King Darius III of ancient Persia—was easy to recognize. Or rather, it was impossible not to recognize him, as he stood out like the moon in a clear night sky, impossible to hide.
Historical records tell us that when the Conqueror King Iskandar captured the Persian palace, he attempted to sit on Darius III's throne. However, his feet couldn't reach the ground, and he had to find a table to use as a footstool.
Many historians have used this anecdote to conclude that Iskandar was short, similar to Napoleon. However, Iskandar's height in adulthood was 212 cm, the exact opposite of being short. Waver once asked Iskandar about this, and Iskandar's reply was—compared to that man, even he felt like a dwarf.
Thus, it's easy to imagine that Darius III's height exceeded three meters—far beyond the limits of human potential, reaching the stature of a giant. Such a person would stand out anywhere, let alone Darius III, who was riding an even larger war elephant.
Given Darius III's height, horses and other typical mounts were insufficient for him. Considering the geographic location of ancient Persia, the only suitable mount for him was a war elephant. Even though he was positioned at the center of his massive army and quite a distance away, the terrifying combination of a giant atop a war elephant was impossible to miss.
Thanks to sound-amplifying magic, Darius III heard Roa's taunt, and he let out an angry roar.
"Gaoooooo...!"
Simultaneously with the roar, another voice rang out. A bald man, seated beside Darius III on the war elephant, though easy to overlook due to the stark difference in height and presence, was Darius III's Master.
"You evil heretics have no escape. Surrender now, and perhaps we might spare you!"
"You're wrong about two things," Roa sneered contemptuously.
"First, we never intended to run—we just didn't want to fight too close to the city. Second, it's you who should surrender. Hand over your Command Spells, and I might let you live. Otherwise, the only path before you is death."
"Fool! We'll see how long you can keep up that bravado!"
Darius III's Master was also furious. He was a monk from Kinkaku-ji, one of Japan's most famous temples, and had been dispatched by Kyoto to investigate the influx of vampires into western Japan.
Every organization has its factions, and Japan was no exception. Ever since ancient times, there have been conflicts between the Kanto and Kansai regions. Even today, Tokyo in the east and Kyoto in the west frequently engage in verbal spats. These tensions also extended to the world of mysteries, where Tokyo and Kyoto often competed.
Since the vampire activity was concentrated in western Japan, the Kyoto faction paid much more attention to the situation. Tokyo had sent Ryougi Shiki primarily to investigate and gather information, but Kyoto could not afford to be so relaxed. If they couldn't manage the situation in their territory, they'd be a laughingstock to the east.
As a result, Kyoto not only dispatched a large number of intelligence agents but also recruited experts from ancient shrines and temples, including Heian Shrine and Kinkaku-ji. This monk from Kinkaku-ji was one such expert, tasked with patrolling Fuyuki City and the surrounding areas.
By chance, he stumbled upon the summoning circle Araya had used to summon Assassin. Since he was also of a Buddhist background, he activated the summoning circle, resulting in the summoning of his Servant: Darius III.
Though he knew nothing about the Holy Grail War, the overwhelming power of Darius III made him realize that he had likely become embroiled in a significant event. To gather more information, he tried communicating with his Servant and investigating the summoning circle through special means. This led him to Araya, and eventually to Roa and Nrvnqsr Chaos.
After all that, it was inevitable that a battle would occur, whether for the sake of his mission or to gain more insight into the Holy Grail War. There was no way he could let these three heretics—who seemed like triplets—escape without a fight.
At first, the monk was worried. His opponents were powerful, and he wasn't sure he could handle them. But after seeing Darius III by his side, he regained his confidence.
Darius III's performance did not disappoint. From the beginning, he had maintained the upper hand, whether in close combat or when the enemy summoned their beasts, only to be suppressed by Darius' far more powerful army, forcing them into a desperate retreat.
Naturally, the monk couldn't let the defeated enemies escape. He led his army in pursuit, chasing them deep into the mountains, far from the city.
By this point, his confidence had been fully restored. He felt victorious and was determined to capture these heretics in one decisive strike.
"Go, Berserker! Crush them completely!"
"Muuooooooo!"
Another deafening roar echoed. Due to the limitations of his Berserker class, Darius III had lost the ability to speak, but this did not hinder communication between Master and Servant.
The giant, as if forged from black steel, raised his battle axe and howled at the sky.
At the same time, the surrounding soldiers raised their spears and shields, striking them together in unison.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
This act wasn't just to boost morale—it was a signal, a command, a ritual.
With the rhythmic clashing of metal, the ghostly green magical light flowing through the army grew stronger, and the connection between the soldiers became tighter and tighter.
Gradually, the scene before Roa and his companions transformed. It was as if they were facing not an army of ten thousand soldiers, but a single enormous War Elephant of Death, larger than any living creature, with only one path before it—death.
Tragically for the enemy, this War Elephant of Death had lost its most lethal tusks. The vanguard had been buried by Roa's magecraft, swallowed by the earth.
—No, wait. It was too soon to draw any conclusions.
The earth, which had split and then closed, was trembling. Once, twice, three times. The rhythmic vibrations seemed to echo the ringing of metal in the mountains.
Each tremor grew stronger, each quake more intense.
When the ground could no longer withstand the increasingly violent shaking, the flat surface cracked open once more. The soldiers who had been buried earlier crawled back up from beneath the ground, joining their comrades in unison, completing the final piece of the enormous War Elephant of Death.
The battle formation was restored. The army that had once stopped the Conqueror King had fully reappeared, manifesting once again in this world.
This was the true face of Darius III's elite force—the complete form of the Athanaton Ten Thousand.
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Servant Update:
Group 1
Lancer: Scathach; Master: Shinji
Rider: Medusa; Master: Sakura. Shinji
Archer: Gilgamesh; Master: Rin
Berserker: Hercules; Master: Acht(?)
Saber: Artoria; Master: Illyasviel
Caster: Medea; Master: Shinji, Sakura
Assassin: (???); Master: Araya
Group 2
Lancer: Cú Chulainn; Master: Bazett
Rider: Iskandar; Master: Waver
Archer: Karna; Master: Luvia
Berserker: Darius III; Master: Monk
Saber: Attila; Master: Lorelei
Caster: Solomon; Master: Olga Marie
Assassin: (???); Master; (???)
Extra Servant:
Faker: Hephaestion (Iskandar's Shadow); Master: Gray