Section 1: Castle in the Mist - Before

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Mo, mo, mo, mo.

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Mo, mo, mo, mo. (Proudly)

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Mo, mo, mo.

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Mo, mo. (Nodding)

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...Irregularity detected.

Irregularity detected.

Eliminating.

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Irregularity attempting evasive action. Companion irregularity detected. Eliminating.

Targets synchronized. Eliminating.

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Mo!!!

Resistance detected from irregularity. Damaged reduced. Requesting reinforcements.

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Well, I'll be. A living human? How in the world did you end up in a place like this?

Guess I can't leave him to fend for himself. Hey, you there. What's it going to be? Will you run away with that animal, or stay and fight with me?

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That's right. Apparently, I'm a Servant now!

I read about them in my library along with my studies on Zoroastrian heaven and hell and the Egyptians' trials for the dead, but I never expected to become one myself.

I have to say, this world is full of wonders. I bet that Iskandar boy would love it here!

Then again, he'd probably just run off to conquer it if he got the chance. It'd be best for everyone if we just left him alone.

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My name is Ptolemaîos! Ptolemaîos I, the great pharaoh and diadochos!

This spear once conquered the world alongside Iskandar, King of Conquerors. Those of you reckless enough to face it shall be the first to taste its blade!

Well, well. You're pretty good at this.

I took you for a mage, but I wouldn't have guessed you control the shadows of Servants like myself.

If Iskandar were here, I'm sure he'd be champing at the bit to secure your services. No, wait. Why don't you work for me?

Yes, that's an excellent idea!

Mo!

Fujimaru!

Oh, another strange spell. It reminds me of the Atlas Institute.

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Phew. We finally got the connection working again.

Senpai! You're okay! You too, Sì Bú Xiàng!

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We haven't been able to contact him yet.

He hasn't come back to us, but his Spirit Origin is still reading as stable...

...so we think he must be managing to maintain his materialization somehow.

Mo, mo, mo, mo.

Well, if Sì Bú Xiàng there is okay, we can safely assume Taigong Wang is as well.

Now, can you tell me who that Servant-looking man with the spear is?

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Ptolemaîos! That's the hero who served King Iskandar before succeeding him as pharaoh and going on to build his very own dynasty!

There you go. After King Iskandar's death, he was appointed satrap of Egypt, which led to him becoming the first Macedonian pharaoh.

That's right. He and Iskandar were the ones who defeated Darius III and ended the Achaemenid dynasty of the Persian Empire.

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He's a fearsome Macedonian warrior who conquered the known world, and a wise king who spread Hellenism, which influences human culture to this day.

Given his tremendous achievements in war, politics, and the humanities, I think we can say he's one of the most accomplished heroes of all time.

Of the Heroic Spirits we know, Taigong Wang probably comes the closest. They may come from very different times and places, but they have a surprising amount in common.

What an interesting discussion. I'd like to hear more...

...but first, we should do something about those things.

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As I thought. We need to cut them off at the source. You there. Heroic Spirit tamer.

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Oho. I've never heard a name like that before.

At any rate, you may know your way around a battlefield, but these shadow knights are not your typical foes.

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They're firmly tied to this land. If we want to truly defeat them, we'll need to take care of that first.

So, what do you say? Think you can work with me?

Hmm. Under the current circumstances, I don't see a problem with teaming up...

Mo, mo. (Agreeing, probably)

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Great. I'll make this simple.

If we are to stop them from multiplying, we'll need to do something about the corrupted leyline.

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Correct. That leyline is producing these shadow knights.

You have the look of a mage. Can you purify that miasma?

One second. ...Yeah, I think so.

Our analysis lines up with yours. Those leyline's numbers are definitely funky.

Luckily, for an anomaly of this scale, we should be able to use a summoning circle to tamp it down without too much trouble.

Just give me a little time to whip up a purification spell that'll work with Fujimaru's Mystic Code.

Excellent. It seems my faith in you was well-founded.

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Calm down. These enemies are endless, remember? We'll never get anywhere if we stop to fight every one of them.

You there, the remote mage. What's the effective range for this spell of yours?

Well, it'll be repurposing a summoning circle, so Fujimaru there will need to make physical contact with the target.

I see. Then we're going to need a strategy.

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Having seen how you fought just now, I can tell you've seen your share of battle.

However, I'm guessing most of those battles were fought on an individual level.

In other words, you tend to gather your summoned Servants in one place and wield them as if they were a single sword.

It's the quickest and easiest way to make use of your power, just as if you were swinging that sword yourself.

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Indeed.

I would never have known any success as a general if I could not tell an opponent's combat experience at a glance.

At any rate, your methods are fine for simply defeating an opponent, but not when it comes to controlling a battlefield.

To do that, you will need to fight in an entirely different way, on a completely different level.

Your Servants will need to function as spears, shields, bows, or even fortresses, depending on the situation.

And to do that, you'll need to simultaneously give them different commands while they're in different locations.

That is the crux of strategy. So, what do you think? Can you do that?

Oho, have you now? Your organization must be big on preparing for contingencies.

I see. I appreciate your honesty. There's no quicker way to get yourself killed than to go into battle unsure of yourself.

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All right, I have a fairly good idea of your experience now.

Just focus on giving the necessary commands, and I'll chime in when you need help.

Don't worry. Once you get started, you'll get the hang of it in no time.

And if you don't, well, this will be where your journey ends!