"Welcome back, Merlin. How's it going? Is Roy still arguing with Gilgamesh?"
At Chaldea's inn stronghold, Ritsuka and Mash rushed to Merlin upon his return from the Ziggurat.
The events of last night were so overwhelming that they still hadn't fully processed them.
The sudden descent of pure white warriors had turned the near-collapsing Demonic Front around completely.
Thousands of warriors with Servant-level mana effortlessly annihilated the beasts that had confounded them, executing a carpet-bombing extermination.
In mere hours, the boundless beast army was reduced to battlefield ghosts, tens of thousands dead or fled.
Had the white warriors not halted their pursuit, seemingly under some command, Mash and Ritsuka suspected they'd have chased the beasts to their stronghold.
They weren't the only witnesses to this chilling spectacle.
Soldiers, Servants, and even Demon God Pillars on the front displayed varied reactions to these eerie beings.
Even as allies, Uruk's soldiers felt more fear than joy toward the ascended warriors.
The scene was too shocking, beyond imagination.
When the ascended warriors joined the fray, Leonidas, wary of unforeseen risks, recalled soldiers to the walls and gates. He and Arjuna stood guard at the outermost gate, vigilant for sudden developments.
The remaining soldiers, like Ritsuka, wore expressions of disbelief.
In their view, the white ascended warriors reaped beasts like harvesters, their blades slicing through the surging tide, wave after wave, claiming countless lives.
The onlookers felt not the thrill of vengeance but horror…
Utter horror.
"What are these?"
Watching the near-identical white figures slaughter relentlessly on the death-filled battlefield, their eyes brimmed with shock and disbelief.
They'd seen mighty warriors before, Gilgamesh, the demigod King of Heroes; Enkidu, the divine creation; and Servants like Arjuna, Leonidas, and Spartacus, whose power inspired awe.
Seeing them wield strength and dominate the battlefield evoked not fear but admiration and aspiration.
But this was different.
These white warriors were unlike great heroes like Leonidas or Arjuna.
Their combat inspired no reverence, only an eerie dread. No trace of human vitality emanated from them.
They killed ahead, repeating the act endlessly, pinning beasts to the ground, piercing them with light-lances, tearing them apart. Bathing in the red rain of beast blood, their radiance never dimmed. Under the white light, blood left no trace, and their faces remained expressionless.
Even Arjuna felt his skin crawl at the sight.
And stranger still…
Though their faces were veiled by white light, their outlines were faintly discernible.
Many soldiers recognized familiar figures among them, comrades from Uruk's various posts or battle brothers from the recent war, unseen since being sent to the Ziggurat for recovery.
Now, seeing these former comrades again, they were transformed.
Calm, expressionless, like weapons forged solely to slaughter beasts.
This caused deep anguish.
What had happened?
Humans of the Age of Gods had faced demigods, gods, beasts, and disasters, their hearts steeled. But this was beyond what even a strong heart could accept.
Comrades, recently fought alongside, now returned to the battlefield in this eerie form, how could they not be terrified?
Had other powerful Servants, armies, or even undead appeared to fight the beasts, they'd have cheered.
But this? It chilled them to the bone. How could they calmly accept their kin becoming such beings?
Why had they transformed? A blessing from Sumerian gods? A spell by the king? A deal with the underworld's mistress?
Unease gripped the soldiers.
They feared becoming these emotionless warriors themselves. Would they still be themselves?
When the beast tide was eradicated and Roy executed the three Demon God Pillars, the soldiers' first reaction wasn't joy at victory but fear.
Though the ascended warriors had protected them, the dread lingered.
Seeing the soldiers' expressions, the ascended warriors retaining some humanity showed sadness but offered no explanations.
They bowed deeply to their former comrades, then, obeying the Lord of Hosts, the Father, soared into the sky, leaving Uruk.
Arjuna and Leonidas didn't idle, one stayed to settle the soldiers, the other rushed to Gilgamesh's Ziggurat for answers.
Under Romani and Ritsuka's questioning, Merlin didn't play riddles, leading them to Gilgamesh's Ziggurat to confront the orchestrator.
…
Hours earlier…
Arriving at Gilgamesh's Ziggurat, they found Arjuna waiting outside, observing rather than entering.
Inside, Gilgamesh's furious shouts and the dull thud of fists on flesh echoed.
Ritsuka and Mash moved to investigate, but Arjuna, sighing, stopped them, relaying that only Merlin could enter; others should leave.
"Gilgamesh and Roy are discussing important matters."
"But…" Ritsuka tried to protest, but under Arjuna's earnest gaze, she relented, leaving with Mash and Arjuna, leaving Merlin standing, unsure.
"Damn you, do you realize what you've done?! Is this salvation? It's crueler than killing them!"
Inside, Gilgamesh gripped Roy's collar, lifting him, his other fist slamming into Roy's face.
Thud, thud, thud!!
One punch, two, three…
The demigod's terrifying force struck Roy's face repeatedly.
Roy neither used the Third Magic to heal nor shielded himself with mana, standing plainly, letting Gilgamesh's fists land.
Pfft!!
Blood trickled from his mouth, half his face bruised, yet he made no sound, nor flinched, his gaze fixed on Gilgamesh's furious eyes.
Then, quietly: "…I'm sorry."
"Sorry? What good is your apology now?!"
Gilgamesh's anger flared, raising his fist again, but Siduri and Quetzalcoatl intervened.
"King of Uruk, stop! Let my Master go!" Quetzalcoatl demanded.
"Don't interfere, Quetzalcoatl…" Roy called, shaking his head as she moved to separate them.
"…"
Seeing Roy's serious gaze, Quetzalcoatl halted, sighing. Siduri clung to Gilgamesh's arm, pleading, "King, please stop. Roy only made this choice to save Uruk…"
"His Majesty, King of Ur, forced no one. It was their choice."
Watching the wounded warriors transformed into ascended warriors by Roy, Siduri's heart mirrored Gilgamesh's.
Her body trembled. Though the warriors chose resolutely, she couldn't accept it.
In her torment, she reached for a falling white light-feather, intending to join them.
But Roy noticed.
As the Father, he sensed every ascended warrior bearing the Third Magic's seed.
He retrieved the light-seed before Siduri's transformation began, halting her soul's change.
Worthy of a High Priestess, standing with Uruk's warriors even now…
But no.
Unlike the gravely wounded soldiers, Siduri was whole, vital to Uruk's operations.
She had no need to become an ascended warrior.
Moreover, unlike ordinary soldiers, she was Gilgamesh's most crucial aide beside Enkidu.
Humans have their selfish desires. So Roy stopped her.
"Choice? You call this a choice?!"
Gilgamesh paused his blows at Siduri's intervention, gripping Roy's sleeve, demanding answers.
"Why? Why go so far?! I told you selecting a few truly resolved, half-dead soldiers for the battlefield was enough. Why transform every wounded soul in the Ziggurat into those eerie monsters?!"
"…No, Gilgamesh, I see no hierarchy in life. Choices are equal. I couldn't pick a few from many, so I gave them all the right to choose. This is the resolve and choice of Uruk and Ur's warriors."
"And they're not monsters, but warriors, ascended warriors who sacrificed their humanity to keep fighting."
"Resolve?!" Gilgamesh released Roy's collar, snorting coldly, pushing Siduri aside, and returning to his throne.
"Resolve, resolve… Is this heavy burden what you wanted? Can you bear so many lives and souls?!"
"I can bear it. Even if I can't, I'll shoulder this sin. I won't ignore these lives or excuse it as necessary sacrifice. They needed only to follow their hearts' choice. The rest, merit or fault, falls to me."
"You…" Gilgamesh's voice trembled, a rare falter.
Even he didn't know what choice was right.
Was Roy right?
Perhaps, as he'd driven off Uruk's beasts, securing safety and time.
The ascended warriors were a formidable force, giving them a chance against the final calamity.
But he couldn't accept it.
Selfishly, he shifted the blame to Roy.
Noticing Merlin's entry, Gilgamesh turned, meeting his gaze.
…
"Oh, I didn't expect those powerful white warriors were Roy's doing, made from Uruk's people…"
"Gilgamesh and Roy had a huge fight over it."
After Merlin's explanation, the inn's atmosphere grew heavy.
Learning the ascended warriors' truth, even the ever-optimistic Ritsuka showed sadness.
Romani, sharing her sorrow, exchanged a glance with Da Vinci, both awed by Roy's feat.
Crafting thousands of Servant-level warriors was like a mobile Throne of Heroes.
Such a technique was unheard of.
Even Romani's summoning of the seventy-two Demon God Pillars relied on the Lord's miracles and demonology, merely summoning existing entities.
Not creating or transforming, akin to making something from nothing.
Roy's actions were fundamentally different.
"What's the situation now? Is Roy okay?" Ritsuka, closest to Roy, asked urgently.
"He's fine. After the fight with Gilgamesh, he was… well, not exactly banished, but he exiled himself from Uruk. He said he won't return until the final battle, heading elsewhere to prepare."
"How could this… Roy's the one suffering most…" Ritsuka said, saddened.
"Sorry, Ritsuka. My friend's always been like this, unbearably gentle. Though he changed for a time due to certain events, his core hasn't. He can forgive many, but never himself…" Merlin said.
"Merlin, can we…" Ritsuka began.
"No, Ritsuka-chan." Merlin shook his head, cutting her off.
"If Roy says he has important work, trust him. Instead of chasing him, let's focus on Gilgamesh's tasks and meet him at the final battle."
"Gilgamesh's tasks?"
"Exactly." Merlin nodded, tossing a large sack from behind.
Clatter,
The crisp sound of metal colliding.
A pile of colorful gems spilled from the sack, laid before Ritsuka and Mash.
"So many beautiful gems…"
"How much are these worth?"
Even Mash and Ritsuka, unfamiliar with jewelry, gasped at the exquisite gems.
"Money means little to Gilgamesh, holder of the Golden Capital's key." Merlin said.
"Did Gilgamesh give these to us? But isn't this too much…?"
"Hahaha, of course not. Gilgamesh, with his foresight, saw something, pulling heaps of gems and jewelry from the Gate of Babylon, handing them to me. He mumbled about 'that greedy woman being easily swayed by this.' We'll act once he gives specific orders."
"So… rest well, Ritsuka, Mash. You fought all night, exhausted. Now's the time to recover. With the ascended warriors and Quetzalcoatl guarding, the beasts are no threat."
"Rest, complete your tasks, and prepare for the final battle."
Merlin's eyes flickered with unnoticed sadness.
Uruk lay in eerie calm.
Though daytime, it was silent, like an empty city.
Everyone seemed asleep in their homes.
___
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