In the time when Gilgamesh lived, the gods still walked the earth freely, though the age of gods was slowly fading. As a demigod, a bridge between humans and gods, Gilgamesh encountered numerous deities. Some of them, like his mother, the all-knowing goddess Ninsun, and his father, Lugalbanda—the only mortal in Sumerian mythology to achieve godhood—were closely connected to him.
However, not all divine interactions were positive. Two goddesses stood out in Gilgamesh's memory for leaving particularly terrible impressions: Ishtar, goddess of beauty, fertility, war, and Venus, and Ereshkigal, the ruler of the underworld.
Ishtar, known for her capricious and promiscuous nature, once proposed to Gilgamesh. When he rejected her, she unleashed the Bull of Heaven, the most powerful divine beast, to wreak havoc on the mortal world. Gilgamesh and his close companion Enkidu fought the beast for seven long years, eventually defeating it.
Feeling humiliated, Ishtar sought revenge. She petitioned the gods to punish either Gilgamesh or Enkidu for the audacity of killing her beast. Enkidu, created by the gods, could not escape his fate and slowly succumbed to death.
Ereshkigal, the goddess of death and the underworld represented the other side of Ishtar. After Enkidu's death, Gilgamesh, now terrified of mortality, embarked on a journey to the underworld, seeking immortality. During this journey, he witnessed Ereshkigal's tyranny and cruelty firsthand.
It's no exaggeration to say that these two goddesses left the worst impressions on Gilgamesh. However, after reuniting with Enkidu's spirit, Gilgamesh comes to terms with everything. Now, he could even joke about his former enemies without harboring any malice. Seeing a resemblance to them in Rin and Luvia didn't provoke him, nor did he take out his past grudges on them.
While Gilgamesh remained calm, the two girls were furious—not at him, but at each other.
A vein bulged on Luvia's forehead.
"Twins? Me and her? Don't be ridiculous! My little sister is much cuter than her."
Rin instinctively clenched her fist.
"That's my line. My sister is way more—no, comparing her to you is an insult!"
"Hmph!"
"Hah!"
"It seems words are useless between us."
Luvia finally lost her composure, abandoning any pretense of elegance.
"There never was any other way to settle this. You came all the way here, even challenging me in this manner—if you have a problem with the Tohsaka family, come at me directly," Rin said as she pulled a velvet ribbon from her pocket and tossed it back to Luvia.
Luvia caught it, gripping it tightly.
"You call this a problem?"
"Something that happened seventy years ago, and now you come to me, who knows nothing about it. What else am I supposed to think? You've got a problem," Rin replied with a mocking sneer, her expression and posture oozing provocation.
"Are you mocking me?"
Luvia clenched her other hand into a fist as well.
"And what if I am?"
Rin opened her palm and gestured for Luvia to come at her.
"I am Rin Tohsaka, the current head of the Tohsaka family. If you've got a problem, take it up with me!"
"Very well, I, Luviagelita Edelfelt, will show you the fury of the Edelfelt family!"
Luvia threw the challenge paper between them, and the moment it hit the ground, she aimed her right hand at Rin, who stood ten meters away, forming her fingers into a gun-like gesture.
At the same time, Rin mirrored her actions, pointing her finger at Luvia, magical energy gathering at her fingertips.
"Gandr!"
With a simultaneous shout, both fired their magical blasts. The purple-black blasts, infused with curses, collided midair, resulting in a powerful magical shockwave that shredded the blue velvet ribbon. The force they unleashed was potent enough to surpass 90% of modern magus, placing them among the elite.
This was just the opening move. Both continued to point their fingers at each other, unleashing rapid-fire blasts like a pair of machine guns, each magical bullet teeming with curses.
In an instant, the space between them exploded with bursts of cursed energy, creating firework-like explosions. Even a single touch from these blasts would be lethal to an ordinary person.
While their magical bullets clashed, neither forgot to give orders to their Servants.
"Archer, deal with her Servant!"
"Archer, go!"
"Understood. Master, be careful."
Karna nodded gently, stepping calmly into the nearby forest. A battle between two top-tier Archers would undoubtedly cause massive destruction, and having their Masters nearby would only hinder them.
"Rin, if you lose here—"
Gilgamesh's voice rippled through the air as he began to rise.
"You're one to talk. Don't lose like last time!"
Rin smiled confidently, tilting her head back, one hand reaching into her pocket.
"Hmph, I'll show you what it means to be a true king."
The King of Heroes narrowed his eyes in displeasure, then took a step into the air, a step so powerful that it momentarily halted the battle between the two elite magus.
His figure suddenly disappeared above Rin's head, moving to some distant location with overwhelming force. The Servants' battle was sure to be ten, no, a hundred times more intense than the Masters'.
Once the Servants left, Rin pulled her hand out of her pocket, now holding a handful of finely crushed gemstones. She wore a determined expression as if speaking to both Luvia and someone else who wasn't there.
"Don't worry, I won't lose. If I can't even surpass someone who came to pick a fight, how can I restore my father's honor and the Tohsaka family's name? This is just a warm-up for the real fight!"
Her dismissive attitude naturally infuriated Luvia. She clenched four matching gemstones tightly in her hand.
"You've got some nerve. But no matter who you plan to challenge, you won't get the chance because I'll defeat you, right here, right now!"
"If you can, then come at me! —Ende (Collapse)!"
Rin scattered the gemstone dust into the air, creating a magnificent light curtain. The multicolored glow was both dazzling and luxurious, symbolizing not only Rin's magical power but also her resolve.
"Call (Awaken)!"
At the same time, Luvia's gemstones exploded with energy, surging forward to invade the glowing curtain without hesitation.
The two magus, each with similar bloodlines and mastery of gem-based magecraft, unleashed their full strength in a fierce confrontation.