"FUHAHAHA! So you've successfully gathered the intel on this Singularity! Splendid! You have done well!"
After recovering the "freeloader" Lancelot, the group flew straight to the Sun King's domain. Upon their arrival, they were greeted by the boisterous hospitality of Ozymandias.
"Hey there, Rameses! It's me!"
"..."
Ozymandias nearly suffered cardiac arrest at the overly casual reunion with his "friend" who had just dropped into his throne room. The two female Pharaohs had to step in to soothe and encourage him.
"What delight!"
"Delight indeed. By the way, fair lady of the Pharaohs—as a reward for your efforts, I shall allow you to meet your beloved husband!"
Ozymandias and Gilgamesh shared a high-five. The fangs of a new "delight" were now bared toward Cleopatra.
"Lord Caesar! It isn't Antony, is it?! Oh, goodness! A—A mirror! Someone, bring me a mirror this instant!"
"Calm yourself, Cleopatra! I have a mirror right here!"
While Nitocris tried to settle the frantic Cleopatra, the summoning was carried out without a hitch.
"I have come to Egypt! I have seen your deeds! Therefore, next—I shall simply reveal my true form!"
The voice echoed through the throne room. Cleopatra's expression shifted into that of a maiden in love; she widened her eyes, desperate to behold the form of her dearest husband—
"It is I, Caesar!"
"IT IS MEEEE!"
What met her wide-eyed gaze was a man whose body was stuffed to the brim with the "love and bounty" of Rome. A truly magnificent, rotund… DEBU.
Faced with this tragic "before-and-after" of the husband of her dreams, the brilliant mind of Cleopatra triggered its final defense mechanism:
"—Kyuu."
She fainted on the spot. As the two prideful Pharaohs of Egypt collapsed and Nitocris screamed in horror, the "Golden Alliance" clinked their cups together.
""DELIGHT!""
Witnessing this pathetic display only made the wine of the Sun and Sky gods taste sweeter as it slid down their throats.
"Wahahaha! It must be a chore, acting as a proxy for divine authority with a mere human body, Nitocris! Have you heard of mail-order shopping? It usually solves most problems!"
"There is no such thing in BC Egypt!!"
"—Now then. What were we discussing?"
Ozymandias, having regained his composure, sat upon his throne and addressed the group. His aura screamed, "I was momentarily rattled; forget you saw it," so everyone wisely chose not to comment on the previous chaos.
"The war council, my King," Rikka cut in sharply. She remained respectful, maintaining a polite bow.
"I know. That cloak of yours is proof enough. —You've secured the cooperation of the Old Man of the Mountain?"
"Yes! Gramps said he'd lend us a hand!"
At Rikka's words, the Sun King paused for a moment of thought.
"Gramps…? I know of no Heroic Spirit by such a name… but very well! The Old Man of the Mountain does not break his pacts! You have done well! You have my praise!"
"Thank you, Sire!" Rikka bowed deeply. Behind the throne, Nitocris smiled as if she were the one being praised—at least until the King noticed her, causing her to shrink back.
"She really is a klutz," Roman muttered. (Later, a Medjed would haunt his dreams, but that is a story for another time.)
"...With this, our forces against the Lion King are assembled. All that remains is to bring down the false Holy City—the false Camelot."
Artoria, the King of Knights, spoke with a clarity that sharpened the air.
"King of Conquerors. We rely on the military genius that once trampled the world's greatest armies. Can we count on you?"
"You bet!" Iskandar thumped his chest and rolled out a map of the Holy City.
"Well, it's not exactly a complex battle. We attack, they defend! A refreshingly simple layout! Our vanguard will consist of the Chaldean team and us Servants to push the line! There are likely others among the Servants who can summon soldiers. We'll pool those forces to grind down the gate guards one by one!"
—Servants who can summon powerful armies… like the Shinsengumi.
"Is it our turn? Yesss! Leave it to us! We'll cut and cut and keep on cutting! Hey, Nobu, you feeling 'cool' yet?!"
"Yeah, I'm in. A flashy brawl is exactly what the Shinsengumi needs."
The Shinsengumi duo made their voices heard. Heroes who lived through the chaos of Japan were not about to be intimidated by a mere calamity.
"Sita and I have a secret plan as well! With Sita's Noble Phantasm, we can call upon the Hanumans who once lent us their strength! If we send King Ozymandias's Sphinxes to the west and the Hanumans to the east in advance, we can achieve massive results!"
Gilgamesh offered a smirk at Rama's energetic declaration.
"Hoh. So the benefit of dispelling that curse of separation finally manifests. 'Kindness is its own reward,' as they say."
"Lord Gilgamesh… for Lord Rama's sake… I will do my best."
The Sun King's Sphinxes, Rama, and Sita's Hanumans… they were indeed a perfect vanguard. It was a strategy unique to the diverse roster of Chaldea. It was a clever plan that would prevent needless loss of life while stuck at the impenetrable front gate.
"The raiding party will be led by me and Iskandar. Between the Sun Boat and the Chariot, we aren't lacking for speed."
Ozymandias huffed with confidence, followed closely by Iskandar's boisterous laughter.
"Fuhaha! The Rider class truly takes the stage here! Perhaps one day we shall see whose Riding skill is superior?"
"Hmph. A battle where the result is obvious is not a competition. Stay back lest you fall and tarnish my glory."
The roles were set: Ozymandias and Iskandar would trample the soldiers across the battlefield. In terms of mobility and suppression, no one could match these two—save perhaps the King of Heroes. (And one wonders if Achilles could keep up.)
"Then, we of the Hassans shall thin the ranks of the soldiers on the walls."
Four of the Old Men of the Mountain appeared and knelt. If they handled the disruption, decoys, and troublesome long-range weapons, there would be no issues.
"Hmph. How refreshing it is to have the pieces in place. It's best to leave the Great Hero to guard the village. If it comes to 'Judgment,' he—at least—can endure it once."
—He can withstand the Judgment…? Amazing! He had a trump card like that hidden away? As expected of the Archer among Archers, the one King Ozymandias respects…!
(Though it's the kind of trump card you really shouldn't have to use… I don't like how that story ends.)
—Fou?
At the mention of Arash's Noble Phantasm, the slightly somber look on Fou's face left a deep impression on Air for some reason…
"And what of the mountain people's army?" Iskandar asked, stroking his beard as he carefully considered how to deploy the mortal soldiers.
"Inside the city is one thing, but normal soldiers are useless against the calamities surrounding the exterior. We have no choice but to have them wait until the gate is breached. If the gate doesn't open, they'll just be throwing their lives away. For safety's sake, we should have them bring up the rear."
Indeed, the area surrounding the Holy City was plagued by unprecedented disasters. The environment had warped into a series of cataclysms that no normal human could approach.
"Of course. I asked for those disasters specifically to keep people away. As soon as the gate breaks, I'll dispel the 'Ten Plagues.' We'll time the march to that."
Moses spoke while casually eating, a relaxed Saint. Through his Noble Phantasm, the outskirts of the Holy City had been rendered a wasteland where no army could deploy.
"Moses and I will break that gate! The 'Divine Punishment Duo'! We're going to give them a double-dose of a holy sermon they won't forget!"
Sanzang clapped her hands together, radiating fighting spirit, a sharp contrast to Moses's casual hand-waving.
"If we can even reach it, that is," Moses added. "I can kill the 'Firstborn' without question, but that Knight of the Sun won't be so easy. If we head for the main gate, we have to deal with Gawain. Do we have a counter for him?"
"I shall—"
"LEAVE IT TO ME!"
Artoria (Heroine X) interrupted the King of Knights to volunteer.
"I have a secret plan! I am hereby authorized to release my 'Anti-Saber Ultimate Secret Technique' to crush Gawain and his triple-gorilla-strength!"
"—Are you serious? The opponent you face is a nemesis second only to the Lion King himself. I cannot allow you to rush into such a suicidal folly."
At the King's serious warning, Artoria adjusted her cap and answered.
"I have no intention of dying. Not until I've invited you all to the Servant Universe."
"..."
"I've finally gotten my Super-Dreadnought Pilot's License. —The wheel of the Marduk belongs to me, Gil."
She blew a wink and flashed a peace sign. Gilgamesh looked taken-back for a moment before closing his eyes in resignation.
"If you make such a proposal with full knowledge of the risks, then so be it. —Listen well: do not dare to go and die."
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