To negate the power of that armor, Gilgamesh would need to resort to overwhelming power. He even considered using [Sunshine], but Karna, as the son of the Hindu Sun God, was immune to fire and heat. The most Gilgamesh could do was use the raw and magical power it granted.
"Any suggestions?" Gilgamesh asked his tenants.
[Maybe use the Balance Breaker?] Ddraig suggested.
"It's a good idea," Regulus said.
{Indeed,} Arashi added.
"I'm not using the Balance Breaker for a fight like this. You know how destructive it always is," Gilgamesh replied.
Usually, when Gilgamesh used the Balance Breaker, it resulted in massive destruction because it was hard for him to control.
[Then use Boost to multiply your power enough to cause damage,] Ddraig said.
"It's a good idea, but it'll be tricky if I have to store that much power, and I'd need at least four Boosts, which is forty seconds. Karna won't wait that long," Gilgamesh told them.
"How about using Ddraig's Penetrate?" Regulus suggested.
"No, that'll kill him," Gilgamesh said.
[Exactly. My Penetrate breaks through any defense, physical or magical. But when it nullifies that armor, the spear will pierce his body completely. There's a reason it's the spear of a chief god,] Ddraig explained.
{How about using Verethragna's Authority, the Golden Sword, to cut his divinity?} Arashi suggested.
"It's a good idea, but I don't know enough about Karna's history to forge the sword," Gilgamesh said.
It was a good idea, but to use the Golden Sword, he needed sufficient knowledge of the target.
"I have an idea. I'll handle this," Gilgamesh told his tenants, who were starting to give him a headache with all their talking.
This entire conversation lasted only three seconds in Gilgamesh's mind.
Gilgamesh prepared to charge at Karna, who also readied himself.
Gilgamesh prepared to run while activating Verethragna's Authority, choosing the [Raptor] incarnation, an ability that allows its user to move faster than lightning.
Everything around Gilgamesh slowed to a crawl as he entered another dimension.
Normal people would appear in slow motion, and Karna seemed to perceive Gilgamesh, though his speed was drastically reduced.
In an instant, Gilgamesh became a red lightning bolt and was in front of Karna.
Gilgamesh dispelled the [Raptor] Authority, making Karna's eyes widen as he saw Gilgamesh before him.
The King of Heroes clenched his fist as he activated another of the [Ten Incarnations], the [Bull].
Gilgamesh punched Karna, who used his spear to defend.
The impact was deafening, the space seeming to crack with the super strength granted by the [Bull] incarnation.
Karna was sent flying meters away, crashing through entire mountains before stopping.
Gilgamesh gave Karna no time to think, raising Gungnir to the sky.
The sky darkened and rumbled as lightning appeared, summoned through the Longinus [Zenith Tempest]. Gilgamesh amplified the power further by activating another of the [Ten Incarnations], the [Goat], which allows its user to manipulate lightning and storms.
In an instant, all the lightning was enhanced by Gungnir's divine power.
When Karna rose from the crater he was sent into, he couldn't help but widen his eyes as tens of thousands of lightning bolts and storms descended upon him from the sky.
The entire sky of the dimension darkened as Gilgamesh unleashed an infinite number of lightning bolts—divine or natural, produced by his Longinus or Verethragna's Authority, amplified by Gungnir's divine power.
It was truly like witnessing the end of the world multiple times. The earth and sea split under his attack and power. The mountain range disintegrated like burning paper, and the sky itself tore and darkened as all possible lightning struck Karna.
Gilgamesh lowered his spear, stopping all the lightning, and observed the mountain where Karna had been thrown.
Or rather, what was once a mountain, as now the entire region was an arid desert where nothing could grow.
From the mountain's rubble, Karna emerged, his body bearing several wounds—not fatal or severe, but wounds that would bother him.
Karna knew the only way to defeat Gilgamesh would be to unleash one of his Noble Phantasms.
Karna prepared to charge, but in an instant, Gilgamesh appeared before him, his body emanating a white light, his fist encased in a sphere of light.
"Sacred Fist of the White God."
Gilgamesh simply punched Karna, who defended with his spear, but the moment Gilgamesh's fist collided with Karna's spear, the Son of Surya widened his eyes as he felt his body weaken before being sent flying.
Karna quickly regained his stance and skidded, looking at his skin and seeing blood leaking.
Then Karna realized what that light was—it somehow had the God Slayer attribute.
This attribute essentially gave its user the ability to deal significant damage to divine beings, much like holy magic against demons. This would be very problematic for Karna, a demigod. Taking a few more of those hits would be bad.
Karna widened his eyes as he looked forward and saw dozens of light arrows advancing toward him.
Karna swiftly swung his spear with supernatural mastery, nullifying all the light arrows.
Karna widened his eyes as he looked up and saw Gilgamesh floating in the air.
"Howl of the White God," Gilgamesh roared, unleashing a massive beam of light toward Karna.
Karna quickly placed his spear in front and unleashed his flames, but Gilgamesh's light swept through everything as if purifying the darkness.
Karna swung his spear, completely dissipating Gilgamesh's light, and looked forward to see the King of Heroes smiling as he stared at him.
Gilgamesh raised his hand, and in that instant, a massive lightning bolt struck directly into his hand, forming a blue sphere of lightning.
Gilgamesh smiled as he pulled the lightning as if throwing it, making the orb take the shape of a lightning bolt.
The lightning crackled with electricity as Gilgamesh combined the power of the [Ram] incarnation with the [Lightning Devil Slayer Magic], further amplifying the lightning's power.
"Gae Bolg…" Gilgamesh whispered.
Everyone might be confused when Gilgamesh whispered the name of the cursed Celtic weapon while holding the lightning.
In that moment, Gilgamesh threw the lightning. At a speed surpassing sound, the lightning crossed the entire battlefield toward Karna.
Naturally, the Invulnerable Hero dodged the strike and prepared to charge at Gilgamesh, but his eyes widened as he saw something.
To everyone's astonishment, the lightning suddenly changed its trajectory and headed toward Karna.
This happened because Gilgamesh had set the causality using the Longinus [Telos Karma].
Gilgamesh granted the lightning the properties of the cursed Celtic spear by altering cause and effect.
Using this, he gave the lightning the ability to always hit the enemy when thrown.
Karna had no chance to escape as the lightning was practically in his face and exploded.
Gilgamesh made the lightning explode before it hit Karna's heart because he wasn't sure if it could pierce his armor, but he didn't want to test that hypothesis.
The lightning explosion vaporized an entire mountain behind Karna as the Invulnerable Hero was thrown into another mountain.
When the dust settled, Karna emerged from the debris with some wounds.
Gilgamesh had to admit, Karna was incredibly resilient even without his armor and had an admirable willpower. The Son of Surya was withstanding all of Gilgamesh's blows.
Gilgamesh quickly summoned Gungnir, and Karna made flames erupt from his spear before charging again.
But just as they were about to meet, they were immobilized.
Gilgamesh and Karna widened their eyes as they saw chains wrapping around their bodies, sealing their divine powers.
Both turned to the source and saw Enkidu looking at them seriously.
"I think you two have understood each other enough," Enkidu said sternly, pointing behind them.
When they looked back, they saw that the battlefield, once a beautiful plain, was now nothing but a barren desert completely destroyed, where no life could thrive.
"Maybe we overdid it," Gilgamesh said, receiving a nod from Karna.
As they turned back to Enkidu, they saw Sebas with an irritated look, cracking his knuckles, and Arturia with a furious expression, holding Excalibur.
"H-hey, let's not overreact," Gilgamesh said nervously.
Sebas and Arturia began approaching, and Gilgamesh admitted.
He had never felt so much fear in his life, and even Karna was a bit scared.
All that could be heard afterward was Gilgamesh's screams of pain.
Two Days Later.
Unknown Location.
As promised by the witch herself, Arthur faced Walburga again in the same area where they had met—a grassy land with hills in the background and a mountain further back.
Le Fay was nearby, sensing the tension in the air. She knew this might not end well, so she was preparing to defend her brother if needed.
"So, Arthur, what's it going to be?"
Walburga's sadistic tone hadn't lost its edge.
Arthur crossed his arms.
"I read what you wrote, and I can't say I agree with what you're presenting to me. While I understand what you wrote and can grasp the idea behind it, the method of achieving those goals doesn't align with how I wish to live my life. So, for that reason, I simply can't join you."
Walburga's face twisted into a frown.
"Seriously? You didn't read what you got?"
"Yes, and it's a tempting offer. But the price for it isn't something I care about."
Walburga's frown became more pronounced.
"Then that's no good. Leader-sama won't be pleased with this. Won't you reconsider?"
Arthur shook his head.
"No, that's not something I wish to reconsider. I simply can't do it."
Walburga flashed a sadistic smile.
"Then die."
Immediately, she thrust her hand forward, unleashing several spells against Arthur.
Fire, wind, lightning, light, and darkness surged forward, shooting toward him.
Le Fay panicked, but Arthur merely sliced through the spells, unleashing a dense wave of holy power that obliterated the spells instantly and continued toward Walburga's body. She activated a multitude of defensive magical spells, blocking the holy power but losing some of her barriers.
Walburga wagged her finger.
"That's no good. But that sword is good."
"Then, if you want to get better acquainted with my blade, keep attacking me. Otherwise, leave immediately."
"As if I would!"
Walburga raised her hand to the sky, forming multiple magic circles, and was about to unleash her power when Arthur stabbed his blade into the air.
Walburga was wary, but then saw the sword passing through a tear in space.
The sword emerged above the magic circles and released more of the holy energy from his renowned Holy King Sword, Caliburn. The sword's energy rained down, destroying the spells instantly and heading straight for the young woman's body.
She quickly activated a teleportation circle, vanishing in an instant.
She reappeared behind Arthur, who had predicted her movement and shifted his weapon toward her, slashing, but she blocked the intense sword with a multitude of barriers. The attack's pressure broke several barriers but kept Walburga safe. The ground around them began to shatter due to the immense power Arthur unleashed.
"Interesting, you blocked my sword. You must be skilled at using magic, Witch."
"And you're fast, but I was trained by the best."
Walburga summoned ice from the ground, rising in a large pillar, forcing Arthur to leap into the air.
His speed was so fast that Le Fay couldn't keep up, nor could Walburga entirely, who turned just in time to see Arthur already advancing toward her.
"Don't mess with me!"
She unleashed multiple fireballs from magic circles.
But Arthur's speed, combined with his sword, cut through all the fireballs in seconds and sent a substantial chunk of holy aura toward Walburga, who was forced to block the power.
"Damn it!"
Walburga saw her barriers breaking, so she quickly turned her attention to the swordsman and combined a teleportation spell with several elemental magic spells, forming around Arthur in seconds.
Le Fay was stunned.
"Using that kind of magic together without much preparation, if any… she's incredible. She's very skilled. I can see why she's valued in her group for a task like this. But even so, Onii-sama isn't weak."
She thought to herself as Arthur calmly began gathering holy power in his blade.
"Witch, you're skilled, but I can't lose here."
He spun his blade like a propeller, releasing all his aura as Walburga unleashed her magical abilities. Arthur's blade moved in such a way that it cut through the spells without touching his body or letting the spells hit him after being sliced.
Walburga was stunned by the sudden use of his blade.
Arthur was definitely skilled in many areas.
No one could complain about that.
"I see, so you can keep up with my magic. This isn't good; I might actually be in trouble here." She feigned fear but then showed a sadistic smile and announced, "Got you."
She snapped her fingers, revealing several magic circles in the air around Arthur.
Le Fay recognized them and gasped.
"Onii-sama! They're binding spells!"
"Binding spells…"
Arthur suddenly felt the spells enveloping him in their aura. The binding spell's power was strong enough to lock his body in place, while Le Fay felt growing concern in her body.
She stepped forward as Arthur cast a calm glance at her.
"Don't worry, I'll handle this."
Le Fay didn't know what he meant.
But then she saw his blade had already pierced a spatial rift at its tip.
From above Walburga, the sword's tip emerged and unleashed a suppressed aura held within the blade, raining down on the unsuspecting Walburga, who felt the intense power wash over her body and throw her to the ground.
She lay on the ground, losing her binding spells' power for a moment.
That moment allowed Arthur to break free from the magical restraints, lunging at the grounded Walburga.
Growling, she pressed forward…
When a hand reached out and grabbed Arthur's blade.
Arthur's eyes widened, turning to see a mysterious man in a cloak.
But he could see the eyes beneath the cloak, and it felt like a chill had enveloped his body.
"…I didn't even detect his presence until the moment his hand grabbed my blade."
"L-Leader-sama! Y-You didn't need to come here! I was just having my fun!"
The Leader showed a charismatic smile that only Walburga could see.
"Don't worry about it, Walburga. You did very well. Sometimes, we can't help it if allies don't want to join us. Even if it's for a good cause."
"Hehehe, you're right~ Well, I'm glad you came; I was sweating a bit. His skills are no joke, and even for a normal human, his speed is incredible. Even I felt the waves of power coming off him. He's no joke, Leader-sama."
The Leader waved his hand, sending Arthur flying with a single blow. The air pressure from the strike alone made Le Fay fall to the ground, even after she created a series of barriers to defend herself. The power behind his blow seemed fantastically terrifying in her eyes.
"Onii-sama!"
Le Fay looked on with a stunned expression, seeing Arthur thrown so easily by this mysterious man. She then saw Arthur quickly stand, pointing his blade at the mysterious man.
"I don't know who you are, but I felt your waves of power from here. You clearly wield power that's not a normal level of power I've dealt with so far. What exactly are you?"
Arthur said this clearly.
His eyes focused on the man's face, which he couldn't see.
But he could feel those cold eyes on him.
"Arthur Pendragon, it's a pleasure to meet you officially. I'm surprised you and Walburga are fighting. I thought you'd want to join our side. I offered to give you any holy sword you requested, even the so-called missing Excalibur Ruler."
"Yes, I received that information too. However, I don't agree with harming innocent people. You may speak beautifully, but your words are filled with darkness and lack emotion. But if you can hide your intentions from me, then you're quite skilled."
"Arthur, I don't want this to end with your defeat. I want to do this the hard way."
Arthur was surprised by his words.
People usually took the easy way, at least that's what Arthur had found before.
But this man, whoever he was, seemed to enjoy being challenged.
"The hard way? What's the easy way?"
"You'll find out if the hard way doesn't achieve my goals. I prefer people follow me of their own will, not because I force them under my control… well, people I respect, anyway. I respect your power and your family. Don't make me defeat you."
Arthur didn't move.
His breathing stopped for a few moments.
The way he looked at Arthur…
Arthur definitely knew there was something dangerous about this guy, so he quickly closed the distance and summoned a massive amount of holy aura. Even Le Fay hadn't seen Arthur summon this much energy before, and he swung it toward the man in seconds…
But the man simply put out his hand and slapped the power aside, unleashing a massive aura that collapsed several medium-sized grassy hills and even left a large gash in a distant mountain.
Arthur and Le Fay couldn't be more shocked.
"H-He just swatted it away…"
Le Fay brought her hands to her mouth as Arthur narrowed his eyes.
"Take this!"
Changing tactics, Arthur attacked the man repeatedly from every angle he could. Left, right, up, down, side to side, he mixed different techniques, thinking he could land a hit on the opponent's body.
But that's not how it happened.
The man simply used his power to deflect every sword strike he encountered.
The way he moved was elegant.
The way he deflected the attacks was beautifully executed.
Even Arthur couldn't see a weakness in the man's form.
When Arthur pulled back and stabbed to the side, the man simply raised two fingers, catching the blade aimed at his head through the spatial rift, holding it in place with incredible strength.
Walburga displayed a sadistic smile that sent chills down Le Fay's spine.
"I told you, you should've joined us."
Arthur's eyes narrowed, trying to pull his blade back, but the man's grip was so strong that Arthur couldn't retrieve it.
"Arthur, one last chance to join me. If you refuse, I can't be held responsible for what happens to you."
Arthur didn't like the sound of that.
But he also had his sister to think about.
Her safety was more important than anything, and he didn't think this man would let them go so easily.
So he took a stance and turned to Le Fay.
"Le Fay, get out of here."
"O-Onii-sama? What do you mean? Just me?"
Arthur nodded, which intrigued the Leader slightly.
"Leave him to me. Go and stay safe."
"B-But—"
"Le Fay." He said it with a clearer voice than before. "You need to escape; it's too dangerous here. This opponent isn't ordinary. I don't think I can win. That's why you need to run now." His eyes turned to the mysterious Leader, who merely watched calmly. "You're not attacking me?"
"I was waiting for you and your imouto to finish. No matter what you wish, if you try to escape, Walburga will attack you, girl. You could be useful too. I can see you have many magical skills, and I wonder if you know any forbidden magic I don't? It would be interesting to see your powers—"
"No, you won't! Le Fay! Go now!"
Arthur lunged forward, delivering multiple strikes against the enemy before him. The man simply extended his hand, covering it with a dense aura, and blocked each strike repeatedly. The sword couldn't even cut through the aura, so thick and heavy it was.
Le Fay panicked, seeing Arthur being pushed back, and she didn't know what she should do.
She couldn't leave her brother.
But she knew they couldn't both escape.
She needed help…
She needed someone's help.
But who she could get, she didn't know.
With tears streaming from her eyes, she turned her head and began activating a teleportation circle.
"Oh no, you don't!"
Walburga reached out and tried to use her magic to attack Le Fay.
But Arthur managed to unleash powerful waves of holy power from his sword toward Walburga, forcing her to defend against the ferocious attack, while the Leader seized the chance, landing a powerful punch on Arthur's torso.
"Gwaaah!"
He spat out a good amount of blood as he fell to the ground, feeling sicker by the second.
Le Fay's frightened eyes turned to Arthur, who, despite just taking a punch, still smiled gently at her.
With a flash of light, she vanished with deep regret in her mind.
She definitely felt like she had just abandoned her older brother, and it made her feel sick inside.
Walburga clicked her tongue.
"Damn mage, she escaped."
"No matter, I'm sure she'll show up again eventually. Maybe she has some interesting allies to join us." His eyes turned to Arthur, writhing in pain on the ground. "But more importantly, we've secured this man here. His skills will undoubtedly bring a good dose of power to our forming group."
Arthur's hateful eyes turned to the Leader, whose malicious smile grew wider.
The man's hand reached toward Arthur's face, with more and more feelings rising to the surface.
Arthur definitely knew now…
He couldn't escape.
With Gilgamesh.
It had been two days since Gilgamesh summoned Karna, and since then, the Son of the Sun God had been living in Gilgamesh's house, with his own room and new, more casual clothes.
Everyone had also grown accustomed to Karna's presence. He usually stayed quiet in his corner and rarely spoke unless someone asked him something.
Gilgamesh had also trained more with Karna and improved his skills.
Currently, Gilgamesh was at home, lying on the couch with Fenrir's head in his lap, petting the God-Devouring Wolf.
Sebas, Arturia, Mordred, Asia, Valérie, and Karna had gone shopping, which Gilgamesh didn't see the need for so many people. It seemed they wanted to show Karna the city.
Tiamat was working with Ajuka and was thus in the Underworld, and Enkidu was looking for books in his room.
Gilgamesh continued watching until a growl caught his attention.
Fenrir stood in an alert stance, positioning himself in front of the door while increasing his power.
Gilgamesh headed to the door and signaled for Fenrir to calm down.
When Gilgamesh opened the door, his eyes widened at the sight of the two people.
They were two women. The one on the right had red eyes and long black hair tied in two ponytails with black ribbons. On her head was a black and gold tiara, along with a matching gold choker and "O"-shaped earrings.
Her clothes were very revealing, with a white bra with gold trim exposing some cleavage, along with the lower part of her back and stomach. On her hips was a black and gold thong adorned with jewels that nestled deeply between her buttocks, exposing much of her rear and legs. She also wore a black thigh-high stocking with gold accents on her right leg, and her left ankle had a gold bracelet. Her left arm was equipped with a black and gold glove covering her forearm, while her right arm had a gold bracelet.
The woman on the left had strikingly beautiful red eyes with rounded features and a black outline. She had long blonde hair and wore a dark blue dress with black details and two ribbons in her hair.
Gilgamesh recognized who they were but couldn't help being surprised.
"Look, the little golden boy has a descendant," said the woman with black hair.
"It's true," exclaimed the blonde woman, surprised.
"Who are you?" Gilgamesh asked, though he already knew. He had to stay in character.
"Oh, yes, bow down, mortal, and worship me, for I am the great Queen of Heaven, the Great Goddess Ishtar," Ishtar said with a huge smile, while the other shook her head in denial.
"I am Ereshkigal, Goddess of Death and Queen of Kur," Ereshkigal said politely.
"So, will you let us in, descendant of the golden boy?" Ishtar asked, crossing her arms.
Gilgamesh did the first thing that came to mind…
He slammed the door shut.
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