A few days had passed since the last incident, and once again, Arthur had to go out to buy ingredients for dinner.
As soon as he arrived home, Arthur pushed the door open with his hip, balancing two heavy shopping bags in his arms. The smell of fresh vegetables wafted from the bags, mixed with the sweet scent of chocolate cookies he had bought for Gwen.
Dealing with a group of housewives had been exhausting, but finally, he could rest.
Or at least, that's what he thought.
The moment he stepped into the living room, the scene before him made his brain freeze, like an old computer hit by a virus.
Gwen was sitting on the couch, smiling awkwardly, while a little girl with short blue hair rested on her lap. An ahoge swayed on top of her head, moving as if it had a life of its own, while she happily nibbled on a cookie. On the other side, Jean, trying to appear casual, held a girl with long white hair on her lap, who was also enjoying a cookie, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
Arthur blinked once, then twice. Then, he closed the door again, stood outside, and stared at the solid wood in front of him.
"…I think I entered the wrong house."
He took a deep breath, rubbed his eyes, and opened the door once more.
No, it wasn't the wrong house. It was indeed his living room. And yes, they were still there: Gaia and Alaya, the two lolita entities he had encountered before, sitting like spoiled little princesses on Gwen and Jean's laps, devouring cookies.
Arthur sighed heavily, dropped the shopping bags in the kitchen, and returned to the living room, still in disbelief. He flopped into an armchair, crossed his arms, and looked directly at the two girls.
"Okay. I'll ask just once: what are you two doing here?"
Gaia immediately huffed, puffing her cheeks.
"You're being disrespectful again, Gil! Always with that harsh tone toward me."
Arthur raised an eyebrow, exasperated.
'It really is like dealing with a younger sister…' he thought.
Before he could respond, Gwen furrowed her brow and looked at him.
"Arthur, do you… know these two?"
Jean also spoke up, adjusting little Alaya on her lap.
"When I got home, they were already here, sitting on the couch as if it were theirs. I assumed they were acquaintances of yours."
Arthur massaged his temples.
"Acquaintances is an understatement. Let's say… they're the ones I made that strange contract with a few days ago."
The silence that followed was almost tangible. Gwen's eyes widened while Jean stared at him in surprise. They looked down at the little girls on their laps, so tiny and adorable, as if they had just heard Arthur claim that Mickey Mouse was actually the reincarnation of the Roman Emperor Nero.
"You're joking," Gwen whispered, incredulous.
"I wish I were," Arthur replied.
Alaya simply adjusted her childish skirt and delicately wiped her lips with a napkin, as if attending a formal dinner. Gaia, on the other hand, puffed out her chest proudly, lifting her chin like a queen satisfied by the audience's shock.
"Surprised?" Arthur laughed.
"Of course we are!" Jean finally found her voice. "You're saying this… cutie here—" she pointed at Alaya, who smiled enigmatically— "is the consciousness of humanity? And the other one… a primordial goddess?!"
"Exactly."
Gaia let out a triumphant giggle, as if the recognition fed her more than the cookies.
"So," Arthur continued, turning his gaze back to Gaia and Alaya, "I'll repeat my question. Why are you two here?"
Alaya cleared her throat softly, adjusted herself on Jean's lap, and replied calmly:
"Because it's time to fulfill our agreement."
Arthur's eyes widened in surprise.
"So soon? I thought I would have more time."
"Time waits for no one," Alaya replied, almost poetically.
Arthur took a deep breath, resting his chin on his hand.
"Alright… and how exactly do you plan to do that? You mean, send me to the Holy Grail War?"
Alaya crossed her legs, maintaining her composure.
"It will be necessary to send you—or rather, your consciousness—to the Throne of Heroes."
"Send my consciousness?" Arthur repeated, confused. "And how do you intend to do that?"
At that moment, Gaia stood up from Gwen's lap. Her light steps echoed in the silent room as she approached Arthur, a mischievous smile on her face.
"First," she said, leaning closer to him, "we'll need access to your soul."
Arthur narrowed his eyes, intrigued.
"And how exactly are you going to do that?"
Gaia just smiled, giving no answer. It was Alaya who, with a serene expression and calm voice, gave the reply that sent chills down everyone's spine:
"You will first have to die."
The air suddenly grew heavy. Gwen and Jean paled, nearly choking.
"What?!" Gwen exclaimed.
Arthur blinked a few times, trying to process it.
"I… have to die?!" he asked, confused.
"Not in the way you're thinking," Alaya explained calmly. "Thanks to the immense amount of magic you possess, your body will not actually perish."
Jean was still stunned. "So… what does that mean, exactly?"
Gaia smiled again, this time almost mischievously.
"It will basically be a 'false death.' We will separate your soul from your physical body. Once you complete your mission and return from the Throne, your essence will be merged back with your body. As if nothing happened."
Arthur leaned back in the armchair, staring at the two with a mixture of disbelief and exhaustion.
"You say that as if it were the simplest thing in the world."
"Because it is," Gaia replied, crossing her arms confidently.
Alaya added,
"For us, at least."
Gwen and Jean exchanged glances, still unable to believe that these angelic figures spoke of death and souls as if it were a walk in the park.
Arthur let out another long sigh.
He took a deep breath, averted his gaze from the adorable chaos in the room, and went to the kitchen.
He opened a small portal to his Gate of Babylon and pulled out a pendant, placing it inside a small box.
"Gwen," he said softly, calling her over. "I want to give you something."
She raised her eyebrows, surprised. "Now?"
"Now." Arthur opened the little box. Inside was a yellow sapphire pendant in the shape of a teardrop, attached to a delicate silver chain, glowing under the lamp like a tiny bottled sun.
"I know your birthday is coming," he said, holding the jewel carefully. "And I probably won't be there to celebrate because of this. So I wanted to give it to you now."
Gwen brought her hand to her mouth, her eyes immediately filling with tears. "Arthur… it's beautiful."
"It suits you," he said, trying to smile. "It shines just like you do."
Jean watched silently, a small smile on her lips. Gaia, still nestled on Gwen's lap, tilted her head as if inspecting a rare artifact, but fell silent when she noticed the seriousness on Arthur's face.
"Can I put it on?" Arthur asked.
Gwen nodded. He moved around the sofa, fastened the chain around her neck, and let the sapphire rest on her collarbone. The stone emitted a soft, warm glow.
"Thank you," Gwen whispered. "I'll wear it every day."
"It's a promise," Arthur replied quietly, stepping back. "And I'll come back to take care of the rest."
Gaia cleared her throat, as if remembering she was on a stage. "Hmm, touching. But let's not pretend we forgot why we're here."
Alaya simply tilted her chin. "When you're ready, we'll continue."
Arthur returned to the armchair once more, his gaze lingering on the yellow glow over Gwen's chest for a moment.
---
Arthur blinked—or at least felt like he did.
A moment ago, he was in his living room, heart still racing from Gaia and Alaya's words. The next moment, everything around him had vanished.
There was no floor, no ceiling, no air. Only a dark, infinite void, vast enough to swallow his thoughts. The sensation was paradoxical: while his body felt as light as a feather, there was also a colossal weight holding him somewhere he could not comprehend.
"So… this is the Throne of Heroes?" he murmured. His voice echoed in all directions, returning multiplied, as if millions of versions of himself were repeating it.
Arthur felt something touch his soul. There was no pain, only a deep shiver, as if his entire being were stripped, examined, and recorded. Memories of his life began to pass through his mind: his childhood, his fears, his choices…
The images dissolved, absorbed by the void.
He then closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "No matter how much you search… I am still me."
The void fell silent, and then a golden symbol appeared beneath his feet, expanding like an infinite mandala. The feeling of belonging was immediate: Arthur was now a part of it, like a fragment added to an eternal library.
---
(End of Chapter)
A/N: Here's a brief explanation of how this situation worked—it might be a bit confusing, but I'm sure you'll understand.
Basically, Arthur already had a version of himself on the Throne of Heroes, but this version had neither his consciousness nor knowledge, almost an empty shell unable to be summoned.
What they did was send Arthur's consciousness into this empty shell, essentially recreating him as the heroic spirit Gilgamesh.
This way, he could be summoned for a Holy Grail War.
In turn, this action also made him eligible to be summoned by the Grail (maybe I'll do an arc in another Fate universe in the future; it would be funny to see Gilgamesh's reaction in FGO seeing himself).
But because of their actions, by altering the records of the Throne of Heroes and, consequently, the Holy Grail, he will be summoned as an Extra-class Servant.
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."