Slow Restoration

The factions and their leaders pressed onward, intending to prevent Gilgamesh from furthering the process.

After hearing Arthur's voice, none of them dared to hold anything back.

Fearless moved, sword at the ready to remove Gilgamesh's head from his shoulders.

Hero flew with insane speed, blinking across space as his fist came crashing down.

The others mobilized their individual tactics and powers, all striking with their essential powers-- the fullest might of their natures.

Gilgamesh had only just sprinkled the last of the soul dust into his eyes when he ducked Fearless' blade and parried Hero's fist.

Shadow materialized behind him at the same time that War's flaming spear thrust toward his heart, and Gilgamesh quickly lunged to the side as he rolled on the empty floor of the dead Domain.

Once he righted himself, he felt a pressure on his back before looking back in shock.

With barely enough time to react, he rolled out of the way of a giant crown as it came crashing down.

Stunned, he saw King wave his hand as summon the crown back to him, during which it also reverted to a normal size.

"You're all taking this so seriously," Gilgamesh smiled wryly as he noticed the approach of those five thousand people.

"The Second Bookkeeper has made it clear that you are to he stopped," Hero cracked his knuckles.

"Therefore, you will be stopped." Fearless twisted her blade as she shifted her stance, and Shadow summoned two daggers of purple mist.

"You may yet be spared, should you surrender." King put the crown back on his head, a smug look on his face.

Gilgamesh did not realize immediately, but the golden glow of his hair became more apparent, and the red glow of his eyes seemed to settle down into his pupils.

It was slowly concentrating- being condensed to one specific point.

When he realized what was happening, his consciousness found the finger in his sea of energy.

Only, there were now two fingers, and the rest of the hand was slowly being reformed.

Gilgamesh let loose his inherent nature, and continued to bolster his cultivation base. At the same time, he summoned the morphed powers of Truth's Mind, the Old Power, the Endless Cycle and the Obscure Spark.

With no other strength to fall back on, Gilgamesh then summoned Samael.

When he did that, he felt a surge of energy rush into him from the sword.

Although he was still unable to communicate with Samael, he could feel that the energy coming from it resonated with his own on a profoundly deep level.

Whether or not the sword was still capable of speech, it communicated its desire.

It wanted to fight, and he had to be the one to wield it.

As his hand took hold of the wrapped hilt, and his power flowed into the black blade, Gilgamesh recalled his weapon, from a long time ago.

'When I ravaged those little universes, Ea was at my side. Now, as I tear through the Second Book of Existence, I have Samael with me.'

He suddenly laughed.

Thousands approached, and though he was more battle-ready than ever before, he did nothing but laugh.

Whatever it was he was laughing at, no one knew.

"Well?" King spoke an reminded Gilgamesh of his offer.

As that happened, the third finger of Gilgamesh's inherent nature started to reform.

"I'll tell you what, little prince. If you come over here and suck my dick, I promise to kill you last! Ahahaha!"

Fearless, Shadow, War and Hero frowned with undisguised hatred, but also threw knowing looks in King's direction.

"He cannot be reasoned with," Hero sighed, almost sounding regretful.

"Then-sshh.... Let him-sh perish-shh!!" Shadow moved first, his daggers streaking through the air before vanishing as though they were never there.

Gilgamesh felt his shadow twinge, and instantly knew what was happening.

As he engaged in battle with the others, King adjusted his crown, eyes shut tightly as his brow twitched.

"Suck... your dick? SUCK YOUR DICK!?"

"FORWARD!!!"

At his behest, the hesitant masses felt a burst of fire in their loins and rushed forward, joining their five leaders in battle.

Gilgamesh's sword clashed with Fearless' longsword, while his head crashed into Hero's fist and knocked it away.

He switched his standing position and kicked at Shadow's daggers again, his leg coated in energy, sending them flying.

War's spear twisted, breathing impossibly hot flames that surged and twirled, taking the shape of two flaming serpents.

With a forceful push, Gilgamesh pushed Samael forward and sent Fearless away, then got out of the way of those serpents.

He had intended to let the flames rush toward some of the five thousand, but they redirected themselves and came toward him again.

As he was surprised by this, a hand holding a dagger reached for his neck from behind.

Smirking, Gilgamesh twisted and pulled Shadow out of his shadow, forcefully suppressing all of the latter's power with his own.

With a grand effort and a strained roar, Gilgamesh held Shadow in front of himself, using him as a shield.

The serpents twisted and exploded on Shadow's chest, eradicating his purple mist armor.

At the same time, not even caring about the barrage of attacks coming at him again, Gilgamesh dug his fingers into Shadow's pure white eyes and activated the Old Power in conjuction with his inherent nature.

With a swift pull, Shadow's essential soul was reaped!

At the same time...

Bang!

Hero's fist struck the side of Gilgamesh's face, immediately knocking a few teeth loose.

Before he could properly receive Hero's fist, a giant, heavy gold crown smashed into his body from the back, tearing away at his new clothes and exposing his bare skin.

He involuntarily tossed Shadow's lifeless body; he had already secured his soul.

As he spat out teeth and blood, Gilgamesh's half-open eyes allowed him to see Fearless arriving before him, along with the tip of War's spear.

Following two squelching thuds, both sword and spear plunged into his torso. Once again, Gilgamesh spat out blood before his eyes regained their ferocity.

His hair's glow intensified, looking more like a golden halo of light above his head.

The glow of his eyes continued to settle into his pupils.

He grabbed the blade and the spear, and forced them out of his body. At the same time, he twisted and sent War and Fearless crashing into the approaching Hero and King.

King's crown returned at the same time, but Gilgamesh got out of the way at the last second.

However, before the crown could get past him, he reached out and grabbed it.

"Ha! Don't be a fool, Gilgamesh! That crown belongs to a King! It cannot be suppressed by you in your current state."

King made a motion to recall the crown, but it did not move.

Gilgamesh looked to the masses, and felt their energies rising as they attacked.

Images of beasts, fires, storms and many other things appeared as those thousands of soldiers utilized their natures.

Gilgamesh felt something tug at the crown, and as his bleeding body slowly recovered, he aimed the crown toward the soldiers.

The fourth finger of his inherent nature materialized.

"What is a King... in the face of the Emperor!"

Gilgamesh's muscled bulged as herculean might exploded forth. The crown was tossed and it brutalized the spatial laws, crossing the distance in a blink.

The soldiers' attacks struck the crown but could do nothing to it. On the surface of it, a faint aura of red mist could be seen.

Now, though, there was a hint of gold in Gilgamesh's aura as well.

The crown broke through the attacks of five thousand soldiers, then battered the vanguard before pushing through.

King was enraged; the crown did not heed his command. He grit his teeth as he growled, "I will not allow this disrespect to continue."

Not even getting a chance to admire his attack, Gilgamesh had to go on the evasive.

He slashed at multiple sword images while blocking fist strikes and deflecting spear thrusts. At the same time, he saw King approach with a new crown.

This time, he put his hand into the crown and made it tighten around his fist like brass knuckles.

Gilgamesh smirked, and skillfully shook Fearless, War and Hero.

Then, he rushed to King as a brass knuckle punch was aimed at his face.

Gilgamesh met that punch with Samael, and with expert maneuvering, slid the blade against the crown and used King's constant pushing forward against him.

Gilgamesh let the sword slide until it was under King's arm, and at the same time he swung it.

King's arm was severed, and Gilgamesh's hand grabbed him by the mouth to shut him up-- he had started screaming.

Samael plunged into King's chest, and Gilgamesh let go of it in order to grab King's severed arm in a lightning fast motion.

With that arm, and a hand still gripping King by the mouth, Gilgamesh swatted Hero away before he could ram into him.

Then, he used King as a meat shield for War's spear before retreiving Samael and clashing swords with Fearless again.

"You fiend!" Hero roared.

"Calm yourself. Remember that he was known as 'The Devil of the First Book.' He would never have fought honorably." Fearless berated.

Gilgamesh had already dug his fingers into King's eyes.

"Why!?" Hero raged.

"Why kill them this way!?"

Gilgamesh tossed aside King's corpse like it was trash, and grinned.

"Because the eyes are the windows to the soul. You should be smart enough to figure it out from there."

Saying this, Gilgamesh summoned Shadow's and King's souls before grinding them to dust.

"No!"

"Damnit, stop him!"

Fearless was locked in a clash with Gilgamesh and could not easily get out of it without him countering.

Hero had already righted himself after being swatted away with King's arm, and was flying back toward Gilgamesh.

War was the closest besides Fearless, and his spear reached Gilgamesh's neck.

Even so, Gilgamesh did nothing except sprinkle the soul dust into his eyes.

The spear pierced his throat, and splattered blood as it destroyed his neck, the tip sticking out the other end.

Even so, Gilgamesh just grinned as his pupils became tiny red dots. The glow of his hair morphed, changing the black strands into gold.

A hand of his inherent nature had been reformed!