Iskandar and Faker exchanged glances. Previously, they hadn't noticed due to the battle, but after Flat and Svin's remarks, they imdiately realized sothing.
"Save your words for later; get ready to engage."
"Understood!"
She could hate him.
She could be angry.
She could be dissatisfied.
She could even curse or hit him.
But when the enemy approached, she had to protect him and fulfill her duty as his shield. That was her responsibility, a conviction ingrained in her body and soul since she could rember.
Raising her sword to the sky, she uttered an incantation as her heterochromatic eyes shone brightly.
The thunder that had ceased roared again, accompanied by fierce winds and nurous magical summons.
Unfortunately, the golden ship's defense system was powerful, and Faker, unprepared for the encounter, was quickly overwheld. The ship easily broke through the magical blockade.
Iskandar and Faker didn't feel fear. Even if their magic failed, there was still close combat and Noble Phantasms. The other side had a golden ship, but they had a chariot. At worst, they could start an aerial battle to announce the beginning of the Holy Grail War.
The two battle-hardened warriors gauged the distance, calculating the right mont to summon their chariot. However, what happened next caught them off guard. The golden ship, which looked so flashy and powerful, after breaking through the blockade, didn't launch any counterattacks. It simply flew straight toward them without hesitation.
There wasn't a hint of malice in the entire process, only the sound of laughter — unrestrained, joyful laughter.
"Are you ready to challenge again, Conqueror King?"
The Servant, as golden as the ship, crossed his arms and looked down at Iskandar from above. His crimson eyes were filled with an emotion called delight.
Iskandar, under this gaze, reacted the sa way he had when he was first summoned. His thick fingers pinched his equally thick chin as he tilted his head, gazing at Gilgash in the sky.
"Hm, you called out my na in one go. Did we et in life? Why don't I have any mory of you?"
Hearing this, Gilgash's face showed obvious disappointnt:
"So, you haven't regained your mories yet. The mighty Conqueror King is still just a mortal, unworthy of comparison to ."
"You insolent cur—"
Faker instinctively rebuked but was interrupted by Iskandar's raised hand.
"Oh? You're a king too? How about you tell your na first? Surely, as a king, you wouldn't be afraid to reveal your title?"
"Hahaha, you haven't changed at all."
Gilgash laughed instead of getting angry. He had heard the sa question ten years ago. Back then, he had felt rage, but now, he felt genuine joy.
"Are we that familiar?"
Iskandar was still confused.
"Enough, I've grown tired of seeing that idiotic expression—"
A ripple ford beneath the golden ship, Vimana, and a Noble Phantasm, shrouded in light and impossible to discern, naturally descended.
"That's—"
Rin had seen this item once before — it was the Noble Phantasm Gilgash used to restore his mory when he appeared in the world. A suspicion arose in her heart—could he have participated in the previous Holy Grail War as well? What exactly was going on with this Holy Grail War? How could so many familiar faces be involved? How were they supposed to win now?
Gilgash paid no attention to Rin's thoughts. At this mont, his eyes were fixed solely on Iskandar, the opponent he acknowledged, not a re thief.
"—Take this and hurry up and rember."
Iskandar instinctively caught the item, but it was swiftly snatched away by Faker.
"Be careful; it could be a trap."
"Get your filthy hands off my treasure, mongrel!"
Gilgash's expression instantly turned cold, and a bone-chilling killing intent enveloped Faker. Along with his intent, various swords, spears, and halberds floated in the air.
"That is a treasure I'm lending to the Conqueror King. It's not sothing a mongrel like you can touch."
"Don't say that, my fellow king whom I haven't yet recalled."
Iskandar took two steps forward, retrieving the treasure and placing it in front of Faker.
"She's my bodyguard. It's her duty."
"Now you're acting like a proper bodyguard."
Gilgash sneered.
"Don't mind her. She's not just my bodyguard; she's also my sister."
Iskandar waved his hand dismissively, laughing heartily. From start to finish, he only referred to her as a bodyguard, as a sister, never as a decoy.
"Fine, in light of her dutiful performance, I'll forgive her disrespect this ti," Gilgash said, as he retracted his Gate of Babylon.
"How do I use this thing?"
"Just hold it in front of your eyes."
"Oh, that's simple enough."
"King!"
Faker tried to stop him again.
But Iskandar had already placed the treasure before his eyes. After a brief mont of disorientation, Iskandar let out a sigh.
"So that's what happened..."
"Rember now, Conqueror King?" asked Gilgash.
"I rember. The Hero-King of Babylonia, Gilgash."
The confusion in his eyes disappeared, replaced by the fondness and fighting spirit that ca with reuniting with an old rival.
"You were the goal I most wanted to surpass, the man who once defeated . I must thank the gods for giving the chance to challenge you again."
"Gods? You're mistaken, Conqueror King."
Gilgash slowly shook his head, raising a hand to point behind Iskandar. "The one you should be thanking is not the gods, but your human, your vassal. It was he who summoned you once again and gave you the chance to challenge ."
"My vassal..."
Iskandar's gaze returned to his Master. Though ten years had passed, though he had grown from a short boy into a tall young man, though his short hair had grown long, and though his round face had beco lean, Iskandar still recognized him at a glance—the boy who had once fought by his side, challenging the strongest enemy.
"Waver, you're Waver!"
"Yes, my king."
Waver lowered his head, his nose tingling as his eyes began to water.
That was a side of him no one in the entire Clock Tower had ever seen, not even Reines. At this mont, he was no longer the legendary professor of the Clock Tower but instead the weak boy from ten years ago, the utterly unworthy boy.
"How surprising. The little runt from back then has grown so tall." Iskandar approached, smiling as he looked at his vassal of old.
"Why lower your head, Waver? You followed the king's command perfectly and survived against formidable enemies. You should raise your head high, chest out, and proudly tell you've completed your mission."
"Yes!"
Waver suddenly removed his glasses, wiped his eyes, raised his head, puffed out his chest, and declared loudly.
"Reporting to the king, Waver Velvet has completed his mission!"
PS: No rule says Gilgash can't use Sha Naqba Imuru to restore mories. After all, the treasures in his vault have limitless possibilities.
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