Finis Chaldea

"Even if it worsens, it can always be even worse still. Such is the truth of dealing with this particular goddess," Gilgamesh complained. It was satisfying to think that something would finally be done about Ishtar after all these long, bothersome years. She'd been a thorn in his side for far too much time, but now, the sweetest end was in sight. Damned be the notion of sainthood for the amount of time he'd spent refraining from going overboard. "Sainthood is far beneath the reservation I've shown. There should be a new title created in honor of my magnanimity."

Far more important things could have been dealt with in all the time it took Ishtar to charge one attack. For all she did, he doubted it would even be very appealing to look at, much less challenging to overcome. They could have felled her multiple times over indeed, but without being able to fully slay a god of Celestia, a point or two had to be made when doing so. Ishtar could unleash her attack if she so desired, but it would mean little to nothing in the end. Of course, he'd have rather delivered that point in the immediate aftermath of Ishtar's singular insult. "Such flavorless language this one has while calling herself a goddess. Judgement should be passed for a lack of creativity." As it seemed the time was finally nearing, Gilgamesh retrieved Ea from its place in the treasury once more. The burst of energy Maana had been producing for ages was unleashed at last, and a single knight rose against it in an act of defiance. So, this was what the ultimate wall of Camelot had to offer, was it? Perhaps that was where the mold for his own city of Uruk had gotten to, as it seemed to hold its own against the impact of divine mana. With Artoria preparing to take advantage of the opening, he could only increase the certainty of their victory by doing the same. As such, Ea was held over head with one arm, the winds of creation swirling around Excalibur's light just as it had done decades before. "Mortar of the stars, heaven's hell is the eve of creation's celebration." There wasn't much required here. From what he'd seen of Excalibur's use over the years, the use of Ea was merely... a healthy bonus, or even salt in the wound. No matter; Ishtar obviously hadn't paid enough attention. She needed to see the truth of how incredibly outclassed she'd always been.

What was worse could always worsen? Artoria could see that... such was why she always stopped things before they could devolve. Some saw it as savagery but she always saw it as assurance. Instead of dealing with something or someone coming back to her face, she showed them they could be felled immediately, and they could either fall in line or stay out of her way. The choice in that matter was always their own, but she was already ready to do it again. Sainthood was below the King of Heroes? "Oh? Well, I am sure I will hear all about it whenever you find a title more suited to you~" that was all Artoria had to say about that matter with a cheeky smirk to go along with it.

Ishtar would be learning the lesson of Artoria Pendragon. Of course, the laser she blasted was a simple enough beam, green and pink in color clashing in all ways with the gold and blue boat it was shot out of. It weighed down from the ship onto the Walls of Camelot but Galahad stayed braced and as such she could hold. Seeing the light of Excalibur she braced herself further, Ea raising into the air had been a story passed along by Gawain and Lancelot. 'Oh, the blowback from this is going to sting something mighty,' she mused. 'Worth it.' Even so, she was prepared for that eventuality. "A torrent of shining life," Artoria continued, "Feel its wrath," she said carefully. "EX-" there was a preparation to be held, the pair were too release a beam very different from the one that Ishtar herself was using and of course, the complaints of that goddess continued mostly because there was another woman standing up to her in the moment. "NO! YOU CAN'T DO THAT, YOU ARE JUST A HUMAN, I'M A GODDESS, IT ISN'T FAIR! NO DEFENSE SHOULD HOLD AGAINST ME!" There was a quality of whining to this woman's voice. Maybe they were being empowered by the King of Heroes presence? Yes that made sense. It was all his fault she couldn't show him how good she was! Why would he do this? It was that little woman's doing of course, she'd obviously charmed him in some way to keep him from her. She would see, Ishtar had a glorious body she would win back the King of Heroes as soon as the defenses fell. "CALIBUR!!!" A downward swing would be how Artoria chose to handle this, from the skies and falling upon that ship, she intended to destroy it and Ishtar as well. Ishtar stood, seeming not to care, her ship was divine in creation, surely nothing as small as a little light sword could harm her. "I AM THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN! I CANNOT BE FELLED BY THE LIKES OF YOU!! WHY WOULD YOU HELP HER AND NOT ME? I AM MOST DIVINE! YOU CANNOT DENY ME!" Her whines were that of a petulent child because she truly believed that it was the help of Gilgamesh which would allow the Queen of Knights the potential of besting her. Obviously her words should make him choose her. Surely, he'd realize how important she was and how much greater she was than this girl he kept talking to?

Artoria claimed surety that she'd hear when a title was found, but there was far more to it than that. A chortle crept through the king's nose as two elevated weapons from the dawn of time formed a beacon for all Chaldea. "You will be the first to hear it. You will also be the first to have it pass your lips as a scream," he boasted. Whether that scream was one of ecstasy or one of ire... well, only time would answer that question. At this point, there was somewhere around an equal chance of either occurring first.

Ishtar liked to think humans could not stand against her. In a way, she was not at all wrong. A human could not defeat a god; there was no logical explanation for one doing so. However... "Humans. Such mysterious things, are they not? Impossibilities occur as easily and certainly as water flows through the rivers. Whether through tenacity or sheer audacity, even an ordinary human can find a way to oppose the gods of this world and the next. Now, Ishtar... die and be silent." The cylinders of Ea shifted into overdrive, letting the winds of genesis burst widely around Excalibur. "Enuma..." he started, swinging that strange sword down in tandem with Excalibur's slash. "ELISH!" And so, Gilgamesh would once again ensure a target did not escape Excalibur. The winds he used served only a single purpose: to keep the foolish goddess from even thinking she could run away. Ah, but would she have run anyway with that attitude? She thought being the Queen of Heaven meant she could not be felled. She asked why he would help the Queen of Knights, and not herself. Such stupidity. "The Queen of Heaven is no queen of mine! A king of my magnitude shall stand by only the finest queen. Fall into obscurity, Ishtar. There is no place for the likes of you here."

Interesting words fell out of the mouth of the King of Heroes. He would say something like that wouldn't he? Well, Artoria couldn't actually argue with the potential point. She was most likely to say such a thing and his remaining in such a good humor was more than worthwhile to her, whether she'd be angry when speaking to him or something else entirely wasn't worth the extra thought presently. Still given the situation there was the lightest pinkening of Artoria's cheeks. Yeah, she wouldn't be responding to that one.

Nor did it matter if she did immediately or not. The death of Ishtar was at hand and the green haired goddess stayed in place inside of her boat apparently hoping that Gilgamesh would change his mind. Her constant bleating about fairness and the lowliness of humanity was given a lesson by Gilgamesh who explained the true nature of humanity. All while, he channeled the ultimate attack of Artoria into a single place. Of course, doing such a thing would pull against the walls of Camelot but still they would stand. "NO! NO! NO!!" there was nothing but a tantrum taking place here. Still she wouldn't have moved out the way regardless, because she didn't believe she could be felled but... Ea felled her and now she was being sucked into shining light. The oppressive concept of hopes and dreams being rocketed into her person and concentrated. And what was more, Gilgamesh claimed the Queen of Heaven was no Queen of his, only the best for him and the best was? The girl at his side? Why? What was so special about her?

Ugh, terrible. A scream of discontent as she was taken by such an attack and because of the eventual release of the vacuum pressure blown out along with the walls of Camelot. Poor Galahad would be rocketed off in one direction and Ishtar in the other. Still, Galahad was no fool, given the personality displayed by this woman she knew that her evil wouldn't stop just because she was felled. It was her duty to do more and so she would. That ship of Ishtar's had crumbled into pieces and her body wasn't in better shape either, several things had fallen off her person in the form of mystic code. Surely the fall would kill her. Meanwhile, Galahad was falling as well. Unknown to anyone else, Galahad had the tenacity of mankind and extra defense on her side, she used her mana to curve herself towards Ishtar, she would claim something from that body as they fell, and tie it to herself, within arms reach she grabbed, her necklace? Good enough she'd be found eventually as she rode her shield down, down down. Still as the dust cleared the battle was won the war was over and among the things left on the battlefield were a string of mystic code from the fallen goddess. Artoria would move forward to claim it while dishing out orders. "Agravain, start the search for Galahad. She'll survive the fall. Everyone else, be ready for secondary attacks, check for wounded," she said picking up the string of code. 'Celestial Visage?' She'd never heard of such a code before, still there was a smile on her face, she supposed she had a few open code lines it was hardly worth anything else. That ship of hers had fallen apart, pieces of it blown apart across several islands here. She supposed she'd leave those to fate, and claim just this for herself.

This day, the cost of tearing down the goddess Ishtar, the Queen of Heaven herself, was... one. The Shielder Knight Galahad was fated to fall, but also fated to claim a particular misused Artifact of the goddess in doing so. Gilgamesh seemed to be watching this moment as if he knew the outcome, and in fact, he did. Just moments before, that eerie glow came to the king's eyes. This was the optimal path. "Do not seek her," he said. He had not seen everything, but he had seen enough. Seeking the fallen knight now did not have a positive end, as it was certain to result in success... as well as great failure.

Already distraught by the sight of Galahad's fall, Lancelot had rushed to the edge of the broken ice bridge. He seemed almost ready to leap down after the woman─ something he would have done without a second thought. Brows furrowed and teeth bared, outrage was coming. Why would that order be given? Why would anyone be expected to follow something so stupid? Well, Gilgamesh's mouth would open again before Lancelot had the chance to share some choice words with him. "Ishtar bore a necklace of great power. It is one of seven objects absent from even my coffers, and holds the power of foresight. The girl will be fine, hidden from the fallen goddess, but the rest of you will not. Do not be so foolish as to sacrifice a long-term victory for sentiment." He spoke truths. An immediate search party had multiple outcomes, most of which were negative.

Alas, another knight with medium-length blonde hair saw fit to speak from Lancelot's side. He had a particular interest in the safety and return of Lady Galahad as well, albeit for different reasons entirely. "Never have I pledged myself to the whimsy of a Hero-King," he said, a hand upon Sir Lancelot's shoulder. "I still have personal goals in the lower world. I will find Galahad myself, and I will take my Party with me. It should be no problem at all," the knight Sir Pellinore insisted.

Meanwhile, Enki came to realize Ishtar was no less idiotic than she made herself seem. This could have been a simple matter, but she hadn't even managed to save enough time. How could she not? The whole of that group gave her the full, ridiculous charge time of Maana's attack, and she couldn't make it another five minutes? That woman was no good for war; Enki still hadn't finished his modifications. Well... he supposed he had to make something work with what he had thus far. . .

Artoria's eyes shifted to Gilgamesh. The King of Heroes said seeking the one known as Galahad was unnecessary at present. The other knights did not agree none more than Lancelot. Artoria understood this, they were siblings and as clouded as sentiment could make judgement, Artoria would take up many a war-banner and an absolute amount of carnage over her own sister. To keep others from such a path she could easily take such a thing unto herself. "Lancelot," that was it, just that, Artoria understood his feelings, she truly did, but there was much truth in the words of the King of Heroes, so much she wouldn't deny his council. If Galahad would be both safe and hidden from the eyes of Ishtar, she was technically safer than anyone else would be for a while yet. Besides that claiming pieces of the goddess was among the best ways to keep everyone safe, Galahad was a knight first, she understood the risks and did not try and save herself. None understood human nature better than her, if she fell with Ishtar to take something from her, Artoria would trust her decision was made from a standpoint of necessity. That one, did not act brashly, nor should anyone be allowed to her own behalf. "Galahad does not act without reason. She understands the nature of a mind better than any. If she felt it necessary to help in such a way, we have to honor her sentiments. She would not wish you act brashly on her behalf," said Artoria. That much was the truth.

Ah, but there was a bit more dissent this time from Pellinore. Oh, it was no great secret that this particular knight had a soft spot for the Lady Galahad, whether she reciprocated such feelings or not was an unknown. She was not the type to make her personal interests so obvious. Still, Pellinore's intentions in this moment were clear before Artoria's eyes. He was quite right... he was going down regardless, if he added finding Galahad to his list it would hardly be an inconvenience. He had been on his way out of Albion to find his quarry in the first place, when they were besieged by this unwieldy fog. "You answer to me, Pellinore." Just that sentence was the statement of Artoria. It seemed to contain a certain amount of power, was it a threat or was it simply domination? Whether he cared for the words of Gilgamesh or not, there was a certain amount of agreement that Artoria had with the current line of action. To disperse completely when there was still a threat on the lose was hardly a good idea. "That being said, your search for the Questing Beast was already approved and since it is a search further looking would be no real problematic addition. Since you are going down, use Loch Ness as your base, keep an eye on it. Find your beast. Look for Galahad. Keep your party safe. Will you take that as your task?" There was a semblence of a command there. As Artoria approached directly. She knew his intentions but if he wanted such a thing added to his job, he wasn't to do so brashly. To act overtly on emotion was to lead to folly she would not allow it for any who would be thoroughly missed.

Lancelot was not to act, according to even Artoria. It didn't need saying that he was annoyed by this decision. For Lancelot, this was among the most difficult orders to follow. He knew the behavior of his own sister. He knew that if she even expected a better outcome to not being sought, she'd have left well enough alone. Still, even though he would not outright go against Artoria's wishes, he would not do so happily. "Rgh! I know, I know..." he grumbled through gritted teeth. As much as he didn't like this, there was a reason he followed the Queen of Knights for so long. He would not go against this council, no matter how much it bothered him to leave Galahad alone in the lower world... or worse yet, in the care of Sir Pellinore. "Understood."

Also understood, was the fact that Pellinore answered to Artoria. The blonde knight himself did not question this. He answered to the queen before even his own desires, much as Lancelot before him did. "As always, my queen," Pellinore stated with a hand over his chest. He took this task upon himself not only because it was convenient to him, but because he believed it to be the best possible outcome. Would he take this task as ordered by Artoria? There was no doubt about this. Even with a smile, he'd offer his acceptance. "Loch Ness will be my base, as it will be the point of a beacon for the day I return with Lady Galahad in tow. On my honor, I will not return until she has been found and acquired," he stated with certainty. When they were done here, he would make way for the lower world immediately.

Gilgamesh observed this exchange between Artoria and her knights, seeming both aloof and judgmental. There were many outcomes he saw related to this very moment. Some were good, some were bad, most were both at various points and in various ways. This was a moment he could choose to guide one way or another, yet he chose to abstain. There were far more important things for him to look ahead to, and the outcome of this exchange was not meaningful enough in the long-run to be an acceptable distraction.

Artoria could see Lancelot's struggle. She understood it a great deal... she often acted brashly and without the slightest bit of hesitation so to force inaction on someone who would rather act was likely torment. Even so, she would do it for the best possible outcome. She did not think the Lady Galahad would forgive her, if she let her little brother tarnish his honor over something like a personal decision she made. "Good." Was Artoria's response to his notion of her order being understood. Still, there was light in Artoria's eyes. She understood more than most, and when the time was right, if she needed to, if the opportunity presented itself... she'd send Lancelot to seek his sister. Whatever the case, what seemed to also be understood was the overwhelming domination of one like Artoria Pendragon. It seemed that Pellinore did not question his place in this world. Still, Artoria posed him a question, presented him with an altered version of his mission and waited for his answer.

How would he do so? With a smile, claiming that he'd do all she'd said. There was a sincerity there, and a certainty. He put such a claim on his honor? Did he truly understand what it was to do such a thing? There was an earnestness in such a statement but Artoria wondered if he realized how much of an enforcer of such things she actually was. "On your honor, Pellinore. Live and die by it..." Artoria said. It was as if it was an acceptance of the terms. And if he failed, she would be the one to collect. It was her responsibility to preserve the honor of the Knights that would include making sure those who lost track of their honor died by her hands. Responsibility taken unto herself. "Prepare properly. Dismissed." she said to the man with his hand over his chest. Whether he did what he wanted to or not if he returned without Galahad or Loch Ness fell under his care... there would be hell to pay. Moving on, Artoria looked to her left where Agravain was now awaiting updated orders as her previous ones had been cancelled by the Queen's own decisions. "Use your methods, to point them in the right direction. Return there after... be vigilant." Artoria's last words were spoken in a moment of directness that only one like Agravain would truly understand. "As you wish my Queen." Agravain understood, Artoria was always skeptical of other people, Agravain was usually sent anywhere as an assurance that someone would be killed before being allowed to become dishonorable. Artoria had seen the truth of Pellinore's desires, but she also saw the potential fall of such things. He could potentially complete his tasks, or he could potentially be up to something regardless... it did not matter. There were other problems. That little piece of mystic code would be added to her own. And she'd hold on to her weapon seeming to give a few things thought. And with that, Artoria turned heading back towards Gilgamesh... it was where she was always going anyway. "Kay..." she said to the woman who'd raised her. "You do not have to ask..." she said giving a bow as well. Ishtar had fallen now all there was to do was return the country where it belonged in the sky and go back to her own business.

Ah, but there was one other thing yet to be done. Enki had spent the entirety of this siege plotting, working and adjusting as necessary to avoid the entire plan crumbling in his hand. At long last, he had something usable. It was going to be costly─ incredibly costly. Was it worth it? As he looked out to that collection of mortals, watching the little queen approach Gilgamesh after the pair of them eliminated Ishtar, he thought... yes. The feeling of his own Divine Core informed him of her fall, and gave him all the information he needed to understand that the time had come. He had to act now to solidify his place, lest the whole plan be for naught.

Artoria dismissed Pellinore, which left him preparing for exodus after a single bow. He'd do as needed to complete his goals and those given to him, and it would not be solely because of an order. Now that the matters of Ishtar's defeat and Galahad's fall were addressed, Artoria approached an open-armed King of Heroes. He had his victory and the accompanying prize. Gilgamesh cared not for the fate of Enki; he'd informed the others that they could do away with the water god with this very moment in mind. What he didn't see, was the fault of his own decision. The king had refrained from viewing this exact moment in which Artoria approached him, all to enjoy said moment to the fullest. However, as she walked forward, his eyes widened. A new path had been opened, and it appeared only in the moment of taking place. Enki appeared in a flash, releasing an amulet that had been attuned to Artoria Pendragon's identity over the time he'd spent observing her. Though it had been meant to rewrite her mind in full, its incomplete state could only consume her consciousness and seal it away. Still, the attunement let that released amulet jettison itself toward her being as if it were magnetized, while Enki himself descended to the woman's rear. "Did you humans really think you would win a war against me?" the god wondered aloud as all of AS-IKU trembled. The Artifact he used was of divine origin, designed in early attempts to wrangle even the "Spirits" in the old world. Even its incomplete modifications took such massive power to utilize, which resulted in all of AS-IKU having its energy syphoned directly into the amulet during its activation. What would this mean? Well, AS-IKU would no longer be capable of floating with so much power lost. Luckily, they were not presently standing on one of its own islands... or would that be unlucky for those who went against the gods? Once Enki had his prize, he would not be foolish enough to stick around. His plan was to use one final burst of energy to transport himself to one of the falling lands of AS-IKU, where he intended to keep his new possession until he could move on to the next phase. "Have your battle, mortals. The war is always mine to take."

Artoria had turned to walk towards Gilgamesh but something wasn't right. She wasn't sure what it was but just in the corner of her eye. Her sword was always in her hand, always ready for action and she started the turn which would have let her respond to an attack from above and behind her. These were the attack methods used by those who tried to close in on her most often this was the sort of thing she'd be ready for. But... the attunement of this particular object had it fly beneath her arm with her sword in it and lock into place around her neck. In a single moment, the thing would likely activate and when it did, several islands began to shake. What was anyone to do?

The individual islands around them began to fall. And Artoria's own consciousness seemed to disappear. Her vibrant eyes gained a dulled hues and it was like she was an empty shell of a being. The lights were on somewhere in there but her personal consciousness and everything that made her, a living breathing person seemed to disappear in a moment. As this happened in her own mind, Artoria's consciousness continued. Her sword once gripped in her hand but she couldn't feel it. She couldn't lift her arm she couldn't force herself away from this strange man she didn't like. She could not call out for help. What had happened to her, why couldn't she move?! Ah, she could hear. One of these damnable gods was taking her hostage. He made the claim he'd won the war, that mortals couldn't win against him. Foolish. Artoria could not move, but she did not know the meaning of the term surrender. Just a bit a tiny bit... her hand tightened around Excalibur. Could she do it? Could she force her own movement? She would try.