Sumer

[Bloodedge]

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49832185108_27a1b0a06c_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2iVuYvj)

[Apollymi]

On the eastern side of a giant floating city, as the there was a great deal of hustle and bustle there was a young woman standing beside a large throne within the major castle of the area. She had dark short cut hair and large golden eyes. Most of the skin of her body was exposed, but there were lace and see through bits of clothing over various pieces of her skin, including a sash around her waist which held up a couple of different golden artifacts. Her look itself was completed by long Runic gloves which seemed to blend into her skin. Even so scantily clad she didn't seem to have a care in the world for the temperature. Instead she found herself staring into a book with the clock face on the front glowing and the hands moving rapidly. Her golden eyes glowed quite a bit and the head piece which kept her hair in place seemed to glow with a strange blue magic flickering off into the air. "I don't mean to alarm you, but Gugalanna has been reborn in the world," she said with a great deal of deference. Whoever was on the throne this lass respected a great deal, enough that she was sharing information with him.

[Bloodedge]

Sat atop the throne, the figure to whom this woman delivered her information, was a male who was none too pleased by the mention of a single name. Tall and tone of muscle, he sported a head of silky golden locks. Crimson lenses set in his face gazed from the throne across the long corridor, viewing the dimming light of the sun as it made its way toward the horizon below. "H'oh," he spoke in a voice devoid of joy for the time being.

This man was scantily-clad as well. Aside from golden armor adorning his right hand and waist, his clothing consisted only of a crown-like turbin, a small vest with a collar that rivaled the rest of the article's size, baggy trousers which exposed about as much of his legs as they covered, and a light pair of shoes to match. He sported a few unnecessary gems set in gold, but the most outstanding thing about the man was truthfully a book-shaped stone tablet which radiated with the power of a thousand Artifacts to those keen enough to sense the Mystic Codes held within.

Gugalanna. He knew the name, and he knew it well. That singular name, that one identity, held the memory of an unpleasant past in this world. How could it truly be here now? He dreaded the thought of what could be connected to Gugalanna's return, yet he didn't seem at all surprised that it was reborn. No, he instead seemed disappointed for some strange reason. "I had hoped to be wrong. Just once. Tell me, Belris, is that whore the reason Gugalanna comes to pester me again?"

[Apollymi]

The lass standing beside the throne was apparently known as 'Belris' and she shrugged for just a second in response to the man's question. She was obviously quite used to his antics and didn't even seem disturbed when he spoke the way he did. She even maintained just enough information to know of the 'whore' he wished to avoid. "I can probably get that information... one second," she said calmly. The hands on the front of the book she had hovering just above her palm seemed to shift an entire hour. The strange blue glow that radiated from the top her head appeared at the tips of her fingers as well. "This one is different. Not the one who sent Gugalanna to pester you before," she used his own choice in words because it seemed most suited to the situation and didn't involve her using the term whore. "This new person, I can't tell you much more about them until they are closer, but... they are someone whose name isn't one I know," she said. The name associated wasn't one of the major gamers as she would have expected. And a feat such as summoning Gugalanna should have belonged to someone of a high tier, unless it was a fluke. "It could be a fluke some random person summoning it back to this world." She mentioned as she closed her book. With so little information to work with it was all she could say.

[Bloodedge]

One second of eternity. If that person had returned to this world, and if she were the reason behind Gugalanna's return as well, there was a very real chance he was in for a period of annoyance in the near future. Moments after Belris began using her abilities to seek information, she produced an answer that was nothing short of pleasing to the ear. "Someone else managed to create that beast? An unknown person, even?" he wondered aloud, seeming as if he'd even experienced a moment of shock. Well, at least the culprit wasn't that woman. She was the bane of his existence for a time, and he dreaded the idea that she might one day return while also returning to her old, vindictive ways. Even to this day, he suffered because of her.

All that aside, the blonde male rose from his throne and descended the set of stairs which led up to it. Onward he went, down the corridor-like throne room and toward the light of the setting sun. He wore a forlorn expression as he spoke again, addressing the idea that Gugalanna may have been an accidental summon. A shake of the head was all he needed to preemptively make his thoughts known. "No mere fool could accidentally summon Gugalanna, of all things. That beast was sent to kill me, and without help, it may have stood a chance. It wouldn't lend itself to the likes of a mongrel. Where is Artoria? I have need of her."

[Apollymi]

Belris had been around this man enough to be able to read his mood a bit. In this case, he was pleased that this wasn't the original person who'd summoned Gugalanna and with that knowledge she was allowed to release the breath she'd been holding. "It does seem that way. I don't recognize the name. Who ever it is, doesn't fall into the normal circles," the raven haired lass stated with the utmost calm but there was a bit of light in her golden eyes. As this man stood and approached the falling sun, the lass bowed her head only to follow after, taking note that the man shook his head no to the idea of the summoning being a fluke. She would have liked it to be, it would be less problematic if it was... but she supposed there was always the possibility of another decent player being out and about in the world. "Hai, if that is what you say I'll believe it. It is a little concerning though..." she said, having information was rather important to her, and she didn't like the idea of someone with unknown motivations wandering around in the lower world with it. Her mind would have wondered further but the man before her claimed to need someone by the name of Artoria. She stopped the sigh that would have escaped her and gave the likeliest answer while beginning another scan. "If I was forced to guess, I'd say she's at one of the training grounds giving someone an unnecessarily hard go of sword practice..." she said calmly, as she turned the pages and used her ability she was able to confirm this information. "Did you wish to go on a walk, or would you rather I get her to come here for an audience?" she asked of the man with a soft tone.

Artoria as she was being called was indeed at the training grounds on the far end of this vast place. Golden hair tied up in a ponytail she wore light armor and a peasant style dress that appeared to be made of high quality material. It was a stunning shade of royal blue overlaying white frills which brought out the blue tones of her eyes, which seemed nearer to green in most cases. There was no hint of magic from her being, what she did now was simply a matter of skill. She stood with her sword raised and called into the open air. "Next! Step forth, hone your skills and test your mettle." These were words which were most commanding and to some intimidating but surely someone would step up. These practice sessions were common place around this lass, she'd raised many a knight to be handy with a sword and good in combat. Surely someone would give her enough skill to practice her own against eventually.

[Bloodedge]

"Then the sensible thing to do would be finding out what circle they do belong to. That is why I need Artoria; one of her men will prove useful," he said, knowing the woman called Artoria had a certain someone sworn to her service, and that someone could easily do some reconnaissance if needed. As for whether he preferred the idea of approaching Artoria, or having her brought to him instead... his choice was clear to him. Knowing where she was thanks to Belris' ability, he could assume he was in for an interesting time during the moment of meeting. "I've already risen from my throne, haven't I?" he questioned. As the apparent king that he was, he hardly ever moved from his throne. He especially didn't care to go out of his way for the sake of meeting with others directly, most specifically when he could have them brought to him instead. This Artoria was one who commanded enough respect to make him act differently, it seemed. He stepped forward once more, intending to meet this woman in the training grounds.

Meanwhile, at said training grounds...

"My Lady," said one male in particular. Stepping forward in the face of Artoria's challenge was a male with sleek red hair, and a visage denoting an interesting amount of... depression, to say the least. He approached the blonde woman with a respectful bow, flaring the fur-lined cape he wore to unveil a bow with six strings at his left side. "If I may attempt it, I'd like to try giving you as much of a challenge as I can. I understand it's not the same as swordplay, but I believe I could at least convince you to move a little more than normal."

[Apollymi]

It seemed the king of this area did indeed have an idea of what he intended to do about the less than stellar news of the re-summoning of a certain Divine Beast. One of the men of his allies was apparently going to be useful in gathering information. "Sou ka," she said softly. This girl was feeling a bit under utilized at present, after all, simply by getting closer in range to the person she'd be able to tell more about them. Perhaps there was a nuance here she was missing. Whatever the case, according to the king his already ambulatory state was proof enough of what he intended to do, as such she followed along as she always did. After all, she was in general responsible for making sure the king's ideas were presented in a way that was easily digestible to the public at large. "Hai, I'm right behind you..." she mentioned content to follow along.

At the training grounds...

Artoria was approached by a face she recognized and one she valued as skilled in his own ways. A mane of red hair sleeked back came into her line of sight and his sad visage was unmistakable. He bowed before her causing her left brow to quirk slightly. His speech was an interesting one, Artoria couldn't remember the last time she'd faced this individual directly. A smile came to her face as she still stood proud, confident but not necessarily demeaning. "I'd appreciate a challenge of any sort, but if convincing me to move is your aim... You'll need to raise your head, Tristan!" she readied herself to face this new challenge head on. She stood with her sword clutched in her right hand her left gently touching the hilt, ready to shift her position at any moment. Her knees were lightly bent and she waited for the first sign of movement from this man.

[Bloodedge]

The blonde woman carried with her an air of supremacy, of pride, and of regal radiance. The male named Tristan could do nothing but bow in her presence, even as she addressed him directly. At least, this was the case until the moment she spoke of him raising his head. Right away, he felt as if his chest gained an excessive amount of weight, almost as if he did not want to make a move. Among the other traits boasted by Artoria, there was a pressure that told him he couldn't truly stand a chance. And yet... he had a burning desire to be of use to the woman in whatever way possible, and it was presently his wish to aide her in acquiring the training/exercise she so clearly sought.

She was ready for combat without hesitation, and there he was, still bowed. No more. He would not dishonor himself and disrespect the woman by wasting another moment. "... Hai. Onegaishimasu." Tristan leapt in that very moment. He moved back instead of forward, placing a great deal of space between Artoria and himself. Bow at the ready, he initiated combat by pulling all six strings, loosing a virtual storm of arrow-like vacuum shots toward the blonde woman and the area surrounding her.

[Apollymi]

It seemed her words were enough and even as she stood at the ready, Artoria's eyes were trained upon this man. He was going to attack soon and she knew this to be the truth as surely as she knew most any truth in life. Her eyes never left him, even as he put a great deal of space between them. This was the most appropriate step to take after all. His advantage as an Archer was great, and keeping her at a distance was the proper course of action. She respected his thought to keep the distance and in creating such a space between them he'd done what he'd set out to do. She'd need to move to attack him directly. Beyond this he would release a torrent of arrows upon her, using all six strings of his bow to accomplish the feat. "Six..." she said but her tone was bland. Was she impressed? Did she respect his moxie or was it a simple acknowledgement of what had been done? It didn't seem to matter, as Tristan's storm of arrows rained upon her, Artoria moved forward, her eyes locked on the lad. Every step she took at high speed, seemed to lead her out of the pull of one of these vacuum arrows, and into the pull of another. She strangely moved in a way to allow these various arrow shots to propel her forward at maximum speed. Seeing a clear road to her victory in battle, by taking these steps within a second of the start. She danced across the training ground in this way, following the path so radiant before her, only to draw her sword aiming a straight jab at Tristan's fore when she was within range. The movement itself was shallow but skilled, aiming to stop just under his chin, while trapping his bow arm below it. A gentle smile appeared on the woman's face, as she stared at the lad from a swords breadth away. "I have moved quite a bit more than normal... what will you do now?"

[Bloodedge]

Tristan had formulated a very lovely plan for his round against Artoria. He had successfully set this plan into action by gaining distance, and produced a situation in his onslaught which would force the woman into a fair bit of maneuvering. All he had to do from that moment on was capitalize on what he'd accomplished thus far. Sadly, Artoria's ability did not allow for such a thing. Artfully shifting around his onslaught, she drew closer and closer, appearing within striking distance before he could manage a proper reaction. In fact, Tristan had yet to even recover from his post-leap landing.

Eyes wide, he aimed to raise his bow... but to no avail. The woman's sword halted his movements by its position alone. "Ngh!" A simple utterance came to a sudden halt as well. Tristan's mouth fell agape only slightly, stopping by the sensation of his chin pressing against the tip of Artoria's blade. He'd have been dead already, had this been a proper battle. Even in a training scenario such as the present, he could feel sweat forming upon his brow. Then... there was the question of what he would do next. Did she truly expect something more of him after an immediate and clear defeat? No, he couldn't think that way; this was a round for general betterment. Tristan would be doing Artoria and himself each a disservice if he conceded after stepping up to the challenge. He could certainly manage something.

Another stroke of his bowstrings occurred, though not for the sake of unleashing another volley. This time, he seemed to be plucking the strings as if they were an instrument, which in fact they were; his entire bow was nothing more than a harp. He played a beautiful sonata that brought with it vacuums in the form of wisps. Said wisps would writhe and contort, surrounding Artoria until they were primed to close in and ensnare the woman, binding her core and every limb along with it. "Gomennasai. I didn't mean to disappoint you so quickly."

[Apollymi]

Artoria's attack pattern seemed to carry through without halt, she might have been surprised by this, had she less faith in her own abilities. But she wasn't one of the people who were afforded such a luxury. Even before coming to this world, she possessed a certain amount of confidence in her own physical skills. In her ability to face any challenge head on and overcome it. She simply had to trust her instincts and here, doing so was second nature. The sweat on the brow of her Knight didn't go unnoticed, still Artoria seemed rather calm and oddly, reassuring. As Tristan strummed his harp, Artoria withdrew her weapon, not as a form of retreat, but because she was aware of the potential for something dangerous to happen because of this. Wisps began forming around her and she strangely aimed to cut them, as if she'd use her sword to destroy something magical and technically immaterial and it seemed to be working. Every slash seemed to knock these wisps away from her person even as they aimed to close in on her. "Iie. An apology is unnecessary. You convinced me to move and I showed you where your openings are. There is no disappointment," she mentioned as she came to stand still again. Her sword was still pointed forward, she seemed to still be ready. The remaining wisps even as they aimed to over take her body would find themselves incapable of actually stopping her movements, as if powered from her core, her very being couldn't be stopped. "Have a bit more confidence in yourself, Tristan." Artoria spoke as if she had the authority to make it so, it was reassuring but still somehow a command of the man.

"Here I come..." she said announcing her intentions to continue. She drew back her blade and aimed to charge forward again. Obviously she needed to reach her target before he played another song she'd need to defend herself from but she also needed to keep the distance. In an exercise like this, it should be this man's aim to keep as much space between them as possible. With this in mind, Artoria launched herself forward aiming to close the distance between them and slash shallowly at his person. Her aim to keep him on the defensive so that he would not have the time to try and divert her movements again.

[Bloodedge]

Artoria claimed there was no disappointment on Tristan's part; he simply could not agree. Perhaps he misspoke. Indeed, whether he had actually disappointed Artoria or not, he had undoubtedly failed himself as one of her knights. He was Sir Tristan, a Knight of the Round Table of Camelot under Queen Artoria. To be felled so easily by anyone, even the queen herself, was a disappointment. He had seen other knights, his peers, facing the woman before him in training sessions prior to this. Compared to those matches, he looked like an absolute failure with how quickly he was backed into a corner that would equal a swift death on the battlefield.

More confidence, she demanded. Well, he could at least try. There were no guarantees at all that he would succeed in this endeavor, but that was about the same likelihood as him lasting very long in the battle. He may have managed to coerce her into moving her blade away for some time, but not for long. Artoria wasn't bound at all, and it didn't seem like she could have been if she didn't wish to be. No matter; Tristan didn't have time to think about this much, considering Artoria was on the move again already. The time he bought with his previous move suddenly didn't mean a thing; he couldn't exactly go on the defensive.

Running was the clear answer. Tristan's Agility was far higher than it needed to be, and his endurance was above average as well. He managed to hop once more as a result, distancing himself once more while maneuvering about in a zigzag pattern to avoid Artoria's approach as best he could. Even with his high mobility as an Archer Class, he struggled to keep away. Soon enough, a blade encroached upon his torso. Another hop with an applied sway and lean to his left, and he managed only a scratch on his armor. Something was off about that, but he expected Artoria to be taking a very lax approach for her standard ability anyway. "Exactly how easy are you going right now? I wonder-"

[Apollymi]

Sir Tristan was exactly the type of Knight who would compare himself to the others and see only his shortcomings. Artoria knew this by his reaction to being cornered. If she were less confident in her Knights and less confident in herself, she might have thought she was a bit too hard on them. But every Knight had a specialization and everyone had a different skill set. In these training exercises, she showed them their strengths and their weaknesses. She gave them things to improve upon, even when she herself seemed not to gain much of anything. Every time she stepped into battle, even a battle which was merely training, she saw a clear road to victory. It was always as radiant as a the morning sun. Her barrage continued even as she managed to scratch the man's armor. Doing so again showed him a weakness and let him know how easily one could have felled him.

"These matches point out what I see as the openings in your defense. And show you what an offense overwhelming to you can be. I am not taking this easy, I am simply not aiming to kill when striking. It would violate my code to try and harm those who have pledged their lives to me. But it would dishonor you, if I held back my innate abilities while we faced one another." This was the truth, from the Queen of Knights. Her approaches and reactions were earnest, but much like she would have used the broad side of a sword to ring he helm of a fully armored knight who dropped their shield, she would not aim to stab or slash a ranged one through their armor nor take advantage of the most obvious weakness they possessed, their head and hands. Surely, they would already be aware such a weakness. Their strengths though, those would only truly shine as they were backed into a corner. After the scratch to his armor, Artoria's body turned a follow-up movement of her sword would have it follow the path that Tristan had to dodge the move of her attack. She spun on one foot before continuing her barrage, simply awaiting the next major opening to gain victory. Normally, she would have kicked outward and charged forward, but no opportunities for distance would be given an Archer. He'd have to take every precious breadth of space by his own will or he would have none.

[Bloodedge]

Of course she'd be taking such an approach. Tristan couldn't possibly claim he wasn't grateful for the learning experiences offered by Artoria, but for the duration of being on the receiving end, there was only the struggle of surviving. Sure, his life wasn't in any danger at all, yet facing the Queen of Knights alone was enough to instill a certain amount of fear regardless. "Overwhelming is an understatement, isn't it? With all due respect, my lady... you are a monster," he said whilst continuing to hop around the battlefield, narrowly escaping blow after blow. As an Archer, he possessed the skill Clairvoyance, which did offer him keen enough eyes to see every strike in great detail. This, however, only showed him the truth. What truth? It was clear to him that, if his life truly depended on it, he'd have been either killed or maimed five times in just as many moves.

He couldn't expect to face one such as Artoria in real combat, though. That was something to be grateful for. Still, this onslaught was brutal enough that he had no chance to create proper distance; he had to resort to other measures. He could easily believe that something normally used to kill in his arsenal would be no issue for Artoria, but perhaps it could be his answer in this situation. As such, he plucked the harp strings of his bow in the midst of his evasive maneuvers. "A concerto for you, my lady," he said. The music he played this time around was of a different tune. Vacuums were still created as they always were, but these were placed on the ground. As he danced around the battlefield, every point at which he made footfall was left with a minimal-visibility snare the moment he moved again. He would take care to avoid stepping anywhere a second time, as making footfall at one such location would result in the traps activating, sending the person landing on it floating into the air to be shredded by vacuum blades.

[Apollymi]

Tristan was a strange case indeed. His words could be taken several ways and most of them wouldn't be considered pleasant. Of course, Artoria herself acknowledged fully that facing her, wasn't something most would consider normal. "I take that as a compliment and all of you should be the same in your own way..." she mentioned. No one should want to face her Knights and she intended to have them know why. if they could survive her, no one should survive them. In her own way, she thought it a disservice to send her Knights out into the world without them having the full experience of facing someone overwhelming. Humility was a necessary trait and some learned it quicker than others. Of course, there was a certain amount of grit required as well, and she had a desire to test this aspect specifically. And so she would get to, as she aimed a barrage of attacks towards this lad, she found herself caught in what would appear to be a trap, a trap which triggered a vacuum effect. His words about a concerto should have been disconcerting, given the fact that the move he possessed with that name was deadly. But Artoria knew no fear, and moved forward anyways. She swung her sword at the start of the trap giving her the opportunity to surge with energy denying the after effect of the trap without fail. The only change in her actions there after would be the singular extra moment of space required to avoid tripping the other traps. But knowing this was the case, she aimed her slashes to try and divert Tristan himself towards his set traps. And she saw a clear path to carefully avoid them while restarting her barrage of weapon strikes. This was her new path to victory to show the lad the folly of this choice potentially made without foresight.

[Bloodedge]

"I did mean it as one," he said regarding his previous assertion. Around and around the pair went. Tristan continued setting traps, and beyond the first of them which was muscled through, Artoria continued evading traps where they were placed. As a result of these movements, Tristan would continue stretching the battlefield, taking a wider arc each time. There would eventually be little to no space for further movement without encountering a trap, even for him. He seemed to be doing an alright job of avoiding the traps himself nonetheless, thanks in large part to his Clairvoyance skill and the knowledge of what small signs to look for. Alas, he had to make something of this situation.

The additional space between himself and Artoria was just what he needed. By the time space became scarce, he was ready to use the final moment of extra breathing room to hop once more, moving all the way to the center of where it all started. His targeted point of landing was the space where his first trap had been triggered, but his next move would be made during the leap. The next song he played was one he considered a symphony, sending vacuum blades en masse directly from the harp, spraying out in a wide arc from their point of origin. Doing this, he intended to deter Artoria's hasty advancement with a far thicker net of offense than he managed previously, though he left a few openings that would allow a curved approach. Artoria herself was not his true target, though. His ultimate goal in this endeavor was to trip his own traps at range, creating a storm of blades from all around Artoria in addition to those which came directly from Tristan himself.

[Apollymi]

Artoria continued on her path, noting the difficulty of avoiding the traps set by Tristan and keeping up the offensive pressure on the man. She might have been worried about this, but her visage didn't show it, instead there was nothing but a smile on her face. There was very little difficulty in battle, there hadn't been for her in quite a long time, even so, she would manage to muscle through, until Tristan finally managed to pull that last ounce of space he needed to complete his grand attack. She'd been moving quite a bit, but didn't have the room nor foot space to follow the lad directly upwards as she had previously, and what he did next was quite shocking and worthy of praise. Another rain of arrows came from him, but this time, they came down into the traps he set. Artoria was surrounded! All sides and from above with and though she knew it instantly there was nary a thing she could do to escape directly.

'Hmpf, and I'm supposed to be the monster here...' she thought as she pulled her sword up before her. For the first time since this practice began she used an ability. Her sword glowing with magical light before her face, a gentle moment before she aimed a mighty swirling slice around herself. 'Destiny Break' was her newest ability and one which she had no reason to try before this very moment. The light of the sword and the intensity of her Mana, altered the course of events around her, allowing her to slash through even the rain of arrows and a multitude of exploding traps in an instant. Such a move was a conglomeration of all of her skills and would put an end to what happened around her in due course, but... there was nothing but happiness in the radiant woman's visage. The rest of the battlefield was marred around her, but the area of her body and an immediate space around it were unscathed and she was left holding only the glowing sword Excalibur before her own face. "That was brilliant! I would have never guessed that you Tristan, would be the one to make me test my newest ability first..." she said in no small form of praise. During these practices, Artoria generally limited herself to skill alone, pulling out all of the stops and using an active ability, even just to protect herself was more than what she could have hoped for, especially from a man not even wielding a sword.

[Bloodedge]

A successful escape, and a successful attack. Tristan exhaled an otherwise restrained breath as he beheld the effect of his assault, and the reveal of a previously unseen skill from Artoria. A brilliant display of light was created for Tristan and the surrounding knights to witness as Artoria spun around and made short work of his volley. It was such a grand show, Tristan couldn't prevent himself stopping all movements to stare in awe of how easily his assault had been felled. Being praised as the first to allow Artoria's use of this new ability was something Tristan wasn't certain how to respond to. Just when he had the will and opportunity to speak, though...

Clap, clap, clap-

Stairs next to this marred battlefield led upward, starting a long path toward the major city and palace of Uruk. The sound of clapping came from this set of stairs, drawing nearer and nearer with each individual clap. "HAHAHA! Subarashi! I commend you both; a fine show to mark the arrival of your king!" Gilgamesh had arrived after taking a bit of a leisurely stroll through the city. He had been close enough to make his presence known for a few minutes, but he wasn't going to miss a show the likes of what he'd just seen. Now though, he descended the stairs toward Artoria, Tristan, and the rest of the knights in this training ring. "Rejoice; I have decided I am feeling generous enough to grace the mongrels with my presence today!"

[Apollymi]

This battle was magnificent and nothing would have stopped Artoria from expressing this further. Tristan seemed to be at a loss for words, and though Artoria would have liked to prod a few more out of them, their practice session was being watched... and strangely, applauded? The slow claps of a golden haired, scantily clad man hit the ears of the Queen of Knights. And she lifted her head to watch his entrance into this place. She was not the type to defer, but her gaze was not one of challenging authority. "Gilgamesh-ou." Just this name was all that fell from the woman's mouth. Gilgamesh's own words could like Tristan's be interpreted badly in the moment, but just the same a small black haired girl with a tome in hand followed behind the man with soft words to be spoken. "It was quite a splendid match to see. Though I did indeed predict that you would be giving someone this sort of..." there was a pause inserted here as if she was trying to think of a non-offensive word to use here. "Challenge in practice, Artoria-dono," the lass said with all proper reverence given to all present. "Belris," the name was also spoken in the same tone this woman always seemed to possess. Whatever the case she had no hard feelings one way or another. "Surely, you two didn't come all this way just to watch practice..." she said. "Not that an audience is anything I mind," she mentioned as she sheathed her weapon and waited for the reason this pair of people had approached her.

[Bloodedge]

In the midst of his attempt to address Artoria, Tristan was paused by the arrival of Gilgamesh. He, like other knights below Artoria, turned to the blonde male and took a knee, bowing his head in silence. Gilgamesh paid no heed to those who took this stance, continuing his approach toward Artoria. Her being the one who refrained from basically prostrating herself didn't seem to concern him at all. No, perhaps he harbored a legitimate amount of respect for this woman. "Artoria," he said in response to hearing his own name spoken from the Queen of Knights' mouth. Soon, he was close enough to be within striking distance of the blonde woman, and there he stood with his left hand on his hip, and that armored right hand of his holding his book-like stone tablet at his side. "Perhaps we did come for exactly that reason! The throne is a boring thing at times, and what point is there in a king who doesn't seek his own entertainment from time to time?"

In spite of these things he had to say, even Gilgamesh wouldn't keep matters of importance under wraps for long. In his very next breath, he let go of the lackadaisical demeanor he held up to this point. Serious matters required addressing. "When we last spoke, I told you of my most recent dream. Gugalanna has been reborn."

[Apollymi]

Soon enough the Knights surrounding Artoria were bowed in reverence to the King of this place. Artoria herself took no such posture, but this wasn't a problem apparently. No instead a light and joking tone came from this man as he claimed he might have just come to seek his own entertainment, claiming that throne rooms were boring sometimes. "Indeed they are, it's why I don't have one. Entertaining one's self is a King's prerogative..." she said simply. Her hands came to rest at her sides and she maintained a certain amount of nonchalance at Gilgamesh's antics. She could expect him to get to whatever point he'd come for rather quickly.

When he did speak on the matter he'd appeared for, his tone was suddenly rather serious. Artoria's left brow raised upwards instantly as she was asked to recall their last conversation. Indeed he'd spoken of a premonition he'd had, of this city being destroyed by a certain Divine Beast. Gugalanna had caused him quite a few problems in the past, and the woman who'd owned it, was quite the headache for all involved. "If the beast has returned, then what do you need of us?" she asked of him with her own seriousness. Artoria had grown quite accustomed to the life she lived here, she had no intention of letting it fall. She and her Knights would defend it to the death, but such was their nature to begin with, she only needed to know what actions he needed her to take in this case, to avoid trespassing on his royal decrees. Belris was also quiet, feeling that the sharing of the extra information she had, should come at her King's discretion.

[Bloodedge]

"I'm sure that table of yours still finds itself lacking excitement from time to time," he quipped. He found it infinitely interesting that Artoria chose to be a monarch without a throne, but the 'Round Table' of hers was a suitable enough stand-in for one who ruled in the... interesting way she chose to. Gilgamesh did not share the beliefs which led to the decisions she made, but he also fancied himself a different sort of ruler entirely.

On to the matters of Gugalanna, Artoria clearly recalled the dream he spoke of. He knew her interests to be more aligned with his own in knowing something had to be done. Where most would fear for their lives, families and friends, these two were of a mind to protect the realm as a whole. Perhaps they had different reasons for this... perhaps. Either way, Artoria was at the ready to hear Gilgamesh's desire. Oddly enough, the normally arrogant king seemed willing to defer to her wisdom instead. "The Bull is in this world, but it is not connected to Ishtar. Before jumping to any conclusions, we need to know more about this mysterious summoner. How would you plan to go about this?"

[Apollymi]

"Not really. Though lacking in table is something entirely different..." stated Artoria. This was a joke perhaps, about the fact that the table itself was some piece of Camelot which often found itself in the hands of another person instead of actually being where it was supposed to be indoors. This didn't really matter though, as Artoria soon had much greater concerns. The woman known as Ishtar was a stain upon the grace of all female gender who had any self-respect. Knowing this, stamping out her ilk was something Artoria could put her faith in doing. Much to her general relief though, that woman wasn't the one who summoned the Bull of Heaven. Apparently an unknown person had accomplished this feat. That was a disturbing bit of information but still Artoria exhaled a kept breath and seemed to have her shoulders relax quite a bit. If it was simply a matter of finding out about the mystery summoner then the task could be rather easily handled in her own opinion. Beyond the norm of actions, her opinion was asked for, that same brow rose once more, but she could humor this request without causing strife, and so she would. "Summoning Gugalanna is a feat worthy of acknowledgement, for everyone but Ishtar. With this in mind, such a person should be approached with caution, especially given the state of the lower world. If all we need is information and assuming we know who to look for..." she gave pause and thought it all the way through. "I would send Lancelot. He is thorough in his investigations and would be able to blend in even there. Besides that I trust his intuition when it comes to people. So, if he said this wasn't worth being concerned about, I could trust that judgement."

Artoria's judgement on the matter made Belris smile. She could agree with everything this woman had to say. Of course, she also had cause to dislike the woman known as Ishtar. One could say the two individuals shared the same profession, but the difference between Belris and Ishtar was night and day. The only information she had on the new summoner of Gugalanna was the Avatar Name and by association the Online ID. Which was what made the information problematic. Neither name was easily recognizable and as such it was hard to advise one way or the other on the information gathered about their actions. Perhaps as Gilgamesh though a more direct observation might be necessary to ascertain the desires and actions of this new person. And put a stop to them potentially, if they happened to fall into the negative category.

[Bloodedge]

Gilgamesh kept an open ear for the plan presented by Artoria. She was quick to offer a specific name, a plan to send one knight to the world below for reconnaissance. If she could trust this Lancelot's judgement, Gilgamesh supposed he could afford to trust her decision to suggest sending him before offering a different solution. "It's a feat worthy of my ire. Gugalanna himself should not have the gall to enter this world again. If that whore were to find out about this, she might return to her old form. I'd tear apart the entire lower world alongside Gugalanna before I let that happen, unless I can trust its new master." Whomever this Ishtar individual was, it seemed Gilgamesh considered her a major threat of some sort. In truth, in a certain capacity, she was. She wouldn't destroy the world or anything of the sort, but what she could do was much, much worse. He could not let that happen while he was in charge of anything or anyone who may be affected. Nevertheless, the more concerning matter at present was Gugalanna's new owner. He very well couldn't go above and beyond to destroy Gugalanna once more, if he could have faith that its original owner could not get her hands on it. "Send Lancelot. Belris, make arrangements for a return key," he said, taking a deep breath and raising his head to the sky. "There's no need for council. I'm going to take a walk. Belris, make sure everything is in order."

Without further ado, Gilgamesh took steps away from the others. Bravado aside, the situation was a rather stressful one indeed. Even one so prideful as the ruler of the skies was troubled, so he thought to traverse the land of Uruk for awhile, taking in a few sights and reminding himself what all he'd done thus far had been for.

[Apollymi]

Gilgamesh had some very strong words about Gugalanna and it's former summoner. He claimed he'd sacrifice the entirety of the lower world to stop the rise of that individual where it was. There was nothing but a curt nod from Artoria. "Agreed." The simple words from the Queen of Knights were ones which seemed to align with the King's own thoughts. Though she likely had very different reasons for believing such a thing, she definitely had no desire to see a person like Ishtar rise again. After hearing out Artoria's plan, Gilgamesh agreed to it without question, leaving instructions for his assistant before leaving to take a walk. His assistant, Belris sighed gently. "Hai, I understand." and this was all that Artoria had to say to the man as he left for his walk. Maybe she, understood what he was doing, she often took walks around this place to ground herself and remind of the happiness of the life she currently lead.

"I'll be at the Moon Door when you are ready. And I will have both the Return Key and all the information I can give about Gugalanna's new master," she said softly. She'd take a bow and head off rather quickly towards the place, knowing that Artoria knew where the meeting was. "I understand, thank you for your efforts," she offered the young girl who swiftly bowed before she headed off. Artoria turned back to her Knights and called one in particular. "Lancelot!"

[Bloodedge]

Gilgamesh let his mind wander as his body did the same. It was nothing new for him to see Uruk at dusk this way, yet he still somehow saw it in a different light here and now. Nothing negative could befall this land; he could not allow it while he stood. He'd done so much, built the land in the sky from scratch since a simple time of playing a video game, and its people were his to protect. Yes, even one such as Artoria - a monarch in her own right - was one he intended to guard under his wing. To a certain extend though, the land had to fend for itself. He would ensure that prosperity remained intact.

As the king of Uruk wandered, Artoria called the knight she required for the task. A purple-haired, tall and muscular knight rose to the summons. He was among the group, seeming a bit sulky. In truth, he had arrived to the training grounds a bit late. He saw the latter half of Artoria's match against Tristan, wishing the entire time that he'd been around early enough to participate. Now, Artoria had need of him for something he hadn't been able to hear. Nevertheless, the knight named Lancelot approached his queen before taking a knee, bowing his head to offer whatever services she required of him. "How can I be of use?"

[Apollymi]

While Gilgamesh wandered around Uruk, his attendant, secured the device he'd mentioned and was in the process of making sure it could be bound to a certain individual. She did this while standing in front of what looked like a giant circle painted in the floor of a large room like dais. If the circle were to open it would show a long staircase which seemed to go downward at a terrifying angle. But that would only appear after a certain set of coordinates were entered into it. It was a magical device which would let the people from the top, travel down to the bottom world safely, though it would take quite a while to traverse. The other item in her hand, a 'Return Key' would allow for one to teleport back to this exact spot from wherever they were on the map. It was just to the west of the palace and as such was a key port to return to when entering Uruk.

Artoria had called Lancelot and though he hadn't been in the crowd when she'd started training, she'd expected him to show at some point regardless. Lo and behold the lad was indeed present and soon made his way forward. He took knee with bowed head before Artoria and she nodded. Knowing what needed to be done, she spoke quickly turning on her heel. "Rise, Lancelot, this is not time to stand on ceremony," Artoria said, feeling a strange sense of urgency even while knowing enough details to feel their currently planned approach would be fine. "Gilgamesh-ou, is troubled by the rising of the Divine Beast Gugalanna. The only information we have right now is that it wasn't risen by its previous master," Artoria filled this man in on the general information as she had it. "Your task would be to travel down to the lower world and investigate this person. Determine their alignment and find out if they are trustworthy. Then return and tell us... we'd rather not be blindsided by anything..." said Artoria. "Though I'd rather not crush a young life just because of something so simple, allowing Gugalanna to fall back into the hands of that... vile creature cannot be allowed," she stated clearly. "If you accept, then come. Belris is preparing immediate transport." And with the last sentence spoken Artoria began to walk towards the Moon Door knowing that the black haired lass had the vital information necessary and knowing that Lancelot wanting to be of use would make it so that his travels down below would be most fruitful.

[Bloodedge]

The first order of Artoria was a command to rise, and so, he did just that. His head remained bowed until the moment he stood erect, at which point he raised his gaze to behold the queen. A swift debriefing gave him enough insight to the situation at hand, and one specific mention left him slightly shaken. "Gugalanna!?" he repeated with applied shock and an upward inflection. He could at least take solace in the fact that Ishtar, the deity in possession of the Divine Beast according to the tales, was not the current holder. Even so, that woman had the ability to return to glory if she had contact with it. Lancelot understood his purpose. He followed Artoria without a moment of hesitation, keeping two paces behind her to the right as he made way for the Moon Door. "If I deem this new master unfit, are my orders to kill?" he asked. In his time, Lancelot had done a great many things, ending many lives for many purposes. If he was expected to eliminate Gugalanna's summoner upon considering her a threat, he would do so without hesitation. Either way, he was going through with this quest; he couldn't possibly say no. Artoria entrusted him with it above other knights, and he knew exactly the reason. Recon was more his forte than any of the others, so he would at least take the time to investigate his target. What would he do if said target were another Ishtar in the making, or even worse, though? That much would be left to the queen's order.

[Apollymi]

"Yes, Gugalanna," Artoria said. She could not fault him for his surprise. After all, she'd also been quite stunned to find out this information. A brisk pace took them towards the Moon Door but there was more to Artoria's order than meets the eye. When asked if he should kill the master of Gugalanna if they were found to be unfit she had something strange to say. "If this person can raise Gugalanna taking them on directly would be problematic. Besides that we are fairly certain Ishtar is still down below. Keeping her and that beast as far apart as possible is the goal. A kill there won't be necessary. You should return with any information you have though, we will need to know who to look out for, as they will no doubt make it to this level if they are at all like her..." she said as they approached the area which contained the Moon Door she paused her steps having one more thing to say.

"There is one other reason I thought of you for this..." she said carefully. "Though it would be unfair of me to give such an order, and the quest you are on is of the Highest priority. I cannot claim a particular bit of information for my own selfish desires. You should ask Belris about Galahad. She is your sister, and since you will be below... it might be one of few chances you have to find her. Freed is a fine Knight and took up the mantle beautifully but... her presence is sorely missed. Besides, if I didn't know where to find my sister... I'd be inconsolable," she said offering the lad the chance to look for his missing sibling while making it not an order. It was as heartfelt as she could have made the gesture. "Do with that what you will. Be brave and Honorable and return to us with any information on the situation!" she said giving her final order. In order to maintain some form of plausible deniability and allow the lad to find information on his sister without prying, she would leave his departure to Belris. Who stood beside the Moon Door ready to meet this Knight. "Brief him and see to it that he gets all the information you have to offer him." said Artoria before she turned and left at a pace of less urgency than she originally had. "Hai! I understand. Right this way..." were the words that Belris spoke as she waited for Lancelot to join her. Strangely, Artoria would later find herself walking the same path as Gilgamesh ending up beside him as he overlooked his Kingdom.

[Bloodedge]

"Understood, Your Grace," Lancelot said, accepting that he was not to engage Gugalanna's current summoner under any circumstance. Apparently, there was a secondary reason for him being the one embarking on this quest. Of course, Artoria hadn't forgotten about the Round Table's loss of one called Galahad; there was no way she could. The interesting thing was that she chose to give Lancelot, the woman in question's brother, the opportunity to find her. Lancelot stopped his advance immediately, shying away his gaze with a lowered head. He ground his teeth hard enough for the action to be nearly audible, and his fist trembled at the thought of this chance being provided. Artoria gave her final words to him, urging him onward with the mission. Still, he couldn't move from where he stood. Her return path send her past him, but he couldn't look her way. Words of thanks couldn't be uttered; there were no words that were enough to voice his gratitude.

Ah, but he didn't have to bother with any of that. The moment Artoria admitted to why she selected him, he knew that she understood already. Being chosen out of the group of capable knights was something to take pride in, yet there was no greater honor than what his queen had given him this day. He couldn't even consider placing his own desires at the forefront of his mind in this case. Entrusted with a task, he'd complete it without fail. If he managed to also find something so personal to him, fine. If not, he'd be forever indebted to the queen regardless, all because she'd given him the opportunity. "Your Grace," he said in parting, having no other words he found worth sharing. With that, he was moving along again to hear from Belris.

Soon after...

Gilgamesh stood at the edge of the airborne islands, overlooking the sunset directly. He had been doing so for a few minutes, but now, he found he was no longer alone. Two blondes, two monarchs of different types, and both were burdened with unspeakable purpose. There was much to do, much to think, and yet so little to say. Once more, there was little that needed to be said. The world itself felt silent for a time, until said silence was broken by the king of Uruk's voice. "This amount of brooding is unsuited to the likes of you, Artoria," he said, oddly choosing the woman's name over some random, technical insult he'd normally use to address others.

[Apollymi]

In saying the things she did, Artoria knew how the lad felt. She, of course, gave him her words so that he could do whatever he felt was most right. She was content to leave him with his duties after that, and Belris picked up soon after. Lancelot approached and he seemed to be somewhat bothered, but she imagined such a task wasn't one most people were used to, nor suited to. "Alright, Sir Lancelot the Moon Door is all but ready for you. I couldn't get a precise location on your target, they are too far down. I am also without a great deal of information about them. For this I apologize," Belris started her debriefing giving a decent bit of weight to this Knight who would be risking himself for the completion of the mission. "The target you are looking for has the Online ID, Ookimichan. And they are using an Avatar by the name of Miki," she offered as much as she could. "The Moon Door will lead you down to about the last place I could lock in on her. She's pretty far away though so you may be off a little bit. I trust you have your own ways of catching up and or finding her," she said with her book still in hand. She also held out her other hand and within it was a small round golden piece which seemed to be a bit strange in its conception. "This is your Return Key. By taking it from me, it will be bound to your account. It will allow you to immediately port back to the Moon Door from below wherever you are. And you don't have to worry about anyone being able to steal it off you or gods forbid your corpse," she said. "I have given you all the information I can, about that... but if there is anything else you need before you go I will gladly provide that to you as well..." she said. She was doing her best as her King's Attendant. She wouldn't send anyone off into the world without the information they needed nor missing anything she could provide them.

While Lancelot prepared for his mission, Artoria was confronted by strange words from Gilgamesh while they looked out over the Kingdom. The moments of quiet were longer than normal, but they weren't exactly unwelcome. There was peace in these moments and quite a bit of freedom, two Monarchs did not often get to spend such moments of consideration alone without the pomp and circumstance of their titles surrounding them. As such she was a bit taken aback when Gilgamesh mentioned her by name, though not entirely surprised. "If you believe that then stop brooding yourself... you set the tone after all," these were Artoria's words which left quickly from her lips even as a small smile spread across her face.

[Bloodedge]

Visually, it didn't even seem as if Lancelot was registering Belris' words. He was, of course, but his expression was not at all there, so to speak. He had to steel himself before embarking, lest he make a grave mistake. How could he keep thoughts of his ulterior motives from surfacing, though? Time would tell if he actually managed it any time soon, but the current moment saw a need for Lancelot to lay claim to his Return Key. "Arigatou. I don't think there's anything else I need to know. I'll find this Miki, learn her motivations, and I'll be back soon with a report." Seeming to resolve himself at least temporarily, Lancelot stepped to the Moon Door and looked down. The spiraling stairwell was of no use to him. No, instead he decided to hop down the center, where he'd fall freely toward ground level. It wasn't the greatest idea, but one selfish decision led him to believe that if his sister survived the fall, he could survive the jump made on purpose.

Artoria offered an interesting rebuttal to the king. Fair enough, it was he who set the tone of brooding in this case. One could say the brooding was unbecoming of Gilgamesh as well, however Artoria was surely one who knew otherwise. There was a depth to the king that the people of Uruk as a whole did not know, and even could not know. He supposed, if his stopping was a prerequisite for Artoria stopping, then they were both due to continue as they were. As he stood at the edge of their world with crossed arms, he hesitated once more before speaking on the topic that had plagued his mind all this time... even if it wound up being a question he couldn't bring himself to finish. "If that beast is back... do you think..."

[Apollymi]

Lancelot didn't seem to hear much of what Belris said, but since he took the Return Key from her and headed down she'd done all she could. Of course, headed down was a term to be used rather loosely, given this man, this Knight decided to jump down the middle of the staircase instead of walking or running. "WHAT?!" she exclaimed only to watch on dazed. She hoped he would be alright when he reached the bottom but as she'd lose sight of him soon, she supposed she'd just have to consult her book to see.

With Lancelot's departure taken care of, Artoria was left to have a discussion with Gilgamesh. It seemed they were both going to be stuck in their present moods for a while yet, and this would be at least partially explained in just a few words. It seemed Gilgamesh had been thinking about what the return of Gugalanna could mean, not simply in terms of the potential negatives. Artoria's eyes widened at the thought as she mentally tried to piece together an answer which was carefully optimistic. Even so, it was one positive to potentially be taken from this time full of news which could only bring skepticism and dread. "There are many mysteries and magics in this world. If a miracle like that could also occur..." she gave a moment of pause. "I think it would be worth believing in," she said with a gentle nod. "Even if it's only a little bit." Artoria's words would have encouraged her own Knights, she wasn't entirely sure how one like Gilgamesh took the things she said. But she was earnest. She'd like to believe that if the deaths of two beings were connected, then the births of them could be as well. There were stranger things at work in this world than the idea of an individual rising again.

[Bloodedge]

An unwavering gaze was set upon the horizon below, and upon the world itself as a result. Gilgamesh didn't need to complete the clause he had in mind; Artoria knew what he meant to imply. She chose to teeter around her core thought on the matter, as if searching for the true answer within herself. The male could understand this, having rummaged through the recesses of his own mind for anything resembling the truth. Even though he had the ability to peer beyond causality itself, he dared not do so for fear of finding exactly the answer he didn't want. If only he could willingly delve into the Underworld again, he would be in a position to confirm beyond a shadow of a doubt... if a certain individual had been brought back to this realm of existence. "H'oh. Hope, you say..." he spoke in an unusually soft manner. Before speaking another word, Gilgamesh moved away from the land's edge, stepping inward again. "... Arigatou."

He didn't move very far when he began walking. Gilgamesh found himself stopping in an open, stone field outside of town. Once more, he was looking to the sky and sighing as he opened his stone tablet. "If Ishtar succeeds in finding Gugalanna again, she will return to Mesopotamia. Are you prepared for that eventuality?"

[Apollymi]

Gilgamesh was quiet for a moment or two after Artoria spoke. Even so, he soon stepped away from the edge of the world he'd been looking at, uttering his summation of her idea about the matter. She too realized it would be far too easy for him to look himself and find the answer. But in situations like these, sometimes the direct answer was less pleasant than the idea of a good alternative. In that case, all one could do to continue was hope. She'd done this herself with the fall of the previous Galahad, but this situation had caused her to have to act a bit selfishly as leader and ask another to potentially deal with the matter. Still, Gilgamesh's soft manner of speaking let her know he'd accepted her words and his follow up thanks made a small smile appear on the woman's face. "Iie, it's all I can really offer," she mentioned. As Gilgamesh was content to move now, she would as well. She took casual pace beside him listening in for what she assumed would be a continued conversation.

The topic shifted from hope, to preparation though. As talks of the potential eventuality of the return of Ishtar with Gugalanna, was something which she could only sigh about. "I have considered it since you brought it up. My Knights are prepared for battle, always. And I am already taking every possible step I can to ensure our potential victory," she said. Her calm head in this moment was an extension of years of practice, years of moving with the goal in mind and not the circumstances surrounding it. Even if the new holder of Gugalanna was nothing like Ishtar, the idea that perhaps it would be possible for Ishtar to still rise, was something worth trying to halt and more so than that something worth preparing for. "Though, if you think of something you need from us directly... I can offer it without qualm. I decided before this place is worth protecting and I haven't changed my mind about it."

[Bloodedge]

"Sometimes, all one can offer is more than enough," he stated with certainty. While standing in the field with his open tablet in hand, he looked down into the inscriptions found within the object. Artoria seemed to believe her knights were always prepared to do battle. Though he could see and believe this, being prepared to face a Kami-class threat was a different beast entirely. Having to face Ishtar would be equivalent to participating in the highest tier of Raid, well beyond the basic endgame of AoE. Those God Avatars were monstrous even in his eyes, though he rebelled against them nonetheless.

Something else he needed... Something more direct. Yes, Gilgamesh could think of a thing or two. He needed certainty. The one thing he'd managed to attach himself to in this world was long gone, maybe never to return, and yet he couldn't let himself lose more. Pushing forward was always a possible answer, but never a viable one. "Artoria Pendragon. You choose to protect this plane, swearing your life to it?" As he spoke, Mana poured outward from his tablet. It took the form of various pages, numbering a potentially infinite amount that flew into the air and swarmed around him. "In that case, the value of this world is not at all separate from the value of your life. What is that life worth? Show me!"

[Apollymi]

There was a strange amount of calm and softness between this pair of individuals. Perhaps because they shared similar burdens both seemed to find a bit less stress when alone together. Though neither were trying to do so very openly, they seemed to ease each other quite a bit. "Sou ka," apparently she hadn't considered this small thing she'd offer to be that great. But if it helped Gilgamesh then she was alright with it. But more of her would apparently be required right now, so much more.

Gilgamesh spoke to her in a way which made her brow quirk. Apparently, she'd once sworn her life to protect this place. She remembered this event, and she and her Knights had served tirelessly since their arrival. Strangely, he named her formally and asked her what that life of hers was worth, while showing her a multitude of pages produced from this book, floating about in the air. This couldn't be anything but a challenge of some sort. "I did," she said as if this was common knowledge and something she was proud of. He claimed to want to know what her life was worth, since she'd bet it on this place. And demanded to be shown. There wouldn't be words spoken by Artoria in this moment, instead as she turned she took a few calm steps forward while drawing her sword. As this motion happened several pieces of armor materialized on her person. Gauntlets fitted around her fingers and arms, a shining breast plate trimmed in blue, greaves hidden beneath newly formed armored tassels. Such an appearance had earned her the nickname the Blue Saber, sometime before. But this was now. And right this moment, there was nothing but seriousness in her eyes as his Mana had already flooded this place. Excalibur burned with white hot intensity as Holy Magic coursed through it. And her body held all the calm of a seasoned warrior, something she was strangely, since long before coming to this place. She held her sword at the ready and took a deep breath. There would be no warning when she moved, after several seconds of stillness she'd simply launch herself forward, sword parallel to the ground held up at the side of her face ready to parry, dodge or stab as she approached Gilgamesh's fore, which ever would be necessary.

[Bloodedge]

The pages which fluttered about from his tablet phased away by first dissipating into a golden, dust-like Mana trail. He had decided the course of action, and upon glancing in Artoria's direction, it seemed she was keen on participating in his challenge. Beyond anything else, he needed a moment to clear his head of previous thoughts. This match would prove as a suitable effort to do just that; of this he had no doubt. As he faced Artoria, he did so with a grin exuding confidence, much the way his general demeanor always did. "Come, Holy Sword Wielder!" he demanded, seeing the radiant glow of Excalibur as it was freed of its scabbard. His gaze was unwavering, locking onto Artoria's face and never shifting elsewhere thereafter. It may not have been the most effective way to keep track of an opponent, but perhaps he was just arrogant enough to believe it would suffice regardless. Perhaps.

The still air broke with the Queen of Knights' charge. Gilgamesh met this charge with a wider grin, which showed his teeth. "Gate of Babylon!" he called out, willing into existence the source of his power: the reserves of all weapons, treasures, and truly all Mystic Codes within this world. The first act with his treasury was to open the gate as a portal beside of himself, calling forth a golden spear which lunged forward at a slightly downward angle in time to parry Artoria's blade. Should this occur, the moment would be joined by a snap of Gilgamesh's fingers, prompting a second spear to descend from just above the woman's head. "Tell me, Artoria Pendragon, what form of arrogance do you possess?"

[Apollymi]

Gilgamesh had his eyes on Artoria, and she was more than well aware of this. Even so, her movements continued, he aimed to defend himself. She was aware of her surroundings, her sense for battle impeccable and beyond that she took the first step in her march towards Victory. In battle, she always knew what to do, always knew how to get from her first step to a felled enemy. In the case of Gilgamesh and this particular clash, there was less to know. Strange, she only had a feel for the most immediate of her movements. What could this mean? Gilgamesh opened the Gate of Babylon and in so doing released a spear towards the woman at a downward angle. She moved her sword to parry it, clashing against it with a fierce quality of Mana in her sword. Enough that one of less than equal quality would immediately show damage. At the same time the snap of Gilgamesh's fingers and the downward falling one would be met by something else entirely. "Avalon." A barrier formed above her, bracing against the fall of the weapon as she aimed to strike once more with a movement of her sword, slashing across Gilgamesh's chest with the intention to leave a grievous wound there while spinning in place intending to keep the current distance between them. "That much should be obvious, Gilgamesh. If you have no idea, there is nothing I can tell you to explain it," Artoria said.

The Queen of Knights wasn't being purposefully, coy in this matter. The truth of her arrogance was always on display, and something which would only become more obvious to those who didn't understand by facing her. Artoria was an upright individual. More than that, she was Chivalrous, to the point of fault. She attacked in a manner that her opponent would always see her coming. She used no trickery to overpower. Everything she displayed was outright skill and on clear display. When she killed she did so with intent. And if she passed a sentence she carried it out, the arrogance she maintained as a King was that of Honor. Beyond the call of duty, to everyone even her enemies.

[Bloodedge]

"Avalon?" Gilgamesh repeated as he heard the skill's name. If he remembered correctly, Avalon was the name given to Artoria's sheath. How interesting it was that the sheath came equipped with such an ability as well. Of course, one would expect as much to a certain extent. Excalibur was among the most powerful swords in existence, so a minimum amount of power was surely required to even contain it. Speaking of Excalibur's power, Gilgamesh found himself inspecting the first spear used to meet Artoria's sword. He wouldn't dare use a treasure of less-than-Legendary quality against this particular opponent, but he thought it best to check for sturdiness regardless. All seemed fine enough, but the same would not be said of Gilgamesh himself if he didn't do something about the follow-through of Artoria's counterstroke.

And so, he moved. It was a simple enough feat to hop away in a manner which seemed almost like he was gliding across the field. Even as he did this, he could physically feel the pressure of Excalibur from being in anything close to striking range. He still wore a grin that didn't even shrink a tiny bit while he slid back. Over his head, nine gates appeared to move along with him. From each of these portals, magical staves emerged. One by one in a continuous chain, they fired bursts of Mana toward Artoria while Gilgamesh observed her movements. One thing he found himself doing was deciding what weapons to use, and in keeping up a steady offense, he was able to think of a proper answer.

[Apollymi]

There was nothing in Artoria's face after she spoke the name of her sheathe. It had its own abilities, including granting her something akin to limited immortality. The barrier which it creates, is for the purpose of defending the one part of her that the sheathe doesn't allow to regenerate before she dies, her head. Still if this was a simple test of skill, then she was more than sure that someone of Gilgamesh's caliber would be able to figure that much out on his own. "Hai." she said in response to the idea that she'd spoken the name of her sheathe and not that of her sword. Still Gilgamesh was at least light on his feet. Light enough in fact, to dodge the major damage she had coming his way. A brief cresting of this lass' lips occurred. She fought with her Knights often, and usually handed them their defeats with only genuine bursts of opposition (today's training for example). This experience of true give and take was something rather refreshing. Especially when she considered that neither of them had a distinct advantage over the other.

Nine portals appeared above his head though and they all reigned down magical energy. Such a thing was funny to her, but not for any good reason. Excalibur in hand she swung the weapon, seeing a clear method of handling this by instinct alone. Her Mana charged blade knocked each burst of Mana back towards the gate that cast it. Aiming to overpower and disrupt them but also allowing her to keep moving towards her target. Even she had to admit, swinging against the power of these burst rattled her very bones and that was exciting. "Oh? Is this how you get away with calling yourself a Caster?" she queried rhetorically. Access to magical staves and the ability to use them was one way to be a Caster she supposed. It wasn't innate magical skill, but with all the things that Gilgamesh had access to, she could see it being a usable workaround. Though given this she wondered why he made such a decision at all, perhaps she'd have time to ask sometime. But at present when the last of the blasts was diverted she jumped off the ground, launching herself forward to cover a more massive distance and using her sword like a lance pressing it forward with strength and magical pressure behind it as if she intended to push a hole straight through the left shoulder of the man known as Gilgamesh.

[Bloodedge]

Three things boasted the name Avalon, as Gilgamesh understood. How quaint. It was hardly worth dwelling over, though. No, Gilgamesh was far too immersed in observing as Artoria showed her prowess as an entertainer, at least in the way he considered it. The blonde woman did have a way about her, one which seemed like a dance in its own right while she felled enemies and offenses mounted against her. The Instinct skill of a Saber was nothing to shake a proverbial stick at, and hers was leagues above the rest. "Fuhahahaha! Amusing! If only the mongrels could bear witness!" he exclaimed, seemingly excited by what the woman managed, or rather the way she managed it.

His staves received return fire by the deflection of Artoria, but a return through the Gate of Babylon left their projectiles flying past Gilgamesh into the open sky. The gate opened again on the ground in front of him, spewing a dense tower of flames that rose to unknown heights. Gilgamesh's intention with this maneuver was to deter Artoria's approach, though he would also use the blockage of visibility to step aside. After all, he couldn't believe Artoria Pendragon didn't have a way to push through the fire and drive her blade into him regardless of his efforts.

While they danced about the battlefield in this way, Artoria posed a query. The smirk upon Gilgamesh's face remained one of amusement as he laughed through a retort. "Hahaha! I did think it would be amusing to try out being a mage. How is it? Do I look the part?" Gilgamesh knew he didn't have the ability to cast spells of his own volition, but this Caster form was appealing to him. Beyond that, it had a deeper purpose. "You're curious?" he asked, opening the gate overhead to produce dozens of staves which unleashed lightning bolts toward the battlefield in a 20 foot radius around Artoria.

[Apollymi]

Given his words, Artoria could believe that Gilgamesh was also enjoying himself. Good. His brooding mood was being dealt with one failed tactic at a time. Though she'd successfully knocked back the bolts of Mana aimed at her, it seemed they would not hit the staves which cast them, nor Gilgamesh himself. That might have been a bit disappointing if this match up had been anything less than musing from the start. If the others bore witness to such things what would they think? Some would, without a doubt, want to fight her more, to hone their skills and reach her level. Some would likely never want to fight her again... but likely all would come to the same conclusion as Tristan this afternoon. That Artoria despite her upright nature, was a combative monster.

Strangely, she would only continue to prove that as time went on. Her rush forward should have been halted by a wall of flames, but she didn't stop. In the moment she looked at the flames she knew what she needed to do. She couldn't know if Gilgamesh intended to move left or right and needed to disburse the flames and keep moving. "EXCALIBUR!" A grand pillar of Holy Light formed along her blade and broke through flames. The pressure of the blade, would cleave the battlefield for quite some distance and it encompassed enough space to try and compensate for the movements of Gilgamesh. His words didn't go unheard though. "Well, I suppose you did fine. You do look the part at least and to the careless eye you act it as well..." Artoria said. She knew mages and she knew of their activities. Though he was using staves and magical devices to produce his magic, it only made him seem like a more... human mage. "Of course I am curious..." she said as a gate over head produced a great deal of lightning in a radius around her person. She drew her sword close holding it before her face, her movements temporarily coming to a halt. What was the purpose of this circle? What did he intend to show her? She could do nothing but prepare and that was also exciting.

[Bloodedge]

The next word Artoria spoke was, in truth, one of the most dangerous words this world had ever produced. In the home world of those who were transported to this realm, there was a legend of a holy sword by the name Excalibur. The sword of King Arthur of Camelot, to whom Artoria was an homage. That blade was known far and wide in the tale of one king, who ranked among history's most legendary, in large part due to the weapon itself.

... That tale did not do this sword justice at all.

Hearing the word shouted in one voice, in one tone, was enough to instill fear in those it was spoken against, and hope in those it moved to protect. Without even being able to see its movement from the other side of the flame pillar, Gilgamesh bore wide eyes. 'Ngh!' The pillar was cleared without issue, and the land cleaved to the edge of Uruk. Smoke rose due to the vaporization of any rubble that would have otherwise existed, and the silhouette of Gilgamesh standing at the edge of the split ground became clear as it dissipated. When he was visible, he had crossed his arms as if nothing coming his way had been a problem... And yet, it seemed he had also donned a suit of golden armor to overcome even the partial impact of Excalibur's burst attack.

"Fufu, haha... Hahahahaha! Subarashi!" A hardy guffaw escaped him, overcoming his voice enough that his head leaned back as the armor he summoned disappeared from his body. During the time he spent laughing, the lightning staves also returned to his treasury. He was content to take a brief pause in the offense to address Artoria's curiosity. "Very well, I will sate your curiosity for a magnificent show! Why am I putting on the pretense of being a mage, you ask? I'll tell just you. This, it's sarcasm. You can rephrase it as mockery if you want, I mind it not. Of course, it's aimed at that mongrel who declares himself the Grand Caster. My eyes can see through him."

With that said, Gilgamesh returned to his efforts. A massive opening of the Gate of Babylon occurred overhead, filling the sky as his hand raised to it. What seemed to be a magnificent display of hundreds of lance tips emerged from these portals, each connected to chains that possessed the ethereal glow of heaven itself. He did not move them just yet, instead awaiting Artoria's response - whether verbal, physical, or both.

[Apollymi]

Artoria hadn't spoken the name of her sword for an attack in quite some time. Still, when she did it in this way it was the most normal and natural thing she could do. To protect, to serve, to gain victory... Excalibur was a sword which did all things. When she'd designed her character she'd done it with this in mind. She'd gone out of her way, to preserve as much of the lore of this blade as possible, taking on just the right set of quests and doing all the right things to get a sword, forged by fairies with the abilities of legend. She'd known what it would do to the battlefield long before it happened and as such her eyes shifted finding Gilgamesh rather conspicuously fully armored. That in and of itself should be taken as a compliment, the same way she viewed her Knights making her use actual abilities. 'Sou ka,' she thought still teeming with amusement.

She wasn't the only one.

The laughter of Gilgamesh could be heard for quite some time after the dust settled. His arms crossed over his chest as if he was unbothered but this was the bravado of a King. Artoria herself often looked like she didn't care what was happening around her, one way or another. People relied on her strength, she couldn't falter before them. His laughter signaled the withdrawal of the staves he'd been favoring as well, strange. He then went on to explain why he was playing at a Caster. And for the first time an earnest look of surprise spread across Artoria's face. Of all the reasons she could have expected, tried to predict from the King Gilgamesh, the idea that he was poking fun at Merlin of all people was beyond her comprehension. That small smile which had been on her face, broke into a grin, showing teeth and... glee?! "Hehe...hahaha....HAHAHAHA!!!" laughter, joyful and melodious exploded from Artoria. She couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed so earnestly and found it so enjoyable. A moment such as this could only come in a lone moment, shared by two monarchs in a space outside of their responsibilities. She managed to catch herself, covering her mouth... hiding her teeth but still that light and joy shone in those green blue eyes of hers. It took a moment or two, but finally she was able to control herself, with small tears in the corner of her eyes that were allowed to sparkle adding a new facet of depth to her face. "Sou ka, that's as good a reason as any I suppose. You're quite funny, Gilgamesh..."

There was a battle raging here, and though it had started in the same manner as her other training matches. This one had become fun, more fun even than Artoria had known she was missing out on. And yet, there was more to come, as she finally turned her eyes back it seemed that Gilgamesh had prepared for his next onslaught. Though nothing had been launched yet, the number of them was astronomical. She hadn't seen the Chains of Heaven in action in quite sometime. But she was righteous enough to test her mettle against them. She stared at them and steeled herself. Calm retook her person... and there was a slight shift in her feet and the position of her sword which she held directly at the fore of her person. Instinct told her to strike quickly, that the road to victory was decisive, so she decided. She launched herself forward once more, intending to take the man with no problem.

[Bloodedge]

Artoria was clearly in a good humor after hearing the male admit to his reasons. His words were true; everything this form stood for was to spite the Grand Caster of this era, Merlin... and in fact, the Grand Caster of multiple generations since claiming the title. He truly found Merlin's existence as a figure of importance to be repulsive to a certain extent, though that was a matter he didn't mull over too much. At present, Gilgamesh was absorbed in the hysteric laughter of Artoria, which seemed startlingly similar to his own show of amusement in prior moments, albeit for different reasons entirely. He could do nothing but meet her laughter with a grin, sparing more of his own laughter.

"H'oh. That entertains you, does it? Perhaps I will regale you again with another. Eventually." The time had come to begin anew. Gilgamesh could see the excitement on Artoria's face, and he had his own to offer in return. Few could face the Chain of Heaven while knowing what it was, and still manage to show such will to push forward. This was even the case in mock battles such as what they currently participated in. Not Artoria, though. "Yes, that's it! Feel free to come at me, Artoria Pendragon. Who knows, you may even have a chance of winning." Since she was so ready, he decided to waste no additional time. His elevated hand descended, and with it came the descent of the chains. Artoria may have been charging at him, but he did not intend to move. No, instead he would send forth the chains at varying speeds. Some would cascade overhead of Artoria, some would spike themselves into the ground ahead of her to cut off a potential path to Gilgamesh, and others would be more precisely sent down in the path she took.

[Apollymi]

It seemed that Gilgamesh found her amusement at his logic just as amusing as she found the situation. He even offered to tell her another tale, some other time. "I'm sure it will be one worth hearing," she said of this future tale. Whatever the case, soon after this was spoken he claimed that she could and should come at him. And claimed she might even be able to take a victory from this particular event. Artoria herself, never went into a battle without intending to claim victory. And with this in mind, her decisions made, her movements had already begun, long before she could have mustered up an answer for him.

As she ran, Chains of Heaven all seemed to behave in different ways. Even so, it would seem she'd manage, by trusting her instincts and seeing her movements one at a time until she'd reach her goal. If Gilgamesh wasn't going to move after lowering his hand, she'd have to come to him, that much was obvious. A Chain would spike itself in front of the ground before her, she'd jump onto it, nimble feet following it up for several meters until she was faced with another. The ones over head would be bounced off by the barrier created from Avalon as she ran. Her steps were like music up certain chains and around others, her feet began not making constant footfall instead hopping about changing her angle constantly. She moved like a flurry across this battlefield covered in chains. She used Excalibur as a blade deflecting the ones sent more precisely down her path until she was just in reach of her target. Then and only then did she draw back the blade. From no more than a few meters away. "EX..." there was a pause as her body rounded a chain and she spun this Mana infused attack into existence. "CALIBUR!" The blinding flash created by the intensity of her Mana was one thing. The attack itself would threaten to disintegrate that which it made contact with. Beyond all of this, the attack was infused with strength and wind, aiming to blow outward any further chains while also knocking horizontally across the core of Gilgamesh. This was the only victory she saw, the decisive blow she wished for... but what would be the outcome?

[Bloodedge]

What would Artoria do, he wondered. She rather artfully danced around his chains in a far superior way to how she'd previously managed against his magical attacks. It was so stunning a sight to behold, even Gilgamesh in all his arrogance took a moment to appreciate it. "H'oh," he muttered, seeming about as awestruck as he could ever manage to be. As she evaded and countered numerous spear tips, she appeared to be building up to something grand. Gilgamesh wondered what more she had in store. Would Artoria keep him waiting for very long?

No. No, not at all.

She didn't need to finish the word. A single syllable, and he knew what was coming. This did not at all compare to the previous use of Excalibur's holy power. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Gilgamesh knew a simple donning of his armor would do nothing but endanger the armor, despite its typical invincibility. He could switch Classes, accessing the power of his Level 100 form. No, that wasn't enough. Perhaps his treasury had the answer? Either way, he had to be quick. The gate opened over his left shoulder, and he reached out to it. An earlier train of thought let him remember one thing easily capable of handling Excalibur's might, no matter the strength of the specific attack. Did he have it in his arsenal?

The answer was yes. Out from the portal came a golden version of Excalibur's scabbard, from a time before it was influenced by its wielder. In a way, one could say Gilgamesh currently held the original version. In a way, he did. "Avalon!" he called out as he pulled the scabbard fully from the gate, swinging it against Excalibur's wave. The barrier created as a result protected Gilgamesh and the area immediately surrounding him, but the burst only curved around it to mar the land while pushing Gilgamesh back as well. "Fuhahaha! I wondered if I had it as well! Of course, all treasures are mine!" How satisfying. What a shame though, if not for Avalon, he would have taken quite a beating from that. There was one other thing he could have used to ensure victory during his retaliation, but no, he couldn't use that; this wasn't that sort of battle. For the time being, he was content to return his version of Avalon to the gate, along with his chains. "Well then, there was that."

[Apollymi]

The front row seat Gilgamesh received to Artoria's arrogance was one which he seemed to enjoy. Though a deadly attack was coming his way, it wasn't until it was nearly upon him that he did anything about it. Surely, Artoria had nothing to worry about. The King of Uruk wouldn't have put forth such a challenge without being able to defend himself, right? As she fell towards the ground once more she heard the call of a familiar name and saw it emerge from within one of the man's gates. "Sou ka..." she said, as she landed bracing for anything else. That was fine she supposed. If anyone else was to own something so personal to her, she supposed Gilgamesh possessing it was less of a problem than it could be. His laughter once again rang out and though the area immediately surrounding him and his person were fine, the rest of this place was marred by their activities.

"It seems to be the case, though that one is a bit different from mine," she said having gotten enough of a glimpse to be able to tell that though it was the same, it wasn't quite the way Artoria imagined. With this done and Gilgamesh's weapons retreating she brought the still shining weapon she'd been using to her side and sheathed it, as her armor disappeared as well. She was left dressed in her noble gown of blue and white with a still present smile on her face, the bow in her hair blowing in the breeze. Her hands were clasped together gently before her person, she seemed oddly ladylike in the moment. "It was... how interesting today has been," she managed with a large smile on her face. This kind of battle was exactly what she'd been thinking of earlier and just what she needed before continuing on in her duties. True, it came after quite a bit of shocking news, but a fight like this still put hope in the Queen of Knights. Hope for the next generation, for the future, for stamping out the problems of this world. Was this an answer, a definitive help? No, but it was enough. "Arigatougouzaimasu..." was the final word spoken by Artoria in this moment as she now fully resigned to her current situation was more than ready to do what was needed with her knights to ensure their readiness for the potential threats. A gentle wave would occur over the lass' shoulder as she turned to walk away, mostly to avoid any potential backlash from this situation. There was much to be done here, but she was sure she could see the road to victory rather clearly now.

[Bloodedge]

That was about enough of that, he thought. Those who normally saw no proper training of their abilities got to have a decent bit of exercise without causing too much destruction to the land. All was well. It seemed they would be going about their own devices henceforth, though not before Artoria pointed out the difference between his version of Avalon, and hers. There was, in fact, a great secret to this; perhaps he would share it one day. Today would not be that day. Artoria was clearly prepared to take her leave, even doing away with her armor in a display that Gilgamesh observed almost as if studying it. His eyes were slightly narrowed while the tablet in his hand disappeared, clearing his hands to allow the crossing of his arms.

What a stark difference there was between Artoria on, and off, the battlegrounds. The title Queen of Knights... well, sometimes it seemed as if it had two meanings. In one moment, she boasted all the traits of a sole queen, and the very next moment may see her embodying everything that made an honorable warrior. Gilgamesh didn't even realize he'd yet to take his eye off the woman, until the very moment she turned away to depart from him. "Sou," he murmured with no one else near enough to hear the utterance. The King of Uruk would take a moment to view the marred landscape around him before taking his own leave. Back to the palace he went. Interestingly, shortly after his departure, the once-empty field would be seen with a rather expensive-looking building that none in Uruk had seen prior to this day...