Perhaps this was a destined outcome.
After Iri was slain by Kirei Kotomine, Emiya Kiritsugu's patience with Artoria reached its breaking point.
"Disappear from my sight!"
"Now, immediately!"
Those were the dying Kiritsugu's only commands to Artoria amidst the raging inferno. He had survived, barely clinging to life. But the young woman, as a result, became a Servant acting "independently." What followed was her reaching out to Iskandar.
Artoria couldn't directly tell the two men before her her reasons, so she expressed them elliptically. Waver wanted to say more, but Iskandar's hand gently stopped him. The King of Conquerors showed his decisive nature.
"I understand."
"If that's the case, then as you wish, let's launch an assault on Archer."
"..."
Knowing Iskandar was repaying her for her previous assistance, Artoria didn't overthink it and simply nodded.
"Yes, thank you, Iskandar."
[The tides of the Fourth Holy Grail War surged dramatically.]
[They moved like gasoline, preparing the perfect blaze for the Holy Grail War's finale.]
[Among them were bright flames like Artoria.]
[And also a crimson tide, secretly churning like Gilgamesh.]
Since their last conversation, Gilgamesh and Kirei Kotomine had grown increasingly close. And from the human's words, the King of Heroes gradually began to alter his own intentions.
"Can this king regain a physical body?"
"Then—"
"This king shall take it into his treasury."
"As for killing the other Servants..."
"This king already has a plan."
[The Fourth Holy Grail War surged in places unknown to you.]
[Countless entanglements warped its outcome beyond recognition.]
"Waiting here will secure victory in the Holy Grail War?"
Tohsaka Tokiomi, whom Gilgamesh had brought to Fuyuki Bridge at night, looked puzzled.
"Precisely."
The King of Heroes, suspended in the air, stood with his arms crossed.
"This king shall bring back victory."
"But you just recently issued a challenge to all remaining Masters and Servants, didn't you?"
"Indeed," Gilgamesh made no attempt to deny his actions.
"Tokiomi Tohsaka, what are you worried about? Do you think this king lacks the power to defeat all the remaining Servants?"
"No, nothing of the sort."
"Good to know," Gilgamesh maintained his arrogant demeanor. "Just wait patiently for this king."
"Yes, I understand."
Tokiomi said this, but a faint annoyance stirred within him.
The moon was bright, the stars scattered, and the first Servant appeared at the other end of Fuyuki Bridge. It was Iskandar, riding his Gordias Wheel, with Waver seated behind him.
"It's you..."
Without a word, Gilgamesh, without even a glance or question for his Master Tokiomi, immediately unleashed his Noble Phantasm to its fullest extent. He seemed utterly unconcerned by the enormous magical burden it would incur.
"Gate of Babylon!"
In an instant, countless blades shot forth from the golden ripples behind Gilgamesh, soaring towards Iskandar's position. Facing the storm of weapons, the King of Conquerors showed no fear; instead, he inquired of Waver behind him.
"Boy, are you afraid?"
"..." Waver gasped, taking a sharp breath.
"I was before, but not anymore."
"Because there's no escaping now."
"To think, boy, you've developed such resolve!" Iskandar burst into hearty laughter. "Then, let's begin!"
"Yes."
This was Waver's bravest moment. He was going to become the man the King of Conquerors expected him to be.
The half-baked Waver raised the arm marked with his Command Seals, mimicking the King of Conquerors' gesture of raising his noble sword, and chanted loudly.
"My Servant, I Waver Velvet, command you!"
"Rider, you must win to the very end!"
"Again, by the name of the Command Seal, I command you—Rider, you must seize the Holy Grail!"
"A third time, by the name of the Command Seal, I command you, Rider, conquer the world, do not fail!"
Iskandar was stunned for a moment, then burst into roaring laughter.
"Boy, you make some impossible commands, don't you?"
Hearing this, Waver smiled calmly.
"But you need them, don't you?"
"Indeed, hahahaha! Boy, you understand me so well!"
The King of Conquerors raised the sword in his hand, pointing forward.
"As long as ambition for distant lands remains in my heart, the expedition will never end!"
"Raise the triumphant song—Ionioi Hetairoi!"
In an instant, the great bridge was enveloped by Iskandar's mental landscape, saturated with his vast magical energy.
A boundless plain, with no cover, scorched by a relentless sun, and swirling with hot sand, materialized there.
Tens of thousands of warriors, forming a vast army, emerged one after another.
This was Iskandar's most powerful Noble Phantasm, the Ionian Hetairoi! It was an expeditionary army that would strike fear into anyone who merely glimpsed it.
All the weapons Gilgamesh had projected from his Gate of Babylon were utterly obliterated in that moment. In just an instant, the King of Conquerors, who had been at a disadvantage, seized a complete upper hand.
However—
Even though Iskandar's assault was incredibly powerful, Gilgamesh showed no trace of panic. He gazed at the magnificent army, a slight smirk playing on his lips, and began to murmur something.
As the army was about to charge towards the King of Heroes and overwhelm him, a sword blade that no one in this world could replicate materialized within Iskandar's Reality Marble.
It was the Ea.
"Enuma Elish!" Gilgamesh bellowed, his voice echoing with ancient power.
Whoosh.
A ripple, impossible to describe with any words, spread across the entire battlefield in an extremely short time. Iskandar's heroic spirits, the army's components, disintegrated completely the moment they were touched. In less than a second, the Ionian Hetairoi vanished as Iskandar's Reality Marble shattered, leaving only the Gordias Wheel still moving forward. Then, even it came to a halt.
It was a crushing defeat. Iskandar's proud army was insignificant before Gilgamesh. The King of Conquerors looked at his beloved sword with a touch of melancholy, then burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
"Boy, we lost!"
"Let's charge again!" Waver exclaimed, his face etched with urgency. "I can supply you with magic!"
"No," Iskandar shook his head gently.
"That last attack was already the absolute limit under these circumstances."
Hearing this, Waver's eyes widened. He realized that this defeat was inextricably linked to his own incompetence.
"Iskandar, I..."
"There's nothing to say," the King of Conquerors patted Waver's shoulder firmly. "Failure is something one must face on life's journey."
"Lost is lost; finding excuses will only make you seem like you're quibbling."
"Boy, accept all of this gracefully!"
Iskandar turned, gazing up at Gilgamesh.
"I admit I lost."
"But—"
"Can you spare this boy?"
"He's still young; he shouldn't die here."
"..."
Gilgamesh nodded slowly.
"No matter."
"There are so many insects in the world; one more or less makes no difference."
"It seems it's time to awaken from this dream."
Granted his wish, Iskandar looked at Waver, his eyes filled with boundless expectation.
"Strive hard!"
"I hope the next time I see you, you'll be an outstanding individual."
"Wait!"
Waver's pleas were utterly meaningless now. Just as Iskandar didn't deny the truth when he learned the endless sea didn't exist, the King of Conquerors would never evade reality. He raised his sword and plunged it into himself.
The next moment, blood spurted. Iskandar collapsed to his knees, gracefully accepting his defeat. Waver slumped on the ground, taking a long time to recover.
However—
This was not, in fact, a complete victory for Gilgamesh. The Enuma Elish also consumed a considerable amount of his magical energy. At this moment, his condition was actually not much better than Iskandar's. Yet, he smiled—because this was all part of his plan.
Gilgamesh turned to look at Tohsaka Tokiomi. Due to the excessive release of power just now, Tokiomi, who was supplying the magical energy, had become significantly weakened.
At that moment, a figure appeared behind Tokiomi. It was Kirei Kotomine.
"Teacher, you don't seem to be in good condition; you should rest."
"It's nothing, Kirei," Tokiomi pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his lips.
"I can endure, quickly you..."
The man's words were cut short as he felt a sharp pain in his heart. Kirei Kotomine had stabbed him with his Azoth Sword.
"Teacher, you truly need to rest."
"I'll take care of the rest."
"Kirei..."
Filled with indignation and pain, Tokiomi's eyes were wide as he struggled on the ground for a moment, then ceased to move. Kirei Kotomine showed no sorrow for his master's death, not for an instant. He simply raised his hand, extending it towards an unknown distance.
"Assassin, take your own life."
The next moment, all the Command Seals on Kirei Kotomine's arm vanished instantly. But he felt no sadness. He merely bowed to Gilgamesh, who remained active due to his "Independent Action" skill.
"King of Heroes, please teach me how to find pleasure."
"..."
Gilgamesh's lips curled into a faint smile.
"This king was not mistaken in the slightest; you truly are such a man."
The contract was re-established. Kirei Kotomine revealed his arm. It was covered in red markings extending up to his shoulder. This was the reason Gilgamesh had unleashed his Noble Phantasm without holding back. Kirei Kotomine had cheated—he had affixed a large number of Command Spells to one of his arms.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this would become the cornerstone for Gilgamesh to win the Holy Grail War. With his demigod qualifications, he would claim the Holy Grail for his own treasury.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the bridge.
In order to allow Iskandar to advance, Artoria, who had lost Kiritsugu's support, chose to stay and deal with the Assassins. It must be said that the combat power in the Holy Grail War was determined by both Master and Servant together. Artoria, without her Master's backing, was quite troublesome to deal with, even against the Assassins, who had the weakest overall abilities.
1 against 80.
This was a duel where even a moment's lapse in concentration would lead to disaster. But just as she was still contemplating how to defeat her opponents, she noticed the Assassins suddenly began to struggle. They seemed to have been given some sort of command. But their own will was resisting that command. In the end, however, the Assassins couldn't defy it. They fell one by one, carried away by the night wind.
It was a peculiar sight. But Artoria had no time to ponder it; she had to rush forward immediately to support Iskandar. After all—
Gilgamesh, the Archer who had descended with such high standing, was clearly not someone to be trifled with.
But at that moment, she heard a faint call.
It was Irisviel's voice.
"Saber, stop for a moment."
"Iri?!"
Artoria felt a surge of emotion—this was one of the few people she could truly call a friend.
"Where are you?!"
"I'm inside the Holy Grail."
"Inside the Holy Grail?" Artoria was surprised.
"Yes, it's complicated to explain—but please just assume I'm dead."
"..."
The young swordswoman fell silent. Irisviel's death, in a way, was something she couldn't accept. It meant her own failure.
"Don't be so sad, Saber."
"I knew this outcome would happen," Irisviel comforted her friend, her voice gentle. "It's not your fault."
"Now, I have one thing I must ask of you—that is, to smash the Holy Grail!"
"Smash the Holy Grail?" Artoria paused, bewildered. "But Iri, aren't you still inside it?"
"I am inside, but precisely because of that, I discovered that it's corrupted."
"Corrupted?"
"Yes," Irisviel's voice was faint, but incredibly firm. "It's been cursed by something strange."
"Before anyone makes a wish, you must destroy it immediately!"
"If you let it activate—"
"Something terrible will happen."
"Saber, as for Kiritsugu, I'll find a way to make him trust you again."
"My dear friend, I'm counting on you for everything!"
Irisviel's voice rapidly faded—it seemed her time was short. But her guidance did not end there.
Artoria looked towards Fuyuki Bridge—that was where her guidance led.
But—
How could she achieve what Iri wished for?
Artoria looked at the sword in her hand. While the Caliburn could indeed unleash powerful attacks, it might not be able to withstand that much magical energy. It was highly possible that the Holy Grail wouldn't shatter, but the sword would disappear first.
What could she do?
Artoria desperately pondered a solution, but found herself helpless. She didn't know how to achieve the desired outcome. It was the same feeling she'd had when facing Lancer.
If only Ian were by my side... then there would surely be a solution.
After all—
He was her shadow.
Artoria's longing grew stronger. Memories of the past flickered in the young girl's mind. In the intertwining images, she heard his voice.
"Artoria, if the 'King's Way' can't solve the problem, then solve it in the 'Human's Way'."
"I... believe you can do it."
The young woman's eyes welled up—because she knew what to do now.
The Caliburn rapidly transformed, eventually becoming a worn, old sword. It was the weapon Ian had given her—a sword named "Mortal."
Artoria raised the token of their bond, of their shared feelings. It was the future he had left for her—a shore reached in the name of a 'Human'.
In the past, he had used it to sever the chains of destiny from her. Tonight, she would use it to cleave the cursed Holy Grail.
"Excalibur E-en—!"