Chapter 38: Episode 36

Disclaimer: I don't own Nasuverse or any other franchise that can be found in this fanfiction.

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I wished I could say life was exciting after Kiyoshi, but I pretty much just went back to my normal routine. Once she had completely recovered, Rin returned to the Tohsaka Mansion. Gil was still her usual-self, albeit a little bit more cranky, which I assumed I had Shiro to thank for.

Speaking of the Little Ember, she had been apprenticing under for about two weeks now. We were mostly left to our own devices, seeing as Kiritsugu was still away in Germany. The few exceptions were when Taiga visited. I didn't think it was possible, but the woman was even more chaotic than her older self. The amount of food she consumed in one-sitting was thrice my own, and for whatever reason, she had made it her life mission to fuck with Shiro and I. Thankfully, it stopped at a few snide comments and remarks.

Anyways, our sessions were often peaceful. Unfortunately, I still underestimated Shiro. She was… Well, to put it bluntly, ridiculously atrocious at Magecraft, even Spells she was supposed to be good at like [Gradation Air]. I believed what most people didn't realize was Shirou Emiya had never been particularly talented at [Gradation Air], no more than your ordinary Magus anyhow. Most of the times, it was her Reality Marble: Unlimited Blade Works that did the heavy lifting.

And, since her Inner-World was still in its infancy with Shiro herself in a phase where her view and ideal underwent constant, albeit minor changes, she was basically shit at both [Gradation Air] and [Structural Gasp]. Her projections weren't merely hollow, if you put them under a microscope, were riddled with holes in their structures. The only projections she had made that could be considered somewhat decent in my eyes were kitchen knives and metal utensils, presumably because they had many similarities to a blade.

That moment, I realized how bad of a blunder Archer Emiya made. If he had just left Shirou alone, the boy would have taken years, if not a decade or two to barely reach the proficiency he did with Unlimited Blade Works, but thanks to Archer's interference, it accelerated Shirou's growth to unprecedented level and even gave him tons of Noble Phantasm that he, by all rights, should never have seen, allowing him to ignore all the basic steps and even some more complicated ones in their shared Magecraft.

I face-palmed as once again, the projections Shiro created exploded in a haze of ashes and Mana, which was incredibly distracting. I immediately ceased my research, stuffing my Mana back in [Energy Storage], it would have done me more harm than good to continue in this hazardous environment. Then, I turned towards the girl, while the Star-Gate I was working on began to sputter out behind me, the endless abyss it led to closing shut, leaving only the ugly, bare wall where it once swirled. Indeed, we had decided to have our session in the Church today.

It was my idea actually. While I did want Shiro to grow stronger as a Magus, I couldn't let it impede my own progress too much, not with the Fifth Grail War moving ever closer and the Deal I had with Angra Mainyu vivid in my mind still. "Little Ember, what's wrong? You've been making a lot of mistakes today…"

The girl looked down, clearly embarrassed as she scratched her head, her coppery auburn strands swaying gently before being tucked behind her ears. "I- It's nothing, Leo-senpai. I just feel useless. You told me yourself that these Spells are the most basic, that you learnt them in mere days, but I'm still struggling to project and gasp the structures of a simple fork!" Her voice got progressively louder the longer she spoke, frustration audible in her voice as she glared at the broken, dissipating projections.

"When can I become a Hero like this? How can I become a Hero like this?" Finally, she asked helplessly. Though I was pretty sure she wasn't expecting a legitimate answer, answer it I did. "Shiro, Magecraft isn't something you can rush, same with being a Hero. Most Heroes spent their entire childhood practicing their weapon of choice. I already told you when I helped you unlock your Circuits, this is an arduous journey that rarely obtains results, and even then, it might not be what you are hoping for, but you have to endure…"

"Rome wasn't built in a day–" I continued, brushing the bang from her eyes. "– And a Hero isn't born, but made through blood, sweats and tears."

Internally, I couldn't help wondering if my interference had changed something fundamental about Shiro. Her alternate male-self had been perfectly content with practicing, if you could call it that, [Structural Gasp], [Reinforcement] and [Gradation Air] for years on end after all. Little Ember seemed much more… Impatient in comparison. "Keep it up. You can do this, I know you can. When you are done, I'll bring you to get ice-cream, deal?"

The girl deadpanned. "I'm not a five years old kid, Leo-senpai!"

"Five, eight. Same thing." I shrugged, chuckling as she threw me a dirty glare. She was as fiery as that hair of hers. "Alright, how about this: You concentrate on that mastering those three Spells, once I'm done with my research, I'll teach you this super awesome Sword Style I know... Agreed?"

That seemed to uplift her mood. The smile she now had plastered on her face was blinding, yet it also contained a hint of smugness. "Really? You'll teach me something cool?" I nodded. I wasn't lying either, in a sense, this would help me understand the multitude of Skills and Techniques I had received better. While most were innate abilities that could not be taught under normal circumstances, would it be possible for me to teach someone Martial Techniques from the Game?

Would it be possible for them to then teach somebody else? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in the result.

Would it be possible for her physical aspects to reach the Realm of the Supernatural even without [Reinforcement]?

Would Shiro, being the Incarnation Of Sword, be more responsive to Sword Styles and Techniques?

This might prove to be an interesting subject. Logic dictated that she would, but then why didn't Shirou of the alternate timeline not abuse this to learn and master the countless Sword and Spear Styles contained within his literal sea of counterfeit Noble Phantasm? It's what I had never quite understood. Perhaps, with my help, Shiro could exceed even the Original Users of these Styles in the future, instead of relying on that shitty, suicidal Style that Archer and the his alternate-selves seemed to default to.

And when I said 'teach', I didn't mean the katas. No, katas were easy to replicate, what I wanted to test was the essence of the Style. To allow even normal people to move at the Light-speed, cleave mountains and all that bullshits. "Yup–" I replied with a loud pop. "I'll teach you a Sword Style that can help you rival even Heroes of Old. Now, go back to work." Needless to say, Shiro's enthusiasm was re-ignited after that, her initial doubt seemingly buried and forgotten under an ocean of excitement.

I left the girl to her own device, returning to the Star-Gate I had built recently. Its frame was circular and about two meters in diameter, with liquid mercury coursing through several tubes connected to it so Mana could circulate easier and more efficient. Despite its sleek, beautiful design, the Gate was just a dysfunctional prototype, opening Dimensional Rift to the Void between dimensions and possibly Universes. There were also two different pearls, the first decorated the Gate, acting as a transmitter broadcasting this World's coordinates.

The second, wine-colored pearl would be the receiver. By having a set-up like this, it didn't matter where I was, I'd always be able to return to this version of Earth.

I didn't want to be stranded after all…

Now, all that was left to do was to create a mechanism that would automatically search and link the Gate to habitable Worlds, capable of sustaining human life. In this way, I'd not accidentally land myself on planet that was completely alien to mine.

With how Nasuverse as a whole operated, who knew what kind of dreadful place I'd find? For all I knew, the Reality Layer in those planets could kill me instantly. Better not take any risk if I could help it.

Although, there was a problem. I had no idea where to begin, and while I did plan on basing said mechanism on [Future Calculation], that would require a computing power on an unprecedented level, of which I simply wasn't confident in replicating. Seriously, an operating system of that caliber would make even the most advanced quantum computers on the planet seemed like children toys.

In fact, to compare the two would be no different than comparing the first ever invented calculator with technology thousands of years ahead of this time. The sheer size of such computer alone would dwarf entire blocks at the very minimum, something I simply couldn't afford. Another idea was to connect the shard located near my cerebrum to the Gate itself, though that would only allow me to enter different timelines where events deviated from my standard, which wouldn't be ideal, but it would be a start…

Problem was, I'd rather not have my brain linked to a very new, very dangerous piece of Magitek that could malfunction at any given time.

Now, usually I had no qualm with risking my organs and limbs for the sake of advancement, but those could be replaced, or even regenerated with the Game. They were expendable in my eyes, unlike the brain, which was just too important and precious, yet sadly too fragile.

Thus, I made a promise to myself and Rin that unless all my options had been completely and utterly exhausted, or the circumstance at hands demanded it, I'd not risk endangering myself by attaching the recently built Gate to my corona pollentia. Of course, this basically put me back to square one. Oh-well, I had plenty of other, more relevant subjects to focus my mind on in any case. There was still that stack of research papers I took from the Le Blanc that had remained untouched these past few weeks.

From the look of it, they hadn't gotten very far in their research, but it should prove useful nevertheless. If anything, it might give me precious insights into the interaction of the two energies, and how to circumvent it. Like that, two hours passed with Shiro and I each doing our own thing. The promise of a 'Cool Sword Style' appeared to have motivated Shiro to try her best, she still struggled with the three basic Spells. Meanwhile, I was halfway through the Le Blanc's research when I found several inconsistencies, along with smudges and blots of inks that seemed newer.

'Modified.' My mind cautioned. It would appear in a last ditch effort to fuck me over, Annette had made several changes to the documents before giving it to me, no doubt hoping I'd base my research on these faulty documents. If I had continued according to what was written here, I'd have doomed myself, likely exploding in a glorious rain of blood, gore and fleshy chunks. "As expected of the Heiress of a Noble House, how devious of her…"

In all fairness, I had my own scheme as well, crippling her brother while she was away, I'd be a hypocrite to blame the woman for her deceit when I had taken so much from her. It was a shame I had taken an interest in Martial Arts and conducted my own experiments prior, else her plan might have even worked. I flipped to another page, ignoring the more basic information. Around page 149 was where I was most interested in, detailing the differences in Od, Mana and Ki she had discovered. Turned out, Od and Ki did play nice to each other.

Wait, let me rephrase that: Od and Ki, when interacting directly, did not have the same combustion effect often documented, not on their own anyways. Yes, there averse effects such as high fever, temporary memory-loss,…etc. But, they wouldn't, shouldn't cause an explosion. It was only the introduction of Ambient Mana, which was one of the prevalent force helping Mages enact Mysteries, that caused the destabilization of Energy. It made sense really, while Mages didn't utilize or cultivate Ki actively, our body still functioned using the stuff.

Od made up the Spirit.

Ki fueled the Body.

Ambient Mana allowed us Mages to, for a lack of a better term, hack Gaia's Reality Marble.

As for why Ambient Mana and Od could mesh so seamlessly with each other, the answer was: 'They don't'. Magic Circuits absorbed Ambient Mana, then Od gave the energy 'meaning' to perform Mysteries, but this process did have negative effects on a Magus body, just not too noticeable for older Mages whose bodies had adapted to the fusion. An example would be the over-usage of Mana, often resulting in the body overheating. This was also explained Archer's darkened skin and white hair.

Unlimited Blade Works was undoubtedly powerful, but the formation of counterfeit Noble Phantasm exposed his body to so much Mana that it destroyed his hair pigmentation and burnt his cells. In layman term, he was literally being fried from the inside out… "Gaia must really hate modern humans, or it could be a twisted form of love. You never know with Nasu."

Although these information might seem unrelated, it still gave me a hint as to why Ki and Ambient Mana reacted so poorly in each other presence, and the key lied in Reality Marble. At its core, a Reality Marble was a Spiritual construct, shaped by a twisted view of an individual, who could be a human, a Phantasm Being, or… The Will Of The World itself.

That's right, folks. Earth was Gaia's Reality Marble, meaning Ambient Mana was her Od. Perhaps that's why Ambient Mana was tricked into helping Mages perform Mysteries. Mankind had evolved in the cradle of Gaia, and on a macroscale, our Od had enough similarities that it was hard for her to judge if a Mystery was being performed by her Reality Marble or us. Ki, on the other hand, simply held too much individuality…

Unlike Phantasm Species, who were made from clumps of Mana, humans were flesh and blood, giving birth to Ki, yet somehow we had managed to retain the ability to wield Gaia's Od as well. It didn't make sense, but then again, humans were famous for our adaptability. We couldn't stand against the claws and fangs of wild beasts, so we made weapons. The weather affected our health and livelihood, so we built houses, towns and cities. Even air-conditioner, which seemed inconsequential to most of us today, was actually an important step in Mankind's history.

It represented our ability to change and alter the very environment we relied on without the help of Gaia, albeit only on a microscale at the moment. Now, knowing this, what could I do to fool the Ambient Mana? A filter for Ki maybe? One that would give my Ki the… Scent of Od? That sounded plausible, but it would require more experimentation and– I snapped out of my thoughts as Shiro nagged next to my ears. "Leo-senpai! It's almost seven, can you teach me that Sword Style you promised now?"

… Damn, had it been that long? I looked outside to see darkness already blanketing the sky. "Apology, Little Ember, I wasn't aware how late it was..." I rubbed my face tiredly, only now feeling the mental fatigue settling in. "Can you project a shinai or a bokken for yourself? We can hardly train without equipment after all."

Sure enough, once there were proper motivation and prize, Shiro swiftly project a shinai for herself. It wasn't the best, I could see the holes in its structure still, but it was leagues above her usual projections, presumably due to its close nature to her Origin and Affinity. What surprised me though, was the lingering air of misery that seemed to cling to the wooden blade and the strip of tiger's skin wrapped around its tang. 'Yup, that is definitely Taiga's Tora-Shinai.'

Although I had only had displeasure of tasting that cursed shinai once or twice, the memory of the event was like a particularly vengeful tiger: Relentless in its chase.

"I loath that thing." My lips twitched as I went to get my bokken. I had thought of asking Shiro to project me one, but if Shiro was anything like her alternate-selves, me using the bokken I often trained with might just benefit her in the long run. It should simplify and quicken the process of her learning and absorbing [Sword God Style]. Or at least, I hoped it would. "Right, what I'm about to teach you is called [Sword God Style], and if you want to truly make something of the Style, it will require extreme level of control over your body."

My gaze sharpened as I glared at Shiro, instincts starting to take the wheel as all unnecessary thoughts were pushed to the back of my mind. "It also demands certain mindset in its practitioner, so watch closely. Don't just focus on the katas, focus on how it feels when I fight too. Understood?" I didn't wait for her to respond, bolting forwards with bokken drawn, aiming at her neck as Shiro clumsily tried to back away stumbling.

I wasn't really going to hurt her, obviously. I hadn't used [Reinforcement], nor had I utilized my full physical might, which would have left her on the floor in milliseconds, unable to learn anything.

Instead, my bokken crashed harshly against Tora-Shinai, the impact leading to a loud crack that seemed to deafen Shiro. I twisted my arm, yet joints that should have been dislodged from their spots after such maneuver were perfectly fine. As though whipped, Shiro slid away, barely managing to retain her balance, which wad quite commendable in my opinion. I wasn't the same person I had been months ago, and that attack had it connected, would have had more than enough force to shatter her neck and collarbone.

"Wait, wait…!" I raised an eyebrow challengingly, head titling as if I was talking to a small animal. "What's wrong? Is that truly all you can take? You wanted to be a Hero with this kind of resolve?!"

I shot towards her once more, bokken to shinai while Shiro desperately tried to defend herself. I leaned forth, face inches from hers as our weapons touched. "You can't simply defend, Little Ember. Even rocks can be eroded by the stream, let alone a human. You must take the initiative, a Hero can't just always fight and live passively, otherwise–" The redhead grunted as I increased the pressure, throwing her butt-first on the cold, hard ground. "They won't be able to protect anyone."

I reached out to her, and in spite of the reluctance in her eyes, Shiro allowed herself to be pulled up. Then, she looked at Tora-Shinai next to her, the blade had been snapped off, unable to handle my strength due to the holes and weaknesses in its structure. I gave the dissipating projection a dispassionate gaze, mumbling to myself and Shiro. "A rusted, faulty sword can accomplish nothing. It requires handlers and time to be polished, cleaned and sharpened in order to be effective…

Same goes for a Hero. They must be given time to grow and have loved ones by their side, or they will only hurt those they seek to protect in the end." My words were… Frankly, cringe-inducing, but it would seem they resonate well with Shiro as the little redhead closed her eyes, Mana surging. Patiently, I waited, letting the girl absorb whatever it was she appeared to have realized.

Ten minutes went by us in silence.

I could almost see her Inner-World materialize behind her frozen form in a mesh of hazy colors.

At last, she opened her eyes, but something had changed…

I grinned as I heard her utter. "I am–"

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She charged at me, movements mirroring mine.

Another Tora-Shinai flashed to existence in her hands, much better than the last one.

In but a second, she had thrown out dozens of blows, each seemingly holding the essence of [Sword God Style]. "– The bone of my sword."

I danced back, dodging and weaving between her attacks that had grown in both speed and ferocity the longer our spar went on.

She swung.

And I ducked.

She stabbed.

And I dodged.

It was only when I began to notice the tiny cracks lining Shiro's skin, spilling droplets of blood all over the floor that I decided it was time to break her out of her trance before she could hurt herself any further. Looked like while she was experiencing immense growth in techniques, her body simply couldn't keep up with the speed and strength she was trying to display. No matter, we had plenty of time for physical conditioning. Today had been more than fruitful already.

My leg lashed at hers, sweeping Shiro off her feet, and just like that, the magic was broken.

The Blade was sheathed, leaving naught but Shiro in its place as she yelped. "How are you feeling, Little Ember."

The girl gulped and muttered, blinking confusedly as she kept staring at my face, which I must admit, sort of unnerved me, just a tiny-teeny bit. "Amazing, Leo-senpai… Let's do it again!"

All I could muster up was a dry laugh, speechless as her blood seeped into my very recently washed clothes. Thank Gods I had the foresight to wear something less expensive than my suits. "It's late, I have to bring you home before Taiga bursts down my door. We can continue next time, Little Ember. Next time."

——◇  [Fate: DML] ◇——

After bringing Shiro home despite her insisting that she could manage on her own, 'cause ain't no way I was letting another Rin situation happen again, I went straight to my Workshop. I was a hallway away when I encountered Kotomine predating the Church like the creepy-ass priest that he was.

We traded odd, tense looks as our gazes met. Though I still didn't understand why he was acting like a shy maiden whose virginity was stolen by me, I didn't care either way. I liked him, but I wasn't about to bend backwards just to make up for some unknown crime I had apparently committed, especially when he was the one who beat me senseless in our spar. "Your Highness… How have you been these days?"

"I have been well, amazing in fact." I nodded lightly, muscles tensing as Kotomine narrowed his eyes. Whereas before the priest always projected an aura of sadism when facing me, now I could accurately sense the malicious intent and unwarranted fear that plagued the priest. He didn't just want to see me suffer, he wanted me gone, permanently. It sent my instincts into complete overdrive as the animalistic, lizard parts of my brain screamed for me to draw my blade and cut the priest in twain, or simply flee in the other direction. "You?"

I ignored the feelings, standing my ground even as my recently named rapier [Invictus] begged to be summoned and [Hell King's Engine] itched to unleash its terrors upon the man. I didn't comply with their wishes, keeping a tight reign on my weapon and abilities, but I readied them regardless, knowing full well that if given the opportunity, Kotomine would cut me down where I stood without an ounce of hesitation. Our interactions prior might have been pleasant, but I hadn't forgotten how he murdered Tokiomi Tohsaka– His former teacher in cold blood.

"A lot has happened while you were gone, your Highness. I've found myself in what you could describe as, 'a rock and a hard place'." He paused, emotionless eyes trained on my person. "I have a serious question for you, your Highness. Can you spare some time and satiate my curiosity?"

"That's one question already, but go on." I frowned, waving for him to voice this so-called question. "Tell me, if something, or someone has the potential to interfere with the actualization of your lifelong dream, a dream you have only recently discovered, yet you are not allowed to hurt, harm or kill said someone by powers beyond you, what will you do? Do you abandon this budding dream of yours? Wait 'till the time is ripe, or disregard the powers' order entirely?"

The air that had stagnated under the suffocating tension seemed to thicken as his voice echoed through the empty hallway, malevolent and foreboding. "I'll wait 'till the time is ripe and see that my dream is made true…"

Kotomine closed his eyes in contemplation, letting out a resigned sigh. "I see. That makes you a more patient man than me then." He walked towards me, gaze dark with killing intent. Immediately, I summoned [Invictus], my Mana broiling in anticipation. And yet, the priest did not attack me. No, he passed by as though the conversation we just had was naught but imagination. "Do not worry, Prince Leo. I won't attack you now, not with the Golden Queen's sight still on us. I'd be suicidal to do so."

That didn't mean he wouldn't attack me once Gil was distracted. I clenched my teeth, hands itching to reach for [Invictus] and send him to good ol' Yahweh. "Are you threatening me, Kirei?"

He stopped in his track, glancing back at me dispassionately. "No, your Highness. I'm merely giving you a warning, if you still fall under my hands then you can only blame yourself. Queen Gilgamesh likely won't seek retaliation for my action either, not with how her personality is…" With nothing else needed to be said, his silhouette slowly disappeared into the darkness, speaking tauntingly. "Goodnight, your Highness."

I glared at his back, mind already whirling in murderous thoughts. I had never had hope of being able to save him from his destructive tendencies and evil, but I hadn't wanted to kill him either. Though it seemed a decision had been made in my place. I must put down this wretched, rabid dog before the Fifth War began, lest his unpredictability worsened our already shitty situation. I silently questioned [Future Calculation]. 'What are the odds of me defeating Kotomine Kirei as I currently am?'

47.10%

"That's…" I grimaced. I couldn't accept these odds. I was all for taking risks, but the repercussion for failing to kill Kotomine was simply too high. "Guess I'll have to take my own advice and wait 'till the time is ripe, huh?"

After making sure Kotomine was gone with no intention of coming back using [Future Calculation], I walked away, returning to my empty Workshop. Though I could have probably left my research for tomorrow morning, I was too restless. There was this faint, yet sinking feeling that I'd regret it if I didn't tend to my research tonight.

Moments later, I once again was inside the Workshop, only without a certain redheaded, wannabe-Hero to bother me. Having been a recluse in my past life, it felt good to let myself immerse in the comfortable silence my Workshop provided. I liked Rin and Shiro, but I wasn't blind to their faults. Their worst offense was that they could be terribly noisy at times. I picked up the documents related to Ki and Mana scattered on my table, shelving them as I shifted my attention to the other stack detailing my achievements and findings in Temporal Magecraft.

In hindsight, I should have offered to help Kiritsugu save Illya from the Einzbern's clutch in exchange for his Crest, which he would have taken to his grave in the usual timelines. The Emiya Crest might have been fried alongside the rest of his deteriorating Circuits, but I had little doubt about their usefulness and worth to my ever expanding repertoire. I supposed I could join him on his next trip if nothing else, though the fact that I forgot about the Crest was a huge oversight on my part.

At least, unlike the Star-Gate and Fusion Energy projects, my Temporal Magecraft hadn't met a bottleneck. So far, I had figured out another way to utilize [Time Phantoms] in battle, which was to borrow the Ainsworth's concept of Displacement Magecraft, allowing me to teleport to an active Phantom. Unexpectedly, this also landed me a new Spell that had more uses than I could be bothered to think of.

[Skill: Temporal Displacement(Active) – Rookie Lv: 9/10]

Of course, at this Rank it wasn't the OP Skill it had the potential to be, not with the lengthy cooldown it required, but I would be a witless fool to not realize its deadliness, especially when paired with [Petal Burst] and [Sword God Style]. I ran a hand through my hair, about to reach for the pile of research documents when something very peculiar caught my attention. It was the Star-Gate. Or, to be more precise, it was a small crack on its ugly grey frame. It was nigh invisible to the naked eyes.

I had not a clue what possessed me to notice it. Perhaps it was the weeks of designing and building the Gate, or it could be my obsessive-compulsive disorder acting up again. But, notice it I did. "It was fine when I left, wasn't it? Could I be mistaken?" I slowly approached the inactive Star-Gate, hands fiddling with the receiver pearl. Suddenly, as I touched the Gate, it flashed to life, the swirling hole in Space-Time widening like the gaping maw of some horrible Ancient Beast, trying to suck me inside.

I instantly who was responsible, roaring at the top of my lungs as our recent conversation flashed through my mind. "Kirei! You piece of shit!"

I tried to use my new Skill: [Temporal Displacement], but the swirl of twisting Space-Time rendered such Spell useless.

Next, I tried [Petal Burst], hoping I could use it and my hands, which were holding tightly to the Gate metallic frame as a leverage to throw myself outside of the hole.

Sadly, its suction was beyond anything my strength could contend with.

The door to my Workshop burst open.

In came Gil, eyes blazing with fury. Besides her, Kirei watched on with interest.

Relief coursed through me as the Chains Of Heavens shot towards my fading form.

My fingers were beginning to slip.

I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold on still.

Thankfully, the Chains were close.

So, so infinitely close, I could nearly touch it.

I reached for Enkidu, missing it by a hair's breadth.

The last thing I heard was Gil's, almost mournful cry. "LEO!"

Then Darkness.

——◇  [Fate: DML] ◇——

"What did you do, you lowly cur?!" Gilgamesh hissed angrily. For the first time since her Reincarnation, she felt an odd sense of less, which was soon overwhelmed by the blazing fury that clouded her mind. Yet, the filthy priest merely replied with a disinterested voice, his tone seemingly mocking to her ears. "You said I couldn't kill him… That doesn't mean I can't send him away."

Her fingers clamped tightly against his throat, Gates Of Babylon blaring, saturating the space with Mana. "You dare argue technicality with me?!"

She didn't let the priest respond, slamming the wretched priest into the nearby wall so hard that the three feet thick concrete shattered under her might. The priest made to draw his trinkets– The Black Keys that thousands of years ago would have never had the pleasure of gracing her eyes. Sadly, instead of finding his weapons, the priest found his arms nailed to the floor by artifacts that glowed ominously.

"Y- You- *Cough*- need me." The priest choked, mouth coated in blood. "Without that boy and I, who will be left to entertain you?"

He said, voice slowly gaining confidence. Unfortunately, his confidence was misplaced as she stepped on his throat, heel digging into his Adam's apple. "Nice try, I'd even compliment you if I wasn't feeling positively murderous at the sight of your face, mongrel."

Kirei's eyes widened in panic, choking. "Wait, wait! He- He's not dead, you can't kill me until it is verified or you will be breaking your words!"

Despite her mind telling her to crush his throat and let him bleed out to death, Gil stopped, her thoughts whirling back to the boy, remembering the gift she had given him. The rapier he aptly named Invictus. Gil lessened the pressure on his throat as she focused on the artifact. It was bound to the Gate Of Babylon, and so should he perish, regardless of where he was, it would automatically be summoned back to her. Her lips barely inched upwards when she found herself unable to locate the Artifact in her vault.

"Looks like it's your lucky day, Kirei–" She growled, stepping off the priest, her feet dangling as though trying to get of a particularly persistent turd. "It seems Leonis is still alive, so your execution will be temporarily delayed..."

Gil glared at the relief on his face, kicking him in the stomach. The artifacts impaling him fading with a mere wave of her hand. "But don't rejoice just yet, your insubordinate warrants a punishment." An unnamed blade materialized in her grip. She didn't waste anymore words, directly thrusting it through his wrist, leaning forwards menacingly even as the priest groaned in pain. To his credit, he wasn't screaming so that was a plus. This blade was made for the sole purpose of causing pain and misery after all.

"There will be more where that came from should that child perish." She pulled out the blade, twisting it in the process 'till his hand was almost severed from his arm. "You better pray to your precious God–" She spat. "– That he survives, or your dream will be cut short by my own hands."

Gil flung him out of the room like a piece of trash, gaze lingering on the Dimensional Rift that Leonis had decided to name 'Star-Gate'. No doubt another of his references. "Don't fail me, Little Lion."

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