The image of Jeanne communicating with God drove countless believers into a frenzy.
Unlike the previous Servants, whether it was the three kings or the others, their fame was largely confined to specific regions.
But God was different. In almost every region, every world, the figure of God existed. While not everyone might believe in God, comprehensively, the followers of God were the most numerous and widespread among all religions.
Light Screen Danmaku——
[Eiriri Sawamura]: "God... Now both Gaul and Britain are going to be on edge..."
[Yukino Yukinoshita]: "One persecuted Jeanne, leading to her being burned at the stake. The other also believes in God but was the enemy nation of Saint Jeanne during her lifetime."
[Boros]: "God... is he the strongest opponent among humans? If he exists in every world, does that mean I can have an exhilarating battle with him after I reach Earth?"
[Otto Apocalypse]: "To be precise, God is not a person, but a divinity... However, although traces of God exist in almost every world, it doesn't necessarily mean God exists in every world."
[Kiana Kaslana]: "But if God is so powerful, why doesn't he just eliminate the Outer Gods himself?"
Kiana, still daydreaming in class, didn't quite understand. She might be a bit dense, but she knew of God. He was supposed to be truly omniscient and omnipotent. From that perspective, the Outer Gods didn't seem like such a big deal.
Unfortunately, no one could answer her question. Although God was omnipotent, he almost never intervened directly.
---o---
[Light Screen Projection——
On the Fuyuki Grand Bridge, before Jeanne's arrival.
Rumble, rumble, rumble~~~
A roaring sound echoed, accompanied by the bellowing of bulls, the friction of wheels against the ground, and the crackle of rushing electricity.
Because Saber had not engaged in a chase with the King of Conquerors, Rider was still at his peak. Other than his Master being unable to provide him with much mana, the King of Conquerors had not been weakened in any way.
At this moment, he was racing toward the distant mountain forest. The explosion that had shaken all of Fuyuki City indicated that a battle might have already begun there. How could he, the King of Conquerors, not participate in such a conflict?
Simultaneously, Gilgamesh stood at the highest point of the Fuyuki Grand Bridge. He had thought for a long time but still couldn't understand why his Sha Nagba Imuru had failed, and his mood was extremely foul.
The sound of the King of Conquerors' chariot was exceptionally grating. With a look of displeasure, the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, opened his Gate of Babylon, his eyes burning with a tyrant's fury.
Ahead, a dozen Noble Phantasms were embedded in the bridge—some in the road, others in the support structure, causing considerable damage.
The King of Conquerors' chariot screeched to a halt, drifting before crashing into a bridge pier. Waver let out a cry of alarm.
Evidently, the King of Conquerors had intended to drive his chariot across, but the King of Heroes had blocked him with a rain of treasures from his Gate of Babylon.
"Mongrel. This King has already stated that this is the battlefield upon which I shall pass judgment on you. Accept this trial with a grateful heart, King of Conquerors... You will make your exit tonight—"
The king's tone was exceedingly unpleasant. The loss of his omniscience gave the King of Heroes a faint, ominous premonition. Yet, he was powerless to stop it and could only wait for the ill-fated event to occur.
When had Gilgamesh ever been treated this way? Since that mongrel hiding in the shadows refused to show himself, then this King would simply eliminate all the Servants in this Holy Grail War.
He refused to believe that the hidden Servant could remain still when the Holy Grail finally appeared.
---o---
Seeing the inexplicably enraged King of Heroes, the King of Conquerors scratched his head in exasperation. "Ah, ah~ What a truly willful king. To just stop someone here without a word."
After his grumbling remark, he turned to the trembling Waver behind him. "Boy, it seems I must first fulfill my duel with the King of Heroes. You should stand back for now—"
Upon hearing this, Waver hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Th-Then be careful..."
With that, he prepared to leave.
The King of Conquerors wasn't angered by the King of Heroes' challenge. They had agreed to have their final battle here last time, they just hadn't set a time. So, there was no issue with the King of Heroes appearing for their duel now.
However, because of the massive explosion, Waver and the King of Conquerors had planned to head to the main battlefield first to eliminate the other Servants, saving the King of Heroes for last.
But the willful King of Heroes no longer intended to show any mercy in this Holy Grail War. He had directly used his actions to prevent the King of Conquerors from leaving, making it clear that he intended to settle the score here and now.
As for what was happening to the others, or the abnormality of the distant explosion... the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, couldn't care less. He only wanted to eliminate all other Servants as quickly as possible.
In the eyes of this supremely proud king, since he had already agreed to a duel with the King of Conquerors here, the latter's recent actions were no different from fleeing—an unforgivable sin!
"Hmph— King of Conquerors. Do you intend to fight this King in such an incomplete and broken state? Are you looking down on me, mongrel?!
As he spoke the last words, he was burning with rage. The Gate of Babylon opened even more extravagantly, the golden mist behind him expanding to nearly obscure the starry sky as over a hundred Noble Phantasms extended from within.
This sight naturally made Waver tremble in fear. However, more than the King of Heroes' terrifying might, he was concerned about his words. He immediately turned to the King of Conquerors.
"Rider, what does he mean? Why are you in an 'incomplete and broken state'? Are you injured?"
The King of Conquerors scratched his head helplessly. "Ah, well..."
Clearly, the king didn't know how to explain, as if it were a difficult subject.
But Waver quickly realized what it was, exclaiming, "I get it! It's mana, isn't it! You liar! You said Ionioi Hetairoi didn't consume that much mana—"
"But that was a lie! You've been shouldering the mana cost of Army of the King all by yourself, haven't you— You idiot!!"
Finishing his words, Waver pounded on the King of Conquerors' chest with his frail fists.
The King of Conquerors paid it no mind, only saying with some embarrassment, "Oh dear, I guess I couldn't hide it after all..."
Waver felt wronged, but now was not the time for that. "Rider, tell me the truth this time. Are you confident you can win?"
The King of Conquerors was taken aback for a moment, then replied with a serious expression, "Boy, as a king, confidence is a certainty. Otherwise, how could one lead their subjects to achieve the great feat of conquest? Someone who doesn't even believe in themself is not qualified to conquer!"
Just as Waver was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the King of Conquerors' tone shifted. "However, this King of Heroes is indeed a formidable foe, perhaps the strongest I've ever faced, in life or death. Therefore, I will go all out, leaving no regrets."
As he spoke, he glanced at the King of Heroes, his expression grave and earnest, showing the importance he placed on him.
The King of Heroes had already noticed the situation on the other side. So, despite his anger, he knew his opponent would no longer try to evade their battle. He waited for him to prepare, retracting the widespread Gate of Babylon.
Though a capricious tyrant, as the King of Heroes, he possessed the necessary magnanimity. Even if he saw his opponent as a 'rebellious subject' who must be executed, he would still overwhelm him with a grand and proper display of power.
Then... under the gazes of the two kings, Waver suddenly raised his right hand, revealing his Command Spells, not a single one of which had been used.
Then, Waver spoke: "I, Waver Velvet, in the name of this Command Spell, command you, Rider! You must achieve final victory!"
Instantly, a Command Spell flared with light, and one of the three marks vanished.
Although Waver's aptitude as a magus was not outstanding, and he was insufficient to bear the King of Conquerors' mana consumption... a Command Spell could.
Generally, one Command Spell is enough to bring a Servant's mana to its maximum level, but Waver didn't stop.
"I command you again with a Command Spell! Rider, you must obtain the Holy Grail!"
Then, another Command Spell vanished under his command.
Waver spoke once more: "Finally, again in the name of this Command Spell! Rider, you will conquer the entire world! Failure is not an option!"
With that, all three Command Spells were used up!
Under the power of the Command Spells, the King of Conquerors was enveloped in a red glow, receiving a monumental boost!
At this moment, the King of Conquerors had undoubtedly surpassed his peak condition, reaching an unprecedented state of strength.
Faced with this situation, the King of Heroes raised an eyebrow. His anger dissipated like smoke, and a smile appeared on his face. "Hoh, so you've used all three Command Spells at once just to face this King? While it seems to me like the struggles of a cornered beast, that resolve is worthy of praise."
Though the boy before him was weak, he was worthy of the King of Heroes' direct gaze. Without a doubt, the young man had earned his recognition.
After the Command Spells were exhausted, Waver lowered his hand, his voice low. "Alright, Rider. As an inadequate Master, this is all the support I can give you..."
The King of Conquerors fell silent, then grinned. "Then, join me in sounding the charge of conquest!"
Waver was stunned. "B-But, I'm not your Master anymore... After this battle, you can find someone else to be your new Master. As long as you have enough mana, you won't disappear, right?"
The King of Conquerors shook his head, smiling brightly. "Regardless of the outcome of this battle, boy, even if you are no longer my Master, you are still my friend! Don't look so dejected. I much prefer your once stubborn and sharp-tongued appearance."
Hearing this, Waver was stunned for a long moment. Then, his eyes suddenly reddened as he said, choking up, "I... I... Someone like me... A failure like me... Can I really stay by your side...?"
The King of Conquerors laughed heartily. "How many times have you accompanied me to the battlefield? And you're still saying this now? You fool!"
"To this day, you have always faced the same enemies as me. That makes you a friend!"
"So, you can hold your head high and stand proudly by my side!"
Waver nodded forcefully. Though tears and snot were still running down his face, his expression was resolute, filled with confidence.
Next, the King of Conquerors had Waver remain in the chariot while he himself jumped down and walked toward the King of Heroes.
The King of Heroes, with a cold smirk, opened his Gate of Babylon and once again took out the golden wine pot from the previous Banquet of Kings. Two golden wine cups were also produced, and he tossed one to the King of Conquerors.
At the same time, he spoke in a prideful voice, "Have you finally finished saying your last words?"
The King of Conquerors caught the cup and picked up the pot, laughing loudly. "I don't consider those to be last words. As you can see, King of Heroes, tonight, I, Iskandar, have surpassed life and death, surpassed perfection!"
As he spoke, he had already filled both cups with fine wine.
The King of Heroes glanced at Waver. "Indeed. Under the reinforcement of three Command Spells, the kingly aura surrounding you is stronger than ever before!"
"But it is far too naive to think you can defeat this King with that alone."
He finished with a disdainful, cold smile.
The King of Conquerors gazed at the King of Heroes, a confident smile on his face.
Invisibly, though the battle had not yet begun, the kingly auras of the two were already clashing in the air.
Then, the two kings clinked their cups and drank the fine wine.
After they had finished, the King of Conquerors spoke again. "O King of Uruk, I wish to ask one final question to conclude this brief 'banquet'."
The King of Heroes responded arrogantly, "Permitted. Speak!"
The King of Conquerors: "For instance, if my Army of the King could be armed with your Gate of Babylon, it would surely create the strongest legion."
The King of Heroes narrowed his eyes. "Hmph. And so?"
The King of Conquerors said with great interest, "I ask you once more, are you willing to form an alliance with me? If we two join forces, not even the sea of stars could halt our steps!"
The King of Heroes burst into laughter, as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
"This grows more and more interesting. It has been a long time since the delusions of someone other than a jester have made me laugh so heartily."
Though he was laughing, his cold killing intent had not diminished in the slightest. After saying this, the King of Heroes suddenly stopped smiling, his expression becoming serious.
"Unfortunately for you, this King has only ever had one friend, from ancient times to this day, and for all time to come. —Furthermore, this world has no need for two kings."
Despite being rejected, the King of Conquerors showed no disappointment, merely nodding silently.
"The way of the lonely king, is it? Then with all due respect, I shall challenge that unwavering character of yours."
"Very well. Display yourself to your heart's content, King of Conquerors. You are a rogue worthy of being judged by my own hand."
The two kings drained the last of the wine, tossed aside their cups, and turned away, each walking back to their respective end of the bridge.]
tl/ps: have fun!