The night after the death of Assassin's clone, Kariya and I weren't far from the Mion River bridge. The bridge's name was Big Bridge, or Great Bridge, translated from English.
The wide bridge spanning the crescent-shaped Mion River stretches majestically for over 665 meters, arching with a diameter of more than three roads.
The top of the arch is over 50 meters high. Anyone standing that high and hit by the full force of the sea wind would lose their footing and fall into the river below, unable to climb back up without great skills and a lifeline.
The bridge truly seemed much larger in person than it did in the anime.
"Is there a Servant there, Bel?"
"There is, Master. Besides the Servant who's been luring the other Servants all afternoon, there's another Servant at the top of the bridge with their Master."
"It's a trap."
"That's what it seems like. Unless the Master of the Servant who spent 4 hours luring the other Servants is an idiot. Any skilled enough Caster could launch an attack against their Master. The same goes for an Assassin, who'd have a chance to kill the nearby Master without confronting the Servant directly. They're easy prey."
"But Assassin is already dead, Bel."
"Hmm… true, he's dead. But that doesn't change how foolish the Master of that Servant is for drawing all the Servants directly to them. With such a strong trail for over 4 hours, all the Servants already know their location and are just watching from afar. Any Servant in spiritual form could approach and kill them."
I know Lancer's Master was very arrogant. But what he's doing is foolish; he's practically begging for an Assassin or Caster to kill him.
I could approach and kill him myself, eliminating Lancer without a direct fight.
"It's a shame you can't enter spiritual form, Bel."
"That's something I can't help. We can only fight the other Servants and Masters directly."
"A-and I'm not a very good Master."
"Don't worry about that, Master. Mistakes are normal; they always happen. Making mistakes is what makes us human, isn't it, Master?"
"Yes, you're right, Bel."
As a Living Servant, I'm unable to enter a spiritual form. Although I can still dematerialize my clothes and staff, it's impossible for my body to be dematerialized.
"It looks like it's about to start, Master."
"Another Servant?"
"Yes. They're heading to the port with the other Servant."
"Is it Tohsaka's Servant?"
"No. If Archer is here, he's still hiding, watching silently."
"If Tohsaka's Servant shows up, kill him, Berserker."
"Understood, Master. If Archer appears, I'll kill him."
Up to what level of Gilgamesh's attack can my Shield withstand without my staff to amplify my Vibrations?
A smile crept onto my lips. I'm genuinely excited to test my power against the King of Heroes.
*****
There was a vast seaside park on the opposite bank of the great bridge crossing the Mion River.
Late at night, two people strolled along the solitary walkway with no one else around. The north wind blowing from the sea flowed gently and uninterruptedly, spreading through Irisviel's long silver hair like the trail of a shooting star. In this place, couples who date hate the cold of winter nights and only come in the summer, but Irisviel, seeing the sea for the first time, didn't mind the cold, as she was already accustomed to it from her home.
"We should have come here when it wasn't dark…"
Simply gazing at the sea at night filling the gloomy darkness, Saber, the Sword Servant, said this in an apologetic tone. But Irisviel von Einzbern was carefree, focusing on the horizon that had sunk into darkness.
"It's fine. The sea at night is beautiful too. It reflects the night sky."
Hearing the endless roar of the waves, Irisviel's smile was plastered across her face. As she had greatly enjoyed today's walk, her fair cheeks were flushed. She looked more like a young girl than a married woman with a child, with her innocent and naive smile.
"I really had no idea… that walking through an unfamiliar city as a couple with a gentleman would be such a pleasant experience."
"Was my imitation of a gentleman satisfactory?"
While Irisviel rejoiced, Saber teased her with a sarcastic tone, unusual for the stubborn Heroic Spirit.
"Abundantly. It was impeccable. Saber, today, you were an excellent knight."
"You honor me, princess."
The young Saber in a dark suit bowed courteously before her. Irisviel felt a bit embarrassed, turning her head toward the sea.
"Saber, do you like the sea?"
"In my time, in my country… what lay beyond the sea was always the enemy. It was annoying and not very appealing."
"I see…"
At Saber's response, Irisviel's expression grew slightly clouded.
"…It's hard to forgive. You're a woman like me. For you, who lived as King Arthur, dating gentlemen wasn't something suitable to enjoy."
"Well, yes, that's how it was."
Saber shrugged, smiling indifferently. She didn't regret setting aside her femininity. Instead, her small chest was filled with pride for leading the battlefield.
"But you, Irisviel, wouldn't you rather stroll through the city with Kiritsugu instead of me?"
This time, it was Irisviel's face that was crossed by a smile.
"He… can't do that. He'd be hurt by conflicting feelings."
Not understanding the meaning of her response, Saber gave a puzzled look.
"Kiritsugu can't enjoy the time he spends with you?"
"No, that's not it. He'd surely enjoy it as much as I do… That's why he can't. He's someone for whom happiness is pain."
"…"
Carefully analyzing these words, Saber tried to understand the contradiction of the man called Emiya Kiritsugu.
"…He's a man who can't value his happiness, is that the weakness he carries?"
"Maybe so. That man is always punishing himself deep down. If he wants to keep chasing his dream, he has to keep a cold heart."
With a distant gaze, Irisviel looked at the sea. Thinking of her husband, who was hidden somewhere in the city, preparing for the same goal.
Saber reflected on these words for a moment.
…Today, the conversation had shifted to an unexpected topic after the sea. Even though they intended for the day to end on a pleasant note.
Indifferently, Saber grabbed and pulled Irisviel's arm. With just that gesture, Irisviel settled down and exchanged a glance with Saber.
"…An enemy Servant?"
"Yes."
The sensation didn't change. Disguised, a hundred meters to the side, he left clear signs as a provocation. He was clearly aware of Saber's presence but didn't close the distance, slowly moving away.
"He seems to be inviting us."
"Hmm. That's honest. Does he want to choose the battlefield?"
Without any trace of tension in her voice, Irisviel remained calm while responding. In this battle situation, this was proof of her complete faith in Saber. This made Saber reassess her internal judgment in favor of her mistress.
"It seems the opponent has the same expectations as us. Making the opponent bite the bait left on display… He's a Servant seeking a frontal fight, just like you, Saber, isn't he?"
"That would be a Lancer or Rider Class. He's a direct opponent."
Upon hearing Saber nod, Irisviel returned a fearless smile.
"Then, shall we accept the invitation?"
"I wish for the same."
It's dangerous to blindly bite the bait and follow the enemy to a battlefield of their advantage. But Saber isn't the fragile type who fears such tricks, and her mistress doesn't underestimate her Servant either.
The enemy's traces were growing more distant, and Saber began to walk with calm confidence.
Irisviel, following in the same manner, pressed the button of a palm-sized device hidden in her pocket. It was a transmission machine entrusted by Kiritsugu,washed away, a device to track Irisviel's group via a different route.
It was a mechanized device that worked without Magical Energy, deliberately chosen by Kiritsugu.
Irisviel trusted Saber's power. Any enemy of a lower rank than Saber they encountered would be killed in the blink of an eye with a single sword strike from her proud Servant… that was the easy outcome she expected.
As much as possible… she wanted her knight to end the fight before Kiritsugu entered the battle.
*****
At the top of the Big Bridge, Waver Velvet had no lifeline, clinging only with his arms and legs, so naturally, he was sacrificing the dignity and composure he usually maintained as a Clock Tower mage.
Right beside him, his Servant Rider sat cross-legged with his infuriating dignity.
"Ri, Ri, der, quick… Let's get down… Now!"
With his teeth chattering constantly from the cold and terror, Waver's whining voice was like the wind blowing to the giant Servant.
"This place is perfect for a lookout. Well, this isn't the time for fancy sightseeing in a high place."
With a bottle of wine in hand, sipping occasionally, Rider rambled while looking at the west bank of the bridge, toward the vast seaside park hidden from the estuary.
Waver couldn't see it, but what Rider was looking at… were the traces a Servant had left for 4 hours.
Rider had been wandering the streets in search of enemy contact, but he only noticed that Servant late in the afternoon.
While considering whether to attack him immediately, Rider kept watching from a distance without moving forward.
When Waver asked about it, Rider responded with a snort.
"He's clearly luring us. For him not to come after us, that's strange. And it's not just me; other Servants must be studying his behavior. An impatient Master would simply get tired of waiting at some point, or something like that. That's what we should expect."
Although Rider spoke wise words, three days ago, he wanted to attack the Tohsaka or Matou residences when the Holy Grail War officially began, the moment Waver received news from the church of the last Servant's summoning through the Command Seal on his hand, Caster.
But undoubtedly, Rider's plan had no openings that Waver could see. On the contrary, it was unexpected. This open-minded giant Servant could actually devise cunning tactics.
In fact, as Rider said, only a defenseless fool would bite the bait and accept the challenge.
Those who fell for it would just end up fighting each other and reducing the count.
No matter how self-confident a provocative Servant might be, anyone other than Rider going for a fight would be a good trip. Whoever lost, Rider could crush the winner. There was definitely profit in others' fights.
So, once that was decided, it became a matter of perseverance.
Keeping a fixed distance from the wandering Servant's traces aimlessly roaming the city, Waver and Rider followed and were still observing.
However, there are obvious reasons to take a high vantage point, but there are limits. No matter the Servants, Waver, with his flesh-and-blood body, would definitely die if he fell Collateral fell.
It shouldn't be possible to ignore this, so how was it that this giant cared so little about Waver's safety?
"C-c-come down! N-no, come down! I-I'm done!"
"Ah, wait. You're such a restless guy. Sitting and waiting is part of the battle too."
Sipping his wine bottle, Rider didn't even glance at Waver's half-crying face as he responded so casually.
"High places are dangerous."
Such common sense still hadn't sunk in between the two.
"If you're bored, read the book I gave you. It's a good book."
Hearing this, Waver remembered the stupid weight in the backpack hanging on his shoulder.
In this situation where they shouldn't carry a single unnecessary gram, the thick, hardcover poetry anthology was truly dead weight.
It was the only book Rider stole from the library he broke into as soon as he arrived in the modern world. The Iliad, written by the ancient Greek poet Homer… the epic poem describing the Trojan War, where gods and humans fought.
'The Atlas might be fine. Exaggerating about world conquest, Rider takes an interest in modern world geography, even if it seems silly. But what's with a poetry anthology? Rider set up a library at home, though he was preparing for war, yet he still insisted on bringing the Iliad with him.'
Naturally, if Rider wanted to bring something other than his usual equipment, he'd need to stay materialized; if he needed to dematerialize to hide from others, it'd be Waver who'd end up carrying the luggage.
'Surely, Rider insisted the book was war preparation. But how could a book that's not even about war strategy be useful on the battlefield?'
Thinking about what Rider was doing, Waver asked bitterly.
"Rider… Why did you bring this book?"
To Waver's bitter question, the Heroic Spirit responded with a grave expression.
"The Iliad is very profound. At the height of battle, I suddenly feel like reading a verse of poetry. In a moment like that, I feel bad if I can't reread something immediately."
"…"
He felt his interlocutor gave him a foolish answer, but fear kept him from responding.
"In a moment like that, you mean… In battle?"
"Yes."
Rider nodded indifferently, as if his answer were perfectly normal.
"…But how?"
"With my left hand, when I'm holding my sword with my right hand. If I need to hold the reins with my left hand, I take a page to read aloud."
"…"
Waver felt speechless at the unimaginable response.
"You're kidding, right?"
"Of course, you idiot."
He laughed and flicked Waver's forehead explosively.
"Gyaah!!"
He had no time to worry, let alone dodge. Anyway, there he was, clinging to the steel structure with all his strength, arms and legs. Waver couldn't even rub his aching forehead, only letting out an improper scream.
"Hey, kid, anyone would laugh at a joke like that. When your face turns blue like that, it's because you've got no guts."
Ignoring Rider's hearty laughter, the mage deeply regretted choosing this Heroic Spirit while shedding tears of pain from his forehead.
"I want to go back… back to England…"
"I told you not to rush like that. Look, things are finally getting better."
"…Eh?"
Rider pointed to the seaside park with a stern jaw.
"Even I, the King of Conquerors, only noticed now, but… yes, it seems there was another Servant in this park besides us."
"So, so…"
"They both seem to be heading toward the port. This is a provocation. That's it… let's study their fight."
Before anyone noticed, his eyes began to gleam with the sharp glint of a beast as he let out a menacing laugh. He was still just a spectator, but the soul of the Heroic Spirit Alexander was already on the battlefield.
In Waver's heart, unable to move on the steel structure, Waver's misery was overtaking the sense of reliability he should have felt from Rider. Besides, he was mostly thinking that nothing would matter if he fell off the bridge anyway.
The west bank of the seaside park stretched along a row of dull warehouses.
The block, containing port facilities, also served as a wall separating the eastern industrial area of Fuyuki.
At night, pedestrian traffic ceased, and the streetlights shone uselessly on the asphalt, leaving the scene even emptier. Unmanned cranes faced the dark sea, like a sinister flock of giant fossilized dinosaurs.
In fact, this was a suitable place for Servants who must fight hidden from public view.
That night, the eyes of all the Servants were watching the port docks when two Servants stood face-to-face.