To fulfill his requirements, Locke made three attempts.
The first time, Locke tried to summon his future "self," but unexpectedly failed. Due to his unique nature, he could not summon his future self at this stage, and Valhalla did not have a record of his future self.
Popularity points: -678.
The second time, Locke tried to summon future heroic spirits connected to him, but also failed. Because the future he had distorted was merely a possibility, and such a future did not actually exist.
Popularity points: -231.
The third time, Locke changed his approach. Instead of summoning future heroic spirits, he distorted his own existence into a pseudo-Servant within Valhalla and summoned the version of himself who had just swapped character cards a few seconds ago.
This time, he succeeded. He successfully summoned his past "self" and even transformed the corresponding heroic spirit panel according to his character card.
Thus, Locke successfully summoned the version of himself from a few seconds ago and manifested [The Emperor's Angel].
Before Locke could say anything, the seriousness in Gilgamesh's eyes made him react quite reasonably.
Without hesitation, he raised his hand and deployed the Gate of Babylon—countless golden portals layered within the void, nearly filling the entire basement space. In the next second, a torrent of Noble Phantasms, wrapped in the sharp sound of wind, burst forth and indiscriminately rained down upon the two figures within the summoning circle.
A deafening roar instantly exploded, and a dazzling golden radiance tore through the old stone dome of the church, intertwining with the smoke and dust raised after the collapse of beams and pillars, completely engulfing the entire church.
An old man walking slowly in the middle of the night shuddered at the muffled sound and looked up toward the church, just in time to see the blinding golden light piercing through the night.
His old, dim eyes could not clearly see the edge of the Noble Phantasms within; it was perceived merely as a miracle of holy light sent by God.
The old man's legs gave way, and he fell to his knees on the cold sidewalk, clutching the cross on his chest with both hands and hoarsely shouting toward the church:
"The Father has appeared! The Father has appeared! O angel! Please lead me out of this mortal world!"
The deafening roar still echoed in his ears, and the church's dome collapsed under the torrent of Noble Phantasms.
Kirei Kotomine was caught off guard by this unexpected sudden attack from his ally.
Since the other party had not discussed it with him beforehand, faced with the debris and heat rushing toward him, he subconsciously tensed, ready to endure this wave of impact.
The expected intense pain did not come. Instead, a golden barrier with a divine radiance suddenly unfolded around him, blocking all flying debris and shockwaves.
The world spun for only a moment, and when he came to, he was already standing on the deck of Vimona, the boat of radiance, suspended in the air.
Looking up, Gilgamesh stood at the bow of the ship. His face, which always wore a playful smile, was now so dark it could drip water.
The low pressure around him had almost turned into a substance, and even his breathing was suppressed by the anger of humiliation. At this moment, no one but himself could see through the emotions surging in the heart of the oldest king.
Was this anger at his own complacency? Or the regret of greed for a moment of pleasure and the consequences of evil? Or the shock at Locke's future?
At this moment, no one but himself could see through it.
The night wind slowly dispersed the smoke and dust, and the cold moonlight fell on the shattered ruins, clearly illuminating the central scene.
A heavily armored figure, majestic as a mountain, knelt on one knee, forming an indestructible barrier with his body, completely protecting the young Locke beneath him.
The bronze-gilded Seiko power armor he wore glowed with a cold, hard metallic luster in the moonlight. The Gothic crusader form was angular, and the white cross emblem stood out against the charred ruins on his high shoulder armor.
The imperial emblem on his breastplate, the skull ornament of the saint embedded in the armor, the scroll of parchment full of oaths, and the halo of iron spikes on his backpack all underscored his identity.
The marshal's cloak, infrared and black, still trembled slightly, and the edge of the cloak was only stained with dust from the explosion, with no signs of damage.
In other words, the half-body of the emperor and his angel remained unscathed under the assault of the Noble Phantasm rain.
Kirei Kotomine looked at this scene, and a flicker of surprise appeared in his eyes.
But he did not know that the moment this heroic spirit emerged from the smoke, the [Omniscient and Omnipotent Star] in Gilgamesh's eyes had been fully ignited, penetrating all the roots and secrets of the other party.
However, in the eyes of the king with the true name, the king's doubt was clearly reflected:
[True Name: The Emperor's Angel (Helbrecht)]
[Class: Legion/Legion (Berserker/Berserker)]
[Innate Skill: ???]
[Noble Phantasm: ???]
Two true names, two class designations, Noble Phantasms and skills that could not be seen through. For Gilgamesh, possessing the [Omniscient and Omnipotent Star], to be unable to see through the Noble Phantasm hidden by his legendary spiritual will—this was undoubtedly a symbol of the other party's contempt for him, and even—mockery.
"Wretched cultivator! You, a rat hiding your head and tail, dare to look down on this king!"
"False God! Shut up!"
After the High Marshal of the Black Templars, Helbrecht, roared at Gilgamesh with a furious face, he turned his head, and his expression instantly became extremely gentle. He said to Locke in an extremely humble tone:
"My Lord, the Great Omnissiah, allow me to step aside and let a more suitable person protect your safety."
Locke himself played along with the performance well, portraying himself as somewhat suppressed but still calm.
"You need not be so polite, Servant."
With his lord's permission, the High Marshal Helbrecht, nicknamed "The Wrath of the Emperor," still maintained his defensive posture—kneeling.
His body, covered in Seiko power armor, gradually became ethereal within the magical flow. His heavy voice sounded through his mask—low, fanatical, yet with a solemnity that could not be condemned:
"My lord, we are by no means Servants within the Holy Grail system."
"I am the coin in your palm, the blade of your wrath, a derivative of your will. We are all... your angels."
Before the words fell, the second wave of Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasm torrent was already roaring through the air.
But just as the devastating attack was about to touch the two of them, an enormous surge of spiritual energy suddenly exploded, sharply distorting the laws of reality and completely freezing time throughout the entire space.
Within this absolutely frozen temporal interval, a holy figure, like a reincarnation of Saint Giles, maintaining a kneeling posture of loyalty no different from Helbrecht, bowed his head and whispered an oath to Locke. His voice was as elegant as an aria, yet carried unshakable conviction:
"Caster, Mephisto, have come in response to your call, my lord."
[Skill: You can obtain any power that matches your personality and image]
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