Return to Null Chapter 15:

The King of Heroes

Tokiomi panted as he continued to climb up the path towards the Grail. The Tohsaka patriarch cursed under his breath as his strength was dimming, but the thought of being so close to the Grail spurred him on. He looked down at the battle below and noticed Assassin was now fighting the two Lancers to a standstill. It would seem his Servant was handling herself quite well, making him smirk as he saw them struggle to keep her pinned. He then turned a bit and saw Rider was blocking Ritsuka and two of his compatriots from reaching the Holy Grail. The black haired man grinned at the sight, if this is how things will go down, his victory was assured. He could only imagine how that blue eyed brat would die there, given neither of his current Servants could hope to defeat Rider on their own. However, that all went out the window when he saw the two Servants run passed Rider, towards his location. Tokiomi stared in absolute disbelief, why would they leave their Master behind? And is he planning on facing Rider alone?! Tokiomi clicked his tongue and resumed his sprinting. As much as he wanted to see Ritsuka die, the Holy Grail was more important. Unfortunately, before he could get any further, the two Servants teleported to his location in a bright light, and blocked his path.

"I knew you'd make a run to the Holy Grail." Waver said. "You're nothing if not boring and predictable."

Tokiomi gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in anger. Every time one of these contestants spoke to him, they always disrespected him by saying this. Every time when he tried to be professional, they would dismiss him. It was absolutely infuriating! "I am the head of the Tohsaka family, a family that was taught by the Wizard Marshall himself, and I am a respected Magus of the Clock Tower. I am not boring, Lord El-Melloi II, and I will not tolerate this disrespect anymore!"

The Tohsaka patriarch heard a slight moan and gasp from the lilac haired girl. Her eyes were closing on themselves for but a moment, but she soon snapped back to reality and blushed in embarrassment. "I am so sorry, sir. I nearly fell asleep. I did not mean to do that!"

Tokiomi sighed, he could tell she was being honest in her apology, despite the fact it still stung. "At least you were considerate, child…."

"Mr. Tohsaka, are you really willing to let your own wife die by the Holy Grail erupting?" Mashu asked.

"If it means obtaining a path to the Root, then she would understand." Tokiomi answered.

Mashu felt her heart stop, and drop as if it were diving into a cavern. The Shielder felt dread and despair wash over her once more as those words sank into her mind. She knew that magi could be cruel, arrogant, and even selfish. She knew what they could be like, and yet she held out some hope that people like Tokiomi were able to see the reality of the situation, and understand the consequences. And yet here he is, knowing full well what could happen, and yet be so callous about his actions…..Was this what the Clock Tower Rebels tried to stop? Was this a reason why Doctor Williams took Ritsuka in and trained him the way she did? To prevent that cycle from repeating?

"Mashu, it seems Berserker is giving Saber and her group more trouble with that jet of his." Waver said. "Go to them and help them out. I'll take it from here."

Mashu snapped back to reality and looked back at the battlefield. She then saw that the Caster was right, and Berserker's jet was keeping the group there pinned. They would need her defenses in order to get a good chance on taking it down. "Thank you, Lord El-Melloi II. Please teleport me there!"

With a wave of his hand, Waver did as she requested, and Mashu immediately went to work, blocking and deflecting any of Berserker's bullets that were aimed at Irisviel and the others. Tokiomi could only scoff and furrow his eyebrows at the scene. "Do you really think that you can keep me here all by yourself?"

"Why so impatient, Mr. Tohsaka?" Waver asked. "We both know that the death of two Servants isn't enough to truly awaken the Holy Grail. You could be walking into a trap if you continue to rush this."

Tokiomi felt his body loosen for a moment, his breath calming down, and muscles relaxing. The Caster was right. If he didn't cool off, he could very well miss something important, and potentially get himself killed.

"For right now, let us both watch the battles play out." Waver suggested as he stood there with a cigarette in his hands.

"And what is stopping you from freezing me here, and dismantle the Grail right now?" Tokiomi asked.

"Just watch the bloody fights." Waver said calmly. Tokiomi stood there for a few brief moments, weighing his options. This man knew what Tokiomi planned, and managed to counter him by coming here. And yet instead of killing him outright, he warned of a potential trap ahead… It would seem that Fujimaru's group is not out for his life, unlike proper magi ... .and yet this could work to his advantage. The Tohsaka patriarch decided to play along and watch alongside Waver. The Caster looked around for anything out of the ordinary, any signs of their vile guest, and making sure Tokiomi stayed close to him. The best way to make sure he wouldn't get himself killed, was to stay by his side until they were certain that it was safe. The two men watched as Ritsuka completed his summoning circle, both of them raising an eyebrow. They both knew that Ritsuka stood no chance against Rider alone, but were curious as to who he could possibly manage to summon to face him. As the pillar of light erupted, their thoughts persisted, trying to think of the endless possibilities of who could be compatible with the boy. As soon as the light dimmed, their eyes widened alongside Ritsuka's, their shock and disbelief overshadowed everything else as they saw a familiar golden warrior laugh at Ritsuka's mental anguish.

Meanwhile, as everyone else widened their eyes as they felt that surge of power rush throughout the cavern, Rider saw the spectacle and mentally chuckled as he watched the Servant laugh for a moment. Ritsuka, on the other hand, could only wonder why he of all people was summoned. The golden warrior saw the look on the boy's face, and immediately revealed his true feelings on this meeting with an arrogant, cruel smirk. Ritsuka's eyebrow twitched in irritation as he could tell immediately what was happening.

"You have some gall," Gilgamesh said finally, a hint of disdain in his tone, but Ritsuka could tell there was more amusement in it than the former. "First, you and your merry band decide to kill me, and now you summon me?"

"Oh cut the crap!" Ritsuka said in irritation. "We both know I didn't intend to summon you specifically, and you answered just to piss me off!"

Gilgamesh's smirk faded, replaced by a scowl that could kill any lesser man. "You should watch your tone, mongrel. I could still kill you if I wished."

To emphasize his point, Gilgamesh summoned four portals behind him, his weapons aimed at Ritsuka. The teenaged Master did not show any fear or hesitation in standing his ground, but he could tell he might have gone too far right now, and took a deep breath. "Sorry, it's been a stressful couple of days."

Gil scoffed. He could tell the boy was being honest, but that didn't mean that he approved of such backpedaling. "And now you are starting to bore me like Tokiomi."

Ritsuka groaned and clicked his tongue. "Okay, I might be a loser and a geek, but I'm not boring like that guy!"

Gilgamesh grinned at the retort. The boy was aware of his own mistake, tried to correct it, but wasn't a pushover. However, he still needed to prove his worth in his eyes. "And why should I help you? What makes you think I will want to fight with you or the other mongrels?"

Ritsuka mentally kicked himself for forgetting two particular people. He looked at Rider's amused face, and young Waver's face contorted in confusion, not even knowing what is even happening anymore. The Chaldean Master pointed at them calmly, remembering what he needed to do.

"I know you've been wanting a good fight, and there just so happens to be someone who's been wanting the same thing."

Gilgamesh turned his head and saw Rider staring at the both of them. The Archer grinned as he saw the red haired Servant. It would seem this boy did understand him a bit better than he thought. Gilgamesh raised his hand and laughed as he patted Ritsuka on the head. "Good mongrel!"

"Will ya stop callin me that, ya damned blonde bastard?!"

Gilgamesh laughed even more in amusement. Under normal circumstances he'd remind Ritsuka of his place, but he was in too much of a good mood to care right now, and the boy's reaction was too amusing to warrant such a thought. "Oh how could I forget! You are a corgi! Perhaps I should give you a treat when this is all over!"

"How in the world are we supposed to be compatible….?" Ritsuka asked under his breath.

"I can definitely see how you two are!" Rider shouted.

Ritsuka stared at the red haired Servant with a slight hint of disapproval. "And why didn't you speak up before?"

"Because seeing you two bicker was too amusing to interrupt." Rider answered.

The Chaldean Master looked at Gilgamesh, trying to read his thoughts. He could tell that the Archer approved of such a matchup, but he couldn't tell whether this would be enough to keep him long term. "Does this satisfy you?"

"Indeed it does." Gilgamesh answered. The Archer noticed two particular men watching them from a rise in the cavern, and turned to face them. "Do you see this here, Tokiomi? This boy has proven himself a far more entertaining Master than you could ever hope to achieve!"

Ritsuka smiled at that response. He might not like Gilgamesh, but he could at least take pride in knowing Tokiomi's been taken down a peg in this manner. The Chaldean Master turned to Rider, his face softening. He really wished things could have been different, but there was no turning back now. "Are you ready?"

Rider nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be."

The two Servants walked towards the center of where they originally stood, eyeing each other in respect for the upcoming battle. Gilgamesh peered into Ritsuka's mind earlier, already understanding this was a Singularity, and that they needed to solve it to keep it under control. He knew how things were different between this Fourth Holy Grail War, and the one where he accepted the contents within the Holy Grail itself, obtaining a human body. But he wanted to see if there was a difference within Rider as well. The Archer peered into the red haired man's mind, and was satisfied with what he saw.

"Do you want to make the first strike?" Rider asked knowingly. "Or shall I?"

"I am in a generous mood right now," Gilgamesh answered. "I shall allow you to have the honors."

Rider grinned and summoned his steed and a spear into his hands. The red haired Servant thrusted at Gilgamesh, but the Archer simply caught the weapon by the haft, and summoned three portals to shoot his weapons at Rider. The red haired Servant ordered his horse to leap away from the attacks, saving them both from getting skewered by Gilgamesh's blades. The golden Archer fired a volley of weapons at the Servant and his steed, but Rider's horse was quick on it's hooves, prancing around the attacks with ease. Rider readied his spear again for another strike, but Gilgamesh decided to humor his opponent. The golden Archer opened a portal, and took out a large ornate axe from it and deflected Rider's blow.

"Hah! I managed to make you use your own hands!" Rider said playfully.

"Do not get ahead of yourself, Rider." Gilgamesh responded in a playful manner. The two men faced each other once more and charged. Their weapons clashed in a symphony of metal and sparks. The flurry of their strikes could be felt from their respective Masters, who could only look on in absolute awe as the two men fought vigorously. Ritsuka looked away from the battle momentarily, eyeing Chaldea's Waver and Tokiomi on the ledge. He knew he wouldn't show it, but it was obvious Waver wasn't really thrilled at seeing Gilgamesh battling Rider once more. However, Ritsuka's main objective was to see if Waver missed anything, wanting to see where their target is going to make it's move soon. He tried to pick up its scent, but the sheer chaos of the battles raging on, and the distance between them made it near impossible to tell which direction it was in.

"Senpai…..why did you have to summon him of all people?!" Mashu asked telepathically, her disapproval made apparent.

"Trust me, I didn't exactly plan for him to come either. I don't like it either, but we might as well work with him."

"Ah, so the corgi with the shield has finally made her opinion known!"

Ritsuka groaned as he could hear Gilgamesh's voice in his mind. "Are you certain that conversing with us right now is the best idea for you?"

"How about talking less about this, and focusing on our battles!" Saber shouted telepathically. "Speaking of which, I have an idea, Ritsuka. It deviates from our intentions, but I think you might like it."

"What is it?"

"Here's my proposition….."

Cú and Diarmuid thrusted their spears towards Assassin, trying to keep her on her toes. The purple haired woman dodged their strikes, summoning a shadowy man from thin air to kick Diarmuid away, giving her enough time to get out of their range. Assassin threw her daggers at Cú, but the blue haired Lancer activated Protection of Arrows instantly to repel her attack.

"You should have known that wouldn't have worked." He said. "Or have you forgotten what happened last time we fought?"

Assassin said nothing. Instead, she simply conjured more shadows to fight for her. One was a hulking behemoth of a man, his muscles looked like they'd rip his body apart, the other one was a thinner man with a scimitar, both men covered their heads with the same mask and turban as Assassin.

"Jeez, you Hassan's are a very tricky crowd." Cú said.

"It is simply part of our trade." Assassin replied. Without uttering a word, the larger shadow attacked Cú with its fists. The blue haired Lancer leapt out of the incoming blow, but the thinner shadow crept up behind him, readying to stab him in the back. Diarmuid leapt into action, thrusting his spears at the thinner shadow, preventing it from even landing a blow against Cú. The blue haired Lancer used the opportunity to pierce the larger shadow through the heart. The shadow dissipated into thin air, causing Assassin to feel slight pain from the ordeal. However, she quickly recovered, having tested the waters with these two opponents, she was ready to summon a few more of her persona's to keep them at bay. The two Lancer's counted six new shadows, alongside the thinner one previously summoned earlier to make seven shadows to face.

"Assassin, please stand down." Diarmuid said calmly. "We have bigger concerns tonight, and you know it. We do not have to fight."

"Do not waste your words on me." Assassin said. "My Master wants the Grail, and as his Servant, it is my duty to aid him."

"Sorry, Diarmuid, but you should've known she'd say that." Cú replied. "Our only chance to get her to listen is to subdue her."

"As if I'd let you succeed. If that happened, you'd kill my Master."

"Kill Toki-" Cú clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Listen, we're not going to kill your Master. In fact, we're trying to keep him alive!"

"And why should I believe you?" Assassin asked.

"Well, if you won't believe our words, then allow our weapons to talk for us." Diarmuid replied. The black haired Lancer immediately attacked Assassin's shadow warriors, with one immediately responding in kind. The other's however, sensed Cú making a dash for their original host, and attacked him to prevent him from reaching her. The blue haired man easily knocked them all aside, clearing the way to Assassin without killing any of the shadows. Assassin stared at the Lancer in slight surprise. He could have easily killed those persona's without batting an eye, but he spared them…why would he do something so foolish? The purple haired woman widened her eyes as she saw Cú was now upon her, knocking her down on the ground. Cú pointed his spear at her chest, his eyes calm and tranquil.

"Stay down, we're not here to kill you."

Assassin did not use her words to respond, instead, she grabbed his spear, using it as leverage to get up and kicked Cú in the face. Cú was not even phased by the attack and proceeded to lift his free hand up to try and smack her on her head, but Assassin leapt out of the way and threw some daggers at Diarmuid while the black haired man was distracted. Diarmuid saw them from a glance, and deflected them with one spear while knocking down two shadows with the other. Diarmuid threw Gáe Dearg at her, but Assassin dodged at the last second, using this moment to de-summon all of her personas from the battlefield to conserve her power. The purple haired Servant immediately leapt out of the way as the two Lancers tried to pin her to the ground once more, throwing smoke bombs at their feet.

"Don't worry, I can still smell her." Cú said.

"Then where is she?" Diarmuid asked.

"Right on my left!" Cú shouted as he lunged his spear in that direction. Assassin jumped to the side and retreated. She clicked her tongue in frustration over how this fight was going poorly for her, not knowing how long she could keep this up. She looked for a way to try and get them to ease off her, and saw the fight between Rider and Archer. Ritsuka was standing there without anyone else watching. The Assassin closed her eyes and sighed, she could simply subdue him, and hopefully use him as leverage against the Lancers. As regrettable as she found it, killing him would also work…..despite how she felt the dread of doing so….

As if he sensed her intent, Ritsuka glanced in her direction, making eye contact before shaking his head to her with a kind look in his eyes. Assassin widened her eyes as she processed what just happened. This boy somehow felt her intent and without uttering a word, nor interrupting the fight before him, used a simple gesture to try and tell her to rethink her course of action…Assassin simply nodded back at him. If what he was trying to imply was true, then attacking him wasn't worth the trouble, she would simply have to find a different path forward. Then an idea hit her, and she mentally kicked herself in the head for not thinking of this before.

"Master, I might have an idea."

"And what would that be, Assassin?"

"I use more smoke bombs to keep the Lancer's at bay, then I shall come to your location to protect you on your way to the Grail."

"Assassin, only two Servants have died in this war. We'd need more sacrifices in order to truly activate the Holy Grail."

"I could try to kill their Caster. That could bump it up to three."

"Hrmmm, not a bad idea. But wait for a bit before trying it, otherwise it might not work."

"I'll wait for an opening then. When his guard is down, I'll rush over and strike."

"That will be adequate enough. Do not fail me, Assassin."

"Understood, Master."

Assassin readied herself for when the smokescreen would wear off, her daggers at the ready. However, when she turned to face that direction, she saw that the smoke already cleared, and the two Lancers simply stood there, watching her with their weapons casually held in their hands.

"Are you done daydreaming?" Cú asked.

"I was not daydreaming, you mutt!" Assassin shouted. "I was merely thinking about a plan!"

"Whatever you're planning, it won't work." Diarmuid replied.

Assassin said nothing. She simply brought forth her daggers, and lunged at the two men. Cú and Diarmuid simply shook their heads in disappointment. It would seem that she couldn't be reasoned with yet, so they just had to wear her down until they could keep her restrained. The two men proceeded to grip their weapons tighter, and lunged at their opponent.

As that was happening, Saber's fighting group continued to hide behind cover to protect themselves from Berserker's jet. Mashu's return was a welcome boon, but she could only do so much to provide them defenses from the maddened Servant's onslaught. Emiya and Kiritsugu kept trying to shoot at the jet, wanting to keep Berserker distracted. They knew their projectiles wouldn't be able to pierce the jet, but it provided a nice distraction to keep everyone else safe.

"How much longer do we have to keep this up?" Mashu asked.

"Until he stops shooting at us!" Kiritsugu answered.

"He's making another run!" Emiya shouted.

Berserker roared as his jet turned around, locking onto the three Servants. With barely any time to spare, they proceeded to get under the boulder they kept to, with Mashu using Lord Chaldeas to reinforce their position. Irisviel took this time to heal any minor injuries the fighters received, and looked around to keep an eye on their persistent hunter. "Are we sure Saber's going to pull this off?"

"I don't know, she didn't tell any of us what she intends." Kiritsugu countered.

"She told Senpai…" Mashu muttered.

"Sounds like I could ask him," Emiya said. "Because right now, Saber just ran off and-"

"Lancelot! Over here!"

The four of them widened their eyes and looked over the boulder to see Saber, her sword raised high as she waved down Berserker. "If you want to kill me so terribly, then come get me!"

"I knew she was crazy," Emiya muttered. "But this? She's insane…."

"Well you know what they say about crazy women." Irisviel said with a devious smile, devil horns and a tail appearing out of nowhere.

"You're probably crazier than she is." Kiritsugu said robotically. "No wait, you are crazier."

"Oh good, you've been paying attention." Irisviel replied, her tail swaying side to side.

"How about we focus on helping Artor- I mean, Saber out there!" Mashu said.

"I don't think she needs it." Kiritsugu answered. The Counter Guardian pointed at the blond Servant leaping all over the place while Berserker chased her with his jet. However, to everyone's surprise, the jet's guns could not aim at her properly due to her erratic movements. They soon noticed a pattern in her movements, always moving forward, never backward. She was oddly moving closer to the wall of the cavern where the Holy Grail stood atop of. Saber could only wonder why she didn't think of this earlier, but now wasn't the time to be thinking about that. She had to make sure to not get distracted as the hail of bullets continued to fly. Soon, she stopped at the edge of the wall and turned back to face her hunter. Berserker went low to the ground for a strafing run, his guns ready to fire, causing Saber to smirk. As the first bullets flied, Saber leapt high in the air towards the jet. She landed on the back of the jet, but before Berserker could reach her, Saber jumped off, having used the vehicle as a stepping stone to get away. Berserker roared, but soon turned to face the wall, and with what was left of his rational mind, realized what had just happened.

Saber baited him into a trap.

BOOM!

Saber landed on the ground, looking at the wreckage of the jet as it burst into flames. She turned to see the rest of her group running to her location, with Kiritsugu wearing a small, satisfied smirk. "I have to admit, I like your style."

"It's not over yet." Saber said. "That was just to get rid of the jet."

"Oh for the love of…" Emiya groaned. "Of course that explosion wouldn't kill him."

As if to make Emiya more annoyed, Berserker rose from the flames, his visor glowing red as his fists clenched tightly. With a raised hand, the black armored Servant summoned forth Arondight, and pointed at Saber.

"So, what's the plan now?" Kiritsugu asked.

"Unfortunately, planning anything now will be futile." Saber said. "We are going to have to improvise everything we do from now on."

"Are you implying that him having the jet was the easier battle?" Mashu asked.

"Yes, but it was also riskier. But without it, we can keep him surrounded, but given what we know….." Saber answered softly and carefully. "All of you listen to me now, we are now at the hard part. We are all going to have to fight for our very lives now."

Mashu felt a chill through his spine. She remembered how strong Lancelot was in France, and how he almost overpowered Artoria…..And now she was going to have to fight him again, but this time, his strength was much greater. She didn't know if they would succeed even with the numbers they had now.

"ARRRRRRRRTHUUUUURRRR!"

Berserker charged at them like a mad hound. The entire group immediately readied themselves for the oncoming charge, but in their hearts, they knew that their chances of success were dwindling by the minute. They could only hope that they find a weakness in his assault, otherwise things would get really dire….

Gilgamesh broke through his and Rider's close quarter battle with a storm of swords to get some distance between them. The Archer could only grin in delight at the events of his new summoning as he stared at his opponent. He didn't care that he was fighting Rider once more, as he always did enjoy the red haired man's presence. But moreover, it was because of the fact that this was supposedly the final night of the Holy Grail War, and it actually felt like a climatic battle in his eyes. After all the boredom of this version of the War, and the ones from his other self's memories, he could finally cut loose and prove his superiority.

"So, is this all you've hoped for, Archer?" Rider asked.

Gilgamesh laughed for a few moments, causing Ritsuka to raise his eyebrow in confusion. "You seem to understand me well, Rider!"

"You do realize what's at stake here, right?" Ritsuka asked.

"Calm down, young corgi." Gilgamesh answered calmly. "All you need to do right now is watch."

"Now now, the boy was just curious." Rider countered.

"No need to defend him, Rider." Gilgamesh responded. "I wasn't offended in the slightest. However, I think it is time we end this, lest we get too carried away."

Rider nodded. The red haired Servant turned to his Master, who stared at him in confusion. The young man tried to see what was going through Rider's head, but nothing seemed to give him any clues. Ever since Archer was summoned into the fold again, Rider had been acting strangely, becoming more reckless, to the point he seemed to be actively taking unnecessary risks, things that he normally would not have tried before. It was as if he was actively trying to put a target on his own back….

"Boy, time to use all your Command Seals."

Young Waver snapped back to attention as he heard those words. He looked at Rider's smile and his doubts seemed to dim. Perhaps he was just worrying over nothing. The young man smiled and nodded. He raised his hand as the power of his Command Spells lit up with power and resolve. "By the power of my Command Spells! Rider, go all out and fight to your heart's content!"

Ritsuka felt the power from where he stood as Rider started brimming with newfound strength and power. The Chaldean Master did not feel any hint of concern or uncertainty as he witnessed the event playing before him. He knew Gilgamesh could handle this, remembering the sheer effort it took to defeat him in the first place. Instead, he was wondering if the golden Archer was actually happy with…..wait, why was he concerned about Gilgamesh's opinion here?! Now he was getting annoyed by thinking about that blonde jerk.

"Hehe, believe me loud corgi, reading your thoughts can be annoying too." Gilgamesh telepathically responded playfully.

"Are you really okay with ending this battle so suddenly? I thought you wanted to be entertained."

Gilgamesh grinned in anticipation. "I intend to drag this battle out a little more, it'll be more entertaining for Rider and I that way."

"Their bodies may return to ash, but their spirits still hear my call!"

The ground shook and quaked beneath everyone's feet. They stopped in their tracks as they turned to see Rider raising his arms in the air, hyping himself up as he activated his trump card. A huge powerful gust of wind blew through the entire cavern, and a strange appearance of sand caused everyone but Gilgamesh to cover their eyes to protect them from the sand. Rider laughed aloud as he watched Gilgamesh simply stand there, smiling in amusement and mirth without moving an inch as he allowed him to continue. Soon, the winds died down, and the onlookers felt something wrong with the ground. It was softer, less sturdy than the floor of what they were standing on. They then looked down and realized that they were no longer in the cavern, but a wide and vast dessert. The younger Waver looked around in awe and shock as he was surrounded by men he didn't even know. All of them wearing armor and carrying weapons of old. So this was Rider's trump card, a Reality Marble…..

Emiya, on the other hand, cursed under his breath. He was hoping to use his own Reality Marble to try and restrain Berserker if he ran out of any other options, but now that was going to be impossible now that Rider activated his own.

"These men are my legendary heroes – my loyal followers! They're my true friends - breaking the rules of space and time to fight once more at my side. They are my treasure within treasures; They're my right to rule!"

The soldiers behind Rider hollered and cheered, raising their spears and swords in the air crying out for their king's victory. Young Waver felt his smile grow as he witnessed the army before him prepare themselves for battle, with Rider atop his chariot, raising his sword in the air, shining in the sun.

"They make up Iskandar's mightiest Noble Phantasm! Ionian Hetairoi!"

The soldiers roared a fierce battle cry throughout the battlefield. Berserker stared on with the rest for a few moments, before the shouts roused him from his thoughts, returning his attention to his prey. The Berserker suppression squad barely had time to react as their opponent renewed his assault, much more vicious than before. As that was happening, Gilgamesh smiled as he saw the might of Rider's army before him once again. This man never ceases to make him smile.

Rider turned to his Master, and extended his hand. "Climb on, we're about to have some real fun now!"

The young man wasted no time, taking the red haired man's hand quickly and jumping onto the chariot. Gilgamesh did not bother looking back at his own Master, and simply summoned forth several portals of his own. "Conserve your strength, for things are about to be more fun!"

Ritsuka said nothing to his command. Gilgamesh glanced back at Ritsuka, and took note of his posture. He didn't show it, but it was clear that Ritsuka knew that this fight was inevitable, and had to end, but he didn't enjoy the thought of eliminating Rider, nor did he truly desire it. He wished from the bottom of his heart that there was a different way.

"Do not get conflicted now," Gilgamesh said. "You worry about your code here, but you should know this isn't enough to break it."

"Huh?"

"Do not make me repeat myself," Gilgamesh said sternly. "Rider knows what is at stake, so instead of feeling confused, steel yourself now, for he and his Master won't bend so easily."

Ritsuka said nothing, but he clenched his fists in frustration. He hated how Gilgamesh seemed to know what he was thinking, but he knew he was right. The golden Archer simply chuckled and summoned his portals, eyeing the soldiers as they stood ready for a fight. Rider grinned at his opponent, and pointed his sword at the golden Archer.

"CHARGE!"

Countless soldiers, bearing different armor, hair, weapons, and face, rushed forth upon the golden Archer. Each one was worthy of being called a Servant in their own right, yet they all heeded the word of the red-haired Rider. This was the power of Rider's Noble Phantasm, his proof of kingship.

Gilgamesh grinned, enjoying the naked pride and arrogance shown to him by Rider and his army. There was no hesitation, no fear in their eyes despite each one of them knowing the strength of their enemy. This was not an opponent that any of them could hope to overcome.

"GAHHHHHH"

Yet they pushed forward regardless, seeing only the enemy their King had decreed.

"Try to entertain me," said Gilgamesh, with a wave of his hand.

The first barrage of treasures, a torrent of swords, shot out of the portals he had prepared and impacted hard against the vanguard. Each sword was a powerful treasure on par with a Noble Phantasm, exploding with eruptive force that scattered the soldiers. The army did not even take a second look, charging past their fallen brethren and advancing the line towards Gilgamesh.

Another barrage, and the second group fell. It was clear that this was Rider's plan, to pit his proof of Kingship against Gilgamesh's.

"On me!" yelled Rider, charging forward on his chariot.

With a crackle of thunder, he deflected the third barrage of treasures. He could not casually repel such a power, but with the strength of his chariot, he could at least redirect them, slightly. More men fell, but they gained more ground and at the cost of less lives. It wasn't as elegant as Rider would have liked, but it was his only path forward against the incarnation of war that was Gilgamesh.

"Oho? That chariot isn't too shabby, it is good that you did not lose it to-ah, no." started Gilgamesh before correcting himself, "How should I strike down this entertaining foe? Shall I open more portals to the Gate? Or should I match my Kingship with his?"

Gilgamesh was talking to himself, but it was clear his words were directed to Ritsuka.

"Do whatever you want, just end this." shouted Ritsuka.

He knew the golden Archer was fundamentally uncontrollable. Gilgamesh would operate according to what he wanted, and it was best simply to plan around his actions.

"Are you ordering me? Quite an uppity corgi." responded Gilgamesh, "But if it's an 'end' that is desired, I have a whim I wish to indulge in."

The previous portals vanished, they were no longer necessary after all. In their place, one more portal opened by Gilgamesh's side. From its depths, a golden hilt emerged for Gilgamesh to grip. This was not one of the ordinary treasures to be launched like a missile, this was a weapon that was meant to be used.

"Is that your Noble Phantasm, Archer?! Unleash it!" yelled Rider, redirecting every drop of mana into his chariot to make it rocket forward.

"This world is your dream, is it not? The dream of a Conqueror, who would be satisfied with an endless land free to fight and take to his heart's desire. It has been a long time since I've seen such a dream, however the nature of dreams is for them to end when the dreamer awakens. So, I will now end your dream, Rider!" said Gilgamesh, offering an epithet to his foe.

The golden Archer took hold of the golden hilt, and with the sound of broken chains and unshackled locks, pulled out Ea, the Sword of Rapture. The audacious golden hilt was not connected to a metal blade, but rather three stone cylinders inlaid with glowing red lines and writing that none of those present could decipher. Even without an edge, all present could understand that the weapon in front of them was beyond the scope of the world. It was a calamity that none could stand against, that was not meant to cut flesh but the fabric of reality itself.

"ENUMA ELISH!"

The three cylinders began spinning rapidly. They were not generating a missile or channeling their power into a wave of destruction, but rather eroding the reality in front of them. Instantly, the sky and ground began cracking as if they were an egg struck with a hammer. The ground was solid, but the sky shattering was a shock to everyone. Ea's target was not Iskander or his army, not directly at least, but rather the world itself. The Hetairoi was beginning to crumble, the world within it was dying. This was the power of an Anti-World Noble Phantasm.

Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the Reality Marble ended, returning everyone back to reality. Ritsuka stared in astonishment, getting up from the ground, his body hissing in pain as he saw that everyone else was also on the ground but getting back up from the impact. He then turned his attention to Gilgamesh, still holding his Noble Phantasm calmly, as if he were standing to be painted. He heard of how powerful Ea was from Artoria and Waver from their descriptions, but to see it up close and personal like this…..Their descriptions did not do the weapon any sort of justice…..

However, much to the Chaldean Master's surprise, Rider's chariot wasn't destroyed from the attack. The red haired Servant and his Master were still standing. As that was happening, everyone resumed their battles once more, and Rider grinned. Young Waver saw this, and felt uncertain once again. Sure, Rider was fine physically, but after such a display, how could they hope to win this? Rider did not hesitate, and gently put his Master on the ground. This was it, no more tricks, no more plans…..

"Remember what you promised, my friend."

Young Waver stood there, standing at his Servant, no, his king in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"You know what I mean." Rider said calmly. The red haired Servant looked up to see the elder Waver, staring down at him, causing Rider to smile proudly, nodding at the man in acknowledgement.

"Are you ready to finish this, Rider?" Gilgamesh asked.

With a small nod, Rider roared one last time, and charged straight at Gilgamesh. The blonde Archer summoned several blades to halt his progress, but Rider deflected them all. Whether Gilgamesh attacked him in a sloppy display, or if Rider figured out a pattern, none could say but those two. Gilgamesh continued his volley, and every time, Rider's blade met his treasures, blocking and deflecting them whenever they neared. However, it was all for naught as Gilgamesh shot the Chains of Heaven at his opponent, stopping him in his tracks without a hint of difficulty. The King of Heroes walked up to his opponent, both of them smiling respectfully at one another for the briefest of moments. Rider then saw Ritsuka, and grinned proudly. "Good luck kid, I know you got this in the bag."

"I….thank you, Iskander." Ritsuka muttered.

Rider then turned to his Master, the young man had tears in his eyes in realization. "Rider…."

"Remember what I commanded of you." Rider said weakly. The red haired Servant turned his attention now to the elder Waver, still watching from afar. Rider grinned at him warmly, causing the Caster to clench his fists. But he did not cry, nor did he turn away. Instead he chose to smile sadly at his king one last time. Rider closed his eyes as Gilgamesh neared him until he was in striking distance, raising Ea to finish the job.

SCHLICK!

With one thrust to Rider's spirit core, the red haired Servant coughed up some blood, and Irisviel felt his impending death, nearly doubling over from the shock. Not a moment later, Kiritsugu was upon the white haired woman, getting her to safety so he could return to the group's aid. Rider soon disappeared without another word.

"He died well, so take heart in that." Gilgamesh said. The golden Archer turned to Ritsuka, his eyes knowing and stern. "This is as much as I shall aid you. As of now, I want to see what you are capable of on your own. Do try to entertain me, you yapping corgi."

"I don't really care if I entertain you or not." Ritsuka said. The young Master sniffed the air, and his eyes narrowed. The scent in the air changed a bit, making the blue eyed boy scowl. "I have to make sure I get there in time!"

Ritsuka immediately ran off at full speed, the Chaldean Master suddenly becoming a blur to young Waver, who simply stood there frozen in confusion. Meanwhile, Tokiomi looked at the elder Waver with a wry grin. "How does it feel to have lost your Servant in front of you twice?"

"I don't know, how does it feel knowing your former Servant prefers my Master over you?" The older Waver asked cruelly.

Tokiomi shrugged and relaxed his demeanor. "I guess I walked into that one."

"You always ended up as the punchline anyway, Tohsaka."

Both men widened their eyes in shock as a sinister voice rang through their ears. The Caster cursed under his breath, he couldn't believe that he let his guard down now of all times. No…no he was alert to everything, and yet this person still managed to sneak in close. Tokiomi and the older Waver turned around to see Zouken Matou smiling at them sinisterly.

"Hi."

(Owen Chaser stares into an empty space, his eyes empty and void of any thought as he continues to think about his vacation into the Shadow Lands)

Y: The Shadow Lands, huh? I have family that live there. Well, depending on one's definition of living. The point is that they're not dead, strictly speaking, but it'd be best to not visit when they're hungry

OC: Oh yeah I met them there. Thankfully they spared my life….But hey I at least brought us some new decor!

(OC points to the mounted heads of Commander Gaius and his boar on the wall at the center of the stage. Then to the golden hippo's head on the far right.)

OC: Fuck you Commander Gaius! Fuck you and your pet piggy! May you both rot in hell!

Y: Sounds like you had an encounter with a rather nasty porcine. I'd suggest a generous helping of pork chops to soothe your soul. Preferably with gravy and then a good walk to build up the muscles.

OC: Trust me, I already ate most of the boar's body. The head is all that remains and I wanted to stuff it on a wall to disrespect that blasted demon. Aaaannnyy way, hello everyone! We are back, and we have a special announcement. What is that announcement? Well, Chaldean Chronicles has now reached 90k Views!

Y: Those are good numbers, I think. Well, it means that there's a good number of people that are enjoying it, so that's always a good thing. Work is meant to be consumed after all, to embrace the emotions it incites.

OC: Indeed. And we would usually try to have a special guest for this segment, but once again, scheduling conflicts arose, making this week without a special guest. So we would just like to say thank you all for reading Chaldean Chronicles, and putting up with our shenanigans. And now onto our breakdowns. So for scene one, Ritsuka's relationship with Gil already shows how things will be going forward hehehe. Honestly I find this dynamic too amusing.

Y: It's a nice dynamic, a bit different compared to what happened with Hakuno, probably due to Gil being somewhat aware of what has already occurred. Still the type to see himself as the king above all enjoying the show his 'subjects' are putting on for him.

OC: And fun fact, The part where Ritsuka showing Rider to Gilgamesh and Gil calling him a good mongrel was something Vlad said years ago when I suggested the idea to him, and I couldn't help but laugh until I fell off my chair. It honestly fit so well.

Y: Does sound like a common Gil moment. It says a lot that that's still a complement from his perspective.

OC: And Ritsuka is proving that he's not taking any shit by clapping back as best he can. That's something Gilgamesh would probably want in a Master, but not too uppity otherwise we all know what happens…..

Y: Gilgamesh is indeed that sort of finicky person. He's the sort to exactly prioritize his own wants and needs first, so the trick is to try and make sure your life fits into that. Hence Kirei method, lol. It does backfire though, like Gil knowing everything bout a certain nun in CCC and not telling anybody about it until it was too late.

OC: He's funny like that. But at least he's eager to fight Rider again, with his past memories of the other timeline filling him in what happened and all. Now as for Scene two the other fights rage on, with Assassin proving herself to be quite adept at handling foes stronger than her with her tactics. However, the real question is how long until she realizes shit is hitting the fan….

Y: Knowing Gil, he probably has seen the shit hitting the fan, but doesn't tell anybody because he finds everything amusing. Up until the point where he gets screwed over and then realizes he probably should have spoken up. It's happened four times already, and…yeah, nickel analogy. Hehe.

OC: And over at the Berserker corner, he lost his jet. Which made him hard to attack. Which is good for the ground troops as they can now fight him on foot! Bad news? Berserker lost his jet, and has Zouken as a Master. I'm betting they'll be wishing they didn't destroy that jet soon….

Y: Yep, they're about to face one of the cruelest and conniving Magi in Fuyuki. Further, unlike other strong Servants, attacking Zouken directly will be rather difficult if you're not Kirei. Gonna be an uphill battle.

OC: Yeah…that is true. But for scene three, we had the continuation of Gilgamesh and Rider's fight, and we tried to extend it for as long as we could to give them some more hype and power. Gilgamesh would definitely want to extend the fight anyway out of respect, so that's what we decided to do.

Y: Mhmm, their clash is still one of the Nasuverse's biggest hype moments that shows Gil's power, which had previously only been glazed up by Nasu and other similar statements. Still hoping for a Fate route adaptation, just to see more 'smart Gil' fighting. Still, it was a good moment, and a fun 'what-if' Iskander still had his chariot at that point.

OC: Yeah, unfortunately it didn't help him much, but he at least got his wish to fight Archer, and he died a very good death. That's as much as anyone can hope for.

Y: Kinda reminds me a bit of the discussion between Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe in the Last Samurai. They're discussing the Charge of the Light Brigade, with Tom Cruise claiming the movement was a massive tactical blunder, but Watanabe considering it was a sign of absolute loyalty and defiance in the face of a lost war. Got similar vibes, which is fitting since Iskander is very much a Romantic character within the dichotomy.

OC: He knew he wasn't gonna make it out after all that, so he decided to go out swinging. But poor Waver, having to witness the exact same scene play out almost completely like it did last time. Must have been hell to see that again.

Y: I'm rather curious which side of the fence Nasu comes down on with regards to Romanticism vs Enlightenment fiction. The concept of Heroic Spirits themselves (along with the setting) leans heavily towards Romantic, but aspects like the Age of Will, more optimistic tunes towards the future, etc. are more Enlightenment.

OC: Well it's gonna be interesting to see which side we take in the next few chapters. Because Zouken has finally made his move, and we all know bug man is gonna go for the throat!

Y: I've always been curious, what DOES Zouken do in his off time. Yeah, Magi research and all that jazz, but he can be in a million places at once due to his body being bugs, so he can get a lot of boring stuff out of the way pretty quickly. So, does he have hobbies or anything?

OC: I can think of one hobby, but in the interest of NOT wanting this studio to burn down, I will refrain from saying anything. Well that's all for this chapter! Thank you all for helping us reach 90K views, and we will see you in the next installment of Chaldean Chronicles. Owen Chaser and Yatsu signing off!

Y: See ya everyone!