The Sword of Rupture, Ea, is Gilgamesh's most powerful Noble Phantasm—said to be a weapon capable of severing the world itself. Though referred to as a sword, its appearance is vastly different from any traditional blade: it features a golden hilt, with three rotating red blades that emit overwhelming magical energy as they spin. This energy is so intense that it forms a violent storm around Gilgamesh, warping the surrounding space with its pressure.
"Enuma Elish!"
A beam of golden-red light burst forth from the spinning blade of Ea, roaring toward Daniel with a power that surpassed even the blackened Artoria wielding a Holy Grail that he had encountered previously.
"Avalon."
A golden sword and sheath appeared before Daniel. As he slid the sword into the sheath, golden light surged from it, forming a radiant barrier before him. This was no projected copy—it was Avalon, the genuine article hidden within Daniel's body.
Considering his opponent was wielding the legendary Ea, caution was warranted.
Boom.
The golden-red beam struck the barrier like an apocalyptic tide, instantly obliterating the mountain walls surrounding the Great Hollow. Despite the incredible force, the thin golden barrier held firm. This was Avalon, the absolute defense capable of repelling any physical or magical attack—a peerless defensive Noble Phantasm in the Nasuverse, beyond comparison with any other.
Of course, this absolute power only exists when both sword and sheath are together, and Daniel hadn't even fully released Avalon's power. Likewise, this version of Gilgamesh was not unleashing the sword's true might.
In its full form, Avalon could disperse into countless golden fragments and float defensively through the air.
Boom.
As the golden-red torrent continued, Daniel placed his hand on the sheath. Instantly, dazzling golden light erupted, and the raging beam was reversed—reflected back toward its source. Gilgamesh, caught off guard, froze for a moment—just long enough for the beam to engulf him.
Avalon's abilities don't end with defense; it also possesses a powerful counterattack. In one iteration of the Fifth Holy Grail War, Artoria defeated Gilgamesh by doing just this.
"Ow, ow, ow..."
As the light dissipated, the once-towering cliffs of the Great Hollow had vanished, revealing the open starry sky above. From the debris, a golden-haired boy, stark naked, groaned as he climbed to his feet.
Though just a child in appearance, the boy's distinct features made it immediately obvious to Daniel who he was: Young Gilgamesh. Curiously, of the eight Class Cards, he was the only one with consciousness. Had he not been, he wouldn't have manifested like this.
"Probably because it's Gilgamesh," Daniel thought. That anomaly could only be explained by the fact that Gilgamesh was part divine and possessed the cheat-like treasury, Gate of Babylon. If this guy ever adopted cautious tactics like some overly prudent heroes, no one else would stand a chance.
"Avalon… you totally cheated."
Still naked, Young Gilgamesh clutched his head and looked at Daniel with a mix of helplessness and exasperation—though more precisely, he was glaring at the Avalon Daniel held. Naturally, he knew the artifact's capabilities. With that kind of absolute defense, there was no way to win.
"Drains a lot of mana, though… can't keep using it forever."
Feeling Avalon's consumption, Daniel silently shook his head, then reabsorbed the sheath into his body and began walking forward.
"Hey! Aren't you going to say anything?" Young Gil called after him. He was still unusually civil. If this had been adult Gilgamesh, he would've cursed or attacked by now.
"What do you want me to say?" Daniel picked up the Archer Class Card from the ground, then turned to face him.
"That's what you were after, huh?"
"Exactly. Mind if I borrow your Gate of Babylon?"
As he pocketed the card, Daniel smiled at him.
"Would it matter if I said I did?"
"Nope."
He was already using Artoria's card—of course he was going to use this one too.
"Then why even ask?"
"It's just good manners. Besides, if you agree, things go more smoothly."
Daniel, of course, had other plans: he wanted to take Young Gil to meet his adult self. That ought to be entertaining. Gilgamesh loved to be "pleased"—but how would he react to his own younger version?
As for Gate of Babylon, even if Daniel now possessed the Class Card, Young Gil could still access the vault's contents.
"You know you're stark naked, right? You should really do something about that." Daniel sensed that Rin and Luvia were heading their way, so he gave the boy a heads-up.
"So what? I'm just a kid right now."
Daniel didn't reply. Instead, a camera appeared in his hand, and he snapped several photos.
"Say… if I took these to Uruk and sold them, how much do you think they'd go for?"
"Uruk doesn't exist anymore."
"Not in this world, sure. But others? I'm about to enter a Holy Grail War where your adult self will appear. How do you think he'll react to these?"
"He'll kill you. Wait—no, you've got Avalon. Guess he can't kill you."
Young Gil sighed.
"Anyway, put some clothes on. They're almost here."
Daniel tossed him a set of modern children's clothes he had conjured.
"No need. I've got my own."
With a flash, Young Gil appeared dressed in stylish modern attire. Admittedly, he looked very cute.
"Daniel, are you okay?!"
Soon, Rin and Luvia arrived. Upon seeing the devastation around them, their expressions fell. Hiding this level of destruction in modern society was going to be difficult.
"I'm fine. Let me introduce someone—this is King Gilgamesh. Well, his child form."
"Hello, big sisters!" Young Gil gave a cutesy bow. Daniel found the act so fake he almost rolled his eyes.
"What about all this damage?"
Despite their curiosity about Gilgamesh, Rin's main concern was the crater around them. With Mount Enzō's scenery ruined, it would be hard to avoid public attention—breaking the secrecy of magecraft.
"Just say it was a gas explosion."
Daniel gave the classic excuse. In the Nasuverse, gas explosions cover a multitude of sins.
"You think people are that stupid?! Where's the gas line supposed to be?!"
Rin screamed. Sure, gas explosions were a go-to excuse—but only when the Church stepped in with hypnosis spells for cleanup.
"We'll have to set up a barrier."
Luvia offered a more realistic suggestion.
"Actually… not a bad idea."
The three began working together to create a concealment barrier. Though both Rin and Luvia specialized in gemstone magecraft, they were also apprentices of this world's Waver, so they had barrier knowledge too.
"Let's add a labyrinth layer and some fae dispersal wards."
Enzōzan was a popular tourist spot, especially on weekends. A simple barrier might not be enough.
"You two should head back now. What comes next doesn't require your help. Don't worry—I'll return soon."
With the barrier completed, Daniel sent the girls home. He had to head to the parallel world to solve the root cause of this whole crisis.
"This is Gate of Babylon, huh? So many treasures… shame I don't know their true names."
Once they left, Daniel didn't go straight to save Miyu's brother. Instead, he activated the Gilgamesh Class Card and used the King's Key to access the treasury.
As it was a treasure vault, it naturally had magical locks—King's Key was the corresponding master key, akin to the King's Key for accessing the Soul King's Palace in Bleach.
The massive golden key shimmered and morphed as Daniel inserted it into the void. Magical runes expanded outward as the treasury door opened.
"Ea—the Sword of Rupture."
His first act was to retrieve Ea and begin analyzing its structure. With his power as the Ruler of Reason, he could dissect even this.
"You're analyzing Ea? So you really are from another world…"
Young Gil approached curiously. As one of the top Heroic Spirits, and a wielder of Clairvoyance EX, he knew many of the Moon World's secrets. When he said "another world," he wasn't referring to a mere parallel dimension, but a separate world entirely—not an alternate timeline of the Nasuverse.
In the Moon World, few know of Daniel's true origins—but the Clairvoyance Group certainly would. They could even communicate across time via a magical local network.
"Correct. Got anything to say about Ainsworth?"
Daniel nodded, then threw the question back. Compared to what he knew, Young Gil likely had far more intel. After all, in the original story, he was the one who guided Illya and the others into Ainsworth's fortress to rescue Shirou.
"To you, it doesn't matter whether you know or not. Letting you handle this mess… those two sure picked well."
Daniel knew exactly who "those two" were—Alaya and Gaia. Of all the infinite branches of the Moon World, the fact that he ended up here wasn't likely to be a coincidence.
But Daniel didn't mind. He'd gained quite a few benefits from this journey. Lending a hand in return was only fair—an unspoken understanding between them.
Had he arrived with the intent to destroy or create chaos, he wouldn't have received any gifts. He'd have been met with an enhanced EMIYA at the door instead.
His situation was akin to an undocumented immigrant: while weak, people ignored him. But once strong, as long as he brought benefits, even a stowaway could become a citizen—or even a high-ranking official.
"This version of Fuyuki really is desolate. Snow in June… what a scene."
Using the portal in the Great Hollow, Daniel and Young Gil arrived in Miyu's world. Though Young Gil hadn't provided many details about Ainsworth, he had explained their plan.
In the Moon World, only the Second Magic allows traversal of parallel worlds. Ainsworth had been able to locate Illya's world because of Shirou's wish and because both timelines had a Grail War held in Fuyuki—mirror reflections, in a way.
They disrupted the ley lines with seven Class Cards, then used the eighth to lock onto Illya's world. If Daniel hadn't come, Ainsworth would've captured Miyu within days.
That's how it went in the original story—except now, Daniel had preemptively arrived and taken the Archer Card they'd left behind.
"This world's doomed, after all."
Young Gil had followed him through. He caught a snowflake on his palm and sighed. Though half-god, his loyalties lay with humanity. Seeing a world of people destroyed left him with complex emotions.
"Worlds and humanity aren't so easy to destroy. Assuming they are? That's just arrogance."
Daniel, as a human himself, had faith in his kind. Even in the end-times like the Steel Timeline, humans had survived. Even planetary collapse hadn't wiped them out.
"You really believe in people, huh?"
"Of course. Life always finds a way."
As they spoke, the two reached the edge of Fuyuki's largest crater—the aftermath of the black mist attack. Ainsworth's workshop was hidden at the center of the pit.
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