Chapter 153: Taboo

"Well, well! Long time no see!" Although other than his appearance, there was nothing identical to before—especially his gaze, which was now filled with emotions that were originally absent—the Conqueror recognized that this opponent was precisely the assassin from last time. Though he was extremely curious about what kind of thing could have changed the man to make him become the way he was now, this was hardly the time for idle chatter. He grabbed the longsword at his waist and slashed it fiercely above his head. In an instant, space was torn apart, and simultaneously, the chariot crackling with lightning responded to its master's call and reappeared once more upon the battlefield.

"Indeed, long time no see, Rider and Rider's Master," Kiritsugu also offered a greeting, remaining completely unaware of the ghost-like expressions on the faces of the other two.

"What is going on here? Not only Heracles, but even Kiritsugu-papa didn't die!" It was the figures of the duo once more. Their previous attack had been extremely rushed, and after being ambushed, the two had retreated directly, which was why they hadn't seen Kiritsugu and Irisviel standing behind Heracles. This time, however, Irisviel had brought Illya back to stay temporarily in their former castle, and Kiritsugu had intended to take the two of them to meet Shirou the next day. While he was out scouting ahead, he had suddenly detected the magical fluctuations of an ongoing battle and naturally rushed over with Heracles.

"How about it? One for each of us?" Although Rider was confident he could wipe out the two fellows ahead, since reinforcements had already arrived, it wouldn't do for him to hog all the glory, so he naturally made the suggestion to Heracles.

"No problem. But don't you think this is too boring? Let's race to see who is faster!" Heracles drew the longsword that Poseidon had given him back when he subdued the serpentine monster and charged straight ahead.

"Hey, hey, that's foul play!" With that exclamation, Rider sharply pulled on the reins, and the chariot bestowed by Zeus surged violently forward amidst crackling thunder.

"What should we do, Kun?" The injured man from the previous battle instinctively stepped forward to shield the other.

"It's all right, Peng, we can win this!" As those words fell, a strange counter suddenly materialized behind them.

"Are we really going to use it?" Though a trace of reluctance lingered within his gaze, there was no regret—only a faint, lingering sorrow.

"Of course. Weren't we waiting precisely for this day?" Both of them possessed realistic self-awareness; even by combining their strength, they could at most eliminate a relatively weak Servant. Facing two opponents who stood at the absolute apex even among all Heroic Spirits, they naturally abandoned all conventional methods and chose their ultimate trump card instead. And the price for such a trump card was unimaginably terrifying.

"Naturally." Then, an event occurred that thoroughly blinded the four of them—or rather, the two humans and two Servants.

Once the box resembling a counter opened, it became wreathed in strange particles. As Heroic Spirits, Rider and Uncle B could naturally sense the unspeakable danger radiating from it, and each of them quickly retreated with their respective Master or proxy Master beyond the range of the particle interference.

"Ah!" *x2*

Two gasps of breath instantly made the hair on the bodies of the four stand on end. Then, both of their bodies seemed to be dismantled by the particles; first, their clothing and equipment vanished entirely, and subsequently, their physical forms slowly dissolved into particles. Yet, all four could clearly perceive the expression of ultimate ecstasy upon the faces of the two individuals.

Once their forms completely vanished, the particles abruptly erupted in a violent explosion, forcing all four to shield their eyes to fend off the blinding glare.

"This is!" Waver was the first to cry out in astonishment, for his specialized magic was intimately tied to light itself, making him the fastest to recover his vision. When he laid eyes on the entity before him, even as an exceptional mage of the Clock Tower, he could not help but let out a blood-curdling shriek.

The other three quickly recovered as well, but upon seeing the sight before them, they could not help but draw in sharp, cold breaths. Only Heracles remained completely calm, which was only fitting for a man who had completed the Twelve Labors.

Upon a body resembling a monstrous beast, countless layers of metal were fused. Though incomprehensible, the rows of chilling cannon barrels clearly demonstrated the sheer threat it posed.

"Haah! It worked! We finally succeeded!" The monster suddenly emitted a strange, synthesized cry. "Even if the world refuses to allow us to be together... we will be together!" Although it sounded like a single voice, listening closely revealed that it was distinctly spliced together from two voices, and at this moment, the four finally comprehended the true nature of the situation.

"In a certain sense, these two fellows are truly worthy of respect," Rider suddenly remarked. Although he had previously mocked them as cowards too afraid to show their faces, for some reason, he now uttered such words.

"Why do you say that?" Although Kiritsugu was no ordinary man, he was ultimately just an assassin. Yet the Conqueror, acting as a king, did not casually dismiss them. Instead, he asked, "Why wouldn't they be worthy of respect? Though these two are different from ordinary people, as long as they can carry out their will to the very end without regret even after losing their physical bodies—aren't these fellows very similar to Caster? Sacrificing everything for a single belief, even if their deeds are despicable, they are still equally worthy of respect."

"Caster, you say?" Kiritsugu took a deep drag from his cigarette and slowly exhaled the smoke. "To be honest, that man is somewhat similar to me... a man who sacrificed everything for a single goal..." Kiritsugu could never forget how he felt when he learned the truth of the Holy Grail, nor the difference after he finally awakened to reality and began living alongside Irisviel.

"No matter what, they are still enemies. Let my army send them off!" Rider's expression was exceptionally stern this time. He raised his longsword once more and brought it down in a fierce slash. A decade later, the Army of the King manifested once more in Fuyuki City, and this time, the enemy was once again enough to make one's blood boil.

The only difference from the past was that Waver, draped in a deep crimson cloak, stood right by Rider's side. He no longer hid behind him as he had ten years ago; instead, alongside the soldiers, he raised the grimoire in his hands.

"Let the pulse-pounding expedition begin anew!" the Conqueror proclaimed in a booming voice, and all the Heroic Spirits raised a thunderous cheer in response.

"What an enviable man," Heracles observed as he stood beside Kiritsugu.

"Indeed. This is already my second Holy Grail War, and he is the only one I cannot quite see through. He clearly acts like a fool, yet countless people follow him. There are countless kings among Heroic Spirits, but few indeed can forge such a bond with their subordinates." Saying this, he could not help but recall his own Servant from the previous Holy Grail War. Although mocked by the other two kings, she had steadfastly clung to her faith, and in the end, her knights had responded to her unwavering persistence.

"Aren't you planning to help out, though? Logically speaking, you two should be splitting the work." Kiritsugu asked with genuine curiosity, knowing that every Heroic Spirit possessed their own persistence and glory.

"It doesn't matter to me anymore. Just being able to witness an army like this is satisfaction enough."