Landing back on the ground from the air, Artoria, who had escaped the encirclement of Noble Phantasms, quickly returned to Naoki's side. "Are you alright, Master?"
"I'm fine, not a scratch. What about you?"
"With Avalon, even if I'm injured, I can recover quickly. Please don't worry about me—"
Before she could finish, Artoria spun around, swinging her sword to deflect two Noble Phantasms piercing through the icy mist.
Emerging unscathed from the mist, Gilgamesh scanned the vast icy plain with keen interest. "First fire, now this icy field—where's the power you inherited from the Holy Sword User? Just playing these petty Magus tricks, do you think that's enough to defeat this King?"
"Holy Sword User!"
More golden ripples appeared behind him than before.
"Warm-up's over. If you don't show your true abilities soon, this fight won't even be entertaining."
A hundred Noble Phantasms in total—over half were fired simultaneously, a meteor shower piercing through space once more.
Artoria instinctively moved to swing her sword to block.
(No need, I'll handle it.)
Dozens of ice walls rose from the icy plain. But this time, Naoki didn't stay idle after summoning them. He grabbed Artoria, and before the ice walls fully shattered, he soared into the sky!
"Master! Why—"
"After blocking one wave, the second can't be stopped. He'll fire it right at that moment." Naoki glanced at Gilgamesh below.
And as he predicted, almost the moment Gilgamesh saw them take to the air, the remaining Noble Phantasms on standby shot out, heading straight for the two in the sky!
(Lia, just focus on how to defeat him. Leave the rest to me.)
(Understood, Master!)
A small vortex in Naoki's palm turned into a raging tornado, blowing all the Noble Phantasms off course. Using the explosive storm, Artoria descended from the sky at lightning speed!
*WHOOSH!*
Double ripples instantly appeared in Artoria's path.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
Countless Noble Phantasms turned into a relentless rain of swords. In just one or two seconds, Artoria's vision was filled with a dense barrage of golden meteors as far as the eye could see.
Should she block?
(No, Master said to leave it to him.)
Artoria trusted her Master wouldn't speak without certainty. He told her to focus on defeating Archer, and he'd handle the rest. She had to trust him and pour all her energy into the close-quarters combat ahead.
*BUZZ!*
A storm barrier formed in front of Artoria. Upon touching the near-vortex-like winds, the Noble Phantasms were deflected one by one!
(This—)
"Trying to disrupt this King's firing path with a storm? Interesting."
This was one of Archer's limitations. Since his attacks were fired, they couldn't be controlled afterward, only following a fixed trajectory. So, if the path was forcibly altered, they could be neutralized.
Easier said than done—this was essentially a contest against the Gate of Babylon's performance.
"But, as this King said, Holy Sword User, how long will you keep playing these petty tricks!"
Gilgamesh drew a massive war axe from a ripple at his side. Facing Artoria, who descended like lightning, he met her with a single axe swing!
*CLANG!*
A tremendous force surged through the blade into Artoria's hands, so powerful it sent her flying back!
"Wh—Master!"
*DUK!*
Before Artoria could land, Gilgamesh stomped the ground. The golden boots on his feet miraculously sprouted wings, propelling him into the sky and right in front of Naoki, where he swung his axe again!
*ZZZZZT!*
A shield of raging wind barely blocked the attack, the wind blades clashing against the axe, sparking continuously!
Naoki looked at Gilgamesh with slight surprise. "Going straight for close combat with an axe? Aren't you an Archer?"
"Fool! If this King wishes, appearing as a Saber wouldn't be impossible!"
Gilgamesh sneered, increasing the force in his hands. The third axe swing came down heavily!
*DUK!*
The wind barrier was torn apart. Using the wind's impact to quickly retreat, Naoki raised his hand, sending nearly a hundred wind blades toward Gilgamesh. The chaotic blades almost distorted the space around them.
But facing the onslaught of wind blades, Gilgamesh merely tossed out a shield as a counter, then flapped his wings again, closing in on Naoki!
"What's wrong?! Where's your precious Holy Sword?! Is this pathetic Magecraft your full power, Holy Sword User?!"
The war axe swung rapidly in a relentless barrage. The fragile wind couldn't withstand the tidal wave of attacks. Before Naoki could land, Gilgamesh, breaking through his defenses, delivered a powerful kick to Naoki's chest!
*BANG!*
A container below was pierced through.
Naoki waved his hand.
Gilgamesh was actively engaging in close combat. Not everyone could earn such treatment. Truly worthy of being called the Axe King of Uruk. Even as an Archer, his close-combat skills were extraordinary.
"Alright then, let's get serious too. Saber, cover me."
"Understood."
On the way here, Naoki had explained two combat modes to Artoria.
One was Artoria as the main focus, with Naoki supporting. This was the usual approach for Masters and Servants in the Holy Grail War, as it was widely accepted that modern mages could never defeat a Servant.
The other was the opposite—Naoki as the main focus, with Artoria supporting.
If other Masters knew, they'd likely laugh at Naoki as a fool, since fighting a Servant was clear suicide. But only those who knew him, and Artoria as his Servant, understood exactly what kind of existence her Master was.
Magic Circuits—Release.
Magecraft Summoning Ritual—Begin.
Servant, Archer, Divine—Enemy element confirmed, reversal initiated, summoning conditions confirmed, construction of summoning spell begun.
"Open, the gate to the Sea Within the Stars!"
"Fairies of that world, answer my call! You are the flame demon that burns the sky, the earth, the stars!"
This was the fire that once nearly killed Naoki, and in a sense, the most malevolent flame in the world. A light like an eggshell enveloped his body, then shattered—
"Burn all that is impure! Arise, Purgatorio!"
From the broken eggshell emerged Naoki, bathed in violet-blue flames, surrounded by strange spiritual entities—ghosts, demons.
"Come, King Gilgamesh, round two!"