Back when Lancer had issued his challenge to all Servants, a red-haired mountain of a man had arrived atop Fuyuki Bridge, accompanied by a small and slender young man with the look of someone constantly being dragged along for the ride.
It was the Rider-class Servant of the Holy Grail War—Iskandar, King of Conquerors—and his Master-slash-"Queen," Waver Velvet. By the time they arrived, the battle between Saber and Lancer had already begun in full swing.
"H-Hey, Rider… this place is too high up. Shouldn't we get down from here?" Waver, visibly nervous and staring down at the river far below, clung tightly to his Servant's massive arm.
"Hahaha! It's precisely because it's high that the view is good!" Iskandar laughed heartily, patting Waver on the back. Each thud nearly made the poor boy fall over. If he hadn't wrapped his arms around Rider's boulder-sized bicep, he might've toppled off the bridge already.
—He never considered the possibility that maybe, just maybe, Rider wanted him to cling on.
—After all, back in Rider's era, "philosophical bonding" between men had been quite trendy.
Watching the distant clash of blade and spear, even a veteran like Iskandar couldn't help but nod in admiration.
"Truly, they are heroes worthy of legend. Not even among my ranks did I command such powerful warriors."
Waver looked toward the battlefield too, then asked curiously, "Rider… are we just going to stay up here and wait for a chance to pick off the winner?"
If Rider, despite his brute-force persona, actually had that kind of strategy in mind… Waver might start seeing him in a new light. But his hopes were quickly dashed.
"You're thinking too small, Waver. Way too small!"
Rider shook his head at his young Master's naïveté.
"I'm just here to scout the battlefield—to see which of these two is worthy of serving under me."
"..."
Waver was speechless. That kind of narcissism was beyond words. Trying not to react, he instead asked, "So, which one do you think is worthy?" In his own eyes, both Saber and Lancer were like monsters—far too strong to judge fairly. He hoped Rider might offer insight on which one was more powerful.
Instead, Rider answered with great enthusiasm—
"I want both!"
"..."
Waver wanted to scream. Only children say they want everything. Adults know they don't get to choose. But before he could comment further, something unexpected happened. The gallant female swordsman collapsed mid-fight, coughing up blood and falling to the ground. And at that very moment, the golden-armored spearman raised his weapon, ready to finish Saber off. That's when Iskandar could no longer remain a bystander.
A crack of thunder tore through the sky. The Noble Phantasm [Gordius Wheel] descended—lightning-charged bulls pulling a mighty war chariot as it blazed across the heavens. Scooping up his flustered Master in a single arm, Iskandar leapt aboard. Then, without hesitation, he charged toward the battlefield.
"STOP! IN THE PRESENCE OF THIS KING, ALL COMBAT IS FORBIDDEN!" Iskandar bellowed, voice echoing like a thunderclap. He made it clear—if Lancer dared to strike down Saber, he would face the fury of his lightning-clad bulls.
Even with powerful defense-type Noble Phantasms, taking that head-on would be no easy feat. Not against an A+ rank Noble Phantasm. Iskandar hadn't expected, however, that Lancer would respond with such boldness.
Lancer wanted to do both—kill Saber and fend off the incoming chariot. Realizing there was no other way to protect Saber, Iskandar activated his Noble Phantasm in full.
"Via Expugnatio: Distant Trampling Domination!"
Even before the blue thunder and golden laser collided, Iskandar had already grabbed Waver and leapt into the river below.
BOOM!
The clash of Noble Phantasms created a cataclysmic explosion that rocked the entire port. Seconds later, Rider and his soaked Master climbed out of the water. And what he saw made him freeze in surprise.
...Saber was still alive.
Not only that—Saber's Master had blocked Lancer's killing blow with a single hand. Iskandar stared in astonishment.
"Unbelievable… to think a hero of this caliber could be born in the modern age!"
"A human who can stand toe-to-toe with top-tier Servants… it's nothing short of miraculous!"
His admiration genuine, Iskandar turned to Su Mo with gleaming eyes.
"I ask you—will you join me, Iskandar the King of Conquerors? We can discuss terms of service!" Su Mo looked at him as if he'd just been offered a poisoned cup.
"…Thanks, but no." Even if the terms were great, it wouldn't matter. Iskandar's army had no women, no strength to offer, and was made entirely of beefy men. There was no reason to join that parade of muscleheads.
"…I see."
Rejected, Iskandar didn't lose face. Instead, he turned toward the other two.
Saber and Lancer.
"I already have a Master!"
Okita Souji wrapped her arms tightly around Su Mo, shaking her head decisively.
"I'm also bound to my own Master."
Lancer politely declined as well.
"What a shame… No room for negotiation?"
Iskandar pressed one last time.
"If you two agree to join me, I'll share with you the joy of conquering the entire world!"
But the only replies he got were two resounding rejections:
"No way!"
"Denied."
Facing back-to-back rejections, even Iskandar had to admit defeat. Behind him, a thoroughly drenched Waver finally lost it.
"Idiot! Idiot! You didn't recruit a single one!" He looked like a betrayed puppy glaring at his irresponsible owner.
"Hahahaha! You can't win 'em all, Waver!" Iskandar just laughed it off as always. Thanks to the antics of this pair, the tension on the battlefield began to lift a little. And at that moment, it seemed like the curse of [Weak Constitution] had finally worn off from Okita Souji.
Though she was still clinging to Su Mo, it was purely out of her own will—Okita Souji had, in fact, recovered enough to stand on her own. Realizing this, Su Mo gently let her go for now and turned his attention toward the King of Conquerors.
Taking the initiative, he flipped the earlier offer on its head. "Say, would you consider joining my side instead?" he asked with a subtle smile. "Some wishes aren't all that difficult to fulfill, after all… like, say, granting a Servant a physical body."
There was a deeper meaning in his words—after all, Su Mo was aware of Iskandar's truest desire. Hearing this, Waver was at a complete loss for words.
"Rider, you idiot! Are you seriously thinking about switching sides just because he made an offer?!" he cried out, only to notice the slight glimmer of interest on Iskandar's face. Waver instantly panicked. Don't tell him… don't tell me my Servant is actually considering defecting?! Fortunately, Iskandar wasn't the type to betray his own Master so easily. At Waver's protest, the Conqueror slowly shook his head.
"It's a generous offer, no doubt," he said seriously. "And while I don't know how you learned my wish, it's impressive. But unfortunately... I'm more accustomed to conquering everything with my own hands. I've never been one to serve under another."
With that, he firmly declined Su Mo's invitation. Waver finally exhaled in relief. Thank goodness. At least his Servant had some self-respect. Maybe, just maybe, he should treat Iskandar with a little more kindness from now on? But just as Waver began considering this softer approach… he immediately wanted to strangle himself for even thinking it. Right before his eyes, Iskandar leapt onto the top of the tallest cargo container and shouted with thunderous volume:
"You who hide in the shadows and spy from the dark! Invited by the Holy Grail to take part in this war yet skulking like rats in a sewer! If you dare not even reveal yourselves, then I, Iskandar, will show no mercy—I will shame you cowards before all!"
With a single breath, he openly challenged all the other Servants lurking nearby. For Waver, the feeling of being at the center of attention was now seared into his memory. So too was the cold, crushing pressure of murderous intent that swept over him. Because, after that outburst, far across the city in the Tohsaka mansion, Tohsaka Tokiomi heard everything through his familiars.
He froze on the spot.
Oh no. This is bad. She is going to take the bait.
And indeed, just as he feared…
High above the cargo container where Rider stood, a brilliant golden radiance began to gather. Even Waver could sense it. Another Servant was making their appearance—the fourth one. Their body had yet to arrive, but their voice reached the battlefield first.
"I merely came to enjoy the clown show from a distance, yet some fool dares to slander a goddess? Hmph. Even in a good mood, I cannot pardon such blasphemy." A cold, imperious female voice rang out.
And then, as the golden light coalesced, a young girl appeared—sixteen or seventeen years old at most, with striking twin-tails and eyes like blood-red garnets burning with wrath. Hovering in the air, the self-proclaimed goddess glared down at Rider and his Master.
At first, most people on the battlefield had no idea who she was. All except for Su Mo.
"That look… that's just an older version of Rin Tohsaka, isn't it?" he muttered, narrowing his eyes. The face was unmistakable. He instantly guessed her identity—it had to be either Ishtar or Ereshkigal. And judging by that haughty, wrathful tone… the answer was obvious.
It was Ishtar.
Rider, meanwhile, hadn't expected a goddess to appear in response to his provocation. Sure, he had intended to lure out other Servants, but this wasn't quite what he had in mind.
"The Holy Grail War can summon goddesses too?" he asked in surprise, turning to his Master.
"By normal logic, that shouldn't be possible," Waver replied, frowning. "Servants and gods operate on entirely different systems."
"But she clearly called herself a goddess…"
Rider scratched his head. After a moment's pause, he suddenly lit up as if he had an epiphany.
"Then there are only two explanations. One: the Grail system is malfunctioning. Two: this one's a Berserker—clearly delusional and actually believes she's a goddess!"
…Well, that would certainly explain a lot. And with that, Iskandar gave Waver a hearty slap on the thigh. —Why not slap yourself instead?! Waver winced in pain, too alarmed to care. All his focus was on the murderous intent above, flooding down from the airborne goddess.
"How dare you call me a madwoman," Ishtar said, her crimson eyes narrowing into slits. Her voice was calm… but it was the calm of a storm just before it breaks.
"Looks like it's time you worms learned what divine wrath truly feels like."