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High above Fuyuki City.
Standing steadily on his fighter jet, Mika skillfully maneuvered the Nen-transformed aircraft, engaging in a relentless aerial pursuit with Gilgamesh's Vimana.
As the target of the chase, Gilgamesh unleashed a near-constant barrage of Noble Phantasms.
However, for Mika's side, the true source of firepower wasn't the missiles mounted on the fighter jet but Merlin's magic cannons.
After all, the fighter jet's missile supply was finite, whereas Merlin's magical energy was practically limitless.
Currently, Gabriel clung to Mika's shoulder, invisible to the naked eye, silently converting magical energy.
As the intensity of the battle escalated and Mika, Merlin, and Lancelot continuously expended their magical power, Gabriel, who once passively provided magical energy just by being near Mika, now had to focus all her attention on the task of magical conversion.
"This can't go on. We need to find a way to break the stalemate," Mika said, turning to Merlin.
After losing Ea, Gilgamesh clearly had no intention of engaging in a direct confrontation. He intended to fully utilize the versatility of the Gate of Babylon to overcome the combined might of Mika, Merlin, and Lancelot.
"Gilgamesh is employing guerilla tactics. He retreats whenever we pursue."
"If we don't pursue, he could carpet bomb us at any moment. We can't constantly be on the defensive, can we?"
"There's a saying: 'One can be a thief for a thousand days, but not guard against a thief for a thousand days."
"That's why he's practically invincible when he's serious," Merlin sighed, shaking his head.
As a precaution, Gilgamesh's Vimana was equipped with numerous anti-magic Noble Phantasms.
He currently had no effective countermeasures.
Seeing Merlin's helplessness, Mika turned his gaze back towards the rapidly advancing Vimana, lost in thought.
He began to recall everything he knew about Gilgamesh, searching for a way to break the deadlock.
In the end, he could only come up with one desperate solution.
Exploit his pride.
It was well known that Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, possessed an extraordinary level of pride and ego.
In the Fifth Holy Grail War, his arrogance had ultimately led to his downfall.
Gilgamesh had an absolute obsession with his treasures.
If he willingly discarded something, it was of no consequence.
However, if something was taken from him, he would relentlessly seek to reclaim it.
"Gilgamesh is extremely cautious right now. Ordinary weapons might not lure him back, but what about this?"
Mika glanced at his right hand, where the gauntlet holding Ea floated beside him, constantly maintained in its Nen-transformed state.
The conversion of Ea was still incomplete.
This was due not only to Ea's exceptional quality but also to Gilgamesh's interference through the Gate of Babylon's control over all weapons.
It was a known fact that the Gate of Babylon held dominion over all the weapons stored within it.
Therefore, any Noble Phantasm it launched could be automatically retrieved.
This applied to Ea as well.
As for the other Noble Phantasms Mika had converted, due to their lower quality, the Nen transformation had been completed swiftly, severing their connection to the Gate of Babylon.
It was precisely because of Gilgamesh's interference through the Gate of Babylon that Mika's conversion of Ea had stalled.
According to Gabriel's calculations, unless Mika could somehow eliminate Gilgamesh, he would never fully possess Ea.
In that case, it might be worth using it as bait to lure Gilgamesh back.
Mika raised his hand and beckoned the gauntlet holding Ea towards him.
"Release the Nen transformation."
With a command, the partially transformed Ea swiftly reverted to its original form, retaining only the most basic Nen interference that prevented Gilgamesh from recalling it.
Looking at the glorious Noble Phantasm floating before him, Mika chuckled softly. "Now, what will you do, King of Heroes?"
...
Inside the Vimana.
Gilgamesh, expertly maneuvering his aircraft through complex aerial stunts, wore a smug grin.
Despite losing Ea, he still believed himself to be the strongest participant in the Holy Grail War.
And the inevitable victor.
He simply prioritized strategy over brute force at the moment.
The hit-and-run tactics he was currently employing were proving quite effective.
He relished the feeling of toying with his opponents.
Suddenly, his expression darkened as he sensed a familiar connection.
"Damn it! They're trying to bait me!"
He felt the state of Ea, linked to the Gate of Babylon, and his fury surged.
He could clearly sense that they had loosened their control over Ea. If he turned back and destroyed the gauntlet holding it, he could regain control and return to his peak strength.
Naturally, Gilgamesh yearned for this opportunity.
Even though he knew their intention was to cripple his aerial advantage.
But once he regained Ea, victory was assured.
There was no doubt in his mind.
Gilgamesh was unwavering in his conviction.
Moreover, to cower before his own stolen treasure would be an unbearable humiliation!
"Very well, let's see who emerges victorious!"
...
"He's turning! He's heading towards us!"
Mika's lips curled into a satisfied smile as his bait finally proved effective.
"Charge! Full frontal assault!"
The Vimana and Mika's fighter jet hurtled towards each other, the short distance between them vanishing in an instant.
Before their inevitable collision, both sides unleashed a torrent of attacks.
A golden deluge of Noble Phantasms clashed with a pink tide of magical energy.
As the two aircraft grazed past each other, Gilgamesh, seated on his throne, and Mika, standing outside his fighter jet, locked eyes, each recognizing the unwavering resolve in the other's gaze.
"You intended to lure me with Ea, didn't you? Well, I've arrived!"
"Is that so? Have you finally stopped running?"
"That wasn't running! It was a tactical retreat!"
"A tactical retreat from running?"
"Enough talk! Let's settle this!"
"Gladly!"
The two aircraft swiftly passed each other, but in that fleeting moment, their final confrontation had begun.
Mika and Gilgamesh knew that their decisive battle had commenced.
---
Countless pink and gold arcs of energy crisscrossed the sky, painting the dark canvas with vibrant hues.
While the decisive battle in the heavens was about to erupt, the fight on the ground neared its end.
Thanks to the protection of the "Dia Fratel" spell, Airmid and Mellie, after enduring countless grievous injuries, finally managed to wear down and eliminate the sixty-plus Hassan-i-Sabbah clones.
"So this is the weakest Servant?"
"They were incredibly difficult to deal with!"
Lying on the ground, gasping for breath, Mellie couldn't help but express her exhaustion.
Their victory was solely due to Airmid's magic.
Without it, even with Merlin's enhancements and protection, they would have long since been overwhelmed.
Now that the battle was over, the fatigue they had suppressed during the adrenaline-fueled fight crashed over them like a tidal wave.
Although Mellie's magic could heal their physical wounds, it couldn't mend their mental exhaustion.
The sheer number of cuts they had received during the battle was enough to inflict death by a thousand cuts.
This was a testament to the immense mental burden they had endured.
"Now that the battle is over, let's quickly contact Mika and Gabriel," Airmid said, picking up her Nen-powered phone and sending a message as she watched Mellie, who was lying on the ground, waving her hand weakly.
Gabriel's reply arrived swiftly.
"Gabriel says we need to recover quickly. The final battle might begin at any moment."
Putting away her phone, Airmid spoke with a determined tone.
"Then let's rest immediately!" Mellie replied weakly.
...
"RAAAGH!"
Clenching his fists, Kariya Matou charged towards the stumbling Tokiomi Tohsaka.
Under Merlin's enhancements and protection, his speed was astonishing.
In the blink of an eye, the distance between them shrank to mere inches.
However, Tokiomi had regained his composure. After the previous encounter, he now considered Kariya a formidable opponent.
Maintaining his enhanced state with reinforcement magic, he desperately flung the remaining jewels in his hand, resorting to the Tohsaka family's magecraft.
Due to his internal injuries, he could no longer utilize ordinary spells.
His only remaining option was jewel magecraft.
Similarly, having witnessed the power of the previous fire jewel attack, Kariya now regarded Tokiomi with the utmost caution.
Faced with Tokiomi's barrage of jewel magic, Kariya focused on evasion, intending to wear him down.
He had observed that Tokiomi was nearing his limit.
His initial punch hadn't held back in the slightest.
If Tokiomi hadn't reacted quickly enough, Kariya's enraged fist would have pierced his abdomen.
Even so, Tokiomi had sustained severe injuries.
If the fight dragged on, he would inevitably succumb.
That was Kariya's assessment.
But when the glow of healing magic enveloped Tokiomi, Kariya's composure shattered.
Ten years later, Rin Tohsaka would be able to revive Shirou Emiya, whose heart had been pierced, using jewels charged with magical energy.
So, ten years prior, wouldn't it be natural for Tokiomi Tohsaka to heal his own wounds using jewel magecraft?
"No, I can't let him heal!"
Kariya instantly switched from evasion to offense.
However, Tokiomi had anticipated this. As Kariya charged, he immediately ceased his healing and flung several prepared jewels towards his opponent.
"Die, you despicable worm!"
"You're the one who should die!"
Kariya roared, pulling out the "Book of False Servants" hidden behind his back.
Mika, who had envisioned a potential confrontation between Kariya and Tokiomi, had already modified the book beyond recognition.
In addition to its basic functions, the book now stored a vast amount of magical energy and a defensive spell, effectively bridging the gap in power between Kariya and Tokiomi.
"AAAAAHHH!"
Engulfed in Tokiomi's magic, Kariya endured the relentless bombardment from all directions, his lack of defensive skills notwithstanding. He pushed through the barrage of jewel magic, finally reaching Tokiomi.
He slammed his fist into Tokiomi, sending him flying once more. However, in doing so, Kariya had completely exhausted his magical energy.
Now a mere mortal once more, Kariya approached the fallen Tokiomi.
"Tohsaka Tokiomi!"
Just as Kariya was about to speak, Tokiomi swept his leg, knocking him to the ground.
"I... absolutely... cannot... lose!"
"I... haven't... won yet!"
"The Holy Grail... the Root!"
Driven by his obsession with victory and the Root, Tokiomi, who should have been incapacitated, mustered his last ounce of strength, using reinforcement magic to barely maintain his physical form.
Even so, he was now no different from an ordinary human.
Refusing to give Tokiomi a chance to utilize jewel magic, Kariya pounced on him, raining down a flurry of punches.
Tokiomi quickly threw him off, reversed their positions, and retaliated with his own fists.
Fueled by a primal rage ignited by Kariya's attack, Tokiomi had abandoned all semblance of elegance and magecraft.
All he desired was to pummel Kariya's face with his bare hands.
Thus, in a forgotten corner of Fuyuki City, Kariya Matou and Tokiomi Tohsaka engaged in a brutal fistfight.
...
"Mika, Airmid sent a message. Their battle is over, and they're currently recovering. They can provide support at any moment," Gabriel said, suddenly awakening beside Mika.
"Is that so? It's finally over?"
"Then I can fight without reservation!"
Mika's lips curled into a slight smile as he looked at the distant Vimana.
In the previous exchange, he and Gilgamesh had engaged in a continuous barrage of attacks, gradually depleting their resources.
Although both their aircraft had sustained some damage, the aerial battle was far from over.
"Since the fight below has concluded, it's time to change our strategy."
Mika gestured, and the gauntlet holding Ea floated before him.
It then drifted outwards.
"Well? Are you interested?"
...
Gilgamesh, who had been closely monitoring Mika's movements, noticed his sudden pause and halted his Vimana as well.
Upon seeing Mika's actions, he instantly understood his intentions.
"An exchange?"
During their previous aerial duel, Gilgamesh had been unable to find an opening to shatter Mika's gauntlet and reclaim Ea. Despite his silence, frustration had begun to build within him.
If this stalemate continued, he wouldn't achieve anything.
That was his assessment.
Mika's proposition intrigued him.
However, it was also accompanied by suspicion.
Did he truly desire to face him, wielding Ea?
Did he possess some sort of countermeasure?
Gilgamesh pondered.
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