[68] : Clash of Kings! Stealing Treasures!

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...

Thwack!

Gilgamesh was sent flying through the air, spitting blood as he was struck by the unexpected shield bash.

Despite the protection of his golden armor, Gilgamesh suffered no external injuries. However, the internal damage from the blow caused him to bleed profusely.

"Damn you! To think you would dare ambush this King!"

After skidding across the sand, Gilgamesh finally managed to stagger back to his feet.

But he had little time to recover.

Before him, Lancelot, enveloped in black magical energy, charged towards him once more.

Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed with icy fury as he looked at the approaching figure.

"A mad dog and a mongrel working together?"

"How utterly laughable!"

"Today, I shall punish you both!"

Gilgamesh's voice dripped with chilling venom as the golden ripples behind him expanded rapidly, opening one hundred and twenty-eight Gates of Babylon in the blink of an eye.

A cruel smile twisted his lips as he looked at the approaching duo.

"Die!"

One hundred and twenty-eight Noble Phantasms erupted from the Gates, hurtling towards Lancelot and Mika.

"Futile! You cannot penetrate my defenses!" Mika declared confidently, holding his shield aloft.

He felt a surge of gratitude for the shield's creation.

He had commissioned the Hephaestus Familia's blacksmith to forge weapons and, on a whim, had requested a shield as well. It was this shield that now protected him from the onslaught of the Gate of Babylon.

With its protection, Mika was confident in his ability to defeat Gilgamesh.

Like Shirou Emiya, he wouldn't give Gilgamesh the opportunity to unleash Enuma Elish.

"Oh, is that so?"

Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed as he looked at the shield protecting Mika.

In the next instant, a crimson spear pierced through the shield, narrowly missing Mika's face.

"What just happened?!" Mika exclaimed in shock.

"That spear seemed to possess piercing properties, allowing it to penetrate your shield," Gabriel's voice quickly warned him.

"What? Invincible Piercing?!" Mika was stunned by Gabriel's explanation.

"Can the Gate of Babylon even do that?"

"Looks like Golden Boy is getting serious!"

Indeed, Gilgamesh was now fighting in earnest.

He considered being knocked back by Mika an unforgivable humiliation.

He would have his revenge!

Using the crimson spear as a starting point, Gilgamesh unleashed a barrage of Noble Phantasms with armor-piercing, penetrating, and destructive properties, all aimed at Mika's shield.

He loathed the shield stained with his blood.

He would destroy that detestable shield, no matter the cost.

In the blink of an eye, Mika's shield was riddled with holes from Gilgamesh's relentless assault.

"This can't continue."

"We need to find a way to regroup with Lancelot."

Under Gilgamesh's overwhelming firepower, Lancelot, while still able to defend himself, could no longer advance.

Previously, with the combination of "Knight of Owner" and "Protection from Arrows," he had been able to deflect Gilgamesh's weapons and steadily close the distance.

However, as Gilgamesh's rage intensified, the rank of the Noble Phantasms he unleashed increased as well.

Initially, he had used D-rank Noble Phantasms against Lancelot.

Now, he was using B-rank and even A-rank Noble Phantasms.

With each deflected attack, the sheer force of the impact pushed Lancelot back several steps.

The fact that he hadn't been completely overwhelmed was a testament to his exceptional swordsmanship.

Mika faced a similar predicament.

As the rank of Gilgamesh's weapons increased, Mika felt the pressure mounting.

He knew they needed to change their tactics.

Meanwhile, Gilgamesh, still relentlessly suppressing the two, suddenly beckoned towards the desert with a crooked finger.

A Hassan silently appeared beside him.

"Tell Tokiomi that if he dares to recall me, I will kill him!"

With those words, Gilgamesh launched a single sword, pinning the Hassan to the desert sand.

...

"Master, this is the message from the Hassan before his death."

Kirei Kotomine relayed the scene and the message he had witnessed through the Hassan to Tokiomi Tohsaka, then fell silent.

He knew that Tokiomi was now facing a difficult dilemma.

Indeed, Tokiomi's face was contorted with a mixture of anger and frustration as he stared at the ground, his fists clenched tightly.

"To be threatened by a mere familiar!"

While outwardly, Tokiomi treated Gilgamesh with the deference a vassal would show a king, inwardly, like all true magi, he viewed Gilgamesh as a tool, a familiar.

He merely humored Gilgamesh to maintain their connection.

If Gilgamesh was the king, then he would play the role of the loyal subject.

As long as Gilgamesh could secure victory in the Holy Grail War, Tokiomi was willing to swallow his pride and play the subservient role.

"Damn it! Why was the King of Heroes summoned as an Archer?"

"His overwhelming ego, combined with the independence granted by the Archer class, forces me to cater to his every whim."

"What a miscalculation!"

Deep down, Tokiomi cursed Gilgamesh relentlessly.

However, outwardly, he maintained his composure and the impeccable grace expected of the Tohsaka family.

"If the King of Heroes wishes to unleash his full power, then so be it. After all, all the Servants are currently trapped within Rider's Reality Marble."

"Furthermore, apart from the two of us, the other five Masters are also trapped within the Reality Marble. They cannot use their Command Spells to recall their Servants."

"Perhaps the King of Heroes will eliminate all his enemies tonight and return victorious."

Tokiomi spoke with an air of confidence, as if everything were proceeding according to his plan.

"I understand. I will instruct the Assassins within the Reality Marble to cooperate with the King of Heroes."

Over a dozen Assassins had been swallowed by Iskandar's Reality Marble. They had been dispatched by Kirei Kotomine to monitor the other Masters.

Unlike other classes, the Assassin class specifically referred to the "Old Man of the Mountain" group.

They were a legendary assassination organization whose leaders were known as "Hassan-i Sabbah."

The Assassin class summoned various individuals who had held the title of "Hassan-i Sabbah" throughout history.

In this Fourth Holy Grail War, the summoned Assassin was the "Hundred-Faced Hassan," possessing the Noble Phantasm Zabaniya: Delusional Heartbeat, allowing him to create up to eighty duplicates of himself.

Therefore, before the Holy Grail War began, Kirei Kotomine had fabricated a scenario where he and Tokiomi appeared to have a falling out, then had one of the Hassans killed by Gilgamesh.

This allowed the remaining seventy-nine Hassans to operate in secrecy, blending into the shadows.

However, this plan had now completely fallen apart.

---

"Charge!"

Within the "Ionioi Hetairoi" (Army of the King), the soldiers of Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, surged forward with unstoppable momentum.

Their target: Artoria and Diarmuid, locked in a fierce battle amidst the chaotic fray.

Empowered by Merlin's enhancements, the two warriors had become the undisputed champions of close-quarters combat in this Holy Grail War.

Their experience and honed skills allowed them to navigate Iskandar's vast army with ease, leaving a trail of defeated soldiers in their wake.

After all, Servants possessed boundless stamina.

Moreover, their Masters, positioned safely outside the battlefield, continuously healed their wounds, rendering them virtually invincible.

"It seems I must take the field myself," Iskandar declared, observing the battle from afar.

Surrounding him were his most trusted advisors, meticulously analyzing the fighting styles and habits of their opponents.

Despite his seemingly impulsive nature, Iskandar was far from reckless.

On the contrary, he possessed exceptional strategic acumen.

He had revealed his true name because he feared no repercussions. He had no specific weaknesses to exploit.

Nor could his Noble Phantasm be easily countered.

"Ionioi Hetairoi" relied on overwhelming force.

In the original timeline of the Fourth Holy Grail War, had it not been for the anomaly that was Gilgamesh, Iskandar would have likely emerged victorious.

The same held true in this altered timeline.

Having already revealed his Noble Phantasm, he couldn't afford to leave empty-handed.

After observing the battle from a distance, Iskandar, having gleaned sufficient information, prepared to join the fray.

"Trample them! Gordius Wheel!"

A blinding bolt of lightning pierced the air, hurtling towards Artoria and Diarmuid.

The two warriors reacted swiftly, dodging the attack with practiced ease.

Iskandar frowned, observing their agility.

Under normal circumstances, his priority should have been eliminating Merlin, the troublesome magus.

By neutralizing Merlin, Artoria and Diarmuid's enhancements would dissipate, significantly reducing their threat level.

However, defeating Merlin was no easy feat.

As a being of mixed human and incubus heritage, his mastery of illusionary magic was unparalleled.

Eliminating a master illusionist amidst the chaos of battle was a daunting task.

It would be more efficient to focus on defeating Artoria and Diarmuid directly.

"You're a nuisance, Merlin!"

"As expected of the legendary Sage of Arthurian legend, you are indeed a formidable opponent."

With a final thought towards Merlin, Iskandar charged towards Artoria and Diarmuid, ready to join the fray.

...

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

The air was filled with the whistling sounds of Noble Phantasms hurtling through the air.

Having abandoned his shield and sprinting towards Lancelot, Mika was in a desperate situation.

Despite his "Clairvoyance" ability, which granted him unparalleled perception and reflexes, even he struggled to evade the onslaught of Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon.

The reason for his predicament was simple: Gilgamesh launched his weapons simultaneously, with pinpoint accuracy and overwhelming density, leaving no room for evasion.

Mika, like Lancelot, had no choice but to deflect the incoming projectiles, creating fleeting moments of respite.

Finally, he reached Lancelot's side, completing their rendezvous.

Upon witnessing their reunion, Gilgamesh's assault intensified.

He was filled with a burning rage towards the insolent Mika and Lancelot and yearned to tear them to shreds.

Taking cover behind Lancelot, Mika silently invoked his Command Spells.

"By the power of these Command Spells, carve a path forward, Lancelot!"

"Aaahhh!"

In an instant, Lancelot's aura surged with newfound power.

Empowered by the Command Spells, Lancelot broke through Gilgamesh's relentless barrage and began to advance rapidly.

"Excellent! That's it!" Mika thought to himself, a triumphant smile gracing his lips.

The Pseudo-Servant Grimoire crafted by Gabriel differed significantly from the Matou's version.

Gabriel's Grimoire merely borrowed Mika's authority as a commander.

Therefore, Mika could still utilize Command Spells to direct Lancelot's actions.

After ensuring that no one had witnessed his actions, Mika had used his Command Spells to bolster Lancelot's strength, creating a path forward.

However, Mika didn't simply hide behind Lancelot.

Utilizing "Clairvoyance," he perceived all of Gilgamesh's attacks with perfect clarity.

Suddenly, four streaks of light shot out from behind Mika, intercepting four of Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasms mid-flight.

Four gauntlets, each wielding two spears and two swords, returned to Mika's side.

He felt a surge of energy flow into the four captured Noble Phantasms, and a smug grin spread across his face.

He could sense the Noble Phantasms being converted into Nen, becoming his own.

"Damnable thief!"

Gilgamesh, the rightful owner of these treasures, felt his control over the four Noble Phantasms slipping away.

The Gate of Babylon possessed an automatic retrieval function.

Otherwise, even his vast treasury wouldn't be able to sustain his extravagant usage.

Therefore, every Noble Phantasm within his vault was connected to the Gate of Babylon.

But now, that connection was rapidly fading.

Witnessing this, Gilgamesh made a swift decision.

He would not use the Chains of Heaven!

The chains, which required binding the target to take effect, were too easily susceptible to being commandeered by his opponent.

He would not tolerate such a loss.

Soon, Mika had completely converted the four Noble Phantasms into his own.

They rapidly grew in size, transforming into massive divine weapons wielded by six colossal gauntlets.

From afar, it appeared as though six wings had sprouted from Mika's back.

However, these were not wings of purity and light.

They were wings of destruction.

The six colossal weapons danced with deadly grace, forming an impenetrable barrier before Mika.

With their combined might, Mika and Lancelot steadily closed the distance between themselves and Gilgamesh.

Observing the scene with cold indifference, Gilgamesh's expression hardened.

"I must admit, you have proven to be quite troublesome."

"Even in my era, you would have been considered formidable warriors."

"Therefore, I shall grant you the death befitting heroes!"

At that moment, Gilgamesh made his decision.

He would unleash his most powerful Noble Phantasm.

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