Shinji Matou At Your Service

Chapter 32: Gathering of Six (Part 1)

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"Oh no, this is not good," murmured Kirei, hiding among the containers.

The same words were echoed in a magic workshop of the Tohsaka family. Tohsaka Tokiomi, who witnessed most of the battle on Warehouse Street and heard Rider's mockery, thought of one Heroic Spirit who would never ignore Rider's provocation.

After Rider's roar subsided, golden radiance appeared.

The excessively dazzling light made everyone involuntarily squint, but there was no surprise in the hearts of those present.

Following this, the fourth Servant to appear tonight made their presence known.

The first impression this Servant gave was that of shining gold.

Armor that seemed to be crafted from pure gold, golden hair that stood upright, golden ornaments... Aside from the white skin and red eyes, there was nothing but a sea of gold, dazzling to the point of making one dizzy.

The golden Servant stood on top of a lamppost ten meters above the ground, looking down upon everyone below with an unabashedly arrogant gaze.

Shinji, Waver, Kenneth, and Emiya Kiritsugu, the four Masters, immediately recognized the identity of the newcomer — Archer, the final member of the Three Knight classes, alongside Saber and Lancer.

"Those who consider themselves kings without knowing their place, thinking they can rule the world overnight, and now there are two of them who suddenly appear."

As soon as he spoke, the golden Heroic Spirit disdainfully curled his lip, revealing his contempt for the three Servants confronting him.

Archer's arrogant attitude and tone mirrored Rider's arrogance, but they were fundamentally different. Rider's voice and gaze lacked the same ruthless coldness as that of Archer.

Rider seemed surprised as if he had not expected someone with an even stronger attitude than himself. He scratched his chin in puzzlement.

"Even if you speak out of turn, I, Iskandar, am still renowned throughout the world as the one and only Conqueror King."

"Ridiculous. The true heroes worthy of being called kings are only me, alone, in heaven, and on Earth. The rest are nothing more than mediocre imitations."

Archer straightforwardly declared something even more insulting than before. Saber grew angry, while Rider appeared taken aback. Just as Rider was about to say something in response, someone beat him.

"Only in heaven and on earth? It seems that your definition doesn't include this particular queen."

The red container directly opposite Archer was covered in dark shadows as if crawling with ink. Even under the direct light of the lamppost, it remained blurry.

The shadows gradually dispersed with a deep yet melodious female voice, revealing the fifth Servant within.

If Archer represented gold, she represented shadows.

If Lancer is considered a white knight in the hearts of countless women, then she is the dream lover of numerous men.

She lacks Saber's resoluteness, Archer's arrogance, and Rider's grandeur. However, the regal aura hidden behind her elegance and intellect is no less than that of the previous three kings.

With a calm and composed tone, she addressed every Master and Servant present, whether in the light or shadows:

"I am Scáthach, the queen of the Land of Shadows, hailing from the Celtic realm. Due to certain specific reasons, I have manifested in the Holy Grail War as an Assassin."

"Is she the queen of that mystical realm?"

Saber and Lancer were well aware of Scáthach's name. She was an existence even older than the two, existing only in legends during their active eras—a figure that inspired awe and fascination.

Just like when Rider introduced himself, no one doubted Scáthach's identity. Although they did not know why this immortal legendary female warrior had taken the role of Servant in the Holy Grail War, her unique demeanor could not be faked.

"Things are getting more and more interesting."

After Rider's initial surprise, he shifted his gaze away from Scáthach and looked at Archer using a more teasing expression.

"So, how do you see this otherworldly queen, Archer?"

"Hmph, still just a mongrel." Archer maintained his arrogant attitude, but the condescending look in his eyes noticeably diminished.

"Since you're so confident, how about introducing yourself first? If you're also a king, you shouldn't be afraid to reveal your name, right?" Rider half-teased, half-provoked.

Archer's reddened eyes burned with even more arrogant fury, as he stared intently at the towering figure before him.

"Are you questioning me? How dare a mere mongrel question me, the king?"

From a logical standpoint, Rider asking for Archer's true name made sense, but Archer saw it as a great disrespect. The golden Heroic Spirit began emanating murderous intent.

"To have the audacity to meet me and yet not know who I am, such foolish individuals can only atone with death."

After Archer made this declaration, the flames of eerie nature slowly rose on both sides of him. In the next instant, weapons, swords, and spears emerged in the empty sky, adorned with dazzling brilliance and emanating unmistakable magical power. These were not ordinary weapons.

"Noble Phantasm!"

Could it be that Archer did not even bother with basic probing and went straight for his trump card?

Everyone unaware of Archer's true identity felt surprised and perplexed, except for Kariya Matou.

Saber, Lancer, Rider, and Assassin had already identified their Masters, and the Caster Group, who did not adhere to the rules of the mage world, clearly intruded. Archer's identity as a Master was about to be revealed.

"Hahaha, hahahaha."

In the darkness, Kariya Matou's bloodshot eyes, filled with years of hatred, leaked laughter.

The long-awaited moment had finally arrived. A year of training as if his life depended on it, all for this day.

Tohsaka Tokiomi.

He was both Aoi's husband and Sakura's father. The man who trampled upon the happiness of the mother and daughter.

He obtained everything that Kariya desired and scorned everything that Kariya desired. This fueled Kariya Matou's anger and resentment, which could not be extinguished.

Now was the time to avenge past humiliations. The seething resentment in his chest transformed into a sword, and the moment to challenge that man had come.

Even if doing so wouldn't win Aoi's heart, even if it was just self-consolation, even so, I will--

"Kill him!"

Destroy Archer!

Before Archer unleashed his Noble Phantasm, a surge of unexpected magical power swept from an unknown source.

Amidst the gaze of astonishment and confusion, the rising magical power gradually solidified into a defiant figure.

This figure stands about two blocks closer to the sea than the battlefield where Lancer and Saber fought. Yes, his presence can only be described as a shadow.

The man was tall, broad-shouldered, and entirely covered in armor. However, it was different from the silver armor that tightly enveloped Saber's body or the luxurious golden armor of Archer.

The man's armor was black. It had no intricate decorations or polished colors.

Darker than the shadows accompanying Scáthach, an extreme black akin to hell itself, even his face was covered by a helmet. In the deep crevices of the helmet, one can only see the fiery brilliance emanating from his burning eyes.

There was no doubt about it. 

It's a Servant.

--*--

+60 Advanced Chapter /AbsoluteCode