Haven't you played chess before? 2/2

Iskandar continued to fight Diarmuid, wounds began appearing on his body and Lancer's attacks pierced and cut his skin. It was incredibly hard to land a proper hit on Diarmuid, as his unparalleled agility and precognition allowed him to avoid any attack launched in his direction while simultaneously giving him the perfect means to counter attack.

"Do you still wish to continue fighting?" asked Diarmuid as Iskandar jumped from his horse, the animal now dead after receiving countless wounds taking Diarmuid's hits. "Your army is nearly gone, unable to fight against Saber, your master will fall at the hands of mine, and likewise you will die against me."

Iskandar smiled at Diarmuid's words. "Fighting with all the odds against me to take something and claim it as my own... isn't that the very definition of conquest?" he asked, taking a stance in front of Diarmuid.

Diarmuid smiled too at Iskandar's words. "I suppose it is." he said. "However, your conquest comes to an end the moment you try to take something that already belongs to my master!" continued Diarmuid, taking a stance as well.

Black and red beams flew around as Artoria continued eliminating Iskandar's army, however neither Diarmuid nor Iskandar focused on this, instead they stared at each other, their weapons ready for another clash.

Before they could continue, Artoria and Medea arrived, making both heroes look at them.

"I already dealt with the army." said Artoria with a serious expression. "Why haven't you finished him already?"

Diarmuid showed small smile before replying. "Well, I was just about to do that before you interrupted."

Artoria shook her head and looked at Iskandar for a moment before focusing back on Diarmuid. "Hurry up, I want to go to my king's side and I can't until we defeat him."

Medea just rolled her eyes at Artoria's words. "You can just fight him yourself and be done with it." she said, unamused by the waste of time spent in the challenges and speeches. "I don't get why you feel the need to challenge each other to duels that are ninety percent speeches, five percent charging at each other, and only the last five percent actually fighting."

Iskandar laughed loudly at Medea's words and Diarmuid chuckled.

"That is precisely how you honour your opponents!" exclaimed Iskandar. "You still haven't introduced yourself, will you do it now?"

Medea stared at him confused for a moment. "I just said I dislike speeches, why would your first thought be that I will introduce myself?"

Iskandar chuckled and shrug his shoulders. "Maybe you were moved by my words." he said, as if it explained everything.

Medea simply sighed and turned around. "You two deal with him, I will go to master's side."

Diarmuid shook his head and focused back on Iskandar. Artoria on the other hand stared at Medea's back with slight jealousy. Dio had told her that it was up to her and Diarmuid to defeat Iskandar while he fought his professor. Medea however was free to do as she pleased as long as she supported someone in combat, so now that the army was defeated she could go wherever she wanted.

"Will you fight me as well?" asked Iskandar, looking at Artoria.

"You think you could take on both of us?" asked Artoria with a hint of contempt. "Your body is already quite wounded because of Diarmuid's attacks, yet his body is perfectly fine. You probably haven't landed a hit on him, so why would you ask me to join as well?"

Iskandar laughed at her words. "Well, it is precisely because I am wounded that I am at my strongest!" he exclaimed. "And it is precisely because I have the chance to face not one but two of the greatest heroes that I will be beyond my peak right now!"

Artoria stared at him momentarily, slightly surprised by his determination, before turning and looking at Diarmuid.

Diarmuid shrugged his shoulders while sighing. "Whatever." he said. "If he wants to fight as both, I don't mind it. It is however a bit obvious that he has never played chess though."

"What does chess have to do with this?" asked Iskandar confused for a moment.

"In chess, a king alone has no chance of defeating a queen and a knight." replied Artoria as she stood next to Diarmuid, both taking a stance as they tightened their hold on their weapons.

Iskandar smiled at this and pulled his sword out, waving it and bringing it down, where lighting stroke. A chariot guided by two bulls stood where the lighting had hit, slightly surprising Diarmuid and Artoria.

"Ad who said I am alone?" said Iskandar as he got on the chariot, the two bulls huffing in support. "I shall show you utter defeat! Perhaps then you will realise that joining me will make you shine unlike ever before!" he exclaimed loudly as lightning began to form around the bulls and the chariot itself.

Diarmuid frowned at his words and Artoria gritted her teeth.

"I already told you!" exclaimed Lancer as his two spears began glowing and their bandages falling. "I shall follow my master, and only my master!"

"You will never compare to my husband!" said Artoria as her black sword began glowing. "He is my king, and I would die before leaving his side!"

Iskandar ignored their words and hurried his bulls as they began their charge.

"VIA..." screamed Rider as he got closer to them, lightning appearing around his chariot while his sword was pointed in their direction.

"EX..." screamed Artoria while raising her sword above her head, black and red light expanding above.

"GÁE..." screamed Diarmuid, holding his golden lance in one hand while getting ready to throw it.

"EXPUGNATIO!!!!"

"CALIBUR!!!!!"

"BUIDHE!!!!"

In an instant, Diarmuid's golden lance flew in Iskandar's direction while the chariot of the king of conqueror's sped up, lightning surrounding it completely. A black beam, originating from Artoria's sword caused dust to cover the environment, blocking the sight of the outcome.

As the cloud of dust settled, Iskandar could be seen with a golden lance through his heart and a red lance blocking his sword, which was nearly touching Artoria's neck. His chariot laid to the side, destroyed after being unable to withstand the attack from Artoria's noble phantasm.

Iskandar sighed at the situation and brought his sword back to his hilt as he stood tall in front of the two servants, blood pouring out of his wound. "Answer a question for me, Saber." he said. "Why is it that you reject being a king?"

Artoria lifted her sword again and looked at Iskandar, who had tried to take her out, with a serious expression. "To me, being a king is being betrayed." she said, her sword above her head as she got ready to bring it down on the king of conquerors. "Why shouldn't I reject living a life of pain?"

Iskandar sighed once more, looking at the former king of knights with pity. "Then you never understood what being a king is." he said.

Artoria smiled slightly at his words. "Perhaps." she said as she brought the sword down, taking the life fo the king of conqueror's. "But dead men don't need to concern themselves with the troubles of the living."