Saber was in a terrible mood. Irisviel was kidnapped, and her so-called Master, Emiya Kiritsugu, barely said a word to her.
Feeling the Grail's presence, she entered the civic center. But before she could search, she ran into the last person she wanted to see.
"Well, well, Saber," Gilgamesh said, twirling her golden hair. "Meeting here must be fate's red thread pulling us together."
Saber clicked her tongue, then stopped herself. "Archer, move. I need to reach the Grail's floor."
"What's so special about that thing? You'd skip a rare talk with me to chase it?"
Gilgamesh's smile turned sharp. "I could let you pass or even give you the Grail. It's nothing to me. Just nod, and I'll get it for you—"
"Saber, drop your sword and be mine!"
"What?" Saber froze, then glared. "You know I'm a king, and you still say that?"
Forget her royal status; she had a wife, and back then monogamy was the norm.
Of course the most important reason was that she couldn't stand this golden loudmouth.
From her attitude to her outfit, Gilgamesh was everything Saber hated.
To Saber, Gilgamesh had nothing but her looks. Crude words, constant cursing, new-money vibes, no manners, wild desires, a taste for girls, arrogance that knew no bounds: a walking mess.
Saber had grown up with the Round Table; noble, handsome knights of every kind, each a gentleman. Why would she care for this flat-chested show-off?
If it was about women, she had Guinevere and Morgan, both far better in every way.
Of course, Saber's manners kept her from saying that out loud.
She huffed, firm and cold. "Don't fool yourself, Archer."
Gilgamesh shrugged. "Fine. Lions aren't soft pets, resistance is normal. But… I know how to tame beasts."
Golden light flared as over a dozen ripples opened behind her.
"I'll make you kneel by force!"
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once upon a time, there was a baby left by a lake. The Lady of the Lake raised him into a polite, generous and devout knight.
Beyond his virtues, he had unmatched strength, with few in his time who could challenge him.
But power brought loneliness, and loneliness bred pride.
He'd felt it; a growing arrogance. But before it took hold, he met a greater knight—no, a king.
Following this king, he saw great deeds, befriended noble knights, and built deep ties.
In Camelot, the perfect city they created, those days were his life's jewel.
He adored the king, followed every order without fail; all for the king's honor.
He admired the king, worshipped him, even… loved him.
But it was forbidden. Beyond gender, the king was married.
This silent, same-sex longing would stay buried forever. Until another knight left.
"The king doesn't understand hearts!"
Those bitter words hit hard.
"Are you blind? The king is perfect, what's wrong with you?"
Thinking this, he found a bond with the queen. During their talks they realized they both knew and loved the king deeply.
Like him, the queen couldn't speak her heart or it wouldn't matter if she did.
Two lonely souls comforted each other. They never touched, but their spirits grew close. Daily chats about the king, praising him, brought them peace.
Then their closeness was discovered.
Knights chased him. He fled, later killing old friends to save the queen.
A lot happened at that time. His former allies sought revenge, but he was the strongest, cutting them down, piling up hate.
He didn't regret the deaths, only his cowardice in running.
The king forgave him, but he didn't want that. He wanted punishment; death to atone and clear the king's name.
Then came his chance.
Mordred rebelled but the king's forces were weakened. He begged to fight, to make things right.
But he never reached Camlann…
Guilt and obsession broke him. He began to hate the king: "Why won't you punish me?"
If only he had another chance—
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Treasures poured down on Saber, each a famed weapon. Even a top Servant like her had to be careful.
Gilgamesh, though, looked relaxed. She had an almost absolute advantage in the battle.
Without ranged options, Saber's only threat was Excalibur's full power, but Gilgamesh wouldn't let her use it.
Wave after wave of treasures forced Saber to dodge and block. Her Instinct helped, but closing in was tough. Each step drew stronger attacks, rarer treasures joining the storm.
Slowly, Saber felt her strength fading…
'Almost done,' Gilgamesh thought, watching Saber falter. 'Even Saber has limits… Just a little more, and I can take her alive.'
The idea of what came next excited her…
But as she readied the final push, a roar shook the air.
"Aaaaarthur!!!"
A black, wild knight fell from above, aiming not at Saber but at the golden king ruling the fight.
"Hmph, just a mad dog."
Gilgamesh wasn't shaken. Her treasury had it all, including self-defending treasures.
A flaming sword shot toward the falling knight, its heat enough to burn the world.
This was Laevatein, the demon blade of Freyr, Norse god of plenty. It chased enemies endlessly, wiping them out.
Against most Servants, even heroes, it'd be deadly. But this knight was special.
"Infinite Martial Arts" a skill only the greatest warriors of their time could claim. He was one of them.
He tilted his head, dodging the blade. As it swung back, he grabbed the hilt with perfect timing. The flames immediately turned black, the sword now his.
"Knight of Owner"!
With this Noble Phantasm, he could claim any treasure; making him Gilgamesh's worst matchup.
He spun mid-air, defying reason, and aimed Laevatein at Gilgamesh. In a flash, the fight flipped.
Ambush, dodge, grab, strike; all smooth, like he'd done it a thousand times.
Who'd think this perfect warrior was a Berserker lost to madness?
He was close now, her defense treasure countered. With his ability, one hit could split her in half.
Was it over?
Gilgamesh met his eyes with a cool smile.
Clink!
Suddenly a large number of ripples appeared, divine chains bursting out; Enkidu, the Chains of Heaven, binding all with divinity.
But they didn't grab the knight. They formed a shield in front of Gilgamesh.
Clang!
Laevatein hit the chains, making a deafening sound, but the sword couldn't break through. The chains drank its flames.
Gilgamesh sneered. "Mad dog."
Enkidu was her favorite treasure; not for its strength, though it was great, but because it protected "Gilgamesh" out of its own will.
There was no need to call it or set rules. The Chains of Heaven will always respond to her expectations.
It was proof of her bond with her only friend.
But what happened next set her off.
The knight dropped the sword and touched Enkidu.
In an instant, its holy light turned black and red…
The shield broke, and the chains wrapped Gilgamesh, tying her arms and body like a captive.
The treasure barrage on Saber stopped. She looked up, shocked, as the knight slashed from Gilgamesh's shoulder to her waist.
Her golden armor cracked, showing her pale skin and blood. A huge gash crossed her flawless body; fatal for a human, brutal even for a Servant.
Gilgamesh didn't react at all. She was bound by the Chains of Heaven , her face hidden by hair.
As the knight raised his hand for the kill, he felt a terrifying chilling force, which even frightened a warrior like him, who'd seen countless battles.
Not killing intent, but a will.
A king's will, fierce and absolute.
"Hey…"
Her voice was so low, that it was hard to believe it was hers.
"Who… let you touch my Enkidu?!"
Countless golden ripples filled the space, too many to count.
Then came not a few toys, but a flood of treasures.
Dozens? Hundreds?
Numbers didn't matter. This was pure, devastating power.
To Saber, the blast turned the world black and white, sound and color gone.
If she felt this from afar, the center must be worse than hell.
The building creaked, ready to fall. Gilgamesh's rage hadn't just hit; it had wiped out the foundation.
And this was focused on the knight. Unchecked, it'd flatten streets.
In the dust, a broken figure flew back, landing at Saber's feet.
The knight hit the ground, black mist gone, armor shattered. His helmet crumbled like old rust.
"You… Lancelot of the La…"
Without treasures or a helm, Saber finally recognized the identity of the Black Knight. It was none other than the Knight she trusted the most; Round Table's strongest, the Flower Knight, Lancelot.
"Why… why, even after I drove you to the brink…" Her voice trembled. "You became a Berserker… yet you still came to my aid?"
Lancelot was on his deathbed, his core was almost shattered but at the last moment he finally regained his sanity.
He gave a faint smile. "At last… I have reached this end."
"My king… I missed your final battle last time… but this time, I—"
"Lancelot!"
Saber held his fading body, her eyes full of grief. "I… was a king who didn't understand hearts. I don't deserve this."
Lancelot's face contorted, a mix of agony and defiant pride. "Take back those words!" he pleaded through trembling breaths.
"You are, without doubt, the perfect king!"
"I sought not forgiveness, but the sting of punishment!!"
"Punishment?" Saber smiled sadly. "My failures broke the Round Table… What right do I have to judge you?"
Tears fell from Lancelot's eyes. "Then tell me: how might I atone? How can I shield your honor, your nobility?"
Rising slowly, Saber lifted her bare Excalibur and placed it on his shoulder.
"Lancelot of the Lake," she declared, her voice resonating like a solemn hymn across the ruins of battle "I, Artoria Pendragon, King of Knights, declare:
"You are restored to the Round Table, seated at its end.
"To atone for your sins, take up your sword—"
"And fight for me until the world fades!"
Her blue-green eyes softened, warm for once. "That is your punishment."
"Ah… so that's it."
Lancelot smiled, at peace. "As you command, my eternal king."
....
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