Shirou's Grand Heroic Saga

Gilgamesh's voice grew subdued.

Shirou opened his mouth, but said nothing.

If it came down to it, wasn't he someone who had usurped another's place? To some extent, perhaps he was Shirou Emiya, yet also not Shirou Emiya?

"You even doubt your own identity, don't you?"

A chill ran down Shirou's spine. He realized he had been seen through completely.

He couldn't ask what Gilgamesh knew.

The moment he asked that question, Shirou would have no way of escaping the mire Gilgamesh had set for him!

"Don't think you can use words like that to interfere with me." Shirou's scalp tingled as he swung his blade horizontally and clashed with Gilgamesh again.

But Shirou's movements had clearly begun to lose their form. Even Gilgamesh's simple, brutal, almost utterly unstructured attacks were gaining the upper hand.

"Look at your movements. They're all in disarray. A calm mind like still water is the basic standard for a swordsman, isn't it? You're quite familiar with fighting through conversation too, aren't you? Because that's exactly how you interfere with others. You learn their psychological weaknesses, slowly magnify the cracks in their minds with words, and then find the opening for a killing blow. Hmph, I know all about it."

Shirou calmed down somewhat and blocked one of Gilgamesh's axes.

"So what?"

"Your heart is unsettled, which means everything I said struck precisely where it should. Because I know your past, while you only know scattered fragments. So whenever I bring up certain matters, you can't remain calm at all, can you, Shirou?"

Gilgamesh placed emphasis on "Shirou," and it grated harshly on Shirou's ears.

With a fierce kick, Shirou was sent flying more than ten meters. That distance was enough for Gilgamesh to launch a lethal attack on him with the Gate of Babylon.