Chapter 22: A Fair One-on-Six

The moment Zoran's command fell, Shendu took action. His speed was absolute.

Though the advantage was currently his and he didn't fully understand why his brother was so insistent on a preemptive strike, Shendu trusted him. He trusted the word of the eldest.

Zoran, meanwhile, watched the golden key in Gilgamesh's hand, waiting for the inevitable appearance of the Sword of Rupture. That particular Noble Phantasm had left a deep impression on him. It was the primary reason why, after learning the nature of Shendu's own Noble Phantasm, he realized Gilgamesh was his brother's perfect counter.

Ea, the Sword of Rupture, was an Anti-World Noble Phantasm, an existence almost specifically designed to tear down Reality Marbles.

[Ea, Sword of Rupture]

Rank: EX

Type: Anti-World (Genesis Class)

A sword-type Noble Phantasm symbolizing the Beginning and the End. It possesses the terrifying power to shred the laws of the world itself. It is a specialized weapon against Reality Marbles and the very fabric of existence.

In terms of attributes, it completely countered Shendu's "Glory of the Ancient Demon." However, it was not an insurmountable obstacle. Gilgamesh required a charging period to unleash Ea, and that process could be interrupted.

Just like now.

Shendu descended before Gilgamesh like a bolt of lightning, forcibly shattering his attempt to draw the sword. While a rain of treasures from the Gate of Babylon bombarded the area, Shendu's form blurred through the explosions. Even now, he held the upper hand.

The capabilities of the Reality Marble, "Glory of the Ancient Demon," were far more complex than simply summoning a dragon horde. Its details flickered across Zoran's mind:

[Glory of the Ancient Demon]

Rank: EX

Type: Reality Marble

Core Effects:

- Glorious Summoning: Call forth approximately one hundred Servant-level spiritual dragons, retaining all their physical strength and magical prowess from life.

Reality Marble Traits:

- Environmental Control: Materializes the majesty of the ancient Asian palace, causing mental dread and weakening the enemy's magic resistance.

- Undying Legion: By consuming mana, fallen spiritual dragons can be resummoned indefinitely.

- The King's Sacred Body: While within the Reality Marble, Shendu can enhance the fundamental powers of the Twelve Talismans to Noble Phantasm-grade levels for one-time effects.

With the aid of the system, Shendu's capabilities were laid bare to Zoran. The true horror of "Glory of the Ancient Demon" wasn't just the immortal dragon army; it was the buff titled "The King's Sacred Body."

Normally, Shendu's Talisman powers were scaled down as a Servant. But inside his Reality Marble, every ability received a massive, temporary boost. It wasn't quite his original peak, but it was more than enough.

Relying on this power, the moment Zoran gave the order, Shendu supercharged the Rabbit Talisman, boosting his speed to a Noble Phantasm-grade effect. In less than half a second, he had flashed from the palanquin to Gilgamesh's face.

There aren't many Noble Phantasms that can be countered by sheer speed alone. Fortunately for them, Ea was one of them.

Zoran recalled the Fifth Holy Grail War, where Shirou Emiya used the high-speed projection and close-quarters combat of Unlimited Blade Works to prevent an overconfident Gilgamesh from ever getting the chance to use Ea.

If you try to charge it, you lose a hand.

This was the exact predicament Gilgamesh faced. Shendu was too fast. Even if the Noble Phantasm-grade Rabbit Talisman had a limited duration, as long as Shendu was under the influence of that God-speed, Gilgamesh had no window to charge. He was forced into a desperate scramble, using the Gate of Babylon just to keep Shendu at bay.

The sky rained weapons, and dragon after dragon fell with shredded wings. But in the blink of an eye, new dragons were born from the mist, seemingly infinite. Under normal circumstances, the mana required to respawn a Servant-level dragon would be astronomical, and no ordinary magus could sustain it.

But Shendu's Master was Zoran.

As dragons fell and rose again, Zoran did a quick check on his mana depletion. Excellent. I feel absolutely nothing.

It was like someone taking a single cup of water from a vast ocean. The consumption was so low it was practically negligible. If Zoran could cheer for his Servant, his slogan would be: "Fly high, Shendu; the Moon Demon is your infinite battery."

Zoran's gaze swept across the rest of the field. As a sovereign, Shendu was remarkably domineering. However many people the Reality Marble captured, he targeted them all at once.

Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, was shouting at the top of his lungs as he drove his chariot through the fray. He looked ecstatic, while his Master, Waver, sat huddled in the chariot, trembling. A dozen dragons chased them, snapping at their heels with jets of fire.

Lancer and Saber weren't faring much better. Just moments ago they were enemies; now they stood back-to-back, battling the dragons swarming the sky. Berserker, wreathed in black mist, was rampaging through the palace like a wild beast, using a massive pillar to swat a dragon out of the air. He was unexpectedly formidable.

The unluckiest, however, was Hassan.

Zoran and Shendu, the demon brothers, seemed to share a psychic link, or perhaps Shendu had simply inherited Zoran's "refined" traditions. Consequently, Hassan was in a very bad way. He wasn't built for frontal combat; information gathering and stealth were his comfort zones. Now, he was being hunted by two dragons. Searing flames rained from above, turning the ground into an inferno. One of the Hundred Faces Hassans struggled for a few seconds before being reduced to a lonely pile of ash.

Hassan was dead... again.

On the chariot, Waver shrieked, "You idiot! Why don't you use your Noble Phantasm against Caster?!" Being chased by dragons had him terrified. The current situation was Caster—no, a dragon, taking on all six of them at once. Well, five now, since Hassan was gone. Regardless, teaming up to take down Caster was the logical move.

"Fool!" Iskandar barked, clapping a hand over Waver's head. His eyes were ablaze with excitement. "This is a war between Kings! We must ensure it is fair! As the King of Conquerors, how could I interfere?"

He steered the chariot, his eyes locked on the primary battlefield that hadn't paused for a second. "Look! That is the war of Kings! Even if we must fight, it should be between me and the victor of those two!" He let out a boisterous laugh as the dragons flapped their wings, keeping pace with his chariot across the Reality Marble.

"MONGREL!!!"

Gilgamesh's roar thundered through the palace grounds. He looked disheveled. Shendu was like a shadow, clinging to him relentlessly. Several times his hand had gripped the hilt of Ea, only to be knocked back by Shendu an instant later.

The arrogant King of Heroes was feeling a sensation he utterly loathed: pure, unadulterated frustration.