Clang!
Saber and Iskandar clashed first, their Heroic Spirit steeds granting them speed far beyond their armies. As the forces closed, they engaged in combat.
The golden holy sword met a thunder-wreathed blade in close quarters, each pass ringing with a crisp strike.
Iskandar and Saber displayed supreme combat prowess, their warhorses moving as one with them, galloping as they willed.
Then, the silver-white tide crashed against the sandy storm.
Both armies, formed of belief-forged Heroic Spirits, surpassed human limits. Leading the charge were the most renowned and powerful warriors, igniting an unimaginable melee upon contact.
Here, you could see Hephaestion battling Gawain, Antigonus I facing Mordred.
The generals of Alexander the Great, who shook the West, clashed with Camelot's famed Twelve Knights!
"I am Antigonus I. Who are you?"
Antigonus, laughing heartily, demanded the name of the knight in silver and crimson armor.
"I am Mordred, son of the King of Knights!"
"I'll remember that! Come!"
"Ha!"
Blades clashed, sparks flying.
Warriors fought fiercely, each driven by their king's ideals. None summoned here would falter.
Iskandar and his warriors sought the sea of stars to conquer.
Saber and her knights fought to protect, to create a blissful ideal world—the Ideal Camelot.
No one retreated. Only forward!
"As long as we keep moving forward, the path will open! King! Knights! Advance! The Ideal Camelot needs us all to make it real!!!"
"Captain!!! Don't stop! For... our Camelot!!!"
"Warriors!!! The sea of stars lies ahead! Keep advancing, and one day we'll see it, conquer it! Our conquest never ends!!!"
Iskandar shouted, his soldiers charging and singing. The sea of stars was always ahead, no matter how far or difficult. They pressed on until they conquered it.
But... once one sea was conquered, another might await!
"King of Conquerors!"
"King of Knights!"
Saber and Iskandar fought fiercely, their horses fallen, now standing in the sand, giving their all.
The golden holy sword blazed, thunder roared from Iskandar's blade.
They clashed repeatedly.
But now... the King of Conquerors' army showed signs of fatigue.
An unexpected turn emerged. Lancelot, clad in silver armor, wielding Arondight, cut through the army's leaders.
Their strength might match his, but Lancelot bore a Noble Phantasm, while they did not.
For most Heroic Spirits, a Noble Phantasm—their greatest ally, power, and weapon—was crucial.
Thus, Lancelot, shamelessly wielding his Noble Phantasm, led the knights to overpower Iskandar's forces.
"Hahaha! What a coincidence!"
Iskandar laughed, realizing Lancelot wasn't summoned by Saber.
He was a participant in this Holy Grail War!
"Come! My proud chariot, with your power, end this war!"
Thunder boomed as Zeus's bulls pulled the victory-bearing chariot from the sky.
Iskandar leapt aboard, gripping the reins.
"By the way, I have one more question!"
His words, relayed through the Grail's system, startled Waver, who watched nervously. What more could there be now?
"Waver Velvet, would you be my vassal?"
Tears streamed down Waver's face, recalling the past days. Though brief... he already...
"Loved... no, I'm willing! Only you... you're my king. I'll serve and swear loyalty to you. Guide me forward. Let me share your dream."
"Good, no problem."
Iskandar's words etched into Waver's mind.
"It's a king's duty to show dreams to vassals, and yours to witness and pass them to posterity. Live, Waver, see it all, and tell the world of my grandeur, Iskandar's splendor."
"Roar, my chariot! Bearing our wishes, chasing the boundless horizon, race to the endless sea of stars! Via Expugnatio!"
"Moo!!!"
The bulls bellowed, thunder gathering at the chariot's wheels, streaking across the sky like a meteor toward Saber.
A star blazing across the earth, fierce and dazzling. Its mana's terror needed no explanation. This Anti-Army Noble Phantasm could carve a crater in the ground with ease.
Wreathed in lightning, a ferocious streak of light.
The remaining King of Conquerors' army turned to spirit particles, joining the fallen warriors' hopes, their unwavering faith in the sea of stars, all channeled into the chariot.
This was the Reality Marble's collective charge, a single strike from all of Iskandar's warriors.
It transcended Noble Phantasms, a blow of pure conviction!
Thunder formed a massive cross in the sky, tamed by this belief.
"Glory lies beyond!"
"We challenge because it's unattainable!"
"Sing of hegemony, embody hegemony!"
"All... for the vassals watching behind me!"
Iskandar stood on the chariot, smiling. They pursued, they advanced—that was enough!
The chariot outsped time, like Zeus's own, flanked by the radiant figures of Themis and Nike. In this moment, they were victory itself!
"Phew."
Saber exhaled softly in the desert, raising her golden holy sword.
Her countless warriors smiled, turning to light, merging with the blade.
Lancelot drew Arondight, standing by Saber.
"My king, strike me! Punish me! For betraying you, pierce my chest!"
"It wasn't betrayal, Lancelot!"
"My king, you're still the same. You always ignore yourself, thinking only of others. That's why we rallied to fight for you. But, my king, I longed for you to punish me, to judge me for my own anger."
"Kill me, punish me! Or I can't stand with the others, can't shamelessly follow you!"
"..."
Facing her old friend's plea, Saber fell silent. She understood Lancelot, so...
"Then, I grant your punishment, Sir Lancelot!"
Her blade pierced his chest. Lancelot smiled, joining the others in the sword.
"Now..."
"Excalibur!!!"
The undying wishes of countless warriors, the ideal world of the Ideal King—perhaps just a dream, but they followed her steps! As long as she guided them, they wouldn't stop.
Light roared, surged, a pillar colliding with the skyward meteor!
Pursuit clashed with ideals, but victory hinged on energy's disparity—a tragic truth!
***
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