We meet again, people! Here I finally bring you the prologue to the long-awaited story of King of Fakers in the Babylonian Singularity.
Now, for those of you who have never read any of my stories, I will say this before you get confused. This story is a direct sequel to my other story "Madness empire of blades", so if you don't want to feel too confused about character relationships, or who King of Fakers is, go read it first. In fact, I choose this title for the story to make more visible the connection between the two stories.
As for the servants who will accompany the masters on this adventure, you will see them at the end of this chapter. However, I can tell you that the cast is not very different from the previous story, but that's what was decided in the poll I published on my profile.
Now, without much more to say, let this story begin!
Disclaimer: I don't own any right over Type-Moon or the Fate franchise.
History was following its course as it should. After Enkidu's death, King Gilgamesh began his quest for immortality, and after several years, he returned to Uruk to rule them, this time as a wise King.
However, this time something changed. The long-awaited return of the King was not a cause for celebration as it should have been.
"Uruk will fall."
Those were the blunt words spoken by the King of Heroes to his astonished people.
It was an unmovable fact. On his return journey, the golden King received a vision of the future. However, in this vision, he didn't see the bright future in which humans reached the stars.
On the contrary. What he saw was an unprecedented calamity that would destroy Uruk, and completely collapse the Foundation of Human Order.
It was then that the Golden King proposed a choice to his beloved people.
They could drown in pleasure and make the most of the little time they had left, or they could fight. Fight to keep on living until the Day of Judgment. Fight to overcome this terrible calamity.
Because, even if Uruk's fall was an immovable fact, humanity would not fall. Even if all the inhabitants of Uruk died without leaving any descendants, as long as their will was inherited by other humans, humanity would continue to move forward.
As long as the hopes and dreams of humanity continued to shine, they would keep on moving forward until they reached the stars.
The people of Uruk did not disappoint. In the face of such a choice, they all raised their fists as one and shouted that they would fight.
That put a smile on the King of Heroes' face, and then he did something no one would have thought he would ever do.
He opened his treasury, and placed his precious weapons, the crystallization of all mankind's knowledge and power, in the hands of his soldiers. Not only that, but he ordered Babylon to be dismantled to build a huge wall to isolate the north from the rest of Mesopotamia.
Preparations for the impending battle began. Gilgamesh, retaining only his mystical codes and scepters in his Gate of Babylon, took on the role of mage to protect Mesopotamia.
However, the demonic beasts soon arrived. They began to quickly slaughter humans and invade Mesopotamia, causing the era to soon become a Singularity.
Given the situation, the King of Heroes summoned a servant to help him. Said servant ended up being the Magus of Flowers, Merlin, but, despite his power, it still wasn't enough. Thus, Gilgamesh set out to summon more servants.
And that's what he was doing right now in his throne room. With the magic circle drawn in the center of the room, preparations were ready.
"My King, are you sure you want to summon so many servants? I do not doubt your abilities, but isn't it too much seven servants?"
Beside him spoke a woman with a worried voice. Reddish-brown hair, brown eyes, and dressed in green and white robes, and a translucent veil. She was Siduri, Gilgamesh's secretary, and the temple priestess in veneration of Uruk's patron goddess, Ishtar.
"It would, if that useless Goddess hadn't decided to be more bothersome than ever. Besides, I'll show that lecherous half-blood that I can support an entire Holy Grail War by myself!"
Siduri sighed at her king's harsh words to their patron Goddess. The problem is, since she was summoned, she had been harassing Uruk, making it impossible to defend her.
Their gaze then turned to the "lecherous half-blood" that accompanied them. A man with a captivating face, long pure white hair, purple eyes, and dressed in a woven of the finest fabrics.
The man looked back at her with a seductive smile, causing her to sigh again. Merlin really was living to his reputation as a womanizer. He's been trying to hit on her the moment he was summoned by her King.
Ignoring the two, the King of Heroes summoned his tablet version of a spellbook and began the ritual.
"Come forth, mighty heroes from the future! Humanity needs you to fight one more time!"
The runes of his spellbook roared to life, and the magic circle in front of him began to emit a blinding light. Seconds later, seven figures appeared on the circle.
The first was a young girl of long black hair tied in a side ponytail, clad in quite revealing samurai armor.
The second was a tall man with pale skin, wearing monk garments and carrying a bunch of weapons on his back.
The third was a muscular man with tanned skin who was practically naked, wearing some pieces of golden armor and a tufted Corinthian helmet accompanied by a long red cloak.
The fourth was a tanned-skinned young man with long white hair tied in a ponytail and dark ageless golden eyes, wearing a mixture of a traditional samurai outfit with European influence.
The fifth was another young man with red hair covering his eyes, a flame-like tattoo in his left arm, and wearing ninja garments with a red scarf.
The sixth was a girl in her mid-teens of white hair, grey eyes, pale, sickly-looking skin, and wearing a Taishou-style pink kimono.
As for the seventh...
CLANG!
The sound of steel clashing with steel alerted everyone in the room. The servants tensed instantly and looked in the direction from which the noise came...
...only to see Gilgamesh himself locking his golden axe against the twin swords of the seventh servant.
He was a tall man with tanned skin, short white hair combed backward, and gray steel eyes. He wore a light armor of black and grey colors, and a red mantle composed of three pieces, one hanging from his hips, another covering his left arm, and the last one tied around his head like a bandana.
The King of Heroes and the servant were staring at each other, and they were giving off an enormous murderous intent that was capable of stifling even the servants. The situation was really surreal.
"Hmph. Generally, it's the servant who attacks the master after being summoned, not the other way around, Goldie."
"Sorry, we haven't met yet, but just seeing you made me want to destroy your existence, Faker."
Both men disengaged from each other, creating a distance of eight meters between. Gilgamesh's spellbook shone to life once again as the Gate of Babylon was opened, revealing several staffs and wands.
On the other side, several swords appeared out of nowhere above the servant, with their blades pointing at Gilgamesh.
The battle was imminent, and the servants were too confused at the sight of their master trying to kill the servant he just summoned to intervene.
"My King please stop! We are already running low in resources due to the northern wall's daily maintenance. Destroying the throne room is the last thing we need."
However, his secretary did not stand by and try to appease him. And surprisingly it worked.
"Tsk." Gilgamesh clicked his tongue with annoyance but ended up closing the Gate of Babylon and his spellbook.
His enemy could do nothing but look at him dumbfounded, his killing intention quickly fading. A hand then rested on his shoulder, almost startling him.
"Yeah, let's all get along. We all have the same goal here, right?"
As he turned, the servant saw Merlin smiling at him, and his expression turned into a frown.
"So the old geezer who goes around encouraging innocent little girls to bear the burden of saving and leading an entire country is also here."
The half incubus smile remained undisturbed. To him, that was a compliment. His gaze then returned to the King of Heroes.
"Also, don't get so upset just because he kicked your ass in a Holy Grail War, King Gilgamesh. We hit the jackpot here. With him here, all the actors are finally reunited."
Gilgamesh gritted his teeth. "That foolish young version of me wasn't me! Things won't go like that the next time! But..." Her piercing red eyes met with gray eyes. "... given the situation we are in right now, I will tolerate your presence here as long as you make yourself useful, Faker."
"Well, at least we are on the same page now. But can you at least explain the situation, Goldie?"
The eyes of the servant turned to the other six servants, whose eyes demanded of their master some context.
"I suppose the absence of a Grail in the summoning process meant that you didn't receive knowledge about the situation, but at least there is no problem with the language. Well, I'll be brief. Uruk is lost. Three goddesses formed an alliance to destroy this city and collapse the foundation of the Human Order, turning this era into a singularity. Siduri will give you the details later, but most importantly, the army of demonic beasts lead by one of them is beginning to conquer most of Mesopotamia. Your duty is to help me and my people resist on the front lines until help arrives. Have I made myself understood?"
The servants nodded to the Golden King's explanation, except for the Red Knight who asked a question.
"Who is this help we are waiting for?"
"Chaldea." The answer came from Merlin. "They will come from the future in about 5 months with the mission to correct this singularity. Their help will be crucial to getting out of this."
Seeing that there were no more questions, Gilgamesh climbed the stairs behind him to sit on his golden throne.
"Siduri, I'll leave filling them in and showing them the front and their residence to you. And tell the people at the entrance to start bringing the tablets."
The secretary nodded, but before she took a step, he turned to the servants one last time.
"Although I can know your true identities with just a glance, you should take this short tour to get to know each other. Besides, as my magical energy is insufficient to constantly supply all of you at once, I incarnated you through my own magical energy. From now on, you'll have to gather your own mana eating and sleeping like a normal human. You are dismissed."
"Well, follow me, mighty heroes."
The servants, including Merlin, followed Siduri out of the throne room. As they walked down the stairs of the enormous ziggurat in the center of Uruk, the presentations began.
"I don't think I need to introduce myself, but I am Merlin, the Magus of flowers, and a servant Caster." His eyes then set on the girl dressed in samurai armor. "What is your name, my lady?"
She glanced at him for a moment but proceeded to introduce herself anyway. "I am Ushiwakamaru, a Rider servant. I'm looking forward to working with all of you to serve our new master."
After her, it was the turn of the man dressed as a monk. "Musashibou Benkei. I have reincarnated as a spearman. As I am once again fighting by your side, Ushiwaka-sama, I'll do my best."
Then it was the turn of the man whose appearance screamed "Spartan". "Leonidas I. Lancer class servant. I'm glad to see I'm not accompanied by just soldiers with muscles for brain this time."
"Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. Ruler Class servant. Let us fight together to save humanity."
The young man with tanned skin presented himself with a quiet voice, followed by the ninja, who presented himself with a somewhat shy tone.
"Fuuma Kotarou. Servant Assassin. I'll be in your care."
"Shinsengumi's First Unit Captain, Okita Souji! Servant Saber! Pleased to meet you!"
After the energetic introduction of a girl dressed in a kimono, everyone's eyes turned to the red knight.
"Servant Archer. I would give you my name, but I don't remember it. Some legends refer to me as the King of Fakers, so feel free to call me Archer, Faker like Goldie does, or whatever you want."
His introduction astonished everyone. A servant who does not remember his name was unusual and would mean that this servant is weak. However, his brief confrontation with Gilgamesh showed that was not so, making things more confusing. In addition, the name "King of Fakers" didn't ring any bell.
"If you introduce yourself like that, it's natural for people to forget your name." Merlin decided to intervene. "It would be more effective if you told them you are the person who defeated the Primate Murder and saved everyone."
That detail made the other servants finally recognize the red knight, whose legend was arguably the prototype of King Arthur's. Still, they still didn't have much more information on the nameless hero.
However, the reaction that most surprised Merlin was Amakusa Shirou's, who looked at Archer with a frown. Archer himself noticed it too and decided to ask.
"Do I know you?"
The man responded with his ever serene voice. "Technically yes. However, just as you did with our master, we should put aside the differences that arose between us that time and work together."
"I see. That explains the urge to hit you that I feel when I look at your face. But the feeling is more manageable than Goldie's, so there should be no problem."
Archer's blunt words made Shirou deflate. Ignoring him, the red knight then turned to look closely at the Shinsengumi's First Unit Captain. Her cheeks blushed slightly as her face was so close.
"Hmm... you said you are Okita Souji, right? Though I'm sure we never met before, your face looks familiar..."
"That has a simple answer." Merlin spoke barely holding a giggle. "Miss Okita's face is completely identical to Arturia's. The only difference is the eye color. But I suppose it would be better to compare it to your wife Nero."
Archer lifted an eyebrow. "My wife? What are you talking about? I met empress Nero when I was alive, but I barely talked with her a couple of times."
The expression of the Magus of Flower got a little sad. "Aaw, so you don't have the memories of that version of you. Too bad. I guess that's to be expected considering you don't remember your name."
His expression turned into a mischievous smile as he passed his arm over the red knight's shoulders.
"But don't worry. You'll have a chance to get to know her better soon. In fact, these months ahead of you will be your last months as a single man, so a stag night is in order. Trust me. Though I've only been here a week, I already know the best brothels in Uruk."
In a strange sight, the red knight's cheeks blushed. He was joined by Okita, Kotarou, and Ushiwakamaru. On the other hand, Shirou and Benkei made a Facepalm, while Leonidas was looking eager to join them.
"Ahem." Siduri coughed to get everyone's attention. "Sir Merlin, do I need to remind you that, with the summoning ritual over, you must return to your duty of searching for the Tablet of Destinies?"
"Tch, what a bummer. If King Gilgamesh remembered where he left that tablet already, things would be a lot simpler."
With a resigned expression, the Magus of Flowers separated from the group to continue his task.
"Excuse me, but what's this about a tablet?"
"You'll see..." When asked by Shirou, Siduri began to fill them in.
The tablet that Merlin was seeking was a tablet on which Gilgamesh wrote the content of the vision that showed him the terrible calamity that mankind is facing. The problem is that it happened on the way back from his quest for immortality, and according to him, he was really tired at the time, so he left it at the first place he found and ended up forgetting which place it was.
After that, she told them about the Alliance of the Three Goddesses. Actually, they still did not know the reason why they were attacking Uruk. All they knew about her were her identities.
The first of them was surrounded by mystery. She just showed up every day in a random town and killed a hundred people, no more, no less. After that, she would return to her lair in the mysterious jungle that appeared in the south, swallowing the cities of Ur and Eridu. Gilgamesh himself could not recognize her, so she must belong to other mythology.
The second was Uruk's patron Goddess herself, Ishtar, who didn't bother to hide her identity. For some reason, she occasionally appeared in Uruk to harass them, but she has yet to cause any serious harm.
And finally, the third goddess, and the one who commanded the demonic beasts, was Tiamat. Or at least that is the name they had managed to deduce because of the nature of those beasts, but both Gilgamesh and Merlin seemed to have their doubts about her identity.
The thing is that the demonic beasts came from the north, and to stop their advance they built a huge wall, where they were heading.
Along the way, the servants got a glimpse of the state of the city of Uruk and its people. For such a desperate situation, the place was a lot livelier than one would think.
There wasn't a pessimistic and gloomy atmosphere, but a busy one that would be in any big city. People continued their chores with smiles on their faces, without stopping to think about the situation. It was their way of supporting the brave soldiers who risked their lives on the front lines to protect them.
"Well, we are here."
About 20 minutes after visiting the residence where they would sleep on the outskirts of the city, the servants finally reached the northern wall.
"This is the only gate of the wall, and therefore the place where the battle against the demonic beasts is concentrated."
In front of the gate was the outpost where Uruk's soldiers were stationed. They, seeing Siduri arrive accompanied by colorful figures, approached with curiosity.
The secretary then proceeded to introduce them. "Valiant soldiers of Uruk, I come today to bring you good news. These people who accompany me are mighty heroes of the future summoned by our King to fight alongside us on the front lines."
The soldiers' expressions lit up immediately at hearing the news. As expected from people living in the Age of the Gods, they didn't even flinch at how surreal that sounded.
Siduri's eyes then returned to the servants. "My King also trusts that some of you will be able to prepare and train our soldiers to be a self-sufficient force. Until now we have hardly been able to repel the attacks of demonic beasts, and that was thanks to the weapons of our King. And we cannot afford to lose more people. Every person who is abducted by the enemy is turned into another demonic beast."
At her words, Leonidas stepped forward and struck his fist against his chest. "Leave it to me, ma'am! I'm used to getting the most troublesome soldiers in shape. In a few days, they'll be full-fledged men!"
Okita also joined him. "As a captain of a police force, I can also teach them some tactics as a group."
Benkei looked at Ushiwakamaru beside him, but she looked away and hissed. If someone was already commanding the troops, then she could concentrate on cutting off heads.
Shirou and Fuuma had little else to offer aside from their fighting power, while Archer was watching the gold cannons which were placed along the entire wall.
"And those cannons are..."
Siduri immediately proceeded to give them an explanation. "Those are Dingirs, cannons created by our King to fire his weapons overloaded with mana. Although we know that the supply of weapons from his treasury is almost infinite, we try to use it as little as possible since we know that our King feels great pain every time we fire one of his precious treasures."
Archer couldn't help but whistle. "Not only did he let his people use his weapons, but you're using them as broken phantasms... The situation is really screwed up."
"Sir Archer, do you also own a large number of weapons?"
Having seen the demonstration in the throne room, Siduri's question was natural.
"My arsenal is vast, but I don't think it comes close to the Gate of Babylon. And unlike your King, my weapons aren't the originals, but reproductions. So they require magical energy to be summoned."
"Then..."
"If you're asking if they can be fired by those cannons, the answer is yes. In fact, it would be better than firing the original weapons. But, I can already hear Goldie saying something like, "I won't allow you to stain my precious Dingirs with your filthy counterfeit weapons, Faker!""
The secretary breathed a sigh. That was exactly what her King would say. "I will try to convince him, but promises."
Archer nodded. "One last thing. How long has it been since the last attack?"
"Actually, a couple of days..."
"A group of demonic beasts at twelve! This is bigger than all the previous ones!"
Siduri had barely finished speaking when one of the soldiers at the sentry posts gave his warning agitated.
"I wish you luck. My King and I'll be waiting for your report, and make sure you don't lose your insignias so the guards at the gate know you're allies." With those last words, Siduri left for Uruk.
The soldiers took their weapons, mostly shields and spears, and hurried to the gate of the wall, followed by Leonidas. The other servants leaped up to the top of the wall to get a better view of the battlefield.
As the sentry said, a huge group of demonic beasts was quickly approaching the wall. There must have been hundreds of them, and they could differentiate three types.
The first one looked like a wolf the size of a lion. Red fur, yellow mane, and really long canines. Uridimmu, the howling dog. The second had the appearance of an enormous lizard with a bizarre appearance. Blue scales, an elongated and pointed snout, and a long scorpion tail. Mushusu, the Babylonian dragon. And the third group, the minority, consisted of huge felines the size of a van, the same colors as the first type but a much denser mane. Ugallus, the lions of the sun. And they were all the children of Tiamat.
"This will be our first battle. Aaah... I can already feel the emotion." Ushiwakamaru made a bloodthirsty smile as she drew her katana.
Benkei beside her drew a spear from his coat of arms. Shirou drew his katana in one hand and a trio of black keys in his other. Kotarou pulled out a pair of Kunais, and Okita Souji changed radically. Her kimono was replaced by her real Shinsengumi uniform and she drew her katana, her expression becoming completely cold and emotionless.
Finally, a huge black bow appeared in Archer's hands. But, to everyone's surprise, except for Amakusa Shirou, what he loaded on the bowstring wasn't an arrow, but a sword. The sword twisted, taking a more aerodynamic form, and he let loose the string.
The "arrow" crossed the battlefield in an instant, piercing the head of one of the Uridimmu. The demonic beast died instantly, and the resulting explosion of the sword hitting the ground damaged the beasts around it.
"An Archer firing swords with a bow..."
"Cool."
Ushiwakamaru and Kotarou looked at him like excited children, but the others remained serious.
"I'll give you cover fire. Signal me if you need me to take out the heavy guns."
"Understood. The others with me. Ushiwakamaru-san and I will go to the front. Benkei-dono on the right flank, Amakusa Shirou-san on the left, and Fuuma-dono will be providing support for whoever needs it!" Okita assumed the leadership and leaped to the battlefield with everyone else following her.
The demonic beasts arrived from the front and the flanks, forcing them to take a semicircle formation around the door to cover their backs.
The two samurai girls swiftly cut through the beast with their outstanding speed. They didn't even see what hit them when their heads were already detached from their bodies.
Benkei quietly maneuvered between the beasts as he cut them with his various weapons, or even used his bare hands if they got too close.
On the other hand, Shirou attacked mainly by throwing his black keys with millimeter precision aiming at the beasts' heads and cut with his katana those who get too close. Kotarou also supported him with hit-and-run tactics, taking advantage of his high-rank presence concealment for quick kills or throwing his shurikens.
And of course, the horde of beasts was constantly under a rain of steel from Archer.
The few beasts that managed to approach the gate were dispatched by Leonidas and the soldiers of Uruk, while the servant began to instruct them in Spartan defensive formations.
The corpses began to pile up quickly, and the battle was going relatively well. None of the beasts even came to harm any of the servants.
However, things got complicated when more Ugallus began to arrive.
Four of them approached at the same time. The first of them died without being able to approach when a silver cursed sword pierced him, consuming the corpse in a matter of seconds.
The second of them stumbled when Kotarou's chained scythe tangled in one of his legs and cut off its tendon. Then Amakusa Shirou threw several black keys over the beast, and then...
"Set!"
The enchantments on the handles were activated, causing the blades to change direction in the air and turn the beast into a pincushion.
On the other hand, Benkei held off the charge of the third, resisting its enormous strength with his imposing stance, and Ushiwakamaru took the opportunity to cut him in half with a quick attack.
"Recieve the brilliance of my concealed sword!"
Okita took care of the latter, using her ultimate technique. After falling into her characteristic Hira-Seigan posture, she threw herself at the creature.
"One silent step... Two steps infinite... Three steps, a sword absolute!"
Before the creature knew it, the samurai was already in front of it, and she pushed her sword into its eye.
"Mumyo Sandan-dzuki!"
Causing a breakdown of causality, the three simultaneous thrusts pierced through the beast la nothing. Okita landed behind the collapsing corpse, her uniform stained by its blood.
"Aaah..." Suddenly, Sakura Saber's cold, emotionless expression faded and was replaced by a smile as she turned to look at the other servants.
"This is Okita-san's great victo- kohah!"
However, before finishing her line, she took her hand to her mouth and started coughing up a lot of blood.
"Kuh, why... at a moment like this..."
Her body quickly weakened, and a Uridimmu seized the opportunity and lunged at her. These beasts had no mercy, and they gave off an enormous killing intent which suggested that they didn't attack to feed themselves, but out of hatred.
However, the beast was pierced by a twisted sword before falling on the samurai with its claws. That gave enough to the other servants to come to protect her.
"I assume this is due to the infamous illness that left you bedridden."
Okita could barely nod to what Benkei said.
"Fuuma-dono, get Okita-san out of here! We'll cover you!"
"Hi!"
Upon hearing Ushiwakamaru's command, the ninja appeared there and took the samurai girl in his arms.
But, things were not so simple. While the pair of servants of the "Tale of the Heiki" protected the Shinsengumi's First Unit Captain, a pack of beast managed to get past Amakusa Shirou and Archer and arrive at the gate.
"Phalanx formation! Remember, your shield not only protects you but also your companion on the right!"
""Yes Sir!""
The soldiers adopted the first formation the Spartan taught them. The first beasts crashed into the wooden barricade and were pierced by the spears of Leonidas and the first row of soldiers.
The next wave of beasts used the corpses of their fellow brethren as a platform to jump above the barricade and pounce on the soldiers, but they were impaled in the middle of the air by the spears of the soldiers in the rear.
A smile spread across Leonida's face. These men had potential.
But then...
"ROOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRR!" A thunderous roar shook the entire plain in front of the wall.
"I-it's a Bashmu!"
The soldiers began to cower, and no wonder. A huge poisonous horned snake with two forearms entered the battlefield and rushed to the wall's gate.
That wasn't a demonic beast, but a divine beast that was at the top of phantasmal beasts just below dragons, and other of Tiamat's sons in Sumerian mythology.
"It's time to use those Dingirs! Everyone, get clear!"
At Leonidas' orders, the servants withdrew aided by Archer's covering fire, and the soldiers triggered the mechanism to fire the King's signal cannons.
The hammers hit the lapis lazuli stones on the back of the cannons, causing them to activate and start pumping out the loaded weapons.
Ten of the more than three hundred cannons on the wall fired their broken phantasms at the snake. The battlefield was filled with massive explosions, wiping out all the smaller demonic beasts.
However, the huge snake managed to resist the attacks. She was bleeding from all sides and one of its arms was amputated, but she was still alive, and really pissed off.
But before it could even move, another silver cursed sword hit its head.
"ROOOOAAAARRR!" Yet, even with part of its head torn off and being consumed by the curse, the serpent continued its charge toward the wall blinded by rage.
That caught the servants by surprise, who no longer had time to deploy their noble phantasms. The serpent was already about ten meters away from them, and it opened its jaws to release its poisonous breath that could harm even a heroic spirit.
But, just before the divine beast unleashed its attack, the figure of the red knight landed in front of them, wielding a huge stone axe-sword.
"Set, Nine Lives Blade Works."
His body became a blur, breaking the sound barrier with godspeed, and the next moment, the divine beast was blown to pieces. The eight simultaneous bars destroyed the monster's body as if it were made of foam rubber, and it didn't even take the ninth to finish it off.
The battlefield was engulfed in silence, with no more demonic beast alive in the place.
The figure of the red knight remained still, with his back raised and his red cloak waving in the wind. His steel-grey eyes looked to the horizon, specifically the line separating the huge plain in front of the wall and Cedar Forest, where Goddess Tiamat's lair was supposed to be.
There was a huge demonic beast there that could only be described as a scorpion man. Considering its appearance, it was unlikely that was Tiamat, so it must have been a general who commanded the demonic beasts instead. And following the logic of the other beasts, that must have been a Girtablilu.
The beast's eyes and the nameless hero's met for a few moments in a duel of glances, until the beast finally went back into the forest.
Without the imminent threat of another horde of demonic beasts, Archer finally relaxed and let his axe-sword fade into specks of light.
It was then that he turned to look at his fellow servants, and imitating Okita, he made a gesture of victory.
"Now we can say this is a great victory."
"OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The soldiers shouted with emotion and joy, while the servants relaxed.
It was the first time they had repelled an attack without losing any men, and they had even repelled a monster like that.
Fighting in the Absolute Demonic Front didn't look like they were constantly fighting a hopeless battle anymore.
The seven servants returned to Uruk for dinner and rest. While the others were on their way to their residence to find out what they were going to eat, Archer offered to go give the day's report to Gilgamesh.
Not that he had much desire to see his natural enemy, but he was the one who had made the least physical effort today, so it seemed the most appropriate.
After waiting several minutes in the queue to enter the throne room and leave requests in form of tablets to the King, it was finally his turn.
"Next!"
The expression of the King of Heroes quickly turned into a grimace as he saw the nameless hero enter the throne room. And this time, Siduri wasn't present to mediate between them.
"So it's you, Faker. Why did you come here? I don't have time to waste."
"I just came to give you the daily report of the front, Goldie."
"Then say it already. And make it quick."
Archer proceeded to recount the events at the front and his sighting of the Girtablilu. As expected, what most affected him was the fact that they had to fire ten of his treasures to take down the Bashmu.
"I see. So the Goddess in the forest is starting to strike with more power, huh? Well, at least with all the demonic beast you killed today, it's gonna take a few days to mount another offensive like that. Enough time to get ready."
With his piece said, Archer proceeded to leave the throne room, but to his surprise, Gilgamesh stopped him.
"Wait. Since you're here, I'll tell you the special task that will be assigned to you tomorrow."
Archer turned and raised an eyebrow at the King. The wicked grin on his face was not a good omen.
"While the Spartan trains my soldiers and the others keep an eye in the front and check the situation in Nippur, I want you to head north-east. You'll check the situation in Kutha, and while you're at it, gather the testimonies from the ranchers you met on your way. It seems the childish Goddess has been harassing them lately."
Archer frowned. "I don't see a problem with the former, but what do you expect me to do if I run into Ishtar? Invite her to a tea?"
"Heh, you'll be fine. In fact, I'd dare say you are our best weapon against her. Now, get out of my sight. I have work to do."
Archer left the throne room with many questions. It was true that in this era in which the world is ruled by the laws of Mystery, his reality marble wouldn't require much magical energy. But facing a Goddess, even if she was a pseudo-servant, wasn't exactly a walk in the park.
However, what most worried him was the "I know something you don't know" face Gilgamesh was making. He wouldn't say things like that lightly.
And well, the fact that the two assumed that he was going to run into Ishtar because of his luck was pretty depressing in itself.
Returning to the servants' residence, he found his companions already digging at the feast that the citizens of Uruk had prepared to welcome them.
"Oh, Archer-dono! You finally arrived! Come on, come and enjoy this delicious food too!"
As soon as he stepped to the other side of the door, Ushiwakamaru dragged him to the table, and he ended up sitting between her and, to his disgrace, Merlin. At the other side of the samurai was Benkei, while in front of him was Okita, with Leonidas to one of her sides and Amakusa Shirou and Kotarou on the other.
While the monk, the fake priest, the Spartan, and the ninja ate quietly, the two samurai girls spoke enthusiastically, and Merlin tried to enter the conversation, without success.
Archer proceeded to unceremoniously start to eat everything in front of him. He hadn't eaten anything since he was summoned, and his now physical body was demanded nutrients.
"Hey, Archer-dono, do you drink?"
Ushiwakamaru's sudden question almost made him choke.
"Well, I've never really give it try..."
"Huh!? How is that possible!? Celebrating after a victory with a few drinks is one of life's pleasures!"
"I never had anyone to celebrate those victories with, nor the money to afford it. And the time I would spend drunk and hungover was better spent saving people."
The servant Rider deflated hearing those words from Archer. "No way... you're just like the Spartan with his "I just need nutrients to work"..."
"Hey, if I show up drunk to train the boys in the front, there's no way they'll take me seriously."
At the words of the Spartan, the servant Rider made a mental note of pouring alcohol into his glass the moment he wasn't looking around. It was obvious that the man was barely suppressing his desire to drink.
At the same time...
"Come on, don't be like that, Archer." Merlin spoke as he poured wine into the red knight's glass without even asking. "You aren't alone in this fight, so you should begin to familiarize yourself with your comrades. And the best way to do it is to have a drink with them!"
"You just want to see me drunk, you damn skirt lifter." Archer spoke resignedly as he carried the glass to his mouth.
"I won't deny that's one of my motives."
At least the wine was exquisite, and Archer ended up drinking the glass in one gulp. The effects were not immediate, but he noticed that it wouldn't take many glasses to start feeling them.
"See? That wasn't hard."
The red knight ignored the half incubus and looked at Sakura Saber in front of him. "By the way, Okita-san, are you feeling better?"
Okita looked a little surprised at the obvious concern on Archer's face. "Yes. After resting for a while, the effects of my... skill wear off."
Although that was a relief, the steel-eyed man's expression sank deeper. If she were alive, healing her with his noble phantasm wouldn't be a problem. But, as a servant, healing her would involve changing a fundamental aspect of her legend, and that was plainly impossible.
"I see. Can't you use medicine to relieve the symptoms? I'm sure Goldie has something in his treasury for that."
The albino thought for a few moments, a small flame of hope appearing in her eyes.
"If it's just about suppressing the symptoms, maybe it's possible."
"Then go ask him tomorrow. Maybe this much more focused Goldie agrees, but it will be better if I'm not around."
"Err... why do you and King Gilgamesh get along so badly?"
"Let's just say that we are natural enemies. However, this particular Gilgamesh doesn't trigger my instincts to destroy his existence so much."
"I see..." Everyone sweatdropped at that.
"At any rate, what was that technique you used to finish off that snake." The Spartan spoke with curiosity. "Judging by its name and the way it was executed, I'd say that was my ancestor's technique. But you aren't Heracles, are you?"
"Well, as my true name suggests, you could say I'm good at imitating other people. One of my servant versions must have encountered Heracles at some point, and his weapon and technique ended up being reproduced in my... weaponry."
"You have a treasury like Gilgamesh?"
"Not exactly..."
He seemed a little reluctant to talk about it, but then Merlin slapped him on the back.
"We're all allies here. No one is going to try to dissect you for having a reality marble. Those things aren't even that rare here in the Age of the Gods."
The revelation surprised everyone but Amakusa Shirou, who already knew about it. Archer sighed and proceeded to explain.
"My reality marble is capable of reproducing any weapon that enters my field of vision. Not only its appearance, materials, and internal structure, but also its forging process and its accumulated experience."
"Wow... so you can imitate my Mumyo Sandan-dzuki?"
"Probably. However, it'll likely end up being a degraded version due to having to adapt it to my body structure."
"Well, all that's fine and all, but, what about going to the brothels..."
"No! If you want to go, then go alone! Don't get me in your mess!"
The others also denied Merlin's proposal too, causing him to put on a resigned expression and leave alone. Everyone soon went to rest to recharge their batteries.
Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.
The next day, just after breakfast, Archer set off for Kutha.
Finding the first ranchers was no problem with his hawk-like eyes, and after showing them the insignia Siduri gave them, they stopped looking at it with caution. It was obvious they were afraid to speak ill of her due to possible retaliation, but they ended up talking about the Goddess.
Although they tried to watch their language, that was enough for Archer to get the whole picture.
To his surprise, the testimonies were similar to each other. The goddess Ishtar showed up in front of them all of a sudden and told them that they must pay her in gems if they wanted her to spare their lives.
That sounded like something a small-time bandit would say, not a Goddess to whom these people paid tribute, regardless of how whimsical she might be. And why gems in particular? Wealth wasn't one of her authorities, but as a Goddess, that should be the least of her problems, right?
But that sounded familiar for some reason...
However, to his misfortune, he would eventually find out why that vague feeling.
Just as he was entering the last ranch he had planned to visit on his route to the city of Kutha, he saw something that shouldn't be on this side of the wall.
A pack of demonic beasts was making its way into the ranch, ignoring the livestock and targeting the people. The pack consisted of around ten Uridimmu lead by an Ugallu.
The question of what a pack of demonic beasts was doing on this side of the wall crossed his mind. They may have surrounded it by the mountains, even though those were Ishtar's domain. Or perhaps they had managed to get past the guards before he and the other servants were summoned.
Regardless of the answer, he had to act quickly. The beasts were already less than 50 meters from a rancher, his wife, and his kids, and they were completely helpless.
But, before he could even trace his bow, a beam of light fell from the sky and hit the ground just in front of the demonic beasts. Half of the pack was killed right away, but the other half and its leader managed to avoid the explosion and were just disoriented.
Looking up, Archer saw a figure descending towards the ranchers.
It was a girl with long black hair tied up into twin tails with black ribbons and red eyes. On top of her head was a black and gold tiara, along with a golden neck brace and matching "O" shaped earrings, and her out was really revealing. In fact, it looked more like a modern swimsuit, adding black stocking in her right leg with golden ornaments, a golden bracelet on her left ankle, and a black and gold glove that covers her forearm. And to top it off, she was riding a... weird bow-shaped airship.
She was disputing the nickname "Goldie" with the King of Heroes.
Judging by the huge divinity he could sense coming from her, that must be Ishtar. But, for some reason, that appearance looked familiar...
He did not have much time to think, as the demonic beasts had already recovered, and the Goddess didn't seem interested in attacking them.
Reinforcing his ears, he overheard the conversation between her and the rancher.
"Venerated Goddess Ishtar, mistress of the heavens, please save me and my family!" The rancher begged desperately.
"Fufu." The Goddess chuckled. "Fine. Since you made me feel some pity for you, I will exterminate these ugly beasts."
The rancher's face lit up, but his hopes were crushed when the Goddess' smile turned wicked.
"But of course, you'll have to give me more gems!"
The rancher's eyes widened with horror. "Bu-but we have barely any more gems to offer you after your last visit, lady Ishtar!"
"Show me and we'll see how many demonic beasts I kill. If you don't have enough, then you and your peers will have to deal with the ones I leave alive."
The man put on a resigned face and set out to enter his cabin to see how many gems they had, but then...
"Trace, on."
A rain of swords skewered all the remaining beasts, even the Ugallu, killing them instantly without messing up the land.
Both the Goddess and the ranchers fell in a tense silence and turned to look in the direction from which the swords came. Then they saw the red knight walking towards them.
The Goddess clenched her teeth outraged as she looked at the guy who had prevented her from getting "the payment she deserved for her services as a Goddess".
"You... who the hell are you and why did you come here to ruin everything!?"
"I am..." The red knight grimaced as he said the next words. "King Gilgamesh's servant. I just saw these people were in danger, so I came to save them."
His eyes then turned to the ranchers. "So you can rest assured. I won't demand an unreasonable price for my services. But I would recommend you to get to safety while I handle the Goddess."
The ranchers put on expressions full of relief and took refuge in their hut.
"You have my complete gratitude, good man!"
"Thank you very much, sir!"
A small smile appeared on Archer's face, but it faded as he looked back at Ishtar. She was trembling with barely repressed anger.
"I don't suppose you're going to leave without making a fuss, are you?"
"Of course not! Not only did you stop me from getting my gems after I offered my services to those peasants, but you made me look like the bad guy! And then you say you're Goldie's servant! Your punishment will be exemplary!"
She was mad. Really mad. But in this case, Archer could just sigh. It looked more like she was throwing a tantrum like some kid that could get his favorite toy.
But the way she was enjoying how the ranchers desperately begged for her help pissed him off. He wasn't asking her to help them without asking anything in return as he did, but sitting idly while those persons died in a horrible way wasn't something he could forgive, Goddess or not.
The fight was unavoidable by this point.
"Take this!"
She pulled out several gems infused with an absurd amount of magical energy and threw them at Archer.
"Trace, on!"
But the gems met another wave of swords, causing them to explode in the air harmlessly.
"Tsk. What are you!? Goldie's copy!?"
"And I thought you were the Goddess of good harvest. But here you are trying to fill this land with holes."
"Kuh... Now you've done it! I'll teach you who's the superior Archer!"
She swung her hand in front of her, and multiple beams of light were fired in her direction. He answered firing more swords, but Ishtar's fire rate was close to the Gate of Babylon's. He was forced to deflect the stray beams he couldn't counter with Kanshou and Bakuya, and move constantly so he wouldn't get caught in the explosions.
As for the rancher's land... well, let's just say they'll have to subsist with just their livestock until the next harvest season.
But suddenly...
"I got you!"
Ishtar was already in front of him using her boat's extreme speed, and her "bow's" string was already drawn with a massive arrow made out of sheer magical energy.
The "arrow" was fired, and the red knight barely had time to cross his twin swords in front of him to protect himself. At the cost of his swords shattering, he managed to deflect the projectile upwards.
"You're wide open!"
Throwing out the window any kind of tactics or strategy, Ishtar rushed at him at blinding speeds in a flying kick aimed at his chest.
That might have work with another opponent, but the red knight was already used to be attacked at such speeds, and the attack was telegraphed and straightforward.
Archer just turned around and ducked, letting Ishtar's feet pass by his shoulder to grab it. Using her own momentum against her, Archer made her crash into the ground with her back.
"Gah!"
The blow in the back of her head stunned her momentarily. The red knight took advantage and immobilized her by pressing his knee against her solar plexus and placing the blade of a newly projected Harpe in her throat.
"Damn you... How dare you lay a finger on me, a Goddess!"
"You seem to have greatly underestimated me, Goddess. Now, if you promise to leave peacefully and never harass anyone again..."
His words were left unfinished when his eyes ceased to see the Goddess subdued.
"I'll do my best to make him love himself and not end up dying alone. So you have to do your best too."
That always positive girl said those words to his fading figure while holding back her tears. That was the last time she would see the red knight, as there was no salvation available to him. And so, she gave him her best smile.
The image of that girl, whose name he couldn't remember, was overlapped with that of the Goddess. Their appearance was almost identical, the only thing different was the color of their eyes.
That could only mean one thing. The human who was summoned to serve as a vessel for the Goddess Ishtar to manifest as pseudo-servant was that girl who was her master in that Holy Grail War. What a terrifying coincidence...
Wait... that explained why Goldie was making that face... He must have known about this...
"Ah." By the time Archer got out of his trance, his face was inches from Ishtar's.
The Goddess herself was also looking back at him as if in a trance, her cheeks having blushed slightly.
"You haven't changed in the least, dummy..."
"Huh?"
She muttered something he couldn't hear, and right after she seemed to come out of her trance.
"Yo-you jerk! Ge-get off of me!"
Having lost his concentration because of his sudden realization about her vessel, and the way her behavior changed, he failed to notice her boat coming at him like a speeding truck.
"Guh!"
Thanks to his reinforcement he avoided major injuries, but he was sent flying like a rag doll nonetheless.
After landing and regaining his balance, he prepared himself for her retaliation. But it never came. She just stood there beside her boat, facing away from him.
"You... What was your name?"
Archer raised an eyebrow at her sudden question. "Well, I would give it to you but I don't remember it. Feel free to call Archer or Faker as Goldie does. But why does a Goddess want to know my name."
"Hmph, I-I just felt like it. At any rate, I have another question for you, Archer. Why... Why didn't you finish me with that anti-immortal scythe."
"You aren't inherently evil. You were trying to help the ranchers, even if it was in your twisted way. So it's hard for me to see you as a so-called "enemy of mankind". There's still a side of you that is kind to humans."
She turned to look at him sideways, trying to hide her blush. "I see... I will remember this. We shall meet again."
After saying that, the Goddess took off to head for the mountains, leaving alone a confused Archer.
Deciding that trying to figure out the reasons behind a Goddess's behavior was a waste of time, he looked around. Seeing all the smoking craters around him, he couldn't help but sigh.
"I'd better get to work..."
Projecting a shovel, he set out to fill the holes in the ground and get rid of the corpses of demonic beasts. Even though the harvest had already gone to waste, at least he would save them that work. It was the least he could do.
It was already evening when the nameless hero arrived in Kutha. The ranchers were kind to him and let him eat with them. He tried to refuse the offer, but his attempts were frustrated by his roaring stomach.
However, whatever good humor he had vanished as he witnessed the eerie scenery that awaited him in the city.
Wherever he went, all he found were corpses. There was no survivor. But, the situation was really weird.
There was no sign of battle or violence in general. It was as if they had been carrying out their usual routine, and suddenly... they fainted. Just like that.
Most of them had died in the middle of doing something, and by their expressions, they didn't even realize they died.
Archer bent down to inspect one of the corpses lying in the middle of the street to try to figure out what happened. After using structural grasp, his confusion only increased.
There was no internal damage caused by any disease and no signs of poisoning. The body was completely intact. There was nothing that would have caused these people to die.
It was as if... someone had taken their soul out of their body, in a literal sense, not as a servant would do to obtain magical energy.
Being in the Age of the Gods, this was actually possible. However, the question was, who did this? Even for a God, something as clean as this would be hard to pull off.
"This... This must be the work of God or Goddess with an authority over death... but is there such a Goddess in the "Three Goddess Alliance"?"
There was still the possibility that this was the work of the Goddess who they had less information about, but it didn't quite add up. If she could do this, then why bother killing humans with her own hands every day?
But if this wasn't her job, then whose was it? A fourth Goddess?
"Oh, it would seem you are close to uncovering the truth of this land, my opposite."
A sudden voice took him out of his thoughts. Looking in the direction it came from, he saw a decrepit old man covered with a black mantle peeking out from a nearby alley. His physical condition was truly pitiful, and he barely stood by leaning on a staff.
However, he could not help but be on his guard as he felt the ominous aura emitted by the old man. And from the way he referred to Archer, he seemed to know who Archer really was.
"Who are you? You aren't who caused this, are you?" The nameless hero asked with caution.
"There is no need to fear me, my opposite. Ziusu-dra I am called. As you see, I am no more than an old man bereft of future. However, a future may yet be attained by you. So heed me, my opposite, as I have counsel to offer you."
His words had a prophetic semblance, and from the way he spoke, Archer deduced that he was a servant. However, this aura... suggested that this man was more than that...
"Beneath Kutha spreads the underworld itself. Chances are you mayhaps fall into the land of death as you no longer draw breath. Courageous and compassionate you may be, those qualities won't be of use here. The time for you to face those lands' mistress has yet to come. Your sojourn must end here. I shall seal the gate. So return to the Golden Capital, and speak these words to the mage: "All is well in the underworld"."
Archer's head at the time was full of questions. However, before he could utter any of them, a hand grabbed his arm, causing the alarms to go off in his head.
As he looked down, he realized it was the hand of the corpse he had been examining. The inert body seemed to have been revived in some way and seemed to be hostile.
Without a second thought, a black key pierced the corpse's skull. As with ghouls, there was nothing he could do for this man except putting him out of his misery.
Looking up again, Archer realized two things. For one, this Ziusu-dra had vanished, and for another, all the other corpses had been reanimated, and they were walking towards him intending to catch him.
Not just corpses, but vengeful spirits. If they no longer even had a body to possess, that meant that even the people who died years ago had been brought back.
A grimace formed on Archer's face. So many lives snatched away overnight. Even if it had been completely painless, that didn't mean that a lot of innocent people who had nothing to do with the whims of the gods hadn't died meaninglessly. And because of their expressions full of hatred, they weren't resting in peace by any means.
"Trace, on." Steeling himself, he projected Redeemer and Retriever, the twin cursed swords, in his hands.
Their ominous and disturbing aura was able to make the suffering souls take a step back. He needed to get out of here quickly before they overwhelmed him with their sheer numbers.
The pained cries of the wandering souls could be heard throughout the night as cursed steel cut through their bodies while the stoic knight made his way out of the city.
"Aaahh..." The nameless hero let out a heavy sigh as he dropped into the chair for dinner.
This hadn't been his first stop, as he first had to report his findings to King Gilgamesh. His mood became gloomy when he told him of the sudden death of all the citizens of Kutha.
But right after, he took his good five minutes of laughing without stopping when he described the "vandal" acts of the Goddess Ishtar.
The King decided it was better to leave Ishtar alone while focusing on defending the front from demonic beasts and attempting to obtain information about the unidentified Goddess and the situation in Ur.
As for the mysterious Ziusu-dra, Gilgamesh concluded that it wasn't the real deal, but someone else taking his name. His message however made the King make a serious expression and say something like, "I guess those two Goddess go hand in hand, huh?"
Archer would have to ask Merlin what that was about, but the magus wasn't back yet.
"Looks like you had it rough too today, Archer-dono." Okita, who was sitting in front of him, spoke to him.
She seemed to be the only servant who had not yet gone to sleep, even if he had arrived quite late.
Archer answered as he began eating his food long ago cold. "You could say that. But right back at you guys, Okita-san. Looks like you're gonna fall asleep any minute."
"Yawm..." The Sakura Saber let out the yawn she had been suppressing. "You bet it... We started evacuating Nippur's inhabitants... Their defenses have already collapsed, and the demonic beasts are constantly sieging the city... But the process will take too much time, as we can escort so many citizens at a time..."
"Well, I guess it wasn't a walk in the park... For my part, I just had a brief fight with Goddess Ishtar on my way to Kutha."
"Pfft!" Okita spat out the water she had just drink. "You what!?"
Judging by her expression full of surprise and concern, Archer assumed it sounded rather dangerous, despite his attempt to pass it off as something trivial.
"There's nothing to worry about. I managed to talk some sense into her before things got serious... somehow. So I think she won't be a major problem in the near future."
"I see..." She didn't seem very convinced, but she let it go.
"Changing the subject, did you talk to Goldie about your... skill?"
Her expression lit up at hearing that. "Yes! Although I needed Merlin-dono's help to convince him, King Gilgamesh ended up giving me special medicine to suppress the effects of my Weak Constitution skill. Now I can fight to my fullest without having to worry!"
There was a beaming smile across her face as she spoke, and Archer couldn't help but smile too. During her life, Okita Souji had to forfeit her life as a swordswoman due to her illness, and in the end, she died without knowing her comrades' fate.
Now that she was able to fight alongside her new comrades without worrying about that, she must be really happy.
"That's a relief. However, I can't help but ask, ¿why didn't you go to sleep with the others and?"
Her pale cheeks got a little reddish. "Well... Uhm... as the captain here, I can't go to sleep before every one of you has done so... And it would have been... depressing if you had to dine alone..."
Archer blinked a couple of times. She... was worried for him? That was... pretty unusual for him... at least this version of him if Merlin was right. The only person he remembered who did that, was that girl acting as a vessel for Goddess Ishtar...
It caused an unknown, yet somewhat familiar, feeling to emerge inside of him. But at the same time, I feeling of "I don't deserve this" overwhelmed him.
"You didn't have to, Okita-san. I'm used to be alone most of the time."
Judging by the face she made, that sounded much more depressing than he thought. But before things got even more awkward, a third voice cut in the conversation.
"Hoh, you sure work fast, Archer. And I thought I'll have to play the role of matchmaker for you."
Merlin entered the room suddenly, with a more pronounced smile than usual, and for some reason, Okita looked somewhat embarrassed.
"Yeah, no thanks..." Archer was going to ask what was the reason for his good mood, but then he saw the possible reason for it, and his eyebrow was raised by reflex.
Next to him had entered a girl who didn't seem to be more than thirteen years old. Her small body was mostly covered by a black robe with silver accents, and her legs were being covered by long white socks and steel-tipped boots. Her long purple hair was tied in a single braid, and he could distinguish a pair of matching eyes on her stoic face darkened by the mantle.
By her presence, Archer noticed she was a servant, but still...
"Merlin, I know I said you liked to trick little girls, but didn't you have enough already with Arturia? I guess you're more of a pervert than I thought. Are you going to make her pull a sword in the stone, too?"
"Come on, don't be like that. She says her name is Ana. I found her wandering through the Cedar Forest while I was looking for that annoying tablet, and I offered her a deal. She will be our temporary ally as long as we help her... settle a score. A win-win situation, don't you think?"
The hooded girl grimaced. "More like you tricked me into signing that contract. You are the worst. You should go and die in a corner."
Her blunt words affected the half incubus like a physical punch in the guts.
"At any rate." Archer decided to put jokes aside. "Did you find that tablet this time?"
"Unfortunately, no. The Cedar forest is large, and it's really easy to get lost inside it, more so with all the demonic beast wandering around. It'll take me weeks, if not months, to comb the entire forest, and I doubt the tablet is even there."
"I see..."
Archer knew this magus could do it quickly if he took things more seriously, but that was like asking Goldie to take fights seriously and pull out Ea from the start.
"Well, I have a message for you from a so-called Ziusu-dra. He said: "All is well in the underworld"."
Archer saw Merlin's face turned serious for the first time. "That means the Queen of Kur has also materialized... which means the three goddesses I saw through clairvoyance are..."
Archer's eyebrow twitched at hearing that last part. "Are you saying you already used your clairvoyance but you still have no clue about the true identity of three Goddesses?"
"It's complicated. I got that vision before king Gilgamesh summoned me, and as his vision, the knowledge I obtained was vague. But you don't have to worry, King of Fakers. I had already set in place all the possible countermeasures to buy us enough time. For now, focus on keeping Uruk safe until the Chaldeans arrive."
"I hope so..."
Archer turned to look at Ana, who was having small talk with Okita, the latter being the one who most spoke. The Shinsengumi's First Unit Captain looked really excited around the little girl, but unlike she did with Merlin, Ana didn't act that harsh.
This half-year was going to be hard. But with little moments like this, perhaps it will be manageable...
Six months later...
Chaldea Security Organization.
Three teenagers dressed in Chaldea's standard uniform were walking through the corridors of the facility to head to the control room.
They were none other than humanity's last two masters, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Fujimaru Ai, accompanied by their Kohai and servant Shielder, Mash Kirielight.
The three had been abruptly awakened by an urgent call from Doctor Romani Archaman, better known as Roman, or simply Doc. And because of its urgency, it could only mean one thing.
The location of the seventh singularity in the Human Order had finally been discovered.
"Oh! If it isn't Ritsuka, Ai, and Mash."
However, they met a servant on their way. She was a short woman with golden blonde hair, emerald green eyes, and was wearing a strange wedding dress.
"Are you also going to the command room?"
The three teenagers nodded to her question. "Yes, Lady Nero. It seems that it is finally time to resolve the seventh singularity."
The face of the Empress of Roses lit up upon hearing Ritsuka's response. "I see. So that's what that emergency summons for any servant who was available was about."
"Yes, that's why we won't see each other for a while, Nero-chan-"
"Goodbyes are unnecessary, Ai, for you are to have the honor of me accompanying you myself. This time, my gut tells that we'll be able to meet Darling in that singularity!"
She made an extravagant gesture as she spoke full of confidence. On the other hand, the teenagers looked at her with deadpan faces.
"Lady Nero, not to contradict you, but..."
Ritsuka tried to speak tactfully to him, but Ai was much more direct.
"Nero-chan, that's exactly what you said in the last four singularities, and we haven't met Finn-kun since then. Hell, we weren't able to summon him after all these months either! Even Da Vinci-chan is beginning to think that there is something actively preventing us from summoning him!"
Although Nero's smiling face remained undisturbed, the drops of sweat starting to slide down her forehead said otherwise.
"We-well, that might be right, but this time is different! I know he is there for sure! My bride's intuition is more on point than ever! But anyway, let's get going, shall we?"
The bride began to walk again, with the three teenagers following her closely.
However, Ritsuka couldn't help but look at Mash somewhat puzzled. She had been quite absent since they had met on their way to the control room.
"Hey Mash, everything okay there?"
The Kohai practically startled at hearing her Senpai. "Yes... I just had a strange dream this morning... Nothing to worry about..."
Ritsuka gave her a reassuring smile. "Well, it's not the first time something like that happens just before we go to a singularity. No matter what its meaning may be, we'll face it together. Like we always do."
His words seemed to blow away all of her doubts and worries, as a smile spread across her face.
"Yes, Senpai!"
The three finally reached the control room, where Roman and Da Vinci were waiting for them.
"You guys got here five minutes after the summons, and you even brought a servant with you. Good, it seems you're ready to go, Ritsuka, Ai, Mash. Given how abrupt the summons was and how early in the morning it is, I suppose there's no need for explanation."
The three teenagers and Nero nodded, and Romani continued. "According to Chaldea's clocks, there's not much of 2016 left. The lost year of 2017 is almost upon us. Before that happens, we need to find out what caused the Incineration of Humanity. That is the purpose of the Grand Order. And our long journey is almost at an end. Master Ritsuka, Master Ai, we owe it all to you both and Mash."
"Nah, cut the drama, Doc. It doesn't suit you." Ai's words completely destroyed the solemn atmosphere.
All present let out a laugh, even Fou, to Romani's shame, who scratched his head with an uncomfortable smile.
"Fine, I admit this kind of speech doesn't suit me. But that doesn't mean we are in a tight spot. The last singularity... This is the Grail that Solomon sent into the past himself, and I'd like you to recover it. I know I sound like a broken record, but are you ready? It's going to be another tough journey."
"Leave it to us. We'll do our best."
"Of course. We'll bring back souvenirs."
"I'll make sure that Ritsuka-senpai and Ai-senpai return in one piece!"
"With me, the Bride Saber, accompanying them, their safety is assured."
Seeing their expressions, Doctor Roman couldn't help but smile. "I guess there was no need to ask. Anyway, before I give you the briefing, I'd like to wait for more servants to arrive."
It did not take long, as just about ten seconds later, five figures entered the door.
The first was a tall man with tanned skin, white hair combed backward, gray steel eyes, and dressed in light black armor and a red cloak. One of the chefs from Chaldea's cafeteria, Counter-Guadian EMIYA.
Next to her was a small woman of almost identical appearance to Nero, but she was dressed in a blue and white regal dress, covered in silver armor. And, she was still finishing eating a pancake. She was the King of Knights, Arturia Pendragon.
On the other side of EMIYA was a fox-girl with pink hair, yellow eyes, and dressed in Oriental-style white and blue clothes. The still apprentice of Boudica and EMIYA, and a fraction of the Goddess Amaterasu, Tamamo-no-mae.
And right behind them came a couple of girls who looked identical to each other. The only thing that differentiated them was the color of their eyes and the different color palettes of their combat armor. They were the Saint of Orleans, Jeanne d'Arc, and her Alter counterpart, or younger sister depending on who you ask, the Dragon Witch.
"Sorry for making you wait. We came when we could."
"Perfect. With this, we already have all the seats full for the trip." This time it was Da Vinci who spoke. "Though this is a pretty diverse group we have here."
EMIYA shrugged. "It just happened that we were all in the cafeteria when we heard the summons and decided to volunteer. I let Boudica take care of things in my absence."
"Hmph." Jeanne Alter growled. "More like you dragged me with you."
"Come on, this is our last chance to accompany our masters on their journey together, little sister." Jeanne's cheerful voice made a shiver run down Alter's back.
"Well, this is my opportunity to clear my name after my knights, and that version of me with those huge... watermelons, caused you so much trouble, master."
Arturia looked ashamed, but it was hard to tell if she was ashamed of the events of the last singularity, or the huge difference between her cup size and Goddess Rhongominyad's.
"And what brings this fox here?" Nero asked as she cast a mischievous glance at the kitsune.
"Hoh, so you have felt it to, childish empress?" Caster retorted with her own competitive smile.
"But of course, burglar fox. As his legitimate wife, I know for sure Darling is there in this singularity."
"Ahem!" Roman coughed to get everyone's attention before they forget the purpose of this meeting.
"Now that we're all here, let's start the briefing. This time, we will Rayshift to the beginning of Human History. The beginning of all civilization, the world when it was unified as one. The mother that flourished along the Tigris and Euphrates, and influenced a great many civilizations. One of the world's oldest civilizations, which began almost simultaneously with the earliest Egyptian kingdoms. In the world of magecraft, this era was the twilight of the Age of Gods and a topic of research. The land of ancient Mesopotamia, 2600 B.C. The beginning of Sumerian civilization after the Ubaid culture."
"Wow..." Both teachers could only feel amazed at their next destiny.
"The world where reality followed the rules of Mystery and Gods walked the land... This is going to be troublesome."
"Indeed!" Da Vinci raised her voice after EMIYA's comment. "Mesopotamia in the era of the first Kings! Just the process of getting you guys there makes this tougher than any precious Singularity! It's the last age of fantasy in Earth, where Gods and monsters were part of daily life!"
"Da Vinci, you're beating around the bush. Didn't you have something to give to Ritsuka and Ai?"
"Oh, right!" The self-proclaimed genius took a pair of orange scarves out of her pocket and put them on both masters.
"This is..."
"Remember the mask I made to protect you in the desert. Say hello to Mark II! The mana density in the atmosphere this time will be much greater than what you experienced in ancient Egypt. So this time, I made it into a complete mystic code. Your clothes will adapt to the new environment, and I was able to maximize your magical energy output. This time, you two will be able to support six servants, at a time without external aid. Seven if we count Mash, who now will be receiving magical energy from both of you."
"Fou fou!"
Da Vinci fell in silence to give way to applause, although really the only two who applauded really enthusiastically were Mash and Fou.
"Well, leaving all that aside, what I really wanted to talk to you was the difficulty of Rayshift. Rayshifting into the B.C. era is extremely difficult. The further back in human history you go, the more unstable the Rayshift. So, as you get closer to the Age of Gods, things get more uncertain. Some academics call the Age of Gods an age of uncertainty. It's not something that lends itself to observation. On top of that, Sheba is refusing to stabilize. Actually, I doubt it ever will."
After Roman's serious monologue, Da Vinci tried to lift their spirits."Yeah. But with the help of Chaldea's staff, we were able to calculate the location of the Seventh Singularity and observe it. Given the difficulty, I'll be staying here in the Command Room. Which also means I won't be able to act as a navigator, but still. On my honor as a genius, I hereby swear that I'll flawlessly prove your existence. Sooooo, don't worry about a thing! Go out there and have a grand adventure."
"Now then, come. Your coffins are ready. From now on, this will be your battle, Ritsuka, Ai. The Sixth Singularity was full of special conditions we never came across before. This one's going to be every bit as tough. It's a unique era, after all. Stay calm and be ready to deal with anything. Remember, solving what is causing the Singularity is important, but your priority should be retrieving Solomon's Holy Grail."
""Hi!""
The two masters, their kohai, and the six servants got into the coffins, and the Rayshift program began.
"Unsummon program, start."
"Spiritron Conversion, start."
"Rayshift starting in 3... 2... 1... All procedures cleared. Seventh Order, commencing operation."
And so, the last adventure to prevent the incineration of the Human Order began.
And that's all for now. Yeah, I decided to start from very the beginning in Babylon to introduce the entire cast of characters who are going to be in this story and set in motion some important events.
You know, I always wondered why Gilgamesh never thought to investigate Ishtar's actions until the protagonists arrived. So I had King of Fakers do it, and in the process show the beginning of his relationship with Ishtar. I would have liked to have shown his interactions with Kingu as well, but the chapter was already getting very long. Instead, Ereshkigal's plot is already underway, and Merlin has recruited Ana-chan sooner, so her relationship with humans gets more development.
I also took the liberty of replacing Ibaraki Douji with Okita Souji. The reason, well, she is one of the few 5-star servants I have... No, seriously, with King of Fakers having replaced Tomoe Gozen, there would no longer be any oni servant around to keep her under control, so she would have defected shortly after being summoned. So I chose another servant, a Japanese one to keep the theme, and well, 5 Saber Faces are better than 4, right? She will stay alive and help our protagonists.
However, I will not add any more enemies like last time, as this Singularity is already in ultra nightmare difficulty. This time what will defeat the enemies won't be the plot armor like in the anime.
As for the pairings, since you all seem to agree, then I guess I'll be adding the twin goddesses to the harem. As for Okita, as always, I will leave it up to you.
Now, questions that may have arisen. Why does Merlin act so familiar with Finn? I think that's his nature when he's around a hero that could use some guidance, as he acts like that around Ritsuka and Mash during the Singularity. Why does Ziusu-dra, or rather First Hassan, call King of Fakers "my opposite"? That has to do with the epilogue of this story, the final battle against Solomon, so, while you can already imagine the reason, I will consider it a spoiler.
By the way, King Hassan's dialogues are a headache, and he doesn't use that archaic English while he's disguised as Ziusu-dra. For a Spaniard like me, trying to understand that is like one of you trying to understand Catalan.
Finally, as always, I would like to hear your opinions on the chapter, and I hope I have lived up to your expectations. As for my next update, we have two options. I can get into the next chapter of "Date a Density", whose last chapter ended in a fairly painful cliffhanger, or I can post the prologue to the story of King of Fakers in DxD that I have already written and only needs to be translated... And think I name for the story. The decision is yours.
With this, I say goodbye for now. Hasta la vista!