Ah~, another two weeks, and another chapter comes!
Honestly, I am so glad I somehow managed to finish this in time. The past two weeks have been dragged down by finals, and...well, it's not completely over; not yet, but eh, at least the load's lighter now!
Anyways, some thoughts about this chapter. SPOILERS INCOMING. If you don't want to get spoiled, read this later.
Remember, SPOILERS!
Now then,
A bit expansion of Gil's backstory here, and also a lot of headcanons shoved in. So, basically, aside from just taking Enkidu's life, the gods were also afraid of Gil retaliating, so they took away her divinity and left her as a human. Not sure if that can actually happen, but it ties in the whole of Gil's backstory, so Imma just assume it's possible.
Next, Kingu! Whether he'll live or die is unknown, but for now, he lives. His attitude is a bit different though. I've always seen him as a child with too much things forced onto him, and so his actual skill in fighting is lackluster even with Enkidu's body as a guiding line. So, Gil easily defeats him.
Anyways, enough ranting from me. As usual, have any things you wanna ask or say, leave a comment. But, for now, enjoy the chapter!
It is night now. The skies are clear of clouds, the winds are silent, and Saber stands vigilantly, silently watching as the stars above.
She ought to be sleeping now, but she isn't; no one is. Gilgamesh had divined the incoming tide would come this night, and Hanami had echoed the sentiment.
Gilgamesh and Merlin remain at the castle, busy with fortifying the barrier around Uruk. Ushiwakamaru, Benkei, and Leonidas await at the northern, western, and eastern gates respectively, Uruk's army standing by their command. Mash and Ritsuka stand by the Dingirs, eyes trained at the distance. Quetzalcoatl and Jaguarman had been informed beforehand and prepared themselves.
Shirou stands at the southern gates, a small army of soldiers backing him.
Hanami is high in the sky, appearing as nothing but a small speck to Saber, her mystic eyes bright as she watches.
And Saber herself stands at a random corner of Uruk, told specifically by Hanami to stand there and await a signal.
When the signal will come, or what the signal even is, is currently unknown. She'd tried asking Hanami, but the girl had only smiled, telling her that "she'd know when it comes".
Nevertheless, Hanami is anything but a liar. Convoluted her words may be, the meaning still stands, and she's had enough experience with a certain flower magus to pick out the little details hidden behind that sly smile of hers.
Unlike others, she is the only one sent on her own, separated from anyone and situated in a remote location. Whoever and whatever she'd face against, the result would most likely cause major damage to the environment; something that'd be terribly inconvenient for any living being close to her.
That, and she'd find herself limited her use of her [Excalibur] if she happened to fight with anyone else. No matter how much she could concentrate it, [Excalibur]'s light was an unstoppable tidal of magic. There is little she could do-
Suddenly, a bright light flashes in the sky, and Saber snaps up to see a...meteor?
No, not a meteor. It's a person, with fire burning all around her as she falls from the sky.A very familiar person.
"She'd know when it comes", huh? She certainly knows it now.
Unconsciously, she begins to smile, a flame of excitement burning in her core as she brings forth Excalibur, taking comfort in its familiar presence as she faces the incoming threat.
Up above, Ibaraki laughs, the fire around her growing brighter as it feeds on the many curses she holds.
Saber can't quite help but smirk.
"Naive!"
Kingu grit his teeth as he digs his foot into the earth, using the earth to reform the other leg Gil had destroyed.
He is losing. Against the Gilgamesh in Uruk, he might've matched him, but against this Gilgamesh? One that could fire treasures at speeds not even his mother could predict, one that could fight with any weapon, and one that could seemingly predict his every movement?
It's frustrating.
"School your anger." The woman says offhandedly, idly pulling out another magical sword from her gates. "Your body remains stable through your emotions. If your anger overtakes you, your physical body will be compromised, and you will break into the soil the gods had moulded your from."
"SHUT-" On his command, the earth around him shape into chains and shoot forward. "-UP!"
Gil frowns, casually batting the chains away with the sword in her hands. He continues his assault, sending more and more bladed chains towards the woman.
Then, suddenly, a bright golden light overtakes his eyes,
Before he finds himself flying back, the lower half of his body missing, broken apart by a giant sword Gil had shot from her gates. He tumbles and rolls for a few moments, before he gathers enough soil to reform his body and leaps back towards her, his arm morphed into a sharpened blade.
Again, she stands her ground and smashes her sword against his, the force of his leap barely pushing her back.
"...Is this it?" She asks, sounding almost...delicate. "Have you truly been reduced to this; to a raging animal, blinded by your devotion?"
The question shocks him silent, and he takes a look at the woman's expression for the first time since they battled.
She looks...odd. The confident smile he last remembers on her face is nowhere to be found, and her eyes are soft. Some part of him, of the soul that inhabited this body before Kingu, is struck silent.
"What does it mean to you?" He bites back. "Your Enkidu is dead. I am the child of my rightful mother." He glares. "I am not your friend."
"You are not." She says. "And you never will be."
He grit his teeth. "Then-"
"But I will not stand to see his body be treated so...pitifully." Kingu almost shudders at the amount of venom behind her voice. "You have great potential, one wasted by the simplistic mind you hold. Your body was built for power and beauty, but I see none of those."
Kingu leans forward, trying to put more force on his blade, but Gil remains unmoving.
She sighs.
"Pathetic."
In a fraction of a moment, a hundred golden portals form behind her, with swords and spears forming out of their rippling surfaces. Kingu tries to move back, but Gil quickly ducks, sliding her sword down and stabbing it into his leg.
Then, the Noble Phantasms fire, and Kingu finds himself blasted into the sky, his body missing both of his arms, his leg, and half of his torso.
A single moment. That is all it took to defeat him, and as he crashes back onto the ground, he finds himself staring at the starry sky.
Distantly, he hears Gil's footsteps, and he can feel the blinding compulsion for him to stand and fight.
But he doesn't. What's the purpose anyway?
For all his talk, he is the inferior one. He can never match against Gil. He can never match against Enkidu. He can never match against that damned Amakusa.
He isn't stupid. He knows the Lahmu are the true new humans, that he doesn't have a place among them.
They can morph. They can learn. They can do everything he can, and do it better, faster.
He is nothing but a footnote.
And the thought is beyond infuriating, but no less hurtful.
"It's frustrating, isn't it?" Gil begins, and though he can't see her, he can almost hear the gentle smile in her voice. "To know that there are things you can never defeat; to know that you aren't perfect."
"...don't pity me."
"Pity? Hah!" Gil snorts as she laughs. "What is there to pity? Recognizing your smallness compared to the uncaring world is not weakness."
"It doesn't matter if you can't do anything about it." He mutters back, his voice hoarse with an odd emotion he can't identify.
"And who says you can't?" She calmly asks back. Kingu opens his mouth to retort, but Gil continues on. "Did your mother say so? Did her allies say so? Did those Lahmu say so?"
His expression twists, wincing. That was...awfully correct. "...and if so?" He asks, hating just how weak his voice has gotten.
Gil huffs. "Well, they aren't here, are they?"
"So?" He asks back. "They're right. I'm nothing compared to them. I was never anything. I was held back by a girl with a shield."
He hates it all.
Vacantly, he realizes Gil had sat down by his side, gently running a hand through his ruined hair. "Yet, you continue to serve them." She says, bringing out a cup of wine from her gates. "Why is that? They have done nothing to solidify your trust, and certainly nothing to make you feel welcome. Yet you remain with them." Gil frowns. "Why?"
"Why…?" He repeats, and a hollow laugh leaves his lips. "You...of all people, ask me why?"
Gil remains silent, and something inside Kingu snaps. "Who would accept a reject like me!? I'm nothing compared to the original Enkidu! I can't compare against the Lahmu! I can't heal like they can! I can't fight like they can!" His voice rises with every sentence, and by the end, he shouts, "WHY, YOU ASK!? I CAN'T DO ANYTHING! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!?"
He feels his eyes grow wet as he finishes his words ("You're crying." A voice inside him tells), and he furiously moves to wipe them, only to realize he has no working arms, and he flops back, biting his lips with no small amount of frustration.
He doesn't need to. Gil gently wipes his tears away, smiling sadly.
"...I've felt like that as well." She begins, softer than he's ever heard, and Kingu turns to her. She's smiling, but it's brittle, her eyes distant as she looks to a memory long past. "It's crushing, isn't it? It's as if you're slowly sinking into the ocean, with no way of swimming back out."
"What do you know?" He bitterly grounds out, but Gil just smiles.
"Do you know how it feels to be cut away from the heavens?"
It's a question so odd and bizarre that Kingu can't help but turn to the woman, his eyes wide and questioning. She smiles wanly. "It's as if the warmth inside you has been stolen, and you feel cold, and…" She trails off for a moment, closing her eyes. "It feels as if there is nothing left, and nothing you can do."
"...you've experienced that?" He cautiously asks, and her smile breaks into a frown.
"I have." She says simply. "I have no desire to feel it again."
"Why?" He isn't sure why he's even asking, but something inside him, something warm and unfamiliar urged him so.
"...when Ishtar had gone back to the heavens, she stole more than Enkidu's life." She says with a sigh. "I do not know what it is she desired, and I have no desire to know, but three days after we had slain the Bull of Heaven, the decree of the gods was decided, and the pleadings of that whore was granted."
"My friend crumbled to dust, and something inside me...snapped, in a way." She frowns lightly. "It took me an entire day to realize every connection I had to the heavens was severed."
"...What?"
Kingu...didn't expect to hear that. Not at all.
Gil snorts. "It is your punishment for damaging a property of heaven and rudely rejecting the offer of the gods, they'd said." She says. "It was a lie. I'd become a clear detriment to their plans, and so they removed me, stripped me of my birthright. I heard my mother tried everything to stop it, but her efforts proved fruitless."
"Within the span of days, I was reduced to a human."
It is a statement that sounds...wrong. He knows she speaks truthfully, but something about the idea simply doesn't feel right.
He has many questions, but he remains silent.
Her lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. "I had grieved and lashed out, finally realizing just what pains my people had to go through for the first time in my life. My body was wracked with hunger and fatigue. My mind felt heavy. My emotions ran beyond my control. It was...shameful, on my part."
"...what did you do then?"
Then, she begins to smile. "I was far from calm at the time, but my people were patient. They'd noticed what had happened and gave me space, aiding when needed and leaving when asked."
"I had wanted them to hate me, truly. With my divinity taken, something in my mind shifted, and I finally understood how...terrible, I'd been." She says. "Yet, they didn't."
Idly, she twirls her cup around, watching the ripples it made as the wine splashed against the sides of the cup. "I'd pleaded, asked why and how they continue to struggle in these weak mortal bodies, even if they were to die in times inconsequential to the gods."
She goes silent for a moment, reminiscing, and Kingu lets her, content with simply watching.
"At that moment, I finally learnt what it is that kept them alive." She says, smiling. "They fend, every day, in a battle against stagnation, to remain in this world for even a second longer, for even the smallest quarter of a moment would be enough to move the mountains."
"In the end, it's their limited lives that proved to be their greatest strength, and it is the gods stagnant years that led them to decay."
"But what did you do?" He asks. "You are...divine, and your connection to the treasury remains."
Gil scoffs. "Hmph. This treasury is my own. It's connected to nothing but my own vault. Every and all treasures inside it are mine and mine alone. I travelled the world to find it all. Everything inside it I gathered with my hands alone."
She smirks. "And [Divine], you say? That is true, but I am far from a god."
"...?" Kingu frowns, somewhat confused by what she meant.
She smiles at him. "After all, I was born [Divine]. And when the heavens took my birthright away," Her smile turns sharper, almost sinister. "I brought the heavens crashing down."
Again, Kingu is struck silent. It's a claim so incredibly absurd, yet he finds himself believing it.
"It is normal to feel frustrated at your own weakness, but remember that you are never helpless." She says, her smile softer now. "There is always someone."
Kingu scoffs. "As if."
But then something clinks, and before he realizes, his damaged body magically regenerates. His eyes widen, and he barely catches sight of the Holy Grail she'd pulled out before it fades into golden sparks. "...Why?" He asks weakly, his throat dry and his hands shaking.
Gil smiles kindly. "There is always someone." She repeats, before she stands and turns and walks away.
"W-Wait!" He quickly calls out, ignoring how desperate his voice had become. Gil turns to him, an eyebrow raised. He takes a quick breath. "W-Where are you going?"
She smirks. "I have a rat I need to take care of." She says simply before she turns and walks away.
'A...rat?' He blinks. What does the woman mean by-
...Ah, so that's what she means.
He closes his eyes for a moment, considering, before he quickly runs up to her, lips set to a determined frown as he steps by her side.
Again, she raises an eyebrow at him. "Even with your divinity stolen, you'd managed to bring down the heavens." He begins. "So something like I, a failure like me, should definitely be enough to help take care of a rat, isn't that right?"
Gil smiles, bright and happy, and Kingu can't quite help but smile as well.
"Quite the entrance." Saber remarks.
Ibaraki grins as she douses the fire on her shoulders. "Well, I aim to please." She says, and Saber can't quite stop herself from smiling.
"Mm, it was a wonderful show." Saber says. "It's the first time I've seen a comet."
"Oh?" Ibaraki's voice turns just a tad teasing. "I am your first, am I?"
"Hmph." Saber huffs, somewhat annoyed and somewhat to cover the laugh bubbling in her throat. "I suppose I am, Ibaraki. I must implore you to take responsibility for that."
"Ooh~, I certainly will!" She says, and Saber doesn't bother holding back the laugh. Ibaraki grins even as her shoulders are alight with flames again.
Honestly, she isn't quite sure why she acts like this around the oni. They've met twice; as enemies, and yet their encounters feel more like chats with an old friend than anything else. She feels...relaxed, she believes is the correct word for it.
It's odd, but comforting.
"Tch, my fire won't calm down." Ibaraki grouses as she pats her shoulder to clear the flames burning on them. "Damned contract."
Saber raises an eyebrow. "Is the contract forcing you to fight?"
Ibaraki sighs, and Saber can only smile with sympathy. "It must be rough, holding out for a conversation for so long." She says. "It's quite amazing."
She shrugs. "Persistence is a hereditary trait."
Saber smiles. "I suppose it is." She says, and then stops. "Before we begin," She holds her left hand forward and brings the golden claymore into her hand. "Do you want this returned?"
"Keep it." Ibaraki says as a light sparks in her hand, morphing into another golden claymore that situates itself comfortably in her hand. "I can make more."
"That's quite convenient."
"Mhm. It definitely is." As she says so, a great fire burns around her, warping the space around her and melting the ground below. Ibaraki does nothing to stop it, and she turns to Saber and grins. "Now, shall we get this conflict on the way, great king?"
Saber huffs, letting the claymore disappear and bringing Excalibur into her hands. "Let us."
Ibaraki leans forward, ready to leap. Saber digs her armored feet onto the ground, prepared to kick into a run.
A second passes, a star blinks,
And the earth rumbles as their blades clash, the heat and winds sending molten bits of earth and stone into the air. Shifting her grip forward, Saber sends a powerful kick to Ibaraki's abdomen. But the oni is used to the king's additional moves and easily dodges, flipping over her and sending a strike at the back of her neck.
Saber easily bends her arm back and smashes Excalibur against Ibaraki's claymore. The sound of grating metal fills the air, before Saber brings forth a powerful blast of wind from under her and sends Ibaraki flying.
Spinning, wind spins around Excalibur and she shouts, "[Invisible Air]!" And out came a column of wind, rising towards the airborne oni.
Ibaraki casually flips out of the way, before responding by sending a hand of cursed flames at her. Saber quickly jumps back, reinforcing her armor to protect it against the hand's great heat. Saber lands, and with a crack, she leaps forward, her sword shining as she floods her Noble Phantasm with magical energy.
Ibaraki sees it clearly, and she grins as ten spheres of concentrated fire forms behind her, each burning with enough heat to torch entire towns.
Saber floods even more magical energy, turning Excalibur's light an almost blinding white.
Then, she swings.
"[Excalibur]!"
"[Great Flame of Mount Ooe]!"
And in response, the ten stars behind Ibaraki rushes forward at her call.
The two forces clash, filling the dark night with brilliant lights and turning the ground into molten rock. Saber frowns as she sees her breastplate melt, and quickly cuts it off, letting it fall to the ground and melt.
Then, out from the fires comes Ibaraki, her hand glowing a dark red as she reaches forward, fingers intent on digging through her skull and ripping it away from her spine.
Saber meets it calmly, sending a wind-enhanced fist at it. Winds smash against burning curses, and the resounding impact sends even more melted earth into the air. Saber's gauntlet holds out for a couple seconds, before it joins her breastplate, ripped away as it melts from the intense heat.
"I'll do my best not to strip you dry." Ibaraki cheekily comments.
Saber smiles. "Of course." Suddenly, her sword lights up a brilliant yellow, and Ibaraki quickly moves to back away, only to realize she couldn't, not with Saber's hand tightly held around hers. "[Excalibur]!"
A point blank strike; Excalibur's light slamming right into Ibaraki's abdomen and sending her flying back. The oni eventually crashes back onto the earth, injured but hardly debilitated in any way.
Then again, she is an oni. Such endurance isn't really that astounding.
Still, something about all this is rather odd. Hanami is viewing this from above, she should've-
...Ah, I see.
As Saber looks up, she sees something in the night sky, something that looks like a translucent barrier, one awfully similar to those [ID]'s Hanami is so fond of.
It isn't that Hanami doesn't know. She most likely can't send aid.
Oh well. Knowing the girl, this was probably a part of her plan.
Now,
"[Excalibur]!"
Her sword lights up again, and once more, she swings it down. A pillar of light slams down, and Ibaraki easily defends with her claymore, slamming it and sending the beam away towards the sky. Narrowing her eyes, Saber steps forward,
And suddenly, pain explodes in her body as a flaming hand slams from her right. "When did-!?" She struggles against it for a moment, reinforcing her legs to steady herself, but the ground soon melts. Her footing lost, Saber is forced to the side, the giant flaming hand painfully searing the left side of her body before exploding, sending sparks and melted debris all around.
As steam rises around her, Saber frowns, cutting away the melted remains of her armor and letting it fall.
She isn't terribly hurt; the most she got is a small burn at her shoulder, but it hurt nonetheless. Her armor, and most of her clothing really, is heavily burnt, and what remains is destroyed by the explosion.
It leaves her practically naked, but that is fine. [Reinforcement] will do just fine as her armor.
She hears a cheeky whistle from the distance, and Saber smiles wryly. "What happened to not 'stripping me dry', Ibaraki?" She says dryly.
Ibaraki smiles back. "Well, I'll have to apologize for that." She says, and then grins. "At least I get a good show for the rest of the fight."
"Hmph. I'm not so cheap."
Saying that, Saber charges forth, her Excalibur wrapped with great violent winds. Ibaraki meets her in kind, rushing forward as her claymore bursts with cursed fire.
They battle for a full minute, slamming sword against sword as winds and fire decorate the air. Saber winces as the fire burns away at her, creating small burns all across her reinforced body. Ibaraki suffers similarly, Saber's wind cutting away at the oni's clothes and causing small cuts all over her torso.
"Ah, my clothes…" Ibaraki whispers as she slams her claymore down. "That'll be annoying to get back."
Saber quickly brings her sword up to defend against the claymore. "I'll have-"
Suddenly, Saber lets go of her sword, and Ibaraki curses as her sword meets no resistance and she overreaches. "-to apologize for that!" She shouts, smiling, and Saber spins on her heel and slams her fist right into Ibaraki's abdomen, sending Ibaraki flying back.
Leaning forward, her draconic core pulses, and winds and fire burst around her as she leaps forward. Ibaraki quickly turns to evade, but Saber is faster, and the oni can only cry out as fists pummel her from all sides, peppering her with and burns.
Ibaraki gasps as she's slammed down, cracking the earth below. Saber stands atop her, arm reared back and fist covered in great winds and fire. Idly, Ibaraki notices how Saber's eyes almost seem to glow a bright yellow, and how the magic circuits spread over her skin looks almost like streams of lava.
Then,
"[Oushi]!" Saber shouts, slamming her fist down, and Ibaraki quickly brings her arms to defend.
It's lucky she did, because she would've definitely suffered quite a bit if she didn't. A nasty bruise forms on her arms, and the carried force of Saber's fist sends her head crashing back into the earth.
But Ibaraki smiles, and Saber quickly backs away.
Except she can't, because she suddenly finds her hand tightly locked in Ibaraki's, and she can only grit her teeth as ten concentrated spheres of fire slams into her back. The cursed flames dig through her body, peeling away at her skin and burning her insides.
The pain momentarily stuns her, and it gives Ibaraki enough time to send a powerful kick onto her chest and send her flying back.
Slowly, Ibaraki stands, a pained smile on her face as she brings up her left arm. Moving it is painful, and it's clear that Saber's strike had broken her bones. The bones of her other arm are thankfully spared, but no less pained.
Saber pushes herself up, coughing as she reapplies her [Reinforcement], even as her charred back screams at her with pain. Even the slightest movements pull on her burnt flesh, but she doesn't flinch. She's suffered much worse, endured far too many wounds.
However, Saber is visibly slowed by the injury, and Ibaraki quickly moves to capitalize on it. The oni leaps forward, arm cocked back as her fist burns with powerful cursed flames.
Saber brings up her hand, covering it with violent winds. With a steam-filled breath, she fist clashes against Ibaraki's, and the impact melts the stone below and sends them flying.
Saber frowns, wincing as melted rocks and dust land on her injured back, but she perseveres, and a great light shines from her side.
Saber is holding Excalibur in her other hand.
Ibaraki's eyes go wide.
When did she-? She asks, and realizes she's knocked the king back onto her dropped sword.
The oni huffs.
It's her fault.
Saber grits her teeth, and her core roars, flooding ever part of her body with enough magical energy to flatten a city. Her Excalibur continues to turn brighter, growing hotter as its light mingles with the cursed fires growing inside her draconic core.
She's holding Excalibur with one hand.
It isn't ideal. But that's fine.
Sucking a sharp breath, she floods her Noble Phantasm with all the energy she's built up; the curses, the fire, the winds, the magic, everything.
And so, she shouts.
For it is there, atop that cursed hill of corpses and flames that the sleeping dragon will come.
"[EXCALIBUR CAMLANN]!"
With all the strength she has, she swings, and the dark night turns bright as a pillar of light and flames rise from the ground, lightning the skies like a second sun. Dirt vanishes, rocks melt, and winds converge as they're warped by the immense heat.
Then, just as it comes, the pillar fades, leaving behind a giant crater of melted earth, decorated by mist and steam.
Saber stands at its center, breathing heavily to expel the heat she's built inside. Before her, Ibaraki lays, her right arm missing and her entire torso torched.
Despite that, the oni smiles.
"Ah…" Ibaraki slowly breathes out, a small laugh escaping from her mouth. "It's my loss."
Saber silently stares, letting her Excalibur fade into shards of golden light. Her body hurts, and the usage of her Noble Phantasm has done nothing to help her injury. Still, she pushes herself forward, walking and sitting herself down by the fallen oni's side.
"...you kicked me back on purpose." She begins. "You could've taken me down, yet you kicked me back."
Saber turns to her, waiting. Ibaraki stays silent for a moment, before she sighs. "Nothing gets past you, does it?" She says, smiling. "Ah, but that's fine, isn't it? A win's a win, and accidental or not, you've come out on top."
Saber sighs. "...I suppose."
Ibaraki huffs, and slowly, her body begins to dissolve, turning to motes of golden light. "Seems like my time's done."
"Seems so."
They lapse into silence for a moment, before Saber turns to her downed foe, smiling. "You would've been a wonderful companion to have." She idly comments.
Ibaraki laughs softly, turning her eyes towards the starry sky above. "...yeah." She says gently, slowly letting her eyes close. "It's been fun, Arturia."
Saber closes her eyes, smiling. "It has."
A moment passes. She opens her eyes, and she's alone.
Saber closes her eyes once more. "It certainly has."
Hoo boy~, now that's one hell of a sight.
I mean, I know how Tiamat's sent thousands upon thousands of Lahmu to submerge Uruk, but damn.
[Tide Colossal Lahmu - Lv ?]
HP: 98,664,121/100,000,000
MP: -
Stamina: -
A giant combination of all Lahmu that Tiamat has created, moving in the form of a giant wave. The earth beneath them is swallowed, and all life that touches them decays and dies. All with consciousness is corrupted and swallowed, turned into corrupted shells of their former selves.
Skills: [Pliable Body - Lv Max], [Child of Nature - Lv Max], [Iron Body - Lv Max], [Accursed Corruption - Lv Max], [Cursed Energy Manipulation - Lv Max]
Even without my mystic eyes, I can see just how massive the tide of Lahmu is. They've all combined into one being, and they're slowly approaching across the land, crawling towards Uruk like an approaching tsunami of corruption and curses.
Honestly, it's that [Accursed Corruption] that terrifies me the most, and for good reason. A single touch, and you're turned into an alter and controlled like a puppet. The mental effects are negated by [Enlightenment of a Sacred Fig], but I don't think I have a skill to protect me from the physical corruption.
I have my holy amulet and armor of course, but I doubt that'll be enough.
That aside, the tide of Lahmu is, surprisingly, being pushed back by the many Dingirs situated atop Uruk's surrounding walls. Although, I guess that shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, considering that they now have a basically infinite amount of ammunition thanks to the automatic system me, Merlin, and Da Vinci made.
Still proud of that by the way.
It's not going to be enough though. From what I've seen, a couple thousand blood red spears have been launched, and only one and a half million HP has been knocked off the thing's HP bar.
Of course, that small damage is caused by [Iron Body].
[Iron Body - Lv Max]
The strength of iron and the durability of steel. By gathering the essence of steel, your body is hardened to its utmost limit, turning your body into an immovable fortress.
Triples [Vitality] when used.
Costs ? MP to use.
Yep. Triple defense bonus boys. Very uncool.
Still! At least Lahmus are [Demonic] by nature, so [Morningstar]'s damage multiplier of [3000%] is still applicable.
Now then, let's begin, shall we?
With a deep breath, I bring [Andromeda] into my hands. The feeling of its magic prickles at my skin for a moment, but it quickly fades, replaced by a comforting warmth as I slowly raise it to the sky.
"[Call of Thunder]!" I shout, and from my staff shoots a bolt of electricity. It disappears into the sky, and seemingly from nowhere, dark clouds begin to form, turning the already dark night even darker. Winds grow, the crackle of thunder approaches, and I smile as I watch [Voltaic Charge]'s bonus come into play.
Next, I apply [Reinforcement] at its maximum, bumping my stats even higher than it already was, high enough for it to actually start hurting. But I stay silent, persisting.
Finally, I send my magical energy into the thundering skies, gathering as much lightning as I can and shaping it into the visage of an ancient primordial dragon.
The sky turns a bright white as a giant dragon slowly descends, its body made from lightning and [Morningstar]'s light. It growls, a deep resounding sound, and with as much strength I have, I shout,
"[HEARTH OF DAEDRON]!"
Like lightning, the dragon falls, fangs barred as it descends towards the tide of Lahmus. Sensing my Noble Phantasm's approach, the Lahmu begins to glow, turning a bright purple as great curses surround it, acting as a shield against the descending dragon.
I smirk.
That ain't gonna cut it, dear Lahmus. I have a terrific resistance against curses, after all.
In seconds, the dragon makes contact, and an ear-piercing screech fills the air as the giant tide of Lahmus cry out at once, doing its everything as the holy lightning burns away at their body.
Quickly, I deactivate [Reinforcement], wincing as I notice the burns it left on my skin. It isn't anything worrying; a sleep should fix it, but it's something I'll need to keep out for in the future.
Now then,
[HP: 78,546,983/100,000,000]
Oof! A clean 20 million just got deleted!
Now, let's drop four more and get this whole fiasco done with, shall we?
Again, I activate [Reinforcement] at its maximum. My magic circuits flare, lighting up and decorating my body with glowing lines of bright green. I take a deep breath, gathering my magical energy and-
Suddenly, I detect a presence swiftly approaching from the side, and I fly back, just in time to see a black blur rush me by.
Having missed, the black blur turns, spinning before stopping right before me. It begins to morph, its elongated body folding onto itself as it changes. Its body grows taller, its glossy black skin glows brighter, and its shape takes the familiar form of a Lahmu, one with claws as hands and a giant sideways mouth as a head.
But this one is different. Its black skin is replaced by an almost deep maroon, its normally clean white teeth is now a bright purple, and there are black tribal markings stretching all across its glossy skin, glowing with intense curses from where it was born.
[Primal Lahmu - Lv 500]
HP: 20,000,000/20,000,000
MP: -
Stamina: -
A superior form of Lahmu, created from the mud of Tiamat and shaped by the energies of the void. Everything it has is enhanced compared to its normal counterpart, and a single touch from it can bring any sane man to insanity.
[Pliable Body - Lv Max], [Child of Nature - Lv Max], [Iron Body - Lv 50], [Accursed Corruption - Lv Max], [Cursed Energy Manipulation - Lv Max], [Eternal Weapon Mastery - Lv Max], [Abnormal Status Resistance - Lv 50]
...An enhanced species of Lahmu, huh?
Well, isn't that nice?
Thankfully, its [Iron Body] is at level 50, so it's giving a double Vitality bonus instead of a triple. [Abnormal Status Resistance] doesn't do anything either, considering I don't have any skills that cause status effects.
Before we begin however,
I take a deep breath, flooding my lungs with prana and reinforcing my throat the best I can. Then, my Mystic Eyes activate,
And I shout.
"Fujimaru Ritsuka! Mash Kyrielight! Men of Uruk! I leave that Lahmu to you!"
Enhanced by my magic, my voice resounds through the night air, creating visible waves in the air as it travels. Satisfied, I turn back to the primal Lahmu, smiling as I bring [Andromeda] forth.
Now then-!
[Through special actions, you have gained the skill [Charisma]!]
...Huh. Anyways!
"Gate unlocked, vault open." I begin, and the air around me shakes as magic pours out from me. "Weaponry armed. Target sighted." My words continue, echoing as the logistics of [Arcane Armory] slowly takes form.
Seeing this, the Lahmu charges forward, but I easily flip under it and fly away.
I smirk.
"Trigger off! [Arcane Armory]!"
At my words, the sky lights up as thousands of arcane bullets form, each automatically primed and armed, and all enhanced by lightning and holy light.
The Lahmu screeches and charges forward.
And at my behest, the bullets rain down.
*Notes
[Oushi], if translated directly, means [Bull]
[Camlann] is the hill where Mordred dealt fatal damage to Saber and was promptly slain.