"Archer, you—!" Just as he followed Gilgamesh over and was still trying to figure out the situation, Tokiomi Tohsaka cried out in despair, but the Beast's attack was blocked by the rules.
[□□ has issued a duel challenge. Do you accept?]
[Duel/Battle]
"Choose 'Duel' directly. Other than Lancer, no one here can stand against it in battle. This is our only chance! For this one time, I, the King, will allow you to use my deck!"
"Archer, what's going on here? Why does this creature have such immense magical power? And the entire Mount Enzō has been turned into another realm—we can't even leave this place." Without Gilgamesh needing to warn him, Tokiomi could already tell the danger just by sensing the sheer amount of mana radiating from the entity. Without hesitation, he chose to duel.
The duel space unfolded in response.
Tokiomi Tohsaka LP 4000□□ LP 4000
"As expected, it was never going to let us leave. Then we'll add another rule—activate a Shadow Game." Gilgamesh stepped beside Tokiomi, for the first time truly acknowledging his Master. If he hadn't arrived in time, he indeed wouldn't have been a match for the Beast. His only option would have been to gamble everything on Caster's Noble Phantasm.
Tokiomi nodded. As the overseer of Mount Enzō, he couldn't ignore the anomaly happening here. The Shadow Game was initiated.
"Using the rule of attacking as a duel invitation to buy time?" The Beast covered its mouth and chuckled. "Then I must thank you for the reminder. Next time I attack, I'll make sure to avoid that individual. As a token of my gratitude, I'll take the first move."
The Beast raised its hand, revealing its cards. "First, I activate [Rally Beneath the Holy Banner, Roar!], special summoning [Gilles de Rais S] in Attack Position from my deck."
[Gilles de Rais S]ATK 1500 → 1900
A familiar figure materialized in the battle zone—Gilles de Rais. A flicker of surprise appeared in his eyes.
"A duel? Has the Holy Grail War begun again so soon? Does this mean I get to see the Holy Maiden again? I hope my Master this time is a sane person."
Then he turned and saw the inhuman form of the Beast.
Though Gilles de Rais, as a third-rate Heroic Spirit, had no knowledge of Beasts, he could sense the ominous aura radiating from it.
"My apologies, but Jeanne d'Arc isn't in your deck. You won't be able to see the one you long for," the Beast said with a smile.
"Why must it be this way again?! Is this divine punishment for the sins I will commit in the future? Ahhh, Holy Maiden! I have once again committed an unforgivable crime!" Gilles de Rais clutched his head, his eyes bulging to the verge of popping out.
"Don't worry. I won't let you suffer for long—you're quite useless anyway. I release you to special summon [Iskandar]!"
[Iskandar]ATK 2800 → 3200
"Oh? Hero King? You're in this new Holy Grail War too? Even the King of Games is here?" Memories surged into Iskandar's mind as he greeted Gilgamesh with a laugh. "And you've lost an arm—looks like you faced a tough opponent. Do you remember Romulus, the King of Rome, from our last battle? He was strong. I even suspect he didn't go all out when he defeated me."
Gilgamesh nearly laughed in exasperation. "You self-proclaimed King of Conquerors, can't you see the situation we're in?"
Only now did Iskandar notice the Beast that had summoned him—an entity radiating pure malice. "Indeed, this is an utterly detestable Master. If I had the choice, I'd fight alongside you to bring her down. But for now, I am bound. Give it your all, Hero King!"
Gilgamesh snorted. "Hmph!" He didn't need the reminder—if he didn't go all out, things would get truly dire.
"Once I defeat this overly stab-able-looking gentleman, you two can chat all you like. Oh, wait—my pseudo-Servants don't actually have thoughts of their own," the Beast teased as it waved its cards. "Conqueror King, you should be familiar with this. I activate [Conqueror King's Shadow Double] to special summon [Hephaestion] from my deck!"
[Hephaestion]ATK 2800 → 3200
After summoning, Hephaestion conferred with Iskandar to assess the situation.
"Alright, I think that's enough for now. Your turn," the Beast said, setting two cards in its back row before ending its turn.
At this moment, Hephaestion spoke up. "Hero King, my effect prevents Conqueror King from being targeted. His deck revolves around him—find a way to get him off the field!"
Gilgamesh initially wanted to declare that he needed no assistance, but given the urgency of the situation, he swallowed his pride. "I understand."
Tokiomi took a deep breath—the pressure emanating from the Beast made it hard to breathe, and he had a nagging feeling that this space was weakening him. "My turn—draw!"
"I activate [Maintain Your Elegance]—I banish the top ten cards of my deck to draw two more!"
Tokiomi and Gilgamesh's bond wasn't exactly one of mutual trust—it was more like mutual disdain—but that didn't mean there were no ways to make it work.
Tokiomi replenished his hand to seven cards.
"I activate [The First Shedding of the Serpent]! By releasing a card from my hand as tribute, I can Normal Summon a Level 5 or higher Servant! Come forth, the Oldest Hero—Gilgamesh!"
[Gilgamesh]ATK 3000
"Well done, Tokiomi!" Gilgamesh snapped his fingers, and [Gate of Babylon] shimmered behind him. Just as he was about to activate its effect, the Beast interrupted.
"Don't be so hasty. My Saint Graph is crying out in agony. I activate my face-down card—[Tunguska Explosion]! This destroys every card on the field! Feel the pain of the land, listen to the wails of the beasts!"
A brilliant, all-consuming light descended from the artificially constructed sky of the duel space, illuminating everyone's faces. Flames swallowed the ground, and the earth cracked apart.
"For every card destroyed, both players take 500 damage. A total of four cards were destroyed, so that's 2000 damage each. This suffering will remain imprinted upon my Saint Graph—let's experience it together!"
Tokiomi Tohsaka LP 4000 → 2000□□ LP 4000 → 2000