Capítulo 31: Chapter 31: Spear and Sword (6)
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The cold, clear, tense air was suddenly shattered by thunderous sounds.
Everyone on and off the battlefield was drawn to the sound and looked up at the sky in the southeast direction, easily identifying the source of noise.
A flying object streaked across the sky in a straight line, heading straight towards them, leaving behind purple sparks of lightning in the night sky.
It was a chariot!
Judging by its appearance, it was an ancient chariot with two fronts. Instead of being pulled by horses, muscular and imposing bulls with rippling muscles, such as waves, were harnessed to the chariot.
The bulls' hooves trod on emptiness, pulling the magnificent and luxurious chariot.
The chariot was not simply floating in the air; its wheels rumbled, and beneath the bull's hooves, there was no earth, but lightning.
Every time the bull's hooves and the chariot pressed against the empty sky, purple lightning flashed from its spiderweb-like antennae, creating a deafening roar that lifted the atmosphere upwards. The magical power unleashed by the lightning eruption could rival the full force of Lancer and Saber's most powerful attacks.
Only Servants' Noble Phantasm could exhibit such strangeness and release such immense magical power. There was no doubt that this was the intervention of the third Servant, appearing in the midst of Saber and Lancer's confrontation.
Saber and Lancer wore tense expressions, silently staring at the chariot that had suddenly arrived. Their Masters also experienced panic due to the appearance of the intruder.
If the immense thunderous aura enveloping the figure belonged to a Heroic Spirit, it could be a semi-divine Thunder God.
If it was a Thunder God associated with bulls, the first that came to mind was Olympus's supreme god.
Of course, the Chariot itself could not be considered a Heroic Spirit, but even as a subsidiary of one, it undoubtedly possessed a powerful Noble Phantasm.
After menacingly hovering in the air above Lancer and Saber, the chariot, with its feet treading on lightning, gradually slowed and landed on the ground. It positioned itself between the two confronting Heroic Spirits, effectively blocking their blades and spearheads. As it landed, the dazzling lightning dissipated, revealing the figure of a giant man standing majestically on the chariot driver's platform.
For some reason, Shinji's mind conjured a classic phrase from a past life: "With a mighty roar from the sky, I, Laozi, make a brilliant entrance."
"Both of you, sheathe your weapons before me!"
This calm and composed command rival the thunderous sound he emitted when flying in the sky. His piercing gaze seemed to possess the power to force the confronting blades and spears to retreat.
Lancer and Saber were both renowned Heroic Spirits that were not easily intimidated by mere roars. However, this newly arrived Heroic Spirit did not appear to attack them; his purpose seemed to be to disrupt their confrontation. Although they did not understand his intentions, both instinctively chose to remain steadfast amidst the ever-changing situation.
After dampening the momentum of Lancer and Saber, the robust owner of the chariot continued to speak in a stern tone.
"My name is Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, and I have manifested in this Holy Grail War as Rider."
Everyone, including the Servants and their Masters, was left dumbfounded.
On the battlefield of the Holy Grail War, it was highly unusual for a Servant to voluntarily reveal their true identity, as the true name held strategic importance.
Yet Rider had done just that, openly and without hesitation, much like revealing one's cards in a game of "Fight the Landlord." The difference, however, was that in "Fight the Landlord," revealing your cards doubled the stakes, whereas in the Holy Grail War, disclosing your identity offered no advantages. Only someone who is either foolish or truly confident can take such a risk.
"Even if I reveal my true name, you can't do anything about it." That was the implicit message conveyed by Rider's calm demeanor, as perceived by the now-composed onlookers.
The most restless person among them was a young boy who shared the chariot with Rider. The boy had short hair that reached his ears, and their delicate face obscured any trace of gender. His trembling legs seemed somewhat cowed, like a prisoner captured by Rider's sheer strength. However, the Command Seal on the back of his left hand revealed his identity as one of the participants in the Holy Grail War—Rider's Master.
"What are you even thinking, you fool!"
The Master of Rider resembled a hamster challenging a big cat, feigning boldness, as he questioned Rider while tightly gripping Rider's coat.
Unfortunately, the hamster's carefully constructed bravado was shattered with a single blow from the big cat's head, leaving behind silence.
Rider glanced at Lancer and Saber on both sides and asked,
"I am aware that all of you are engaged in battle for the sake of the Holy Grail. Before clashing, I had a question to ask. Would you like to join my army and relinquish Holy Grail to me? In doing so, I will consider you my comrades, and together we can experience the joy of conquering the world."
It was an absurd proposition. Saber was so taken aback that anger failed to surface, while Lancer, facing him, stood there in a daze, unsure of how to respond.
Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, undeniably ranked among the greatest Heroic Spirits in world history. He conquered lands that placed him second only to rulers like Genghis Khan and Temujin, surpassing even Attila the "Scourge of God." His legend revolved around the conquest of the largest empire over the shortest period.
In his short life of a mere thirty-three years, he left behind an indelible legacy of conquest. There was no one in human history like him, with such an ardent ambition to conquer the world.
But so what?
Even with these achievements, how did this alter the current situation?
Emerging suddenly, openly revealing his true name, and demanding respect without engaging in combat—it seemed as though he had no intention of participating in the Holy Grail War. Such a scenario has not been encountered before.
"Has the world ever been conquered by such a fool?" Such thoughts crossed the minds of more than one individual.
"He's not a fool; he's forthright, and I admire that," was Scathach's evaluation.
"I appreciate your audacity in divulging your true name, but I'm sorry, I cannot accept your proposal."
Lancer shook his head with a wry smile devoid of amusement. His gaze, sharp as a sword and brimming with power, clashed with the disdainful gaze of the King of Conquerors, igniting sparks.
"I will only offer the Holy Grail to my sworn new liege, to whom I have pledged my loyalty in this lifetime, and it certainly isn't you, Rider."
"Speaking of which, did you interrupt our duel with Lancer just to utter these tiresome words?" Saber continued Lancer's query. Her expression, unlike the elegant Lancer's, lacked even a trace of a smile. For someone as serious as her, Rider's proposal itself was highly displeasing.
"King of Conquerors, your jests have gone too far. This is an intolerable insult to a knight."
Lancer and Saber simultaneously directed hostile glares at Rider. Rider appeared to display a hint of difficulty on his face as he made murmuring sounds unconsciously using his pinky finger to clean his ear. His unrestrained actions exuded a sense of helplessness, yet his majestic posture remained unshaken. This emperor was an astonishing Heroic Spirit, radiating an overwhelming presence.
After a moment, Rider releases his finger and reluctantly speaks up.
"Can we negotiate the terms?"
"Enough already!" Lancer and Saber rejected in unison.
Disappointment filled Rider's face and Saber appeared even more disappointed.
"Let me reiterate. I am also the King of Britain. Regardless of which king it may be, I cannot bow down and submit."
"Oh? The King of Britain?" Rider seemed to become intrigued by Saber's proclamation, raising an eyebrow. "That's quite surprising. I never expected the renowned King of Knights to be a little girl."
"Well, King of Conquerors, would you care to test the sword in the hands of this little girl?"
While lowering her voice, Saber raised her sword. Her left hand lacked the strength to firmly grip the weapon, with her four fingers merely resting on the hilt. However, the aura emanating from the trembling blade carried greater solemnity than when she faced Lancer.
"It appears that negotiations have reached an impasse. What a pity, truly regrettable."
Rider furrowed his brow, let out a long sigh, and muttered with his face downturned. At that moment, he noticed the resentful gaze directed at him from below.
"Ah, it hurts, ah."
Amidst the pain swelling on his forehead, regret was the most wretched feeling. The young boy's plaintive cries reverberated through the air.
"What should I do? You keep talking about the conquest, but in the end, it only breeds contempt. Do you truly believe you can defeat Saber and Lancer?"
Confronted with his Master's question, the robust Servant laughed heartily, devoid of any trace of guilt.
"No, there's a saying, isn't there? 'Actions speak louder than words.'"
"'Actions speak louder than words' is not your true name, is it?" The infuriated boy, with his feeble fists, began to strike Rider's breastplate repeatedly, as he sobbed.
Without considering the content of the conversation, it is easy to draw comparisons to a scenario where a girl becomes angry with a boy. It's no wonder that many people refer to the boy as the "princess."
Due to the boy's actions, the tense atmosphere inexplicably relaxed, but it quickly froze again when a resentful voice, close to the ground, sounded.
"I see, so that's how it is. I was wondering who mysteriously stole my Holy Relic, only to discover that it was you, Waver Velvet, seeking to participate in the Holy Grail War."
It was Lancer's Master. He had only spoken twice before, once urging Lancer to use his Noble Phantasm and to heal him. Now, for the third time, he was questioning Rider's Master, Waver, about his intentions for being there.
The tone was completely different from before, filled with immense anger and unmasked murderous intent.
Shinji was well aware of the situation.
Waver, Rider's Master, was a student of Kenneth, Lancer's Master. However, unlike Kenneth, who came from a prestigious lineage, Waver hailed from humble origins, and the Velvet family was only in its third generation.
In the first generation, Waver's grandmother was merely a mistress of a magician, learning rudimentary magic through whispered teachings at the bedside. The second-generation mother inherited magic to the extent of understanding the importance of treasuring precious memories. It was only in Waver's generation that they pursued magic earnestly. However, whether it was the number of magic circuits or the quality of the magic crests, they remained extremely crude. Nevertheless, Waver held deep admiration for magic. After the deaths of both his parents, he spent his entire inheritance gathering enough money for admission and entered the Clock Tower penniless.
A magician's magic circuits are largely determined by the bloodline, and the strength of inherited magic crests generally corresponds to the number of generations passed down. Waver Velvet was highly dissatisfied with this bloodline-based hierarchy in the world of magic and spent several years writing a thesis on the subject. However, his mentor, the so-called "genius" Kenneth El-Melloi, tore up the thesis with just a glance.
This incident dealt a significant blow to Waver's self-esteem and motivated him to participate in the Fourth Holy Grail War. By chance, Waver stole the Heroic Spirit relic "Iskandar's Cloak Fragment" that Kenneth prepared, and he went to Fuyuki City to summon Rider.
Waver had no specific wish to participate in the Holy Grail War; he simply wanted to gain recognition from others by accomplishing this feat.
However, Waver did not anticipate that even though the "relic" was stolen, Kenneth, the magical aristocrat, managed to obtain a new relic and summoned Lancer, standing against Waver.
"What a pity. I hope to bring joy to this delightful student. Waver, as a mere mortal like you, you should have lived a peaceful life befitting a mortal."
The caustic voice seems to possess magical power, causing Waver to feel dizzy and disoriented. The longstanding authority and dazzling aura of his mentor pressed him down, leaving him breathless.
"It seems I should give you a special extracurricular lesson, teaching you about the mutual slaughter among magicians. I will reveal to you the true horror and pain without holding anything back. Consider it an honor."
The gaze filled with killing intent made Waver, who still harbored fantasies about the future while residing in his ivory tower, realize for the first time the cruelty of the world of magicians.
Waver trembled with fear, too terrified to spare a thought for the humiliation brought upon him by these words.
At that moment, something gently yet firmly embraced young boys' trembling shoulders. He stood alone and quivered fear.
"Hey, magician, it seems you want to take this boy's place and become my Master, am I right?"
Rider directed his question towards Lancer's hidden Master, his face twisted with a malicious and pitying smile.
"If that's truly the case, it's utterly laughable. The person who can become my Master must be a warrior capable of fighting alongside me on the battlefield. A coward like you, who doesn't even dare to reveal yourself, is simply not qualified!"
Silence fell, and the atmosphere grew extremely awkward. The anger of the unseen Master permeated the night air. Shinji couldn't help but chuckle to himself, remarking, "What a great emperor protecting his princess."
Suddenly, Rider erupted into boisterous laughter and his voice echoed into the empty night sky.
"Hey, are there others here? Those who lurk in the darkness, spying on us."
Saber and Lancer wore surprised expressions.
"What's happening, Rider?" Saber inquired.
Facing Saber's question, the Conqueror King smiled broadly and raised his thumbs.
"Saber and Lancer, your uninhibited battle is truly magnificent. The Heroic Spirits drawn to the resounding clash of your swords are not just me alone."
Rider wanted his thunderous voice to reach every corner of the surroundings, and he shouted once again.
"Poor souls! Truly pitiful! The heroes gathered in Fuyuki. Witnessing the spirit and valor displayed by Saber and Lancer here, do you not harbor any aspirations? With such worthy true names but only peeping in secret, how pathetic! Your names as Heroic Spirits are weeping!"
After a hearty laugh, Rider tilted his head slightly, and his expression was fearless. Finally, he scans his surroundings provocatively.
"Heroic Spirits summoned by the Holy Grail, gather here now. Those cowards who still hide their faces will inevitably suffer the humiliation of being conquered by me, the King of Conquerors, Iskandar!"
"Mocking the entire crowd to the maximum level," Shinji silently remarked.
"I'm sorry, Shinji," Scáthach suddenly severed their empathetic connection. Whether as a queen or warrior, she could no longer stand idle.
Shinji opened his eyes and smiled at Scáthach, a trusting look in his eyes. "No need to apologize. I have never intended you to fight as an assassin. Go, Sensei, and let the aura of the Queen of Shadows remain undiminished."
"As you wish, my little Master." Scáthach's unmatched elegance melded with the darkness of the night.
P.S.: However, Emperor Iskandar was defeated by Attila. Well, Attila is an adorable girl, after all. Rough guys have no rights.
P.S.2: At this moment, Iskandar could indeed defeat Saber and Lancer without any pressure.
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