Darkness.
Arthur couldn't see or feel anything around him.
He knew he was sitting on something, most likely a throne.
He had no idea how long he had been in that state—minutes? Hours? Days? Months or even years? He had no clue.
Suddenly, something stirred him, as if someone were calling out to him.
[Elements of silver and iron, foundation of stone, and archduke of pacts.]
[The color I present is black.]
[A wall to the four winds that descend, close the four sides of the gate.]
[Let the crown appear, let it traverse the three paths that lead to the kingdom.]
[Servant, swear loyalty to me, and my destiny shall be your sword.]
[If you hear the call of the Holy Grail and my will, answer me.]
[I swear, I will be the good in the world, and I shall overcome all evils.]
[Come from the seventh heaven and obey the command words, come to the circle of control, the guardian of balance!]
A chant of summoning echoed in his ears.
Suddenly, a golden magical circle formed beneath him, finally illuminating the darkness surrounding him.
A pillar of golden light rose from the circle, completely engulfing Arthur and the throne on which he sat.
As a vast amount of information was transferred directly into his mind, a deep hatred aimed at something he didn't even understand arose in his heart. Gradually, the pillar of golden light began to shrink.
Arthur slowly opened his eyes. For a moment, his sclera seemed as dark as pitch, but it returned to normal instantly. He saw the one who had summoned him:
A man with blond hair, wearing a suit.
Next to him lay the body of a green-haired woman, bleeding profusely.
Arthur crossed his legs, rested his head on his hand, and stared at the man, suppressing with all his might the hatred that seemed to consume his mind. The deep desire to kill the man before him surged in his thoughts.
---
Hyouma Sagara stared in shock at the man who appeared before him.
A chill ran down his spine the moment his eyes met the man's. The murderous intent he sensed from this man was terrifying.
He had expected to summon the London Assassin, Jack the Ripper!
But the man before him bore no resemblance to the legendary Jack the Ripper, aside from the intense murderous aura he had felt for a few seconds.
The man standing before Hyouma did not look like an Assassin-class Servant. On the contrary, his presence radiated brilliance, almost insolently.
He wore clothes that looked tailored for a desert king.
His torso was bare, revealing defined muscles and an arrogant posture that clearly indicated he was someone who had never bowed—and never would—to another.
His skin was tanned, and his hair had an ochre-orange hue.
[A/N: Ochre is a warm earthy tone, ranging between dark yellow, brown, and gold.]
He wore only a dark blue vest, open, with no intention of covering his chest.
On his legs, he wore wide crimson pants, embroidered with blue lines resembling flames, loose and split, revealing glimpses of his bronzed skin.
They were secured at the waist with an ornate golden belt, giving him a look that was both martial and regal, as if ready for both war and the throne.
On his feet were golden sandals adorned with curved designs, reinforcing the image of someone walking above ordinary men, like a lord over the land he tread.
On his head rested a peculiar adornment, a blend of a white turban, whose fabric ribbon swayed gently behind him, and a discreet blue crown resembling horns.
He was the antithesis of what Hyouma expected.
His figure exuded the authority, power, and sovereignty of a king—not the obscurity of an assassin.
Arthur, seated on the throne, spoke with abnormal coldness as he looked at Sagara.
"So, it was you who summoned me?"
Sagara swallowed hard, still unable to believe his eyes. The magical circle gradually faded, leaving only the cold moonlight streaming through the window and the suffocating presence of the blond man.
Sagara's heart pounded as his throat grew dry, but words escaped almost reflexively:
"Wh-who… who are you?"
Arthur, still reclining on the throne that had appeared with the ritual, lifted his gaze as if the question itself were almost an insult.
"Who I am?"
"That question is irrelevant. I have held countless titles throughout history, more than you could ever count."
"Humanity's Oldest King."
"King of Heroes."
Hyouma shivered.
He knew exactly to whom these titles belonged, making the situation even more nonsensical.
He had used Jack the Ripper's knives as the catalyst for this summoning, clearly intending to summon Jack the Ripper.
It made no sense that he had summoned this man instead.
"My name is Gilgamesh," Arthur said.
He was not lying—he was Arthur, but also Gilgamesh.
The silence that followed seemed to crush the air in the room. The name thundered in Hyouma's ears.
He had not summoned an Assassin, but the absolute sovereign of Uruk, the one the myths proclaimed as the oldest king, the first hero of humanity.
[A/N: Not literally the oldest, as his father was also a king.]
Sagara then activated his Master's Clairvoyance, directing it at the information panel of his newly summoned Servant, Gilgamesh.
This ability was one of the blessings granted by the bond with the Holy Grail: a mystical vision allowing a Master to comprehend, in moments, all the abilities and parameters of their Servant, translating that ocean of power into something intelligible to the human mind.
When the projection appeared before his eyes, Sagara nearly lost his breath.
---
Servant Information
Class: Avenger (Caster)
True Name: Gilgamesh
Parameters:
Strength: A
Endurance: A
Agility: A
Magic: EX
Luck: A
NP: EX
Class Skills:
Independent Action: A+
Item Construction (False): A
Territory Creation: A
Magic Resistance: A
Mana Self-Replenishment: B
Avenger: A
Personal Skills:
Return of the King: EX
Golden Rule: A
Charisma: A+
Sovereign of Magical Wands: EX
Enhanced Adaptability: A
Master of Martial Arts: EX
Spatial Manipulation: B → EX
Divinity: A+
Noble Phantasms:
Melammu Dingir (Anti-Army ~ Anti-Fortress): B → B+
Gate of Babylon (Anti-Unit): E ~ A++
Sha Naqba Imuru (Anti-Unit): EX
Heroic Ruin (Anti-Unit): B
---
Sagara froze in front of this information. It was as if he had found the ultimate prize of a lifetime dedicated to magic.
"I… hit the jackpot…" he murmured, almost in a trance, feeling a wave of ecstasy course through his body. With this Servant, victory was not just a distant possibility—it was an inevitable certainty.
Gilgamesh arched an eyebrow. His ruby eyes gleamed with boredom.
"Jackpot?" His voice carried amusement.
"You ignorant fool. You never had, and will never have, anything even close to such fortune in your miserable life."
He laughed, arrogance and superiority dripping from his tone, as if the room itself should bow to his presence.
Then, with a nearly careless gesture, he rose from his throne and approached the fallen woman near Sagara.
"What are you going to do, King?" Sagara asked cautiously.
"Heal her. I detest meaningless, trivial deaths. A common life does not deserve to be taken merely for getting too close to a war beyond their comprehension," he replied.
With that, his stone tablet appeared in his hands, and in moments, the woman's body was fully restored.
But Gilgamesh did not stop.
He approached her, placed a finger on her forehead, and murmured incomprehensible words. His royal aura expanded, and he manipulated the mortal's memories, erasing any fragment related to the war, the magi, and even her vision of this encounter.
"Do not kill ordinary people, Sagara," he said without even looking back. "The only deaths worth noting are those that can elevate my stage."
Sagara pressed his lips, irritated by the imposition, but did not dare confront him.
"I understand. I will not recklessly kill ordinary people anymore."
"Good." Gilgamesh laughed. "Perhaps I was not summoned by a complete idiot, after all."
After ensuring the woman was safe, he stepped back and discreetly stored Jack the Ripper's daggers, which had been used as catalysts, in his Gate of Babylon.
As they walked, Sagara broke the silence:
"King… can you tell me what kind of class Avenger is? I've never heard of it."
"Avenger is an Extra class. Servants of this class are driven by vengeance that persists even after death."
"You harbor such deep hatred for someone? Will you tell me who the target is?" Sagara asked.
"I do not know… I only know I hate them from the depths of my soul…" Gilgamesh replied.
Sagara swallowed, but before he could speak, Gilgamesh continued:
"Now, enough of these trifles. Bring me appropriate clothing. I do not intend to walk among humans in garments that betray my nature."
"Understood!" Sagara responded promptly.
'I never imagined I'd be able to summon Gilgamesh…' he thought, barely containing his excitement.
Watching the sovereign walk ahead of him, he already considered himself the winner of the Holy Grail War.
---
The next day.
"Master, where is the Heroic Spirit you summoned?" A calm female voice echoed from inside the car. She wore a simple dark suit and kept her eyes fixed on the road.
"He is nearby," Sagara replied calmly, as if there were nothing extraordinary about his statement.
"Is that so?" The woman raised an eyebrow, a faint tone of doubt in her voice.
Sitting comfortably in the back seat, Sagara glanced at the landscape beyond the window. For a moment, he observed the city still awake under the soft morning light, as if a curtain were about to rise on a stage of war. Then he turned to the driver and, almost unconsciously, let out a brief smile.
The Holy Grail War was about to begin.
---
(End of Chapter)
A/N: His parameters are quite unbalanced.
I placed "Caster" in parentheses to show that Sagara couldn't see them.
For those unfamiliar with Avenger-class abilities:
Avenger: A Class Skill representing the state of an Avenger, accumulating hatred and resentment from others into power for the Servant.
Mana Self-Replenishment: A Class Skill of the Avenger class. The Servant's magical energy increases infinitely until the vengeance is fulfilled, recovering a tiny amount of magical energy each turn.
A/N: Let me know if you notice anything wrong or if I can improve it. I was thinking of giving him a colder personality, while still keeping it similar to his normal personality. Also, I might refer to him as Gilgamesh or Arthur depending on the situation.
"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."