Absolute demonic front of blades

by davido747

After foreseeing the terrible calamity humanity was facing, King Gilgamesh summoned several servants to assist his people in the demonic front. But this time, he ended up summoning a certain nameless hero. Now, the King of Heroes and the King of Fakers will have to put aside their differences to defeat the Gods and save humanity.

2. Chapter 1: A complicated landing

We meet again, people! Here I bring you the next chapter of this story! It took me more time than I expected, but it's finally here, and it's a little bit longer than the first.

Now, this isn't the prologue, but this chapter pretty much covers the introduction of the Chaldeans to the Seventh Singularity, so you're barely going to see King of Fakers, much like the first chapter of this story's prequel. You're going to have quite a lot of action, and also some exposition.

Aside from that, I've seen divided opinions about what to do with Okita, so she'll fill the role of a little sister alongside Ana for the moment.

Without further ado, let the chapter begin!

Disclaimer: I don't own any right over Type-Moon or the Fate Franchise.

---

"Yesterday night, we were able to evacuate 50 citizens from Nippur. At this rate, with Eshnunna, Sippar, Kish, and Kazallu fallen, I don't think we'll make it."

Archer spoke in a somber tone, and Gilgamesh clicked his tongue. The two were in the throne room, and the nameless hero went to give the daily report first thing in the morning.

Uruk had endured very well these six months in a constant battle against the three Goddesses, but the same couldn't be said of Mesopotamia as a whole.

All the cities on the other side of the wall were massacred by the demonic beasts regardless of their efforts, increasing the enemies' numbers. And that was just one of their problems...

"Tiamat's sons, the expanding jungle at the south, that spoiled Goddess, and now that mysterious plague... We need to take action and deal with one of those already or Uruk won't last more than a month..."

His eyes suddenly widened in alert for a moment, but a couple of seconds later he relaxed as if discarding whatever was in his mind.

"It seems they are finally here..."

Archer raised an eyebrow with curiosity. "Did your clairvoyance just popped up?"

"Nah, I just felt something bouncing against the bounded field surrounding Uruk."

The red knight peered out one of the windows, and reinforcing his eyes to the absolute limit, he saw several points falling from the sky to the Northwest of the city. If he wasn't mistaken, that was where the city of Babylon was before it was dismantled to build the northern wall.

"Should we send someone to pick them up?" He asked the King, who was already reading one of the tablets from the pile at the side of his throne.

"We don't have anyone to spare! If those mongrels can't even make their way here by themselves, then they are completely worthless. Besides, Merlin has been in the Cedar Forest for three days with that little girl he fooled. He might stop being a lazy ass and bring them here. Now go to do your task already, Faker!"

Archer just shrugged, and a wicked smile spread across his face. "Fine, I'll be on my way then. Today I have to reload the Dingirs with more "fake" weapons."

Gilgamesh gritted his teeth at the mention of that fact. It took months, but Siduri managed to convince the King to use Archer's projected weapons as ammo for the Dingirs instead of using the originals. And that was only because the pain from knowing that his creations were stained by those fakes was lesser than hearing every day how his treasures were destroyed.

The King focused once again on the tablet at hand, and his eyebrows twitched.

"Huh!? Whose idiotic other was this!? Why aren't the Bashmu carcasses being sent to Eanna? The researchers have nothing to do! This is the time to put their annoying little brains to work!"

"Yes, Sir! I'll send them over to the Tiamat research team right away!"

One of the soldiers in the room walked out of the throne room, and with that, another busy day began in Uruk's ziggurat.

---

Meanwhile, with the Chaldeans...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

"WHOOOOOOAAAAAAAA!"

"FOOOOOOUUUUUUU!"

Everyone was screaming in surprise, even the servants, after appearing in the middle of the air without any warning.

"Why in the world are we falling! Does our mystic codes have a parachute incorporated, Doctor Roman!"

"I estimate we're currently at an altitude of 200 meters! Seven seconds until impact! Ma-ma-ma-master, what do we do!?"

"Arturia-chan! Do something with your wind!"

"I'm on it, master!" The King of Knight summoned her invisible sword and pointed it at the ground. "O wind, whirl away!"

The invisible air wrapping her holy sword was unleashed in the form of a hurricane. The raging winds slowed them down, so they didn't become a red sticker on the ground after landing.

Mash landed with her armor already summoned and carrying Ritsuka, while EMIYA landed carrying Ai and Arturia landed between them. The other members of the group didn't have such a graceful landing.

"Get off of me, child emperor!"

"Right back at you, fox burglar!"

"Aah... I didn't think you would hug me like this, Lil Sis..."

"Do-don't cling to me like that, you freak!"

Once the mess of limbs was undone, the Dragon Witch rushed at her master and grabbed Ai's hand to start yelling at it.

"You damn freak! Did you want to kill us that bad!? I'll burn you when we're back!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Calm down, Alter! We don't know how the coordinates of the rayshift were tampered neither! It was set to leave you in front of this era's greatest city, Uruk. But just a moment before the Rayshift was completed, the coordinates were forcefully changed."

All the Chaldeans exchanged looks, the same possible culprit in everyone's mind.

"Do you think this was the work of the King of Mages?"

"That is a possibility, but first and foremost, you need to reassess the situation. Where did you end up landing?"

They took a look at their surroundings and immediately noticed there was something wrong there.

"It would seem there was a city here not long ago... but more than destroyed, it seems to have been dismantled. The only things remaining are the foundations."

"Huh?" Romani gave out a surprised voice at Arturia's observations. "A city? And it was dismantled? Could it be... no, if Uruk had fallen, the foundation of the Human Orden should be completely collapsed by now..."

At that moment, Da Vinci's enthusiastic voice cut in the conversation. "Sorry to interrupt you guys, but I already figured out what caused your free-fall. What you experienced was a forced deportation caused by a barrier. There seems to be a bounded field around Uruk, probably to ward off attacks..."

"So we just bounced off of a barrier? That's just rude! Don't they accept visitants!?"

"Well, we're technically trespassers, Ai-senpai..."

"I agree with her! I knew that the King of Heroes was a rude despot, but this is too much! I can see why Darling hates his guts so much."

"What are you talking about, child emperor? You act just like him."

"What did you said, fox burglar!?"

"Please, put aside your differences for a moment, you two. We are deviating from the main point." Archer had to intervene between the Bride Saber and the fox girl, as much as he hated being the intermediary between them.

This was that man's responsibility, not his!

"The question now is, why is there such an ominous field around the city? But, just like in the other six Singularities, there must be an impending threat. The amount of information we can process is really small due to the high concentration of mana in the environment, but I can at least tell you you're pretty far from Uruk. Is there something around you that can help us pinpoint your coordinates?"

"Well, the only thing around for what seems to be miles, are just plains. That and..."

Ritsuka was interrupted by EMIYA. "Master, I detect several enemies. We are surrounded."

All the servants tensed up and summoned their weapons. Just a moment later, several figures appeared from the ruins around them. They were like oversized red wolves with long fangs and yellow manners. But the most remarkable thing about them was the killing intention they were giving off.

"Confirmed! They are hostile! It took more time to confirm it because they have a pattern we haven't seen before! The staff apologizes too, but that can wait till later! They are coming!"

"Great! This is the perfect way to blow off some steam!"

The first beast in charge was skewered by several burning black spikes, dying instantly.

"Let's teach these guys why we were able to overcome six singularities!"

"Yes, master!"

Arturia, Nero and Jeanne, and Alter rushed in different directions, while EMIYA and Tamamo supported them from the distance with their "arrows" and curses, and Mash stuck close to the masters in case any beast approached them.

The invisible sword and the flame-shaped white sword danced through the air, slicing the demonic beasts like nothing, The "sisters" maneuvered their banners to crush their skulls and tear apart their bodies with their blades. Archer's "arrows" struck true, making sure to kill one beast with every shot, and Tamamo's curses annihilated every poor soul hit by them.

The carcasses started to accumulate around them, forming pools of purple blood on the ground. But no matter how many minutes passed, the beasts kept coming at them.

Not just that, more types of beasts appeared, like giant lizards with scorpion tales and giant feline with what looked like tentacles covering their eyes.

"What is wrong with these unsightly things!? They keep throwing themselves at us mindlessly!" The Bride Saber yelled as she started to fire flames from the white sword.

"These demonic beasts... They don't resemble any that we've seen..." Tamamo remark as she smacked the head of a beast with her mirror. "They don't even seem to be from this world..."

"Not from this world, huh? Perhaps they differed from the garden variety Demonic Beasts that existed in the Age of Gods? We were prepared. We had all data on all the Phantasmal and Demonic beasts from the Sumerian Era. But none of it matches the species you've engaged... What is going on?"

"All that aside, these beasts are clearly trying to kill us. This is not the normal behavior of a predator seeking food on their bestial instinct. It's more like they attack full of hatred."

Just as she finished speaking, Arturia unleashed her invisible air to blow away a pack of beasts.

"Should we try to break through them using the big guns?" EMIYA asked as he loaded a cursed sword, the one he borrowed from his other self, in his bow.

"That sounds like a good idea, but in which direction should we try to run?" Jeanne asked back as she used her banner as a pole to kick a beast on the face.

"Uruk city is to the Southeast of your position. You should try to go in that direction, even if the city is really far... Wait, what is this signal? It seems like something is descending to your positión at great speed!"

"OUTTA MY WAY!"

"Huh? A voice?"

"Watch out, Emiya!"

Archer turned to look in the direction that voice came, something in his mind telling him that it sounded familiar, but it was too late. As Mash had joined the other servants fighting the beast, she couldn't make it in time to block what hit him on his face.

"Wh-"

The red archer slid through the ground several meters. What hit him was actually a girl dressed with... a swimsuit? She was barely covering her intimate parts, aside from a lot of golden ornaments, even a black and golden crown over her black hair tied in twin tails. And she was now sitting on his face.

"Ouch... What a disaster... To think I would be hit by one of those broken phantasms fired from those cannons..." The girl spoke as she caressed her head, not noticing what she was using as a cushion. "Damn Goldie... But luckily, the damage wasn't as bad as I expected. I guess I have my usual benevolent deeds to thank for that..."

"Get off of me already! You weigh too much!"

Emiya made his presence known, and the girl blushed after finally noticing the man below her.

"Huh? Wait, what are you!?" She immediately jumped away from him.

"This era seems to have way too many crash landings, but it's good we met a native. Now, we can get info-" Doctor Roman chocked in the middle of what he was saying, at it took him a moment to pull himself together. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! What are these readings!? Is this for real!? If so, she must be a Goddess!"

In fact, her sole presence seemed to be making the beast think twice before continuing their onslaught.

The girl made an annoyed expression. "Is that some kind of mystic that lets you see from afar? And that voice is reeeeally annoying! But that doesn't matter now."

Her piercing red eyes turned to EMIYA, who was looking at her with middle surprise. And at that moment, her eyes widened.

"No way! Wh-wh-what are you doing here, Archer!?"

What followed was an awkward silence, as the Goddess looked like she wanted to run away out of... embarrassment?

"Emiya, do you know her?" Ritsuka asked the question in everyone's mind.

"Actually, I don't know, master... She does look familiar... but I can't put my finger on it."

"Rin?" The one who actually recognized her. She was identical to the girl she knew as King of Fakers' master during the Fifth Holy Grail War.

That made something click in EMIYA's mind, and made Rin? snap out of it. She gave them a closer look, and after that, she frowned.

"I don't know who's this Rin, but now that I look closer, I know you aren't the Archer I know. A bunch of servants and two masters... You're clearly not from around, let alone Uruk. Then, I won't have any mercy. Touching me and calling me fat... you deserve an exemplary punishment!"

A really suffocating aura overflowed from the girl as she got ready for a battle. Her hostility was practically focused on EMIYA, who was still shocked by the realization.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Both masters rushed in front of the red archer to try to placate the situation. "Why don't we calm down and talk things civilly?"

"Of course not! Don't you know who I am? Any local would be kneeling awaiting their punishment by now!"

"Hold on! You were the one who crashed into him! If anything, we should settle this like an accident, and you are the one who would lose her license."

The girl was taken aback by Ai's claim. "A trail!? No, I'm not falling for that! I know I'm not at fault here!"

"Then, why don't we treat this like an unfortunate accident in which neither side is responsible!?" Mash this time tried to mediate with her. "So can we have a word with you, please? Um... well... Miss... who are you?"

The golden girl's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you guys seriously saying you don't know who I am?"

"Well, sorry for not knowing who is the girl that just fell from the sky. We haven't been here for even an hour." EMIYA finally snapped out of his trance, and his words were already vexing the Goddess.

"We are members of a group called Chaldea!" Mash spoke again quickly before the tension between them raised even more. "We were sent to this Singularity to correct the course of humanity... Well, maybe this sounds like Greek to you, but we're not suspicious..."

"I think you're making it worse, Mash-chan..."

"Hmph..." The girl actually gave it a thought. "So you are guests from a faraway land... Well, I guess things like this can happen. I myself am in a similar situation, and Goldie pulled off the same thing... So I'll believe your words. In other words, you don't know who am I, neither you have any idea of this world and what is happening to it. I guess your disrespect, insolence, and impoliteness can't be helped then..."

Her disappointed expression turned into a really serious one. "I'll turn a blind eye just this one time. But beware that touching me is a crime punished with death. Keep that in mind if you want to survive in these lands. Oh, and thanks for being my cushion, I guess... You were at least as useful as a pile of hay."

"That's not the best way to say thanks, but anyway. Now that you calmed down, why don't we introduce ourselves properly? I'll make things short as we don't have much time. I'm Romani Archaman, Chaldea's acting commander. These boys here are Ritsuka and Ai, the masters who have formed contracts with the servants around you fighting off the demonic beasts. This girl beside you is one of those servants, Mash Kyrielight. That pretty much covers everything. So who are you?"

"Hmph. You're not worthy to hear my name. Just forget about me. Especially you over there, slightly different archer. Forget what happened and I'll spare your life."

EMIYA raised an eyebrow. "What should I forget? Your squeaks while you were falling from the sky, or the sensation of your butt in my face?"

The Goddess blushed in embarrassment. "Forget everything! I'll chase you till the ends of the earth if you mention any of that!"

"It seems she doesn't want to kill you anymore, Emiya... but she's still hostile..." Ai whispered to the servant, but he shook his head.

"Nah, she's a softy deep down."

"Who are you calling softy!?" She seemed to be about to burst, but she managed to keep her cool. "Hah... There's no point in being mad at this cynic impostor. You said you wanted to know more about this world. Go figure those things out with your own eyes. I won't tell you anything. Actually, you tell me. For example... Did you see anything precious lying around here?"

"What?" That was the only thing they could answer.

"You know, something that makes you say: "Woooww!" at first glance. It's something that would catch your eye the moment you see it, so I won't bother explaining it."

"You just dropped something and are too embarrassed to say it, don't you?"

"Of course not, idiot! I didn't drop anything at all! I'm just asking for a friend! I don't care about that thing!"

Now everyone, even the servants keeping the beasts at bay, sweatdropped at that. This was terrible.

"Don't you think it would be easier if you tell us what it looks like?"

Ritsuka tried his luck, but the Goddess insisted again stubbornly. "I won't tell you about it! If I do, you'll find about my clumsiness."

"Fouuu..."

Even little Fou facepalmed at that, and the place fell into an awkward silence.

"Do-don't stay silent! That's just cruel!"

"Nosssss!" The demonic beasts finally ran out of their patience and attacked without caring about the presence of the Goddess.

A vein popped in her forehead. "Those noisy things are still around? I guess I'll do you a favor and blow them away. Disappear!"

The girl just waved her hand like if she were flicking a fly, but several projectiles made out of an absurd amount of magical energy were fired at the demonic beasts.

I a matter of seconds, the only thing remaining around was craters and torn corpses.

"Wow... She really is a Goddess..."

"Heh..." The girl puffed her chest with pride. "I may have only pseudo-manifested, but I won't lose against Tiamat's beasts. Now then..."

A strange boat descended from the sky to her side, and she used it to take off.

"If you haven't seen it, there is no reason to keep talking with you."

"Wait a moment! You just wiped one of the waves! There are still over sixty signatures around the place!"

"ROOOOAAAARRRR!"

Just as Romani said that a gigantic snake with forearms emerged from the ground. And judging by the alarms they were hearing through the intercoms, the amount of magical energy of that thing was quite big.

"I don't know what that thing is, but its magical energy is on par with a dragon! Just as I thought, that city must have become a nest! Ritsuka, Ai, negotiate with the Goddess for help! She should be able to get you-"

"Don't make decisions on your own!" The Goddess spoke annoyed again. "Weren't you listening to me? This boat only holds one. You would have to cling to me, and touching me is a sin. Besides, if you can't even defeat that thing, repairing the course of humanity is nothing but a dream for you. You should quietly return to that Chaldea of yours, or just die." With that said, the Goddess flew at an incredible speed toward the east, disappearing between the clouds.

"Well, that was worth a shot. I guess we'll have to use a noble phantasm, even if we aren't here for even an hour. Arturia-chan!"

"On it!"

The King of Knights unsheathed her Holy Sword, blowing away the small demonic beasts, and started to pour magical energy into the sword.

"Here it comes!"

The gigantic snake opened its jaws and released its poisonous breath.

"Everyone behind me, I'll handle this! Luminosite Eternelle!" Jeanne deployed her noble phantasm and blocked the incoming attack. The poison bounced against the barrier, and it was so corrosive that it melted the concrete and even the other beasts like an acid.

"Redeemer!"

Just as the breath attack ceased and Jeanne turned off the barrier, EMIYA fired the silver cursed sword from his bow. The "arrow" hit right on its eye, making it squeak in pain.

That attack didn't seem to kill the beast, but it stunned it for a few seconds, more than enough time.

"EXCALIBUR!"

The last phantasm fired its golden light towards the massive beast, annihilating everything on its path. The demonic beast had no chance and was completely evaporated. The only thing remaining now was a steaming cleave that divided the former city in two.

"Well that takes care of the big one... but there are at least 40 beasts remaining..."

The remaining beasts came out from the hole left by the snake, and several of them were those massive lions the size of a van.

"At this point, we should take care of all of them..."

"But we've been fighting for 20 minutes straight just after rayshifting. Don't you feel fatigued, master?"

"Well, I don't know about Onii-chan, but I have a ringing in my ear."

"That's most likely because the environment charged with mana. But if you're just feeling that, we can say you're mystic codes work flawlessly."

"Well, if you need more firepower, I'll be of help then..." An unknown voice interrupted the conversation.

They turned to look in the direction it came and saw a... girl? walking towards them. She was wearing simple white fabrics. Her long hair was green, reaching her heels, and her eyes were green, too.

"Step aside for a moment, servants from Chaldea. I'll take care of them."

The "girl" laid her hand on the ground, and then, her immense magical energy expanded and circulated through the floor of clay. A moment later, blades of clay emerged from the ground and impaled every beast on sight.

The battle ended abruptly, the entire place falling into a heavy silence which was broken by the "girl".

"Sorry to steal the spotlight, but I thought it would be better to save your noble phantasms for later and keep the collateral damage to a minimum."

"Err... And you are..."

Looking at the master's confused faces, and the servants tensed and prepared to fight her, she noticed she forgot a little detail.

"I, right... I should have introduced myself earlier. My name is Enkidu. It's an honor to meet you all, masters and servants of Chaldea. I've been waiting for the arrival of humans like you. I was given the task of connecting mankind to this world."

Everyone widened their eyes, and it was no wonder. That name was one of the most famous amongst the heroic spirits.

"Wait, did you just said Enkidu!? Then you're the best help we could ever hope for!" Romani spoke enthusiasts. "There's no individual stronger than you in this era, comparable even to the King of Heroes! Ritsuka, Ai, we can trust this person!"

The Chaldeans exchanged looks, but this was a no-brainer decision.

"Well, the guy that was able to beat some sense into that tyrant King is certainly trustworthy. But you aren't a servant, but the real deal, right? A doll made out of mud that gained a heart."

Enkidu eyed EMIYA for a moment, a slight frown on their face, but seconds later, they returned to their casual behavior.

"I guess as a servant you could easily discern my true nature. But yes, I'll help you to reach Uruk and fill you in on what's happening in this world. But for now, we should get going. The scent of blood will attract more beasts. Not just this city, but this entire land has become a nest, so their numbers are likely to increase, not decrease."

"Very well, lead the way."

And with that, the Chaldeans started their journey through this singularity. They still encountered some demonic beasts while they walked through the plains, but Enkidu and the servants took care of them without a problem.

"Sooo... It seems you're aware of our identity and what we came here to do, Enkidu-san."

The doll nodded at Mash. "That's correct. A Holy Grail that disrupts time, and the alteration of history by the one who wields it. All this resulted in this Singularity, a plot to destroy the foundation of the Human Order by the Mage King. The temple Matron of Uruk made the situation clear, and I came here because of her prophecy. I was told to protect the outsiders."

"So this era is still holding on and fighting against Solomon?"

"Of course. I don't know how it was in the other eras, but people from the Age of Gods will not submit easily to a world-ending calamity. Whimsical Gods have threatened to end the world so many times already, so this is pretty much another day at the office for them."

"Well, that's good to hear, but... why are we heading to the North? Isn't the city of Uruk at Southeast?"

"Please, don't be short-sighted, Romani Archaman. If we head south from here, we'll be entering the territory of another Goddess- Oh, right, I haven't told you about the situation of this world yet."

"That'd be very helpful. What's happening here? Is the leader of those demonic beasts using the Holy Grail?"

"No. Actually, nobody has hold of the Grail. Something, other than the Mage King's followers are destroying this world. The threat that faces Mesopotamia is equal, if not even greater, to the Mage King. To be blunt, the Gods are the ones destroying Humanity."

"But weren't the Gods from this era desperately trying to cling to humanity to avoid disappearing?"

Enkidu shook his head once again at Arturia's question. "The Gods I'm talking about aren't those Gods. The Three Goddess Alliance has descended on this era and has claimed roughly of the lands of Mesopotamia."

"Goddesses?"

Everyone's eyes turned to Tamamo-no-mae, who made a betrayed face.

"Hey, I might be depicted as the bad guy in some legends, but I'm not an evil Goddess, neither is Amaterasu."

"Aside from that, these Goddesses aren't fragmentations of the original one." Enkidu continued their explanation without losing pace. "Even if they are divine spirits summoned by someone else, their Spirit Origin are on the level of true Gods. The monsters we fought earlier are the subordinates, or more accurately, the children of one of the Goddesses. We know almost nothing of them, but their objective is crystal clear. They want to exterminate the human race. Complete extinction. No survivors. Each of them is using different methods to accomplish that. The greatest force amongst the three is the Goddess leading the demonic beasts."

Enkidu took a look at their surroundings and nodded. "You should see it soon. I think it's simpler if you see for yourselves rather than trying to explain. From this plateau, you have a clear vision of the situation at the Northern wall."

Everyone looked in the direction of the doll pointed with their eyes, and they were left speechless.

"No way... It seems like there is no end to them..."

"Is that the wall of a castle?"

The landscape awaiting them after reaching the plateau was that of a great wall that was being swarmed by countless beasts. And the humans were fighting at the door in the middle of the wall, using Spartan formations to defend and counterattack. Not just that, but the cannons on top of the wall were firing projectiles that wiped out most of the beast from time to time.

"That's right. When the demonic beast filled the northern area, that wall was built using the materials salvaged after dismantling the city we were in earlier. Nowadays, it is called the largest and final fort that protects humanity's hopes and dreams: The Absolute Demonic Front Babylonia."

"Wow... It's not as impressive as the Holy City's outer walls, but still..."

Romani's voice full of disbelief interrupted Mash. "This is just ridiculous! We had some trouble with just 200 or so of those beasts that have the power of an automaton tank, but they are being attacked by thousands of them! There's no way they can hold on against that!"

"Don't be so surprised. After all, they have been holding on for six months, and I can estimate they can hold on for another month."

"I guess the King of Heroes wasn't just bragging when he said: "There were no useless mongrels in my kingdom!". Those Sumerians fighting the beasts like nothing are as impressive as some of my knights."

"It is just as the Blue Saber said. The fortress city that fights demonic beasts day and night. An endless onslaught of demonic beasts driven by its soldiers and their commanders. Even if they suffer minor casualties, they have a precise army utilization. Seamless shift changes. Training new soldiers even during combat, putting them on the front line, and having the wounded rest and concentrate on healing. This is the ultimate form of point defense. And there's that, too."

Just as Enkidu finished speaking, what looked like a blue comet was fired from above the wall, and crashed in the middle of the enemy army like a falling star. A huge explosion shook the battlefield, pretty much like a nuclear bomb that annihilated thousands of beasts, and forced the battle into a pause.

It wasn't much time, but every second of rest it bought was crucial for the soldiers.

"Was that a noble phantasm?"

Ai asked surprised, and Jeanne offered her master a logical explanation.

"Well, just like the other Singularities, there can be servants that were summoned to fight on Mankind's side. There must be a servant commanding the Sumerians."

EMIYA looked at the part of the wall where that "arrow" came from. Even if they were so far away, that was a noble phantasm so familiar to him that the red archer recognized it instantly.

That, coupled with the strange reaction the Goddess had the moment she saw him, led EMIYA to a conclusion. The little empress was actually right and her husband was here.

But he filed that information for later. This wasn't the time for distractions.

His grey eyes turned to Enkidu, who was actually looking at the same place. The doll was silent, a frown on their face and their fists clenched.

Even if the Enkidu of the legend would be someone they could rely on, this Enkidu didn't transmit any good sensation to EMIYA from the get-go. He smelled a rat here.

Just a moment later, Enkidu returned to their easy-going demeanor and turned to look at the Fujimaru siblings.

"Well, we're still inside the danger zone, so we should get under cover of the forest."

As anyone had an objection, the doll led them to the Cedar Forest. While Mash and Doctor Roman talked about the legends involving this mystic place, EMIYA decided to warm his master.

"Master, we shouldn't blindly trust Enkidu." He used their mental connection so the doll in question didn't catch wind of this.

Ritsuka raised an eyebrow by secret, but he quickly understood the situation and replied through the mental link.

"I know we just met them, but they are the only one that's willing to guide us through this era."

"I'll have to agree with the red archer on this matter, master." Tamamo joined the conversation, sending some quick glances to their guide. "They are hiding it well, but the look they sent to Emiya when we met, they seemed ready to fight us for a moment."

"And the way they spoke about the Sumerians lacked any emotion like pride or passion." Nero added her two cents to the conversation. "Even as a doll, there should be some emotion there when talking about their people. In fact, they seemed more annoyed than anything."

"Well, if you three have the same thoughts, we'll have to be cautious then."

Ritsuka's eyes met with his sister's, and by the looks of it, she must have had a similar conversation with Arturia and both Jeannes. Mash was also able to hear the conversations, but she continued the conversation to not raise suspicion. Even Fou was beware of the doll.

Even so, Enkidu noticed a slight change in their behavior. "Are you worried about the direction we are going? There is a wharf at the river up ahead, and there's also a boat ducked there. Once we reach the wharf, all we have to do is take it downstream. I am sure you're tired but hang in there. Once we get through the forest, it will be all over."

Those last words were meant to be reassuring, but for some reason, they sounded more ominous than anything to the Chaldeans.

But before anyone could say anything, an unknown voice, yet familiar, interrupted them.

"Oh my! What wonderful news! I didn't know there was a wharf up ahead!"

Two figures emerged from the trees and approached them casually. The one who spoke was a man wearing white robes and a hood covering his white hair and was carrying what looked like a magical staff.

His companion was a little girl wearing a black hooded cloak that covered almost all her features, with just her long hair tied in a braid on sight.

Everyone was startled by their sudden appearance, but Arturia stared dumbfounded at the man, who in turn winked at her before he continued speaking.

"Hey, sorry to scare you! I'm not an enemy, so hear me out! We're stranded. As you can see, we didn't know our way through these trails and get lost. I figured we were going to end up monster food, but look must be on our side!"

His eyes then darted to the little girl at his side. "See, Ana? I told you it was this way. We weren't lucky enough to find our destination this time, but we met locals that know the way. Good things come to those who wait! As impossible as it sounds, we did found humans in the territory of the Goddess of Demonic Beasts!"

The now identified as Ana bit her lip, barely stopping herself from lashing out at the man. Meanwhile, the Chaldeans finally snapped out of their stupor.

"Ritsuka-senpai, these people who came out of the forest... They look familiar..."

"Wait, I've seen that face somewhere... In another Singularity..."

Before they came to a conclusion, Enkidu spoke up. "So you two are lost. That's unfortunate. We are heading to Uruk. Will you come with us?"

The smile on the man's face widened. "Why of course! We'd follow you even if you refused to let us. We've been walking for three days straight, and our legs are so stiff... But, hmm...Tagging along with someone we don't even know their names is unsettling. Can you tell us your names?"

"Hey, you're the ones here that look suspicious. Won't you tell us your names first?"

The man just chuckled at Ai's retort. "Now now, you don't have to be like that. Actually, we heard your names already. You two are Ritsuka and Ai, right? But, who's your guide?"

"Well, they are Enkidu..." Mash answered with suspicion, and that made the smile on the man's face fade completely.

"Enkidu you say? If that's so, we have a problem here. A big one indeed."

Enkidu frowned at the man's words. "Is there something wrong with me?"

"No, it's just that if you're Enkidu, I'll have to start questioning my memory. King Gilgamesh is commanding the frontline in Uruk, and he just returned from his quest to seek the herb of immortality. Which means..."

The man left his words hanging, but it was already enough to make the Chaldeans widen their eyes and get their guards up.

"Whaaaa- Hold up!" Romani, who was the only one that wasn't suspicious already, blurted in shock. "That doesn't make any sense! Gilgamesh went on his quest to find the herb of immortality after Enkidu died! If we're in an era that he has already returned from his quest, then Enkidu should be long dead! He might exist as a servant, but he can't be alive!"

The servants quickly got their masters away from "Enkidu" and brought out their weapons.

But the doll was just standing there, and they started to laugh like a madman. "Haha... Hahahahahahahahahaha! Yeah, I figured out this little farse of mine wasn't going to last long."

A wicked grin spread across "Enkidu's" face as they looked at the Fujimaru siblings again.

"I was so close. Just a little more, and I would've seen something really funny. You are supposed to be the last hope of all humanity, but this is disappointing. All humans are failures, but you the most pathetic of them. If I had managed to offer something as rare as you to the Goddess up ahead, I would've been able to see a living hell!"

"So you're just an impostor that tried to lead us into a trap, huh?"

"Hmph..." "Enkidu" snorted at EMIYA. "Right back at you, faker. When I saw you, I thought my little farse was a bust from the beginning, but you're not that annoying man, nor are you as powerful as him. Unlike you, I talk like Enkidu and have Enkidu's powers. What can I be if not Enkidu? And why would you think Enkidu, a weapon created by the Gods, would be on humanity's side? Truly pathetic!"

After they finished talking in a mocking tone, they started to give off a really ominous aura. Their magical energy was so dense that it was suffocating.

"Enkidu's magical energy rivals that of a Demon God Pilar! I no longer know what is happening here, but the being in front of you is certainly aligned with Solomon, the enemy of humanity! Prepare to fight! That's the only way to survive!"

"Heh, where did all you're friendliness go? But that mage is right. I wanted to bring you alive, but offering your head to Mother should suffice. I'll show you just how weak you are, pathetic humans! Your journey ends here, Chaldeans!"

"Enkidu" put their hand on the ground, and their magical energy surged to mold the land and form countless blades. That was Enkidu's second noble phantasm, Age of Babylon. And the reason why they were able to much the firepower of the Gate of Babylon.

"Trace, on!"

EMIYA immediately reproduced all the weapons in sight and fired them at their counterparts. But the difference in quality and speed was made evident just a few seconds later, as "Enkidu's" weapons shattered EMIYA's projections as if they were made of glass.

"Is that all you can accomplish with that magecraft of yours!? With that poor quality, those fakes don't even pose a threat against the ultimate weapon!"

"Stop bragging around, damn doll!"

Just before EMIYA was completely overwhelmed, Alter stepped in front and blew away the weapons with a burst of flames.

And covered by the smoke left by the attack, several talismans got close to the impostor, creating a strong blizzard around him.

"Hmph, a magical attack won't harm- huh!?"

"Enkidu" let out a surprised voice as the ice shards started to tear their robes and cut their "flesh".

"A magic that can pierce through an A-rank magic resistance!? I guess I should have expected something like this from a fractionated Goddess... But it is still useless!"

A huge burst of magical energy from their body blew away the blizzard. Immediately after that, "Enkidu" spread their arms, and several chains emerged from their body and rushed at the fox-girl.

"Mikon!?" She wasn't able to dodge them, and the chains of heavens bound Tamamo so tightly that she could barely breathe.

"That take's care of that annoyance. Now, who's next?" The impostor spoke casually as they fired more chains at the other Chaldeans.

"Master!"

Mash jumped in front of the two masters and blocked the incoming chains, the strength behind making her step back, but she endured it.

"Watch out, Lil Sis!" Meanwhile, Jeanne tackled her "little sister" out of the way of the chains, getting herself bound by them instead.

"What are you doing, useless saint! This isn't the time for a heroic sacrifice!"

"We need your firepower more than my defense to beat him!"

"Don't worry, she'll be like you in no time-" The impostor was about to fire more chains at the Dragon Witch, but they were forced to sidestep to avoid being pierced by a white sword.

"So the little empress didn't come here to sightsee."

"Hmph!" Nero snorted at the impostor's taunt as she swung her flaming sword at them again. "You dared to look down at humanity, at Rome! And I'll show you why Rome is eternal!"

"Hoh, then, by all means!"

"Enkidu" stopped dodging the empress' attacks, and turned their right arm into a blade to engage her in a sword fight. They quickly took the initiative, their ruthless attacks forcing her into defense. The impostor swung their arm so fast that it became a blur even for Nero's eyes, and their precision was millimetric as expected from a machine.

But, the Empress of Roses didn't back down at such onslaught, blocking their attacks gracefully. Her movements were fancy, and it was like she was dancing, but there was something in her sword style that irked "Enkidu".

"You... you're imitating him!"

A vein popped in "Enkidu's" as the empress deflected their attacks with a daring smile on her face. With the Eye of the Mind she borrowed with her Imperial Privilege, she was able to read ten steps ahead and ensure five seconds of survival with each attack avoided.

In short, just like she did during her fight with the Holy Ancestor, she imitated her husband's sword style to fight beings superiors to her.

"So you met Darling already, huh? I knew he was here! And I won't disappoint him! You're open!"

"Kuh!"

As a machine, Enkidu would never leave an opening between their attacks. But, when an emotion like vexation invaded them, their movements stopped being calculated and became more reckless. And Nero quickly seized this opportunity.

"Go for them, Nero!" Ritsuka used his mystic code to empower the empress just as she swung her sword at the opening.

The fire burst from her sword with such intensity that it lit the dark forest, and sliced "Enkidu's" body like a hot knife cutting through butter. The doll managed to jump back, but their chest was still sliced open.

"We did it!" Ai lifted her fist in a victory pose, but the tension in the atmosphere didn't fade.

"Fufu..." The quiet laugh of the impostor crushed the master's hope and disturbed everyone. "Fuahahahahahaha! Do you really think such a meager attack can do anything to me!?"

"Enkidu's" body and clothes quickly regenerated. In a matter of seconds, they were as good as new.

"That Rome of yours must be really pathetic if this is all you have! Now, disappear!"

"Guh!"

A huge sword of clay emerged from the ground beneath the empress' feet, and although she was able to put her sword on its way, she was blown away like a rag doll.

But, "Enkidu" didn't have a moment of rest, as they had to block a surprise attack. They immediately threw a kick at the attacker, but she tilted her little body to avoid it.

"I third-rate servant like you dares to attack me?"

"As a son of that Goddess, I can make an exception and fight you." Ana spoke softly as she withdrew her purple scythe, pulling the chain connected to its handle.

"Huh?"

The chain that was laid around the impostor while he fought Nero tensed up, binding them. Immediately after that, Ana swung the chain, hurling the impostor into a tree as if they weighted like a feather.

"You attack me with a chain of all things!?"

The impostor blew away the chains with another mana burst and attacked back with their chains of heavens.

While Ana evaded the chains jumping between the trees, Arturia exchanged looks with the hooded man.

"The little empress did pretty well, but we need one more little push. You should help Ana, Arturia."

The King of Knights just nodded and pointed her sword to her back.

"Strike Air!"

The burst of wind generated after unsheathing her Holy Sword propelled her into the impostor that they were barely able to react in time. They crossed their arms turned into blades and blocked the golden sword, but were blew away with their arms broken.

"Tch, I guess there is a decent servant among you pests."

The impostor regenerated their arms and created several pillars of clay to slow down the silver knight, but Arturia destroyed them easily with her mana burst. They then fired more blades from the earth but were immediately countered by a rain of "arrows" and flaming spikes.

Without any other option left, "Enkidu" engaged Arturia in a sword fight. Even if her swordsmanship was completely superior to them, they compensated with their use of the terrain as a weapon and their high-speed regeneration.

But the impostor quickly noticed something. "Why aren't you using your Holy Sword!? Do you really think you can beat me just swinging it around!?"

Artoria then gave them a smug smile that got on their nerves. "Defeating you isn't the condition to win here. If you were just a machine, you might have noticed it, but having a human consciousness played against you. You should think of this as a lesson."

"Enkidu" blinked a couple of times as the silver knight's figure faded away in a storm of pink petals. Not just her, but all the Chaldeans, Ana, and the hooded man were nowhere to be seen.

The impostor quickly realized what just happened here and clicked their tongue.

"So I was caught in an illusionary dream all this time, huh? This kind of magecraft... I see. That man must be Uruk's court magus. To think I would be able to meet him here from all the places... He really lives up to his reputation as a specialist in running away.."

Their eyes then turned to the midday light coming through the trees' leaves. "I should return for now. She can't be left alone for a day. In that aspect, she really is like an oversized child."

---

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest...

"Huh!? What just happened?"

"Did Enkidu just fade?"

The Chaldeans could just look at their surroundings confused after the enemy just disappeared. Even the chains binding Tamamo, Jeanne, and Ana faded.

"Well, you know, to fool the enemy you first must fool your allies." The man in white robes spoke as he pushed back his hood. "They didn't seem to be prepared for a mental attack, so I took advantage of it to drive them away. To be able to defeat him, you would have to use everything you have, leaving yourselves exhausted in the middle of the enemy's territory. As expected from the mediator between the three Goddesses. Now that I've saved you, you can now shower me in praise- Gah!"

"Fou Fouuu!"

His monologue was interrupted when the inoffensive Fou just climbed a tree and hurled itself at his face in a splendid flying kick.

"Fou is doing it again, master! But this time, he just kicked the face of an unknown man!"

"Get off of me, you wicked beast! Have you forgotten the years a took care of you!?"

"Fou Fouuuu! (Special translation: Die Merlin!)"

"I never should've taken you in, Cath Palug! Take that, cath-astrophe!" The man started to scratch Fou to take it off his face, but the little thing didn't even flinch.

"How many busty women have you deceived with that cute and fluffy appearance of yours, huh!? You're just like that saber feigning to be an archer! Don't you feel bad making me work so hard and pull all the stops!"

"Merlin, what are you doing here?"

Arturia interrupted the interaction between the two, making everyone around her widen their eyes.

"Geez, why do you have to ruin my introduction, Arturia! I thought you weren't that stiff after that Holy Grail War."

The King of Knights rolled her eyes. "We don't have time for one of your monologues. We need to get out of this forest if what you said is true, so I'll make it short. This is Merlin, my mentor, and former Court Magus."

"Wait wait wait wait a moment!" Romani finally snapped out of his shock. "Did you just said Merlin, the Grand Mage!? And he's here as a servant!? That doesn't make sense! He's supposed to be alive in Avalon till the end of the world!"

"That was a better introduction if just a little. But yes, I am THE Merlin, Grand Caster. The greatest, most powerful, and handsome magus of all times. Well, actually, I was just given the right to be a candidate for the Grand title. My spirit origin is but a normal Caster."

"That still doesn't explain why are you here!"

"Hey, what's this about a Grand title?" Ai asked ignoring Romani's crisis.

"Grand Servants, an alternative defense mechanism of The World that involves completely summoning a heroic spirit and not just an aspect of their legend. Unlike us Counter Guardians, they are summoned by Humanity's hope to fight calamities before they take place."

"Emiya is mostly right." Romani continued the Counter Guardian's explanation. "In concrete, the title of Grand Caster is given to powerful mages that have some sort of clairvoyance. For instance, Solomon can see the past and the future, King Gilgamesh can see the future, and this scoundrel here can see everything in the present from his tower in the Forever-Sealed Utopia. Of all the candidates, he's the weakest! He's just as useful as a telescope!"

"Sorry to interrupt your ramblings, Romani..." Da Vinci's voice cut in the conversation. "I'm busy proving Ritsuka and Ai's existence, so I don't get many chances to talk around this time. But since Roman here is having a panic attack, I'll be doing the questions. First, thank you. You've been secretly providing us with magical energy resources, haven't you, Merlin? The Incineration of Humanity destroyed the world, but Avalon, where you are is still standing. So you provided us with magical energy in critical moments without the Mage King noticing."

"Well, I was just helping out. It's not like I have something else to do. After all, I hold the world record of years as a shut-in. So I decided to help Romani here and there."

"But it still doesn't make sense that you're a heroic spirit. You're still in Avalon, right? So how'd you become a servant? The reason and the method. If you don't tell us that, we can't trust you. After all, Enkidu, the being that we deemed the best navigator we could have, turned to attack us. We certainly can't put our guards down around another newcomer that seems to be friendly. That's why Roman here is being so paranoid."

"Oh, so that's why that idiot has gone mad. Well, I should expect it after being attack by the traitor of Uruk, an Enkidu that was reverted to their original nature. I can't tell you the reason. I'll just tell you it has to do with this singularity. But I can tell you the method. It's really simple, Da Vinci. This Singularity is taking place in an era that predates my appearance on Earth. In other words, my body doesn't exist in this Singularity, so you could say that I'm technically dead. So I was able to take advantage of that to make myself a servant. That, and well, I was called by a pretty strong summoner."

"A pretty strong summoner? Is there another master in this singularity?"

Merlin nodded to Ritsuka's question. "I was summoned by King Gilgamesh himself, and now I work as Uruk's court magus. But on the other hand, Ana was summoned as a rogue servant by the Grail. I met her six months ago in this place and made a pact with her to help us mutually. Now she provides assistance for my task and occasionally helps on the front."

"No, you just tricked me." Ana at his side retorted bluntly. "You're the embodiment of dishonor. You promised we would fight the Goddess, but we haven't gone to storm her lair yet."

"Don't be like that, Ana. You know we can just jump into that lair with proper preparation. I already told you that it will take some time." Merlin then turned to look at the Chaldeans. "She may seem a little rash, but she's just shy, so please, get along with her."

"I'm not shy. I just don't like humans, so don't come too near."

"You don't say the same when you go to visit the old lady that sells flowers."

Those words made Ana blush a little, and she pulled her hood to hide her face.

"Well, that pretty much confirms it. Sorry, Romani, but he's the genuine Merlin."

"Haaah..." The doctor let out an exhausted sigh before speaking again. "This was already a complete mess, and now we have here Merlin of all the people. But I guess it can be helped. Even if you're a scoundrel, you're still a great magus. Will you join Chaldea in our attempts to restore the Human Order and stop King Solomon's wicked schemings?"

"Why of course!" The Magus of Flowers replied with a smile. "The only thing I can do is watch the present. If that present gets destroyed, the only thing I would be able to do is watching the garden around my tower and that sword laying there."

"That's the first good news we got since we arrived. And I think we got another one from that impostor."

The doctor's words confused the three teenagers, but then Nero jumped from behind some bushes and landed elegantly in front of Merlin.

"Based on what that impostor said, I can say he did fight against Darling! He's fighting in the front against those demonic beasts, right!?"

The half incubus just chuckled at her words, barely holding his laugh.

"What is so funny!?"

"Nothing. But yes, the nameless hero, King of Fakers was indeed summoned to this singularity, and he shares master with me."

That illuminated the faces of the Chaldeans, but Arturia and EMIYA in turn made concerned faces.

"The King of Heroes and the King of Fakers ended up as master and servant? That's a really sick joke even for you, Magus of Flowers."

"Those two are like water and oil, Merlin. Haven't they tried to kill each other on sight?"

The magus giggled again. "You'll see. For now, we should head for Uruk already." His eyes then settled on the Fujimaru siblings. "Ritsuka, Ai, it is your duty to tell King Gilgamesh about your aspirations and what you came here to do. And Uruk will be the perfect place for an HQ."

"Then let's get moving already!"

"And don't forget to set up a summoning circle to send you supplies!"

And with that, the Chaldeans set course to the great city of Uruk, this time for real.

---

It took a few hours, but they managed to retrace their steps and walk out of the forest. Luckily, they didn't found too many demonic beasts in their way, nor did "Enkidu" attack them again.

After that, they crossed the great wall of Uruk through the mountains at the West and walked in a straight line towards Uruk. It helped that, the more close they got to the city, the easier was proving Ritsuka and Ai's existence and getting a visual of the surroundings.

But even so, it wasn't an easy journey. It took them more than one day to be able to see Uruk on the horizon. The lack of proper rest began to show on both masters and their kohai. They had to subsist on emergency rations stored in Mash's shield, and they still encountered some demonic beasts at the other side of the wall.

"Hold on there for a little more, Ritsuka, Ai. We're almost there." Merlin encouraged the masters, who were nearly panting by now.

"I hope so... But... is really King Gilgamesh... leading the front?"

"Yeah... I can't imagine... that arrogant King... leading his people properly..."

"I cannot help it but share those thoughts, master. He tried to burn humanity in the last Holy Grail War I participated in because "there were too many mongrels in the modern world"."

"But he actually helped in the last Singularity, Arturia-san. I mean, yeah, he was sitting there in a corner while we were assisting Bediviere-san during his fight with Goddess Rhongominyad because "that is something he must do on his own as the loyal knight he is". But he at least helped to destroy the outer barrier of Rhongomintad and defeat Sir Mordred and Sir Gawain. He refused to use his most powerful sword until the end though."

"I still think it was a miracle that arrogant bastard moved his arse from his fancy sit and accepted to be summoned to that Singularity. And it was pretty much because he wanted to face that Pharaoh with an equal ego."

"Well the King of Heroes you're going to meet is a little bit different from the tyrant version you managed to summon in Chaldea." Merlin explained after EMIYA finished voicing his thoughts. "After all, he returned from his quest to achieve immortality and decided to take the role of a King instead of the hero. But remember that he's still the same arrogant tyrant at his core. The guy who kicked the most powerful and pampered Goddess from his palace while claiming to have all the world's treasures at his disposal, making him the ultimate hero slayer."

"For some reason... I'm starting to be afraid of meeting him... with each step I take."

"Don't worry, master. I'll be supporting you. No matter what kind of treasures he has, my curses will affect him no matter what. They can be really persuasive when it comes to rulers." Tamamo reassured the blue-eyed teenager, even if her statement was really ominous.

Nero followed the fox-girl after. "I can always ask Darling to beat his sorry ass. He would do it gladly."

"Please girls... we are trying to negotiate... not starting a fight..."

"I can't promise I'll be able to restrain myself from burning his as if he's being a jerk."

"Don't start you too, Lil Sis. You should really attend to those relaxation sessions offered by Shuanzang to control your anger."

"Like hell I'm gonna be doing that boring stuff with that pervert monk! As an Avenger, the power of my flames is proportional to my hatred."

"We're here."

Ana's voice made them stop, as they were already 20 meters from the back gates.

"What should we do now, Ritsuka-senpai? Looking at the guard stationed at the door, it looks like we'll have to pass through an inspection checkpoint before getting into the city. Should we try to sneak into the city before they notice?"

Mash's plan went down the drain as the guard quickly noticed a group of 11 people approaching. "Oh no! You over there! If you stray from the road, you'll be cursed by the Ritual Sect!"

"Well, there goes your plan..."

The Chaldeans approached the guard, and he resumed his explanation. "Are you refugees from Ur? The King has given more power to the Ritual Sect due to the war and all that. Uruk is surrounded by a ritual warding the demonic beasts but it seems to have some effects on humans as well."

"Oh... Thanks for the warning." Mash replied surprised, her masters still catching their breath after stopping walking.

"They are refugees from Girsu." Merlin and Ana stepped to the front, and the guard seemingly recognized them. "As for myself and Ana here, we engage in business. With the permission of the Ritual Sect, as you can see. I'd like to evacuate them into Uruk. Are there any procedures I need to follow?"

Both showed some kind of insignia to the guard, and he smiled reassured. "Oh, those are Lady Siduri's sigils. That makes you the real Court Magus and Ana. I'm glad to see you make it here in one piece. You know, since that impostor appeared, we're kind of paranoid here."

His eyes then turned to the Chaldeans. "As for the reception of refugees, Nutra's shop in the west marked should be good today. We just received word that the storage space on the second floor is now opening up for refugees. Daily necessities can be picked up at each gate. You can register as a temporary citizen at Rana's brothel. Please, go there if you're planning to stay for more than two weeks. But you must be tired from your long journey, so make sure to rest first. Welcome to the fortress city of Uruk. We are fighting to survive, and we spare no efforts if it's for that cause."

"O-okay! Thank you very much!" Mash nodded after hearing the speech of the guard.

They moved to enter the city, still astonished by the warming reception when the guard stopped Ana.

"Oh, wait a moment there, Ana. There's something I want to give you."

He extended his hand and left something fall on Ana's little hands. Upon further inspection, she realized they were candies.

"Huh? Bu-but why?" She stumbled with her words due to her surprise.

"My daughter gave them to me as an afternoon snack, but they are a little bit too sweet for me, and you need them more than me. With that small build, it must be tiresome accompanying the Court Magus on his journeys, right? Consider it as my way to thank you for helping in the market."

"We-well... I'll take them then..." She accepted them shyly and put one in her mouth. The sweet savor in her mouth made her eyes shine for a moment. The cute moment managed to get a smile out of everyone.

The Chaldeans finally made their way into the city, and the sight they met was far from what they imagined.

"New arrivals! New arrivals! Tons of ale in stock! The newest from Dumuzid Brewery! Our ale is now in stock! The newest from Dumuzid Brewery! Our ale is favored even by the king! Now's your chance to enjoy its supreme fortiness! Now's your chance!"

"Exchanges, exchanges over here! Check out our limited-time Silver exchange pack! Right now, you get 5 Fish Silver for 1 Sheep silver, and 3 Turtle silver for 1 Wheat Silver!"

"If you're gonna eat at our place, I'll toss a free roasted chicken leg! Bring your own containers!"

"Folks! The west district is seeking personnel to carry clay! Those who have muscle should come to the boat station in the city canals before sunrise! Looking forward to your help!"

"No, wait, the armory needs people too! At this rate, we'll be sending twigs instead of spears to the Northen Wall! Those that know how to make weapons, come to the armory! Scaffolds can wait till later! Later, I say! We got plenty of aid from the king, so if you come to our place, you can make a fortune!"

"Flowers! This is Merle's Flower Shop! I know you must all be busy with daily battles... but don't forget to put cheer in your life! Celebrations, gifts for your wives... Ask us about anything!"

The Chaldeans could just look in complete shock at the bustling crowd in the main street in from of them. Even if they were fully conscious of the world-ending calamity they were facing, there wasn't a somber atmosphere in the place. It was the complete opposite.

"This city is supposed to be facing a world-ending calamity, right?"

Romani asked incredulously, and Merlin couldn't help but chuckle. "Welcome to Uruk, the oldest fortress city in human history. Times may be dire, but the city remains lively and everyone holds their head high. The will to fight and survive can be felt from every citizen, but they haven't forgotten to smile."

"Unbelievable... What a different cityscape... Look at this map. Each district is clearly separated by a role, and transportation is perfectly linked!"

"Military production, construction, commerce, life... The city was redesigned to provide for all those things."

Nero and Arturia looked in awe at a map place at one of the street's sides. There were used pioneering concepts that were more advanced than even their own cities.

"How is this an ancient city!? This is a fighting city so perfect that it would even work in modern times!"

"Now, I thought you said this would be a barbaric city not that long ago, Romani? Now, what do you think? This may be the oldest human civilization, and they weren't blessed by lumber, but they were pioneers and used clay instead to build many fortresses."

"I'm sorry to have underestimated it..." Romani apologized reluctantly to Merlin. "I assumed this would be just a city-state dependent on trade, but they seem to even have a coin system..."

"Good. But we'll have to leave the tour around the city for later. Let's head to the ziggurat."

Everyone followed Merlin's eyes and noticed the huge trapezoidal building raising in the middle of the city.

"Is there where King Gilgamesh resides?" Ritsuka asked a bit nervous.

"Exactly. Now, let us depart with all due to enthusiasm."

With the Court Magus leading them, the Chaldeans arrived at the Royal Hall in no time. Everyone greeted them with a smile, and they even skipped the long queue of people with reports and requests.

"All the maidens seem to avoid you, Merlin. I see you're still true to yourself."

"Don't sweat the details, Arturia. Now that we're here, have a look at the King doing his job."

After crossing the gate leading to the throne room, the Chaldeans were left in shock for the second time of the day.

"Don't make me repeat myself! The newer the information about the war, the better! Keep bringing me reports! The harder we work, the less chance they'll have to attack us! If you want to take it easy, keep fighting!"

"Yes sir! We've added three supply trains to bring more clay tablets from the secretary every hour!" One of the soldiers in the room replied vigorously to the king, while the others keep bringing tablets to the pile beside the throne.

"Good. Next!" Gilgamesh discarded the tablet in his hands and pulled another from the pile. "Is this today's list of shipments?"

After reading its content, he raised an eyebrow. "The shipments from the city of Eresh are being delayed, eh... Did the demonic beast set up a lair on the road? Send twenty men from the eastern barracks to clear the way. Temun can take command. It's his home. He knows it well."

"Yes, Sir!"

As another soldier walked out of the room to deliver the King's orders, he discarded the tablet and pulled another. This time, his eyebrows twitched.

"What's this!? Curse that Temple Matron there in Girsu! I know there are still supplies stored in the temple of Bau! Have them sent everything to the front lines! It'll be the end of the world if that wall breaks! Tell her food can't be taken to the Underworld!"

"Yes, Sir!"

"By the way, I heard Tabado's daughter is giving birth. Send her a sacred prostitute to aid her, along with some healthy fruits. And pull Tabado off the Northern wall, and give him three days' rest. His grandson's face will give him courage."

"Yes, Sir!"

"He... He's actually working... and at an incredible pace..."

"He's giving orders non-stop... and he's not being a jerk with the soldiers..."

The two masters could just look at the figure sitting on the throne and think of him as a completely different person from the figure in their minds.

In fact, his fancy golden armor was nowhere to be seen. He still kept some ornaments and the right gauntlet, but for the rest, he was dressed more like a mage.

"This is truly the end of the world if Goldie is working his ass off like that..."

"But at this rate, we won't be able to talk to him..."

"Don't think like that, Mash. He won't have a moment to spare, and he certainly won't wait for you. You just need to step there and say what's in your mind, even if it's a bit rude. Especially if you believe that's the right thing to do. Now, here we go..."

After saying that, the Magus of Flowers stepped forward and announced his presence.

"King Gilgamesh! I, Merlin the extraordinary, have brought guests! Busy? Yeah, I can see that, so don't worry. I'll bring them right now!"

""Huh?""

"Wait, senpais!"

He then grabbed Ritsuka and Ai's hands and brought them in front of the king. The servants and Ana followed them closely, the tension starting to rise to incredible levels.

"Hmm..."

Gilgamesh barely spared them a glance before returning to his kingly duties, and Siduri had to step up and greet them.

"So you've returned, Merlin, Ana. Welcome. The king is happy to see you two. And? Did your search finally bear fruits?"

"No, we didn't have luck this time either. But I can finally say the tablet of destinies isn't in any corner of the Cedar Forest. Sheesh... If only you just remembered where you left it, I wouldn't have to work this hard."

"Silence. Know your place, mage. If the King says he was so tired at the moment he forgot it, it must be true. Besides, you certainly didn't need so much time to comb the entire forest. But most importantly, who are these people? They don't look like Uruks."

"It's fine. I understand the situation. You may go, Siduri." Unexpectedly, Gilgamesh spoke up. And he did so while standing up and bringing out his spellbook, making all the servants raise their guard.

"King Gilgamesh, for you to bring out the Dingir... Don't tell me..." Even Siduri started to look worried.

"Yes, I'm not going to restrain myself this time. Be ready to clean the Throne Room, Siduri. No need to worry, I'm simply going to send these outsiders back to heaven!"

Gilgamesh's piercing red eyes then settled on the Fujimaru siblings as Siduri sighed walked into a corner of the room.

"I don't have time to waste exchanging words with you, mongrels. Thus, I shall ascertain the truth of your words through battle! Prepare yourselves, mages from the Observatory! And don't interfere with this, Merlin, Ana!"

"That's great! We won't have to get our hands dirty! From now on, you'll be on your own, Ritsuka, Ai. This is a situation in which you'll have to talk with him through your punches."

Merlin and Ana did the same as Siduri, leaving the astonished masters alone in the center of the room.

"Hold on a moment! Can't we just talk things calmly!?"

Gilgamesh ignored Ritsuka's attempt to negotiate and opened the Gate of Babylon to reveal over twenty magical staffs and wands. The runes in the spellbook shone to live, and the staff's fired several beams of magical energy.

"Rho, Aias!" EMIYA reacted quickly, projecting his strongest defense in front of the group. "Guh!"

The beams crashed against the shield with tremendous force. The first layer was blown away instantly, making some cuts in his right arms.

"Kuh!" Ai gritted her teeth. "If he wants a fight, then let's give him a fight! Go, Arturia, Team Jeanne!"

The King of Knights used a mana burst to threw herself at the Golden King, facing head-on the storm of spells, while the "Sisters" run to the sides to avoid it. Arturia's A-rank magic resistance managed to mitigate most of the damage, but she still received some bruises and burnings.

"Hmm!" The King pulled out his Golden Axe and took head-on Arturia's invisible sword, while his spellbook hovered by his side to keep the bombarding.

"Where is all your arsenal, King of Heroes!?"

"I don't need it to crush you, pretender!" The Golden King retorted coldly as he exchanged blows with the King of Knights.

Arturia quickly understood that she wasn't facing the young Gilgamesh they summoned to Chaldea, who fought by just spamming swords. As Merlin said, this was a cool-headed King of Heroes that has matured and didn't rely only on his treasures.

The Golden King then had to tilt his body to dodge Jeanne's banner and Alter's sword. Arturia didn't think twice and seized the opening, but a wand emerged from his treasury to block her invisible sword.

The wand was pointing to Alter, and fired a blast of energy she had to dodge due to her lack of magic resistance.

The King then did a backflip to put some distance between Arturia and himself, and immediately had to raise his arms to block an incoming kick from Jeanne.

"Weak! Return to the farm you came from, mongrel!" He grabbed her feet and tossed her in Arturia's direction like a potato sack, halting the latter's charge.

"You sure like to brag!"

Alter fired a blast of flames in his direction, but it was blocked by another torrent of flames Gilgamesh cast in front of him with his magical staffs.

"Haaaah!"

Nero crossed the flames in her usual thrust, her sword missing Gilgamesh's face by inches. The Golden King clicked his tongue as he brought his axe again to block her attacks.

"The bride of a faker couldn't be none other than another faker... Out of my sight!"

Several staffs appeared over the empress and fired lightings.

"Kuh!" She managed to survive borrowing Arturia's magic resistance with her imperial privilege, but the shock she received put her out of commission for the moment.

The King then turned at pointed his finger at Tamamo, who was about to throw one of her curses.

"Huh?" She let out a surprised voice as the talismans in her hands were reduced to ashes.

"I won't allow you to throw one of your shady curses at me, wicked Goddess!"

And without stopping, the King pointed his hand at Alter, his spellbook shining to life as several runes surrounded her and trapped her like a jail.

"What the hell is this!?" She tried to burn her way out of the trap, but her flames barely damaged the prisión.

That was the only thing the King was able to do before Arturia threw herself at his neck.

"Emiya!"

"Mash!"

While the King of Knights attacked head-on, the Archer and the Shielder were teleported behind the King via a spell from Ritsuka and Ai's mystic codes.

"Useless..."

Arturia's sword, Mash's shield, and Bakuya were blocked by several staffs, which in turn fired several spells at the servants, blowing them away.

The red Archer immediately changed his married swords to his bow and fired a silver cursed sword. The King recognized it instantly, and deflected it with his axe instead of using a spell. The sword impacted one of the pillars of the room, leaving a hole that made Siduri sigh.

"Strike Air!"

Saber used her invisible air to propel herself at the Golden King. Gilgamesh blocked her Holy Sword in time, but the was blown away from his hands. She immediately swung her sword at his neck, with the intention to stop it inches from his skin, but the shock was visible in her face when she heard a metallic sound.

A chain blocked her sword. Not just that, but it wrapped itself around her sword. Gilgamesh pulled the chain, making her lose her balance, and drove his elbow into her throat.

"Gah!" Arturia fell to the ground trying to regain her breath, and the King turned to look at the three servants still capable of fighting and scoffed.

"Hmph..."

He walked nonchalantly at his throne and sat again. "A waste of time. I wanted to see what those tasked by heaven could do, but you're just a bunch of mongrels! You are not even worth punishing for messing up my throne room! I'll let you go this time, so begone!"

The masters could just stare at him dumbfounded as the servants pulled themselves together and approached them.

"Your Majesty, please, calm yourself..." Siduri tried to reason with him. "They seem like powerful warriors to me. Are they the strangers you spoke of?"

"Merlin brought them here, so yes, they probably are... But it's too soon, way too soon! See the stupid look on their faces? Still not a clue of what is happening here. There's no point in talking to them. Merlin, it seems you let yourself get distracted."

At this point, even the half-incubus had lost his smile. "And now this is my fault... Ritsuka, Ai, you must do something quickly, or he's really going to kick you out of here."

Both siblings swallowed noisily, still mustering their courage to talk to the King. The Gilgamesh in front of them looked more imposing than the one in Chaldea.

"What are you waiting, mongrels! This is the time for you to show how reliable you are!"

"Things couldn't have gone more wrong... The King doesn't seem interested at all in our help... What's happening here, Merlin?" Roman whispered to Arturia's mentor, who made a confused face too.

"Well, that's a good question. I thought he and I were on the same wavelength there. I mean, I didn't tell him about Chaldea. Or what a servant is. Or about the Incineration of the Human Order, or the King of Mages, or the Grails, or the Singularities. But you know, he should be able to figure it out, He's a king after all."

"Wait, what!? You didn't tell him anything!?"

"Fou, fou!"

At Mash and Fou's inquire, the mage just looked away and whistled.

"That's Merlin for you. Totally useless. Now, Ritsuka, Ai, you're our last hope! Try to convince him. He might have a chance of heart if you explain things properly!"

"There's no need for that. I can hear you, concealed one. Know that I'm capable of all things, and so possess all knowledge." The King quickly took down Romani's hopes. "Thus, there's nothing my eyes can see! Though, as you can see, I have yet to fulfill my destiny... I'm aware of the process of summoning heroic spirits and commanding them... And that my name is on the list of those "Spirit Origins" that you possess. I even feel sorry for you having summoned that young, foolish version of me."

"So he knows about us even if Merlin didn't tell him. That just makes it more important to tell him about the Holy Grail we came to retrieve, Ritsuka-senpai, Ai-senpai!"

Both teenagers nodded, the determination finally burning in their eyes. But that determination quickly turned into shock as they looked at the King again.

"What's wrong? You're after the Grail, aren't you? And?" The King spoke in a mocking tone as he pulled out a familiar golden cup from his treasury.

"What's this!? Gilgamesh has already a Grail!? I'm having a strong deja vu feeling!"

"Well of course. All the world's treasures belong to me. I obtained the omnipotent wish-granting device long ago. And I presume this is what those three annoying Goddesses are after. Otherwise, they wouldn't have any reason to attack Uruk so vehemently." His easy-going expression turned into one full of killing intent. "And don't you dare to ask me to give it to you! If you do, be prepared to offer something more than your lives!"

"That's true.. we don't have anything to offer, but..."

"What if we defeat the Three Goddess Alliance!"

The King looked at the Fujimaru siblings after making their bold claim, and then...

"Puff FUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed his ass off.

"Defeat those Goddesses... Hahahaha! That was a good one. Fufufu. Siduri, bring me some water. They are going to kill me from laugher. Merlin actually brought me the future's greatest clowns!"

"Hey, we are serious here! Is it that you don't give a crap about humanity!?" Ai could stand it anymore, a vein popping from her forehead as her brother tried to calm her down.

"I acknowledged your skills as a buffoon, mongrel. You should be thankful. But answering your question, I have no use for you right now. You are all contaminants to this era. Rather, you're an excess. I'd go so far as to say you're unnecessary. Uruk is mine to protect. I don't need help from Chaldea. The heavens may fall and the earth may split, but this audience is the last time I speak to you."

His tone now wasn't that aggressive. It was more like he was admonishing them.

"Listen. Do not think you can beat the Goddesses with the pawns you have brought here. Some of them might have been powerful, but with third-rate masters like you they can't draw their full potential-"

"Forgive me for interrupting your pleasant chat, your king!" The conversation was interrupted when a soldier suddenly burst into the throne room with hastiness.

"Does this look like a pleasant chat to you!? Are you blind!?" The King retorted annoyed.

"Huh? Oh, uh... we just heard your laughter echoing throughout the ziggurat, and assumed you were having a good time..."

"Fool! Don't you know that, at a certain age, one can laugh at the drop of a hat? No matter. What is it?"

The soldier straightened himself before delivering his report. "A message from our observation post near the Tigris! They've sighted the wake from the Boat of Heaven in the sky! It's heading for Uruk at great speed! It's Ishtar, one of the Three Goddess Alliance members!"

While the Chaldeans immediately raised their guards, the King just sighed.

"That fool again? Didn't she learn her lesson yesterday? No, I doubt that moron can even manage to remember what happened 12 hours ago."

"Ahem. Please, Your Majesty, refrain yourself from insulting Ishtar." Siduri tried to admonish Gilgamesh, even if she didn't sound so convinced. "I may not be able to defend her, but it's best to not inquire her anger. It makes things more difficult for the temple."

"Don't concern yourself with such matters, Siduri! That bulgar thief just keeps extorting our people for her supposed "protection", and only causes trouble! It would surprise me if she just ends up destroying her own house and goes to her father An crying like a baby. Of course, An vanished long ago. Even his father gave up on her. She'll go cry to a corner until she dies from exhaustion."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAID!"

The ceiling of the ziggurat exploded, and a familiar girl clad in golden ornaments landed in front of the Chaldeans with her strange boat.

"That's Ishtar! Retreat! Everyone retreat! She's going to smite us!"

"Emergency! Priests, prepare the special prayers! You're permitted to use them on our patron Goddess!"

The soldiers, priests, and Siduri started to move frantically around the throne room, while Gilgamesh looked at the enraged Goddess with annoyance.

"So you have the guts to come straight to the throne room. What are you, a gossip-loving, city girl?"

"The only one acting like a brat here is you, Goldie! I planned to kill you slowly, but I've changed my mind! I'll make you pay for all these years of making fun of a Goddess!"

She prepared herself to fight the King, but then, she noticed the Chaldeans, Merlin, and Ana right behind her.

"Oh, hi there, mysterious girl that doesn't want to introduce herself."

Ishtar's eyebrow twitched at Ai's salutation. "What are you doing here... And you are weaving your hand like if I were your all friend... You really don't have a clue of what's going on here, do you?. No, it doesn't matter. Step aside. I only have business with Goldie there."

The Goddess turned her complete attention to the Golden King, who was giggling.

"What's this? The Goddess Ishtar worrying about someone else's safety? Is the Faker right about you being softened after all?"

Ishtar's face blushed. "I'm not doing this for them! I'm doing this for the people of Uruk! And what does Archer have to do with this!?"

"You just came here because he's not here, don't you? You really are just a shadow of your past! Where's the annoying pampered Goddess that stormed this ziggurat to one-sidedly proclaim our marriage!?"

"Huh!? The fact that he's nowhere around when I drop by do-doesn't mean anything, damn Goldie! I-it's not like I don't know what to say if I were to meet him! Geez... What am I saying! I'm starting to piss myself off!"

Everyone in the room could just look at her monologuing with blank expressions. Gilgamesh was once again laughing his ass off though.

"A tsundere Goddess... Now I've seen everything..." Ai had stars in her eyes.

"She's just Rin turned into a Goddess."

"I agree."

Arturia and EMIYA nodded knowingly at each other after saying something the others didn't understand.

"Hah... Another feat worth being recorded in the epic tale of the Goddess Ishtar. It seems there is another candidate for the world's greatest clown here, Chaldeans."

"Now you've done it!" The raw power burst from Ishtars body, her overwhelming presence making all the normal people in the room lose their breath. "I'm gonna kill everyone in this room to avoid any weird rumor of me spreading! In fact, Uruk is no longer my city, so I'll just blow you away!"

The Goddess stretched her arm forward and fired what seemed a missile made out of pure magical energy at the king. But, before it hit its mark, Mash blocked it with her shield.

Ishtar widened her eyes for a moment, but she had to crouch to avoid being beheaded by an anty-immortal scythe.

"Out of my way!" Ishtar immediately kicked Ana in her guts, blowing the little girl away like a rag doll. But...

"Huh?" The Goddess was barely able to regain her balance in time as Ana's chain pulled her arm, leaving her wide open for a second.

EMIYA didn't think twice and swing his twin blades at her neck. She might be using that girl's body as a vessel, but if Gilgamesh said was true, she was an enemy.

But the Goddess blocked his attack using her Boat of Heaven, and used it as a platform to jump straight for the King. In the middle of the air, she pulled out several gems overloaded with magical energy and threw them at Gilgamesh.

"Die!"

"Oh, thanks for the meal!"

But contrary to her expectations, a certain fox-girl appeared in front of the girl and activated one of her curses. The magical energy from her gems was completely sucked away before they detonated.

"Tsk! A wicked, diminished Goddess is opposing me!?"

"I'm not wicked, flat-chested Goddess!"

"What did you just call me!?"

The two divine spirits exchanged curses, in both senses, and beams. With all the energy she absorbed, Tamamo was able to face the Goddess of Venus head-on, and with some assistance from the King of Heroes surprisingly.

"Siding with an eastern Goddess and another faker to fight this spoiled Goddess wasn't what I expected, but I shall permit it! Time to slay a Goddess!"

Gilgamesh's spellbook shone to life once again, and wands and magical staffs emerged from all the sides of the room and fired spells at Ishtar like a Gatling-Gun. But even if the room was filled with beams and explosions, the Goddess had barely any scratch on her.

"Tch! Even if she was summoned as a pseudo-servant, she's still a Goddess. Even magecraft from this age has barely any effect on her. "

The same could be said with Tamamo's curses, which could pierce through an A-rank magic resistance. But as a divine spirit, Ishtar didn't have just the high magic resistance provided by the Archer class container, but also her Goddess Core for more protection against magic.

"Red Archer, you'll have to do the damage- Mikon!"

The Fox-Girl was saved from being blasted by a massive arrow of light from the Boat of Heaven by Mash. As the enemy was constantly flying around the room, the servant Shielder could just provide assistance.

Then...

"Hrunting!"

The red hound flew at a speed that took the Goddess by surprise, who could just use her boat to block it. The resultant explosion shook the entire room, and Ishtar crashed into the ground spectacularly.

"Kuh! Now you've really done it..." Her eyes shone with a yellow tone as she raised from the ground with a really angry face. "I was holding back my authorities, but I don't care anymore... I'll blow you away with the entire ziggurat-"

Her speech ended suddenly, or her impetus dying as she looked at the servant at her side.

"Kuh..." It was Ana, who was still recovering from the kick she received.

"Hmm..." The Goddess seemed to recognize her in some way. "So that's what's going on... Things are getting complicated..."

She then got in her Boat of Heaven and raised to the hole in the ceiling.

"Huh? Is she retreating?" Mash asked surprised by her sudden change of attitude.

"I changed my mind. I just came to pick up my pillow for my bedchamber in Eanna anyway."

"Astonishing. Ishtar of all the Goddesses running away with her tail between her legs?"

"What are you talking about, Goldie? I just came here on a whim. Now, see you, shirtless King of Heroes. Have fun with the beasts up north." The Goddess then looked at his secretary. "And Siduri, it's not like I won't save Uruk when Gilgamesh dies, so have the white flag prepared."

Ignoring her confused face, the Goddess took off and disappeared as fast as she appeared.

Gilgamesh clicked his tongue. "Tsk. She cooled down. What an annoyingly lucky woman. Just a little more, and I would have the anti-Ishtar net launched... Curses."

"As long as she has Maana, the Boat of Heaven, capturing her will be really difficult, my King."

"Well, it can't be helped. Now, let's get back to work, Siduri. We've lost a lot of time, so we need to work harder to compensate."

"Yes, my King."

And so, the King and his secretary returned to their duties, completely ignoring the Chaldeans.

"So... what now?" Ai asked a little confused. Her poor brain was starting to have serious problems keeping up with everything happening.

"Ishtar's attacks must be something common as of late. The soldiers that run away are already here." Merlin, who had concealed his presence to avoid fighting the Goddess, spoke again. "You should start looking for a place to stay for the night. The king is moody, so maybe he will listen to you guys tomorrow."

"I will not, you nitwit." The King crushed that idea without raising his eyes from the tablet in his hands. "I've no time to deal with their Chaldean field trip."

"That's quite the burn. They have corrected already six Singularities, King Gilgamesh. You could say they are experts correcting human history. Aren't you a bit overworked? Why don't you try trusting in a third party for once."

"Stop pestering me, Merlin. Remember that I am your master, so I'm the one you should serve. But I must say, you did well correcting six Singularities already, Chaldeans."

"Oh, he complimented us?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much a compliment."

Gilgamesh ignored the siblings and continued his speech. "However, those eras are not this. I have no use for you all. If you still say you want to assist me, you may do so by working your way up from the bottom. Siduri! It may be a pain, but take care of them! Now, get out of my sight already!"

And with that said, the King pretty much kicked them out of the ziggurat, and they were guided by Siduri to what would be their residence for the time being.

---

"Sooo, in other words, we need to errands so the King starts considering our aid?"

The priestess nodded at Mash's summarize of the situation. "He said he has no use for you, but he didn't label you as "useless" or "worthless". Defeating demonic beasts is our soldiers' duty, so the only thing left is the various jobs around the city. Usually, one of the King's servants went around doing that kind of job, alongside Ana when she's not following Merlin, but with the increasing attacks of demonic beasts, he has barely any time to spare. I'll see what tasks are left and make the arrangements for you."

That actually managed to raise the hopes of the Chaldeans, that had already hit the bottom after the King rejected their aid.

"That's great, but... why are you doing all this for us?" Ritsuka couldn't help but ask. Contrary to how her King treated them, she was really hospitable.

Siduri gave them a soft smile. "Because the King ordered me to do so. That's a really strange order coming from him, but if he asked me to take care of you, it's because he sees some value in you. Therefore as his assistant, I will trust his words. If you live an honest and productive life, that will be enough for me. As things are right now in Uruk, the ale, sheeps, and everyone's smiles are the only thing that gives us the energy to survive."

Her words were exemplified by bustling crows they encountered on their way to their lounge. With that, the situation of the city made more sense.

"We're here."

The group entered a quite big building at the edge of the town and found themselves in a very spacious room with a large table in its center.

"This is where you'll be staying. This building was originally a tavern, so its first floor is a shared space, and the rooms are on the second and third floor."

"So you'll lend us the entire building?"

Siduri nodded at Mash's question, making the three teenagers smile relieved. At that moment, all the fatigue accumulated since they were rayshifted to the singularity finally coming to them.

"Wait, do we have to pay rent?" Ai remembered that little detail, and all the relief was replaced by pale faces.

"No. You don't have to worry about that matter. We'll also provide the essentials."

The three teenagers then almost collapsed by the relief, and have to lay on the servants.

"That's it. This will the Chaldean Embassy!"

"This is also a perfect place to set up a summoning circle. If you start now, you'll be able to get the supplies before dinner time. Hold on a little more, Ritsuka, Ai. You'll be able to rest soon."

As the three masters started to draw the magic circle in a corner of the room, Arturia turned to look at the Magus of Flowers, who had followed them.

"What are you going to do, Merlin."

"Well, I have already a room in the ziggurat, but this place seems more fun, so I'll be staying here, too. As for Ana here, she already uses this building to sleep. And she's not the only one who's already living here."

"Huh?" That made all the servants raise an eyebrow.

"This building is already occupied? By whom?"

A mischievous smile spread across the half-incubus' face. "They should be here... by now."

Just as he said that, five figures entered the building. And judging by their presence, they were all servants.

"So you've finally decided to stop lazing around and returned from that forest, Merlin."

The one who spoke was a man identical to EMIYA, with his red cloak differing from the one worn by EMIYA. His steel-grey eyes then turned at the other people in the room.

"Judging by the absurd amount of servants here, are they-"

"DARLING!"

"FOU, FOU!"

His words were interrupted when a white blur hit him, almost taking him down. The man had to make a double-take on the Nero hugging him tightly, and a familiar white creature jumped from her head to his face. He then shot a look at Merlin, but seeing how he was already laughing at his "what in the world is going on here" face, he wouldn't receive any help from him.

"I have missed you so much, Darling! But at long last, we're finally reunited! This place doesn't come close to our bedchamber, but it would do for our love nest! With our love, those three Goddesses don't have any chance-"

"Hey hey hey hey, hold on a moment!" Archer interrupted her with a really blushed face while putting down the excited Fou. "I don't know what's gotten into you, Your Highness Nero, but I don't think we are that close. If you want to thank me for accompanying you in your last moments, you don't have to. After all, I could save you..."

"Eh?" Nero could just let out an empty voice as all the life dried from her face. He was talking to her like he barely knew her.

At that moment, Arturia looked at his mentor. "You knew this was going to happen."

"Well, I told you that the nameless hero King of Fakers was summoned here, not Finn, the Hero of Rome."

While Arturia sighed, the other Chaldeans looked at the devastated empress with concern. But Tamamo didn't do so as she had also approached the nameless hero and didn't hear Merlin's words.

"Of course Finn would be shocked if you attack him like that. Where are your manners, child emperor?"

Archer looked at the fox-girl with an eyebrow raised. "I don't know who's this Finn, the name sounds familiar though. But who are you again?"

"Eh?" Now it was Tamamo's turn for looking at the nameless hero in complete shock. Nero's face regained some of its colors, but she was still speechless.

And then, someone separated the empress from the red knight.

"Hey, who are you, and why are you acting so clingy with Archer-dono!?"

Looking at the woman clad in a sakura kimono, she was identical to Nero and Arturia, the only difference being her white hair and grey eyes.

There was an awkward silence in the room, and then...

"HUH!?"

---

And that's everything for now. Yeah, a quite painful cliffhanger, I know, but the chapter was already too long, and this was the perfect place to cut. At least it wasn't one of those cliffhangers placed when a really awaited battle is about to start.

The next chapter will start right away with this reencounter, and the Chaldeans will start doing errands around Uruk. In other words, bonding time and some talks about what happened during the last six months and the other Singularities. The calm before the storm, as they say.

As always, I would like to hear your thoughts on this chapter, and I hope I entertained you. My next update is going to be "Date a Density", and after that, I might do another poll to decide between this story and "Reenacting a Legend."

With this, I say goodbye for now. Hasta la vista!