"Gilgamesh?!" Tohsaka Tokiomi's face drained of all color, looking like a corpse.
How on earth had he managed to summon this exalted lord right to his doorstep? This was practically sleeping on a wooden board in a public restroom—just asking to die!
Majestic and imposing, Gilgamesh stood firmly in place. Suddenly, he threw his right hand forward with tremendous force!
In an instant, the space behind him seemed to catch fire as countless dazzling apertures burst into view.
These glowing portals appeared to possess a life of their own, constantly twisting and rotating. Faintly visible within each and every ring was the silhouette of a mysterious and immensely powerful Noble Phantasm.
Right as this jaw-dropping spectacle unfolded, those Noble Phantasm shot across the sky like falling stars, screaming toward Tokiomi and his companions with overwhelming, razor-sharp momentum.
Facing such an earth-shattering barrage, everyone turned pale with fright.
Yet Saber did not hesitate for a fraction of a second.
She instantly stepped forward, unhesitatingly placing herself directly in front of Kiritsugu and Irisviel.
Grasping the Sword of Promised Victory tightly in her hands, she radiated an aura of peerless chivalry and majesty.
As the first wave of Noble Phantasm rained down upon them, Saber clenched her teeth, swinging her sword with every ounce of her strength to stubbornly parry the terrifying onslaught one weapon at a time.
For a moment, sparks flew everywhere, accompanied by an endless, deafening clatter of clashing metal.
Meanwhile, knowing the gravity of the situation, Tokiomi did not waste a single moment.
With a sharp narrowing of his eyes, he channeled the surging power within him, his hands blurring into a rapid dance of afterimages. With several dull thuds, he met the incoming barrage with thunderous might, directly swatting away multiple flying Noble Phantasm.
Having repelled those weapons, Tokiomi did not stop there.
With a swift stride, he rushed to Ryunosuke's side, using his tall frame to shield his Master firmly behind him while remaining completely focused on intercepting the continuous wave of incoming attacks.
Seeing this, Gilgamesh sneered in disdain:
"Still struggling at this late hour? You are nothing more than a mere ant!"
Sure enough, under Gilgamesh's relentless assault, Saber and Tokiomi found it difficult to take even a single step forward, let alone mount an effective defense.
Would she have to resort to a Noble Phantasm after all? Making a split-second decision, Saber prepared to unleash her Noble Phantasm, Excalibur, only for Tokiomi to intercept her.
"What is the meaning of this, Caster?" Saber demanded, looking utterly bewildered.
Calmly, Tokiomi shook his head. "Now is not the time."
Just as Gilgamesh raised his hand to finish off Tokiomi and the others, a voice rang out:
"O King, now is not the time to show yourself. Please return at once."
Furious, Gilgamesh snapped back, "Tohsaka Tokiomi, you fool! The enemy already knows who we are—why not wipe them out completely?"
"O King, I have my own plans for this. Please calm down."
"Dammit... Hmph! I'll let you lot off for today, but next time we meet will be the day you mongrels die!"
Spitting out that harsh warning, a frustrated Gilgamesh vanished into thin air.
"Did he leave?" Tokiomi let out a long breath of relief. He had somehow managed to send this exalted grandfather off.
Why did this King of Uruk have such a strange penchant for wandering around? Why on earth would he wander into an empty alley like this?!
"It seems allying with you was a wise decision."
After Gilgamesh departed, Saber relaxed visibly and spoke directly to the man beside her.
Tokiomi merely smiled and said nothing more.
Kiritsugu also felt a profound sense of relief. Only after witnessing Gilgamesh's overwhelming pressure firsthand did he finally begin to trust what Tokiomi had told him.
Perhaps forming an alliance with this Caster wasn't such a bad idea after all.
"Tohsaka Tokiomi, you have disappointed me to the utmost limit!" Pouring his utter disdain and fury directly onto Tohsaka Tokiomi, Gilgamesh made his displeasure known without holding back an ounce.
Lowering his head and bowing respectfully yet firmly, Tohsaka Tokiomi replied, "O King, this action was not a sign of weakness. If we had truly slaughtered those people today, it would not serve your grand plans for the future."
Gilgamesh let out a cold huff. "Don't think I am unaware of your petty little schemes."
A jolt went through Tohsaka Tokiomi's heart, but he kept his expression completely composed on the surface. "O King, everything I do is for the sake of your glory. While Caster is indeed a troublesome individual, keeping him alive will only add more amusement to your endeavors. Besides, I have already laid out the next phase of our game, and I assure you, it will be to your utmost satisfaction."
A flicker of amusement crossed Gilgamesh's eyes. "It had better be as you say, or else you will not survive my wrath."
With those words, Gilgamesh vanished.
Only then did Tohsaka Tokiomi exhale a heavy sigh, feeling a pounding headache coming on. This wasn't summoning a Servant; this was practically summoning an almighty ancestor—and this particular ancestor was far too high-maintenance.
Yet, for the sake of the Tohsaka family's ultimate wish, for the sake of obtaining the Holy Grail, every bit of it was worth it.
Tohsaka Tokiomi firmly believed in this.
Meanwhile, Tokiomi and the others had already left the alley.
Kiritsugu went back to staking out the major streets and alleys, while Tokiomi and Saber accompanied Irisviel. As for Ryunosuke? He was dragged along in the rear by the scruff of his neck, looking utterly devoid of any will to live.
"You say you are a Heroic Spirit from the future?!"
Saber and Irisviel stared at him in utter disbelief.
"That's right, I hail from the 21st century," Tokiomi affirmed.
"Are there any wondrous inventions in the future?" Irisviel inquired with great curiosity.
Tokiomi smiled. "It's a completely different world..."
Hearing his explanations, both Irisviel and Saber became utterly captivated.
Irisviel was particularly fascinated by the concept of a smartphone—a miraculous device that would allow her to access all the information in The World without ever having to leave her castle.
It was a pity, however, that she probably wouldn't live long enough to see that era...
Meanwhile, Saber's eyes sparkled as she listened to descriptions of various delicacies: Beijing Roast Duck, Xinjiang Whole Roast Lamb, Hunan Stinky Tofu. They all sounded utterly delicious, and Saber resolved that she simply had to taste them in this lifetime, lest she fail her King's appetite.
Watching Saber's expression, Tokiomi couldn't help whether to laugh or cry. King Arthur simply couldn't shed her gluttonous tendencies; she was practically cut from the exact same cloth as her counterpart in the original story.
Pausing for a moment, Tokiomi continued, "Your stories will be recorded by future generations and passed down through countries all across the world."
Hearing this, Saber casually asked a question: "Then what do future generations call me? King Arthur, I presume?"
"No, the Ahoge King," Tokiomi replied offhandedly, though he immediately realized he had said the wrong thing.
Saber looked thoroughly perplexed.
"Why wouldn't they call me King Arthur? Why the Ahoge King? Am I really that dull?"
At that moment, catching sight of the little tuft of hair sticking up on top of Saber's head, Irisviel instantly understood what he meant.
"Saber... ha-hahaha!" Irisviel burst into unreserved laughter, which only confused Saber further.
Did I ask something funny? Saber wondered inwardly, completely baffled. What on earth was an Ahoge King supposed to mean?
"Well, perhaps, possibly, um..." Tokiomi stammered awkwardly.
Suddenly, Ryunosuke popped up from behind them and blurted out:
"Isn't it obvious? That pretty lady has a little tuft of hair sticking up on her head, so they call her the Ahoge King!"
Instantly, the air seemed to freeze solid. Upon hearing that remark, Saber broke out in dark veins of fury.
So my honor was ruined by something like this... No, to completely eradicate future trouble, I must cut this ahoge off right now!
With that, Saber grabbed her sword, fully prepared to hack off her own ahoge, sending Tokiomi into a panic right beside her.
Big sister! If you cut off your ahoge, won't you turn into Saber Alter?! How am I supposed to survive after that?!