"Fuhahahahahaha!!"
The exuberant laughter echoed atop Uruk's divine tower.
Its source was the Wise King of Uruk—Gilgamesh, who, after his dear friend's death, embarked on a quest for immortality, only to awaken to profound truths.
The loss of his friend and the magical beasts' threat had kept him from such hearty laughter for ages.
Yet now, in this dire hour, he roared with rare mirth.
His grin was genuine, a laugh from the soul.
Siduri, by his side for years, thought so too.
Wonderful—the king's happy again…
Gilgamesh's joy stemmed from what he'd seen.
Though his and Merlin's sight couldn't pierce Quetzalcoatl's domain, he could glimpse other things.
Kingu's fate, hijacking Enkidu's body, shifted—Roy ambushed him early, reclaiming the husk. And that fool Ishtar, bullied and tied up outside Uruk's gates.
All delightful sights.
These unexpected, amusing twists had him buzzing with excitement.
If Uruk's state didn't demand his oversight, he'd have dashed out already.
So when Roy climbed the tower, Enkidu's aura in tow, Gilgamesh's thrill spiked.
"Such presence…"
Stepping through the throne room's doors, Ritsuka and Mash first met those crimson eyes.
The golden king loomed above, peering down from his throne.
The chamber's stillness and Gilgamesh's aura tensed them up.
It felt like facing the pharaoh in the Sixth Singularity…
But that clownish pharaoh had shattered the mood—nothing like this gravity.
"Greetings, my king. I've brought visitors from Chaldea," Merlin announced, stepping up as court magus and the group's longest acquaintance with Gilgamesh.
No Tablet of Destinies, sure, but his haul wasn't shabby.
Servant-tier allies aside, he'd helped Roy reclaim Enkidu's body.
Facing his new boss, Merlin stood a bit taller.
But… what clout did he have?
Failing the tablet, this was mere atonement.
And he dared swagger in?
Gilgamesh ignored the shameless Merlin who lacked even a shred of dignity, and dipping his head to eye Chaldea's crew.
"From Chaldea, and this…"
His scarlet gaze skimmed Ritsuka and Mash, settling on Roy.
"King of Ur?"
"Indeed. Circumstances thrust it upon me, but I'm Ur's king now, speaking for its actions. I'm here as a king to meet you."
"Oh? Visiting Uruk to see me personally?" Gilgamesh quirked a brow, smirking. "Then you're a shoddy King of Ur."
"You don't even grasp the debt between Uruk and Ur, yet you stroll in?"
"Long ago, I sent two men to scout Ur. On their return, Ur's foes struck. Saber fell to that Jaguar before reacting; Assassin barely escaped with intel."
"That city, per their report, still had survivors but was ensnared in a goddess's domain. Humans were caged, periodically sacrificed at a sun temple. I couldn't spare troops for rescue. Yet now, a supposed 'King of Ur' pops up. You think I'll buy that?"
Gilgamesh tossed a clay tablet, golden runes flaring across it.
Buzz!
A tremor rippled as golden waves shimmered overhead, weapon tips emerging from portals, aimed at Roy.
"I regret your men's tragedy—my Servant's doing, I won't deny. If you seek justice, I'll face it all." Roy said calmly, unfazed by the hundreds of golden gates behind Gilgamesh.
"Oh?"
That composure piqued Gilgamesh's interest.
"Then let's—"
Whoosh!!
Without warning, golden weapons shot from the portals—not just at Roy, but Ritsuka too.
"Careful, Senpai, Roy-san!!"
Roy raised a finger to counter with mana bullets.
But a purple blur darted from the side, blocking his path.
"Mash?"
Sensing danger as the golden ripples flared, Mash sprang forward, raising her massive round shield before Roy and Ritsuka.
Her move forced Roy to lower his hand, dispelling his mana.
"You can't even sense your ally's moves or mana flow. Half-baked like this, you'd just clog the battlefield," Gilgamesh sneered, eyeing Roy's aborted action and Mash's leap.
A guardian's heart was fine, but not always useful.
Strong protecting weak? Fair. Weak shielding strong? A liability.
Like now…
Clang, clang, clang!!!
Sharp blades met stout shield, sparking white flashes, metal clashing loudly.
Mash's arms ached from the force of Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasms.
Ritsuka, stunned and confused by the sudden assault, couldn't fathom why Gilgamesh targeted Roy and her.
No chance to explain.
They should be allies by stance—why fight here?!
"King Gilgamesh, we didn't—"
Ritsuka, behind Mash, tried to clarify, but Gilgamesh cut her off with a scoff.
"Hmph! Begging mercy from this? Or pleading with 'explanations' to stop me? Chaldeans, you claim no ill will—so what?"
"I know your intent. That doesn't clash with testing you. Want my respect, my alliance? Empty words won't cut it."
"Show me your strength—prove you're fit for the battles ahead!!"
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