IBHJ 1170

"Go for it, Karna!"

"Don't let Scathach beat you!"

"Take her down!"

...

"Are we really letting this happen?" Kama asked exasperatedly, gesturing at the distant battle between Scathach and Karna while other Heroic Spirits cheered from the sidelines. She turned to Shirou with a sigh.

"What's wrong with it?" Shirou asked with a slight smile.

He had prepared to prove his authority through combat against Ozymandias and the other royal Heroic Spirits, but Scathach's unexpected intervention changed everything. Since obtaining [Wisdom of Dún Scáith EX], she'd mastered combat to its absolute peak. Though her raw power remained that of an exceptional Heroic Spirit, her perfect technique let her break through Ozymandias's defenses with ease, forcing the proud pharaoh to admit defeat.

Her display of skill didn't end there. One after another, King Fionn and Vlad III fell before her, each defeat demonstrating her spear mastery. But what started as a serious demonstration of power took an unexpected turn. Warriors who had already pledged themselves to Shirou began stepping forward, eager to test their skills. Even those who cared nothing for leadership joined in, until their solemn battle for authority had changed into a sudden martial arts tournament.

"But isn't this better?" Shirou's smile widened as he gestured at the crowd. "Look at them—everyone's smiling."

Kama sighed wearily. Though she thought smiles wouldn't solve their crisis, seeing his genuine joy, she kept her doubts to herself.

With a thunderous BOOM, Karna went flying.

He rose to his feet as if nothing had happened and looked at Scathach seriously. "Your martial arts are truly impressive. You're the most skilled spear wielder I've ever met."

"You're too kind. You're quite remarkable yourself," she replied with an elegant smile.

As Karna stepped down, Arjuna crossed his arms with a sneer. "Hmph. How embarrassing to see you lose."

Karna held his spear and smiled. "As your rival, I apologize for losing to someone else."

Arjuna was caught off guard, then turned away, arms still crossed. "Hmph... as long as you understand. You'd better win next time. You can't lose to anyone else before we settle our score."

"Of course," Karna nodded.

"Next one—Next one—!!"

The Heroic Spirits crowded around Scathach, hands raised as they shouted with excitement.

"If no one's coming up, then I'll choose—" Scathach smiled and pointed into the crowd, singling out Cu Chulainn.

"M-me?" Cu Chulainn pointed at himself, his face draining of color.

She responded with a subtle, elegant smile.

Cu Chulainn shook his head desperately.

"What kind of hero are you? Come on, your teacher has chosen you, Cu Chulainn!"

"Quick! Show your teacher how much you've grown!"

Fionn and Achilles dragged Cu Chulainn toward the stage.

"No—Stop—Someone's going to die here—!"

Despite his protests, Cu Chulainn couldn't break free from Achilles and Fionn's grip. With his shorter frame, he was completely overpowered as they hauled him onto the stage.

"Tea—Teacher..." Cu Chulainn trembled before Scathach, his face ashen. The once-feared Mad Dog of Ireland had been reduced to a frightened puppy.

"Let's see if you've improved." She gave that subtle, elegant smile of hers.

Cu Chulainn's face grew even paler. He knew all too well that the woman before him was no longer just the Queen of the Land of Shadows who had reached those heights over two thousand years ago—she had ascended even further, crossing that threshold to become Eternal King's mightiest warrior, Knight of the Round - Scathach.

As the Heroic Spirits reveled in the battle, Shirou smiled softly and approached the defeated Ozymandias and his group, extending a hand in reconciliation.

"Oh?" Ozymandias raised an eyebrow, his voice tinged with displeasure. "Is this how you display your victory over us?"

"No," he shook his head. "There are no winners or losers here, just allies working together toward the same goal."

Ozymandias arched an eyebrow.

"Please lend me your strength, Sun King!" Shirou's gaze was earnest.

Ozymandias studied the burning eyes before him, filled with genuine sincerity, pure and without a trace of deceit.

With a scoff that barely hid his approval, he took Shirou's hand.

"Thank you, Ozymandias," Shirou said with a warm smile.

"Let me be clear—this King bows to no other," Ozymandias declared with arms crossed. "Although my Egypt lies in the past, the legendary feats of Nefertari and I cannot be erased. While our goals may differ, when our paths converge, even kings can find common ground."

Shirou smiled and nodded, then reached out to the next monarch who had been defeated by Scathach.

Those who rose to kingship and written their names in history all possessed the wisdom and capability befitting their station, regardless of their individual legacies. Now, faced with the Emperor and Eternal Empire's attempts to rewrite history, these rulers understood what had to be done.

They needed to stand together.

For their magnificent achievements, for the epic tales of civilization forged by their peoples' hard work, for every precious memory both sweet and sorrowful... No matter how harsh the years, no matter how painful the frozen memories they wished to forget—their history should not be denied by outsiders!

"Something about you feels familiar," Vlad III mused, stroking his chin. "A king brighter than flame... Did I meet such a ruler in my time?"

"Perhaps this is what they call a meeting that came too late," Shirou replied with a gentle smile.

Vlad III burst into hearty laughter. "Yes, far too late."

Suddenly, a muscular arm reached from behind, clasping Shirou's shoulder. A towering figure leaned in close. "Hey there, young Eternal King! I must say, I envy you having such a powerful warrior. We never got the chance to share drinks, neither during the Holy Grail War nor at Chaldea. This time, you must join me for a round!"

That booming voice could only belong to Iskandar, the King of Conquerors.

Just as he was about to reluctantly agree, a whistling sound cut through the air—a blade streaking toward Iskandar like a silver flash.

Iskandar released his hand from Shirou’s shoulder, drew the sword at his hip, and deflected the flying weapon. He turned to Gilgamesh with a raised eyebrow. "Attacking without so much as a word? That’s hardly kingly behavior, King Gilgamesh."

"Oh? An attack, you say? Attacks are what one does to humans. This King merely saw an irritating red insect and casually tried to crush it," Gilgamesh said arrogantly with his nose in the air.

Rather than taking offense, Iskandar burst into hearty laughter, pointing at Gilgamesh. "You really haven't changed, no matter the era you’re in!"

"Ah, my apologies, King of Conquerors. Gil was just trying to say hello to Eternal King in his own… special way," Enkidu chimed in with an amiable smile.

"Tch! Enkidu—" Gilgamesh shot his companion a look of mild annoyance, but Enkidu only smiled back, leaving the King of Heroes with no choice but to sigh in resignation.

"Hahaha! Only the legendary Chains of Heaven could render the mighty King of Heroes so powerless!" Iskandar's grin widened. "No need for apologies, Enkidu. I'd actually be concerned if he acted any other way."

"You truly are a magnanimous king," Enkidu replied warmly.

"It's nothing special. If young Waver were here, he'd talk me down just the same," Iskandar said with a broad smile before his expression softened. "Such a shame the boy was overwritten by the Eternal Empire."

Shirou nodded solemnly. In Pan-Human History, Waver had merged with Zhuge Liang's Saint Graph, but like so many others from Chaldea, he had been overwritten by the Eternal Empire, and was lost for good. There was no way to bring them back through Heroic Spirit Summoning.

In fact, among the Pan-Human History Heroic Spirits summoned this time, there were strikingly few from ancient China. As Gaia had explained, most of the ancient Chinese Heroic Spirits had already been summoned by other Chaldea members scattered across various worlds. Of course, summoning Heroic Spirits from other worldlines was an option, but as Gaia had pointed out, such attempts would be met with interference from the parallel Alayas of those worlds. There were exceptions, though—those who hadn’t truly died or were lingering in the liminal space between life and death, like Artoria Pendragon and Proto-Saber. So, for now, they had to make do with what they had.

Grand Servants were also absent from their ranks. According to Gaia, several Grand Servants had already been summoned elsewhere, and the remaining ones' Grand Saint Graphs were in the hands of the now-inactive Pan-Human History Alaya.

Still, what they had was enough.