Well, we're a bit off, but eh, you'll hit it.
-
I raised my fist defensively, immediately defaulting to the signs for calling forth the Divine General. Though, to be truthful, I still doubted my chances of victory against someone like Gilgamesh if he really wanted my head.
The expected blow never came.
The Golden King threw his head back and let out a booming laughter, unconcerned over the time and place.
"How presumptuous! You know this King, and you still chose to insult me to my face with fear gripping every inch of your body!" He laughed louder, if that was even possible, "I am amused! I did not believe a mongrel like yourself would exist in this age."
He was... enjoying my rudeness, like one would disobedience from a child or a pet. That made me feel smaller than any comeback would have.
Gilgamesh turned to Kirei, "You've chosen an amusing one, Kirei. I am pleased."
Then, his inhuman gaze found me once again. Every hair on my back stood up at the same time. The smile playing across his lips faded away into an eerie calm.
"As reward for amusing me, I shall spare you the punishment of forgetting your place, mongrel."
I did not want to back down.
I did not want to feel this way anymore.
"There is yet resistance in your eyes, resistance against a king as magnanimous as I is foolish. Good, I am pleased. You shall do for a night's entertainment."
...What?
I covered my body with my hands and took a step back. A shiver ran down my spine.
"I'm not into men."
"You would insult this King again?"
I shook my head furiously, "I'm sorry, but I don't think I like life enough to give up the backdoor anymore."
He let out another booming laugh, scaring away some birds in the nearest tree. Then, he put on his helmet once again, because apparently, even the King of Heroes followed traffic safety rules. The engine came to life with a loud roar, though not as loud as Gilgamesh, and he revved it several times before turning to us again.
"Follow along, mongrels. And be honoured to trail along the path I take."
"Thank you for your generosity." Kirei gave a slight bow. He stayed that way until Gilgamesh disappeared around the corner. "There, he will draw out Berserker for us."
That was... fishy. I did not know Gilgamesh well, but I knew he wasn't the sort of person to help out just for no reason. Perhaps he thought that fighting Heracles was an interesting enough way to pass the time, or, the likelier reason, Kirei had offered him something.
"What did you tell him?"
The priest shook his head. "Far be it from me to understand the mind of an existence that has long left humanity behind."
"Can you trust his abilities?" Bazett finally spoke from beside us, flattening the edges of her coat. Her tone was even, and she looked rather unbothered by what had just transpired, "It isn't that I haven't worked with eccentric people in the past, but half of them have turned out to be just... boisterous, and nothing else."
Kirei's lips thinned in a hollow smile, "I can vouch for his competence with the utmost confidence."
The whole while, I couldn't help but feel that something was off. There was some aspect of this I wasn't paying attention to, that was passing under my radar even now. Perhaps it was just my proximity to Kirei.
Suddenly, the air whistled. Cu Chulainn was standing in front of us with his spear raised. He held it barely an inch away from Kirei's throat, a frown on his face.
"Oy priest, that was a servant. The hell are you up to?"
Shuwen appeared beside me, hands behind his back.
"How else can we expect to fight the son of Zeus?" Kirei explained easily, "His master has requested privacy, but agreed to help us."
Okay, that was just straight up lies. I decided against calling him out though, because that served no purpose at all presently. I'd just have to be content with keeping my guard up throughout the operation.
Bazett gave me a firm nod, clenching a fist.
She would watch my back, and I would watch hers.
-
Our destination was an unused patch of land right outside the forest at the base of the mountains where the Einzbern Castle was supposedly situated. The moment I entered, it became hard to see. A dense canopy of trees blotted out the cloudy night sky, and the still wet grass came right up to my knees.
Kirei was a retired Executor, a person that had served in the same capacity as Bazett for an enemy organisation. Both of them were far more experienced than me, and it became apparent in the way they trudged through the forest like it was the most normal thing in the world. I was thankful that Bazett purposely slowed her gait so I could keep up.
We exited the immediate patch of forest out onto an open clearing with an abandoned cottage right in the middle of it. Vines clung along and through the walls, and tall unkempt bushes reached up to the broken windows. I winced at the number of insects we'd find in there.
Gilgamesh... stood on top of the house, with a hand shoved in his pocket. Somehow, the clouds had parted just enough for the moon to peek through and cast an ethereal light onto his godly being. Beyond his silhouette, a ghostly medieval castle with great thick walls and towers seemed to phase in and out of existence.
Before I could comment, the forest around seemed to howl and screech. Small animals ran out, right past us. Birds of prey took to the night skies when they were not meant to, and the trees seemed to lean over from a sudden burst of wind that swept through.
Then, something crashed right beyond him.
A catastrophe in the shape of a man that looked not like one at all. Heracles' eyes shone in the dark of the night, as did the red veins pulsing and thrumming under his black flesh. He clenched his axe-sword in one hand, and held Illyasviel steady on his shoulder with the other.
Just the mere sight of him made me question our chances at victory. I pushed down the urge to flee, and resolved myself to deal with him here and now, however possible.
Heracles was simply so overwhelming that the rest of the world drowned in his presence. I could only see him, and myself standing in his way.
"Oh~? Onii-san, did you miss me?" Illyasviel looked right over to me, "You should have told me I was going to have so many guests! Well, it's not like it really matters though. I'll still give you all a very warm welcome. Have you come for Shirou? He's not here, you know? I decided to take my time. What about you, priest-san?"
That was good.
There was no one to convince me out of what I had in mind.
Kirei stared right at her, "You have violated the rules set forth, child. I've come to carry out judgment."
She tilted her head innocently, "Is that so~? Okay, mister. Berserker! Get them all!"
Golden ripples formed in the air all around Gilgamesh as the mad demigod let out a deafening howl, I brought my hands together to make a sign but... the world shifted strangely before the beast ever even moved. I glanced back just in time to spot Kirei raising his hand and bringing it down on Bazett's arm.
Cu came rushing through out of thin air, but a massive greatsword laden with gold and precious stones shot at him instead of Berserker. He was forced to raise his spear in attempt to deflect the strange noble phantasm. Shuwen appeared right behind Kirei, fist already primed, but Gilgamesh seemed to have seen even that coming. Blades and spears erupted from the air between them. There was no choice left to Shuwen except for creating distance.
I was moving before I could even think.
Just as Bazett let out a pained moan, I slammed into the priest with the weight of an elephant. He was tossed back and crashed into a tall tree that snapped under his weight.
When I looked down, a severed arm lay at my feet. Bazett's arm, it was Bazett's arm. The horrid realisation sank in immediately. That bastard-... No, I had to check on Bazett-
A blade erupted from my shoulder. Suddenly, it felt like someone had set my entire arm on fire.
"Struggle, and amuse this King more, fool."
I looked back at the King of Heroes with trembling lips.
-
Realistically, he did not have the experience to avoid it, even if he saw it coming. At least, that's what I concluded. There's stuff you know will happen, but it still happens even if you want to change it.
What matters is if he can still steer it into a favourable outcome.
You can find 7 chonky chaps ahead at patre0n.com/Bleap