An ordinary person intruding here and witnessing a battle between Servants was already a situation that required the Holy Church to intervene.
"Madam, how did you get in here?" the Spearman asked in a deep voice, slightly shifting the direction of his spear to avoid frightening the woman before him.
"I... I just walked in?" Haruri pointed at the road behind her.
The scene before her was highly supernatural. As a woman who had struggled to make a living in Fuyuki City for many years, she instinctively sensed danger.
"Um, if I interrupted your filming, I am so sorry... I will leave right now..."
Haruri said while slowly backing away.
Artoria, Irisviel, and the dueling Spearman exchanged glances, unanimously choosing to exercise restraint.
Inside the underground workshop of the Tohsaka Estate, flickering candlelight illuminated Tokiomi Tohsaka's elegant face.
Tonight, he was also observing everything at the docks through the shared vision of his familiar.
Originally, he was merely evaluating the combat prowess of Saber and the Spearman, but he never expected a variable to appear so abruptly.
"Tokiomi-sensei, that woman..." Kirei Kotomine's voice transmitted from the darkness through the communicator. "Is she an ordinary person?"
Tokiomi Tohsaka did not answer immediately. He adjusted the familiar's perspective, fixing those ruby-like spiritual eyes intently on the woman who was stepping back bit by bit.
As the head of the prestigious Tohsaka Family and an authoritative magus of the Clock Tower, he was very clear about the various types of magecraft.
"No... that is not right," Tokiomi muttered to himself, his tone carrying a rare trace of surprise. "Those are Mystic Eyes."
"Mystic Eyes?" Kirei's voice revealed a hint of inquiry.
Mystic Eyes were a special ability independent of the Magic Circuits within a magus's body, capable of transforming received visual information into magecraft that affected the material world.
Because they possessed independent Magic Circuits, even ordinary people without a magus bloodline had the potential to awaken them naturally.
There were even powerful magi who, in order to add to their trump cards, would attempt to acquire artificially manufactured Mystic Eyes.
"Although it is extremely faint, and perhaps even the possessor herself has never realized its existence... those are absolutely Mystic Eyes without a doubt."
Tokiomi stood up, pacing around the workshop. "This is quite rare... It should be some low-tier type. What a pity that a natural magus seed has been buried in the mundane world."
"Does she need to be disposed of?" Kirei asked.
"There is no need," Tokiomi replied, restoring his unhurried tone. "A possessor of Mystic Eyes with absolutely no combat ability is of no consequence. Just send Assassin to follow her... Let us bring our attention back to the knights."
At the center of the battlefield, the wind pressure gradually subsided.
Artoria retracted her invisible sword wrapped in Invisible Air, her emerald eyes filled with solemnity and apology.
"Lancer-class Servant, I believe our battle must be temporarily suspended," Artoria's voice rang out as she bowed slightly toward the frightened Haruri Kamado. "Fighting in front of an ordinary person violates the rules of the Holy Grail War."
"I share the exact same sentiment, Saber-class Servant. As a knight, I too cannot allow my battle attire to be stained by the tears of the innocent. Let this lost lady leave."
He elegantly twirled his spears, crossing the deadly red and yellow twin spears behind his back, and looked at Haruri. "Madam, please return the way you came, for your own safety..."
Before he could finish speaking, a low rumble suddenly echoed from the sky.
At the edge of the horizon, lightning flashed.
Haruri's right eye throbbed with a sudden burst of pain. She instinctively looked up, only to see two muscular bulls treading on lightning, pulling a massive chariot as they dove down from the clouds.
The wheels crushed the air, emitting a thunderous roar.
"Hahaha! The heroes down there, listen well to my words!"
Atop the chariot, a giant of a man standing over two meters tall spread his arms and laughed uproariously.
His red cape fluttered wildly in the wind, and beneath his thick red beard was a smiling face brimming with heroic spirit.
"My name is Iskandar! The King of Conquerors of Macedonia! I have manifested in this Holy Grail War under the Rider class!"
"The King has arrived! Come forth and welcome me at once!"
It was arrogant, yet filled with an admirable, heroic passion.
"What are you doing! You idiot!" The scrawny youth beside him was his Master, Waver, who was looking at Iskandar with an incomprehensible expression.
Iskandar laughed heartily, casually flicking Waver on the forehead. "Haha! Stop your nagging! Hurry and bring me my good wine!"
"Furthermore, I must first ask you two: will you join my ranks?! As long as you yield the Holy Grail to me, I shall share the joy of conquering the world with you both!"
Artoria and the Spearman frowned simultaneously.
As Heroic Spirits, they had never seen such an... unconstrained existence.
To openly announce one's true name with such fanfare in a secretly conducted Holy Grail War was simply the act of a madman.
"I refuse."
The two spoke at the exact same time.
"Hahaha, alright, alright! We can still negotiate the terms and conditions!"
"But before that, such a magnificent battle must have attracted more than just one person!"
"If there are heroes who desire the Holy Grail, gather here now! Otherwise, you can only be called cowards! And you will surely be despised by this King!!"
As soon as Iskandar said this, Tokiomi Tohsaka, who was observing the battle through his familiar, furrowed his brows.
"This is troublesome..."
A moment later, a voice filled with utter contempt rang out from the top of a towering streetlight.
"Just a few rats gathering here, and you actually dare to call yourselves kings?"
At some unknown point, a dazzling streak of gold had materialized atop the previously empty lamppost.
Gilgamesh, clad in golden armor, slowly revealed himself. His blood-red eyes were brimming with the condescension of one looking down upon mere ants.
"A scuffle of this level is as boring as children playing. I might as well teach you what a true battle between kings looks like."
"Mongrels, I permit you to kneel at my feet and give thanks for my magnanimity."
Gilgamesh's appearance made the air itself grow several degrees heavier.
"Those are quite harsh words. My title as the King of Conquerors is widely known; it is no mere self-proclamation," Iskandar muttered, stroking his beard with slight displeasure, only to be met with an even more arrogant retort—
"Ridiculous. The only one fit to be called a king in heaven and on earth is me alone."
"Hah?! With such a big mouth, why don't you state your name for me to hear!"
"Heh, to enjoy the glory of an audience with me yet dare not to recognize me—a mongrel like you has no right to live!"
*Hum—!!*
Gilgamesh became inexplicably enraged for some unknown reason. Behind him, the Gate of Babylon instantly opened, shining brilliantly.
*Swish—!*
Both Artoria and the Spearman drew their weapons once more at this moment.
The situation, which had just eased slightly due to Haruri's appearance, once again became thick with the scent of gunpowder.
Meanwhile, Haruri was currently stumbling her way out of the dock area.
Because the scenes unfolding before her were becoming increasingly exaggerated, her right eye went from feeling sore to throbbing with intense pain, which in turn caused her entire brain to feel dizzy and heavy.
She stumbled into a row of abandoned warehouses.
There were no lights here, only the colorful, nauseating remnants of energy captured by her Mystic Eyes.
She wanted to go home, wanted to hug her daughter, wanted to leave this crazy world.
She hurried through a narrow corner, and because she was running too fast, she crashed headfirst into a tall figure.
*Thud!*
Haruri was bounced straight back to the ground by the recoil, falling into the damp, muddy water.
"I... I am sorry, I did not mean to..." she apologized incoherently, subconsciously looking up.
In that instant, Haruri Kamado felt as if her soul had been frozen solid.
The thing standing before her could no longer be called human.