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Gilgamesh, looking at the serious expression on Rider's face, smirked.
"Granted."
Iskandar, despite his serious demeanor, his eyes held a childlike gleam of excitement.
"Imagine, my Ionian Hetairoi, armed with the treasures from your Gate of Babylon. An unstoppable force! Modern armies, aircraft carriers—they would be nothing compared to us!"
"And?" Gilgamesh tilted her head, a puzzled look on her face.
"Join forces with me. Together, we could conquer the very stars!" Rider extended his hand towards her.
Gilgamesh's laughter, like the tinkling of bells, echoed through the desert.
"How amusing. You're even more entertaining than that secretive little knight. It's been ages since I've laughed so heartily at the delusions of a mere mortal."
But as her laughter faded, the killing intent radiating from her intensified, the air growing heavy, oppressive.
"I have no need for another friend. Enkidu—she was my only companion. And this world—it has no room for two kings."
Rider, despite her rejection, seemed unfazed. He simply nodded.
"I didn't expect you to agree. But your way, your arrogant, self-serving kingship—I, and my army, will challenge it. I will prove that my way, the way of conquest, is superior."
"Indeed, Iskandar. You are a rebel, deserving of my judgment."
The two kings, their gazes locked, turned and walked away from each other, the distance between them growing, until they were hundreds of meters apart.
Waver, watching from behind Rider's army, his face pale, his heart pounding, looked at Haru, Illyasviel, Kiyohime, and Saber, sitting at the banquet table.
'Why was he here? Stuck in this insane situation? Rider, take me with you! There's a True Magic user and three Servants here! I'm going to die!'
"Relax. I won't kill you. I'm not that ruthless. You sacrificed yourself for your king, and I respect that. And besides, if you were in any real danger, Iskandar wouldn't have left you here," Haru said, his voice laced with amusement as he looked at Waver's terrified expression.
Waver, hearing his words, took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm. He sat back down, waiting for Rider's return.
"It's a shame he's at a disadvantage—Iskandar," Haru murmured.
"What do you mean?" Waver, forgetting his fear, looked at Haru, his eyes wide with a desperate need to understand.
Haru poured himself and Waver—who looked surprised by the gesture—a glass of wine from the golden flask.
"Exactly what I said. Gilgamesh have numerous ways to counter his Ionian Hetairoi. And against A Reality Marble—She have an Anti-World Noble Phantasm."
Waver's eyes widened. He quickly raised his hand, activating his connection to Rider through the Command Spells. 'Rider! Her Noble Phantasm! It's an Anti-World Noble Phantasm! It can destroy your Reality Marble!'
'What?! Are you sure, boy?' Rider's surprised voice echoed in Waver's mind.
'It's true! I heard it myself! From the God of the Bible! Rider, maybe we should retreat—Are you confident you can win?' Waver hesitated, adding the last part, knowing Rider's nature.
'Confident? No. Even without knowing about that Anti-World thing—I only had a fifty-fifty chance against her, and that's because she's constantly fighting against her Command Spells. Now…' Rider's voice was surprisingly calm.
'Then what do we do? Damn it! If only that God had just given you the Grail…' Waver cursed silently.
'You didn't actually believe he'd give it to me, did you?' Rider's voice was laced with amusement.
'What…?'
'That God... he's driven by his desires—A fair fight? Not a chance. Even if he had offered me the Grail, I'd have been suspicious. It would have been a trap,' Rider chuckled.
Then, his voice turned serious. 'We're almost in position. Prepare for the charge.'
'Rider, if you know you can't win, why fight?' Waver asked, his voice filled with a quiet despair. He knew this might be their last conversation.
'Because of my dream, boy. The treasures of Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon, and the Grail itself—the key to obtaining a physical body—Her kingship, her way of ruling, it's everything I oppose. It's a challenge I can't resist. If I win, my dream of world conquest—it's within my grasp. I have to try. It's—who I am.'
'I see…' Waver looked at the Command Spells on his hand, his expression hardening.
"Waver Velvet, by my Command Spell, I command you—" He raised his right hand, revealing the unused Seals. The crimson marks, a product of the Third Magic, were meant to bind a Servant to their Master's will. But now, he would use them for something else.
"Rider, you will defeat Gilgamesh." The first Command Spell vanished, its power flowing into Rider.
"By my Command Spell, I command you—Rider, you will claim Gilgamesh's treasury." The second Command Spell disappeared.
"And finally, by my Command Spell…" Waver's voice was firm, resolute, his gaze meeting Rider's without flinching. In this moment, at least, he was his Servant's equal. It was a Master's—final act of defiance.
"Rider, you will return. Alive. And together—we will conquer the world."
The three Command Spells, unleashed in rapid succession, their power surging, a torrent of magical energy far beyond what Waver could ever hope to generate, flowed into Rider. He felt no regret.
Haru, watching this, began to clap, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Conquer the world, you say? A bold declaration. I approve."
"Oh, thanks," Waver replied instinctively, then, realizing what Haru had just implied, he froze, his face turning to stone.
"Hahaha! I heard you, boy! Don't worry, I won't disappoint you!" Rider's laughter boomed as the power of the Command Spells surged through him, amplifying his strength. He drew his sword, raising it high.
"King of Heroes! You face now—the true King of Conquerors! My soldiers! Show this—ancient spirit—the meaning of true conquest!"
"ROAR!!!" Rider's army surged forward, their battle cries echoing through the desert.
Gilgamesh, facing the approaching horde alone, her expression didn't falter. She calmly reached into the Gate of Babylon, her hand closing around the hilt of Ea, the Sword of Rupture.
"Come, then, King of Conquerors. I shall end your childish dream—and show you the true order of the world."
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