"Attack Power 0?"
Unlike his younger self, Gilgamesh didn't dismiss this as a joke. A servant's level largely reflected their strength, and this was Tiamat, after all—she was bound to have some terrifying abilities.
"Indeed," Kingu replied with a laugh. "But Mother is the Creator Goddess. It's not that simple. Now, I activate the Field Spell Card 'Primordial Sea'! This card cannot be targeted by effects. While face-up on the field, Tiamat also cannot be targeted by effects! Furthermore, for each opponent's servant sent to the Graveyard, I can summon a 'Lahmu Token' with the same level, Attack Power, and Defense as the destroyed servant, and banish that servant face-down!"
"Face-down banishment? First time I've seen that effect in this collaboration."
Jiang You had never seen this effect before in the collaboration. The Tohsaka Family's draw card didn't count as a cost, but to counter Tiamat, Jiang You could only use King Hassan from the Hassan Deck. This meant the Hassans needed to quickly enter the Graveyard before Tiamat activated Primordial Sea. Still, it provided valuable intel.
"Now, enter the Battle Phase!"
Kingu had only one Tiamat on his field, but that was enough for him.
"First, Mother, attack Enkidu, who can seal lower-tier effects!"
Enkidu felt victory was assured with his Mother by his side, but he lacked follow-up cards. Had he possessed more, his suppression could have been even greater.
"Attacking with 0 Attack Power? What kind of effect is this?!"
Gilgamesh dared not bring Tiamat to the field, yet he hesitated to act rashly. Zero Attack Power surely concealed a terrifying effect.
"Do you require off-field assistance, Heroic King?" Jiang You interjected, able to see the effects of others' cards. Like Gilgamesh, Kingu remained silent, making their duel resemble a game of military chess.
"This King only..."
Gilgamesh wanted to refuse, but if they lost, Jiang You would agree to Kingu summoning Tiamat again. While he believed Jiang You's Noble Phantasms could be effective, Kingu's Self-Sealed state alone had already left him drenched in sweat. He shuddered to think what a fully unleashed Tiamat would be like.
"Hmph, this King will grant you one chance to prove yourself."
"Sometimes I'm impressed by how stubborn you can be even in situations like this," Jiang You remarked, choosing to forgive Goldie for the sake of the mission rewards.
"Tiamat in this form cannot be destroyed by battle; she can only be destroyed by effects if the Primordial Sea is successfully dealt with. Moreover, her card text states that when she leaves the field, she will Special Summon another Tiamat from the Deck—an effect that cannot be negated. Meaning there's a second phase. Though I doubt Kingu's Deck even contains that card."
Kingu's face darkened further. Isn't Jiang You clearly taking sides here? he thought bitterly. He hasn't said a word about Gilgamesh's effects!
"I see... but surely there must be more to it than these simple effects, right?"
These effects alone wouldn't be worthy of a Beast.
"That's what I'm about to explain. Any direct damage dealt by this card is doubled and inflicted upon the opponent. Servants battling this card are sent to the Graveyard after damage calculation."
It's a prestigious Graveyard Effect, notoriously difficult to counter.
"Furthermore, she can proactively sacrifice herself to send all face-up Servants on the field to the Graveyard. Kingu only needs to activate this effect to secure victory, which is why I believe he doesn't possess the fully manifested Tiamat."
"I see. Best Friend's Attack Power is 2500, meaning This King would suffer 5000 points of battle damage."
If Jiang You hadn't warned him, Gilgamesh would have been defeated by this single attack.
"In that case, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card 'Noble Phantasm Stocked Up' from my back row! By targeting a Servant on the field, I can equip up to three Equip Spell Cards from my Deck to it!"
"Trying to boost your Mother's Attack Power to reduce the damage you take?" Kingu scoffed confidently. "It's useless! As long as Mother remains within the Primordial Sea, she cannot be targeted by effects! You can only target servants on your own field!"
"Indeed, but what weapon does this King lack in his treasury? Even curse-type Noble Phantasms that reduce damage exist! The card I choose is—Original Sharaviel! This card reduces the wielder's Attack Power by 1000, but grants the ability to attack directly and restores half the direct damage dealt to the opponent as Life Points."
Since it wasn't a particularly useful item, Gilgamesh only had one Original Sharaviel in his possession. He never imagined it would come in handy like this.
Enkidu's Attack Power: 2500 → 1500.
"Best friend, even this King finds Tiamat's power formidable. I can only ask for your sacrifice."
Gilgamesh truly had no way to save Enkidu; this was the best outcome he could achieve.
"Formidable? I'd say it's beyond that. I'll take my leave first."
Enkidu still smiled faintly as he returned to the earth, his form dissolving amidst Tiamat's hauntingly beautiful song.
"A mere reprieve!"
Kingu glared at Jiang You. If he hadn't spoken up, it would have been over already. "Enkidu still has 1500 Attack Power! You'll still take 3000 damage!"
Gilgamesh's Life Points: 4000 → 3000.
"Next, the effect of Primordial Sea activates! Banish Enkidu face-down and Special Summon a token, Lahmu, to my field!"
Lahmu
Beast / 8 Stars / Defense: 3000
Kingu deliberately summoned the token in Defense Mode, knowing his own Life Points were dwindling.
"You're helpless against Mother, aren't you? Struggle all you want—Mother is an insurmountable barrier you can never overcome!"
Having exhausted his actions, Kingu prepared to end his turn.
"Then I—"
"Did This King say the turn was over?"
Gilgamesh had already devised his path to victory. "I activate the effect of my Continuous Spell Card, Divine Authority Seal! Whenever an opponent successfully summons a Servant, I discard one card from my hand to destroy it!"
"Just a Lahmu? Take it."
Because of that earlier Spell Card, Kingu harbored no affection for his younger siblings. Besides, a high-attack, vanilla monster was easily expendable.
"This King cares not whether such a creature lives or dies."
Gilgamesh roared with laughter. "I'll activate my own effect—once per turn, whenever I discard a card, I inflict 1000 Life Point damage to my opponent! I may not be a match for Tiamat, but you... you're leagues beneath This King!"
Kingu's Life Points: 1500 → 500!