Finis Chaldea

Ishtar had nothign to say? That was a new occurrence. No matter; Gilgamesh would proceed as normal regardless. "I will tell you of the beginning. Heaven and Earth split, nothingness congratulated creation, and my Sword of Rupture cleaved the world..." Ishtar was due for a very interesting mix of things. As Ea spun and the winds kicked out, those very same winds produced the opposite effect of any normal gust. Each stratification was akin to a black hole, sucking inward while the winds themselves spread out. "Mortar of the stars, heaven's hell is the eve of creation's celebration. Now you shall die and be silent. Enuma Elish!" The full incantation of Gilgamesh's ultimate ability endangered the whole of the Underworld. Luckily for it, Gilgamesh discovered long ago that it could always reassemble itself with time. For now though, it would become a place of desolation as the winds of genesis tore through Ishtar from within. Barren would be a massive chunk of Irkalla while Gilgamesh, without looking back to see Ishtar spawn anew as a mere soul, prepared to make his exit.

Enki was growing tired of the arrogance possessed by mankind, perpetuated by that bastard King Gilgamesh. This woman had contracted the sickness of audacity, thinking herself capable of standing against the gods. "Hm. It seems more humans have picked up terrible habits. You destroyed the temples of Ishtar, did you not? Celestia has been shut-off from this world for years now. Do away with whatever remnant temples I have in these lands; it will make me no difference." There was a certain pomposity emanating from Enki as he took further steps forward, beginning to climb the stairs one after another. He was sauntering his way to Artoria slowly, but surely, while waving his right hand about in the most nonchalant manner possible. "You happen to be in luck, little woman. I am the most generous of all the gods, so I will let you see who the true evils of the world are. You will come with me to my empire. It is a far better place than this old sandy dump, and when you have tasted my divinity, you will be absolved of Gilgamesh's vile sickness that makes you believe humans should stand against us." Enki offered no options. That mobile right hand of his reached out with every intention of grabbing Artoria when he reached the throne only a few steps higher than his current location. That is, he would be grabbing her if she did not show wisdom by taking his hand herself.

Ah, but that was a mere pipe dream, was it not? Enki would have no chance of reaching Artoria with that disgusting hand of his. For each year of Gilgamesh's absense, there was a Divine Gate opening around Artoria Pendragon upon the throne. From those seven gates came seven segments of the Chains of Heaven, all of which wrapped fully around the god's arm in the blink of an eye. Their grip was so tight, Enki could not manage the movement of his fingers, even though they were unbound themselves. "H'oh?" the voice of Gilgamesh echoed throughout the citadel's throne room. "A worm claiming itself a god has the nerve to enter my ziggurat, and reach its squalid hand out to my treasures? I will teach you of Uruk's law, Jester of Heaven. The price of theft is first the hand that steals." What would Enki say; what would he do? It mattered not. The moment Gilgamesh's speech ended, the Chains of Heaven tightened and pulled until even the god's arm was mangled and shredded off. Gruesome though it was, the angle of it all was taken with enough care that no blood tainted the queen's form when it spewed. Just then, Gilgamesh stood visible in full renewed glory at the room's entrance. His eyes held that same furious glow, but it was not currently crimson─ it was golden.

Gilgamesh heard the second scream of a god this day. Enki was no less outraged than he was in agony, gripping the bleeding nub at his shoulder and turning toward the Golden King. "You! How dare you strike a god!" he screamed. Gilgamesh seemed unusually calm upon hearing this. His head tilted just slightly, the scowl on his face being just as much pity as it was detest. "You break the law and I'll punish you. There is no room for discussion," he said. The poor god of Celestia would not stand for this, it seemed. Alas, there was little he could do as well. Gilgamesh was here, but Ishtar was not? Where was she? Whatever the case, even he was not foolish enough to deal with this problem while having only one arm. He had to regroup, have something done about his missing limb in AS-IKU. Stumbling back and fading from sight, Enki offered one additional statement. "You'll pay the price for this; all of you. Soon, you will know what it means to go against Celestia!"

Was this really something that was happening? Gilgamesh was content to fully incant the release of his Sword of Rupture and murder her from the inside out using the ultimate attack. What could she do? She could scream she could cry but still at the end she would perish. In a manner akin to a popping balloon but without the mess given the way the sword itself worked. And the most shameful thing about that death? She enjoyed everything leading up to it, until that moment of terror set in and she realized that she would not be living through the moment. Never again would she die in such a way... she never wanted a death so painful and so desolate again. What was more, she didn't even see his face again... he was simply disappearing as her thoughts and consciousness disappeared as well. For a while at least.

At the same time Artoria, generally annoyed at the man still taking steps towards her. Everything she saw of him as he spoke, she hated. He thought human's picked up terrible habits from Gilgamesh, this wasn't true, not at all, she'd clarify that right now. "I destroyed the temples of a being who sent rapists to my kingdom, to defile me when I have never laid eyes on her and could have caused her no offense. It is not a matter of the King of Heroes' influence it is instead a direct response to a crime committed against humanity by someone claiming to be one of its overseers," Artoria said those words and meant them. She'd been quite angry about the entire Ishtar ordeal but it wasn't as if she picked the woman's name out of a hat and decided to point her anger that way. She'd earned retribution in acting like a spoiled child, but Artoria was starting realize maybe she wasn't the only one who'd earned such a fate. Enki claimed she was in luck, that he was the most generous of all the gods. That was not the case, she could tell in this man's face nothing about his approach was here for generosity. In fact, the way he moved towards her when she'd made no moves violent or otherwise against him, led her to believe he was the same type of man as those who'd climbed into her castle. He was entertaining the idea of physically assaulting her to make her come with him. His words held no options and Artoria wanted nothing to do with this man. He claimed to be a god... how did his divinity stack against her own? She'd never actually killed a god before, would today be the day she tried? Those green eyes of hers lost their luster for just a moment as she sank into the mindset of a coldblooded killer. Would she let him grab her and summon her weapon into her hand? Would she cut his hand off instead? She could throw that dagger instead and use the time to get into a more advantageous position... Mere seconds to decide and it would appear she'd need to do nothing.

Seven gates opened around Artoria and she managed only a raised brow as her eyes slanted in the direction of a rather familiar voice. Once again someone was stopping Artoria from well, being herself. One day, she might actually get to act on her own rage. Today was not that day, she remained seated, seemingly unbothered, how very comfortable the Queen was with the King of Heroes nearby, even with someone who would have assaulted her directly in front of her. That hand of his was rather close but held rather tightly by those chains. 'Hmphf, he has some nerve showing such an ability now,' she thought to herself. Still, she was pleased as he came into her line of sight. But, she'd seen a doppelganger of his once already, though this one appeared to be on her side, was this really her King of Heroes? The god's severed arm taken without a drop of sullied blood falling to her person said yes. Ah, but his face and body were rather young suddenly right? That was nice to look at, way better then the one who'd recently been standing before her. Oh, but he had that godawful hair she'd seen on his younger version. Ah, but there was a reference to stolen treasure, which was obviously her, since she was the only thing this god was reaching for, right? Those eyes of his were different too, not their normal crimson but... golden instead. Still in response to the scream of a god, Artoria could only nod her head. 'Gods bleed. Things that bleed can die...' she thought noting that one away for later. Ah, still she could not wait for the return of her smaller weapon, that she might actually draw it while seated. What was more this one cried over his lost arm and claimed vengeance. Artoria was almost confused, had he not, walked into a strange place, been given nothing but cordial reception and decided to break the rules of being a guest? She now knew of two gods of Celestia and both of them were horrible people. He faded from sight, running after taking such a horrific injury. Whatever, no time like the present to find out if this was indeed her King of Heroes. Artoria finally stood and began descending the steps, she would walk towards this King of Heroes, apparently unarmed for whatever reason, "I did not ask for assistance but, I still thank you. Have you truly returned, King of Heroes?"

Had the King of Heroes truly returned? His aura was of a slightly different nature, but it was not that of another spirit. No matter; even that change was reverted along with the color of his eyes, as the king had no use for whatever ability he obtained in Irkalla. An agitated huff passed his lips during the departure of Enki. After all this time, it surprised him that one of the gods could appear in divine form somewhere other than wherever Gilgamesh himself was. That would require looking into at a later time, but not now. Oh, now there was something far grander to behold. Gilgamesh had the absolute treat of watching Artoria Pendragon descend from the throne of Uruk, clad in an ensemble more enticing than any she'd worn before. That exposed skin, all those little teases of flesh at both top and bottom had to be the work of the female pharaoh. Oh, he'd be paying her well for her additional work.

Every step Artoria took caused Gilgamesh's grin to widen further. He took up a stance that seemed inviting, arms at his sides but just slightly outstretched. "And I did not give some miserable cur of a god permission to look upon my bride. Only I, Gilgamesh, may know such pleasure," he stated, having no concern for whether she wanted or needed his assistance. That was no matter of aiding the Queen of Knights, but instead one of enforcing his own law. As for his return, there would be little to no room for questioning. There was no truer Gilgamesh than the genuine article, regardless of how well-sculpted an imitation happened to be. "My message reached you, did it not? You are free to express your unbridled joy with weeping and wailing. I will allow the privilege to you before the rest of the world has its chance."

Apparently the exit of Enki had caused some kind of agitation in the King of Heroes. Artoria recognized it. What was more, he fully reverted to his usual self. Those eyes she enjoyed, that face she'd come to know from stolen glances and even that smug grin of his. He was staring at her. She supposed she hadn't been seen in this attire by him yet. He seemed to be not using his abilities to cheat his way into her heart, nor steal views of her directly. That was strangely admirable. There was some stark difference here and now, between having this man's eyes on her, and having that male god speak to her... she hadn't figured out what it was yet, but she didn't mind Gilgamesh so much. And look he even prepared to greet her. After reaching the bottom of the steps she took only a moment of pause. "Siduri, remember to send that message please... concerning the return of the King," she said very certain that this was him. "Of course, it will be done..." Siduri said making the note necessary for the Rim-Sin. The return of the Golden King was the end of the reign of Artoria Pendragon.

"Oh, yes, that is definitely you..." she mused, she was suddenly very happy and kind of excited to see him. His early version did not recognize her, and thought her some thing to conquer. This one adored her, she was pretty certain of that now. Ah, but how would she react to that open posture and those outstretched arms? She was unarmed and after feeling the actual relief of this man appearing before her, she remembered the thing she'd been holding on to, in the depth of her stomach she felt absolute fury. That message, reminded her. "Yes, I received it," she said carefully. And when she got within arms reach instead of simply stepping into the King of Heroes arms she aimed an uppercut straight into his gut with all the fury and strength she could muster. Her aim to knock all the wind out of his person before she began a tirade against the man the likes of which she was wholly unprepared to give. "HOW FUCKING DARE YOU DIE, IN A MANNER SO UNBECOMING, KING OF HEROES!" she exploded. "I took seven fucking days. Seven. You waited 10 years to die in seven days? I was coming back you know? I asked questions, ridiculous questions, stilled my heart, raised my country and came to you. I was happily coming to you. I was prepared to go on a date and you were fucking dead?! I took over your country which is like corralling a bunch of toddlers their first day outside and I beat the younger version of your annoying self with the same stupid hair you now possess and you have the audacity to walk in here like this. I cannot fucking believe you!" there was so much fury in the Queen in a moment like this Siduri turned around immediately happy that the woman was not armed not that it seemed she needed to be. "If you are going to beat me over the head with the idea that you adore me and want to be with me, you are required to at least take care of yourself so you do not fucking die on your throne. You impossible idiot!" Artoria was furious, relieved, happy, and she didn't have words to describe how she felt right now, but it was there too.

In acknowledging the king's glorious return, Artoria instructed Siduri to send a message. Ah, surely the people were incredibly concerned, but all would be well; the magnificent Gilgamesh was back in action! Now, he could receive his queen. There was no method in sight of properly inserting her into the reincarnation cycle after the fated battle of Camlann, but he would make things work one way or another. Artoria approached, surely for the sake of meeting his embrace after being without it for some years...

Or... not. No, this was no leaping into his arms, no weeping, and no wailing. Gilgamesh was as pleased as a child stood before a room filled with presents, then suddenly, he was curling over and holding his recently-slugged abdomen. "Huagh!" he heaved. What purpose did Artoria have in knocking the wind from him? She should have been tripping over herself to attack him in a very different manner than this! Sure, he accidentally slipped into Irkalla for a few measly years, but that was of no importance! What was she saying? It had taken him only seven days to die after that party? That foolish woman; he'd been working his way toward death for decades. "YOU INTOLERABLE WOMAN!" By the time Gilgamesh stood erect again, there would be two monarchs standing in the middle of the throne room simply... yelling at one another. Apparently, Gilgamesh had completely glossed over some mention of a date, as well as the uncharacteristic number of swears spewing from Artoria's mouth. "Seven years I spent in that damn gutter Kur, seeking a way to reverse the fated death you so stupidly resigned yourself to!" he shouted, an accusatory finger pointing so furiously that it jabbed the woman's forehead multiple times in sequence. "And where were you for all that time before?! Seven days you held the grail, after ten years of preparation to obtain it! If not for your negligence in raising that wretched country of yours, then seven days sooner I would have rested! Worse yet, the audacity it took to leave Chaldea only minutes after felling the titan! What sort of woman do you call yourself?!"

If Gilgamesh expected Artoria Pendragon to have a normal emotional response, he was sorely mistaken. The one thing she held close was the violence she gave with no thought whatsoever about why she felt violent in the first place. She wanted to run into his arms and happily engage with him, but she simply didn't have that in her repertoire of reactions. Of course she didn't expect this slight against him to go without repayment and soon enough he was spewing words at her. She was intolerable, yes, he said that a lot. Even his younger self saw her that way. So what excuse did he actually have for staying dead for so long? Apparently he was in so long to look for a way to help undo her fate? WHAT?! Artoria was having her forehead poked and her heartbeat sped up. Her entire face flushed, and she was simultaneously furious and happy. Why would he do that? No one asked him to do that! How dare he try to turn this around?! "Why? You... Ugh!! Moving on!!" she exclaimed this man's audacity was boundless, but she couldn't be upset at him for doing something like that. Still the poking was happening and he wanted to know why she'd left after slaying the Titan and why she hadn't stayed longer and why she didn't return immediately?! How it was her turn to poke and she was doing so right in his chest to enforce her points. It was rather firm... no. No distractions. "Listen here, you moody, annoying, brash idiot. I left because I did not know what it was to feel anything even remotely romantic. It was best to prepare ahead of time, to give a full effort knowing you were giving yours!" Right, she didn't feel right leaving him to be the one to try so hard when she had come to realize she liked him back. "I left to figure out what it meant to offer myself to you, even while not simply uninhibited. And to know that I would not be confused or regretful about anything I undertook knowing that I did not fully understand what it meant to like you. I was trying not to hand you my broken psyche to deal with on top of everything else!" she was outraged. Artoria stared up into the King of Heroes' eyes with burning fury but also something else, like a swirl of emotion that was not simply negative in its nature. "It only took me one day to realize I was not just drunk and impulsive. The rest of time I spent preparing to make sure my country could run itself while I spent time with you and I show up and you are dead. Do not lecture me King of Heroes, I sat here anxiously awaiting your return!"

Both of these people were so furious, Siduri was unsure if this was a greeting, the start of a fight, or the start of a breakup. Her life in this palace was bound to become very interesting she figured. After serving both of these people, for about the same amount of time, she realized they would work really well together. But she also realized it was possible for them to spend just as much time arguing as getting anything done. Even that last sentence of the Queen of Knights could have been more rightly translated as 'I missed you.' and the earlier commentary of the King of Heroes translated as 'I do not wish to miss you, ever.' Both of them were so strange, but perhaps that would be what made it alright, in the end.

As if yelling back and forth wasn't enough, the pair were soon poking one another in different places to express their outrage at the other. Artoria explained why she left; it was a simple matter of her being incapable of reciprocating his attention. What? Had he not been dealing with Ishtar for the past seven years, Gilgamesh would call that the dumbest thing to come from anyone's mouth in ages. She had no need to waste her time figuring herself out, or whatever else she thought to do. She wanted to refrain from offering a broken version of herself? That was quite reasonable, but... Gilgamesh was not here to invest in reason. "You fool! I never said you could run from me just because your head wasn't screwed on properly! You are a thousand years too early to think of telling me what I can or cannot put up with!"

Well... apparently, the King of Heroes was willing to tolerate even the broken psyche of Artoria Pendragon. How she did not understand that initially, he had no clue. He didn't care one bit how broken or incomplete she was. She would be his, no matter the state of her being. "I will lecture you as I please, woman! The fact that you would sit seven years upon my throne without welcoming my return with every fiber of your being should be an offense punishable by flogging! Has your entire existence of these years served the purpose of infuriating me?! Perish the thought that my return be anything but glorious, but you see fit to make it otherwise!"

Yes, she was still poking him in the chest. And now that she thought about it, he was dressed quite a bit different. Right, she was mad, no inspecting his attire... well a quick glance wouldn't hurt, right? A quick glance occurred and those emerald eyes of hers shifted he really was nice looking in a moment like this, it'd probably be easier if she didn't think about the fact that he was good looking. Why did she care he was good looking? Knowing people were attractive made it way too difficult to carryon being absolutely furious. "I was not running. I was strategizing! And I will do as I please... it is not just about you!" Yes, that was firm enough right? Yes. Yes it was, as long as they were both upset this could go on for ages. She sat seven years upon his throne without welcoming him home and that should be punishable by flogging? Of course it wasn't, she'd been doing his work the whole time. "It is hilarious you think you deserve welcoming home when you died of your own stupidity!" she said seeming less outraged. She turned on her heels crossing her arms over her chest the whole of her back completely visible to this man while she held her face. "Damned be the understanding that I was doing your work so we could actually spend time together when you finally decided to show up. SEVEN. YEARS. LATER!" Artoria was absolutely furious. She was still happy to see him. Ugh, she couldn't say that... that was a terrible sentence. That wasn't at all in her own nature. She wanted to touch him more... No punch him more, right that was the better answer right? Actually...

She looked down at her hand and now that she wasn't full of unbridled fury had it... hurt to hit him like that? Just a bit her knuckles were bruised just a little. That would heal in a few seconds. How dare he act like this? She looked back at him again why was she so conflicted. This is exactly why she'd needed seven days to figure out how to talk to him. Because of moments like this that she knew played out in violence. Siduri had seen the Queen of Knights do this exact sort of thing several times, the young woman was rather conflicted about the King of Heroes. She often walked in on the young woman having whole conversations with her sword about maiming the Golden King, but also others about how much she couldn't wait for his return.

"Is that part of your little knights' code? Turning tail and calling it strategy?" he questioned. To claim she was strategizing was ridiculous! What good was a strategy, when he laid claim to the woman as she was nearly two decades ago? She needed to be no more complete than she always had been for his acceptance, so to make him keep waiting around like this was pointless! As for dying of "his own stupidity" as she put it, the thought was no less ridiculous than any other. "Hmph! I may have accidentally let myself die, but it was no more than a minor miscalculation! It would not have been noticed, if not for my decision to scour the Underworld for answers that would bring breath back to your eventual corpse!"

Yes yes, seven years later he returned. Seven years she'd spent on the throne of his city-state, the throne above all others in this world. The yelling had only just begun; she would be receiving a great deal more immediately. Alas, the king fell silent. That exposed back was more of a distraction than he'd bargained for. It riled him up instantly, but in a way, it calmed him. Well... it would be more accurate to say, the sight of so much bared flesh on that normally hidden form caused a slight rework of his existing mentality. He breathed in deeply, crossed his own arms, and exhaled over the course of a few seconds. "H'oh?" he started, the grin of full pomposity returning to his visage. "I see. Seven years you have sat upon my throne, and you have since grown restless in awaiting your place in my lap. I will take this outrage as the inevitable result of your impatience, as you have bared so much of yourself for my viewing pleasure. Though, this animosity would serve you far better when receiving me properly."

The mocking tone of the King of Heroes was one which garnered only a scoff from Artoria. He would say something like that, "It was actually strategy... I ran headfirst into you and the world itself decided to throw a Titan in the way. I was annoyed and did not understand why. Regrouping was the best decision," Artoria was quite serious. after killing something she'd calmed down and didn't understand why she'd been doing anything she had been doing. It was bad to confuse the psychotic murderer, who is hiding very barely beneath the veil of Chivalry. Yes, the female pharaoh and her sister had done a good job explaining to Artoria why she had behaved in such a way but it was not an easy conversation to have. "Death is a miscalculation?! Do better math!" she said seeming to find this man just as insufferable as he claimed she was.

Not looking at him set her at ease a bit, but now he could see the whole of her back. Of course he would comment on the amount of skin she had showing. His words hit her ears strangely and once more her face flushed. She was fairly certain she spent more time talking to him with blood in her face and none of it flowing through her brain. "It was nothing like that!" she exclaimed finding him absolutely outrageous. "Besides, I did not do this for any particular reason. I would have died of a heatstroke in a week sitting here otherwise..." she said turning herself around lest he get the wrong idea. Actually, thinking about it, it probably wouldn't help at all, given how much skin she had showing in general. She wasn't particularly skittish about such things, dress for the weather and all of that. She simply had no conscious memory of anyone caring how she looked. The King of Heroes making it so obvious he was looking and appreciated it, made her feel strangely. Beyond that she'd turned back around and now she was looking at him. He truly was dressed different, she didn't really dislike it, aside from the hair. Whoops, she'd been looking too long and not saying anything. "You are also dressed differently," she said as if she'd not been staring. No. No... being around him was always like this for her. She did not wish to run, but she also did not know how to avoid the pitfalls of talking to this man. At the very least she wasn't actually angry anymore. He'd said some nice things again, even while he was yelling. He'd been out working to try and help her. And while she was gone, she'd begun to at least rethink the way she was spending what remained of her life.

There was a gentle chime. What was that noise. The gentle tapping of that water vial on her person. Oh... it was her sister trying to speak with her. She walked over to an empty basin and filled it from the vial. "What, Fae Princess!?" was the first words out of Artoria's mouth. A blonde with electric blue eyes emerged from the water only half way looking aghast. "First, hi. I did not know I was on the shit list today. Second I heard all that, hug your King of Heroes, no need to be confused about it. Third, here..." she said with a smile on her face. She pulled from her side the shining version of Excalibur that Artoria was used to holding. That blade so stunning it couldn't be called beautiful was now back where it belonged in her hand. The lass' eyes widened had it truly been long enough. She took hold of the sword with a bright smile on her face. "Now now... no need to thank me. You have both your favorites back. Be careful with them, yeah?" she said about to disappear she had one more thing to add. "Oh, and give the big one to Merlin he'll know what to do with it..." she said about the other Excalibur, which was still leaned against the throne. "Fine. Fine. Thanks." she offered her sister who disappeared into nothingness once again. All the while Artoria was now looking over her reforged blade with much appreciation and flickering her gaze over Gilgamesh. Were they truly both her favorites? Probably. "Hello, again old friend... it is good to see you well," she said to the sword as she inspected it. And when she was done her eyes travelled over Gilgamesh as well, it was good to see him too. "Welcome home, King of Heroes," she said walking back over to him. Somehow she felt a bit more brave with a sword in her hand and still she planted it in the ground beside her to free her hands. Could she hug him? Yes, yes she could and she would before she changed her mind about the experience she'd aim to wrap her arms around him and hide her face. She liked this.

It took some nerve to remind him of that day the White Titan interrupted his ultimate victory. Thinking back to that time, he scoffed anew. That damnable beast would be slayed by his bare hands if it ever returned. Regardless, his math needed no further work. A few simple blinks beforehand, and he would not have slipped into Irkalla; it was all so simple. Death by overwork was not something that could claim the King of Heroes while he remained conscious of the state of his being. Ah... but now that he thought about it, there was still work to be done.

What of Artoria's exposed flesh? It was not done for his sake, but to avoid dying of a heatstroke, according to Artoria. How laughable. "Perhaps you should have let stroke take you, just a little. A seizure or two would have prepared you well for my return, and the consummation that will come soon enough," he announced. He had to admit though, there was much appeal to this little outfit of hers. He could see so many perfectly-placed openings to take advantage of on a whim. If she had something like that in place during the celebration of her Holy Grail acquisition, perhaps things would have gone quite differently within the Nexus. Oh, but Artoria had something else to comment on as she turned to him with a freshly-flushed face. He was dressed... differently? That wasn't quite right. Her words were true, but he saw in her face much more than an acknowledgement of change. "I would not wear the same old rags during my grand resurfacing. What's the matter? Does your mind implode upon itself as you consider all the possibilities?" he teased.

Suddenly, there was yet another interruption to an existing conversation between the two. This one led to Artoria rushing off to a basin, only to return with the original Excalibur in tow. Had he truly been gone so long as to let that sword be repaired? It seemed so. More importantly, he was soon to be met by something very new, and very much overdue. Whatever happened after she ran off, Artoria returned with a greeting complete with embrace. Gilgamesh's brow rose; this was not something he foresaw during their little spat. Regardless, he would meet that embrace with a smug grin, one arm of his own wrapped around the woman's torso while the opposite hand rested atop her head. "Hmph! Resisting to the bitter end, all for this to be the result? It seems seven years of Uruk has not altered the likes of you, Queen of Knights."

The return of the King of Heroes was full of sass and quippy behavior. Whenever Artoria determined why she needed to be constantly annoyed by the men in her life, she would figure out how to kill the one who determined her lot would be slayed by her own hand. Whatever the case, it seemed the King of Heroes did not take kindly to her thoughts about why she'd changed clothing. Apparently, she should have let herself be taken by heat, so that she might be prepared for their eventual consummation. "You still say the most outlandish things..." Artoria said this, but they were alone now, even Siduri had wondered off when noting that none would come to blows. After all, she did have a message to deliver to the King of Nippur. Besides all of that the Queen of Knights was a rather private person. What of his new look? Well, she was obviously thinking more things than she was saying, but of course she was... she had a strange amount of problem vocalizing things that had to do with the King of Heroes. He wanted to know if her mind imploded when she thought of him in his new clothes she managed to simply avoid eye contact. "Implode is not the right word. Do not tease me King of Heroes."

Yes, that was it, she could be firm and understanding. Of course, he did look kind of great, and what was more within his arms she could also say he felt great. He was warm and inviting and so much bigger than she was. He also looked a bit younger than she'd seen him before. Not necessarily different just less stressed in general? With a hand atop her head and one around her waist she could only scoff at his sentiment. "The world bends to the mighty remember. Things are more likely to change around me than I am around them..." she said sounding generally pouty. She looked up at him for the first time in a long time and met those eyes she'd come to enjoy quite a bit in the time before. "No one asked you to be so smug about this King of Heroes," she said as those fingers of hers danced along his back. He was definitely younger than he'd been the last time she'd seen him. That was a frightening idea, he'd come back younger that would make him problematic in ways she didn't know if she was prepared for. "Also your hair like that reminds me of the other younger, you I ran into... you are a problematic individual to have summoned, both in personality and power," she said producing this Archer Class Card in one hand while ruffling his hair with the other. Since he was holding her it would do her a world of good not to be annoyed by that haircut which reminded her of a jerk she'd stabbed to death in the desert.

Implode was not the right word, she said. One could not avoid realizing that Artoria never rejected the overall idea of his statement. Of course, it would be Gilgamesh who brought such a thing up. "H'oh? Should I instead say explode, as your loins will do in time? Perhaps that would be more fitting," he corrected. The way she looked in combination with the dainty fingers shifting along his exposed back, told more than enough tales of her wandering mind. Ah, it seemed to be more than deviance that overtook her consciousness. Good. He would be quite disappointed if that were the only thing. "Fear not. In time, I will explode the whole of your being. Your wandering mind will not be left alone."

True enough, Artoria Pendragon was more likely to alter the whole of Uruk before being affected herself. Frankly, Gilgamesh would even be elated to see a full overhaul of this world while she dominated the whole of it beneath her boot heel. A chortle even managed to slip through the king as his hand shifted slightly through tightly-wound hair. "Do I not have the reason to be priggish? Does one not feel satisfaction when looking upon the rising sun, being greeted by its warmth as the long night's cold melts away?" The way Gilgamesh viewed a situation such as this could not be considered in high regard; that would be far too simple. The language of this world had no words that could fully express his thoughts. He would have little choice but to change that line of thought, however, as Artoria chose to do away with the styling of his hair. In doing so, she mentioned that pitiful copy of his younger self. Gilgamesh scoffed once more, turning his gaze from that disgusting card. Seven years ago, he'd seen that imitation in a vision. Of course, this meant it came as no surprise to know Artoria encountered it. "I may have been somewhat excitable in my youth. Those imitations shall be removed from their resting place. None will be allowed to summon me." As he spoke, Gilgamesh reached out to the card held by Artoria. "Least of all you. You are permitted only to partake of the genuine article; nothing less."

The words of Gilgamesh hit her ears with such aggressiveness. He really meant things like that. She knew it down to her soul, but that didn't make it better for the young woman who was not at all used to being addressed in such a way. "You really can not help yourself. So content to put strange ideas in my head," the young queen said. Of course it went without saying that she actually had no real problems with the way the King of Heroes spoke to her, when they were alone. It'd become something very obvious, she did not mind how he was, she actually quite liked it. Her dignity simply wouldn't allow her to accept such openness while she was carrying on her knightly duties.

Speaking of things she accepted when no one else was around one of those hands of his was inside of her hair. That felt kind of nice... why? Well, apparently she didn't always need to know why, but this was a strange thing to discover one liked. "It seems your realm of death still left flowers in your mouth... I do not mind though," she said that sentence and felt she would likely regret it at some point. This man literally just compared her to the sun after a cold night and she found those words strangely endearing. Whatever the case he seemed to scoff at the mention of his other self. What was more he was content to try and take from Artoria her acquired card, claiming she would only be allowed to partake of his real self. "Oh? I do not think that is a worry to have. That version of you gives me only the desire to kill. Mercilessly. Ire-inspiring you were in your youth, at least to me. Though I do understand why you should not be summoned by others. It is proof that I actually succeeded in killing you... I may not be keen to part with my trophy," was Artoria teasing? Maybe just a little. Truly she was not overly fond of the young King of Heroes, and in her own opinion he did not seem too fond of her either. Aside from some strange obsession he had with breaking down her personality. Strangely, this seemed to be somethng shared by his older self, but utilized in a different way. Still she was enjoying her time in the King of Heroes arms, she really had missed him. How young was he now? She could not tell, nor did she want to ask, lest she be confronted with the nature of her wandering eyes once more.

"It is not so simple a matter as that," Gilgamesh insisted. Putting ideas in the queen's head was too small a thought. "I am content to put a few things in many places. All of such places happen to be found somewhere on your person," he continued as he always would. Never having a shortage of ammunition, even more loaded itself into his chamber when Artoria spoke of his flowery speech. One might wonder if she ever realized what she was setting up. "If you mind it so little, you will surely enjoy the things that will be left in your mouth. Flowers may be the least of it."

Gilgamesh's thumb and forefinger were closed around the corner of that blasted card, yet Artoria had not released it to him. She had a desire to kill him that was exasperated by dealing with his young self, so she would not be relying on that card for any summoning. However, she wanted to keep it to herself for an entirely different reason. She thought it to be a trophy that represented her success in killing him? Nonsense! Defeating some poor imitation was no mark of victory over his own greatness! "If it is a trophy for killing the likes of me you desire, then you should be capable of killing my true self," he said, forcing a grin through twitching lips and brow. "Perhaps I shall allow you the privilege of holding this atrocity when you manage to best me. A wonderful idea, no? I will be magnanimous and not limit it to matters of combat." That suggestion was about all he had to offer, but... suddenly, the existence of that card was even more of an annoyance than it previously was.

Oh? He wasn't just putting ideas in her head. She was thinking too simply? He was content to put a few things, in many places on her body? Her thoughts ran wild. What things? What places? Would she enjoy them? Her face flushed intensely at the thought and her eyes finally averted from the King of Heroes face for a moment or two. "I want to say I should be silent to avoid these moments, but I do not feel like silence is enough to stop you from saying such things..." she mentioned as her eyes came back to him. One day her face wouldn't always be red in his presence. In some ways, she would rather face an army of a thousand armed fighters than deal with the things Gilgamesh said to her and try to figure out how to respond without leaving herself more open to verbal attack. Like this last sentence? How was this taken in such a way... "I am convinced you cannot help yourself," she said of this man's constant speech. Those words that filled her head with curiosity and ideas not natural to her being were always strange.

Artoria had teased the King of Heroes just a little and she'd caught sight of it in the moment. His absolute annoyance at her words, marked by that twitching brow and lip as he tried to talk himself into claim of the thing she'd won for herself. A cheeky little smirk came to the Queen of Knights' lips. "I do not always desire your death, King of Heroes... sometimes it is more or less about the victory~" she said as if she did not know why he could be upset. "Right now, your lips and brow are twitching... does the comparison between your younger summoned self, and your self now really that upsetting to you?" she asked seeming to find amusement in managing to get anything resembling a rise out of him that he was not in control of. Of course, she'd done this before, so she knew the signs... right, when she'd hinted at the idea that the King of Magecraft could be recognized as her sovereign match. What was more, he claimed he might allow her to hold the card if she managed to best him, and it didn't even have to be in combat. "Oh? But I won the card already... you really are a hoarder trying to take it from me when I was the one who captured it," she said giving that same little smile. "No matter, if it really is so important I will relinquish it to you. Like I said I am not fond of the counterfeit version of you anyway," she clarified. Actually, that was how she got under that one's skin, she seemed to have no problem being so close to him now. She even actually let go of that card since he wished to have it. And now that hand came to rest against his chest. It was really firm and kind of nice to be against. What was with his body? Truly she should have had less of a problem ignoring him than she did. It was because she liked him that she found it annoying to try and concentrate while he was so close?

There was indeed no way even silence would stop him. Even that sort of statement was another bayonet with which to arm the King of Heroes. "You are allowed silence. It will be made that much sweeter when you begin screaming to the high heavens," he said as if it were a matter of fact that she would be doing so. Gilgamesh never seemed to deal in conjecture with this woman. No, all that he said would happen, and neither she nor fate had any say in the matter. Well, Artoria technically had a say, but only "yes" would be considered acceptable.

It was not about the death, but about the victory, she said. Even that was presumptuous... yet somehow erotic. Yes, it was exciting to observe the Queen of Knights' resolve in action. She fancied getting under his skin, did she? Well, he'd make sure she was repaid in full, in whatever ways he thought up at the time. "Do not presume to know what I find upsetting. A forgery has no right to stand in my place unless I allow it. I would consider allowing one that would reach out to you, only under the proper circumstances," he clarified. Only in one scenario would some cheap copy of Gilgamesh stand before one Artoria Pendragon. It could be permitted only when Gilgamesh himself took his place behind her... or the other way around. Yes, that should be the law, but even that had an air of repulsiveness about it. Moving on, Artoria released that card in the end. Where would her hand go once emptied? Onto his chest as she spoke her distaste for the counterfeit. Interesting. Since she wanted to touch him so badly, he took her by the wrist and shifted her hand toward his own cheek instead. All the while, he was moving forward, the grin returning to his visage. "Save such sentiments for later, Queen of Knights. You've yet to truly know the original model. But, do not worry. You will soon know nothing more than the one true Gilgamesh."

A sigh left the Queen of Knights. She'd truly done nothing to deserve this sort of punishment from life. The King of Heroes needed very little to use as ammunition and he'd still find a way to turn any utterance into something that would leave her face heated. Still she found it more disturbing that he was always so certain of his own words. Even right now, he claimed she would be allowed silence because her screams would be sweeter later. This was not that sort of battle, but he was firm in his surety of being able to elicit some sort of response from her. "You definitely cannot help yourself..." those eyes of hers would not be dealing with the smug visage of the King of Heroes right just now. No... she allowed them to wander a bit. Well actually they wandered a lot but it would start off innocently enough. That jewel in the middle of his forehead, different earrings, not terrible she supposed. Gold... Artoria's eyes were moving around if only for the sake of having different focus, when she realized that in general this man wore jewelry instead of actual clothing. He had tattoos on his arms as well that was not bad actually. He was saying things, how a forgery had no right to reach out to her without his permission. She shouldn't presume, "I presumed correctly so I will continue to do so." Artoria had a small smile on her face as she tried to figure out why this man dressed in such a strange manner and why she found herself liking it. She really shouldn't, but she really did.

She'd freed her hand of his Class Card, relinquishing it to his control, and then placed that hand against his chest. This man's entire upper body was always so exposed. Soon that hand she'd laid against his chest would be moved by the wrist. He was moving it towards his own face. She found herself placing her hand there and her gaze finally returned upwards. 'Shit.' That was the thought, she'd definitely been staring unabashedly for several moments just trying to figure out why she liked this change in attire and coming up with no real answers. Instead she'd been ogling him instead of being much for conversation or anything of the sort. And now, he was grinning. He claimed she should save her sentiments, that she would soon know the one true Gilgamesh. Meanwhile she was going through ways in her mind to avoid having a conversation about her wandering eyes. Her hand was against the side of his face now. His skin was smooth and soft under her hand, her fingers twitched ever so slightly dancing just enough to flick one of those earrings as she traced his jaw. "You really are young right now," she murmured that little thought aloud. If she was meeting his eye perhaps she couldn't be distracted by him, but his face was nice to look at. Especially his mouth.... always talking was the King of Heroes besides those eyes she'd come to enjoy his mouth was a prime target.

"And why should I bother showing restraint, when the mere sight of my queen sets my very soul ablaze?" he countered. He could have helped himself in all honesty, but he saw no point in doing so. He saw Artoria quite differently than she could ever see herself; that much was clear. Also clear, was the aversion of her gaze... multiple times over in the midst of discussion. This was not the first time she'd done such a thing. What of the last incident? If he recalled, she claimed there was merely nothing else to look at. In this case however, there was much to view, yet her eyes wandered only across the King of Heroes' body. "Hmph," he muttered while watching her gaze bounce about.

This time, he would grant some leeway. Artoria would have the time to continue her observation without interruption. What would she say when it was over? That was a major point of curiosity for the king. As such, he spent a rather long time staring into mobile emeralds, until such a time as she viewed his face again. The fingers upon her hand were fiddling, and her eyes still did not meet his own. Oh? Was she looking to his mouth again? Yes, it seemed she was. With that, came the commentary regarding his newfound youth. How ironic that was; he'd spent so much time, and lost so much just to have restored youth taken from him. Now that he had it, though, he had quite a few plans for its use. "Is that what claims your attention? Indeed, I have been restored to my prime. I should have Siduri make amendments to that note. As I am now, it will take more than a fortnight to leave you crippled, which you may be for an entire month at this rate. I must admit, I found no answers to the situation of your death. Not to worry. I will find the answer soon enough, or I will slay fate itself when the time comes. So... what say you, Queen of Knights? Are you prepared to finally experience life before that fated day, and before the end of fate as you know it?"

Why show restraint? The sight of his queen set his soul ablaze? He meant her?! Artoria's face was stuck in its reddened state. Why did he say that? Who said things like that? Why... did she like that? Artoria had come to several conclusions in her life, not the least of which was that being a girl and thinking like one had a strange effect on the way her mind worked. "You say things and I am surprised. And they are the kind of things I expect to be lies and then they are not lies. You are ridiculous," she was firm in her knowledge that this man was absolutely ridiculous. To be fair she did not mind that though... she was coming to strange conclusions about herself. It probably didn't matter, everyone told her such things were normal, but perhaps they would remain strange to her because she'd never experienced them before this point.

Moving on, there was the matter of her staring and her accidental utterance. She rolled her eyes slightly. He'd noticed her staring he was always going to, she realized but how would he bring attention to it. By answering that question she'd not meant to ask. He was in his prime now. That was interesting, to come back from the dead in one's prime was an interesting thing to have happen. Ah and teasing, having Siduri make adjustments to his most ridiculous claim left the Queen looking aghast. Who had two weeks to waste on not being able to walk? Why would one want to not be able to walk? He'd found no answers to the situation of her death? Well that was fine, she wasn't looking for them either... the only one who was particularly worried about her death before now was her elder sister who'd died to have more time to devote to fixing it, as she said. "It is outlandish that you can say with a straight face that you intend to leave me in such a state for more than a month like it would be acceptable," she said with a roll of her eyes. "I worry not about my death, there are enough people doing that already. And I am not actively seeking it..." she said knowing that part of her elder sister's plan to die as Morgan was the ability to use her influence and the spare time to find a better method of restoring her sister to the other side of the world. Though she'd told her she was uninterested in such a thing, there was no stopping Hoshimi Rie when she decided to work, especially when said work was for the sake of her siblings. In that way, her elder sister and the King of Heroes were quite similar. "I would tell you not to exert yourself but I see such a thing is lost upon you..." she said with a small smirk coming to her face. Those fingers of hers stopped at his chin. Was she ready to see what this was like? Yes, actually... that was a surprising thing to realize. But... there was one other thing that needed doing before she could do so as freely as she would like. "You would have me commit to a month. I ask you give me a day..." she said. Though feeling particularly selfish now, she would still be responsible. "Though I am prepared to see that which you offer. I cannot let a copy of Excalibur, with fewer restrictions than my own sit alone the world with no master... it is easier to use than my own and I would rather it be where it needs to be," she said. "I also need to lay eyes on my Kingdom and make sure the Lady Kay is fine with her continued duty, though admittedly this line of action is the only one I have ever offered that she has given her own agreement to," she said. It was still strange to her that the Lady Kay seemed so alright with her activities within Uruk and concerning the King of Heroes. She was not after the Kingdom of Camelot though, instead she simply wished for the Queen to experience things. Artoria could see that in her agreement, and none could argue with Kay when she made such a decision. "Is such an allowance within the King of Heroes's magnanimity?"

Of course Gilgamesh told no lies. In all the times he'd spoken to this woman, only the truest of truths passed his lips. Perhaps he was ridiculous, but the fault was Artoria's to bear. The same could be said of her upcoming inability to walk, which would be a trophy Gilgamesh carried with himself for all eternity to come. A month was not to be considered acceptable? Well... tough break. There was no law to stop him, and no notion of reason that would overcome his desire. "Unacceptable would be the opposite. If you are capable of utilizing your legs when I am done with you, it should be the ultimate failure weighing on my own shoulders until the wrong has been righted."

Onto matters of Artoria's demise, she claimed it was not a thing she sought actively. Of course it wasn't! Still, there was no making up for the fact that she openly resigned herself to permanent death. If she refused to worry about the situation, however, that did not matter; others would do so in her sake, until she learned to overcome the situation. True enough, there was no point to telling Gilgamesh not to exert himself. He only recently returned from death by overwork; who could dare think he knew restraint? Ah, but none would understand the truth of that query more than Artoria... soon enough. It seemed she was apt to accept his offer at long last. It had only taken her seventeen years to resign herself to heavenly bliss. If one asked Gilgamesh himself, he would say it would take another seventeen lifetimes of the planet for her to recover from this decision. One day, she requested. He'd been waiting for seventeen years, so what was another day? She had things to do, and so did he. There was nothing wrong with a single night of preparation. As such, with a single step back, Gilgamesh stood with arms akimbo and a grand declaration on his lips. "Fuhaha! Very well. One day, I give you. Do as you must, and make peace with the loss of all you currently know about life. In one day, you will be born anew as the woman you were always meant to be. One day. Do not leave me waiting another seven."

This man was truly ridiculous. Making a claim that it would be unacceptable for her to be able to walk later. He claimed it to be a failure on his part in some way? "I feel that calling such a thing the ultimate failure is some sort of exaggeration, but again... you are not lying. Looking at you though, I doubt there is any weight too great for your shoulders to bear that I could give you..." she said seeming to find his change in mood and that declaration one that was both frightening and appealing. It was a bit odd, for her to feel any particular way but... she supposed there were worse ways to feel in general.

Her death was a topic of heaviness. Artoria knew this better than anyone. Strangely only Morgause, Merlin and Gilgamesh knew of its more permanent nature. Everyone else, was just under the assumption it would take some time for her to respawn. Those who knew the truth worried a lot, Artoria did not wish for everyone to become stuck on the manner of her return, not when there were much brighter things to be taken into account. Besides, she resigned herself to death because she the evil twin should die. Her own idiot brother would sign himself up for it, in her place without question so of course, she would not allow it. Whatever the case, she would entrust that fate of hers into others hands. Admittedly after the death of the King of Heroes and waiting rather anxiously for his return, she couldn't actually imagine doing such a thing to him on purpose knowing he was waiting for her. She had learned she cared enough to want to at least experience life with him instead of allowing herself to die, for her own selfishness. Whatever the case, it seemed to be the case that the King of Heroes was willing to give her the day she sought. In fact it came with a laugh, and a grand declaration. She was released already and a small smile came to her face. "Not to worry King of Heroes. I would not leave you waiting for me, I shall return tomorrow," she said as she walked towards the throne. She held in one hand her own copy of Excalibur remembering something important. "Break." A command which formed around it the sheathe which was actually the re-forged shield Avalon, it'd been hovering around her for the entire time she'd been in this place. If she truly did not want to be touched by that god, she could have simply become untouchable. The other version of the sword she slung over her shoulder in a manner most casual before coming back down the steps seemingly without thought. "You have been a good companion new friend. I assume your new master will be here soon. He is great, you will love him..." she mused as she walked off. Yes, this sword was not meant for her tiny form, she assumed her brother was meant to carry it and Merlin would place it where it needed to be. And off she went... knowing she would return swiftly to lay claim to what the King of Heroes offered.

And so, there was yet another separation between king and queen. This one would not last very long, though─ such was the agreement between them. As Artoria took her leave, the king opted out of a return to his throne. Seven years prior, there was something he planned to do, and he would see it completed. First though, he would see the queen's departure. Indeed, not a single step taken would evade his gaze. "Hmph. I will be here," he assured. Away she went, and then, away he went. A bit of time was taken to catch up with Siduri about missed events in the great city-state of Uruk, as well as the world... and once that was done, he of course passed along instruction regarding that record from years prior. What would the king do then? He'd work, as he always did. A bit of personal construction around the walls was necessary for a long-term plan of his, and he would see it advanced with haste.

Meanwhile, a certain god and emperor of AS-IKU sat upon his divine throne, plotting as priests of the sky-bound sea worked toward healing his severed arm. Something atrocious had been done when it was removed, he learned. No matter how they tried, and no matter how good his capacity to heal was, the wound could only be cauterized. What power had that damned king acquired to make this happen? He was divine, infallible in every right! No one outside of Celestia should have been capable of wounding him permanently! Alas, that seemed to be the case this time... so the advanced technology of AS-IKU would be put into play. There was no use mourning a lost limb while there was vengeance to be had. Some sort of prosthetic with abilities would suffice, so long as it could hold his great divinity.

"You better be." That was the last sentence Artoria Pendragon spoke to the King of Heroes. She returned to Camelot to find her court mage and give him the copy of Excalibur that she did not need for herself, giving him the instruction dictated by her sister. Soon after she went about having discussions with the Lady Kay and found that this one was perfectly fine with a potential extra absence for the sake of being entertained by the King of Heroes. It truly was confusion how understanding this particular woman managed to be about the entire situation surrounding the King of Heroes. But in the passing moments a statement was made which stuck out in the mind of the Queen of Knights. 'There is no reason to live a partial life. If you are content to die... you should be just as content to live.' Kay had mentioned while staring at the girl who was a bit closer to the one she'd raised before she decided to become King. 'And there is no reason that life shouldn't include the ability to be a girl. Even if you cannot manage it for us, you should want to do so for yourself... it is part of growing up.' Yes the Lady Kay had been part of her rearing in this world. She took issue with Artoria's lack of personage whenever it was part of conversation. She was the first to argue against the warmongering of her, and decisions which made her appear inhuman. But the quickest to her defense in a moment where she'd been unsure. She was right to trust this place to her in her absence. A single night at home. Her morning training Knights who knew she was back at Camelot. A walk around the keep. She'd see all there was to see of her people settled in this land, before spending some time in the care of the King of Heroes.

While Enki got an arm made to do something about the damages done by the King of Heroes. Ishtar respawned in the Underworld screaming with enough power to shake it. Everything hurt! Her entire body was on fire even as it came back. Never again would she do something like that. She never wanted to experience that death again. Not ever. And where was she? Still in the Underworld. She was a goddess, but she couldn't leave of her own accord. And Kur would steal something from her again. Whatever, she'd go out by way of the judges, she'd use their bodies to crawl up if she had to, but she'd be damned if she lost anything important to her as she aimed to get out of here. "How could he?! I did everything he asked... all he had to do was give me what I wanted. And for what? Seven years he spent down here, searching for answers of fate for that dead friend of his? Or.... for the boy-queen?!" there was a pause as she came upon the Judges. She had no intention of being judged, they would always see her as guilty. "Heavenly Strike!" her desire not to be harmed, her desire to walk out of here... her desire to destroy the judges before was enough to shake the underworld for just a moment and break the automatons with a mighty burst of mana and divinity, at least temporarily. She would climb out over their bodies scoffing the entire time. "He could have at least waited for me to respawn! How dare he make me exert myself when I came here to rescue him!" she seemed cross with the King of Heroes but her obsession had not changed. No, she only wanted to possess him more now than she had before. She'd have him... he could not actually resist her. Obviously, he was just busy, and stressed. She shouldn't have interrupted his use of death. Yes. That made sense. He'd even thanked and rewarded her for the information she'd provided, so obviously he didn't hate her. It took a while, but after she finally climbed up these creatures she reached for the outside of this cave. Instead of the stairs she'd been taking the long way out. And when she finally reached the opening she tried to cross the barrier breathing a sigh of relief a bit too early. As she stepped out the hand of a Gallu reached out. To exit death she had to lose something and what it claimed from her would be most important. Her Divine Core was claimed as the price of her exit from the outworld this time. And though she felt something leave her body, she had no idea what it was. Another scream would be all that was heard from her.

One task was given to Merlin... and what a task it was. Of all the things he'd foreseen in this world, some were far more clear than others. This was the final thing he saw with great clarity, which made the Mage of Flowers believe the time of Camlann was fast approaching. He'd always known it was a thing he would not be present for, much to his dismay. As for why, the answer was a total mystery. Nevertheless, his path was clear. The heavier copy of Excalibur, meant for another incarnation of King Arthur at a later time, was to be placed where it was to be taken. Perhaps the fall of Artoria Pendragon would leave him on another journey to raise the Future King. Perhaps something more interesting would happen instead? He'd learned a great many things in this long life, and among them was his own true name... which was quite interesting when he considered the name of another likely found in this world.

Onward he went, carrying that large, golden blade to Saint Paul's Cathedral. There would be the stone, the anvil in which the blade was to be placed. Empty was the cathedral when he entered, summoning the mysterious magics attributed to him by his name. The sword glowed with a power that could almost be taken as divine in its own right. He drove it into the anvil with no slight difficulty. Sparks flew en masse, as if a grindstone were at work. "Bydd pwy bynnag sy'n sychu'r llafn hwn, os yw'n deilwng, yn etifeddu pŵer y Brenin Arthur. Os dylid tynnu'r cleddyf hwn, gadewch iddo gael ei ddadwneud gan frenin dewisol Albion yn unig." By the time Merlin's incantation came to an end, the sword had been planted in the anvil. The outburst of mana that occurred was enough to blow a hole in the cathedral's roof. A light shined through that hole, casting itself upon the Sword in the Stone as it saw the dawn of its own legend.

"Damn that Kur! Still taking from me. I will never cross into the Underworld again! I will find a way she will stop taking from me!!" Ishtar was upset. And now that she'd come out, she was in the middle of nowhere. Some vast desert with no sign of life and no sign of water. Whatever, she'd go back to her temple and watch Gilgamesh while thinking up the way in which to properly bring him to heel. But what was this? The manner of teleportation she normally used to get back to her temple was disabled?! Why couldn't she get back? What had Kur taken? In fact whenever she tried to do it, she simply felt an ache, like something was missing from her form. "She stole my Divine Core!" she turned around and felt sluggish, her legs buckled as she looked for the entrance to the underworld but it had closed back up. The absoluteness of her form had ebbed. How dare they turn her into some lower level creature? And lock of her out of her temple? What was she to do out here in the world? Starve to death and end up back in the underworld?! Ugh. There had to be something she could do. She had to have something right? "Shit! What do I do? What do I do? If there was at least some water around here, I could call Enki. He'd come running..." she had this thought but she really hated calling Enki. She'd have to explain what happened and that could potentially get annoying. She could lie. Actually, that sounded like a good idea, she could tell him a small bit of the truth, she'd teleported and ended up in death with the King. And upon exiting she'd lost her Divine Core. She'd need another one obviously or to get hers back, she could be nothing less than perfect. And then with her divinity in tact she'd figure out how to properly capture Gilgamesh, he'd bend to her will eventually! And with that, she blew the horn always on her person. Though she hated to admit it, Enki at least had his uses.

At the same time, a certain fairy casually watched Merlin's work from the lake. For the last seven years her own emotions had been all over the place. But finally, she seemed to be calm. Seeing her younger sister happy and emotionally developing was a step in the right direction. It was also a task she could leave with her currently unaware silent partner the King of Heroes. But at the same time, the point of her personal turmoil was... Merlin. But in the last seventeen years, something attached to her had been growing, both in power and in influence. "Do you really plan to let him get away with what he did? I have the solution you know?" said the voice she could see as her own reflection in the water. A white haired young woman with those same electric blue eyes looking back at her. "You know it is a little disturbing for you to speak to me so directly. You are in my body, it's ridiculous," she said seeming to not get the point she was conversing back with said voice. "So you say, but haven't you always dealt with things this way. Both of us know what we are most capable of handling and what we are not. I've already created the answer to your problem, I know you wish to use it..." she offered like a bad shoulder angel. At the same time, Vivian swept her hand across the water's surface scoffing. She couldn't believe herself sometimes. It was strange to have two personalities, one for family and one for work. Stranger still to have both sides of herself working on the same goals, one with humanity and one with only the outcome in mind. Was it really so bad to be ruthless when the end result was desired? Was it really so good to be soft if you lost everything for morality? The duality of these questions was fixed by the effectiveness of her two rather separate but equal selves. One day... they would merge properly but for now... she needed both parts of her mind for their tasks.

Just as Enki was about to have a new arm attached to his person, there was a horn sounding, calling to his very soul. He'd given only two of those horns, and only one was liable to call him. Surely, it was Ishtar. Shooing away the tech-savvy members of his empire, he decided it was best not to leave the goddess waiting. After all, she'd been gone for some time; surely she needed help of some sort. It was a simple matter, vanishing from one place to appear where his horn was located. Once there though, the god found himself... in the middle of nowhere at the lower end of the world. What sort of ridiculousness was this? Ah, Kur must have been thinking to punish her green-haired sister once more. "Ishtar, you wound me. Seven years, and now you call me to this lowly plane? Oh well. For you, I will tolerate this. What is it you need of me?" he asked, having a glance over her form that seemed... quite strange to him for some reason.

In the meantime, Merlin was casting his magic once more. The Sword in the Stone had to be something the people knew of, and there was no better way to ensure they knew than... to insert the idea of it into the subconscious of all who inhabited these lands. Those who harbored ambitious dreams would be drawn to Excalibur, far and wide. It was quite the low-tier enchantment that would only affect the most ambitious of them, but they alone would carry the legend into the future. They alone would be the group that caused the Future King's rise, and they alone would lay the first stone to a path of Albion's bright future.

He was quite right, it was Ishtar calling him. And yes, it was best not to keep her waiting. She was prone to tantrums as all who had once inhabited Celestia knew. Even so, when he arrived he seemed to be gazing over her form. Yes, she was dressed in the rags of Kur, but she had died so that wasn't truly surprising at all. Of course, the first words out of his mouth were about some wounds to his non-existent pride. "It isn't like I popped down here for a vacation, Enki!" Ishtar snapped. Of course she would snap first, she was in a bad mood, a bad position and now she had to deal with a person she didn't very much like his initial tone. "I might have, met an untimely end and been trapped in the underworld for a while thereafter," she said skipping over all unnecessary details because well... she wasn't about to mention having the time of her life being raped by spirits as Gilgamesh watched. Nor was she about to mention her devious plan for wanting to see him again. Oh, wait... what was this, now that she was actually looking his direction she took note of the fact that he was missing an arm? Who could have actually removed a body part from him? Did he run amok with one of the other gods? "What the hell happened to your arm? Was Anu right? Are gods just getting weak all over the place? My Divine Core is gone and I cannot get back to Celestia this way. But this level of the world is gross... take me somewhere I can be comfortable. Assuming you still have the power to do so," Ishtar was haughty as she always was. But between them they were missing a godly core and an arm. And the idea of that was annoying. Obviously her perfect form needed maintaining and that would only happen with her core.

At the same time, Merlin was spreading the dream along with ambition towards the bright future of Albion. A dream shared by the younger sister of the two fae looking at each other through the water. Artoria was a strange young woman, willing to martyr herself for a future she didn't plan to be part of, without even telling anyone that was her plan. Technically speaking the plan wasn't bad, it just lacked foresight and knowledge of people. Those who loved her, did so on an individual basis, they would not necessarily tarry from her. Besides that her new title as the Queen of Knights would leave all of them properly at her beck and call forever. She did not realize the magnetism of her own personality, but that also made her the best sort of person. It was more than a bit annoying to everyone who knew what she was up to, and this woman and her darker reflection on the water could only shake their heads. Perhaps the King of Heroes would convince the lass of the folly of her ways? Perhaps the words of one of her Knights would finally get through to her? Or maybe, it would be something else entirely? One of these visages smirked, looking up into the water, she saw the moment and it would strangely be a combination of things that showed the Queen of Knights where she belonged in the world. Whatever the other fae saw, made her frown just a little... of course she wasn't looking properly she was distracted and looking towards the one known as Merlin. "You could always have a go... one last time get him out of your system. You could even use the place I set up... and if you decide not to follow through with the plan, you can always make that choice. It is not as if it matters to me either way~" the words of this face in the water, was quite appealing now that she thought about it. Maybe she just needed to get him out of her system. In this form she wasn't randomly slaying people all the time, so obviously her confusion on what to do came from that point of view. Yes, that would be lovely.

One would hope Ishtar didn't come to this level of the world for a vacation. What did those pitiful humans even do down here? It seemed she'd been through quite an ordeal, being trapped in the realm of Kur for seven full years. He knew she was there, but it was a far more recent discovery than that. What could she have done to wind up in the Underworld? Well, the blame would be set on Gilgamesh. "I see. Condolences, Maiden. It seems to have gotten the better of you, but... have no fear," he said. Enki had a dastardly plan in the works─ one that would rid them of those pitiful mortals who overstepped their bounds. Alas, it seemed Ishtar was without her Divine Core. That would prove quite problematic. What sort of queen could she be at his side without that? Whatever the case, Anu was indeed correct; he had to be. Nothing else could have explained the sudden fall of Ishtar, and the permanent loss of his arm. "I encountered the two-thirds king just yesterday. While trying to find out what became of you so I could be of assistance, the boy-king sitting on Gilgamesh's throne revealed that she has contracted his sickness of contempt for the divine. When he appeared, he suddenly proved himself capable of permanently severing my arm. I was just about to have a new one attached when you summoned me." With that explanation out of the way, Enki offered his remaining hand to the former goddess."Celestia is closed. I will take you to my chambers in AS-IKU. The mortals will not see you in this state, but we'll find an answer to this problem, and... those mortals will pay the price."

The dream of Artoria Pendragon, of King Arthur even, coalesced onto a single blade... now two. Merlin's work at Saint Paul's Cathedral was at its end the moment he spread another dream to the minds of humans. Even he did not know how much time would pass before it was drawn, or before its chosen wielder even appeared. Perhaps it would be days, perhaps months, perhaps... centuries or millennia. However long it was, none on this planet would be capable of pulling this Excalibur from its resting place, bar King Arthur himself. So long as Artoria lived... there could be no other. How far into the future was that fated battle, he wondered. As the Mage of Flowers left the cathedral, he even lamented his own lack of foresight. There had to be a reason he could not see so clearly beyond this point. . .

Technically speaking she'd fallen to nothing but her own stupidity, but one like Ishtar would never admit she'd done anything wrong. Nor would she see wrong in those she favored so long as they did what she wished. Gilgamesh in this case, had done something she enjoyed, right up until her death. As such, she only found fault with his ignoring of her, and his interest in the boy-queen. Of course, the mention of that same boy-queen seemed to be in Enki's mouth as well. So, that one, had done something to earn Enki's ire huh? Well, he was a god, at least he should have no real problem punishing the boy-queen. "Hmphf, I knew she was no good. I hate her! I knew I had a good reason!" she said. Yes, she'd sent rapists to the girls' kingdom. And yes, she was the exact reason the girl did not appreciate the interference of the gods, and yes she'd done it for the sole reason of Gilgamesh showing interest in her, but none of that mattered. She was the problem here, not Ishtar. Whatever the case it seemed Enki had a plan and he could at least be useful for devising such strategies, he had been the one to originally rescue her from the Underworld. She took his remaining outstretched hand, anywhere was better than this slum of a place. "As long as they pay, all will be well..." was her final word on the matter. Of course she didn't think this man could actually do anything to Gilgamesh, especially not with the idea that the King of Heroes managed to permanently injure him in anyway. But that was a problem for a different time, first and foremost she needed divinity.

What was happening with Vivian? Well, she was about to address a burning issue of her mind... and technically of her body. She finally made her way from the lake and casually strolled finding herself at Merlin's left as he looked pensive leaving the the Cathedral. "You look stressed, is something the matter?" she offered with a kind-hearted smile. She was trying really hard not to think about anything too much. They weren't a thing so it was fine. She had no reason to be mad. But... she still was... as unreasonable as that seemed. Whatever the case, this would at least clear her mind a bit right? There was nothing wrong with seeking entertainment from a willing partner, and she'd been rather busy for a while now, they should catch up.

Whatever reason Ishtar had for hating the one called Artoria Pendragon, was not a reason shared by Enki. He did not hate that woman, but he would bring her to heel. She could be another of his trophies. Yes, the one that bastard Gilgamesh desired could be a slave to his whims. Such a marvelous plan he had. Now, with Ishtar taking his hand, Enki had the pair of them transported to the country within his empire that held her temples. Quite a few had been erected during seven years. In fact, he now had a grand temple of Ishtar at the center of all five segments of AS-IKU. Their arrival would not be in any of said temples, though. No, he had instead manifested them atop his bed set in the center of a pool that filled the room. Floating around nearby were various trays of offerings from the humans that visited him, be they harem members or otherwise. One particular tray was picked from for its date palms as Enki sat comfortably. "Rest, my dear Maiden. Let me tell you of the plan. First, we must separate those two. Gilgamesh seems to show some exemplary ability when he believes he is protecting that pet of his, and she must be shown what she deserves for acting against us. Even more important though, is your lack of divinity at present. Lacking a Divine Core may affect you over time. If you perish again, there may be no chance of returning it. I believe I have the ability to... spare you of that fate. Doing so would connect you to this empire, but... that was within the plan anyway."

Merlin thought his departure was ahead of him, but that was apparently not to be the case. Instead, he had a visitor he'd not seen in nearly two decades. Lady Vivian, the Fairy of the Lake herself decided to grace him with her presence. Was he stressed? That should not have been a thing showing on his face, but it was hardly a thing to be avoided. "H'oh. Has it been a thousand years since I last heard that voice?" he asked of the world, ever the smooth talker. "Worry not for me, my lady. I was thinking of a future I cannot see. It is... strange. This Clairvoyance is a fickle thing. I see everything happening in the world right this moment, but only some parts of the future. A future beyond burying that sword, though, there is not." Of course there was a future ahead of this moment. He somehow knew this, but the fact that he could not properly see it was almost infuriating. Without skipping a beat though, he stopped walking and turned toward Vivian. There was a smile on his face as well, though far more devious in nature. "Hmm. Maybe it's your fault? Maybe you shine so beautifully each time you appear, this resurgence after so long has blinded my mind's eye~♥"

Here in this man's terribly named empire, Ishtar found herself ported into a bed, surrounded by water and offerings. She could have felt accommodations like this were at the very least interesting, but the fact that he'd dropped her in his temple, in what could only be his bed did not sit well with her. She could anticipate the man with her trying his hardest not to just give her what she needed but to try and extort extra favor out of her. She hated men like this... Still, as she heard out his plan, she couldn't argue against it being a good one. He wanted to separate Gilgamesh and boy-queen. She wanted this too but for very different reasons. Even if Gilgamesh, considered the thing his pet, he should have been paying attention to her. Maybe if he went without her, he'd see the grand gift Ishtar was offering. She'd even let him kill Enki, after she assured her own divinity. Ishtar was propped up on her side, listening semi-attentively while scheming in her own mind. "Yes, no one understands more than me how much of a problem my missing divinity is, than me..." she said. Even being here felt slightly different than it had before and she wasn't even in Celestia. She imagined the world felt thicker than she was used to, but missing a divine core, even with the underlying status of a mage was a bit annoying. She doubted she could even have pulled off her escape from the underworld without truly exerting herself. Still, how was he to achieve this plan of his. "So you would spare me my fate of decline, but you haven't said how," Yes, she'd go ahead and include herself, it was best to make herself appear available to this sort of thing, even if she wasn't actually interested.

At the same time, a different kind of conversation was occuring. Vivian had approached Merlin directly and heard still honeyed words from his mouth. This always happened when she appeared before him, and she had to admit that she enjoyed their arrangement. Still, after seeing the declarations the King of Heroes made towards the brick wall that was her sister, these seemed almost hollow. How could she have been so stupid? Well, he was still good looking, and just being in the vicinity of him still made her loins tingle. Even if she was angry she had to admit that he was attractive. And more so than that, he was willing to do things most people would not... her enjoyment of sex was far from 'normal' and having an incubus on hand for such dalliances was truly a boon. "Oh? You do still know how to sing so sweetly~" Vivian could barely help falling into such a trap. Well, she was going to get laid today regardless what did it matter. It seemed Merlin could see everything happening on the planet right now but nothing of his own future past this point. A smile came to Vivian's face and it was genuine. "The future is fine... I have seen quite far past this moment and I can assure you it is nothing to worry about..." she said these words and meant them, though she knew what her overall plan here was. Ah, he turned towards her deviously, he always would eventually, she grinned into his face and gave him the most innocent look her body could muster. "I doubt I have anything to do with it, but..." she gave a sly smirk and gave him a cheeky wink. "I'm sure I could think of a couple of methods to save you from blinding yourself while enjoying me nonetheless~" Strangely again, those were words she meant. Her mind and body had been all over the place for literal years, but in the end, hormones won out sometimes.

It was only natural that Ishtar be troubled by her lack of divinity. Without it, she remained no less appealing physically... but alas, a mortal was just a mortal. She could do nothing for him without all the bells and whistles that accompanied godhood. It was a shame that Kur would not accompany him instead, but if he could restore Ishtar's status without incident, that would not matter. So then, what was the male god's plan? It was a simple one. "I am getting to that," he stated while tossing a date palm into his mouth. A few chews later, and he sighed before speaking. "If I were to connect my own core to you, it would hardly make a difference. The only thing they do for us now, is ensure we gain power from worship and whatever authorities we are willing to take on. So... a sharing experience. I've been watching those humans summon copies of heroes for some time now, and they have this thing they call... mana transfer. Basically, we create an empty core for you from half of mine, and I fill it with my divine essence to keep it stable. As it functions strongly with a concept originated by you, it should be very effective."

Speaking of effective things, it seemed Merlin had not yet lost his touch. He may have lost touch with the world a bit, but that was of no importance at all. "I'm fit to sing whatever tune satisfies you, of course," he said with a bow. Hollow though his words may have been, that was simply the way of Merlin. His very nature demanded that any semblance of emotion register quite differently to the norm. After all, one could not emulate the meal on their dinnerplate. Vivian offered assurance of the future, stating that no worries need be placed in it. Merlin was not one to truly care one way or another; lacking the foresight was more an annoyance than anything. Ah, but that was also of little importance when stood against the hunger of an incubus. Charm in place, he heard the words of a promising future that held actual importance to him. She had some methods, did she? Well, she certainly had his attention. "Oh? I'm not so sure I'm against the blinding. What's a bit of sensory depravation, if not a wonderful journey of discovery? Though looking at you is a treat I will never say no to. What might these methods be?"

The words of Enki were interesting ones to say the least. He planned to give her half of his Divine Core and wished to fill it with his own essence. Of course, that is what he wanted to do. She knew at least partly such a plan would work, her own power worked based on things offered to her body. To leave an offering within the body of Ishtar was to give power to her brand of divinity. Mortals were at least useful to have noticed such a thing themselves when using summons. "I do not see a flaw in this aspect of the plan. It is rather close to the basic level of my acceptance of offerings," she concluded. Of course, to be given only half a divinity was to be forced into an entire cohabitation with a man she did not even like the look of, but it he was going after Gilgamesh and he always seemed fine with slaying random gods. It should be nothing for the King of Heroes to kill Enki and allow her to take full possession of the Divine Core he should have just offered her. "I'd rather not remain in such a state for so long, how long until we could try?" she asked. It would seem like she was quite interested in becoming powerful again, and of course she expected some dumb and random request from the man. As long as it wasn't too outrageous she supposed she'd make due with what he asked for. Besides all of that, she could definitely see the use for a summoned Gilgamesh and she was pretty sure she could easily demand one for something as simple as basking in her presence from any mortal that laid eyes on her. She was a Rider, she should have no problem controlling a summoned version of Gilgamesh. Then she could keep him until she got her hands on the real one. Yes, she could content herself with that thought, while hearing whatever ridiculous thing Enki wanted in exchange for giving her merely half of his divinity.

Vivian was being fed the same kind of words she always was. She still liked hearing them surely enough but that being said, she was always receptive to such words. "Oh aiming for my satisfaction and we've only just started, you are working fast~" she flirted without missing a beat. Of course she always would and could do exactly that. Annoyingly enough, there was once a time that she meant such things, to this man specifically. That was her own fault she realized. She should have never allowed such investment, but... when she felt she found someone she clicked with, she thought such a thing was mutual. Actually, the longer she talked to him, the more clear this whole situation became, she'd been stupid and now she should be less so, the other her was right about that. "Oh my methods this time?" she asked with a cheeky smile. "How long can you hold your breath?" she asked obviously she had plans which involved the man not breathing for a while, "I mean, I was thinking we could have a bit of fun in the lake fall through and finish up in my new place. It's pretty sweet but I haven't been able to show it off yet. Through the water would be pretty fun... " she mentioned with a wide grin spreading across her face. Actually, she truly thought she would enjoy a romp falling through the lake into the world on the other side. If it wasn't for the fact that she was emotionally broken right now, but this would be strictly for fun.

Ah, so she understood where things were going. That was a relief; Ishtar tended to be quite lacking in the intelligence department. Moreover, the similarity of the idea to her normal method of things was something she found easily acceptable. "I figured you would agree. Just the same, the core we create will be capable of taking on a true Divine Core, if one is acquired. It seems Mother and Father have been working on ways to pass theirs along. I will make an effort to acquire something more legitimate for your sake, but for now, we must keep you from becoming one of... those," he said, repulsed by the idea of Ishtar becoming fully mortal. There was no need to waste any time before creating the core. All he had to do was something similar to Anu's plan for passing divinity to another, altering it by the principles of Heroic Spirit summoning. "Try? I do not try, Ishtar. Have a little faith. Come here; I'll give you what's rightfully yours again."

Meanwhile, Merlin was in for quite a treat. At least, that's how things seemed already. There was a semi-permanent smile on his face, exasperated by every word passing Vivian's lips. Frankly, he'd missed interacting with this woman. Why hadn't she taken a break to visit him sooner? Life on the other side must have been busy, but oh well. He was always used to being the aloof one, so it took nothing to play the other side for once. Besides... it gave him more to be excited about when she finally appeared. What did she have in store for him now? Something about holding his breath. "Aww, no fun little transformation this time?" he complained jokingly. Steps being taken anew, he seemed to already be heading in the nearest lake's direction. It didn't need saying that her suggestion was something of interest to the incubus. "If I had to guess, I'd say I could hold my breath for at least... seven," the mage said, making no reference at all to an actual measure of time. A wink was offered over his shoulder when that statement was given, as if his meaning even needed to be made clear. "Don't tell me you waited all these years because you went house shopping. I might cry~♪"

Ishtar was lacking in intelligence, unless it was something that benefited her directly. When something benefited her directly she had a unique understanding of it, in this case, it was of a benefit to her that Enki share his divinity with her, though she wanted whole divinity she supposed half would do for now. Admittedly, it would have been much more useful for her if she'd simply found out about Anu having one to give away. She definitely could have just badgered him into giving her his. Ugh, maybe Enki would do it and she wouldn't have to, he at least implied he wanted her to have her full divinity. Ishtar was to have a little faith in Enki, "I suppose you are always the one who gets things done," she said rolling over to meet him. Strangely she'd be found straddling the man initially this would be fine. She had the strangest knowledge that this would be uneventful for her if she was not in control of it in a moment like this. She supposed in a normal setting she should make him feel like she wasn't doing such a thing for selfish reasons. "Since you are giving me half your core. I will take care of this part," she said this because she would be taking control. She'd reach for his manhood between her thighs while stripping herself of the simple robe of the underworld. She was a 'Rider' after all.

At the same time, it seemed that Merlin was at least a little excited by the ideas presented by Vivian. It really was a shame, she quite enjoyed what she thought was a mutually beneficial relationship. Whatever the case he teased about the lack of transformation by her own desire, she could only smile. "What can I say, I'm feeling a little nostalgic~" she said as if that made all the difference in the world. In truth, she'd missed seeing him, and she'd quite enjoyed feeding the Incubus. Whatever the case he was already headed for the lake, it seemed at least he was completely happy about the idea of hers she'd presented so far. "Oh seven? You're sure... It's been a while. I might need a bit more than that~" she jested seven was plenty for what she had in mind. As for house shopping being the reason she'd not visited she could... technically tell the truth about that. "Oh please Merlin, I've been very busy. Making sure my sister doesn't kill her future husband. Placing the idea in her head she wants to live. Making sure to start on a method she can come back without breaking the whole of the world... my life is pretty complicated right now," she said with a smirk. "Not to mention having for forge an Excalibur and re-forge hers... That, was a headache. I had to see the Great Creator and begin dealing with a different problem cropping up from that. I am lucky I finally managed to take a bit of time just to build the thing... you know?" she explained of the situation. To be fair, she'd been very busy the last few decades, though she'd spent quite a bit of time just trying to do about a certain bit of information she'd learned about. Oh well, she was taking care of that now.

Ishtar not only approached as instructed; she outright straddled his lap without any additional goading. Well, that was the sensible approach, after all. He had the key to all she wanted, so it was only right that she seek it herself. She'd take care of "this part", she said. "How generous," he replied smugly. As she busied herself disrobing and wresting the shaft from his trousers, he focused on his own core. Enki had to imagine some sort of opening to stream that glorious divinity through, and though it pained him slightly to do so, it seemed there was no issue. The real issue would of course come later. "Today is the day of miracles," he commented. In essence, Ishtar would soon be born into a new divinity entirely. With that, would come some sort of miracle. "Open wide, Ishtar, and let the authorities speak through you. Today will be your birthday, and by my input... that boy-queen will suffer." Should Ishtar leave her mouth agape as instructed, Enki would be quick to close much of the distance between them. His own mouth would open as well, and between them would be a wisp of divinity to enter the woman's maw. Her core would form from that, and his would close. One could presume two miracles could come of this, as Enki thought only of having Ishtar as his trophy queen and, more importantly... bringing that damnable Queen of Knights to heel somehow. Capturing her for himself would surely give him all that Gilgamesh desired, and having Ishtar would do the same for every other man in the world. Perfection.

Nostalgia was what motivated Lady Vivian to make her decision. Merlin took no issue with this; he could partake in a little nostalgia trip as well. Ah, but she joked that seven was not enough after such a long time. A mock scoff passed Merlin's lips as he turned up his nose. "Oh I don't know~. It has been so long. Maybe seven is all poor little me could manage. We'll have to find out~♥" Vivian had indeed been leading a very busy life. That she even had time for casual visits now was surprising, but he would not be looking a gift horse in the mouth. No, there was another mouth he thought to look into instead─ perhaps while letting himself be a bit artistic with the face around it. As they moved closer and closer to the lake, Merlin found himself considering a great many debaucheries. Even when answering the call of nostalgia, rarely was there anything normal between them when they met. "With you being so busy, I wonder how you managed to even remember the likes of me. I hear that Great Creator is too amazing to even look at!" he joked while being himself regarded as "too beautiful to look away from" by most. "So then, you're looking to relax? We can easily arrange that, probably~"

Enki thought she was being generous, Ishtar was never truly generous. What she did now, she did for the sake of returning her own Divinity. Making such a miracle in the world was one thing she wanted to do if only because it would get her what she asked for. In a moment like this, she realized, that the sex was hardly necessary. It was probably just how Enki chose to pose this because he wished to have her in such a way. Whatever, she'd get back at him about this later. He wanted to continue giving her orders? What made him think she... the Glorious Ishtar would take such things from him? Only now, only right just now because she needed this Divinity would she even bother. After his shaft was freed she, slid herself forward onto it, managing to have her mouth fall open as instructed. Open herself up he claimed by her authorities? She'd do that, it was always easier to accept than it was to give. What would she concentrate upon, first and foremost, regaining what was hers, all of it. And secondly? Keeping apart Gilgamesh and that damnable boy-queen. She would not have them capable of meeting, they should stay away from each other and suffer. And with that in mind, she'd easily find herself capable of accepting his Divine Essence. She'd let her eyes close, but as they did with Enki's mouth closing in upon her she decided she did not like this. Facing some man she did not want, kissing or anything of the sort. She was here for power, not some damnable romance. Next time she rode a man like this, she'd face away... She hated looking such a man in their faces, and they didn't deserve to look upon her ecstasy while not being the ones doing the work to cause it.

At the same time, Vivian seemed to be amusing Merlin. That was pretty normal for them actually... she being the sort of person she was, and he being the sort he was... they could always have a casual chat before one of these little escapades. "Oh, that'd be most shameful Merlin... to keep me from something I've not had in so long~" she was musing and not lying. If he'd suddenly become rather bad at this all decisions would be made easier. While she thought that over, she gave a wistful smile. "No nothing like that the Great Creator is beautiful. But not in the same way you are... it is almost a stark contrast," she said. In lesser terms the Great Creator was almost paternal in his way of dealing, he saw them all as children. But for the idea of sex with Merlin to have fallen off? Hell, if she'd thought such a thing possible she probably would have killed him. Rarely were things normal between them, but that was simply a matter of course, Vivian had gained a great many 'strange tastes' in her life and she had ended up with more dealing with someone who could provide her whatever she felt like taking. She needn't even speak such desires, but simply take them as thought while opening herself to this man, yes that would be fine. She imagined for this go, something long and girthy. Actually, she imagined a bit of a dance beneath the waters surface as she held him at different levels. Ride him along the surface, pull him deep into herself as she rolled them into the depths, ah, then both of them, upside down as they fell into the abyss, into the swirling lake beneath the waters surface. Perhaps after all of that she could grace him with something sweet and be graced equally while blindfolding him against the walls of her new place. Actually, yeah... all that sounded pretty fun. Maybe all of that with one of those adjustable ties around his neck so he couldn't breathe until she found release. Yeah actually that too. No breaths to be taken while she searched for her own. Vivian was full of good times such as these. Even with all that thought and feeling her body tingle at her own imagination she supposed this could be considered more nostalgic than other things. "Yes, I'm looking to relax~" she said that as they reached the water's edge. "Come on then... I know you felt it. You know the things I want~" Armor pieces disappeared as she took her first steps she wasn't wearing anything beneath that dress but it mattered little given she intended to mount him as they floated along.

Into Ishtar's open mouth, went one of the last traces of the old world's divinity, at least in terms of what remained active. Enki could feel his own Divine Core sealing itself anew as Ishtar mounted him properly. Surely Ishtar's would do the same without issue. Whether that was the case or not, both would feel the shifting of the world beneath them. It wasn't truly the world, but instead all of AS-IKU answering to the desires of its gods as best it could. Five countries made this empire, all outside the slab of land on which Enki's home was built. Those five countries, and their current place of debauchery, had become mobile. It would be over the course of their meeting that the land itself took mana from the people, all for the sake of converging on Albion. The temples would be the cornerstone of a barrier, the likes of which the Father Anu had been constructing for himself elsewhere. Soon enough, all of Albion would be sealed off from the rest of the world, and made mobile along with AS-IKU.

Meanwhile, Merlin was stepping out unto the shore of a lake, observing the Lake Fairy herself as clothes were discarded between them. He did indeed feel her desires, just as he felt the first of them manifest on his very person. It was always a surprise to know what sort of tool he'd be working with for a meeting such as this, but he could always feel the change occurring. Upon the removal of his cloak and robes, he took a moment to inspect his own manhood. "H'oh? I almost forget this is your idea of relaxation. Well... I guess that part comes afterwards, doesn't it?" he mused. Nevertheless, the excitement was painted quite clearly on Merlin's smiling lips as he stepped out into the water. A simple bit of swimming technique, as well as a bit of magic from the Lake Fairy herself would certainly make it no great feat to float atop the lake as they began. As such, Merlin let himself relax. He floated out, phallus aimed to the sky and arms spread wide. This was going to be an interesting day, he thought.

Power restored. Ishtar took back her Divinity and with it came the extra power of her body. Nice, that surging wetness in her loins return. The absolute appeal of her form that came with magical influence also happened as she sealed such power within herself. Any Authority she could take unto herself she did but she wouldn't realize for a while yet one was missing. Her desire, was to separate two lovers, her desire was to keep them worlds apart for her own selfishness. There was nothing that could be found a greater in opposition to the Authority of Love than that. She lost hold of it and in its place settled fully the Authority of Lust. She could spark desire as always, her perfect form could inspire sexual impulse, but she lost the ability to cause love, to feel it and to even understand it. She also gained with it, a madness which was stuck to her skills like glue. Whatever the case as her hips began to move, she began to shake enjoying herself and all the power she was offered. She did not care about anything else, she was Divine again! "YES!~" she could only moan her happiness. As Albion as a country was hidden from sight, locked away forever by their own whims. This was the power of gods. That boy-queen and the King of Heroes would be finding out soon enough, exactly why they should have just fallen on their knees in prayer before her. All the while she rode Enki like he wasn't even there having a great time with every movement of her body as aggressive as they were. Yeah, she could take this amazing finish for herself and felt that one like Enki should take his own.

At the same time the Lake Fae was using magic of her own to float them across the water. Merlin had something to say about what she called relaxation and she could only chuckle. "It's best not to forget, you'll end up a bit shocked if you let too much slip your mind~" These were the words of Vivian as she slipped atop the Incubus. Always going into those rather welcoming arms she easily found herself sliding onto that manhood stretched up into the sky with an easy amount of desire. It could be said after all that Merlin was irresistable and made the loins of all ladies enter such a state even without the magic. Vivian wrapped her arms around the man as she sank into the most blissful feeling of pleasure. And around the time that his manhood reached the depths of her person, she would reach the first of many orgasms and cancel her own magic without thought forcing them to sink beneath the surface.