Gaia and Alaya didn't react to the provocation, but their eyes made it clear they were dead serious. Gaia tilted her head slightly, regaining her composure.
"Right after we got his permission, we came straight to you. We couldn't waste any time."
Arthur took a deep breath, trying to process everything.
"…So, let me get this straight: you two crossed an entire Multiverse, convinced the Chief God who looks like Stan Lee, and now you want me to be the official bodyguard of a Ruler in an out-of-control Holy Grail War. Is that right?"
Gaia beamed.
"Exactly! See? You catch on fast!"
Arthur sighed, staring into the void.
"I don't know if I should laugh… or start packing my bags."
"And by the way, you still haven't told me how exactly you found me," he added.
"When we noticed something strange about this Holy Grail War, I went to check the Throne of Heroes' records to find someone who could support the Ruler," Gaia explained, her tone now serious.
"That's when I found discrepancies between my records and Alaya's. After carefully investigating, we discovered that a Heroic Spirit had disappeared… and that a new Heroic Spirit had taken its place."
Arthur frowned, already suspecting where this conversation was headed.
Alaya took a deep breath and continued.
"Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, had vanished from the Throne of Heroes. But this wasn't just a simple absence. He suddenly fused completely with the root of an unknown human. His entire being became intertwined with that human's soul in a way that is utterly irreversible."
"I see…" Arthur muttered.
"That's precisely why you're essential to this Holy Grail War," Alaya said, pointing at him.
Gaia, her tone firm and serious, concluded:
"That's why we came to you…"
"…Ahhh~ Alright then… Tell me, what exactly am I walking into that even you two consider… unpredictable?"
Arthur sighed, waiting for their answer.
Gaia's ahoge swayed like an antenna picking up strange signals.
"Well, to start with, this war shouldn't even be happening the way it is."
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"Explain."
Alaya cut straight to the point, like a blade:
"The Holy Grail ritual has always been based on seven Masters and seven Servants fighting for the Holy Grail. But this time… the number has doubled, and two factions have been formed. Each side has seven Servants. In total, fourteen Heroic Spirits have been summoned for this Holy Grail War."
Arthur blinked slowly, letting the words sink in.
"Fourteen…"
(Judging by all this info, this is probably the Fate/Apocrypha timeline…) he thought.
Alaya continued:
"And in the middle of this chaos, there's also someone who should not be alive."
"Shirou Amakusa Tokisada. A man who, by all records, should have died during the Third Holy Grail War. Yet here he is. He has usurped a role that doesn't belong to him, and his twisted wish for the so-called 'Salvation of Humanity' could very well bring about humanity's end."
Arthur fell silent, reflecting.
"That sounds more like a plague than an opponent."
Gaia tilted her head, her smile almost sinister.
"And that's exactly why we need you. The Ruler can oversee and intervene within the rules, but she'll be at a disadvantage against him. You'd be like the hidden sword. The guardian who moves where even she cannot."
Arthur sighed again, closing his eyes for a few seconds before looking back at them.
"Fourteen Servants, a mediator who might not hold out, and a fanatic playing puppet master. And you want me to be this Ruler's 'moral support.'"
Gaia smiled brightly, her ahoge trembling as if vibrating with joy.
"Exactly! Moral, physical, spiritual… and if there's time left, psychological too."
Arthur rubbed his face, letting out a dry, almost exasperated laugh.
Alaya, however, remained serene, her silver eyes reflecting unshakable conviction.
"Arthur. This war will decide the future of humanity."
"So…" he muttered, straightening his posture, "this Ruler… who is she?"
Silence lingered for a few seconds.
Gaia and Alaya exchanged a quick glance. Gaia then smirked mischievously, her ahoge bouncing like a playful cat.
"That… you'll find out on your own."
Arthur blinked slowly, in disbelief.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
Alaya stayed calm, but a peculiar gleam shone in her eyes.
"Just know that she is worthy of her role as mediator… and that she will need you by her side."
Arthur rubbed his temple, exasperated.
"You drag me into this mess, and now you refuse to tell me who this arbitrator I'm supposed to support even is?"
Gaia puffed her cheeks like a sulky child.
"It's not refusal! It's a surprise! It'll be way more fun when you meet her."
Arthur let out a short, incredulous laugh.
"Fun… You two really have a twisted sense of humor."
(Well, they don't need to tell me. I already know who the Ruler is…) Arthur laughed inwardly.
He looked at them seriously.
"Fine. I'll do it… but under four conditions."
Gaia raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"Four conditions? You really think you're in a position to make demands?"
Arthur crossed his arms and answered firmly.
"First: I'll do things my way. No blindly following orders.
Second: I want to know which side I'll be on and when I'll be summoned.
Third: I want the ability to resist a Command Seal if necessary.
And fourth: I want full fusion with Gilgamesh Caster."
He sighed, shaking his head with a faint laugh.
"You have no idea how hard it is to suppress my arrogance. The other day, an old lady asked me to help her cross the street, and I almost called her a mutt."
Gaia and Alaya exchanged a quick glance before replying.
"As for your first condition," Gaia said with a half-smile, "you can do things however you want… as long as you get results in the end. The outcome is what matters."
Alaya continued in her calm, serious tone:
"Regarding your second condition… you'll be summoned in a few days by a mage of the Yggdmillennia family. Who exactly your Master will be, and which Class you'll take, we don't know."
Gaia sighed, adding about the third condition.
"Your third demand is actually simple to arrange, so don't worry."
Alaya concluded with the fourth.
"Normally, we wouldn't—and couldn't—do that. But given the critical situation, we accept. Now we need to know: do you want this fusion to happen right now, or during your summoning?"
Arthur stroked his chin thoughtfully, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Do it now. Like I said, it's too hard holding myself back from calling people mutts."
Gaia and Alaya nodded in unison. They stepped in front of Arthur, one on each side. Then, in perfect synch, they raised their delicate hands and placed them on his chest, right over his heart.
Arthur arched a brow, glancing down at them.
"What exactly are you two doing?"
They didn't answer. Gaia only smiled, while Alaya said calmly:
"Focus. You'll need all your strength for what's coming."
Before Arthur could reply, a wave of searing pain hit him.
It felt as if his soul had been torn into thousands of fragments, each piece being reshaped into something new, then welded back together in a completely different pattern. Fire coursed through his veins as his very essence was forcibly rewritten.
Arthur collapsed to his knees, teeth clenched, barely suppressing a scream.
Gaia and Alaya remained still, their expressions grave. They knew how brutal this process was.
The agony dragged on for more than twenty minutes—an eternity. Slowly, Arthur pushed himself back up, panting heavily, but fully aware of the change within him.
Not only was his mind sharper, his overwhelming arrogance now subdued, but his very appearance had shifted.
The tattoos on his torso had vanished, replaced by glowing blue markings on each shoulder resembling four-pointed stars.
His once platinum-blonde hair was now pure gold.
His ruby-red eyes glowed with a deeper light—a fusion of the King of Heroes' pride and the Wise King's cunning.
An imposing aura radiated from him. Unlike Gilgamesh's pure arrogance, there was now a serene intellect as well.
Arthur raised his hand, summoning a stone tablet in his left hand and a golden axe in his right.
"So this is it… the King of Heroes in his most unbearably workaholic form." He chuckled, closing his eyes.
(Finally… I was tired of suppressing myself…) he thought.
"…Guess if an old lady asks me to help her cross the street now, I'll call her a 'venerable mutt' instead of just 'old mutt.'"
Gaia and Alaya couldn't hold back a soft laugh, despite trying to stay composed.
Gaia crossed her arms, satisfied.
"Looks like it worked perfectly."
('Looks like it worked'? What do you mean looks like!? You weren't even sure and just did it to me!) Arthur twitched slightly, though he kept quiet.
Gaia sighed, adjusting her ahoge. Then she smiled warmly at him.
"Well… I think we're done here. We need to leave now, or that grumpy old man will show up again."
Alaya nodded, then gave Arthur a faint smile.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Arthur. I hope you succeed in this mission… and that your resolve never falters."
Arthur smiled back at them. He leaned in slightly, patting Gaia's head, then Alaya's, as if they were little sisters.
"You two are insufferable… but in a good way. Take care, wherever you are."
Almost playfully, Arthur pulled out some golden-wrapped lollipops from the Gates of Babylon and handed one to each of them.
"And here… to sweeten our farewell. Consider it a small gift from the King of Heroes and the Ruler's supporter."
Gaia giggled softly, holding the lollipop like a treasure.
"You really can't resist being extravagant, huh?"
"Hahahaha~ Nope," Arthur laughed.
Alaya only smiled faintly, accepting hers with elegance.
"Thank you, Arthur. Take care."
The two slowly began to fade, dissolving into particles of light. But before vanishing completely, Gaia turned to lock eyes with Arthur.
"Be careful, Arthur… if this weren't with us, you might already be hunted by the Multiversal FBI."
Arthur blinked, surprised, before letting out a low chuckle.
"Multiversal FBI, huh? This is getting ridiculous… but I'll be careful. Promise."
(I'm not insane enough to pull this on a random loli…) he thought.
As the last spark of Gaia and Alaya faded away, somewhere else in the world…
Deadpool felt a strange ripple in the air, as if the universe had rung a bell just to remind him he was left out. He tumbled off the couch, spilling a mug of coffee—and somehow, a dirty sock.
"WHAT?! What the hell is happening NOW?!"
He looked to the sky, the horizon, the wall of his apartment, as if someone would answer. Then he groaned.
"Ugh… seriously, Author? You're leaving me out of the cool stuff AGAIN? That's basically a crime!!!"
He struck a dramatic pose, only to trip on the carpet, fall on his back, roll over, and end up sitting cross-legged while holding a lollipop that had appeared out of nowhere.
"Someone's plotting against me. I can feel it in my guts…"
Deadpool stood and pointed straight at the camera.
"You there—gods, cosmic entities, and author son of a ಠ益ಠ… YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME OUT AGAIN!!! I demand VIP access! A golden pass! At least a fast-track ticket!"
"Wait, did I just get censored?"
He grabbed a toy gun and aimed it at the ceiling.
"Who the ಠ益ಠ did this!??"
"How dare you censor me!? If I find you, I'll—BEEEEP—you in your—BEEEEP—and then—BEEEEP—while—BEEEEP!!!"
Deadpool hurled the toy gun out the window, sat back down with his arms crossed, and pouted.
"This is humiliating. Me—ME—getting censored? Seriously!?"
---
(End of Chapter)
A/N: I used the full power of both my neurons to write these last chapters, so if anyone complains, they're getting smacked.
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."