Chapter 52: Karna's Farewell
Upon his arrival, Shirou walked from the woods into the area that had already been turned into an empty wasteland. He saw Karna, whose body had been pierced by several Noble Phantasms, yet who still remained standing in an upright, unyielding posture.
Gilgamesh's current state was not much better. After Vasavi Shakti clashed with Enuma Elish, both Noble Phantasms vanished from the world.
In this state, Gilgamesh, who still possessed the "Gate of Babylon," held the upper hand. He attacked Karna without hesitation, leaving him severely wounded.
Nevertheless, Gilgamesh still showed a look of slight admiration for Karna. He looked at the still-standing Karna and spoke:
"You are indeed a noble warrior. You bestow wealth, while I plunder it; you abstain from extravagance, while I indulge in it; you aided your master, while I abandoned mine. Although you are slightly lacking in terms of personal initiative, everything else is excellent—especially that golden armor. One could say its taste is second only to my own in this world."
Gilgamesh rarely spoke such sincere words, but Karna ignored him entirely.
After seeing Shirou approach, an apologetic expression emerged on Karna's handsome face.
"My apologies... Master. I fear... I cannot accompany you until the very end..."
Shirou shook his head gently and patted his shoulder.
"No, it is I who should thank you for accompanying me this far."
Hearing these words, Karna's expression wavered slightly. A smile appeared on the face of the Hero of Charity, and his voice was gentle and calm:
"I am your Servant, and you are my Master; this fact will not change. If possible, I wish to bid you farewell with a smile in the final moments of my death..."
Having said this, Karna's body gradually turned into points of light.
The golden radiance lingered around Shirou's trembling fingertips, as if giving him a final goodbye.
"..."
The specks of light shone brightly in the nighttime woods, making Shirou, who stood among them, appear as if he were emitting a gilded glow.
Gilgamesh naturally saw this scene. Upon discovering the boy's arrival and the subsequent conversation with Karna, he suddenly understood something.
The person who confronted Kotomine Kirei that night was clearly a youth. And Lancer's Master was a child no more than six or seven years old. As far as these two were concerned, no one would have ever associated them with each other.
But now, with the facts laid out before him, Gilgamesh understood everything in an instant. Involuntarily, he began to laugh.
"You mongrel..."
The King of Heroes turned his gaze toward the boy.
"So the one who appeared there that day was you."
Even so, Gilgamesh only felt a sense of clarity from solving a puzzle; he didn't feel anything beyond that. After all, in his eyes, the power Shirou had displayed so far was merely stronger than Kotomine Kirei.
"Since you came from that direction, it means Kirei has already died at your hands."
Gilgamesh spoke with a hint of regret. Kotomine Kirei was the greatest source of amusement he had found in this modern world that could bring him joy, yet now he had been killed by this "child." This matter still made Gilgamesh feel somewhat displeased.
If it were anyone else who dared to provoke the King like this in the past, they would have been torn into ten thousand pieces long ago. However, the encounter on the street that day, and the various experiences at the arcade and the restaurant afterward, were all pleasant experiences for Gilgamesh. Therefore...
"For the sake of you being a child, if you beg for mercy, I might just find it in me to be magnanimous and let you go."
Gilgamesh remained as arrogant as ever. After all, in his own view, he was being merciful enough at this moment.
However, the boy standing there did not answer him. He stood there in silence as if he were in a daze.
Gilgamesh found it boring, so he turned his intrigued gaze toward Saber.
"I was planning to look for you anyway; I didn't expect you to come here on your own."
As he spoke, Gilgamesh scrutinized Saber as if he were looking at a piece of art that was about to belong to him. Being stared at like that made Saber feel completely uncomfortable. She immediately raised her sword and pointed it directly at Gilgamesh, the power of wind swirling wildly around the blade as if it were about to slice the air apart.
"Even now, do you still cling to those disgusting thoughts? Archer!"
Saber vividly remembered Gilgamesh's provocations during the Kings' Banquet in the courtyard of the Einzbern Castle last night. The memory alone made her angry enough to want to draw her sword and cut him down.
Reprimanded by Saber, Gilgamesh's red eyes held an uncomfortable emotion as he watched her point her sword at him.
"I do not know why you are so obsessed with a Holy Grail that can grant miracles, Saber. Your very existence as a woman is already a rare 'miracle,' is it not?"
Gilgamesh's tone was exceptionally calm, as if he were not facing a dangerous enemy. This calmness made Saber even more wary.
"What... are you talking about..."
"I am saying: throw away your sword and become my woman."
In this setting and situation, Gilgamesh's words caught Saber completely off guard. Because it was so unexpected, she was momentarily stunned.
"What... what are you saying... what do you think you're doing!?"
"Even if you don't understand, don't you feel happy hearing this? It is no one else, but me—the King—who has acknowledged your value!"
Gilgamesh spread his arms and declared with a joyful smile. Perhaps only Gilgamesh would think such a conclusion was a matter of course.
The golden King of Heroes looked down, gazing at the woman before him who was filled with a unique "charm."
"Abandon your boring ideals and oaths. Such things only bind you and bring you misfortune. From now on, you only need to desire me and live under my protection. If you do, I swear in the name of the King of All Creation that I will grant you all the pleasures of this world."
"..."
His arrogant tone was enough to reignite the anger in the confused Saber's heart.
"Is it for such a ridiculous purpose... that you contend with me for the Holy Grail?"
"I am not asking for your will; I am telling you my decision."
Archer's face bore a bloodthirsty pleasure, as if the angrier Saber became, the more excited he grew.
Originally, this proud Heroic Spirit never viewed his opponent as an equal competitor. Enemies were only fit to be toyed with and humiliated; he enjoyed watching them yield to him. All of this was merely the King's entertainment.
"Now then, let me hear your answer. Though the answer is already before my eyes, I am curious to see what kind of expression you will make when you say it yourself."
"I refuse! I will never—"
Swish—!
Before she could finish, a fast-falling Noble Phantasm grazed the strands of hair by her ear.
"You said it wrong, didn't you? I'll give you another chance to reconsider."
As Gilgamesh spoke, the cluster of Noble Phantasms floating in the air shook their sharp blades threateningly, gradually closing in on Saber.
Gilgamesh's confidence was not without reason. With the nearly infinite stock of Noble Phantasms within the "Gate of Babylon," he was confident that no matter what trump card the opponent had, he could crush it!
And Gilgamesh's repeated provocative words successfully caused uncontrollable anger to boil over in Saber's mind.
"You will pay the price for your arrogance, Archer!"
At this moment, Gilgamesh frowned.
For he saw Saber below, holding her holy sword high and accumulating magical energy.
She released the "Invisible Air," and the golden sword revealed its true form amidst the roaring storm. The brilliant blade illuminated the surrounding darkness as if it had been promised victory.
The King of Knights poured all her strength into her wrists as she gripped the hilt, raising the golden sword high.
Light was gathering.
That light was reflected in the eyes of the King of Heroes, causing a rare trace of solemnity to appear on his expression.
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