GBF Prologue

"...Hyperspace voyage, complete."

"Materialization in base reality universe, complete. Fleet operation underway...now."

"We have already acquired Mid-Earth 2033's coordinates."

"What are your orders, Commander in Chief?"

Please don't call me that. I'm taking a well-deserved break from my duties as Commander in Chief of the Federation Space Army.

Right now, I'm just an ordinary man. No...

I'm just Space Odysseus, an ordinary great space adventurer.

Turn on the mic. I want to address the whole fleet.

"Okay sir, you're on."

...I trust you can all hear me?

At last, we're ready to make our move.

Fearless warriors of the galaxy. Brave explorers of space.

Let the ether of your blood boil with excitement! Let your Spiritron souls cry out in joy!

The time for war is at hand!

Looks like the Heroic Spirits can't wait to get started!

？！

Ahh, the exhilarating air of fierce, hotheaded warriors gathered together... Umu, there is nothing like it!

Even a small child with no interest in battle could not help but be caught up in the excitement.

Umu, this is how Olympia should be, and has been since ancient times! Is that not right, Mash, Fujimaru?

Absolutely!

It's unfortunate that last year, we couldn't hold the martial tournament you founded...

...but the good news is, thanks to the hiatus, everyone's even more excited about this one than usual.

The King of Heroes is already in New York, and I'm told he's making preparations for the tournament as we speak.

Umu. He may be an arrogant bastard, but he does have an eye for detail.

He may be self-centered and maddeningly pushy, but he is also a perfectionist. He may just be the ideal workaholic.

I know what you mean. I think you and King Gilgamesh have a lot in common.

Hahaha, when did you become a comedian, Mash? But seriously, you know I am not going to decapitate Master or anything, right?

Umu. I am very disappointed about that... But, the King of Heroes made a good point.

There is no reason to limit a tournament meant for all Heroic Spirits to Rome alone.

And besides, as long as Chaldea continues to hold this event, I will never stop being its honorary chairwoman!

Of course! I am a contestant just as much as I am the honorary chairwoman!

Please be ready. You may be my Master, but that does not mean I will simply let you win.

Especially since I will be fighting alongside the Grand Holy Progenitor this year!

？！

Huh!?

An emergency alert!

...Situation update confirmed! There are multiple high-density magical energy signals over minute Singularity New York!

Hmph. I knew this would happen.

It is probably just Space Ishtar, having suffered a humiliating defeat in another timeline or some such nonsense.

Then, after being exiled from her galaxy and banished to the past, she developed a vengeful hatred of humanity...

...and now, so mad she's forgotten her own name, the worthless dregs of a pathetic goddess have once more wandered into my yard.

I was careless once, but would not be so twice. This time, I will make ABSOLUTELY certain she regrets ever crossing me.

Heh. Fuhaha, hahahahaha! All that aside, that worthless goddess really is a boring one-trick pony, isn't she!

It went so poorly last time, but here she is, trying to invade from space once again! I can't help but lau

Good day, people of Mid-Earth 2033.

I am the Great Space Adventurer...Space Odysseus!

Who with the what now!?

Behind me, you see my army of Servantverse Servants, each one as strong as a thousand soldiers!

So we're gonna fight on a blue planet this time, huh!? I can't wait to get started! Right, partner!?

It doesn't matter where I swing my sword. I will cut down all who stand in my way regardless.

Vwoom, vwoom, vwoom.

If we're gonna do this, then let's do it already! It's not like anyone can beat our Heracles!

Strange. I know sound doesn't travel in space, but somehow I can still hear a battle cry...

Are we sure this is Mid-Earth 2033? He'd better not have messed up the jump.

N-now, now, AuntiI mean, Sister.

I know Space Odysseus's ship drifted off course and was lost for a while, but

(Siiigh) What possessed me to sign up for this?

It's finally time, Inspector Martha. Soon, you will stand triumphant atop the GBF.

... ...

...I don't remember signing up for this. Did you guys do something?

A blue planet! How rare! It's ideal for field trips.

Beautiful...

Hehe. So this is the planet, hm? Very well then. Villain that I am, I have no objections to unleashing my power here.

What an incredibly distinguished lineup! I should have known Space Odysseus would attract the strongest fighters in the Servantverse.

This should be a great opportunity to demonstrate the value my company has to offer.

Quiet, everyone! Quiet!

I know painfully well how excited you all are, but we must be cautious. We can't shock the people of Mid-Earth 2033 too badly right out of the gate.

Ahem. People of Mid-Earth 2033. I trust you can hear me?

In accordance with federation regulations, I am sending this broadcast over every line of communication on the planet. Please listen to what I have to say.

I'm sure the federation has already notified you, but...

...as it would be crude to simply repeat the notice here, let me summarize.

My message is a simple one.

As a spinoff of Saber Wars' sixth season, we adventurers have finally taken center stage.

We will do our best to keep the production's effect on your lives to a minimum...

...but in the event that a problem arises, I promise we will do our best to resolve it, no matter how big or small.

So, on that note...

To all of you hearing my voice now!

May every adventurer have the clash of their lives! And may every citizen on this planet enjoy the greatest entertainment in the galaxy!

Yeeeaaahhh!

All right...

Good luck, everyone. Fight well.

？！

Does this mean...

...they've come to Earth to hold some kind of event?

If we take them at their word, maybe. But let us not be hasty.

Behold that gorgeous fleet of spaceships!

How could this be anything but an invasion of our planet!?

This invasion may be an insignificant blip to the wider universe, but for us, it is a full-blown doomsday scenario!

？！

Say what you will, but you cannot dispute that fleet's massive magical energy readings!

No, you cannot!

We already know that that humanoid mecha he pilots is on par with a Noble Phantasm, and the other ships are hiding significant levels of magical energy as well!

Hahahaha! But worry not!

Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, foresaw all(?) of this!

Instead of dismissing Space Ishtar's invasion during the last tournament as mere coincidence, he made plans for such incidents.

He arranged for me, renowned genius Nikola Tesla...

...to oversee all of Gil Fest's security!

Gil Fest's security?

This mission is to defend Earth itself!

Oho!

Senpai?

？！

Of course, none of this would be possible without the King of Heroes's vast treasury!

By making full use of his seemingly inexhaustible supply of QP, I was able to develop the World System II Dash, a Holy Grail network hyper space-time defense system!

Yes. It's a device that links Holy Grails together to draw out their collective energy.

I see! Umu, that makes sense.

Hmm?

？！

It is a massive offensive system, and so naturally it is an excellent defense!

With my great invention, we have nothing to fear from this Servantverse Servant army!

Fuhahahaha! Just watch! I'll wipe out that entire fleet in one fell swoop!

Oho, I see. Very impressive. And? Is that all?

Surely you can't just flip a switch and be done with it. Does this defensive system of yours have any secondary effects?

Secondary effects?

Well, yes.

While the World System II Dash will probably eradicate our enemies, it will also cause a massive space-time blackout on our planet.

A massive space-time blackout...?

It will probably render about thirty percent of the world's leylines inert and result in a large number of pesky space-time fluctuations across the planet's surface.

To wit, the internet will be unusable for at least...oh, ten years?

Oh, phone lines and radio as well.

？！

Exactly! Now cut it out, you damn fool!

You're supposed to be saving the earth, not leading it to self-destruction, you tight-suited half-witted eccentric!

Oho! Edison!

I came to the same conclusion and devised a strategy of my own, but I didn't think Sparks-for-Brains here would actually try to execute his idiotic scheme!

Go on, Master! Use my defensive system instead! It won't have any effect on Earth's leylines at all!

...Does that mean it will have an effect somewhere else?

Well, uh, it is designed to use the moon to destroy enemies from space...

...so it would probably annihilate...maybe half the moon? Maybe...a little more...

？！

You said it! Knock it off, you mangy flea-brained plebeian!

Didn't you ever stop to think about the catastrophe falling shards of the moon would wreak on Earth!?

This is what comes of only thinking about destroying your enemies. You need to think about the effect your actions have on people's quality of life too, O King of Lawsuits.

You're one to talk!

Destroying the modern world's infrastructure is a supervillain plot!

This right here is the whole problem with you shut-ins and your wanting to hog all the genius accomplishments, technology, and communications for yourselves!

What was that!?

Um, excuse me!

Can we please talk about this without fighting!?

I'll admit, that fleet of spaceships does look like a threat...

...but I think we need more information before we make a decision!

The most important thing here is that Space Odysseus is communicating to us with words we can understand.

Given what he's claimed, I think this means he's willing to discuss things with us if we approach him with good intentions.

？！

...

...You're right. That's very levelheaded thinking.

Agreed. If they're willing to talk to us, I'm willing to meet them halfwa

I'm glad you agree. Everyone, I'd like to introduce Space Odysseus and his second-in-command, Space Xu Fu.

Huh!?

？！

Hahahahaha. My apologies for startling you, truly.

Hello.

I heard we might have a Servantverse incident on our hands, so I thought I should be present.

I mean, the fact that I'm here at all should make pretty clear that we're way past "might" here.

？！

That said, this doesn't seem to be a planetwide invasion, so you can rest easy about that.

Of course, the very fact that so many Servantverse Servants have shown up here is noteworthy in itself, but...

(...What is the second-in-command doing?)

Anyway, Earth is a big planet, so this kind of thing was bound to happen eventually!

Of course. We are here to hold the GBF, or Galaxy Battle Festival.

"Battle" may be in the name, but it's really about entertainment.

We aren't here to invade or destroy.

This is a completely aboveboard operation. It is a space competition, approved by the federation.

Under Sir Space Odysseus's leadership, our Commander in Chief and Permanent Great Universe Adventurer...

...we've come here to hold a combat festival on a galactic scale that will decide the year's greatest galactic adventurer!

... ...

(Ehehe, woohoo! I got through that whole thing without tripping over my words!)

Oho. So you are holding a martial tournament, just like we are.

To think that the festival I started on a whim would one day attract visitors from this Servantverse place.

I suppose my singing voice is so divine that the winds of heaven must have carried it to the far reaches of the galaxy.

Very well then, all is well! In fact, I am now looking forward to this more than ever!

(It's true. We may never have come here if we hadn't detected those powerful, destructive sonic waves, which mercifully did not exist anywhere in our music database...)

Did you say something?

(But it seems she's a member of this planet's royal family. I don't want to do anything that would embarrass her...)

No, nothing. I was just thinking it would be great if I could get your autograph later. (Forced space politeness)

Though I must say, I'm surprised to see a member of the famous Galactic Police stationed on Mid-Earth 2033.

I'll refrain from asking what your mission entails...

...but I can say it's an honor to meet you.

Huh? O-oh, no, it's nothing all that special, really... (I can't tell him I'm just here on self-imposed leave...)

I'm sorry, what's Mid-Earth 2033?

The location for the GBF is determined by the federation CPU using the space ekikyou.

And according to this year's calculations, it's to be held at Mid-Earth 2033. That is, here.

？！

Just Earth?

As in Earth Origin, the Origin Universe's legendary birthplace of humankind?

Bwa!?

Th-th-that can't be right! The CPU's calculations should be perfect!

？！

Check the coordinates, Space Xu Fu.

R-right away, sir! Coordinates, coordinates...

Connection to mothership's central computer established. Space-time coordinates confirmed. They're a ninety-nine percent match for frontier planet Mid-Earth 2033...

Yay! I knew I didn't screw up! ...Ahem. There you have it.

... ...

Then the only thing I can think of that explains this is...a distortion in space-time?

？！

A Singularity... You may be right!

It's possible that the New York minute Singularity where the King of Heroes is now...

...and the Servantverse's Mid-Earth 2033 somehow ended up connected.

There's still a lot we don't know about the nature of Singularities. It's certainly not outside the realm of possibility.

True. For the moment, it seems we have our hypothesis:

A miraculous melding between a Singularity's space-time distortion, and this Servantverse world.

...

People of Chaldea, I am grateful to you for hearing us out during what must be a confusing time.

While it pains me to say this...it seems we'll just have to forgo the GBF this year.

We cannot in good conscience hold this event on an unconnected planet that is not part of our contracted agreement.

I'll tell the others to pack up and return to the Servantverse as soon as

What? Leaving so soon?

Unexpected though this has been...

...it would be a pity to abandon the prospect of melding two martial tournaments across time and space without giving it a fair shake.

How interesting. You look just like me, but you are not me. It may be entertaining to hold these events together.

？！

I will allow this, Heroic Spirits of the Servantverse!

I will allow it too, Heroic Spirits of both Earth and the Servantverse!

From this point forward, all are equal contestants!

Go and fight to your heart's content in my Battle in New York! Retreat is not an option!

Two Kings of Heroes...

So, Gilgamesh, and Servantverse Gilgamesh!?

Double Gilgamesh! Do not mind me; I merely wanted to try saying that out loud!

Heroic Spirits of Chaldea, as well as other galaxies, kindly direct your attention to me!

It doesn't matter where you're from! If you wish to call yourself the strongest, there is but one thing for you to do!

No matter the world or time, I will always stand at its peak! Now come and see if you are strong enough to reach me!

Those among you who wish to call yourselves the strongest, come to New York for a third time and prove it!

Naturally, we will also have an assortment of dazzling prizes at the ready.

However, the question of how to fund all this is still up in the air. I take it you are hearing this, Space Odysseus?

If you say you are a great space adventurer, I take it you have the fundraising ability to match?

So you wish to hold a collaborative event between our universes? I see.

What say you!?

You need to ask? I accept! This is what adventure is all about!

Space Xu Fu, you have my permission to enter my special space storehouse. Use as much as you see fit.

Y-you mean...

...you're willing to give up some of the galactic treasures you acquired during your illustrious career as a great space adventurer!?

But, that would be a huge waste!

It's all right. It's the least I can do after they've showed such generosity!

Oho. It seems you understand true entertainment, Servantverse Heroic Spirit.

I used to think you Servantverse Heroic Spirits were all bizarre eccentrics, but it seems XX the space company worker is an exception rather than the rule.

I am Space Odysseus! It is an honor to make your acquaintance, great king of a foreign land!

I will of course be happy to help you fund these proceedings.

All I ask in return is that you bear witness to the true power of my fellow Servantverse Heroic Spirits!

Well met!

Very well then, I'll handle the formalities for this event, so run everything by me.

I'll leave that to you, me.

...By the way, while we're here... Nikola Tesla! My head of security!

Yes? You wished to see me?

You are hereby relieved of your security duties. Instead, I have a new job for you.

You used a great deal of my treasury's resources to develop this vaunted system of yours.

And while my funds may be effectively limitless...

...I still insist that you give me my money's worth.

...That makes sense. I certainly wasn't shy about spending your cash, after all.

Hahahaha, very well then, I'll take full responsibility!

So, what exactly do you want me to do?

Defeat ten Servantverse Heroic Spirits, at a minimum.

Should you fail...

...then be prepared to reimburse me for the full amount you spent!

Is that clear!?

？！

... ...

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Hehe. Interesting!

I was just wondering how well my thunder might fare against Servantverse Heroic Spirits!

Watch closely, Kings of Heroes!

As for you, Space Odysseuswho so resembles Odysseus the Heroic Spirit.

If you are as great a space adventurer as you claim to be, then I could ask for no more worthy opponent!

Be ready to face my thunder, my lightning, and my three-phase alternating electrical current! Hahaha, hahahahahaha!

Hey! No leaking electricity across comms lines!

？！

What intensity! So this is what Chaldean Heroic Spirits are like, hm.

Very well, Nikola Tesla! I shall face you head-on, with all my strength!

And listen well, Heroic Spirits of Chaldea! Let us all do our best, so that we can return home with no regrets!

Now, let the Galaxy Battle Festival in New York begin!

Yes, Commander in Chief!

Well, Chaldeans, I know we won't be staying long, but I look forward to partnering with you on this event!

By the way, apropos of nothing...

...you wouldn't happen to have a Heroic Spirit by the name of Yu Mei-ren here, would you?