As the two kings debated, the atmosphere of the banquet gradually intensified, reaching its peak amidst Alaric's toasts and laughter. The words of the singularity left many bewildered, but only the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, narrowed his eyes slightly.
In a normal Holy Grail War, the only one who could earn the King of Heroes' recognition was the King of Conquerors, Iskandar. However, at this banquet, there were two such individuals.
Alaric had neither expressed a belief nor demonstrated anything that would earn the King of Heroes' esteem, yet his mere presence was enough to prevent Gilgamesh from ignoring him.
The reason was simple—Gilgamesh knew that Alaric's great achievements were undeniably real.
This man had slain Tiamat, the primordial goddess of creation from Sumerian mythology. Moreover, Gilgamesh sensed that Ishtar had some sort of significant connection with Alaric.
Since Alaric bore the reflection of Ishtar's divinity, it was only natural for Gilgamesh to perceive a familiar presence in him.
But this was not a reason for Gilgamesh to tolerate ALaric's audacity—
"Hmph, knight—do you truly consider yourself a hero?"
Sipping his fine wine, Gilgamesh's expression was one of disdain as his cold gaze locked onto Alaric, who was gleefully raising his cup.
Hearing this, Alaric simply smiled and replied:
"A hero is one who harbors great ambition, possesses wisdom, and holds within them the secrets of the cosmos, with a will vast enough to encompass the heavens and earth."
"Hoh?"
Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow. "That is your definition of a hero?"
Alaric extended a finger, pointing at both Gilgamesh and himself.
"Among all heroes, only you and I stand above the rest. If we were to join forces, achieving greatness would be as simple as turning over a hand."
"Ridiculous! I alone am sufficient to accomplish all things—why would I need to join forces with another?"
Gilgamesh scoffed. "Since you are so arrogant, it seems I must personally crush your ambition.
The Holy Grail belongs to me. A thief must, of course, face judgment."
"What a pity."
Alaric finished his cup and casually refilled Artoria's before continuing:
"In that case, King Gilgamesh, if I win, I will trade Gram for a single-use key to the Gate of Babylon.
I regret it now—I shouldn't have refused you last time. Gram isn't of much use to me anyway."
"Hoh? You want to use yourself to unlock the gates of my treasury?"
Gilgamesh had already recognized Gram as one of the treasures from his vault when Alaric used it in battle against Diarmuid Ua Duibhne the previous night.
It wasn't stolen—it had been a genuine reward.
Such a treasure was a testament to Alaric's great achievements.
As Alaric and Gilgamesh conversed, Artoria and Iskandar finally confirmed the identity of this golden king—the oldest hero of mankind, the half-god, half-human ruler, Gilgamesh.
"After all, it would make purifying the Holy Grail much easier."
Pouring himself another drink, Alaric spoke leisurely:
"Now, we should move on to the main topic. Regardless of what wishes you seek, whether you wish to punish a thief or simply desire a fair battle—
When it comes to the Holy Grail, none of you can avoid one truth.
During the Third Holy Grail War, the Einzberns summoned a special Servant of the Avenger class, a particularly unique figure even among Avengers—Angra Mainyu.
Angra Mainyu embodies All the World's Evil—a manifestation of humanity's collective malevolent desires. Though he was weak and perished early in the war, his presence within the Grail corrupted its once-pure power.
Now, any wish made upon it will be forcibly twisted into an evil realization."
"Impossible!"
Artoria, who had been solemnly debating Iskandar up until now, paled at the revelation. She hastily set down her wine cup, her composure shaken.
"If that's true, then the Holy Grail cannot grant any wishes at all!"
"It cannot," Alaric confirmed, "though Iskandar's wish—to gain a physical body—might still be possible.
After all, obtaining a body is a simple request and doesn't require the full power of the Grail. But in the grand scheme of things, that hardly matters.
Once the Grail is complete, there will only be one outcome—the birth of All the World's Evil—Angra Mainyu."
"Then what is your goal?"
Unable to verify Alaric's claims, Artoria asked in a grave tone.
"If that's the case, then the Grail is useless to you as well!"
If all wishes were doomed to corruption, then none of them could realize their dreams.
Whether it was Artoria or anyone else—even Alaric—this affected them all.
With this in mind, Artoria began to suspect what Alaric's true intentions were.
"Purifying the Grail."
Setting down his cup, Alaric stated plainly:
"In short, I intend to allow Angra Mainyu to be born—then destroy him in one fell swoop, cleansing the Grail in the process.
However, when that time comes, there may not be a place for you all.
The birth of Angra Mainyu means the inevitable death of a certain number of Servants.
I have no reason to kill you, which is why I haven't done so already.
Even though you, as Servants, are bound by the Fuyuki Grail system and cannot defy Angra Mainyu, you are still capable of resisting him.
And for me, that is advantageous.
The only ones who must die—are those who are no longer needed."
Alaric slowly rose to his feet, his gaze sweeping over Artoria and Iskandar before finally meeting Gilgamesh's eyes.
"This is not something you must choose to believe.
It is simply the truth."
Raising a hand, Alaric signaled for Little Red Riding Hood to approach. His gaze remained locked on Gilgamesh.
"If you truly desire the real Holy Grail, then cooperate with my plan. Once the genuine Grail is restored, you can fight over it all you wish."
He sought no one's approval. His declaration was absolute, his dominance unquestionable.
Under the sheer weight of his authority, Iskandar—who had already lost his power—could only shake his head and sigh, while Artoria's expression darkened.
In the end, what mattered most was not the man's arrogance or his methods, but the Holy Grail that could truly fulfill her wish.
So long as she could obtain that, she could accept any means necessary.
The King of Knights was not so stubborn as to let her ideals hinder her goal.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
Only the Golden King laughed.
Like Alaric, he rose to his feet, his crimson eyes locking onto the Knight of the Round Table with a chilling declaration:
"Arrogant fool. Everything in this world belongs to me.
The fate of the Grail is not yours to decide.
Before I kill the King of Conquerors—I'll take you as an appetizer!"