Seated leisurely on Vimana, Gilgamesh swirled a glass of crimson wine—its hue a mirror of her own blood-red eyes. The liquor shimmered with a seductive glow under her fingers before she brought it to her lips and drank.
"…What an unsightly mess," she muttered, setting down the glass. "That thing below has made even my wine taste dull… Still, it is amusing. Heroes and kings of renown, banding together just to defeat a madman—don't you find it laughable? In this world, one must never underestimate anyone."
But her Master clearly lacked her composure.
Tohsaka Tokiomi, standing stiffly atop Vimana, was glaring at the monstrous sea creature in the river below. His expression looked like someone holding in explosive diarrhea—the closer the beast crept to shore, the more twisted his face became.
Normally, mages must act in secrecy. This core principle is what allowed the Tohsaka family to receive the Association's blessing as supervisors. Yet, the catastrophe Caster had unleashed now threatened not only the Holy Grail War, but Tokiomi's own pride.
If this thing went any further out of control, the consequences would be unthinkable. At this point, it wasn't about rewards or the war's outcome—it was about the very dignity of the Tohsaka name.
And right on cue, Tokiomi lived up to the Tohsaka family's tradition of fumbling at crucial moments.
He turned to Gilgamesh and uttered the most cringeworthy plea imaginable:
"My king… that creature has defiled your garden. Please, deliver divine retribution upon it."
"…Tokiomi," Gilgamesh sighed, exasperated. "Why are you always in such a rush? Watch a bit longer. Even if I don't act, those other so-called heroes will come up with something. Surely they're not that pathetic—surely someone has a city-level Noble Phantasm or two?"
She narrowed her gaze, voice turning to ice.
"Also, what was that you just said? That slaying the beast defiling my garden is my task? That is the gardener's job. Do not speak to your king in such an impudent tone again. Understood?"
"…Yes," Tokiomi muttered, bowing to his patron like a lowly vassal.
In this war, their roles seemed completely reversed. Gilgamesh was the master, and Tokiomi the Servant.
Gilgamesh cast another glance at the battle unfolding below.
"Well, since we're already here, I suppose I should stretch my limbs a little."
She stood gracefully as Vimana hovered in place, becoming her royal platform.
With a flick of her hand, golden ripples formed behind her—the Gate of Babylon.
From its depths, she pulled a gleaming golden bow.
Testing its string with a delicate pluck, she gave a satisfied smile. Magic surged, and three arrows of lightning formed on the bowstring.
"This is my greeting," Gilgamesh murmured. "Good evening, little Knight King… King of Conquerors."
Thwip. Thwip. Thwip.
The three thunderbolts were loosed—golden streaks flashing through the night sky, straight toward the sea demon.
Saber and Iskandar immediately broke formation, dodging aside with sharp precision.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three lightning-forged arrows exploded with the force of miniature missiles. In the blink of an eye, half of the sea demon's colossal body was obliterated in a thunderous blast.
And yet, in mere seconds, its flesh surged and pulsed—the creature regenerated completely, as though the attack had never happened.
"Impossible!" Tohsaka Tokiomi drew in a sharp breath.
"It really does take anti-fortress Noble Phantasms, huh... Keep it up, King of Knights, King of Conquerors…" Gilgamesh, having holstered her golden bow, turned to leave with a languid wave. "Now that we've said our hellos, let's head back—"
But her motion froze midway. Her golden eyes locked onto two distant F-15 fighter jets. Her voice dropped.
"No... not yet. Tokiomi, that's your enemy, isn't it?"
"…My apologies." Thanks to his magic-enhanced vision, Tokiomi had also spotted the shadowy Servant riding atop the jet. "Seems my… diplomacy has brought trouble to the King."
"Hmph. No matter," Gilgamesh smirked. "This King was getting bored anyway."
With a dismissive wave, she signaled for Tokiomi to step back.
As the corrupted Noble Phantasm "Knight Does Not Die with Empty Hands" engulfed the fighter jet, staining it black, Tokiomi scanned the area—and there, on the rooftop of a nearby high-rise, he found his true opponent.
Matou Kariya.
Still dressed in his thick winter gear, hood pulled low over his face, hands buried in his coat pockets. He gazed up coldly, expression unreadable.
"Your Majesty, allow me to deal with the enemy Master," Tokiomi said, bowing with poise.
"Fine. Go play with him," Gilgamesh replied, in the tone of someone letting a dog off its leash.
The Vimana glided through the air, delivering Tokiomi directly above his target. Eighty meters to the rooftop. For a magus, hardly a leap worth fearing.
"May fortune favor your battle, my King."
With that, Tokiomi jumped down, landing gracefully before Matou Kariya.
Meanwhile, Gilgamesh steered the Vimana toward the corrupted fighter jet.
"Mad Dog Knight," she grinned, eyes glinting with amusement. "What a pleasant surprise. Just the other day, I saw a game called Raiden at an arcade. Today, you'll play the real version with this King."
With her laughter trailing in the sky, the Vimana streaked past the fighter jet. Several blades and spears shot out from the Gate of Babylon, whistling toward the corrupted Berseker.
Berseker roared, maneuvering the fighter jet to evade, then transformed into a streak of dark light, giving chase.
At the same time, Tokiomi stood face-to-face with Kariya. The air between them was cold, heavy with old grudges and new hatred.
After a tense silence, it was Tokiomi who finally spoke, voice dripping with scorn.
"Forsaking the path of magecraft, yet still clinging to the Holy Grail… and returning in such a disgraceful state. You alone bring shame to the entire Matou lineage."
But Kariya didn't bite. He didn't even blink. His voice was low, but filled with fury.
"Tohsaka Tokiomi… I only have one question."
"…What is it?"
Tokiomi frowned, caught off guard by the shift in tone.
"Is that really what you care about right now?"
"Answer me, Tokiomi!"
Tokiomi sighed, as if addressing a child throwing a tantrum.
"…There's no need to ask. It should be obvious. I only wanted my beloved daughter to have a future full of happiness."
"…What?"
"A magus who bears twins always faces a dilemma. The arcane secrets we pass down can only be inherited by one. No matter what, one child will be left in mediocrity."
"My wife—her womb was exceptionally gifted. Rin and Sakura were born with equal and rare talent. They needed the protection of magecraft nobility."
"To ensure both daughters had a future, one had to be given away. The old man from the Matou family made the offer—a gift from the heavens, truly. As long as someone from our bloodline reached the Root—whether Rin, Sakura, or even their children—then the Tohsaka legacy would be fulfilled."
So this was it, then. This was what a "magus" truly was.
The woman he loved most... in this man's eyes, was nothing more than a capable womb.
And for the sake of his arcane dreams, he had handed his daughter over to that hellhole, to the insect-filled prison of the Matou house, without a second thought?
Kariya began to laugh.
"…Heh… hahahaha…"
"I see you finally understand," Tokiomi replied calmly.
"Tohsaka Tokiomi—go to hell!!"
With a feral shout, Kariya lunged.
Tokiomi's brows furrowed. His opponent moved like a regular man. No magecraft, no finesse.
Hasn't he yet inherited the Matou family magic? And he dares to challenge me?
Tokiomi scoffed inwardly. He raised his wand, the crimson jewel at its tip igniting with flame—and launched it at Kariya.
But mid-run, Kariya suddenly pulled his right hand out of his pocket and raised it straight into the fire's path.
He's lost his mind, Tokiomi thought.
But—
Fssshhh—
To his utter shock, the flames vanished the moment they touched Kariya's hand, as if swallowed by a dream.
"What?!"
Tokiomi's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Thanks to that Lord's blessing," Kariya muttered, clenching his right hand. "I now hold the power to destroy your delusions—with this hand!"