Aozaki Aoko Case File

Credits: Waterwave

To defeat Conqueror King Iskandar in an honorable and decisive manner, leaving him with no room for excuses, Artoria rode Don Stallion head-on toward the Gordius Wheel, neither dodging nor evading, initiating a direct charge.

As per usual, Aoko had already cast every Transmutation-enhancing spell she could muster onto Artoria beforehand. She now hovered not far behind Saber, prepared to respond to any unexpected developments.

"Be cautious of the King of Knights' Holy Sword attack!" Waver Velvet warned Iskandar. "Your Gordius Wheel won't be able to withstand her Noble Phantasm!"

In the original timeline, Iskandar's Noble Phantasm was destroyed by the Excalibur in a single devastating strike. This left many fans of the Conqueror King lamenting, wondering if his chariot, combined with his Noble Phantasm, might have been even more formidable.

Hearing Waver's warning, Iskandar immediately made his decision. He drew the sword at his waist and shouted:

"Come, gather around again, fearless fighters who all dreamed of reaching the farthest land. The marks we make here will be our glory! Ionioi Hetairoi!! AALALALALALALAI!

With Iskandar's battle cry, the world around him began to erode and transform.

This was a Reality Marble—a miracle born of the bonds and shared resolve between Iskandar and his army during his lifetime. It was the crystallization of their unyielding faith: Ionioi Hetairoi (Army of the King).

The Reality Marble expanded rapidly, enveloping Aoko and Artoria, who were also on the battlefield, in an instant.

Artoria calmly halted her charge and surveyed the environment. The modern city and bridge had vanished, replaced by an endless desert of rolling yellow sands. On the far side of this vast battlefield stood an army tens of thousands strong.

The commander of this massive force was none other than Conqueror King Iskandar himself. Within his ranks, every general and every soldier was a Servant!

Though the individual strength of these Servants was not especially high, their combined might under Iskandar's command was a force of unimaginable power. Even in the original timeline, Gilgamesh did not underestimate them. And now...

"It's my turn to step in," Waver Velvet declared confidently as he stood atop the Gordius Wheel, holding a feathered fan in his hand.

In any army, the leader—the king—is the most critical figure. But an equally vital role is that of the strategist, the one who devises the battle plans for the army.

The Saint Graph Waver had inherited was none other than that of Zhuge Liang, the legendary strategist.

Waver waved his feathered fan, sending out waves of peculiar magical energy that spread across Iskandar's Army of the King.

Moments later, Aoko observed with clarity: the combat capabilities of the originally low-ranked C- and D-tier Servants had increased significantly. Some had even achieved B-tier status!

This was undoubtedly Zhuge Liang's signature technique: Thought Engraving Formation, a unique method of large-scale enhancement that could amplify the power of an entire army with precision.

"Hahaha!" Iskandar laughed heartily, delighted by what he saw. "If I had you as my strategist back then, boy, I might have conquered the ends of the earth already!"

"My King, it's never too late to set out again today!" Waver responded with a confident smile.

"Well said!" Iskandar bellowed, his voice full of vigor. "Soldiers! Our opponent is the indomitable King of Knights! She is the eternal ruler standing guard at the world's edge. Are you afraid?!"

"No! No!" Iskandar's soldiers roared in unison. "We will defeat all enemies and follow you to the Sea of Ends!"

"Then charge with me one more time!" Iskandar commanded. "To the ends of the world!!"

As his words fell, Iskandar rode the Gordius Wheel forward, leading the charge. His army, without needing further instructions, quickly shifted into a pincer formation, intending to encircle and overwhelm Artoria, who excelled in ranged attacks.

Inside the Reality Marble, Aoko quickly realized that flight was heavily restricted.

Her flight magic was merely hindered, reducing her altitude slightly, but Artoria's steed, Don Stallion, had its flight capability entirely nullified.

Yet, despite the overwhelming army before her, Artoria showed no fear. She dismounted from Don Stallion, who reared up and let out a defiant neigh, signaling its master's determination to defeat all who stood in her way.

"The time for unsealing has come!" Artoria declared, raising her Holy Sword high.

"Thirteen restraints lifted. Round Table Resolution begins!"

"This battle is for survival—acknowledged by Kay."

"This battle does not stray from humanity—acknowledged by Gareth."

"This battle is in pursuit of truth—acknowledged by Agravain."

"This battle does not oppose the spirits—acknowledged by Lancelot."

"This battle is for noble honor—acknowledged by Gawain."

"This battle is for the camaraderie of the brave—acknowledged by Tristan."

As six voices from distant eras echoed across the battlefield, six radiant lights gathered on Artoria's Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory.

"Limit release: Stage Two!" Artoria proclaimed, her Holy Sword blazing with infinite light as it gathered power.

"Ex—Calibur!!!"

With a mighty shout, Artoria swung her radiant sword forward. A colossal beam of light erupted, cutting through the heavens and obliterating everything in its path. Its destructive power far exceeded her previous use against Berserker Lancelot, amplified several times over.

"It's here!" Iskandar's eyes widened. His entire body tensed, his hair standing on end. At this moment, his magical energy and resolve reached their peak—this was undoubtedly his strongest state.

"Earth Manipulation!" Waver Velvet waved his feathered fan repeatedly, unleashing the unique magic of the Thought Engraving Formation. The magic acted on the desert sands, shifting the ground beneath Iskandar's army to align with their movements. This allowed their formations to change and evade at incredible speeds.

Faced with the incoming light cannon, Iskandar pushed the Gordius Wheel to its limits, desperately trying to escape the devastating attack.

If this had been the original timeline's Excalibur, the full-strength Army of the King might have narrowly evaded it.

But the unsealed, nearly unrestricted Star of Excalibur was a Noble Phantasm that defied logic. The light, like a river of stars pouring down from the heavens, wiped out a third of the Army of the King in an instant.

Iskandar barely dodged the attack, but as he turned to look back, what he saw was a vision of hell.

A massive chasm had been carved into the earth, stretching as far as the eye could see, all the way to the horizon.

As the Reality Marble's master, Iskandar knew immediately: his Noble Phantasm would not last much longer.