I'll finish this arc here, and see if there's an change, then decide what to do next. I really don't want to rant every week to remind you guys about goals, support etc. It should be out of heart.
And like I said, it's upto you folks now. Nobody writes a story if people don't read or care about it. I'll just be an observer from now. If it works, then good. If not.... Well, Webnovel wins and I see myself out silently.
May the force be with you.
*****
The echoes of Edward's mad declaration still hung in the night air, rattling the bones of soldiers, heroes, and tyrants alike.
His laughter faded into the dark sky like the tolling of some deranged cathedral bell. But beneath that absurd curtain, reality snapped back into focus: two fronts, two decisive battles, and no space left for hesitation.
The city center was a wasteland of broken towers and smoldering rubble, the night sky lit by faint embers and the glint of steel. The streets lay silent save for the faint hum of Gilgamesh's portals and the slow mechanical hiss of Lex's armored suit.
His mercenaries and Cadmus agents were stationed far from here, waiting at the city's edge. Even Lex knew they couldn't survive the shockwaves of what was about to unfold. But he still kept some of them near him in case of emergency.
Batman stood opposite him, cloak rippling in the night air, Arthur at his side with Excalibur unsheathed. Behind Lex, Gilgamesh's red eyes narrowed, his disdain filling the silence more than any roar could.
"End of the line, Luthor, It's over." Batman said, voice low, controlled.
Lex chuckled inside the purple glow of his warsuit. "End of the line? No, Batman. This is where I begin.
While you play detective and toy soldier, I've built an army that spans the globe. Cadmus, mercenaries, weapons you can't even begin to counter. The Grail is mine."
Arthur raised his blade, the holy light glinting faintly against the neon glow of Lex's suit. His voice carried the calm weight of a knight ready for war. "Your arrogance blinds you, Luthor. You seek the Grail as if it's yours to claim. But power taken through greed only devours the one who grasps it."
Gilgamesh scoffed, stepping forward, his treasury swirling open like a maw of gold. "You dare lecture on power before me, faker? You, a mongrel clinging to a borrowed sword, standing beside a man who hides behind a mask and dresses as a mere bat? Very well. Let us end this charade."
Arthur set his stance, Excalibur glowing brighter as the clash loomed. Batman, already moving pieces in his mind, spoke sharply. "Arthur, Gilgamesh is yours. Keep him busy. I'll take down Luthor."
Arthur nodded. " Be careful master. He has other people watching us. Beware of sneak attacks."
Then, without further words, Gilgamesh unleashed his first volley. Blades and spells of every kind and complexity screamed from the golden gates, cutting through the night with a whistle of death.
Arthur swung Excalibur in wide arcs, each swing releasing golden sparks as steel met steel. The ground trembled as the King of Heroes pressed the assault.
And on the other side of the square, Batman lunged forward, batarangs snapping from his hands. Lex swatted them aside with contemptuous ease, the explosions scattering harmlessly against his armor. His voice boomed from the suit's speakers.
"Pathetic, Batman! Is this the so called genius tactician who went toe to toe with Darkseid? I've accounted for every trick of yours. You're not fighting muggers and street trash now. You're fighting the smartest man alive!"
Batman rolled low under a pulse blast, cape flaring, and hurled a smoke pellet. The battlefield was swallowed in black haze.
Lex's sensors flared, tracking thermal outlines. "You think I didn't prepare for that?"
An energy beam cut through the smoke, carving a line of molten stone, but Batman was already gone. His grappling hook caught a twisted beam of rebar, swinging him upward.
He dropped from above, launching an EMP charge onto Lex's back. Sparks erupted as systems flickered, but the suit's failsafes compensated, forcing Batman to leap away before the armor could detonate the device.
Lex snarled, eyes glowing red through his helmet. "You can't win!"
Batman's answer was as cold as steel. "Even if I don't win the Grail, I won't let you walk away with it either Luthor."
Lex laughed. " You alone? Maybe if your buddy boy Superman or his girlfriend was here. Even then , I have a little gift that can neutralize them. "
Batman tried to press for answers. " What is Cadmus doing, trying to clone Superman? What did you do with project Ace?"
Lex smirked. " Maybe I'll answer if you can defeat me. Truth be told, I admire your resourcefulness Batman.
Despite being surrounded by costumed freaks and aliens that can destroy cities, you don't fall behind. Even without powers , you have shown what humans are capable of achieving. You have made gods bleed. For that I offer you a final chance.
Give up the Grail and walk away. When I build a new world order, maybe you can be a part of it. I shall become the new Order of the world, something the so called greatest hero of Mankind failed to do."
Batman spoke without emotion. " You have gone insane Luthor. You need to be put down."
Lex grinned. "Try it then."
***
Meanwhile, at the forest's edge, Constantine trudged alongside Connor and Ace, the night air thick with tension. His cigarette hung limply from his lips until he flicked it away, muttering. "Bloody conscience… I could've walked away. But no, John, you had to play the hero. Idiot."
Connor smirked faintly. "Glad you did. We'll need all the help we can get."
Ace, still reeling from her loss and exhausted from past battles, crossed her arms. "You really think three of us can take down Luthor? He has Gilgamesh with him. That's supposed to be the first hero of Mankind, someone who killed gods, like Sir Edward the hero."
Connor raised an eyebrow. "How did you know so much about history and myths."
Ace shrugged. " Internet has everything."
Constantine chuckled, stuffing his hands into his coat. "Gilgamesh'll be busy with someone else. And Lex, for all his bloody money and armor, bleeds like any other sod if you cut deep enough."
As they stepped further into the clearing, two figures were facing off in the distance.
Arjuna, bow drawn, divine light shimmering in his grasp. Karna, crimson armor gleaming faintly under the moon, spear in hand. The weight of their presence alone made the air feel heavy, oppressive.
Arjuna's gaze didn't leave Karna as he spoke, voice even but sharp. "Brother. Tonight, it ends."
Karna's reply was quiet, resolute. "So be it. No more hesitation."
The silence that followed was broken only when Arjuna loosed his first arrow. It cut the air like a thunderclap. Karna's spear spun, intercepting it in a shower of sparks that lit the forest .
Arjuna jumped back and took his stance as he chanted. " Overflow and burn to cinders, Agnia Gandiva!"
Karna also gripped his Spear . " Know the power of destruction, Brahmastra Kundala! "
A huge explosion of flames went off, lighting up the night sky. The forest was set ablaze as the two brothers clashed without holding back.
Constantine grimaced as he looked in the distance. "Yeah, not our fight kids. Let's move. Batman's going to need all the help he can get."
Connor hesitated only a moment, then nodded. "Right." He prayed that Karna would prevail over his brother. He cared for him like a brother he never had.
Ace lingered, eyes locked on the direction where two divine warriors tearing into each other, before finally turning to follow. "Fine. Let them kill each other."
After Heracles died, she had nothing to care for. She appreciated Connor's help and could see his efforts to befriend her, but something was broken inside of her. She didn't wish to get close to anyone again.
Behind them, the clash intensified. Fire and light clashed in bursts that turned night into day, the forest shattering under the strain.
***
Back in the city, the duels reached full fury.
Arthur stood firm, his blade a shield of light against the endless storm from Gilgamesh's treasury.
Every swing of Excalibur shattered incoming weapons, each clang echoing like a bell of defiance. But he was being pushed, step by step, against the weight of the King's arsenal.
Gilgamesh smirked, watching Arthur sweat and bleed. "You are no true king. You are a fraud clinging to a dream. Know your place."
Arthur's grip tightened. "My place… is to protect this world."
With a sudden surge, he swung Excalibur in a wide arc, releasing a blast of light that forced Gilgamesh to raise his axe to parry. The shockwave split the ground between them, shattering pavement and sending debris flying.
Elsewhere, Batman and Lex's battle was a war of man against machine. Lex's armor rained destruction with pulse blasts, rockets, and plasma bursts, each one tearing into the broken cityscape.
Batman countered with precision: explosive gel traps detonating beneath Lex's feet, shock charges frying circuits just long enough to open gaps in his defenses. Every move was measured, calculated to wear the suit down piece by piece.
But Lex pressed harder, fury building with every failed strike. "You're nothing without your toys, Batman! Nothing!"
Batman's counter came sharp. "Takes one to know one."
Lex roared, charging forward, his fist glowing with energy as it slammed into the ground. The impact created a crater, shockwaves sending Batman sprawling back. Batman's armor cracked, ribs aching, but he rolled to his feet, eyes narrowing. His gauntlet clicked — another contingency ready.
The two stared at each other, neither willing to back down.
And in the forest, the brothers' battle reached its peak.
Arjuna fired arrow after arrow, each one imbued with divine authority, scorching the sky with trails of light. Karna met them all, his spear a blur of red fire, splitting, parrying, redirecting. Explosions lit the trees, ash falling like snow.
Both bore wounds now. Karna's armor cracked in places, blood staining his lips. Arjuna's bow arm trembled slightly, his breath heavy, but his eyes burned with the same unyielding fire.
They charged again, spear against bow, divine fire against divine judgment.
The earth split under their feet. The sky itself seemed to tremble.
At last, Arjuna drew his bow to its fullest, divine energy spiraling around him until the forest shone brighter than the moon. His voice rang out, cold and resolute.
"The next strike shall bring absolute ruin."
Karna smiled as he drew back his spear in a launching gesture as it started burning. " I should say that to you, brother.
*****
The square seethed with motion, not just the clash of Servants but the steady, lethal clash of men and machines.
Batman moved like a single-purpose shadow, eyes scanning every angle, pieces shifting in his head as if the battlefield were a board and every move had already been calculated two steps ahead.
He suddenly heard the arrival of others: footsteps, a presence at the edge of his peripheral vision. He pivoted, cape snapping, and met three figures stepping out of the smoke.
Constantine took the lead, that crooked swagger still in place even with the night's grime on his coat. Ace and Connor flanked him: Ace tighter, eyes burning with determination; Connor stood alert and ready, though he visibly kept himself from charging forward. Batman's gaze narrowed to a cool slit.
"I know about you kids. You should have left this place and lived your new life."
Ace clenched her fists. " Not before we take revenge for taking away our childhood."
Connor nodded solemnly. " He Killed Sarah. I won't let him go free."
Batman's expression softened under his mask. " You are just kids. You shouldn't be too stuck on revenge."
"And Who are you?" Batman asked looking at Constantine, voice even, clinical.
Constantine raised a hand in a half-salute. "Name's John Constantine. Don't look at me like that, we've a mutual friend. Zatanna told me about you once. That counts for something." His tone had the practiced arrogance of a man who'd sold his soul and kept the receipt.
Batman didn't smile. He simply watched, measuring. Then, with that small tilt of head that meant acceptance rather than trust, he made a decision. "Fine. You help on one condition. You follow my instructions."
He turned and spoke quickly, issuing orders that were stripped of any theatrics. "Ace, stay back with Constantine. He's got ways to handle whatever device Lex might use on you. Luthors tech can take a person out in a heartbeat. Connor, you stay out of direct engagement. Luthor has Kryptonite with him. Support and overwatch. You're both not frontline fighters tonight."
Ace bristled, halfway to arguing before the practicality in Batman's voice shut her down. Connor's jaw clenched but he inclined his head.
Constantine made a face like he was about to protest, then shrugged with theatrical resignation. "If I'm your babysitter for the night, I'll take it," he muttered, but the lie was thin; his eyes were already running the scene, thinking of wards and quick curses to sever remote control.
Batman moved like a shadow in the night, slicing into the fight with surgical purpose.
Lex Luthor, clad in his warsuit, absorbed the first few hits and answered with similar force. The suit's gears screamed as it pumped energy into forcefields and retaliatory cannons. He'd been pushed before; he adapted. His gauntlet whirred to life and shells of blue-white plasma blasted toward Batman's last position.
Connor stuck to his role: guerilla warfare. He attacked from the blind spot and jumped back before Lex could catch him, and threw smoke bombs designed to blind sensors and buy Batman the seconds he needed.
Ace, under Constantine's watchful eyes, stayed in the back, creating inanimate creatures to support them. Her vines locked Lex's feet and delayed him from time to time, letting Batman and Connor land some solid blows.
Constantine, for his part, kept chanting under his breath and tracing sigils in the space between them, preparing a clutch of binding hexes to drop on any remote devices that might try to attack them.
Batman struck amidst the confusion. He ducked a plasma arc and rolled under cover, the man with a thousand contingency tools.
He pressed a palm to a panel at the underside of a wrecked car and flicked — an EMP pulse rolled out in a tight sphere, engineered to target the specific frequency of Lex's suit. The armor stuttered. Lights dimmed. Relays screeched. Within a gloriously brief instant, the armor was shut down..
Lex snarled and staggered as systems faltered. "How dare you..."
But he wasn't alone. Far from the center, where Lex had kept them deliberately removed from the immediate shock-zone, Cadmus agents and mercenary units had been listening to their earpieces and watching for any sign that their employer needed extraction.
At Lex's command a secondary protocol unfurled: micro-drones, armored APCs, and snipers repositioned.
They opened fire in a controlled torrent from the rooftops and alleys that ringed the center, slugs and chain fire searching for targets. Sparks and shrapnel sprayed; several of Batman's deployed devices went up in smoke.
Batman rolled instantly, took a couple shots to his armor , and felt the momentary sting of failure as a dozen bullets tore into the plaster of the ruined street.
In desparation, Connor unlocked something he didn't know he possessed. His eyes burned red and two beams blasted from them.
Connor's heat vision and Constantine's improvised barriers protected them and rerouted a number of lethal trajectories, but Lex's agents were professionals — they weren't built to be the first wave of an all-out assault, they were built to extract.
They converged on the suit in a practiced formation and pulled their employer clear into an armored shuttle before the EMP could be exploited further.
Lex snapped orders into his comms. "Tear them apart! Keep firing! Find the Bat and the mage and eliminate them, then capture my specimen! Kill them if you can't capture alive."
The bullets didn't stop. They sought the figures Batman had shielded: Ace and Constantine huddled behind an overturned tram; Connor, crouched on a demolished statue, provided controlled suppressive fire.
Constantine spat curses and flung a binding that knocked two stomach-lurching remote triggers out of alignment, but more of the agents were already moving, smoke and tracer lines converging.
Batman, calm and focused, recalibrated. Disabling Lex's suit had been only the first step; letting the man be rescued was not ideal but part of his calculation .
He lashed out from the shadows, precise and cold: grenade lines that cut off the exit path, grappling lines that yanked down a drone, a batarang that severed an antenna and sent a drone careening into a lamp post.
The city centre became a picture of destructionand ruin: Lex's extraction vehicle stalled, and then collapsed into a mess, a chaos the mercenaries and Cadmus agents had not expected to be drawn into.
Lex, chest heaving behind the reinforced glass of his vehicle as systems rebooted, stared through micro-screens at Batman. He was preparing a new suit: methodical, certain, and furious.
"You'll not stop me, Batman! You think you can disable my armor and end the operation? I will get my prize. Send them all in, I want everyone dead! Track Ruler's location, he might alert the Clock Tower."
Mercy Graves nodded and relayed the order. Her face was streaked with ashes and dried blood, but her loyalty to Lex absolute.
A cold raspy voice interrupted them from behind. " No need to look for me. I'm right here."
Lex and Mercy spun back alert, Mercy kept firing her pistol until it was empty. But much to her shock, the bullets pierced through the red coat and blood spluttered, but the man stood with the scary grin nonchalantly.
Edward bit down on the last bullet and spoke amused. " What a fiery spirit. Such a pity that your loyalty is wasted on this bald creep."
Lex gritted his teeth and tried to negotiate. " Ruler, you have no desire for the Grail. Just let me have it. If you want, I can offer you anything. Just look the other way."
Batman narrowed his eyes and was about to speak, but Edward interrupted him. " Should have thought that before you broke the rules and brought a whole army here. Sadly, those thousands of soldiers would become thousands of corpses soon."
At the same instant, the other duel clawed at its own heights. Gilgamesh moved like a storm of gold. He took out an uruk-axe, its edges were dark with ancient fire, runes crawling along the haft.
He engaged Arthur with a brutal efficiency that matched the enormity of his hubris.
Gate of Babylon opened like a vault disgorging a river of weaponry and spells: spears that cracked with lightning, swords that blazed with fire, chains that sang with the weight of a thousand sieges. Each weapon fell with a predatory intent; each spell that leaked out carved the air into screaming lines.
Arthur met him with Excalibur's blade shining like a pure, white answer. He battled with honed courage, parrying, sidestepping, answering the King's onslaught with an iron patience.
But the oddity of Gilgamesh's arsenal lay not just in quantity but in preternatural knowledge. Sha Naqba Imuru, seemed to anticipate Arthur's movements.
For every feint Arthur attempted, a golden spear had already been angled to block, for every pull he drew, a chain had coiled to catch him. It felt as if Gilgamesh could see the very rhythm of Arthur's intent.
"Amuse me more, King of Knights!" Gilgamesh taunted between blows, voice smooth and uncaring. "Let me see your true strength."
Arthur's reply was silent and hard, slashing with Excalibur. Each strike he made demanded more of him; his endurance being pushed to the limit . Still he didn't stop.
He pushed Gilgamesh back with a mana burst strike, then retreated to steady himself. For a moment, he found a gap, his opening small but real. He stabbed forward, using the sword's tip to launch a thin but clinical burstof pure mana.
Gilgamesh scoffed and summoned a few weapons to take the attack. "I'm not so easily touched mongrel."
At the same time, Lex, furious not merely at being bested but at being humiliated by a man who should have been beneath him, did something he'd been reluctant to use.
He raised his hand. The command seal flared against his wrist, a crimson pattern that burned with unspeakable authority.
He commanded without hesitation. "With my command seal I order you. Gilgamesh, stop holding back. Finish them. Kill the King of Knights and burn the rest. Show them the price of crossing me."
Gilgamesh's red eyes flicked toward Lex with something close to rage and disdain, then his eyes narrowed in measured fury.
He had allowed too much indignity from this human, a mongrel he'd tolerated while amused. But his patience had a limit.
The command seal's weight pressed on that irritation . He muttered, as the underlying anger seemed to make him spit the words, "I have allowed too much disrespect from that mongrel. To repeatedly order me like that... I'll end him after I finish off these worms."
The vaulting portals behind Gilgamesh's back shimmered, and then something different woke there. He withdrew from a pocket of the Gate not a mere spear or chain, but a sword of unknown origin and power. It was his ultimate weapon, EA.
"Prepare to die, King of Knights. Your story ends here".
Arthur's hands tightened on Excalibur . He felt the blade's power and weight in his grip, the restrictions that was about to be loosened.
He inhaled, heart hammering, and the light in his eyes steadied as he answered, "Not unless I agree with the ending."
Two kings, two heroes, stared at each other and prepared to launch their ultimate strike of Kingship.