To prevent the Holy Grail War from ending too quickly, Tohsaka Tokiomi had no choice but to dig into Ryunosuke's wallet and buy Gilgamesh another portion.
Only then did Gilgamesh withdraw the Ea he was just about to pull out, looking satisfied.
"Mongrel, I never expected you to actually know a sliver of what the King's Way is. Unlike a certain other mongrel who actually dares to slander it..."
Rider, standing nearby, scratched his head awkwardly. "Ah, never mind that. Plunder is also a King's Way of mine, and if all else fails, I invite you to become my vassal."
Hearing this, Gilgamesh's face darkened even further. He said nothing more, simply focusing all his attention on eating his skewers.
Seeing this, Rider stopped teasing him and said earnestly: "I wish to obtain a physical body through the Holy Grail and live in this world as a living being."
Hearing this, Waver, standing beside him, couldn't help but look startled: "You—you, you... didn't you say your wish was to conquer—"
Before poor Waver could finish, Rider flicked him lightly on the forehead, instantly shutting him up.
"Foolishness. Why would I want a mere cup to fight battles across the four directions? Conquest is the ideal I have always pursued in my heart, and my yearning for the Holy Grail is merely the starting point to realize that ideal."
Gilgamesh wore an expression of surprise, yet Rider continued seriously: "I must have a physical body of my own, a body that stands tall between heaven and earth to face the universe—this is everything I conquer."
Gilgamesh flashed a mocking smile, looking thoroughly sinister. "I have made my decision—Rider, I will personally send you off on the road to the Western Paradise."
"Hmph, do we really need a special reminder for such a thing now? I feel the exact same way. Not only the Holy Grail, but I also intend to snatch away that so-called treasury of yours."
Rider laughed heartily, full of bold daring.
"By the way, Saber. You still haven't let us hear what is in your heart."
Saber raised her head resolutely and answered, "My wish is to undo a certain decision I once made and live life with all my might."
"Why would the King of Heroes go to a place like that?"
Tohsaka Tokiomi was utterly astonished. He truly never expected Rider to bring the three Kings into the world of mortals, which struck him as deeply bizarre.
"Is it really okay to leave Archer unattended like this?" Kirei questioned expressionlessly.
Tohsaka Tokiomi shook his head helplessly. "As the King of Heroes, if someone invites him, it is absolutely impossible for him to refuse."
Just like that, the two men's plan was rendered invalid.
Originally, they had planned for Assassin to infiltrate the Einzbern castle, but they never imagined the location would change at the last minute.
And right out on the main street at that, which left his Assassin with even less room to maneuver.
Their primary objective for this outing was still to test what Rider's Noble Phantasm actually was. After all, trading a group of Assassins for intelligence on Rider's Noble Phantasm was still a guaranteed profit.
"What in the... world?"
Shichen heard Saber's words and seriously doubted whether he had misheard.
Wasn't Saber's wish supposed to be saving Britain and changing the doomed fate of Britain?
What was going on here? Could it be that he had triggered the butterfly effect?
Rider looked at Saber in puzzlement, feeling rather baffled. "That hardly sounds like the wish of a king; it sounds more like... someone weary of life?"
Gilgamesh instantly grew interested and retorted, "Are you saying, then, that you regret a certain decision you made in the past?"
"I do not regret it; I merely wish to see what I would be like in a different ending..."
Hearing this, Gilgamesh burst into loud laughter, his laughter brimming with mockery. "To see yourself in a different ending? What an utterly laughable thought—that is precisely the narrow-mindedness of you, mongrel."
Saber calmly retorted, "This is my choice; it is not for a tyrant like you to judge."
At that moment, Rider spoke up thoughtfully, "Every king has their own knot in their heart. Perhaps Saber simply wishes to mend the regrets within her."
Saber stopped in her tracks. She looked toward Shichen, who was standing nearby.
"I want to verify something. Will you spar with me?"
"Huh... Spar with me?"
Shichen had been standing off to the side, lost in thought, and was startled by Saber's words.
Recovering his wits, Shichen looked at her with doubt in his eyes. "Why do you want to fight me?"
Saber took a deep breath. "I feel as though you... resemble someone I once knew."
Shichen hesitated for a moment. "I accept, Saber. Come..."
Though he had no idea what purpose drove Saber to do such a thing, she surely had her reasons.
Gilgamesh and Rider watched from the side with keen interest.
Seeing Shichen agree, Saber no longer held back, charging straight toward him.
Shichen did not let down his guard either; he planted his feet in a combat stance and awaited Saber's attack.
In an instant, magical energy swirled around Saber, forming a suit of armor as she lunged at Shichen, slashing down with her sword.
Shichen sidestepped quickly to evade Saber's strike, while simultaneously clenching his fists and launching a flurry of punches at her.
Saber swung her sword just in time to block the punches, the blade hissing as it swept toward Shichen.
Pushing off the ground, Shichen leaped backward. In a flash, the surrounding air began to distort as he delivered another punch with lightning speed.
"Saber, what on earth are you trying to do?" Shichen demanded, his other hand moving to successfully beat back Saber.
Saber did not reply, charging forward once more. The collision of her blade and his fists produced a crisp, ringing sound.
Amid the battle, Saber seemed to catch a glimpse of that person from her past, and the movements of her hands grew increasingly fierce.
Shichen's mouth twitched. *I have no enmity with you, so why are you hitting so hard? We're supposed to be allies!*
Suddenly, Shichen spotted a tiny opening in Saber's defense and fiercely hurled his fist toward her.
Just as it was about to touch her, a powerful wave of magical energy erupted from Saber's body, blasting Shichen backward.
"Let us bring this fight to an end."
Saber lowered her sword, standing still as she looked silently at Shichen.
Shichen was utterly bewildered. He had just been walking down the street minding his own business, only for her to suddenly pick a fight with him, and now that the fight was over, she looked unhappy—what on earth was she trying to achieve?
After a moment of silence, Saber said helplessly: "Master, why are you here..."