"It all comes down on my shoulder..."
"Artoria, it seems to me like you have more raw power than her... and you're just about equally matched in skills... the one advantage she has, at least according to her legend, seems to be Luck, so you should not find yourself in situations where that becomes a factor."
"Why are you talking to me? You think I need your advice to win?"
"No, you don't. But be careful."
"Careful... now that's something I never am."
"Good luck, Saber!"
"I don't need your encouragement, Archer."
"Well, it's only natural for you to beat this fake."
"Once I'm done with her, you're next, Galter."
The two Artorias faced each other.
"Why are you hiding your blade? You think I don't know the length of my own sword?"
"There are other advantages to hiding my weapon."
"Not that it will matter. I won't even give you the chance to close the distance. And even if you do... I'll crush you."
"We'll see."
Salter unleashed a flare of Mana Burst directly against Saber, however, she dodged and moved closer, avoiding each strike, and clashing with her adversary.
"She's certainly gotten faster! To be fair, during my training, I barely moved my legs, so my movement speed isn't much better than before, just my reflexes and attack speed are. She must have a peculiar body constitution that enhances her physical abilities."
It was, in fact, the case. Due to her surname being 'Pendragon', Artoria had a connection to dragons, according to her legends. However, while in the main timeline that translated into the King of Knights having a dragon's constitution in a way, allowing her to get stronger much faster, in the alternate timeline Salter came from, that resulted in her Mana Burst skill.
After crossing blades a few times, Salter spun around and kicked Artoria's side, taking a step back and preparing another burst of mana. Saber ducked, avoiding getting pierced by the red beam, and moving close to the ground she slashed at Salter's face from downwards.
Salter barely avoided it, getting slightly cut on the cheek. She stopped Saber's second attempt and sent her back with a headbutt.
"I don't understand. I'm faster than her. I should be able to outmaneuver her without question. So how can she keep up? ... ... Oh, I get it now. She's using my own bias and strategy against me. She expects me to use my Mana Burst. To charge up my attacks, I need a bit of time. And since her blade is invisible, I still need a split second to calculate its distance and how to dodge it. Overall, although it's all a matter of half a second, she uses that time to predict my moves, therefore she can react to my attacks and even hit me. Then, I'll have to play in a way she doesn't expect."
Saber charged forward again, however, she was confused and surprised when Salter did the same.
"This isn't like me, correct? I saw through your scheme."
A close-quarter confrontation ensued, which lasted only about a minute, however, during those 60 seconds nearly ten thousand slashes were unleashed.
"If I give up my distance advantage, and counter her strikes instead of trying to dodge them, I can use my superior stats to overpower her fair and square. Since she's comparable to me, it won't happen right away, but I just need a chance to outmatch her."
Salter pressed forward with this thought in mind, while Saber hoped for Salter to be impatient enough to strike at the wrong time. If she miscalculated the situation, Saber could take advantage of the difficulty represented by dodging an invisible sword.
Finally, after 60 seconds, they clashed once more with a rotating motion that made both of them spin. Salter was just a bit quicker, but she used that split moment to charge a point-blank Mana burst. Saber realised that she didn't have enough time to dodge it, at least completely, and so she instinctively raised her sword.
The blast scattered in several directions, without harming Saber, as a glowing light blinded everyone present. It was Excalibur, covered with something that resembled a scabbard.
"Is that?"
"Avalon. The shining utopia of my future wife."
Salter could barely open her eyes that Saber was already coming at her. She tanked the hit with her visor.
"No fair, I don't have that!"
"And I don't have a convenient deus ex machina."
The ensuing struggle distanced them once again, making both of them raise their swords in the air.
"EXC-"
"EXC-"
"Ok, you two, I think that's enough. We don't want to murder each other over a stupid name, do we?"
Galter said as he stepped in between the two contestants.
"... you're right, King of Heroes. I let my excitement get the better of me. I apologise."
"Why does he get the title?!"
"Because he's actually a hero, unlike you, Archer."
"Idiot, I was about to win."
"Did you really want to find out?"
"Well, now that this is over, how are we going to resolve the question?"
"Rock, paper, scissors?"
"Are you serious, mongrel?"
"Dead serious."
"I'm ok with that."
"Well, I don't like in-fighting, but I can get behind this."
"Same."
"As you wish, idiot."
"... I hate you mongrels..."
SABER VS SALTER
WINNER: SABER
GILGAMESH VS GALTER
WINNER: GILGAMESH
NERO VS JALTER
WINNER: NERO
CONCLUSION: MAIN TIMELINE WINS 3-0
"Damn it..."
"Why do we all have such shit luck?!"
"You could say that's pretty... unlucky, hehe."
"Idiot."
"Moron."
"Ok, ok, sorry. Well, I guess you win."
"Ok, so from now on, when we are talking about Artoria, we are talking about me."
"And when talking about the King of Heroes, that's me."
"..."
"You made the rules, my dear Saber."
"... fine."
"Does that mean I'm Galter from now on?"
"Yes, mongrel. Are you going to cry in despair?"
"No, I don't mind it. It doesn't have a bad ring to it."
"... you're the worst."
"Thanks, Big Bro. Well, I'm starving. What do you say, shall we eat something and then start traveling?"
"Fine by me."
They all agreed on this, so they all went back to the village. Inside their house, Galter prepared a feast for everyone.
"Umu, this is delicious! I'm so glad you're coming with us, Galty!"
"You're too kind, Nero. Although that nickname is pretty bad..."
"You're coming too, Jalter?"
"... I guess I have no choice. Someone has got to look after the kids."
"Are you talking about me, you witch?"
"Why do you think so? Or do you feel called out?"
"Girls, please, don't fight while eating."
"..."
"And eat your vegetables too."
"What are you, their nanny?"
"Do you have a problem?"
"What's wrong with that?"
"Why are they suddenly defending him? I just don't understand mongrels..."
"Archer! Archer!"
"Huh? Saber?"
"Were you listening to me?"
"I always listen to you, Saber."
"... then forget what I said."
"Ok. So what were you talking about?"
"I asked you if we could train on your ship."
"But of course, it's already... what's the modern mongrel expression..."
"In auto-pilot?"
"Precisely. Of course, the King of Mongrels would know..."
"Isn't Big Bro great? I could never do such a thing."
"You can't remotely control your vehicles?"
"I'm afraid a side effect of Ereshkigal's curse is that I can't do that..."
"She sure did put a lot of side effects in her curse..."
"Goldie, is our Ereshkigal this petty?"
"It would be hard to describe Ereshkigal in any meaningful way. I suppose you could call her cold and efficient. I believe that the equivalent to their Ereshkigal in our world is Ishtar."
"Ishtar? That's surprising. I couldn't imagine the Ishtar I know ever be petty. She was very kind. I mean, I wouldn't necessarily call Ereshkigal bad, she just... I guess she was just heartbroken. Ow, ow, why are you hitting me?"
"You really didn't learn anything, did you? You still haven't stopped being the self-sacrificial fool I knew at the start of the Holy Grail War."
"No, no, you're wrong, I really did learn. I realised that I couldn't bear the weight of the world on my own. But bearing you two... well, that's hardly a challenge. OW! Not the Double Gut Punch..."
"You asked for it."
"The fact that he even named the hits they give him is concerning..."
Saber thought, questioning whether she had made the right choice in picking teammates.
"So to recap, we have... a goofball, someone who doesn't want to fight, someone who keeps hitting another teammate and that teammate who just takes it... and Archer... this team-up is so absurd that it might just work... Mordred... I'm sorry, my child... I couldn't save you... just when I was starting to understand you... but don't worry... I'm done letting you go... I want to be there for you... and if to prove that I'll have to split the Heavens... then so be it."
Sometime later...
"Are you mongrels ready to board my treasure?"
"That's not fair! I thought you had stopped me calling me a mongrel, Goldie!"
"If in a group there's even one mongrel, then that group is a group of mongrels."
"That's not how math works."
"Is this really the guy you tried to replace us with, dog?"
"Don't you start."
"Yeah, please don't start..."
"Ok, I'm going to train."
"Already, Arty?"
"No way, I'm going to take a nap."
"Same."
"Oh, so I have no one to talk to."
"You can talk with me, Ner-"
"No, you stay quiet or I'll cut you."
"And I'll roast you alive."
"... fine."
"Then I guess sleeping won't be so bad after all."
"... I'm not even going to ask you, Archer."
"Why not?"
"You'd say no anyway."
"At least try."
"... do you want to train with me, Archer?"
"Not really, but I can watch you-"
"Just leave it, pervert."
"... well, that wasn't the right moment. Hey, mongrel-"
"Shhh..."
"... really?"
"Afraid so."
Galter commented hopelessly as both Salter and Jalter slept against his shoulders.
"*whispering* they're fast asleep."
"*whispering back* Be grateful, Big Bro. They're more bearable this way..."
"If only my Saber did that..."
Gilgamesh felt a weight on his shoulder. He looked to the side and saw Nero sleeping with her head on his shoulder.
"That doesn't make me feel any better, idiot..."
"I don't think she did that on purpose."
"In any case, this sucks... I have to solve this problem quickly, it's making me weak."
"?"
"Normally I would execute on the spot anyone who dared to touch me without my permission, but now they do this to console me... and I just take it... I'm really becoming weak."
"... hey, Big Bro. Can you tell me a bit about yourself?"
"Can't you tell at a glance with your eyes?"
"I'm afraid not. One of the side effects of Ereshkigal's curse was that my eyes became like those of the people I wanted to protect."
"So you were dodging all my attacks by pure instinct... can't you read about me? I'm sure you have a book somewhere about my life."
"Probably... but then again..."
"Don't tell me that Ereshkigal made all your books unreadable."
"..."
"She did, didn't she?"
"Yep."
"What a bitch."
"No, don't say that."
"... still, that was a really bitchy move."
"... agreed."
"And you didn't even insult her."
"Exactly."
"... here, you can read one of mine."
"Thanks."
Galter read attentively the tablet Gilgamesh had given him, and once he was done, he closed the book with a smile.
"Just as I suspected."
"What is it now, mongrel?"
"To change my ways, I had to almost die. While what pushed you to change was the death of a friend. Not to mention you realised what I realised just by failing, and even when you failed, you were capable of holding yourself together and be there for your people."
"What are you getting at?"
"I'm saying that your potential for good and for change is not only just as good, but even greater than mine. You are a better person than me, Big Bro."
"What is all this nonsense? I have no problem to admit that, from a mongrel's perspective, you are a better king."
"The fact that you can even admit that means that you can empathise with others way better than me, even at this stage."
"And what if I simply refuse to do that, or don't care?"
"But you do care. I know precisely that feeling. You want to be understood. And you're afraid that nobody will understand you, so you push them away instinctively. Sure, that doesn't make you a good person, but that shows that you can be a good person, and if my opinion is worth anything, I think you want to be a good person, correct?"
"..."
"... he fell asleep. I'm seriously terrible at communication."
A long time ago...
"Why are you crying? Could it be that just now you are regretting taking my side?"
"That's not it. Who will understand you after I die? Who will march forward by your side once I'm gone? My friend, when I think that henceforth you will be all alone, I can't help but shed tears."
Back to the present...
"My friend..."
Gilgamesh opened his eyes. He was back in that fake reality. He noticed that Nero was now napping on his lap, her saliva dripping down from her mouth.
"That's disgusting..."
Galter had surrendered to sleep.
He stared blankly for a bit, unsure of what to do.
Finally, cracking his neck a bit, he slowly got up, placing a pillow underneath Nero's head, and moved away.
"Huh... huh... still not enough..."
"You're training just as hard as I imagined, Saber."
"Archer, I already told you not to disturb me while training."
"I'm not going to, I'm going to do the same thing you're doing."
"Training?"
"I... well, in way, you could say that... yes, I'm going to train."
"I thought the King of Heroes didn't train."
"Well, the King of Heroes always goes against the rules and the norm, so if it's normal for me not to train, then I shall break that norm."
"And how do you plan on training? Do you wish to fight me?"
"Oh please, Saber, you remember the end of the Fourth Holy Grail War..."
"Yeah, and I remember you getting recked by Shirou, couldn't be me..."
"... in any case, I shall use this little gadget."
Gilgamesh said as he laid on the ground a bunch of soil.
"... are you going to harvest crops?"
"I'm not a farmer! I mean, that's a good idea, Saber, but no... this isn't just any soil, if I infuse it with even just a little bit of mana..."
The King of Heroes crouched down and touched the scattered ground, which started growing and growing until it became four massive humanoid beings.
"These are..."
"Golems. They are packed with mana which they can produce and utilise to increase their size. Defeating them makes their mana flow into their enemy, so it also gives use a bit of a stat boost, you could say."
"How much of that sand have you got?"
"Plenty enough to have fun for the whole afternoon."
"... well, wouldn't you know it, even you can be useful when you put some effort."
"Allow me then to see your effort, Saber."
"Don't slow me down, Archer."
"Ho ho, is that a treat?"
"No, just a warning."
"Then I shall accept your taunt and your challenge."
Meanwhile, down on the ground...
"That's something you don't see every day."
"Certainly not, Kojiro. We shall have Karna or one of the others strike it down."
"I can try if you want."
"Lord Bhishma? Right now?"
"It's better to get this over quickly. I have no desire to prolong the suffering of people who don't deserve to die."
An old man with rich garments and a long white beard stepped forward, pointing his bow toward the sky.
"SAMVODHANA - Cherished Bow, Awake Creation"