Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse {Book Four: War} (Gladiolus x Reader)

|| Eleven ||

A/n: Just a small little warning I have to add...

⚠️WARNING: SUICIDE ATTEMPT⚠️

It's small and only last for a few sentences, but I just wanted to warn those who are sensitive about the topic. The scene is in the nightmare, if you're wondering when you should skip. Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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Gladio makes his way through the final passage towards where Gilgamesh awaits. "There's a chill in the air... I can feel his presence. He'd better be ready for me."

He eventually comes to a stone bridge spanning across Taelpar Crag. Embedded in the stone bridge on either side along its full length are a great multitude of swords. Gilgamesh stands at the other end of the bridge, his back turned to the shield. Gladio approaches and announces himself to the undead warrior. "I'm here."

Gilgamesh slowly turns his head. "Brandishing your brute force?"

"Yeah. Let's see if you can handle it."

Their battle begins. Gilgamesh wields a broadsword in the hand of his only remaining arm. Gladio summoned his greatsword and faced off against the undead warrior.

The two exchanged blow after blow, both injuring the other. However, Gilgamesh was clearly powerful. He had the upper hand and could easily knock Gladio down. Luckily, the shield found plenty of curatives during his trek through the Tempering Grounds and was able to keep in tip-top shape during the battle.

Gladio was able to parry a few of Gilgamesh's attacks and stagger the undead warrior, granting him the window he needed to deal heavy damage.

In the middle of the battle as the shield was trying to regain his breath, Gilgamesh spoke to him. "You only delay the inevitable, O Unworthy One. Look how you tremble!"

"I ain't afraid of you," Gladio declared.

The undead warrior closed the distance between him and the brute. "With every passing second, the fear in your heart grows greater still."

"So what do I do? Just roll over and die?"

"Yes. Why else would you have come here, if not to join the other lost souls?"

"Because I've got what it takes-and I'm gonna prove it!" Greatsword in hand, the shield dodges Gilgamesh's next attack and struck from behind.

The undead warrior recovered, striking Gladio and knocking him off his feet. He swung his blade a second time while the brute was down, but he was slightly taken aback when his sword was parried. With a successful parry, Gladio leapt at Gilgamesh and was able to deal some more damage.

At a certain point in the battle, Gilgamesh parries Gladio's sword, then simply stands and stares. "Blind reliance on strength alone reveals your weakness of will." As Gilgamesh utters this, the shield turns to look at the many abandoned blades of those who have also tried to face the undead warrior.
"Countless disappointments met their end here, and so shall you!"

"No. I didn't come here to die. I came here to prove to you I'm worthy!" Gladio proclaimed, reengaging Gilgamesh.

The battle waged on. At a certain certain point, Gladio seemingly had Gilgamesh defeated and brings his blade down for a bisecting swing intended to finish him off. Gilgamesh forms a fiery left arm from his energy, however, and catches the brute's blade. "You are strong-yet so long as fear binds your heart...the power you possess is wasted on you."

Gilgamesh dispells the broadsword in his right hand and replaces it with a katana that he wields with both hands. Gladio remains on his toes when seeing the undead warrior switched weapons. He grips his greatsword tightly as he stood in front of the powerful adversary. "I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve, too. Ain't no way I'm backing down now! I've still got some tricks up my sleeve, too."