Luna dodged another swing of Infernus’ mace before retaliating with a stab at his chest, which he sidestepped only to shoot a fireball from his mouth. The attack struck true and Luna flew back through the walls of a building. Infernus pursued only to be stabbed in the back by both of Luna’s swords using her levitation, followed by a magic blast to his face that sent him smashing through another building. Infernus pulled the blades out of his back before throwing them at the hole he sent Luna through, only for them to both levitate in her magical grasp as she stepped out of it.

“If nothing else, I must commend your increase in power and skill since we last met,” she complimented as she glared.

Infernus smirked as he stood, cracking his neck. “And it seems I get the right to say that you and your sister have fallen from grace. Maybe I should beat you to a pulp before I drag you to Celestia and finish you off while she watches.”

“You will be defeated, Infernus, if not by me, then by another. If you value your life, you will retreat from Canterlot and find a rock to hide under.”

“Ha! You must be joking! Celestia herself couldn’t overpower me, and soon you will fall as well! Who could possibly stop me!?” he boasted.

“Gilgamesh.”

Infernus cocked his head. “Who?”

“Hmph. Somehow I’m not surprised you don’t know,” Luna scoffed. “He was before your time, and you never did pay attention to anything that didn’t involve your ego.”

“Whatever. How strong could this ‘Gilgamesh’ be anyway?”

“Strong enough to destroy your brother.”

Infernus paused, processing what she said. “…What?”

“Gilgamesh informed me that Voltar is dead. From the sound of things, it wasn’t too much of a fight.”

“You’re lying. You’re lying!” he shouted back.

“Does it hurt? Perhaps now you understand my own pain, seeing you strike down my own sibling,” she growled.

“DIE!” he bellowed, engulfing himself and his weapon in flames as he charged at her.

Luna teleported behind him and struck him with a blast of magic. He barely stumbled before turning and swinging his mace at her head, which she barely managed to block with her halberd. He then grabbed her head with his free hand and proceeded to slam her into the ground over and over again until she used her magic to stab him in the chest with both her gladii, twisting the blades and causing him to release her as she shouted in pain. She pulled herself to her hooves and groaned, only for her eyes to widen as she saw his flaming mace coming at her before striking her in the chin and exploding, sending her flying into the air before smashing into a hotel, bouncing along the floor before she came to a stop, crumpled into a heap as she struggled to raise her head.

She saw Infernus fly through the hole he just made, glaring at her. She struggled to move, but her body just didn’t have the strength. He stomped towards her before grabbing her by the neck and lifting her. “I was going to kill you in front of Celestia, but now I think I’ll just take your head to her,” he seethed as he raised his mace. “Any last words?”

“You… should run… if you want… to live…” she warned as she fought against unconsciousness and his grip.

He just stared in shock for a moment before growling and throwing her to the ground. “You cannot be serious. You have nothing!” he shouted as he swing his mace into her body, eliciting a shout of pain. “Your forces are beaten! Your sister is beaten! You are beaten! What could possibly stop me from taking revenge!?”

“Even if you… kill me… he will come… and destroy you… all… You should leave… if you value your… life…”

“This ‘Gilgamesh’ you keep talking about!? You really have so much faith in him!?” He then proceeded to stomp on her head. “Well where is he now, Princess!? You think so highly of him, and yet my army still ravages this city!” His mace lit aflame. “Where is your knight in shining armor now, when you are moments away from your last-!?”

Before he could finish an earth shaking war cry came from behind him. He turned only to be swatted aside from a flail to the face, not only knocking him out of the building but smashing him through two others. Luna felt a hand gently lift her head, smiling as she saw her savior through her blurred vision, seeing his panicked eyes.

“I never doubted you’d come. Not for a moment,” she said softly.

“Luna, please, don’t talk. Save your energy,” he pleaded.

“You’ll save them. I know you will,” she continued as her vision began to blur even more, raising her hoof towards him. She could feel him firmly, yet gently, grasp it in one of his hands.

“Of course I will, Luna. Just please, stay with me!” he begged.

“You’ll… save them… all…” she whispered as she finally let her exhaustion take her.

“Luna! Luna!” I cried, trying to shake her awake. I put my hand in front of her face and felt some weak, but still steady, breathing and sighed in relief.

Thank god she’s alive. Must be completely exhausted from all the fighting she’s done. I held one of my free hands out to her concentrated as hard as I could, trying to access a Curaja spell. No matter how bad the migraine was, it would be worth it. Come on. Come on.

"YOU!" a voice bellowed, the demon from before jumping in, his face still bleeding from when I hit him before. "JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO YOU JUST PISSED-!?"

"QUIET YOU MOTHERFUCKING PIECE OF SHIT I'M TRYING TO CONCENTRATE NOW FUCK OFF!" I shouted quickly, paying him little mind as I focused on trying to cast the spell.

He just stood there for a moment, unable to respond, before chuckling. “Oh, this is rich. No wonder she had so much faith in you, you two love each other. Oh, I can’t decide who I want to kill first. You, sun bitch, or your little night whore.”

And just like that, my concentration was broken. Something in me snapped, and my mind turned to one thought and one thought only.

I stood up slowly, not turning to look at him. “Would you care to repeat that last part?” I asked, my voice calm and collected, unlike my emotions.

“Oh, did I touch a nerve?” he mocked, raising his mace and lighting it. “Are you mad!?” he asked as he lunged towards me and swung. I effortlessly caught it in one hand, not even turning to see.

“‘Mad?’ I don’t get mad,” I began before turning to face him, my livid expression meeting his shocked one as I raised all four of my right arms. “I get serious,” I finished. I then did something I’d never done, not even in the century of the Great War or my fights in other universes. I punched him.

As. Hard. As. I. Could.

The force was so great that not only did it send him flying, but it also blew out the walls of floor we were on. Of course, I was barely paying attention to this, nor did I really care about the several buildings he smashed through as I jumped after him. I didn’t really pay attention to the fact that I had hit him hard enough that he was going to land near the palace despite the fact we had been all the way on the other side of the city.

My thoughts were only focused on one thing, one thing I knew for sure without the slightest possibility of doubt.

This bastard is going to DIE.

Celestia wearily opened her eyes, her body feeling heavy. It took her a few moments to remember just what happened before she lost consciousness. Despite her panic she lifted her head slowly to avoid vertigo and observed her surroundings, finding that all the Elements aside from Fluttershy, an adolescent dragon that looked very much like Spike, Blueblood, Queen Chrysalis, another changeling that looked like her, and several pony and changeling soldiers were all staring in one direction. A few miles away was a horde of demons, Infernus included, who was looking worse for wear and quite angry. And between both groups was Gilgamesh himself, his back turned to her and standing remarkably still.

“I’ve got it from here. The rest of you stay back,” he said, not even turning to face them.

“Wh-What? No way! We’ve got your ba-” Rainbow Dash began, only to be cut off by Gilgamesh’s response.

The warrior quickly turned his head and everyone, Celestia included, felt their blood turn cold. Only his eye was visible, glowing like fire, bright to the point that the rest of his face was imperceptible. But even more was the aura he gave off, a feeling of unavoidable impending death.

Wh-What is this? Celestia thought. Not even in the heat of battle have I ever seen this before! What happened!?

“A-A-All yours, b-b-buddy-y,” Rainbow stuttered in a hushed voice, her whole body shaking in terror. He turned his head back to face his enemies and she released a breath she didn’t realize she was holding before collapsing to the ground.

Gilgamesh stomped towards the demons, Infernus in particular, who growled as he stood up.

“What’s wrong, big guy? Got nothing to say?” he asked as he raised his mace.

“No. No songs. No taunts. No jokes. Just me killing you,” Gilgamesh replied simply before pausing his stride. He held out all eight of arms to his right before sweeping them over his head, then tucking his right arms to his chest and curling his left arms. “Henshin.”

A bright flash obscured the warrior from all, only to recede to show his new form. He had grown taller, now ten feet. His face guard was gone, a cloak of red covering him down to his waist and hooding his head, two horns coming out the sides and curling upwards. His leggings were grey and baggy, and his gauntlets and greaves golden. His face was painted white with red stripes, the design even making it look like he had fangs coming up from the sides of his mouth. He continued to stomp forwards, a terrifying embodiment of anger even without any of his weapons.

“You think that scares me!? When I’m done with you, you’ll be nothing but a pile of cinders!” Infernus boasted, gripping his mace with both hands as it lit aflame, getting hotter and brighter as he focused. “ATTACK!” he ordered. The demons hesitated for a moment before charging.

A group of Speed Demons reached him first, all lunging at him with their claws, blades, and stingers. A blast of wind surged around Gilgamesh for only a moment, and the avian demons were all dead, splattered against walls and the ground as the warrior continued without even breaking his stride. His eyes flashed for a moment and a barrage of laser fire disintegrated any Bloodsuckers that dare approach him. A moment later lightning bolts shot from the sky and gave any advancing Acid Maggots the same treatment.

A Fury charged and attempted to hit him with its axe, only for Gilgamesh to respond with an uppercut of such force it simply exploded, leaving only a pair of legs and a tail behind. One of the Demolishers, seeing its allies so easily destroyed, decided to try a different tactic. It swung its flail at the warrior, hoping to use distance to its advantage. Gilgamesh easily grabbed the spiked ball and hurled it back, the now headless Demolisher falling to the ground a moment later. A Titan roared as it charged him, swinging all four of its weapons at once, only to be stopped as Gilgamesh grabbed all four of its arms. He then effortlessly ripped the limbs from their sockets, and before the demon could even finished roaring in pain he backhanded its chest, separating its torso from its legs.

The demons, seeing their comrades getting so easily annihilated, turned tail just as a Looming Shadow divebombed him from above. The beast was halted as Gilgamesh grabbed it, then proceeded to rip it in half down the middle before tossing the two pieces to the side, toppling several nearby buildings.

Celestia looked on, completely aghast not only at the sheer power he demonstrated but also the brutality of his attacks. She also saw the utter terror of those around her, even Chrysalis shaking in fear as she observed the horror in front of her.

Wh-What is this!? Such destruction, such viciousness! Never did I even imagine he had it in him to commit such monstrous acts! And that power! Even in his final form, even during the last battle of the Great War, he never displayed this level of strength, and here he’s doing it in his second transformation! Has… Has he really been holding back that much!?

Infernus growled as he saw his forces fleeing but focused his energy into his attack, his mace going from a white hot flame to a shining light. Finally feeling that he was ready he charged forwards, bellowing in fury as he did, before jumping several feet into the air. Celestia saw the attack and focused her magic, raising a barrier around herself and those near her.

“THIS IS FOR MY BROTHER! BURN TO NOTHING!” he shouted before bringing the weapon down on Gilgamesh’s head, the explosion blinding everyone nearby. Celestia’s barrier held only for a few seconds before it cracked and shattered, unable to withstand the explosion in her currently weakened state, and she and everyone else tumbled away. After a few seconds the explosion finally died down, showing several nearby buildings completely destroyed, the ground cracked and scorched black...

And Infernus shaking in terror as Gilgamesh stood unmoved in front of him with only some soot on his upper body, and some blood trailing down his face.

Gilgamesh raised his bottom left hand, summoning his own mace. “My turn,” he said simply before bringing it down on Infernus in a blur of motion. The blow blew back the demon and Equestrian forces even farther, created a small crater in the ground, caused several buildings that were barely supporting themselves to fall over, and produced as shockwave that seemed to shake all of Mt. Canter.

And then he proceeded to do it again. And again. And again.

Gilgamesh screamed in rage, his voice able to heard above even the explosions of force his attacks were producing as he began to rapidly and repeatedly slam his weapon on Infernus. After nearly half a minute he finally stopped, panting as he tried to catch his breath.

“So tell me, you piece of shit. Do you still think hurting others is fun?” Gilgamesh asked in a calm, and yet no less terrifying, tone.

The smoke began to clear revealing the mangled mess that was Infernus, his body covered in his blood, both legs and his right arm bent at odd angles, his armor warped and barely clinging to his body, and the left half of his face completely unrecognizable.

“Mershy,” he slurred as tears of fear and pain fell from his eyes, futilely holding his left hand up to guard his body. “Pleesh, mershy.”

“‘Mercy?’ ‘Mercy?’” Gilgamesh asked before grabbing him by the neck with one of his right hands and lifting him into the air. “After everything you’ve done, you would dare ASK ME FOR MERCY!?” he shouted as his eyes glowed red again.

“I don’t like this,” Pinkie Pie gasped, the fear evident in her voice.

“This ain’t right,” Applejack added.

“TELL ME YOU LITTLE SHIT, HOW MANY HAVE YOU SLAUGHTERED IN COLD BLOOD WHO BEGGED YOU FOR THE SAME!? CAN YOU EVEN REMEMBER!? I BET IF YOU WERE FEELING SMUG YOU MIGHT SAY ‘DO YOU REMEMBER HOW MANY TIMES YOU’VE EATEN BREAD!?’ WELL YOU AIN’T SMUG NOW, ARE YOU!?”

“Mershy, pleesh!” Infernus begged in the loudest voice his weakened body could muster.

“Sweet Celestia, this isn’t like him at all!” Rarity exclaimed.

“This isn’t cool. Like, at all,” Rainbow Dash muttered.

Gilgamesh summoned a claw weapon in his to left hand and pointed it at Infernus’ face.

“Somepony stop him!” Spike asked.

Twilight galloped forwards past the crowd. “GILGAMESH, STOP!” she shouted. “YOU CAN’T DO THIS! YOU AREN’T A KILLER, YOU’RE A HERO!”

“You’re wrong, Twilight!” Gilgamesh shot back, turning to face her, fury in his glowing eyes. “I’m not a hero! I am a warrior, and I do kill! Sure, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve killed a sapient creature, but I do kill!” He then turned back to face Infernus. “But this time will still be special,” he continued as he he pulled back his arm and prepared to stab Infernus in the face. “THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I WILL THOROUGHLY ENJOY IT!”

“STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!”

Everyone turned to face Celestia, who managed to shakily bring herself to her hooves.

“Gilgamesh, I don’t know what happened to cause you to act like this, but you must stop this! This isn’t you! This isn’t who you are or what you stand for!” She slowly trotted towards him as she continued, making sure not to fall over. “Even in the Great War, even in the most heated battles, never did you brutalize others! This is not what you do!” She stopped only a few yards from him. “Please, Gilgamesh, over this past year you went to great lengths to earn my trust. Now, earn the trust of all Equestria. Prove, once and for all, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are not the monster I once thought you were.”

Gilgamesh held still for a moment before turning to face Celestia, seeing her pleading expression. He turned back to face Infernus, his claw hand shaking. After a tense minute he growled and threw the demon to the ground. As Infernus coughed and wheezed to try and catch his breath Gilgamesh summoned a halberd into another of his left hands and pointed it at Infernus’ face. When Infernus finally noticed it, done with his coughing fit, he went silent, staring at the warrior in terror.

“Run,” Gilgamesh ordered through clenched teeth, barely holding his rage back. “Run far away. Run where I will never see you again. Run where no one will see you again. Because I swear, if I do, I will ensure there will not be a third time. Do you understand me? You worthless, fucking, waste of breath?”

Infernus nodded. Gilgamesh inhaled and exhaled sharply before moving his weapon away from the demon.

“Then go,” he commanded.

Infernus painfully flipped himself over onto his chest and tried to stand but was unable to even get to his knees. Out of desperation he began to crawl with his one usable arm. Gilgamesh growled before raising one of his right hands and casting a Curaga spell, mending Infernus’ bones and and stopping the blood flow from his body. Infernus observed himself in shock before turning to face Gilgamesh in confusion.

“WELL!?” Gilgamesh shouted, prompting Infernus to squeak in fear and begin running. Gilgamesh turned to face Celestia, who smiled in relief. They held each others gaze for a moment before he turned his head, looking off in the distance towards something and begun to walk towards it.

Celestia was about to ask him what was wrong, when a bright flash of light and a booming voice interrupted her.

“DIE YOU PIECE OF SHIT!”

She turned just in time to see Infernus about to strike Gilgamesh with his left arm, which appeared to be made out of flame. Before any of them could react the demon punched the warrior, and an explosion of incredible power following immediately after, the force extending for miles.

Celestia struggled to get to her hooves, her ears ringing as they recovered from the blast. She looked around and saw her ponies and the changelings struggling to recover as well, and also trying to untangle their bodies after they had been forced into each other. For about a mile in every direction every structure was gone, the ground scorched black. Out of the smoke came Infernus, missing his left arm and in pain, but still grinning.

He chuckled as he turned to face his demon army. “KILL THEM ALL! BUT THE PRINCESS IS MINE!” he ordered before turning to face Celestia, who seemed to be caught in a daze and looking past him. He raised his arm, gathering fire into his hand. “Any last words?”

Celestia turned to meet his gaze. “You fool. Nothing I say can stop him now.”

“What?” Infernus asked, only to notice that there were no sounds of battle around him. He saw that his demons had not moved, nor had the Equestrian and Changeling forces. A moment later he felt his blood turn cold, and slowly turned to see Gilgamesh, half of his body scorched black but still very much alive.

And absolutely livid.

“N-Now let’s just-” Infernus began only to be cut off as Gilgamesh dashed forwards, his movements imperceptible, stabbing his halberd through the demon’s chest and lifting him off the ground.

“I gave you a chance to live,” he said before summoning his remaining weapons in his right hands. His axe in his topmost hand, then the Mutsu-no Kami katana, the Hauteclaire broadsword, and the Ridill scimitar on the bottom. “And you wasted it.”

“NO! WAIT! STO-!” Infernus tried to plead, only to be silenced by all four weapons cutting through him, severing him at his neck, his waist, his knees, and his ankles, leaving only a torso still impaled on the halberd, which Gilgamesh then slammed into the ground with enough force that it exploded into bits of flesh.

For a moment, no one moved or spoke. Then Gilgamesh’s gaze shifted towards the demons, who all recoiled.

“The rest of you, get out,” he ordered. Most were too terrified to move, but some took a few cautious steps back. He then turned to completely face them. “I said,” he began before inhaling deeply and his eyes shone red.

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT!”

His voice was on par with, if not surpassing, the Royal Canterlot Voice, the ground shaking and some of the less intact buildings falling over. By the time he finished his shout there wasn’t a single demon that wasn’t running for their lives. Some were so filled with terror that they hurled themselves off Mt. Canter, plummeting to their deaths in their desperate attempt to get away from him.

After a few minutes his eyes returned to normal and his body relaxed. He then turned to look off in the distance before crouching down and jumping several miles, disappearing from sight. A few moments later, a portal opened up in front of Celestia and out stepped the warrior, gently cradling-

“LUNA!” Celestia cried, struggling to her hooves and galloping towards her sister as Gilgamesh set the Night Princess on the ground. “No no no no! Please no! Please Luna, don’t leave me!” she begged.

“It’s alright,” Gilgamesh assured her as he gently stroked Luna’s mane. “She’ll need plenty of rest and some medical attention, but she’ll live. I did what I could to make sure of it.

Celestia saw her sister’s nostrils flare slightly as she breathed and a smile crept onto her face as tears fell from her eyes. “Oh, Lulu, thank goodness,” she muttered as she embraced her younger sibling’s unconscious form. “I couldn’t take losing you again.”

Gilgamesh watched for a moment before transforming back into his base form. He walked away from the two before reaching for his naginata.

“Gilgamesh!” He turned to see Twilight galloping towards him before stopping a few yards away. “Where are you going?”

His gaze move to the severed head of Infernus before turning away from both of them. “I… I need some time to think. And I’ve got some friends I need to check up on.”

“You’ll be back, right?”

He turned to face her again and smiled. “Of course I will.”

He unclipped his naginata and prepared to cut open a portal when he saw Queen Chrysalis approaching him. Twilight moved out of her way as she stopped in front of him, their gazes holding for a few moments and her expression unreadable. Then, to everyone’s shock, she lied on the ground, prostrating herself before him as she bowed her head low enough for her horn to touch the ground.

“Thank you. You have freed my lands, my people, and my daughter. You have saved our species from the threat of extinction. There are no words that could properly convey my gratitude to you. I, and the entire Changeling race, are forever in your debt.”

At that moment Princess Nectar, Commander Thorax, and every able-bodied changeling approached him and took the same stance as their queen.

“Our power is at your disposal. If you require anything of us, you need but ask.”

Gilgamesh was quiet for a moment before approaching the queen. “Actually, there is one thing I’d like you to do for me.”

“Name it.”

“Look at me.” Chrysalis obeyed and raised her head. “See those ponies behind you?”

Chrysalis hesitated a moment, confused, before turning to look back at the Equestrians. “Yes, I do. But what does-?” she asked as she turned around, only to be cut off.

“Boop,” he said as he flicked her snout.

“Wha!?” she spluttered as she stepped back and touched her hoof to her muzzle.

“Play nice,” he said simply before standing up and cutting a hole in the air before disappearing through it.

Trixie hummed as she poured the tea into her and Zecora’s cups. “Here you are, Miss Zecora,” she said as she levitated it over to her.

Zecora took the cup in her hooves and took a sip. “Ah, such a well done brew. It seems more than magic I have bestowed to you.”

Trixie bashfully rubbed the back of her head, only for a knock to come at the door. Both shared a curious glance before Trixie opened it with her magic, surprised who she found behind it.

“Gilgamesh?” she asked.

The warrior sighed. “Thank God, you two are alright. Can I come in?”

They both nodded and he squeezed through the door before sitting down. There was a long pause before he spoke.

“I need someone to talk to.”

Author's Notes:

Sorry this took so much longer than the last few to get out, lots of stuff going on in RL right now.

And so the "Assault on Canterlot" Arc comes to a close, but the conflict is far from over. Next chapter we have some quiet reflection and damage assessment, and after that a crossover that was written last November. You know who you are.