Late at night. The outskirts of Fuyuki City.
The harbor.
Rows of long-abandoned, cold iron containers stretched along the coast. Unmanned cranes and super-heavy machinery were lined up, their giant arms reaching toward the dark sea like a group of black horrors, creating a chilling sight. It was indeed a suitable place for a clandestine battle between Servants.
Irisviel, holding Lin Jiuan's small hand, stepped onto the very spot where the near-declaration-of-war mana fluctuation had originated. "Jiuan, don't be afraid of whatever you see in a little while," Irisviel whispered in the gentlest voice she could muster, "because Saber and I will protect you."
In the end, Irisviel had decided to bring Lin Jiuan with her. She didn't have high hopes for the ethics of the other Masters and Servants. In past Holy Grail Wars, the tactic of 'bypassing the Servant to kill the Master' had occurred. She worried that while she was lured out, a Servant might sneak into the castle and kill him. Besides, she was very fond of this child. Whether as a child-groom to raise for herself or simply to leave him an 'inheritance' to live comfortably after her death, he would need to learn about the world of magecraft. It was better to start teaching him now. In any case, Irisviel liked this child. Before she died, she wanted to keep him by her side as much as possible, to look at him, to hold him.
"I know, Mrs. Irisviel." Lin Jiuan nodded in response.
Having confirmed that this might be a worldline where the Counter Force would intervene, he had abandoned the idea of just hiding. No matter how well he hid, he wouldn't be able to escape once the will of the Counter Force and Chaldea descended. He might as well come out into the open. Let's fight! This is exciting!
As the big hand held the small hand in the sea breeze of the harbor, the sound of iron boots on the ground echoed. A slender, handsome man with a mole near his left eye, though still a fair bit less handsome than Lin Jiuan, emerged from the darkness. Artoria's figure immediately materialized, blocking Irisviel's path.
"Diarmuid Ua Duibhne."
Just as the two Servants were sizing each other up, Lin Jiuan suddenly spoke, breaking the icy tension. Diarmuid looked at him in surprise. Artoria and Irisviel, noticing Diarmuid's apparent acknowledgment, also stared in astonishment at the boy who had suddenly spoken the unfamiliar Lancer's True Name.
Also in a state of astonishment was another group.
Once a magus forms a contract with a Heroic Spirit and becomes a Master, they are granted the clairvoyant ability to 'read' a Servant's abilities. In short, a Master can share their Servant's senses.
Kirei Kotomine, stationed far away at the Fuyuki Church, was monitoring the situation at the port through the eyes and ears of the hidden Assassin. When he saw the boy who should have been dead appear, unharmed, beside Saber's Master, a flicker of emotion appeared in his usually dead, emotionless eyes.
"How is that possible?"
He had clearly seen his Servant deliver a fatal blow, had carefully checked that the boy was well and truly dead, and had even tied a heavy weight to him and sunk him in the river. He should have been swept out to sea, thoroughly dead by now. How could he possibly still be alive?!
Simultaneously, at the Tohsaka residence.
Tokiomi, who had been receiving Kirei's reports through a gem communication link, also heard his disciple's disbelieving whisper.
"What happened, Kirei?" Tokiomi asked. Although the Servant he had summoned possessed the power to dominate the battlefield, and he was confident in her even in a one-on-six situation, her arrogance was quite troublesome. It prevented him from sharing her senses or commanding her freely, forcing him to observe the situation this way.
"That..." Kirei hesitated. The tone of his disciple of three years—a man usually dispassionate and decisive—made Tokiomi realize the gravity of the situation. He held his breath, waiting.
"That boy... the boy you ordered me to kill, Teacher. He's alive and appears to be on intimate terms with Saber's Master."
"What?!" Even though he had considered countless worst-case scenarios, hearing this news made Tokiomi's pupils inevitably contract. He lost his composure.
"Tch. Tokiomi, what has you so flustered?" a haughty and scornful woman's voice came from the side.
Tokiomi looked over. It was a young woman beautiful to the extreme in every aspect. Her hair, as radiant as the sun, fell naturally over her shoulders. Her devastatingly beautiful face held an air of supreme arrogance and disdain for the world. Though she was speaking to him, her red eyes were reflecting the wine swirling in the glass in her hand. A loose, golden night robe was stretched taut by a bosom vast enough to contain the world.
The oldest King of Heroes, Gilgamesh. This was the Servant he had summoned, the one who would surely bring him victory. Beneath her robe, her crossed legs, plump, long, and perfectly formed, were incredibly alluring, but Tokiomi dared not even glance at them. He had already humbly lowered his head before his gaze even reached her, staring at the floor beneath his feet.
"My King," Tokiomi said, maintaining the posture of the humblest of subjects before this King of Heroes. "It is because of a boy who was supposed to be dead."
"A boy who was supposed to be dead?" Gilgamesh tilted her head slightly, a flicker of interest in her blood-red eyes. "Tell me more."
"His Noble Phantasms are Gáe Dearg, the Crimson Rose of Exorcism, and Gáe Buidhe, the Golden Rose of Mortality. That is, the two spears he holds," Lin Jiuan said, ignoring their shocked gazes and revealing Diarmuid's information.
He didn't know why the scene from the worldline where Irisviel fought alone—where Fujimaru and company were supposed to stop this fight, and Lord El-Melloi II was supposed to trap Artoria with his labyrinth—hadn't happened. But it didn't matter anymore. The moment he appeared here with Irisviel, Tokiomi had already spotted him. Knowing he was alive, Tokiomi wouldn't let him go. This was no longer about past grudges; it was a life-or-death battle on the battlefield. And since the table had already been flipped, there was no need for him to pretend to be a child anymore. He had to at least show he was different, to give himself a better chance when he eventually revealed everything to Irisviel and sought her support.
"Jiuan?" Irisviel's voice was tinged with unease.
"I have no interest in the Holy Grail, nor in this war. But you helped me, so I will help you," Lin Jiuan said, looking up and meeting her beautiful eyes directly. "Please believe me, Mrs. Irisviel. I will not harm you, nor will I do anything to hurt you."
Staring into Lin Jiuan's sincere, dark eyes, a gentle smile returned to Irisviel's face. She squeezed his small hand even tighter. "I believe you."
"What a strange little boy," Diarmuid mused. He felt no anger at having his trump card revealed. If not for his Master's orders, he wouldn't have wanted to hide his True Name in the first place. To exchange names with an opponent in a life-or-death struggle, as warriors should—that was true honor! Now that the boy had spoken his name, it suited him perfectly. He no longer had to abide by his Master's restrictions and could fight with his name known to all. Even if he were to die in battle, he would have no regrets!
"That is correct. I am the First Spear of the Knights of Fianna, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne." Diarmuid raised his long spear, pointing it at Artoria. "Saber, I understand your concern about revealing your True Name, but that does not matter. Let us have an honorable fight."
Artoria did not respond to Diarmuid. Instead, she turned to look at Irisviel. Her opponent had revealed his True Name, while she remained hidden. What kind of 'honorable fight' was that?
"Iri," Artoria called her name softly.
Irisviel held Lin Jiuan's hand tighter and gave a slight nod to Artoria. "Go and enjoy the battle, Artoria."
A smile appeared on Artoria's face as well. What could be more joyous than to meet a Master in this war, after death, who completely trusted her and gave her freedom? To repay the trust and freedom Iri had given her...
Artoria released her magical energy. The knight's armor materialized on her body. She raised the sword in her hand, and the wind that had been concealing it began to unwind, revealing the highly recognizable blade.
"My name is Arthur Pendragon," she declared. "Come, Lancer. With your life, I shall offer victory to my Master."
"Hahahaha!" Diarmuid's smile grew even wider as he burst out laughing. Yes! This is it! If they all hid their True Names, how could they be called heroes? What right would they have to fight on this historical stage woven by Heroic Spirits and claim ultimate victory? This was the battle he desired, a battle where heroes from different eras of history, chasing unfulfilled dreams and loyalties, clash as they should on the battlefield.
"My name is Diarmuid Ua Duibhne! 'Diarmuid of the Love Spot'!"
"Come, Arthur!"
"Let me witness your loyalty and your strength!"