That protagonist is trash; I could do better!

"You are all alone, walking the thorny path to becoming the ideal king, a path that no one envies. You will not see knights following you, friends who understand you, or subjects who admire you."

"A true king is one who lives more authentically than anyone else!"

"Gather the beliefs of all heroes and embark on an expedition with that as our goal!"

"The king is not alone; the king's ideals are the ideals of his subjects!"

"Indeed! Indeed! Indeed!" The warriors of the King's Army behind them responded in unison, displaying a terrifying cohesion centered on the Conqueror King Iskandar. Their firm belief and high morale converged and soared into the sky. No enemy or obstacle could stop the advance of this army.

Rider stood atop the Divine Wheel, sword pointed into the distance, and proclaimed loudly: "The enemy is the invincible Knight King, an enemy worthy of our full strength! Warriors, show our bravery to the King of Ideals!"

"The light shines beyond the world—conquer! Gordius Wheel! (Distant ravage and domination)"

Unleashing the true name of its Noble Phantasm, the chariot burst forth with dazzling blue light, lightning crackled, the bull let out a high-pitched roar, its pupils turned crimson, and lightning flashed between its horns as it charged toward Saber in the distance.

Behind him, a vast army roared and charged forward alongside Rider.

······

This wasn't the first time Saber had been drawn into Rider's inherent barrier. When she first saw this unparalleled army, she was deeply moved and awestruck by the bond between Rider and his subordinates.

Every monarch inevitably feels envy, something she never achieved in her life as a knight-king, pursuing her ideals.

However, she was not swayed by this, nor did she regret the path she had chosen.

Saber gripped the holy sword tightly, his sharp voice echoing across the battlefield: "Rider, this is your path to kingship, responding to the ideals of your subjects, wielding this sword to earn the reverence of all. Truly a remarkable path, a remarkable king!"

"I must also respond with all my might."

The holy sword is raised high, shining brightly. The magic infused into the holy sword transforms into golden light, echoing the unwavering faith of soldiers who sacrificed themselves on the battlefield, transcending time.

Excalibur, a divinely crafted weapon that is among the pinnacle of holy swords, was not created by humans, but rather by a planet using human faith as its raw material and forged within the planet with the most powerful concept of fantasy.

Only the acknowledged king of ideals is qualified to wield it.

“Rider, you’re mistaken about one thing. I’m not alone.”

Bathed in the radiant golden light, the aloof knight king murmured to himself, slowly closing his eyes, feeling the spirits and beliefs of the fallen heroes on the battlefield. They too were weary of war, but for the peace of the nation and to protect the civilians and families behind them, the soldiers went to the battlefield to wield their swords and kill the enemy.

Even if no one envies them, even if it's a road full of thorns, the soldiers still have no regrets.

Their beliefs transcended time and space, converging here, with boundless radiance emanating from the raised holy sword.

Undeterred, we march forward! Victory is our vow!

Its name is—

"Excalibur!"

The holy sword, transformed into a torrent of light, slashed down, and the unstoppable light of faith surged toward the peerless army, engulfing the Riders who were at the forefront.

Chapter 81 The Final Ceremony

"Are you here, Lancer?"

Shinji Matou watched Lancer ascend the steps of Ryudouji Temple. Her body was slender and graceful, and her skin shone with a jade-like glow beneath her purple bodysuit. The bright red magic spear in her hand glowed red, and the intense curse revealed its master's warlike nature.

"What's wrong, Caster? Didn't you make any special preparations for inviting me here? This won't satisfy me. I'm really looking forward to seeing how you'll bring this Holy Grail War to a close," Lancer asked loudly, looking around at his surroundings.

Shinji Matou is indeed very strong, but the Queen of the Land of Shadows does not believe that Shinji Matou can defeat her. Her confidence comes from her pride in her own strength, a pride honed through countless life-and-death battles.

Queen Scáthach of the Land of Shadows, who has lived to this day, has claimed the lives of countless warriors and gods with her cursed spear.

There are no more or fewer Shinji Matou than there are Matou Shinji.

"Queen of the Land of Shadows, of course I'm prepared, and I won't let you down, it's just not here. Come with me." Shinji Matou smiled, bowed, and turned to head towards Ryudou Temple.

In the temple's forecourt, Shinji Matou unleashed a magic circle—a magic ritual already inscribed there—before entering the main gate of the underground cavern.

"We are now heading to the place of our final battle."

“Teleportation magic, alright.” Lancer Scáthach followed Matou Shinji without suspicion.

As the teleportation magic activated, Lancer's vision was shrouded in darkness. When his spirit was re-fixed, the surrounding scenery underwent a dramatic change. As far as the eye could see, there was an endless wilderness, devoid of any life. At the end of the way, there was a platform, and on the platform, a black sun that bred an evil aura.

Malicious magic and nauseating evil filled the space, as if one had entered a hellish abode of demons.

Even the well-traveled Scáthach was stunned by this scene, exclaiming with emotion, "Where is this...?"

"The core of the Holy Grail system."

Lancer stared at the black sun in the sky: "That thing is the Holy Grail? What a ridiculous joke. It's a curse on humanity that evolved from twisted faith. Although it's an imitation, it's just an empty shell. If left unchecked, it will cause a great disaster. Such a thing can't fulfill any wish."

"It was alright before. This Holy Grail was corrupted by the evil of this world. It was indeed just an empty shell. The Holy Grail War became the consciousness that gave this cursed content its contents."

Lancer looked at Shinji Matou beside her and asked, "Caster, are you trying to invite me to join forces to break this curse?"

"Haha."

"Why are you laughing?"

"Didn't I just say that this is the final location of our decisive battle? Although it's underground, the space is still quite open, making it an excellent location for me."

"You don't look like you're crazy."

"What are you talking about, Queen of the Land of Shadows? Aren't you smiling happily too? Such a pure smile, it's as if you can't wait to tear me apart. Let's go, to that high platform. It's not time for us to start a war yet. The riper the fruit, the tastier it is, don't you think so too?"

Shinji Matou glanced at Lancer. Scáthach, the queen of the Land of Shadows, was a battle maniac who showed no fear in the face of the Holy Grail's curse. The smile on her lips was filled with cruel fighting spirit.

"I am looking forward."

The Holy Grail has already absorbed the souls of three Servants, and it only needs two more to activate. The ritual can be completed by either Saber or Rider leaving the field, along with Shinji Matou himself.

Human evil will possess Shinji Matou, descending upon him in the form of Angora Manuel.

······

Within the bounded field, a roaring torrent of light engulfed more than half of the army, the desert was instantly evaporated, and a large amount of sand melted into magma. This sword seemed to have cleaved the entire mental world in two.

Amidst the billowing dust, Rider charged out on his steed, his brow furrowed with rage. Raising his broadsword high, he roared, "All troops, heed my command! Launch! Don't let her unleash her Noble Phantasm a second time!"

His divine weapon, Divine Wheel, was destroyed by the torrent of light. He had to abandon Divine Wheel to escape the destructive range of the holy sword.

Lightning swirled around Rider, generating blue javelins that were hurled towards Saber.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

Behind her, tens of thousands of soldiers raised their javelins and hurled them toward Saber. The javelins rained down like a storm, their magic transforming them into streaks of golden light, their speed and power increasing dramatically.

The weapons thrown by the Servants exceeded conventional concepts. Each javelin was no less powerful than a cannonball, and when it landed on the desert, it blasted a huge crater and stirred up a sandstorm. Its power was no less than that of an anti-military Noble Phantasm.

Instead of retreating, Saber advanced, his holy sword gleaming fiercely as he cleaved through the rain of javelins. With a burst of power, he charged towards the army.

"Has she gone mad? She actually wants to break through head-on and fight against all the soldiers of the King's Army!" Weber, sitting on horseback, stared in astonishment at this scene.

“Don’t underestimate the Knight Queen. In her time, war was commonplace, yet the Knight Queen never suffered a defeat. Even my army has never encountered such a formidable enemy,” Rider said solemnly, as soldiers behind him charged past the two, blocking Saber’s path.

The petite blue figure rushed into the heart of the army, surrounded by a dense swarm of soldiers, looking as if she were courting death.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Saber swung his holy sword, cleaving the steel sword in two, and to the soldier's astonishment, split his body in two.

Click~

The arm armor blocked the greatsword coming from another direction, and the blade spun, decapitating the soldier wielding the greatsword.

As countless spears thrust forward, he swung his holy sword horizontally, unleashing a torrent of light that swept across a large group of soldiers.

Nothing can rival the Holy Sword. Even the most skilled warriors cannot match its power; their weapons are barely harder than wood in its presence.

A single, decisive strike!

One strike, and the kill is assured!

Just like in her previous life, Saber was already familiar with the feeling of killing. Warm blood stained Saber's armor, and the dragon essence flowed within her body, restoring her magic power with every breath. Avalon within her body continuously healed her injuries.

She is a dragon, she is an army; the number of soldiers is meaningless in front of her.

If the soldiers were real humans, Saber would leave corpses strewn across the desert wherever she went, staining it with blood.

"A true overlord doesn't just hide behind soldiers; otherwise, this battle would be too boring."

Rider grabbed his Master by the collar and put him on the ground: "I cannot protect you in the upcoming battle with Saber. It is my duty as a king to meet the expectations of my subjects, and it is your duty as a subject to witness the king's dream and live to tell the story to future generations."

“Live on, my friend, Weber Velvet.”

Weber paused, tears welling in his eyes, then nodded vigorously: "I understand. Go, bring me victory, my king!"

Rider, holding the reins, commanded, "Let's go, Busifalas!"

Chapter 82 The Battle of the Two Kings

“AAAALALALALALALALA~!”

Rider roared, riding his tall steed, brandishing his broadsword and charging into the battlefield with an invincible aura. Lightning covered the blade, and when it struck down, it was like the wrath of a god. The blinding lightning exploded in an instant, dimming the sun.

Rumble~

With the power of lightning, Rider's strength instantly increased by a level, comparable to an A+ level. He struck the holy sword heavily, as if to crush its petite body.

"Conqueror King!"

Saber struggled to hold on with his holy sword, the immense pressure transmitted to the desert, creating a crater around him, the sand scorched black by the lightning.

The ability to control lightning comes from Iskandar, the Conqueror, who in many Greek mythologies is the son of Zeus, the supreme god. He possesses divinity, and it is because of this that he was defeated by Archer.

Archer's Chains of Heaven is the bane of all Servants possessing divinity.

Swords clashed, light clashed, and after dozens of exchanges, Rider burst into laughter: "Hahaha, tonight is the longest night! King of Knights, I am in better shape than ever before, because I have my most trusted friend behind me, who will witness tonight's duel!"

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Rider, seated on horseback, unleashed a series of powerful strikes, each sword imbued with the force of thunder. His beloved horse, Bousifaras, shielded him from Saber's attacks, allowing him to focus solely on suppressing Saber's offensive space and creating opportunities for his soldiers to launch a pincer attack.

"Throw your spears!"

Spears were arrayed, shields pressed together, and under the command of the God of War, they thrust at Saber from all directions.

Every inch longer brings danger; with the Riders pressing from the front and the Macedonian phalanx looming from the rear, the encirclement was unavoidable.

Despite Saber's formidable strength, she still struggles to contend with an elite army in melee combat, especially with Rider's support. Rider's inherent skills, [Leadership] and [Military Strategy], further enhance the power of the King's Army soldiers.

"The battle situation is unfavorable to us. The surrounding soldiers are moving more quickly and their formations are more orderly. Is this due to the Conqueror King's inherent skill as a Servant? If so, we should disrupt their formation and kill the king first!"