"As expected, taking down Gilgamesh isn't that easy as long as he stays cautious."
Seeing the shield in Gilgamesh's hand, Daniel Davis immediately understood that this was likely the reason he had survived the clash of Noble Phantasms. In terms of sheer power, Saber's Excalibur was slightly inferior to Gilgamesh's Ea, but the gap wasn't insurmountable.
Adding Ishtar's Noble Phantasm into the mix, Gilgamesh clearly didn't stand a chance. If he hadn't decisively pulled out his shield at the last second, he would have returned to the Throne of Heroes by now.
Daniel didn't recognize the exact identity of the shield Gilgamesh had used—it couldn't be helped, there were simply too many Noble Phantasms in the Gate of Babylon. Daniel had only recently obtained it and was still familiarizing himself with the collection. He knew a few, but most he didn't, and those unknown ones weren't very practical either—mainly useful for throwing like Gilgamesh often did.
Although the Gate of Babylon housed many treasures, Gilgamesh couldn't actually unleash the true names of every single one of them. If even he couldn't, then Daniel certainly couldn't either.
Take shields, for example—there were all kinds in the Gate: Shield of the Gods, the Seven Heavens Wrapping Ring, and many others.
Roar.
Just as Daniel was about to say something to Gilgamesh, a sudden roar interrupted him. Everyone turned toward the source and saw Heracles leap out from underground not far from Gilgamesh.
Although Heracles hadn't been the direct target of the triple Noble Phantasm collision earlier, the shockwave had taken one of his lives and flung him underground.
"You—"
Bang.
As Gilgamesh turned toward Heracles, the Berserker struck first. Gilgamesh managed to block the attack with his shield, but the immense force of the stone sword, combined with his own injuries, sent him flying dozens of meters.
Though the shield was a powerful defensive Noble Phantasm, it had just been used and now functioned only as a regular shield.
"Nicely done. That's some revenge on behalf of a version of yourself."
Daniel couldn't help but praise Heracles in his mind. Due to the nature of their compatibility, Heracles was usually ineffective against Gilgamesh. Conversely, Gilgamesh, with his multitude of Noble Phantasms and Enkidu, the Chains of Heaven, could easily take him down.
In the Fate/Extra universe, Divinity was a negative trait. As a demigod, Heracles couldn't escape the chains' binding power.
"You bastard."
Gilgamesh stabilized himself after being knocked back and attempted to counterattack Heracles. But his injuries quickly caught up to him, halting his movement. Though the shield had kept him from being obliterated earlier, the blast had still left him heavily wounded.
"Berserker, kill him!"
Illyasviel suddenly shouted. In this kind of situation, most Masters would avoid provoking more fights. Even if they did choose to battle, they'd side with Gilgamesh to take down Saber and Ishtar together.
Masters from the Fourth War would've made such a strategic choice, forming alliances to deal with the stronger enemy. But Illyasviel wasn't thinking that far ahead—she simply saw Gilgamesh as the nearest target for Heracles.
"Damn it."
Facing Heracles' charge, Gilgamesh dismissed his shield and summoned several Noble Phantasms to block the attack. Unfortunately, all were knocked aside by Heracles' massive stone sword.
Boom.
The sword slammed into the ground, creating a crater dozens of meters wide. Gilgamesh barely dodged the direct hit, but he couldn't fully evade the shockwave or the flying debris.
"Hahaha! Who's this? Looking so pathetic!"
The rare sight of Gilgamesh being humiliated brought visible joy to Ishtar, who was hovering above. After all, moments like these didn't come often. Once she got back, she could rub it in a certain king's face.
"That's enough."
As Heracles continued to assault Gilgamesh, Kid Gil finally stepped in. He summoned the Chains of Heaven and bound Heracles. After all, Gilgamesh was the adult version of himself.
"Stay out of this."
Even though his younger self had acted, Gilgamesh wasn't grateful. If not for his drained mana, he would've easily overwhelmed Heracles.
"You've seen the situation for yourself. Today, you're definitely going back. Even if you don't want to, they'll make sure you do. Rather than keep embarrassing yourself, just leave."
Kid Gil advised him directly.
"Then come at me." Gilgamesh responded proudly.
"That should be enough." Kid Gil turned his gaze from Gilgamesh to Daniel.
"All right. Saber, I'll leave it to you."
Since Kid Gil had spoken, Daniel gave him face and nodded. He glanced at Illyasviel and ultimately decided to let Saber deliver the final blow to Gilgamesh.
"I'll handle it."
With Daniel's approval, Saber stepped forward to finish Gilgamesh off. But before she could strike, Ishtar acted first—using Maanna as her bow and a gem as an arrow, she pierced Gilgamesh's body with a single shot.
"Remember this," Gilgamesh growled as he faded away, giving Ishtar a vicious glare. She simply waved at him with a grin.
"Wahahaha, what a lively place this is."
Just as Second was about to speak following Gilgamesh's disappearance, a familiar voice rang out from the right. The group turned to see Luvia approaching with a female Servant in a long purple robe, black cloak, and a black hood.
"Luvia? What are you doing here?" Second was surprised to see her and her Servant.
"I just wanted to come and see for myself."
Luvia quickly explained the situation. She hadn't originally planned to participate in the Holy Grail War, but with Rin entering and Second still fixated on it, curiosity got the better of her. On the way to meet Rin, she unexpectedly encountered a Servant.
"Looks like that assassin teacher didn't get a chance to appear."
Daniel was a little speechless. The Servant beside Luvia was none other than Medea, the Witch of Betrayal. According to the original story, she should've met a certain assassin teacher—but this time, she encountered Luvia instead.
Unlike the assassin, who was just an ordinary person, Luvia was an excellent magus. Her partnership with Medea allowed the latter's abilities to shine even more. The two had great compatibility, and Luvia showed no prejudice toward her despite her reputation.
Although they had sensed the earlier battle, Luvia and Medea had prepared carefully before arriving. The Caster class performed best in a workshop, and sudden encounters were highly unfavorable for magi.
"Since everyone's here, there's something I need to tell you."
With all the Masters and Servants gathered, Daniel decided it was time to explain the truth about the Greater Grail and end the war today.
"I'm not interested."
Illyasviel turned to leave with Heracles. After Gilgamesh vanished, Kid Gil released Heracles from the Chains of Heaven.
Interestingly, while adult Gilgamesh had shown no mercy to Illyasviel, even going as far as to rip out her heart, Kid Gil treated her entirely differently.
"Wait, Illyasviel. This concerns you too. Just hear me out."
After stopping her, Daniel told the group to wait, then returned to Chaldea and brought the genius Da Vinci back with him.
"That's the situation. The Greater Grail is completely unusable and needs to be dismantled."
Once Da Vinci arrived, Daniel explained the contamination of the Grail. When Luvia voiced doubts, the group went to the depths of Mount Enzō, where the Greater Grail was located. With Da Vinci and Medea working together, they confirmed its condition.
Technically, if the Grail could be purified, the war could still function normally. But the contamination was too severe. Even Da Vinci and Medea had no means to purify it from All the World's Evils.
After witnessing the truth for themselves, Second and the others agreed to dismantle the Grail. Originally, Rin and Second were meant to do this ten years after the Fifth War. Now, it was happening a decade early.
Illyasviel was the hardest to convince. In the end, Daniel brought her to meet the version of Illyasviel from her own world and promised that Heracles would not disappear. Only then did she abandon her desire to continue the war.
"There's something urgent at the Clock Tower—I have to go back."
Three days later, Second, who was supposed to be assisting Da Vinci and Medea in dismantling the Grail, received a call from Reines and had to return. Heartless was up to something again. But this time, Second had a trump card—the young version of the Emperor.
One could only imagine what Hephaestion's reaction would be upon seeing him.
Normally, Heroic Spirits would return to the Throne after the war. But that applied only under normal circumstances. And this war was anything but.
Da Vinci and Medea both had ways to bypass the Grail's system and keep the Servants in the world. Besides, this war technically wasn't over—none of the Servants had actually died. Gilgamesh wasn't even summoned as part of this Grail War.
Medea wanted to stay and accompany Luvia, and Luvia was more than happy to keep a Servant of the Age of Gods by her side.
Despite her reputation as the Betrayer, Medea's title was undeserved. Her "betrayals" were always provoked by those who betrayed her first.
Her moral standards were also far superior to modern magi. Her conflict with her original Master, Atram, stemmed from the fact that he used children as magical fuel. Like Kenneth before him, this wealthy Middle Eastern heir was well-prepared—but also, like Kenneth, lost everything due to a lack of trust in his Servant.
The Fifth War's Servants were no weaker than those of the Fourth—the real difference was in their Masters.
"Gray, so you've finally let go."
Gray had always been self-conscious about her face. But after a heartfelt conversation with Saber, she seemed to have made peace with it. If Second hadn't still had trauma associated with Saber's face, Gray probably wouldn't even need her hood anymore.
After confirming the Grail's status, Saber sought Gray out and spoke with her at length. She had already guessed the truth upon seeing Gray's weapon and appearance.
"Second, finish up quickly. I'll take you to Chaldea."
Chaldea, the Organization for the Preservation of Human Order. Upon hearing about it, Second's curiosity was piqued. He wasn't unfamiliar with the concept—it had originated from the Department of Astromancy's lord.
When the idea was first proposed, they had sought the Clock Tower's support. But the Tower rejected it. The required funds and rare materials were too steep.
Thus, Marisbury had turned to the Holy Grail War. Against all odds, he succeeded. Naturally, Second was curious—both as a magus and as a detective.
To Daniel, having Second join Chaldea would also greatly relieve Roman's burden. Maybe Second could even come up with a new plan against Goetia.
"Please remain calm. The underground gas explosion was a once-in-a-millennium event. There will not be a repeat."
Watching the news spin the massive crater caused by the triple Noble Phantasm clash as a gas explosion, Daniel could only shake his head. So it still ended up being blamed on gas.
Though many online didn't buy the explanation—some pointing out that Fuyuki had no underground gas systems—people quickly forgot. The crater itself became a local attraction and eventually turned into a lake.
"You're leaving?"
Daniel was surprised to see Ishtar preparing to depart. Of all the summoned Servants, she was the second to leave—the first being Saber, who had abandoned her wish.
Daniel hadn't allowed Saber to go. After a heart-to-heart, she chose to stay. The others agreed as well. He hadn't expected Ishtar to want to leave now.
"I have things to do. Don't worry—we'll meet again soon."
After saying farewell to Rin, Ishtar's body began to glow gold as she prepared to return to the Throne of Heroes. At least, that was what Daniel thought. In reality, Ishtar didn't return to the Throne but went back to where she'd originally come from.
Daniel didn't know that Ishtar hadn't been summoned from the Throne in the first place—she had been pulled in from another place.
Heroic Spirits, after all, often had multiple "gigs." Take the Bull of Heaven, for instance—she had lost it because it had gone off to another battlefield.
"This time I'll really give him a piece of my mind."
As she returned, Ishtar summoned Maanna and prepared to visit someone she detested and mock them thoroughly. Just as she was about to fly off, she suddenly noticed something was off—specifically, the outfit she was wearing.
The mindset of gods and mortals were fundamentally different. Just as she was about to remove her clothes and revert to her usual look for the flight, she found her movements halted.
"No way… the Command Seal still works?"
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