Absolute confidence, enough to surpass the combat power of ordinary Heroic Spirits. And with an unwavering determination to obtain Irisviel, Alaric would not choose to return empty-handed tonight.
After hearing Alaric's words, Artoria's expression remained unchanged, while the King of Conquerors, Iskandar, looked rather helpless.
Seeing his own Servant's reaction, Waver couldn't help but speak up:
"Rider, what's going on with you now?"
"Kid, your classmate just exposed all my weaknesses."
The King of Conquerors spread his hands and said,
"If we fight like this, we might lose."
Alaric, who wielded the Holy Lance, likely possessed immense firepower, and there was a high probability that he had other Noble Phantasms as well—
Just thinking about it was troublesome.
Although Kiritsugu Emiya, who was watching from afar, couldn't hear Alaric's words, he could easily imagine what conditions Alaric was setting forth…
"Iri—"
With a heavy expression, Kiritsugu Emiya deeply realized that the current situation was caused by the presence of both himself and Irisviel.
Abandoning Irisviel in exchange for his escape, along with Maiya and Saber…
Purely from a numerical perspective, this was the correct choice.
Sacrificing Irisviel to ensure the survival of more people.
Kiritsugu glanced at the Gate of Holy Judgment in the sky, then immediately began trying to contact the missing Maiya Hisau.
Meanwhile—
Beside Alaric, Merlin watched the tense standoff helplessly.
Artoria would never back down—
Understanding this, Merlin realized that he had to resolve the situation before Alaric took action.
Otherwise, if Alaric truly used his Mystic Eyes to severely wound Artoria and Iskandar beyond recovery, things would become exponentially more difficult.
Buzz.
With a low hum, Merlin raised his hand and summoned his staff.
"Merlin—"
Seeing Merlin summon his staff, Artoria's pupils shrank, seemingly realizing what he was about to do. She quickly called out,
"Stop immediately!"
Beside her, the King of Conquerors, Iskandar, also seemed to sense something and hastily pulled on his reins.
"Caster!"
Merlin remained indifferent and silently tapped his staff on the ground.
Tap.
A quietly blooming sea of flowers instantly enveloped both Artoria and Iskandar.
This action directly interrupted Alaric's movements, cutting off the battle before it could begin.
Seeing this, Alaric shrugged and, putting away his Holy Lance, smiled at Merlin,
"Looks like you do have some use, after all, Merlin."
"Well—"
Putting away his staff, Merlin glanced at Artoria, sighed helplessly, and followed Alaric toward the stunned Irisviel von Einzbern.
Even as Alaric and Merlin walked past them, Artoria and Iskandar remained motionless as if ignoring their presence entirely.
What appeared before them was a completely different scene.
Tap. Tap.
The crisp sound of footsteps echoed like the voice of Death itself. A tall figure, somewhat resembling Saber, stopped before her.
Having dispelled his Spiritron Armor, Alaric had returned to his casual attire. Looking at the pure-white saintly woman, he smiled and said,
"Lady Irisviel, I must trouble you to come with me."
"Eh?"
A bewildered Irisviel hugged her arms tightly, staring in shock at Saber's unmoving back, completely unable to comprehend what was happening.
"It's an illusion. This guy's illusions can even ensnare gods of origin, let alone Servants."
Alaric waved his hand and continued,
"Saber and Rider have both fallen under the illusion. Hmm, it seems your husband, Kiritsugu Emiya, hasn't."
As he spoke, Alaric glanced at the distant shadows where Kiritsugu stood, watching with a grim expression.
Merlin's illusion had only targeted Saber and Rider, leaving Kiritsugu and others unaffected.
As a result, Kiritsugu had been able to witness everything with complete clarity.
Moreover, Merlin's sudden interference had disrupted Kiritsugu's plans—or rather, helped him make a final decision.
When he saw Kiritsugu's expression, Alaric suddenly had a strange premonition, as if he had unknowingly made a mistake.
But he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he waved his hand and said,
"Lady Irisviel, please don't make me resort to force. I'd prefer a peaceful departure.
After all, you wouldn't want your husband to get hurt, would you?"
With Saber and Rider trapped in the illusion, Alaric had full control over Irisviel and Kiritsugu.
Being able to negotiate with Irisviel at all was merely an act of courtesy on Alaric's part.
"I will go with you. Please don't harm Kiritsugu."
Taking a deep breath, Irisviel looked at Alaric with a solemn expression and said,
"Otherwise, I will resist you to the very end."
"Of course. Attacking a husband in front of his wife? That just feels wrong."
Seeing that Irisviel was willing to cooperate, Alaric smiled and said,
"Then let's go."
Not long after Alaric, Merlin, and Irisviel had left, a grim-faced Kiritsugu Emiya slammed his fist against a nearby metal frame.
Tonight, they were undoubtedly the biggest losers.
Not only had they lost the battle, but even Irisviel had been taken away.
"That guy… What the hell is he?"
Kiritsugu wondered.
Before long, Artoria and Iskandar finally broke free from the illusion—or rather, Merlin had ended it.
As one of the greatest magi of his era, Merlin's illusionary techniques were unparalleled, with few who could rival them.
The moment she escaped the illusion, Artoria immediately sensed the discrepancy.
Alaric was already gone, along with—
Snapping her head around, Artoria realized she could no longer see the pure-white saintly woman. The result was obvious.
"MERLIN!!"
...
The Next Day.
["According to reports, a fully loaded oil tanker and a natural gas pipeline exploded at Fuyuki City's port last night, causing a massive shockwave that spread into the urban area.
The disaster has now been contained, and the public is urged not to worry."]
At the Hyatt Hotel—
Lord El-Melloi Archibald Kenneth stared at the news broadcast, his expression dark as if it could drip ink.
"Lancer, do you have confidence in defeating Alaric?"
Kayneth glanced at his kneeling Servant and said,
"You couldn't even kill Saber. Can you defeat that man, Alaric?"
Hearing this, the kneeling Lancer fell silent for a long time before finally saying,
"I swear upon my honor as a knight—I will take Alaric's head for you."
"There's no need to swear. That's only natural, isn't it?"
Kayneth scolded in frustration,
"You formed a contract with me to claim the Holy Grail! And now, you need to make an oath just to defeat one man?"
Lancer did not refute his master's reprimand.
Alaric was incredibly powerful. The battlefields he had experienced far exceeded Lancer's imagination. How many years, how many wars must one endure to hone such extraordinary martial prowess?
But Lancer did not feel intimidated or hesitant—this was the kind of battle he had always longed for.
At that moment—
Tap, tap.
The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder, followed by a woman's voice:
"Isn't this the result of your misjudgment? You studied at the Clock Tower for a year, and yet none of the Twelve Lords noticed anything unusual about him?"
She had fiery red hair like burning flames, yet her presence was as cold and piercing as an icy beauty.
She appeared slightly younger than Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, seemingly around twenty years old—a stunning young woman.
At first glance, she exuded the aura of an emotional yet noble lady, and the sternness in her gaze carried an imposing majesty, making her seem almost like a queen.
Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri, daughter of the Sophia-Ri family, has held the position of Department Head of the Spiritual Evocation Department at the Mage's Association for generations.
Seeing his fiancée speak, Kayneth had no choice but to restrain himself. He let out a sigh and said, "He hid it too well. Or perhaps someone did notice something unusual but chose not to speak up."
Sola nodded and continued, "Then, does Lancer have any chance of defeating him?"
Sola had not only accompanied her fiancé Kayneth to participate in the Holy Grail War but was also responsible for supplying mana to his Servant—Lancer.
She had been aware of the battle that took place last night.
Hearing her question, Kayneth glanced at Lancer, who was still kneeling, then shook his head.
"No. The gap is too great. That Archer and Alaric's battle is on a scale that Lancer cannot interfere with."
"If we can't end the fight in close combat—"
I will lose.
This thought surfaced in Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald's mind.
As a natural genius, Kayneth had never encountered a problem in his youth that he couldn't solve more perfectly than others. His efforts never went beyond the ordinary; he simply believed that his research results would surpass others at some point in time and place.
Thus, he accepted the fact that people saw him as a genius.
No one had ever questioned this title. No one had ever posed a real threat to him. Because of this, he did not need arrogance or conceit—being a genius was merely natural.
After joining the Clock Tower, he quickly rose to prominence among the many professors with his vast and outstanding academic achievements. He was admired and envied by others, yet he felt no sense of fulfillment or accomplishment—it was simply the inevitable outcome of his life.
The past had been this way. The future would certainly be the same.
This was an inviolable law of life, something Kayneth never doubted.
Thus, if a rare and nearly impossible accident were to occur, it would be an intolerable chaos—an insult, a blasphemy against divine order.
A true genius, born from absolute talent, could not accept failure.
Above all, losing to someone like Alaric—someone from common origins—was utterly unacceptable.
To Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, this was merely a magical competition in some backwater land. He had only come to add another military achievement to his personal history.
He had never underestimated the founding Three Families and their desperate struggle, but his overwhelming confidence in his talent made him believe he could crush them effortlessly.
At least, that was how it should have been.
But Alaric's appearance had shattered everything.
The sheer gap in strength left Kayneth unable to think of any grand magecraft that could rival him.
To Kayneth, Servants were nothing more than familiars—powerful, but ultimately tools to be wielded.
Yet Alaric, someone who could fight Servants, even matching that Archer blow for blow, was simply absurd.
Merely relying on Projection Magecraft and the most primitive Mana Burst, he had achieved such refined and overwhelming combat prowess.
As a Lord, Kayneth immediately recognized what kind of magecraft Alaric was using.
It was nothing more than an ordinary Projection Magecraft, yet under Alaric's control, it had reached an unimaginable level.
Was this a manifestation of Alaric's innate talent?
Despite his reluctance, Kayneth had to acknowledge the truth.
To defeat Alaric, he needed greater power...
The magical workshop he established had proven useless. Kayneth needed something even stronger—
Power.
Once the thought arose, it could not be suppressed.
Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald immediately stood up from the sofa. After reassuring his fiancée, Sola, he proceeded into the depths of his workshop.
To prepare for the Holy Grail War, Kayneth had not only converted this hotel into his magecraft workshop but had also—
—Taken over the tallest building in Fuyuki City, the Hyatt Hotel.
Of its thirty-two floors, twenty-four were completely covered by his bounded fields, with not even the sewers left unguarded. The corridors had been turned into a separate spatial dimension.
Moreover, he had brought numerous Mystic Codes from his family.
Among them was the El-Melloi family's greatest masterpiece—
As mana surged, a Mana Furnace materialized before Kayneth.
Formed by three stone slabs, it radiated an almost tangible brilliance, connecting the slabs as though existing between matter and pure light.
Its appearance was secondary—what truly commanded attention was the overwhelming magical energy flowing from it.
Kayneth gazed at the Mana Furnace—
The Three-Foundation Mana Furnace.
A creation refined from the highest-grade Phantasmal materials excavated centuries ago from the Spiritual Tomb Albion by the El-Melloi family. A fully realized magic furnace that provided an inexhaustible supply of mana.
Though it lacked a unique, standout trait, its sheer output alone was enough to overwhelm others.
The El-Melloi family, known for their pursuit of omnipotence, had embodied the principle of "Simple is Best" to its extreme.
But Kayneth knew an even deeper secret—one buried in distant history.
Long ago, six Divine Age magi crafted something and divided it into six parts, carrying those fragments with them as they followed the Dragon Albion into the Inner Sea of the Planet.
In the end, as the Dragon Albion perished, the six magi also met their demise, leaving behind their ultimate creation—six stone slabs buried within the Spiritual Tomb Albion.
The El-Melloi family had overcome countless obstacles to collect these six slabs, yet they dared not reveal them to the Clock Tower.
After conducting secret research for some time, the head of the family concluded that reuniting all six slabs would be too dangerous. Instead, they split them into three groups and used them to construct an exceptionally efficient Three-Foundation Mana Furnace.
A magic furnace that provided an inexhaustible supply of mana—practically infinite magical energy.
By the standards of the Holy Grail, this Mana Furnace was undoubtedly equivalent to bringing a Grail into the Holy Grail War.
"What would its complete form be like?"
Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald gazed at the Mana Furnace before him.
Even when split into three parts, it could still achieve an infinite mana cycle. If it were whole, could it unlock an even greater mystery?
Could it grant him the power to defeat Alaric?
Kayneth was uncertain, but he wanted to find out.
—Meanwhile—
At the Tohsaka residence.
Dressed in casual attire, the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, swirled a wine glass in his hand, the crimson liquid sloshing gently against the glass walls.
Not far away, Tohsaka Tokiomi maintained a respectful posture.
Now that Gilgamesh had rested for a night, Tokiomi finally found the opportunity to ask:
"O esteemed King of Heroes, do you know where that Caster's Master came from?"
Over the past three years, Tokiomi had interacted with Alaric dozens of times—yet he had never imagined that Alaric was such a figure.
He had hidden himself far too well.
But more than the secrecy, what Tokiomi truly wanted to know was—
Alaric's true identity and the extent of his power.
Among the Servants, no one could surpass this King of Heroes. However, there were simply too many mysteries surrounding Alaric, making it impossible for Tokiomi Tohsaka to think and analyze rationally.
Therefore, Tokiomi was willing to wait an entire night just to obtain information about Alaric from the mouth of the King of Heroes.
As Tokiomi spoke, Kotomine Kirei, who had been silently observing from a distance, couldn't help but glance at both Tokiomi and Gilgamesh.
As the Master of Assassin, Kotomine Kirei had also witnessed the battle from the previous night.
Praising Alaric's strength was secondary—what intrigued Kotomine Kirei more was figuring out Alaric's true objective.
Compared to Tokiomi, Kotomine Kirei had interacted with Alaric more frequently over the past few years. Yet, even so, he still could not determine what kind of person Alaric truly was.
It was as if he was being chased by something urgent.
At the center of attention, the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, gazed into the liquid in his wine glass. A gleam seemed to flicker within his crimson eyes, and a scornful chuckle escaped his lips:
"It is nothing more than a trivial play to pass the time. This king is merely looking forward to seeing what kind of amusement this fellow can provide for me."
"As for what you wish to know, Tokiomi, to put it simply—Alaric is not a figure of this world but rather an existence from a parallel world."
"Surely you can understand that, right?"
"Thank you, King of Heroes, for enlightening me."
Upon hearing the mention of a parallel world, Tokiomi immediately grasped the source of Alaric's seemingly unreasonable power.
As a disciple of the Wizard Marshal Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, the Tohsaka lineage not only inherited the art of gemstone magecraft from their mentor, but their graduation thesis itself was a replica of the Jewel Sword Zelretch—a Mystic Code that serves as the pinnacle of magecraft artifacts, utilizing the Second Magic to share and harness the infinite mana from parallel worlds.
Thus, Tokiomi was well-versed in the theory of parallel worlds. Although it did not completely explain all of Alaric's mysteries, it resolved many questions.
However, if that were the case—
"King of Heroes, did the knight Alaric fight you in the body of a living human?"
Tokiomi found it hard to believe that a mere mortal could achieve combat prowess rivaling that of Heroic Spirits.
"Indeed. He is a living human, through and through."
Gilgamesh smirked, his piercing gaze seeming to stare beyond his wine glass as he continued:
"Besides, hasn't his past already been revealed? Did that Assassin not tell you all?"
"So… it's all true—?"
Tokiomi naturally understood what Gilgamesh was referring to. His breath momentarily hitched. Even as a magus of a prestigious lineage, he struggled to comprehend Alaric's experiences.
Yet, regardless of the circumstances, Alaric was a significant obstacle standing between him and the Holy Grail.
Realizing this, Tokiomi immediately said:
"King of Heroes—"
"Do not even think about commanding me, Tokiomi."
Before Tokiomi could finish, Gilgamesh cast him a sidelong glance and said:
"This king's decisions are not for you to interfere with. The true climax of this drama has yet to unfold."
...
Meanwhile, things were not looking good for Matou Kariya.
Like the others, he had survived the first night of battle, but due to Berserker being struck down by Alaric, Kariya had suffered immense backlash.
His artificially enhanced magic circuits were already unstable, and the damage was too much for his body to bear. Forced to return to the Matou family's worm pit, he could only watch helplessly as those repulsive insects burrowed into his body once more.
At the entrance of the worm pit, the decrepit figure of Zouken Matou stood watching.
He cared little for Kariya's suffering.
Instead, what lingered in his mind was the unparalleled display of power from Alaric the previous night—
What exactly is that man?
Through the perspective of his familiars, Zouken Matou had witnessed the first half of the battle in its entirety. However, the aftermath of Alaric and Gilgamesh's fight had been so intense that even his insects were obliterated, severing his connection.
The sheer impact of their battle was something all of Fuyuki could perceive. Even the Church, responsible for cleaning up the aftermath, was forced to deploy large-scale cover-ups and media manipulation to hide the events of the first night.
Even so, as Alaric revealed more of his strength, Zouken Matou found himself growing less afraid.
Why?
Because Alaric was too dangerous.
Regardless of the mysteries behind him, the Mage's Association would never let him go unchallenged. Neither, for that matter, would the Church.
"Heh heh… Let this old man see just how far you can go."
It was unclear whether he was speaking to Kariya below or the unseen Alaric himself—
...
At the same time.
After a night of rest, Alaric had arrived at the location of the Greater Grail, bringing along Irisviel von Einzbern.
"This place is—"
The moment Irisviel laid eyes on the Greater Grail, she immediately understood its true nature.
And because of that, she was confused as to why Alaric had brought her here.
"You do realize that the Grail can only manifest after the Servants have fought to the end, right?"
Irisviel couldn't help but ask:
"The Grail is..."
Seeing her reaction, Alaric raised a hand to signal her to stop before calmly saying:
"I know the conditions for the Grail's appearance. Once the souls of six Servants have been absorbed into you, the moment your vessel is full, the Lesser Grail and Greater Grail will open the door to the Root, fulfilling the Third Magic."
"If you know that—"
Irisviel was even more bewildered.
If Alaric already understood the premise behind the Grail's manifestation, as well as the existence of the Third Magic, then why had he forcibly taken her away?
That wasn't a method that could grant him the Holy Grail.
She was an artificial human created by the Einzbern family—essentially a humanoid magical artifact. In truth, she was nothing more than a vessel meant to store the souls of deceased Servants and stabilize the mana conduit between the Greater Grail and the physical world, serving as a necessary component for the realization of the Third Magic.
"That's exactly why I need you, Irisviel."
Standing before the Greater Grail, Alaroc's gaze burned with intensity, as though he wished to see straight into her very core.