Chapter 75: Encounter [2]

Tatsuya's probing attack was launched using the red spear in his hand to hook the prototype Noble Phantasm named Harpe from among the Noble Phantasms fired by Gilgamesh. He then threw it out, attempting to restrain Gilgamesh.

Naturally, it was no surprise that the sickle was blocked by other Noble Phantasms from Gilgamesh's vast treasury.

As the smoke and dust quickly dissipated in the wind, Gilgamesh noticed the two of them retreating toward the forest beside the church.

"You know you can't defeat me, so you're trying to retreat into the forest, aren't you?" Gilgamesh sneered to himself. "Well, hunting is about chasing the prey before finishing them off. Killing in one strike would be too dull."

He strolled leisurely, following the path they had taken, and entered the forest.

This forest was dotted with many graves, where most religious citizens were buried after death as believers. It carried an atmosphere of the afterlife.

As he walked along the cemetery path, Gilgamesh mused that this place would be a fitting burial ground for Tatsuya and Saber. Although Servants left no remains after their demise, it still felt appropriate.

Tatsuya was the first to rush out, moving at incredible speed between the tombstones.

In terms of agility, he had already far surpassed Kirei.

"Is this how one approaches the realm of a Heroic Spirit as a human?" Gilgamesh continued to evaluate Tatsuya calmly. "But speed alone won't be enough."

His words were followed by the appearance of numerous Noble Phantasms.

However, Tatsuya used the tombstones as cover and obstacles, making it difficult for Gilgamesh to lock onto him accurately. The treasures either missed or were deflected by the stone markers.

In the blink of an eye, Tatsuya closed the ten-meter gap between them.

The red spear was thrust forward, but before it could reach Gilgamesh, it was parried by a black and red dagger that Gilgamesh casually swung.

Sensing danger, Tatsuya quickly retreated.

"That dagger... it carries the curse of vengeance," Tatsuya muttered, preparing for another attack.

At that moment, Gilgamesh pulled out a sharp silver knife and slashed through the air. An eerie, icy wind suddenly blew toward Tatsuya.

Without hesitation, Tatsuya summoned a strong wind to counter the treasure's attack.

Though his body wasn't directly touched, Tatsuya noticed that even the air around him had begun to freeze, ice crystals forming in the areas blocked by his *vacuum wave*.

The power of this attack was on par with his own great magic, *Ice Age*.

While Gilgamesh's focus was drawn to Tatsuya, Artoria leapt out from the bushes behind him, aiming a strike at the golden Servant with her sword.

But a massive sword, one only a giant could wield, crashed down, cutting off her path.

Another sword, similar in size but with a different design, descended upon Tatsuya.

Barely managing to avoid the massive vertical strike, Tatsuya rolled, stepping on the blade and propelling himself upward, quickly reaching a height of ten meters.

"Take this!"

The red spear whistled through the air, flying toward Gilgamesh.

He wasn't wearing his golden armor, and now seemed the perfect time to strike.

Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow. "That spear?"

A golden portal opened, and it fired a Noble Phantasm almost identical to Tatsuya's spear. The two weapons collided, canceling each other out.

Tatsuya caught his spear as it rebounded, somersaulting several times in the air before landing lightly behind Artoria.

"This is troublesome... Even that exists in his collection," Tatsuya muttered with a bitter smile.

Realizing that a normal attack wouldn't be enough to deal significant damage, even with the advantage of the terrain, Artoria took advantage of the moment when Tatsuya and Gilgamesh were clashing to release the *Wind King Barrier*.　

Tatsuya's attack was merely a diversion; the real spectacle was about to unfold.

The air around Artoria began to shake, as the wind coiled around her, forming a fierce vortex, a whirlwind that served as her shield.

Then, the golden sword appeared.

Gilgamesh noticed this, and his playful smile gradually faded.

"Ah, the holy sword that was forged from the inner sea of the star?" Gilgamesh remained calm. "Perfect. Let me bring out something that matches your abilities and test your strength."

He raised his hand, and from the golden gate, a very strange treasure appeared. It was unclear if it should even be called a "sword."

The cylindrical blade.

The sword blade, composed of three parts, began to rotate in different directions.

With just a glance, though unable to grasp its true name or further details, Tatsuya already knew what this treasure's form symbolized.

Heaven. Earth. Underworld.

Together, they mean "universe."

"A battle of Noble Phantasms?" Artoria was unafraid. She restored the magic power within her to its maximum, preparing to unleash the true name of her Noble Phantasm.

"It's time to come out, Ea," Gilgamesh said coldly.

"Oath (Ex)—" Artoria did not hesitate. With a single swing of her sword, a weapon capable of cleaving earth and rivers, she struck, "Sword of Victory (Calibur)!"

"The Star of the Creation of Heaven and Earth (Enuma Elish)."

Two distinct forces collided, their sounds and energies intertwining. A dazzling white light ignited the space, and the massive wind pressure made it nearly impossible to breathe.

They would lose.

Tatsuya had already foreseen the outcome of this battle of Noble Phantasms.

The thirteenth original rune—the spell of protection.

There was no room for hesitation.

Tatsuya didn't know how much of the unleashed power from Gilgamesh's treasure he could block, but doing nothing would result in not only Artoria being gravely injured, but himself as well.

The Golden Servant was undoubtedly aiming to destroy both him and Saber in a single blow.

What was coming was akin to the inferno that existed when the world was first created, a place where the line between life and death would blur.

Tatsuya gripped his spear tightly and activated his magic circuits to their full capacity.

A protective spell using the thirteenth original rune as its foundation, unleashing all eighteen runes.

He didn't know how long it lasted—perhaps only a few seconds.

The clash of their two "swords" seemed to tear the entire world in half.

"—Take this!" he and the Knight of Knights roared.

By the time the storm had subsided, the cemetery behind the church had been utterly destroyed, and most of the surrounding trees had been severed at their midpoints. The devastated land looked as if it had been ravaged by a natural disaster.

Gilgamesh put away the sword of rebellion in his hand, gazing at Tatsuya with arrogant approval, as well as at Artoria, who was being supported in Tatsuya's arms.

She clutched her holy sword with one hand, coughing several times to expel the blood from her throat. She relied on Tatsuya's support to barely stand.

Leaning on the red spear in his hand, Tatsuya was covered with wounds all over his body, not faring much better than Artoria.

One of his eyes was so caked with blood that he couldn't open it, but the other remained resolutely fixed on Gilgamesh.

"Oh—" The King of Heroes sighed, "You've managed to defy death. That is commendable."

Tatsuya pulled the spear he had been leaning on from the ground, holding it in one hand, barely able to stand upright.

A roar of thunder echoed through the sky as Gilgamesh brushed off his shirt.

"As a reward, I shall let you live today. Next time, I'll take your head as a mark of my appreciation."

With an arrogant laugh, Gilgamesh vanished, shifting into his spirit form.

Then, descending from the heavens, the King of Conquerors arrived, his Noble Phantasm in hand.