I could see a Mercedes car speeding out from the alley and Saber got out of the car and ran toward the river in Fuyuki city. Covered with a thick fog that shrouded the river's flow, Caster only stood there calmly as if waiting for Saber's arrival. And when Gilles de Rais saw Arturia whose face resembled Jeanne d'Arc, he became overjoyed and welcomed her arrival.
"Welcome Holy Maiden, this is a great honor to be able to meet you again," said Gilles de Rais.
"Huh… so you can talk after all," said Arturia.
"My apologies for my rudeness earlier Jeanne, for not being able to speak the first time we met, but that problem has already been solved," said Caster, though it seemed Saber didn't understand what Caster meant.
Suddenly lightning struck and Iskandar came toward Arturia. "Hey, do you two know each other?" said Iskandar who came along with Velvet.
Arturia only shook her head. "I don't know him at all."
"The guests have arrived, well then how about we begin the feast," said Caster and then from within the water emerged a giant monster with hundreds of tentacles coming out from its body, and on each tentacle there were countless eyes that seemed as if they wanted to devour the souls they saw.
I, who saw that, only looked at Rider.
"Master, should I help them?" said Medusa.
"No, I don't want you to fight that disgusting monster," I said because I didn't want my beautiful Medusa to be touched by those tentacles.
"Arrogant god! Cruel god! We shall drag you down from your throne! Beloved lamb of God! You who bear a body like the divine itself! We shall disgrace you, tear you apart piece by piece!…"
Caster's voice rang out like a curse. His cries echoed endlessly across the surface of the river, each word laced with madness and twisted devotion. The mist clung heavily to the water, amplifying the eerie resonance of his laughter until it seemed as though the entire river was chanting alongside him.
The people of Fuyuki, drawn by the unnatural sound, began to gather at the riverbanks. Some whispered in fear, others stood in stunned silence, unable to comprehend what they were witnessing. Their very presence only worsened the situation—mundane eyes bearing witness to the forbidden.
Among the Church and the magi who monitored the Holy Grail War, dread spread swiftly. This was unacceptable. If magecraft was exposed any further, the fragile veil concealing their world from humanity would shatter. The Masquerade itself trembled.
Then, the surface of the river ruptured.
From its depths rose a grotesque monstrosity—an enormous, abominable being born from Caster's sorcery. Countless tentacles writhed out from the water, each one slick with a pale sheen, their movements both revolting and hypnotic. Along every twisting limb blinked grotesque eyes, rolling wildly, each gaze hungry, searching, yearning to devour the souls of those who stood nearby.
A wave of miasma spread across the riverbank, foul and suffocating. Screams erupted among the onlookers. To them, this was no illusion, no legend—this was a nightmare given form.
Caster spread his arms wide in exaltation, his voice rising above the chaos.
"Behold! The proof of my devotion! A feast fitting for the Holy Maiden herself!"
The stage was set.
Saber's hand tightened around her invisible blade. Iskandar laughter echoed from behind her, fearless even before such madness. And somewhere in the shadows, others looked on, weighing the balance of power, deciding whether to intervene—or to let this grotesque play run its course.
"You seem rather tense, little girl. Don't worry, I've brought some reinforcements. How about we declare a temporary ceasefire? Lancer has already agreed to lend his aid," said Iskandar, still unwilling to acknowledge that Arturia was a king.
Arturia understood his attitude, but for now, she could only nod.
"I see. Then I too agree to fight side by side with you—and with Lancer as well," Saber replied, her oath clear in her voice.
"And what of Rider?" Saber asked, her gaze turning toward the bridge, where another Servant sat casually, sharing a meal with his Master, Allen.
"I don't know," Iskandar admitted with a grin, "but I've got a feeling they won't be moving this time."
Before long, Lancer approached them.
"Lancer," Saber called out.
"Hey, Saber. Looks like we'll have to cooperate again this time," Lancer replied with a firm nod toward them.
As they spoke, discussing their formation and who would take the front line, Archer and Tokiomi hovered high above the battlefield, gazing down upon the chaos from the sky.
It was clear Tokiomi was attempting to persuade Archer—urging him to intervene, to slay Caster and display his might before the other Servants. But, as expected, his words fell on deaf ears. To Gilgamesh, such menial labor was work for gardeners and vermin, unworthy of a king's hand.
"Of course not," Tokiomi scoffed. "But as you can see, none here are capable of defeating that creature. This is the perfect opportunity to reveal Your Majesty's true power." Tokiomi knelt as he spoke, his voice desperate.
Gilgamesh's Ruby eyes merely glanced downward. On the riverside, Saber and Lancer were already fighting alongside Rider, their combined strength turned against the grotesque beast that was an insult to his sight.
But then his gaze shifted elsewhere—toward Allen. There, Rider's Master sat at ease, calmly enjoying popcorn as he watched the spectacle, Medusa beside him in quiet companionship.
The King of Heroes clicked his tongue in irritation. Compared to that, the Master he had been bound to was utterly lacking. It was almost comical—Rider, a mere fool, possessed a Master far more interesting than his own.
A flicker of annoyance crossed Gilgamesh's face. The longer he looked at Tokiomi's pitiful visage, the more it disgusted him. Truly, what misfortune it was to be summoned under the command of such an unworthy man.
Saber, Lancer, and Caster (Iskandar) were already overwhelmed facing the monsters that kept emerging from the water, appearing as if they would never stop. Their situation seemed increasingly cornered, but just when they were about to suffer a fatal strike from the beast, four weapons flew toward the river. The weapons shot at the Leviathan and wounded its body severely, but the attack was not enough to bring the creature down because its body immediately began to regenerate.
"Let's get out of here. I'm sick of looking at that disgusting thing," Archer said to Tokiomi.
"What, O King of Heroes, don't leave," Tokiomi pleaded, feeling the chance to show his Servant's power slipping away.
"Tokiomi," Archer replied coldly, "I used four of my precious weapons for you, and they've all been sullied by that creature, so I will not take them back. Do not underestimate my generosity."
"But the only one who can defeat that monster is Your Majesty—especially given its regenerative ability. The only way to kill it is with a single strike. And the only thing that can do that is EA, which is the sword—"
"Silence, fool!" Archer snapped, immediately furious, slamming the golden cup he used for drinking. "Are you asking me to use EA, my ultimate weapon, here? Tokiomi, you are truly insolent—your head should be cleaved right now for your impudence toward a king!"
Hearing Archer's words, Tokiomi bowed again and resumed his obeisance to Gilgamesh.
Allen, watching from a distance, only shook his head, feeling embarrassed by Tokiomi's behavior—why was his father-in-law acting so lowly before a Servant like Gilgamesh? If I were him, I would have long since used my Command Spell to force Archer to kill himself.
Not long after, two fighter jets circled above Fuyuki City, and soon one of them attempted to fly lower toward the monster. They still seemed disoriented, as their view was obstructed by the thick fog that blocked their sight. As a result, one of the jets was caught by the monster and devoured along with its pilot.
"That creature shows no mercy," Iskandar said as he began preparing to summon storm clouds to call down lightning upon the disgusting beast. Velvet, witnessing how easily the jet was swallowed whole, shivered in terror. Saber, seeing innocent lives taken, charged forward once more to attack the monster and managed to cut down many of its tentacles.
"Hahahahahahaha!" the laughter of Gilles de Rais echoed from within the monster.
The other jet, which had managed to escape, turned back to retaliate for its fallen comrade. But the pilot was unaware that Berserker was already positioned right above his jet.
"Berserker," Saber muttered upon seeing him standing on top of the fighter. Without hesitation, Berserker seized control of the jet.
"Ohh, so it's that mad dog. Interesting," Archer remarked.
"My lord, I will deal with his Master," said Tokiomi, who had spotted Kariya inside a building.
"Very well. You may amuse yourself with him for now," Archer replied.
With that, Tokiomi leapt down from the Vimana, leaving Archer alone. Meanwhile, the jet Berserker had taken over shot toward the Vimana and fired two missiles.
While Archer and Berserker clashed in a high-speed chase through the skies and the others continued battling the monster, Tokiomi landed directly in front of Kariya.
"You've changed, Kariya Matou," Tokiomi said. "Why would someone like you, who abandoned magecraft, return to this world in such a twisted form? Do you long for the Holy Grail? Even your current appearance is nothing but a disgrace to the Matou family."
"Hehehe… hey, Tokiomi Tohsaka, I have a question for you."
"Why did you give Sakura to the Barthomeloi family?"
Allen, who was eavesdropping on their conversation, frowned in confusion. WTF… is this man really fighting in the Holy Grail War because of Sakura? I could only shake my head. This guy feels like some kind of pedophile. I swear, I'll kill this man with my own hands once this war is over.
"What? That's what you want to ask me right now?" Tokiomi replied.
"Answer me, Tokiomi."
"There is nothing to answer. Of course, I did it because I wanted my daughter to be happy."
"What do you mean by making your daughter happy? How can you be so certain about that?"
"Every magus who has two heirs bears the same burden. The family's secrets can only be passed on to one child. Inevitably, the time comes when I must choose one of them, while the other is left to live as a mere commoner."
Kariya's eyes widened at Tokiomi's words.
"Shut up," Kariya spat, but Tokiomi continued.
"My wife's womb has been truly blessed. Both Rin and Sakura were born with rare potential. Both daughters must be safeguarded by the world of magi. To sacrifice one for the sake of the other's future—such is only natural."
Tokiomi inhaled deeply, glancing upward at Archer, who still seemed to be toying with Berserker in the skies.
"You see, Kariya… as a parent, of course I don't wish for such a tragedy to happen."
"Commoners?" Kariya muttered through clenched teeth, images of Sakura, Rin, and Aoi flashing in his mind. A mother and two daughters… and this man calls them nothing more than commoners?
"That is why the request from the Barthomeloi family was like a blessing from the heavens. They are an ancient lineage with immense influence in the Clock Tower, and their chances of reaching the Root are far greater than most. They even promised to grant one of the lost Magic Crests from a long-vanished family. Such an opportunity would be invaluable for both of my daughters in their future path toward the Root."
"Damn you… do you intend to make Rin and Sakura fight against each other?" Kariya shouted, finally grasping the implication of Tokiomi's words.
"Even if that were to happen, I am certain both of my daughters would feel blessed," Tokiomi answered with a calm smile.
"What? Are you insane…?" Kariya's eyes widened in horror at his response.
"I suppose telling you all of this is pointless. Explaining myself to you is nothing more than a waste of breath."
"You… you lunatic!" Kariya spat.
But the moment those words left his lips, blood suddenly poured from Kariya's body. This happened because Berserker was raging even further, his patience having reached its limit.
Allen, watching from the sidelines, was already growing restless, for he knew how this battle would end. Still, he forced himself to remain a little longer—for the sake of witnessing Excalibur-chan.
"Master, are you feeling sleepy? Perhaps we should head home so you can rest," Medusa suggested gently, noticing Allen's drowsiness and boredom.
"I can still wait a little longer," Allen replied.