Credits: Pherae
The moment Kayneth saw Waver get shot, he instinctively activated the Mercury Mystic Code's automatic defense mechanism. A layer of silvery-white protective shell formed, shielding both himself and Waver to block any subsequent attacks.
"Ahhhh!" Waver cried out in pain, clutching his bleeding shoulder as he collapsed into his seat, convulsing.
"I can't determine the direction of the attack!" Iskandar said warily as he scanned the surroundings. "You two, don't drop your guard! That enemy has excellent concealment abilities!"
"Emiya Kiritsugu!" Kayneth growled through gritted teeth. "It must be that rat!"
While glaring at his student Waver, Kayneth used healing magecraft to stabilize his condition while simultaneously attempting to extract the bullet from Waver's body using his mystic codes.
Meanwhile, seeing that one of the two magus on Iskandar's chariot was injured in a sneak attack, Semiramis let out a cold laugh. Taking advantage of the moment, she dispersed herself into a flock of white doves, repositioned, and reformed within the Einzbern castle, gaining the benefit of the fortress's defensive boost.
Although it was an excellent opportunity to pursue, Semiramis didn't believe Lancer's Master was a fool. The same trick couldn't work twice, and even within her territory, she wasn't confident in securing victory against Lancer.
"Hmph, as expected of a woman infamous for her poisonings," Gilgamesh said, sitting on Vimana, resting his chin on one hand as he watched the injured Waver and commented on Semiramis's tactics. "But that's fine. Those arrogant mongrels deserve to die in the most ridiculous ways!"
With that, Gilgamesh raised his right hand. Hundreds of Gates of Babylon opened, filled with dazzling divine weapons, all aimed at Iskandar's chariot.
"This is bad," Iskandar said grimly. "Should we retreat, for now, little Master's teacher?"
"Damn it!" Kayneth cursed. By this point, he had used part of the Mercury Mystic Code as a surgical tool to extract the bullet from Waver's shoulder.
"This bullet is poisoned!" Kayneth said with a frown, examining Waver's wound. "My mystic code here can't neutralize it. We need to return to my workshop!"
"Lancer, did you hear that?" Kayneth shouted. "We're retreating!"
With the retreat strategy decided, Karna wasted no time engaging Semiramis further. He immediately returned to the vicinity of the chariot, keeping a close eye on Gilgamesh to prevent his barrage of Noble Phantasms from hitting Kenneth.
"Hmph, mongrel, who allowed you to look upon this king directly?" Gilgamesh said, looking down at Karna's wary gaze. A fury surged within him as he continued, "Since you're here, stay here forever!"
"Your words confuse me," Karna said, activating the Discernment of the Poor. Shaking his head, he added, "We are both descendants of gods and humans. Why do you call me a mongrel? What about yourself?"
"You dare to speak to me like that!" Gilgamesh stood up upon hearing Karna's words, showing a sinister smile as if he wanted to devour Karna alive. "Die!"
With that, the barrage of Noble Phantasms, prepared in advance, rained down like cannon fire from above, targeting both the chariot and Karna.
However, Karna, having remained vigilant, fully utilized his Uncrowned Martial Arts. With his Divine Spear, he created an impenetrable defense, effortlessly blocking all of Gilgamesh's attacks.
Seeing this, Kayneth quickly made a decision. He judged that Karna and Gilgamesh were evenly matched in strength, while Semiramis watched intently from the sidelines. To temporarily gain the upper hand and successfully escape, a sacrifice was necessary. "I permit you to use your Noble Phantasm, Karna!" Kenneth declared.
"Brahmastra Kundala: O' Brahma, Curse Me!" Karna chanted his Noble Phantasm's name after receiving the order. A massive surge of magical energy erupted from his body, concentrating on the divine spear in his hand.
Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes as he watched Karna unleash a Noble Phantasm of this magnitude. Not underestimating him, Gilgamesh immediately produced a peculiar golden key, known as the Bab-ilu.
In Gilgamesh's hands, the key transformed and extended, opening the innermost and most secret chamber of the Gate of Babylon. From this treasure vault emerged a "sword."
The "sword" had a bizarre design, appearing as a device made of three cylindrical segments rotating in opposite directions. Made of gold, its hilt was firmly gripped by the King of Heroes.
"Though you're a mongrel, you do possess some strength!" Gilgamesh said cruelly. "The time to judge this world has come! Awaken, EA!"
"Judgment is upon you. Behold the crushing might of my Sword of Rupture. —Behold!"
Gilgamesh raised the violently spinning sword, its energy distorting the surrounding space. Kayneth's hair stood on end at the sight. Though he trusted Karna's Noble Phantasm, the sheer power of his opponent's Noble Phantasm made survival his top priority.
" Enuma Elish!!!!"
As Gilgamesh unleashed his world-rending attack, Karna mercilessly hurled his Divine Spear with all his might. The two Noble Phantasms collided, creating a blinding light and shockwaves that obscured everyone's vision.
Fortunately, the battle was situated in a forest on the outskirts of the city. If such an exchange of Noble Phantasms had occurred in an urban area, the destruction would have far exceeded the damage caused by the earlier clash between King Solomon and Gilgamesh.
Even Gilgamesh's Vimana was thrown far into the distance by the shockwaves of the explosion. All monitoring tools installed by Tohsaka Tokiomi on Vimana were destroyed, leaving no visible footage.
Gilgamesh was forced to summon Enkidu, the Chains of Heaven, to anchor himself to Vimana to avoid the humiliation of falling to the ground.
Meanwhile, Iskandar had already driven his chariot away the moment he saw the two unleash their trump card Noble Phantasms. Thanks to this, Kayneth and Waver were spared from the explosion's aftermath.
The one who suffered most was the Einzbern castle.
Although Semiramis activated the defensive formations within her Hanging Gardens of Babylon, it was unrealistic to fully shield such a massive structure. The once majestic Einzbern castle was now in ruins, with only its central building barely standing.
Seeing the aftermath, Emiya Kiritsugu, who had been hiding near the battlefield and successfully ambushed Waver earlier, felt his heart sink. Struggling to his feet from behind the rocks, he sprinted toward the damaged Einzbern castle at full speed.