The deafening sound echoed around. After the voice fell, a large number of golden halos suddenly appeared behind Gilgamesh. Countless treasures protruded from them, their sharpened ends pointing at Yami's location.
In other words, they locked onto Yami and everyone behind him, seemingly ready to spray out at any moment.
However, Gilgamesh did not take the lead. Instead, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and his scarlet pupils shone brightly, as if waiting for Yami's response.
The latter stood silently in place. After a while, he scratched his head in distress.
"It's a little troublesome to be valued so much, but I'm still very happy."
"But, Gilgamesh, the last thing you should do is harbor murderous intent towards Hephaestus. That is the one thing I can't tolerate."
"Since I could kill you once in your dream, I can kill you a second time now. So go back to the Seat of Heroes!"
*Shhhhhhh*
The only response was the sound of treasures breaking through the wind.
Artoria, Medea, Cù Chulainn, and Medusa immediately stood ready, raising their weapons to resist. But before they could move, Yami acted first.
A black sword and spear appeared in his hands. He swung a terrifying slash, and the huge sword energy instantly formed a barrier, cutting all the treasures in the air in half.
Such a mighty blow made everyone exclaim in amazement, especially Gilgamesh, whose smile became wider.
"That's right, it's this powerful force. Only a guy like you is qualified to be my subject!"
"Come, Archer, continue to use your power to please me!"
While speaking, more golden halos and treasures appeared behind Gilgamesh, though the power contained in them was not very immense.
"Let's talk about such words after you really win! Gilgamesh, stop this boring temptation and show me your true skills!"
Yami disappeared instantly. However, Gilgamesh, like a prophet, jumped and disappeared as well.
The moment he left, Yami reappeared, his spear piercing the ground. Unfortunately, it didn't touch any vital points. On the contrary, a long spear flew from afar, hitting his lower back at a speed too fast for him to react to, and the force threw him flying.
Yami's body bounced on the ground like a stone skipping on water. The area was instantly enveloped in a cloud of smoke and dust, obscuring everything inside.
"Archer!" Rin yelled nervously upon seeing this. Unfortunately, no one responded.
"Lancer, Saber, what are you doing? Go help him! It doesn't matter if you swarm him, the opponent is a monster!"
When there was no response for a long time, Rin couldn't bear it and instructed the other Servants. However, none obeyed her.
Despite the serious expressions on their faces, they didn't intend to move.
"This is a battle that belongs to the Master; I will not intervene!" Artoria declared.
"That's right, this is a battle to defend your own monarch. If you intervene, it would be blasphemy to Archer. So, Master, just watch it honestly." Cù Chulainn added, carrying his magic spear.
However, there was a smile of approval on his face. "Look carefully, Master, this is a rare battle where all talents bloom!"
"Are you kidding me? You actually want Archer to deal with that existence alone? He will die!" Rin couldn't understand the actions of everyone. The opponent was so strong, and they could potentially win by relying on numbers, so why were they unwilling to help?
"Caster, do you think so too?" Rin asked, hoping for a different response.
"Girl, I am also very worried about Yami's safety, but only this time, I cannot intervene," Medea replied, shaking her head and rejecting Rin's order. This made Rin's heart sink.
"Why?" she thought repeatedly until she felt a warm sensation on her head. Looking up, she saw a very beautiful face, half-covered by a blindfold.
"Calm down, Rin," Goddess Hephaestus said, stroking Rin's hair with a gentle smile. "I know you are worried about Yami, and so am I. However, I believe in him. No matter what kind of opponent he encounters, he will win in the end. After all, he is my best child. As his god, the only thing I can do is give him the greatest trust and wait for his triumphant return."
"So don't worry. As his master, you should also believe in and support your Servant, shouldn't you?" The gentle words calmed Rin quickly. Looking at Hephaestus's serious face, she felt touched and took a deep breath.
"I understand!" she declared. "Archer, defeat that arrogant guy for me and bring back the victory!"
Her loud voice seemed to command the wind, dispersing the smoke and revealing Yami's figure once more. Despite being hit in the waist, there was no scar. His damaged armour was also repaired by magic.
"Your voice is too loud, Rin. It would be more flattering for a woman to be a little more ladylike," Yami teased with a smile.
Rin, still worried, blushed and roared, "Who do you think I'm worried about? And you still say such heartless words, it's too much!"
"I'm sorry, I was just expressing my feelings," Yami quickly raised his hands in surrender, then smiled gently. "But Rin, I have already received your wish, and I will bring back the final victory!"
"I'm counting on you then, Archer!" Rin replied.
Yami turned back to look at Gilgamesh. Although the previous attack was powerful, its penetrating power wasn't as terrible as expected. His armor, reinforced by magic, defended him perfectly, though it needed some repairs.
"I'm surprised you didn't take the opportunity to continue attacking, Gilgamesh. But using such a low-level treasure is too small-minded. If you had used a higher-level treasure, it might have worked!"
"Hehe, that was just a greeting. Now it seems you are indeed worthy of part of my strength," Gilgamesh replied, unbothered by Yami's offense and maintaining his usual smile. He hadn't experienced such fun in a long time.
"You truly have great value. The other world can actually cultivate an existence like you. I'm looking forward to those mysterious places!"
"Oh? That would be such a pity," Yami shook his head, his face gradually turning cold. "A dangerous guy like you cannot be allowed to reach other worlds. You should die as soon as possible!"
"And since you had the intention to kill Hephaestus, there are only two endings between us: either you die or I die. There's no second possibility. So, your idea of going to another world should be aborted!"
The refusal without hesitation made the atmosphere even more tense. The smile on Gilgamesh's face gradually disappeared, replaced by a cold gaze sweeping across Yami's face.
The king can allow his courtiers to speak boldly, but words that are too offensive will sometimes anger even a broad-minded king.
"What insolent words! How dare you speak like that to your future monarch!"
"But it doesn't matter. I can forgive you for now, but you still must be punished. Let the test of this king commence!"
"Don't worry, I'll keep it fair."
As he spoke, Gilgamesh slowly raised his arms and waved them gently behind him. A large number of golden halos appear one after another, and driven by magic power, various treasures flew at terrifying speed once again.
Yami didn't dare to be careless. Sensing the stronger power on the treasures than before, he knew that rashly trying to intercept them could have serious consequences.
To be safe, it was better to make a quick decision. Thinking of this, Yami's eyes turned red as he directly entered a state of foreseeing the future. Activating his space ability again, his figure instantly disappeared from place. Almost at the moment he moved, Gilgamesh also made a move.
The latter kept jumping around the area while Yami's figure constantly flashed in and out. The ground was repeatedly attacked, and the King's Treasure House always shot towards the direction where Yami appeared in advance.
The two of them were like a cat chasing a mouse, moving back and forth in a very limited area. Although Yami was the initiator of the attack, Gilgamesh managed to dodge every time just right.
"It's useless. You will never be able to attack me!" Gilgamesh taunted. "Although your space magic is really fast, it is useless in front of me, who can see the future. Your every move is under my control. So, submit, Archer, and become my subject!"
Though he continued to offer surrender, Gilgamesh did not soften his attacks in the slightest. The overwhelming treasures were fired at high speed, each blow intended to incapacitate Yami.
If not for Yami's quick responses, he would have been pierced by the treasures many times. The feeling of dancing on the verge of death was too exhilarating!
"Keeping clairvoyance open all the time is a burden for you, Gilgamesh!" Yami shouted while dodging. "If you were still a heroic spirit, maybe you wouldn't care about this burden. But now you are a human incarnate. You have limited magic power and energy, yet you maintain clairvoyance?"
"So, I don't need to be faster than you; just delaying is enough!"
However, Yami didn't truly believe this. Gilgamesh had an 'A+' level of solo action and was supported by Kotomine Kirei, who possessed a command spell.
Thus, defeating the opponent through a war of attrition was not a viable option. Gilgamesh thought the same. Hearing Yami's words, the king suddenly showed a disdainful smile, with slight contempt in his eyes.
"So that's your plan?" Gilgamesh mocked. "Then let's see who can't hold on first!"
With that, Gilgamesh increased the number of activations of the King's Treasure. This was exactly what Yami wanted! One of Gilgamesh's greatest weaknesses was his tendency to get overconfident.
His power and knowledge made him feel bored and prone to slack emotions. This was the key to Yami's strategy.
If the person standing in front of Gilgamesh was Shu Shan, he would surrender directly. But it's a pity that it wasn't Shu Shan; it was Yami. Despite some differences, the essence remained the same.
Thinking of this, Yami changed his combat strategy. Since the power of space alone couldn't threaten Gilgamesh, he had to use other means!
"Then let's see the results of these days!" Yami's expression turned serious. As he faced the incoming treasures, he began to chant at high speed. A language incomprehensible to humans emerged from his mouth.
Immediately, numerous magic formations appeared out of thin air behind him, and a large number of light bullets, rivaling great magic, poured out like machine guns. The huge magical power in his body supported this action. As it was approaching noon, his magic power was recovering at a terrifying speed.
The sunlight enhanced his magic power, making it more terrifying. The light bullets collided with all the Noble Phantasms. A single spell might not compare to a treasure, but several spells could block Gilgamesh's continuous barrage, causing a stalemate.
"Your magic skills are truly impressive," Gilgamesh admitted. "Since that's the case, let the greatest trial begin for you!"
The King's Treasure House opened to its maximum extent, covering the sky with golden circles of light, surrounding Yami at the center. Correspondingly, numerous magic circles opened behind Yami.
Since space raids weren't effective, it was better to close the distance and fight directly! A large number of light bullets spanned the space, resisting the Noble Phantasms while restricting Gilgamesh's movements. The latter dodged leisurely with his hands in his pockets.
But Yami managed to get close to him. As a last resort, Gilgamesh drew his weapon to fight.
This created a strange phenomenon! Outside, various treasures and light bullets intertwined, causing violent explosions. Meanwhile, Yami and Gilgamesh fought back and forth at the center of the explosion.
Despite using his bow, Gilgamesh's melee ability was still outstanding. The two were in a stalemate, unable to overpower each other, but the ground continuously trembled under their violent collision.
Dense potholes emerged as if hit by meteorites.