"In that case, I shall consider you friends, and together, we shall enjoy the pleasures of conquering the world!"
Iskandar's declaration stunned not only Ailin but also Artoria and Diarmuid. This… this man who had interrupted their fight… was he seriously trying to recruit them?
Ailin was speechless. He'd known Iskandar's intention was to gather powerful Servants under his banner, to conquer the world once he obtained the Grail. This was why Ailin had used his "Getsuga Jūjishō" as a show of force, hoping to deter Iskandar. But Iskandar… even after having his Noble Phantasm destroyed, he still had the audacity to propose such a thing.
"Don't be absurd, King of Conquerors!" As Ailin had predicted, Artoria was the first to react. She pointed her invisible blade at Iskandar. "I am the King of Britain. I will not serve another."
"Oh? How unexpected." Iskandar stroked his chin. "I hadn't realized the famed King Arthur was such a young lady. My apologies." He then turned to Diarmuid. "And you, Lancer?"
"I'm sorry, King of Conquerors, but I have already pledged my loyalty to my Master in this Holy Grail War. I cannot serve another. To suggest otherwise is an insult, one I will not tolerate."
"Ah, what a pity…" Iskandar sighed, but didn't press the matter. He understood Diarmuid's stance. As a knight, to betray his liege would be a violation of his code of honor. It would lead to a fight to the death.
He looked at Ailin. "And you, Ailin? Won't you pledge your loyalty to me?"
"You're amusing, Iskandar." Ailin shook his head. "You may be a remarkable king in this world, but to me… you, King Arthur, and even the King of Heroes from last night… you are all small-minded, your vision limited. Even your kingdoms, your people… they are no more than a single city or town in my world. I cannot fathom your ignorance, to suggest I serve you."
Ailin's words were a blatant insult. Both Iskandar and Artoria's faces darkened. He hadn't simply dismissed Iskandar, he'd belittled them all. The mighty Macedonian and British empires, reduced to mere towns… were they, in his eyes, simply mayors?
"Tch! Another ignorant whelp who dares to claim kingship without understanding the world's vastness. And who are you calling small-minded and limited?"
Golden light coalesced on a nearby lamppost, materializing into Gilgamesh, clad in golden armor. Dozens of golden spatial ripples appeared behind him, the tips of countless Noble Phantasms emerged and pointed at Ailin.
"Why so angry, Gilgamesh, King of Heroes? Perhaps… I struck a nerve?" Unfazed by Gilgamesh's threat, Ailin continued his mockery. "There's a saying where I come from: 'Lies don't hurt. The truth cuts deep.' You may be the oldest king in this world, Gilgamesh, but in mine… you're nothing special. And a king who lacks even basic decorum, who resorts to insults… I doubt your subjects are any better."
"Mongrel!" Gilgamesh roared. The Noble Phantasms behind him turned into golden light and shot towards Ailin.
This time, Ailin didn't use his Unlimited Blade Works. He brandished his dual-wielded Zanpakutō and charged towards the incoming Noble Phantasms.
"Dance, Elucidator! Dance, Dark Repulser!"
His ordinary Asauchi transformed into two distinct single-handed straight swords, one black, one white.
"Starburst Stream!"
BOOM!
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Starburst Stream was the combined technique of Elucidator and Dark Repulser, two Zanpakutō forged from the "sword element" of Kirito's blades in Sword Art Online. Because they shared the same origin, Ailin's Unlimited Blade Works recognized them as a single, dual-wielded weapon. In their materialized form, they even resembled Kirito.
In the Soul Society, these blades had helped Ailin secure the Royal Seal, defeating Kensei Muguruma, the Sixth Division captain. And now, in this new world, they shone once more.
"Impossible!"
Both Artoria and Diarmuid gasped, seeing Ailin's transformation. Not only them, but Iskandar and the hidden observers were equally shocked. They hadn't forgotten Ailin's clash with Gilgamesh the previous night. He, too, possessed countless weapons. But only Gilgamesh had unleashed a Noble Phantasm, Gungnir. Thus, he'd been deemed the strongest Servant. But now… Ailin was also unleashing his weapons' true names? And each one seemed to possess a different form, a different ability. This meant… he, too, was a top-tier Servant, comparable to Gilgamesh!
No, perhaps he was even stronger. Artoria was confident that, in close combat, she and Diarmuid together could defeat Gilgamesh. But they had lost to Ailin in a purely swordsmanship-based duel. Even after unleashing their Noble Phantasms, they hadn't forced him to reveal his true power.
Elucidator and Dark Repulser, speed-focused Zanpakutō, enhanced Ailin's Agility upon release. Even without Mana Burst, his Agility now reached A+ rank, matching Diarmuid's.
Starburst Stream, one of their signature techniques, unleashed a sixteen-hit combo at blinding speed.
Ailin's blades blurred as it deflected Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasms. He charged towards Gilgamesh, closing the distance rapidly.
"Mongrel!" Seeing his attack fail, Gilgamesh's rage intensified. Hundreds of golden spatial ripples filled the sky, a torrent of Noble Phantasms began descending upon Ailin like a storm.
Ailin grinned. In the Soul Society, he was the one who unleashed such barrages. Now, in this new world, he was on the receiving end. He would show these Heroic Spirits what true power meant.
He returned Elucidator and Dark Repulser to his Unlimited Blade Works. A blackish-red spatial ripple appeared before him. He drew a battered Zanpakutō that was scarred and worn.
"Devour, Nozarashi!"
BOOM!
Blackish-red spiritual pressure erupted from Ailin, forming a pillar hundreds of meters high. Its sheer intensity made it difficult to breathe.
"Such immense magical energy…" The shockwaves from Ailin's spiritual pressure, while weaker than those generated by his earlier fight with Artoria and Diarmuid, were far more terrifying. This was pure, unfocused power.
"Ugh…" Irisviel, within Ailin's Shihō Dankū, gagged, her eyes wide with disbelief. As the vessel for the Lesser Grail, her own magical energy reserves surpassed any magus. But even she felt nauseated by this immense power. It was unthinkable… the Grail itself was recoiling from magical energy…
BOOM!
As Ailin's spiritual pressure subsided, his Zanpakutō transformed. The ordinary Asauchi was now a massive, axe-like blade, its sheer size suggesting it could cleave through anything.
"How terrifying…" Irisviel whispered. Could Kiritsugu defeat such a powerful Servant? Could he obtain his wish?
Facing the rain of Noble Phantasms descending upon him, Ailin grinned. This… this was what it meant to be a Berserker. Wielding Zaraki's blade… it felt right.
He swung Nozarashi.
The world seemed to fall silent.
Then, the descending Noble Phantasms exploded mid-air like fireworks.
A massive gash appeared in the sky, as if it had been cleaved in two. The fiery explosions from the destroyed Noble Phantasms vanished without a trace, the clouds above scattered, revealing a clear, starlit sky.
"Such power…" Diarmuid gaped. Even in his prime, as Saber, wielding both blades, he couldn't unleash such destructive force.
Iskandar felt a chill. If that attack had been directed at him, not only his chariot and Bucephalus, but he himself would have been obliterated. Still, he didn't lose his confidence. Such powerful Noble Phantasms consumed vast amounts of magical energy. Even with immense reserves, how many times could Berserker unleash such an attack? Once his Master's magical energy ran dry, his strength would plummet. And Iskandar's "Ionioi Hetairoi" was the perfect counter to a Berserker. He could win.
Artoria, too, was awestruck by the sheer power of Ailin's attack. Even she would have to unleash Excalibur's true name to achieve such destructive force.
"Mongrel! You have angered me!"
Gilgamesh's attack failed. A golden spatial ripple appeared before him. He drew a strange-looking sword. It was Ea, the Sword of Rupture, one of the most powerful Noble Phantasms in the Type-Moon world.
"Finally," Ailin muttered.