"So I'm the first to go, huh."
"Sister, give him a good beating!"
"Hmph, you don't need to tell me!"
With arms crossed, Tatsumaki—having won the first round of rock-paper-scissors—glared coldly at Gilgamesh in the distance. Green energy flared around her, and she flew out of Eriri's barrier.
Seeing Tatsumaki enter his attack range, Gilgamesh sneered and aimed Ea's energy blasts at her.
But the beams were blocked by an invisible force long before they reached Tatsumaki.
She didn't even bother acknowledging the attacks. Arms still crossed, she floated aloofly, looking down at Gilgamesh with a condescending gaze.
Then, under Gilgamesh's crazed stare, she slowly raised her right hand.
Instantly, the energy blasts from Ea were engulfed by green energy, compressed, and vanished within seconds.
Simultaneously, every Noble Phantasm flying through the air froze in place—along with those still emerging from the Gate of Babylon.
The sky was now densely packed with suspended weapons—a disturbing sight for anyone with trypophobia.
But for Gilgamesh, Tokiomi, and others, it was downright shocking.
Especially for Gilgamesh—this was the first time he had ever seen someone seize control of his Gate of Babylon.
Yet before he could fully process his astonishment, Tatsumaki's next move snapped him out of it.
"Didn't anyone teach you not to litter?"
She flicked her index finger.
All the floating weapons instantly rotated midair and aimed straight at Gilgamesh.
"Here. Take it back."
With a casual motion of her finger, the Noble Phantasms were hurled back toward Gilgamesh at several times their original speed.
...
As Tatsumaki launched her attack, a small figure darted out from Eriri's group.
She quickly reached Tokiomi's side and dragged him away from Gilgamesh.
"Rin!" Tokiomi exclaimed, his expression complex as he looked at the small hand pulling him.
That small figure was indeed Rin Tohsaka.
Although Tokiomi wasn't directly next to Gilgamesh, Rin didn't want to risk anything given the onslaught that was about to unfold from Arifureta and the others.
"Father, don't be upset. Even if you'd won the Holy Grail War, your wish wouldn't have come true anyway," Rin said gently.
Tokiomi was stunned. He tore his gaze from Gilgamesh and looked at his daughter in confusion.
"What do you mean, Rin? Do you know something I don't?"
"Actually, the Greater Grail of Fuyuki has long since been corrupted. It still grants the victor's wish—but it twists it toward evil, always resulting in destruction and catastrophe."
"I know your dream is to reach the Root, but if you wish on this corrupted Grail, you might just bring about the end of the world."
Tokiomi stood frozen.
To think his lifelong goal had been in vain… he struggled to accept the truth.
But he didn't doubt Rin's words.
After all, he'd never told her his wish—yet she had known it precisely.
That could only mean she knew things beyond his understanding.
While father and daughter spoke, Tatsumaki's barrage of reclaimed Noble Phantasms slammed mercilessly into Gilgamesh.
Though Gilgamesh tried to resist, under the pressure of Tatsumaki's psychokinesis, his own Noble Phantasms became overwhelming forces he couldn't fend off.
In moments, he was skewered by countless weapons from his own treasury—and died painfully.
"Hmph. Pathetic," Tatsumaki snorted and floated back to Eriri's group.
...
About a minute later, Eriri snapped her fingers again, and Gilgamesh—whose spirit origin had been obliterated—reappeared on top of the streetlamp, completely restored.
Panting heavily, the pain of being impaled still lingered vividly in his mind.
But having experienced resurrection once already, he wasn't as shocked this time.
Of course, being killed and revived repeatedly was an utterly wretched experience.
He glared furiously at Eriri and the others, who were still casually playing rock-paper-scissors.
The shame burned hotter in his chest.
Two deaths weren't enough to make him yield.
He summoned Ea once more, preparing to unleash the most powerful attack he could currently muster.
He wanted Tokiomi to use a Command Spell to boost him, but no matter what he tried, he couldn't convey his desire.
As Gilgamesh charged his ultimate move, the next winner among Eriri's group was decided.
"Looks like it's my turn now!"
Arifureta beamed at the group, clearly eager to take action.
"Yue-chan, how are you planning to deal with that guy?" someone asked.
"Just watch. You'll see," she said with a smile.
Then she soared beyond the barrier and opened the chat group's marketplace.
Spending 100 points, she rented the only available item: the "Pink Fluffy Bunny" universal weapon system.
"So you're using Ea again, huh? Then I'll use Ea to finish you off too," she said coldly as she took out the rented weapon.
Gilgamesh froze at her words, eyes filled with disbelief.
He saw the pink magical girl wand in her hand and smirked dismissively.
But a second later, his smirk vanished—replaced by shock and disbelief.
If he could speak, he'd probably be shouting right now.
Before his eyes, the tacky magical wand transformed into a weapon identical to his own Ea.
No—on closer inspection, it wasn't just identical. Its power seemed far greater.
Though he had many questions, he had no time to ask.
His ultimate move was ready. A massive energy blast surged from his Ea toward Arifureta.
She responded in kind. Swinging the transformed weapon effortlessly, she released a beam ten meters in diameter.
It devoured Gilgamesh's blast on contact, then continued forward without losing momentum—utterly destroying his spirit origin in an instant.
Even after Gilgamesh was annihilated by the massive energy blast, the beam didn't dissipate. It shot off at incredible speed.
Under Arifureta's control, the crimson energy wave shifted trajectory and streaked into space, vanishing into the horizon.
She said nothing more, merely casting a glance at the hidden Kirei Kotomine and Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald before returning silently to Eriri's side.
The two concealed Masters instantly realized their cover had been blown. Their expressions darkened with tension.
Especially Kayneth, who had hoped to ambush a few enemies with his Servant. But now, he was seriously considering abandoning the Holy Grail War and fleeing back to the Clock Tower.
Elsewhere, not far from the scene, Rider Iskandar was en route with his Master, Waver Velvet.
...
What followed was a loop of death and resurrection for Gilgamesh.
The chat group members took their time giving him dozens of uniquely humiliating deaths: burned alive, stomped repeatedly, crushed by telekinesis—you name it.
He went from fierce resistance and desperate attempts to flee, to complete numbness and resignation once he realized there was no escape.
Halfway through this endless torment, Rider arrived on his chariot, crashing into the group's "playground."
Watching Erica duel with Gilgamesh, Rider burst out laughing and spread his arms. A burst of blue lightning surged around him.
"Cease this fight! No disrespect before the throne!" Rider boomed. "I am Iskandar, the King of Conquerors. I descend upon this Holy Grail War as a Rider-class Servant!"
Normally, Servants concealed their identities. But Iskandar was clearly an exception.
Even in this unfamiliar situation, he introduced himself just as he had in the original timeline—loudly and without hesitation.
Under normal circumstances, other Masters and Servants would be stunned by such recklessness, just as Waver was now.
"Rider, what are you doing?! What are you thinking?! You idiot!" Waver cried, tugging at Iskandar's cloak in a panic.
But Iskandar paid him no mind. He noticed the young girl clashing with a Servant hadn't stopped to acknowledge him—she just kept slashing her knight's sword at her opponent.
Each blow from Erica left a long, narrow wound on Gilgamesh. He had completely abandoned his Gate of Babylon, relying only on Ea.
He'd learned from experience that his treasury was utterly useless against these terrifying women—in fact, it usually got turned against him.
"Young lady, you seem like an honorable knight. But as a warrior, you shouldn't attack someone who's lost the will to fight."
With that, Iskandar charged forward on his chariot, attempting to separate the combatants.
"This has nothing to do with you. Don't get in the way."
Erica shot a glance at him and casually waved her hand.
A burst of force sent Rider and his chariot flying dozens of meters away.
She didn't particularly dislike Iskandar, so she spared him the early retirement.
Of course, the warning only applied once. If Iskandar continued to overstep, Erica wouldn't hesitate to send him back to the Throne of Heroes.
Her overwhelming strength left Iskandar in awe—and planted some unworthy ideas in his heart.
He ignored her warning and rode his chariot back toward Erica and Gilgamesh.
"You're powerful, young lady. Why not join my army?" he shouted. "If you help me seize the Holy Grail, I'll let you share in the joy of world conquest!"
Erica shook her head and replied casually, "Well then, since you're not behaving like the rest of those standing aside, I guess I'll send you back early."
She withdrew her sword, raised it toward Iskandar, and unleashed a crimson arc of light that sliced through everything in its path.
That included Iskandar—and the already-dying Gilgamesh nearby.
As the bisected Rider's body began to fall apart, Waver let out a heart-wrenching scream.
"Rider!!!"
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