Finis Chaldea

[Bloodedge]

That very same dark shadow took little time to appear. A short matter of days passed, giving way to the form of... King Gilgamesh himself? It certainly seemed so, though a literal shroud of darkness encompassed his form. He looked as he did in his youth, but this was not King Gilgamesh in actuality. This form resembling the King of Heroes was a Heroic Spirit, summoned by a Holy Knight Apprentice through the Holy Grail of one Jeanne d'Arc. It was a simple test of the summoning feature which copied the registered Saint Graph of heroes, manifesting them and binding them to the mana of their summoner. In this case, the person who pulled a card from the Holy Grail was a little too ambitious for their own good. They were lucky enough to receive an Archer Class Card possessing the Saint Graph of Gilgamesh himself, as well as a special bonus attachment. Sadly, the manifestation process itself was tainted by an unquenchable thirst for power, letting the Void's influence seep through the summoner's mana into the Heroic Spirit of Gilgamesh. One Apprentice Holy Knight died that day, being deemed unworthy by the Archer. A veritable rampage would ensue as Archer began moving across Finis Chaldea in full golden armor, seeking the throne he was owed. . .

[Apollymi]

This story of a young knight felled by their own ambition was one which Jeanne did not foresee. Such care was taken when choosing her own group, she could not have known that others would be unable to see people for what they truly were. Perhaps that was too vague. Perhaps it could be said that such a thing was bound to happen as ambition became something insurmountable when not tempered. She'd already stood, finding herself easily capable of traversing Finis Chaldea. She'd find herself in the throne room of Uruk in front of her older sister, Queen of Knights Artoria Pendragon. Who sat at first, finishing a tablet with her sword beside he rnot looking like she did not belong exactly here. She was oddly happy at this sight, and wondered over a future that could bring it to fruition. But first there was a much more immediate problem. "Eri-nee! It's bad. It's soo bad!" she exclaimed! Artoria rose from her seat opening her arms to her younger sister as she descended from the throne. Jeanne d'Arc, in classic little sister fashion, threw herself into this woman's arms and she as she always would aimed to comfort and assure her.

"It cannot be that bad, tell me... what is wrong?" she said her younger sister pulled away looking just a tad sheepish. "So, my Holy Grail can be used to summon Saint Graphs, you know like trading cards, but of people who have participated in holy grail wars. We did a test run today..." she explained of the whole situation. "And an apprentice holy knight, summoned Gilgamesh!" she said seeming to find it crazy. A soft sigh escaped Artoria in the moment. Why? Because of course it would be the King of Heroes that was summoned first by such a ridiculous method. "And?" she asked obviously just a summon of even the arrogant version of Gilgamesh wouldn't be too much a problem. "Well, apparently the ambition of that Holy Knight wasn't properly aligned, he summoned the King of Heroes and the King of Heroes slayed him. Since he is an Archer he doesn't need a summoner to act and... his Saint Graph is tainted. I do not think I can face him, I cannot defend against his onslaught and do enough damage at the same time. And... he's headed this way..." mentioned Jeanne who finally got everything out and had been reduced to tears. Artoria in this moment was hugging her younger sister, rubbing her back, as she'd done many times before. It seemed to her as if the King of Heroes was coming home not as himself and Artoria simply couldn't allow that. "Shh, it is fine, Emi. This is not your fault. Do not worry... I will take care of it," said Artoria. Though she was comforting her sister. Artoria's face had a huge smile on her face, she was going into battle. She wiped away her sister's tears and placed her lips gently against the other girl's forehead. Doing so seemed to calm her immensely and put into the head of Jeanne that her sister really would handle this situation. What a truly doting older sister.

"Siduri, I am going on a walk~ My new blade is about to get its proving~" she exclaimed like a girl on the first day of school. She picked up Excalibur and threw it over her shoulder, and she and her sister began walking together to meet Gilgamesh outside in the desert. The Queen of Knights, donned her armor which still fit perfectly even over her new dress. Out here in the open plains no harm could be done. Jeanne easily lead her to the spot where the King of Heroes would make landfall and seemed content to help in whatever what she could. How did Artoria actually feel? Well, she supposed she'd decide upon laying eyes on the King of Heroes.

[Bloodedge]

That decision would come relatively soon. The visage of Gilgamesh would take little time to land after Artoria and Jeanne's arrival to the open field. He descended in full glory, scowl on his face as he once appeared almost permanently. Who were these women standing in his path? Armed and armored, they seemed ready and willing to present opposition. Fools. There were none who could oppose him! Alas, the king was willing to grant them a pass. Footfall was followed by a series of steps, which ended a few meters away from the sisters. "Rejoice, mongrels! You have the honor of standing before King Gilgamesh. I don't recall granting you permission to gaze upon me, but as I am in a good mood upon my glorious return, I will allow just this one overstep. Flounder before me, offer your submission, and I may allow you to follow. I'm sure my harem is in need of rebuilding by now." Strange. This Gilgamesh boasted the mind and visage of his younger self, a version that existed before the creation of Saint Graphs. Any who knew would have room to assume his current Saint Graph was taken from the time he met Enkidu all those decades ago. It shouldn't have been possible. Just the same, it probably shouldn't have been possible for him to manifest badly with so much of himself in tact. This Heroic Spirit, or Servant, acknowledged himself fully as the King of Heroes, as if he were the genuine article in the flesh. What's more, the memories he possessed were from a time before the second Holy Grail war; he had no recognition of either woman standing before him. Oh well; the more curvaceous one was certainly fit to reinvigorate his harem all on her own. The smaller one could perhaps use some growing, but he thought it would be entertaining enough to break her a few times.

[Apollymi]

The descent of Gilgamesh was about what Artoria expected. Jeanne for her part in this had her eyes widen at this man's words. "I think we are all done judging me for choosing violence the first time are we not?" she asked her younger sister. "Yeah, I don't remember it being so bad the first time... but he's so different from the one we know," she said carefully. "Do you need backup?" she asked of her sister. "This man is not my King of Heroes," Artoria said lightly. The Queen of Knights stared at this man, what was his look? Golden armor, hair straight up in the air, permanent scowl? This was not the face of the man she'd been unable to talk to directly for several days. This was not the man, she'd tirelessly mentally prepared to face for the sake of courtship. No this was the hedonist tyrant with all the mental maturity of a spoilt child spewing nonsense before her. How dare he?! There was abject fury in her eyes now. Oh? She hadn't been angry since, ah yes the night of her attempted rape. But this wasn't the unbridled fury of that time, no... it was something very different. "How dare you appear before me like this?" she said having properly taken a grip of her extended size Excalibur.

"My name is Artoria Pendragon. I do not submit to the poor-quality counterfeit of my King of Heroes..." she mentioned with an unwavering gaze. "Stand aside, little sister. I will not require your assistance for this," she said with an almost sarcastic smirk across her lips. "I am the Queen who has been occupying the throne of Uruk, and you are not fit to take it from me," she said flickering her gaze over this man. Her blade was held sideways and it was already gathering light. Her eyes were firm and her body had already braced itself. If this man was truly the younger version of Gilgamesh, his personality was already known, and a man with his attitude could not stand against her. Hopes and dreams were gathering and the light of Excalibur began to shine even at this horizontal positioning, but there was a reason she chose it. However, Jeanne stood aside as her sister wished, it hadn't gone past her notice that the Queen of Knights had started referring to King Gilgamesh a very different way.

[Bloodedge]

The humans of this era seemed to be made of something very different, very... repulsive. By now, this pair of women should have been groveling at his feet, thirsting for the divine opportunity to service the King of Uruk. They did no such thing, and they instead chose to have a brief discussion amongst themselves. Who was in charge of these disrespectful harlots? The smaller of the two even questioned his appearance, referring to him immediately afterwards as some sort of counterfeit. Never in his time had he heard something so ridiculously absurd. Damned be the more buxom woman; this one had to be taught some manners. Of course, there was one constant about Gilgamesh, no matter the variant. He was always going to be what others could call... an arrogant prick. As such, it was with nothing short of smugness that he acknowledged this Artoria woman. "H'oh? The little girl is the first to volunteer, is she? It will be with great pleasure that I break you, both body and soul. Be loud in your submission, mongrel, as it will be difficult to hear when you are being split in half," he said. It seemed even this Gilgamesh had some very clear intentions with one Artoria Pendragon, though he was at the height of his hedonism regardless.

What she planned on doing with that strange sword exuding some fancy little light show, was beyond him. This Gilgamesh didn't appear very concerned at all, but she was not permitted to act out in physical defiance. Divine Gates immediately around Artoria's person gave way to the Chains of Heaven for the simple purpose of binding the alleged queen. He was quite lacking in hesitation in this case, but the general approach he often had with these chains remained. His binding aimed for the neck, the arms, the midriff and the legs, though there was also attention paid to the sword she held onto this time around. At this time, he continued speaking. "I will permit this outburst and treat it as an act of sheer ignorance. On your knees, little woman. I will allow you to taste of a true king's essence, that you might gain understanding in your feeble mind. Then, perhaps we may speak of how you will occupy Uruk's throne─ only with myself between you and that chair."

[Apollymi]

Of course, a young Gilgamesh would make the assumption that someone was just going to fall all over him. Everything Artoria had read about the King of Heroes in the last few weeks said everything but his child-self and him post journey was just an annoyance and a half. After dealing with Rim-Sin of Nippur, she already knew what kind of man he'd been to his people before. And after fighting him in the Second Holy Grail War, she knew he wasn't used to defiance. She knew standing against him would get her his undivided attention even without use of her special ability. In this case, simply having faced him in combat and knowing his arrogance would make it a bit easier to make sure she had her target hit.

But her special ability would be used, she wasn't him after all, she had no intention of falling short just because she understood a bit about him. It would be annoying to lose to him when he was currently in a way that would sour her own mood. The Chains of Heaven, his friend Enkidu would always be his first usage, he'd aim to bind her but Artoria was lithe and graceful she twisted around such chains using Invisible Air around her sword to increase her movement by beginning the swing sideways. "The counterfeit of the King of Heroes is not allowed to say such things to me," she said truly this man's arrogance was annoying, and at this point she was rather enjoying the idea of slaying him. Thus she'd be allowed to forego binding of herself and her weapon. "EX-!" The spin would send this blade straight into his side, aiming to knock directly into the King of Heroes, even with his armor her physical strength was high enough that she figured it would have cut any normal person in half for him such a thing would have left a greivous wound deep into his side even through his armor. "CALIBUR!" That cry of Excalibur though? That was a charge, a build up for the downward swing she'd manage after completing those dancing spins. Basically she used the physical force of the charging blade, to put her into the position to quickly slash downward, releasing the power of hopes and dreams and her own unbridled fury down upon him. She aimed to wipe out this fake version of the King of Heroes. How dare their first meeting after his death be a fake version of him? And how dare he actually say such vulgar things to her while not being himself. She would not allow it.

[Bloodedge]

Once more, there was the claim of him being a counterfeit King of Heroes. What sort of nonsense was that? There was a single king who stood atop the world, and he was that very king. "Arrogant little worm," he commented. He didn't know who this girl thought she was by evading his chains, though it was no less surprising that she managed at all. It seemed almost as if she knew what to expect. Had he encountered this woman somewhere before? Possibly. Perhaps she was one of the mongrels he let crawl away after one of his laws was broken. Whatever the case, she now thought it was acceptable to approach him. "Perhaps it is best I keep you restrained like the rabid beast you are. That, too, would be quite pleasing to the eye."

Artoria's approach brought a spiraling slash aimed at the king's side. A sword appeared not from the usual Divine Gate; it instead seemed to rise from below, not bearing the typical golden color Gilgamesh tended to use. It was this straight-edged sword which held Artoria's initial slash at bay, but lo... she had another plan. The sword apparently named Excalibur grinded its way along Gilgamesh's summoned sword, sparks spewing between the two until his foolhardy opponent completed her spin, ending in a downward slash that was not at all normal. That sudden influx of mana was worthy enough to widen even Gilgamesh's eyes, but he would not be permitting something so ridiculous. Two segments of the Chains of Heaven emerged between himself and that offensive claymore, crossing in front of the blade to halt its descent. When that beam of light erupted, it did so just over the Heroic Spirit's head, and shot out into the sky from Excalibur's tip. All the while, Gilgamesh seemed the same strange mix of carefree and annoyed that he always was. He took up that summoned sword in his left hand to lunge forward with it, aiming its tip at the queen's liver.

[Apollymi]

Artoria found a strange amount of amusement in battling this younger version of Gilgamesh. She found it, funny that the younger him was so very arrogant that he was obviously upset by just her calling him fake. Ah, she was being called a rabid dog now? Just steadily moving up the food chain by the Saint Graph of the King of Heroes. How long would it take, before victory was clear? She'd keep looking.

For now, Artoria found that she was countered with relative ease, she wasn't expecting that, but the sword produced to block her initial swing wasn't something she'd ever seen Gilgamesh do. "Oh? Am I to believe that even an imitation can show me something new?" The Queen of Knights said seeming to find this interesting. 'Never seen that before, so it is different... also,' A pause occurred in her thoughts as at the end of everything the Chains of Heaven blocked her strike which would have definitely done the job. He couldn't be in charge of that himself, right? He wasn't the sort to block an attack he didn't think would amount to anything. That kind of reaction was like what she expected when her sister was at her back, a reaction to recklessness. That beam from Excalibur just barely missed it was up in the air. "Oh? I suppose it would have been boring if I could actually one shot you," she claimed. Even so, it was far too early for this vestige of Gilgamesh to think such simple sword work was going to end in an injury to the Queen of Knights. "Invisible Air," the active statement as that sword came towards her had her own coat itself in wind based magic which against the chains, given the size of her weapon bounced the small lass about. That sword that would have pierced her body instead barely grazed her, making a shallow lightly bleeding slash out of what was supposed to be a plunge. She flew up in the air by quite a bit only to land behind him after his lunge forward. "I suppose, even an imitation should be mistakable for the genuine article for a time. Maybe he will even prove a worthy opponent for your proving~" she observed, the last bit spoken directly to her sword.

"Eri-nee, you have an unhealthy relationship with that sword..." mentioned Jeanne as she watched. This battle was both similar and different from the first one. How did her sister plan to deal with this man, and why did her words seem to antagonize him on purpose? Besides that, he did block an attack and she'd not actually seen him commit to such a thing before. Even with both hands on that big sword, Artoria Pendragon seemed unbothered. Her eyes were trained on this man and her mind was already working. 'If he were alone he would be dead already... he definitely would not have blocked those attacks. Actually, I could probably goad him into taking one if I tried a little...' she thought that same smirk settling on her face. She did not attack again immediately, she forced herself to be a bit more patient, to aim for accuracy when swinging this large version of Excalibur.

[Bloodedge]

Again, only annoyance fell from the mouth of this woman. At this rate, simply plugging her mouth would not suffice. Would he have to take more extreme measures, and remove his own potential amusement for the sake of quelling this indignation? Perhaps. "You are a fool to believe yourself capable of even reaching me," he grumbled. Never had he met someone so bothersome. Even Aga of Kish, the overlord Gilgamesh himself had overcome, had been less aggravating. Oh well. This girl had some cute little tricks up her sleeve, letting her prance about the battlefield as if her life could not be ended by his whim alone. She landed behind him following an aerial maneuver clearing her of grave injury, yet blood still stained his sword. What was he to do with that blade then? It was sullied, so he tossed it aside as one would a used rag. "Hmph! If you are going to dirty my things, have the decency to die on my blade. Stained tools are unbecoming," he stated, just slightly to the contrary of how his modern self would speak.

Gilgamesh's arms were crossed as he looked over his shoulder toward the Queen of Knights. His eyes were filled with fire restrained by the bravado of a king. Six segments of the Chains of Heaven were shot from over his opposite shoulder, not as bindings, but to use the spear tips as piercing weaponry. They were just nearly released in unison, as if to take advantage of that claymore's weight by targeting her left shoulder, then right thigh, right shoulder, left shin, center torso, and finally left thigh in quick sequence. "Fools do like to dance, I suppose. Go on then. Dance for your king, mongrel," he said while the assault was ongoing.

[Apollymi]

The King of Heroes was grumbling, she was a fool to think she could reach him? That same smile still spread on her face, "I have reached further than you..." Artoria's words sounded wistful but they were pointed to a specific end. "I have reached my King of Heroes, and stood over his fallen body after he stood in my way," she said as if experiencing a happy form of nostalgia. Of course, she just expected these words to stick into him a bit. Even as he cast his weapon away, because it was sullied by her blood, she was only about ten seconds away from giggling at his obvious discontent. "A stained tool is proof it had function. Proof it actually mattered it was in your hands..." she said. This man would not understand her at all, she was more than casually aware of that, even so there had to be a trigger to open the door for her to step through... the assured victory she could have called herself having. "And I do not fall in battle, even when I lose..." she said those words and meant them. She wasn't the sleepless tantruming girl she'd been 10 years ago when she'd showed up at this man's door. And he was not the man she confided in. As such she was only here to make sure he didn't step too far beyond his own means.

Oh, the Saint Graph of the King of Heroes thought himself capable of forcing her to dance? Well, she would have done so anyway, if only because she still hadn't seen the path to victory yet. No, instead she saw only a gentle opening, a space to be moved towards as she did not bother drawing her blade upward at all. Her reaction speed was undeniably quick even with a sword as large as the one she was currently carrying. Instead of using it immediately she moved herself around those coming almost simultaneously released spear tips. Each movement made her take multiple steps as she avoided being run through until the six were handled and only then did she drag her blade upward, having made her way into his direct line of sight, as was honorable. This time pouring only her mana into the weapon in no less quantity than that initial swing had been. She aimed to engulf this man from his feet up through the middle of his body while placing herself in the position to bring down the weapon again if she needed to. "Oh? You are not quite as unwieldy as you always seem. Though you still make me exert myself..." she said to the sword, though she wouldn't be trying to wield it as normal if she could avoid it. "I do not take orders from the forgery of the hero-king."