It seemed no one cared about the failed sneak attack.
All eyes were fixed on the overwhelming presence radiating from Arthur, Lucius, and Iskandar.
Every Master was stunned—well, except for the fainted Tōsaka Tokiomi and the old bug who was about to be squeezed dry.
Led by Irisviel, the few remaining onlookers turned toward Gilgamesh, their gazes growing strange.
Their eyes seemed to ask: Aren't you going to join in?
"Hmph! A bunch of ignorant fools. Why should this noble king involve himself in a brawl between miscellaneous cultivators? The scenery here is tolerable enough. Though it hardly befits my status, in light of the three cultivators' efforts, this king will graciously remain as an audience and enjoy their performance." Gilgamesh swept a glance across the group, speaking with complete confidence.
The statement immediately made everyone tense.
"You… you plan to drain His Majesty's strength and then strike when he's vulnerable?" Irisviel's eyes widened before she turned to Arthur in concern.
Sakura trembled, pressing herself closer to Matou Kariya. "Golden bad guy."
"I never imagined the Hero King Gilgamesh could be so… despicable!" Matou Kariya said in apparent shock.
"RIDER—!" Waver was utterly at a loss.
He certainly didn't have the courage to provoke Gilgamesh.
Surprisingly, Gilgamesh didn't lose his temper—nor did he bother to explain himself.
How could the dignified Hero King commit such a lowly act as lying in wait to snatch the spoils? No—having chosen to watch the battle, he would watch it in full. The victor could be dealt with after they recovered.
The next moment, a roar split the air.
Golden motes streaked across the sky in neat formation, falling like a meteor shower.
They plunged toward the ground at blistering speed, rapidly swelling in size.
At a glance there were at least thirty meteors, but upon drawing close, one could see they were not meteors at all—each one was a beam from the Holy Sword of the Stars. Over thirty brilliant lances of light, like orbital weapons, ripped into the army behind Iskandar.
Each strike reaped hundreds of soldiers in mere seconds.
Yet the ranks did not falter.
They were already dead—Servants with no concept of life or death. Each was a veteran warrior, and so long as the King of Conquerors stood, they would charge without hesitation, undeterred by slaughter.
The early disadvantage only stoked their fury, allowing them to display their full might.
Worthy indeed of a legion built to conquer the world.
Meanwhile, Lucius had reached striking range and raised his magic sword without hesitation.
"Forget those rabble—look at me! Only Rome is your true opponent! Come, Artorius—fight to the death! [Magic Sword Restriction Release—LIBERATIO ANGELUS]!"
Scarlet lightning surged forth, vivid as the Roman battlefield Arthur remembered.
But this time, he could answer it.
"The dead should stay in hell instead of pestering me." Arthur's reply was calm.
Shadowy walls erupted from the earth, strange spatial energy swallowing the lightning whole.
Seeing Lucius's surprise, Arthur smiled. "What's wrong? This is a skill I gained after defeating my clone. These shadows are equal in value to him. If I couldn't manage this much, wouldn't I seem unworthy?"
A second shadow gate yawned open, spewing crimson lightning toward the Conqueror King's ranks.
Lucius used the chance to close in.
The magic sword swung down violently.
Tch. Manipulating the Dragon's Shadow (space) was still complex, and doing it mid-battle slowed him. It was too late to summon another barrier—
Arthur instantly formed a spear of starlight, his most familiar weapon, to block.
But Lucius, empowered by the Giant's Arm, had at least A-rank Strength. Arthur, a Caster, barely reached D. With a single swing, Lucius sent him flying.
Fortunately, Starlight's durability held—no real damage.
Still, being pressed like this by Lucius was… unacceptable.
Arthur frowned.
He's just a battle junkie… am I really going to let him turn the tables?
No. Absolutely not.
One eyebrow arched. Fine. We cheat.
Are you kidding? Beating someone with cheats is way more fun than playing fair.
Noble Phantasm—[I Am Britain]—activated.
Ding~ Your plug-in has arrived.
Starlight condensed into a massive sword in Arthur's hands. He stepped forward to meet Lucius head-on.
"Red Dragon—?" Lucius was stunned.
Why would Arthur, a Caster, choose direct confrontation when the disparity in strength was so great? His style had always been to fight indirectly.
But there was no time to dwell on it. Swords clashed once more.
Bzzzz—
This time, the result was different.
An overwhelming force surged through Arthur's blade. Even with the Giant's Arm and refined technique to absorb impact, Lucius was hurled backward as if hit by a speeding train.
And Arthur's sword swing… felt suspiciously like being struck like a golf ball.
The damage wasn't great—yet the insult was immeasurable.
Lucius: "…"
They had crossed time and space for this grand battle… so why did it suddenly feel hopeless?
Red Dragon, you're shameless!
Arthur, watching Lucius fly, silently gave Miss Killer Whale a thumbs-up in his heart.
Skadi, you're the best.
So this was the power of a body beyond all limits.
Magnificent.
[I Am Britain], an EX-rank anti-army Noble Phantasm, had two effects—one of which was the temporary reading of a subject's records, allowing Arthur to inherit their attributes and skills.
At that moment, his Strength jumped to A++, with A-rank [Super Strength] and [Natural Flesh] added on top. Against Lucius, it was simply unfair.
Lucius was nothing more than a weakling. In front of me (and my killer whale), he would always be a weakling.
Arthur felt exhilarated—though his skin felt a bit dry.
Well, every power had its price.
He'd definitely get Miss Killer Whale a bigger swimming pool after this. No—an entire oceanarium. Better yet, the Holy Lake itself.
Smiling, he prepared to press the advantage.
Lucius might still have his uses, but the sooner Arthur was rid of him, the less irritated he'd be.
Before he could act, a spear came whistling from afar, forcing him to halt.
"…Alright. A melee it is, then."
It seemed both Iskandar and Lucius had him in their sights now.
-End Chapter-
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