3rd Person POV
The occupants of the Clubroom were silent. Everyone silently wanted it to be a trick. Somehow, their eyes must have gotten it wrong. Maybe Shakespeare was pulling some unknown theatrics. But, slowly and surely, reality sunk in. Only Gilgamesh, bloodied as he was, was left standing. A swath of earth cutting through the ruins of Rias' home was all that was left of (Y/n)'s position.
And in that moment, at least ten hearts threatened to shatter.
"Darling?! DARLING!?" Tamamo no Mae cried out in her pain. She had failed again. Once again, she had lost her husband, the one she swore to devote herself to. The fact that this severance was more his doing did little to comfort the lonely fox girl.
Raynare stood rigid still, her own eyes moist along with Rossweisse. On the inside, seeing the one who had helped built them up annihilated tore them apart on the inside. It was (Y/n)'s that helped Raynare atone for what she had done in the past, even regaining her wings thanks to (Y/n). Rossweisse had proof that she could be wanted and appreciated for who she was. Now their support was gone.
Ravel buried herself in her arms in heaving sobs. She idolized heroes. (Y/n) embodied all that she had wanted. What she did not like to acknowledge was that she found out in the more recent years what often happened to them. Most of their stories ended in pain and tragedy. Here, her love had been no exception. Even as her own heartbreak consumed her, Irina did what she could to comfort Ravel as any Angel would. Irina knew that it was what (Y/n) would want her to do, and do himself. To her, he may have been a Devil, but he had the heart of an Angel.
Kuroka and Koneko embraced each other to console the other sister in their grief. (Y/n) had been responsible for Kuroka's vindication and their subsequent reunion. (Y/n) had proven that strength did not necessarily have to come from a connection to dragons, or from a Sacred Gear for that matter. It was his kindness however that won Kuroka over. Koneko viewed (F/n) as a friend. Moreover, she liked the idea of (Y/n) becoming a brother-in-law. Now it seemed to be a lost cause.
"No...... No! NO! NO! I'LL KILL HIM! YOU'LL PAY YOU HALF-BREED! DO YOU HEAR ME!? YOU WILL PAY!!" Ishtar shrieked in fury, even as tears rolled down her face. This time, her wrath towards Gilgamesh proved to be well earned. She wanted a true relationship based on mutual affection rather than whimsical lust. It took all of Ereshkigal's will to hold her back, even as she was crying herself for the loss of someone who promised to alleviate her loneliness. Sona closed her eyes and bowed her head.
Only Scáthach could truly have any semblance of control over the torrent of emotion the rest of (Y/n)'s significant others felt. Millennia of battle and bringing death in the Land of Shadows had numbed her from many emotions, including grief. Even so, the red eyes of the Warrior Queen of Shadows were moist. A single drop ran down her cheek. It was foreseeing and then watching Cú Chullainn's death all over again. Once again, her beloved pupil met his end in a defiant final stand.
The one undoubtedly in the worst state however was Akeno. In that moment, she had no connection to the real world. Her magenta eyes unfocused and glazed. She could not bring herself to accept it, to accept the loss of another loved one. Not again. Her mind repeatedly cycled through every happy memory with (F/n) in an infinite loop while her physical self remained in a vegetative state.
Rias herself was tear stricken. Issei may have been her lover, but she was honest when she said she saw her peerage as a family. So when (Y/n)'s demise registered, she truly felt as though she had lost a brother. (Y/n) had effectively become another lead figure within the peerage, only deferring to her and Akeno at least before the two got together. Then it was more like equals. Rias had worked practically in sync with him in freeing her from Riser, foiling Kokabiel's plans, rescuing Gasper and so on.
"Everyone." Azazel said softly to the others. He pointed to the still present view of the battlefield.
Gremory Estate
Gilgamesh surveyed the destruction his Sword of Rupture had wrought. Loathe as he was to admit it to himself, the Faker's actions were an act of courage and self-sacrifice. Unlike the previous Faker, he sought primarily to protect a select few, rather than in the name of a hypocritical ideal. The original swords Gilgamesh did see were proof as such.
Like the King of Conquerors, that Faker knew his odds of success were low, yet he fought a battle even when he knew it could not be won. For that, the Faker had begrudgingly earned a modicum of respect. Gilgamesh would grant that much.
"King of Heroes."
Gilgamesh turned to face his master. Contrary to the demigod's more somber response, Rizevim and his Faker-like lackey looked like overjoyed children. For a second, he had half a mind to threaten them with his weaponry. Had they no measure of what had happened? The glorious visage that stood before them had fought in a fight to the death, one that had managed to actually mar him in spite of victory. Not even Enkidu had obtained that achievement.
"It's time, isn't it?"
Of course. They sought access to his..... treasures. Somehow it left a bad taste in the mouth now. The Greater Grail was not even a treasure he had stored by default. Still, this was the entertainment he had asked for. He sensed that he had not heard the last from his retainer's enemies. Nothing was more amusing (and somewhat admirable) than seeing fools reach for an impossible goal.
"There are more than sufficient numbers than that of the seven vessels that have to be absorbed. Caster's scheming should do the rest."
With that, a golden portal opened over the ruins of that Gremory mansion. And from it emerged what he stored within his treasury since he had been summoned.
And yet, just as quickly, a sigil appeared in front of it. In a flash, that same woman bearing two spears appeared. Now that Gilgamesh got a better look at her, he noticed the spears themselves. They were in the Faker's world. They also looked quite similar to that dog. Wait, the dog's legend, specifically in how he was trained.
"Is that all old Azazel can do now?" Rizevim laughed. "One woman stands in the way of our wish. What a joke."
"If you value your life, stay back." Gilgamesh interceded. He smiled eagerly towards the dog's mentor.
"What?"
"This one can fight without restraint. And I cannot promise I can repel every strike with agility like hers. There are few after all more qualified to guard passage to forbidden places." The King of Heroes reasoned. Rizevim and Euclid reluctantly flew off to get some distance.
"Now this is most entertaining." Gilgamesh addressed the Warrior in front of him. "I have heard tale of the one that guarded the Shadow Lands."
"And I have heard of the demigod that ruled Uruk as a tyrant." Scáthach returned the gesture.
"Come now, Scáthach. Surely you do not have affection nor ear for a fraud."
"All I saw was a young man using his talents. What endears me most is when a pupil comes with great courage and potential. (F/n) was one of them and more. Therefore-"
Scáthach twirled one of her spears in a flourish, defiant against the openings in that armory of the oldest hero.
"If I couldn't protect him, then I can at least avenge him."
"Very well." Gilgamesh chuckled. "At last, a worthy opponent. Let this battle be legendary!"
ORC Clubroom
The door to the ORC opened. The culprit came in the form of a very battered Fallen Angel. Thanks to Assassin, Baraqiel had managed to escape with his life from Gilgamesh's projectiles despite a few hits. The only reason he did not get back in time was due to said luck only getting him so far. He still had to recover enough to be able to teleport.
"Baraqiel?" Azazel shook his head. "Sorry, but you're a little late old friend."
"I know." The Fallen Angel however was focused on his daughter. The stoic expression of his fell at the sight of an Akeno totally disconnected from her surroundings
"Akeno? Akeno." Baraqiel stood in front of her, gently grasping her shoulders. The words of a father served to do what the rest of the world failed to do. Akeno's eyes regained focus and looked into her father's. They quickly teared up.
"He's gone, Papa. He's gone." She sobbed. "He sent us back here to save us all."
It was her mother's death all over again. Baraqiel got his own screen to watch before he had arrived. Only now, his daughter did not hold her father responsible. It was clear to her he had his own problems nor could he really be expected to help (F/n) that way. But at least he could do something right this time. He held Akeno to comfort her while she cried without restraint.
For a few minutes, everyone seemed to have sunk into this moment of grief. It was not to last.
"Wait!" Tamamo voiced, her eyes widened in realization when Akeno mentioned her husband and his Command Seal. She remembered her relationship as a Heroic Spirit to him. "I'm not fading? I'm not fading!"
Everyone stared quizzically at Tamamo at first. What bearing did that have on this situation? But when everyone remembered what she was, it began to dawn on them. Sona was the first to piece together why the Caster servant would say such things.
"If your mana is stable instead of depleting........Then (F/n)..... he's still alive!"
Grief quickly vanished on everyone to show surprise, and then joy or relief. (F/n) was not dead yet. But it also was a moment for concern. If (F/n) was still alive, then where was he? What was his condition?
Your POV
Well, it hurt.
Everything did. Even in darkness, pain still registered. You could also feel some form of weight pressing down on you. It felt like wood, stone. It must have been what was left of the Gremory Mansion. So either the afterlife still allowed for pain and remnants of a structure in the world of the living, or....
'Correct. You're not dead yet. How is a mystery to me.' Archer chimed in.
"Perhaps I can be of assistance." A voice said. The rumble suddenly became alight from a candle. The holder? None other than one of the world's greatest writers and playwrights, sitting next to your broken form.
"Caster of Black? What are you doing?" You voiced your confusion. He was an enemy servant. He was not a fighter, but if he knew you were alive, then why did he not help finish you off.
"The power of a writer is not one to be underestimated, my impossible man." Shakespeare smiled. "Powerful as thy replicas can be, they are indeed no match for the strongest sword. But that ending is simply too predictable for my tastes."
"You're saying that YOU stopped me from getting annihilated?!" You said in disbelief.
"But of course!" Shakespeare cried out. "A replica of the Ever Distant Utopia may not triumph on paper. But it can in a story. Often times tis poorly executed, but a writer may write their protagonist out of even the most dire of circumstances."
'I see. Enchantment....' Archer pondered.
"You used your ability to enchant.... to boost Avalon just enough to prevent death?" You summed up.
"Indeed I did."
"Why?" Was the obvious question. Shakespeare was supposed to be a Servant for Euclid Lucifige. By every convention of war between factions, you do not go out of your way to aid and abet an enemy with no immediate benefit.
"To be plain to thee, I at first found the drama of Devils plotting to destroy the world through a Holy Grail and mankind's Oldest Hero to be a most dramatic tale. I even aided to bringing the Grail to accessibility earlier through mine writing. But alas, the story of a young man with his sights on aiding the spirit within him and balancing the affections of women strikes me differently. Fewer events hath touched mine heart than one who lays down his life knowing he cannot triumph."
"Tis true I am a man who loves drama and tragedy. But even a playwright of my caliber will eventually desire a joyous ending. Alas, tis not my only motive. I must confess that mine heart seeks out a trade."
"A trade? And what would that be?"
"Thee wishes to use the grail to grant thee Kaleidoscope, no? The Second Magic also grants vast mana. Thus, I wish to accompany thee on journeys to other worlds. To other grand and dramatic tales the author presents to us."
"......Fair enough."
The deal on paper was solid. In exchange for aiding you, Shakespeare wanted to be resummoned and able to explore the Kaleidoscope and observe other stories and people. That was a rather minuscule price for preventing death by Ea. And it remained a fitting desire for one of, if not the greatest playwrights ever.
"Wonderful! To think I would indeed form a deal with the Devil. What fantastic twists!" Shakespeare said, reveling in his own machinations. When he calmed down, he turned to you again.
"Time still must be given quarter for thee to be fully healed and mana replenished. May thee triumph over evil! I shall watch and document the ending that which will unfold!"
Of course, this begged an important question. Unlimited Blade Works did not work. You began to rack your brain to see if there was another way. The problem was in of itself Ea. As long as he had it, Gilgamesh was nigh invincible. In truth, the best you could hope for would be to take out Rizevim.
Of course, you still had to heal first.
3rd Person POV
ORC Clubroom
"I'm going!"
Baraqiel stared towards his daughter. He had the displeasure of seeing her angry with him before. He knew that glare all too well. This time however, that glare was that of a woman fiercely determined. He begrudgingly accepted to himself that (F/n) must be a really good person if he could motivate her and the others in his harem to insist on venturing onto the same battlefield that held the King of Heroes.
Then again, he was not in much of a condition to stop her. If Akeno made the jump, he would be unable to halt that process. He was still nursing wounds from his escape. All of that for a bunch of cards. He took them out to stare at them. What good were these things? What made it worth the loss of his fellow struggling father?
"Fallen Angel, what is that you are holding?" Caster Tamamo no Mae demanded sharply.
"Just cards."
"I think not. I'm sensing a strange form of mana. Mana like that of a Heroic Spirit." The kitsune countered. Baraqiel raised his eyebrows, and he decided to set these things on the desk to let the others examine them. He did not have the luxury to look at them until now either.
"Looks like Caster's on to something." Azazel commented, placing a finger on each one.
"A Saber. Archer. Lancer. Caster. Assassin. Berserker. Six of seven classes of Grail war Servants." The Fallen Angel Governor deduced. "I'm guessing you either did not take the Rider one in your haste or it was destroyed, old friend."
"The rumors were that these were called something called Class Cards." Raynare added. "The stuff I got from my interrogations was that they were a substitute for a Heroic Spirit, letting a holder become one. I thought it was bullshit."
"Obviously not. Guess Rizevim explored more than one universe." Azazel said when Tamamo gave him a nod of confirmation. It all added up when that fact was taken into account. It may have been an early attempt or a contingency plan. Either way, they would certainly exploit Rizevim's errors.
"I don't suppose your prisoners said how to use them."
Raynare shook her head. "They didn't know themselves."
"Cards or not, we're going." Akeno insisted. "I think I speak for everyone when I say we're not going to repeat a failed strategy. We're going into this fight together."
"Even if he's alive, we still can't beat that lousy drill, Akeno." Issei pointed out. "That golden prick is only playing with Scáthach.
"When he gets serious, it's over." Vali agreed.
The room fell silent when that reality sunk in. But they realized that Issei had something on his mind.
For his part, Issei had come to a resolution. He would be the first to admit his own jealousy towards (Y/n) who had made far more progress in a harem than he did, apparently without really trying. In fact, the less decent part of him had thought of new potential candidates for his harem when it appeared that (Y/n) was gone.
But just as quickly, Issei suppressed that moment of weakness. He felt nothing but guilt and disgust at the idea. Even if he was a rival in the harem department, (Y/n) was first and foremost Issei's friend. (Y/n) had come to his aid more than once. (Y/n) had directly saved his life in their fight against Loki. Thoughts resulting from envy felt like nothing short of a betrayal, a revolting way to repay his friend. And if Iskandar had taught Issei anything, it was two important things. The first was that friendships were one the highest things of worth. Secondly, if Issei was to be any form of king, he must set an example to follow. So in Iskandar's name, and for (Y/n)'s sake, Issei decided to fight. But who said he would play fair?
"And what do you propose?" Sona asked Issei.
"Simple. We do the unthinkable. If they won't play fair, neither will we." He said in a matter of fact tone. He looked towards Gasper in particular. It could work. Only then could they have a chance to win.
Azazel smiled. Vali raised his eyebrows. On other hand, Ishtar, Ereshkigal, Sona and Rias balked when they put two and two together in unison.
"Are you INSANE?!"
Gremory Estate
Gilgamesh frowned as this battle continued on. True, this was proving to be an exhilarating fight. Still, it should not drag on like this. Such was the barrage that he rained down that it fell Berserker and overwhelmed others in the past. And yet here Lancer of Red was making his aim appear comically awful.
Scáthach easily weaved through the river of weapons. She dodged many with complete ease. And when there was no option to dodge, she deflected the others away almost nonchalantly. She cast runes that erupted in fire to deflect or destroy his treasures. She was even bold enough to conjure up more versions of Gáe Bolg Alternative and not only counter the barrage but launch the, Gilgamesh's way, forcing him to divert to save himself.
Lancers were already some of the swiftest of Heroic Spirits. Scáthach was strong enough to be Cú Chulainn's mentor and keep an endless role fighting off beings in the Land of Shadows. Add to her master far exceeding the abilities of normal mages, reproducing her weapons and her ability to adapt skills like Protection from Arrows, and his armory was effectively stalemated.
The spear woman's speed was such that she could probably stand in a storm and evade every single drop of rain without fail. Disturbingly enough, that same concentration was poured on her with seemingly no success. Enkidu would not fare any better either. She had no divinity to speak of. It was only the nature of the overwhelming volley of weapons that was Gate of Babylon that was keeping him alive.
Or maybe not. Something felt off. They knew how much his glorious presence threatened them. A warrior like Scáthach would therefore have no hesitation to press an advantage. Still, she held her ground. It was as if the fight was not her true goal.
That was it. She was buying time for the mongrels. But in truth, he did not mind the distraction. The King of Heroes felt genuinely impressed by this woman before him. Only Enkidu and the Fakers had stalemated him up until now. It was the sort of entertainment he was after in the first place.
But it also worried him. Obviously a Lancer was better suited to fight Archer's, but in this case she also was known to be capable against divinity. Loathe as he was to even acknowledge association with those beings, it was a part of him. And what would happen if she was ordered to cease being a barrier? He had already underestimated enough enemies to ruin his reputation. The result of which was his disgraceful battle damage. Yes, he had to,stop playing. She had certainly established herself as worthy regardless.
"I commend your efforts, woman. You have indeed earned the title of hero." He said in acknowledgment, one gate formed vertically to his side. "But I'm afraid I cannot humor you any further, warrior. Now behold Ea! A stage worthy of you has been set!"
(Author's Notes: Music Track ends)
.....
"Gasper! NOW!" Issei shouted towards the vampire, ignoring the fresh wound on his arm. The bloodied mouth of the named boy cried out as he went to full power.
.......
Gilgamesh blinked. He felt like something strange just happened. He looked to his right. Inexplicably close, panting in exhaustion and quivering on the ground was that mongrel vampire. The same one,known for his timidity despite a rather impressive ability. It was a rather odd time to be so aggressive in the face of mortal peril. Then again, his world was in mortal peril, so it was not entirely unreasonable.
"Did you believe you could lay a hand on me with your parlor trick, mongrel?" Gilgamesh kept up his fire on Scáthach all the while. Still, he readied a few towards Gasper.
"No. I just want to know." Gasper made eye contact with Gilgamesh. Blood dripped from his mouth. "What did you do to Valerie Tepes?"
Gilgamesh raised one of his eyebrows. "And what relevance does that Dead Apostle have to you, mongrel? You would squander my precious time and spoil my entertainment for a mere inquiry?"
"I don't care about your fun! She was my friend! I know you attacked her family to get the Sepiroth Graal and used it to make those dragons or let Trihexa out! Where is she?!" Gasper demanded.
"Be silent, mongrel!" Gilgamesh raised his voice dangerously. "Save for the process of extracting a piece of that fake Grail, your friend was not harmed. She yet lives with the surviving members of her repulsive race. Do you still wish to forfeit your life?"
Gasper shakily shook his head.
"Then leave this place. My patience nor generosity is not infinite."
As if on cue, a magic circle appeared, revealing Issei Hyodou and Rias Gremory.
"Pervert." The King of Heroes hissed. He did not call off the portals aimed their way. Issei quickly gathered Gasper back and retreated to the sigil. Oh, how it tempted Gilgamesh to end him right there for that stunt of his. But that would be far too simple for the mongrel. The King of Heroes would have to make the upstart fully understand his folly before he died.
"Rest assured, I will come for you for your impudence, pervert." Gilgamesh promised. And the one true King never went back on his word.
With a threat like that, Rias wasted no time calling them away. Now the ruler of Uruk turned his attention back to Scáthach. She still remained content to continue their standoff. Perhaps it was adherence to duty. Or maybe she shared the sometimes comedic foolishness that was a hero's honor. Either way it did not matter. Gilgamesh opened a portal to call on his treasure. He reached his hand to grasp-
Nothing.
Gilgamesh frowned. That was unlikely. Surely he would not be so clumsy as to miss his treasure in a fitting ceremonial end to this entertainment?
He grasped again.
Nothing.
He turned to look at his portal, still maintaining his fire rate.
No hilt.
Panic set in. His treasure was there. It was stored in the Gate of Babylon. He was going to reopen a portal to the treasury and close his eyes. And when he opened them up, it should be right there.
It was not there.
Where was it?! How it could it-
Gilgamesh's mind flashed over to the previous interaction he had. Outside of his view, Scáthach astralized, almost like she wanted to get clear of something regardless of the missing treasure.
That mongrel. He had that Sacred Gear. The one that froze time.
He was not exhausted or scared from a failed attempt on him or solely confront him on his friend. That blood on his mouth! If he had fed, then the Dead Apostle would be even more energized! That was not the reason for that sequence of events at all! In theory, the mongrel COULD access it through his gate openings while he froze time, especially when sufficiently powered by something like a dragon's blood!
Which means......
wHiCh mEaNs.......
Ghost Enkidu: They toooooook Eaaaaa......
.......
"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
The world around the King of Heroes exploded with excess mana and energy in his berserk state.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
ORC Clubroom
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
"Issei." Xenovia spoke. "Do you hear that?"
"I FEEL that!" The pawn visibly trembled at the result from what he had wrought.
Your POV
Gremory Mansion Rubble
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
"What is that?" You grunted, still healing. It sounded like Gilgamesh. But when did he ever scream like that?
'I'm afraid someone may have done something either utterly stupid or monumentally insane. Likely both.' Archer voiced ominously.
3rd Person POV
Deepest Circle of Hell
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
'What the hell is that noise?!' Kokabiel thought in his frozen state.
Heaven
"Very good. Lord forgive me for this." Michael said. "Now we must safeguard-"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
"Oh dear."
Emiya Residence
"Shirou..." Rin Tohsaka blushed as she struggled to say something to her crush. "I want to tell you something. I-"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
"You wanted to show me you could do magecraft to replicate a scream of rage, Tohsaka?" Shirou asked cluelessly.
An angry Rin promptly hit him with whatever was on hand.
Chaldea
*Beep*
"You have my permission to enter."
Ritsuka Fujimaru entered the room of the oldest Heroic Spirit.
"Gilgamesh, what's wrong? What happened?"
"Mongrel, what nonsense are you talking about?" The Caster servant asked amusingly.
Ritsuka pulled up his phone and played the recorded sound.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
The Wise King of Uruk registered the sound. And his wisdom, he could only come to one conclusion that he had already made when he heard it before his master came in. That conclusion had one inevitable outcome repeat itself.
Kame House
"Now hear me out, Vegeta. A bacon sandwich..... with bacon as the bread!"
"Kakarot, that is literally three layers of bacon. It's easier to-"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
"Huh? What the heck is that?"
"I don't know but I just got a sense of Deja Vu."
Gremory Estate
Still screaming in rage, Gilgamesh immediately jumped into one of his portals to leave the battle. Everything had become secondary as of right now. What mattered to him now was to find Ea and make the thieves pay for such a crime.
Your POV
For now, you stayed put and let Avalon do its work. If the King of Heroes was that ticked off, the last thing you wanted was to give away your position. Still, you could not help but wonder what happened that would drive the dignified tyrant berserk.
That did not last long however. You could hear the ruins of a mansion wall above you creak. Something was moving. Then the rubble lifted upward. Working together to lift them up was a familiar Red Dragon Emperor and Valkyrie. And watching with absolute anxiety were the remaining girls of the harem.
"(F/n)!" Came the cry of every single one of them.
"Hey everyone." You grunted out in acknowledgement. It was an understatement to say there was still a ways to go from recovering fully from a blast from Ea.
Akeno got to you first, tearfully engulfing you in crushing embrace.
"You idiot." She sobbed. "What were you thinking?"
"I was thinking of keeping you safe. All of you." You said in a matter of fact tone.
"Not when it involves sacrificing yourself. Do you know what it did to us? What it did to me?" Akeno refuted firmly. She broke off the hug and held your face in her hands, making you look her in the eye.
"If we're going to fight, from now on we do it together. Understand?"
"Understood. But what's going on?" You asked.
"Scáthach is busy playing guard dog with Rizevim and Euclid." Ravel stepped up to brief you on what was happening. "Safe to say Goldie is a little too compromised right now."
"Okay. Seriously. What pissed him off so badly?" You asked them.
"It was Issei's idea. If they have an overpowered weapon, then what's the point in playing fair, nya?" Kuroka winked.
'No.....' Archer could not hide his disbelief, his complete shock when he figured it out. 'No he didn't.'
You were no different.
"Issei........just stole....... An ANTI-WORLD NOBLE PHANTASM?!"
"Yes. As long Goldie has that thing, we don't have a chance, Master." Raynare pointed out.
"And he's gone. Which means Rizevim and his lackey are wide open." Ishtar added.
You got to your feet with the aid of Akeno and Irina. Mana reserves certainly were not ideal, but it would do if you could land a solid hit.
Scáthach relentlessly pursued the Devils away from the Greater Grail. And it was clear they were outmatched in combat. Their own attempts to attack proved futile, for the Lancer simply dodged or parried as casually as lifting a finger. Even so, they were fast too. They moved just enough to avoid Scáthach's steel, faster than a human eye could track. Of course, she had the means to pin them, literally. But Gáe Bolg Alternative would only hit one target. And while she completed the move, the other Satan could make a break for it. Gate of Skye would take too long as well. So why not lend her some aid and hurry this up?
"Trace..... on..."
In a flash, Gáe Bolg II appeared. The mana amount quickly went down as a result, you yourself panting from exertion. But it was enough if it could end this war.
"I am the Bone of My Sword...."
Gáe Bolg II twisted and contorted into a projectile. Unstable mana flared off the weapon while you knocked with a projected arrow again. The pair of Satans widened their eyes. They heard the first line of the aria. They knew what was coming. And it was one thing that would never let them dodge.
Rizevim hastily raised his stigmata laden hand and spoke quickly.
"By my Command Seal, come to my side and protect me from (F/n), Archer!"
"GÁE! B-"
A sudden hail of swords fell on you and the others there. A combined sigil and mirror defense from Akeno, Tamamo Irina, Rossweisse and Kuroka shielded everyone from most of them. But the one that got through knocked the projectile skyward.
Now standing in front of Rizevim was Gilgamesh once more. While he was livid to the utter core, he obviously had another issue on his mind. For two portals emerged, and they were not aimed at your group.
Almost immediately another red flash marked the use of another Command Seal. The aft facing portals disappeared. Gilgamesh's face gave way to outrage instead. Two Commands had been given. And none of them were in the Servant's favor. No, they were forcing a king to obey commands like a slave. No Servant would take that well, especially the King of Heroes.
"You DARE to stay the reclaimation of my treasure, interloper! And then you would command me again to not punish you appropriately?!" He roared at Rizevim. "You have not had any permission to-"
"Shut up you pathetic brat!" Rizevim shot back. At last, the nature of a traditional Devil came back to haunt the King of Heroes. "I AM your master. You are nothing more than my tool, my means to my goals! You are a servant and you will OBEY!"
"I will have your head for this you snake! Not one shard will remain of your skull!" Rizevim's servant promised. Then he brought his attention back to your group, of whom Scáthach rejoined. As if timed to take her place, a rejuvenated Vali and Azazel appeared in the and began combat against the Old Satans. Azazel fought Rizevim while Vali attacked Euclid. But that was not going to enough to deal with the threat bearing down on you right now.
"You live, Faker." He noted. "I should have known that there is no death without a body. And what irony that those you hold dear are facing my armory again."
"Like I care about your fancy swords." Ishtar declared as she aimed her shots down range towards her old enemy. "I made a promise. You are going to pay."
"You forget your place, Ishtar." Gilgamesh dismissed sharply. "I of all people still can crush you easily, as is the case with every mongrel I see before my presence. Quite frankly I have need to annihilate any mongrel I see at the moment. All of you will die. But I must demand an answer first. Where is Ea? Be truthful, and I shall make death quick and painless for co-conspirators to a thief."
"Never." Irina replied
"We're mostly Devils after all." Akeno agreed defiantly.
A wall of gold formed behind the Golden King.
"Then perish."
To be continued.
You didn't think I would end it like that would you? Well, evidently a few of you did. Never underestimate the power of the pen. But make no mistake, it's not over yet. And as a side note, Shakespeare was not plugging for no reason. The second round to decide the next stories is up.
This part did raise a very interesting hypothetical fight outside of the story confines. Who would win?
Scáthach vs. Gilgamesh
The Immortal Warrior of the Land of Shadows or the King of Heroes? I honestly rule the outcome as entirely circumstance based, or a toss up. If Gil gets serious fast enough, he wins. If he doesn't, it's Scáthach. Without Ea in play, I'd put it mostly in Shishou's favor. I also came across this Deviant Art take when looking it up:
https://www.deviantart.com/abbadon82/art/Legends-of-Ireland-vs-the-King-of-Uruk-751036203.
Baraqiel is still alive with those class cards in hand. Hmmm, I wonder what could happen with those in play?
And yes. Issei just did that with Gasper's and Rias's help. A Faker is bad enough, but someone had the audacity to steal from Gilgamesh's treasury? Yeah, he would be totally and utterly enraged to the point where Rizevim would have to stop playing nice and assert his control. Anyone that has seen Fate enough knows that does not usually end well. Sadly, he seems content to take out his anger on us. So what now? Until next time.
Happy Reading!