The chaos of the battlefield faded into nothingness as Artizea fell to her knees, clutching her chest. Her dragon core pulsed violently, each beat a searing wave of power and fear. Her breath came in ragged gasps as the world around her dimmed. The enemy's siege weapon fired, a massive bolt of energy hurtling toward the center of the Babaloniyan army. Soldiers screamed, bracing for the impact they knew would tear through their defenses. But the bolt never landed. A golden barrier appeared in its path, shattering the energy with an explosion of light. All eyes turned to the source of the barrier as a figure strode onto the battlefield.
The King.
"Who dares to take my place?" His voice thundered through the stillness, godlike and commanding. His presence alone was enough to silence the battlefield. "I am neither dead nor dying—" he thundered once more. "Who dares act as king in my stead?"
For a beat, no one moved. Then—
"That would be me." A voice rang out with pride, soft but unshaken. From the smoke and debris, Artizea emerged, battle-worn but radiant. She stepped forward and held out the spear, both hands wrapped around its shaft.
Her father approached her slowly, and when he reached her, he did not speak. They simply looked at each other— King and heir—They were opposite sides of a mirror. A breath passed between them. Then, he took the spear with a smirk..
"Well done, my pride," he praised.
Artizea nodded. She offered a smile in return, almost forgetting the battle entirely. Yet still, she was unable to find the words she wished to say in that moment of silence. Instead, she turned back to the hell on their realm, "The job is not yet finished."
"Let's get it done with then," he said, "I am starving."
Artizea chuckled.
The scales were now tipped; there stood a chance. Arthuria saw the golden light and the unmistakable figure of her husband. Her sword slipped from her grasp, clattering to the ground as her breath caught in her throat.
"Gil…" she managed.
It was as if we were back in Time. To where it all started. She did not think. She did not care about the battlefield, Excalibur, or the eyes of the soldiers. She ran, her armor clicking with every step, her heart pounding in her chest. Gilgamesh turned, his gaze softening as he saw her. She reached him, her composure breaking as she threw her arms around him. "You fool," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You absolute, stubborn fool."
Gilgamesh smirked, his arms encircling her as he held her close. "You fought…with Excalibur."
"I did…" she whispered. She looked at her children, then down at Excalibur. The light of the blade dimmed as she slowly lowered it, the reality of her choice crashing over her. "I broke my vow," her voice barely audible. "I swore it, Gil… I have broken that promise. What does that make me?"
His eyes softened even more at her guilt. "You did what was necessary, Arthuria. And sometimes, necessity breaks through even the strongest of wills." She looked at him, tears spilling over, but she quickly wiped them away. "It makes you a true King and above all, A fearsome lioness, and I am so proud of you, my love. Always…"
Arthuria closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. The vow she had broken weighed on her soul, but in her heart, she knew it had been the right choice.
Artizea and Arthur saw their father's arrival and felt their spirits soar. Relief surged like fire in their chests, and they sprinted toward them. Then Artizea froze. Her eyes flared, then darkened, clouded in an unnatural red as a vision slammed into her senses. A heartbeat passed. Two. And then rapidly—and terror. Her gaze snapped toward the sky, then back to her parents. "Father!" she screamed.
Gilgamesh barely had time to look up from where he stood, still cradling Arthuria. But Artizea was already moving— Her magic surged, rising from deep within her bones. The dragon roared inside her. This time, she did not resist it. Power exploded outward. Her feet left the ground—her armor shattered away in streams of molten light.
An explosion sent shock waves, pushing Arthur a few steps back. "Mom…Dad—" he choked out. He looked up in horror as the dust cleared, revealing Artizea's dragon form, collapsed. She was shielding her parents with her massive wingspan. The attack struck her instead.
"Artizea!" His voice rang
For a moment, there was silence until her eyes snapped open. She rose to her full height, eyes glowing like lava as she turned her gaze to the heavens and roared—a sound that shook the very foundations of the world. Arthuria winced upon his daughter's wing lifting, she clutching a fresh gash across her shoulder. Blood trickled down her arm, but she stood firm.
Tsk.
Ishtar sneered as her voice appraised from the clouds, "You half breeds just do not know when to die, do you? Any of you! I said I would play fair! No longer…" She had been watching from above, not daring to get her own hands dirty.
Gilgamesh's gaze snapped to his wife, then to the sky. That was the moment Man turned king and the King turned Tyrant. Once more, A snarl rumbled from his chest, low and lethal. His lioness was injured—His wife was injured! His alter ego screamed from inside. The woman who had sworn never to retake a life, never to raise her hand in violence as fate demanded of her. He had promised her she would not have to. Not while he still drew breath. And yet here she bled. He had broken her vow, indirect or not. And for every drop she lost, she would repay in barrels—one limb at a time.
Arthuria, sensing the sermon boiling in his chest, placed her bloodied hand over his. "I am alright, Gil." Her voice was steady, "But we must end this before anyone else gets hurt. Do you understand?"
He tried to listen. He was trying his best…
"1,2,3"— Arthuria began.
Then, slowly, he exhaled. Heavy. Controlled. Laced with fury. "So no one bleeds." He finished panting out, and he nodded.
Above, the skies roared— clouds heavy, and swirling with storm and fury, with celestial energy igniting the heavens. The battlefield below trembled as thunder cracked like the footsteps of the past gods. "You forget…" Ishtar called out, her voice echoing like a commandment, "You are not the only one who can cheat death." She turned her eyes to the heavens. "I decree—as Goddess of Life, Queen of the Heavens—From fire you came… From ash you shall arise." The earth beneath them shuddered. From the soil where it had once been buried, the soul of the Bull of Heaven rose in a surge of violent light, clawing its way back into form. Dust became muscle, bone, and divine wrath. Its roar cracked the very sky.
Arthur, gaping, stumbled back a step. "Uh—Dad? When you said her pet cow, you did not think to mention it was also the size of the palace!"
Gilgamesh shrugged. "What? You kids never heard of exaggeration? It is what makes a good story!" he yelled out.
"It is called lying, Dad!" Arthur snapped. "L.Y.I.N.G." he spelled out loud.
"You can spell?!" Artizea snapped back in shock.
"NEITHER OF YOU IS HELPING THE SITUATION AT THE PRESENT MOMENT!" Arthruia shouted over them the loudest.
The Bull of Heaven, summoned by the goddess herself, charged through the battlefield—its body a monolithic force of celestial muscle and rage. Divine armies parted like leaves before a hurricane. Then came a roar, Artizea circled the prey…Gugalanna charged, its massive hooves cracking the earth with each thunderous step. Artizea launched into the air, her massive wings beating against the wind. Flames roared from her jaws as she unleashed a fiery inferno, bathing the battlefield in golden light. The Bull snorted, its celestial hide deflecting the attack, and retaliated with a swing of its massive horns, sending a shock wave that rippled through the sky. The dragon and the bull collided in midair, their clash sending shockwaves that reverberated across Babaloniya. Artizea's claws tore into Gugalanna's flank, leaving glowing scars that oozed divine ichor.
From the sidelines, Arthur watched with growing concern. Artizea was holding her own, but the Bull of Heaven's relentless strength was taking its toll. "She's going to need help," he muttered, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly.
"Arthur, don't—" Arthuria began.
But Arthur was already moving. He saw his opening. He sprinted toward his sister's massive form, scaling her back with practiced ease. Her molten scales burned against his armor, but he pressed on. "Hold steady, Artizea!" he shouted, his voice barely audible over the chaos.
Artizea tilted her head slightly, recognizing her brother's voice even amid battle. She banked hard, giving him the positioning he needed. Arthur ran up her spine, his sword glowing with the power..
When he reached her shoulder, he leaped into the air, raising the sword high above his head. Plunging the blade into the ground below.
The earth shook as a radiant shockwave erupted from the sword, splitting the battlefield and sending Gugalannastumbling.
The Bull roared in fury, its legs momentarily bound by chains of magical energy summoned by Eugene from atop the palace.
The battlefield was chaotic.
The Bull of Heaven roared, its massive, otherworldly form radiating destructive energy as it towered over the kingdom walls. Its eyes glowed with divine fury, and every step shook the ground, sending shock waves that toppled towers and splintered stone. Angels swarmed the skies, their golden weapons clashing with the Pendragons and their allies.
Seeing the opportunity, Elaine knocked three arrows at once, her golden bow glowing with ethereal light. She loosed them in rapid succession, each one striking true, piercing the Bull's exposed flank. The celestial beast roared, its movements slowing under the combined assault.
"Now, Artizea!" Arthur called, retreating to a safe distance. Artizea rose higher into the air, her massive wings spreading wide. Flames licked at her teeth as she summoned every ounce of her strength. With a final, deafening roar, she dove, her claws raking across Gugalanna's neck as her fire engulfed its body. It thrashes wildly before ramming her with its horns. The force sent her spiraling backward, her wings struggling to stabilize her as Gugalanna's celestial energy surged as it stomped the ground, summoning jagged spikes of rock that shot toward Artizea. She dodged, twisting in the air with an agility that belied her massive form. Her tail lashed out, striking the Bull across the face and sending it staggering.
The battle was ferocious.
Flames and celestial energy lit up the field as the two beasts clashed again and again. Artizea's roars of defiance mixed with Gugalanna's bellows of rage, their fight a symphony of destruction.
Amid the storm, Artizea soared in her dragon form, her scales shimmering like molten fire, her wings cutting through the air with precision. She circled the Bull, breathing streams of flame that seared the air and forced the celestial beast back. Below her, Arthur clung to her back, his sword glowing with enchantments as he fended off the angels that dared to get too close. Then he swung his blade to deflect a golden spear aimed at Artizea's wing. She growled in response.
Suddenly, the Bull of Heaven let out a deafening roar and surged upward, its massive horns glowing with divine energy.
It caught Artizea off guard, its horn slamming into her side and sending her spiraling toward the ground. As Artizeacrashed into the dirt, creating a crater, the Bull charged forward to finish her off. Arthur leaped from her back, rolling to his feet and readying his sword to protect his sister. But before the Bull could strike again, a golden portal erupted behind it, shimmering with the ancient magic of. Eugene stood atop a nearby tower, his hands glowing as he maintained the spell. "Elaine, now!" he shouted.
From the top of the wall, Elaine released an arrow, its tip enchanted with celestial energy. The arrow shot through the portal and struck the Bull in its shoulder, creating a momentary rift of energy that forced the beast back and freed Artizeafrom its hold.
Arthur rushed to his sister's side as she shakily rose to her feet, her draconic form battered but still standing.
"You good, Zee?" he asked, gripping her clawed hand.
Artizea snarled, shaking off the dirt. Her growl softened into what almost sounded like a laugh. Arthur grinned and leaped back onto her back as she unfurled her massive wings, taking to the skies once more. As they rose above the battlefield, Artizea scanned the chaos below. Angels swarmed the walls, but the Pendragons and their allies fought valiantly to hold them back. The Bull of Heaven turned its attention toward the kingdom gates, its horns beginning to glow with destructive energy.
"We can't let it attack the walls!" Arthur shouted.
Artizea dove toward the Bull, her massive form drawing its attention. She baited it, letting it charge after her as she led it away from the kingdom.
Flames erupted from her jaws, striking its massive body, but it only enraged the celestial beast further. On a distant hill, Arthuria stood, Excalibur glowing in her hands. She watched as Artizea lured the Bull closer, the blade humming with power. Gilgamesh appeared beside her, his golden armor shining as he readied his chains.
"She's giving us the opening," Arthuria said.
"And I will make sure it doesn't escape," Gilgamesh replied, extending his hand. The golden Chains wrap around the Bull's legs and torso, holding it in place. The beast roared and thrashed, but the chains held firm.
Arthuria raised Excalibur, its light piercing through the storm clouds above. "This ends now," she declared, her voice echoing across the battlefield. At the heart of the battlefield, she found Arthur and Artizea. Her son's armor was dented, his face streaked with blood and sweat.
Artizea's magic flickered as exhaustion took hold, her hands trembling as she summoned another fiery blast.
"Mother, Now !" Arthur called, his relief evident.
For the first time in a prime… EXCALIBUR roared as a torrent of cyanine blue light erupted from the blade, consuming the advancing forces in a blinding wave of energy. The battlefield was quiet now, the enemy routed and retreating into the horizon. The once-vibrant fields were littered with the remnants of war—broken weapons, torn banners, and fallen soldiers. At the heart of it all, Excalibur's light was fading slowly in its holder's trembling hand.
Arthruia's breath ragged—not from exhaustion, but from the unbearable weight of what she had done. Her vision blurred. She let the sword fall. The sound of it striking the earth echoed like thunder.
Gilgamesh was there before it finished ringing, pulling her into his arms. She clutched him as though he were the only thing keeping her tethered to the world. Her chest heaved, her heart a storm trapped behind her ribs. "Release it—" he commanded her for the first time.
And she did.
A gut-wrenching cry tore from her throat. It rippled across the field, matching the Bull's bellow of pain.