In Type-Moon, I Have a Hero Simulator

Though this was an age before Christ, humanity's dreams and desires had not changed much. If anything, the existence of Magecraft had fulfilled things modern people could never imagine.

Rather than a crystallization of wealth, the Gate of Babylon was a crystallization of humanity's dreams. Aircraft, cannons, submarines... all those vessels of human aspiration had now fallen into one man's hands.

How... irritating.

"Weapons? Calling those things martial would be a stretch. They're dance props—'dance implements' would suit them better."

Fujimaru Kyoya mercilessly mocked Gilgamesh's prized collection. Not only Gilgamesh himself, but the entire battlefield fell silent.

They could feel it—the fury radiating from Gilgamesh.

"What did you say?"

"Are your ears not working? If throwing swords around counts as 'martial arts,' then a three-year-old could be called a martial god."

Each of Fujimaru Kyoya's taunts was nastier than the last. Even though Gilgamesh knew it was provocation, his anger still surged.

"Not convinced, Golden Flash?"

He had actually called someone he had just met Golden Flash.

When had Gilgamesh ever suffered such humiliation? Especially before both armies—this was no different from violating him in public.

"I'll kill you."

Gate of Babylon? I Have That Too

"They've started fighting? Gugalanna, let's get out of here."

The moment Ishtar sensed the two clashing, she immediately sneaked over to the Bull of Heaven. If she did not run now, when would she?

Once Fujimaru Kyoya came back, she would not be able to leave.

"Moo~"

Seeing its master freed, the Bull of Heaven happily wagged its tail. After just a few months, it had finally understood how beastly a person could become once they stopped acting like one.

These past days, it had worked as both ox and horse—nothing but a labor beast. Now, it could finally escape the construction site.

Unfortunately, they did not know one thing: if you fled a construction site without taking the red bucket, your soul would remain bound there forever. Sooner or later, they would return.

[You faced countless golden streaks of light. The reserves within the Gate of Babylon seemed inexhaustible, and you could not sense where their end lay.]

Facing the unending barrage from the Gate of Babylon, Fujimaru Kyoya relied on First Before First and Infinite Martial Arts, using only a single spear to knock every attack aside.

But ordinary weapons were still ordinary weapons. Against armaments that could be called the prototypes of Noble Phantasms, even with his profound skill, the spear in his hand was about to break.

"Saint King, use this weapon!"

Saint King was what the people of the City of Ur now called Fujimaru Kyoya, distinguishing him from other kings.

They had never seen a king so incorruptible and wise. Even the early Gilgamesh had never changed his extravagant nature, while Fujimaru Kyoya far surpassed the Gilgamesh of those days.

A soldier hurled a spear with all his strength. Without even looking back, Fujimaru Kyoya caught it behind him and replaced the spear in his hand.

[You felt your people's trust in you. The feeling pleased you greatly, and you decided to answer their expectations.]

"Again."

Fujimaru Kyoya abandoned his previous defensive strategy. Braving the dense assault of the Gate of Babylon, he sprinted toward Gilgamesh.

He had already sensed Ishtar fleeing. Without the Bull of Heaven's productivity, Ur's construction would slow down. He ought to have put that woman on the books for it.

But never mind. He was in a good mood now.

Fujimaru Kyoya's words reached his soldiers' ears. Somehow, they all felt something—they now knew what their king intended to do.

The soldiers formed orderly ranks, gripping their spears before hurling them toward Fujimaru Kyoya.

One after another, the spears shot toward Fujimaru Kyoya like arrows.

"Gate of Babylon? I have that too."

Fujimaru Kyoya shifted from defense to offense. This would inevitably accelerate the wear on his weapons, but that no longer mattered. Behind him stood the support of his soldiers.

Unlike Gilgamesh's inexhaustible wealth, Fujimaru Kyoya's Gate of Babylon was his people.

Empowered by Fujimaru Kyoya's martial skill, even ordinary iron could briefly clash with the prototypes of Noble Phantasms. Though it would severely wear down the weapons in his hands, the support from behind was enough to carry him through every obstacle and bring him before Gilgamesh.

"You bastard, instead of running away, you're coming closer to me?"

Gilgamesh could tell that, even in terms of physical ability alone, that impostor was inferior to him. Yet with his ability to launch surprise attacks and such dazzling martial skill, he kept drawing closer with one piece of ordinary iron after another.

Rage rose in his heart. Was it because a copy had dared to overstep the king's glory?

No. What enraged Gilgamesh were those who supported Fujimaru Kyoya. They were supposed to be his subjects.

Retreating would have been the best choice, but Gilgamesh did not retreat. He refused to yield before a copy. He would prove that he was the only king in this world.

An unprecedented golden radiance flared. A sword as towering as a mountain descended, crashing down toward Fujimaru Kyoya. It was the legendary sword that cleaved open a thousand mountains—Igalima.

Bang~

The massive sword fell toward Fujimaru Kyoya, whose every avenue of retreat had nearly been sealed by the Gate of Babylon. But such an attack was destined never to strike him.

Because Fujimaru Kyoya had only one path: forward. He had never needed a retreat route in the first place.

"You should have kept your distance from me."

Closer, closer. After wearing out countless Long Spears, Fujimaru Kyoya finally reached a point less than ten meters from Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh could still have retreated and had a chance, so Fujimaru Kyoya deliberately said this.

It was a taunt. Though cliché, it was remarkably effective against someone consumed by rage.

Sure enough, Gilgamesh could not bear Fujimaru Kyoya's provocation.

He had once been a Wise King, but he had chosen the wrong means to fight fate. He thought that giving up would bring about a good ending. He thought his power was unmatched, that even without wisdom, no one in the world could stand against him.

He was wrong.

Fujimaru Kyoya was about to use these spears from the people to tell him that he was fucking, utterly wrong.

Gilgamesh drew his twin golden swords, but before he could attack, a Long Spear smashed directly toward him.

"Bang~"

Fujimaru Kyoya's Strength was only B on the panel, but that was merely what the panel showed. Factoring in the special advantage of "Benevolent Dark Emperor," the boosts granted by Divinity, and the martial skill provided by "Infinite Martial Arts," a single strike was enough to suppress Gilgamesh in close combat.

It was not that Gilgamesh was weak, but that Fujimaru Kyoya was too strong.

A tremendous force bore down upon Gilgamesh's swords. Facing Fujimaru Kyoya, whose momentum was steadily climbing toward its peak, this thrust cracked the earth beneath Gilgamesh's feet and forced him to one knee.

"Wretch, are you trying to make me kneel before you? Are you worthy?"

Gilgamesh had not expected the other man's strength to be so immense. As he watched his knee gradually sink toward the ground, overwhelming humiliation swept over him.

"I may not be. But are the people you persecuted worthy?"

As Fujimaru Kyoya spoke, another Long Spear flew in behind him. Those spears were ordinary objects, yet they carried the hopes the people had placed in Fujimaru Kyoya.

Fujimaru Kyoya seized it and smashed it down once more.

"Boom~"

Like a Battering Ram slamming into a city wall, under that immense force and the assault of those words, Gilgamesh's mind shook, and he was forced to his knees.

"Because of a single word from you, soldiers raised weapons against the people they were meant to protect. Sons left their fathers, daughters left their mothers, and the people's savings of years were all handed over... You had your reasons, but was there truly no better way?"

Fujimaru Kyoya naturally understood that Gilgamesh had not become a tyrant from a Wise King without reason. It was a struggle against the gods, and also an attempt to secure a future for humanity.

But with Gilgamesh's wisdom and Clairvoyance, was there really no better way?

There absolutely was, but rage had clouded his mind.

That was what Fujimaru Kyoya hated most.

Gilgamesh, You're Still a Saint Seiya

Humiliation. Utter humiliation.

Under normal circumstances, Gilgamesh might have been so furious that he lost all reason, but as he knelt on the ground, he suddenly calmed down.

That was right. He had possessed better methods, yet he had chosen the most self-centered and arrogant one.

These past days, he had immersed himself in luxury and pleasure, all to numb his heart. Once his mind was completely blank, he would no longer feel guilt.

But when that fleeting pleasure faded, regret always stabbed at Gilgamesh's nerves during those moments of post-pleasure clarity.

Now, as he knelt on one knee, he was not kneeling to Fujimaru Kyoya, but to the people he had betrayed.

"Wretch, are you teaching me how to do things?"

Golden lights emerged all around Fujimaru Kyoya. Gilgamesh had unexpectedly forced open the Gate of Babylon despite the risk of injuring himself.

Treasures crashed about without any order, immediately triggering a massive explosion. Fujimaru Kyoya withdrew at once, but he still ended up covered in dust and grime. And Gilgamesh, at the center of the explosion?

As the smoke dispersed, his formerly flamboyant spiked hair had softened, while his luxurious golden armor was covered in cracks. With Gilgamesh's movements, the armor gradually shattered away, revealing his robust muscles.

[You can sense that the winds of the battlefield have shifted. Gilgamesh has untied the knot in his heart, and his power is beginning to recover. You are about to face a truly terrifying foe.]

Well, damn. Shedding his clothes actually increased his combat power? Are you Purple Dragon or something?

Fujimaru Kyoya feared that Gilgamesh would unleash a Rozan Rising Dragon on him the very next second, so he remained cautious and did not dare let his guard down.

"Indeed, I was wrong."

Unlike his earlier arrogance, Gilgamesh's voice was much calmer now. But that did not mean their battle was over.

"I will not permit the completion of Heaven's Wedge, nor will I tolerate your existence. I will make amends for my past mistakes, but that does not conflict with killing you."

Gilgamesh could tell that if Fujimaru Kyoya did not sincerely act for the people, he could never have reached him so easily.

He had indeed been wrong, but one matter was one matter and another was another. He would compensate the people for the harm caused by his tyranny, but Fujimaru Kyoya coveted his Royal Authority, and he would punish him all the same.

[You sense that the attacks from the Gate of Babylon are becoming increasingly dense. With your weapons exhausted, it is difficult for you to approach Gilgamesh again in a short time.]

[You see Gilgamesh take out a certain "weapon" from the Gate of Babylon. You sense an intense threat from it.]

What was that thing?

Fujimaru Kyoya stared at the weapon resembling a "sword." Three cylindrical Stone Tablets were fitted together, and merely spinning them with Mana produced wind pressure that could not be underestimated.

He needed to find a way to give the other man a good whack.

Fujimaru Kyoya was the sort of person who would use a useful move to death, and now he had a godly clubbing skill like "First Before First." Looking at the back of Gilgamesh's head, he could not help wanting to give it a hit.

[You and Gilgamesh stop attacking at the same time, because you both sense the approach of something neither of you likes.]

"Hmph. What a buzzkill."

Gilgamesh sensed the gods drawing near. He could have kept fighting, but if those gods swooped in to reap the benefits, it would be more trouble than it was worth.

Besides, this was also a chance to test this Fake.

"Withdraw."

Gilgamesh chose to cease hostilities. He wanted to see whether this Fake was merely a puppet or an enemy truly worthy of taking seriously.

[You did not rejoice at Gilgamesh's retreat, because you understood that a group even more troublesome than Gilgamesh had arrived.]

[Your performance on the battlefield was plain for all to see. News of you repelling Gilgamesh's army would soon spread throughout Mesopotamia. The effect of "Benevolent Dark Emperor" has increased.]

"Divinity has reached A++."

Fujimaru Kyoya looked at his status panel. There was almost no visible change, yet his strength was steadily increasing.

The only conclusion was that the effect of "Benevolent Dark Emperor" had raised his Divinity. The bonuses from Divinity were not displayed on the panel.

"What a pain. Could it be that later on, I'll be able to use several characters at once, and this simulator is worried about locking up the panel when I use skills?"

Fujimaru Kyoya recalled a pay-to-win mobile game he had once played.

But this was not the time to think about such things. If Gilgamesh could sense it, how could he not?

Ishtar had returned after leaving, clearly having brought reinforcements. It seemed they intended to make him fulfill the duties of Heaven's Wedge.

"What? Old Bastard, have you lost your mind?"

As Mesopotamia's Unfilial Daughter, Ishtar had never been particularly pleasant toward her father. Now, upon hearing this demand, she was utterly enraged.

"You want me to marry that guy? You saw how he treated me. If I marry him, there'll be no way to live like that."