Fate/sixth apocalypse

"Like I said, a barge would be optimum. Big flat space for circles and stuff."

***

Sharur nodded once before falling silent again, waiting to see what Lancer and the other Caster would do.

"How about an aircraft carrier?"

***

The other caster noticed the two and turned to face them "So this is the new recruit/slave?"

Once Troy regained the power of speech he nodded. "Yeah, that'd do it."

***

The main reason Sharur was able to keep a neutral expression in response to that was by virtue of technically being an inanimate object. "I prefer the term Servant."

Elizabeth starts gathering mana

***

The caster shrugs "Slave servant the difference is nothing, both are tools to be discarded"

"And who are you to say that?" Sharur didn't particularly care who this Caster was...she was just curious.

***

Troy waited for their brand new aircraft carrier to arrive...he suddenly realized they might attract a bit of attention from other Servants. Eh, maybe he could add them to his collection...just so long as they didn't wreck the carrier before he decked it out in runes and sigils.

"I simply say the words that are truth. I am nothing, not a lord or a king, just a philosopher" After caster finishes talking a small stone golem appeared in his hand and dances around before it falls apart

***

In the harbor a giant tear appeared in the sky and slowly and aircraft carrier capable of taking on an Iowa class battleship appeared. Elizabeth opens her eye from concentration "There you are" she says calmly, it looked like the only that got sucked from Elizabeth was her time, she looked like she had used little to no mana

Chrom materializes in front of Troy "Master I have urgent news"

"Lets hear it" Edward says

Chrom nods "It appears a banquette has been called"

Everyone master and servant alike looked at him in surprise "The message is that all those who bare the name of king attend. It declares the night off from the war and if anyone brakes that pact all of the holy church will be against them. Master should we go?"

Troy took just a moment before looking to his second Saber. "Yeah. First of all, apparently Gilgamesh is a king, so that's a rather absurdly easy way to find out where he is. Second of all, I mean, the church is calling the shots here. We should be safe." He smiled. "Plus, free food. Can't say no to that."

***

"A fantastic nonanswer. Perhaps a better question: what is your name?"

"No one of consequence" Caster says

"His master has forbid him to speak his name" Lancer says "Now I must cut this conversation short a meeting between kings is taking place and I must be off" he fads into sprit form

***

Chrom, Arturia, Elizabeth, Merlin, Edward and Troy went by a car made by Elizabeths magic to the location specified. It was a giant old style castle with a huge open courtyard. Inside the courtyard a huge barrel of wine was stationed around a feast of food from every corner of the world. In the center stood a man win black robes decorated with purple eyes all around him. As soon as the group entered the servant bowed his head "Welcome to the banquette of kings" he says "Please sit and have a drink"

Troy and his Saber entourage went to sit down - only to be interrupted by the courtyard gate swinging open with a thunderous crash. Troy spun in place, two sticks of chalk in his hand - but the Servant there had no weapons out or anything. Of course, that didn't mean much to an inhuman engine of violence, but at any rate he would have to first draw his sword and then go through Arturia and Chrom - something that was rather unlikely.

The Servant in question was a huge, tan-skinned man with flaming red hair and beard, wearing a set of armor beneath an enormous fur cape that looked like it came from halfway between Greece and the Middle East. "BEHOLD! I am Iskandar, King of Conquerors, of the Rider class of Servants! And I have answered your summons! Let us eat as Kings!"

Well. Troy didn't know of anyone named Iskandar, but he had his phone out a moment later to find out. Very helpful that this guy would just shout his name to the world like that.

The black robed servant bowed to Iskandar "Welcome king of Conquerors" he says

The servants gathered around in a circle around the wine barrel. The black robed servant gave a spoon to Chrom who took a drink without hesitation. Behind the group Lancer came out "I know that this is a banquette of kings but I doubt you would mind if a count would join you?"

"Not at all Lancer" Chrom says, Arturia remained silent through the conversation.

"So, so many mongrels dare to call themselves king in my presence?" Gilgamesh says as he materializes in the courtyard "In front of me the one true king?"

Elizabeth clenches her fists in anger. She started to get up but Edward stopped her. The black robed servant seemed unimpressed "Welcome king of Hero's"

Troy made a point not to look at Gilgamesh overly long. "Bravo," he whispered once he thought he could do so without being overheard, "when he leaves, follow him and keep track of where he is."

Gilgamesh takes the wine and spits it out "You dare hold a banquette of kings serving such a horrible drink?"

The black robed servant shrugs "I have talked wars over worse"

Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed "What title do you hold Mongrel"

"I was not born into royalty, but the people of my adopted country named me the king of Generals" The man says and Chrom's eye widen.

Gilgamesh sighs "You must be taught a lesson for you impotence". From his hand he opens the same golden gate that he gets his swords, but instead of a weapon a golden vile comes out along with a bunch of cups "Now behold and recognize your folly, for this is the drink of a true king"

Everyone takes a drink and the wine is the best that any of them have ever tasted "Yes mongrels, my treasure house houses only the greatest of swords and finest of drinks. The king of Generals laughs and Gilgamesh looks at him with a questioning look "What is so funny?"

"The finest of swords you say? Sorry to brake it to you but I know at least 5 swords that never came from your treasure house hero king of Babylon"

Everyone except Gilgamesh tenses, who ever this servant was he deduced Gilgamesh's identity by only knowing his title before hand and seeing him bring a drink into the world. Merlin chuckles "Your wits are a sharp as they say"

"Thank you king of magic" He looks at Chrom and Arturia "So tell me King of Knights, will Lancelot be joining us anytime soon?"

Arturia starts to answer before Chrom cuts her off "For Naga's sake Robin take your hood off"

Robin smiles and takes his hood off reviling the same silver haired mage that Troy had seen in his memory of Chrom.

Hm. Troy resisted the urge to correct Robin - Gilgamesh was Sumerian, not Babylonian. But he'd rather not let Goldie know he knew his identity.

The wine was rather nice though. At which point he damn near choked on it. Gilgamesh knew Arturia's identity?! HOW!? He quickly looked to his original Servant.

Iskandar, meanwhile, hadn't said anything yet, busying himself with demolishing a platter of turkey and drinking wine.

*** 

"So who's the Lancer?" Sharur asked Medea.

Arturia shoots him a glance that said "Not now" before drinking another glass. Chrom looks at Robin "Why did you call us here?"

"Yes" Lancer says "Someone like yourself has little to no right to call a banquette of kings yet here you stand as the host"

***

"Vlad the 3rd, or Vlad the impaler"

Sharur nodded. That made sense.

***

Troy obligingly did not pursue the questions lining up in his head but instead watched as the Servants conversed, tucking into some mashed potatos and fried chicken as he did so.

Robin smiles "Simple tactics"

"Now hold on just a second." Iskandar set down his fork. "Count Lancer raises a good point - if you're not a king, why are you here?" He looked thoughtful, stroking his beard. "And why are there Masters here, none of whom are kings?"

"I'm her date." Troy deadpanned around a mouthful of mashed potatoes, nodding at Arturia. Iskandar was silent for a moment before he started laughing.

Arturia shoots Troy an angry glance but says nothing

Robin puts down his glass "You are correct, I have no right to be called king, so I have no right to be here". He reaches into his robe and brings out a notebook "Never the less I called this meeting together so as it is mine I have the right to remain"

"So you called real kings here to make a show of claiming to be one?" Gilgamesh asks "This insult will not go punished King of Generals" he spoke the last words like they were trash "However I am a just ruler, if you were to swore loyalty to me, I might forgive you for your insult"

Robin bursts out laughing, he close his notebook after he writes something down "Sorry Hero king, but I have swore loyalty to one king, and he is greater then you"

"Oh?" Gilgamesh says in question "Well then name this King so he can be taught the meaning of true kingship"

"No need hero king" Lancer says "The king you seek is right here" Everyone looks at him questionably before Lancer turns to Chrom. Chrom sighs "In life Robin was my general and second in command of my fighting force the shepherds"

Everyone with the exceptions of Robin Chrom and Arturia looked at the king of Exalts with some manor of surprise. Robin nods at his old friend "I am no king but my Exalt here is. My actions were made as a benefit to him and a vasel should always strive to help his king in anyway he can"

Troy sighed. That made both of his Servants whose identities were known to the group. Although...now that he thought about it, Arturia died to the traitor Mordred (who was not here). And at any rate she managed to take Mordred down with her. Chrom had apparently died relatively peacefully. So, without obviously exploitable weaknesses, this was probably not as bad as he thought.

"Well, I certainly can't argue with that point, King of Generals! At any rate, we're all here and there's a feast to be had. Let's put aside our fighting until after we're done here." Iskandar said, before something else occurred to him - his main reason for coming here. "Speaking of which, I would like to propose that you all join forces with me so that we might conquer the world together!"

Elizabeth coughs in her drink before looking at Iskandar surprised. Arturia sighs "I am the rightful king of Britain, I can not dishonor my country by bowing to you"

Lancer considered it for a second "Sadly king of Conquerors, I can't except your offer"

Edward finishes drinking "Yea-no"

Gilgamesh looks as Iskandar "You dare ask me to join you? This world is my garden mongrel and I will not allow heathens to call themselves king on my garden. As the one true king I will kill you with my own hand for that statement"

"I spent my life fighting against conquering kings" Robin says "Even though that life is now gone I will not change my ways"

Chrom shakes his head "I have sworn loyalty to one master so I can't accept your offer"

Lancer bursts out laughing "Whats so funny Lancer?" Chrom asks

"What is your Loyalty worth? You may've not stopped the blow, but you did nothing to let your last master die"

Chrom's eye hardened and Elizabeth waited for Chrom to start a fight "Lords please" Robin says "This night is for talking, not fighting so please refrain from starting one"

"Why not let them fight?" Gilgamesh asks "It would be most amusing"

The massive red-haired man shrugged. "Well, it was worth a try. Although," he looked at Elizabeth, "you haven't said anything. What do you say?"

Elizabeth was about to say something but Gilgamesh interrupted "That one is no use to you Rider, she will be as useless to you as that mongrel who insulted me"

Elizabeths eyes flashed with anger "Before I go back to the throne, I promise on all the lives of Columbia that I will kill you"

Gilgamesh says nothing unimpressed

"I met five other Riders just getting to Japan - call me Iskandar or King of Conquerors, please. Now, Caster, what's your answer?"

Troy was finding this all increasingly interesting. That said, given that Robin had called the meeting and not the Church as they had been told, the uneasy truce could be broken at any moment. That was both good and bad. Seeing the other Servants in action would be enormously helpful as he could then attempt to form strategies to deal with them. But that did him little good if Gilgamesh, Iskandar or Lancer killed him. He doubted Robin was a threat - the Servant seemed loyal to Chrom, who was in turn loyal to Troy.

Elizabeth hesitated "I have a team now but I hope your offer remains open King of Conquerors"

The Servant in question looked pleased. At least one other Servant seemed open to his offer - admittedly, that was more than he had expected.