Hero Simulator in Type-Moon

"Need I say more? Of course—'kill' you."

After that day, Gilgamesh appeared before everyone with the "corpse" of the Sacred King of the Bright Moon, proclaiming his victory.

[You hid among the crowd, watching the varied expressions on the people's faces. You understood that who sat on the throne mattered little to them; all they wished for was to live out their lives in peace.]

[You were the same. You were just an ordinary person too.]

[Time flowed on. Fear and prosperity spread through Uruk. The people walked as if on a tightrope, with heaven and hell flanking them on either side—yet they could not tell which was which.]

[The festival began.]

The altar Gilgamesh had built at great cost to his people was finally complete. During this time, he had been grooming the nation's successor while also steeling himself for death.

[At the festival's most critical moment, you made your entrance. You felt the gazes around you—surprise, fear, excitement... a tangled flood of emotions crashed into you. But your eyes were fixed only on Gilgamesh.]

[The battle began. Your clash with Gilgamesh was so thunderous that no one dared approach or investigate.]

"Stinky Little Brother, how do you feel now? The finale this king arranged for you—are you convinced or not?"

Gilgamesh laughed wildly, more unbridled and unrestrained than ever before. Their fight was less a battle and more like brothers roughhousing in play.

"Gilgamesh, as it turns out, I still hate you the most."

That was true. Fujimaru Kyoya truly hated Gilgamesh. Even if they could trust each other at life-or-death moments, they still loathed one another.

"But for someone as arrogant and conceited as you to go this far—how could I not be convinced?"

Dark Strategy: Offer Your Head.

This was the cruelest self-inflicted ruse. Trading one man's life—Gilgamesh's life—for a hundred years of peace for future generations. Was it worth it?

"It's worth it. This is the promise I made—a better future. I will surely deliver it."

A King's Promise Weighs Heavier Than a Thousand Mountains.

"Damn it, how long are you going to dawdle before making your move?"

"Then I will kill you."

Fujimaru Kyoya joined his palm into a blade, channeled all his strength, and struck—cleaving Gilgamesh's head from his body in one blow.

It was over.

Gilgamesh's head was held in Fujimaru Kyoya's hand. Even in death, that proud man wore a smile. He had decided his own end.

[You announced Gilgamesh's death to everyone. You issued a warning to all future kings: if they ruled with tyranny, even someone as mighty as Gilgamesh could only die—let alone them.]

[You felt the people's adoration. They saw a hero willing to fight for them.]

[You felt the kings' terror. They saw a Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads.]

[And you... you felt only emptiness.]

[No matter the course of events, in the end you had acknowledged Gilgamesh. Killing him with your own hands was a heavy blow to you as well.]

[You walked through Mesopotamia, hearing the decrees of kings. Under your threat, no one dared to practice tyranny.]

[Time passed. Someone seemed to think they could defy you. The next day, his head was in your hands.]

[Fear spread once more. Your name was remembered again. "Benevolent Dark Emperor" effect increased.]

[You grew old.]

In a desolate little village, a one-armed old man roasted freshly hunted game over a fire. Behind him, a child stared hungrily at the meat on the flames, his stomach growling uncontrollably.

"Teacher, you're so strong—how come I've never heard your name before?"

The child looked at the dead Fantasy Species around them. He couldn't believe a human could defeat them so easily.

"My name?"

The old man murmured to himself, then looked at the child.

"Who I am doesn't matter. But do you want to become like me?"

"Yes."

The child's eyes sparkled. In his eyes, his teacher was the strongest, wisest, kindest person in the world.

He wanted to become someone like his teacher too.

"Even if this path is very hard to walk."

"Mm."

"Then... carry it on."

[You died. But the Sacred King of the Bright Moon still lived—in a boy's beautiful dreams, in kings' nightmares, in the people's hopes.]

Chapter 39: Stop Fighting, You Two

[You have completed the ending "Offer Your Head." You may draw one of the three basic talents.]

[Beginning draw. Please wait... Draw complete.]

[You have obtained the talent "First Before First."]

"Tohsaka, you're so slow."

At the school gate, Fujimaru Kyoya brushed off all social engagements. Just as others were puzzled, Tohsaka Rin walked over.

Sourness—the air was thick with the sourness of lemons.

The Unreachable Flower of Hohgitsunohara Academy, whom no one had ever plucked, was now mingling with the infamous Delinquent. Did girls really prefer bad boys these days?

The boys who had once admired Tohsaka Rin could only stand aside in silent heartbreak.

"Didn't I tell you to wait somewhere with fewer people? Hurry up and follow me."

Tohsaka Rin, clearly aware of the strange looks around her, was overwhelmed with embarrassment. Ignoring everything else, she grabbed Fujimaru Kyoya and dragged him away from the school gate.

Unfortunately, this move only made things look more suspicious.

"Fujimaru, listen up. From now on, I'm your master, so remember to show me some respect."

"Even at school?"

Fujimaru Kyoya had no issue with respecting teachers, but he felt like Tohsaka Rin was just taking out a personal grudge.

"That's right. From now on, you'll be my errand boy too."

"But Rin, have you ever thought that others might see this as some kind of roleplay?"

"R-Roleplay? No one's as dirty-minded as you."

No, Tohsaka Rin knew full well that teenage boys had no moral bottom line. Even standing aside in heartbreak wasn't beyond them.

In any case, Fujimaru Kyoya avoided the errand duty and ended up at Fuyuki Church.

"Rin, is this the disciple you've brought?"

Tohsaka Rin had already notified her senior, Kirei Kotomine, before coming here. Whether as a fellow member of the Tohsaka lineage gaining a new disciple, or as a new magus appearing in Fuyuki City, this Holy Church informant had to fulfill his duty.

Especially with the Holy Grail War drawing near.

Adding a new magus recklessly—wasn't that asking for a backstab like Tohsaka Tokiomi suffered?

Oh, Tohsaka Rin didn't know the cause of Tohsaka Tokiomi's death. Never mind, then.

"Fujimaru, let me introduce you. This is—"

"I know. The Marbo Priest, my defeated opponent."

To Tohsaka Rin's surprise, Fujimaru Kyoya seemed quite familiar with Kirei Kotomine. But what the hell was a "Marbo Priest"?

"Defeated opponent? That's an interesting word. If I recall correctly, our score is nine to nine—a tie, isn't it?"

Kirei Kotomine naturally knew Fujimaru Kyoya. They were regulars at Fuyuki's most famous Chinese restaurant, "Hongzhou Feast Year Pavilion Taishan," and coincidentally, both were obsessed with mapo tofu.

Hongzhou Feast Year Pavilion Taishan had hosted eighteen mapo tofu eating championships. In the early days, Fujimaru Kyoya was too young to beat Kirei Kotomine, but now he had won several times in a row. Kirei Kotomine was no longer a threat in his eyes.

"Rin, I see he has exceptional talent—a fine prospect for learning magecraft. Why not let me, your senior uncle, teach him? I'll return a good disciple to you."

A gleeful smile spread across Kirei Kotomine's face. Clearly, he cared deeply about his defeat in the mapo tofu contest.

Now he had a perfect chance to torment Fujimaru Kyoya, and he wasn't about to let it slip.

"Nephew-disciple, how much do you know about Mana?"

"Rin said it's human life force."

Though he knew the Marbo Priest was taking advantage of him, Fujimaru Kyoya endured it for the sake of learning magecraft. Once he mastered it and graduated... heh, watch your head when eating mapo tofu late at night.

"Mana comes from the world's Great Source and one's own Small Source. However, with the Divine Era Decline, the main source shifted from the Great Source to the Small Source, rendering many magecrafts unusable. That's why the King of Magecraft, Solomon, enacted reforms..."

Though Kirei Kotomine was from the Holy Church, he had considerable insight into magecraft. But Fujimaru Kyoya's mind wandered, because he heard the term "Divine Era Decline" again.

The state of internet penetration in Japan in 2003... Thinking about it, Fujimaru Kyoya wiped a bead of sweat.

If only it were even slightly more widespread, it wouldn't be this unpenetrated.

Just then, a sharp gust of wind came. Kirei Kotomine threw a punch, clearly intending to put this daydreaming nephew-disciple in his place.

"Bam~"

"Oh?"

Kirei Kotomine stared in surprise at Fujimaru Kyoya, who had blocked in time. As a former Executor, Kirei Kotomine could tell the other's physical fitness far exceeded an average high schooler. More importantly...

A fist flew toward Kirei Kotomine's face. Fujimaru Kyoya wasn't one to take a loss lying down. In an instant, a "unique" magecraft lesson began in the church courtyard.

"Stop it, both of you!"

Tohsaka Rin wasn't genuinely trying to break up the fight—she just didn't want her elegant Jewel Magecraft to turn into their "Exploding Stone Magecraft" that shattered rocks.

"Have you been training lately? You're pretty solid."

"Eat, sleep, beat up punks."

As Fuyuki's god of delinquents, Fujimaru Kyoya spent every day in high-intensity punk-beating. That level of training had quickly adapted him to his current physique.

"Rin, you've struck gold."

Mana wasn't just for magecraft. Its essence was life force, and in the earlier fight, Kirei Kotomine sensed that Fujimaru Kyoya's Magic Circuits were far from low quality.

"Nephew-disciple, as someone starting late, besides Rin's lessons, you should read some occult-related books on the side. You're already far behind others."

Damn it, this Marbo guy was really getting addicted to calling him "nephew-disciple."

"There are quite a few sutras at Ryuudou Temple. Do those count?"

Fujimaru Kyoya thought about it—the only places connected to the mystical were the Matou Family and Ryuudou Temple.

He had learned from Tohsaka Rin that the Matou Family was also a lineage of magecraft. If he went there, it would seem like he was trying to steal their techniques. That left only Ryuudou Temple.

"Though they belong to a different school, if you're looking for an introduction to the occult, they can indeed serve as reference material."

Kirei Kotomine dismissed the two, then turned his gaze inside the church. A golden-haired youth swirled a glass of red wine as he stepped out, staring at Fujimaru Kyoya's retreating figure, seemingly lost in thought.

"You're interested in my junior disciple too? That's rare."

"Interest? Hardly. It's just that fellow reminds me of someone."

Gilgamesh said it casually, but that piqued Kirei Kotomine's curiosity. In these nine years, he had come to know all of Gilgamesh's social circles. There was no way the man should have known Fujimaru Kyoya.

Unless it was someone Gilgamesh had known in life.

Chapter 40: The Three Kings' Council

"Kirei, don't look at Imperial We like that. Imperial We is not so easily fooled by outward appearances. For example... you know of King Arthur, don't you?"

"Of course."

As a man Emiya Kiritsugu would never forget for the rest of his life, and with Artoria as his Servant, Kirei Kotomine naturally knew of her.

But though she was a woman, the King of Arthur's majesty was in no way lacking.

Back during the Fourth Holy Grail War, the three kings had held a grand discussion on kingship and their reasons for obtaining the Holy Grail within the Einzbern castle.

The King of Conquerors, Iskandar, sought to obtain a physical body, to once again embark on a magnificent conquest in the flesh.

The King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, merely wanted to reclaim what was his.