As dusk arrived, a clear yet scorching battle aura shot up from the docks. Almost all the magi and Heroic Spirits could sense it. If they couldn't, it only meant their level was too low.
Aslan, in his hotel room, glanced at the moon in the sky. It was a night with only a moon and no stars, truly a fitting night for the opening of a battle. It seemed that Kenneth had already taken the first move according to his plan. Since that was the case, as his ally, he had to at least make an appearance.
"Merlin, go to the docks. I don't want to show my face just yet."
Aslan poured himself a cup of coffee, preparing to keep himself warm on this night that had already entered winter, and also turned on the television to watch the news.
"Oh, right. Can you pretend to be Merlin's Master for a bit, Senior?~ After all, this is also a pleasure in our long lives. It's rare for such an interesting thing to happen. Wouldn't it be a pity not to participate and have some fun?"
Merlin, who had been wearing his armor and holding his holy sword for over a day, nodded. Of course, he didn't immediately use the holy sword as a weapon, but instead sheathed it in a scabbard that Aslan had casually made. Since he had already decided to disguise himself as Saber, then a Saber's scabbard should also be an extraordinary item. That was very normal, right? Who would run onto a battlefield without sheathing their sword? Did they think they were part of the FFF-dan? Charging forward holding a torch... Merlin stated that he was not such a person without taste.
And Akuta Hinako pursed her lips. How should she put it? Compared to participating in this damned Holy Grail War, she would rather find a music band and have a good session of death rock. Music was indeed a good way for people to properly vent their emotions! But as a result, before she had even woken up properly, she had been drafted by this junior before her, directly flying from distant Europe back to the East. The Holy Grail War, she had of course heard of it. It was just that because she had heard it had failed three times, she hadn't paid any more attention to it.
As if seeing the disdain on his senior's face, a smile appeared on Aslan's face. He stood up and took two steps forward, coming before his senior. "The Holy Grail can indeed grant wishes. If you win the Holy Grail War and obtain the Holy Grail, then senior might be able to realize her wish of over 2000 years."
The expression on Akuta Hinako's face changed. She reached out and grabbed Aslan's wrist, her blood-red eyes staring deadly at the golden-haired young man before her. Those blood-red eyes revealed only one emotion: a question.
This was the first time Aslan had seen this senior of his be so serious. Those blood-red eyes were like one rope after another, tightly binding his body. It was as if, if he were to say a single "no," the ropes wrapped around him would directly strangle him to death.
Under this heavy pressure, Aslan nodded.
The first moment Akuta Hinako received the affirmative news, she directly took off the hairpin from her twin-tails. Her long black hair fell down her back. Her form-fitting clothes accentuated her excellent figure. At the same time, twin swords appeared in her hands. She even used her blood to control it, forming a special pattern on the back of her hand that looked no different from a real Command Spell.
Akuta Hinako looked at the pattern on the back of her hand with satisfaction and nodded lightly. Very good. This fake Command Spell is enough to pass for the real thing!
"Let's go, Merlin."
The serious aura on Akuta Hinako vanished without a trace, replaced by full-blown excitement.
And on the other side, at the seaport, Balin gently extinguished the cigarette he had bought, threw it on the ground, and stamped it out. His originally lazy body instantly straightened up. He walked to an open space, then placed his hand on the treasured sword at his waist. "Hmph, I didn't think anyone would actually come out to fight. I thought the first day's actions would end in failure."
The red-hilted treasured sword was slowly unsheathed, glinting with a cold light under the moonlight. Then, Balin's gaze became serious and cold as he fixed his sight on a shadow hidden by a shipping container.
"It seems I have underestimated the heroes of the world. But I hope you can give me a good fight. Otherwise, I will truly laugh at the heroes outside of Great Britain. Come on, come out, let's have a good battle!!"
The sound of armor clashing against the ground rang out, followed by a laugh that was rather familiar to Balin. The Servant Aslan, because his legend was mixed with King Arthur's, had not descended in his most triumphant state. Instead, he had descended based on the period before the main events of the King Arthur legend, that is, the time when his White Dragon's blood had not yet boiled. It was precisely because of this that neither his stats nor the number of his Noble Phantasms had been fully brought down. In fact, the fact that his "White Dragon's Blood" skill was A++ rank was already a miracle.
"Long time no see. It seems we are truly fated to meet, Balin-sensei... but I must correct two of your mistakes. First, I am not someone you can mock. Second, I am not a hero from outside Britain. After all, the me who has descended now, all of my legends took place on Great Britain."
Light-golden hair, light-blue eyes, silvery-white armor with a few light-golden accents and blue gems, a golden holy sword flashing with a holy yet cold edge, a familiar voice, a familiar magical aura, a familiar smiling face.
There was no mistake!
Balin's eyes lit up, and then his lips curled into a smile. "Aslan!!"
Kenneth, who had been hiding in the dark, had been a bit worried when he heard the newcomer directly call out his Servant's name. But when this Servant walked out, Kenneth's expression directly froze. The resemblance was too strong. In fact, they were identical. Was the Servant before him really not the Aslan he knew? After all, even their names were exactly the same.
At this moment, Kenneth couldn't even be bothered that his own Servant's name had been exposed. Right now, he really wanted to take out his phone and directly call Aslan to confirm that the Servant standing before him was not the one he knew.
A joyful smile appeared on Balin's face. "Haha... hahahaha!! A miracle! This is a miracle! To think that after 1500 years, I could meet you again on this land I've never set foot on, in this Holy Grail War!"
But the next moment, Balin's smile receded. "But... are you really Aslan?"