"Let go! I saw it first!"
"I clearly entered the store before you did!!" the red-haired man bellowed.
"Nonsense! I got to this section first!!" the blonde woman snapped back.
"Uhh, pretty sure I was here before either of you," Dracula muttered half-heartedly.
"You picking a fight?!"
The two turned toward him, voices rising in perfect sync.
"You dare speak to my beloved Master that way?"
Kiyohime's voice suddenly cut in, her anger erupting like a flash fire.
"Do you want to taste the wrath of my flames?"
"Calm down, Kiyohime." Dracula raised a hand, halting her with a sigh.
"Fine, fine, I'll shut up," he muttered.
Still, he didn't release his grip on the disc.
"You're asking for war, aren't you?"
The red-haired brute narrowed his eyes and shouted with glee.
"I am Iskandar, King of Conquerors! Never in my life have I backed down from a fight!"
"When I desire something, I take it by force! That is the creed of the King of Conquerors!"
"Hmph. Absurd."
The blonde woman's eyes gleamed coldly.
"All treasures in this world belong to me, the King of Heroes. Even that disc in your hand is mine by right!"
"To think you would plunder from my treasury—prepare to be judged."
"This is a busy shopping district!!"
The slim boy behind Iskandar wailed in panic.
"If you guys start a fight here, I'm gonna be the one who gets arrested!!"
"Silence, boy. Don't you understand?" Iskandar roared.
"This is a battle between two kings!"
Magic began to surge from both Servants. Their grips tightened, pressure building around the disc.
Dracula narrowed his eyes and looked down at the disc, now groaning under the strain of three clashing forces.
"Hey," Dracula said suddenly. "You two might wanna ease up a bit. This disc's not gonna survive if you keep pulling."
They paused—and sure enough, the disc was starting to bend.
Both reluctantly loosened their grips.
"Hmm… you," the red-haired man said, finally noticing Dracula. "You're a Master, aren't you? To be able to struggle equally with two Servants like this… impressive."
"Tell me, warrior. Will you join my ranks and share in the glory of conquest?"
The blonde woman scoffed. "Tch, don't listen to this sweaty oaf. Follow him, and all you'll ever smell is man-stink and hear boring war stories."
She batted her lashes at Dracula. "Why not join my court instead? My treasury holds anything you desire—riches, relics, pleasure... Tell me, what is it you truly yearn for?"
She winked.
"What?! You dare mock the bonds of manly friendship and heated battle?!"
"What a crude, muscle-brained brute. You're exactly the type of person I hate the most."
The moment those two laid eyes on each other, they started quarreling again. Their loud bickering, coupled with Dracula's own resigned silence, quickly drew the attention of everyone in the store.
And being someone who detests the eyes of strangers, Dracula was seriously annoyed.
A timid store clerk approached them with great caution and whispered:
"Um, excuse me, dear customers… could you please keep it down a bit? And, um, if you're going to fight, please take it outside…"
"My apologies. I'll be buying this disc."
Dracula gave a quick bow and handed over the cash. Then, turning toward the two still pulling at either side of the game disc, he sighed and said:
"Hey, let's take this outside before we cause more trouble!"
The three of them, still clinging to the disc like children, side-shuffled their way out of the store.
Standing just outside the shop, Dracula tilted his head back and exhaled deeply.
"I've already bought this game," he said. "But how about this—we all want it, right? Then let's settle it the way this game was meant to be played. A match in the arcade. Winner takes all. How does that sound?"
He pointed toward a nearby building. The two others turned to look and found that his finger was aimed squarely at a game center.
"Very well. I accept your terms," declared the blonde woman, lifting her chin proudly. "I—The King—will not lose to anyone. Not in any realm!"
"Hmph, let's let our strength do the talking," the King of Conquerors agreed, then called out to his trembling Master, "Oi! Let's go, boy!"
Dracula also beckoned to Kiyohime, handing her the disc to act as the prize and, reluctantly, the judge.
As he led the group toward the arcade, he added:
"Since we'll be opponents, it's only proper to introduce ourselves. I'm Dracula—or Gabriel, if you prefer. You two… surely you wouldn't bother hiding your True Names in a competition like this?"
"Of course not! Hear me, for I am Iskandar, the King of Conquerors!"
"And I am none other than Gilgamesh, theKing of Heroes," the blonde woman said with a scoff.
"Oh? To think I'd have a chance to cross blades with such ancient kings… The Holy Grail War is truly exhilarating."
"Hmph, as long as you know your place, you oaf!"
The three continued bickering as they walked into the arcade, their voices echoing like a trio of troublesome children on a field trip.
"Hey, Kirie, what do you think of this dress?"
Nero stepped out of the fitting room wearing a high-slit white evening gown, twirling around like a blossoming white rose. The sight left every male customer in the store staring in awe.
"It's… beautiful, yes," Kirie muttered, troubled. "But Nero, why do you always choose such… revealing clothes?"
The slit in the dress went all the way up to her thigh, fully showcasing her fair and slender legs. The upper part was equally bold, revealing much of her pale bosom. While aesthetically pleasing, it was… a bit much.
"Hmph! My beauty is a gift for the world to behold!" Nero declared, hands on hips. Then she bounded toward Mordred, Elizabeth, and Jeanne. "Oh~ Elizabeth and Mordred, such refined tastes you have! And you, dear Saint~ I'm surprised someone so prim and proper would wear something so scandalous!"
"By the way," Kirie said, glancing around. "Where's Kiyohime?"
"Probably followed that piggy of hers," Elizabeth answered, admiring herself in the mirror. "That lizard's had a stalking problem ever since she was summoned. Clerk, I'll take this one. Wrap it up, thank you~☆"
"Then let's go find them after we finish here," Kirie suggested.
Once the girls wrapped up their shopping, they made their way toward the arcade section.
"Alright, where do we start looking?" Nero asked.
Kirie scanned the area, then pointed.
"I'd bet Dracula-sama is in there. Shall we go take a look?"
The girls entered the game center together.
Almost immediately, Nero's eyes sparkled at the crowd forming in one corner of the room.
"Oooh~! Something fun is going on over there! Let's check it out!"
She grabbed her companions and muscled her way through the curious onlookers.
"Hmph! My class is Rider! Prepare to be trampled by my Bucephalus Mark II!" roared Iskandar.
"Don't make me laugh! Do you think I'd lose in a race? Class means nothing before my Vimana Mark II!" Gilgamesh replied.
Using her absurd strength, Nero forcibly split the crowd and squeezed her way in. What she saw was… a bizarre tableau.
Three individuals sat lined up on motorcycle-shaped arcade controllers. On the left, a two-meter-tall red-haired giant. On the right, a beautiful, sharp-eyed blonde. And sandwiched in the middle—hunched over and hiding his face in shame—was her own Master.