Did the Heroic Spirit I conquered become a reality?

Before Gilgamesh could speak, he continued, "But if humanity is truly destroyed and this world becomes a wasteland, even if she and I are still alive, we probably won't be able to continue living in this world where 'life' no longer exists."

His answer cleverly avoided the "either/or" trap, connecting Tiamat's "existence" with "human reason" in a realistic and cruel way.

It's not for lofty human principles, but for the most basic... survival.

For his and Tiamat's survival.

Gilgamesh listened, a complex light flashing in his crimson eyes. He seemed somewhat surprised by the answer, yet also felt that it made sense.

He leaned back on the throne, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest.

"So, what do you intend to do?" Gilgamesh's voice rang out from above the throne. "Since you want to preserve both, what's your plan?"

Faced with this question, Tohsaka Yu shook his head frankly, even showing a helpless bitter smile on his face.

"do not know."

This answer is simple and direct, yet it is filled with a sense of powerlessness.

Upon hearing this, Gilgamesh finally couldn't help but let out a sneer, a laugh filled with undisguised mockery and contempt.

"Ha... So after all this talk, you don't know anything at all, and you have no idea what the future holds."

He looked down at Tohsaka Yu, his eyes like those of someone looking at a presumptuous child: "You have a seemingly firm resolve, but you lack the wisdom and strategy to match it, and you don't even know where you should go next... Tohsaka Yu, your so-called 'everything is important' is nothing but the nonsense of a fool."

The king's aura intensified once more, as if to utterly crush the boy's seemingly unwavering will.

However, despite Gilgamesh's merciless ridicule and denial, Tohsaka Yu did not back down or waver this time.

Under the cold gaze of the King of Heroes, Tohsaka Yu slowly raised her head.

Those dark eyes no longer held the previous calm or helplessness; instead, they held an indescribable brilliance.

"King of Heroes..."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached Gilgamesh's ears clearly, "Perhaps I really don't know what the future will be like... but you—you should have seen everything about the future a very, very long time ago, right?"

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in Gilgamesh's ears!

Gilgamesh on the throne remained silent, but his tapping on the armrest abruptly stopped.

Yes, as the oldest hero king, and as a Quasi-Grand Caster with the highest-level Ex-rank "Clairvoyance," Gilgamesh possesses the ability to see the past and future.

From the very beginning of his arrival in this era, he had already foreseen the end of Uruk, the crisis of humanity, and the inevitable final calamity known as Tiamat.

Even so, he never gave up. Instead, he chose to stay in this era destined for destruction, to take on the responsibility of a king, and to use all his wisdom and strength to resist the predetermined "future."

This hero king firmly believed that as long as he stood there, and as long as the people of Uruk continued to fight, the so-called "fate" was by no means unchangeable.

As Yu Tohsaka gazed at the silent figure on the throne, his smile grew even brighter.

He stepped forward, meeting the Golden King's incomparably majestic gaze, and spoke again: "Then, I would like to ask you another question."

"My King... now that you have seen me and 'Mother,' can your eyes, which once foresaw the future, still see the so-called predetermined future of this world as clearly as before?!"

silence.

Gilgamesh, seated on his throne, stared intently at the boy below the steps who dared to question his omniscience and omnipotence with his crimson eyes.

The air inside the hall seemed to freeze, and even the flames dancing in the brazier seemed to pause for a moment.

Merlin, who had been spying all along, almost instinctively held his breath and breathed only through his gills, feeling that the situation was becoming increasingly dire.

However, to Merlin's surprise, Gilgamesh did not immediately unleash his thunderous rage.

He simply stared intently and imposingly at Tohsaka Yu, and this was the first time he had truly 'faced' the boy since Tohsaka Yu stepped into the palace.

He slowly stood up and walked down the stairs step by step.

The king's aura was almost overwhelming. Tiamat, who was outside the door, almost tried to rush into the hall, but was stopped by a look from Yu Tohsaka.

He turned and looked at the Hero King who had walked up to him.

It must be said that this man's charisma in 'Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia' is truly off the charts. He is not the 'chuunibyou Gilgamesh' from the Holy Grail War, but a true 'wise king'.

After a long while, the taut lines on the face of this ancient king suddenly relaxed, and a faint smile even appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"You're very smart... or rather, you're really perceptive."

Gilgamesh spoke slowly, his voice regaining its previous composure: "However, what you just said is not entirely without merit."

“Your appearance, and ‘Mother’... this unusual movement has indeed blurred the clear future that I had originally seen.”

This was the first time he had indirectly admitted to an outsider that his omnipotent clairvoyance had encountered an "unfathomable" fog.

"But this does not mean that I have lost control."

Gilgamesh abruptly changed the subject, his eyes gleaming with absolute confidence and light, "On the contrary, the unpredictable future is all the more valuable for me to 'judge'!"

He slowly spoke, "Tohsaka Yu, your existence, and your connection with 'Mother,' is indeed a huge variable. But I, the King, allow this variable to exist."

"You and Tiamat can stay in Uruk... I also want to see with my own eyes what kind of changes you, this 'unknown,' will bring to this era and to humanity."

This is not an alliance, but more like a 'recognition' based on absolute confidence.

Even knowing the dangers of Tiamat's existence, he still chose a path he had never considered before.

Upon hearing this, Tohsaka Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief, but did not completely let her guard down.

After all, they are not currently allied; they have only temporarily gained Gilgamesh's 'recognition'.

Gilgamesh stopped looking at Tohsaka Yu and raised his head, finally fixing his gaze on the figure at the entrance of the hall.

As if traversing a distant river of history, the gazes of this oldest hero king of mankind and the creator goddess who gave birth to all gods and all things truly met.

Looking at the figure standing quietly at the palace entrance, tilting its head and gazing back at it with those pure, flawless ruby ​​eyes, Gilgamesh's feelings quickly became somewhat complicated...

Tiamat... Although depicted in mythology as a chaotic beast that brings destruction and is branded with the name of 'human evil', Gilgamesh, through his clairvoyance, glimpsed, to some extent, her more ancient reality before she was banished to the imaginary world.

She was a primal and pure maternal deity who acted solely according to her instincts.

She may possess terrifying strength, but her mind is, to some extent, quite simple.

When he first heard Merlin report on the "convenient" magical connection between her and Tohsaka Yu, he was shocked, but he still thought it was probably just a "mother's" instinctive curiosity and maternal instinct towards the first human who was not afraid of her, a simple feeling similar to "adopting" a special "child".

Judging from Tiamat's attitude just now, and even the dependence she showed on Tohsaka Yu...

This feeling... it seems like it's gotten a little distorted...?

........

Volume 1: Chapter 21 The Date with Tiamat (Two Volumes Combined)

Inside the hall, the heavy pressure from the silent confrontation still lingered in the air, along with the complex, subtle, and indescribable long silence that Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, held as he gazed towards the palace gates.

Finally, Gilgamesh withdrew his gaze and stopped looking at the Mother Goddess who was "secretly observing" at the temple entrance.

He waved his hand, signaling Merlin to handle the aftermath.

"Merlin, take them to the guest rooms in the side hall to rest. No one is to disturb them without my order."

His tone regained its usual authority, but it seemed to have lost some of its previous sharpness and gained a more unfathomable depth.

"I'll do it right now!"

Merlin bowed and accepted the order. He was eager to settle the two people in as soon as possible, and then find a quiet place to calm down and process the series of events that had happened today, which were enough to overturn his worldview.

He walked up to Tohsaka Yu and Tiamat, his professional smile returning to his face: "Lord Tohsaka Yu, Goddess Tiamat, this way please. I have arranged accommodations for you both."

Yu Tohsaka nodded and gently tugged at Tiamat, who was still curiously observing Gilgamesh.

Tiamat gave a soft "Aaa," obediently averting her gaze, and once again tightened her grip on Tohsaka Yu's hand, following Merlin as they left the imposing and oppressive hall.

Gilgamesh stood alone on the high steps of the throne, watching the two figures depart. His crimson eyes flickered with uncertain light as he fell into deep thought.

How much will this era change because of the arrival of this stranger...?

Even Gilgamesh couldn't help but think this at this moment.

……

Meanwhile, on the way to their guest room with Merlin, Yu Tohsaka and Tiamat were being led by Merlin when a figure, like a shadow in the night, silently infiltrated the heavily guarded Uruk Palace.

Ereshkigal concealed her presence, carefully avoiding the patrolling guards and the protective barriers set up by the court magicians.

Her heart was filled with worry and anxiety.

That idiot actually dared to go see Gilgamesh alone?! Does he even know how dangerous that place is?!

What if he says something he shouldn't, or angers the king...

Eresh grew increasingly uneasy. Although she said she was just "keeping an eye on things," she still sneaked into the depths of the palace.

With her keen sense of divine power, she quickly located the general direction of Merlin and Tohsaka Yu's presence—the royal palace hall.

However, just as Ellie cautiously approached, she discovered that the conversation in the hall had already ended.

She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not choose to barge in directly. Instead, she found Siduri, the female official who happened to be coming out of the side hall.

"Ai Lei...sir?"

Upon seeing the suddenly appearing goddess of the underworld, Siduri's eyes flashed with surprise, but she quickly regained her composure and bowed respectfully, "What brings you here?"

"I just happened to be passing by and sensed some unusual fluctuations from the temple, so I came to take a look."

Aileen explained somewhat awkwardly, then casually asked, "Did anything happen at the palace just now?"

Siduri, being so intelligent, immediately understood the goddess's purpose. She smiled slightly and said, "Yes, the king recently summoned that guest from another world, and Lord Merlin is now leading him and his companions to their rooms to rest."

"Is he alright?" Ellie asked instinctively.

“Yes, Your Majesty, please rest assured,” Siduri replied. “The King seems quite interested in him and has kept him in the palace for the time being without causing him any trouble.”

Hearing this answer, Ai Lei finally felt relieved, but she still maintained a cool expression and nodded: "In that case, I'll go back first."

After saying this, she turned and quietly left the palace without waiting for Siduri's response.

Although she's unharmed, she still needs to carefully consider how to handle this tricky situation and how to "fulfill" her promise to the boy to "monitor the alliance's movements"...

……

Meanwhile, on the other side.

After leading Yu Tohsaka and Tiamat to a rather elegant and comfortable guest room, Merlin tactfully took his leave.

Yu Tohsaka sat on the edge of the bed, feeling the gradually calming, or rather, surging, magical power within her body, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

What happened today was more exciting and bizarre than the entire past ten years of his life combined.

Tiamat sat quietly beside him. Seeing that he seemed to be alright, her red eyes, which always carried a hint of worry, finally relaxed completely, revealing a relieved expression.

"Thank you so much for today," Yu Tohsaka said sincerely.

Whether facing Kingu in the Temple of Ishtar or Gilgamesh in the Great Hall just now, he would probably have felt a lot of pressure if it weren't for Tiamat's presence.

Tiamat shook her head slightly and wrote in her notebook: "We are companions."

Yu Tohsaka smiled. After experiencing so much, his feelings for this creator goddess had become increasingly complex, including awe, gratitude, sympathy, and also a... indescribable sense of closeness.

"In any case, we've managed to stabilize the situation for now. King Gilgamesh agreed to observe first and didn't immediately become our enemy, which is a positive development," Yu Tohsaka said with a hint of relief.

Tiamat nodded slightly upon hearing this. For her, being able to stay with Yuu without being disturbed seemed to be the best outcome.

But as if she had thought of something, a hint of sadness quickly appeared in her eyes, and she lowered her head.

"But everyone seems...afraid of me."

She recalled the undisguised fear and tension in the eyes of the guards and officials when she entered the palace earlier that day.

Even though she did nothing, and even though she tried her best to act like an ordinary human girl, the essence of the "Beast" and the aura of the "Creator Goddess" within her still made mortals tremble from the depths of their souls.

Yu Tohsaka silently watched the woman with a disappointed look on her face, without saying a word.

In fact, when he first met Tiamat, he was also 'afraid' or even 'terrified', after all... Tiamat's power can be described as extremely cruel and violent, and looking at all the beasts that hinder human reason, she can definitely be ranked in the top two.

"what's on your mind?"

Noticing the complexity in the boy's eyes, Tiamat suddenly asked.

Yu Tohsaka's face softened, and he said in a low voice, "Actually, it's not just them; as a magician, I am also terrified of you."

Tiamat stared blankly at Tohsaka Yu, her once gentle and bright red eyes seeming to have dimmed considerably.

"But in front of you, I am not a magician, but merely a child named Tohsaka Yu."

At this moment, Yu Tohsaka revealed a bright smile: "So, I like you very much."