Achilles: "If I wrote your tale, comedy or tragedy?" Gilgamesh: "My life? Interpret it as you like. But—comedy. Laughable folly suits me."
Myth Reenacted: Great Hero
Heracles: "⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!!"
A storm of sword strikes shakes the sea!
Achilles: "Hahaha! Magnificent, Heracles! Even without reason, your presence, your grandeur! Worthy of a great hero, beloved by Greece's gods!"
Parrying the storm with divine spearwork, Achilles laughs.
Achilles: "At your level, madness is a shackle! But no choice!!"
With meteoric speed, he zips across the deck, toying with Heracles.
Achilles: "A hero like you wouldn't side with humanity's ruin without madness! But facing me? That's too big a handicap!!"
Heracles: "⬛⬛⬛—"
Before Heracles can defend, Achilles's flying kick drives a spear thrust through his heart.
Heracles: "⬛⬛⬛⬛!!!"
Achilles: "Take heed, Heracles. I won't underestimate or mock you. I'll stake everything to take you down."
One life lost, felt through mana shift.
Achilles: "With my all, by Greece's gods' glory! That was my mentor, friend, brother's 'martial arts' that felled you!"
Heracles: "⬛⬛⬛⬛—"
Achilles: "Rise, Heracles! Few can withstand my 'all'!"
Heracles: "⬛⬛⬛⬛!!"
Achilles: "You, on humanity's doom? Me, saving it by fate? What awaits us—?"
Heracles: "⬛⬛—"
Before Heracles moves, Achilles's knee crushes his face.
Heracles: "!!!"
Achilles: "Olympian gods! Watch in awe!!"
The knee strike hits brain and core, claiming another life.
Gilgamesh: "Swift work, befitting your name. I'll take more in a row."
Three left. My turn's coming fast.
Achilles: "That was my parents' 'body'—its radiance pierces even your blessed flesh!"
Heracles: "⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!!!!"
Achilles: "Hah! Rage or caution? Either way—"
Dodging a deck-shattering blow, Achilles leaps skyward.
Achilles: "A joyless berserker can't catch an eagle soaring! Know it!"
Whistling purely, he summons—
Achilles: "Next, my 'class' strike! Come, my peerless immortal chariot!!"
Thunder roars, summoning Achilles's Rider symbol—a matchless chariot.
Pulled by Poseidon's divine horses Xanthus, Balius, and stolen Pedasus, it races like a comet.
Achilles: "Charge! Troias Tragoidia—!!!"
Carrying Achilles, the chariot traces a jade streak, reaching untrackable speed, circling—
Achilles: "No escape, Heracles!!"
Heracles: "⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛—!!"
Achilles: "Try dodging!!"
An unprecedented charge slams Argo's deck—!!
Hector: "That's bad, Heracles! Dodge!!"
Heracles: "⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!!"
Achilles: "Vanish—!!!!"
A massive explosion and roar.
The chariot's path tears through Argo, reducing Heracles to pulp.
But—
Gilgamesh: "Even without reason, a great hero. Well done."
Only one life taken. Heracles dodged the full hit, twisting away, felled by the aftermath.
Direct hit could've taken three. Uncertain if one attack can claim multiple.
Achilles lands gracefully.
Achilles: "Splendid, Heracles. Dodging my lethal charge with advice? I meant to end it…"
Heracles: "⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛"
Achilles: "Hah. Calling this my death ground, I got carried away."
His spirit body's fading—!
Gilgamesh: "You fought while burning your spirit?"
Achilles: "Caught me, huh?"
He grins like a mischievous boy.
Achilles: "Stored mana barely sustains me. Noble Phantasms need more. To kill him, I need them. But I'm a stray Servant, no master—"
Gilgamesh: "A top-tier hero like you wouldn't stoop to soul-eating."
Only one mana source left.
Achilles: "Yeah. Had to burn my spirit's essence. Still, only one chariot shot. Sorry, he dodged."
He poured all his mana into fighting…
Gilgamesh: "Overzealous fool. You could've crushed the ship."
Achilles: "Haha, my bad! But, Hero-King—"
Gilgamesh: "Hm?"
Achilles: "Your Master and crew's trials shouldn't end in my crude ashes. Heroes carve paths for humanity's glory, not block it."
Fully serious, he could've beaten Heracles easily.
With a Master, he'd have fought better.
Or, impossibly, under Jason, our journey might've ended.
Gilgamesh: "…"
But he chose lone stray, breaking fate's injustice.
Achilles: "That's Chiron's teaching! Haha, I was never sharp on strategy!"
Gilgamesh: "Lone hero, huh?"
Choosing to fall as a pioneer against odds…
Achilles: "No sappy stuff. I chose this path. No tears, no pity."
Gilgamesh: "Hahaha! Who'd cry for you!? Splendid, Achilles!!"
I glimpsed a great hero's life.
Achilles: "Yeah, laugh! A hero failing to find a Master, vanishing in a spree? Prime comedy! Shakespeare'd jump on it!"
I can't laugh. Too noble, too bold, too fleeting—his life demands awe.
Achilles: "My screw-up's separate from our pact. How many left?"
Gilgamesh: "Two. Two for five."
Achilles: "Heh, doable."
He smirks.
Jason: "Hahahaha! Foolish, Achilles! Throwing yourself away for a killable foe!? This is a great hero's life? Laughable stupidity!!"
Achilles: "…"
Jason: "Join me, you'd have rivaled Heracles! Choosing death for scraps? Shameful for a Greek hero! No great hero—you're the ultimate fool!!"
That man… truly…
Despite a cruel end, he led heroes, left his mark. A true hero.
Greater than me, reliant on the Hero-King's aegis… why so twisted?
Achilles: "You get it, fake king. Only fools become heroes. I, shaming foes, disgracing queens for curiosity—undeniably foolish."
He laughs self-mockingly.
Achilles: "But I never lost my pride. When called vile, losing my way, pride kept me heroic."
Jason: "What—?"
Achilles: "No pride, Argonaut captain? None as a named hero?"
Jason: "Shut up!! I'm a king! I'll build my nation! This time!!"
Achilles: "—"
Jason: "A happy, fulfilled nation—mine! Don't interfere, you trash!!"
That's Jason's…
Achilles: "A righteous wish from a vengeful spirit. Utterly unsalvageable."
Achilles: "I've got thoughts, but I'm not your judge."
Jason: "Heracles! That's not your strength! Greatest of heroes!?"
Heracles: "⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!!!!"
Jason: "Yes! Protect the future king! Monster-hero Heracles!! Hahahahaha!!"
Heracles rises.
Achilles: "Hero-King."
Gilgamesh: "Hm?"
Achilles: "Thanks. For letting me stand for humanity's salvation. I swear by my parents, I'm grateful."
He draws a shield—intricately designed, embodying the 'world.'
Achilles: "By your glory and our pact, I'll take him twice more. That's my limit."
Achilles…!!
Achilles: "See ya, Hero-King. Protect the last Master and kids."
Gilgamesh: "Of course. Your valor, never forgotten."
Achilles: "Your brilliance rivals Apollo, Zeus!"
He charges Heracles.
Achilles: "Sorry for the wait!! Now, my life, my run, my 'world' embodied!!"
The shield unfolds a micro-'world,' a crushing Noble Phantasm.
Turning a shield into attack—Achilles's ultimate trump card!
Achilles: "Greece, Olympus, gods! Behold my pride, my life's embodiment—!!"
Heracles: "⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!!!!"
Achilles's 'world' manifests—!!
Achilles: "Open your eyes, trapped in chaos!! You get my all!!"
Achilles: "Heracles—!!!"
Achilles: "Achilles Cosmos—!!!!"
The world unleashes, crushing Heracles.
Achilles: "See ya, Hero-King."
A bright smile turns to me.
Gilgamesh: "Taking three lives? You've cut my work, naughty brat."
His final strike claimed three, totaling six.
Gilgamesh: "Leave the rest, humanity's swiftest hero, Achilles."
Exhausting himself, Achilles departs brightly.
Achilles: "Make it comedy. Let readers laugh at the absurdity. Dying from a shot to my human heel? Peak comedy!"
Once, in some timeline, he said that.
Another absurd comedy—vanishing in a spree, Masterless.
So laugh. Live joyfully today.
Falling for tomorrow's sake is my honor. No tears for a hero's farewell.
If fate allows, we'll meet again.
-----------------------------
The battle isn't over... and the truth has yet to be revealed. Read the next chapter now on Patreon! [patreon.com/Greyhounds]