Ten minutes later.
Ishtar was kneeling in a perfect dogeza in front of Setsuna.
"Then, Master, I look forward to working with you from now on."
"I like someone as straightforward as you."
Setsuna casually formed another pouch of gemstones and tossed it to Ishtar.
"?"
"Is this the Commander's money superpower?"
Elysia, Jeanne and the others who had come along looked on in baffled admiration.
"Ahem, ahem. Silence. Since I'm now on the same ship as Master, and in order to achieve our goal, it's necessary for us to analyze the current situation."
Probably to demonstrate her value so that Setsuna wouldn't treat her as some useless goddess—or change his mind—
After carefully putting away her treasures, Ishtar fully displayed her initiative. She cleared her throat and gathered everyone together.
"Master's objective is to obtain the Holy Grail and subdue the Three Goddess Alliance."
"Mm… strictly speaking, I'm not actually a formal member of the Three Goddess Alliance, but I'm still bound by the pact. If the three goddesses attack each other directly, they will be punished. Using summoned beasts, however, is not restricted."
"So I can help deal with everyone else, but I can't personally attack the other two. You'll have to figure that out yourselves. Sorry about that."
The so-called Three Goddess Alliance referred to the Avenger goddess Gorgon, the feathered serpent Quetzalcoatl, and the Underworld goddess Ereshkigal.
The three goddesses had agreed that whoever destroyed Uruk and seized the Holy Grail would rule this land.
Among them, the Underworld goddess Ereshkigal had been summoned alongside Ishtar. She was Ishtar's elder sister.
Though the three shared a common objective, they were also wary of one another, unwilling to let the others take the lead.
"Additionally, the Holy Grail is in the hands of the King of Uruk, Gilgamesh. If Master wants it, we'll have to ask him for it."
Ishtar pointed to a location on the map.
"Uh, he's not exactly easy to talk to. He's also very strong. He definitely won't just hand over the Holy Grail to us for free…"
"I can't beat him on my own. If we all go together, we might be able to snatch it?"
She glanced at the companions around Setsuna.
At the very least, they had more than enough Heroic Spirits. No matter how arrogant the King of Uruk was, he probably couldn't withstand a group assault of all sorts of bizarre Noble Phantasms.
"There isn't just one Holy Grail."
After a moment of thought, Setsuna spoke. His understanding of this Singularity ran deeper than most.
"The one in Gilgamesh's possession is the Uruk Holy Grail. It's part of his collection. In addition, the King of Mages placed another Holy Grail in this world. It should currently be in Gorgon's hands."
"She's using the Holy Grail to create Demonic Beasts to attack Uruk."
"Oh? Two Holy Grails?!…"
Ishtar looked half-understanding.
"Then which one are we going after first?"
"We're retrieving both. Let's go see Gilgamesh first."
...
Whoosh—
The starship advanced through the sky.
It swept over vast stretches of wilderness and grassland.
Looking down from the portholes, the ground below was covered with swarms of Demonic Beasts.
Most resembled tigers or leopards, though some were twisted aberrations, all racing forward.
Sensing the presence of the starship, a portion of the Demonic Beasts craned their necks and howled, baring their fangs in agitation.
Human cities and settlements had already been ravaged beyond recognition.
"Mm… the number of these Demonic Beasts must be in the tens of millions by now, right?"
Nero leaned over the main console to look at the scan results, clicking her tongue.
"Even I couldn't handle all of that alone… mm, but with Master here, it's fine."
Before long.
On the distant horizon, a magnificent city wall stretching across the plains came into view.
The wall was densely lined with magical devices and human soldiers holding weapons.
The Demonic Beasts halted there. Any that approached too closely or dared to charge were immediately cut down on the spot.
Within the walls lay a prosperous, massive city. It bustled with life. Most of its people wore single-shoulder robes, rich with Mesopotamian style.
The entire city thrived under the protection of the walls, seemingly untouched by the chaos outside.
"That is Uruk, humanity's greatest fortress city."
Ishtar explained.
"That wall was built to resist the Demonic Beasts. It's the Absolute Demonic Front. Ordinary Demonic Beasts can't break through it."
The starship slowly passed over the city. Its shadow cast a wave of commotion among the residents.
Countless people looked up, squinting in fear or curiosity at the enormous object in the sky.
At the center of the city stood a grand and lavishly decorated temple.
It was surrounded by several smaller temples, isolated from the residential districts, emanating an austere aura.
As expected, that was where Gilgamesh resided.
He protected the entire city from the ravages of the Demonic Beasts.
Along the way, many soldiers assumed combat stances warily, only lowering their weapons after a shouted command.
Setsuna could sense it. Gilgamesh was waiting for him.
"Commander, for you to personally lower yourself to meet Gilgamesh would be beneath your status."
Belfast said.
"He is merely the ruler of a single nation. It is only proper that he come up to pay respects to the sovereign of the Starsea Empire. Shall I dispatch an Angeloid or a Sophon to summon Gilgamesh here?"
Gilgamesh knew Setsuna had come for him. The question now was who would go to whom.
Having Setsuna go to the golden king's palace to watch him sit on his throne and posture was clearly inappropriate.
But Gilgamesh was not someone inclined to bow his head either.
"Mm! I am also an emperor!! My Roman Empire is larger than his. Let that so-called Gilgamesh come up to pay respects to me and Master!"
Nero patted her chest.
"Tell him the Emperor of Rome is here. He is to come at once!"
"Rome?! If he actually came up, that would be a miracle…"
Ishtar felt the awkwardness settling in.
"I'll go!"
Gudako stepped forward, patting her chest confidently.
"Commander, don't worry. I'll make Golden Sparkle obediently come up to see you, then offer the Holy Grail and kowtow a few times."
"Oh, but I'll need a helper."
"???"
...
Inside the palace below.
Upon a magnificently adorned throne sat a man with golden hair and crimson eyes.
He wore luxurious ornaments, his gaze proud and resolute.
The throne itself had been built upon a raised platform. Anyone who came to see him had to tilt their head upward just to glimpse his face.
He needed only to lower his eyes to take in the entire hall.
Such was the pride of a king. Before the King of Uruk, all must remain humble, without exception.
"There has been a delay in transporting supplies from Eresh City…"
Gilgamesh supported his head with one hand while holding a stone tablet in the other, reading the information inscribed upon it.
"Dispatch twenty men from the eastern barracks to drive back the Demonic Beasts. Put Tim in charge on site."
"Yes."
A soldier below accepted the order.
"Additionally, the water supply in the north needs to be resolved. Send some craftsmen."
"Understood."
Gilgamesh handled every matter personally. From large-scale troop deployments to small details such as gifts for newborn infants, everything required his attention.
At this moment, he was the Wise King Gilgamesh.
Tap, tap, tap…
Wearing her Chaldea uniform, Gudako followed the guards into the palace.
Behind her was the Lion King, golden-haired with green eyes, draped in a white cloak.
The Lion King stared straight ahead, her expression utterly unchanged.
"Your Majesty, the visitors from another world have arrived."
"Outsiders."
Gilgamesh set down the tablet and sized them up.
"I roughly understand your circumstances. However, there are certain details I must confirm with you personally."
"You already know?"
Gudako was surprised, then quickly realized.
Gilgamesh possessed the skill Sha Naqba Imuru, a form of clairvoyance similar to the Lion King's EX-ranked Clairvoyance, allowing him insight into others and even glimpses of the future.
Chaldea held no secrets from him. Of course, the Starsea Empire and those from another world were beyond his comprehension.
"There is nothing in this world that I do not know."
Gilgamesh snorted and rose to his feet, his gaze settling on Gudako.
"However, I am very busy. I have no time to waste in idle discussion with you. Therefore, I intend to confirm certain matters through combat."
"Prepare yourself, magus of the observatory."
Gilgamesh dismissed the surrounding guards and officials, clearing the space.
Several golden ripples appeared behind him.
Whoosh—
Golden light flashed as weapons from the Gate of Babylon shot toward the two.
"Hah? You're picking a fight the moment we meet?!"
Gudako twisted and darted aside, narrowly avoiding the sudden barrage.
"If you cannot withstand even this much from me, you would do well to return to the furnace and be reforged, rather than stand before me spouting nonsense about saving the world."
Gilgamesh's expression remained calm, his gaze fixed squarely on Ritsuka Fujimaru.
"The last Master of humanity, magus of the observatory…"
"Let me see what you are capable of. Are you worthy to stand before me?"
Clang! Clang! Clang!—
Several more golden flashes burst forth from the Gate of Babylon. Gudako drew her sword and parried them one by one.
"Oh? A sword? A Master who fights with a weapon like that is rare indeed."
Gilgamesh examined the blade in Gudako's hand with interest. It was a complimentary gift she had received earlier while studying Taixuan Eminence.
It was not among the treasures in his vault. He could not identify it.
"But such a thing is unworthy of my notice."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
The Gate of Babylon unleashed a dense barrage, kicking up clouds of dust across the palace floor.
"You cannot even use proper magecraft? And where is your Servant? Why are they not assisting you?"
Seeing her rely purely on physical ability to endure the assault, he frowned.
This human's physique was impressive. Her skillset, however, left much to be desired.
"Magecraft? Who are you looking down on?! Who would bother learning Chaldea's trash-tier magecraft?!"
"And you, some pre-Common Era primitive, acting all high and mighty… I refuse to believe you have this in your treasury!"
Seizing the moment, Gudako slapped a scroll onto the ground and activated it with one hand.
"Open your eyes!"
Boom!!!—
A red-and-white mecha materialized inside Gilgamesh's temple.
Rumble!—
Its colossal frame towered over everything in this ancient era. The temple ceiling was punched open with a massive hole.
Strelizia held a spear in one hand and a shield in the other.
It stepped forward. The ground shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck the palace. Chunks of stone and debris rained down from above.
"???"
"What is this?"
Even Wise King Gilgamesh showed a flicker of astonishment.
In theory, with Sha Naqba Imuru, even things he had never seen should be recorded within his treasury.
But this technological construct, born of multiple worlds intertwined, clearly exceeded his understanding.
"It's a Gundam. If you've got a problem, come at me."
Boom—
Strelizia launched forward in an explosive burst.
Crash!!!—
The Strelizia's spear thrust straight ahead. The miniature beam lance blooming from its tip blasted a massive breach into the rear of the temple.
"Fool!!! This is my palace!!!"
Gilgamesh roared in fury. While dodging frantically, he launched weapon after weapon from the Gate of Babylon at the strange Gundam.
Boom boom boom boom boom—
Strelizia did not evade. Every strike merely rippled across its shield, failing even to breach the energy barrier.
"Strelizia's field shield can block direct Photoid fire. Save your effort."
Gudako's taunts were relentless.
She advanced step by step, chasing Gilgamesh down.
Rumble!!!—
A sweeping strike sheared away half the grand temple's roof.
Whirr—
Several corrosive missiles howled out from the rear launch bays, detonating on the ground and carving enormous circular craters into the earth.
"Zasshu!!!"
"Tell me—who exactly are you?!"
Gilgamesh was driven into a frantic defense by Strelizia, forced to rely on the Gate of Babylon just to hold out.
"I am Ritsuka Fujimaru of Chaldea. I stand by my name. Got a problem with that?"
"Impossible!!!"
"You cannot use even the slightest magecraft, yet you rely on such trickery in battle—and call yourself a Master?!"
Gilgamesh grew even more enraged.
"Magecraft? What magecraft?! That stuff isn't as useful as a Gundam!!!"
"???"
Strelizia leapt into the air, spear aimed downward.
Boom!!!
A torrent of crimson energy erupted once more from the spear tip. The instant it struck the ground, a heaven-shaking shockwave exploded outward.
Even though this was merely a spar and Gudako had not used maximum output, the destructive force of the Tachyon Lance was absurdly excessive for this era.
Rumble!—
The magnificent golden temple was reduced to rubble in an instant. Only shattered ruins and a crooked throne embedded in debris remained.
The guards who had retreated earlier stared in utter disbelief.
In their wildest dreams, they had never imagined the proud King of Uruk would one day have his palace demolished.
"You dare… destroy my temple?!"
Gilgamesh glared up at Strelizia from afar, his expression twisted.
He himself had suffered little injury. The humiliation, however, was immense.
A fight was one thing. Having an emperor's palace torn down was another entirely.
"Had enough? If you're done, bring the Holy Grail and come meet the Commander."
Gudako patted her chest and pointed toward the Eternal Snowfall in the sky.
"What nonsense is this? You expect me to personally go meet someone else? If he seeks something from me, he should descend and pay respects."
Gilgamesh's arrogance remained intact.
Even standing atop ruins, he still looked utterly unyielding.
"Then shall we continue this battle?"
A cold voice sounded from the side.
Only then did Gilgamesh notice that the Lion King had been watching their clash the entire time without intervening.
"King of Heroes, I have learned of you from my Master."
"It is said that your treasury contains every treasure in existence… in that case, do you possess this one? Allow me to see it."
She extended a hand from beneath her cloak.
Click—
Light gathered from all directions, condensing into a golden lance.
"Holy Lance, unseal."
Her chant carried no trace of emotion.
"It is the anchor of the storm that tears the heavens and binds the earth, the light fired from the farthest end."
Hum—
In an instant, the sky above Uruk darkened with heavy clouds. From within them, a spiraling golden lance began to form.
The overwhelming magical energy made heaven and earth tremble. The citizens of Uruk, as well as the Demonic Beasts beyond the walls, stared in terror at the apocalyptic spear hanging overhead.
"???"
"Who are you now? Where did you come from?!"
Gilgamesh felt as though he were splitting apart.
First came a so-called Master who piloted a Gundam. Now a Lion King appeared and immediately prepared to unleash her ultimate attack.
He had only intended to test their strength at first.
It seemed he had gone too far.
Gilgamesh surrendered before these two inexplicable living ancestors.
"Stop!!!"
"I built Uruk's walls to resist the Demonic Beasts! Destroying my palace wasn't enough for you—now you want to set off fireworks in the center of Uruk as well?!"
...
Twenty minutes later.
"Commander, King Sparkle has come to see you!~"
Bang—
Gudako slammed open the bridge doors of the Eternal Snowfall and strode in boldly.
"See? I didn't lie."
Behind her followed a distinctly unhappy Golden Sparkle, his expression as dark as if the Gate of Babylon had been looted clean.
First his palace had been demolished. Then he had personally gone to meet the ruler of another world. For the ever-proud King of Heroes, this was the height of humiliation.
"Yo, Gilgamesh. Sit."
Setsuna tilted his chin slightly. Wise King Gilgamesh was at least someone who could be reasoned with.
"So you are the Commander she spoke of?"
Gilgamesh paused, scrutinizing Setsuna from head to toe.
He could see through Gudako, the Lion King, and most of the other Heroic Spirits at a glance.
Only this man was unfathomable.
After a moment of thought, he straightened his back.
"I am already aware of your purpose. However, I must clarify one matter:"
"I have come to meet you for the sake of saving Human Order and Uruk. It is absolutely not because I was defeated, nor because I was afraid. Absolutely not. Ahem."
"Hmm?"
Gudako nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, yes, of course. Now hand over the Holy Grail first, please?"