"So, whose idea was it to follow me?"
Yuto smiled at the three girls from beside the vending machine, positioning himself so that his body blocked them from everyone else's view.
"Um..."
All three mumbled awkwardly, but none offered a clear answer.
Yuto's gaze moved between Tohru and Kanna.
He could already make a reasonable guess. Rias was far too sensible to suggest something like secretly following him.
That left only the two dragons.
"Kanna. Tohru. Which one of you came up with it?"
His voice remained soft and calm, but both girls immediately began to panic.
"Lady Tohru missed Kamisaka, so she forced Rias and me to follow him."
Kanna betrayed her without hesitation.
She looked up at Yuto with wide, innocent eyes, her expression so sincere and vulnerable that anyone who did not know her might have believed every word.
Yuto turned toward Tohru.
The dragon girl looked both furious and wronged. She glared at Kanna for a moment before finally lowering her head.
"I'm sorry, Boss..."
Yuto had already noticed her expression and the resentful look she had given Kanna.
He glanced at the little girl again and sighed inwardly.
The truth was obvious.
"I really don't know what to do with the two of you."
Yuto shook his head.
His tone did not sound especially angry, and both dragons immediately relaxed.
Apparently, this was not going to be a serious punishment.
Then Yuto continued.
"Tohru, you won't be getting your four dishes tonight."
All the color drained from her face.
Yuto had promised to prepare four dishes for her every evening, and Tohru treasured that arrangement more than almost anything else.
Ever since his cooking had spoiled her palate, ordinary food no longer seemed satisfying.
Those four nightly dishes had become the highlight of her day.
And now they were gone.
Tohru's spirit nearly left her body.
Kanna quietly released a breath of relief beside her.
At least she had escaped—
"Kanna, your teacher told me you haven't been paying attention in math lately. I think I'll buy you two practice workbooks on the way home."
Kanna's face immediately turned gray as well.
She opened her mouth, clearly wanting to defend herself, but the moment she saw Yuto's smile, she understood.
He had already seen through everything.
Any excuse would be useless.
Ignoring the two dragons, who now looked as though their souls had departed, Yuto turned toward Rias.
"Sorry. The dragons in my household can be a little mischievous."
He gave her an apologetic smile.
Rias did not seem bothered in the slightest.
If anything, she had found the whole experience strangely entertaining.
Once Tohru and Kanna had been properly disciplined, Yuto led the three girls over to Megumi. He was carrying a bag filled with drinks and handed the surprised girl a bottle of orange juice.
"Kamisaka-kun... what is going on?"
"Sorry, Katou. I'll explain in a moment. For now, do you think we can still buy three more tickets?"
Megumi looked from Tohru to Kanna and then Rias.
After a brief hesitation, she nodded.
At this point, Megumi Katou was thoroughly confused.
The day seemed to have gone completely off course.
While Yuto went to buy the additional tickets, a battle was about to begin in another world.
A conflict that would overturn the course of legend itself.
Humanity's greatest hero and Humanity's oldest king.
Two blazing stars whose names had shone through countless myths and epics were about to collide.
...
The outskirts of Fuyuki City.
Einzbern Castle.
Only moments earlier, the sky had been clear and the courtyard warm and peaceful.
Then a thunderous crash tore through the silence.
...
Three minutes earlier—
Inside the luxurious castle, Illya sat drinking tea while her two maids attended to her.
"Sella, Leysritt, thank you."
"There is no need to thank us, Lady Illya. Serving you is our duty."
The three chatted pleasantly together.
Their side currently held the advantage in the Holy Grail War, so they had every reason to be in good spirits.
None of them noticed the shadow descending rapidly toward the courtyard beyond the wall.
It grew larger with every second, accompanied by a sharp whistle as it tore through the air.
An instant later, it slammed into the center of the courtyard.
Dust exploded in every direction.
Two figures rushed into the cloud almost immediately.
Sella and Leysritt were homunculi, but their abilities went far beyond their beautiful appearances. Both possessed considerable combat strength.
Leysritt drew a massive weapon resembling a halberd and aimed it toward the shape lying at the center of the settling dust.
"Who are you?!"
The maid's voice rang out sharply.
The intruder did not answer.
Only after the dust cleared did they see him properly.
His body was covered in wounds, blood soaked his clothes, and he had already fallen unconscious.
The maids relaxed slightly in surprise.
Then an impossibly arrogant voice sounded from above.
They immediately raised their heads.
A blond man stood on the castle roof.
He possessed a handsome face and a posture overflowing with natural pride.
Despite wearing nothing more elaborate than a jacket and black trousers, the majesty of a king could not be hidden.
He had been born to rule.
The king who stood at the very beginning of human history.
Gilgamesh.
The most arrogant tyrant of all.
"Oh? Homunculi?" His lips curved into a mocking smile as he looked down at Sella and Leysritt.
"Humans truly enjoy wasting their efforts on such pointless creations."
His gaze held nothing but contempt.
"If you wish to live, run."
The hostility in his voice made further questions unnecessary.
Sella tightened her grip on her weapon, kicked off the ground, and launched herself toward him.
If he was an enemy, she would kill him.
"Hmph. You possess enough courage to charge at me?" Gilgamesh sneered. "What an obstinate fool. Very well. This king shall grant you a magnificent death."
A golden ripple spread through the air beside him.
A sword shot out.
It passed cleanly through Sella's right arm, severing the limb that held her weapon.
Her pale arm struck the ground amid a spray of blood.
Shock and terror covered her face, but before she could even scream, Gilgamesh attacked again.
He had no intention of wasting time as the Gate of Babylon opened behind him.
More than a dozen weapons tore through Sella's body.
Blood sprayed across the courtyard as blades and spears ripped through her from every direction.
She dropped to her knees, weapons of different shapes and lengths protruding from her body.
Her blood spread across the white stone, erasing every trace of the courtyard's former peace.
Tap.
Gilgamesh landed lightly on the ground.
He looked down at Sella's corpse without the slightest emotion.
"Magi truly never learn. Granting personalities to mere tools..." He shook his head faintly. "In the end, humans will never repay such pure devotion."
He casually raised one hand.
The Gate of Babylon opened again.
This time, the weapons aimed at Leysritt, who had already prepared to attack.
A moment later, another life was cut short.
The gap between them was simply too great.
Neither maid had even been given enough time to understand what was happening.
"What a useless Master. Get out of my sight!"
Gilgamesh kicked the unconscious man who had fallen into the courtyard, sending him crashing across the stone.
To him, a Master was nothing more than a servant who had forgotten his place.
Boom!
One of the castle walls exploded.
A gigantic figure smashed through it, cradling Illya protectively in his massive arms.
The moment Gilgamesh saw him, genuine appreciation entered his smile.
Then his gaze shifted toward Illya, and the contempt returned.
"So you are the doll meant to serve as the Holy Grail's vessel. A fusion of homunculus and human..." Gilgamesh gave a disdainful laugh.
"Magi truly do create the most absurd things."
Illya stared at the fallen maids.
Her entire body began trembling.
"You... You killed both of them..."
Grief twisted into rage across her face.
"Kill him! Kill him right now, Berserker!"
The giant answered her fury.
Berserker stomped down, shattering the floor beneath his feet as the terrifying presence of a savage beast erupted from his body.
"Hmph. Yes, that is more like it!"
Gilgamesh's smile widened.
"Come, great hero. If you are to be my opponent, perhaps you can finally relieve this king's boredom. Let the clash of legends be reenacted here!"
"ROAAAR!"
A bestial howl shook the castle grounds.
Gilgamesh's smile twisted with mild displeasure.
How could a mindless beast be considered worthy of him?
Berserker gently placed Illya behind him.
Even after losing his reason, protecting her remained an instinct carved into his soul.
His huge hand tightened around the heavy black stone blade he carried.
Then, in the space between one heartbeat and the next, he exploded forward.
Like the Nemean Lion of legend, Berserker charged directly at the King of Heroes.
Gilgamesh met that ferocity with perfect calm.
Both hands remained inside his pockets as countless golden portals opened behind him.
The next instant, weapons that others would have worshipped as sacred treasures poured toward Berserker in a violent storm.
Shhk! Shhk!
Blades and spears pierced his body one after another.
Blood flowed from countless wounds, and all signs of life vanished from him as though he had died instantly.
Even so, Gilgamesh did not let down his guard.
He simply watched and waited.
"ROAAAR!"
A fiercer roar shook the courtyard.
Berserker rose from death.
Every wound across his body disappeared, and his presence returned at full strength.
Gilgamesh's grin widened.
Now he was beginning to enjoy himself.
"I have seen heroes remain standing after being burned alive or torn apart, but I never expected to meet one who could truly return from death."
His eyes shone with interest.
"Your Noble Phantasm must be the crystallization of the legend you forged in life. A treasure even my vault does not possess."
His smile faded slightly.
"Does that mean this king has been placed at a disadvantage? How irritating."
More golden portals opened.
"It appears only the highest-grade weapons will be sufficient against you."
This time, weapons celebrated throughout countless myths emerged from the Gate of Babylon.
They flew toward Berserker in a devastating barrage, only to be knocked aside by the relentless swings of his massive stone blade.
Gilgamesh continued speaking throughout the clash.
"Heracles overcame the Twelve Labors and was ultimately welcomed among the gods. It is a legend of unbreakable perseverance—the very limit of what humanity can endure."
He spread one arm toward the portals behind him.
"My treasury is its exact opposite."
"It represents limitless accumulation. As you can see, I possess every weapon required to kill a hero."
His gaze shifted toward Illya.
"Your little game of protecting that child ends here, Heracles. Unless you begin fighting seriously, you will soon exhaust every life granted by God Hand: The Twelve Labors."
Contempt filled his expression.
Illya's small body trembled, but she clenched her fists and shouted with all her strength.
"Berserker won't lose! He's the strongest in the whole world!"
"ROAAAR!"
Wind exploded outward with Berserker's roar.
The maddened great hero charged through the endless rain of Noble Phantasms toward the arrogant king.
For a moment, Gilgamesh fell silent.
The Gate of Babylon continued firing, yet the sight reminded him of another battle.
The bridge ten years ago.
Iskandar, the peerless King of Conquerors, had charged toward certain death in much the same way.
Whoosh!
A weapon suddenly flew toward Illya.
Berserker abandoned his charge without hesitation and rushed back to her side. He swung his stone blade and knocked the weapon away.
Clang!
The impact rang through the courtyard.
Gilgamesh's voice followed.
"It appears that child is preventing you from displaying your true strength."
The bombardment stopped.
"Out of pity, this king shall offer one final warning. Unless you abandon that useless burden, defeat is the only fate awaiting you."
Illya answered by climbing onto Berserker's back.
No words were necessary.
That single action declared their decision.
Gilgamesh sneered and waved one hand.
The Gate of Babylon resumed its assault.
With Illya clinging to his back, Berserker retreated into the castle.
The open courtyard placed him at too great a disadvantage. Inside, the narrow halls might provide at least some protection.
"Oh? Have you finally begun scurrying away like a frightened rat?"
Gilgamesh vanished in a flash and reappeared inside the castle.
Within its magnificent halls, humanity's oldest king faced humanity's most famous hero.
Under the brilliant chandeliers, the scene looked almost like something from a dream.
Then golden light tore the illusion apart.
Hum. Hum. Hum.
Countless golden ripples filled the hall.
The battle resumed.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Weapons collided in a deafening storm.
Surrounded by the golden glow reflected from countless Noble Phantasms, the most arrogant king beneath heaven laughed with unrestrained delight.
Berserker carried Illya while desperately evading the weapons flying toward them.
Protecting her restricted his movements too severely.
Again and again, blades pierced his body.
---------
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