Finis Chaldea

[Bloodedge]

"Hmph," was the only utterance Gilgamesh had to offer Jeanne's statement. He moved on immediately with the granting of Vivian's payment. It seemed well-received by the fairy herself, with the one hiccup in transference coming from... Metis, of course. Was it an act of audacity which led to him giving away part of her soul? Nonsense. "Your things are my things," he replied without hesitation. Now, the Lady of the Lake had been rewarded and named as another official member of the king's party. The next to receive this acknowledgement would be Metis herself. "Shall I grant you a piece of another, Nanshe? I wonder if you even recognize this thing." As he spoke, another portal produced another ancient Artifact. This one flew about of its own accord, seeming to be a large piece of cloth with no true color attributed to it. It happened to be the possession of a deity who barely made it out of the old world, but survived in this one just long enough to leave behind a few possessions. "That from which the Edimmu were created, a cloak of levitation, invisibility and darkness. Subdue and wear it, and you will never be assaulted unawares. You will go where you please, do as you please, and reveal only what you wish, as Sovereign of Order. Of course, I expect you will be making use of Authorities stolen or otherwise during your travels. Do with them as you please, so long as you do not become as your siblings did."

[Apollymi]

The King of Heroes made the claim that her things were his things. Of course he would say something like that.. "It is bothersome how much you remind me of her," she said having a strange mental image of her daughter making a gesture and saying words which only made sense in the context of a meme picture while laughing about it. Strangely, even the goddess of wisdom was being granted both item and party status. "Ara ara, I did not really expect this... I do not even want to know whose closet was raided or grave was robbed to find something related to... that," she said giving a soft smirk. She was offered the title Sovereign of Order and given free roam to go about her business with the Authorities she collected and could very well otherwise abuse. The King of Heroes was such a strange man, claiming to want to end all gods, but really just wanting to give a bit more back to humanity.

"I can accept a title like that, and there is nothing to worry about... I cast away divinity rather than deal with stupidity. I have an attitude problem not a moral one," she explained of herself. In this moment, it became obvious that Nanshe, knew what her sin was... and would not fall to it. "Though, I think a bit of a change will be in order. I hope you do not mind Pharaohs... I am borrowing your idea," she said taking up the cloak she'd be graced in strange light. A few minor adjustments later and that cloak wrapped around herself seemed to form something new and the entirety of her changed for the alignment with this material. She took on specifically the positive and negative aspects of Discord, embodying them as the Pharaohs did. She became an incarnate goddess, a Celestial of a different order, in a moment of decision making. That cloak with its rather high up collar was fitted around her form. Her clothing became a black skintight cat-suit lined in gold. Those eyes of hers were still that strange shade of red. She ran gloved hands through straighter red hair and tossed it around a bit. She spent a moment or two checking her figure. "Hm... I think, like this... I like the name Eris. Yes, that will work..." she said. One major change that occurred was that face of hers with its resting position seemed impossibly annoyed and like it wasn't going anywhere even though she seemed relatively passive. Nefertari watched with wide eyes, did she just... make a new Avatar? On the spot! Her rainbow eyes were sparkling in this very moment. "Can I... do that too??"

[Bloodedge]

Her? Gilgamesh hadn't the foggiest idea what person Metis spoke of, but he cared even less. Where and how he acquired the object granted to her was of just as little concern, so he moved on. While Metis busied herself with the application of her Artifact, Gilgamesh looked toward Jeanne and... her oh so faithful knight. "Dragon Knight," he said. Siegfried stepped forward with slight hesitation. What had he done to earn anything? He worked not for Gilgamesh, but on Jeanne d'Arc's order. Little did he realize, that was something worth its own reward in the king's eyes. "What have I─" he began, only to be silenced by the raised hand of Gilgamesh. The next thing to escape his treasury was a set of silver armor pieces including greaves, cuissets, gauntlets, rerebraces and pauldrons. Old as they were, they remained in pristine condition as everything else in his possession did. "You who has no need of armor, I give you this. Worn by the champions of Dragon Kin who turned on their overlords and slew them, these pieces possess the power of resistance against the might of dragons. You struggle with containing the dragon when transforming, no? Your master will never commit to wearing her new garment at all times. This armor should easily meld into that form while keeping the might of Fafnir beneath your own. Wear it, and become of greater use to the Witch," he ordered. There was no title to grant Siegfried; Gilgamesh considered him only an extension of Jeanne herself. The armor would lessen the knight's capabilities as a dragon, but it would also let him outgrow what he currently borrowed from Fafnir's essence. Siegfried understood this, and bowed his head while taking up the gift. He'd remain at Jeanne's side silently, knowing that he'd been given the same duty of care by yet another person.

When the exchange with Siegfried came to an end, Gilgamesh shifted his gaze toward... Eris, as she was now called. She changed forms just as her father had done, much to the surprise of one Nefertari. She wished to know if it was a thing she could do as well. After discovering the workings of Anu, and after toying with the concept a few times himself, Gilgamesh had a rather solid answer to give. "There is some limited ability to hold numerous cores within oneself. To do so is to create a new existence as understood by the world itself. I have witnessed a limitation to the possible number, but for you who would display many faces of many shapes and sizes... Here; have your payment." The next thing Gilgamesh produced was his own "Holy Grail" as the others had been calling it. Knowing the strength of his own soul was more than enough to fill it, he poured his essence into the relic and filled it with a golden glow. "Come. Lower your head, Puppet Pharaoh, and you shall receive the first of three things you are owed."

[Apollymi]

Jeanne found strange the inclusion of Siegfried. She appreciated it, for various reasons but it was still something quite unknowable, much like it was introducing him to her sisters in the first place. Strange as it was... even this less caring version of the Dragon Witch could not speak against such a gift. How exactly was he not acting just like her sister in a moment like this? She would be left to think that over while maintaining a certain curious glare. Well at least that much was normal for her. "You know, even if you only did it for me... that's still a lot right?" she said. It was a wonder more people didn't have the wrong idea about which of the sisters he held interest in. Of course, Jeanne herself had figured out who he liked a long time before anyone else, and thus stopped her sister from committing to violence on her behalf. If she'd been her other more emotional self, she likely would have burst into tears and gotten a hug or something of that nature. Maybe not from the King of Heroes directly given her sister seemed the type to growl at someone. Actually, that was worth a snicker as a thought.

Moving on from the point of what would eventually be known as a family discussion, there was the matter of Eris changed form. Nefertari wished to know if she could do something of that nature. Eris was pretty sure she could, given her own divine nature she could likely do it with just as much ease as Eris herself had managed. But it would be Gilgamesh who answered her and claimed she would be receiving the first of her payments to allow her to push past what would have been the limit to the number of Avatars she could possess. "Alright!" she said affirmatively. She'd step up easily lowering her head a bit as instructed. She was far from disagreeing to something which had recently sparked multiple ideas in her head. She was just a bit aghast though, if this was only the first of three things, she was a bit worried about the magnitude of the rest of his offering. It wasn't as if she was in dire need of things.

[Bloodedge]

No response was to be sent Jeanne's way. The things he offered this group could be considered excessive, but to Gilgamesh, they were mere trinkets in an infinite bucket of treasures. He wouldn't have even been surprised if there were copies of those items floating around in the treasury somewhere. If he didn't, oh well; he would not miss any of them. That much could especially be said of the things he would soon hand to Nefertari. First would be the unlocking of her potential as one with numerous faces, which would cost him nothing but energy in the moment. The other two... well, he had no use for them, nor did he have a desire to horde them. That much would become clear after Nefertari lowered her head, which prompted the king to pour the grail's liquid onto her. In behaving as if he were rinsing the pharaoh's hair, he essentially enveloped her in the Nexus' light as it bent to his current desire. She'd be drenched by only the purest, most impossible liquid, but overtaken by a light that eliminated the very concept of limitation. Of course, there was more to it than that... but both pharaohs would make that discovery eventually. "Go forth without restraint, O' Pharaoh. And, while you do so... take these."

Gilgamesh had two more things to offer, and twice did his gate open. There was a golden sceptre emerging from the first portal, boasting the power of the Underworld itself. "The land of Irkalla thought I should have this, but I have no intention of using it. This staff belonged to Kur. I imagine she once used it to curb one of her familiars, or even to order it. From the looks of that dog, it is something quite fitting for the likes of you Egyptians," he explained. In the meantime, the other gate produced a pendant in the shape of a pentagram within a magic circle. This final piece would be the second Divine Artifact he offered the pharaoh. "While you're at it, why not lay claim to another thing I stumbled upon in the Underworld? Five segments this little star has, and five seals. If I am correct, I believe this one is meant to be your... what, father? He's hardly one for reminiscing at this point, but I managed to acquire this from the Sealed One. Take these things, Sovereign of Judgment. May you never lift your own finger again."

[Apollymi]

A few moments later and pure energy was being poured a top the head of Pharaoh Nefertari. She found this a strange occurrence but given what grails were like she was hardly in a position to argue. Even so... what happened next was something she could only be happy about. Unlike many, Nikoleta Corbyn already had a secondary Avatar. She'd made two in her time playing the game Age of Eternity. The first of which she used in a cooperative experience to play alongside Oliver Williams. The second, well she'd made it for strictly aesthetic purposes to try out randomly designed clothing on her own form. As such when the light rescinded, the form of Nefertari had disappeared as well. Leaving behind instead the Pharaoh Nitocris. Along with it, a showing of that long purple hair with horizontal stripes of gold, hiding most of her body. Not that there was much hiding to do considering her own choice in clothing was simple pieces of gold and a long loin cloth.

She took from Gilgamesh those two pieces he offered and the title she was given. May she never lift a finger again? She was alright with that and Judgement was rather keenly up her alley as well. All the while Eris managed to only just hold back a scoff... this man literally managed to rob them all blind. She remembered his special request and the prize he'd won for his closed alpha test of their game, but had it really been so all encompassing when translated to the other side of the world? They might not have let it be so if they'd known, or maybe she would have argued for it, even knowing it because he was suited to the task of holding such things until their rightful owners showed up so to speak? Whatever the case, Nitocris had some very choice words for the man before her. "Those are some very bountiful gifts Golden King. Some of my best works already belong to you but... you know where I am if you require me..." she mused thoughtfully. Those ears of hers popping up. There were little red marks on her face and her eyes were more or less the large amethyst gems they'd been in her first life. "Ozzy, did I get it right?" she asked standing up straight and facing him. It'd been a while, she didn't have a mirror but she had a feeling the reaction of the male Pharaoh would be just enough to let her know. Jeanne found herself once again chuckling... someone was going to be rather busy rather soon. She recognized that face, and if she did she figured the man who spent all his spare time staring at her would recognize it as well.

[Bloodedge]

This little gifting ceremony was quickly nearing its end, at long last. Nefertari would rise, but she would not be Nefertari upon doing so. It certainly showed her desire to have numerous Avatars, the way she switched to another one without hesitation. This iteration of the pharaoh seemed more natural for some reason. Whatever the cause for that feeling, Gilgamesh waved her off after his offerings were accepted. Now, he could finally end things with Ozymandias' payment. Well... he would have done so, if the male pharaoh wasn't standing there like a turkey in the rain, mouth agape and eyes fixed on a single target. Was it not supposed to be the woman who recently received gifts who looked this way? Apparently not. "Bloody Nora," Ozymandias mumbled in an accent that belonged nowhere near Egypt. He wiped his bottom lip, as if to check it for drool. Luckily, there was none... yet. "Ahem! Right, yes! I am the last, am I not?" he asked. It was quite a good thing that he was last on the list. Now, he could receive whatever the Golden King had for him quickly, and... "I have a great deal of business to take care of, I'm afraid. As a kindness to you and your possessions, Golden One, I will consider my wife's gifts as my own remuneration as well. We shall be going now."

Never had Ozymandias been more keen on leaving a venue in this life. Sadly, he would not be allowed departure just yet. "Stay your loins for ten seconds at least, pharaoh. Here." Gilgamesh halted the male pharaoh, but he would not keep him from obvious desire very long. Another Divine Gate released a single item, a small cartouche affixed to a necklace. "I needn't tell you what that is, nor what it is for. You will know. Now, you are both free to debauch your own temple," Gilgamesh concluded. Ozymandias took only a moment to look upon the cartouche. He wouldn't waste time just yet wondering why this was a thing in the Golden King's possession; he could worry over the little things later. For now, he was making haste in approaching Nitocris. "Very concerning. Not important. Talking about it later!" he chanted while reaching out to snatch Nitocris away from where she stood. Did she get it right? Oh, he'd certainly be letting her know for the better part of the next human lifespan.

[Apollymi]

Ozymandias was looking at the newly born Pharaoh Nitocris in a manner she'd become used to over the years. Actually, it was more like the way she was used to him looking at her in the first place. And then just where it was placed, those simple words... one would call them a British colloquialism slipped from between his lips. He fell very easily into himself in a moment like that and she knew her look was exactly what she'd been going for. "Good good..." those materials of Jeanne's they were being picked up by a Medjed taken back to the Pharaoh's temple. That new weapon of hers banished because she knew what was coming next. Oh? They weren't immediately allowed to leave even though Ozzy was more than willing to forego whatever payment was incoming. Oh alright. A cartouche? Interesting, but before she could even comment on that she was being snatched up. "Eeep! Ozzy, calm down..." there were giggles. "Bye guys," she managed to eek out on their behalf. This body was super fresh on... she'd really have to calm him down a bit. Still there was a smile on her face. Jeanne could only chuckle as she walked off. "That face does suit her..." she said rather casually. "Oh to be young. I should find my husband and enjoy my own youth. Though I am starting to understand why my daughter likes them so much," she said of the parting Pharaohs. Whatever unique understanding of her daughter she had... there was an amount of certainty around the idea that she enjoyed the way those two individuals enjoyed each other. No matter, she could simply go on with her plan of drawing both the attention of her daughter and that of her husband at the same time.

Meanwhile there were many things amiss in Albion. At her return, Artoria was greeted by... war? A clash of men her own and those clad in Roman armor. Ah... this was somehow both a terrible sight to come home to, and somehow a glorious one. At the battle she walked back to, she casually swirled Excalibur around, her own armor coming to her person as she took several steps. "We've had enough of the practice swings, right friend? Come, today we show them the Queen of Knights still knows how to dance~" she said with glee. She felled soldiers and saved several of her own people turning the tides of a battle and finding herself back to back with one she did not know but innately felt comfortable with. A single cry as that shining sword raised into the air and showed all around the majesty of the Queen's return. "EX-" she gave the proper charge as a legion would be felled as it marched forward. "CALIBUR!" that was all it took to fell that group. No need for stress. Everyone who had battled should rest. She'd been doing so, it was only fair that she take the brunt of this. She didn't remember when this Knight had shown up, but a helpful hand was far from one she'd turn away. Big horned armor and full coverage helmet.. something about it seemed to want to turn her eyes away, but alas such things did not deceive. A smile crossed her face. She needed to confirm. There was not much in that smile as this one's armor stayed firmly in place their sword planted in the ground before them. "Mordred. My mother sent me to help..." said a voice within that sounded familiar enough. "Of course she did. You have my thanks," said Artoria as she pulled this one to their feet. Oh, time had caught up with her it seemed. No matter... there were more important things to deal with. Morgan had to be the mother of this child, there was no doubt of this in Artoria's mind. If her time was near she needed only leave Camelot in peace before receiving her just desserts. She needed to know who sought Albion, slay them expeditiously and go seek her fortune with the one man she accepted. If this one was to kill her she'd fight for her life. Artoria did not give away victories, even a fated conclusion such as this would be a struggle... now more so than ever because there was something she was seeking aside from a glorious death.

[Bloodedge]

Suddenly, the pharaohs were off. There was no doubt in Gilgamesh's mind that they sought an immediate return to the pyramid. If they even made it to Egypt before the entire pyramid needed cleaning, he'd be surprised. Good for them; at least someone could walk away from this ordeal satisfied. Regardless, business was done, and the rest could adjourn as well. Gilgamesh sank into his throne and sighed lightly. "That will be all," he stated. No participant had been missed. Unless anyone else had something to add or request, he had no more business with any of them. "You've all done well. If there are any among you with needs to meet, speak now. If not, you may go as you please."

Gilgamesh awaited one thing. Eventually, the Queen of Knights would return. She'd offer the return of his armor, and he would take her along with it. Alas, the world had not yet finished interrupting. Time was catching up before the next unknown quantity of distance between them. Gilgamesh was certain Artoria would not be left dead, but he could not be sure how long it would take to snatch her from death's cold grasp. The one called Mordred had finally made an appearance. Mordred would always be the one to kill King Arthur at the end of a fated battle, and that battle was quickly approaching. Now though, there were the soldiers of Roma, an empire that had come to flourish on the lower world within the past millennium. Nothing at ground level could topple these forces, and only a fool would even try. The path to Chaldea had been forged. Their attack would be a relentless one in a war that required no agreement to hostility on both sides. Luckily for the knights and citizens of Albion, Artoria arrived at a very crucial point in this particular assault. While she helped up what would be the newest addition to the Round Table, it was Lancelot who came to greet her. "Fancy meeting you here," he huffed, not from annoyance, but from the fatigue of a long battle. "Done leaving yet? Because I think we're going to be needing you here this time. Oh, and... glad to have you back again~"

[Apollymi]

The young couple seemed to be off in a hurry Francis spent a while looking at Nitocris seeing that face again had been a bit of a shock to her system. "Good for her... that one is way better than my shit head of a brother," she said of Nitocris whom she now knew from another time as a young lass named Nikki. Nikki Corbyn had been dating her younger brother for a while at the end of secondary school and could have done so much better. She was glad to see the lass with the confidence to go find it as such. "The sea calls, but if you find use for me I'll be around a bit," she said with a cheeky smirk she was off to set sail again. Yes, they'd found one of those islands but the rest had been disconnected. What hidden treasures or worse were within them? Well she'd find out such was her adventure. At the same time Jeanne stretched and got ready to leave as well, "I'll see you around I have some work to do myself..." she said. "Come along, Sieg," she said. Though she was not the type to be obvious she was still human for the most part, she might as well have some fun before work settled in. And what of Vivian, she'd been quietly staring off into space. It would seem to many she'd not been paying attention but in fact she was paying attention to something else. "Yeah, work never stops. Don't forget to rest little brother. She really might kill you if you die," she said with a cheeky smirk. And she walked away as well, once again turning further into the Ziggurat for whatever reason. "I need nothing else Wedge of Heaven. I am off to work a bit, I do have a standard of living I'm already used to... I will be building that. See you around~" she said that little cape of hers waving itself as she began to walk off. Once again the King of Heroes was left alone with Siduri and free to do what it was he would do.

At the same time, this war was not one Artoria was familiar with. Whoever thought hers was the kingdom to target obviously did not know how the Queen of Knights operated. They would have been better off coming up alone and facing her in a righteous defeat. Single combat would have saved many lives and Artoria did not believe in sacrificing those she'd collected for the sake of vanity. "Barely a stretch... after so long, right friend?" she mused to her sword. Ah, but someone else was coming along. It was, Lancelot, that small smirk on her face grew just a tad but the man who approached was huffing as if tired. Oh? Had he been in battle so long he'd begun to tire properly? Poor man. Was she done leaving yet? "Apparently, I am not allowed to have fun that does not involve battle. The whole of creation has decided my ire is something worth turning on itself," Artoria said. That little joke of hers not withstanding she couldn't help but be pleased he was alright. "You look tired, Lancelot. Come, all of you who need it, rest, eat and fill me in on the uneducated cur who believes I have given permission for him to interfere with the Albion I raised with my own hands," she said with all the calm she'd collected. After a thousand years of sitting without her weapon in her hands, she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the idea of slaying someone. Still, it was a bit annoying... she had only planned to check in on the Kingdom, not get dragged into another war for no reason at all. "I will not leave unfinished tasks. There is no need to worry, victory and peace will shine over this isle before I step off it again..." The words of the Queen of Knights felt rather heavy. She'd rather just slay whoever led this army and leave the army the option of turning back or dying. But she'd seen what happened when ones leaders were too far gone, it might actually be necessary to fell the whole of an army and its leader and maybe go down below and take out the country as well. To be honest, she'd do all of that... for that time she meant to spend with the King of Heroes to be properly uninterrupted when it started.