"Displacement Magic."
His first attempt at magecraft had failed. Displacement Magic could not reach Imaginary Space, so for his second attempt, Sakutsuki simply displaced himself onto Fuyuki Bridge.
The damp, almost chilly sea breeze brushed across his face. Standing atop the bridge, the young man's golden eyes gleamed as he reached into a nonexistent concept and pulled out the intact water glass.
The tea inside the glass rippled faintly, as though it had never entered that eternally silent space.
Those with the Imaginary Numbers attribute could freely open Imaginary Space and place—seal—objects or even living creatures inside. Only those with the same attribute, or those who knew how to open it, could access it. There was no concept of time or space within Imaginary Space, making it an ideal place to exile enemies.
Before he encountered a suitable enemy, Imaginary Space was basically an unlimited portable storage space to Sakutsuki. It was far more useful than Displacement Magic.
Unlike Displacement Magic, the Imaginary Numbers Pocket ignored time and space and could be accessed by an Imaginary Numbers Magician at any time. Displacement Magic, on the other hand, worked by "displacing" objects into a safe location. But once the magician left this world, or if the displaced location was discovered or accidentally destroyed, the precious items stored there would cease to exist.
"Then, the second ability." Sakutsuki closed his eyes. Even he had to be extremely careful when using this ability.
"Shadow Border."
As Imaginary Numbers particles flowed, Sakutsuki's figure was gradually enveloped and sank into Imaginary Space. To outsiders, his body merely flickered as though the signal had gone bad. When it returned to normal, Sakutsuki bent over and panted heavily, lingering fear still in his heart.
"Whew, whew, whew... What's going on in the Imaginary Number Space? The difficulty of proving it has shot up. Is someone interfering with this space?"
The moment he finished speaking—
"Though I do enjoy watching court jesters perform, an uninvited mongrel can only spoil tonight's mood."
A leisurely voice answered Sakutsuki's muttering. Its tone was more arrogant than Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, and more cold-blooded than a lurking serpent.
The instant Sakutsuki heard the word "mongrel," he had already expected it. And when golden light entered his sight as he looked up, the newcomer's identity was beyond doubt—
"Servant Archer, Gilgamesh. Tokiomi Tohsaka's Servant."
His true identity was the fifth king of Uruk, a city-state of the Early Dynastic period of Sumer in ancient Mesopotamia; the protagonist of humanity's oldest epic, the Epic of Gilgamesh; the oldest Hero King in human history, possessing divinity that was "two-thirds god and one-third man."
Of course, Sakutsuki did not say any of that aloud. He stared intently at the blond man clad in gleaming armor. The Imaginary Numbers particles dissipated, replaced by the yin-yang twin blades clenched tightly in his hands.
By all rights, anyone who was seen while experimenting with magecraft would naturally become wary. Yet the golden Heroic Spirit seemed offended instead, narrowing his crimson eyes as naked killing intent began to radiate from him.
"Not only do you refuse to kneel and beg for forgiveness, you dare raise a weapon against me? Humanity of this era truly is beyond salvation!"
As Gilgamesh spoke, mirage-like distortions emerged in the space on either side of him. The next second, gleaming weapons suddenly appeared in the air.
It was a spear, its ornaments breathtakingly beautiful. More than that, it released an intense magical energy that could not be concealed. Clearly, it was no ordinary weapon, but a Noble Phantasm.
"Atone with your death." With that icy declaration, the spear shot forth.
The blade was nearly upon him, yet Sakutsuki was still thinking about something else.
Just as described in the original work, Gilgamesh, as an Archer, possessed Independent Action equivalent to Rank A. Such a high-level skill not only allowed him to maintain his physical form in this world, but also let him become the friendly neighborhood Mr. Gold and wander around Fuyuki City. So it had not been an accident that he ran into Sakutsuki tonight.
Although Gilgamesh was the strongest Servant in this Holy Grail War, to be honest, the sense of danger he gave Sakutsuki was not even as strong as Iskandar's. The reason was simple: Sakutsuki had fought Angelica too many times. And Gil-Girl, who always fought at full strength, was in some ways even more dangerous than Gilgamesh.
With that thought in mind, Sakutsuki casually took a step back and perfectly avoided the Noble Phantasm's blast radius.
Within the flash of the explosion, the golden king's expression stiffened for a moment, only to be swiftly covered by killing intent again.
"Very good. Then continue entertaining me, mongrel!"
Golden ripples unfolded around Gilgamesh as eight Noble Phantasms emerged, surrounded by murderous energy and aimed at the white-haired, golden-eyed young man.
There were not only swords and spears, but axes, war hammers, lances, and even bizarre weapons whose functions and origins were unknown.
Every weapon had been polished until it gleamed like a mirror, and each contained tremendous magical energy. Every one represented a manifestation of mystery, no less than the next... They were all genuine Noble Phantasms, without a single exception.
If any other Master had witnessed this scene, they would surely have been shocked beyond words. A Heroic Spirit's Noble Phantasm was the embodiment of their legend, a superweapon comparable to a nation's nuclear bomb. Even three or four would already be the limit.
Yet this oldest Hero King seemed to possess endless equipment, drawing Noble Phantasms one after another, discarding them after use, with no two alike.
When Sakutsuki saw this spectacle, he did not lose his composure in shock. Instead, like a parent watching a child show off toys, he sighed helplessly.
He was used to it.
Wanting to conceal his strength, Sakutsuki did not use Projection Magecraft to block those weapons in advance. Instead, he used the ability he had only recently acquired.
The yin-yang twin blades hung at his sides. Sakutsuki lowered his gaze, his white hair thrown into disarray by the suddenly surging current of magical energy.
"The night is silent. My shadow shall cover the world."
In an instant, the young man's shadow twisted and stretched, transforming into an ominous giant before Gilgamesh.
Imaginary Numbers particles flowed. The somewhat pale young man looked up, negative emotions surging in his gaze as he stared at the golden Heroic Spirit.
"Satz-Mein Blut widersteht invasionen!"
Magecraft: Imaginary Shadow!
Perhaps because he had received the reward from Sakura, when Sakutsuki cast Imaginary Numbers Magic, even the chant was related to her.
What were imaginary numbers?
They were things that might possibly exist, yet could not be materialized.
In the Heaven's Feel route of "Fate/stay night," Sakura was altered by Zouken Matou and, through the Holy Grail, gained the ability to control shadows formed from black mud, even materializing them to the extent of a "Giant of Shadow."
Sakutsuki, though he lacked the power of the Black Grail, could still use intangible, immaterial deep consciousness—negative emotions, for instance—as one of the energy sources for Imaginary Numbers Magic.
Shirou Emiya's endless unwillingness before death, his struggling obsession, still echoed ceaselessly within Sakutsuki's memories.
A vast, shapeless phantom formed, like ink splashed across a canvas, flowing toward that streak of gold in the night.
"It is nothing more than a jester's trick!" At the arrogant king's command, sixteen Noble Phantasms beside him rang out in unison, piercing the black shadow like bullets and exploding across the bridge.
When the light faded, the shadow followed like a parasite clinging to the bone, reaching toward where Gilgamesh stood.
The Imaginary Shadow was an existence of unknown true form, giving the impression of a mirage risen onto land. All ordinary attacks were useless against it. Until the shadow vanished, all one could do was wait—in the Heaven's Feel route, Gilgamesh had been swallowed by this little trick.
Even though Sakutsuki's Imaginary Shadow lacked the overwhelming advantage of the Black Grail, it was still enough to deal with attacks from the Gate of Babylon.
"Wha...!" His startled cry dispersed the instant it escaped. Gilgamesh swiftly retreated, watching the steel framework get swallowed in an instant. He abruptly turned, his vicious gaze stabbing toward Sakutsuki like blades, his handsome features frozen beneath cold killing intent.
To this king, whether it was losing composure over a trivial trick or being forced to retreat before a jester's performance, both were unforgivable.
"You truly wish to die, mongrel!"
Faced with a bone-deep chill enough to crush an ordinary person, Sakutsuki merely smiled as if touched by a gentle breeze. His left hand rested over his chest, one foot raised on its toes, while his right hand stretched dramatically toward the sky. Elegant yet teasing, he gave a curtain-call bow.
"Then my performance ends here tonight. Please enjoy a magician's 'little trick,' Your Majesty."
Space displaced, and a diamond-shaped doorway passed through the young man's figure before vanishing with him.
Then flames shot into the sky for an instant. Across Fuyuki Bridge, which soon fell quiet again, the Hero King's roar echoed for a long time.
"Do not let me find you, magician!"
Anchor confirmed.
Displacement successful.
The diamond-shaped doorway opened above and below, and the golden-eyed young man emerged from it, standing motionless like a statue.
Only after a long while did a drawn-out exhale sound. As though all his energy had been drained away, Sakutsuki collapsed onto the bed. His chest rose and fell faintly, clearly still shaken.
In his battle against Hero King Gilgamesh, it had seemed as if he held the upper hand, mocking him before retreating unscathed. But in truth, only after that ancient king became truly enraged did Sakutsuki realize the difference between Angelica and Gilgamesh.
One was lifeless, merely an enforcer of the Einsworth Family, a killing machine—indifferent and dull.
The other had witnessed the glory of the Age of Gods, bound the Bull of Heaven, seized the elixir of immortality, and ruled as the king of a nation.
The difference between them was as vast as heaven and earth.
The reason Sakutsuki had turned and left without hesitation was partly because all his Imaginary Numbers Magic experiments were complete, and he still had to guard against certain people watching him. But another reason was that Gilgamesh's presence was simply too overwhelming, stirring his fighting spirit.
And once he was provoked—
Before Gilgamesh could draw Ea, Golden Sparkle would be dead or crippled.
Considering his limited remaining lifespan and his careful plans for what came next, Sakutsuki chose to leave the Imaginary Shadow behind and withdraw.
As for whether the Imaginary Shadow would injure Gilgamesh?
He could only fantasize about that.
The fact that Golden Sparkle had interfered with Sakutsuki's Shadow Border proved that he definitely possessed a Noble Phantasm capable of countering the Imaginary Numbers attribute. The Imaginary Shadow had nearly hurt Golden Sparkle largely because the Hero King had made his old mistake of underestimating his opponent.
"As expected, Golden Sparkle is much easier to deal with as an opponent than Wise King Gilgamesh." Sakutsuki sighed softly, turned over like a dried salted fish, and rested an arm over his forehead, intending to take a short nap.
With the Imaginary Numbers Magic experiments complete and the Masters of the Holy Grail War not yet all assembled, he might as well enjoy these last peaceful days with Miyu and Sakura before the war truly began.
Knock, knock, knock. The door was carefully tapped, and a girl's cautious voice came from outside.
"Onii-chan, are you asleep?"
Sakutsuki sprang up from the bed in a single motion. He took a deep breath, another deep breath, then one more... before opening the door with an outwardly calm expression.
Moonlight streamed through the glass window and spilled into the hallway. Standing before Sakutsuki was Miyu, dressed in Sakura Matou's bear pajamas, which made her seem even more adorably innocent. Her cheeks were faintly red.
She said nothing, but Sakutsuki already understood.
"I remember you prefer staying in Japanese-style rooms, Miyu. Are you unable to sleep because you're not used to this room?"
Japanese-style rooms were unique to traditional Japanese homes. Walking barefoot over tatami mats made from natural rush grass felt like wandering through nature.
In the World Line of "Fate/kaleid liner," both Sakutsuki's home and the Emiya residence had been traditional Japanese buildings. For Miyu, this was likely her first experience with such a grand, brightly lit Chinese-style room.
"Y-yes... The room is too big." Perhaps feeling ashamed that she was still afraid to sleep alone, the girl lowered her head, her legs rubbing together unconsciously. "When the lights are turned off at night... it's a little scary."
Sakutsuki could not help laughing softly. Before the girl's embarrassment could reach its limit and make her run away, he spread his arms and scooped up that little moon in one motion. Amid her startled cry, the brother carried his sister to the bed.
"Then sleep with me tonight. I'll protect you."
"...Mm." Miyu pressed her cheek against the young man's chest. Only after a long while did her nearly inaudible reply emerge.
That familiar, reassuring scent gently wrapped around her once again.
She still had many things she wanted to say and many questions she wanted to ask, but in the end, Miyu closed her eyes and sank into a hazy dream.
At her side, the young man who had once possessed red hair but was now white-haired leaned lightly against the headboard. His golden eyes lowered, his gaze upon the girl filled with tenderness and affection.
As for the fact that Servants could assume spirit form... he had already ignored it.
As Shirou, as Sakutsuki, as her brother.
Sweet dreams.
Two days later, morning.
013: Lancelot (Berserker)
Character Information: Lancelot was once one of King Arthur's Twelve Knights of the Round Table during his life, a great knight known as the "Knight of the Lake" and the "Knight's Flower." His illicit love affair with Queen Guinevere led to Camelot's destruction, making him a symbolic figure of defeat in the legends of King Arthur.
Having received too many honors, he died with regrets and obsessions. In particular, because of the unanswerable love and hatred he bore toward the king and queen, he was forever imprisoned by madness. Seeking that one meeting in order to suppress his anguish, the black knight would continue his battle.
Hidden Information: Conditions not met
Record Conditions (3/4):
1. Gain Lancelot's recognition
2. Defeat Lancelot
3. Free Lancelot from madness
"Hmm..." Sakutsuki stood beside Kariya while the knight in black armor silently stood before them, like a wind-up doll whose spring had not been wound. Only the tassels behind his armor trembled faintly, proving that the knight still retained instinctive consciousness.
"The wielder of the holy sword paired with Excalibur, raised from childhood by the Lady of the Lake, the man praised as the Knight's Flower... To think he had fallen to such a state."
"You actually know...!" Even though Kariya had grown accustomed to Sakutsuki's unfathomable abilities, seeing a Servant's True Name exposed so easily still made him feel deeply unsettled.
"Of course. The culprit behind the Knights of the Round Table's collapse, Lancelot, the Knight of the Lake. Anyone who has read the legends of King Arthur would know him." As Sakutsuki spoke, he tried to draw the sword at Lancelot's waist, but the latter suddenly seized his wrist and refused to let him take another step forward.
"Kariya."
"I know, I know. Berserker, let go." Kariya helplessly gave the order, making Berserker—who resembled a beast more than a knight—lower his arm and allow Sakutsuki to draw the longsword from his waist.
The elven script engraved upon the blade glimmered faintly, flowing with a radiance like lake water shining beneath the moon.
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