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"No... no, that's not right—you're not Merlin!" Artoria's eyes widened as she stared at the woman before her, shaking her head in disbelief.
In her world, Merlin was a man. How could this be?
And she wasn't the only one shocked.The legendary Merlin—the magician of magicians—was as famous as King Arthur herself.
So why was Merlin a woman here too?
Arthur was a woman, Merlin was a woman, and now even Morgan had become Queen of Britain?History was beyond saving at this point.
And three Servants from Arthurian legend had appeared in this Holy Grail War all at once.If they teamed up… every other Master and Servant would be in serious trouble.
"Liya, I am Merlin," the beautiful sorceress said with a smile. "Just not the Merlin from your world."
Artoria fell silent. Tonight had been one humiliation after another.First, she made a mistake in battle and was wounded twice by Diarmuid.Then Morgan appeared out of nowhere—and now this female Merlin.
Morgan ruling Britain, Merlin turning into a woman…What the hell was going on anymore?
As everyone was still staring at the legendary mage, another Servant materialized.
Golden particles gathered atop a streetlamp, coalescing into a man clad in golden armor, with blazing red eyes and shining blond hair.
He looked down on the group below, sneering with contempt."Three self-proclaimed 'kings' crawling out in a single night… and all of them choosing to ignore my existence? How amusing."
The insult was clearly aimed at Morgan, Artoria, and Iskandar.
The strongest Servant of the Fourth Holy Grail War had arrived—Archer, Gilgamesh.
But this time… would he still be the strongest?
Alex's lips curved upward. He couldn't wait to see Morgan take him on.
A tyrant versus a tyrant.
Iskandar frowned. "That's a strange way to put it. Everyone knows me as the King of Conquerors."
Gilgamesh scoffed. "Don't make me laugh. There is only one true king in all Heaven and Earth—me! The rest of you are nothing but mongrels playing dress-up."
"Well then," Iskandar retorted with a grin, "since you've said that much, why don't you tell us your name? Surely a real king wouldn't be afraid to say it."
"Name? You dare ask me?" Gilgamesh's foot pressed lightly on the lamp he stood upon, and the light flickered out."To gaze upon me is an honor beyond measure—and you don't even know who I am? How dare such ignorance exist in my presence!"
As his voice thundered, golden ripples shimmered behind him, each one a spatial gateway. From within them, treasures began to emerge—his legendary Noble Phantasm: Gate of Babylon.
Alex couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.He had to admit—Gilgamesh's flair was unmatched.
Seeing the treasure gates open, Artoria immediately stepped in front of Irisviel, sword at the ready.Diarmuid and Iskandar also tensed; the sheer number of Noble Phantasms floating behind Gilgamesh was intimidating.
Gilgamesh's grin widened. He loved this part—watching their fear, their awe, their helplessness.
But before his arrogance could reach its peak, Morgan struck.
She might be a queen—but she was still a woman, and she was pissed.
Iskandar could brush off an insult or two, but Morgan? Not a chance.This golden egomaniac dares call himself king, yet blames others for not recognizing him?What a joke.
A bolt of blue lightning tore through the night sky, smashing into the golden ripples and shattering them one by one.
"Oh ho… a clash between kings?" Diarmuid muttered, leaping back to avoid being caught in the blast.
Iskandar also steered his ox-drawn chariot backward, shielding Waver.
"Filthy woman!" Gilgamesh growled, dropping from the lamp post. As lightning rained down around him, he drew a golden shield from his vault to block the strikes.
Then, more portals opened behind him. Dozens—no, hundreds—of Noble Phantasms fired toward Morgan like a storm.
Morgan raised a brow; even she hadn't expected this level of firepower.
With a twist of her wrist, her staff transformed into Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory.She met every flying weapon with dazzling swordsmanship, sparks lighting up the night.
Everyone watching was stunned.
Especially Artoria.She stared at Morgan's shining blade, then down at her own sword still wrapped in the Wind King's Barrier, her expression unreadable.
Iskandar clapped Waver on the shoulder. "Boy, can you read their stats?"
Cold sweat dripped down Waver's temple. "N-no… I can't. Morgan's covered in some kind of magic field—it's blocking everything!"
"What about the golden one?" Iskandar pointed at Gilgamesh.
Waver squinted, focusing his vision. "I can see a bit… but his True Name, skills, and Noble Phantasms are all hidden."
Still, he read off what he could:
Strength: B
Endurance: B
Agility: B
Mana: A
Luck: A
Noble Phantasm: ???
Iskandar frowned deeply.That "golden bastard" was trouble—his stats were high across the board, and his treasures were absurdly powerful.
Even without knowing the rank of his Noble Phantasms, the sheer destructive force was proof enough.
Meanwhile, Morgan and Gilgamesh were still exchanging blows—golden blades and thunderous magic colliding in midair, explosions rocking the night sky.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The sound of destruction didn't stop.Another night of near-nuclear chaos in Fuyuki City.
Watching from afar, Alex couldn't help but sigh in awe at the sheer power of fate.
In the original timeline, it was Lancelot who fought Gilgamesh.Now, it was Morgan—and she was a Berserker too.
Thankfully, unlike Lancelot, Morgan still had her sanity.
Alex glanced toward Irisviel, then—with a shameless grin—started walking toward her.
Artoria instantly stepped forward, blocking his path.
He raised his hands with a friendly smile. "Relax, King of Knights. I'm not looking for a fight. I just think we'd both benefit from… a little alliance."
Artoria's brows furrowed. She knew this man was Merlin's Master, which was the only reason she hadn't cut him down yet.
As for the alliance… that decision wasn't hers to make.Her eyes turned toward Irisviel.
"..."
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