Although individuals with EX-rank Clairvoyance are aware of each other's existence, in reality, they are not particularly close, as they can block one another.
If not for this Holy Grail War, perhaps Solomon, Gilgamesh, and Merry would never have met.
"Even this King did not expect something like this to happen, King of Magecraft, and Succubus."
The arrogance on Gilgamesh's face softened slightly in their presence: "The Succubus aside, King of Magecraft, your appearance truly caught me off guard. Have you, who is nearly devoid of desires, finally developed personal ambitions?"
"Perhaps."
Solomon's response was utterly flat. Even in the presence of the oldest human king, a succubus from another world, and the Holy Sword User beloved by the Moon Princess, his expression and gaze remained unchanged. Perhaps his emotions were just as unaffected.
From the depths of his heart, he did not consider those present to be particularly special.
Knowing this, Gilgamesh was not angered by Solomon's lack of courtesy. He turned his gaze to Naoki on the other side: "Well, King of Magecraft aside, your presence also slightly surprises this King. It's been ten years since we last met, Master Saber—no, you should now be called the Holy Sword User."
"That little child who couldn't even stand tall back then has grown quite a bit, hasn't she?"
"You're too kind, King Gilgamesh." Naoki smiled. "Ten years may be a mere blink of an eye for you, but for me, a lot can happen in ten years. And after experiencing so much, it would be strange if there were no progress at all, wouldn't it?"
"Of course! If you hadn't changed one bit from ten years ago, this King would be thoroughly disappointed!" Gilgamesh's gaze fell on Naoki's chest. "That Beast seal—it seems to be holding up well. King of Magecraft, you can see it too, can't you?"
Sajyou Manaka, sealed within Naoki's body, was almost imperceptible within the seal, yet Solomon could still sense a faint trace of the Beast's aura. Without responding to Gilgamesh's words, he stepped forward and pressed his hand to Naoki's chest. One of the Ten Commandments faintly glowed.
[Eh? Wait a moment, wait a moment, this—]
Manaka's voice was clearly tinged with panic.
After withdrawing his hand, Solomon explained: "I may have been overly cautious, but I've just added another layer to your original seal. This way, even if your original seal fails unexpectedly, mine should hold for a while."
"To seal a Beast that requires seven Grand Servants to defeat—you are truly remarkable. I hope this small assistance of mine can lighten your burden."
Solomon deeply understood the danger of a Beast. It was not an entity one could face alone. And from Gilgamesh's words, Naoki had been sealing it single-handedly for ten years.
In Solomon's eyes, this was an achievement beyond praise.
However—
[Solomon… mark my words, if I ever get out of here, the first one I'll send back to the Throne of Heroes is you. Even if the other six came at me together, they couldn't stop me. Why meddle in other people's affairs? In these ten years, I've only been restless twice, and I was immediately subdued. What's the point of your seal…]
Hearing the ceaseless muttering in her mind, Naoki was momentarily at a loss for words, managing only a wry smile before saying, "Thank you for your concern, King of Magecraft."
"It's my pleasure to assist you. Though we may be enemies in this Holy Grail War, in the face of a common foe, I'm happy to lend my strength. Please continue to keep that Beast sealed."
Having said this, Solomon seemed unwilling to linger. After passing by Naoki, he quickly vanished into the crowd.
Watching his retreating figure, Artoria let out an unconscious sigh of relief: "The King of Magecraft… I didn't expect the Grand Caster to participate…"
"As an enemy, he's likely one of the two strongest in this Holy Grail War." Naoki said Dolores, glancing at Gilgamesh before her. "As for the other…"
"If you had compared this King to those mongrels back then, you'd be dead without a trace. But since the opponent is that Magus, this King will forgive your insolence and carelessness."
"Do you intend to seize the Holy Grail this time as well?"
"Of course." Gilgamesh nodded. "Though it's not one of this King's treasures, as a treasure, it's worthy of being collected by this King. And as long as it's a treasure, this King has no intention of letting anyone else touch it—not even you, Holy Sword User."
"In the Holy Grail War ten years ago, you were eliminated before the midpoint—what a pity. But this time, there won't be such unexpected circumstances."
Gilgamesh's gaze swept over Naoki and Artoria, sneering: "Be it one Holy Sword User or two—if you want the Holy Grail, try defeating this King first."
This was a provocation, a blatant challenge.
Though she knew the Holy Grail might not fulfill her wishes, as a king and a knight, Artoria couldn't help but rise to the bait: "You seem very confident, Archer, but overconfidence will lead to a bitter defeat."
"You think you can do it, Saber?"
"Of course."
With Avalon, even against the King of Magecraft, Artoria was confident she could hold her own.
Seeing Artoria's unwavering confidence, Gilgamesh laughed as if he'd heard a great joke: "Hahahahahaha! Excellent, truly excellent! It's been a long time since I've been so entertained by someone's words and actions. Truly, this world never lacks ignorant mongrels!"
"So, shall we settle this here, Saber?!"
Golden ripples began to spread behind Gilgamesh. Though not fully opened, if he wished, several Noble Phantasms might already be aimed at Artoria.
As for the surrounding crowd… Gilgamesh didn't care about such things.
But just as Gilgamesh began to open his treasury's gate, a sudden chill struck his heart, a sensation as if his body were being hollowed out and devoured, making him shudder violently.
Gently activating her Mystic Eyes Killer, Naoki smiled: "King Gilgamesh, if you wish to start a war, we'll gladly accept, but please mind your surroundings. If you insist on fighting here, I don't mind making you retreat on the first night."
As she spoke, Naoki's gaze locked onto Gilgamesh's elbow.
(Mystic Eyes of Soul Eater?)
Gilgamesh sneered: "You've learned to threaten this King, Holy Sword User."
"Very well. My Master has repeatedly warned me not to cause too much trouble. Understanding one's subordinates is also a king's duty, so I'll give you some face this time—but the crime of daring to threaten this King cannot go unpunished."
"Then I have a suggestion."
Merry, who had been silent since the start of the encounter, suddenly stepped forward.
"How about we settle the winner in an illusory world?"