Saber's brows tightened as she fired back at Rider. "History says your empire crumbled after you died, Rider. Your generals carved it into four pieces. Don't you feel any regret? Didn't you ever want to save it?"
"Never!" Rider's face turned hard.
He straightened his broad frame, his voice steady and sure. "Not even once!"
"I don't regret my choices or question my life. If my men tore my empire apart, that was their call. I'd grieve it but I wouldn't stop them."
"Saber, you're missing the point."
His tone grew sharp. "To undo your era is to spit on everything you and your followers made. It's an insult to them all!"
"I can't agree with you, Rider!" Saber's voice held firm. "History isn't just shaped by heroes. There are countless ordinary people; weak, helpless. A king's duty is to protect them."
She paused, pride glowing in her eyes. "No; a king exists because they can save their people!"
"Stable rule, clear order, enough food and fair laws; that's what people need. And I, King Arthur, built that perfect city, Camelot. So I know I'm right!"
Rider stared at her, his gaze softening into something like pity. "So you fought to be the 'perfect king' they wanted…You cast aside your own wishes, lived for the nation, never resting… That's not a human's path."
"Yes," Saber said quietly. "But the moment I pulled the sword from the stone, I stopped being human."
The girl once called Artoria had ended her life that day, leaving only the eternal "King Arthur" behind.
"A king stands alone. I've felt pain, doubt, and the thrill of victory, but my belief never faltered. Rider, Archer; you won't get it. You're just tyrants lost to your own greed!"
"Rubbish!" Rider slammed his fist down, the ground shaking under it.
"A king isn't some pretty ornament! They don't need approval, praise, or understanding. A king shows their grandest self, making followers marvel, people admire, and enemies tremble!"
"Live loud, take the richest cities, claim the finest women, lead the boldest warriors and see the widest lands!"
"Who else but a king?"
"Hahaha, well said, Conqueror King. You're still a mongrel, but I'll admit you stood at your era's peak." Gilgamesh lifted her cup, toasting for the first time that night.
"How can people follow a king like that?" Saber's voice wavered. "If you can't even promise basic safety, why would they stand with you?"
"A king cuts the path ahead, right or wrong, showing the way.
"A king lives bigger, hungrier, grander than anyone; so others dream of being like them, don't they?"
Rider fixed his eyes on Saber. "Knight King, you're flawless, noble but did any of your knights want to be you? Your ideals were too lofty, too far off. In the end, they walked away."
His words cut deep. Saber staggered, as if struck.
'Was I… wrong?' She remembered the Round Table's collapse, how they all drifted from her. Doubt crept in; had her solitude doomed Britain?
Haru watched, his brow creasing. Something about Rider and Gilgamesh's words felt off to him.
As a commoner, he saw it differently. All three kings had their greatness, but only Saber put the nation and its people above herself. He respected that and admired it. Rider and Gilgamesh had charm but Saber's way seemed truer for a ruler.
It came down to a simple choice: the people's needs above your own, or your will above theirs?
Saber picked the first. Rider and Gilgamesh chose the second.
Haru had no place in royal affairs; an ordinary guy with no say. But as one of the "people," he believed Saber's path wasn't wrong. She'd failed, yes, but that didn't make her mistaken. She didn't deserve this.
Right now, Saber felt less like a king and more like a seeker; a knight, a saint bright but untouchable.
Haru sighed softly, pouring more wine for Gilgamesh. In his mind, he muttered, 'StarGate, I'll trade this 'divine wine' for a favor… Just play a sound for me.'
A drop more or less who'd notice? It wasn't his wine anyway.
As Saber sank into doubt, a familiar voice echoed in her head.
"Artoria…"
She'd never forget it; Merlin, her mentor, the prophet who shaped her into a king and led her to the Sword of Promised Victory.
'Merlin… why now?'
She wondered why his voice came to her; he'd vanished before the Round Table fell.
'…Think hard. Once you draw that sword, you'll no longer be human…'
Those words pulled her back to that bright afternoon, the meadow, the stone.
'How did I answer? Oh, right…'
"No, I saw so many people smiling…Their joy; it was real."
That's it… I made my choice back then, and I found my answer!
Even if others rejected or mocked her, she chased a light they couldn't taint, a brilliance they'd never grasp. Why care if they never understood? A king doesn't bend for others!
Saber's eyes snapped clear, her doubt melting away.
She faced Rider and Gilgamesh, standing tall. "I am the King of Britain, leader of the Round Table, Arthur; Artoria Pendragon! I answer the Grail's call as Saber. Rider, Archer—"
"—Do you dare challenge me for the Grail? If so, I'll show you the might of the 'Ever-Victorious King'!"
Her regal air caught the other kings off guard. Gilgamesh's eyes sparked with curiosity.
"Not bad, not bad, hahaha… You're starting to look like a king, Saber." She smirked. "As the oldest hero, I'll make you kneel willingly."
Rider roared with laughter. "Haha, that's the Knight King I've heard of! Fine, if you want the Grail, I'll face you on the battlefield!"
In his past life, Haru had pitied Saber for being brushed off by the other kings and felt pity for her..
"By the way, mongrel, you didn't flinch here, and your hand stayed steady pouring wine… I like that. How about serving me from now on? You're just barely fit for it." Gilgamesh grinned at Haru.
Her red eyes pinned him, sending a chill down his spine. He forced out, "Sorry, that's not my road."
"Hmph, serving me is the greatest honor, and you turn it down? Just a mongrel after all." She huffed, but her pride kept her from snapping.
Irisviel, Waver, and Haru refilled the cups. The three kings raised them, Rider speaking first. "After this drink, we'll meet again in battle. Let's fight without holding back and show our ways as kings!"
"One last question: What is a king?"
Rider drained his cup. "To conquer, seize, rule, live every joy to the fullest, and let all see my greatness. That's my way: A king must shine with glory!"
Gilgamesh drank smoothly. "All that glows unique is mine; everything bends to me. That's my way: A king must be proud and fierce!"
Saber matched their force. "To guard the people and nation, treat every knight fairly, and walk my path no matter what. That's my way: A king must be humble and alone!"
They locked eyes and laughed, even Gilgamesh easing up for once.
Irisviel and Waver let out quiet breaths. The air had been tense, ready to snap into a fight at any moment. With three top Servants here, avoiding a clash was wiser.
Just as it seemed safe now…
A soft breeze brushed by, and the kings' faces darkened. Saber's eyes widened, and she unleashed her Noble Phantasm without a second thought; "Wind, sweep it all away!"
Barrier of the Wind King!
She wrapped wind around her sword, hiding it with bent light; a trick to mask her identity. But when freed, it roared like a dragon, a storm to crush enemies!
The solid gust rushed past Irisviel, carving a path. A faint figure hesitated in the wind, aiming for Irisviel but forced to turn.
A dagger, cold with killing intent, stabbed toward Waver. The red-cloaked assassin's eyes showed no mercy; just a honed, lifeless focus on his target.
"Outrageous!" Rider bellowed. Interrupting his banquet was bad enough, but targeting his Master?
"Heretic, step back!"
Thunder cracked, ripping the air!
Rider swung his sword, calling lightning before his chariot even arrived.
"Tch!"
The assassin hissed, halting mid-step, dodging the bolt with speed too fast to follow. Even Servants would struggle to keep up. He slipped past the kings' circle, landing on a rooftop.
"Who are you?" Saber demanded.
Gilgamesh's face twisted with displeasure, her gaze cutting toward the assassin. She was growing fed up with Tokiomi.
"That fool dares ruin my night. Still hasn't learned his place, has he? Worthless mongrel!"
A typical Assassin would run from three elite Servants, but this red-cloaked killer wasn't typical. He was still plotting his next move.
A flat voice came from under his hood. "Plan A failed… Moving to Plan C!"
Assassins weren't built for head-on fights with Servants like Saber. They thrived in shadows, and humans stood no chance against them, so they often hunted Masters instead.
Normally, a failed strike meant retreat; but not this time…
In a flash, the assassin stood before Saber, his speed so blinding it felt like he'd jumped through space!
"So fast!" Saber gasped, stunned by both his pace and his choice to attack her directly.
But she was the Knight King for a reason. Despite his speed, she stepped in front of Irisviel, swinging her sword.
"It's over…" Rider sheathed his blade. The assassin was finished; no need to step in.
Strength and weapons sealed the outcome; the assassin's dagger wouldn't reach before her sword split him apart!.....Everyone thought so, except Haru.
He wasn't shocked by the assassin's arrival. He knew from the original story one would crash the party, even pushing Rider to use his "King's Army." But when he saw the assassin's shape; red cloak, worn armor, hood, dagger his heart jumped.
He tightened his grip on Muramasa, sensing trouble.
"Die here, with regrets!" The assassin surged faster, closing in before the sword could land, his dagger flashing like a gust!
"What!" Saber startled. "He is faster than me?"
If Servant stats were numbers, Saber's Agility was A tier. Even E-rank was ten times a human's, and A put her among the best.
Few could outrun her in close quarters…
But this assassin was one of those few. His Agility was A+!
He could burst at twice her speed! He'd masked his true pace, matching or trailing Saber, then unleashed it, catching her off guard.
Still, Saber's strength outclassed him. She grabbed his dagger with her gauntleted hand.
Screech!
Sparks flew as metal clashed. With her greater power, the blade didn't budge.
Then, a sharp warning flared in her mind. She dodged, and a rush of air grazed her ear; a projectile!
The dagger's hilt had fired a magic bullet!
A surprise like that could hit even a Servant, but Saber's Instinct A near-future sight let her evade it.
Even so, the danger lingered in her gut. As she puzzled over it, the assassin did something unforgivable.
He dropped the dagger, his other hand a blur, pulling an old flintlock pistol from thin air; aiming straight at Irisviel!