The assassin couldn't take Saber head-on; he knew it. His deadly chain of moves was a fake-out; Irisviel was his real target!
Normal bullets wouldn't faze a Servant, and even magi had tricks to block them, but Irisviel wasn't a fighter. She had little to stop this.
And it wasn't just her; even a skilled magus like Kenneth would fall to this shot!
It wasn't an ordinary bullet but a rare, anti-magus weapon: a one-use Mystic Code!
The magic bullet streaked toward Irisviel. Saber was off-balance, unable to intercept. Rider hadn't seen it coming and couldn't react. Gilgamesh watched with cold disinterest, unmoved.
Irisviel's face froze in fear as the bullet closed in! Just as the silver-haired woman seemed doomed, a dark red tachi flashed into its path—
Clang!
The bullet veered off, slicing a few silver strands but leaving Irisviel safe.
"You!" Saber roared, releasing her magic. A shockwave burst out. She skipped the sword, driving a fist into the assassin's chest.
Her strength, spiked by magic and fury, launched him dozens of meters, smashing through a wall!
"Unforgivable!"
She gave Haru a quick nod of thanks, then charged after the assassin into the dusty castle.
"Whew…"
Irisviel, still rattled, turned to Haru. "Thank you, little magus."
"No trouble… ouch." He winced, lifting his arm.
Servant-level attacks weren't light. The bullet packed more force than the regular one's. Muramasa held up, but Haru's arm felt torn.
He was just a kid; reinforcement magic could only do so much.
"Hey, kid, that was sharp!" Rider, ever fond of talent, grinned. "Swords work like that… Want to join my group? I'd treat you well."
Haru smiled and waved it off. "I just guessed… Figured he'd aim for the head and took a shot."
It wasn't that easy. Knowing this assassin from the story, Haru had stayed alert. When the flintlock appeared, he moved first, drawing Muramasa.
With full focus and reinforcement, he'd barely caught the bullet's faint trail. No magic; just raw arm strength to match its speed.
Even then, Muramasa only grazed it…
That move took skill, nerve, luck, and the right blade; all lining up just right.
Rider didn't mind the refusal and glanced at Gilgamesh. "Archer, you know that red-cloaked assassin?"
He'd caught her odd look.
"Not really. Just a sad little bug with no past or future; not even a mongrel."
Saber returned, her expression sour. She hadn't caught him.
"Let's call it here. I'm done. Goodbye, Saber, Rider… Next time, I'll show you my full power."
A huge golden ripple spread, revealing a sky-boat of emerald and gold: Vimana, a divine throne steeped in myth.
To her, though, it was just a ride. The red-eyed queen stepped aboard, then glanced at Haru. "The master's leaving. As a servant, are you staying?" Her tone left no room for debate.
Haru swallowed before glancing around and climbing onto the golden boat,
Saber spoke up. "Archer, he's just a bystander you pulled in. Why—"
"It's fine, Saber," Rider cut in. "Archer's got a temper, but she's a king. She won't hurt him."
Gilgamesh smirked at their teamwork.
She snorted. "I keep my word. I made him my servant for 'one night,' and the night's not done."
True, despite everything, it was only 3 or 4 a.m. Two hours till dawn.
Vimana lifted off. Haru crouched instinctively, peeking over the edge. The height spun his head.
It was his first time this high. In his old life, stairs were a struggle. In both, the tallest thing he'd seen was a school roof.
"Oh, turning pale? Where's that sword-swinging grit?" Gilgamesh teased, chin on her hand.
Vimana must have wind wards; despite the altitude, the air stayed calm.
Haru shivered, pushing past his fear. "That was just a reflex."
"You chose to fight, not run… Humans can't face Servants, even weak ones like Assassins. But you swung first. You've got a warrior's spark." Her voice softened, strangely gentle.
She studied Haru's face, a hint of memory in her eyes. "A good face… It stirs old times."
Haru tested, "Do I look like someone you knew?"
"Someone? Sort of." She paused. "It's not 'look', it's 'feel.' Your face is plain, but your air's familiar."
Haru thought, 'Plain or not, you don't have to say it.'
"Was it the legendary Enkidu?" he guessed, boldly.
"Enkidu?"
She blinked, then burst into laughter. "Hahaha… I see. You've figured my name. Clever enough, I'll give you that. But Enkidu? That's ridiculous…"
Wiping a tear, she said, "The friend I mean is a snake…"
In the epic Gilgamesh, the Hero King chased immortality after Enkidu's death. At the world's edge, guided by an old flood survivor, she found the herb of eternal life.
She meant to share it with Uruk, but while bathing, a snake stole it and ate it.
Legend says snakes shed their skin because of that herb; a sign of rebirth. By the tale, Gilgamesh should despise snakes. So why the fondness now?
Haru asked, and she chuckled. "I've no reason to hate it. I'm thankful, really."
Under his puzzled stare, she gazed at the stars. "I once thought nothing was beyond me. I was perfect, complete. Then Enkidu showed me what I lacked; someone who got me."
"Like a spark in snow; frail, fleeting, but impossible to ignore!"
"I lived in snow till Enkidu brought that spark. I wanted to hold it, even if it burned… but it didn't last. The gods took him, and I watched him decay, powerless… Before, I thought I could do anything."
"Enkidu taught me friendship and weakness. Then the snake taught me to let go and understand."
"Yes. If I'd eaten that herb, what then? I'd sit alone, waiting for the world to end. What a boring life…"
She shifted. "Well… it struggled to chew the herb, so I 'helped' it down. A bit rough, maybe, but it wouldn't mind."
"I remember it shed 'tears of thanks.' First time I saw a snake cry… My kindness moves the heavens!"
Haru's mouth twitched, holding back a comment.
She smirked, recalling something amusing. "That dumb snake shed its skin after eating and took human shape. But it was clumsy, it tried copying me but kept its old quirks, ending up a mess…"
She glanced at Haru. "Like you. Both oddities playing normal, hiding awkwardly, tying yourselves up…"
Haru's pulse raced.
As a reincarnator, he'd worked hard to blend in, mimicking kids his age, burying his real self… How did she know?
It was his deepest secret. How…
"Oh, rattled now? Your face betrays you, mongrel!"
She sneered. "I've got eyes that see all and wisdom that knows all. Peering past your skin to your core, is that so strange?"
She snapped, "Settle down, mongrel! Just past-life echoes. Nothing rare. No need to freak out."
Haru eased up. She thought he'd recalled a past life, not crossed worlds.
"Enough talk. I've humored you too long… Chatting this much with a mongrel….I've gone soft!"
She waved, and a golden ripple dropped a golden jar in front of Haru.
He eyed the fancy jar. "What's this?"
"It is useless to me… but perfect for a mongrel's prize. You served well tonight. A king rewards fairly."
Haru clutched the jar, uneasy. 'Is Gilgamesh this nice?'
In the original, she was a harsh tsundere, all insults. Why the gifts now? Did turning into a girl mellow her?
"Ahem!" A faint flush crossed her face, then she glared. "You heard nothing tonight; got it?"
Haru caught on: hush money.
And… she was cuter as a girl!
His weird look irked her. She grinned mischievously. "Sun's up. Your job is done. Take your pay and go."
"Oh, can you land—"
"What, touch the ground? How bold."
Before he could argue, a golden ripple opened beneath him, and he fell, jar in arms!
Her laughter rang as he dropped.
The gate opened a hundred meters up, and Haru plummeted—
"Oh—aaah!"
Wind screamed in his ears, blinding him. Panic gripped him.
Just before impact, his fall slowed at ten meters, hovering twenty centimeters from the ground… for a moment.
Thud!
He hit face-first.
Rubbing his face, he saw he was back in the alley where Rider had taken him. Tire marks and bloody gauze lay nearby; the Kamizukis were gone, safely away.
He glanced east. Sunrise was minutes off. "She really meant 'one night'… That Hero King's too literal."
He looked at the sealed golden jar, mood lifting. "Well, fine."
He didn't know what was inside, but as she'd said, only treasures made it to her vault. Even her "trash" was gold to him.
"Oh, crap!" He realized, "It's half an hour back to Fuyuki. It's probably six… Mom's gonna know I'm gone!"
Then he thought; the Kamizukis would tell his parents they'd seen him.
"Ugh, how do I explain this?"
He mulled it over. "Do I say, 'Your son signed a deal and became a magical kid'?"
That night was wild; bar fights, meeting Kariya and Sakura, sewer rescues, the three kings' clash, all beyond normal.
But the chaos was over. In the dawn's light, Haru headed home, lost in thought.
"Oh, wait… What about Kariya?"