One hundred thousand meters away, atop a desolate mountain peak under the night sky, Li Chong stood in a disheveled state, his clothes torn and his aura unstable.
Golden particles of light gathered in the air before him, condensing into the majestic form of Gilgamesh.
The Hero King looked at Li Chong with unmistakable disbelief in his crimson eyes.
When he had unleashed the power of the Sword earlier, he had not spared a single thought for Li Chong's safety. Master or not, if he had died then so be it.
"You tried to kill me as well."
Li Chong turned slowly, his gaze sharp and murderous, killing intent pouring freely from his eyes.
"I saved you," Gilgamesh replied calmly, spreading his hands with open disdain. "If I had not destroyed the meteorite and attacked Artoria's Master, you would never have blocked that strike. Do not forget, we were directly beneath the falling rock as well."
Li Chong's expression darkened.
Without another word, he raised his right hand.
"By Command Seal, I order Hero King Gilgamesh to not harm Master Li Chong."
The crimson mark flared and vanished.
Gilgamesh's body trembled violently as invisible shackles locked around him.
"By Command Seal, I order Hero King Gilgamesh to not resist Master Li Chong."
A second Command Seal disappeared.
In an instant, all of Gilgamesh's ability to attack or defend against Li Chong was forcibly suppressed.
Pfft.
Without giving him even a heartbeat to speak, Li Chong drove his foot viciously into Gilgamesh's abdomen. The Hero King bent forward, blood bursting from his mouth as the ground beneath him shattered and cracked from the force.
Before he could be sent flying, Li Chong seized him by the hair and dragged him back, slamming a brutal knee strike into his face.
Blood sprayed from Gilgamesh's nose and lips.
Humiliation burned in his eyes.
How could a king endure such disgrace?
He tried to retaliate.
He could not.
The Command Seal crushed every impulse of resistance.
"You made this old man waste his final ten thousand exchange points."
Li Chong's face was twisted with fury as he struck again and again.
Those ten thousand exchange points had been his last life saving trump card, meant for a teleportation talisman that could pull him back from the brink of death.
Now they were gone.
All because of Gilgamesh.
His exchange points had dropped to zero.
That meant he no longer had any guarantee of survival.
The more Li Chong thought about it, the more unrestrained his rage became.
Gilgamesh, unable to resist at all, could only endure the storm of violence in silence.
Command Seals were absolute.
"If you were not still useful," Li Chong said coldly as he yanked Gilgamesh close by the collar, "I would kill you right now."
They locked eyes.
Even while bleeding and restrained, Gilgamesh lifted his chin with unmatched arrogance, looking down on Li Chong with pure contempt.
In his heart, Li Chong was already a corpse.
No mongrel had ever dared to defile a king like this.
...
Fuyuki City.
Inside the presidential suite of a five star hotel, Lucien stood quietly beside the floor to ceiling window, overlooking the vast modern city below.
Police cars, fire engines, and ambulances streaked through the streets at irregular intervals. Two meteorite incidents in rapid succession had plunged the entire city into panic.
Large numbers of residents had already begun evacuating.
Helicopters circled endlessly in the skies above.
Even the vanished cemetery was now surrounded by investigators and armed personnel.
Lucien swirled the red wine in his glass as his amethyst eyes shimmered thoughtfully.
Li Chong's corpse had not been found.
Remembering his teleportation like escape during their previous encounter, Lucien was certain the same method had been used again.
Gilgamesh was far stronger than expected.
Was it because he had gained a physical body during the Fourth Holy Grail War, or was it due to Li Chong's mysterious enhancement?
Lucien turned away from the window and looked toward the sofa.
Artoria sat there with elegant posture, her back straight and her demeanor dignified. Without armor, she wore only a simple blue dress. Her golden hair fell freely behind her shoulders, tied loosely with a ribbon. The single ahoge atop her head stood out clearly, softening her normally resolute presence.
Lucien's jaw tightened.
A deep, instinctive hunger surged through his body.
It was not ordinary hunger.
It was the craving of a demon.
Lucien had become something akin to Kibutsuji Muzan. Although he could consume normal food, his body still demanded blood and flesh at regular intervals. Especially the flesh of the strong.
The stronger the prey, the greater the nourishment.
It was evolution.
The flesh and blood of powerful beings fueled his cells, driving regeneration faster and allowing them to withstand increasingly extreme conditions.
Lucien walked into the living room and stopped in front of Artoria.
She looked up at him coldly, emerald eyes steady and guarded.
"Stand up."
At his command, her body moved against her will.
Because there was no combat, she lacked the protection of her armor. The closeness made her breathing grow uneven despite her effort to remain composed.
Lucien stepped closer.
Too close.
For the first time, panic surfaced faintly in Artoria's eyes.
"Do you know why I sacrificed Medusa and Medea," Lucien said softly, lowering his head until his lips brushed near her ear, "but not you?"
Artoria stiffened, anger and unease mixing within her chest.
"Because your combat strength is too high. I still need you."
As the final word fell, Lucien opened his mouth and gently bit into the side of her neck.
Warmth flowed.
With each light sip, Artoria's breath grew softer, her body weakening as a strange tingling sensation spread through her limbs. A quiet, involuntary sound escaped her lips as her strength drained away.
"Your body truly is formed by the Holy Grail," Lucien murmured.
After only two sips, he pulled away.
Artoria collapsed weakly onto the sofa, her cheeks flushed and her breathing unsteady. She nearly lost her balance, catching herself with trembling hands.
Lucien stood over her, his expression unreadable.
This Artoria was not the true King of Knights. She was a replicated consciousness created by the Holy Grail, endowed with identical power, identical memories, and an identical form.
All Servants were merely copies.
Even their physical bodies were temporary constructs granted by the Grail itself.
That was why Command Seals held absolute authority.
Lucien stopped not because she lacked appeal, but because she was overwhelmingly nourishing.
Too nourishing.
The Holy Grail's life energy made her existence an exceptional source of power. It confirmed what he had suspected.
Servants could be eaten.
And they were extraordinary tonics.
"What do you want to do with me?" Artoria asked weakly, her voice controlled but tight.
Lucien did not answer immediately.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, she held his gaze.
Then she looked away.
Fear hid beneath her pride.
She would rather die than be degraded.
Lucien, however, was not thinking of humiliation.
If Servants were only copies, then killing them would not yield Dice rewards.
That meant he had already suffered a terrible loss.
Medea.
Medusa.
They were gone.
Even if they could still be consumed as nourishment, the rewards he truly sought would never return.
A bitter regret curled within him.
"Go to the room next door and rest," Lucien said at last, his voice calm once more. "We move tomorrow."
He turned away without another glance and left the room.