Half an hour ago, in the study of the administrator of Fuyuki City's leyline, the Tohsaka family.
The current head of the family, Rin Tohsaka, was engaged in something highly unbecoming of her role as head of the house. She was completely absorbed, her eyes sparkling, as she stared at her Servant, Gilgamesh—or more specifically, at something next to him.
In the air beside him, ripples spread like those on the surface of a lake disturbed by the wind. At the center of each ripple, a treasure radiating powerful magic and resplendent light appeared. Rin's gaze was glued to these treasures.
Not only could she not look away, but she was also muttering to herself incessantly: "Treasures, treasures, so many treasures…!"
She looked just like a treasure-crazed fangirl. Even the owner of the treasures, who usually indulged Rin, couldn't bear to watch any longer.
"Rin, though your recent performance has been improving, I must say—right now, you look like a mongrel."
"Ugh, shut up!"
Gilgamesh's mockery made Rin realize her loss of composure. Her face flushed red as she tried to explain.
"I-I've just never seen so many treasures at once before. I was a little overwhelmed."
"The Gate of Babylon is a symbol of limitless accumulation. Even I do not know how many treasures it contains. It is only natural that those fortunate enough to witness it would be awestruck."
This was no exaggeration. Gilgamesh's treasury was the crystallization of human history, containing the original versions of all Noble Phantasms. As long as humanity continues to develop and create new things, the collection within the Gate of Babylon will continue to grow.
"What you see before you is but a single drop in an ocean."
"And what about the rest of that ocean?"
Rin asked.
"Those are not for you to touch. Throughout history, only one person, my dearest friend, has been allowed to freely use my treasures. The fact that I have personally chosen treasures suited to you is already the greatest mercy I can show to you and Tokiomi. Do not mistake my kindness for limitless tolerance."
Although Gilgamesh's tone hadn't changed, Rin still felt an inexplicable pressure. Of course, with her strong-willed nature, she wasn't about to back down in front of her Servant.
"Fine, fine, if I can't touch them, then I won't. Stingy guy."
"This is not stinginess; it is the rule I have set as the king. Keep working hard, Rin. If your performance pleases me, I wouldn't mind showing you more of my collection. Now, make your choice."
"Um…"
Rin hesitated for a moment before weakly asking, "Can I… have them all?"
"Hahahahahahaha!"
Gilgamesh burst out laughing at her response, clearly amused, his laughter booming like a force that couldn't be stopped.
Perhaps because the laughter went on for too long, or maybe because it was too infectious, after more than ten seconds, Rin couldn't stand it anymore.
"Hey! Stop laughing already! If you don't want to, then just say so! There's no need to make such a big deal out of it."
"Haha—humph."
Gilgamesh finally stopped laughing.
"I never said I didn't want to. These treasures were chosen for you. Whether it's three, five, or all of them, it makes no difference to me. And besides, staying true to your nature is much better than wanting something but not daring to ask. However, Rin, though I did say to stay true to your nature, that was about attitude. When it comes to specific situations, there is a limit. In this case, I offered you these treasures because you said you wanted to defeat that clown named Shinji Matou. You should make your choice based on that goal, rather than letting yourself be distracted by unrelated things."
Though Gilgamesh had arrived later and hadn't witnessed the battle between Scathach and Shinji, just from observing the clash between his stakes and the rain of Noble Phantasms, he knew it wasn't something a modern magus could handle. Even though Rin couldn't be measured by the standards of an ordinary magus, the pressure of facing such powers was still too much.
Recalling the last Holy Grail War and what Scáthach had taken from him, Gilgamesh was certain that Shinji Matou must have more than one treasure. He was likely fully armed, from close combat to ranged attacks, from offense to defense, from mobility to recovery—meaning Rin's chances of victory were close to zero.
It was only natural for a daughter to avenge her father. Similarly, it was only right for a king to avenge his vassal. Having made a promise, Gilgamesh would see it through to the end. The first step was to compensate for Rin's disadvantage in equipment, and to that end, he had carefully selected an array of treasures for her to choose from.
"While it's not necessary, my power comes from your mana. The treasures I provide will also consume your mana. If you're simply using them as projectiles, that's one thing, but if you intend to use them as equipment, you won't last even a minute. So I suggest you put aside your greed for the moment and make a choice based on what you truly need for battle, rather than on what looks nice."
"…"
Rin had no response because she knew Gilgamesh was right. There wasn't a single flaw in what he said. But on the other hand, the treasures he had taken out were far too tempting. Each one was worthy of being a family heirloom for any prestigious lineage, and she found it hard to part with them—especially in a situation like this, surrounded by treasures and bedazzled by their brilliance.
The young lady, who had never experienced what it was like to be in the presence of a true tycoon, was deeply conflicted. After struggling for a while, she finally spoke in a small voice.
"Do you have any specific suggestions?"
"A wise choice. These treasures were handpicked by me, so naturally, I am the one who knows them best. First, take this—"
Gilgamesh's red eyes gleamed with approval as he snapped his fingers. A fist-sized object emerged from the ripples and fell into Rin's hand.
"A golden apple? A Golden Apple? The one that drove goddesses to madness?"
"That's right, the very same Golden Apple. Ten years ago, the Queen of the Land of Shadows made a deal with me. This was the item of that trade."
"The Queen couldn't resist the charm of the Golden Apple either?"
Rin asked curiously.
Gilgamesh let out a contemptuous snort.
"Don't compare those petty goddesses with someone I recognize as a worthy opponent. That would insult both her and me. If I'm not mistaken, she probably chose the Golden Apple for its properties, specifically for her disciple."
"What does it do?"
"It repairs bodily flaws and comprehensively enhances the body's attributes."
Rin let out an involuntary gasp. She suddenly remembered something. When Sakura had first arrived at the Matou residence, she would often go jogging with Shinji, and the two of them would always come back panting, completely out of breath. At the time, Rin had felt a sense of superiority because she could run from her house to the Matou residence with ease and without getting tired.
But not long after that, Shinji's physical condition suddenly improved dramatically. Now that she thought about it, her gradual disadvantage against him began around that time.
"So that's what happened… I've finally figured out your secret!"
Rin muttered to herself as she bit deeply into the Golden Apple as if she were imagining it was the face of the man she had hated since childhood.
"This time, I won't lose to you again! —Ugh, mmph, cough, cough, cough…"