A desiccating wind of unknown origin swept across the land, eroding the boundary between the real world and the void—until the world itself was overturned.
The blazing sun hung high in the sky. The once cool and misty flower garden had, in an instant, transformed into an endless sea of yellow sand, stretching beyond sight, devoid of a single shelter.
"This scale… this magnitude of magical release…"
Irisviel stared around in shock at the sudden transformation of their surroundings.
"Could this be a Reality Marble? To materialize a landscape of the heart on such a massive scale—how is that possible?"
"Humph."
At the center of the vast boundary stood the King of Conquerors, Iskandar, now clad in a crimson cloak. Looking toward Satsuki, who had been isolated nearly a kilometer away by the shifting world, he spoke proudly:
"Though you are divine, do not think my power is one you can belittle."
"This is the land my army once crossed. The sight forever etched in the hearts of the warriors who shared my hardships."
As the world changed, those trapped within it found their positions altered as well.
"Warriors who shared your hardships…?"
The words struck deeply into the King of Knights' heart. It was what she had always sought, always yearned for.
In silence, the air shimmered under the desert's heat, distorting the view. Light bent and twisted, projecting visions that transcended this era.
"This… what is this…?"
Everyone widened their eyes, staring in disbelief at the mirage-like images forming around Iskandar. One, two, then four—gradually multiplying. They resembled an army. The iron-blooded hue of battle grew heavier with each apparition.
"This world reappears because it is carved within our hearts."
Before the stunned crowd, fully materialized cavalrymen began to appear beside Iskandar. Though their races and armor varied, each bore the strength of warriors whose very presence embodied the might of an army.
"These people… they're all Servants…"
Ritsuka Fujimaru could feel the surging will to battle in the air. The scene reminded him of the moment he had once stormed the Beast's domain—when Heroic Spirits descended from the heavens like falling stars.
They tore through time and space, transcended myth and history, breaking through the dimensions themselves. Guided by a shared purpose—a single 'mission'—they had come to the battlefield that belonged to them.
After witnessing Satsuki's descent from the heavens and the despair that followed—the sheer oppressive presence that subdued the Three Kings with effortless might—no one present could deny their own insignificance before such overwhelming power.
Yet now, within the Conqueror King's Reality Marble, their crushed morale rekindled. The dry wind seemed to carry a glimmer of victory.
"We can win… we can win…"
Such a thought slipped, unbidden, into the heart of the ordinary man, Ritsuka Fujimaru.
"Behold, Saver! Witness my peerless army!"
Filled with pride, the Conqueror King raised both arms high before his cavalry.
"Even if their bodies perished, their Heroic Spirits were summoned anew. These are my loyal warriors of legend—eternal friends who answer my call across time and space.
"They are my greatest treasure! The proof of my kingship! Iskandar's mightiest Noble Phantasm—'Ionioi Hetairoi, Army of the King!'"
An EX-ranked Anti-Army Noble Phantasm—the continuous summoning of independent Servants.
Among them stood gods of war, the Maharaja Kings, and the founders of dynasties. Gathered here were beings known only through legend—unique, peerless Heroic Spirits.
Each one bore a name of glory—they were all the warriors who once fought beside the great Iskandar.
A riderless horse galloped toward Rider. It was a magnificent, muscular steed. Were it human, its grandeur would rival that of any Heroic Spirit.
"It's been a long time, partner."
Rider laughed like a child and embraced the horse's neck. Clearly, "she" was none other than the legendary stallion, Bucephalus. Even the horse by the Conqueror King's side had become a Heroic Spirit.
All who beheld the sight were struck speechless.
They were the heroes who had shared their king's dream—who rode alongside him across countless battlefields.
Their loyalty had never ended, even in death. And the Conqueror King had turned that eternal bond into a transcendent Noble Phantasm.
Saber was shaken—not by fear of his Noble Phantasm's might, but because it had shaken the very foundation of her conviction.
That perfect unity—
The bond between ruler and subjects, itself a Noble Phantasm—
It was something the King of Knights, who pursued her ideals throughout her life, had never obtained.
And now, in this moment, the King of Conquerors once again declared his royal path to the heavens.
"A king must live more vividly than anyone else, to become one whom all men look up to!"
"Yes! Yes—! Yes—!"
As Rider shouted proudly atop his steed, the Heroic Spirits beneath him responded by pounding their shields in unison, their war cries echoing across the boundless desert.
"To gather all wills into one, to unify all desires, to manifest the purest charisma, and to lead them to glorious victory—that is what it means to be king!"
"Indeed! Indeed—! Indeed—!"
Yet amid that thunderous chant, another voice cut through the air.
"Though it is an invincible army, if your opponent is Saver, it is still far from enough."
The speaker was Archer, who too possessed an EX-ranked Noble Phantasm. Even when faced with the radiant splendor of the Conqueror King's army, the gravity on his face did not waver—though the faint smile tugging at his lips betrayed his thoughts.
"King of Conquerors, though every one of your soldiers is a Heroic Spirit, they lack one thing—a treasure worthy of unleashing their full might."
As the King of Heroes spoke, countless golden ripples bloomed across the skies above the King's Army.
"This is—"
The Conqueror King looked up toward the sky, then burst into hearty laughter.
"My thanks, King of Heroes!"
From each golden ripple emerged a legendary weapon or armor that had carved its name into the chronicles of history—each one unique, gleaming with the brilliance of divine craftsmanship.
This time, they were not hurled as disposable projectiles, but descended as true armaments, merging seamlessly with the tens of thousands of Heroic Spirits below.
Bathed in the golden brilliance that seemed to illuminate an entire world, the Ionioi Hetairoi underwent a cataclysmic transformation.
Those who once bore ordinary weapons and armor now appeared reborn—each clad in radiant battle gear, each holding a weapon of legend. The desert itself trembled, unable to withstand the surge of magical power that followed.
They transcended time, defied fate, and distorted history.
An army of impossible might—something that should never exist—now thundered across the land.
Even the residual force of their marching raised towering sandstorms that reached to the heavens.
The Army of the King had fused with the Gate of Babylon.
Two EX-ranked Noble Phantasms, merged into one—its power multiplied a hundredfold in an instant!
The King of Knights, Irisviel, Mash, Ritsuka Fujimaru, and even the small white creature Fou were struck speechless by the overwhelming, soul-shaking display of power.
Laughing boldly, the Conqueror King and the King of Heroes raised their voices together, proclaiming the birth of their army's new name.
"The strongest army and the greatest treasury—united! What has been born this day is no mere army of men, but the mightiest host to ever transcend human history!"
"In the name of Iskandar, King of Conquerors—"
"In the name of Gilgamesh, King of Heroes—"
"—We name it: The Creation of Heaven and Earth · The God-Slaying Army!"
Far in the distance, even Satsuki—ever unbeaten, standing alone against the sun—set aside her earlier pride.
And upon her face appeared a rare smile.
Behind her, the colossal phantom of the Demon Buddha rose, and throughout the heavens echoed three overlapping voices.
"Come—" *3