"The late emperor died before he could complete his career..."
At the same time, the El- Melloi-II began to chant his Noble Phantasm. His voice rang out, reciting Zhuge Liang's famed words, "The Memorial to the Emperor on Leaving the Capital."
With each verse, golden words manifested in the air, floating like glowing embers above the assembled army.
"The Memorial to the Emperor on Leaving the Capital!"
As he concluded, the entire script transformed into a shower of golden light, enveloping Iskandar's forces. The brilliance seeped into the bodies of Iskandar's soldiers, and all those aligned with him felt a surge of power. Even Chihiro's other alliesRed Hare, Diarmuid, and Brynhildr could feel a significant boost in their strength.
The El-Melloi II's recitation, "The Memorial to the Emperor on Starting the War," was a military-grade amplification, empowering every soldier and Heroic Spirit present.
"Go!" Zhang Jiao shouted, pulling a complex talisman from his robe and throwing it at Red Hare.
The talisman dissolved into a golden light, merging into Red Hare's body. In an instant, his red skin turned a resplendent shade of gold.
The transformation had turned Red Hare into the "Golden Red Hare," an effect created by Zhang Jiao's most potent reinforcement spell. Those under its power became immensely strong, impervious to swords, spears, fire, and water. Zhang Jiao had once used this spell to create an army of invincible Yellow Turban warriors in his lifetime.
With these amplifications, Red Hare's power had more than doubled.
Chihiro also handed Red Hare the God Force, his treasured artifact. Armed with these sacred weapons, Red Hare could fully unleash his martial prowess. His strength was now unparalleled.
"Attack!!!"
At Iskandar's command, the army surged forward like a tidal wave, advancing towards Gilgamesh with unstoppable momentum.
"Do you truly believe numbers have meaning before me?"
Though Gilgamesh mocked their numbers, he still summoned Vimana, his flying chariot, and took to the air, unleashing a barrage of Noble Phantasms down upon Iskandar's forces.
The soldiers, undaunted, held their ground. The shield-bearers took the brunt of Gilgamesh's assault, while archers retaliated with volleys aimed at the sky. In the midst of this, Hassan of the Hundred Faces betrayed and discarded by Gilgamesh had all his clones mercilessly cut down by the advancing army.
Neigh...
Suddenly, a fierce cry pierced through the chaos. Brynhildr charged forward, riding a magnificent white Pegasus, her spear gleaming as she aimed at Gilgamesh.
This Pegasus, a legendary creature of Greek myth, had become hers due to a recent draw from a treasure chest. From a bronze chest, Brynhildr had obtained a "Phantasmal Summoning Card," allowing her to summon a rare phantasmal beast from myth. While there was a chance the card might yield a less useful creature, she'd been lucky enough to obtain Pegasus itself.
Now bound to her, Pegasus could be summoned at any time, much like Iskandar's thunderous chariot beast.
As Brynhildr closed in on him, Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes, directing part of his arsenal at her. However, Pegasus's nimble movements allowed Brynhildr to evade most of his attacks, closing in on Vimana.
Gilgamesh finally took her seriously, diverting his full attention to targeting her and momentarily ignoring the army below.
But that was the moment his opponents had been waiting for.
"Anti-Magic Red Rose!"
Diarmuid leaped from within the army ranks, his crimson spear glowing as he launched it at Vimana, striking one of its wings. Disabled by the blow, Vimana spiraled downward, throwing Gilgamesh from its deck and into the sand below.
This was part of a coordinated plan devised by the El-Melloi II. He'd anticipated that Gilgamesh would likely take to the air, exploiting the inherent disadvantage of Iskandar's army. To counter this, they'd prepared a feint, drawing Gilgamesh's attention so Diarmuid could target his flying craft.
Vimana, as a magical construct, could not withstand the power of Diarmuid's Anti-Magic Noble Phantasm, Red Rose, and was effectively grounded.
With Gilgamesh now on foot, Red Hare seized the opportunity, charging forward with the God Force in hand, aiming straight for the King of Heroes.
Gilgamesh, undeterred, raised the Shield of the Gods to block the strike. Without hesitation, he summoned a gigantic bow, its size more akin to a siege crossbow.
Chihiro's heart sank as he recognized the weapon. It was the legendary bow Nine Lives, famed for its power to slay the Hydra.
"Perish!" Gilgamesh sneered, releasing a massive arrow.
Caught off guard by the close-range attack, Red Hare could only raise the God Force in a defensive stance. The arrow struck with colossal force, sending him flying a thousand meters across the battlefield. Yet, despite the impact, the God Force remained intact, a testament to their unparalleled quality.
Meanwhile, Gilgamesh had entered the fray, cutting down Iskandar's soldiers like they were mere grass.
Wielding a massive blade, Gilgamesh cleaved through his opponents effortlessly. The sword he wielded, Mountain-Cleaver, was capable of slicing through mountains themselves. None among Iskandar's soldiers could stand against its might.
"Face me, Gilgamesh!"
Iskandar roared, charging forward to engage him. Right behind him were Brynhildr, Diarmuid, and a recovered Red Hare, all converging on Gilgamesh in a synchronized attack.
Red Hare swung his sacred weapon to intercept Gilgamesh's blade, while Diarmuid followed up with Yellow Rose, thrusting it toward Gilgamesh's exposed flank. Forced to release his sword to avoid injury, Gilgamesh grimaced in frustration.
"Enkidu!"
Gilgamesh summoned Enkidu, the Chains of Heaven, once more. The golden chains erupted from the ground, spreading in every direction.
"Watch out!" Red Hare and Diarmuid shouted as they tried to shield their comrades, but there were simply too many chains to evade.
Both Iskandar and Brynhildr found themselves ensnared, their divinity rendering them powerless against the binding power of Enkidu.
"What... What kind of chain is this?!" Iskandar struggled, realizing he couldn't break free.
Diarmuid slashed at the chains with his crimson spear, but his attacks had no effect. These weren't ordinary bindings, they were made specifically to subdue the divine.
"Well done," Gilgamesh mocked, a satisfied smirk on his face. "You have amused me by making me exert myself. As a reward, I shall give you a proper death."
Before anyone could react, Gilgamesh summoned a peculiar, cylindrical sword from his treasury. It was unlike any blade seen before.
"Ea, the Sword of Rupture."
Chihiro's face went pale.
The Sword of Rupture was Gilgamesh's strongest weapon, a blade from before the Age of Gods. Capable of tearing through the fabric of reality itself, it was an anti-world Noble Phantasm, a weapon beyond comprehension.
"When the world was yet unformed, and all was chaos…"
Gilgamesh raised Ea high, chanting the incantation to activate it. The three segments of the blade began to rotate, forming a massive red vortex of destructive energy.
The ground trembled, and even Iskandar's Reality Marble shuddered under the immense magical pressure. Across the battlefield, Waver and Kayneth, observing from afar, were left speechless.
This... this weapon was beyond anything they'd ever encountered. A feeling of hopelessness began to spread among Chihiro's allies.
"We can't escape it… We have to find a way to stop it."
Red Hare rushed back to Chihiro's side. "Master, use that."
"Are you certain?" Chihiro hesitated, his gaze filled with worry. "Even with that… we might not—"
"There's a chance if we try. None if we don't."
Red Hare laughed, determination in his eyes. "That's what you told me before, isn't it?"
Chihiro's lips tightened. He had indeed spoken those words before, though only to encourage his companions.
"Hurry. This is a necessary sacrifice. Don't hesitate." Red Hare's voice was calm. "Besides, I won't truly die."
"…Understood."
Resolving himself, Chihiro took out a bow—the Noble Phantasm he had recently obtained. With it, Red Hare's intent became clear.
Red Hare would sacrifice himself, taking on Ea's devastating power head-on.
***
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