LRAB Chapter 103 Drawing Boundaries
Chapter 103 Drawing Boundaries
"If he really intends to unleash that sword here... Tokiomi..." Arthur thought to himself with concern.
However, just a second before the red storm of the Ea was about to tear the night sky apart.
A magical inscription, both extremely respectful and imposing, lit up Gilgamesh's body.
Those are Command Seals belonging to the Master.
"...Please calm down, King of Kings."
Far away in the basement of the Tohsaka residence, Tokiomi Tohsaka's forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat.
As a magician who pursues "elegance" and "composure," the situation tonight has completely slipped out of his control.
Let the King of Heroes unleash his trump card here? No, that's too early.
Let the King of Heroes and Arthur fight to the death here? Absolutely not!
Arthur is a "guest general" of the Tohsaka family and the strongest force to restrain other factions.
If a petty argument leads to your Archer and your allies fighting each other here...
Then the Tohsaka family's plans in this Holy Grail War would become a complete joke.
This kind of internal strife, which yields absolutely no benefit, is something that Tokiomi absolutely cannot tolerate.
Without hesitation, he drew a Command Seal and conveyed his will through magical communication in an extremely humble tone:
"I speak with a command spell... Great hero-king, please put away your thunderous wrath."
To display your supreme sword before these despicable people is beneath your dignity. Tonight's test has been sufficient; I implore you to withdraw your troops for now.
"...Tokiomi, you cowardly bastard."
Gilgamesh paused slightly in the hand holding the sword Ea.
Although the Command Seals were not strong enough to completely restrain him, Tokiomi's remark that it was "unbecoming of his dignity" did have some merit.
He snorted coldly, and the deafening roar of the Ea sword abruptly stopped.
The crimson storm vanished without a trace, and the strange sword returned to the void of the Gate of Babylon.
The deadly sense of crisis vanished instantly, and the air on the dock began to flow again.
"Consider yourselves lucky, Arthur."
Gilgamesh looked down at the knights below, his figure beginning to transform into golden spiritual particles and slowly dissipate.
"That magician, who's like a rat in the gutter, seems to have some tedious schemes about your existence."
However, don't think that I will tolerate your overstepping forever. If there is a next time...
A final, chilling arrogance flashed in the Hero King's crimson eyes:
"I will wipe you all off this world without any mercy."
As the golden light faded, the proud king departed from the devastated battlefield.
The Weiyuanchuan Wharf finally fell into complete silence.
With Gilgamesh's departure, the immense magical pressure that had nearly crushed the entire city also dissipated.
Amidst the devastated ruins, only the moonlight, like water, poured down upon the crisscrossing sword marks and scorch marks.
"Phew...that was really nerve-wracking!"
Breaking the silence was Iskandar, the Conqueror, standing atop the wheel of divine might.
He scratched his short red hair vigorously and let out a hearty laugh of relief.
At his feet, Waver, whose legs had already gone weak from the devastating power of the "Ea" sword, slumped on the chariot, trembling uncontrollably.
"That golden, glittering fellow has a terrifyingly volatile temper, but that strange sword certainly possesses an aura capable of tearing the world apart!"
Iskandar praised his opponent lavishly, then turned his gaze to the two King Arthurs below.
"Although I would love to have a drink with you right now, it would be too inconsiderate to insist on it in this completely ruined place."
Iskandar flicked the reins, and the Divine Wheels roared thunderously once more.
"My lords Arthur, I hope you will give me a satisfactory answer when we meet again! Giddy up!"
With flashes of lightning, the Conqueror King strode away in his chariot.
On the other side, Lancer Diarmuid helplessly lowered his red and yellow twin pistols.
In his mind, Master Kenneth's furious and slightly panicked roar was still echoing:
"Lancer! Retreat immediately! That bastard Tokiomi Tohsaka has two monsters of that caliber!"
The current situation is far beyond your capabilities. Get back here right now!
As a top-notch magician, Kenneth may be arrogant, but he is by no means stupid.
The strength displayed by Gilgamesh and King Arthur has far exceeded his original strategic assessment. Continuing to stay on the field now would be tantamount to courting death.
"It seems that tonight's feast has to end here." Diarmuid looked at Artoria with some regret and gave an impeccable knightly salute.
"I am very sorry, Saber. Although we have been interrupted by many unexpected events, I will never forget our unfinished duel."
"I swear by the honor of a knight, I will return to learn from you again."
"I look forward to that moment, Lancer." Artoria nodded slightly, watching the handsome knight with the beauty mark under his eye dissipate into spirit particles.
Atop a crane hundreds of meters from the battlefield, Kiritsugu Emiya slowly shifted his gaze from the scope of his sniper rifle and lit a slightly damp cigarette.
After taking a deep breath, he spoke coldly through the walkie-talkie, "Maimi, retreat. There will be no more fighting tonight."
"Understood." A calm reply came from the other end of the walkie-talkie. "Kiritsugu, the Tohsaka family's fighting strength..."
"Ah, I know, it's a hopeless gap."
Kiritsugu's mind was frantically processing tactical maneuvers.
Tokiomi Tohsaka, the man who was originally considered just a traditional magician, actually holds two trump cards that are enough to overturn the game!
One is the "Golden King," who possesses countless treasures and is extremely arrogant.
The other one is "King Arthur," whose strength is unfathomable and who shares the same origin as Saber.
"If we were to engage in a direct confrontation, even if we gathered all possible combat forces, it probably wouldn't be enough to kill them all."
Kiritsugu calmly assessed the situation in his mind.
"However, Tokiomi Tohsaka's camp is not monolithic."
Judging from the conflict just now, there was a serious disagreement between the Golden King and Arthur, which ultimately forced them to use Command Seals to quell the infighting.
Kiritsugu exhaled a puff of blue smoke, his gaze fixed on the direction where Berserker had just disappeared.
"Saber's condition when facing Berserker is also a fatal weakness. This war can no longer rely solely on the strength of the Heroic Spirits."
We must bypass those two mountains and aim our guns directly at Tokiomi Tohsaka's heart, or... exploit the cracks within them.
……
At that moment, Irisviel ran quickly over from the center of the dock.
Seeing the mess on the ground, she worriedly grasped Artoria's wrist.
"Saber, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Irisviel. I'm sorry to have startled you."
Artoria gently comforted her acting Master, then turned to face Arthur, who was standing not far away.
Recalling Lancelot's mournful howl, Artoria's eyes still held sorrow, but there was no weakness left.
"That man... Lord Lancelot, he bears an unforgivable curse because of me."
Artoria gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, her tone firm and heavy:
"Arthur, you're right. I can't run away because of my guilt."
Since he craves the king's punishment, then as the king of Britain, I have an obligation to use this sword to personally put an end to his mad soul.
...This is the last thing I can do for him.
Seeing that Artoria had regained her sense of being a queen, Arthur's tense face finally softened, and he revealed a relieved smile.
"The fact that you can think this way proves that the sword in your heart has not yet rusted, Artoria."
Arthur placed his hand on his chest and bowed slightly, the first time tonight he had shown her this equal, non-preachy chivalrous gesture.
"You saved me tonight and even shielded me from Archer's murderous intent. I am so grateful for this kindness..." Artoria stepped forward, wanting to express her gratitude.
"No need to thank me, Artoria."
Arthur raised his hand, interrupting her. His eyes gradually became clear and sharp, and his stance was clearly defined at that moment.
"In this world, I am an ally of the Tohsaka family. Tonight I protect you, simply because I cannot bear to see another 'Arthur' soul die in meaningless collapse."
Arthur turned away, his back to the moonlight, his golden, tousled hair fluttering gently in the night breeze.
"Adjust your mindset. When you have completely overcome the shadows of the past, that will be a truly fair competition."
The next time we meet on the battlefield, I will not do it like tonight. I will use the sword in my hand to personally shatter your vain desire to change history.
This is not heartlessness, but the highest respect for a king, regarding him as an opponent to be fought with all one's might.
"...I understand." Artoria took a deep breath, her emerald eyes blazing with an unwavering fighting spirit.
"When that moment comes, I will show you the righteous path I uphold!"
"I'll wait and see."