He needed a Zanpakutō whose Shikai could rival a Bankai. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to withstand Gilgamesh's unleashed Noble Phantasms.
Ailin drew his Zanpakutō and, with a flick of his wrist, released its Shikai. The ordinary Asauchi transformed into two distinct blades, one longer than the other.
They were Ichigo Kurosaki's Hollow Zangetsu and Quincy Zangetsu.
After guiding Ichigo, drawing out his true power, and reforging the two spirits within him into Zanpakutō, Ailin's Unlimited Blade Works had naturally acquired these blades. They were among the few whose Shikai could rival a Bankai.
As Ailin completed his Shikai, Gilgamesh hefted the crimson spear, now ablaze with concentrated magical energy.
"Declaration of the Great God——"
"Gungnir!"
Gungnir, the Declaration of the Great God, was the spear of destiny wielded by the Norse god Odin in mythology. It was also the prototype of Cu Chulainn's Gae Bolg, the Impaling Barbed Spear. Like Gae Bolg, Gungnir possessed an unavoidable, fate-altering strike. Once thrown, it was guaranteed to inflict a fatal blow.
Gilgamesh hurled Gungnir. It transformed into a streak of rainbow light, piercing the space between him and Ailin.
Ailin remained calm. With his shorter blade, he carved a seventy-centimeter arc of spiritual pressure before him. Then, with his longer blade, he slashed downwards, bisecting the arc.
"Getsuga—Jūjishō!" (Cross-shaped Moon Fang)
A blackish-red, cross-shaped energy wave shot forward, colliding with Gungnir.
BOOM!
A mushroom cloud, dozens of meters high, erupted in the Tohsaka garden. The shockwave shattered every window in the mansion. A destructive whirlwind tore through the garden, uprooting trees, shattering the fountain, and crumbling walls.
"Such destructive power… No wonder a battle between only seven individuals is called a 'war.'" Kiritsugu Emiya observed the Tohsaka residence through his telescope from the top floor of a nearby hotel.
It was only the first day of the Holy Grail War, yet the Servants who had revealed themselves were formidable. The Assassin was an exception, a mere clown. But the other two… Could even Saber defeat them?
The thought surfaced, unsettling him. Before summoning Saber, Kiritsugu had been confident in his Servant's abilities. After all, she was the legendary King Arthur. However, the King's manifestation as a young girl had shattered his expectations. He'd resolved to rely on his own skills, to eliminate the other six Masters and claim the Grail for himself.
"Maiya, a mage wouldn't stray far from their Servant during a battle. Search the area around the Tohsaka residence for anyone who might be the Master of that second Servant. Eliminate them on sight."
Kiritsugu spoke into his radio, instructing his partner, Maiya Hisau. The possibility of collateral damage didn't concern him. As long as he obtained the Grail and fulfilled his wish, any sacrifice was acceptable.
"Understood," Maiya replied.
Kiritsugu felt a wave of reassurance. He loved his wife, Irisviel von Einzbern. She brought a warmth to his life he'd long forgotten. However, he also couldn't deny his dependence on Maiya. They worked together seamlessly. With her, he could unleash his darker impulses without reservation. Only she could withstand his "evil." Irisviel was the spirit of a winter wonderland, cleansing his soul. Maiya was the rose blooming amidst the fires of war, his constant companion through countless crises.
Kiritsugu raised his telescope again. While others focused on the battle between the two Servants, he sought to identify the remaining Masters. Once he knew their identities, victory in the Grail War would be within his grasp.
…
"Mongrel!"
The dust settled, revealing Ailin unharmed. Gilgamesh's expression darkened. "It has been a long time since I've been this angered. Filthy insects should grovel at my feet, lest their tainted gaze sully my magnificence. Since you bare your fangs at me like a rabid cur, let us see how much amusement you can provide."
Buzz! Buzz!
Golden spatial ripples, dense and countless, filled the sky. Thousands of Noble Phantasms emerged.
Ailin's expression turned serious.
While these Noble Phantasms were still in their unsealed state, their sheer number was overwhelming. If unleashed simultaneously, their combined power would surpass even Gungnir.
While Ailin's Unlimited Blade Works contained a comparable number of Zanpakutō, their individual strength, with the exception of the few he could unleash, was weaker than Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasms.
In their previous exchange, Ailin had relied on his numerical advantage, using two or three Zanpakutō to destroy a single Noble Phantasm. If Gilgamesh unleashed his full arsenal now, Ailin would undoubtedly be overwhelmed. He would have to rely on his swordsmanship, to carve a path through the incoming torrent of Noble Phantasms.
Just as Ailin prepared to charge, a muffled sound reached his ears.
The crack of a sniper rifle.
Ailin's eyes widened. He turned.
His enhanced vision captured the bullet's trajectory. It was heading towards Kariya. At this distance, Kariya would be struck in less than a second. In his weakened state, even a glancing blow could be fatal.
"Insolent!"
At that moment, Ailin's spiritual pressure erupted, shattering the constraints of Mad Enhancement. He regained his speech. He reached into a blackish-red ripple, drew a Zanpakutō, and called upon its true name, unleashing its full power.
"Bankai—Kamishini no Yari!" (God-Killing Spear)
No one saw what happened next. Even Gilgamesh only perceived a flash of white light.
The bullet heading towards Kariya disintegrated. Following the bullet's trajectory, Ailin swung his blade.
Five thousand kilometers away, a section of the hotel, from the thirteenth floor to the roof, sheared off, as if sliced by an impossibly sharp blade. The cut was smooth, like polished glass.
BOOM!
The three-story section plummeted to the earth, crashing into the street below, causing further devastation. People within the hotel and on the street were injured in the collapse.
"Hmph!"
After snorting coldly, Ailin looked up at Gilgamesh. "Gilgamesh. let us postpone this fight. I trust no other insignificant insect will dare interrupt us again." He then phased into his spiritual form, vanishing from the Tohsaka residence, and flashed towards Kariya's location.
Uncharacteristically, Gilgamesh didn't respond with his usual insults. He remained silent, still reeling from the shock of Ailin's attack. "Was that… his true Noble Phantasm?" he thought. "Damn him! He held back against me!" Having witnessed the flash of white light, Gilgamesh knew that had Ailin used that attack against him, he likely wouldn't have survived.
As Ailin released his Bankai, Gilgamesh, sensing the immense threat, had focused Sha Naqba Imuru on the blade, discerning its name and abilities.
"Kamishini no Yari… A maximum range of thirteen thousand meters. An attack speed five hundred times the speed of sound. Imbued with a soul-dissolving toxin… Kamishini no Yari… Perhaps a more fitting name would be 'Shinigami no Yari' (God-Slaying Spear)… A weapon capable of killing gods!"
Gilgamesh looked towards Ailin's vanishing form, pondering his identity. Such a weapon undoubtedly belonged in the realm of treasures. However, he was certain neither this blade nor the others this Servant had wielded were represented in his Gate of Babylon.
There were only two possibilities. Either these weapons weren't true treasures, not recognized as such by the world, and therefore not included in his collection, or, and this seemed more likely, this Servant wasn't a native Heroic Spirit, but an "Outside Heroic Spirit," summoned from another world or mythology. This would explain the absence of their prototypes within his treasury.
"Hmph. He dares call me 'Gilgamesh'… Should we meet again, I'll show him what true power is!"
While startled by Ailin's Noble Phantasm, Gilgamesh wasn't afraid. His armor wasn't merely for show. Besides, even if his armor couldn't withstand that attack, his Gate of Babylon contained antidotes for any poison. With a final, haughty declaration, Gilgamesh's form dissolved into golden light.
…
"Kariya, are you alright?" Ailin materialized beside Kariya. His sudden speech startled him.
"I'm fine. Berserker, you can talk?"
"Indeed." Ailin nodded towards the street now swarming with police and medical personnel. "I sensed a life-threatening attack coming from that direction. I dispelled Mad Enhancement, unleashed my Noble Phantasm to destroy the bullet, and then struck the source of the attack."
A shiver ran down Kariya's spine. Had it not been for Berserker, he would be dead. He didn't fear death, but he feared leaving Sakura unprotected, vulnerable to Zouken's machinations. That was something he couldn't tolerate.
"Sakura… Berserker, we need to return to our previous location. I'm worried about her."
"Understood." Ailin nodded, grabbed Kariya, and, with a series of Shunpo, vanished into the night.
They returned to the shack to find Sakura sitting listlessly by the door, her eyes vacant.
"Sakura…" Hearing Kariya's voice, a flicker of life returned to her eyes.
"Uncle Kariya."
"Sakura, why aren't you asleep? What are you doing out here?"
"This is when I usually go to the basement for Grandfather's training…"
"Don't worry, Sakura. With me here, you won't have to endure that anymore."
"Really?"
"Yes. I promise." Kariya pulled Sakura into a hug, gently stroking her hair.
After a long silence, tears streamed down Sakura's face. She clung to Kariya tightly.
"Waaah… Uncle Kariya… I'm scared…"