"This mana... it's not Ea..."
Damien summoned a gust of wind to clear the surrounding smoke, revealing the state of Ryudou Temple.
The mountaintop had completely vanished.
Aside from the gate and courtyard, all buildings and even the mountain itself had collapsed under the previous attack, leaving only molten ruins and broken walls.
"Legend has it that the Vimana carries the most ancient nuclear warhead."
Damien realized that Gilgamesh was far different from what he had expected.
"But something's off, isn't it?"
Damien recalled that unleashing the Vimana's primordial nuclear warhead required invoking its True Name.
While Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon held the prototypes of nearly all Noble Phantasms, he shouldn't be able to unleash their True Names.
So, what was happening now?
"Heh heh heh, hahaha!"
High above, Gilgamesh laughed, clearly pleased with his handiwork, "Did you think I came here unprepared?!"
Dozens of Command Spells had been expended on Gilgamesh by Kirei Kotomine in a single go.
In the original story, he hadn't used them because he deemed it beneath him.
Neither the King of Conquerors nor Artoria was worthy of his full effort.
But Damien was different.
He posed a genuine threat to Gilgamesh.
Even when serious, Gilgamesh had little confidence in defeating him.
Thus, he chose to amplify his power.
Over thirty Command Spells not only granted Gilgamesh immense mana but also broke his limitations, allowing him to unleash the True Names of the Noble Phantasms in his Gate of Babylon for this battle.
"I am now unmatched!"
That was Gilgamesh's sole thought at this moment.
Damien, the Demon King from another world... blast them all to ashes!
"Who allowed you to stand so high?!"
But Gilgamesh's declaration of invincibility was short-lived.
"What's that?"
Sensing a terrifying killing intent from behind, Gilgamesh's expression changed.
Turning around, he saw Shion's figure, somehow appearing behind him.
Boom!
Her blade struck, and though Gilgamesh dodged in time, the Vimana beneath him was cleaved in two by Shion's strike.
"You damned woman!!"
Gilgamesh hovered in the air, his winged golden boots... Hermes' sandals... keeping him aloft.
"You've thoroughly enraged me!"
A barrage of A-rank Noble Phantasms materialized behind Gilgamesh, their True Names instantly unleashed.
In an instant, countless beams of light engulfed Shion.
A mere A-rank Noble Phantasm couldn't kill Shion, but an unleashed one was another matter.
"Damn it!"
Before the light fully faded, Gilgamesh glanced in a certain direction.
There, Shion stood, battered but alive.
"That was close. I almost didn't make it."
Shion thanked the Ice Empress beside her. Without her intervention, Shion might have been finished.
[Analysis Progress: 52%]
"Damien!!"
"Hm."
Damien nodded to the Ice Empress, "Go for it."
"Roar!!!"
With Damien's command, the Ice Empress unleashed her full power, transforming into a massive emerald ice scorpion.
Locking onto Gilgamesh, she unleashed a storm of ultimate frost that surged toward him.
"Huh?"
Damien was surprised. He hadn't expected the Ice Empress to be so bold, charging in her true form.
"What's that?"
Gilgamesh couldn't miss such a commotion.
[Rho Aias]
A pink-white, flower-like shield unfolded in layers, shattering six of its seven layers before successfully blocking the Ice Empress's ice blast.
"It's not over yet!!"
Seeing her attack blocked, the Ice Empress ignored Damien's orders and charged with Wrath of the Ice Monarch, "Break for me!!"
Boom!
The final layer of Rho Aias shattered completely.
But Gilgamesh, standing behind it, had already vanished.
"Where'd that guy go?"
The Ice Empress searched around but couldn't find him.
"Can he summon such a monster?"
Meanwhile, Gilgamesh perched on a tree, his gaze fixed warily on the Ice Empress searching for him.
On his head was a Greek-style helmet... Hades' Helm of Invisibility.
"But when it comes to Noble Phantasms for dealing with monsters, I have an endless supply!"
[True Nine Lives]
In an instant, nine laser-like beams struck from all directions.
"!!!"
The Ice Empress felt a chill down her spine.
Instinctively, she activated Ice Monarch's Aegis, forming layers of icy armor over her body.
Boom boom boom boom!
What followed was a reversal of roles.
The Ice Empress went from attacking to defending, while Gilgamesh took the offensive.
One Noble Phantasm after another was drawn from his arsenal and smashed against the Ice Empress.
"Damn it!!"
Her massive size left her no room to dodge, forcing her to charge head-on.
"Ugh..."
Damien shook his head.
Even the Snow Empress turned away.
It was too embarrassing to watch.
"Go help her, Shion."
"Haha! How pathetic, Ice Empress!"
Shion rallied her Kijin, "Alright, crew, let's go!"
"Oooh!"
Soon, Shion and the other Kijin spotted a defensive gap in Gilgamesh's onslaught.
"Now's the time!"
Over a dozen Kijin charged at him from all sides.
Unfortunately, Damien had ordered them not to kill Gilgamesh until the analysis was complete.
Otherwise, the battle would have been much easier.
"But..."
"Not killing him doesn't mean we can't beat him within an inch of his life."
"Cut off his arms and legs!"
"Hm?"
Gilgamesh noticed the encroaching Kijin.
He had seen Shion's prowess.
If every Kijin had that level of close-combat skill, he couldn't let them get near.
[Brionac]
A crimson light flashed from Gilgamesh's hand, revealing a blood-red spear... the famed magical lance of Lugh, the Celtic god of light and sun, from the Tuatha Dé Danann.
"Danger!"
"Retreat!!"
The Kijin's combat instincts were razor-sharp.
In an instant, they sensed the terrifying power of that blood-red spear.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
If you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (removespace)