Chapter 102: Look, It's a King of Knights
The tangled heap of Noble Phantasms disintegrated, slowly beginning to fall. In a scene like frozen rain, Richard's heart was truly fixed right there. It had been stolen away by the person named Artoria Pendragon. Also known as King Arthur.
The figure standing at his side had her face illuminated brilliantly by the erupting aurora. Tied-up hair like gold. Emerald eyes. Classical armor. The girl stood beside Richard, her posture solemn. Holy light occupied Richard's vision. It was a starlight that Richard realized at a single glance: "This is the real thing."
In the moment of realization, a powerful surge of emotion welled up.
Ah, this is what I wanted to see even if it meant my death. And, even more moving... King Arthur is actually by my side? Without realizing it, have I already talked to King Arthur quite a lot!?
While staring blankly at that starlight, Richard tilted his head and thought of many things. Including how, if this girl were the King of Knights, he seemed to have said many offensive things to her face while she was trying to hide her identity. Including how, if this girl were the King of Knights, she was able to take on such a human form that one couldn't tell she was a Heroic Spirit at a glance. Including how, if this girl were the King of Knights, her relationship with his friend suddenly became very intriguing!
And the fact was, Richard hadn't been entirely unaware. One could say he previously had a hazy perception, like looking at a flower through a fog. But Richard was first and foremost peerlessly excited: So that's how it is!
"Saber, what is the matter?" In Richard's immediate vicinity—specifically less than a few meters away—the solemn figure holding a sword with both hands questioned him quietly.
'Wow, the King of Knights spoke to me!'
Richard felt a passion that made him feel he could die without regrets... oh right, he had already died once.
That's even better! no regrets then. It's great that I've died.
Richard was silent for a moment, then replied with a smile: "It's nothing, just a bit of trepidation. How should I put it? It's like standing next to my idol; I feel like anything I say might be the wrong thing..."
The King of Knights also smiled: "Do not worry, Richard the Lionheart. If we are talking about saying the wrong thing, you said more than enough the last time."
It took Richard a second to realize this was the King of Knights' version of humor. Then, he let out a "Pffft" and pulled up the corners of his mouth, unable to help himself.
Saber turned around with her sword and said plainly: "Once this man's incident is over, we shall speak at leisure."
"..."
Richard turned with his sword alongside her, facing the man emerging from the pile of Noble Phantasms almost simultaneously.
After standing up from beside the disarrayed weapons, Gilgamesh's face was icy. Logically, this was a scene where it wouldn't be strange for him to fly into a rage at any moment, but he merely maintained a strange silence.
Until Saber proactively spoke to him: "Long time no see, King of Heroes."
After staring for a long time, Gilgamesh replied word by word: "I do not recall meeting you, King of Knights."
After saying this, Gilgamesh felt the other party looking at him with a gaze that combined both helplessness and pity.
To Gilgamesh, this gesture was equivalent to a provocation, yet he did not lose his temper on the spot.
Quite the opposite; the calm, wise, well-read, and "friendly" him allowed his crimson pupils to be dyed a deeper shade of blood-red. To put it plainly, under the gaze of a distant subject, he first struck a pose as if his eyes were about to see through everything.
"You are not a Heroic Spirit of this Holy Grail War." The King of Knights replied indifferently:
"Yes, I am merely an outsider. —Just like you were before."
Gilgamesh frowned deeply.
"It seems you do not remember," the King of Knights said as expected, her armor rustling under the moonlight.
The clouds had already dispersed at some point earlier; hanging in the sky was a frost moon reflecting everything.
"Indeed, it seems there is some sort of fate between you and me," Gilgamesh admitted.
"But what of it? It is merely a memory I have no interest in trying to bring down from the Throne. More importantly—to think you would use such a fleshly body yet remain uncontaminated. This feeling of all impurity being driven away... do you have some means of purifying pollution, King of Knights?"
The King of Knights did not answer, merely allowing a greater gale of prana to envelop her. In response to her sharp intent, Gilgamesh simultaneously opened "Gates" around him. "Very well. Changing my opponent to the King of Knights adds a bit of flavor. No matter which Holy
Grail War you were summoned in, as long as I am here, the final result must be my victory. You may begin whenever you wish; I grant you the glory of challenging me."
Falling from the sky? Such a thing never happened. He returned to his usual look of nonchalant arrogance.
The King of Knights took a deep look at him, then looked away and said: "I suppose so."
In the next instant, all the opened "Gates" suddenly fired Noble Phantasms toward the girl. The King of Knights also swung her unadorned, magnificent golden sword. It was hard to imagine a sword dance coming from her petite frame; even Richard watched without blinking in admiration. Using movements no less—and perhaps even more—superb than Richard's to strike down over ten weapons, the Holy Sword erupted into an aurora again, extending into a blade of light that swept a path with a single slash.
"Though it is not a superior body, it is sufficient to allow the Dragon Core to function. At the very least, my current self does not lack magical energy," Saber stated, landing back on the ground and pointing her sword toward the King of Heroes.
Gilgamesh responded by doubling the number of gates. A new round of Noble Phantasms was hurled—the targets being both Saber and Richard.
"Richard."
"Oh, right! Thank you for the reminder!!"
The two swordsmen launched their counter-intercept simultaneously. While knocking away a longsword with an abnormally curved guard, Richard took the opportunity to ask: "What about him?"
"Shirou went to support the others. I will handle the King of Heroes. I am to meet him at the hospital entrance when this is over." Saber spoke in one breath and added: "Shirou and I have information on that child. You came for the child in the hospital, correct, Richard? —Thank you for that."
She was truly noble. Richard didn't look at her, but a soul slightly different from "noble" sensed it. He merely paused his breathing for a split second while parrying and blowing away countless armaments.
Then, Richard said straightforwardly: "I am honored."
Children long for heroes. They admire great ancestors. Richard harbored an untainted emotion for King Arthur that was shaped like this, but had long since integrated into his life. He had never imagined that at any moment, his actions would be worthy of their recognition... but when this scene actually occurred, Richard felt no impulse to put his joy into words, for his heart held only a satisfaction where even surging emotions found temporary peace.
Though as a matter of conclusion—even if he wanted to give a long-winded, high-spirited speech as usual, he would have been interrupted immediately.
"As an uninvited guest, I consider my tolerance of you to be quite considerate. However, to speak such absurdities... it is truly laughable. That fellow who was with you just now actually thinks he has time to save others? King of Knights, knowing you face me yet not bringing out your full strength—are you mocking me?" The corners of Gilgamesh's mouth turned down unpleasantly.
Even when the King of Knights had looked away inexplicably after hearing him boast of glory, Gilgamesh had not been angry, merely "kindly" helping her start this duel. But hearing that they dared to split their forces even while facing him, a hint of genuine irritation entered Gilgamesh's tone.
The King of Knights didn't answer directly, but replied: "Would you like to try?"
"..."
Seeing her eyes, Gilgamesh immediately took a golden key from the gate behind him. Simultaneously, the number of gates opened to restrain the two expanded drastically; he even replaced all the Noble Phantasms within them with top-tier treasures capable of shattering a Spirit Foundation in a single hit. Deep red tree-like patterns appeared for a moment and vanished an instant later.
Even so... the speed at which the magical energy of that Holy Sword rose was too fast. He looked sideways and saw that in front of King Arthur, a massive flash was flying around her, making a mess of the killing formation composed of various Noble Phantasms.
"This is a situation that needs cover, right? Can we win as long as I let you use that Star-Holy Sword?" Richard smiled broadly while tightly gripping the source of the flash.
Gilgamesh lost his smile. The object appearing in his hand was held to the side, and the group of thrown Noble Phantasms grew sparse. It was a cylindrical object, a sword that couldn't be called a sword; three sets of dark red blade-segments formed something that could barely be termed a blade. And, like the [Sword of Promised Victory], it radiated a pressure that, to Richard, represented despair.
The tip of the sword faintly bloomed with a crimson light, just as the King of Knights' Holy Sword became even more golden and brilliant during this time. The air froze. A thorn-like chill began to ravage the void once again.
"Eh, eh? Who? Which one? Knows the King?"
"Is he going to use that sword!? Who is the opponent?"
Shocked commentary had been coming from somewhere in stutters until now, but even if anyone heard it, everyone would only think she was noisy.
"......The Star-Holy Sword, it can win, right?" The Richard's face was solemn because he felt the power gap that would completely crush him. Facing the direction where the malice first stabbed, the girl answered calmly: "No, it will fail. The power of [Excalibur] is still a bit
inferior to [Enuma Elish (The Star of Creation that Split Heaven and Earth)]. Therefore... my light will be continued by you. You will break through the Great Separation Sword EA and deliver the final blow. —Richard."
The expressions of the Richard and the King of Heroes changed simultaneously.
'Great King Arthur, how do you know?'
The Richard tilted his head... and unhesitatingly obeyed, beginning to gather momentum in the sword in his hand. Richard didn't care; listening to King Arthur was simply the right thing to do. However, he didn't notice that Gilgamesh's expression was changing more and more.
"Gates" that hadn't existed before suddenly opened in different positions. A vast number of top-tier Noble Phantasms that even Richard hadn't seen extended from the gates, poised to fire as if he would die if he were a second too slow. But Gilgamesh's expression did not grow relaxed. He glared at the King of Knights while holding the nameless sword.
Finally... his expression changed again. Both vigilance and doubt vanished from the surface, and the King of Heroes laughed loudly once more.
"Hah-hahahaha!" Gilgamesh lowered his sword, though he did not cancel the magical energy filling it. "Do you truly think I will accept your provocation, King of Knights? Such low-level provocation is something only an impulsive, careless fool would receive. I brought out EA purely out of respect for you, but there is no need to continue this farce. As for the mongrel on the other side, I shall give him some praise for managing to create such a massive stir that it attracted even the King of Knights to this place!"
He took out a small ring. Immediately, the ring expanded rapidly, becoming a circle that merged into the ground and enclosed him.
"I shall frankly admit... your appearance is indeed a bizarre phenomenon. Such a curious matter makes me in no hurry to bring it to an end. Remember to thank my kindness; I allow you to live."
A flash of light surged within the circle, and Gilgamesh's figure was covered by a multitude of colors. Once the brilliance vanished, the place where Gilgamesh stood was empty. The ring had also disappeared without a trace, leaving only a majestic voice still echoing. The air flowed peacefully and emptily. The scene was quiet for a while.
After a long pause, Richard asked as an afterthought: "Did he run away?"
To summarize: it was still too much of a stretch.
Saber lowered the Holy Sword in her hand and tidied herself up. she stood elegantly, not a speck of dust on the hem of her clothes, but she felt no impulse to give chase. The vast group of Noble Phantasms Gilgamesh summoned seemed to provide an amplification to the main Noble Phantasm, EA, causing its power to rise. The numerical value of EA might not surpass
Saber's Holy Sword plus an A+ Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, but Saber didn't know how much the [Gate of Babylon] amplified it.
As expected, it doesn't work without Shirou as a partner. With Saber's current abilities, it would be difficult to kill this blonde man even if she casually cooperated with a Servant to throw out Noble Phantasms. At best, she might be able to knock his armor off and send him tumbling to the ground after winning, but she didn't think she could finish him off right then and there. This pairing could not end their destiny. In this world, the person who would draw the curtain on him was someone else.
For example, a formidable user of an [Reality Marble].
If Shirou had been beside her just now, it would have been reassuring. No, she felt no sense of regret—it was just that it would have been nice if it were Shirou beside Saber just now.
Amidst Richard's gaze of being moved by their joint battle, Saber thought silently.
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