Artoria brought her blade in, she attacked with fervor and that fervor was met. A duck under that blade, even as the air pushed off it and a near perfect avoidance of that opening attack made the Queen of Knights... giddy. 'Fast.' A thing to note. Most did not show as much movement as she herself did, the follow up to the attacks would have her pushing forward into the same space as Enkidu. Not as a matter of arrogance but so her body could naturally follow the forward momentum and begin to spin. The first of those bladed hands did indeed meet her armor. Strong as it was there were deep gashes which did reach to the flesh beneath, leaving blood to stain her person this did not stop her movements and those same slashes became lighter scratches along their path until she spun out, in her general dancing manner. Her own foot work would have her dodge the extensions of chains. While her sword was still above her head, was now charging beneath that glimmer of invisibility. She did not know why, but her own instincts led her to believe that being captured was tantamount of heresy on her part. And she watched in awe as a vertiable tornado was created from a set of rotations no more than those she'd taken to free herself from the immediate strike range of this man. She brought down her sword dispersing the winds along with the light of her own power to see if she could stop the tornado. By her approximation she had put enough power into the downward slash that the pressure should help cancel it in part, though the Chains of Heaven themselves were still a relative unknown, that smile on Artoria's face hadn't faltered. No she was happy to be here, this fight would be glorious!
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Through the chains themselves, Enkidu felt a grinding sensation against the queen's armor, as well as the following sensation of flesh being cleaved. Both combatants were wearing a grin so early in the match. In Enkidu's case, it was because this woman had the wherewithal to escape before being sliced into numerous pieces. The rotation continued, the chains rising higher and higher to give greater force to the tornado building up. During this time, Artoria readied her weapon. A downward slash backed by mana and Excalibur's own power clashed against the tornado, bringing halt to the wind while having no visible effect on the chains themselves. Though Enkidu had the ability to wield the Chains of Heaven just as Gilgamesh did, summoning multiple segments in unison, their uses were quite different. Enkidu was the Chains of Heaven. No other could claim such absolute ability to manipulate the chains, as shown when the spiraling tool swelled against that burst of power. Artoria could do away with the tornado itself, but what would she do as the highest ends of the chains twisted downward to encompass the area immediately around her?
Enkidu's own spinning maneuver was done, though the chains continued moving as they grew in length. A spiral remained around Enkidu, coning outward as it rose into the air, then coning inward as it surrounded the blonde woman. Enkidu was left curious. If surrounded by these chains as they spun rapidly and closed in, would she have an answer? Would she be shredded to pieces, or would she prove her worth and overcome the challenge ahead of her? They remembered how Gilgamesh dealt with something like this, so what of the woman he took such interest in?Comment
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'I knew it.' Artoria's thoughts on her ability to overcome the tornado were confirmed, but along with that confirmation came extra knowledge. Enkidu the Chains of Heaven was the actual weapon of the same name. As such, his usage of these chains was masterful by comparison. They were coming in fast, and there weren't many options. The movements of them said she could be shredded to pieces if she stood still too long, her instincts determined being captured was the wrong answer. So she would do as she always did, she would push forward. She braced herself after the halt of the tornado and as those same chains descended upon her, she took a deep breath, "Ambition." A light all magical but powerful seemed to swell within her person, it was not holy specifically but more like a mana burst charging, with the effect of either pulling what was near her in or pushing it out. She held it for a moment choosing the perfect timing needed. At the same time her sword was gripped and held at her waist the as if she intended to draw it forward but she did not. Instead she forced her body's movement on the axis of her left foot over her right, and spun in place at the moment those chains would have collided. The outburst of 'Ambition' and the spin of her body and sword along with the use of the support skill 'Arbitrary Vector,' would grant her the ability to deny being caged it, the spin would grant her the window necessary to burst through those chains, dispersing them around herself with the opposing force of that ability and physical strength. As soon as her singular rotation completed, she rocketed herself more directly at Enkidu. She'd follow up immediately aiming to continue the motion of her slashes horizontally as if she intended to cut him in half across the torso. All the while she smiled at him finding this to already be fun.Comment
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What would Artoria Pendragon do? Something truly intriguing, as a matter of fact. Enkidu stood motionless while watching the chains close in on her. Her chosen counter was one of few methods Enkidu imagined that could let her escape unscathed. Watching it reminded him of old times, though this one came with an additional use of ability. Nevertheless, Artoria burst through an opening in the chains after creating it, freeing herself moments before they closed in. "Hmm. Things are heating up," Enkidu mused. With that, there was a raised hand. Artoria's charge seemed a bit reckless when considering the chains that still spun directly around Enkidu, but... time would tell. The mobile chains shifted by their command, taking a more diagonal orientation to halt her horizontal slash and grind repeatedly against Excalibur's blade. In the moments of sparks flying between lines of sight, Enkidu raised another hand to hasten the other in-use chain segment. While the first defended, the second would attack. That same clockwise momentum left the second chain whipping around Artoria's right side, aiming to coil around her as if it were a snake. For additional certainty, Enkidu gave just a bit of slack to the first chain. Artoria's forward momentum was to be abused for the sake of subjecting her to the binding chain, which would ensnare her from ankle to neck, pinning even her sword to her body.Comment
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Artoria had escaped and rushed forward, but in doing so had rushed ever so recklessly towards... a trap? Yes, that was the case wasn't it? Her own sword sparked against chains as they clashed against one another. Artoria had fully intended to simply shift her hold and go in for a few jabbing motions but there was a lot to keep track of wasn't there? Even she couldn't see behind herself while avoiding sparks to the eyes and keeping herself trained on that which was before her. Ah, masterful chain usage was a problem, this man would have been an excellent tutor for one like Agravain. Artoria would have pointers to take home. The slack given was just enough to let her push forward and not see coming that chain snaking around her body which captured her rather handily. Oh, even her sword was pressed against her body as it tightened. 'Shit.' Though at the very least the wounds she'd taken early on had healed themselves enough for this not to be truly uncomfortable. "Oh? That is new. The King of Heroes never actually managed to capture me with these chains..." she mentioned as if commenting upon the weather. What to do? What to do? There were a few options to escape, but now that she was here, she might as well find out their upper limits and figure out if it was possible to break free in a straight forward way. If she remembered correctly that Berserker Heracles had a few problems with these... she did not possess that sort of brute strength but she'd still start by trying to move her sword arm pushing against the chains with just her physical strength. She'd need to know how much was needed just to free herself. She wouldn't want to waste too many movements. Still she didn't seem to be very upset, when meeting a new challenge she'd never actually faced before, she didn't expect everything to go off without a hitch, sometimes challenges had to be faced from within.Comment
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Oh? What interesting news. This woman had faced Gilgamesh at least twice in her own tale, yet she had never been ensnared by these chains. Interesting though it was, it was... not incredibly surprising to Enkidu. Gilgamesh was never truly required to wield Enkidu, and they doubted he had much need to do so since those times. Speaking of time, that was a concept Enkidu would not be allowing. Artoria may have thought it in her best interest to test any ability to free herself from the Chains of Heaven, and perhaps it would have been possible. Alas, Enkidu also didn't use these chains for the same purpose as Gilgamesh. They were made specifically to bind Gilgamesh, but became a weapon for his use. Why then, would they not simply be a weapon now? Binding was too finite. While Artoria was flexing against the chains, those same chains were being tightened as Enkidu swung them about. The simple aim was to slam Artoria into the ground several meters ahead. At the same time, the chains would be pulled for leverage to fling Enkidu in the same direction. In the wake of that slam, the chains would naturally become loose enough for Artoria to work her way out of, but Enkidu was closing in quickly. From just overhead, they would aim to whip the grounded Artoria with the other chain. If she managed to escape, the strength of impact on the ground would be kicking up quite the dust cloud liable to obscure vision; that was just another thing considered by Enkidu during this approach.Comment
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Artoria was coming to a realization in these moments. The reason that Enkidu felt himself only a weapon and the reason Hoshimi Eri considered herself a weapon were the same reason. Both were exceedingly good at doing the thing they were good at without cease and had nothing but power to offer in the face of new challenges. Even though she was bound, this was no mere session of play, he would keep attacking and keep abusing well past this simple method of capture. Admittedly, he did not seem very surprised by the knowledge that Gilgamesh had not managed to capture Artoria while using his physical form. Artoria had the chains tighten against her, 'This will hurt,' she braced herself for a slam several meters away but in the immediate moment after her body slammed into the ground a burst of invisible air from her very person allowed her to immediately free herself and flip over launching herself out of the way of the coming whip from above. She knew better than to stand in a singular place for too long against something which would keep attacking regardless. The ground was being shaken up by the coming dust, Artoria would swing that shining sword of hers up into the air, to bring it down immediately after using the pressure of the sword swing to clear out the space in front of her. She'd been bashed against the ground by that was healing. Her armor had long since repaired itself of the original damage. After clearing the dust out before her she was smiling across the battlefield and laughing. "Heheh--Hahahahaha!~" she laughed nearly hysterically even after being tossed around like a literal ragdoll. She was grinning at Enkidu her body prepared for either attack or defense at this point. Why? Because she understood now what needed to be done. "Emi, return to Uruk and tell Siduri, the Queen is on a walk... Enjoy your time. I shall return!" she said.
Jeanne had watched her sister face off against this monster of a being and wondered if she was okay. And her reply made her both smile and cringe. Especially after watching her get tossed around so easily. "I... Fine, but I think I am worried that she already knows about your walks... but you are obviously having fun and I can't deny you that," the Queen of Saints said. "It was nice meeting you," she offered to Enkidu. She'd then sprout a pair of energy wings turn and fly off. Her sister had ended the real threat, and was now having a bit of fun. She couldn't deny this woman anything she wanted to do, and in truth she didn't think she could have fought Enkidu herself. Yeah, the Queen and the Chains of Heaven would be left to their battle without any further onlooking. How long would the Queen's walk take this time?Comment
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How long would the Queen of Knights' "walk" take? Well, Enkidu would be no stranger to combat that lasted days upon days. He'd previously fought Gilgamesh for seven days and seven nights, with only three being recorded in history. The excitement on Artoria's face was matched by an equally twisted grin on the face of Enkidu, and that alone let them know this battle would not end the same day it began. Jeanne d'Arc parted ways with the pair with kindness to offer in her final statement. Alas, Enkidu was suffering a severe case of tunnel vision for numerous reasons.
The passage of time saw the sun fall, then rise, then fall again. On the second night of combat, Enkidu jettisoned themselves through the sky above, spinning like a drill as chains from their sleeves lashed out. Even from many meters in the sky, the movement of chains was expansive enough to directly shred the ground below with each movement. It seemed Enkidu thought to pass over Artoria, endangering her and the battlefield itself. Based on Enkidu's former experiences that now included this battle, there was widespread destruction. One would already fail to recognize the location of these two based on existing memory, and things would only get worse moving forward. "Tell me. Is this the power that defeated my king?" Enkidu wondered aloud. Something was still quite off. At no point thus far had they seen a display that thwarted themselves or the memory of King Gilgamesh. There were some very interesting showings of ability, but a more important feature was notably missing. Time would tell, they figured. . .Comment
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Artoria's walk so far had been been from one day through the next. She was having a good time, periodically dodging and attacking. Searching for an opening that wasn't presented. Enkidu was without question an absolute monster. Never did she have the chance to properly charge her attack and never would she have asked for the ability to do so. To call upon the power of Excalibur was to evoke victory in its truest form, before now it wasn't obvious how she would try and take such a victory. But with Enkidu over head and her a little bit of time she could make it. Besides, the battlefield was already scarred beyond belief what was a bit more... "EX-" the charge began and invisible air was shattered around the blade as light gathered from all around. The ground before her quaked as the energy gathered at the tip of the blade marred all that was in front of it. Hopes and dreams, filled this blade even as her skin felt the start of a sting. But for many Excalibur cemented the idea of victory, it showed a claim of glory and in the hands of the Queen of Knights it crystalized her Knightly qualities turning them into power in its purest form. He was passing over? He was in strike range. "CALIBUR!!" A proclamation as she lifted the sword at the moment he would have been overhead, swinging and expansive burst of one of the oldest mysteries of mankind. And in this way it was used to knock off course, the power of that weapon and aim to give Artoria the freedom to answer his question. "Excalibur felled the King of Heroes, along with his arrogance..." she said. That now visible and shining sword in her hands she did not cover it once more. She let its shining blade remain.
Right. This wasn't the same as her own. She did not have to wait so long to charge it. Perhaps she'd have a few better uses of it before the end?Comment
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Excalibur. Enkidu heard that word before, during Artoria's battle against the false Gilgamesh. The sword she wielded was a shining beacon possessing great power indeed. That very power was being launched upward toward the living weapon as they spun, but they did not seem anything beyond intrigued. This was the thing that defeated Enkidu's friend? It was mighty, yes, but it also seemed somewhat on the basic side. How was a finishing blow landed?
While this was being considered, Enkidu spun once more. Their body began to glow as they flew downward, circling around the wave and just nearly touching it along the way. "Enuma..." A phrase this woman heard once before, would be used by Enkidu with a very different effect. Multiple chain links emerged from beneath Enkidu's cloak, converging on their body until they, and the chains, became one giant chain with a spike to match. It looked similar to a star descending to Earth, shining its own light around Excalibur's until it eventually reached the ground where Artoria stood. "Elish!" In the moment of collision, the difference between two techniques that shared a name became clear. Enkidu was a weapon made to restrain the divine. Naturally, they were bound to physically become that weapon at some point. Its truest form, even while not incanted, bore the power to puncture the world and stitch it back together. In landing, it could restrain a thousand targets within a thousand meters, as any explosion to be expected from such an impact was instead the materialization of endless glowing chains.Comment
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Enuma Elish. An attack that Artoria had seen used by the King of Heroes. The same he'd used to assist her as she felled the white titan, an epic power which seemed to match her own in destructive capabilities to a great extent. The smile on her face in response to this showing was nothing short of pure glee. Unlike the previous version the swirling winds that broke apart the world, this one looked like a shooting star twisting around that pillar of light that had been launched into the air by Excalibur. That grip had changed in the meantime as she kept her eyes peeled. He had to land and she'd follow it and in that moment she'd strike. That giant spear tip that began Enkidu landed on the ground before her and in the second before the thousands of chains erupted she launched herself forward with enough speed and moment to aim a decisive strike. If such a thing occurred against that large spear tip, it would be immediately followed by an outcry quickly "EXCALIBUR!" she cried as if it was her intent to blast this even in weapon form with all the power she had to offer in just a second. This was Artoria Pendragon, moving forward, and aiming to seize victory, even from a weapon. Besides, it was not like she had a limit to the number of times she could commit the attack, the only limit was charge time and that much wasn't needed if one had a decent enough range to give.Comment
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The primary chain struck ground, as did all others. The impact alone would shake the continent floating in the sky multiple times over. In that same moment of impact, Enkidu would discover precisely how valiant the one called Artoria Pendragon was. Excalibur slammed against the spearhead, releasing the most potent burst of light Enkidu had seen thus far. While the other chains were appearing and striking the surrounding area, the primary spearhead saw a crack begin at the point of impact with Excalibur. That very crack lengthened and spread like branches of a tree, passing through the spearhead from one end to the other. There would be a shattering, but not quite. Enkidu could easily return to form, and so, they did. At the top of the light arc was soon the top of Enkidu's humanoid body, almost as if they were emerging from the wave itself. Their head, torso and outstretched right arm were visible, the latter of which had its hand mere inches from Artoria's face. Other chains of Enuma Elish were still produced as normal, and from Enkidu's sleeve came one more aimed right between Artoria's eyes.
In the meantime, Enkidu may have been without legs and half of their other arm. That didn't seem to matter at all. There was no blood from wounds, but instead cracks branching out from the point of severance. Enkidu was more closely related to a doll than a human, and there was even more to it than that. Well... that information would reveal itself in a matter of moments. For the time being, Enkidu's primary concern was still simply attacking. It was becoming clear why Gilgamesh had taken an interest in this woman; she was more powerful than could be expected of humankind. They could compare this output to another work of the gods, if not for the lack of divine attribute. Where though, was the aspect of romanticism that had Gilgamesh lay claim to this woman? Perhaps another thing was required to unveil it. . .Comment
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Artoria was stunned. The very continent was shaking. Was this always the power of the weapon known as Enkidu? She could easily see why when raised alone up on this upper level, when one thought the rest of mankind beneath them, why this one being in the entire world became the only friend of the King of Heroes. That spear tip body had shattered under the pressure of Excalibur but Artoria had been fighting this weapon for quite a while now, she understood that the overwhelming might she always showed simply wasn't enough. It had been fun but this one wanted an honorable death and she thought to provide it. After all it had shown, after all it had done, for standing at the side of the man who took interest in her when she did not have interest in herself... it was the least she could do. 'No backing down...' her mind was chanting.
After the biggest hit she'd mustered yet, Enkidu's body began reforming, an arm with a chain aimed directly between her eyes. He was so close, what would she do? Well? The same thing he'd done to her, in a moment with his torso back together, she saw the ability to clutch a victory, even if it cost her an injury it'd be worth taking to give this man the honorable end he so rightly sought. From this stance in a near instant she just pulled back after ducking under the chain which would have been in the middle of her face but instead found itself flying past her face and over her shoulder. She used both hands to push forward and she aimed to lodge that blade right where the heart would have been. Whether a doll or a weapon she only needed to find the spiritual core of this being to kill it and given its humanoid form she knew where it should be. If she succeeded in this maneuver her blade would be lodged within the core of his being. Would it bring them to a standstill? If it did she was well within the danger zone given the fact that Enkidu never really stopped attacking. She could only wonder... "It has been an honor, to face a smiling and terrifying opponent. So strong is the one called Enkidu, I understand why you are his only friend..." she said as she continued to push, with both hands around the hilt of her weapon to drive it home. "I am usually quite certain of my victory only you... and my King of Heroes show me such absolute defiance," If mankind did not know how far they could go, it would be her to show them. Artoria would take a step forward to force the sword more if she had to, she would do this because it truly was no fun if she did not claim her victory here and now.Comment
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It was an honor, was it? How very... final. Very sure of herself was the Queen of Knights, yet the moment she moved under his chain was the moment of shifting tides. Enkidu was without an arm or either leg, but well within striking distance with the one limb they had. No strike would come. There was, however, a use for that singular hand. They were too similar in their methods. Too similar as well, was this battle to the first Enkidu had with their brother. Breathing room was something inconceivable in such a battle; it could neither be taken nor allowed. In this particular case though, one could say Enkidu's last breath would not be taken either. That hand grasped the queen's shoulder as she shifted her blade for a secondary assault. A pull was all it took. With a hold on that shoulder and a jerk of their own arm, Enkidu launched themselves over the queen's head. After a brief stint of rag-dolling through the air, it seemed Enkidu's missing limbs were recovering at a rapid pace. At the same time, however, the ambient magical energy of the land was draining rapidly. Enkidu landed on two new feet, tunic and all returned to form. They faced Artoria and huffed. Still, there was a wide grin on the weapon's face. "If my strength is the reason I am his only friend... I do wonder. What part of your soul calls to my brother, and what of him calls to you? My time is running short. I must find the answers."
Clearly, the use of chains wasn't going to function forever. Enkidu wasn't quite done, though. Taking a knee, they placed a hand on the ground and let their mana merge with the land itself. "I beg my brother's forgiveness. He may be upset to find out I used this on another," they said as an effect strongly resembling that of Gilgamesh's Divine Gates occurred via the ground in the surrounding area. Hundreds of weapons emerged, sculpted within the earth itself and matching the King of Heroes' own quality of tools. "Age of Babylon!" Enkidu called out, willing several dozen of those conjured weapons forward in an assault on Artoria's location. They could not find the answers through combat of their own preference, so perhaps the answers would come when they fought as the king himself did.Comment
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In a moment like this, the part of Artoria that was herself right beneath her surface appeared. Just for a moment, the absolute visage she held cracked just a little. Everything about this moment was right, her instincts said so, her intuition said so, her very movements said so... but she was pulled towards Enkidu her blade not reaching home. He was flipped over her evading what should have been a death. "Shit! This is exactly what I am talking about... defying deaths that I know should work. It is infuriating but..." she gave a pause and thought it over. "Exciting," she said. Oh, right she'd sworn. "Do not tell anyone I said that... I will never hear the end of it," she muttered as she turned once more. She turned to face him once more and thought she meant only his strength. "Not just your strength, though admittedly it outpaces my own. Someone kindred, someone viewed as both irreplaceable and equal... That is how I see you," she explained the truth of her thoughts about how she viewed the relationship between Enkidu and Gilgamesh. Another attack? Something more vicious. Was it actually possible to see this through in the way she was used to doing it?
Maybe not? Perhaps it was time to take a step back and become the reactionary rebellion leader? Perhaps the Almighty Queen had to remember what it was like to face someone insurmountable from time to time? That could be, but truly she did not like to taste defeat. That was the part of her that remained. No failed missions, no failed jobs, no failed quests. Even at a time when playing video games she would restart or rematch when she lost. When she aimed herself towards a challenge she fully intended to overcome it, no matter what the cost. Why did she like Gilgamesh and why did he like her? "I cannot answer a question I do not understand," she said after giving it a bit of thought. These were complicated questions, but what was not complicated was the coming onslaught. "Age of Babylon?" she questioned that with raised brows. Was this man really just created to match with Gilgamesh in some strange way? Yes. Was the answer... as dozens of weapons flew from gates. These were made out of the earth but no less sturdy than those she'd seen from Gilgamesh. She tested this initially by beginning to dance. Swatting a few back, barely missing range of a few others. A couple hit her armor pieces and she felt the rattling against her physical self. "I cannot be so bold as to speak to the King's temperament in such a case, but I can instead sink with you," Artoria made the offer while holding her sword out in front of her person. Chivalrous was the Queen of Knights, offering to get both of them in trouble instead of only one. A glowing and light round and large appeared before her outstretched sword, which she needed both hands to hold out properly. "I will show you something I have not yet shown him," she said a gentle smirk coming to her face. It appeared the winds were kicking up around her, that the space itself was denying any further interference as she chanted the name of a previously unseen skill. "Our Round Table," a phantom showing of swords would occur each placing their sword in turn. These knights and their swords spun around her. A veritable wheel of swords belonging to the Knights who pledged themselves to Artoria Pendragon and sat at her table would be visible for Enkidu alone. Artoria couldn't remember the last time she'd felt it necessary to make use of such a skill, but here she was about to show someone what came of the loyalty of Knights to Artoria Pendragon. At this point, Artoria looked around the table and chose... one of her oldest and dearest Knights the one who helped raise her, the Lady Kay. She spun into place, coming to her back the way she always did as her sword settled on top of this copy of Excalibur. "With me, Olwen..." the power of this skill was a projection of sorts on top of her own sword, making it take the size, shape and properties of a sword sworn to her service. In this case, the sword of the Lady Kay with its ice properties was now held by Artoria in one hand as she swung it around freely. A blade which looked almost to be made of light blue colored jewel with an icy pattern inlaid upon it. It shimmered magically, was lightweight enough to be wielded and small enough not to restrict Artoria's own movements against the hell of projectiles aimed towards her that was 'Age of Babylon'. They could dance and speak freely now, as she moved about the battlefield slamming sword against any weapons she failed to dodge with a speed previously unseen, those emerald green eyes of hers darting about as she kept and eye and ear on her opponent. She needed to close the distance and deal a strike more decisive than those of her previous works.Comment
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