The fight between the path of conquest and the one-man army ended like this. The Reality Marble could no longer be used, and all that remained were the bulls and the horse.
Rider did not worry about his retainer (Master).
He already knew that Caster's Master would take care of the rescue, so he left him behind to watch.
"Even if I'm here... isn't leaving him alone a bit much?"
Rider didn't look back and spoke confidently.
"I simply thought it best to leave my path of conquest to Caster's Master to watch over. Though you are not my retainer, you are not one to turn a blind eye, are you? But I should thank you. For witnessing my legend."
"Rider..."
"Yes... then, let the adventure begin."
At my words, Rider smiled and said:
"To watch me fight... I entrust the kid to you. Master of Caster. Distant Trampling Domination - Via Expugnatio!!"
"Ooooooh!"
The bulls roared and charged at Gilgamesh, but Gilgamesh waited for a moment while I conversed with Rider.
It wasn't proper etiquette for a fight, but Gilgamesh showed his composure anyway.
The bulls charged while being hit by the launched weapons, but their speed dropped drastically with each hit.
And as one of the two bulls fell, the other one, having reached its limit, also fell. Before the chariot could overturn, Rider jumped off.
"The Beginning of Trampling Domination - Bucephalus!! Alalalalala!!!!"
Mounting a new steed, the horse galloped. Gilgamesh fired swords relentlessly, and Rider swung his sword to deflect the launched weapons, pushing ever forward.
He was with his retainers not to conquer the world, but to see the ends of the earth.
But the journey was not easy, and there were those who died.
But he never looked back at the deaths of the retainers who admired his dream.
Perhaps looking back at their deaths would have been an insult to the retainers who allowed him to move towards his dream.
He might have had regrets, but his forward march showed none.
If he regretted the process, wouldn't he lose the confidence to face his retainers?
'I don't know Iskandar's story well, but his pursuit of his dream (ideal/exploration/unknown) seems foolish, yet worthy of admiration. That's why they follow him. No, that dream wasn't about becoming a hero, maybe he just wanted to reach the end and see his achievement. The end of his world of adventure, and perhaps the heartbeat of the waves...'
And at a distance of 5 meters, the horse fell, pierced by swords.
But Iskandar did not stop.
The Noble Phantasm that was the Reality Marble was completely destroyed and unusable.
The bulls fell and died, unable to withstand the overwhelming firepower of the Noble Phantasms.
Even his steed, running with all its might for Iskandar, was hit by a launched spear and fell dead.
In that place where nothing remained, Iskandar ran.
With the help of his companions (retainers and friends), he had reached the face of the countless unknowns (Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasms).
There is no escape.
There is no retreat.
He only moved forward.
He was moving forward as if towards a dream.
Countless projectiles pierced Rider's shoulder and chest, but Rider did not stop.
Because he was alive. Because he was breathing. Because he was conscious, Iskandar ran.
"Alalalalala!!!!!"
He shouted and moved forward, reaching a distance of 1 meter, and swung his sword from there.
Yes, he intended to take Gilgamesh's head with a single blow, but chains from the Gate of Babylon bound Rider.
Seeing the chains that wouldn't budge, Rider said to Gilgamesh:
"Honestly, you... always bringing out strange things..."
And Gilgamesh laughed, piercing Rider's chest with a sword that didn't even look like a sword.
"Have you awakened from your dream? King of Conquerors."
"...Ah, well. Who knows... But this expedition... was quite heart-pounding..."
As Iskandar spoke with a satisfied voice, Gilgamesh smiled and nodded.
"Is that so... Challenge me again and again. King of Conquerors. To the ends of space and time, this world is entirely my garden. Therefore, I guarantee it. The world will never bore you."
"Hoh... that is... cool..."
"Don't give up! Iskandar!"
At Waver Velvet's words, Iskandar opened his eyes.
The command of the Command Spell left by Waver Velvet.
「Rider, I, Waver Velvet, command you with a Command Spell.
Rider, explore the unknown world!
I command you again with a Command Spell.
Rider, survive until the end!
I command you once more with a Command Spell.
Rider, win.」
Explore the unknown, and survive until the end.
And finally, win.
But is this victory?
Just because he's bound by chains, does that mean he can't move forward?
"Golden Pika! I'm sorry, but this Iskandar will fight until the end!"
What disgrace is this before my retainer?
Should I not survive and fight until the end? Resisting the chains until the very end, he moved forward.
Even if his spiritual core was destroyed, his Spirit Origin was maintained by the Command Spells.
His body was turning into golden dust, but Rider maintained his consciousness until the end, taking one step forward to reach the unknown realm.
"What!?"
And Gilgamesh was flustered.
Enkidu: Chains of Heaven was a Noble Phantasm Gilgamesh trusted.
Since Iskandar possessed Divinity, the chains were fatally binding against gods, but Iskandar resisted them at the very end, and his sword was rapidly approaching his neck?
Perhaps it was because he was looking at his retainer that he couldn't give up.
Perhaps if he closed his eyes, it would be a disgrace to his retainer, so he couldn't stop.
He didn't know what it meant to win until the end, even using Command Spells so openly.
As the chains began to crack, Gilgamesh launched weapons from the Gate of Babylon.
Even with his chest pierced, one arm cut off, his heart destroyed, and suffering near-instant death damage, Rider's sword did not stop.
Because his retainers, admiring his dream, pushed him this far, Rider was not alive but in a state of death, forcibly maintaining his body with his final will.
And the chains were broken by Iskandar's will that transcended his limits.
"No!? Enkidu: Chains of Heaven!?"
And the blade of Rider's sword touched the neck of Gilgamesh, who was full of carelessness and panic.
However, he couldn't cut the neck, only slightly nicking the artery on the left side of the neck.
With Iskandar's final will towards his dream.
He moved forward until the end, transcending his limits.
And with a smile that said he had reached the unknown at the very end, he disappeared.
If he were alive, he would have said:
「Are you watching, kid... Iskandar reaching the unknown at the very end.」
"Rider... yeah... I watched until the end."
Waver Velvet watched Rider's figure until the very end.
That process was a journey towards a dream, a scene that even other Heroic Spirits couldn't take their eyes off.
Even though his retainers died. Even though his steed and bulls, friends who had been with him, died, he explored the unknown until the end.
Waver Velvet, who watched that, did not cry.
If he cried, he thought he would get flicked on the forehead by Rider. Perhaps that's why he didn't cry.
"Guh..."
Gilgamesh's neck, with the artery cut, was gushing blood.
Seeing that, I gave a look to Medea and said:
"Medea."
"I've already done it."
Medea seemed to have already prepared to kill Gilgamesh.
"Archer... I'm sorry, but you have to be eliminated now. The process of Heroic Spirits fighting is beautiful, but I'm not here for fun. I intend to stop a disaster."
"Onore!"
"Let's meet in the False Holy Grail War."
"Ha... well, fine. Since I have seen an unexpected miracle, if you thought I would be satisfied and leave with just this, you are greatly mistaken."
And Artoria raised her sword, and the other Servants raised their weapons.
"Don't think of it as cowardly... I was wary because you are the King of Heroes."
"Is the Beast of Regression not going to fight properly?"
At Gilgamesh's words, Tiamat said:
"Yes, if Mama's help is needed, won't he ask?"
"Ha, you seem to be underestimating me. Good. Since this is the final stage, entertain me until the end!"
Gilgamesh clutched his bleeding neck caused by Rider's attack and raised his sword.
"Tokiomi, Command Spells! Order me with a Command Spell! Right now!"
"Lancer, take Rider's Master and evacuate!"
"Understood. Master... my lord."
"What on earth is going on!!!!!"
Rider's Master was kidnapped by Lancer and disappeared into the distance.
For now, the spatial transfer via Command Spell was blocked by Caster, but it seems the command itself wasn't blocked.
"It is time for judgment. That which splits the world is my sword of rupture! Take this! 『The Star of Creation that Split Heaven and Earth - Enuma Elish』!"
"Tiamat! Artoria! Medea!"
"Sword of Promised Victory - Excalibur!!"
"Aaaaaaaa!!!!"
Artoria fired Excalibur, Tiamat fired a powerful laser in her humanoid form, and Caster unleashed a barrage of magecraft.
Against a single calamity, the light symbolizing Britain, the laser of the Primordial Mother, and the chantless magecraft of Medea, one of the top five magi, tried to block the disaster, but they began to be pushed back.
If Tiamat turned into a dragon, I didn't know what would happen to the surroundings, so I ordered with a Command Spell.
"By my Command Spell, I order you. Show me the glory of the King of Knights!"
Then, the light of Excalibur intensified, and Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasm began to be pushed back.
Tokiomi was presumed to have one Command Spell left, but if he used it for spatial transfer, it was clear he had none left.
First, he ordered him to hide his Noble Phantasm, second, when he took fatal damage from Rider, he ordered a spatial transfer but only wasted a Command Spell, and third, he must have ordered him to struggle until the end or use his Noble Phantasm.
The Tohsaka family members were the type to show composure but panic when cornered in a sudden situation, so it was highly likely he wasted his Command Spells easily.
If Rider hadn't finished him off like that, we wouldn't have fought like this.
"Hahahaha! Let us meet again. One last question. What is your name?"
"Akira."
"I see, unknown human whose fate cannot even be read. Next time, entertain me even more in a vast place, not a cramped land like this. This Gilgamesh shall take his leave."
And so, Gilgamesh was swallowed by the light of Excalibur and evaporated along with the light, and the place completely vaporized, ending the incident.
===========================================
The website for reading paid chapters is available on my Patreon. The number of chapters on Patreon: 49
Link: patreon.com/UltraMagnus_T