The battle did not get off to a good start. Neither Iskandar nor Saber's attacks could deal enough damage to slow the monster noticeably, and it instantly regenerated after every attack. Archer arrived with Tohsaka aboard the flying machine "Vimana" and dealt it severe damage with weapons from Gate of Babylon, but the monster regenerated that damage instantly as well. A further disaster came with the arrival of two jet fighters; the existance of the Holy Grail War, and magic in general, had been revealed to non-magi. One of the fighters came too close, and the monster's tentacles bridged the 100 meters between them to grab it, drawing it into its body and consuming it and its pilot. Berserker leaped from the ground onto the other fighter and transformed the plane into a Noble Phantasm to fight Archer, thus removing the possibility of any further aid from either party. After several minutes of futile attacks, Iskandar called for Saber to retreat to the riverbank, where he told the others his plan: he would activate Ionioi Hetairoi and transport the monster inside for the few minutes he could maintain the Reality Marble. Meanwhile, the other four would need to come up with a permanent solution. Leaving Waver behind with instructions on how to contact him, he charged at the monster and activated the Reality Marble at point-blank range.
Even with hundreds more Heroic Spirits assisting him, Iskandar wasn't able to do more than keep it busy for a few minutes. As he was nearing the limit of his ability to maintain Ionioi Hetairoi, he heard Waver's summons and dispatched one of his men, Mithrenes, as a messenger. Soon after, Mithrenes returned with a message to immediately release the Reality Marble and drop the monster at a specific location. When he did so, Saber, her ability to use her Noble Phantasm having been restored while he was gone, used "Excalibur: Sword of Promised Victory", wiping Caster and his monster from the face of the Earth. Watching the display next to Archer, Iskandar felt pity for Saber, who attained the power she had just unleashed by discarding her dreams and love and becoming a slave to her ideals. Archer, on the other hand, thought that her suffering at the realization that she couldn't meet her own ideals made her lovely. At that, Iskandar told Archer that he couldn't like him, but they agreed to rest after their respective battles so that they could fight in the final round at their full strength.
Iskandar remained in spiritual form for the next two days, silently recovering his strength after the immense amount of energy he had used up activating Ionioi Hetairoi twice in as many days. In the hopes of speeding his recovery, Waver returned to the isolated brush where he had originally summoned Iskandar, which had a highly compatible leyline and the magic circle he had used in the summoning. Waver planned to spend the day sleeping there, which would allow Iskandar to draw more energy from him than if he were awake. Iskandar tried to claim that he wasn't as drained as he seemed to be, but was finally forced to admit that he had supplied almost all of the energy for Ionioi Hetairoi himself, since drawing that much from Waver risked killing him. Waver though didn't mind that risk, since he still didn't want to be completely reliant on Iskandar to win. He soon became too tired from the energy drain that he couldn't continue talking and fell asleep.
Recovered and heading to the Einsbern castle in Gordius Wheel, Iskandar and Waver noticed Saber chasing them on the ground on an impossibly fast motorcycle. Wanting to save Saber from her mistaken ideals, Iskandar decided to battle her on ordinary wheels and landed on the otherwise deserted highway. Waver didn't object, only telling him to be careful, which pleased him that his Master seemed to be getting the right idea. After a while, Saber began to catch up, prompting Iskandar to up the challenge; he veered off the road into the forest and the the giant sickles mounted on the sides of Gordius Wheel cleaved through the trees without having to slow at all, sending entire trees flying through the air at Saber behind them like giant twigs flying from a lawnmower. Iskandar was greatly impressed by Saber's skill at avoiding the projectiles and moved on to the next thing to be cut down: the asphalt and concrete of the road, which became a rain of stones. The act of cutting through the road gave enough resistance that Gordius Wheel couldn't accelerate any more, and Saber managed to dodge every projectile, gaining some ground, eventually managing to use a piece of debris to launch her motorcycle into the air and make an attack from above on Iskandar. He managed to parry it, but instead of continuing Saber brought her motorcycle to a stop. Iskandar turned around and they faced off. He told Waver that if he wanted to use a Command Spell on him, that was the time, as he was putting aside his thoughts of winning the Grail. Instead he planned to charge at Saber head-on, and they would see if Gordius Wheel could reach Saber before she could activate Excalibur. Iskandar freely admitted that while he was only 50% sure of victory he was confident that he would win, but if he won in a competition that was this perfectly matched, Saber would experience an "ultimate defeat" and might become his subordinate instead of pretending to be an ideal king. Everyone there knew that this was an irrational choice of action, but Waver allowed him to continue.
Iskandar called out the true name of Gordius Wheel's trampling attack, activating the full power of his Noble Phantasm: "Via Expugnatio: Distant Trampling Domination". Proving that its previous speed of over 400km/h was holding back Gordius Wheel surged forward at impossible speeds, but Saber's activation of Excalibur was slightly faster. Iskandar managed to jump clear with Waver at the last second, but Gordius Wheel and the two divine bulls that pulled it were utterly destroyed. He raised his sword to continue, but Saber turned around and returned to the city without a word, leaving Iskandar to admire her vanishing motorcycle.
It took them the rest of the night to walk back to the city, and Waver spent the day sleeping to recover more energy for Iskandar. When night fell, Iskandar's instincts told him that there would be a decisive battle that night, which Waver didn't question. On cue, a magical signal went off, the signal that indicated that the winner of the Holy Grail War had been determined. Realizing that this was someone's challenge to the remaining Servants and Masters, Iskandar activated Ionioi Hetairoi at its lowest power, summoning not his army, but a single Heroic Spirit: his legendary horse, Bucephalus. Waver refused to ride with him, knowing that only heroes were qualified to ride the greatest horse in history, and also knowing that Iskandar would have won the challenge against Saber if he hadn't had to look after Waver's safety. Now understanding how small he was and not willing to get in Iskandar's way, Waver used a Command Spell for the first time to issue an absolute order: "Rider, you must take the final victory." And then he used his second Command Spell: "Rider, you must seize the Grail." And then he used his final Command Spell: "Rider, you must seize the whole world. Failure is not allowed." With the final Command Spell used, Waver was no longer a Master, and Iskandar was no longer his Servant. Now free, Iskandar's first action was to pick Waver up by the collar and seat him on Bucephalus. Waver protested that he wasn't a Master anymore, but Iskandar told him that didn't matter, as he was Iskandar's friend, a real man who had faced enemies with him and deserved to stand beside him with pride. With a promise to fulfill the first Command Spell, Iskandar and his friends rode towards the final battlefield of the 4th Holy Grail War.
When they reached the bridge across the river, they were met by the Archer-class Servant: Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes. Gilgamesh wasn't happy that Iskandar no longer had Gordius Wheel, since they had agreed to fight at their most perfect condition, but Iskandar was charged with extra energy as a side effect of Waver using the Command Spells, and Gilgamesh accepted that power boost as being a suitable replacement. Before they fought though, Iskandar reminded him that they had agreed to finish the wine. As they drank the two remaining cups, Iskandar made one final attempt at avoiding conflict, asking if Gilgamesh would be willing to equip Ionoi Hetairoi with the weapons from Gate of Babylon, as that combination would create an invincible army that would allow the two of them to conquer the universe together. Gilgamesh refused, saying that he didn't need a second friend; his one companion was enough, and another king was completely unnecessary. Iskandar accepted his rejection and declared his intent to challenge Gilgamesh's lonely kingship. Gilgamesh declared him a foe worthy of his judgment and they both retreated to opposite ends of the bridge.
Remounting Bucephalus, Iskandar activated Ionoi Hetairoi. His army materialized and they charged, Iskandar and Waver riding Bucephalus at the head of the wedge formation. Gilgamesh merely stood there and opened Gate of Babylon, removing a single sword from it: his ultimate Noble Phantasm, "Ea: Sword of Rupture". He called out its attack, "Enuma Elish: The Star of Creation that Split Heaven and Earth", and swung the sword down. The attack cut through the world itself, taking over half of Iskandar's army with it and collapsing the Reality Marble formed by Ionoi Hetairoi. Iskandar and Waver, riding on Bucephalus, found themselves back on the bridge opposite Gilgamesh, their one hope of victory gone.
Before doing anything else, Iskandar asked Waver one question: if Waver would serve him. Waver replied without hesitation that Iskandar was his King, that he would serve him, that he would give his all for him, and that he wished to be guided to see the same dream as him. Iskandar lifted Waver to the ground and ordered him to live on to pass down Iskandar's dream and story. With that, Iskandar charged at Gilgamesh, recognizing him as the strongest enemy in Heaven and Earth. His last enemy. His last obstacle. A challenge that he must face, because beyond it was his dream, the ends of the world. Gilgamesh fired dozens of Noble Phantasms out of Gate of Babylon. Bucephalus was slain beneath him. Countless blades struck him. Yet he continued his charge forward, at last hearing in the throbbing of his heart the roar of Oceanus, the sea at the end of the world, the dream he had strode for his entire life. Finally reaching Gilgamesh, he swung his sword at the King of Heroes, only to be stopped by a golden chain from Gate of Babylon, "Enkidu: Chains of Heaven", which bound him and used his divine blood against him to become unbreakable, allowing Gilgamesh to pierce him with Ea. With a smile, he told Gilgamesh that he had enjoyed their battle, and Gilgamesh, with deep admiration, replied that he could could challenge him as many times as he wished. Iskandar's final words were "That's good to hear."
Gilgamesh walked over to Waver, who stood where Iskandar had left him, and asked if he was Iskandar's Master. Waver replied that he wasn't, he was Iskandar's servant. Gilgamesh told him that if was a loyal subject he had a duty to avenge his King, but Waver replied that he would die if he challenged him, so he couldn't, as he had been ordered to live. Telling him to remain devoted to his King, Gilgamesh turned and walked away, allowing the servant of the second person he had ever respected to fulfill his King's final command.
Iskandar app 4/6?
Even with hundreds more Heroic Spirits assisting him, Iskandar wasn't able to do more than keep it busy for a few minutes. As he was nearing the limit of his ability to maintain Ionioi Hetairoi, he heard Waver's summons and dispatched one of his men, Mithrenes, as a messenger. Soon after, Mithrenes returned with a message to immediately release the Reality Marble and drop the monster at a specific location. When he did so, Saber, her ability to use her Noble Phantasm having been restored while he was gone, used "Excalibur: Sword of Promised Victory", wiping Caster and his monster from the face of the Earth. Watching the display next to Archer, Iskandar felt pity for Saber, who attained the power she had just unleashed by discarding her dreams and love and becoming a slave to her ideals. Archer, on the other hand, thought that her suffering at the realization that she couldn't meet her own ideals made her lovely. At that, Iskandar told Archer that he couldn't like him, but they agreed to rest after their respective battles so that they could fight in the final round at their full strength.
Iskandar remained in spiritual form for the next two days, silently recovering his strength after the immense amount of energy he had used up activating Ionioi Hetairoi twice in as many days. In the hopes of speeding his recovery, Waver returned to the isolated brush where he had originally summoned Iskandar, which had a highly compatible leyline and the magic circle he had used in the summoning. Waver planned to spend the day sleeping there, which would allow Iskandar to draw more energy from him than if he were awake. Iskandar tried to claim that he wasn't as drained as he seemed to be, but was finally forced to admit that he had supplied almost all of the energy for Ionioi Hetairoi himself, since drawing that much from Waver risked killing him. Waver though didn't mind that risk, since he still didn't want to be completely reliant on Iskandar to win. He soon became too tired from the energy drain that he couldn't continue talking and fell asleep.
Recovered and heading to the Einsbern castle in Gordius Wheel, Iskandar and Waver noticed Saber chasing them on the ground on an impossibly fast motorcycle. Wanting to save Saber from her mistaken ideals, Iskandar decided to battle her on ordinary wheels and landed on the otherwise deserted highway. Waver didn't object, only telling him to be careful, which pleased him that his Master seemed to be getting the right idea. After a while, Saber began to catch up, prompting Iskandar to up the challenge; he veered off the road into the forest and the the giant sickles mounted on the sides of Gordius Wheel cleaved through the trees without having to slow at all, sending entire trees flying through the air at Saber behind them like giant twigs flying from a lawnmower. Iskandar was greatly impressed by Saber's skill at avoiding the projectiles and moved on to the next thing to be cut down: the asphalt and concrete of the road, which became a rain of stones. The act of cutting through the road gave enough resistance that Gordius Wheel couldn't accelerate any more, and Saber managed to dodge every projectile, gaining some ground, eventually managing to use a piece of debris to launch her motorcycle into the air and make an attack from above on Iskandar. He managed to parry it, but instead of continuing Saber brought her motorcycle to a stop. Iskandar turned around and they faced off. He told Waver that if he wanted to use a Command Spell on him, that was the time, as he was putting aside his thoughts of winning the Grail. Instead he planned to charge at Saber head-on, and they would see if Gordius Wheel could reach Saber before she could activate Excalibur. Iskandar freely admitted that while he was only 50% sure of victory he was confident that he would win, but if he won in a competition that was this perfectly matched, Saber would experience an "ultimate defeat" and might become his subordinate instead of pretending to be an ideal king. Everyone there knew that this was an irrational choice of action, but Waver allowed him to continue.
Iskandar called out the true name of Gordius Wheel's trampling attack, activating the full power of his Noble Phantasm: "Via Expugnatio: Distant Trampling Domination". Proving that its previous speed of over 400km/h was holding back Gordius Wheel surged forward at impossible speeds, but Saber's activation of Excalibur was slightly faster. Iskandar managed to jump clear with Waver at the last second, but Gordius Wheel and the two divine bulls that pulled it were utterly destroyed. He raised his sword to continue, but Saber turned around and returned to the city without a word, leaving Iskandar to admire her vanishing motorcycle.
It took them the rest of the night to walk back to the city, and Waver spent the day sleeping to recover more energy for Iskandar. When night fell, Iskandar's instincts told him that there would be a decisive battle that night, which Waver didn't question. On cue, a magical signal went off, the signal that indicated that the winner of the Holy Grail War had been determined. Realizing that this was someone's challenge to the remaining Servants and Masters, Iskandar activated Ionioi Hetairoi at its lowest power, summoning not his army, but a single Heroic Spirit: his legendary horse, Bucephalus. Waver refused to ride with him, knowing that only heroes were qualified to ride the greatest horse in history, and also knowing that Iskandar would have won the challenge against Saber if he hadn't had to look after Waver's safety. Now understanding how small he was and not willing to get in Iskandar's way, Waver used a Command Spell for the first time to issue an absolute order: "Rider, you must take the final victory." And then he used his second Command Spell: "Rider, you must seize the Grail." And then he used his final Command Spell: "Rider, you must seize the whole world. Failure is not allowed." With the final Command Spell used, Waver was no longer a Master, and Iskandar was no longer his Servant. Now free, Iskandar's first action was to pick Waver up by the collar and seat him on Bucephalus. Waver protested that he wasn't a Master anymore, but Iskandar told him that didn't matter, as he was Iskandar's friend, a real man who had faced enemies with him and deserved to stand beside him with pride. With a promise to fulfill the first Command Spell, Iskandar and his friends rode towards the final battlefield of the 4th Holy Grail War.
When they reached the bridge across the river, they were met by the Archer-class Servant: Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes. Gilgamesh wasn't happy that Iskandar no longer had Gordius Wheel, since they had agreed to fight at their most perfect condition, but Iskandar was charged with extra energy as a side effect of Waver using the Command Spells, and Gilgamesh accepted that power boost as being a suitable replacement. Before they fought though, Iskandar reminded him that they had agreed to finish the wine. As they drank the two remaining cups, Iskandar made one final attempt at avoiding conflict, asking if Gilgamesh would be willing to equip Ionoi Hetairoi with the weapons from Gate of Babylon, as that combination would create an invincible army that would allow the two of them to conquer the universe together. Gilgamesh refused, saying that he didn't need a second friend; his one companion was enough, and another king was completely unnecessary. Iskandar accepted his rejection and declared his intent to challenge Gilgamesh's lonely kingship. Gilgamesh declared him a foe worthy of his judgment and they both retreated to opposite ends of the bridge.
Remounting Bucephalus, Iskandar activated Ionoi Hetairoi. His army materialized and they charged, Iskandar and Waver riding Bucephalus at the head of the wedge formation. Gilgamesh merely stood there and opened Gate of Babylon, removing a single sword from it: his ultimate Noble Phantasm, "Ea: Sword of Rupture". He called out its attack, "Enuma Elish: The Star of Creation that Split Heaven and Earth", and swung the sword down. The attack cut through the world itself, taking over half of Iskandar's army with it and collapsing the Reality Marble formed by Ionoi Hetairoi. Iskandar and Waver, riding on Bucephalus, found themselves back on the bridge opposite Gilgamesh, their one hope of victory gone.
Before doing anything else, Iskandar asked Waver one question: if Waver would serve him. Waver replied without hesitation that Iskandar was his King, that he would serve him, that he would give his all for him, and that he wished to be guided to see the same dream as him. Iskandar lifted Waver to the ground and ordered him to live on to pass down Iskandar's dream and story. With that, Iskandar charged at Gilgamesh, recognizing him as the strongest enemy in Heaven and Earth. His last enemy. His last obstacle. A challenge that he must face, because beyond it was his dream, the ends of the world. Gilgamesh fired dozens of Noble Phantasms out of Gate of Babylon. Bucephalus was slain beneath him. Countless blades struck him. Yet he continued his charge forward, at last hearing in the throbbing of his heart the roar of Oceanus, the sea at the end of the world, the dream he had strode for his entire life. Finally reaching Gilgamesh, he swung his sword at the King of Heroes, only to be stopped by a golden chain from Gate of Babylon, "Enkidu: Chains of Heaven", which bound him and used his divine blood against him to become unbreakable, allowing Gilgamesh to pierce him with Ea. With a smile, he told Gilgamesh that he had enjoyed their battle, and Gilgamesh, with deep admiration, replied that he could could challenge him as many times as he wished. Iskandar's final words were "That's good to hear."
Gilgamesh walked over to Waver, who stood where Iskandar had left him, and asked if he was Iskandar's Master. Waver replied that he wasn't, he was Iskandar's servant. Gilgamesh told him that if was a loyal subject he had a duty to avenge his King, but Waver replied that he would die if he challenged him, so he couldn't, as he had been ordered to live. Telling him to remain devoted to his King, Gilgamesh turned and walked away, allowing the servant of the second person he had ever respected to fulfill his King's final command.