章 1039: 53
053 - King to King Two (King advances)
King Gilgamesh of Uruk.
The King's eyes close, a smirk of satisfaction gracing the world as the unworthy pews of this house are allowed to serve as his seat. The little magus put the pieces together and unearthed the truth. Or, at least, a piece of the truth. She will now flee straight into the stray's grasp, hoping for protection and reassurance.
A bright human that belies her era, sharp of mind and spirit, worthy of being claimed by the True King. Another treasure in the hands of the unworthy. The stray sure is growing cocky, getting his sticky and greedy fingers into anything shiny he can reach. Like a stinking and mangy wild magpie.
The King's smile sharpens. All according to plan.
"You seem to be in a good mood, my King." The voice of the empty priest comes from behind, tempering the King's spirits. "Did anything interesting happen?"
The King snorts, taking his time to twirl the golden cup of wine on his hand and taking a sip before deigning himself to answer. "Even after getting himself killed, the mongrel managed to slip his leash long enough to herald the King."
"My King?"
"The curtains have dropped, the masquerade has ended and the real play has started." The King explains, mood steadily dropping as he's forced to explain the obvious just to maintain a half-passable conversation. "The mongrels scramble to gather, foolishly seeking in numbers a safety they'll never find."
"Well, I had hoped to hide my involvement until I could personally reveal it to Rin's face… It would have made for a fitting farewell gift." The priest comments idly, making the King frown at the casual admittance of his plans to ruin one of the King's claimed treasures. "But this imperfect world rarely delivers us perfect circumstances. I assume this is all part of your plan?"
"Indeed it is." The King nods, benevolently setting the offense aside. It doesn't matter, because that's also part of the plan. "But you… You have overstretched the King's sufferance."
There's a golden glow and a shape humming with power flies right beside the King's head at barely subsonic speeds, burrowing deeply into the priest's chest with a meaty thud. The man fails to properly react to the unexpected event, freezing in place for a moment before slowly lowering his eyes to the sword handle sticking now from his ribcage.
"My King?" He asks in confusion, voice wavering slightly, but remarkably firm for a man with a sword piercing his heart and one of his lungs. "Why?"
Ah… the noises made by a traitorous worm caught unawares. Hardly an experience the King goes out of his way to seek out, but an ultimately necessary one. The irony involved in the situation makes them almost pleasant to the ear.
"Because you were going to betray me from the very start." The King explains, graciously granting the traitorous mongrel's last request. "And the King is no longer in the mood to entertain your delusions of subtlety."
More portals open around the King's figure, weapons of legend raining upon the dying man until his whole body is torn to shreds. Only then does the King nod in satisfaction and put the matter out of his mind. The priest is an annoyingly stubborn worm and no sudden twist of the script will be allowed after the King makes his play.
"One more day for you to enjoy your undeserved victories, stray." The king announces grandly, eyes staring through the church's walls in the direction of a certain high school. "Tomorrow I will crush your ambitions, right as you stand at the cusp of victory! Muhaha– Hahaha!"
Yes, the stray idles his little remaining time away, plotting petty plans and making whortless schemes. Meanwhile, the King's pieces are all in place already, requiring but to wait until the time is right.
"Now… how to pass this last day before the big finale?" The King asks idly, letting his attention wander through the city of mongrels until something strange, new and unexpected catches his attention. "Hmm…? What's this…?"
I rejoin my lessons after my cuddling session with two beauties that just pledged themselves to my cause with a smile on my face that not even Taiga's antics manage to ruin. I have to admit, it feels really good when unplanned events actually work in your favor for once. I just wish that happened more often.
When I made my way to the rooftop today, it was with the intention of trying to get the details out of whatever happened to them last night after leaving us. So I worried a bit when I didn't find the usual wards on the door. It's only because Medea told me not to worry and act natural that I went with my usual routine.
… That'll teach me to trust the Witch of Betrayal. Rin has a mean kick!
Knowing Lancer had paid them a visit was only slightly surprising. Hearing how he tried to tattle on Kirei and got suicided for his efforts was just a bit more unexpected. Learning that he left a last fuck you to Gilgamesh and the fake priest that actually worked?
Well, damn. In spite of constantly reminding myself not to underestimate Irish Hercules, it looks like that's exactly what I ended up doing, because that came off the left field. In any case, knowledge of Gilgamesh' existence seemed to be the last piece needed to crush Rin and Illya's stubborn pride and finally, finally let them accept my offer.
Which is… Good. Great, even.
There's only one slight problem.
You see… Gilgamesh is the only remaining opponent in this War. And that means he's going to start participating actively. It wouldn't surprise me if he just strolls into the Temple tonight and starts murderizing everything until he drops or we all do.
Or maybe he decided it'll be more amusing to let us stew on our own worries until he gets bored. The only thing I'm not worried about is him going there right now to kill everyone left behind or coming to the school after us right now. Not because he can't, but because that wouldn't be grandiose enough.
But I can't count on that to last beyond today, because now I know he's in the move and, if I start counting on his sense of style to neglect defending my bases, he'll attack them anyway, because the golden bastard just has that kind of personality. We'll need to either go on the offensive or properly focus in defense.
The first option means all of Medea's efforts securing the Temple will go to waste, the second means we'll have to stop coming to school or altogether leaving our base until we solve the current situation. In any case, I have no real idea of how to deal with Gilgamesh. No bright scheme, no cheeky plan, no secret weapon.
Because, you see, those don't work against Gilgamesh.
A sheathe that's also a shield and that nothing can destroy.
A Reality Marble born from a distorted mentality, capable of matching one for one all but the greatest of the King's weapons.
A hungering void whose very nature no Servant can hope to oppose.
What do those three things have in common, beyond having defeated Gilgamesh in other timelines? I'll tell you what, neither of those were planned.
Nobody knew for sure whether the Ex-Ranked [Avalon] would truly stop the Ex-Ranked [Enuma Elish], much less that Gilgamesh would essentially commit suicide by expansive wave. Nobody knew for sure Shirou's [Unlimited Blade Works] would be capable of keeping up with Gilgamesh' [Gate of Babylon], much less did they have a sure-fire way to deal with Ea afterwards. Nobody knew for sure Sakura's Black Shadow would curbstomp Gil until it actually happened.
Gilgamesh is a clairvoyant, a stupidly powerful one at that. [Sha Naqba Imuru] allows him to see the potential futures with clarity. It's only his pride that makes him scoff at certain potential outcomes as 'unthinkable'.
But if those outcomes are part of a plan? All bets are off.
If I try to use Avalon against him, he'll know that I know it'll work.
If I try to use Haku's Reality Marble against him, he'll know that I know it'll work. Also, as she's constantly reminded me for years now, Haku is not Shirou. She's not nearly distorted enough to have a Reality Marble, so it wouldn't work anyway.
If I try to use Sakura's Black Shadow against him, he'll know that I know it'll work.
And he'll act accordingly.
No, those paths were closed to me from the very start. Those especially, but any other plan that relies on a long-prepared secret weapon, sure-kill special attack or other such method would have hilariously low chances of working anyway.
'Certainty' is my enemy here.
I can only gather resources, prepare myself to the best of my abilities and keep an open mind in the face of the unknown, always ready for whatever opening the overly prideful blonde will inevitably make, ready to seize the chance with both hands. A true test of wit and guts, that nobody can really prepare for beforehand.
Amusingly enough, to kill Gilgamesh of Uruk, the King of Heroes… you need to be a real hero, in the classical sense.
… I must admit, this particular test is somewhat intimidating. Nay, utterly terrifying. This is the sort of trial you can count on people like Izuku Midoriya or Bell Cranel to overcome. But me? If you strip away the perks I had with me when I woke up in this world, I'm nothing special. I don't even have the right disposition. My natural inclination is to pile preparation on top of more preparation and shamelessly exploit every cheat in the system or bug in the code to ruthlessly achieve victory.
I remember I casted no less than fifty insta-kill effects against my first dragon while playing Baldur's Gate, loading after every failure until one miraculously got through both his magic resistance and saving throws. That's the kind of person I am.
Can I really win this last fight? Do I really deserve to win this last fight?
Wow, did this get dark or what? To think I was in such a good mood when the school break ended…
Still, exactly because I'm the sort of guy who overprepares, there are some things I have ready in case I don't manage to–
'Master?' Medea's concerned voice comes through our telepathic bond, mercifully interrupting my dark thoughts. 'I have lost eyes on Gilgamesh. I have no excuse.'
'[Cloth of Concealment (Hades' Cap of Invisibility)]?'
'Give me some credit, Master.' She complains testily. 'If that was it, I could've at least identified the phenomena.'
I frown at the news, wondering what the golden idiot is planning now. Whatever it is, it can't be anything good.
'What's the last you got from him?'
'He was walking through the Shinto District, seemingly with a target in mind. Then he got distracted by a coffee shop and walked in.'
A long silence follows as I wait for Medea to continue her story, but she never does. 'And then?'
'That's it, Master.' She answers in frustration. 'I lost him as soon as he entered.'
A coffee shop? Whatever the hell is with– No, wait! Could it really be…? Nah, I can't be that lucky. What are the chances of that happening? Still…I'll never know if I don't at least ask.
'Princess, what's the name of that shop?'
'Allow me check again…' I feel myself grow increasingly nervous as she no doubt refocuses her divination on the place. Which is dumb, because this cannot be what I'm thinking it is. 'Master, the places' name is 'Ahnenerbe'.'
'Fuck me sideways.'
'Master?'
'Never mind that, Princess, I was just surprised.' I shake my head, steppling my hands together as I focus on the chances this event presents. 'Looks like I amthat lucky after all.'
'Do you know what happened, Master?'
'Yes, I do.'
Coffee Shop Ahnenerbe. One of the three 'Magician Boxes' left behind by Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, the Second True Magician. A whimsical place that operates outside reality and semi-randomly connects to places and ages, to serve as a nexus point between timelines.
Somewhere that doesn't belong to this reality and exists outside this reality.
An opening to strike deep behind enemy lines while their heavy hitter is distracted and beyond any means of communication. Kirei won't know what hit him.
'Looks like I'll be skipping the rest of the lessons.'
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