In the midst of this atmosphere, Flat suddenly raised his hand. "Um, King of Heroes, does your property include us as well?"
Gilgamesh was taken aback for a moment, then covered his face and burst into laughter.
"Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
He laughed for a good while before putting away his smile, his tone casual.
"Of course. You, your Servant, this Canyon, those rocks—they are all the property of This King. That This King allows you to exist is a gift. That This King wishes to reclaim them is a right. Do you understand?"
Flat nodded vigorously. "Understood!"
He turned to look at Olga Marie and whispered, "Miss Olga Marie, he says you're his property."
Olga Marie's mouth twitched.
"I heard him."
"Are you angry, then?"
"..."
"I think you look very angry."
"..."
"Since Miss Olga Marie is the President of the Earth, everyone's property should belong to you. Now that someone else is calling you property, does that count as—"
"Flat." Olga Marie interrupted him, her voice terrifyingly calm.
"Yes?"
"Shut up."
"Oh."
Flat obediently shut his mouth, but his eyes were still darting around, wearing an expression as if waiting for a good show.
Gilgamesh was clearly satisfied with this interlude. He looked at Alcides, his tone returning to that condescending arrogance.
"As for you, mongrel," he said, "This King originally came to settle accounts with you."
A low voice came from beneath Alcides's Pelt. "...Heh."
Killing intent flashed in Gilgamesh's crimson pupils.
"Offending the majesty of This King is a capital offense."
Alcides remained silent for a few seconds before letting out a low laugh.
"I see."
"Very well." Alcides drew his bow. This time, three arrows condensed on the string simultaneously. "Then you can go along with this nonsensical deity—"
The air between the three parties froze.
Olga Marie stared at Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh returned the gaze with an arrogant downward look. Alcides drew his bowstring even tighter, the three arrows trembling slightly as they locked onto two targets.
Tine's hand, placed against her chest, suddenly clenched. It's... starting!
As if to validate Tine's thoughts, Alcides moved.
He released the bowstring, and the three dark red arrows split the moment they left the string—one became three, three became nine... a sky full of blood-red light shot toward Olga Marie and Gilgamesh.
Almost simultaneously, Golden Ripples rippled open behind Gilgamesh.
In the blink of an eye, the sky behind him was covered in a golden aura. From each ripple, the tip of a weapon emerged: longswords, spears, battle-axes, giant hammers, bows and arrows, javelins... each one shimmering with the radiance of a Noble Phantasm.
"Mongrels!"
Gilgamesh laughed and waved his right hand.
"Witness now the meaning of the Gate of Babylon!"
The rain of Noble Phantasms poured down, turning into a golden torrent. Half of it smashed into Alcides's arrows, while the other half indiscriminately covered the area where Olga Marie and Alcides were located.
And Olga Marie, she was laughing too.
"Hahahaha! Now this is more like it!"
She spread her arms, and two brilliant white fireballs manifested in front of her. The fireballs weren't thrown; instead, they spun and compressed frantically in her palms, a piercing white light shining from within.
Then she clapped her hands together. The two fireballs collided, merged, and expanded into a giant orb of light three meters in diameter. Gold-red electrical arcs jumped across the surface of the orb, and the Magical Energy density inside was so high that the surrounding air was twisting.
"Catch this!"
Olga Marie thrust the light orb forward. The orb split mid-flight, one part attacking Alcides and the other slamming toward Vimana.
The next instant, the light orbs collided with the arrows and Noble Phantasms.
"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!"
Continuous, overlapping, deafening explosions made the Canyon tremble. Web-like cracks burst open on the rock walls on both sides, the riverbed was upturned, and sand mixed with smoke to form a gray-yellow curtain connecting heaven and earth. The shockwaves echoed and amplified repeatedly within the narrow Canyon, turning into a destructive hurricane that tore apart anything fragile.
Flat was shielded behind Olga Marie. Even so, he could feel the violent shaking of the ground beneath his feet, and everything in his vision was distorted.
Is this... a battle between top-tier Servants?
Flat's eyes shone as he stared at the center of the explosions.
No! This isn't the real battle yet! This is just probing; he could feel that none of them had used their full power yet!
Alcides's arrows were swallowed by the torrent of Noble Phantasms. He himself had already disappeared from his original spot, moving at high speed between the rock walls, jumping back and forth, each footfall shattering a piece of rock.
He was closing the distance, his bowstring vibrating constantly as arrow after arrow was fired, each one precisely threading through the gaps in the Noble Phantasms to attack Olga Marie and Gilgamesh.
Gilgamesh stood upon Vimana, the Golden Ripples behind him growing more numerous. He was no longer attacking indiscriminately but had begun targeted interceptions while simultaneously pursuing the moving Alcides.
As for all the attacks aimed at Olga Marie, whether arrows or Noble Phantasms, they were blocked, deflected, or crushed by an invisible Force Field three meters away from her. She didn't look at the attacks; she just stared at the trajectory of Alcides's movements, her amber pupils turning slightly as if calculating something.
At a certain moment, she raised her hand, aiming at Alcides's next landing point.
'Got you.'
Magical Energy gathered in her palm, turning into a slender beam of white light. But just as she was about to fire—
"Neigh—!!!"
A loud horse whinny echoed through the Canyon, carrying the resolve of a charge.
Everyone's movements paused. A red shadow charged from the other end of the Canyon.
A red Warhorse, clad in bronze barding, shattered the rocks with its four hooves, leaving deep hoofprints on the rock walls with every step. Mounted on the horse was a woman, her long red hair tied behind her head and fluttering behind her as the horse galloped.
She wore a set of light Leather Armor, revealing her tightly toned arms and abdomen. Her skin was a healthy wheat color, and her face bore an expression characteristic of a warrior race—a blend of wildness and pride. Her golden pupils shone brilliantly under the sunlight like molten gold.
The Warhorse galloped along the rock walls, moving so fast it nearly left an afterimage. The rider lowered her body, one hand gripping the reins tightly while the other pulled a longsword from her waist.
Her target was Alcides.
Alcides perceived the threat and forcibly twisted his body in mid-air, drawing his bow and aiming. But the rider was faster. The Warhorse leaped, pouncing directly down from the thirty-meter-high rock wall.
"Ha!"
The rider swung her sword. Alcides raised his bow to block.
"CLANG—!!!"
The massive sound of clashing metal. The bow and sword collided, erupting in piercing sparks. Alcides was smashed downward by the force of the blow; his feet shattered the ground as he desperately stabilized his posture.
The rider used the recoil to backflip, landing lightly back on her horse's back and quickly opening up distance.
The movements and sounds caused Olga Marie and Gilgamesh to stop their attacks. Gilgamesh murmured with some dissatisfaction, "Tch, what is this?"
Olga Marie merely let out an "Oh?" and watched the two of them with interest.
The longsword in the woman's hand transformed into a bow as she continued to snipe at Alcides. Under her guidance, the Warhorse beneath her galloped and leaped onto another mountain wall at extreme speed, letting out a whinny like a show of dominance.
Only then did everyone see her full appearance clearly. She looked to be in her early twenties, with a well-proportioned and powerful physique. Her Leather Armor only covered vital areas, and clear muscle lines could be seen on her exposed arms and abdomen.
Alcides slowly straightened his body from the bottom of the cliff, suppressed gasps coming from beneath his Pelt.
The atmosphere froze once more.
"Hey!"
Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow, the boredom finally fading from his face and being replaced by an interested expression. Scrutiny flashed in his crimson pupils.
"Mongrel who intervened in the battle of This King—who are you?"
The rider did not take offense at his tone. She raised her chin, her voice powerful and heroic as it echoed through the Canyon:
"My name is Hippolyta!"
"Daughter of Ares, the God of War, and Otrera!"
"Leader of the noble and proud tribe, the Amazon warriors!"
She shifted her sword to her right hand and clenched her left hand into a fist, striking it heavily against her chest. The Leather Armor made a dull thud.
Hippolyta raised her bow, pointing it at Alcides, battle intent burning in her golden pupils.
"And that fellow is my prey!"
"None of you are permitted to interfere!"