Chapitre 37: Chapter 37: The Siege in Action!
"Hahahaha!!!"
"This sense of danger, it's been so long."
"It's truly been too long since I've felt this!"
Gilgamesh, abandoning the use of his *Gate of Babylon*, had now taken up a legendary weapon in his own hands, engaging Berserker in close combat. This foe wasn't someone he could defeat at a distance with mere treasures.
The opponent before him was no ordinary Servant. Even with the status of a "King," Gilgamesh found himself pushed to his limits.
"Not only do you have an anti-dragon attribute, but you also possess anti-divine abilities…"
"You don't even spare demons, do you?"
Each weapon he launched was swatted away by Berserker's heavy strikes. In this brutal close combat, Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, was at a rare disadvantage.
"How many different creatures did you slay in your lifetime?"
Their weapons clashed once again, and for a brief moment, the two warriors were face-to-face. Gilgamesh smirked as he asked the question, not about the number of enemies, but about the variety of creatures slain.
The more he fought, the more intrigued Gilgamesh became. This man, who had slain dragons, gods, and demons—what was his true identity?
A savior.
That was an honor even Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, had never achieved in life. To save the entire world—such a feat was beyond Gilgamesh's own ambitions. He ruled Uruk, but the man before him had accomplished something far grander.
It wasn't just about saving one person, one village, one town, one city, or even one nation. This man had saved the entire *world*. In the face of that, dragons, gods, and demons were mere trifles.
Gilgamesh, who was himself half-god, couldn't help but feel the weight of Berserker's achievements. It had forced him to use his *Sha Nagba Imuru* 'The Omniscient and Omnipotent Star'—a tool Gilgamesh rarely felt the need to deploy.
Clang!
Berserker said nothing, fully aware that Gilgamesh was trying to uncover his identity. He swung his massive sword, deflecting Gilgamesh's spear, and immediately followed up with a powerful punch.
Whoosh!
Gilgamesh dodged with a swift twist, and in retaliation, his treasury opened, releasing the Enkidu chains to bind Berserker.
Clatter!
But the chains barely lasted a moment before Berserker effortlessly tore them apart and slashed horizontally with his sword.
"Hmph, I can't believe I've been reduced to this state," Gilgamesh muttered with a hint of self-mockery.
The Enkidu, the chains named after his dearest friend, were supposed to be unbreakable against any opponent with divine attributes. In truth, Gilgamesh trusted *Enkidu* more than even his ultimate weapon, *Ea*. The higher the enemy's divinity, the stronger the chains' hold.
However, Berserker broke free with ease, confirming what Gilgamesh had suspected—Berserker had no divine essence at all. He was purely a man, a human.
*Clang!*
A massive axe materialized from Gilgamesh's treasury, blocking another of Berserker's brutal sword strikes.
---
"How… can this be?"
Tohsaka Tokiomi, seated in his workshop, could feel the drain on his magical energy, and for the first time, his calm facade began to crack.
"Is the King of Heroes actually… losing?"
Sweat formed on his brow. This was a sight Tokiomi had never imagined—Gilgamesh, his trump card, being pushed to the brink by Berserker. It was Gilgamesh's invincibility that had allowed Tokiomi to sit back confidently, but now…
"Who is this Berserker?"
He clutched the teacup in his hand, only for it to slip through his fingers and shatter on the floor. Tea splattered onto his trousers, but Tokiomi barely noticed. The situation was slipping out of control.
Just as he was about to spiral further into panic, his communication device rang, interrupting his thoughts. It was Kotomine Risei, and Tokiomi quickly answered.
"Is that so? I'll meet you after the siege," Tokiomi replied curtly before cutting the connection.
---
Bang bang bang bang!
The sound of gunfire tore through the night, forcing Lancer and Saber to break off their duel and take cover from the barrage of magical bullets.
"!!"
Both turned their gaze skyward, where a colossal machine hovered above them.
"Rider?!"
They both spoke in unison, though their reactions differed. Saber remained calm, but Kyoko scowled.
"Saber, unless you want to get caught in the crossfire, I suggest you step aside," Lelouch's voice echoed from the Knightmare. Kyoko could feel her stomach drop. Something wasn't right. Why did Rider sound like he was coming for *her*?
"This siege… you just need to participate," Lelouch continued, his tone matter-of-fact. "You might as well go help Assassin. He doesn't seem to be doing too well against Caster."
The suggestion gave Saber pause. Should she really engage Lancer when there were other threats to deal with?
'Go assist Assassin, Saber. Leave Lancer to Rider.'
Kiritsugu's voice came through the link. In his mind, it wasn't worth wasting Saber's Noble Phantasm on Lancer when Rider was offering to step in. Plus, Kiritsugu was curious to observe Rider's hidden capabilities.
"Very well." Saber reluctantly turned away from Kyoko. She had wanted to settle things with the Lancer, but Rider's firepower was too dangerous to ignore. One wrong move, and she'd be caught in the crossfire. It wasn't worth the risk.
"Wait! What's going on?!" Kyoko shouted, glaring at Rider. "Siege? What siege?!"
Why did everything suddenly feel so wrong? Saber teaming up with Rider, Assassin joining in… It seemed like the entire battlefield had turned against her and Jounouchi. When had they become such big targets?
"You really don't know?" Rider replied coolly. "The Church issued a mission to eliminate Lancer. Apparently, you violated the rules by killing a civilian during your fight with Assassin."
Kyoko's eyes widened in shock.
"Anyone who participates in the siege will receive a Command Seal as a reward. Do you think any Master would pass up that offer?"
"What?!"
Suddenly, everything clicked. That's why everyone had come after them tonight. Fury bubbled inside her. She thought back to her earlier fight with Assassin—it had felt strange, like he wasn't really trying to kill her, and then he'd just left without finishing the battle.
'So that's why you had a bad feeling…'
Kyoko remembered what Jounouchi had said, his unease seemingly justified. Assassin had been setting a trap all along. But why would the Church accuse her of something she didn't do? She hadn't killed any civilians!
How had she been saddled with this baseless accusation? How could they just throw such a ridiculous charge at her and expect her to accept it?!
Bang bang bang bang!
But there was no time to dwell on it. The Knightmare's cannons roared to life, drowning out her protests with relentless gunfire.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone