For a period of time after Berserker was eliminated, the various factions continued to move, yet on the surface, it was unusually calm. No other Masters or Servants exited the war.
Every Master was plotting something in secret, just like the calm before a storm.
However, the criminal committing the serial family annihilations in Fuyuki City had still not been brought to justice. But... the criminal seemed to have realized that magi were tracking him, so now he wasn't just committing crimes in Fuyuki City. His blood-stained, sinful hands had reached out to the cities surrounding Fuyuki.
Coming and going without a trace—even when Tokiomi had Kirei search with all his might, by the time Assassin arrived at the scene, the culprit had vanished without a trace, as if he knew they were coming. And Assassin possessed A+A+A+-rank Presence Concealment.
Because of this, Tokiomi, who always demanded elegance, even lost his temper at Kirei several times. Tokiomi's heart was already in disarray.
At the same time, Goldie tirelessly provoked the conflict between Tokiomi and Kirei. The relationship between the two was only a fuse away from exploding.
Once Risei Kotomine died or some other event occurred, Kirei Kotomine would definitely betray Tokiomi Tohsaka. Just as Goldie commented on Tokiomi: "A boring man, hiding underground like a rat." Kirei affirmed Goldie's words to a certain extent.
Ever since the Holy Grail War began, Tokiomi Tohsaka had stayed almost exclusively in the Tohsaka basement, planning and commanding.
The situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for Tokiomi, yet he remained in the dark about all of this.
"Hey, KING, I plan to hold a Holy Grail drinking party. You'll come, right?" Not sure what medicine the Conqueror King took incorrectly, but today he stared at Meruem with those big eyes like he was having a fit.
If it were a girl, Meruem would have enjoyed it. However, the Conqueror King, who swung both ways... cough, it only gave Meruem goosebumps all over.
To avoid looking at those big eyes anymore, Meruem had no choice but to agree.
The Holy Grail Dialogue? Has it developed to this point already? Interesting. Then let's see what will be different with me included this time.
"Then KING, it's settled. Tonight at SABER's castle, we'll drink to our hearts' content." The Conqueror King thumped his chest loudly as he spoke, and Meruem only felt a chill watching him. "Then I'll go prepare the wine for tonight. You must come!"
Finally, as Meruem was leaving, the Conqueror King emphasized it once again.
That night, Meruem brought Sakura and arrived at the Einzbern castle on time.
After Kayneth's surprise attack and Berserker's assault, the Einzbern castle had become quite dilapidated.
Therefore, when the Conqueror King arrived at the castle again, he said right in front of the castle's owner, Irisviel, "SABER, I didn't expect the castle you live in to be so shabby."
Did you ever consider that the place you're living in right now is just a small attic?
Artoria and Irisviel were completely baffled by the Conqueror King's sudden arrival and his talk of holding a drinking party.
The Conqueror King only told Artoria after he arrived at the castle at night.
"Yo, KING, you're here." Seeing Meruem arrive, the Conqueror King, with a huge wine barrel on his shoulder, casually greeted him.
"I don't know this guy..." Meruem moved a step outward without leaving a trace. It was one thing for this guy to run into someone else's house without greeting the host in advance and say he wanted to hold a drinking party, but to then spend half the day complaining that the house was shabby and broken, and then insist on holding the party in their courtyard...
Enough is enough, okay? I don't want to lose face with you. Even little Sakura is covering her face with her hands—she doesn't want to see you!
However, the Conqueror King didn't seem to care at all about Meruem's look of disdain.
Conqueror King, did you conquer the world relying on the thickness of your face?
"What I mean is, if we possess the qualifications to be acknowledged by Heroic Spirits, then the answer will naturally appear." Three Servants bearing the title of "King" sat in a circle in the Einzbern garden. The Conqueror King casually ladled out a scoop of wine from the barrel, drank it down in one go, and then spoke to the other two.
"In other words, Conqueror King, do you wish to contest my 'rank' for obtaining the Holy Grail?"
Likewise, Artoria drank the wine in the ladle in the same hearty manner.
Then came the third person, Meruem. The Conqueror King passed a ladle of wine to him as well.
"This spot was touched by the Ahoge King... does this count as an indirect kiss?" Meruem seemed to be thinking on a different wavelength than the other two, but he also drank it down in one go.
"Competing for the qualification to obtain the Holy Grail as fellow kings? An interesting idea." Meruem did not deny the Conqueror King's approach.
"That is to say, this isn't a 'Holy Grail War' but a 'Holy Grail Dialogue'—to determine whose caliber is more worthy of the title 'King of the Holy Grail.' Asking with wine cups—there's no clearer way." The Conqueror King ladled another scoop of wine, drank it, and said.
"The one watching the show over there, you should come out too." At this moment, Meruem suddenly spoke up.
As soon as his voice fell, accompanied by a flash of golden light, a blond man clad in "Golden Armor" appeared in the courtyard.
"Hmph. Let this farce end here, mongrels."
"Archer, why are you here?" Seeing Goldie, Artoria immediately went on guard.
"Well, I ran into him on the street, so I invited him along." The Conqueror King said casually. "You sure took your time getting here, Goldie."
Running into Goldie on the street... Conqueror King, you two really are something.
Meruem's eyelid twitched. Without saying a word, he scooted closer to Artoria's position, making space for Goldie.
Rather than squeezing in with two rough men, he'd much rather squeeze in with Artoria.
"To hold a banquet of kings in such a shabby place." Goldie glanced at the wine barrel in the Conqueror King's hand with utter disdain.
Shabby x2. As a Heroic Spirit, he was the second one to say this.
The Tohsaka mansion isn't even as good as this castle, is it?
"How do you intend to apologize for making me come here for nothing?" Goldie swept his gaze across them. Irisviel and Waver, meeting his gaze, stepped back several paces.
Especially Waver, who fell to the ground on his butt in a very pathetic manner.
Worthy of Goldie—his aura is just that strong.
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