One soul, two twins, the other half is Bronya

Amid Gilgamesh's ridicule, the Emperor also expressed his opinion to Saber, "You are wrong. It is not the king who sacrifices himself, but the country and the people who sacrifice themselves for the king. It is definitely not the other way around."

"What? Wouldn't that be the rule of a tyrant?"

"It is precisely because we are tyrants that we become heroes. But Saber, if you regret your rule, you will be nothing more than a tyrant, worse than a tyrant!"

"Iskander..."

Then, due to a conflict in philosophy, Saber and the Emperor engaged in a heated debate - Saber believed that a king should sacrifice himself for his ideals, but the Emperor did not think so.

"A king without desires is worse than a vase!"

As the words clashed, the Emperor's tone grew increasingly high. "Saber, you said 'sacrifice for your ideals.' I presume you were once an upright and honest saint, right?"

"A king is one who possesses the greatest greed, laughs the most cheerfully, and rages the most. It is precisely because of this that his subjects envy him, become obsessed with him, and ignite their longing for the 'king'..."

Finally, the Emperor turned the topic to Britain's ending, dealing a critical blow to Saber, "You have been saving your subjects without any guidance, never showing the 'king's desire', and leaving your confused subjects unattended..."

"So you are not a true king, but merely a little girl bound by an idol called 'King' that exists only for others."

"I……"

This was a true devastating blow. The words of the once loyal knight, "The King does not understand the heart of man," and the outcome of the Battle of Camlan, resurfaced in her mind, deeply stinging her heart.

"Hey, can you let me say a few words?"

The argument was over, Saber was completely defeated, and at this time Bai Ye finally spoke and greeted the kings.

Saber was still in a daze; Gilgamesh's words were not directed at Bai Ye, but he didn't want to pay attention to him; he had to be the emperor, so he agreed generously.

"Although I've never been a king, I believe that the way of kingship should be an extension of one's own will, and there shouldn't be any distinction between high and low."

"Every king is a man of steadfast resolve, and his personal way of ruling should not be dictated by others, but..."

Bai Ye paused for a moment and turned his gaze to Saber, "Saber, regarding your wish, even an outsider like me can see that it's probably wrong."

220. The End of the Banquet

"Saber, that period of history is an epic poem written by you and your subjects. You want to erase that history without authorization. Have you asked them for their opinion?"

"You are the Knight King. No matter what others think of you, it cannot change the fact and glory of your being a king. However, the only thing you cannot do is deny yourself!"

Bai Ye's tone gradually became higher. "Remember what I said before? Although I am not from the future, I do know many things that many other people don't know."

"Whether it's Gawain, Agrawen... or Lancelot, the Knights of the Round Table have always believed in you, Saber. They have always admired that holy king."

"But I..."

But for a long time, restoring the country has almost become Saber's obsession, and it is not something that can be dispelled by just a few words from anyone.

"You know what, Saber? In your time, there probably won't be another king better than you."

As he spoke, Bai Ye raised a hand to signal Saber to be quiet, and continued to tell the secrets of the world, "In fact, the destruction of Britain is inevitable and cannot be changed."

"boom--!"

Don't just say things like that. Saber slammed the table and stood up angrily, "What gives you the right to say that?"

"He told you, didn't he? Although that guy's personality... putting that aside, he's still a candidate for the Grand Prix after all, so he knows a lot of things."

"When you say 'he', you mean..."

"Who else could it be? You already have the answer in your heart, don't you?"

Bai Ye smiled at Saber and continued, "That guy knew all along, but he never told you anything. So after the Battle of Jianlan, he hid in Avalon out of self-blame."

"What do you want to say?"

Not only Saber, but even the Emperor pricked up his ears. Only Gilgamesh didn't react. Everyone is a candidate for the title after all.

"The decline of the Age of Gods is inevitable, and there are several important milestones during this period..."

Bai Ye paused for a moment, seeing that Gilgamesh was only drinking and hadn't reacted excessively, "The farewell of the gods and the death of Magic King Solomon have both accelerated the decline of the Age of Gods."

"In the final, final moments, Britain gathered the last mysteries of the Age of Gods, but it was too late to save the world. Think about it—the land is weakening, crops are declining, and there are natural and man-made disasters, and so on."

Bai Ye had once heard a theory that Vortigern represented the final struggle of the Age of Gods, but unfortunately, it failed. However, he was not going to say this out loud.

"Britain's destruction will take away the last remnants of the Age of Gods. So, during that period, it would have been difficult for anyone to do better than you, Saber."

"Is there such a thing?"

The emperor scratched his head, feeling quite surprised by this statement. Just then, he noticed Gilgamesh's calm expression. "Hey, Archer, you don't seem surprised at all?"

"boom--"

Jin Shanshan slammed his wine glass onto the table, spilling the liquid. "Who do you think the protagonist of 'The Farewell of the Gods' is?"

"I have to admit, kid, you know a lot." Jin Shanshan turned his gaze to Bai Ye.

Bai Ye accepted this calmly. As long as Jin Shanshan didn't make a move, everything would be under control. "It's just a little trick, not a big deal."

By the way, he looked at Saber beside him and found that the other party had not yet recovered from her shock. Maybe she was still thinking about the so-called Holy Grail?

"Besides, the Holy Grail isn't as advanced as you think. A universal wish-granting machine? You really believe that~"

However, Bai Ye did not completely deny it, but only added, "Although it is called "omnipotent", it is also limited. Most of the time, it can only fulfill some relatively simple wishes."

"As for more complicated things... you need a precise plan. After all, it's essentially just a giant blob of magic, not a miracle."

!!!

"Can't you do it...?"

For a moment, Saber seemed to have lost all strength and sat down in despair. But soon, Bai Ye noticed that she had clenched her fists slightly, clearly not giving up yet.

"I'm not suited to persuading others."

Bai Ye sighed secretly and didn't plan to say anything else. Then he responded to the emperor's question, "Don't worry, if it's just about taking on a body, that thing can still be done."

Meanwhile, Emiya Kiritsugu, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation, was also a little distracted. He smoked a cigarette silently, his gaze firming again. Having come this far, he couldn't possibly give up.

Then came Tōsaka Tokiomi. I don't know what he was thinking, but he sent Assassin to test the Emperor.

In the courtyard, Bronya called Shinji, Sakura and others to come to her.

She held the youngest Sakura in her arms, "Watch carefully~ Opportunities like this... don't come often~"

At the same time, dark figures wearing bone masks appeared in the courtyard, frightening Waver. Saber suddenly remembered something and was about to stand up.

"Don't worry, Saber. Only the courtyard is open. Irisviel is safe."

Bai Ye spoke soothingly. As for whether the other party believed it or not, that was none of his business. He looked at the Assassins around him, "It's not wise to appear now. Hundred Faces~ is that a Command Seal?"

Although his real name was called, Baimao of course would not respond and remained aloof.

"We are separated individuals. We are both a group and individual servants; we are both individuals and... the shadow of the group!" Several Assassins spoke in succession, the transitions being very natural.

Although the visitor looked ill-intentioned, the emperor had already raised the wine ladle and handed it to him, inviting him to sit down. Unfortunately...

"Zheng——"

A dagger cut off the wine ladle, and the dark red, fragrant wine splashed onto the emperor's shoulder - the other party did not appreciate it.

"Is it coming?"

Bai Ye sat up straighter and looked forward to it.

A violent storm of magic erupted, and the Emperor donned his armor, his bright red cape swaying wildly. "Saber, Archer, this is the final question of this banquet."

"Let me ask you, as a king, is it necessary to be aloof?"

Jin Shanshan said nothing, just watched, but his attitude said it all.

As for Saber: "Since I am the king, I have no choice but to be aloof."

"No, you don't understand at all."

The emperor crossed his arms, his smile an extremely heroic and domineering one. "For those of you who don't understand, I must show my true kingly demeanor here!"

Then, a massive surge of magical energy erupted from the Emperor, instantly engulfing everyone in the courtyard. The next moment, the courtyard was completely empty.

221. The King's Army

Driven by a dry, scorching wind, a blanket of yellow sand swept across the world. The pitch-black night sky gave way to a clear, clear sky, and the endless sand beneath our feet stretched to the ends of the earth.

The emperor stood in the desert and proudly introduced his proud Noble Phantasm to everyone:

"This is the land where my army once roamed, and this is the scenery that will always be in the hearts of the warriors who shared my joys and sorrows."

As they were talking, the sound of uniform footsteps was heard. The well-trained soldiers gathered here, bringing people an unparalleled shock.

“The world is what it is because it is the image in all of our minds.”

"Behold my unrivaled army. Legendary warriors whose bodies are destroyed, their souls summoned by the world as heroic spirits, yet they remain loyal to me!"

The emperor opened his arms and declared to everyone with great pride, "This is the proof of my bond with them, my kingly way, my most powerful treasure—the king's army!"

A black horse galloped over, the Great Emperor's former mount. Within this inherent barrier, even a horse became a Servant!

"Long time no see, old friend."

The Emperor gently stroked the black horse's neck and declared once again to Saber, Archer, and the others: "A king is someone who lives a more vibrant life than anyone else, a figure that captivates all!"

"That's right! That's right! That's right!!!"

The cheers of the crowd behind him made the emperor's words even more shocking.

The emperor mounted his horse and continued to expound on his philosophy, "Only those who are admired by thousands of warriors and stand firm like a signpost can be king! Therefore—"

"The King is not alone! His great will is the sum of the aspirations of all his subjects!"

"That's right! That's right! That's right!!!"

The scene of everyone being united as one was incredibly impactful, far more shocking than what the animation depicted. But that's understandable, after all, animation—how can it compare to being there in person?

"Rampage it!"

The emperor drew his sword and gave his orders to his army. Suddenly, yellow sand filled the sky, and the soldiers shouted excitedly, charging towards the Assassin with high morale.

Of course, the emperor could not hide behind the army. Instead, he led the charge.

Faced with this awe-inspiring army, dozens of Assassins stopped thinking and began to flee. Unfortunately... this was an inherent barrier, where could they escape to?

In just one round of javelin throwing and charging, most of the Assassins were killed or wounded. Then, covered by rolling yellow sand, the Emperor's massive army crushed past!

No surprises at all.

After defeating Assassin, the emperor raised his sword high and declared victory. His ministers followed suit, sharing the joy of victory with their king, and cheers resounded through the sky.

……

With Assassin's interruption, everyone lost interest. After the inherent barrier was lifted, the emperor raised his glass and drank the remaining wine in one gulp, then took Waver and said goodbye to everyone.

Then came Gilgamesh, who mocked Saber nastily before leaving, then transformed into a spirit and left.

At this point, the Banquet of the Three Kings came to an end.

"How's it going, Shinji? What are your thoughts after watching that epic battle?"

"Yeah! That's amazing. I want one too..."

Shinji's eyes sparkled. Though he looked a bit rough, the emperor's charisma was truly extraordinary, something Shinji yearned for.

"Boom--!"

The crisp knocking sound was a good start. Bai Ye clapped his hands casually, "Learn, learn, learn. Why do you want to learn everything? Do you think you can learn this?" (I don't know anything.)

Bronya, Sakura, and even Matou Kariya all smiled as they watched the interaction between the two.

"The Matou family has really changed a lot..."

Among them, Matou Kariya was the most deeply moved. Yes~ that once eerie and scary home is now a thing of the past, and everything is moving in a positive direction.

In contrast to the warmth in the Matou residence, the other three groups felt a huge crisis - the Matou family was too powerful!

Scathach, Byakuya, the ignorant Bronya, and the unfamiliar Ryougi Shiki. If a war really breaks out, it is unlikely that any group of them will be able to hold on.

Of course, Gilgamesh doesn't care about this kind of thing and continues to wander around the street as usual.

"Kid, any plans?"