"Since you choose death, I shall grant it! Those who defy the authority of the King shall face punishment!"
Gilgamesh's patience had finally run out. Once again, he opened his treasury, filling the sky with Noble Phantasms. The dazzling glow and overwhelming aura of his treasures were comparable to when he fought Karna.
However, Shinji moved even faster. He knew Gilgamesh all too well, fully aware of how this arrogant man, who looked down on everyone, would make his opening move.
Before Gilgamesh could order the barrage, Shinji's stakes had already shot out, precisely targeting each Noble Phantasm that hadn't yet been fired, knocking them back into the treasury.
"What?"
The King of Heroes' expression, half murderous and half proud, froze on his face.
Having never faced an opponent who wasn't of the Faker class but still bore the name counterfeiter, Gilgamesh had no idea that the Gate of Babylon had a glaring weakness. As long as one was faster at deploying and firing Noble Phantasms, they could completely nullify his favorite method of attack.
"Stop embarrassing yourself, Gilgamesh. Mindlessly throwing out Noble Phantasms like that might work on beasts with no rationality or on the weak. But against the strong, you'd be better off throwing a bucket of water—it would at least have a chance of hitting your target."
Shinji, now in full macho mode, had thrown all reservations out the window. He said whatever sounded the most insulting, adopting the most effective way to provoke Gilgamesh. He had resolved to defeat the King of Heroes right here and now.
Instead of getting angry, Gilgamesh suddenly burst into laughter, an ear-piercing cackle.
"Hmph, hahaha. I see, I see. Although your words are unpleasant, they're not entirely wrong. Even a clown can occasionally say something worthwhile. Very well, I shall take your advice—how about I throw a bucket of water? Though, this bucket might be a bit much."
The Heroic King no longer fixated on throwing out Noble Phantasms randomly. Instead, he reached into his treasury and pulled out a bow that matched the style of the golden armor he wore.
Similar to Karna's Vasavi Shakti, this bow was also golden, pulsating with dense magical energy and divine aura. Conservatively estimated, this treasure had a rank of A+ or higher. Even among the countless items within the Gate of Babylon, this was one of the best.
The only difference was in the bow's attributes. Whereas Vasavi Shakti was tied to the sun and fire, the bow Gilgamesh retrieved embodied water and destruction.
"Is that—" Shinji's lips twitched as a certain realization dawned on him. "—the Sword of the End, Enki!"
"Oh, so you know of it."
Gilgamesh calmly drew the bow.
Shinji's last shred of hope shattered. He cursed internally.
The versatility of the Gate of Babylon wasn't exaggerated after all. It even included an older version of his own Noble Phantasm. Considering that the Great Flood once engulfed the entire world, it wasn't all that surprising that Gilgamesh possessed such a treasure.
"I told you, this bucket of water might be more than you can handle."
With a cold chuckle, the Heroic King fully drew the bow, and a red orb appeared at its center, like the eye of a demon, promising infinite destruction.
In the distant past, a Great Flood had washed over the world, with records of the event appearing in various mythologies: Noah's Ark in Christianity, and the Sumerian myth, the Utnapishtim. The Noble Phantasm Enki was a manifestation of that world-ending flood.
"Everyone who can fly, take to the skies! Those who can't, find someone who can! If all else fails, run to higher ground! The flood is coming!"
Having roughly guessed the Noble Phantasm's effect, Shinji gritted his teeth and amplified his voice with magic, shouting to everyone. Then, he stretched his shoulders, preparing for his trump card.
"Third Magic, Activate: Origin—"
Just as Shinji was about to unleash his full magical power, opening his strongest abilities, two hands gently rested on his shoulders, one on each side.
Both sleeves were black, and both hands were slender, yet equally strong.
On his left was Scathach: "Don't worry, everything will be fine."
On his right was Artoria: "Leave it to me, Shinji. This is my battle, and you've already done enough for me."
The voices of these two Servants weren't loud, but they were enough to calm Shinji's boiling emotions and surging magic.
Yes, so what if it was the Great Flood? So what if it was Enki? The people at his side weren't weak. They were top-tier heroes, no less powerful than Gilgamesh.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you, Artoria. Please, use your sword to bring me victory."
This was the highest form of a knight's prayer to Artoria. Her holy sword, Excalibur, was the Sword of Promised Victory, and she was the undefeated King of Knights.
Surprisingly, Artoria didn't raise her sword in response.
"Sorry, the holy sword isn't suited for this situation. What I want to use is—"
Artoria switched her sword to her left hand and extended her right hand toward the distance, in the direction where Gray was.
"I can feel your presence. Answer my call, the lance that shines to the end of the world! Now is the time when you are needed most."
Upon hearing this summons, a sealed object that had been cloaked and warded suddenly broke free from Gray's control, flying toward its true master.
As it soared through the air, numerous seals broke one after another. It didn't require Add's control or anyone's permission. The lance, which had accompanied the King of Knights throughout her life and until her final battle, reverted to its original form, shining with the light of humanity and the brilliance of the stars: the sacred lance.
The moment the holy lance landed in her hand, it let out a resonant hum, as if expressing the joy of reuniting with its rightful owner after so many years. The holy sword in her left hand, as well as the scabbard within her body, also trembled with joy, seemingly celebrating the reunion of old comrades.
Back then, she had been in this very state when she vanquished the evil dragon Vortigern. With the scabbard protecting her body, the holy sword pinned the dragon to the ground, and finally, the holy lance pierced its heart. This was Artoria at her strongest, an invincible knight and an undefeated king.
"Even if the weapon changes, my resolve does not. Shinji, I will bring you victory. Gilgamesh, your opponent is me!"
"You two fools… How long do you plan on mocking me?"
At this point, the magic formula in front of the bow was fully deployed, and the red orb was about to be completely activated.
Artoria raised the holy lance high, directly facing the divine bow.
"The foolish one is you, Gilgamesh—Isn't it only natural for humans to give their all to protect those they cherish?"
"How boring. Let me shatter your delusions and bring you back to reality."
The divine bow was fully drawn, and Gilgamesh chanted loudly.
"Behold! The inferno of destruction fills the heavens! Come forth! The Surge of Utnapishtim! This is what it means to destroy the World! Heroic Spirits, suffer the curse that the insolence of challenging the King of Heroes has brought upon ye!—"
"Holy Lance, release."
The holy lance roared, light cascading from it, and Artoria solemnly declared.
"Thirteen restraints released—The Round Table's verdict begins!"