Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King [210] 

Credits: Mürsel Kenan

"Ah, just a step too late, huh?" Merlin, gazing at the distant black star, smiled as he lowered his hand and turned to Ana. "Looks like we'll have to head back to Uruk now."

After parting ways with Alaric the day before, Merlin and Ana had been wandering the plains of Mesopotamia, attempting to rendezvous with the Chaldea group on their way to the singularity.

Even Merlin was surprised at how quickly Chaldea had arrived. Normally, such speed was impossible—

Moreover, the fact that Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash Kyrielight had been transported directly above Alaric's location was intriguing and gave Merlin much to contemplate.

Could Alaric's presence have caused this anomaly? Merlin could only hope that Alaric wouldn't inadvertently trigger some massive disaster.

Merlin's inner thoughts remained unknown to those around him. Ana, seeing Merlin decisively choose to return to Uruk, withdrew her gaze from the black star.

...

At the same time—

The black star streaking across the vast heavens began to disintegrate at a visible pace, revealing the figures of three individuals within.

Alaric, Ritsuka Fujimaru, and Mash Kyrielight soared high above Mesopotamia, taking in the sprawling scenery below.

"So this is Mesopotamia!" Ritsuka's eyes sparkled. The vastness of this ancient world was unimaginable to someone from the future.

"It's beautiful, Senpai," said Mash softly, holding Fou in her arms as she gazed at the land below. This perspective of the world was a first for her as well.

As if on a sightseeing tour, they flew through the skies until Uruk finally appeared before their eyes.

"Uruk's here. Time to disembark soon—" Alaric, his arm around Ritsuka's waist, smirked as he directed the Heavenly into a dive toward the divine tower where Gilgamesh resided.

Below, the citizens of Uruk noticed the plummeting black star, but none showed any panic. After all, this sight had become a familiar one.

It was just part of their daily lives now—

As the Heavenly Vessel landed, Ritsuka leaped out of Alaric's arms onto the Ziggurat's surface, taking a few steps to steady herself.

Mash also jumped down, and Fou immediately leaped from her arms onto Alaric's head, enthusiastically pawing at him.

With a reassuring gesture toward Mash, Alaric led the curious Ritsuka and Mash into the Ziggurat to meet Gilgamesh.

At that moment, Gilgamesh, unsurprisingly, was buried in administrative work, so he had no time to meet them.

Even Siduri could only bow slightly and say, "Please wait a moment, Lord Alaric."

It wasn't until several minutes later that Gilgamesh finished his work and turned his attention to the group below.

But it was Siduri who spoke first. "Lord Alaric, who are these people with you?"

Ritsuka and Mash were unfamiliar faces to Siduri, but since they were with Alaric, she felt they could be trusted. She had witnessed Alaric's tireless efforts in recent days, comparable to King Gilgamesh's dedication.

All for humanity—

Finally, Gilgamesh spoke: "Alaric, it seems your efforts have borne great fruit."

The first thing Gilgamesh noticed was the dramatic change in Alaric. From the moment Alaric entered Uruk's territory, Gilgamesh had been aware of his presence. Now, seeing him again at the divine tower, Gilgamesh realizes the extent of Alaric's transformation.

After a moment of surprise, Gilgamesh turned his gaze to Ritsuka and Mash, saying coolly, "You've arrived earlier than the stars foretold. It's a slight discrepancy, but no matter. The royal astronomer must have made an error."

"Regardless, that's a trivial issue."

"I don't have the time to exchange information with you, so I'll test your truth through battle—"

Gilgamesh cast a glance at Alaric. "Originally, I was going to have you test their strength, but it seems you've undergone significant changes yourself—"

Gilgamesh slowly rose from his throne, a faint smile playing on his lips as he gazed at Alaric. "How intriguing."

The enhancements Alaric had undergone, thanks to his connection to the leyline, were extraordinary. Even Gilgamesh had never encountered such an all-encompassing transformation: heightened physical strength, increased magical capacity, and pure magical energy akin to divine essence.

It was as though a veil had been lifted, revealing the potential disaster that Alaric could become.

With talents and power rivaling those of a demigod, it was only a matter of time before Alaric could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the gods.

Tap. Tap.

As Gilgamesh descended from his throne, a clay tablet dropped into his hand from the golden portals behind him.

Buzz! Buzz!

The low hum of energy filled the air, causing the atmosphere to tremble as one golden portal after another appeared behind Gilgamesh.

With chilling authority, Gilgamesh declared, "Chaldeans, I don't have high hopes for you. But I'll grant you an opportunity. Fight alongside Alaric. Impress me with your worth."

Seeing that even he wasn't excluded from this test, Alaric scratched his head and turned to Ritsuka and Mash. "Long story short, we're going to have to fight him. You know, proving ourselves the hard way."

"Got it! Mash, prepare for battle!" Ritsuka replied without hesitation. If they had to fight, they'd give it their all.

"Yes, Master!" Mash summoned her shield and stood protectively in front of Ritsuka, ready to face Gilgamesh.

Just as Ritsuka prepared to summon a Servant's shadow and turned to alert Alaric, she noticed he had vanished.

Momentarily stunned, Ritsuka quickly spotted Alaric—he had silently retreated behind the group, leaving the battlefield to Gilgamesh, Ritsuka, and Mash.

Before Alaric could explain why his decision to avoid the fight was only slightly shameful, Gilgamesh's attack arrived.

A magical energy projectile, akin to a hand grenade, shot forth from Gilgamesh's staff, powerful enough to leave a crater in the tower's floor.

Yet it didn't target the unguarded Ritsuka or the ready-and-waiting Mash—it was aimed at the retreating Alaric.

"Watch out!" Mash shouted, unable to intervene in time.

Seeing the incoming projectile, Alaric's lips curved into a confident smile.

"Projection Activate."

Instead of summoning Rhongomyniad, Alaric calmly invoked the true name of his magic. While it resembled traditional magecraft, it wasn't bound by the limitations of magical systems. Pure projection, amplified by the divine essence of Ishtar and the magical properties of Enkidu's Chains of Heaven, allowed Alaric to achieve remarkable feats.

Chanting merely served as a psychological aid, ensuring precise activation of his abilities.

As the magical projectile neared him, moments from exploding—

Slash!

A golden sword cut through the projectile and the surrounding air, dispersing the magic into nothingness.

"What—!"

Everyone but Gilgamesh was stunned by the weapon Alaric now wielded.

The golden sword was unmistakable: the Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory wielded by the Knight King, Artoria Pendragon, in the Sixth Singularity.

["Impossible!!"]

Dr. Romani nearly fell out of his chair. The Holy Spear Rhongomyniad was one thing, but now Excalibur had also made its way into this era. How could this even be possible?!

Romani felt like pulling out all his hair to rid himself of his stress.

["It's projection magecraft—more or less,"] Da Vinci said calmly. She nudged Romani aside and swiftly analyzed Alaric's weapon, confirming her theory.

"A pure magical construct, something akin to magecraft."

Hearing Da Vinci's explanation, Ritsuka and Mash finally suppressed their shock. Still, witnessing Alaric wield Excalibur was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

"Your move, King of Heroes." Alaric gripped Excalibur with one hand, his pure white hair floating in the magical energy radiating from his body. His dragon-like eyes sparkled with amusement as he gazed at the golden king before him. "Do you have enough weapons in reserve?"