Fate/Irregular Summons

Chapter 23: First Steps Into Hell

FATE/IRREGULAR SUMMONS

Chapter 23: First Steps Into Hell

There he was; the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh. Although his right eye and cheek were still badly scarred from when Heracles attacked him, he bore that grotesque injury with pride. With his remaining left eye, Gilgamesh stared at the seven who were assembled to witness his grand entrance. The three Servants got into position in front of their respective Masters; Connla and Caren were to his left, Kojirou and Shirou were in the center, while Artoria and Rin stood to his right. Archer remained hunched between Connla and Kojirou, the swords still protruding through his chest and back.

"So it's true," Artoria glared at Gilgamesh. "You're still attached to this world, Archer."

"How long has it been, Saber? Ten years since our last meeting?" he replied.

"I never wanted there to be another one."

"Good to see you still have that spark in you, however meek it may be. Though my proposal from back then still stands, I have more important business to conduct than breaking in a stubborn wife."

He turned his attention toward Shirou and Archer, and declared, "Do you frauds finally comprehend the difference between your shoddy imitations and the genuine article? No matter how much you try to copy the shape or power, it will never shine as brilliantly as the original. It is like so much mud in my eyes to bear witness to fakers crafting low-quality counterfeits. You are worth less than the scum that grows in dank prisons. I shouldn't say it is my obligation to clean up such rabble, but I will be doing the world a favor by returning such shams to the dust whence they came."

He then shifted his eye toward Connla, the little girl who had disrupted his battle with Heracles, and declared, "But first, I should be rid of the tangential whelp who has not been properly educated in the concept of respect."

He opened some portals and commanded several long spears to fire directly at the horrified child. Artoria and Kojirou tried to dash in to protect Connla, but they wouldn't be able to make it in time. However, Archer would be the one to leap in and shove her out of the way. She stared into his eyes as she fell backward, sensing a glimmer of hope within the steel grey irises.

"Thanks... for opening that idiot's eyes... before I could..." he whispered.

The spears crushed him beneath their sheer weight and sharp blades, then exploded like bombs. Both Connla and Rin gazed in disbelief at the crevice that was left behind, seeing nothing but a mass of crumpled flesh and torn red clothes. He soon vanished into blue particles. As he disappeared, a distraught shriek escaped Rin's throat:

"ARCHEEE~EEER!"

Connla was too stunned to say anything. She just sat there and stared at the spot where Archer disappeared. That was when Caren implored, "Get up, Lancer. We still have an enemy in front of us."

"Uh..." the girl whimpered, but scrambled back upright and returned her attention to Gilgamesh.

Without a care in the world, the callous king muttered, "I'm surprised he had it in him to save someone else."

Rin trembled with fury, then seethed, "You bastard... Who gave you permission to lay a hand on my Archer!?"

She fired a Gandr shot at Gilgamesh's head, but it missed by inches and cracked the wall behind him. He gazed at her with a bored look in his eye, then turned the portals in her direction while grumbling, "I had intended to start with slaying the runt, but I will respect your wish to be slaughtered first, wench."