Chapter 27: Chihiro vs. Gilgamesh

The class card that Chihiro was using came from the golden treasure chest he obtained during the first round of quiz questions. He had used the blank card to copy the power of Red Hare.

Originally, Chihiro had intended to save the card for a more opportune moment—ideally, to copy the abilities of a Grand Servant or even a deity. But circumstances had forced his hand. His grudge against Gilgamesh had grown, particularly because he couldn't stand the his arrogance and unpredictability, especially given Gilgamesh's readiness to kill even someone like Illya without hesitation.

To protect himself and gain a fighting chance, Chihiro had to use the card now. Fortunately, copying Red Hare's power didn't mean transforming into a horse. The thought of that outcome was too ridiculous to even consider.

"Do you really think you can stand against me with that?" Gilgamesh sneered, summoning over a dozen treasures from his Gate of Babylon and launching them toward Chihiro.

*Clang, clang, clang...*

Chihiro swung the God Force expertly, forming a near-impenetrable barrier that deflected all the incoming projectiles.

"Why isn't your Servant doing anything? Is he just here to watch?" Gilgamesh taunted, eyes shifting toward Zhang Jiao, who stood calmly off to the side, making no move to intervene.

"I told him not to get involved," Chihiro shot back, deflecting another volley of treasures with the halberd.

"Hmph, let's see how long you can keep this up," Gilgamesh scoffed, summoning even more weapons to rain down on his opponent. He was clearly enjoying himself, taking pleasure in what he saw as Chihiro's futile struggle.

"Take this!" Chihiro shouted, raising the God Force. The halberd transformed in his grip: small branches on the sides unfolded to form a longbow, while the remaining shaft became an arrow.

"You've bombarded me with enough of your treasures. Now it's my turn!" He loosed the transformed weapon, sending the spear-turned-arrow hurtling toward Gilgamesh in a burst of white light.

"Do you really think that will hit me?" Gilgamesh's expression was one of disdain as he effortlessly sidestepped the arrow. But just as he was about to scoff again, he noticed Chihiro already preparing a second shot.

The second arrow came swiftly, aimed directly at his face.

*Clang!*

Gilgamesh summoned a shield just in time to block the attack, but the force behind it was enough to push him back several meters.

"What else do you have, mongrel?" Gilgamesh began to taunt, but then sensed something amiss. A surge of magical energy was coming from behind. He dodged to the side, but not quickly enough—a beam of white light struck him, severing his right arm.

Chihiro grinned. "Got him before Shirou did," he thought to himself, amused by the idea. It seemed Gilgamesh had reclaimed the title of "Elbow King" yet again.

"No way… even Gilgamesh?" The spectators were in disbelief. Though they hadn't seen Gilgamesh at his full power, his status as the "strongest heroic spirit" had been confirmed by the system. The fact that Chihiro had managed to land a hit on him was astonishing.

"What did you do, you wretched mongrel?!" Gilgamesh demanded, clutching his severed arm.

Chihiro shrugged nonchalantly. "Why should I tell you?"

The first arrow had actually been a setup. Chihiro had used the Royal Brand's guaranteed hit ability, which allowed his initial attack to track its target even if it seemed to miss. Gilgamesh's focus on the second arrow had left him exposed, and the first had looped back to strike from behind.

As for the arrows, it had come from Red Hare's imitation of the God Force. When using a class card, not only did Chihiro gain the abilities of the Heroic Spirit, but he could also use their Noble Phantasms. Thus, he had access to both the authentic God Force and the replica version granted by Red Hare.

Chihiro had discovered that he could combine the effects of both versions, effectively doubling the power of his attacks. Though he hadn't fully utilized this in the current battle, the element of surprise had already given him a significant advantage.

"You insignificant mongrel..." Gilgamesh growled, fury evident in his eyes. He had not expected to be injured, much less by someone who was not even a true Heroic Spirit.

---

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the shadows. "Now! Attack him, Black Knight!"

A figure clad in dark armor dashed forward, emerging from the darkness. It was Berserker, the Black Knight.

He carried a Gatling gun, which he aimed directly at Gilgamesh. The weapon roared to life, spitting out a barrage of blue-flamed bullets.

"You mad dog!" Gilgamesh snarled, caught off guard by the sudden assault. A few of the bullets hit him before he managed to summon a shield to block the rest.

Naturally, Gilgamesh wasn't one to sit idly by and endure such an insult. He retaliated, launching several treasures at Berserker.

The Black Knight growled, skillfully switching the Gatling gun to one hand while catching a flying sword with his other. He deflected the remaining projectiles with ease, his movements fluid and precise, demonstrating that he was no ordinary Servant.

"You dare lay your hands on my treasures, you filthy cur?" Gilgamesh was livid. He summoned even more weapons, aiming to overwhelm Berserker.

Berserker met Gilgamesh's onslaught head-on, wielding both the sword and the Gatling gun with remarkable skill. The clash was intense, with neither side gaining a clear advantage.

Chihiro remained on the sidelines, watching the spectacle unfold. He knew this was Matou Kariya's handiwork; the man had a grudge against Tohsaka Tokiomi from the start. Giving Berserker a Gatling gun had certainly spiced things up.

Chihiro didn't intervene. For now, he was content to let the chaos play out.