Finis Chaldea

Those overly ambitious mortals scuffled about, while Enki finally had himself suited with a new arm. Technological advancements allowed him to easily replace a body part that couldn't be regenerated, but there was another issue. That robotic and armored limb he received could not properly accept his mana all the way through. He could push his energy outward to make it respond via its circuitry, but it could not become a true replacement. What the hell was done to the point of severing? He'd have to see something else done to it in due time, but first, he had to visit his war chamber. Every battle Artoria Pendragon fought was recorded and replayed in three dimensions, allowing him to view her techniques as they played out. This was a small waste of manpower for the greater end. Oh... those movements were so honed, so perfect that Enki was almost disgusted by them. No wonder the golden boy took an interest in this one. "Hmm. Ishtar's choice will need much more than blessings," he mused while looking into the tactics that proved closest to effective against this Queen of Knights.

Gilgamesh spent his time holding that vial, his thumb brushing over its exterior slowly and repeatedly. In the meantime, he stared out into the open with eyes that peered through causality. Something was out there, somewhere. No matter the difficulty, the task would be completed, and the last vestiges of Celestia wiped from this world. He could see properly the Age of Man, and the land of Albion at its dawn. Good. Albion was precisely where he thought to end the Age of Gods; choosing the path to take was therefore a thing of great ease. How long would it take, though? The King of Heroes was already visibly impatient. Why did it take so long to locate a mobile, disappearing country?

A mechanical arm restored to Enki, the battles of Artoria Pendragon, and the mobilized upper realm searching for ways to get back a lost country. There seemed to be a great era of movement all centered around Albion and the missing Queen of Knights. Included in this movement was her elder sister, the Lake Fae known as Vivian. She had not foreseen Albion's disappearance and was thus disturbed. Her walk through an oasis would turn into a casual movement into a deep forest. She was looking for a certain individual whom she knew to be planted in this hidden place. "Great Creator... I am troubled. My little sister has been taken her entire country hidden and we know not how to find her..." said the young woman. She already knew the amount of darkness surrounding the lives of her family, but this wasn't part of it. They needed to help these gods along and out of the world so they could continue with life. "I do not know these 'gods' who ruin the lives of one who has done no wrong... I do not understand why I cannot reach her and why the utterances of their names across the water sicken me," she explained of the situation. The Fae were old creatures. They'd seen a great many things, none were older than the Great Creator. Even without his 'godly' status, he was without question the best source of information she did not have. Perhaps his wealth of knowledge would come with the ability to get into Albion at least a little.

At the same time, Frankie was gathering her own charts and maps. There was a reason she was on the lower world and if she was going to strategize with the King of Heroes she would not go empty handed. Besides, the Queen of Knights was an interesting woman and the Queen of Saints was as well. There would be no slow moving explanation she had to plan attacks and the movements of her fleets. "The Age of Discovery is coming, I can feel it, doll." she said it with a grin on her face and fire in her eyes. "Don't worry though, before that we plunder this missing country and find your big sister. I still owe her for that lost bet after all..." Frankie mentioned seeming to find the whole thing funny. She never could have pulled off the kind of look one like Artoria Pendragon had, but that girl was a monster when it came to combat. Francis Drake wasn't an idiot and the last time she'd been in the prescence of both the Queen of Knights and the Queen of Saints, she'd drunkenly bet a ridiculous sum of gold on a shooting match with the former. She'd lost horrendously. How did a girl so good with a sword also have the ability of a marksman beyond belief? It was damn unfair but, the little smirk on the Queen of Knights face when she said she could pay that debt at her leisure was something one like Francis couldn't forget. She remembered thinking her princely as compared to her own descriptor of manly. So what kind of man made a Princely woman's heart beat increase? That was something worth finding out.

Only seven years after appearing with a broken Excalibur, the Lady of the Lake made her way into the grove of Enlil. The great flower that once housed the former god was not as it had been before. Now, he seemed closer to a malnourished man in a red robe, seated atop a chair of leaves supported by vines. What could have brought the Fae Princess here this time? Nothing good, sadly. "Speak to me of your troubles, my child," he said. Of course, her troubles were the doings of his own brethren. This disturbed the 'Creator' greatly, though it did not seem particularly surprising. "I felt a miracle occur as my brother and sister were reborn. That they would do this, means they have truly fallen to the great sickness. Perhaps that is why their names plague you so." Additional vines grew out from the ground surrounding Enlil. Together, they produced flowers which bloomed and pollenated the air, spores converging to create images. He pictured his remaining siblings and the empire of AS-IKU, knowing it matched the scale of that miracle. "I sense temples of my brother and sister, of a model that should exist only in our home Celestia. If these are the catalyst, the country you speak of could be sheltered by my own methods. I fear my Authority has been claimed. But, if even you cannot enter this space, it can only be the work of... a different form of god. It would seem the worlds are converging at last, far sooner than they can. . ."

The Fae Princess spoke her troubles to the 'Great Creator' he looked different than she remembered. Had these seven years truly been so bad to him? He spoke of the rebirth of his 'brother' and 'sister' the gods who had taken her younger sister. He claimed they had fallen to the great sickness if they had done such a thing. Vivian remembered this, from their last conversation. He claimed himself to be sick, but still he'd done no such thing as what was being perpetrated by these two. He did look sick himself though, but the Great Creator was not the type to do anything but birth himself anew when he needed to do so. "I see." she said thinking over the information carefully. Pollination and flowering were used to show her, the nation of AS-IKU. Apparently there were temples set up there for those two in an organization which should have only been allowed in Celestia. "So, they created for themselves a new seat of worship but they are not the same kinds of gods, as those of nature and those of Celestia anymore..." she said seeming to understand. "I cannot go to my sister, because they are no longer aligned to the world. It is why my sister can still fight, and why she could free the beast Cath Palug of their influence. Its whereabouts are something I must search for, that creature is the key to know where to start the search for my sister," she gave it thought. "I will have my youngest sister treat my sickness, the Holy Maiden should be able to make sure I retain effectiveness," she said knowing what would be done. The audacity of these so called gods, to use powers they did not understand and do something so atrocious. Vivian was seething beneath the surface, but kept her calm as she always did, she had to find her younger sister. She had to free her, Artoria did not deserve imprisonment and one day even she would understand that herself. This convergence of the worlds did not sound like anything too good either. "If it is being hidden by your method then we would have to enter it by force. They attack the Queen of Knights repeatedly, for what reason I do not know. Great Creator, I know not of this convergence, but at least one of them has already tried to wrong my sister even before this 'miracle' they performed," she explained of the situation. "Do they even know what they are now? Do they know they can only taint the rest of the world with filth?" That was a loaded question but she needed to know, if they were truly ignorant the amount of disaster that would follow their escapade was catastrophic. To destroy their seat of power would likely change the world massively but Vivian knew, everyone involved even the Queen of Saints would do so for the sake of the Queen of Knights.

It was easy to see how far the other gods had fallen. Ishtar had not even been the root of it all, from Enlil's perspective. No, it was the fault of each that this sickness had overtaken them. None were vigilant enough to escape their sins, and in Enlil's case... lack of vigilance was the sin itself. He thought there was no great savior who could spare them their fate, but he also believed a new generation could rise and do what they could not. "Though it saddens me to say, they are still gods of Celestia. Their status remains intact even as Celestia seals itself. These effects, however, are not the way of my creation. Rest assured, my child. If it were by my method, you would be the first one capable of passing the barrier," he insisted. There was another fear, that if those two rose to great enough power, they could inhabit Celestia anew by breaking down the barriers between realms. Did they know? He doubted they did, but it was far worse than a matter of ignorance. "I believe they do not know. Only myself, two sisters, and Mother were able to realize our ailment and make the decision to abstain from corroding the world around us. Father and those two... I am afraid, they will cause great suffering for ages to come."

There was no avoiding the troubles to the world caused by those three. Sadly, it could only be minimized. A tale needed telling. Vivian knew not of the convergence, and it was vital information to the world's future. "Long ago, there were four categories equivalent to what the world now knows as divinity. When the world was one, myself and the other Creators stood on par with the Destroyers, as well as the Spirits above and the Heroes between. Each divided with the world, but the Destroyers... Demons, I believe you would call them, inhabit the realm of nothingness that contains all things discarded. It is an infinite void of nothingness that infringes upon the material world, its infinite contents seeking a home. That is the curse that has taken my brethren. It has only a small place in this world, as the other side of you should know well; she is one such place. However, the older ones such as you cannot yet inhabit this world with its current lack of stability. One day, that much will be sustainable... but the rest must be kept away at all costs. My sister and brother are too young to know what they must fear. They are too lacking in understanding to flee their own curse, lest the world they live in tear itself asunder with nothing to moderate a new division."

From the Great Creators' own lips was information concerning the way such beings as Ishtar and Enki existed. They were both still gods of Celestia, though they had other influences now. They were releasing their negative qualities unto the world. Even Vivian herself understood this kind of influence but she wasn't the type to be taken over by it. What was more he claimed that if he was one to create such a thing she would have been able to enter and exit. It was nice to know she was still favored. "That is reassuring to know. Even though I find myself here to ask questions and discuss things of terror. I do enjoy your company Great Creator. Honestly, I will try not to come here just when things are wrong..." she said knowing it had to be burdensome to only see people when the world was falling apart. "Alright good to know there is one more errant threat besides those two. The King of Heroes will not tolerate them and now that my sister is coming to understand herself she will not either..." she said seeing to grasp how her sister would understand and judge the behavior of this pair. At the very least four of seven known gods had the decency not to harm the rest of the world with their ailments.

Whatever the case, it was time for Vivian to hear the tale of the convergence. Of four equivalent types of being with the power to subdue each other. Apparently, the Destroyers now called demons were seeking somewhere to call home, after experiencing the infinite nothingness of the Void. There were vestiges of this she was already aware of, and the Great Creator seemed aware as well, since he pointed it out. Vivian managed to look a tad bit sheepish but her own form of that power did nothing so hasty as was she was seeing here. "I see. The other me is aware of such things. She stays where she can be held, in the dream world of my sister's creation along with the others whom she could protect. Though we do not always agree and she does not tell me everything she has my implicit trust in doing what will help us all. These two do not seem to have at all anyone else's interest at heart, have they truly become the same type of being?" she questioned this part directly. Her own understanding of the Dark Fae was that the power they had simply could not be held in the world. Morgause as she was called before chose to die on this side after making sure there was a place for the rest to coalesce as well. These two fallen gods did not seem to be doing anything other than sowing descent and making difficult the lives of all others around them.

That his brother and sister could not be tolerated, was a thing of sadness to Enlil. Though he knew they were against what this world needed, against the very flow of nature that had been imparted in the absence of mystery... they were family nonetheless. "I wish I could say my brethren should not be judged. I wish I could ask you and those at your side not to condemn them. However, there is nothing in this world that can truly cure their sickness. They, and possibly our father An, may be too far gone. If they are... even a thousand deaths will only make them worse," he explained. The Void was a relentless existence, carrying its own consciousness. It would spend the foreseeable future planting its seeds. "Once a seed has grown into a blossoming flower, the cycle cannot be stopped without razing the forest. This is the way of nature, even if it is not the way things should be."

Upon hearing his tale of creation and rebirth as it could be called, Vivian spoke of the realm inhabited by the Fae. He knew of that pocket. In fact, their current location was only slightly displaced from it, and by very similar methods. "The other side is a thing of great beauty. I hope you, she and the other children may know peace there for a time. Since its creation, it seems to have been... repurposed. The Spirit of Valiance has taken root, creating a realm of hope all its own within the pocket. I would think Mother had been born anew, if I knew no better." Enlil was beginning to ramble, but he was quite content with certain developments in the world. Alas, they were still discussing matters of his sibling divinities. "They are the same, yet very different. That which can be given a home, may be content. It is the banished who feel scorn and resentment, demanding its place in the world at any cost to others who inhabit it. That other side of you is close to the Void, susceptible to being touched by it directly, but not inherently plagued by it for never being shunned by the world. The old ways of your kind have evolved for fear of the worst, but you... are a specialty even among the original design. Never has there been another to hold both light and darkness in unison as you, my child. It is as if you were conditioned for it before your birth."

The Great Creator was saddened by the knowledge of the likely fates of his siblings. Of course he would be, family is a lovely thing, none understood that more than Vivian. Still to spare them of their torment would have needed them to be corralled before their falling. They'd already done so much to wrong those who would have tolerated their silence. "I cannot say for certain how this will play out now. My vision is not as clear in the times to come, but those two and potentially the one you call An, would be allowed to live peacefully if they did the same. My sister only holds disdain for those who do not learn the lesson given them. She is tyrannical at times, but I cannot say she is wrong in how she responds to things that harm not only herself but can potentially harm others. She saw the evil of that goddess and chose to say no, it could have ended there..." she said knowing how Artoria came to punish Ishtar for sending rapists to her castle and knowing why it was decided that she could not be allowed that much influence. "What I have seen of those two, they do not simply wish to live, or even just live happily as everyone else does," she said understanding the natures of these ones and knowing that they would find impassable obstacles and setbacks the more they tried to grab at things outside of their control. The idea of razing the forest as Enlil put it was one shared by the King of Heroes, "King Gilgamesh shares that sentiment. I cannot say I disagree either..." Vivian was still at her core a practical being all things considered.

The Spirit of Valiance, had taken root, the reverse side of the world became something more. That was good. The creation of such a being was indeed intended, though it had a strange circumstance. It was... sweet notion. "I am sure they will for a time. My sister does not believe herself a heroine at all. She fails to understand the nature of the part of herself that is light, but one day... it will be clear even to her." she said with a smile spreading across her face. She'd seen that much, she knew it was possible to once again birth the truth of Artoria Pendragon into the world, and she would make it so, both sides of her working towards an eventuality which would help everyone. Speaking of duality apparently the pair of gods now bringing shame to the world were indeed to be classed the same way as Vivian and Morgan were. A shake of her head came with this knowledge, oh well... not everyone could keep their emotions in check. Ah but what was this? The Great Creator had noticed that Morgan's darkness was so very Void leaning while Vivian remained the light to be balanced. He said it was like she was prepared for it even before she was born. A smirk... subtle as it was appeared on Vivian's face in a moment like that. Her original life had done much to prepare her for the 'darkness' of the Void. Knowing that this was the case, she worried little for her siblings as well, though admittedly she'd rather spare them, if she could she knew that darkness in some cases was best utilized by those who fully understood it. "I honestly believe, accepting all parts of ones self is the best way to live. Even if you must keep those pieces from touching sometimes... they should never feel rejected, they are all part of you." Vivian's words were why she'd gone out of her way to make sure her little sister began to experience life properly. "I appreciate your help Creator. I hope my next visit can be more joyous." Vivian truly wished to have good news to share the next time she came before this man. Regardless, she supposed it was time for her to scry, she'd find the location of Cath Palug before returning to the King of Heroes.

But before Vivian would be making her way back to Chaldea, Jeanne and 'Frankie' as she was being called arrived back in Uruk and were walking up the steps to meet the King of Heroes. The pair seemed to have been discussing a great many things concerning this job and Frankie knew of the importance of it but would rather find out from all sources information that might help her actually track down this missing country.

Enlil understood that his siblings would not be allowed reprieve, so long as they lived and were discoverable. They had committed many atrocities, and they would only commit more as time passed. Such was the flow of causality─ the paths they had chosen for themselves. Accepting the consequences was their own duty, always. "My sweet child, you needn't worry. Your vision may not always be clear, but these are the times you must put faith in yourself. I hope only that those who elect to right the wrongs of my siblings do not lose themselves in the process. Enlightenment awaits us all in the end, but the path and its length are determined by our choices. This is the way of nature." Enlil's beliefs were those of a man, a divine being, who saw all versions of the world in the moments of their births. Everything had its time to rise, to fall, and even to transcend. Some would achieve a different form than others, and the Lady of the Lake herself was one such individual. "Accepting ourselves for all we are is a beautiful notion. Remember, child, that separation of the mind is fragmentation of the soul. Even the world must one day reach convergence. Should not the same be said of its inhabitants?" Enlil delivered this slightly cryptic message to the fairy as she departed. She would understand. If she somehow failed to see now, he trusted that she would know when the time was necessary. Even she, who bore light and darkness separately, would one day see the time it was necessary to have both at once. And so, he gave his final message. "We see through our eyes the light, and the darkness. I say unto you that they are neither whites nor blacks, but the many shades of gray. Go in peace, sweet child of the lake. May your path lead you to enlightenment."

Meanwhile, Gilgamesh remained as impatient as ever upon the throne of Uruk. He would finally see the approach of Jeanne d'Arc and her alleged companion while reviewing tablets to keep himself occupied. Eye contact was not made; he saw them without looking in their direction. If he gazed upon them directly, there was a very high chance the wrong message would be sent through his eyes... so he abstained from that for the sake of avoiding old problems. Even so, his attitude could have used a bit of tweaking. "I give you a vessel that travels with the speed of the sun's rays, and this is the time I should expect your return?" he questioned. "What else is required to see the task done? Be swift."

Vivian was always given comfort whenever she spoke directly to Enlil. His words gave her heart stillness it did not always possess on its own. His words seemed almost warning in nature. Those who would right the wrongs of Ishtar and Enki would have to find their own enlightenment with their choices determining the length of time that would take? Fine. She could not argue with nature as one who embodied it in anyway. He claimed one would eventually need to bring the pieces of their soul back together, she knew that as well. When her work was done, she planned to meld both halves of herself back together. That last statement, before wishing her farewell in peace mentioned shades of gray. It would not be Vivian to hear this clearly but her other half to peak through her eyes for just a moment. "Gray, huh?" Whatever Morgan had in mind it was locked away immediately, like a fleeting thought in the face of all other possibilities. After walking out of that place, she found herself popping up in a lake, strangely near St. Paul's. Here the cold had set in and froze the ground and air, the ice and snow were immaculate. The winds whipped through the trees and she felt even the slightest chill. Behind that line of trees and across the lake she saw a small collection of humanoid individuals. Pale in complexion with pointy ears... they would be called. "Elves? Cold... Power... Right between the Elinor Forest, and the start of a little castle town. Hm... is this what had become of this area since Camelot had risen? Loch Ness which was left behind was a bit farther south than this, but without Camelot here, a few other places had sprung up farther north. A problem for later..." she mused. Looking out over the water, she'd seen things. For a brief moment she imagined this very forest freezing over because a child of power was afraid. The beast would be ignored for the most part, it would only truly be a problem if attacked and a thriving little castle would come up here lead by a rather cute couple. Nice. Knowing where this had fallen she walked back into the lake coming out into the baths at Uruk.

In the meantime, Jeanne was greeted by Gilgamesh in typical fashion. He seemed a bit ornery but she was also in a similar mood. "I moved at light speed. Still, a pirate's life is at sea, and the lower world is one singular landmass. Considering I did not know where she was docked I wasn't gone that long. No sass..." Jeanne chided. As for the bits about what was needed to complete it, Frankie was looking at this King with a raise brow. So much force and anger just bubbling beneath the surface. Not even bad on the eyes, though someone should question the Queen of Knights taste just a bit. "First I'd need my ship set for the long voyage. You want it done fast you provide what we need. Assuming you just wish me to track it down... I'd take the reward after I complete the job, but I also need to know where to start. Riding the high winds of the skies ain't for the faint of heart. And navigating to something that is floating was already difficult. Hidden and on the move and floating is probably impossible," Frankie said. "But I like impossible," she said holding up her hands. Vivian was stepping forward seeming to feel the need to butt in without announcing herself. "You mapped the lower world recently, yes? I know the location of Cath Palug... it is North of Saint Paul's Cathedral, south of the village of Zuria and east of the Elinor Forest of Elves," mentioned Vivian, that sort of directionality would lead her to believe they were headed northwest. "Oi, bloody hell there are more of you walking around here?" Frankie said. "Yeah. My eldest sister," she said. Obviously Jeanne still wasn't pleased, she hadn't even bothered being upset about the language.

"Excuses," the king said flatly. She'd been gone for hours, surely, but there was no point remaining upset over lost time. To do so, would only waste further time that could be used to complete this crusade against oppressive gods. This girl, Francis Drake, was the one who would be sent on the excursion? Very well; Jeanne d'Arc had done nothing to earn his outright distrust with her decisions. She needed her ship outfitted for... a long voyage. Such an annoying thought it was, but there was nothing to be done about it. It would be no great feat to offer food, drink and weaponry aplenty for the voyage. All she would need then was... the starting location and direction, which was to be immediately given by the sudden appearance of Vivian. Gilgamesh should have been bothered by the direction she'd come from, but he was in no state to even question or rationalize that much. He currently cared only that she had the necessary information, which she satisfyingly did. "Well done. There, Sea Devil, you have your first destination," he said, shifting his blood-colored gaze to the pirate while putting away the last tablet he would view for the moment.

The king stood, and innumerable Divine Gates appeared throughout the throne room, while more went out of the group's immediate line of sight outside the building. These gates produced many things, which he would name as they slid out into the open. "A machine capable of processing even the meat of a hydra into an edible state, and a lifetime of meat to fill it. Water and wine of the finest quality, set in vessels that pour infinitely. Havria's Chalice of Salt that will never empty, to never be without seasoning. Swords, spears, flails and the like that will see a thousand lifetimes without dulling. Forty Scorpion Ballistae with a hundred Dragonrazors each. The Apple of Eden. Enough raw materials to build a new fleet of ships. A fleet of sky ships with dragon scale armor to carry the emergency supplies." That was the end of his list, but not nearly the whole of what he offered. There were many things included in this offering, much of which Gilgamesh himself didn't even know. A few of the weapons alone could dig a kingdom out of crippling debt, and he casually dropped them all for a single pirate's use. "What more do you need? Speak now, and I will grant whatever it takes to set you on your way."

Excuses? The King of Heroes had an attitude as bad as her sisters. But much like in her sister's case, Jeanne would forgive. They were quite a close family and she was pretty sure he was part of it. There was no harm done, after all, and she'd still done what she needed to in order to begin helping her sister. Frankie was referred to by the term 'Sea Devil' which she didn't much mind at all. Beyond that she was given a place to begin her search. Her map opened and she placed a marker, magical as it was, which would give direction to the Eternal Compass always carried on her person. "Sounds fine to me..." she was willing to undertake this mission with just the basics needed for such a voyage. But alas the basics would be far from what was offered...

Divine Gates opened and everyone watched and listened. Gilgamesh listed dozens of things, each more ridiculous than the last. Enough to build a fleet of ships, enough to eat forever, enough to drink forever, enough weapons to fight forever, enough to run supplies and whatever the hell an Apple of Eden did. "Am I about to become a pack mule?" this was the only question of Vivian who seemed to be about ready for some level of extravagance. "Yes, yes you are..." these were the words of Jeanne still being curt, but she would be allowed her anger. The eyes of Francis Drake sparkled, then shined and then went dull a few seconds later. She could not tell if she really liked this man, or hated him simply for his material wealth. She figured she'd just get some food and base supplies out of this endeavor. "I'm a hedonist... and even I think this is almost too much... almost," she said with a cheeky grin aimed Jeanne's way. "What would make it too much?" the Queen of Saints wondered almost rhetorically. "I don't know prostitutes or something like that..." she said with a casual shrug. "I don't need more though, save something for the reward. Even impossible tasks can't be undertaken with foolhardy~" she said. Yes, definitely a hedonist, but she also had faith in her own abilities as such. "I'll cast off as soon as this stuff is equipped. I left word with my men to be ready to set sail when I returned," Francis had what she needed and Vivian was crossly putting together a spell in her mind to take all here and compress it into carriable form. "First, I am the Excalibur Taxi. Then I am the Excalibur Maintenance, next I am a pack mule. I do not like this food chain I am sliding down. I am a Great Mother Fae this is..." before she could finish her sentence Jeanne knew what would fall from her face next. "Language." A single word but with a little bit of the lighter mood applied. "Oh, and now we are calm enough to be mad. I suppose that is better than the alternative..." she griped. "I also have a warning or explanation," said the Lake Fairy. "The two gods, were reborn with Void Influence... they and one who would be called An, were apparently too blind to realize and let go of the corrupting influence. The other four have let go to avoid corrupting the world. You our Holy Maiden and anyone else with the proper Divinity will be necessary to fell such a person... though apparently they are still gods of Celestia until they lose whatever Authorities they have gathered," she explained. "They are currently within what could be called their replacement for Celestia, in an array of temples set to feed them and their influence. Set up in a manner that will hide them. The method used is similar to the one used by the Great Creator, but it is influenced by the Void, which is why I cannot cross... " she explained the technical side while she had a mind to remember it.

An array of items, necessary or otherwise, was produced for the journey of Francis Drake. What came in the aftermath? Some pointless dribble about carrying the objects granted, including a tirade about the Lake Fairy being reduced to a pack mule. Gilgamesh's brow began to twitch. What sort of time did they all think they had for this conversation? "If you were not to be used as an ass, you should not be presenting the option!" he griped. "You, Sea Devil! Fly your fleet over the city, and your ships will be loaded directly from my treasury. You, Holy Maiden, assemble only the best of your knights and prepare them for the task of slaying Divine Beasts of all manner." Two orders were given in sequence as the king's attitude reached its peak. There was more to be said; he'd yet to address the Lake Fairy. Ah, but she had something to tell him. Those gods had been influenced by the Void, she said. An was the same, she added. They remained beings of Celestia, conquerable only by those who boasted divine or comparable abilities. Temples were what powered their hidden and mobile fortress, and though it was likened to the god Enlil's haven, its corrupt origins kept her from being able to cross into it. Useless. "You suggest plans already set in motion, Witch. I do not care what influence those wretched gods are under! Even if they find a method of persevering without end, they will be bound and slain for the rest of eternity when I lay my hands on them. Now, instead of wasting your time carrying tools, make way for Camelot. Deliver the message that your sister's tardiness will not be accepted. My patience is thin, so I will take matters into my own hands. She is to vacate her bedchambers when the fireworks begin, and I will tolerate nothing less than her finest ball gown."

Oh? The King of Heroes didn't intend to leave Vivian as a pack mule. He in fact told her not to offer, he was griping? A smirk crossed Vivian's face, what a strangely perfect addition this one would make to the family. Oh and even more just full of orders and a touch of spite. She wasn't sure this one wasn't meant to just be born into their family with this kind of attitude. Or maybe it was something else, Hoshimi Eri did not know an equal, perhaps she'd managed to find one? "Aye aye! Come on, doll. I need a ride back~" Frankie said to Jeanne after she was given her set of orders. The Queen of Saints seemed to be fine with taking orders from the King of Heroes. A bit of thought was given to her now that she'd calmed down. Vivian heard out his orders and gripes and seemed to think it over. "Back to messenger service, you really are shaping up to be a troublesome little brother~" and with that the Lake Fae walked back towards his baths seemingly without much thought about it. She knew her younger sister would understand that the extra information was for her benefit, to help her calm down and plan her own strategies. Jeanne on the other hand would give the King of Heroes parting words to go along with the message she'd heard for her sister. After hearing his rant about those gods, she realized he may have been more upset than she'd given thought to, so... she'd give him the little sister's perspective. "If you're going to say something like that to Eri-nee, make sure you are her King of Heroes when you show up. I've seen how she responds when your laugh is wrong and your disposition is off. She'll attack you first, you know?~" And with that the Queen of Saints was off. Her men would be prepared to face Divine Beasts and her friend would be dropped back where she needed to be. At the same time, Vivian made her way to Camelot and waited for her sister to deliver the message she needed to hear.

All while the side of good prepared for battle Ishtar finally found someone she thought would suit the needs of the pair of them, for raising someone to face off against Artoria Pendragon. A red haired boy with a semi-aggressive stance had caught her eye. She thought he would work well for raising into the ultimate weapon for use against Artoria Pendragon. "I finally found someone!~" Ishtar said, sauntering into the temple feeling particularly triumphant. He happened to not be her normal type, but he definitely had the look of one who could easily best the boy-queen. And Ishtar had good instincts when it came to men of strength, even mortal ones. "His name is Lucius Tiberius. He has the right attitude and drive. Besides he beats everyone so he's got a good start!~" she chimed. Of course she expected such news to be good for Enki. She expected praise and gifts, she expected to be hailed as if she'd completed the greatest task known to man. Why? Because she'd had to do something directly so it might as well get her everything.

All seemed to be in order. Francis Drake was accepting of the offered items, and needed only Jeanne to send her back to her fleet. Their departure was assured; this was good. Alas, Vivian took her instruction strangely. A troublesome little brother, she called him. Should that be something he considered bothersome, or something he embraced as truth? Now was no time to bother with that. In the end, all he offered the fairy was a glare. She was leaving, and so were the others. It was time to move on now, no? No. Jeanne d'Arc had not yet escorted her pirate companion out, choosing instead to share words with the king. What the hell could she want now? Advice. She thought to give him advice about his approach. Rather, she pointed out the change in his disposition, and what the woman they sought thought about him appearing in the wrong state. She had some nerve broaching the topic of his fury. What would he think of it though? Nothing outright, as usual. He scoffed and turned toward the throne again, thinking to sit and mull over the situation until news was brought back. Perhaps though, the Holy Maiden was right. . .

Ishtar finally brought some good news. She had a candidate for their champion, and just in time to boot. He'd gathered enough information to have a starting point, so now, all he had to do was review this Lucius Tiberius Ishtar spoke of. He brought up visuals of the candidate without hesitation. This child resided in Roma, and seemed to already be on a warpath. He almost reminded Enki of himself in youth. Indeed, the attitude was there, and he was quite the interesting natural combatant without proper guidance. "Oh? Very nice~! He's got a good look in his eye, and a nice build for a young one. An excellent choice indeed. We can grant him the ability of growth. I will see to it he never falls in combat. He should be fitted with a weapon and a direct blessing as well. Did you claim an Authority of Enlil? If so, this would be a great opportunity to solidify it."

Mulling over the words of the Queen of Saints, the Fae Princess made her way back to the missing isle of Albion. Where was her sister the Queen of Knights? Having just cleared another battle she headed inside to rest. A bath, some food, some strategizing. While the lass did not seem tired she did indeed seem agitated. They'd come to realize that they were trapped between five floating islands with another on top of them. Agravain had captured one and found out that for the glory of their god, they would aim to take down the Queen of Knights. Strangely enough, their god had a name Artoria only recognized because it was attributed to a bow within Gilgamesh's collection. Some kind of water-based deity had taken issue with her life and decided to steal her away? No, that wasn't exactly right. That name also popped up in that story about Ishtar's descent into the Underworld. A god named Enki had been the only one to save her from the wrath of the underworld goddess. In her bath, while she thought this over a small light appeared. Vivian could not get through but the smallest vial a memory floated up on the water's edge. A color red, unnatural to the world, but one that Artoria herself recognized as belonging to the King of Heroes. "Oh? I thought we did not like playing messenger? You have my thanks, big sister..." she mentioned as she snatched this thing up in the water. What would it say? Did he know of her plight? What would he do? All things were a matter of curiosity for the Queen of Knights. She was also strangely excited, when did she begin to anticipate talking to the King of Heroes? She watched the mess in a vapor of water... Her tardiness would not be accepted? Ridiculous! Taking matters into his own hands? Interesting. Instructions for her to vacate her bedchamber when the fireworks began and... only her finest ball gown? "Oh? I do not remember telling him I would allow him to be so audacious..." she said but still a small smirk came to her face. "But I suppose, I could allow the indulgence... since I am the one tardy. I do have a new dress." But how long would it be before she donned it? Only time would tell.

In the meantime, Ishtar was being praised as she always should be. She managed no less than absolute haughtiness at the words of Enki. Of course, she'd chosen well! Her hands sat were on her wide hips as she stood rather proud of herself. In fact, one could say she was pleased. Dressed in a a white linen dress and seeming to have easily returned to her golden fitted and flowered appeal. Enki would make sure he didn't fall in battle and he would need to be gifted with growth. He asked if she'd claimed an Authority of Enlil's and she had. "I have something to that effect. I am pretty certain I can take on the aspects of a nature goddess, for the sake of giving such a blessing. He's not too far from a place which could be used for such a blessing," Ishtar said. There was no reason she couldn't consolidate a power. Maybe get a bit of extra worship from the boy as he trained himself up. "I will make sure he receives it..." she said triumphantly. Of course, she was pleased with her own work but again she had no intention of hanging around Enki even more than she had to, she did like the boy and if she cemented herself in the world again she'd not need Enki. Oh? Maybe she could use this... raise the boy that slays Gilgamesh's boy-queen and then console him with her body afterwards forgiving him for turning her away and talking back everything the woman had gotten from him already. Yes! That was a good plan.

As plans worked and things happen, the woman known as Francis Drake readied her crew and after stocking up in Uruk, set sail. She started with the location of Cath Palug, and sailed upward. It would be an interesting journey from there. After reaching the appropriate altitude she waited until nightfall. The Eternal Compass in her hands she created a chart of the stars. If she was to hunt down something she could not see... she would have to depend on things with solid locations. The earth itself moved from time to time. But the stars in the sky, the moons and the sun. These were things to be trusted. Each day she plotted courses, and ran the gambit of speed. In the upper atmosphere the density of the endless sky sea made it hard to keep track of things. But, Francis had a keen eye and a desire to obtain. Not just the gold, not just the island but the fame. She would be the greatest navigator of all time. Using the Sun, the Stars and wind and skies. Mana was suppressing things, leaving tides and wisps? It would be her to feel them on the breeze. Late in the evening some 20 years later, she found herself in a sea of fog. Mana so dense she could not move through it. Her ship seemed to skitter along it and for what it was worth it seemed almost impassable. She waited for the most opportune time then. Not all the small stars dotting the night sky, invisible by way of all this cloudy mana. No. She waited for the rising sun, that showing of light even through the densest fog and she gave her final order of this part of her voyage. Marking this thing and its current trajectory she knew it was too real to not be what they were looking for. "WE SAIL FOR THE UNSINKING SUN! GIVE CHASE BOYS!! WE WILL GRASP IT WITH OUR OWN HANDS!!" And in the end, some 30 years after the start of the Voyage, she'd finally have a message to send to the King of Heroes, using none other than their favorite messenger, the Lady of the Lake, Vivian.

And so began the tale of an emperor, one who would become renowned through all the land. The empire of Roma would consume all things at ground level in due time, all on the back of a young male blessed by two divinities. He soon carried something akin to immortality as granted by Enki, and wielded the sword and blessing of Ishtar... or, as he came to know her, the goddess Flora. It all began as he took control of lands previously liberated by Artoria Pendragon herself. He would claim them in the name of Roma, and in doing so, he'd begin the long journey of training for a single purpose: killing the Queen of Knights herself. Such glory he would have if he felled that mythical woman. All he needed was to be told he was ready, though quite some time would come before that day. . .

Thirty long years passed. Gilgamesh sat upon the throne, no less antsy than he'd been the first day. His desires were to be met in under thirty hours, and here he was thirty years later, waiting for signs of discovery. He could see the moment of arriving at Albion, but those intrusive gods seemed to disallow any further peering. Never in thirty long years had he been able to discern Albion's location, even for a moment. Never had he been able to see anything past making footfall. Never did he have certainty of a time period, or even victory itself... but he was oh so certain that victory would come. When would he receive a message, though? Well, that time was coming quite soon.

Lucius would one day be ready to slay Artoria, this was something Ishtar knew deep in her heart. Actually, it was something she needed. She was not at all a patient person, but had been forced into the actions by the need to wait upon humans. Still, she found herself in one of her own temples watching Gilgamesh sit upon his throne. He never really seemed to be doing much of anything anymore, it was boring. What a waste for a man with a body like that to constantly be unmoving. Why? He had plenty he could be doing, the world seemed to be moving around him and he obviously wanted to do things, so why hadn't he bothered? Well, she'd find out soon enough. Another blonde young woman in a small dress with minimal armor appeared on screen. She never bothered much listening to what anyone had to say so... she didn't bother now.

In all actuality, Vivian had appeared once more from within the bath's of Uruk. Why? Well, to be fair it was the closest body of standing water she could find when moving about. Now, she stood in front of the King of Heroes with a smile on her face, but murder in her eyes. "It would seem Frankie has found what we seek, coordinates are here..." she said tossing the man another one of those strange memories, in a vial this one was pure blue like the ocean. The empire of AS-IKU was currently located over the vast expanse of the ocean surrounding the world. It was more than a little bit high up, and it'd taken Francis Drake quite a while to leave its area-of-effect enough to send the message but as soon as she could she did. Standing up on the bow of her ship with a giant smile on her face her message came thusly. "We followed the stars and found the impossible. My sincerest apologies for the wait, in an area currently known as the Devil's Triangle in the midst of the Storm and Fog, you'll find your lost jewel. We are on standby!"

Perhaps Ishtar should have been paying attention. After all, the information Gilgamesh was fated to receive via the Lake Fairy was relevant to her getting... exactly what she wanted, in a manner of speaking. Thirty years he waited, all to hear word that Francis Drake has finally located Albion. Today, for the first time in thirty agonizing trips around the sun, a very trademark grin finally crossed the King of Heroes' face. This was not a message he would avoid claiming; he'd take it with haste and view the image it held within. As the king listened, that grin of his became rather toothy. There remained death in his gaze, but the targets were far from here. "Hoho~! O' Devil of the Sea, your reward will buy the planet five times over!" he said excitedly, almost launching himself up into a standing position. "Hear me, Witch. Go out and assemble the masses, but do not speak with the queen. We will assemble a surprise party once again! The rest of you may do as you wish with Enki, but as for Ishtar's just desserts... Well, if there is any dog allowed to chase that bitch, it shall be none other than Gilgamesh!" It seemed thirty years of waiting had done Gilgamesh the world of good. He had internalized the words of Jeanne d'Arc on that first day, and determined her rightness. An act of pure hatred was not his way. He was going to achieve victory and glory, and all things in the world for the duration of history. Why not should he do so with pomp? As he called upon the ark Vimana, he offered another message. "As for the Holy Maiden, tell her this: she was right all those years ago. It is not the way of Gilgamesh to let crawling worms sour his mood as he gazes at the stars."

The reaction of Gilgamesh to the news presented by Francis Drake was excitable as she'd seen him in quite a while. A smirk came to her face at this, of course... she was pleased enough to simply be able to see her sister for the first time in 30 years properly. Beyond that, the return of Albion was long overdue. "That's pretty hefty," she said of the payment promised to the woman known as Francis Drake, who was right now, probably the most legendary navigator of the entire world. Moving on, it seemed there were a few more orders to be issued, that didn't include knowledge to the Queen of Knights. "How sentimental, my newest little brother is such a romantic~" Vivian teased as casually as she did everything else. Of course, she'd still do as he said, because it would make her little sister happy, and first and foremost she was about making and keeping her family happy. Oh but what was this, Jeanne had said something to him in the previous decades and he'd internalized it? "The message will be delivered as such..." she said with a chuckle.

Whatever that pair had been talking about, suddenly Gilgamesh was standing. How interesting. What was the King of Heroes up to? Ishtar would watch seemingly amused by the thought. She figured this blonde wasn't anything to worry about. Vivian was nothing compared to her, no other woman would ever be anything compared to her. Whatever the case, the first stop of Vivian after her disappearance, was to her youngest sister. She had a chuckle and shared some information with a very different version of her sister. Pale haired with an almost demonic smile on her face, the Queen of Saints wasn't quite so saintly right now. In fact she was bathed in black armor and looked up from her seat as her sister appeared in a pool she kept within her office just for this purpose. "Oh? Looks like we're up. Your newest big brother had a message to share with you," instead of handing off the message Vivian produced it visually, in a veil of water before the eyes of this woman. Instead of the lovely sapphire blue they were normally, they were pale golden hued and angry around the edges. "It only took thirty fucking years... " she said standing. She grabbed up a sword and a flag the latter of which was tainted black. "Come Sieg, my sister is waiting." she said fully ready to go and not expecting to take any mount except her preferred one, the Dragon Fafnir. Besides the sheer fury the youngest of the Hoshimi looked excited, there was a battle ahead. "Honestly, with orders like that I am almost inclined to follow. Later Little Sis, oh, apparently King Gilgamesh is going after Ishtar, he says we can take Enki... if we feel like it," she said offering a wink before disappearing obviously there were a couple of other people. She'd do her fair share spreading around that message, currently not telling the sister she was after about the party they were setting up.

In the land inhabited by the Queen of Saints, Vivian met instead with the Dragon Witch who shared the same body. Much had occurred over the course of thirty years. Now, the Dragon-Blooded Knight named Siegfried stood by the black-clad woman's seat. He seemed no less prepared for battle and bloodshed than she, so by the time it became clear there was action to seek, draconic features were already creeping up his neck. "At your service," he said, seeming somewhat antsy himself. He walked slowly, eventually taking off into a full sprint as features of the black dragon Fafnir overtook him. The knight in dragon form leapt and took flight, knowing it was nothing for the pale-haired woman to mount his back in the process, despite his own rather competent speed of movement.

Meanwhile, Gilgamesh boarded his ark and made his way toward the fleet of Francis Drake. He refrained from moving through the open sky at the speed of thought, knowing he would only become more impatient while awaiting the others' arrival. He had to take his time and steady himself for a great reunion, and besides... it was the king's intention to meet the great pharaohs of Egypt en route to AS-IKU and the hidden Albion. That woman among them had a particular deal with him quite some time ago. He did wonder if her end of the bargain was ready for him, and if he was right... it wasn't as if she would be very far from her workplace when they arrived.

Walk into a sprint only to hop out and take off in flight and Jeanne would join him, after giving a nod to her sister. They had a place to go and she now knew the direction. They were headed to rescue her other sister and she would be there to help. Churches were heresy, by association these gods were heretics, she'd take the form that would give her ease in killing things here and now. Besides, her control of dragons and the work of her Holy Knights would be fine. Seeing their Queen fly off on dragon back, a single yelled order was enough for those who could come to ready themselves. Off Jeanne d'Arc would ride seeming no less bloodthirsty than she had been a few moments prior.

Vivian showed up in the Temple of the Pharoahs and walked about finding from nearby guards that Nefertari was in her workshop. This also meant that Ozymandias was likely also there. She stood outside the door, not wanting to catch an eye full of anything if anyone happened to be indecent. "Pharoahs! It seems today is the day, and we are to throw another surprise party, our new little brother is quite keen on making an entrance. He plans to fell Ishtar but will leave the glory of felling Enki to all comers. What say you?" she offered her back against the wall. She offered to the pair. "The Fae Princess visits for no casual reason today, a grand celebration is in the making. You know somehow I feel, the Queen of Knights will enjoy this party even more than her last one~" Nefertari stated. "My Sun and Stars, it appears it's time to move," she mentioned seeming to finish up the piece she was working on, with inlaid gold and in red colored cloth. It was one of her special works again for the model of a man. All the while Ishtar was blissfully unaware that anything negative was coming her way. In fact, she was excited to see the King of Heroes moving about. What would he be going to do? What mere mortal was about to be crushed? Oh would there be a battle? She had to know. She lounged with the greatest of ease waiting to see what would come of his actions. Never once thinking about the one thing he'd actually be upset about, and how it was housed right under the island she currently inhabited.

On an ordinary day, the pharaohs were called upon by a most auspicious visitor. Ozymandias did as he always would: watch the Queen of Egypt work. Even when the voice of a certain Lake Fairy sounded through the workshop, his eyes were fixed. Ah, but what this visitor had to speak of was of utmost importance. One of their kin had been missing in action for quite some time, and it was a thing that affected them all in a roundabout way. "H'oh. It's good to hear the Golden King is on something fancier than a simple warpath. Myself, my beautiful wife, and a party full of beaten faces. It reminds me of old times," the male pharaoh declared with a grin. Rising for the first time since Nefertari began her work, Ozymandias stepped out into view. He was sure Vivian had been quite busy, and always one to offer a kindness, he spoke to her en route to the throne. "If we are the last to receive this message, then you are in luck. Your legs must be weary. You will be escorted by the will of the Sun this day!" What did the pharaoh mean by this? Well, they would not be traveling via sphinxes or chariots. The pyramid that visitors and citizens alike reached at the top of Egypt's palace was Ozymandias' own construct, and that electrum structure itself was also his ability. With it, they would take flight the moment he reached the throne. Of course, a second or two was taken to ensure Vivian received a comfortable chair of her own within the throne room... which was just as much a command center for the flying structure.

What would Gilgamesh be doing? For starters, he flew. He waited while taking a leisurely pace atop the fastest vessel this world had to offer, and he... relaxed. Even though victory could no longer be called the only thing he knew, never did the King of Heroes question his future success in every endeavor. Now was such a time. Defeat and loss were not options. The king was at his finest, well within his element, and so clear-minded that his eyes were beginning to see things his mind normally kept from him. He could even see Ishtar watching him with interest. That domineering gaze of his shifted slightly, crimson piercing through the screen she viewed as if it were mere glass between them. It almost seemed he was looking the goddess in the eye, and in a way he was. On his face was a grin that spoke of accomplishments yet to become true, albeit not at all even potentially false in his mind. "Do not sit by idly watching me. Should not a king be greeted with ceremony? I expect nothing less than armies at my feet, with everyone including yourself floundering before me. It is going to be one hell of an entrance," he said directly to the goddess herself.

A smile was also present on Vivian's face. After all, it was good to see King Gilgamesh not simply wishing death upon others but instead finding it in his heart to be his gushing self when it came to how he dealt with her sister. "Apparently my youngest sister, shared words with him that he internalized. I am glad she could be of help to him... she always was a saint~" she said a bit deviously. Would she bother warning the Pharaohs about Jeanne's nature? Not really, Jeanne was still Jeanne, she was just a bit aggressive right now. Regardless, apparently Vivian was offered transport as Nefertari moved to join her husband. "Yes, love, take a load off. We are sure you have been doing nothing but moving around the last three decades~" she said affirming Ozymandias' generous offer. A smile came to Vivian's face. "You two are too kind. I do appreciate it though... I was thinking I'd end up just popping up in a water barrel on Francis' ship. That would have been quite the annoyance actually~" she said taking the free seat she knew to be for her. The Pharaohs were taking the big method of moving and she would ride casually along with them. It truly was a nostalgic experience when one considered the kind of gathering they were going to.

Ah, but what else was happening? As Ishtar mindlessly watched the goings on of Gilgamesh, the Golden King looked towards her. That was a little pointed. He couldn't really see her could he?! "OH SHIT!" she seemed simultaneously excited and a bit scared. He was talking to her... she could hear him, if she wished to and what she heard was a bit too much. He was headed for them? Surely not. No one could actually know where they were. It wasn't truly worth being worried about. But what if it was?! Ishtar stood immediately and began pacing. Unable to decide the right course of action immediately. If he wasn't coming and she raised the alarm with Enki for nothing it would be bad. If however he was coming and she didn't tell him that would be just as bad. But... wasn't it good to tell him anyway? She was planning to get rid of him for the slight of only giving her half his core. And he was the kind to try and show off for Gilgamesh as well. She could easily play the pair against each other, and Lucius already had everything they could give him, he only needed more time... so Enki dying now would change nothing of her plans for getting rid of Artoria. Hell... she could use this as an excuse to do that as well! Yes! That WAS GREAT!! "Enki! We have trouble.. the Golden King may have just said he's headed this way. He's never lied to me and he might have seen me through my crystal ball!! What do we do?!" Yes she'd play damsel in distress. All men wanted to protect their prizes right?

Of course the Holy Maiden was to blame. Ozymandias had very few direct interactions with that woman, but she did always seem to be the sort who brought light to the darkness. "Saint doesn't begin to cover it, from what I've seen. I would sooner call her a messiah," Ozymandias argued. Had he been the one to name her, that would have been what he went with. Whatever the case, off they went. The pyramid they inhabited moved quickly through the sky, until it flew in-line with a particular ark with Gilgamesh himself atop it. The King of Heroes shifted his gaze to the pyramid, seeming to have been waiting for their arrival. "I've been expecting you, Puppet Pharaoh," he greeted smugly. Stabilizing his ark, Gilgamesh rose from the throne. He could always keep it moving without sitting there, but most times, what would the point have been? "Nearly four decades later, surely you have something for me by now. I have a date several years in the making. My previous best is no longer good enough," he stated, seeming to believe Nefertari had something perfectly suited to the situation.

Meanwhile, Enki continued his observation of Artoria Pendragon and Lucius Tiberius. At least, he attempted to until the sound of Ishtar's voice struck his ear. Oh? Gilgamesh was on his way, only thirty years after Albion's disappearance? He expected it to happen, but not before their champion was prepared. "Tch! And here I thought we had twice this amount of time at minimum," he complained. Why did those lowly mortals surpass themselves so quickly? None of his information implied that any member of Chaldea could find them so easily. He had to think. What would they do with this early arrival? "We should be prepared. If he is on his way, we will lose many fighters just keeping him at bay for a while. Though... I do have a contingency for dealing with the little queen. I may have to use that, and let him watch the girl become forever out of his reach. I will need time to prepare it. Enough soldiers and defenses should be in place to keep him busy for some time. In the meantime, I suppose you can do as you please."

Messiah to describe Jeanne? Hoshimi Emi could indeed be described as such. "Maybe one day~" Vivian said seeming to find her own jokes funny. Ah, but the King of Heroes was here now was he? Apparently he wished to see Nefertari, claiming that he had a date coming up and he had a wish for some new attire for the occasion. "So, I've heard Golden King. You are in luck. I just finished a set I think would be perfect for such an occasion. Assuming of course you have the proper accessories to go with it," she said offering a cheeky smile. She produced for the King of Heroes the particular ensemble with the red and gold threaded robe. In the stylings of his nation, it had a two shouldered white tunic tied beneath it and some matching white harem pants. Both made of light-weight breathable materials and of the finest quality. She'd even taken the liberty of making him some light weight shoes of appropriate type as well. He'd look fabulous. "That one suits you does it not?" she asked looking at it on the mannequin and thinking she'd done a really great job of it. If she was remembering correctly she'd given Artoria a few extra pieces which she'd likely have access to, at least one of which was definitely the kind of contrast which would make looking at the two of them together quite lovely. The attention to detail could not be understated, but Nefertari had plenty of time to spend in Uruk while the Queen of Knights was looking over it, she'd taken the time to familiarize and influence fashion there as well.

Apparently, Enki thought he would have had more time before the King of Heroes showed up? What kind of nonsense was that? He was liable to show up whenever he felt like it. Whatever the case, the plan of Enki was to use some sort of contingency to deal with the 'little queen' as he'd taken to referring to Artoria. There was something about that Ishtar didn't like, and she wasn't quite sure what it was. He claimed to use the defenses and allow men to be wasted for the purpose of preparing this method? "Really, you won't face him... isn't that cowardly?" she asked, as if disgusted. Half her plan went out the window if she couldn't get rid of Enki in this moment. Besides, she didn't really like the way he was behaving lately. Even now he was still watching both Lucius and Artoria. There was nothing more he needed to train that man for, so why did he feel the need to keep looking into both of them? It seemed to her he didn't have enough time to pay attention to her. Ah, but he told her she could do what she wanted in the meantime. "Fine. I guess I'll drop some beasts to help the men and take Maana out with me. He can't permanently separate them from me, and if we can thin out the Knights in the meantime it will be easier for Lucius to deal with the boy-queen later," she said seeming to have taken a more logical step. But she hadn't. He was seriously acting cowardly setting out right now and not doing something directly about the problem knocking at his door. "You'll lose a lot more than just the army if you take too long though... I hate exerting myself," she claimed simply. Yes, light a fire under the man... that is what she'd do.

He was in luck, eh? Gilgamesh flew closer and closer still to the pyramid, even boarding it in time to view the mannequin Nefertari had on display. He disembarked, and gazed upon a true spectacle that spoke only of kingship. Oh, he had the proper accessories to complete this ensemble alright. From the look of this getup, there was no questioning the immediate replacement of his royal garbs. "H'oh?" What a perfect thing to drape over his own skin. These reminded him of the robes ordered to him by Utnapishtim, but were so far above and beyond that one should question Utnapishtim's presence in the assembly of the gods. These clothes were so very Uruk, yet very much above and beyond the expectancies of men. Gilgamesh reached out to touch it, and indeed it was woven beyond perfection. The king beamed at this new ensemble. Did this suit him? "As the fish breathes water, as the bird takes to the sky and the gazelle to the lush plains, I do declare... this suits me." In claiming these clothes, Gilgamesh banished the old and simultaneously donned the new, a golden glow occurring during the shift. He would appear anew, dripped in the finest golden chains, bangles and earrings, the former two of which contained rubies without flaw. "Hmph," he huffed triumphantly while turning his back to the pharaohs and the Lake Fairy. "Now then, I suppose I shall be the one to raise the first chalice."

Gilgamesh stood atop Vimana once more, taking his leave of the pyramid. They encroached upon the area inhabited by AS-IKU; he could see it even through its barrier now with those glowing optics. Nearby was the pyramid Ramesseum Tentyris to his left, the ship Golden Hind and its accompanying fleet to his right, and just overhead... the dragon Fafnir and its darkened rider. The eternally shifting key of Gilgamesh's treasury appeared in his right hand, which rose overhead to unlock the deepest section of the vault through crimson cuneiform branching out into the sky. "Hear me, dogs of Finis Chaldea! Today, you will all know wealth and glory beyond your wildest dreams! Today is the day of reckoning for the gods of this world! Today is the dawn of mankind's golden era, with my own golden form as the beacon!" Those crimson branches emerging from the Key of King's Law retracted into a blinding glow. In his hand then, was none other than the Sword of Rupture with its three rotating cylinders already moving. "Now listen, as I tell you a tale. I speak of new beginnings. Heaven and Earth split, creation scoffed at the established order, and my Sword of Rupture heralded the end of the mundane." A slight alteration to incantation meant the world of change. The stratifications of genesis that emerged from Gilgamesh's "sword" were not the typical wild variety, but instead a forward stream as he pointed to where he knew the barrier ahead was. Those blood-colored winds spread around the barrier spanning an entire large empire as Gilgamesh continued. . .

By this time, Enki was scoffing. Ishtar thought his methods were cowardly, but she knew nothing of war. "You're confusing cowardice for the better approach. A hasty approach wins battles, but loses wars, Ishtar. Keep that in mind," he said, knowing the goddess' impatience and hubris had always been her own undoing. "Let the boy be held off, and I will shake things up just enough to ensure a victory. If you're deciding to go out there, just don't let him get the better of you in the meantime. It would be troublesome if this plan had to be altered in the span of a moment." Enki's plan for this encounter was a surefire victory, but it required both timing and accuracy. Knowing this, the God of Water took up an amulet in the shape of a dragon's eye, the orb within possessing the visual of a mountain covered in thick fog and strange, ghost-like wisps. He would begin work on improving this item's enchantment with a few tweaks, leaving Ishtar and her goading to less important tasks.

Meanwhile, the barrier was in danger of being worn away during the continued incantation of Gilgamesh. "Mortar of the stars, the Age of Man is the eve of the gods' downfall. Enuma Elish‼" The stream of wind intensified in a single moment, quite literally poking a hole in AS-IKU's barrier and letting it degrade from there outward over time. Gilgamesh let himself be the first thing visible to those who waited inside, but the others would soon be seen as well... and eventually, the call for fireworks would be made. What would come before that, though? Well, the king had arrived. He did so anticipating ceremony to welcome him.

Nefertari watched as the King descended to look upon the garments she'd made. What did he think? If his first reaction was anything to go by he apparently liked them. Ah, but the King of Heroes was never really the type of man to not say what he thought. Accordingly he soon found himself answering her question, and in such a flowery way. A cheeky smirk came to the face of Nefertari and those rainbow eyes of hers seemed to sparkle. Even as he donned those clothes she took in the look after a flash of golden light. "I can say you do know how to accessorize. I cannot hate that in a man. Enjoy. I have a few more for you, but I think that one is occasion appropriate~" she said before heading back. a single hand up a couple of bangles jingled on her own arm. Vivian also took in the look giving a gentle nod of her head. Her younger sister was about to be shocked and exceedingly happy. Nice.

Soon enough there was a time of Gilgamesh explaining that the Age of the Gods ended today and he'd be the one to start the fray. Of course, it would be rather interesting to see that attack once used to divert the attack of Artoria Pendragon suck up and poke a hole in a barrier that was once it was up. Still, apparently Enki couldn't or rather wouldn't be forced into action. He made the proclamation that quick actions won battles but not wars. "Yeah, whatever..." and just like that Ishtar took off. She would step out and find herself atop Heaven's Boat Maana. A truly gaudy way of moving around it seemed to be a lapis lazuli and gold boat with two seats which looked a bit like it had double wings. It had a large eye in the middle which held it together over a big gun as well. It was armed with cannons and floated above. There were large armies on each of the islands seeming to prepare for the battle to come. As the entirety of the barrier seemed to leave a hole. "Oh? He did not come alone?" she seemed to be annoyed. A demon boar, the Nemean Lion, a floating whale, an assortment of sea horses, lots of creatures there were plenty of things to greet the coming of Gilgamesh of course, that didn't make this any better for her.

At the same time, several different groups stood at the ready, Jeanne watched from atop Fafnir seeming to find it amusing just the same. There was a smile on her face as she knew terror would soon rain down on the people who'd taken her sister and the country of Albion. Vengeance was clear in her mind and she'd have it, seeming to relish in it just a bit. Francis Drake looked around. One leg up a large flintlock pistol over her shoulder as she watched a rather ridiculous showing of power from the King of Heroes. One might almost wonder why he bothered with such a spectacle if he could manage such a thing himself. Of course all would be quiet except the shrill laughter of Ishtar, who did not seem to understand the danger as she sat in her own chair with just a single hand control to her right, in a strangely phallic looking state. Just the same the ruckus was already stirring a few of the Knights who were on duty. Artoria had to take rest when she could, which wasn't very often at all really. Now was one such time, she'd eaten, had a bath and been resting for just a couple of hours. In thirty years, she'd returned to her old habits of sleeping only a few hours per night instead of in large bursts to give others the chance to rest she did not need as much. Even so, the time did not seem to wear on her... though admittedly she'd seemed a bit antsy for a while now, waiting for whatever challenge was coming her way. Strangely, she was in for quite the surprise.

What sort of surprise was Artoria Pendragon in for? Gilgamesh did speak of fireworks, but there was one thing to come before that. The commotion had alerted quite a few, leaving knights at the ready for a presumed assault on Camelot once again. Little did they know, today was the day of shifting winds. Whatever all that noise was, it would undoubtedly be considered reason for alertness. Gawain took the initiative of alerting the queen this time around, even with little information beyond the sound of mobilizing forces en masse. "My Queen!" he spoke after tapping her chamber door. "It seems another attack is in the works. We have word of multiple inhuman presences around Bermuda, including a vessel that is presumably of divine origin."

Was this enough to count as ceremony? Gilgamesh thought not. Ishtar, the soldiers of AS-IKU and a few measly beasts would not do much against his onslaught. Perhaps some of them would remain alive long enough to learn as Ea returned to its place deep in the treasury, and another tool emerged from within. Enki, the Sword of the End that took the form of a golden bow, was his next choice. He aimed it at the land itself, and three mana rings of cuneiform surrounded the tip of a single arrow. "Is this how a king is to be greeted? Hmph! Very well; perhaps there will still be some of you to fight. Now, behold! The inferno of destruction fills the heavens! Come forth, Surge of Utnapishtim! This is what it means to destroy the World! Wretched gods, suffer the curse that the insolence of challenging the King of Heroes has brought upon ye!" Gilgamesh loosed that golden arrow toward the ground. It alone did nothing, but it was only a tracer round. Enki was a weapon called the Sword of the End not because the bow could split into twin blades, but because the bow was not at all the true weapon. High above, there appeared to be a large star surrounded by six smaller lights. There, in truth, was the weapon Enki, honing in on the arrow's location as the arrow's light shot into the central star. "Finis Chaldea!" Gilgamesh announced. "Show them the tenacity of man! Let the heavens themselves look upon infinite potential and know despair!" A firm order was spoken prior to the seven lights high above converging their beams at a central point, firing toward the arrow's target location. In its descent, the bolt of light tore through space, its effect spreading far and wide before reality shattered. What came from that shattering was the Surge of Utnapishtim, the very flood which ended the world long ago. How fitting it was to use its overwhelming might against a single island, while expecting the volleys of others.

Though following was not typically his prerogative, Ozymandias wore a face of excitement from within the pyramid. As Gilgamesh flooded the land, he decided upon the perfect addition to it. "A flood, eh? What a shame. Behold, ye Mighty! There will be no survivors beneath the Sun! Ramesseum Tentyris! Show them the Great Lightbulb Amon-Ra!" By Ozymandias' command, the pyramid Ramesseum Tentyris charged from its primary cannon the Dendera Electric Bulb, which shot into the flood as a massive beam. It seemed improbable that anything normal would survive the flood itself, but if anything did manage to make its way up after the tsunami... well, the option of reaching the surface alive was being removed. All the while, the dragon Fafnir flew through the sky, raining its mighty fire breath from above to burn away aerial threats until otherwise instructed by its rider.

There was a knock at Artoria's door? And now the sound of Ballista. Francis Drake stood at the bow of her ship now pointing her pistol and giving an order to all the men aboard. "You heard the man, bring the fireworks!" Yes, the men of the ships loaded and fired cannons down and around. They were clearing the way and the sky would be alight with such fire. Artoria woke sitting up in bed only to peek out of her window. A problem outside, but what was this? Fires dotted the skies. A grin crossed her face in a moment like this, and those emerald eyes sparkled with newfound excitment. "Gawain, I will be out, shortly. I must dress!" she said. Ah, but the Queen had been given a specific instruction some thirty years ago. How many times had she seen that memory and how many times as she looked at the dress she thought to wear for the occasion. A gentle smirk crossed her face as she aimed, to dress, not in her simple blue dress, but in what seemed to be a modified ball gown. Short on one side, designed of lapis lazuli with black roses as fringe. It had a halter top of see-through black silk which left her back and shoulders exposed. Her legs were left exposed as well with a matching pair of heels. To be honest, after dressing as such the Queen of Knights would seem to be more ready for a night out dancing than a battle for their lives. But she realized in this kind of moment, that this wasn't a battle, it was a party. "Now this is my kind of party, King of Heroes~" she mused all alone. She picked up Excalibur and walked out with it. "Come old friend... we are going dancing~" she said as she walked out of her room smile on her face. Long gloves on her sleeveless arms. She was dressed as if she had a hot date, and in all actuality she did. There was an obvious spring in her step as she made her way forward.

At the same time, the Pyramid seemed to have a certain lavishness going on as well. The firing of a certain bulb of light after the flood started by Gilgamesh would bring a bit of a smile to Nefertari's face. "If my Sun and Stars would give death, it is only right that I take judgement into my own hands," those rainbow eyes of hers glowing as the waters of Gilgamesh crashed down upon those islands and the light of Amun-Ra shined bright as the sun. A feather was created in her hand and it would be breathed upon by this young woman, when it was, it was carried and split the same way the Medjed did. Every single person they touched would be judged by 42 their sins condemning them to the lowest ranks of the underworld. There would be no respawns here... there would be no second chances, such was the authority of the sun and sky. "I read from the Papyrus of Ani let the feather determine your guilt and sink into the Duat!" the white feathers turned black as sins progressed and those who had this happen would not come back.

Ah, but the Pharaoh Nefertari wasn't the only one bringing judgement. Jeanne d'Arc the Holy Maiden was raining down judgement as well. In the form of burning stakes which she fired with chains attached. Like harpoons each would kill and burn but snatch away bodies tossing them from the land as fires rained down from Fafnir. If there was to be such a thing today there was none more suited than Jeanne, who bore the most evil of grins on her face. At the same time the other of the sisters seemed to be content to sit but from the waters caused by Gilgamesh little droplets began to rise. This was much better for her use in general. "Rise, my little ones. Let Albion know they are not forgotten~" the return of the great Lake Fae would send a pleathora of them to the sides of each knight and member of Albion. Protections of the Lake conferred upon the masses, buffs applied the ability to move through all tides and fight unimpeded was conferred upon all who would need it. Regeneration was boosted and moral was hightened. One such little fae flickered by Artoria finding her already blessed as such. A spring was in the Queen of Knights steps as she stepped outside, the whole of creation finally visible and what she saw made her heart light. Chaldea had come so they could go home.

All the while Ishtar watched, gently moving herself around to avoid undue fire but finding the whole of this situation disturbing. Armies were falling quickly and each member of this group seemed to have quite a problem doing what they needed to. Her own divine beasts were spread out across the islands but it didn't seem to be helping as people who fell stayed down and those who did not seemed to only keep dropping. "Ugh, I am a goddess. Do not make me exert myself!" she practically whined. A powerful laser was charging in the front eye of her ship but it would take a while yet to reach the proper fortitude. The demon boar charged about with a small platoon on its back headed straight for Camelot. Artoria herself would not be spared. And a giant lion with the tail of a snake jumped at the King of Heroes' ship aiming to breathe fire unto him and poison him with fanged bites from the tail. All would be well.

Artoria Pendragon had always been excitable when battle was a topic, but there seem to be something even greater still in her response. Gawain stood outside her bedroom door, blinking repeatedly. "As you wish," he said, electing to await her eventual emergence. Little did he know, she would not pass that threshold looking fit for combat. She stepped out as a woman ready to hit the town, so to speak, even with Excalibur in hand. "... Uncle?" he muttered accidentally. Gawain couldn't even bring himself to follow immediately behind; he was stunned. The woman who'd been his uncle when they met had never looked so stunning. Why, though? He'd find out not long after meeting the other knights outside. . .

"Fu. Haha. Hahahahaha‼" Beyond rushing water, electrocution, the screams of those judged and burned, and even beyond the explosive cannon fire, there was one sound. The King of Heroes' laughter stretched far, overtaking the battlefield as he stood in early triumph. Try though she might, there was no victory for Ishtar this day. "It matters not if you exert yourself, Ishtar! This is not a battle, nor was it ever going to be. This is what you call domination! Fuhahahaha!" Fully within his own element high above those who opposed him, Gilgamesh expressed nothing but brass even as the Nemean Lion ascended to his location. The moment that common beast opened its mouth to breathe flames upon the king, its life was all but forfeit. Massive as it was, Gilgamesh thought its mouth was best filled... with a nuclear warhead directly from Vimana itself. Aboard the golden ark, Gilgamesh would remain protected from the ensuing explosion.

Knights were en route to the battle they could all see quite clearly even from Camelot itself, but it was not knights alone who moved. They ran alongside the protections of the Lake Fairy, which one such as Lancelot recognized immediately. "Oh? It's going to be a grand show at this rate," the Knight of the Lake spoke as twin blades channeled the lake's own light throughout themselves. Enemy soldiers were mowed down with ease, with Sir Bedivere running along behind to pick off any who survived Lancelot's initial strikes.

After emerging from her room, Artoria was confronted by the obvious surprise of Gawain. How was such a surprise noted? The utterance Uncle with a look of awe. Artoria gave it only a slight chuckle and offered the man an encouraging smirk. "Come now, Gawain... we can not have you being too surprised~" she mentioned. She was quite ready to 'hit the town' as it were, but only because she was excited to see the King of Heroes. As Artoria made her way out the other knights were already moving about and she heard a noise that made her heart skip a beat. Laughter. That obnoxious laughter of the King of Heroes, which she'd grown so fond of, made an instant smile come to her face. In a moment like this even as a battle started the Queen of Knights had all the confidence in the world and managed to look happy as she approached. A Demonic Boar was headed straight for Camelot but it would be met by the casual steps of the Queen of Camelot. Who paused only long enough to raise that shining sword into the sky. "Hear me now, Knights of the Round Table. Our allies came to free us of the fog. It is our duty and honor to show them, why Albion has no enemies! Show them why trapping us here is their folly alone to bear! EX!-" that battle cry that was to come, brought light from the heavens and all around. Victory crystalized showed itself and in a moment like this her soul shined bright. "CALIBUR!!" The demon boar was slayed and cleansed in the light of the shining Queen of Knights. Dressed for a date, she truly would only show off. After all... there was someone she had to see.

"My Queen, great speech and looking lovely as ever!~" chimed the Lady Kay as ice bridge formed before them between the islands. Regardless of anything else, the sound of those little heels clicking as Artoria's visibility became known. What of Ishtar in a moment like this? Her Nemean Lion was felled and the Demon Boar like Cath Palug before it fell to the lower world free of her influence. She was getting mad now. How dare they show such resistance?! And why did the King of Heroes even bother. That bright light shining upon the world hurt her eyes and the well proportioned little queen now approaching the battlefield dressed like she had a hot date was annoying. "And what does she think she is doing?! How dare she kill another of my pets and approach the one who should be mine!?" Ishtar was furious but as always assumed that Gilgamesh would eventually be hers. In fact if he'd turned up here by himself she would have assumed he came to take her. After all, he obviously didn't come here just to rescue the flat-chested boy-queen of Camelot. All the while, the Lady Galahad with shield at her fore stood at the ready. She did not like the amount of charge time on the laser on that woman's 'boat' was too high for her to care. Artoria took in the scene of this battle in the moment and smiled. her head turned up to see, the King of Heroes atop his ship with a recently felled beast in his wake.

"My Sun and Stars, the Queen of the Hour has arrived!" exclaimed Nefertari, seeming to enjoy the dress and look the Queen had chosen for this particular battle. The Queen of Knights noted the Pyramid as well. The Knights of the Round Table that answered Artoria's words had taken off, but the Lady Kay stayed at her back as always to continue work. Meanwhile Agravain was moving about the battlefield almost hidden and crimson eyes which were being used along with her own chains to kill rapidly any who would encroach upon the Queen's walk. "I really am jealous of how well she cleans up... it makes me want to rethink my look," Vivian said almost huffily. Being a big sister was a problematic existence. Still in a moment like this she could be nothing but happy for her younger sister and the Knights they were freeing from the cursed fog. There was one among this crowd Artoria did not expect. The ship of Francis Drake was among those blasting away at the armies and the thing that had counted as fireworks. How strange. The King of Heroes had gathered many for her sake... she was touched.

The smoke from a nuclear explosion cleared, and Gilgamesh's gaze fell upon the land below. As if she were a character from some form of fairy tale, Artoria Pendragon treaded a bridge of ice to reach the island. Oh? She truly did emerge from her bedchamber in her finest state of dress yet. "Magnificent," the king thought aloud. Sparks and spells flew in front, behind and all around, but he did not care for those sights. He had eyes only for one thing, which happened to be gloriously walking in his direction. "The Queen of Knights, tardy to her own christening! Worry not. I shall forgive it this once, and lo, I am even magnanimous enough to bring the celebration to you! Fuhahaha!" Gilgamesh laughed and laughed, until such a time as his annoyance was triggered. What was the cause? Ishtar, as always. "Be silent, Whore of Babylon. The fools shall not speak while the king addresses his queen," he said in a strangely passive manner. It seemed he had no immediate intention of dealing with Ishtar, now that there were more important things requiring his attention. Vimana lowered over time as Gilgamesh continued to speak. "I see the lapis has gone to excellent use. It's almost a shame these garments will be ripped to shreds in time."

Meanwhile, Ozymandias laughed within the pyramid of his own creation. With all the hullabaloo going on, the Golden King had time for this? Frankly, he respected the decision, and would have made the same if it were Nefertari he'd come to meet. "H'oh? I remember when you made that one. We should be prepared to be without this party's hosts soon, I think. Not that I mind," he said jokingly. The pyramid continued to fire its shots at enemies here and there, picking off what wasn't felled by Jeanne and her dragon, or even that strange pirate woman's fleet. Apart from that, Ozymandias was relaxing quite easily. In fact, he was in a calm enough state to joke around in the presence of Vivian. "Your face is the same! It would hardly be any different if you wore a similar piece," he countered after Vivian's initial observation.

The King of Heroes had words to share with Artoria Pendragon and she was keen to hear them. Yes, there was a battle going on, but it wasn't like everything required their direct attention. Besides, she'd been waiting thirty years to see him again when the time wasted was only supposed to be a day, she was allowed a bit of excitement. Of course the first words to spew from his mouth were absolutely embarrassing, but he claimed to have brought the celebration to her and she could only smile about it. obviously she could ignore that first bit. Why? Well the laugh probably did it, why did she like it? Emotional honesty probably. "I would not ask forgiveness for tardiness not my own fault..." she said her face practically beaming with a smile. "But this is more my style of celebration..." she admitted happily. Still there was now, a whining voice in the background. It sounded quite familiar too. Gilgamesh had silenced her and she to her credit she shut up. What would Gilgamesh say next? Something that had to process in the Queen of Knights mind, and when it did, she immediately went wide eyed and had her face reddened. "Can you not say such embarrassing things immediately after we meet?!" she said yes, Artoria Pendragon had returned to her normal self. Still she couldn't say she wasn't happy to see the King of Heroes. "Admittedly that is the easiest way to know you are yourself. I do not dislike your new attire either..." The Lady Kay stifled a giggle. 'That barely counts as flirting you know...' she mused, as she took the time to turn back around. Galahad only shook her head at the ice bridge, the princess fantasies of the Lady Kay concerning Artoria Pendragon always played out interestingly. The Queen of Knights finally became a girl and it was rather funny. All the while, Ishtar couldn't take being ignored this long and for what? A flat-chested boy-queen in a blue dress. "UGH! DO NOT IGNORE ME JUST TO TALK TO SOME FLAT-CHESTED BITCH!" That tone so shrill and annoying finally made Artoria turn her gaze if only just a little. That particular insult was one she'd heard before... ah she remembered now. That avatar as well... was one she knew. How would recognition play out? "Who actually made the cam-girl a goddess? Why was that a good idea?! No wonder the whole world is in ruins that is something people thought worthy of worship!?" the Queen was outraged almost immediately. Jeanne from where she was could only nod her head... it was quite true, the one who Ishtar had originally been made perfect sense of the terror this woman had been causing everyone.

The other Knights also looked up. Of those who had played that video game and ended up here, quite a few also recognized the goddess Ishtar as the cam-girl known as Mai Valentine. Well a lot of things about the imbalance of the world suddenly made plenty of sense. Nefertari found it funny as well, "Yes I do remember you saying such a thing when it was first made. I did always think it very cute and very fitted to her own style..." she said with a knowing smirk. At the same time, Vivian found herself only able to shake her head. "I mean yes our faces are all essentially the same but, she has a different sort of flair. My youngest sister as well... I think we all look fairly different, and I definitely couldn't pull off anything that innocently attractive~" she said of her younger sister's current stylings. "That really is a great look by the way~" she said to Nefertari in passing. You could always tell when passionate people did things. Every piece they made seemed to sing. Ah, and while there were barely any people living on the ground level Ishtar was an ever present threat herself, but she never acted in a normal way so it wasn't really a problem. Or rather her laser wasn't done charging yet, so she'd have to continue putting up with all of this sass. But she wouldn't forever, she'd beem that little Knight Queen clean off the planet if she had to, Gilgamesh would not ignore her.

"Hmph. You are allowed the hubris of not seeking forgiveness, as I will grant it to you freely regardless," Gilgamesh countered. She did have a point; this form of celebration was much more her style. In truth, it was more to his speed as well. There was always something satisfying about the glory of a battle ending in victory, and this would certainly be no loss for their side. What of the embarrassing things he said, though? To that, he had only another laugh to offer. "Don't be so foolish. Thirty years in the making, why should my first sight be anything other than your fluster?" he questioned without so much as a second thought. His own change of outfit was noted, was it? Good; it would be a waste otherwise. The king spread his arms as if to grant a better view of his form and ensemble. Of course, the smugness on his face was going nowhere soon. "H'oh? For you to claim you do not dislike something, I suppose I shall take it as utmost adoration. Very well. You shall have the privilege of ripping it to shreds, if you can manage the gall to do so."

Much to Gilgamesh's chagrin, Ishtar would not remain silent for very long. She always reared her cursed head again eventually. This time, he couldn't even have a full conversation with his queen before she crammed that bristled voice into his ear. Worse yet, she had some choice words to offer regarding the Queen of Knights. He'd tack that away for later, as Artoria herself had some strange things to say regarding the goddess. What the hell was a cam-girl? "I know not what this cam-girl thing is. Shall I assume it is something like a green-dyed warthog with the laugh of a hyena?" he asked almost seriously, yet with that same cheeky grin on his face.

Ozymandias was finally leaving the throne of his pyramid, stepping down to view the ongoing battle more directly through the command room's display. In doing so, he continued watching Nefertari through the corner of his eye, until the moment he stood before the display. "You remember the rest then? I haven't seen you make something of your own for a while now, what with all those other works in progress." That comment was all he thought to offer for the time being, though the Lake Fairy had chosen to comment on some alleged difference between herself and her siblings. Did they look so different? He didn't think so, but oh well. "You could have fooled me. I thought you were all the same person, but if innocence is not suited to you, it is your prerogative to avoid the look. There is something for everyone, I suppose."

Artoria was allowed not to seek forgiveness, Gilgamesh would grant it to her regardless. "Hmphf, if you are going to say that I will do as I please..." Artoria said with a careful smirk on her face. Of course, both of them were the types to enjoy a bit of battle. Beyond this point it seemed Gilgamesh thought himself capable of doing what he wished. And his apparent wish in such a moment after thirty years of waiting was to see the flustered face of Artoria Pendragon, "You would want something like that... I suppose I have no choice but to allow it," Artoria's words hit the ears of nearby knights and some even realized the gravity with which she spoke such words. Smug visage of the King of Heroes was about par for the course as he spread his arms so she could see his new attire in full. And what was this, he even claimed to understand the nature of her compliment as subtly as it was spoken. She had a look, it would have been rude not to... until of course, the last part of his sentence was spoken and her eyes widened once more. "I asked nothing like that! You are shameless, King of Heroes!" Artoria was almost feverish as she turned her head away for the first time in a bit. Good thing that annoying woman decided to speak, it would make it rather easy for the Queen of Knights to go back to her original way of thinking.

Ah but Ishtar wasn't here to watch a happy couples reunion but what was this? The flat-chested one knew who she was, and somehow seemed to be especially hateful of her. All the girls were always jealous of her good looks and her followings. Gilgamesh was finally speaking again and this time it was about her! Shrill laughter was to follow such acknowledgement, but the words of the King of Heroes didn't properly register in the mind of the woman. They never would. Artoria however, after just having gotten herself back together, seemed to crack instantly. Normally her brain needed to process the old metaphors of the King of Heroes, but not this time, there was instant and completely genuine laughter, "BWAHA-Hahahaha-HAHAHAHA!~" in a moment Artoria was covering her mouth with light sparkling in her eyes. It was too funny, why would he say something like that?! Ishtar was confused, obviously he was comparing her to animals because she controlled them so artfully, everything he said to her was a compliment! Meanwhile this boy-queen was laughing seeming to find humor that wasn't intended. "Woooh, I should not have done that. It was too much..." she said seeming to be genuinely amused. "I feel as though I need to consult a manual, did I just break chivalry by laughing at something said by someone who would purposefully cause offense? I do not think I considered that before..." she said carefully. As for what a cam-girl was, she had her own rather colorful way of describing it that the King of Heroes should understand... "You not knowing what a cam-girl is makes it obvious you have spent too much time on your own forgetting..." she said giving a small smile. "A cam-girl would be like a sacred prostitute without blessings or life skills. She uses only her beauty and the donations of the temple to live an overly lavish life. She does not perform duties but spends her time scheming on those too naïve, young, or unsatisfied to know she has been excommunicated. She would also spend her spare time bashing those actually performing their duties while braying about how great she is while doing nothing to prove it," she explained honestly. Because what was a cam-girl but a virtual prostitute with no personality to show for all the 'sex' she was selling but not really. Actually, she'd basically described the goddess Ishtar from stories she did not know, without knowing it. "Keep talking, when my laser is done charging I will wipe you and your silly country off the map and then what will you have nothing!! I glorious Ishtar will have everything and the King of Heroes and you will die a pitiful death!" there was shrill laughter from this woman and Artoria looked up at her as if confused. "Did she really just tell us her entire plan? I was not prepared for this... I do not have words."

Meanwhile Nefertari found herself chuckling. Oh yes, she remembered what had happened the last time she'd made such an outfit, it had been quite a while since she'd made something for herself. "I suppose it has been a while. I am almost done with the King of Heroes special order though... I am sure I can work in a few new things for me~" she said with a cheeky smirk. As for Vivian she continued to sit, young love was always so interesting, but the innocence of her own form was almost a mirage. "I am sure you will eventually see me as I actually am... and understand what I mean. When such a time comes, I would not mind, a favorable new look from the best creator of clothing this world has to offer~" she said which made Nefertari smile. "Of course, I am always here to help fit someone new~" she said with a healthy humor.

"H'oh?" Shameless, was he? The honesty was leaking through Artoria's mouth more clearly than ever. Perhaps she would one day realize there was no point to the diversions and such─ especially if she was going to have clear intentions dancing alongside clauses that could have been a little firmer. As she turned from him, his arms moved until akimbo. He leaned forward before speaking again, content to do so at eye-level and quite close to the queen's ear. "Poor, abashed Queen of Knights. You seem to have forgotten the lie where you claim it is no desire of yours," he teased.

The king's gaze shifted, redirected as Artoria let slip her own composure. How pure, how... genuine. She'd only ever been so loud while using that Holy Sword; he must have hit the nail on the head with that guess. "Worry not for your precious Chivalry. Hilarious things should be laughed at!" he insisted, reconsidering his own description of the thing they discussed. When he looked at Ishtar, that was about what he saw now. "It is accurate, no? Green, a laugh even more atrocious than a hyena's, and could be considered a sow if not for the fact that she does nothing but bare tusks and charge," he joked, even going so far as to point out Ishtar's lack of offense despite taking such offense. Either way, he was soon to learn what sort of creature a cam-girl was. Artoria's description gave him a decent enough new perspective, which made him tap his fist against his palm in the moment of brilliance. "Ah! If that is what makes it, I retract my previous words! Ishtar!" His right hand returned to his side, while his left extended fully with its forefinger pointed toward the goddess. "You should have been more clear about your identity! I did not realize Uruk's most worshipped goddess all these years was a mere goblin shark! Fuhahahaha!" Ah, perfection. She simply sat there, waiting for the moment to come all her life. Did she really let spill her entire plan before enacting it? Well... "She makes a habit of doing so. Why do you think she's been allowed to draw breath for so long? She foils her own plans so easily, it is laughable!"

Meanwhile, Ozymandias had reason to be excited. It was exciting enough to think he could watch Nefertari work her magic again, but in this case, he'd have something even more enticing to watch when it was over. He'd be holding his commentary about that for later, though it went without saying that she'd have an idea what he would say regardless. As for eventually seeing Vivian as she actually was, that was a rather cryptic statement. All of these people had something not yet known by the others, though; it didn't make much of a difference. "I think we've seen enough that no real difference will be made," he commented. All three of those sisters had enough things in common that differentiating them was almost pointless beyond their base identities. Any of them could change themselves almost completely, while those traits remained intact.

Gilgamesh continued to tease Artoria, and the closeness of their relationship was observed by all. Even thirty years later none could deny the rather obvious interest on the part of the King of Heroes. Beyond that, it was not getting harder to deny an equal amount of interest on the side of Artoria, though her natural inclinations were more reserved. No one seemed to be appreciating the truth of that more than the Golden King who leaned in to her ear to share his observation. Artoria was abashed? Always, this man had no shame. She'd forgotten to say it wa sno desire of hers? Her reddened cheeks would not be losing color any time soon as those wandering eyes of hers drifted away from his person. "I do not tell lies. So, it matters little that such a thing was omitted," she followed up immediately. Still she was not the type to step back, she simply stood there with him leaning to close that she likely should have pushed back against him, but she did not want to.

As time continued to trickle forward, Ishtar was appalled. The Golden King encouraged laughter at her expense? Surely, she was mistaken? Yes, that much was obvious... he was simply chiding someone else for not properly appreciating his joke, and the fact that was at her expense had no bearing because she was glorious and everyone else was ordinary! Artoria tried to recover from her laughter so genuine but wouldn't be allowed to properly. A smile on the Queen of Knights' face which wasn't directly tied to her killing something was rare indeed. Still the Queen of Knights tried for a description the King of Heroes would understand in relation to the cam-girl situation, and apparently he understood. This would involve him directly speaking to Ishtar again. Artoria was at a loss, could someone honestly be so stupid as to be happy they were being insulted. 'I truly do not understand such behavior...' she thought to herself while trying to get her face under control. Aww, he was laughing and comparing her to what was obviously an even greater creature! How could she do anything but laugh as well, so she did. Meanwhile, Artoria's eyes shifted to the King of Heroes, she really actually liked that laugh, "I have no idea what a goblin shark is, but I assume given the laugh that is apt as a creature to describe one such as that..." she said. Still choosing not to address Ishtar directly. Meanwhile this thing called Ishtar was a disgusting piece of work, "HAHAHAHAHA!!! I, GLORIOUS ISHTAR WILL FELL THE FLAT-CHESTED BITCH AND THERE WILL BE NO CHOICE BUT TO ADORE ME!!" she proclaimed. Artoria had visible confusion playing across her face, she knew those things were not connected at all right? No one would praise her for felling the Queen of Knights except perhaps her own allies. And she was sure if Gilgamesh wished to adore her... well he'd had hundreds of years to do so. There was also the matter of her planned attack. According to Gilgamesh this particular goddess was often the type to reveal her whole plan which was why he'd let her live so long. "Well, I suppose that strategy is reasonable, if you know your enemies weakness..." she said appreciating the tactic for what it was. Ishtar was still waiting that beam of hers took forever but it would annihilate anything it reached when it was done. She also took no notice of others, so she did not realize that everyone who heard her plan was already preparing for the counter and defense. The Lady Galahad in particular was prepared to move and erect her strongest defense at the most apt time possible. Artoria knew her own people and understood the point. "There will be a large opening when her attack is launched. We could take advantage of that..." she said knowing the fortitude of her own knights.

Ozymandias and Nefertari were making date plans, that much was clear. Vivian couldn't help but chuckle. Well, at least some people on this planet would be happily getting laid in the next century.At the same time there was hardly an army left, divine beasts were falling, there were hardly any members of anything resembling an army and even the defenses were being mounted against an impending attack.

Every time Ishtar opened her mouth, she managed to somehow exemplify more stupidity than ever before. This must have been the sickness that Lake Fairy had been speaking of, surely. Yes, a curse of idiocy made sense when thinking of the goddess Ishtar. Goblin shark was almost the perfect descriptor. "Consider yourself lucky you've never seen the beast. Take the goddess as your only example of one, and you will at least avoid traumatization from appearance alone," he said regarding the creature. Much to Ishtar's credit, there were some ways a few individuals could potentially deal with her. "Perhaps the deaf could put up with this one. Only seeing, never having to hear the moronic dribble she spews. Just listen to that. This is precisely the reason I left her gagged for seven years," he huffed. Upkeeping casual conversation and waiting was not something that should have been allowable; he couldn't rationalize why Maana's attack had such a stupidly lengthy charge. Surely it would be powerful, but none had reason to be concerned. In fact, Artoria and her knights were planning to take advantage of an eventual opening. The Queen of Knights herself thought to inform Gilgamesh of this, unnecessary though it was. "Hmph," he scoffed. "Of course there will be. Why else should I be here, and not striking her down with haste? It is not only because I wish to see your face that I take this casual approach; there are lesser reasons as well. At the rate this is going, however, I do believe there is time to consummate our marriage before anything should be done about this nuisance."

Ishtar kept talking but it seemed she was being ignored at every turn. She did not like that, but the conversation was also about her so she did not completely hate it either. Artoria for her part in this was content to lean against her sword seemingly just as casual as everyone else, aside from the Knights who were moving about preparing for the inevitable. At the same time, Artoria was getting a lesson on a beast she apparently didn't need to see because it was traumatizing. Given the placement of that word usage, the description she'd so recently given and Gilgamesh's own humor she wasn't sure her ideations were any better. "If I am being honest, I do not know if that makes the ideas in my head better or worse than they are in actuality..." she said at a loss for words about the goddess Ishtar. The constant stupid speech of this woman was beyond anything Artoria herself would have ever put up with. Actually, she'd probably killed a few men for even beginning to speak in such unfathomably stupid ways... "I do not think I have seven minutes of patience for it, to be honest...seven years? You might want to speak to my sister about gaining sainthood... even a gag was a kindness..." she joked herself, knowing she probably would have had such a person's tongue removed or her mouth sewn shut.

All the while Ishtar was furious. How could they just be talking and carrying on. She was right here before the King of Heroes, how dare he ignore her for someone so beneath her?! She was a goddess, a beauty beyond measure! She was something to be looked upon. He should only be looking at her like that! Everyone should only be paying attention to her! The world should shake and move out of her way and every man should want her and everyone woman should be jealous of her! The words of Gilgamesh initially would only make the Queen of Knights' face tint as she averted her gaze, "You keep saying embarrassing things. Other reasons should not fall into the lesser category, King of Heroes," she mentioned sheepishly. At the time where this psychotic break was occurring in the mind of the fallen goddess, Artoria could only agree with the crazy charge time, "Truly? It does seem like a long time for one who claims to want to kill me. In the time it has taken she could have been felled five or six times depending on the method..." Artoria said easily. "STOP IGNORING ME! I AM MOST GLORIOUS, I AM MOST BEAUTIFUL, I AM ALL POWERFUL... THIS FLAT-CHESTED BITCH MEANS NOTHING BEFORE ME... ALL MEN SHOULD FALL AT MY FEET!" Ah, there it was again. That screeching insult from Ishtar. "She has many concerns about the state of my body for one who does not live in it," Artoria murmured. Was that deflection? Was she told for so long how important looks were that she felt anyone who didn't fit her model was hideous by default and thus unworthy of affection? Or was she truly so twisted she thought being physically attractive should have been enough? This gave images of high school to the mind of Hoshimi Eri, weren't girls like this usually impregnated and fat by the time they grew such crazy fallacies? Was it even worth acknowledging such an insult knowing she was trapped at an age where her body had barely blossomed at all? No. Not really. The Knight Queen was all dignity anyways as an aside being ignored seemed to bother her so much it was almost funny to keep up the calm face. In her previous life, if she'd spoken such a sentence to the face of this small blonde woman, she would have been murdered in the most vicious way she could think of, but now, she would simply be felled with all her false ideations.

"FINALLY, ALL IS READY! DIE, BITCH!" That was it, the laser she'd been charging seemed to finish up finally. She aimed to turn and immediately fire it upon Artoria Pendragon and those gathered nearby. Obviously it was no danger to the King of Heroes who was second only to her. The Lady Galahad would be in front of Artoria within the moment of the massive beam being shot off. Her own defensive and mana blocking the beam as the table which they sat around became more solid as a shield. Galahad's own mana and defense were being used currently but they would only become more obvious as the rest of the power manifested, a chant of old beginning which brought the lightest of smiles to the face of Artoria Pendragon. "I stand amid disaster..." The image of castle walls began to form in all directions around the group and before the Queen of Knights. "That which heals all wounds and grudges, our glorious homeland. Manifest yourself, Lord Camelot!" The whole of Camelot's castle walls appeared before them, with the added effectiveness of staving off evils and poisons. To that end, a shot from Ishtar even in her current form would not halt the work of Galahad; she would hold. Now it was a battle of defense holding off a laser, while doing enough external damage to knock down the ship and Ishtar in all of her glory. "Knights of the Round Table, Camelot stands... and we do not cower before evil gods!" she said these words as her stance changed and Excalibur was extended into the air. She knew her people, knew they would understand their places in this world. Her orders were barked with the surety of a King and they would be followed. "Sheathed in the breath of the planet..." The light of glowing victory burned bright as Artoria herself did while she charged her own attack of massive proportions.