"Oh? Looking for me?"
As Iskandar prepared to have Waver contact Roy to reach Scáthach, a cool female voice sounded behind them, drawing their attention.
A loud horn blared, and a sleek red-purple sports car parked stylishly by Fuyuki's street, turning heads.
The door opened, and a tall woman in a sharp white trench coat, sunglasses, and a beret stepped out, holding a young girl's hand.
Scáthach calmly removed her sunglasses, waving at the stunned Iskandar and greeting Gilgamesh, who eyed the car.
"We meet again, Archer."
She smiled, striding toward them.
Her elegant, striking presence, paired with her stunning figure and beauty, drew countless gazes. Some wanted to approach but stopped, seeing Sakura beside her, assuming she was married.
"No need to look. I'm here."
Walking up, Scáthach smiled, her crimson eyes glinting with amusement.
"Oh! That transport—I saw it on TV. A car, right? You got one!"
Iskandar, captivated by her flashy entrance, couldn't stop eyeing the car and Scáthach, exclaiming, "Gotta say, that car suits you, Queen of the Land of Shadows."
"Does it? I think so too. Thanks for the praise, Conqueror."
Scáthach smiled, unfazed.
"If you like, have your Master buy you one. I got this with Master's pocket money. Feels nice. I'm cruising Fuyuki for fun—want to join?"
"Cruising Fuyuki? With modern transport…"
Iskandar shook his head. "I'm curious about this era's vehicles, but I trust my Noble Phantasm and old friend (warhorse). Though, I'm keen on this era's fighter jets. Equip my Ionioi Hetairoi with them, and they'd be unstoppable!"
"Fighter jets with Noble Phantasms… Haha, you're full of ideas, Conqueror."
Scáthach smiled.
Unlike the allied Iskandar and Scáthach, Gilgamesh's expression grew odd. His gaze shifted from the car to the girl beside Scáthach, thinking—
This kid looks familiar…
Staring at Sakura's face, he recalled a family photo at the Tohsaka residence.
He'd often seen Tokiomi sigh over her picture. So, this was the daughter Tokiomi sent to another mage family for training.
So…
Glancing at Sakura, then Scáthach, Gilgamesh pieced it together.
This could get interesting…
"Nee-sama…"
Scared by Gilgamesh's crimson stare, Sakura tugged Scáthach's sleeve, hiding behind her.
"Oh? Don't be scared, Sakura. I'm here—nothing will happen."
Noticing Sakura's fear, Scáthach gently patted her head, unusually tender, then confronted Gilgamesh. "Archer, what's your deal? Scaring a little girl isn't kingly."
"Hmph. I don't stoop to scaring kids. Just thought of something amusing."
Gilgamesh snorted, shifting his gaze from Sakura.
"Alright, alright. Rare for three kings to gather—don't make it tense. I'm sure Archer wouldn't harm a child, no matter how harsh."
As the mood soured, Iskandar stepped in.
(Black Mud Flash: You're right.)
"By the way, Queen of the Land of Shadows, how'd you hear us from so far?"
Iskandar shifted the topic.
"Oh, that? I was taking Sakura to the café across the street for a bite. Heard you and Archer before I got out."
Scáthach glanced at Iskandar, sighing.
"Your booming voice—I'm not the only one. The whole street probably heard your 'secret' plot."
"Haha, my bad. But it's fine—the remaining players are getting familiar."
Iskandar laughed, unbothered.
"Since you're here, we're almost set. Join us—I'm hosting a Banquet of Kings, gathering the War's heroes to discuss kingship and ideals. Queen of the Land of Shadows, will you grace us?"
Iskandar pitched his plan again.
"A Banquet of Kings? Sounds fun. I'm free, so I'm in."
Scáthach agreed without hesitation.
"Oh, you're joining too?"
Gilgamesh glanced at her.
"What? Archer not coming?"
"Hmph. Without me, how's it a Banquet of Kings? As the true king, I must attend to school you false kings."
"That true vs. false king nonsense again? Your ego's something else. A king's a king—truth or lies don't change that. We'll see who's real on the battlefield, right?"
Scáthach, less tolerant than Iskandar, fired back at Gilgamesh's arrogance.
"You…"
Gilgamesh started to retort, but Iskandar, seeing tension rise, intervened.
"Haha, debating kingship is great, but not on the street. Save it for the Banquet."
Pondering, he added, "Only four kings, but six remain in the War—all exceptional heroes. Excluding two feels petty."
Oh?
Only six left?
Gilgamesh nodded thoughtfully at Iskandar's words.
He'd sensed something off about Scáthach's Spirit Origin from their first meeting. It wasn't a standard Lancer summoning—likely altered by magecraft. A mad dog chased him then, and Tokiomi's Command Seal recalled him, so he couldn't confirm.
Now, face-to-face, with Iskandar's hint, he was certain.
Scáthach's Caster class, disguised as Lancer, was adjusted via magecraft, not an irregular summoning.
This made Gilgamesh's expression stranger—Tokiomi's guesses were all wrong.
It wasn't the Matou summoning a Caster that became a Lancer. Scáthach, a Caster, fought directly.
And her Master… had that connection to Tokiomi.
Looking at Sakura behind Scáthach, Gilgamesh grew curious about Tokiomi's reaction to sending his daughter to the enemy.
He despised Tokiomi's arrogance and ignorance more.
With Assassin, intelligence was key, yet Tokiomi uncovered nothing, leading to this collapse.
Had he known earlier and adjusted, many issues could've been avoided, preventing this dire straits.
But it was too late—the board was set. The Tohsaka and Einzbern faced a counterattack from the other four.
That's why they boldly revealed hidden info: letting Iskandar roam, Scáthach with Sakura, and disclosing the remaining count…
Because knowing changed nothing. The outcome was set—they'd wait for the assault.
After brief thought, Gilgamesh didn't dwell.
He was the strongest, the oldest, the supreme king! Why fear false kings?
No matter their numbers, he'd crush them all!
Though confident, his gaze lingered on Scáthach…
Even he admitted the coming fight was tough, with a chance of failure.
But so what?
As a king, he feared no enemy or hardship! Even in defeat, he'd stand tall, facing it boldly.
Despite the danger, Gilgamesh remained fearless.
"You're inviting everyone? That's better—Banquets should be lively."
Scáthach nodded, agreeing with Iskandar's idea.
She felt this Banquet of Kings would be quite entertaining.
"Right. I'll bring Fionn. Have your Master notify Berserker's."
Imagining his grand Banquet, Iskandar's heart surged.
"Berserker? You know his state—prone to madness, acting erratic around Saber. Bringing him could disrupt the Banquet. And didn't he anger Archer?"
Scáthach squinted at Gilgamesh provocatively. "Archer wouldn't ruin the Banquet by clashing with Berserker, right?"
"Hmph. I don't stoop to dogs."
Gilgamesh snorted, displeased.
"So generous, Archer."
As Scáthach prepared to retort, Iskandar cut in.
"Enough, stop clashing. Battles can wait—you'll get your chance."
He wasn't just worried about Berserker. These kings were firebrands, constantly at odds, words laced with barbs.
If this continued, a fight might break out here, which Iskandar wanted to avoid.
"Hmph, Queen of the Land of Shadows, a millennia-old hag. Don't think I fear you… The Banquet's near—not the time to fight. After it, I'll take your head for your insolence."
Words failing, Gilgamesh, tired of arguing, dispersed into spiritrons before Scáthach could flare up.
"You… what?"
Scáthach frowned, ready to chase, but Sakura tugged her sleeve.
"Scáthach-neesan, can we go back? I miss Roy-niisan…"
Her soft voice softened Scáthach's anger. She saw Sakura's concern—worried for her safety.
Scáthach knelt, pinching Sakura's cheek gently, smiling. "Thanks for worrying, Sakura. But don't fear—I won't lose to that jerk."
"If you're tired, let's drive home."
"Okay."
With Gilgamesh gone, Scáthach didn't linger, picking up Sakura to return to their base.
Before leaving, she asked Iskandar, "Where's the location?"
"Saber's castle."
"Two vibrant kings, huh."
After Scáthach and Gilgamesh left, Iskandar had no reason to stay. Grabbing his new game, he left cheerfully.
Despite some friction, the outcome was good. His unprecedented Banquet of Kings was on track.
As the host, he needed to prepare to ensure guests weren't disappointed.
He recalled Kayneth's liquor cabinet had fine wines…
Spared during his Ionioi Hetairoi, it was perfect for now.
With that, Iskandar headed to the base.
...
"Hoh? A Banquet of Kings? A must-taste part of the Holy Grail War."
An aged yet spirited voice sounded on the street.
As the three departed, the crowd's chatter faded.
The red-haired gorilla, golden tycoon, and purple-haired beauty were gone—no more spectacle.
As the crowd dispersed, a tall elderly man approached the arcade's counter, placing his selected games.
"Checkout."
"…Huh?"
The owner, taking the games, looked puzzled, inspecting them closely before whispering, "Sir, did you pick the wrong games?"
The reason was simple.
The elderly man chose the latest magical girl series—all 18+ titles.
No matter how you looked, these weren't games for old men. Shogi or chess seemed more fitting.
But the man smiled calmly. "No mistake. I want these. Pack them up."
After confirmation, the owner muttered, "…Are all old folks like this now?" And fetched the games.
As the owner left, the elderly man glanced at the fading figures outside, stroking his beard and musing, "This world line's truly changed. Four kings from different eras gathered—what changes will this bring?"
"Speaking of, wasn't Merlin supposed to guide that kid to help his lost king? No progress means he's failed, so…"
Realizing something, the man chuckled oddly.
"Looks like I'm winning. He might really become 'Merry' this time. Hmph… my magical girl series has new material."
Taking his games, he handed the owner a gem and left.
"Wait, sir…"
The stunned owner, holding the dazzling gem, rushed out.
But the man was gone.
***
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