A Futile Effort

"Buzz!—"

A sound like a lightsaber being swung echoed as a small beam of blue light instantly reached Kotomine Kirei's face!

His pupils barely had time to contract before the searing beam pierced his brow!

It lasted only a fraction of a second, like a blue spear impaling him.

But the effect was terrifying!

The blue beam's heat created a hole the size of a baby's fist in Kirei's face!

No blood flowed or sign of the typical "brain matter" found in the Fate series.

Behind Kirei, a deep, narrow hole was left in the rubble.

"Plop~"

His lifeless body fell, blood oozing from bullet wounds, soon staining the rocks black-red.

As for his head had become a grotesque sight, fit for a dark fairy tale, a monster to make children cry!

The large Command Spell on his arm, resembling a tattoo, gradually faded as if it had never existed.

On the battlefield, Gilgamesh, now without a master, faced two choices.

One was to flee quickly before his mana ran out and find another master to sustain his needs.

The other was to fight to the death!

Logically, as a king, Gilgamesh's rationality should have led him to a "strategic retreat," but his pride and honor wouldn't allow it!

Undoubtedly, after Kirei's death, Gilgamesh's face darkened to an extreme, as if shrouded in black light, almost spelling out "cursed."

The spatial turbulence from Enuma Elish had only caused Kurumi minor injuries, even in her divine state, where she was almost dizzy, as Red Queen put it.

Struggling to maintain composure, though still possessing significant mana, Gilgamesh realized he could only use EA once more. But what was the point?

Would it just be effortlessly countered again?

'Should I escape?'

The thought swelled before Gilgamesh quashed it!

He was the proud Heroic King! The first king in the world, he would not flee from this place nor beg for mercy from the vile witch before him!

If Kurumi knew his thoughts, she might have...

Gilgamesh had many thoughts, perhaps out of despair against divine Kurumi's power or perhaps influenced by other factors.

Feeling the constant flow of mana within him, he loosened his grip on Enuma Elish.

The black mecha in the sky showed no intention of helping its master. Divine Kurumi gave "Chains of Heaven" no chance; her divine power swiftly erased any golden ripple, smoothing out the space.

Resigned, Gilgamesh ceased his sneak attacks.

Both parties stopped attacking, and the divine light around Kurumi almost formed the Inverted Tree again!

An eerie silence fell, broken only by the wind, with no other sound.

The scene was awkwardly still!

Gilgamesh raised his head high, addressing Kurumi, "Witch, wouldn't you share a drink in our final battle?"

Divine Kurumi remained motionless, her golden eyes staring blankly at him, further infuriating Gilgamesh!

"Boom!—"

Without warning, white divine flames ignited on Gilgamesh's golden armor. He used some strange Noble Phantasm to strip away the flames forcefully!

Stumbling back, the flames burned on the ground, leaving a shadowy figure!

Red Queen gasped, "Nightmare's" electronic eyes recorded everything. This puppet-like trick, akin to a cicada shedding its skin, was in her data bank, though she had never succeeded due to material limitations.

In the Marvel universe, using advanced instruments, the shell of the Centipede King had the best chance, but it ultimately failed. It might have succeeded if that creature had reached the "Legendary" level.

In the end, it was the materials that needed to be improved, leaving Red Queen helpless.

She couldn't justify sending a spaceship to collect rare materials from the asteroid belt for a minor experiment, could she?

"Nightmare" turned to Gilgamesh, its red electronic eyes gleaming with human-like greed.

The Heroic King's "Gate of Babylon" held a trove of treasures!

If only she could get her hands on it...

Red Queen's mind was filled with unrealistic dreams, but Kurumi wouldn't care.

Seeing Gilgamesh escape the flames puzzled her briefly. She moved her finger, and the white flames followed, clinging to him!

"Enuma Elish!"

The space turbulence from EA once again drove back the flames, surging toward Kurumi!

The countless spatial fragments were once more halted!

The divine light around Kurumi finally formed the Inverted Tree again!

Red Queen's heart skipped a beat, hoping her master wouldn't get mesmerized again. Who knew how long it would take her to snap out of it?

And Gilgamesh, if he escaped, it would be a wasted opportunity!

As Red Queen worried, Gilgamesh, drained of his last mana, could no longer maintain his physical form.

Watching the Inverted Tree consume EA's fragments, his beautifully chiseled face remained eerily calm.

Starting from his lower body, golden light dots appeared, then vanished. Gilgamesh looked at Kurumi's stunning face.

Surrounded by divine light, she seemed to mock him greatly.

"Witch, what is your name?"

As his body turned to light faster, Gilgamesh's face showed rare anxiety.

"Witch?!"

"Ah! Master, snap out of it, finish off Gilgamesh already!"

Gilgamesh's face twitched as he instinctively looked towards the voice, seeing the mech floating in the sky.

He couldn't understand how such an imposing mech could emit such a sound.

Divine Kurumi directed her flames, the white fire slowly reaching Gilgamesh, whose face contorted as if he had eaten something vile!

"My name is..."

"Hmm?"

Gilgamesh tried to listen, but the flames were too close, and he felt their searing heat!

"My name is..."

Gilgamesh's eyes showed hope as he fought to stay intact, the golden light slowing its spread slightly!

"What's your name? Tell me, witch!"

"My name is..."

Divine Kurumi's blank stare seemed cold and aloof, like a goddess atop a snowy peak.

Her cherry-red lips were enticing, making one want to bite! Slowly opening, revealing teeth like white porcelain, Gilgamesh held his breath, feeling his heartbeat stop.

As the golden light reached his neck, his handsome face was about to disappear.

"My name is..."

The red eyes suddenly widened! The golden light took the last of his head.

Only a few golden hairs remained on the ground, but it didn't matter anymore.

Red Queen, piloting "Nightmare," watched silently. Divine Kurumi floated in the air, head tilted, seemingly deep in thought.

Her brows furrowed, making one want to ease her worries.

Red Queen knew that "the goddess" simply couldn't remember her name...

The virtual Red Queen held her head in the data set, feeling slightly sorry for Gilgamesh. Despite nearing his end, he had endured the flames for quite a while!

She knew the terror of the divine flames. Lasting so long under their burn showed great willpower!

But Gilgamesh couldn't even get her name in the end, unlike Saber, the little knight king.

"Ding— Archer's death confirmation..."

After several seconds, as even the divine flame's remnants faded, the "Main God's" voice finally sounded.

"Death by divine flames confirmed. Valid kill, counted in final evaluation."

The voice was mechanical, genderless. Divine Kurumi couldn't understand its significance.

"Master! Let's go home! It's late, and Sakura must be worried!"

Golden eyes shifted to the descending "Nightmare."

In the data set, the virtual Red Queen felt tense. While "the goddess" seemed a bit dazed from above, facing her directly was different. She felt a natural reverence, almost wanting to kneel.

Those golden eyes pierced her soul, making her feel tiny.

Quickly shaking her head, she took deep breaths in the virtual space, absorbing data to calm down.

Her virtual face stiffened. Normal beings feel this is one thing, but she is an intelligent life form and virtual no less!

Virtual Red Queen simulated shivering. Her divine master was terrifying!

It felt like an unknown force tried altering her worldview!

If she succumbed, she might even get simple math wrong!

As Kurumi's gaze shifted to the Inverted Tree, Red Queen quickly moved "Nightmare" to block her view.

She projected Sakura's pocket watch, carefully calling, "Master? Master? It's time to go home."

The golden eyes lingered on the watch... The Inverted Tree crumbled, the divine light faded, and Red Queen finally sighed in relief.

Her twin tails flicked in front of "Nightmare." The moment Kurumi returned to normal, her boots touched the ground.

Standing on the rubble, Kurumi was momentarily dazed. So much had happened in less than an hour.

Sniffing, she caught a whiff of her own hair's scent lingering in the air.

Frowning, she thought about the mechanical voice of the Main God. Why did it take so long to confirm a kill?

And it got it wrong!

'Is the Main God not paying attention?'

She recalled the side mission, "Curse from Hell."

It suggested the Main God was busy with other timelines, perhaps causing trouble in some Fate/Zero timeline.

Did this mean... she had a chance to escape?

Her wine-red eyes narrowed. First, she had to get the Grail, which could lead to the "Root."

Could she escape the Fate/Zero world through the "Root"?

"Master? Master? Time to go home."

Kurumi snapped back, looking at the towering "Nightmare," responding absentmindedly.

'Even if I escape, what then? Would the world's will crush me? I'm almost a forbidden existence. Few worlds would accept me! Unless... it's a top-tier world with clear space-time laws! But do I have that chance?'

Red Queen saw Kurumi still dazed but said nothing, activating "Nightmare's" energy detection radar, silently guarding her mistress.

Thinking led to dead ends. Jumping into the "Root" had high death risks. Even if not, escaping the Main God's control had slim chances.

Could she succeed? Kurumi didn't know, her gaze dimming. If it stayed like this, what was the point of her existence? To get stronger? To visit more robust worlds?

Shaking her head, her black dress turned into a tight combat suit. Red Queen, seeing this, opened "Nightmare's" cockpit.

Dazed, she sat in, hearing "Nightmare" confirm the pilot.

"Master? Shall we go back?"

"...What about Kariya?"

"Nightmare's" radar found nothing. Red Queen scratched her head, "Probably saved by the old worm."

"And Berserker and Saber... Will it end tomorrow?"

"Yes!"

Detecting Kurumi's fatigue, Red Queen assured, "Tomorrow, we'll finish this. Send the Heroic Spirits back to their Throne and take 'All the World's Evils.' Then we can rest in the Main God's space!"