To become a king and a magician

Gilgamesh.

King Solomon.

(I encountered almost everyone on my first night... It seems Fuyuki City is indeed too small.)

21. Persecution, an endless cycle.

Although those who possess EX-level clairvoyance are aware of each other's existence, they are actually not very familiar with each other because they can block each other out.

If it weren't for this Holy Grail War, King Solomon, Gilgamesh, and Merry would probably never have met.

"Even I, the King of Magic, did not expect this to happen, and the Nightmare."

Gilgamesh's arrogance softened slightly in front of the two: "Leaving aside the nightmares, Magic King, your ability to manifest in the world is truly beyond my expectations. Has the almost desireless you finally developed your own selfish desires?"

"Perhaps."

King Solomon's answer was quite calm. Even though the person in front of him was the oldest king of mankind, a dream demon from another world, and a holy swordsman favored by Tsukihime, his expression and eyes did not change. Perhaps even his mood was the same.

He didn't think there was anything special about the people present.

Knowing that this was who he was, Gilgamesh was not angered by his rudeness. Instead, he turned to Natsukawa Torato on the other side: "Well, putting aside the King of Magic, your presence is somewhat unexpected for me. It's been ten years, hasn't it? Saber's Master—no, I should say you are the Holy Sword Wielder now."

"That little brat who couldn't even stand on his own two feet back then has grown quite a bit now."

"You flatter me, King Gilgamesh," Natsukawa Tiger laughed. "Ten years may be just a nap for you, but for me, ten years is a long time to experience. And after experiencing so much, it would be strange if I didn't grow at all, wouldn't it?"

“Of course, if you hadn’t changed at all compared to ten years ago, I would have been utterly disappointed!” Gilgamesh stared at Natsukawa Torata’s chest. “The seal on that beast seems to be in good condition. You can see that, can’t you, Magic King?”

Although Sajou Aika, sealed within Natsukawa Torata's body, was almost imperceptible within the seal, King Solomon could still sense a trace of her beastly aura. Without responding to Gilgamesh's words, he simply stepped forward and placed his hand on Natsukawa Torata's chest, causing one of the Ten Commandments to glow slightly.

【Huh? Wait a minute, wait a minute, this is—】

Sajou Aika's voice clearly sounded flustered.

After withdrawing his hand, King Solomon explained, "Perhaps I was overthinking it, but I just added another layer of seal on top of your original seal. In this way, even if your original seal fails unexpectedly, my seal can hold for a while."

"To seal a beast within your body that would require seven Grand Servants to defeat is truly remarkable. I hope my humble assistance can lighten your burden."

King Solomon was well aware of the danger posed by the beast; it was definitely not something that a single person could fight against. Judging from Gilgamesh's words, Natsukawa Torato had sealed her away for ten years.

In King Solomon's eyes, this was a feat that defied description.

however--

Solomon...you just wait and see. If I ever get out of here, the first thing I'll do is send you back to the Throne of Heroes. Even if the other six come together, they won't be able to stop me. Why did you have to meddle? I've only been restless twice in the last ten years, and I was immediately sent back. What use is your seal to me...?

Listening to the constant muttering in his mind, Natsukawa Tiger didn't know what to think for a moment. He could only smile wryly a few times before thanking him, "Thank you for your concern, Magic King."

"I'm glad I could help you. Although we were enemies during the Holy Grail War, I'm happy to contribute my strength in the face of a common enemy. Please continue to seal that beast away."

Having said this, King Solomon seemed unwilling to linger any longer, and quickly disappeared into the crowd after passing by Natsukawa Tiger.

Watching his departing figure, Artoria subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief: "The King of Magic... I didn't expect that Grand Magus would actually join the battle..."

"As enemies, he should be one of the two strongest in this Holy Grail War," Natsukawa Torara said, glancing at Gilgamesh before him. "As for the other one..."

“If you had placed me alongside other bastards in the past, I would have been dead by now. But since it is that magician, I will forgive your rudeness and impudence.”

Are you also committed to retrieving the Holy Grail this time?

“Of course.” Gilgamesh nodded. “Although it is not the Holy Grail in my treasury, as a treasure, it barely qualifies as something for me to collect. And as long as it is a treasure, I have no intention of letting others touch it—you are no different, Holy Sword Wielder.”

"Ten years ago in the Holy Grail War, you were eliminated before the middle stage, which was a real pity. But this time, there won't be such an unexpected situation."

Gilgamesh glanced at Natsukawa Torato and Artoria, and sneered, "Whether you have one Holy Sword Wielder or two, if you want the Holy Grail, try to defeat me first."

This is a provocation, a blatant provocation.

Even knowing that the Holy Grail might not grant her wish, Artoria, as a king and a knight, could not tolerate being provoked like this: "It seems you are very confident, Archer, but excessive confidence will lead you to the bitter pill of defeat."

"You mean you can do that, Saber?"

"of course."

With the sword sheath in hand, Artoria was confident she could fight even the Magic King.

Seeing Artoria's confident and certain demeanor, Gilgamesh burst into uncontrollable laughter, as if he had heard a hilarious joke: "Hahahaha! Good, very good! It's been a long time since I've been amused by someone else's words and actions like this. There's never a shortage of arrogant bastards in this world!"

"So, would you like to try it here, Saber?"

Golden ripples began to spread behind Gilgamesh. Although they hadn't fully unfolded yet, if he wanted to, there would probably already be several Noble Phantasms aimed at Artoria.

As for the people around him... Gilgamesh wouldn't care about such things.

However, at the very moment Gilgamesh attempted to open the treasure vault's doors, a chill suddenly surged into his heart, as if his body were being hollowed out and devoured, causing him to shiver violently.

With a slight push on the Demon Eye Killer, Natsukawa Tiger laughed, "King Gilgamesh, if you wish to start a war, we are happy to accept, but please be mindful of your surroundings. If you insist on fighting here, I don't mind making you leave on the very first night."

As he said this, Natsukawa Tora's gaze was fixed on Gilgamesh's elbow.

(The Demon Eye of the Soul Eater?)

Gilgamesh sneered: "So you've learned to threaten me, Holy Sword Wielder."

"Very well, my master has repeatedly warned me not to cause too much of a stir. It is a king's duty to be considerate of his subordinates. I'll give you face this time. But the crime of daring to threaten me must be dealt with properly."

"In that case, I do have a suggestion."

Mary, who hadn't uttered a sound since they met, suddenly jumped out.

"How about we settle this in the world of illusion?"

22. Fuyuki City is on the verge of destruction.

In the world of illusion, everything that happens within it is simply an illusion, and no matter how much damage is caused, it all disappears the moment the illusion is dispelled.

While the extent to which this can be achieved depends on the skill of the sorcerer, given Meryl's abilities, she should be able to neutralize it as long as Gilgamesh doesn't use Ea, or perform Moonfall and release the Holy Sword.

"Well, King of Heroes, is this solution acceptable?" Meryl asked with a smile. "That being said, you surely have a good idea of ​​the outcome, don't you?"

Gilgamesh frowned unhappily at Meryl's words, but he had to admit that there was some truth to them. Once the war started, Natsukawa Torato could remove his Mystic Eyes at any time, which would be fatal to him.

The treasure vault certainly contains Noble Phantasms to deal with this situation, but this encounter was unexpected, and he hadn't made any preparations. If he were to directly confront the enemy now, he would probably become the first Servant to be eliminated in the Holy Grail War.

Given Gilgamesh's pride, he probably wouldn't allow himself to leave on the first night. So the most likely scenario is that he'll find an excuse to retreat, even though that would be a bit embarrassing.

"Hahaha, trying to force me to back down with this? But do you think such a petty trick will work? Flower Magician." Gilgamesh sneered, then looked at Natsukawa Torato, "Holy Sword Wielder, the place where we fought our first battle ten years ago, I'll be waiting for you there. Come on if you're ready. This time I'll give you face."

The place where the first battle took place ten years ago?

A port on the coast.

(She really did choose a place full of memories for me.)

Watching Gilgamesh leave in the blink of an eye, Natsukawa Tora sighed slightly: "To have that golden Gilgamesh as our opponent on the first night, this opening ceremony is really too extravagant—can I trouble you, Saber?"

“No problem, please leave it to me, Master.” Artoria replied confidently, now in her best condition after having eaten.

"Just in case, I'll contact Grey and the others again. Although I'm confident of victory, it's good to have a backup plan in case something unexpected happens."

As he spoke, Natsukawa Tora took out his phone and sent a message to Grey.

.......

Meanwhile, on the other side, in the crowd.

What are you doing, Archer?

On Gilgamesh's shoulder, a grey starling was perched, and Lydel's complaining voice came from its beak.

On the surface, Lydel allows Gilgamesh to roam freely in Fuyuki City, but in reality, Lydel has been gathering intelligence through her familiars in order to keep track of the situation.

And now, after learning that Gilgamesh is going to fight Natsukawa Torato—

Are you sure you can win? Archer

"Are you looking down on me, witch?" Gilgamesh laughed. "Although that Holy Sword Wielder is troublesome in every way, as long as we are well prepared, defeating him is not difficult."

While the Soul-Eating Demon Eye may be considered a violation of the rules, it is still essentially a Demon Eye. To fully utilize its abilities, a Demon Eye is typically used for a one-time kill, which is one of its defining characteristics. Once its powers are revealed, it can be dealt with as long as one is well-prepared.

[Tiger's Mystic Eyes... I happen to have a few Mystic Eye Killers on hand. Although I think you might not need them, I'll ask anyway, would you like them?]

"Of course not. I have far superior products in my treasury. These inferior goods made by mere modern magicians are not even worthy of my use. You just need to keep an eye on the situation around the port and prevent anyone from interfering with me, witch."

"Of course I know, but if I'm attacked by other Masters or Servants, I'll immediately use a Command Seal, is that alright?"

"Yes, I grant permission."

After receiving Gilgamesh's approval, the gray starling that had been perched on his shoulder immediately flew away.

Lydel didn't think Gilgamesh would lose. Even though she knew Natsukawa Torama was strong, he was still human. A half-Servant couldn't possibly fight a true Servant, let alone Gilgamesh, who was considered the strongest Servant.

Merry said that something that would greatly affect Natsukawa Torato would happen in this Holy Grail War. If that's the case, then we should eliminate him from the beginning and remove him from the Holy Grail War so that he won't be affected. This is why Lydel only complained but didn't object to Gilgamesh's decision.

On the second floor of a Western-style house in Fukayama-cho, Lydia stood by the window, gazing towards the new capital.

"Although I don't know why you want to participate in the Holy Grail War, I'm sorry, Tiger, I will win this time."

"You've been on the run for five years, don't even think about continuing to wander outside this time."

————————————————————————————

at the same time.

On the rooftop of a building, standing on the edge of the terrace overlooking the new capital, Arcueid was intently sensing his own power with his eyes closed.

Because Natsukawa Torama possesses a portion of her power, once the location of that power is determined, Natsukawa Torama's location can be basically confirmed. Arcueid was planning to give him a surprise.

It has been more than four years since we last met in a parallel world. It's not easy for me to come out and have some fun in my original form. It's impossible for me not to miss him.

As for the Holy Grail War, it's just a side event for Arcueid. If she wanted to, she could end the Holy Grail War in one night, although Fuyuki City would probably disappear from the surface by then.

"Hmm... the direction is a bit blurry. We've got the general direction, but we'll only know the exact location once we get there. And the direction it's moving in... it's towards the sea. Should we head there now? Or—"

"Master, please be careful."

Okita Souji suddenly appeared behind Arcueid, holding his sword and cautiously watching the doorway not far away.

There's the aura of a Servant over there.

"I know. Also, you don't need to stand so far in front, Chief. I'll take over."

Arcueid jumped down from the edge of the rooftop, patted Okita Souji's cherry blossom hair, and then came in front of her.