Gilgamesh.
The mighty King of Heroes stood atop Vimana with his arms crossed. His flying throne had maneuvred itself right above them, so that all of them would have to look up to see his magnificence gazing down upon them like the worms they were.
He was perhaps the greatest ideal Beelzebub pursued in life.
Unquestionable strength and sheer arrogance that let him do whatever he pleased. He'd always wondered how he used all that and got offended over the smallest of things instead of deriving amusement from the audacity of his challengers.
A last-boss type of person who would be defeated in an incredible battle.
But that was his last life.
Here and now, Gilgamesh was an undeniable threat to Beelzebub's standing as actually Satan. He was capable of peering through his playtime at a glance. That meant his larp would be exposed to all, prematurely ruining his fun.
"I shall permit you more time upon this world." He raised his hands to either side, "In return for such kindness, hand over the wealth you have toiled for. My master requires insurmountable wealth, and I have promised to lay it by her feet. Befitting, is it not? The Gate of Babylon."
The treasury of the King of Babylonia that held all of man's treasures.
Gilgamesh sneered, crossing his arms, "You hateful gods presume to tread upon my kingdom no matter where you come from."
The air rippled with gold above, and numerous treasures reared their heads, each possessing the mystery and strength of a servant's noble phantasm. Bejewelled and cursed swords, great spears, powerful axes all wielded by heroes and tyrants throughout man's history.
"I will make you-!"
Beelzebub did not pander or aggrandize himself in response. The noble phantasms that sailed through the air at the slightest hint of movement were blown away by a swing of his left hand. He stepped forward, and suddenly he was on the King's vessel, face-to-face with a seething Gilgamesh. Beelzebub was... a head taller than him.
Inwardly, Beelzebub preened like a schoolgirl at his proximity to something he'd only considered fantasy, and the continuous hum of the flying Vimana now underneath his feet filled his heart with joy.
But, he was the Prince of Hell.
It would not do to jump around.
"What a baseless charade." Beelzebub said calmly. "Must you be so loud? The sound of your voice grates upon my ears."
"You will crawl back broken and bloody for your slight against this king, mongrel."
Every word that left Beelzebub's mouth was meant solely to anger the King of Heroes.
He leaned in close, and sniffed Gilgamesh.
"I smell divine blood on you. Is mongrel not a word for one of diluted blood?"
For the King who already detested the Gods for all that they meant, a challenge from one was enough to enrage him. Beelzebub had gone several steps further, demanding all his treasures, sullying his treasured Vimana with his presence, and then even going so far as to call him a mongrel.
Perhaps, if a mortal encroached upon him in such a way, Gilgamesh would be amused.
But, for a god to do so was enough to drive the King of Heroes into rage.
He reached for a single ripple beside him, and his brows furrowed in anger. Many more opened all around them, and resplendent golden chains burst forth to restrain the hateful god that knew not his place.
Ea was coming.
That was exactly what Beelzebub wanted.
"You should've come here with that drawn."
Beelzebub moved faster. Long before the King grasped a hold of his treasure or enchained him, a hand pierced through his heart. The air coiled and snapped all around Beelzebub's arms as he ripped it out through Gilgamesh's shoulder.
"Surely, your gaze had seen this coming."
Blood sprayed into the night.
"But, you discarded the possibility, did you not, o' arrogant king of men? That you would be brought low so suddenly."
Perhaps as a servant, he would have the strength and speed needed to back away before the strike. The incarnated Gilgamesh that had spent his last ten years lounging around simply... wasn't enough.
Still, this was Gilgamesh.
Chains slipped all around his left arm, and around his neck. A dozen noble phantasms shot at his throat.
Beelzebub raised his staff high.
"Sorath Vav."
The Dark God of the Pit and the Almighty God of the Canaanites passed his judgement all at once.
The heavens over Fuyuki trembled.
A tremor so immense destroyed Gilgamesh that it chased away the dark clouds gathered above into the mountains. The chains shattered all around him as the King of Heroes abruptly disappeared from the world of men. The noble phantasms meant to take the Devil's head scattered with the sheer force unleashed.
Beelzebub easily landed right where he'd stood before to rest both his hands atop his staff.
-
This is a walk?!
When Beelzebub suddenly struck the servant calling himself Gilgamesh, Rin didn't even get to process what exactly that meant. Instead, the force that exploded outwards lifted her right off her feet and threw her away.
Unexpectedly, Caster was the one to grip her by the shoulders and absorb the impact that would have turned her into one Rin Tohsaka shaped splat against some wall, or the pavement, whichever she ended up hitting first really.
"Medea... was it?"
"Yes." She answered politely, her cloak opened like the wings of a bat. "I hope you aren't hurt."
Gently, she set Rin down back where she was standing earlier, and backed away a respectful distance to stand with her hands over her waist.
Knowing her legend, Rin half-expected her to stab her in the back, or put her under some spell. It turned out her servant really was the genuine deal, as in, actually Satan.
Otherwise, there was little sense in how utterly terrified the Witch of Colchis was by his mere attention.
The confirmation made Rin feel questionable things.
On the one hand, that meant her victory in this war was all but certain. Yet, there were quite a few red flags about summoning the LITERAL Devil... who was trying to get in her pants and not even trying to mask his intentions.
The real issue was, some tiny part of her heart was considering the idea. Only a tiny bit though!
She'd be fine. She had the restraint not to give in to that face-
Rin hid in her hands.
Clack
Suddenly, he was looking down at her. His left hand rose to gently dust her shoulders off.
"You were not hurt, were you, master?"
"I-I'm not that fragile." She rubbed her elbow, averting her gaze... not cause she was embarrassed though. "You just knocked out power in all the city by the way."
"Then we are fortunate that your affinity for technology is as abysmal as your choice in men."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Beelzebub did not answer her.
He looked past her, at the witch standing behind them. Then, he pointed the silver tip of his staff at her.
"She saved me-"
"I expect a tribute of great wealth, witch, enough to sate my greedy little master."
Medea raised her head like a deer caught in headlights.
"W-What?"
"Do me the service, and you shall not find me raising my forces against you."
What forces?
"B... But you promised-"
He merely narrowed his eyes.
Medea's back straightened, "It will be done by sunrise."
-
Much like Rin expected, Beelzebub insisted they walk the whole way back home, amidst pitch black darkness thanks to his 'battle', if it could even be called that. All she could see was... a whole lot of nothing, and all she could hear was the constant clack of a staff he clearly did not need to walk.
That was fine.
She had a lot to think about anyway.
"Shall we speak of Gilgamesh?" He asked as they walked the great bridge over the Mion River, "You were familiar with him, as I understand it."
Rin understood by now not to even bother questioning how he knew the weirdest things.
"My father summoned him in the last holy grail war." She relented, biting her nails, "He shouldn't even be here."
"Then in the end, it all returns back to your sire."
She raised a brow, "Not even calling him my father now?"
Satan shrugged his shoulders.
"That rude king had such wealth and he decided to not even share. Perhaps, you might know someone capable of shedding more light on the matter? "
Lightning crashed on her shoulders.
"Kirei." She sucked in a sharp breath, "Ugh, I'm going to have to deal with Kirei again. He'll definitely ask about this too."
Rin felt a hand atop her head.
She glanced at Beelzebub, then at the hand patting her head. She even repeated the motion several times just to be sure.
Satan was patting her head.
Before she could call him out on it, another realisation struck her even harder.
"Was your plan to STEAL his treasury?!"
"Haha..."
Beelzebub gave a short, flat laugh.
-
Hope you enjoyed.
Please do comment what you thought, and if there's any detraction in quality. It's gotten super hot again.