The night was supposed to be quiet, a time for rest.
But this night, someone shattered the tranquility of the darkness.
As the group finished their discussion and prepared to rest, a golden figure appeared atop the roof.
"Ha, a bunch of mongrels. You're supposed to slaughter each other for the Holy Grail, yet here you are, huddled together. Are you planning to decide who dies and who lives through debate?"
His voice dripped with disdain and mockery. Red eyes glared down at the group below, the ancient tyrant sparing no venom in his words as he scorned modern humanity.
"Let me guess, you're resorting to democracy? Truly a choice befitting the weak. As a king, I shall grant you salvation... by slaying you all!"
Silence followed. Morpheus and the others merely stared at the golden figure spouting grandiose nonsense.
No one even bothered to make a move.
"This is the King of Uruk?" Medea whispered, glancing at Morpheus. When he nodded slightly, she gave a pitying look. "By Zeus, I almost feel sorry for the people of Uruk, ruled by such a fool."
Her voice wasn't soft, nor did she intend to hold back. "Honestly, even Jason's uncle was better than him. I'd say my father's temper was a hundred times better!"
"Hmph! Noisy!"
Gilgamesh snorted coldly, raising a hand. A sword materialized behind him, as if summoned from the void, aimed downward. "I don't know what era you're from, Servant, but to speak to me, a king, like that? Mongrel!"
His gaze then shifted to another figure. Artoria had gripped her weapon, staring daggers at Gilgamesh. Seeing the one he wanted, Gilgamesh smirked. "Saber, have you fallen so low? Associating with these people? You disappoint me!"
Artoria retorted without hesitation. "Who I associate with requires no approval from you, King of Heroes!"
Her eyes burned with unmistakable disgust, both mental and visceral. Even after all this time, she could see the naked desire in his gaze, as if he intended to violate her completely.
The King of Heroes, or rather, the man crowned with the title of hero, was indeed capable of such deeds!
Shirou Emiya stepped forward. "King of Heroes, is it? This is my home. Can you leave?"
As the house's master, he issued an eviction notice.
But Gilgamesh laughed even more mockingly. "Hahaha, mortal, mongrel, trash! Everything in this world belongs to me, all people are my subjects. What right do you have to make me leave my own domain?
"You should be groveling in gratitude, thanking me for lending you this land to live on!"
His domineering declaration, devoid of reason, reflected the logic... or rather, the truth... of the most ancient king.
Medea calmly observed Gilgamesh, her chained weapon already in hand, though she didn't act, awaiting Sakura Matou's command.
Sakura gazed at Gilgamesh quietly, her expression unchanged, as if he were just an ordinary person.
She even felt a spark of anticipation. If she could see her Morpheus-nii in action, that would be perfect!
She couldn't help but think.
Rin Tohsaka frowned, whispering to Morpheus, "Can we fight?"
"Fight? I'm not eager to, but if he insists, I can oblige," Morpheus said with a smile, stepping forward like a gentleman. "King of Heroes Gilgamesh, was it? Your earlier words... can I take them to mean 'all in the world belongs to the king'?"
Gilgamesh looked at Morpheus with mild surprise, then sneered. "Who gave you the right to look up at me?! But you're not wrong. This world is mine! All of humanity is mine!"
Morpheus's lips curled slightly. He raised his right hand, lightly patting his cheek. "I always thought I had thick skin, but to meet someone even more shameless... a so-called king acting like a street thug. Truly impressive, goldie!"
His words darkened Gilgamesh's expression. With a casual wave, weapons shot from behind him.
"Die, mongrel!"
The nature of the phantasmal weapons didn't matter. Gilgamesh didn't need to know their properties; he simply launched them, relying on their raw power to crush his foes.
Artoria moved to act, but seeing Morpheus's calm demeanor, she suppressed her impulse, trusting he had it under control.
Then she saw a sword appear in Morpheus's hand... not too long, about a meter. As it emerged, it blocked the incoming weapons instantly. Morpheus's free hand grabbed one of the launched weapons mid-air.
In that moment, he became a dual-wielding warrior.
"Durandal? Roland's sword. Though this knockoff is just passable," Morpheus mocked, hurling Durandal back with mana-enhanced strength.
His casual swing sent Durandal past the speed of sound, like a bullet aimed at Gilgamesh.
Gilgamesh dodged swiftly, his face growing darker. "Mongrel, what did you say? My treasures are fakes?!"
He was furious... someone dared call his collection counterfeit?!
"Come, mongrel, let me show you whether my treasures are fake!"
With his words, a barrage of Noble Phantasms appeared behind him, so numerous they resembled arrows raining down on the group. In that moment, he cared nothing for collateral damage, even if it included the woman he desired!
Dead or not, he didn't care!
"Berserker!"
Illya shouted, and a giant materialized from the void, raising a stone axe to block the onslaught!
Heracles's massive form stood like a fortress, shielding those behind him, but it made him the primary target. Despite his speed and strength, he could only deflect so many weapons!
Countless Noble Phantasms pierced Heracles's body!
"Hmph!" Gilgamesh sneered, mocking, "Mongrel!"
But to his surprise, Heracles didn't fall. As the weapons vanished, he stood again, wounds fully healed, visibly stronger!
"Berserker is invincible! Did you think that attack could kill him?!" Illya shouted, thrilled. "Take him down, Berserker!"
With her command, the giant moved again, but a hand patted her head. "Call him back. I'll handle this guy."
It was Morpheus. Illya looked at him, surprised he'd appeared beside her, and whispered, "No help needed?"
"Just a weakling. No need."
Seeing his confidence, Illya gave the order.
"Come back, Berserker!"
The giant halted, retreating to Illya's side, while Morpheus stepped forward leisurely, then another step, walking upward as if climbing invisible stairs, until he stood before Gilgamesh!
"This sword was a gift from Ares, called the Sword of the War God. Simple enough, a Noble Phantasm. Come, show me yours."
Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow. "I'll admit, mortal, that weapon is divine, not part of my treasury!"
On this, he didn't bother lying.
Morpheus smiled lightly, drawing his staff.
"This is my own creation, the Fire Wand. Show me yours."
Gilgamesh's expression darkened further.
"Are you mocking me? That trash deserves a place in my treasury?!"
"Oh? The Vatican still holds the Shroud of Turin, a holy relic and powerful Noble Phantasm. Show me yours, and we can debate at the church which is real."
Morpheus's words dripped with mockery.
Below, the group listened, confused. Medea quietly explained.
"Servants, or Heroic Spirits, wield Noble Phantasms that are phantasmal. Even if they owned something in life, as spirits, what they hold is merely a fantasy.
"So, even if Gilgamesh owned treasures in life, what he wields now is fake. It's the same for all Servants here... except maybe Morpheus."
"Only Morpheus is different?" Shirou asked, puzzled. "What's special about him?"
"Because he's real. He's here in his true body. His Noble Phantasms are authentic. I saw the Greek gods gift them to him, blessing him for saving the world from a crisis."
"True body?!" Illya, Shirou, and Artoria were stunned, while Rin and others remained calm. Even Sakura, hearing this for the first time, was oddly composed.
Sakura's expression even held a hint of pride.
"What's surprising? He traveled to ancient Greece, breaking the world's barriers. Coming to this era is similar. As for why he's a Servant, the Grail's summoning gave him a coordinate to escape the gaps of time."
Medea's explanation was clear, dispelling their doubts. Illya finally understood Morpheus's confidence.
"Indeed, he can use the Grail's power like a normal human. Even if I die, he could save me with it, but the soul…"
Illya grew worried. The soul was the most mysterious part... protecting it was the hardest.
Yet why was Morpheus so calm, as if certain the soul could be protected?
While explanations unfolded below, the battle above intensified.
Gilgamesh, enraged by Morpheus's provocations, grabbed a Noble Phantasm and charged.
A Servant's strength surpassed mortals. Though an Archer, Gilgamesh's power dwarfed even the strongest humans. In an instant, his mana-fueled burst exceeded the speed of sound, his weapon striking at several times that speed, beyond human dynamic vision!
But to his fury, Morpheus merely smiled, raising his short sword to block the attack perfectly!
It was as if Gilgamesh's strike had thrown itself onto Morpheus's blade!
Gilgamesh gripped another weapon in his left hand, slashing faster. The rooftop roared with each clash, shockwaves rippling through the air continuously!
Dozens of exchanges happened every second. Under such ferocious attacks, the roof began to collapse, tiles crashing to the ground, making Shirou wince.
The fight spilled into the courtyard, each step leaving craters, making Shirou's mouth twitch.
He wasn't worried about Morpheus losing... his confidence was too overwhelming to imagine defeat. What pained Shirou was his house!
How much would it cost to repair?!
***
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