Shinji Matou at Your Service-Chapter 1080: A Decade-Old Grudge to Settle

The banquet had ended.

After a rowdy group shared the legendary Primordial Wine, the supreme divine brew, the event concluded cleanly and without hesitation.

To outsiders, especially most orthodox magi, this had been a pointless, time-wasting farce. But to the many heroes present, it was a novel experience, something they had never encountered in life, and thus, a precious memory.

For the four kings who had participated in the previous Holy Grail War, the significance was even greater. If the last banquet had been a display of their kingly status and heroism, this time, it was about expressing their individuality as human beings.

On the racecourse and at the banquet, there were no kings—only individuals, allowing them to enjoy a rare moment of relaxation.

However, this relaxation was ultimately temporary, a deliberately constructed illusion that made them forget the truth for a while.

When the banquet ended, the atmosphere of ease disappeared naturally. Masters returned to being Masters, and Servants returned to being Servants. The war would soon resume.

Feeling the air grow colder, Fiore, who was holding the scorecard, found her mouth unusually heavy, as if she couldn't open it.

Because once she spoke, it meant that someone was destined to perish. That was one of the purposes of this Holy Grail War—to gather enough Heroic Spirits' souls to complete the Lesser Grail.

Seeing Fiore's struggle, Scathach swiftly took the scorecard from her, glanced at it, and read aloud: "First place goes to the team of Rin Tohsaka and Gilgamesh. Second place goes to Waver and Iskandar. Third place goes to Illyasviel and Artoria."

The rankings were unsurprising.

Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon was essentially a cheat code, comparable to a certain blue, mouse-fearing cat's omnipotent pocket. As long as he took things seriously, followed the rules, and chose the right Noble Phantasms, it was hard for his performance to be anything but stellar. And this time, for some reason, he had participated earnestly, so the result was predictable.

Iskandar's team was no exception. While Iskandar himself wasn't a cheat, Waver's insight was. His powerful analytical ability served as the perfect outside coach. With Waver's genius students joining the competition in appropriate events and teaming up with Iskandar, along with Gray and Faker guarding them relentlessly, it would have been no surprise if they had taken first place—if not for the Gate of Babylon being so overpowered.

A similar principle applied to Artoria's team. The entire Emiya family—Kiritsugu, Irisviel, Maiya, and Illyasviel—had joined in. However, without another team backing them up, they ended up in third place.

As for the Matou family, the main organizers of the Grand Prix, they had approached the competition with a purely recreational mindset. None of them had used cheats; neither Wisdom of Scathach nor the so-called omnipotent Runes were employed, which is why they didn't make the top three, instead finishing in fourth and sixth place.

The ranking granted teams the privilege of choosing their opponents and battle times. The team chosen had to accept the challenge, with the Church's authority and Command Seals ensuring compliance.

This rule had been discussed with each participating team before the Grand Prix began. Some had initially opposed it, but after collective discussions and the addition of details such as how to guarantee the safety of defeated Masters and how to handle emergencies, all the Masters signed the agreement.

After all, no one wanted to die. It was better to fight honorably within the established rules than to die in the shadows of schemes and plots. Of course, this was largely because the participants in this Holy Grail War—or rather, this Grand Prix—were straightforward people who didn't enjoy playing underhanded games. People like Roa and Atrum would never have agreed to such terms.

With the rankings now announced, the next steps were clear.

Rin and Gilgamesh exchanged a glance.

"Our opponent was decided long ago: Shinji Matou—"

"—and the Queen of the Land of Shadows, Scathach—"

"—let's settle the score from ten years ago."

At that moment, Master and Servant were of one mind.

Shinji and Scathach had also anticipated this and stepped forward together, in sync.

"Come on then, we're ready whenever you are."

"Very well."

Gilgamesh pointed to the sky, summoning his divine vessel, the Vimana.

"This place is not suited for a final battle. Get on board, and let's go somewhere more fitting."

However, just as they were about to board, someone suddenly blocked their path.

"Hold on."

Gilgamesh paused mid-step.

"King of Conquerors?"

Indeed, the one standing in their way was none other than the King of Conquerors, Iskandar.

"King of Heroes, I remember you once said I could challenge you as many times as I wanted. You're not going back on your word, are you?"

Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow.

"I never go back on my word."

"Good. I'm calling in that promise now. I challenge you—don't you dare back out."

"King—"

"What an idiot—"

Both Faker and Waver facepalmed simultaneously and rushed over to try and stop him. After spending time together, especially since Iskandar's summoning, their ability to read each other's headaches and frustrations had improved significantly.

Ah, having too much common sense wasn't always a good thing.

Thankfully, this time, their efforts to dissuade him weren't necessary—Gilgamesh handled it on his own.

"I thought you had something important to say. So it's just this. Yes, I did promise you, but I also promised Rin and the Queen of the Land of Shadows. How I fulfill my promises is up to me, not you—that's my answer. If you want to challenge me, you can do so after I return victorious."

"Just don't lose."

Iskandar huffed.

"I don't see myself losing. And even if I did, you'd still have other worthy opponents, wouldn't you?"

In Gilgamesh's rare, piercing gaze, a sharp glint appeared.

"If you're bored, you could always find someone else to challenge. I think the King of Knights would be a good match. Your bluster from ten years ago seems to have left quite an impression on her. But be careful—if I come back victorious and you're nowhere to be found, you can expect me to mock you mercilessly."

"Mind your own business. Just take care of yourself first."

With that, Iskandar stepped aside, and Gilgamesh said no more. He boarded the Vimana with Rin, followed closely by Scathach and Shinji.

As the four of them ascended into the sky, Sakura couldn't help but twist the hem of her clothing nervously, murmuring to herself.

"Brother... Sister..."

Luvia, standing beside her, asked softly, "Aren't you going to stop them?"

"No. This is something we can't avoid."

Sakura shook her head, her expression uneasy but her gaze unexpectedly resolute.

"I believe my brother and sister can handle it. As their little sister, all I can do is wait."

"I see..."

Luvia said, placing her hands gently on Sakura's shoulders and resting Sakura's head against her own.

"Sister Luvia?"

"I'm your sister too, so it's only natural for me to comfort you. Until they return, you can lean on me."

"Mm. Thank you, Sister."

"Good girl, good girl."

Behind the two of them, Karna and Medusa exchanged distant, somewhat hazy glances. They both had siblings, but they had never interacted like this.

Suddenly, they felt a pang of envy.