Finis Chaldea

[Apollymi]

Anger? Probable, men tended to have bad reactions when turned down. Lashing out, hopefully? That would excuse any behavior Artoria took on in defense of herself. Yes, that seemed about right. A large attack should be next, to flex his disappointment and vent his anger. The space after would be the time to capitalize. Oh? First would be laughter, it was kind of obnoxious. He seemed not to understand what she meant... perhaps he really thought himself helping in some way? It was possible he had an actual plan of some sort, but he didn't even know humans... He didn't act like a man who'd had any contact with a human in a very long time. In fact, she'd say Merlin was more human at this point. "I am not being obtuse, you are literally standing between us and the goal... You are here, when we have never laid eyes on you. I am not saying you are not capable, nor am I discounting any plans you might have. I am saying we are doing this now irrespective of your goals and ideals. We do not need you stifling us." There. An honest response. The plans of Jeanne D'Arc and Artoria Pendragon would have far reaching effects. There was no way someone so high level as Gilgamesh should be standing between them and their goals to help humanity. Ah, an honorable mention as well... Gilgamesh was planning on attacking and had the courtesy to announce his plans. He was redressed, and Jeanne's eyes opened once more to see the bow back in his hands. And a fired arrow which landed before her. Huh, those green eyes flickered upward and Artoria exhaled a deep breath, "Avalon's Sanctuary," such a calm announcement had the sheathe of her weapon break into golden light while she changed her stance. Defense would give before the end of everything.

That shining sword was raised above her head in a two-handed grip. It was necessity... she wasn't physically able to do this without the use of both of her hands. And that shining light began to coalesce. The shining got brighter and brighter over time, each moment seeming to gain more. Even as those missiles would try and descend upon her, she kept this stance. That shining light had a strange effect. Everyone witnessing it could feel all the hopes and dreams of humanity. They could feel the glory which would happen, they could feel hope for salvation. This light was the crystallization of the term 'glory' as it always would be... stories of this sword spread far and wide across the world already and it's legend would only become greater. "EX-" she started the chant as she caught sight of that weapon falling from the sky, the barrier in place so she could finish the sword swing. "CALIBUR!!!" That shining light would aim to meet that furious flood bringing weapon, and what would occur would be a mighty clash, a bright pillar of light and a massive explosive which shook all and disrupted everything around them. For her part in this Jeanne was looking at the barrier for herself and all behind her, including Rider for reasons unapparent to most. It was simply Artoria's nature, chivalrous without end.

Merlin continued, just as Medea wished him to, if she was privy to the shift in nature between dream and reality it wouldn't be at all obvious from her experience. The sensation of his manhood rubbing against her for those long moments seemed to cause her to squirm in anticipation and then the unimaginable happened over an extreme period of time. A push forward into her, which felt like a hundred thrusts with every movement. Actually, she'd experienced a certain tightening sensation in her nether within moments. This had to be divine, or sinful... she wasn't at all sure. Definitely sacrilegious at the very least, considering their current location. Ah, but regardless all she had to offer were moans and words of praise. Her body was clutching at every inch of him. She was sure she'd been at it for hours, sure she was out of breath. She was was seeing stars in her vision. She'd all but completely lost herself in ecstasy. A memory of an extended love-making session and she couldn't see it anymore. No more blonde, no muscles, no anger... what was it? The name in her head was so far away from her, she couldn't have recalled it in the moment. There was no reason in her mind she shouldn't be doing this... Her legs would eventually tighten, locking behind Merlin, pulling him in as her body sought all that it could take without even realizing it was how she was being. No negative effects to speak of, literally only bliss.

[Bloodedge]

As his ultimate arrow descended to bring forth nearly three fortnights of mana flood to overwhelm the battlefield, Gilgamesh's bow returned to its twin-blade form. Ahead, he bore witness to an accumulation of light as brilliant as the full moon over a clear night sky. There was something warm and inviting about that radiance; furthermore was how that light amidst the darkness framed the Saber's face as fringes billowed around it. It was the sort of sight that could have been witnessed in one's final moments, resulting in a tranquil end. Just the same, if that expression preceded the final moments of its wearer, it would have been the most beautiful final frame to behold. He could do nothing but stand there and admire the view during these final moments. Ah, but these were not going to truly be the final moments of anything, were they? A single outcry was all it took. In that one word yelled across the battlefield, a great enough burst of mana was produced to split the water and vaporize the sea of Gilgamesh's descending might. The Star of Destruction itself, that skyscraper-sized arrow, was cleaved as well. The ensuing explosion encompassed all things as far as the eye could see. All the while, Gilgamesh's gaze had been lifted. Everything was so bright, blindness should have been assured... but he would not look away even if it had some sort of effect on even him. 'H'oh? To gaze upon something like this, it almost instills in me a sense of nostalgia...' he thought. It would take quite some time for even the visual effects of this clash to clear, and Gilgamesh's eyes would be on the fallout even when they did. Impressive. One might wonder how much more Saber had in her. In Gilgamesh's case, he had come to this place with only his current weapon and Enkidu, the former of which could offer only a single ultimate strike every six days. Only one utterance would leave the king's mouth in light of all he witnessed. "Hmph..."

What more could he offer? It was like that one moment brought every moment before it crashing down at once. Saber's every rejection of his advances, every clash of tongues and blades thus far, all led to this display of light. Was it a shame? It may have been, though there was undoubtedly something more just beneath the surface of an event.

Merlin's singular thrust was already a slow effort, yet he now used his ability to manipulate minds to stretch time to a veritable infinity. For his own sake, Merlin could see and feel everything sent into the mind of Medea. Frankly... he found it all quite pleasant. It took only a few seconds for hours upon hours of memories to form. In that second, he saw the shift in Medea's mindset over time. Gone was the link, he thought. He seemed indeed capable of flooding the woman's mind with pleasure until that same flood washed over him in return. Of course, it was mere sustenance for Merlin... but it was quite difficult to avoid getting lost in a moment. Such was especially the case with Medea actually surviving and keeping enough wit and desire about her to wrap her legs around him. Well, this was new. Orgasm was no stranger to even an Incubus, and his was quickly approaching. Given their current position, there would soon be no avoiding what should have been a cardinal sin for his kind. So, what was Merlin to do about it? Well... he'd blabber about, just as he would with anything else. "Careful. Doing something like that, you'll end up full of a lot more than just memories. You'll even wind up a mother~"

[Apollymi]

A clash. Two massive attacks that likely had no business accosting each other played out in front of everyone's eyes, and ended, most practically in a stalemate. Ah, she lowered that weapon ever so slightly a sigh escaping her. Avalon, the sheathe of her sword, dismantled its barrier which looked like more scattered light around the others in the area. It would come back together pretty soon, but there were no words from Gilgamesh immediately. Just a little sound, one of those arrogant noises that she didn't know what to do with. "Excalibur?" that was a question from Jeanne. "What happened to Caliburn; did you upgrade?" she questioned. The light of that moment had made her happy, it brought her back to battles won and the feeling of brightness around victory claimed with her own hands. Artoria sighed. "I broke it." Three simple words, no more no less. "Sounds like there's a story there..." Jeanne mentioned knowing how her sister was about such things. As if to further cement it Artoria managed to look practically impetuous. "There is, but it is a long one. Still, I loved that sword, about as much as I loved my gun," she said in answer. This of course, brought a giggle from her sister, who seemed to understand the gravity of such a statement. A deep breath soon after as this. There was rampant destruction but it seemed she'd managed to prepare enough not to completely ruin everything. Surprisingly enough Gilgamesh was still standing where he had been the entire time. She couldn't relax not just yet, but it'd also be pretty rude for her to follow up on that attack immediately without knowing his intentions.

Ah, yes a different sort of problem. In spite of the fact that she was absolutely annoyed by this man. That had been more fun than most interactions she'd managed in quite a while. Weird though it was, if he moved aside she wouldn't continue attacking him at all. Well, not at the moment anyway... it would be better to try again later. To see what he learned, or if there was more to his ability to fight than what she saw. She shouldn't be thinking like that now should she? No... that wasn't kingly at all. Right now, she was working towards a goal, she shouldn't be thinking about a fight just for the sake of it. "Will you stand aside?" she said finally looking towards Gilgamesh. There was still the tiniest bit of defiance in her face, like she would still attack if he answered wrong. He had been an obstacle standing in her way, someone she wanted to fight and someone who'd managed beyond most, to both annoy her and fight her to the amount she enjoyed. Strange though it was... she had no hard feelings now as long as he didn't interfere anymore than he already had.

That single moment that carried on for eternity was well worth the effort. Medea had tightened her legs around this man and he'd in turn begun to speak of what she'd receive if she didn't let up. Well, she knew how that sort of thing worked, it wasn't as if she was incapable of understanding the basics of anatomy. Still, that didn't stop her legs from remaining where they were, nor did it stop her from continuing to experience such an interesting amount of sensation. "I am quite aware... but you'd need really good aim to guarantee something like that..." she said of potential pregnancy and the like. "Besides, I don't have any intention of stopping this~" she seemed sure of herself. And maybe she was, after all, it wouldn't have been the first time she'd had kids... not that she fully remembered the issue from before now. It was all just a memory, something fuzzy... instead what was in front of and inside her... that was real.

[Bloodedge]

Gilgamesh's gaze was fixed, as if the world around this moment ceased to be for the duration. What would have been something akin to nuclear fallout in magnitude, had become a light show. Particles descended all around; it was as if the stars themselves were acting as rain. Soon enough, a distraction came in the form of Saber's speech. Why did that foolish woman think he would stand aside? The simple outcome of matching him was no excuse for her to think she could stop him from having what was his by birthright. She'd seen one of his more powerful Artifacts and dealt with its ultimate strike, yes, but the Star of Destruction was far from his most effective tool. Perhaps... she was worth something more. "Fool," he said. "You who fells the omega, dare you tread upon the power of genesis? There is no ceasing my execution of the law and the claiming of that damned cup. Prostrate yourself if you are to avoid a criminal's treatment." With that said, Gilgamesh fixed his right sword to his back. With that hand freed, he reached out into the open air next to himself. A spell, perhaps? Another use of Enkidu? No, Gilgamesh possessed something far greater that he would use to trump this Saber... but there was one problem he hadn't thought of. . .

Merlin hadn't been joking at all when he claimed Medea would become a mother, but of course... she had no reason to think otherwise in the first place. Merlin wasn't even certain why he knew it would happen, though he also wasn't sure why this felt like a reasonable endeavor. Actually... why this woman? Why did he not chose the lightly-veiled one, or even the other purple-haired one with the eyes that were only enticing to him? He took no issue with this Caster; she was quite the looker, yet it was strange that he didn't put an thought into choosing a target. Oh well; there were no complaints to be lodged, really. If Medea wasn't going to stop him, he would not stop himself. Alongside what seemed to be a tremor even within his bounded field, Merlin performed one of a rather small number of total thrusts. These had been roughly setting the pace for this entire scenario, but this one would see a great change at its end. "Your wish is my command. Watch out though; I've always been told my child would be an annoyance even before birth," he said as the seed spewed forth from his groin, easily depositing itself directly into the womb in great quantity as he pressed against the end of Caster with ease. Feeling something like this, Merlin thought it was necessary for him to later try the ravaging approach with a tool of this caliber... Well, a human one at least.

[Apollymi]

Artoria had done all that was within her bounds to do. As a knight, she'd fought for the sake of others, protected even her enemies from her onslaught and now she'd offered reprieve at the simple cost of not getting in the way of her plans. It was all for nothing. She supposed there were worse ways to end a day. At the very least, she'd managed not to break form at all... it was becoming much easier to remember. It was becoming more of her nature to act this way. She sighed in the moment. Whatever laws he thought he was preserving, they didn't apply here. As far as she knew, the cities above were realms unto themselves, and those who ruled there couldn't rightly enforce themselves here. He was out of his own element and though she would have let this pass with just the tie, it seemed that he planned to keep trying to put her down. His hand reached out like he would call forth another weapon and her arms soon raised once more. There was no real emotion found there, even as the light began to gather once more. "Alright, let us end this..." she said as comfortably as she'd been speaking about anything else. Enough power to fell a man? Of course. Enough to fell a monstrous creature? Yes. Enough for a demigod king with way too much ego? They'd find out soon enough. "EX-" she said while bringing the sword down, that giant pillar of light aimed directly at Gilgamesh. "CALIBUR!" she shouted her final cry. Her aim to engulf the man in its blinding light. Most would have died from it. But at present she was almost doubting her ability to properly kill the man. Maybe he'd be maimed enough to sit where he was while they finished this day. Yes, that would be for the best.

At the same time, several more thrusts were given Medea. She should have been more considerate of the fact that Merlin seemed so sure of her pregnancy. But she was sure she'd heard similar words before, and the idea had never bothered her once. It bothered her less now. A tremble occurred and she felt it, how strange. Whatever that was, there was no reason to stop Merlin from enjoying himself and she had no reason not to accept what he offered. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time..." she mentioned. Oh, Medea was a strange one... she didn't actually dislike children. She loved them in fact. An old fashioned woman who enjoyed children no longer cursed by the thought of a man and enjoying herself for the first time in her life. That was fine. And as he spilled within her, she moaned as her own body naturally tightened around the filling sensation. Yes. This was bliss.

[Bloodedge]

How intriguing. This woman possessed a power capable of splitting the Star of Destruction, and it seemed she possessed some capacity to use that technique numerous times. He couldn't have imagined such a power existing, but if anyone would have the ability, it should be the woman he remembered. Oh well. Maybe he should have given more consideration to her ability beforehand. If it was truly his intention to overwhelm her, there was one item held in his treasury that was sure to do the trick. All he had to do was... oh. Gilgamesh's hand closed as if he expected something to be within, yet there was nothing. What happened? Right, he didn't take his key with him to properly access the treasury. Why would he have? His journey had been one of discovery; he wasn't supposed to end up here, locked in combat. Ah, but how was he to deal with that sort of might without any of his tools? He'd not sully Enkidu by using them as a meat shield, and he wouldn't have the ability to loose another arrow from his bow for some time yet. There was time for only one decision by the time he realized there was no weapon coming to his hand. The blade remaining in his left hand had to be swung against the arc of hopes and dreams coming his way, but surely that alone wouldn't be enough. Something was... rather exciting about that thought, though. Carrying that sense of thrill, his blade exuded mana directly from Gilgamesh's own body. The moment his sword connected with the blast, space collapsed at the point of impact. The scale was small in a sense relative to Excalibur's strike, yet large enough for the wave's initial segment to be avoided. Alas, he was engulfed in the end regardless, and even after realizing the slash alone would not suffice, an expulsion of his mana could not leave him unscathed.

Once again, it took ages to clear. What of Gilgamesh when it all subsided? There was an audible grunt in those final moments, followed by a slow series of footsteps. The ground around him was marred in a long path, and his condition was hardly better to look at. Gilgamesh approached Artoria casually, while appearing as if he'd been dragged through hell itself with all the scorching and the greater bleeding from his open wound. Upon reaching her, his empty right hand rose with intentions of gently resting upon her cheek. He'd never known defeat before, but it seemed today would mark the first of such events. For some reason, there was an upturn to his lips as he aimed to caress the Saber's face, his hand just about capable of cupping her entire head from one side. "What an abominable woman you are. Defying me... until the very end, huh? But... I shall forgive you. There are things that are beautiful because you cannot obtain them," he declared. Though his gaze did not falter, his eyes were dim. Frankly, the king was hardly on his feet... but the briefest glimmer came to his gaze, and with it came an understanding. "Farewell then, Queen of Knights. Well... it was quite fun." Was it finally time, at long last? Was he to join Enkidu, rather than finding the way to bring them back to this plane? Something... wasn't so bad about that thought. If anything, perhaps that could finally be a victory after all these decades. That was a lovely thought to have as he buckled to his knees, falling forward and out of consciousness thereafter.

Merlin had officially done something very, very unacceptable. He could already feel it happening. Impregnation via Incubus was not of the conventional sort; it was more... mystical. Seed integrated itself into the would-be mother's very Magic Circuits, then coalesced in the form of an unborn child to match the mother's natural birthing process. Medea claimed it wouldn't be the first time she dealt with a difficult child that had yet to even be born, but Merlin doubted that severely. What would come of this, was something known as a Cambion, a mere myth to those who inhabited the world. Normally, such a thing was properly impossible. Merlin could tell that would not be the case with this one, though. She was far too capable, far too gifted in the magical sense. Perhaps she would suffer a reduction of ability while with child, but he doubted even his own spawn could end her. Well... existence was about to become very interesting, wasn't it? "Ho─ you seem no worse off than ever. I take it you're satisfied," he said, wondering at this point if he had indeed simply written over the curse of Jason in her mind.

[Apollymi]

A second use of Excalibur, which he tried to defend against. She wasn't sure if she'd actually managed to hit him, but when the dust settled, it became obvious he'd been engulfed. That little smirk returned to her face right up until he started walking towards her. Curiosity burned behind those blue-green eyes. Why was he walking this way? What did it take to kill a man like him? There was a weird feeling in her, like the desire to end this man was some kind of instinct. But not one of her current being... one of her former self. She was so stunned that he was moving towards her, she was practically frozen. Oh... he was reaching out, she should cut him, right? A simple caress. His hand could cup her entire head, if he had the strength he could crush her, but he didn't. How strange. He had something to say... she was abominable. She was defying him... she was forgiven for her actions? Why would she want to be? She almost questioned aloud. Those eyes were dim, he might actually die? Did she want that? Kind of. Jeanne watched closely as her sister didn't make the moves necessary to completely murder this man. Perhaps there was some hope for him yet... even if he didn't realize it. He said farewell and that it was fun. For just a moment, just a second... that little upturn of Saber's lips returned. "Yes, it was fun..." she admitted. They'd been having quite a bit of fun, but then he collapsed.

Artoria stood her sword still in her hand looking at the body of her opponent. There was a battle taking place once more. This time inside the mind of Saber. The assassin that was her original self, wanted to take her sword and stab the man through ending his existence. Her current self said, mercy given in honor of a commendable battle. Which would win? Could she properly crush that part of herself which wanted the true victory? Bloodlust was unbecoming of a Queen. And he'd just used her title to finish speaking to her. A deep breath and she exhaled. She opened her left hand and her sheathe came back to her, she slid Excalibur home within it. Another deep breath, and her eyes shifted towards the remaining people. Siduri and Rider. "If you will heal him... do so. Just keep him out of my way... if you can," she said before turning her eyes to Rider. "I assume you do not wish to engage?" she asked of the long haired woman. "Um, no. You protected me and you didn't have to... I have no qualms," she said. Her own hands thrown up in surrender and a bow of her head incoming. Nice. No more random slayings necessary. "Farewell," she said as she walked off. "Come on Emi... you have a grail to collect~" she said as if she hadn't simply overpowered the competition for no reason whatsoever. They'd take off at a walk, with Siduri giving a gentle bow as she did. Jeanne D'Arc jumped at her name and scurried off with her sister... she'd seen the lass hesitate, and she'd never seen that happen before. Perhaps the Golden King was in a better position than he thought. Whatever the case, they headed off. Siduri on the other hand, had a green light engulf her hand. She knelt at the king's side and uttered a single statement. "Gula's Mercy," she murmured as she healed him. No death would take him today... he wasn't allowed to die at the moment. Beyond all of that... he was quite literally responsible for an entire kingdom, dying over a cup and not being able to stand down wasn't really allowed. He couldn't learn if he died.

At the same time, Medea was impregnated without much of an issue. She seemed no worse off than ever, she finally set up properly. "Yes, I am plenty satisfied," she mentioned while sitting up. "Ah, and I feel strangely light. Did you actually help me?" she seemed a bit surprised by that fact. No more pull towards crazed. No desire to hunt down and do things for Jason. Just a memory. A bad memory, a terrible set of circumstances but no longer did she feel inclined to do anything for his sake. No longer did she feel anything for him. Not love, not hate, not care... just nothing. She looked to Merlin. Oh... she could go again, but she didn't feel like it was more than that either. For the first time in her life she felt... "I'm free."

[Bloodedge]

Fun. Why didn't he realize that during all of that conflict, he was managing to have fun? He'd never have resorted to the things he did without being sufficiently entertained. At no point was it necessary for Gilgamesh to sully his own hands, if not for the sake of enjoying the thrill of combat. The rush of blood through his veins, the thought of accessing his treasury only out of necessity... it was all something he'd known only once before. Now, it was over. Where was Enkidu? Surely if he was to die here, his friend would be the first face, the first voice to greet him in Irkalla. Yes... of this there was no doubt. Even Kur herself could not stop their meeting from being the first occurrence within her domain; he was certain. Whose voice was that, then? It was not Enkidu. It was not Kur. It was... something far more recent, and more... alive. Yes, alive─ just as he was. Why? Obviously, those mongrels below glorious Uruk had capable enough representatives, so why did he have to persist? Why could he not be allowed to find Enkidu? A curse upon that wine-maker, he thought as consciousness slipped from his grasp again.

Meanwhile, Merlin was slowly retreating from the clutches of Medea in more ways than one. Bit by bit, he slid his way out, while Medea herself wondered if she'd been helped. A decision was soon made. There was some latent desire within the woman, but no sense of necessity for it. As such, Merlin's proportions returned to normal over time, and both of their clothes would do the same. She proclaimed her freedom, which meant there was but one thing to do. One step forward put Merlin in range again. As the bounded field he produced faded away, he took Medea by the neck and whispered into her ear. "Then my job here is done. Oh, but one more thing... Myrddin Emrys," he said prior to vanishing. He'd leave her with another curse, though not one of a malicious nature. The true name of Merlin had been shared, but with a few conditional clauses. It was to be forgotten, buried in the deepest reaches of Medea's dreams and passed along only to the child. Of course... Merlin being the sort of deviant he was, gave an additional allowance for temporary memory, just in case the woman's desires became overwhelming at any point in the future. Such was his way, after all. . .

[Apollymi]

Well it was obvious that Gilgamesh should persist, after all... he was king above and had his own people to look after. Beyond all of that, Siduri saw his interest in Artoria and after seeing that young woman in action... she strangely approved of her. How interesting it was but she felt as if thinking such was the right thing to do. With Gilgamesh still unconscious. "It will be a while yet before he wakes. Would you like a drink?" she asked of Rider. Yes, Rider would be traveling along with Gilgamesh when he woke, why not? She'd already agreed to it, and she was sure he'd have questions. A place where she didn't have to hide her nature was all she sought and though the king seemed to be terrible at communicating his interest to the Queen of Knights... it was pretty clear to everyone else present his intent. "I'd love one," she said. And that would be how this trio ended the Holy Grail War.

Ah but Artoria and Jeanne were on the move. After the fall of Gilgamesh a great light had descended and Jeanne hadn't even needed magic to find it. "Eri-nee, did you really have fun?" she asked of the other blonde lass. And for her part in this Artoria actually smiled again. More than that little upturn of her lips this time. Around any of the other Hoshimi, Artoria was likely to be more herself than any other time. "Yes, I did. Weird as he was... that was a great fight," she said of Gilgamesh. "It is no bother though... getting to see you would have been enough for me. So, how does this, grail work?" she asked of her sister. "It fills, I drink... it interfaces and gives me what I wish for, I think..." she said with a casual shrug. "The Angels said it would work that way... and I trust them." she said standing before the light. Her sister took up guard watching as a cup formed in this beam of light. She saw as Jeanne stepped into the light and the cup finally reached her outstretched hands. Alright, Artoria could draw some conclusions based on this. It needed filling and inside from the looks of it, was a golden glowing liquid. Jeanne took a moment to look at it, before downing the Grail's contents. It tasted sweet like wine or mead but there was power in it as well. How interesting. In the same moment the strength of that golden beam would brighten and Jeanne would find herself in the white space, known as the Nexus.

At the same time, Medea and Merlin were separating their bodies, their clothes were returning and all seemed well. But after such a space was put between them, it was closed again. She felt a hand upon her neck and words spoken directly into her ear. But just as soon as they were said, they disappeared from her consciousness. The bounded field was broken, she was free of her life-long curse and now... needed to begin thinking about her child. How strange, she also needed to help Heracles whenever he respawned. She'd keep an eye out for him. Tracking down a single demigod wasn't really a hard thing to do. And with one look upward she saw the light that could only be the holy grail. It seemed as if everything had worked out in its own time.

[Bloodedge]

One king slept, while another "king" behaved as mere escort to she who would possess the Holy Grail. That escort had an escort of her own, though, and he was soon to appear as if he'd never gone anywhere at all. He walked alongside Artoria with pep in his step, a casual grin on his face, and general high spirits overall. "It definitely seemed like something resembling fun to me. Congratulations," he said, joining the conversation without a hitch. Leaving little time for hullabaloo, Merlin trained his eyes on the grail during the approach. "Spawned already then, eh? I thought I would get to see more than one or two battles today. You didn't even get Rider's pass~" he added. Well, it seemed that sort of thing wasn't necessary at all. The Grail manifested, and Jeanne D'Arc herself laid claim to it. What an interesting turn of events. Merlin had seen a glimpse of Camelot's queen laying claim to a Holy Grail, but perhaps it was never meant to be this one. No, Jeanne was the one to take it, as she was the one to drink from it and be transported to dimension even Merlin could not see through.

Jeanne's transportation led her to a seemingly empty space, nothing but a white void surrounding her. All around though, there was the sensation of other presences similar in quality to her own... which would happen to undergo a change that made such a statement true. By the time she left this space, gone would be Jeanne D'Arc in her previous state. She would join the likes of... three others. Yes, there were only three at present, but the space felt of nigh infinite quantities. In addition to this sensation and the alteration of Jeanne, there was a male voice almost fabricated in quality. It was not quite audible, instead being delivered directly into the woman's mind. "Another reaches this plane. Only one this time? Very well. What is your desire?"

[Apollymi]

Artoria acted as an escort for her younger sister, who claimed the Holy Grail, at the same time, Merlin popped back up, after disappearing for a few moments. That wasn't at all outside of his normal, the fact that he was always in such a good mood, usually caused extreme agitation in Artoria but in a moment like this she was pleased enough to ignore his state for the most part. "Merci~," Jeanne said before she was carted off. Artoria on the other hand, didn't need the congratulatory statement, nor the commentary on her fun. "It was an easy job," she said with a casual eye roll. "As for not needing Rider's pass, I am pretty sure Archer is worth more than the rest of us... at least that would make sense considering his level is higher," she said. Oh once again that small smile came to her face, why? Because she'd overcome odds and was able to help her sister, as such she couldn't have been more pleased than she was currently. It was only a little annoying, if she'd fought him first, she definitely could have done with with way less violence than there ended up being.

At the same time, the Nexus was currently chatting with Jeanne. Well, that wasn't right, within this infinite space she was being confronted by a voice she couldn't see, and the words it spoke made her pout. "What?! We could have both taken it?!" she said seemingly shocked. "Good thing Eri-nee likes a fight..." she murmured. She was going to have to tell her when she returned that she would be able to take one and maybe for someone else. Though admittedly she had no idea who else her sister would enjoy putting up in such a way. "I want, to facilitate raising an order of knights to protect the world. I want them all connected and united under a single organization. Holy Knights. I wish to help lead upright individuals to the power to help them protect and fight the things they need to, that's my wish." she said to the Nexus. The girl was holding her hands together, as if in prayer. Of course, her wish wasn't at all selfish, it was simple, she wanted to do the right thing for the world.

[Bloodedge]

Merlin looked as aloof as always. He appeared to be listening to about half of Artoria's words, though he was actually rather attentive at the time. An easy job, was it? Artoria was so adorable when she showed signs of the merciless murderer for hire resting just below the surface of a knight. "Easy, was it? Maybe you should have a rematch~" the sorcerer stated, a strange sense of knowledge just behind his eye. A proper battle between that pair would destroy a continent at minimum. He'd seen the King of Uruk at peak potential in the past, and he'd seen the signs of Artoria's peak as well. That would be one hell of a show, he thought. Ah, but there was a certain understanding Artoria still did not possess. What was all this talk of levels? "Still thinking in levels, my king? One day," he mused without intending to give a single additional detail.

Meanwhile, Jeanne D'Arc interfaced with what many would happily consider the god above gods. She did not know it was possible for two victors to exist at once? "Previously, there were two. To share a drink from the Grail is to share its blessing, and all that accompanies," the voice stated. Now then, onto Jeanne's wish. Strangely, her wish was a selfless sort. She wanted nothing resembling power, nor fame, nor fortune─ all things that could be granted to those with a Holy Grail. Her contribution to this world would be a great one indeed. "Jeanne D'Arc, Saint. Become the Queen of Saints with this wish, and lead the Holy Knights of this world to the salvation they deserve. The Holy Grail is yours. Carry in it the sense of justice you, and claim your place amongst the stars." These words were delivered, and the Nexus' blessing was cast upon the Lancer. Upon receiving it, the identity she possessed would be Lancer no more. No, she would henceforth classify as Ruler, should she not reject that portion of the blessing.

[Apollymi]

Right. Artoria remembered why she hated speaking to Merlin. There was a certain quality to his tone which gave Artoria murderous thoughts. "Maybe one day... not today. Let me enjoy my honorable victory, and my little sister's happiness..." she said with a softness in her voice that didn't normally exist. Well, most would say that Artoria didn't enjoy things, but that wasn't true, today... she'd smiled. But according to Merlin she was still thinking wrong for her understanding of the world. "If there is some other way to measure, I am open to the knowledge. If you do not plan to give it... do not be coy about it," Artoria's words were polite but there was always the underlying threatening nature of a woman who killed people for a living. Yes, she was a knight and honor-bound by her own doing, but that didn't mean she was a safe target for teasing.

Jeanne was briefed by this voice on the nature of the previous victors. According to the voice two could share, if they wished to, but it required sharing all that the blessing entailed. "Oh? Well, I suppose that would be fine for a couple, but I prefer a bit more separatism between my sister and me," she said with a curt nod, not that she expected an answer of that sort. Jeanne was pronounced the Queen of Saints. And was given the ability to lead the Holy Knights to salvation. Free to claim her place among the stars. "Merci~" she thanked the Nexus for its favor. "Oh? One last question I guess, what do I do if I don't run a country? How to I take my place?"

[Bloodedge]

"Go ahead, enjoy! That was an achievement worth celebrating. You're the first to ever claim victory over King Gilgamesh, and I do believe... the first to tell him no as well," Merlin stated. Artoria had every reason to take satisfaction in her victory, and in her sister's claim to fame. As for the minor issue of her believing levels truly mattered to something like the Holy Grail, well... that was something he'd purposely gone without explaining for quite some time. Would he do so now? Perhaps he would, if only slightly. "There is always a way to measure. Of course, levels do matter to some extent... but the world doesn't care about that. The quality of a soul is the most important thing in this world, to my understanding. I planned on explaining that to you whenever you're done cooking~♥" was all he offered.

Jeanne did not share an interest in dividing the grail's rewards, though it was also not for any selfish purpose. Separatism was noble in some cases; this was such a case. Regardless, there was another question from the new Queen of Saints. In the first Holy Grail War, the winners were already in possession of a country to raise with them. Word had spread, and it seemed to have become understood that such a thing was required. In fact, it was no requirement at all. "As Ruler, your place is earned. Your predecessors were allowed to raise their country because it was registered to them, but you who have nothing, may now find a place of your own in Sanctuary. My Hero, it is your King that you must speak with. He will be the first key."

[Apollymi]

Merlin seemed genuinely congratulatory. According to him, her victory was worthwhile, she was apparently the only person to fell King Gilgamesh in combat, but also apparently the first to tell him no. Really?! "Truly? No one has told him no before? It is a wonder what people get up to in this world... no wonder he seemed so shocked," she said seeming to give it a bit of thought. Though she'd been an assassin, she had been trained to understand human condition and personality, if only to make it easier to kill people. In the case of the king she fully understood he was a pompous person (though he'd earned it), the idea that no one else ever spoke against him didn't bode well for him as a person. Admittedly it only made her wonder if he'd come back for the sake of avenging his bruised ego. Well, that would be fine, but she should assume that wouldn't necessarily come easily, as such she'd make sure she continued her own training for that eventuality. Merlin apparently didn't plan to share the information he had until she was 'done cooking' whatever that meant. He always said that in reference to her, as if she wasn't a whole enough person yet. Regardless, the quality of the soul was according to him was more important than level, though levels weren't completely useless. "I suppose that is more useful than what you normally have to say..." she said seeming to be pensive. How much more would she need to train to guarantee her first victory against Gilgamesh wouldn't be the only one she managed?

Meanwhile Jeanne was having a misconception of her life cleared up. Apparently, they didn't need to have a country to ascend. Apparently you could be granted a country upon your ascent. That was interesting and good news. She knew her sister would have a country of her own to raise, but not having to piggy back completely would be good for Jeanne. "Well, it's nice I can get a place once I get there... but, my king? Do I owe allegiance to someone?" she asked. Well, it was better to get such questions out of the way ahead of time. She had to prepare, gather knights, and be ready to make her country with what she had.