"Merlin!!! What are you up to this time??!!"
Losing the composure befitting a knight, Artoria, who had known Merlin for decades, was well aware of her old friend's mischievous nature. If something strange was happening, Merlin was undoubtedly behind it.
Merlin becoming a Heroic Spirit was impossible—this was something Artoria was certain of.
Merlin had imprisoned himself in Avalon, having forsaken death itself, existing as an observer of the world. And yet, here he was, materialized as a Servant.
And his Master was this person—
"Oh dear, Artoria, you're hurting my feelings."
With an utterly carefree expression, Merlin wiped the corner of his eye, as if tears were beginning to well up.
But that exaggerated act was transparent to anyone.
Standing beside him, Alaric couldn't help but nudge Merlin with his elbow before turning his gaze toward the all-too-familiar face of the King.
Unlike the Lion King, whose appearance had matured to its final state, the present King bore the same age and visage as Mordred. But the aura was entirely different.
This was the King of Knights—one who had spent decades shaping the life of a ruler.
The King that Bedivere remembered, who had fought for the ideals of all his people.
The final Knight King, the last of the Round Table.
A bond that transcended worlds—one that could not be severed.
At this moment, their eyes met—
"Consider this a surprise!"
Alaric greeted Artoria with a smile, adding, "Or should I say, a big surprise?"
"What—"
As time passed, Artoria became increasingly certain that Merlin's Master had a deep connection with her.
But she couldn't determine where this connection originated.
It wasn't just Artoria who was shaken by Alaric's presence—others in the scene who recognized or had seen him before felt the same.
"Alaric?"
Still standing atop the Gordias Wheel, Waver Velvet instinctively called out in shock upon recognizing the young man beside Merlin.
A classmate who had disappeared without a word years ago—he never expected to meet him again here.
And as a participant in the Holy Grail War, no less—
Time seemed to have left no trace on Alaric. His appearance was the same as it had been years ago, making it easy for Waver to recognize him at a glance.
"Waver, how have you been?"
Alaric raised a hand in greeting, smiling. "Surprised?"
"So, the Master of Caster Merlin… turns out to be you."
From the shadows, Lord El-Melloi Archibald looked down at Alaric. Although they had only crossed paths a few times, he remembered this so-called prodigy.
Being personally recommended by a Lord to enter the Clock Tower was proof of Alaric's magical talent.
But that was all—without a proper lineage, a wild magus like him could never compare to those from generations of magus families.
So what if he summoned the legendary Magus of Flowers, Merlin? As an expert in illusions, Merlin had little actual combat ability.
This was a common understanding among all who observed the situation.
Even Tohsaka Tokiomi, watching through his familiar from the Tohsaka estate, smiled slightly at the transmitted image.
"Alaric, so you did become a Master. What a pity—you are destined to fail."
Over the past three years, Tokiomi had interacted with Alaric several times and was aware of his desire to participate in the Holy Grail War.
Now, he had finally achieved his goal—but his summoned Servant stood no chance against the King of Heroes.
The moment Saber revealed Merlin's True Name, Tokiomi began recalling the legendary feats of this world-renowned magus.
Even though he couldn't comprehend how a still-living Merlin had become a Heroic Spirit, one thing was clear—Merlin was not a powerful combatant.
Thus, Alaric and Merlin posed no threat to Tokiomi.
He was certain of it.
At the same time—
From the port by the sea, where he had been observing from the shadows, Emiya Kiritsugu aimed at Merlin's Master—Alaric. This unfamiliar magus bore a striking resemblance to Saber, and Saber's reaction was abnormal.
If this person affected Saber's future performance, it would be unacceptable.
Kiritsugu could not allow such a factor to remain unchecked.
However—
"The possibility of an alliance…"
Saber and Merlin had undoubtedly been closely connected in life. As the final King of Knights, Arthur Pendragon, and the court mage Merlin—their reunion here could lead to an alliance.
If Merlin's assistance could be secured, their advantage against other Servants would increase significantly.
But the problem lay with Merlin's Master.
Who exactly was this Master?
"Maiya, do you have any intel on Caster's Master?"
Without moving, Kiritsugu's voice remained calm as he continued to observe the battlefield.
On the other end of the radio, Hisau Maiya promptly responded, "No. This is the first time Caster's Master has appeared. He seems to have been inactive until now."
Upon hearing this, Kiritsugu didn't say anything further. Instead, he noticed another anomaly—
Assassin, who was supposed to have been eliminated, had reappeared on the battlefield.
And it wasn't just the Masters who were surprised by this final arrival—among all the warriors present, only two truly understood the power behind it.
A broad hand suddenly blocked Waver's view. Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, stared intently at Alaric beside Merlin.
"Kid, you say this guy was your classmate?"
Iskandar's solemn voice carried a weight that made it seem as if he was confirming something unbelievable.
Failing to grasp the full meaning behind Iskandar's caution, Waver nodded. "Yeah, he joined the Clock Tower four years ago, studied with me for a year, and then suddenly left.
Don't worry, Rider! I won't hold back!"
Waver assumed Rider was concerned about his ability to fight a former classmate, so he declared his resolve.
"Good! That's the kind of determination I like!"
The King who sought to conquer all let out a loud laugh. "Young man! Would you like to join my ranks?"
Despite Alaric's late arrival, Iskandar extended an olive branch, attempting to recruit him.
Most onlookers were baffled—trying to recruit a Servant was one thing, but now even a Master?
Facing Iskandar's invitation, Alaric's response was casual.
He waved his hand and smiled. "I'll pass. Even though I change jobs frequently, I do have a King I serve."
Saying this, Alaric glanced at Saber, who remained visibly tense.
"Oh? Even in this era, someone like you still serves a King?"
Iskandar's eyes gleamed with curiosity as if he had stumbled upon something truly fascinating.
"Eh? Rider?"
Beside him, Waver seemed confused by his Servant's eagerness and interest. But from what he had just heard—
To Rider, Alaric was an extraordinary individual.
Rider never lied.
If even Rider regarded Alaric this way, then Waver realized—he needed to reevaluate this former classmate.
"Could it be that Alaric has already grown to an exceedingly high level of magecraft?"
Although Waver was aware that Alaric had once been a Magus and frequently engaged in combat, he had never associated Alaric's abilities with something even greater.
After all, even his Discerning Eye couldn't perceive much.
The golden king atop the streetlamp silently observed the scene, his gaze never leaving either Merlin or Alaric.
Even though he had voluntarily suppressed the effects of Sha Nagba Imuru (The Omniscient and Omnipotent Star), the golden king's wisdom and intuition had not diminished.
The golden king was well aware of what kind of existence the Flower Magus, Merlin, truly was—not only a nightmare that would persist until the end of the world but also a candidate for the title of Grand Caster.
Grand Caster—an absolute existence at the pinnacle of their era, whose abilities undoubtedly surpassed those of ordinary heroes.
A normal Holy Grail War would not be able to summon this individual.
And the Master capable of summoning Merlin was certainly not as simple as they appeared.
Feeling somewhat bored at first, the golden king suddenly revealed a smile.
"Heh, interesting."
Below.
Standing beside Merlin, Alaric scanned his surroundings, taking in all the Servants present.
Although he hadn't been able to locate the lurking Assassin, it didn't matter.
They posed no threat to him.
Besides that, Alaric had yet to see the Servant Berserker, summoned by the Matou family.
But that wasn't a major concern either. The only ones present who could truly threaten him were Gilgamesh and Artoria, with their overwhelming firepower.
Rider Iskandar, lacking sufficient mana supply, was not worth worrying about.
The same applied to Kayneth and his Lancer.
After assessing all the Servants in the area, Alaric finally looked up toward the silent King of Heroes.
Unlike their previous encounter in Mesopotamia, the current King of Heroes existed as a Servant.
His Gate of Babylon, originally built to prepare for the future, had undergone legendary sublimation after his death, making him the true possessor of the original wisdom of humanity.
If the King of Heroes fought half-heartedly, that would be one thing.
But if he were to use his treasury seriously, it would be a significant obstacle for Alaric.
"This king is in a rather good mood. I shall permit you to gaze upon my magnificence."
Noticing Alaric's gaze, Gilgamesh smirked, his youthful arrogance and self-importance on full display.
Seeing that Gilgamesh had no intention of making a move, Alaric turned his attention to the other Servants.
His gaze eventually met the solemn eyes of Saber Artoria.
Although seeing that familiar face stirred many emotions within Alaric, his primary focus remained on the artificial Holy Maiden standing behind Saber—Irisviel von Einzbern.
"Right, so here's the situation. I plan to take this lady with me. Hmm… I suppose I should address her as Irisviel von Einzbern, correct?"
Even when facing multiple Heroic Spirits, Alaric remained unfazed.
He extended his hand toward Irisviel von Einzbern, smiling.
"I intend to take you away. Does anyone have any objections?"
Irisviel von Einzbern was the Lesser Grail created by the Einzbern family for this Holy Grail War.
To open the path to the Root and manifest the Third Magic, the Lesser Grail's existence was indispensable.
The moment those words were spoken, the Masters in attendance were visibly startled.
No one had expected that Alaric, the Master of Caster, would not only appear personally on the battlefield of Heroic Spirits but also brazenly declare his intent to take the Einzbern's artificial lifeform.
Hearing this, Saber Artoria's expression darkened.
She glanced at Merlin, who had been acting as if he were uninvolved, and asked,
"Merlin, is this your idea?"
Artoria could not comprehend Merlin's desire for the Holy Grail.
This man had even transcended death, and his self-imposed imprisonment in Avalon was merely to observe human history.
Why would he seek the Holy Grail?
"Well, he's the Master, after all. I can't stop him."
Under Artoria's scrutinizing gaze, Merlin waved his hand dismissively, looking helpless.
"Besides, as you can see, Big Brother Merlin is just a non-combatant."
"If only we could resolve things peacefully without a fight—how wonderful that would be!"
As if already predicting what would happen next, Merlin clasped his hands together and sighed.
"Artoria, join us. Only then will you truly see the reality before you."
Despite Merlin showing no signs of wanting to fight, Artoria, who understood his methods well, remained on guard.
Merlin's illusions could be cast silently, and even she wouldn't be able to evade them.
It wasn't just Artoria—nearly all the Heroic Spirits and Masters were wary of Merlin's actions.
As the renowned Flower Magus, Merlin's greatest skills were his expertise in nurturing kings and illusions.
Meanwhile, Waver Velvet, standing beside Iskandar, was utterly confused.
He couldn't help but shout,
"Alaric! Your Servant isn't even intending to fight! Why are you stepping forward?!"
Merlin displayed no inclination to battle, and Alaric, a Master, wasn't making any combat preparations either.
Walking onto the battlefield empty-handed—wasn't this absurd?
Waver couldn't understand this approach.
Had Alaric given up?
However, Waver's confusion didn't last long.
Alaric stepped away from Merlin and, alone, began walking toward Saber Artoria and Irisviel von Einzbern.
This action alone made Alaric's intentions crystal clear.
"Lancer, capture him."
Seeing his opportunity, Kayneth wasted no time in issuing a command.
He ordered Lancer to subdue the unprotected Alaric, believing that in doing so, he could also claim the legendary Magus as well.
"Understood."
With twin spears in hand, Lancer shot forward at an astonishing speed, instantly closing the distance between himself and Alaric!
Boom!
At almost the same moment, Saber, realizing Lancer's intent, also lunged forward.
But her starting position was too far away.
Even though her speed was comparable, she wouldn't make it in time to intervene!
This was a fatal range—one where even Saber Artoria couldn't rescue him in time!
"Rider!"
Only barely reacting in time, Waver cried out, urging his Servant to assist Alaric.
But Iskandar remained still, simply watching the battlefield with a keen gaze.
"Watch closely, Waver. Witness the power of your classmate."
The wind howled.
The sheer force of Lancer's movement generated an intense air current that swept across Alaric's face.
Yet, as Lancer bore down on him, Alaric remained unfazed and smiled.
"You know, as a Magus, I've trained in martial arts for a few years."