Iskandar, who was drinking with Archer, suddenly sensed a drastic drop in the golden Servant's mana.
Having experienced something similar earlier that morning, he immediately understood—it was the sign of a severed Master-Servant contract.
Back then, he had only lasted a little longer thanks to his Divinity. Had he not encountered Kiritsugu, he would have already faded into spirit particles. But for Gilgamesh, the Archer-class Servant…
"This king possesses A+ ranked 'Independent Action,' you fool."
Seeing the Conqueror King's confusion, the golden Servant set down his cup and sneered.
"Even if that fool Kirei Kotomine were to drop dead just like that, this king would still be free to walk in my own garden."
Independent Action: A+
The Independent Action rank of Gilgamesh exceeds A, reaching A+. Even without a Master, he can continue to act. His mana consumption is so efficient that even large-scale magic does not require a Master's support. This ability is so extraordinary that he can remain in the world even after the Holy Grail War has ended.
"But…"
Gilgamesh's face darkened.
"Even if Kirei was incompetent, he was still this king's acknowledged vassal. And now, someone dared to kill him without my permission? How bold. Mongrels, are you prepared to face my wrath?"
"Hey now, don't go rampaging in my army."
Iskandar chuckled.
"There are quite a few unruly ones in my ranks, you know. You wouldn't want to waste your mana dealing with them, would you?"
"Hmph! Then keep your mad dogs in check, Conqueror King."
"Fine, fine. Since Kirei Kotomine is dead, my army should retreat and rest as well."
As he spoke, the grand, golden-hued battlefield of his Ionioi Hetairoi dissolved into dust. Iskandar and Gilgamesh found themselves back inside the church.
Just as the reality marble faded, an excited voice called out from behind.
"Rider!"
Turning around, the red-haired giant saw Waver Velvet and Kiritsugu Emiya approaching from the hallway. His face broke into a joyful grin.
"Oh, Waver! You're alright, kid?"
Though visibly exhausted, Waver shook his head.
"I'm fine, Rider. But you—without a Master, will you have enough mana?"
"Ah, about that…"
While one pair of Master and Servant had their heartfelt reunion, the other side of the church grew thick with tension.
Kiritsugu and Gilgamesh stood face to face, the air between them heavy with hostility.
Gilgamesh's gaze swept over Kiritsugu's injuries and the gun in his hand. He immediately deduced who had fought Kirei.
"So… it was you, mongrel. You killed Kirei?"
Kirei Kotomine is dead?
Kiritsugu froze, momentarily taken aback. But Gilgamesh caught every nuance of his expression.
"…Not you?"
Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed.
"Hmph! Looks like that chef has been busy as well. Very well, mongrel—hand over Saber, and this king may consider sparing your life."
"I'm not Saber's Master—"
Kiritsugu began, but his words were drowned out by Waver's sudden exclamation.
"What?! You… You formed a contract with Kiritsugu and became his Servant?!"
Waver's gaze darted between Kiritsugu's Command Spells and Rider's apologetic smile. His expression soured as he turned away, puffing his cheeks like a sulking child.
"Hey, hey, wait up! Kid! Don't go!"
Rider called out, utterly bewildered that he was now the one chasing after Waver.
"Listen to my explanation!"
"…What are those two idiots doing?"
Gilgamesh folded his arms, watching the scene unfold with disdain.
At that moment, a Servant's presence emerged.
Assassin appeared openly before them and spoke in an even, calm voice.
"My Master has a message for you all. It's already quite late, and while I do look forward to our battle, the night is rather beautiful after the rain. So, we have decided to postpone the fight until tomorrow night."
He glanced around before continuing.
"A large-scale ritual field has been set up around Ryudou Temple tonight. If you do not wish to face a combined assault from my Master and Saber, I advise you not to enter."
"On the seventh night, we shall await you all in open combat."
With his message delivered, Assassin gave a small bow before vanishing into the shadows.
The final battle—set for the seventh night.
Location: Ryuudou Temple.
Realizing this, Gilgamesh scoffed, a twisted smirk curling his lips before he faded into spirit form.
Kiritsugu, wordless, left the church.
And so, only Rider and his sulking Master remained.
"Kid, what should we do next?"
Rider asked.
"Why are you asking me? Go ask Kiritsugu. Whether it's magecraft expertise or combat ability, he's way ahead of me."
"But he's already gone."
"Then go after him!"
Iskandar scratched his head, sighing.
"Listen, kid, have you even looked at my current situation?"
"…What do you mean?"
Waver muttered, turning around.
"You should have a stronger source of mana now, right—"
He froze mid-sentence, his eyes widening.
"You… You're weakening?! Where's your contract? Your pact with Kiritsugu—what happened?! At this rate, you're going to disappear!"
"Now you understand, don't you, kid?"
Rider grinned as he ruffled Waver's hair.
"In the end, I still believe—you're the best Master for me, Waver Velvet."
Waver blinked. The familiar warmth on his forehead made his eyes sting.
"I… I'm just a useless Master… Following you will only drag you down…"
Waver had once been arrogant, thinking himself worthy of victory.
But from the first day of the Holy Grail War, he had suffered one humiliation after another. Witnessing true heroes in battle had shown him just how weak and insignificant he was.
Even the powerless have their pride. He couldn't sully the majesty of the one who stood before him.
Lowering his head, Waver averted his gaze.
"I'm not your Master. Maybe this is how it should be… You should go. Sign a contract with Kiritsugu. Without me, you'll be stronger—"
SMACK!
A firm palm clapped onto Waver's shoulder. Before he could react, Rider grabbed him by the collar and unceremoniously tossed him onto the Gordius Wheel.
"Kid, don't you get it yet? You're the one I chose as my Master. Even if our contract was severed, you should be ready to see this through to the end."
With a king's authority, Iskandar declared.
"Because you… are my friend."
Rider's gentle smile remained unchanged. But when Waver realized those words were meant for him—not anyone else—something inside him shattered.
He had always built walls around his heart, carefully guarding his pride. But they crumbled in an instant.
"I… Someone like me… Can I really… stand beside you?"
"You fool. Haven't we already fought side by side so many times?"
Iskandar laughed, unbothered by the boy's sobs. As if listening to drunken ramblings at a banquet, he simply patted Waver's shoulder with mirth.
"You once stood with me against powerful foes, didn't you? Then that makes us friends. Now—stand up straight! Puff out your chest! Look forward! You're scrawny enough as it is—at least act confident. Trust me, it'll make you feel better."
At Rider's booming command, Waver instinctively straightened his back. His teary eyes met the king's warm gaze, and he saw a hand reaching out to him.
"Now then—let's renew our contract, Master."
"…Yeah!"
As the contract's threads wove together once more, Waver felt a surge of mana flowing from him to his Servant.
But more than that, something filled his heart completely.
Gone was his shame. Gone was his fear of tomorrow.
All that remained was the unwavering resolve—to conquer victory.
Wiping his tears, Waver spoke with newfound determination.
"Let's go, Rider. We have a battle to prepare for tomorrow night."
***
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