"Ahh!"
"Now this is an exceptional vintage!"
Iskandar downed the entire goblet of divine wine in one gulp. Still unsatisfied, he immediately reached toward the untouched goblets sitting in front of Leon and Gilgamesh.
Clang—
The tip of a Holy Sword and a jeweled sword emerging halfway from a golden ripple simultaneously stopped at Iskandar's throat, their killing intent unmistakable.
"Ahahaha... Come on, I was only joking!"
Iskandar hurriedly withdrew his hand and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"How is this tiny amount supposed to satisfy anyone?"
He looked to the heavens in exaggerated complaint.
Then his nose twitched.
Like a ghost lured by the aroma of fine liquor, he floated across the courtyard until he stopped in front of a nearby wall.
His muscles bulged.
Boom!
With a single punch, he smashed the wall apart.
To the astonishment of everyone present except Leon and Gilgamesh, Iskandar casually carried out a bathtub-sized wooden cask of red wine hidden inside.
"Honestly."
"How can a host entertain guests while hiding the good stuff?"
He complained to Tohsaka Tokiomi before swaggering back with the enormous barrel balanced on one shoulder.
"That idiot..."
Waver trembled with despair as he bit his finger.
All he could do now was pray that the Tohsaka Family wouldn't send him the repair bill.
Otherwise...
The rest of his life was going to be miserable.
"Don't look at me like that."
"This place has been so gloomy."
"I was just trying to liven up the atmosphere."
Ignoring the stares from Leon and Gilgamesh, Iskandar laughed cheerfully, smashed the lid off the barrel with one punch, and used the Noble Phantasm goblet supplied by Gilgamesh to scoop himself another drink.
"Ahh!"
"Now this is how you're supposed to drink!"
"By the way..."
"Why are you two still wearing those mood-killing suits of armor?"
"This is a gathering!"
"You should be wearing fashionable modern clothes like mine!"
"Hahaha!"
He proudly pointed at his oversized white sleeveless shirt.
Printed across the chest was a world map from the strategy game Grand Strategy.
The thin fabric did absolutely nothing to conceal the bronze-like muscles covering his massive frame.
"Hmph."
Gilgamesh calmly took another sip from his goblet before replying in the lofty tone of a king.
"Fool."
"We're about to exterminate that disgraceful filth known as Caster."
"And you dare call this a party?"
Leon said nothing.
Instead, he quietly sampled another mouthful of Gilgamesh's divine wine.
His eyes brightened.
It truly was extraordinary.
Even in Asgard, it would rank among the finest wines reserved for honored guests.
Its flavor, however, was unlike anything he'd tasted before.
"Since we've already decided to launch the campaign..."
"Then we should enjoy ourselves while we can."
"Nothing raises morale better than a celebration before battle."
Iskandar answered while refilling his goblet.
Gilgamesh frowned slightly.
Then Iskandar suddenly became serious and looked at the two kings beside him.
"They say the Holy Grail ultimately chooses the one most worthy to possess it."
"And the conflict taking place in Fuyuki is merely the ritual that determines who that person is."
"But if it's truly only a selection..."
"Then bloodshed shouldn't be necessary."
"If we Heroic Spirits simply compare the breadth of our ambitions and the greatness of our kingship..."
"The answer should become obvious."
"Oh?"
Gilgamesh smiled.
"An interesting argument."
"However..."
"All the treasures of the world belong to me, Gilgamesh."
"You are nothing more than thieves trying to seize what is already mine."
"Viewed from that perspective..."
"There is no need for any selection."
Every word radiated absolute authority.
"Hahaha!"
Being called a thief didn't bother Iskandar in the slightest.
Instead, he laughed and replied,
"Perhaps your treasury contains something similar to the Holy Grail of Fuyuki."
"But until this Holy Grail becomes part of your collection..."
"It belongs to whoever is capable of obtaining it."
"How can that possibly be called theft?"
"If your reasoning were correct..."
"Then the entire world would simply be land awaiting conquest by me—Iskandar, Alexander the Great."
"Since you're standing on my land right now..."
"Shouldn't I be charging you rent?"
"Hahahahaha!"
Despite his rough appearance, Iskandar had effortlessly sidestepped Gilgamesh's verbal trap.
Instead...
He had dug one of his own.
"Hmph."
Gilgamesh merely snorted.
Rather than continuing the pointless exchange, he calmly refilled his own goblet.
Words alone proved nothing.
Power would decide everything in the end.
"Saber."
"Why have you remained silent?"
Seeing Gilgamesh refuse to continue arguing, Iskandar turned toward Leon.
During their debate...
Leon had quietly finished more than half the bottle of divine wine by himself.
"We all call ourselves kings."
"And none of us is willing to yield."
"Since conflict between us is inevitable..."
"Why not set those differences aside for tonight?"
"It's a rare opportunity."
"Heroes from different eras have gathered under one roof."
"So let's simply enjoy the moment."
Leon spoke calmly.
His warm smile, gentle demeanor, and impossibly handsome features made him seem like King Arthur himself reborn in male form.
"Makes sense."
Iskandar nodded in agreement.
Only then did he notice that Leon had already emptied the wine vessel on the table.
His eyes widened.
He quickly lifted the beautifully crafted golden wine flask upside down.
Drip.
A single remaining drop fell onto his tongue.
He savored it as though it were priceless before letting out a satisfied—yet regretful—sigh.
"I've been tricked!"
Iskandar cried.
"Hmph."
"How pathetic."
Snap.
Gilgamesh smugly snapped his fingers.
Golden ripples spread across the air above the table.
Another identical golden wine flask, completely full, slowly descended from the Gate of Babylon.
"In that case..."
"The difference between kings should already be obvious."
"I possess as much of this divine wine as I desire."
"If you wish to drink it..."
"Simply bow your heads and swear fealty to me."
"I've always rewarded capable men generously."
Gilgamesh declared proudly.
Faced with the King of Heroes' tempting offer, Iskandar resisted with remarkable determination and shook his head.
"No, no, no."
"Archer."
"Your wine truly deserves the finest goblet in existence."
"But the Holy Grail..."
"...and a wine cup are not the same thing."
"First..."
"You must tell us."
"What wish have you entrusted to the Holy Grail?"
"You are in no position to command me, mongrel."
"Yes, yes~"
"I'm just a humble mongrel~"
Rather than taking offense at Gilgamesh's insults, Iskandar retaliated in the strangest possible way.
The towering, muscle-bound Conqueror King deliberately adopted the coy, sugary tone of a flirtatious television heroine as he pouted back.
He had learned the technique from watching modern TV.
"..."
Veins bulged on Gilgamesh's forehead.
His irritation instantly skyrocketed.
But considering the time...
The place...
And, above all, his own royal dignity...
He forced himself to endure it.
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