MMMS 72

"Mongrel..." The word escaped Gilgamesh's lips as he stared at the youth. His golden eyes widened in disbelief. This boy had neutralized his strongest attack with ease.

Shame burned through his veins. He felt both humiliated and powerless, a combination that made his jaw clench. Being arrogant didn't make him stupid. As a king, he knew better than anyone that some things in this world were beyond control. He thought of his only friend, stolen away by the gods. The elixir of immortality he'd fought so hard to obtain, only to lose it again.

Those failures he could accept. But this? His fingers tightened into fists. The boy hadn't even bothered using his true power against him. Instead, he'd chosen that pathetic short blade, a weapon that barely qualified as a Noble Phantasm.

The plain sword that had severed his arm... Recognition flickered in Gilgamesh's eyes. He knew this weapon. Morgan's dirk. Erosion.

To be exact, the King of Heroes' treasury held the original version of this sword. It wasn't really a Noble Phantasm though. At best, you could call it a Mystic Code. Its only special property was cutting through more than just flesh. It could slip between the gaps of body, mind, and soul.

Ryuuto had just used Erosion to stab into Gilgamesh's Saint Graph. The blade disrupted his connection with Ea. To put it simply, he'd forced the King of Heroes to unequip his most powerful weapon. Since Ea would only answer to Gilgamesh, Ryuuto had cleverly used that restriction against him. By severing the bond between weapon and wielder, he'd shut down the Noble Phantasm.

Blood dripped from where his wrist had been severed, but the King of Heroes remained standing. His face showed no emotion. Still, the confidence from the feast of three kings had faded from his eyes.

Ryuuto stepped past the king. "Gilgamesh, I'll hold onto this for you temporarily." He smiled like a parent confiscating a toy. "Just temporarily, of course."

He bent down and scooped up the fallen Ea. The weapon felt heavy in his hands as he turned it over, examining every detail.

This was it. The pinnacle of all Noble Phantasms. His fingers trembled slightly. Oh my god... EA! This is amazing! His inner fanboy screamed while he kept his expression neutral.

Heat radiated from the sword's surface, and its weight carried an almost overwhelming presence that made his palms tingle.

"King of Heroes, you asked Iskandar the same thing at the banquet earlier, didn't you?" Ryuuto hefted Ea in his hand, testing its weight. "You said if he joined your command, you'd share the Grail that already belonged to you." A small smile played at his lips. "Well, now it's my turn. Join under my banner, and I'll give Ea back. I'll even throw in the Grail as a bonus. What do you say?"

"Foolish question." The words came out sharp. Gilgamesh's mouth twisted into a sneer as his eyes locked onto Ea in Ryuuto's grip. "Don't make me laugh, jester."

His remaining hand clenched. "You heard this king's declaration earlier. All mongrels who defile my treasures must pay with their lives."

Golden ripples spread across the air behind him. The Gate of Babylon opened wide, revealing countless weapons. Swords, spears, and halberds emerged from the shimmering portals, every point aimed at Ryuuto. Blood still dripped from his severed wrist, but Gilgamesh stood tall, completely ignoring the injury.

The courtyard fell silent. Everyone watching understood now. They could see the massive gap in power between the golden archer and the black-haired youth. The fight had already ended, yet here was Gilgamesh, preparing what amounted to a suicide attack.

Some might call it arrogance. Pure recklessness. But even those who thought so felt a grudging respect stirring in their chests. Beaten down, stripped of his pride, driven into a corner... the King of Heroes remained the King of Heroes. He would never bow to anyone.

Ryuuto tilted his head slightly. "Mm, I understand." The words came out quick and casual, as if he'd expected nothing else.

If the King of Heroes had actually submitted to him, he would have cut him down without saying a word. But since Gilgamesh chose to maintain his pride until the end, then he would honor that kingly path.

Murder burned in the youth's eyes as he raised Ea. The air itself seemed to shudder. His face remained blank, emotionless.

"Drown under the primordial waves, King of Heroes."

...

...

Miles away in the Tohsaka basement, Tokiomi pressed both hands against his throbbing temples. His summoned King of Heroes was supposed to be the strongest Servant. Even now, watching this disaster unfold, part of him still believed it. Yet Gilgamesh had been crushed. His strongest trump card meant nothing.

Who was this black-haired youth? Where did such power come from? And worst of all, the enemy now held the King of Heroes' greatest Noble Phantasm. The Tohsaka camp had suffered a huge blow.

Tokiomi's usual immaculate appearance had crumbled. His hair stuck out at odd angles. Dark circles shadowed his eyes. He looked nothing like the gentleman everyone knew.

On his viewing screen, Gilgamesh still faced the youth who'd stolen Ea. The golden king prepared to continue this hopeless fight.

‘What a joke...’ Tokiomi's hands shook. ‘Your Majesty, you've already lost tonight! Completely lost!’

‘Stop trying to die and retreat!’ His teeth ground together as he stared at the Command Seals marking his right hand. Should he use one to stop this suicide attempt? His fingers fumbled for his teacup. Hot tea scalded his throat as he gulped it down, trying to steady himself enough to make a decision that would violate every principle of kingly honor.

…

The courtyard at Einzbern Castle had transformed into something out of an apocalypse. Just like ancient prophecies described it. The sky screamed. The earth trembled in response.

Ryuuto lifted Ea high above his head. The spinning blade pulled everything toward its center, compressing reality into its core. Energy spiraled out in expanding waves that made the planet's laws shudder.

Across from him, Gilgamesh had thrown open every portal of his Gate of Babylon. The golden rings filled the entire sky.

Over a hundred genuine Noble Phantasms hung suspended in the air. Each one gathered power, waiting for his command.

The treasury contained weapons that could heal his severed wrist instantly. He ignored them. Instead, he let divine blood continue flowing, the sharp pain a constant reminder of his humiliation.

His left hand closed around another sword.

This was the original that inspired all the legendary selection swords across the world. The foundation of the sacred right to choose kings. The prototype that gave birth to Gram and its copy, Caliburn. He held Merodach: The Original Sin.

After Ea and his friend Enkidu, this was the Noble Phantasm the King of Heroes trusted most.

Everything on the line, Gilgamesh threw himself into one last desperate challenge against an impossible foe.

The watchers felt their hearts twist. Part of them wanted to cry out, to cheer him on despite everything.

Ryuuto watched the golden king standing across from him. Magical energy poured from his body in waves, yet a smile played at his lips. Even facing the world-ending beast and the blade that could split reality itself, Gilgamesh held his royal bearing high. Pleasure coursed through Ryuuto's veins. Such magnificent defiance deserved nothing less than his absolute best.

Their eyes met. Understanding passed between them without words. The courtyard had become both genesis and apocalypse rolled into one, and in that moment, only the two of them existed in all creation.

Ryuuto's voice rang out clear. "Here I come, King of Heroes!"

Gilgamesh's lips curved. "Come!"

The sky erupted. A golden rain of Noble Phantasms launched as one. Ryuuto brought Ea down in an arc, but then...

Nothing.

Gilgamesh disappeared. The weapons filling the sky simply weren't there anymore.

The castle courtyard stood empty except for bare winter trees and cold ground. Ryuuto froze mid-swing, Ea still raised above his head.

"...Uh." The sound escaped his throat as he blinked at the empty space where his opponent had stood.