I still remember your face. The sight of you lying in bed...
The sight of you, unable to rise, already at the limit of your life. You, who were ashamed of your wrinkled face. I held your hand and stayed by your side until the very end.
Both you and I hoped to send the other off with a smiling face. But, neither of us could. When parting finally came, it was just too sad and painful. And, I even felt fear.
I didn't want to shed tears in front of you, but in the end, I couldn't help but cry. I had already seen so many off, yet I had to send you away too. I even thought it might be better if I just killed myself.
Medb. I... I merely kidnapped you to change the worst possible future. It was an act of my own greed, my own selfishness. But...
Now, you are a love I cannot live without.
That's why... I didn't want to see you hurting because of me.
I liked this life now. It was as if we had returned to those happy days of ours. You feel the same, don't you? We shouldn't... If I become too satisfied with this life here, I start thinking, 'What if I live this life again?' And then I'd have to live another 600 years alone.
Yeah, I don't wish for a new life. But... at the very least, I want to protect the happiness of all those who made me smile sincerely. If anyone tries to destroy that, if they try to hurt you all...
GRAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
"I'll tear you apart."
"How terrifying. Truly worthy of the title 'Body of Steel'. Low-rank Noble Phantasms don't even work."
Hundreds of Noble Phantasms are fired. No, looking at the number fired, it amounts to thousands. An endless chain of Noble Phantasms. The treasury he had fought Enkidu with for days was truly boundless. Even if they were low-rank, many had special abilities. Seeing through all of them with my Demonic Wisdom, I evade or deflect only the troublesome ones.
SHIIING!!!
A sword that freezes space slashes down, and the entire area begins to freeze. I immediately unleash a serious slash to cut through the space and cancel the freezing. Under the barrage of thousands of Noble Phantasms, I cannot approach him. No, I don't. Not now, at least not now...
KABOOOM!!!
When the divine weapon of the thunder god, Vajra, falls, a massive lightning strike occurs. I can withstand even this with my bare body.
Among them, Caladbolg, Durandal, the Anti-Army Spear... it starts raining down numerous high-rank armaments.
"Then how about this?"
Gilgamesh, while firing thousands of Noble Phantasms, draws two golden swords. Soon, the golden swords merge and transform into the shape of a bow. That is...
As he draws the bowstring, a winged, golden magical formula appears, and a golden arrow is shot past me. The barrage of thousands of Noble Phantasms makes it difficult to deflect...
"{Sword of Rupture, Enki}!"
A dazzling light erupts skyward from the arrow embedded in the ground, and soon, a light of annihilation begins to converge from outside the atmosphere into a single point. That's... Simultaneously, a red magical circuit-like formula spreads across the sky, and the heavens crack.
"Hoo... {Ulster Kurud Bolg} (The Victorious Sword that Cleaves Erin)!!!"
SHIIING──!
A slash that cleaves space cuts through the sky, severing and canceling the Great Flood's recreation before it can pour down.
"Hooh~? Quite impressive. Then how about this!?"
Immediately after, the sword he draws is the original, the Original Sin, the Sun Sword Gram. Though weaker than Excalibur, as one of the three armaments to which he personally gave a name, its destructive power rivals Gram's. Meanwhile, the Noble Phantasm bombardment doesn't stop. Spears appearing from beyond space, strange lightning or flames, magecraft, even ancient Indian nuclear bombs... Against those, I can only reduce the damage by releasing their True Names.
"{Marduk} (Original Sin)!!!"
A flash of red light is slashed apart.
KRAK!
"... How amusing."
"Hmph!"
As Marduk is swung, I release Kurud Bolg's True Name and launch my slash first, canceling Marduk and cleaving through Gilgamesh's armor. It sure is tough; the armor is shattered, but not a single wound. Is this the armor that withstood Enkidu?
"Fufu... Fuhahahaha! Indeed, you have value!"
Gilgamesh begins to laugh as if satisfied. Soon, giant swords fall. The {Ig-Alima} (The Green "Earth-Cutting" Sky Piercer) that cut a thousand mountains and the {Shul-shagana} (The "Sea-Burning" Red Dawn Horizon) that incinerates the sea descend.
At the same time, something shining appears in his hand.
TWANG!!!!
I kick Ig-Alima away and deflect Shul-shagana with my sword. It's hot, hot enough to melt steel...
KREEEENG...!
"You have value."
Then, what he draws is the Key Sword. The Vav-Il (The Staff of Kingship).
What he intends to draw is, of course, the Star of Creation that Split the World.
Yeah...
I was waiting for this.
SHIIING───!
"... What?"
"Carelessness... Even when fighting Enkidu, you were full of carelessness, yet you claim to fight seriously with all your might... I was waiting for it. The moment you drew the key. You couldn't see your future, could you? No, you probably didn't look due to carelessness."
I, using Demonic Wisdom to replicate Okita's Swift Step, charge using the thousands of Noble Phantasms raining down on me as footholds, instantly sever his right arm, and steal the key.
"If only you had ridden Vimana, I wouldn't have been able to catch you. The reason you lost is simple... It's that one damn moment of carelessness, King of Heroes."
"You──"
CLICK...!
The moment I turn the key in the air, the gate of the treasury, which had been firing countless Noble Phantasms, locks shut.
The Key Sword, Vav-Il. It is not only the key that opens Ea, but also the key to the Gate of Babylon. Even with this, without his immense computational ability, one cannot operate the treasury. But...
I have Demonic Wisdom. In a false Holy Grail War, Ishtar even managed to shut his treasury. Operating the treasury is also at my whim as long as I have the key. Unlike a Servant's Noble Phantasm, this key is a physical object that exists even in the present era. His treasury is a real thing that exists somewhere even now.
"Die and atone, Gilgamesh."
Spiral light, pass judgment...
"{Caladbolg} (Rainbow Sword)!!!!"
GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A brilliant spiral sword shines and swallows the King of Heroes. Just before, I saw his face. Gilgamesh, snorting as if in acknowledgment.
"Splendid. A perfect strategy."
And, he vanishes along with the rainbow light. So, in the final moment, he acknowledged me... Screw that.
"...."
I land on the ground and look at the Key Sword in my hand. With this, the King's Treasure is mine. Even if I meet Gilgamesh again, if I have this key, I can lock it first. It was that severe a mistake. He was even defeated by Ishtar once.
But...
"I have no need for your treasures in my plans, Gilgamesh."
I open the treasury again and throw the key inside. With this, the treasury is no longer in my possession. Only Gilgamesh is recognized as its master without the key.
From the beginning, I had no need for his treasury in my plans. Illya's lifespan problem can be solved between me and Medea.
I never wanted to be indebted to him in the first place. And, it's over. With this, the only being in this Holy Grail War who posed a threat to me is gone.
"Ugh... As expected, there's some damage."
Each Noble Phantasm steals magical energy, and others cause indirect damage like fatigue or stamina drain, so I'm not completely unscathed. My outer shell is just tough; my insides aren't that durable... Anyway, if he were a serious, non-careless opponent, he'd be a troublesome match-up to beat. If he had used his Noble Phantasms like a certain present King, he would have brought out Ea right from the start. Then it would have become a recreation of myth itself. How tiring...
PITTER PATTER!
The sound of running footsteps comes from afar, and as I look in that direction, Illya jumps into my arms.
"Illya..."
"I'm so glad... you won. As expected, Fergus is the strongest."
"... Of course. I'm the Servant you summoned. How could I not be the strongest?"
"Yeah... I'm really glad."
Illya, having watched my fight with Gilgamesh from afar, sheds tears of relief. I made her worry... Behind her, Medb, Medea, and everyone else, having recovered, had come. They came all the way from the Ryuudou Temple? It was dangerous to come...
"I'm glad you're safe, Fergus-sama."
"Did I worry you that much?"
WHACK!
Medb slaps my back hard. That hurts...
"Why didn't you just call for Scáthach or someone!? Why did you have to fight alone again!?"
"That would have worked too... but I wanted to take revenge alone this time."
"So stubborn. Understand? Your safety is more important to us!"
"... Yeah, I'll be more careful from now on."
Not that there will be another occasion like this...
Drip... drip drip...
"Fergus-sama... are you crying?"
"Ah, sorry... I guess I'm so happy tears are coming out on their own..."
I love this life now so much...
`Medb... I'm sorry, sorry for being like this...`
`Fergus... Ah, my love... It's okay... We're sorry too... Don't cry... Still, thank you. For loving us...`
It's so, so good...