"TOKIOMI!!!"
With a furious roar, Berserker (Matou Kariya ) unleashed a relentless barrage from the aircraft's rotary cannon, pouring fire toward his target.
The pitch-black fighter beneath him displayed flight speed and maneuverability rivaling even Vimana itself.
"So, because Tokiomi is already dead, you've redirected your hatred toward me, his former Servant?"
"What a witless mad dog."
Gilgamesh had no interest in playing a game of aerial pursuit with Berserker.
To him, a beast devoid of reason—one incapable of panic, fear, or even coherent thought—wasn't worthy of his time. There was no point in toying with such a creature.
"Hmph."
Facing the incoming stream of cannon fire, Gilgamesh merely snorted in disdain.
The emerald wings on either side of Vimana suddenly rotated vertically, allowing the ancient flying craft to execute an almost impossible midair flip, hanging upside down while coming to a complete stop before facing the onrushing black fighter head-on.
"This ends here, mongrel."
With a mocking grin, Gilgamesh made his declaration.
The Age of Gods solar crystal mounted at Vimana's prow burned through liquid mercury at a frantic rate, generating immense solar energy before releasing it as a colossal golden beam nearly as thick as the craft itself.
BOOM!
The beam possessed destructive power comparable to a low-ranked Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm.
Using such overwhelming firepower against a modern fighter aircraft was no different from using a cannon to swat a fly.
And yet—
The unexpected happened.
Instead of evading the golden beam, the black fighter accelerated straight toward it.
The instant the beam struck its surface—
It bent away.
The attack was completely deflected, leaving the aircraft utterly unharmed.
"What?!"
Gilgamesh's brows knitted together.
The inverted Vimana and the normally flying black fighter crossed paths in an instant.
Gilgamesh's crimson eyes met the equally blood-red gaze of Berserker (Matou Kariya ).
One pair held arrogant surprise.
The other was consumed by madness and chaos.
Whoosh—!
The violent air pressure exploded as the two aircraft passed within mere meters of each other.
"So that's your little trick."
"Even that fighter is forged from the same metal as your armor?"
Gilgamesh immediately grasped the answer.
The mysterious metal possessed two remarkable properties:
It could deflect energy-based attacks and absorb kinetic force.
The former ability was especially extraordinary.
Ordinary energy weapons were practically useless against it.
Without hesitation, Gilgamesh abandoned Vimana's built-in beam weapon and switched to overwhelming firepower from the Gate of Babylon.
"Hahaha...!"
"It's been a very long time since I've enjoyed an aerial battle like this!"
"For a mere beast to excite me..."
"...Your crime is unforgivable!"
Just as he had done during his confrontation with Leon, thousands of golden ripples blossomed across the sky around Gilgamesh.
An endless torrent of Noble Phantasms erupted from the portals.
Spears.
Swords.
Axes.
Halberds.
Countless legendary weapons formed a vast golden net, sealing every possible escape route for the pitch-black mad dog soaring through the sky.
"TOKIOMI!!!"
Berserker bellowed once more.
All the resentment and hatred that had nowhere to go after Tohsaka Tokiomi 's unexpected death was now directed entirely at Archer—Gilgamesh, the Servant who had once belonged to him.
Every instinct urged Berserker to charge forward and continue firing.
Yet the sliver of reason still buried beneath his madness compelled him—and the living fighter beneath him—to evade the incoming storm of Noble Phantasms with desperate maneuvers.
At first, Berserker relied on the extraordinary defensive properties of his Vibranium Armor to withstand the Noble Phantasms he couldn't dodge.
But as the battle dragged on, the relentless bombardment from the Gate of Babylon—combining overwhelming physical force with magical power—gradually began to erode even Vibranium's seemingly absolute defense.
Crack!
Crack!
Two sharp fractures echoed through the sky.
Half of Berserker's helmet shattered away.
His face was revealed.
Scarlet burst into view.
It was a face that scarcely resembled a human's.
Like a corpse that had soaked underwater for decades before being left to dry, it was shriveled, deathly pale, and grotesque beyond words.
Bulging blood vessels as thick as fingers writhed across the skin.
Now and then, worms could even be seen squirming beneath the flesh.
Covered in fresh blood, the horrifying visage became even more nightmarish.
"AAAAAAAHHHH!!"
Having suffered a direct blow to the head, Matou Kariya clutched his ruined face and let out a bloodcurdling scream.
The living black fighter beneath him, being a far larger target, had endured an even heavier barrage.
Its armored exterior cracked apart.
Beneath the shattered shell was not machinery—
But dark purple organic flesh.
Its texture and appearance were eerily similar to the gigantic Sea Demon into which Caster had transformed.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70+ chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789