Roy and Fujimaru Ritsuka continued their trek across the Mesopotamian plains alongside Kingu, who remained wary of the enigmatic green-clad Servant at Ritsuka's side, whose depths he couldn't fathom. For now, Kingu refrained from making any rash moves.
He kept guiding the pair toward the Blood Fort Andromeda.
Unaware of the full picture, Ritsuka had little choice but to follow, while Roy, harboring his own plans, trailed behind with a smile, revealing no cracks in his façade.
After traveling a considerable distance, Ritsuka began to sense something off. She lightly tugged at Roy's sleeve, lowering her voice as she leaned in.
"R-… Count, this path feels…"
"Like it's taking us further from our destination, right?" Roy turned to her with a knowing look.
"Yeah."
By now, Kingu had led them into a dense jungle wrapped in thick vegetation.
Stepping into this unnaturally tense forest heightened Ritsuka's unease. If Roy weren't by her side, her body might've already started trembling uncontrollably.
The sensation here mirrored the dread she'd felt on the plains when ambushed by magical beasts. Her instincts screamed that something deeply dangerous lurked at the heart of this jungle.
"Oh, don't worry, Master of Chaldea. This is the safest route to Uruk." Kingu said, sensing her discomfort. To avoid arousing suspicion, he turned around, flashing his signature warm smile.
He pointed toward the forest's end and explained, "With magical beasts roaming all of Mesopotamia, traveling overland is incredibly risky. But at the edge of this forest lies a river with an operational port. Gilgamesh left a small boat there for us. Take it, and the waterway will lead you straight to Uruk with ease."
"Is that so…?"
Though Kingu's reasoning sounded plausible, Ritsuka's expression remained tinged with doubt.
She couldn't shake the feeling that things weren't so simple.
Beside her, Roy wore a smile as well, though this time it curved higher than before, his gaze toward Kingu carrying a hint of amusement.
He knew full well that the so-called dock and boat were fabrications spun on the spot. The jungle's depths housed the stronghold of the Queen of Magical Beasts Gorgon—the Blood Fort Andromeda.
In the original tale, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash were supposed to encounter Merlin here after following Kingu, leading to their rescue and eventual arrival in Uruk.
Though Merlin hadn't shown himself yet, Roy could sense his presence nearby.
And his own Servant was already lying in wait within this forest.
The flower tucked in his pocket had begun subtly signaling him.
There was no need to keep up the act any longer.
Roy gave a slight nod, gesturing for Kingu to lead on.
So close to success, Kingu suspected nothing.
His mind was consumed with luring these two to the Blood Fort Andromeda, where he'd turn them into bait for the blood pool.
"There's no dock or boat at the end of this forest." Kingu thought smugly. "Just your graves, foolish Master of Chaldea."
But as he turned to continue leading, the pair behind him fell silent—
A strange floral scent wafted through the air, followed by a flash of black flame streaking through the jungle. A sudden, visceral sense of danger flooded Kingu's mind.
Not good!!
Thanks to the exceptional reflexes of Enkidu's body, Kingu instantly realized something was wrong.
He leaped to evade, but the black streak behind him moved faster still.
Before he could escape, Roy—wreathed in black flames—closed in, his hand lunging straight for Kingu's chest.
Roy's target was clear: the Holy Grail within Kingu's body.
"What?! What are you doing?!" Kingu gasped.
Whoosh!!
Midair, Kingu raised his arm, and chains erupted from his sleeve, surging toward Roy to bind him.
At this range, the instantaneous Chains of Heaven were unavoidable. Roy, not truly the Count in essence, couldn't match the Count's mastery of godlike speed.
When the sneak attack failed, he had no choice but to pull back before the chains could ensnare him, abandoning this rare opportunity.
"You knew all along, didn't you?!" Kingu spat, realizing what had just happened. Shame and fury turned his pupils violet as he dropped the Enkidu charade entirely.
He'd been played by this mortal!
Roy had known his identity and purpose from the start—even the Grail within him.
All the impeccable acting he'd put on had been nothing more than a clown's farce in Roy's eyes. The thought ignited rage in Kingu's mind.
"What's going on?!" Ritsuka exclaimed, stunned as the two suddenly clashed.
"I don't know the details, but Ritsuka, this fight's beyond you! Hide now!!" Dr. Roman's voice crackled urgently from Chaldea, desperate to get her out of the combat zone.
It wasn't just these two—two more powerful magical signatures had flared up in the forest. More Servants were closing in.
"No more hiding, huh?" Roy taunted, his expression laced with mockery as he eyed the furious Kingu.
"Your acting wasn't half bad. I figured you'd keep up the Enkidu persona 'til the end. Never thought a self-proclaimed 'superior creation' like you would stoop to such cheap tricks."
"Hmph. Acting's just a shortcut—an improvised mimicry of your kind." Kingu sneered. "I didn't expect you to see through it from the beginning."
"Who are you, really?!"
Kingu's gaze bored into Roy. As he demanded answers, chains shot from his sleeve again, golden serpents writhing toward Roy to bind him.
"Who am I? Good question, but I don't owe you an answer. Call me whoever you like—though right now, I'd prefer you call me… Abzu."
Roy deftly parried the incoming chains, his smile unwavering as he mocked the green-clad imposter.
"You're dead!!"
The name struck a nerve, and Kingu's eyes blazed with uncontainable fury.
His already volatile, arrogant nature snapped under Roy's provocation. The probing he'd planned was now pointless.
Daring to insult his mother?! This filth would pay with his life!!!
Raising his arm, Kingu summoned Enkidu's power, conjuring countless sharp weapons from the earth and hurling them at Roy.
But he wasn't done. In his rage, Kingu waved again, golden ripples shimmering in the air behind him. From the golden pools erupted a torrent of chains—
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!!
Like a tempest, the relentless chains and weapons tore through the surrounding forest with ease.
Every move Kingu made carried devastating force, aimed solely at crushing Roy dead.
"Geez, Kingu-chan, losing your temper already? Quite the short fuse…" Roy quipped.
As Kingu shattered the defensive barrier Roy had raised, he retreated to Ritsuka's side, conjuring a new magical shield to block the fight's fallout.
"Hah! Struggling to survive, are you?! Fool, a pathetic spell like that can't stop the Chains of Heaven!!" Kingu sneered, his eyes dripping with disdain at Roy's magic.
This body, forged by the gods, was a divine construct. Even Gilgamesh at his peak couldn't overcome the Chains of Heaven wielded by Enkidu. A flimsy defensive spell standing up to it? Delusional!
"Die quietly, you disgusting human!"
Kingu glared venomously at Roy's barrier, then unleashed his mana. Golden ripples exploded around him, a greater power gathering in his hands—
Whoosh!!!
Silver light coiled around him as he thrust his arm upward, unleashing an even fiercer assault.
"No, that attack's too much! A shield won't hold—dodge it, Roy, Ritsuka!!" Dr. Roman shouted, his voice frantic as Chaldea's sensors overloaded from the sheer magical energy.
But Roy didn't budge or react. He just threw another taunt at Kingu.
"Borrowed power suits you that well, huh? You don't look a thing like the gift your mother gave you. You're nothing but a卑劣 thief. Quite the disgrace to her, aren't you?"
"You're DEAD!!"
Mention Tiamat, and Kingu's emotions erupted like a child desperate for his mother's approval, unable to tolerate a single slight.
Unsettling him was child's play—Roy could do it with a few choice words.
He knew Roman was right; chains rivaling a Noble Phantasm weren't something he could block so easily.
But he had no intention of taking the hit himself.
It was time for someone else to step up.
Kingu had been scheming against them, but hadn't Roy been doing the same?
Roy wasn't here for some noble one-on-one duel. He wasn't just a Servant—he was a Magus, a Magician, and a Master. And a Master's way of fighting was…
Clang!!
Boom!!
First came the explosion of the shattered magical barrier, followed by a piercing metallic clash.
Countless golden chains were deflected midair, crashing to the ground and kicking up clouds of dust. A thick smokescreen formed between them, obscuring Kingu's view and keeping him on edge.
That sensation just now…
___
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