Shinji Matou at Your Service-Chapter 1081: The War Restarts

The war for the Holy Grail had begun once again.

The first to clash were the Knight King Artoria and the Conqueror King Iskandar.

...

Wait, how is it the Knight King and the Conqueror King? Shouldn't it be the Hero King and the Queen of the Land of Shadow?

It's simple: as soon as Gilgamesh's group left, the restless Iskandar sought out Artoria.

"My opponent has already been decided, Knight King, it is you. The time is now, the place is here, and we will begin immediately."

"Hey, hey, what are you up to this time?"

Waver and Faker were on the verge of losing it. One storm had barely passed, and another was already brewing.

"As the Hero King said, we will settle the grudge from ten years ago." Iskandar's expression was solemn, without a hint of jest.

"Knight King, ten years ago I denied your ideals, path, and very right to be king. I still remember the look in your eyes back then—you must have hated me, even resented me."

This could be considered one of Artoria's greatest dark moments in history. Now that it was being brought up again, the Knight King didn't seem particularly agitated; instead, she spoke with nostalgia and relief.

"Yes, that did happen. At the time, I was shaken, and I did harbor negative feelings toward you. However, I no longer do. Although it's only partial, the encounter with you ten years ago catalyzed me to let go of everything. From that perspective, I should thank you, Conqueror King."

Iskandar rubbed his chin and smacked his lips.

"Oh, it seems you're not just putting on a brave face. You've really changed quite a bit. But you still refuse to join my army."

"That's because I don't agree with your way of kingship. Conqueror King, my evaluation of you hasn't changed. You are a tyrant, a plunderer, a conqueror. Even if you were to step down from the throne, I would not stand alongside someone like you."

"Then what is your conviction? Is it still justice?"

To this question, Artoria shook her head seriously.

"No, it's protection. As a king, I protected my people. As a Servant, I protect my Master. As a human, I protect the ones who are important to me."

Iskandar nodded in understanding.

"As I thought, my judgment was correct. I am conquest, and you are protection. I am the spear, and you are the shield—natural opposites. So let's see whether your shield of protection is stronger, or my spear of conquest is sharper."

Artoria didn't answer immediately but instead glanced slightly to the side, looking at the Emiya family beside her.

Just like ten years ago, Irisviel gazed at her with trusting eyes. Her new Master, Illya, waved her little fists to cheer her on, and even Kiritsugu, with whom she never got along, softly muttered, "Do your best."

With that, there was no more hesitation. Weren't those the people she wanted to protect? And for the one fighting on a distant battlefield, she couldn't afford to lose either.

"Then let's fight, Conqueror King."

"I won't hold back—gather, my companions! My comrades! My fellow warriors!"

In response to Iskandar's words, a whirlwind blew in.

It was a hot, dry wind, like a blazing inferno. In the nighttime forest, within the courtyard surrounded by castle walls where such a wind should never exist, it howled as if blowing in from a scorching desert.

This wind eroded, overturned reality.

It transformed the exterior of the winter castle into a vast land covered by a searing flood of sand.

Then, from across time and space, the spirits of Iskandar's comrades descended.

One Rider after another, Servants gathered into an army of thousands, all rallying under the Conqueror King's banner, gazing toward the mirage-obscured horizon.

This was Iskandar's greatest pride, his final trump card: the peerless army that once trampled across three continents—the Noble Phantasm: Ionioi Hetairoi (Army of the King).

Even those witnessing it for the first time were stunned. No matter what great deeds a hero or warrior had accomplished, no matter what authority a ruler wielded, they could not resist being captivated by this crystallization of faith, this indelible bond.

Even Artoria and the others, who had seen this army before, couldn't help but feel their hearts waver. Whether you agreed with Iskandar or not, you had to admit his greatness as a king. He was one of the most famous rulers in human history, a fact no one could deny!

The mighty soldiers marched forward with powerful strides, forming the Macedonian Phalanx, a formation that had left a profound mark on military history.

The equally famous Companion Cavalry appeared as well, guarding the flanks of the infantry, from which the name Companions originated.

At the center of the infantry formation and cavalry support stood the Conqueror King's war chariot, led by Bucephalus, his legendary steed, which had also ascended with him to the rank of Heroic Spirit.

Following him, other legendary warriors and founding monarchs, powerful enough to be ranked as top-tier Heroic Spirits, appeared one after another.

The world-renowned Seven Bodyguards, the God of War, and kings recorded in history.

It wasn't just military officials and generals; even the civil servants loyal to Iskandar were present.

The greatest philosopher and scientist in Greek history, Aristotle.

The secretary Eumenes.

Priests who played vital roles in the divine order and spread wisdom.

They all surrounded their king, all facing the lone girl knight who stood opposite the army—Artoria. As the world changed, the positions of those gathered shifted.

Fiore and the other Masters and Servants had been moved far off to a place where they wouldn't be affected by the army, while Artoria had been relocated to the center of the scorching desert, where she faced the Conqueror King's thousands of soldiers alone.

"Knight King, don't say I'm bullying you with numbers. This is what conquest and domination are."

"I understand."

Artoria's face showed no fear. Though she stood alone with a single sword, she exuded the aura of someone who would fearlessly charge forward against countless adversaries.

In her lifetime, she had often fought against overwhelming odds, creating a legacy of constant victories and undefeated miracles.

"What spirit!"

Iskandar praised her without hesitation.

"But spirit and conviction both need sufficient power to back them up. Can you withstand it? My army, and you, alone!"

"How could I know without trying?"

The golden sword radiated the light of victory, and the holy lance, still in its sealed state, began to resonate in response.

Even at Camlann Hill, in the face of such a dire crisis, she had never given up, so why would she now?

This was the source of the undefeated king's strength, the key to performing miracles of victory.

And now, the miracle would happen once more.

Just as the Knight King was prepared to charge alone, against overwhelming odds, a voice suddenly rang out.

"She's not alone! Artoria has never fought alone."

In the next moment, the world, shaped by the beliefs of thousands, began to change.