The moment Gilgamesh and Arthur met and began their battle at Ryūdō Temple—
BOOM!
Inside the mountain where the Greater Grail rested, a colossal shockwave erupted through the rock, causing the entire Mount Enzou to tremble violently.
The magical structures engraved into the walls quivered as if they were on the verge of collapse.
Kiritsugu and Kirei, who were still locked in their deadly battle within that underground space, were both thrown to the ground by the sheer force of the quake.
Both were already gravely wounded and barely able to stand.
And yet, neither had retreated until now.
What happened?!
Kiritsugu frowned deeply as he tried to regain his balance.
His physical condition had improved significantly thanks to the automatic regeneration provided by the sheath embedded within his body. Broken bones were mending, torn muscles were slowly closing, and the constant pain was continuously pushed back by Avalon's miraculous healing.
Breathing heavily, he slowly rose, supporting himself with one hand against the blood-red stone platform beside him.
But Kirei, who had also been knocked down, did not get back up.
Because the terrible injuries he had suffered were far too severe—even for him.
His body was covered in blood.
And yet, his eyes remained open, fixed on Kiritsugu.
"Kiritsugu… Emiya…"
Kirei spoke his name with extreme difficulty, his voice hoarse and heavy, as if each syllable required effort.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"..."
Kiritsugu did not respond.
Without saying a single word, supporting himself with only one arm and sheer willpower, he slowly walked toward Kirei.
His footsteps echoed coldly in the underground space.
Without hesitation, he raised the weapon he had managed to retrieve.
He pointed it at the priest's forehead—
And pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The gunshot echoed like a final verdict.
Kirei's head fell to the side.
His body went still.
That was the end of the priest's life.
But before his existence fully faded, all the Command Seals engraved on his arms silently disappeared.
As if they were the continuation of a soul that had never found satisfaction.
In the final moment between life and death, something akin to a thought crossed his fading consciousness.
King Gilgamesh… may the world be as you desire…
---
Almost at the exact moment Kirei died—
Gilgamesh immediately felt a colossal surge of magical energy flooding into his body.
It was overwhelming, violent, and invigorating.
It not only instantly healed all the injuries he had just sustained, but also elevated every one of his attributes to their highest level since his summoning.
His entire body pulsed with power.
A Servant's combat ability depends largely on the magical energy supplied by their Master—a fundamental limitation that defines their limits.
"That man… hm." he murmured as he slowly stood up, feeling the flow of power coursing through his veins.
"So this is how he chooses to act?"
Even though his wounds had completely regenerated, the marks left on his golden armor from the previous attack remained.
His armor, unable to withstand the accumulated strain—
Began to fall apart.
Golden fragments broke off from his body and dropped.
But before they could even touch the ground, they disintegrated into particles of light and vanished.
Piece by piece, his protection disappeared.
"Come!" Gilgamesh spread his arms as if embracing fate itself. "Now it is time for the true banquet!"
Even without a Master, thanks to his Independent Action skill, he could still remain in this world for a long time.
And beyond that, he had received one final gift from Kirei.
A final push toward the peak of his power.
"Very well," Arthur replied.
In the next instant, he vanished.
And reappeared directly in front of Gilgamesh.
But Gilgamesh, having learned from his previous mistake, would not allow Arthur—whose close combat ability was clearly superior—to approach so freely again.
Golden ripples opened rapidly before him.
Multiple shields emerged, stacking one over another.
Forming an absolute barrier.
BANG!!!
Arthur's fist collided with the first shield—and shattered it instantly.
His punch broke through each shield, one after another.
Until, with a single seemingly simple strike, Arthur pierced through all seven Noble Phantasm shields.
He then hovered in the air, staring at Gilgamesh from a distance.
"So you've finally decided to drop your arrogance and fight seriously?" Arthur asked.
What kind of monster is this…?
For a brief moment, even Gilgamesh was speechless.
Even for someone like him, this was beyond reason.
And yet, his interest only grew stronger.
Unable to contain the curiosity boiling within him, he activated his clairvoyance.
And then—he saw.
---
Name: Gilgamesh / Arthur Morgan
Strength: A
Agility: A
Endurance: B
Mana: EX
Luck: A
Noble Phantasm: EX
---
For a moment, Gilgamesh remained silent.
Even for him, it was difficult to comprehend just how monstrous that man had been in life—every single attribute was absurdly high.
Then, a smile began to form on his face.
Now he was absolutely certain.
Before, he had refused to accept it.
But now, there was no longer any doubt.
Without question, that man and he… were truly the same person.
"Finally…" Gilgamesh murmured.
Then he raised his voice.
"Finally, a worthy opponent!"
"Our battle will be more than legendary!!"
Golden ripples appeared behind him and quickly covered the sky.
And a storm of weapons was unleashed toward Arthur.
It was the first time since his battle against Enkidu that Gilgamesh was willing to fight someone with his full power.
Arthur smiled.
He, too, was excited.
Obviously, he could have defeated Gilgamesh long ago—but he chose not to.
It's not every day that one gets the chance to fight oneself.
Golden ripples appeared around him as well and fired in response.
The sky was filled with golden light.
Explosions echoed continuously as weapons collided and detonated.
"Very good, Goldie!" Arthur declared enthusiastically. "Let me introduce myself again!"
He raised his voice.
"My name is Arthur Morgan. But I am also Gilgamesh!"
"The ruler of Uruk—and the one who witnessed the end of the Age of Gods!"
"Hahahaha!! Excellent!! Very good!! That's exactly how it should be!!"
Gilgamesh laughed loudly, completely consumed by excitement.
A crimson tornado began to form around him.
"My other self—" he roared. "This will be the final strike of the night!"
He raised EA toward the sky.
"Let us decide who is superior at once!"
His voice carried absolute authority.
"I speak of genesis—"
"The elements converge, coalesce, and bring forth the star that weaves creation itself!"
"Bow before death!"
Arthur raised his own EA.
His expression turned serious.
"You'd better use your full strength…" he said calmly. "Or you will be annihilated."
Then his voice echoed as well.
"I will show you the power of the heavens."
The space around him began to collapse.
"Now fight to survive until the end!"
"Offer your life in tribute!"
"ENUMA ELISH!" x2
Both attacks were released at full power at the same time.
BOOM—
The collision was indescribable.
Two forces capable of erasing reality itself clashed—and the pocket dimension created by Arthur simply could not withstand it.
It shattered.
And both were thrown back into reality.
The explosion illuminated everything.
A crimson light so intense it seemed to tear the sky apart.
---
Ryūdō Temple
After killing Kirei, Kiritsugu quickly left the mountainside where the Greater Grail was located and reunited with Artoria.
"I-Is that… Arthur and Gilgamesh?!"
He stared, stunned, at the absurd battle unfolding before his eyes.
It was beyond any human standard.
Placing a hand on his chest, he murmured:
"Could… Avalon really withstand something like this…?"
Doubt gnawed at him.
Having never witnessed Avalon's true potential—
He could no longer be certain of anything.
"Lancer… what exactly happened here?"
He turned to Artoria.
She stood with her arms crossed, her gaze fixed on the battle.
"Arthur and Gilgamesh are fighting," she replied coldly. "Nothing more."
She didn't like Kiritsugu—she never had.
But now, there was something beyond mere disdain.
The fact that he had abandoned Irisviel, that he treated everything as a tool—
That he continued to pursue that distorted goal—
Twisted something inside her.
And yet, none of that came close to what she felt at this moment.
Because even as she watched that battle, her thoughts were trapped elsewhere.
Her Rhongomyniad.
Blood.
And the image of someone smiling—even as they died.
(End of Chapter)