Finis Chaldea

[Bloodedge]

Useless blabber. Gilgamesh could not condone such lies as what this woman spewed. Just the same, he cared nothing for her perspective on tools and their usefulness. "Delusional as well, eh? To imagine something beyond Gilgamesh, and to believe there is use for a tool that does not remain flawless; these are the ideals of a commoner." Annoyingly, the woman wielding that Holy Sword continued to zip about, running from his chains and looping around to the front of him. What she thought she would accomplish against his divine form was beyond the king. Unrivaled as he was, there was little need to exert himself against some common wench, so... he wouldn't. It wasn't as if some girl could bypass his armor. Since she thought herself so infallible, it was only right that he show her what a true unstoppable force was, and silence her forever.

Another wave was produced from Artoria's sword, and Gilgamesh merely stood in place. His arms were crossed, and his armor was surely beyond the likes of some human's weapon. Little did Gilgamesh realize, he was not the original version of himself reborn into this world. Gilgamesh's golden armor was mighty, yes, but its defensive properties were based only on his own overwhelming might. This Heroic Spirit, summoned by a mere Apprentice Holy Knight, did not have the mana to passively fortify his armor against one of Artoria's magnitude. As had been the case before, arrogance would be his undoing against this woman. The wave of light he thought to shrug off would instead shatter the chest plate of his golden armor. Worse yet, it even managed to launch the king away and char his torso in the process. Needless to say, this was a shock... and a reason to rage. "Don't get cocky!" he shouted, flipping backwards and levitating in the air after recovery. A few dozen portals appeared at his rear, launching an array of bladed weapons as an offensive shower against the swordswoman. "Let me raise my focus. I will show you why it is a moronic notion to make the king exert himself. Your enslavement to my will shall not be a pleasant experience when we are done here."

[Apollymi]

This fake version of Gilgamesh would think Artoria to be a liar but of course she spoke only the truth. She considered the version of the King of Heroes she knew to be superior thus her victory over that one was worth more than this copy could be. Her own ideals about this, had to do mostly her with her ability to come to like that one after she bested him in combat. On the other side of that acknowledgement there was this copy, who she was pretty sure she would have finished killing if he'd been the one she'd originally faced. She didn't have to imagine something beyond this Gilgamesh, she knew something beyond him.

Her assault on this man seemed to be something he thought to take without injury. Of course, given how he was summoned that wasn't the case. If she was being honest, even the real version of the King of Heroes might have been a bit more cautious of her swinging her sword like that. His body went backward, his chest plate cracked and shattered. His skin charred and he was even knocked away from her. A small smirk came to the Queen of Knights face as she took this in. "I do not think you know what that word means. I am not cocky, my victory is assured..." she said happily. Oh, he planned to rain weapons down on her? Well, she was more or less ready for that eventuality. Her eyes did not move from him and in space in the air. How nostalgic, but also how very different. The last time, the real King of Heroes stood above her like this... she'd been surprised by the weapons he'd dropped upon her, but she'd still danced through them. She would now as well, her eyes concentrating on this man those weapons were sometimes knocked out of the way sometimes moved out of the way of at the last possible second, sometimes they were missed by miles. All the while her weapon was still glowing, 'A single moment always decides victory between the two of us,' she mused. Her dodging would eventually lead to her being within striking range of him, and when she was, she'd jump, using her own support skill to defy gravity. At the same time she'd use Invisible Air to bounce the sword higher still in air above the King of Heroes, so that in the second when she grabbed it again it was already on the downswing. "EXCALIBUR!!" a short charge which would blast away at the man at a higher frequency than her previous blast. It was as if she truly intended to shatter him, overwhelm him with power and force him down. Her own power still lie within the blade so the combination might finally be enough so long as he did not move too much to fell him.

[Bloodedge]

"Fuhaha!" the king laughed, finding the notion that this woman had any assured victory beyond amusing. "A statement such as that is mine to make, to the mongrels in disbelief over how much I thwart them." She would learn soon enough. In a matter of moments, Gilgamesh would show this girl the folly of her audacity, and leave her submitting to him in every way possible. Perhaps he'd make sure she never opened her mouth again... at least for the sake of speaking. Watching the shifting mood upon her face, he actually liked the sound of that. "You are in luck, at the very least. I have decided that I enjoy your face enough to keep it intact. Your open mouth will serve only the purpose of pleasuring the king," he declared. Ah, that put him in a good humor. He was snickering to himself as the next feeble attempt at an attack began past his onslaught of treasures.

As Artoria leapt into the sky with him, he scoffed. Defending against such a meager attack would take nothing more than an expulsion of mana on his part, so that was what he chose to do. The energy burst forth from the king's body, certainly repelling that little light show she called an attack─ except... it didn't quite work as it should have. There was no conceivable way some random little girl calling herself queen could produce something stronger than him, yet that beam was undoubtedly pushing beyond his expulsion. 'Impossible!' he thought. The Heroic Spirit of Gilgamesh was consumed by Excalibur's light wholly, jettisoned once more toward the ground. Soon enough, the Golden King would be seen rising to his knee in a small crater, the dust of impact clearing around him. More Divine Gates were produced in the surrounding area as he scanned for the little queen. "Filth. You'll pay the price for this offense with more than your body, you insufferable woman!"

[Apollymi]

He laughed. Artoria's brows furrowed at the sound. "And the counterfeit proves he is not up to par. That laugh is wrong... it annoys me," Artoria found the words of this false king to be the sort she would have expected from Gilgamesh in fights against others. She realized a long time before now, that when he was feeling particularly arrogant he could easily be thwarted. At the same time, given her second fight against him, she realized that sometimes he deserved to feel that sort of superior, the same way she did. And given the fact that he could do something about the sheer destructive power she normally wielded, he'd earned respect. This carbon copy of what she assumed to be his younger tyrant self, was nothing compared to her King of Heroes. "I have already stated the imitation is not allowed to speak to me that way. And the only one in disbelief is you..." Artoria said this with firmness.

Her attack seemed to do its work and while he actually tried to defend against it, he simply didn't have enough power to completely resist her. He was knocked to a crater in the ground and still he had more to say. Gates had opened up behind him, but they would not deter the Queen of Knights. In this exact instance she saw it. Like a flicker of light she saw the steps she could take to find victory. She hopped on one foot taking hold of her sword with both hands and lifting it to her left shoulder. Her elbows back she launched herself forward off the very mana in the sky and aimed to use herself as a torpedo to fly directly into the body of this version of the King of Heroes. At this downward angle with her own body's increased speed she would reach him in almost an instant. She did not aim to slay him with Excalibur's light, though her sword still glowed even now. No, instead she aimed to strike decisively here and now. If she succeeded he would be run through at his heart as his sentence ended, "The sentence for appearing before me in a state so unbecoming is death. But you are closer to my King of Heroes than I gave you credit for, he also finds me insufferable." These were Artoria swords to the man who'd shown up with the face of the one she'd come to respect.

[Bloodedge]

What was all this nonsense? His laugh was wrong? What did she know of his laugh? Again, there was a reference to some imitation. Here he sat though, battered and nearly beaten. He could not truly call himself Gilgamesh while being in such a disgraceful state. Even while he strangely bore his own mind from the memories he inherited, he refused to accept himself as his own identity while being dealt defeat like this. When would he speak on this, though? Well... that would only come after there was a large sword planted firmly in his chest. Where there should have been a heart, there was instead a Spiritual Core. Even though this Gilgamesh had been capable of existing as a spirit with no master, no Heroic Spirit could exist without a Spiritual Core; it functioned similarly enough to a heart for that to be the case. Ah, but he wouldn't fade away so quickly. Spiritrons gushed from his mouth in the form of blood, and he took hold of Excalibur's blade, gripping until his hand bled as well. "Keck! I imagine whatever version you know finds you nothing less than annoying. Losing to a mongrel like you. I shall grant you this. You are powerful. In the next cycle, I shall repay you in full for being such an annoyance," he stated while his body dissipated into particles, scattering to the wind around that Holy Sword.

There was a strange occurrence this day. Gilgamesh vanished, becoming only a card with an insignia belonging to the Archer Class. With his disappearance came the closing of those Divine Gates, and the disappearance of all weapons he'd brought forth... bar one. That bloody sword he threw aside earlier had gone nowhere. Simply put, it was no belonging of Gilgamesh, but instead something that came of the earth itself. As it slowly sank back into the ground below, a slightly melancholic, incredibly androgynous voice could be heard from the somewhat distant sands. A figure was approaching, clearly possessing rather long hair despite being otherwise obscured by the sand. "Haah? I thought it was strange that he'd gotten so weak. I guess that thing having his presence was just a lie after all. What a shame..."

[Apollymi]

Artoria's path was clear and she'd already declared her victory. So when she stopped in front of this man she knew her sword was where it was meant to be. The Queen of Knights looked this man in the eye and felt against her blade, not a shattered bleeding heart, but instead something else. Oh? So these summons shared at least one major weakness with their human counterparts? Well that was good. She was happy in the moment she went for such a death blow... she didn't like wasting so much energy on a single target. In a moment like this something hidden just below her emerald colored eyes shifted. There was something ever so delightful flowing through the body of the Queen of Knights. It was something she felt often when she took a life, when saw utter defeat and surrender at the end of a battle. It was once upon a time, something she enjoyed in her various methods of assassination. But here and now, it could be called the rush of true victory. So, there was nothing but a small smirk on her face when this version of the King of Heroes held onto her blade and had a few choice words to share with her. She was strong? He didn't doubt his other self found her annoying? He would repay her for being annoying in the next cycle. "The collection of such a debt would belong to my King of Heroes, though I am sure he will know..." she said. There was honor in this victory and sweetness in this death. There was a bit of relief in Artoria Pendragon, as her anger at the situation surrounding the death of her King of Heroes finally had an outlet she could take joy in. He dissipated into particles, even though he once had blood pouring from his mouth. And then as the wind blew all those particles away there was nothing left of him but a class card for Archer Gilgamesh. "I see..." she said picking up the card and holding it in her hands. The rest of his attacks also disappeared but that one sword with her blood on it remained a while longer than the others. 'I do not have a good feeling about this...' she thought though she still could not bring herself to do anything but take the first relaxing breath.

Artoria in this moment relaxed her shoulders, throwing her blade over her shoulder and speaking to it in kind as she looked to this card. "Your proving went well... I shall take you and count as one of my favorites until my most trusted returns to me," she said to the sword seeming to find it strong. It did not show the same limits as her own Excalibur she felt the ease of drawing on its power, and knew she couldn't hold it forever but while she could, she would enjoy it. "Not to worry though, I know someone else will also take care of you later. You have no reason for concern," she said to the sword. Only to see a figure approaching in the distance. "Eri-nee it is really unhealthy relationship," said Jeanne about the way she talked to her weapons. Her sister had been like this her entire life and the younger sister of the Queen of Knights wondered if she knew how odd such a thing was. What a strange voice it had... she couldn't make it out from here whether it was a man or a woman but its words were definitely about the fallen card of the King of Heroes. That voice wasn't one she knew, but given the disappearance of that weapon she wondered if something was amiss with the way this system worked. "Who goes there?" Artoria said as she planted her sword before her. She would wait and see. She was at least not the type to attack an unarmed person and not the type to fight anyone unwilling who was also undeserving of ire. Even so... there was a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach about what was actually approaching her now.

[Bloodedge]

Who goes there, the smaller of two women asked of the lone figure. Inhuman eyes somewhere between green and gold were the first things to become visible on the approaching person. At that point, no further steps were taken. Features were unobscured by the flowing sands over several moments. Those long locks of hair were a beautiful, shimmering light-green, and the figure's ensemble was naught but a plain white tunic. Barehanded and looking none too wealthy, there was something notably unremarkable about this person. Their vaguely childlike features were indicative of neither man nor woman. Their lustrous skin and soft features were reminiscent of a woman, but their loose tunic further obscured their sex by hiding their physique, making it impossible to see their chest and hips, and making it difficult to discern if they were even actually human. They had firm and taut limbs with rough hands and feet like those of men, and their body seemed like a coiled spring ready to rocket forth. Regardless of gender, this person could be referred to as unquestionably beautiful. Even with a face that looked human, it could be called inhuman simply because it was "too perfect" to be such. "Me?" they finally asked as another breeze caused locks with an ethereal glow about them to billow briefly. Their introduction would be a simple one, made while pointing at the card in Artoria's hand. "I am but a tool for that one's use. Though, I suppose those are not the hands that should wield me. I'm almost relieved for that to be the case. And you are? I heard you lay claim to the throne of Uruk. Tell me, is the former king no longer of this world?"

[Apollymi]

Beautiful. That was Artoria's first thought upon seeing this person. She'd recently become very aware of the looks and appeals of others, and as such she often found herself having such mental conversations about the physical attractiveness of others. Green hair, light eyes and a perfect face. Artoria couldn't help but like the look of this person and she found that strange. Jeanne on the other hand saw this person as well and immediately became confused. This person was stunning, but also did not have any hard differentiators. "Eri-nee is this a man or a woman?" asked Jeanne truly a most innocent question. "I honestly am unsure myself... I believe the only appropriate answer is yes," Artoria mentioned with a small smirk on her face. Of course, there was a matter of who this person was, and all the introduction she got was a point to the card in her hand an some information about being a tool for use. Artoria looked at that card and back at the person standing before her. "I see... you are the statue, the one known as Enkidu," she said those words softly stunned by how this man referred to himself. "It is sad to hear you talk about yourself that way, the King of Heroes adores you, and you are his only friend," she commented.

At such words, Jeanne d'Arc snorted casually, "You don't get to say things like that Eri-nee! We've been telling you that exact same thing for years!" the girl claimed which made Artoria look at her sister and sigh. She saw herself as a weapon too, a tool to be used for the sake of ending lives, but her family didn't agree with her ideology. Was this what it felt like for them? "Sssh, we can talk about it later, Emi." Artoria said softly. "My name is Artoria Pendragon, I am the Queen of Knights... I have been sitting on that throne, yes..." she said seeming to wonder how to approach the matter of the King of Heroes. This man was his friend she would not lie to him, perhaps if he encountered him as well, he would help convince him to take better care of himself. "If you seek the King of Heroes, he is apparently vacationing in what this land calls Irkalla. But he is coming back without question. No one else would have sent me such a ridiculous message. And I am caring for this nation in his absence." Artoria was still upset that the King of Heroes died on her but she'd take care of that when he returned. She was less angry now, so perhaps she'd find it easier to avoid trying to kill him when he finally popped back up.

[Bloodedge]

While Artoria and Jeanne were discussing their visitor's gender, the green-haired individual was wondering quite a few things. Why had their friend appeared in such a way? Surely Uruk was not more than a thousand kilometers from their current location, so why could they not sense his presence? Ah... he was truly dead then, as mentioned by the woman who offered her name. Apparently, the King of Heroes as she phrased it would be returning without fail. How very... strange. "Hmm. He finally let himself go, huh? That's a shame," Enkidu stated. As for them being Gilgamesh's only friend, well... that was always a ridiculous notion. They remembered when those words were spoken so many years ago, thinking it was precisely what the King of Uruk did not need to decide. "Ahahahaha!" the weapon in human form laughed. "Did he really stick behind that stupid declaration?" The laughter continued until Enkidu held both their face and stomach, seeming almost pained from the hilarity. "My dear brother, you are this world's greatest fool! Did the words not leave my mouth in those final moments? Who will understand you? Who will march forward by your side? Who will take the steps beyond a mad tyrant and meet the man he guards behind lock and key?" they muttered. Enkidu laughed and laughed, but it was manic and joined by weeping. That stupid old king, what was he thinking?

To the woman who claimed the throne during Gilgamesh's absence, Enkidu had more words to share. "Kur has taken my brother's soul, and you have taken his chair. Artoria Pendragon, was it? I hope my brother would greet you with a thousand praises and hold you high. Tell me, has he put his faith in another? And... tell me, am I truly here? I feel as though I draw breath, but the world is strange to me now. I long for my brother, but I fear this body is the same as that thing in your hand: a mere imitation with memories of a man who once lived."

[Apollymi]

"A shame for him. I am still not sure he will not experience a second death by my hand for allowing such a thing... as his death before I saw him again," Artoria griped. She was obviously still upset, though the death of the card version of him had given her quite a bit of therapy for her unexpressed frustration. She was still heated by the idea that he had died without waiting for her to come to him. It had only taken seven days. He'd waited 10 years for her to win her Holy Grail. The words that came from Enkidu implied that he remembered his life up to his death. Artoria was left to ponder why this one was so much himself and why that version of Gilgamesh was so far back? She could also only laugh at the King of Heroes choices, especially about his only friend. "That ridiculous man, of fucking course he stuck with it!" she chimed in seeming to understand a bit how Enkidu must have felt. Of course, she did. She'd seen how Gilgamesh felt about this person, she could only imagine they both held each other in the same high esteem. When you cared for someone like that, you did not wish to see them falter nor make decisions that were bad for themselves. Even the Queen of Knights understood this. "Language!" spouted the Queen of Saints after Artoria's outburst which only made her wave off the lass. Of course, that would be her problem here. Even so, Jeanne had noticed the nice way her sister had been referencing King Gilgamesh of late. The number of threats aimed towards him for the end of his life, and what was more, the sadness she was sure she felt without her ability to speak to him personally. Her sister was quite obviously in love, whether she knew what such a feeling was herself or not. At the same time, both women saw this individual laugh themselves to tears thinking about the ridiculous decision made by their friend. He wanted better for the King of Heroes, and the King of Heroes wanted his friend. Jeanne found herself tearing up... "They're so sad, Eri-nee... but it sounds like they were such good friends! I want to be happy for them," she mentioned with tears running down her face. She jumped once more and Artoria opened her arms without hesitation. "I feel the same way. Hearing talk of Enkidu is what made me curious in the first place..." Artoria admitted while patting her sister's back.

As for the questions of this weapon, Artoria would answer them honestly. This was the King of Heroes friend and he deserved nothing more than her respect. Besides all of that this one did not maintain the same odd aura of the other card she'd taken. She felt this person's purity in a similar fashion that she felt her sisters. This person did nothing and would get nothing but honor from the Queen of Knights. "As if I would allow such a thing..." she said about receiving praise from the King of Heroes. "Eri-nee, I do not think you can argue about being potentially happy to see him, when you keep referring to him as your King of Heroes~" Jeanne mentioned making Artoria's eyes widen. Surely she hadn't been saying that aloud. In truth she wanted him to show up so she could lecture him on his lack of self-care, she also missed him and was disappointed she did not get to see him. "Moving on." Artoria was always one to put her feelings deep into herself never to acknowledge them unless she had to. "I know not how you quantify faith, but there are at least a couple of people he does not push so far away. The blessed wine-maker, Siduri, who he met on his journey, is a dependable woman with motherly qualities who is capable of reeling him in. And Medusa whom me met in the Holy Grail War both works for him of her own accord. He has done quite a bit for this place in the last few decades, with both of them to lend a hand. The other grail holders have no problems with him, myself, this one... " she said pointing to the girl in her arms. "And the Pharaohs of Egypt, have all given him the benefit of the doubt," she explained of her own knowledge. Ah, but now was the hard question to answer, and though she was honest, it still was not a pleasant thing to have to tell anyone. She gave her sister a little pat to send her back where she had been and faced this individual. Her eyes traced over them and she gave the most honest answer she could. "I do not think you are. While you do not possess the same taint as the counterfeit King of Heroes. You seem to have been summoned into this world by the same method," she said carefully. "You are not living in the true sense, of the word but you are here in this world a long time after you were originally here."