Chapter 57: The Chains of Heaven
Why could Gilgamesh keep up with the speed of Kurumi's First Bullet?
Kurumi had some guesses in her heart.
But right now, she was facing a massive crisis.
The Hero King's crimson eyes were filled with ferocity and pleasure. Avenger's brief moment of confusion had given him immense satisfaction.
"For daring to make a king, who should be looked up to, raise his head to see you? Such disrespect is a sin punishable by death," he snarled.
Vimana hovered in the sky, blocking Kurumi's path.
Typically, Gilgamesh would unleash all his treasure prototypes from Gate of Babylon, firing them like cannonballs at his enemies.
The process required very little mana; the seemingly endless stream of treasure consumed only the small amount needed to activate the Gate of Babylon.
But sometimes, there were exceptions.
Khronos Eterna.
This was the shining golden ring, like a zodiac belt, encircling Vimana—a mythical treasure embodying the concept of "time."
Lightning and fire surged outwards. Though they froze in the air upon leaving the ring, they succeeded in sealing off Kurumi's retreat.
The fierce lightning seemed to whip at her skin, painfully halting her movement.
Kurumi frowned slightly.
"My, my, what a petty king," she remarked.
Boom—
The sky was filled with explosions as countless treasures detonated, their sharp edges cutting through the northern wind.
Far off on the horizon, the waves churned once more as the proud king surveyed the ocean.
Kurumi stood silently, gripping her dual pistols tightly.
The only escape Gilgamesh left her was downward, and seated on his golden throne, he smiled.
"Stay there and admire the majesty of your king, Avenger."
Above Vimana, the sky rippled as fifty to sixty Gates of Babylon opened, completely covering the sea below.
"Oh?" Kurumi tilted her head. "Is this... to stop me from flying higher than you?"
"Mongrel! This is the scene of your death that I have arranged," Gilgamesh sneered.
The wave of treasures trembled, emerging from the void with immense destructive power.
But as he had said, it was nothing more than a backdrop for death, limiting Kurumi's movements. The barrage of treasures would have little effect on a Servant who ruled over time itself.
"Well, well~," Kurumi chuckled seductively. "Shall we begin the next round?"
Placing the short pistol back against her delicate chin, she smiled.
"Aleph—First Bullet."
Once again, she walked through the gaps in time, appearing instantly atop Vimana, where Gilgamesh was waiting.
Within the dreamlike golden ring, a sharp knight's sword swung toward her.
Ea, the Sword of Rupture.
Contrary to his usual tactics, Gilgamesh possessed formidable close-combat abilities. In Sumerian mythology, he and Enkidu had once slain the monstrous Humbaba with nothing but their bare hands.
The sharp, silver-white knight's sword, infused with the power to vanquish evil, slashed down toward Kurumi's shoulder.
But in a flash of gold and crimson, the sword was deflected. Kurumi's gun was already aimed at Gilgamesh as she pulled the trigger.
"Hello there~~~."
Her Vengeance Counterattack reactivated.
A lotus-like conceptual shield blocked the bullet.
But Kurumi never intended for this counterattack to succeed. She lunged forward, delivering a swift kick aimed at his vital points.
Gilgamesh swiftly abandoned his throne, launching two long treasures from behind at Kurumi.
The magnificent throne was cleaved in two.
Clang—
Clang—
As the treasures sliced toward her, Kurumi swung her gunblade, wrapping her chain around one of the weapons, locking it in place.
She bent low and charged forward, sliding across the surface, her momentum carving into Vimana.
Silver Flying Blade!
The two treasures she dragged behind her crashed heavily into Vimana.
But Gilgamesh had no time to worry about his vehicle; Kurumi had already somersaulted into the air.
"Hmphahahaha!"
With a gleeful laugh, Kurumi's gunblade whirled, the chain following its trajectory as she slashed at Gilgamesh.
The Hero King discarded his knight's sword, summoning two golden twin swords to block her blade.
Enki, the Twin Swords of the End.
But Gilgamesh was unprepared for what Kurumi did next—she pulled the trigger.
Weren't they supposed to be having a sword fight? Why was she shooting?!
A bullet splattered his face with blood.
Amidst the explosions, Vimana was shattered into pieces.
The wind—
Continued to blow.
The two of them slowly descended onto the sea.
This time, Gilgamesh was truly enraged.
"Filthy insect, scream for me and entertain your king with your agony!" he bellowed.
"And you..." Kurumi smirked coldly.
"You're so annoying."
Click—
The ticking of Zafkiel echoed through the air.
Once again, they transcended time, engaging in a fierce melee.
Gilgamesh donned his gleaming golden armor, and the clash between them erupted with a dazzling display of sparks.
Bullets that had once seemed unstoppable were now blocked by the Hero King's near-perfect armor. Kurumi had to rely on her gunblade to carve through any obstacles.
Though Gilgamesh's overwhelming power had the upper hand, Kurumi's movements were far more agile.
It was a duel between peak Servants, surpassing time itself, becoming increasingly intense.
Suddenly, Kurumi found an opening, wrapping her chain around a notch in one of Gilgamesh's twin swords. She twisted her body, pulling it away.
But Gilgamesh's response caught Kurumi off guard—he simply let go of the sword, tossing aside the other one as well.
A scarlet spear projected from behind him, and in an instant, thirty more spears followed, flooding toward Kurumi like a tidal wave, blocking her path.
Gilgamesh swapped out weapon after weapon, continuously pressing Kurumi.
Endless treasures.
Anti-Dragon, Anti-Human, Anti-Evil, Anti-Monster... Anti-Spirit.
He relentlessly probed at Kurumi's weaknesses.
Their battle tore through the still northern wind, slicing the sea like blocks of tofu.
Amid the shimmering light of the golden ring, Gilgamesh and Kurumi clashed relentlessly.
Then, Gilgamesh grasped another divine sword.
Its hilt was like a slab of molten rock, its blade burning like an eternal flame, capable of scorching even the seas.
Meridian Blaze, the Sword that Burns the Seas.
With a single swing, it cleaved through the air and sea, the crimson sword flash obliterating all before it—righteousness, evil, all dissolved in its searing light.
Kurumi couldn't dodge—the blade light neared, her hair fluttering in its wake.
But... a ranged attack?
—Ranged Deflection.
The black-red clad girl emerged from the sword's light.
Her lace ribbon had been blown away somewhere, her flowing black hair wildly whipping in the wind.
Gunblade in hand, Kurumi soared upward like a vengeful deity. The gunblade tore through everything in its path, slashing toward Gilgamesh with a blood-like arc of power.
Like a blood-red crescent moon, it cleaved downward.
Her chain, stained with her own blood, had held up against the sword's blast, but she was still severely wounded.
Caught mid-swing, Gilgamesh couldn't block in time. From within Gate of Babylon, he summoned a silver chain, which shot toward Kurumi.
Enkidu, Chains of Heaven.
Unexpectedly effective, the golden chains bound the girl, locking her arms apart in a crucifix-like pose.
"Hmphahahaha~~~."
Gilgamesh's laughter was filled with hate.
"Look at you. It seems you have some divinity in you after all."
Gilgamesh despised the gods.
He hated the hypocritical beings who had killed his only true friend, Enkidu.
His hatred was so deep that the king, who should have had the highest level of divinity among all Heroic Spirits, had his Divinity A+ reduced to B.
Thus, no matter how bewitchingly Kurumi bloomed with her divinity, she no longer held any worth in his eyes.
"The Chains of Heaven—anyone bound by these chains, even gods, cannot escape. The higher their divinity, the more easily they are restrained."
This chain represented Enkidu's existence and status.
It was a divine weapon born with the concept of returning the wedge of the heavens back to the gods, designed to keep Gilgamesh himself in check.
It was the treasure Gilgamesh trusted the most.
He looked down at the ocean, the wind tousling his golden hair.
The girl bound in the form of a cross was captivating, her slender, voluptuous figure traced by the chains. But Gilgamesh had no interest in admiring a godly form.
The night sky split open as countless golden ripples appeared, 32, 64, 128… more and more Gates of Babylon opened, filling the heavens.
Even from Fuyuki City, people could see the sight like a grand fireworks display.
Then, like mountains collapsing and valleys shaking, a torrent of treasures rained down.
He had figured it out—Avenger had to hit her target with a bullet to activate her ability. Now, with her immobilized, there was no way for her to fight back.
"Die! You wretched mongrel!" Gilgamesh declared.
——
Divinity, huh.
Kurumi sighed softly.
As a being who grasped the Sephirah in the Kabbalah, it wasn't surprising that she had something like that.
Her divinity rivaled even that of Heracles.
But—
"Oh my, my~~~ Your Majesty the Hero King," a soft, seductive voice echoed behind Gilgamesh.
"Tell me, who exactly are you binding?"
"What!" Gilgamesh whipped around.
The dazzling torrent of treasures crashed down, splitting the sea. A massive, dark void formed, drawing everything in like a terrifying whirlpool, with steam rising in the aftermath.
But this awe-inspiring scene was nothing more than an extravagant display, making it seem all the more ridiculous.
Only now did Gilgamesh recall—there was no clock-like Noble Phantasm behind the Avenger he had bound earlier.
Dalet—Fourth Bullet!
Kurumi's short pistol was pressed against her chin.
She smiled wickedly, and in an instant, her injuries were fully healed.
Aleph—First Bullet!
A crimson streak tore through the air, her gunblade aimed straight at Gilgamesh.
The zodiac-like mythical treasure only worked within the confines of its light. Kurumi's lips curled upward.
Enraged from being repeatedly mocked, Gilgamesh finally brought out his most powerful treasure.
In his hand was an odd sword—though it had a hilt and a guard, its blade was a strange cylinder, resembling three intertwined segments with a regal ruby hue.
The three cylindrical segments ground against each other, mirroring the movement of celestial bodies.
Ea—Sword of Rupture!
···
Kurumi flung her gunblade, her twin pistols spinning in her hands as she clashed fiercely with the Sword of Rupture.
It was a nearly impossible display of gunmanship.
Kurumi darted behind Gilgamesh, her blade slicing toward him, but as it made contact with his golden armor, she twisted her body gracefully. Her delicate hand touched the ground, and with a swift motion, her legs swung out, aiming a powerful kick at Gilgamesh.
"Got you. Condition met."
Miraculously, she straightened herself mid-turn, instantly appearing behind him. Her thick boots crashed into the back of Gilgamesh's knees with the force of a mountain, bringing him down to the ground.
Her twin pistols returned to her hands as she pulled the trigger.
Zayin—Seventh Bullet.
Gilgamesh's entire body trembled in fury. This was a humiliation unlike any other!
Not even Ishtar had ever shamed him like this.
"My friend!" As he was pushed down, he called out.
At that moment, time froze around him.
Silver chains carrying the weight of the world flew towards Kurumi, wrapping around her.
Kurumi flipped away, but the Chains of Heaven relentlessly pursued her, coiling around her body.
Yet, once again, the massive, ancient clock was absent from behind the bound girl.
Under the influence of the zodiac-like light, Gilgamesh quickly broke free from the time stop. He spotted the fleeing girl and gave chase.
Now, he was truly serious.
But Kurumi no longer had any hesitation—victory was already in her grasp.
She was supremely confident.
After all, that zodiac-like treasure was merely a prototype. While it could match the acceleration of the First Bullet, it still fell short of the priority granted by Zafkiel.
How could the sword of a past dynasty be used to cut down the officials of the present?
The Chains of Heaven anchored themselves to Kurumi's clone, away from the zodiac-like treasure.
Gilgamesh wouldn't be able to summon the chains again so quickly.
Kurumi stopped above the massive void in the ocean, the remnants of the treasure storm still lingering like a unique painting in the almost frozen world.
"You hateful mongrel, is this the grave you've marked for yourself?" the Hero King roared.
"I'll make sure your blood flowers bloom before me!"
Kurumi stood, her back to Gilgamesh, turning her head slightly to the left as if she had something in her mouth.
"Mmmmmm..."
Her inorganic clock-eye gleamed provocatively.
"Hmph."
"Come, let me show you, naïve one, what true power really is!"
Gilgamesh raised the Sword of Rupture, his arm lifted high above his head. The bizarre sword began to spin faster.
"Enuma Elish—Separation of Heaven and Earth ."
Though both were frozen in time, the world itself seemed to stir.
A massive surge of magic erupted from the hilt of his sword, stirring up a violent storm.
Enuma Elish.
The sword from the Mesopotamian myth, which cleaved the heavens and earth from chaos.
Now, the divine sword summoned a gale, recreating the miracle of creation.
"Do you see now? This is my true power."
Silently, Kurumi swallowed a potion.
The sky screamed, and the ocean roared.
Even the frozen time was sliced apart.
A colossal pillar of magical energy surged forward with the power of creation itself.
Like Moses parting the sea, black reefs emerged from the ocean floor, only to be crushed.
But why was the mighty king so stunned?
The now-translucent girl emerged from the cleaving miracle of creation, her clothes infused with the same mystical essence—revealing, faintly, that her attire underneath was black.
The terrifying magical energy coursed through her, but it had no effect whatsoever.
It was as if someone had typed "Who's Your Daddy?"
"Goodbye~~~" Kurumi smiled, gripping the end of her gunblade's chain and wildly swinging it. The blade's arc sliced through the heavens, delivering the king his final requiem.
"Carnage Party!"
The chained blade struck with reckless abandon, slashing with the force of a storm. Her twin guns danced in perfect sync, unleashing a frenzied barrage.
The radiant golden armor was cleaved apart, the near-divine blood of the king splattering into the endless whirlpool below.
This was not Kurumi's grave—it was his.
"Ahh, a king should have some dignity."
"When this king starts taking you mongrels seriously, it means I've already been defeated."
Even as he dissolved into particles of prana, turning into spiritrons, Gilgamesh remained as proud as ever.
-32:52:33
The blue sky stretched out endlessly, leading to distant horizons.
After the storm, all had become clear, leaving nothing more to be said.
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