Uchiha Iori had been so fixated on fighting Alexander the Great because he wanted to experience a Heroic Spirit Summoning from an observer's perspective.
He had successfully gained some insight and was confident he could partially recreate the Heroic Spirit Summoning ritual.
Just imagine being able to bring down such illustrious ministers as Zhuge Liang, Zhang Juzheng, and Shang Yang to work for him. Wouldn't unifying the Ninja World be a piece of cake?
Although he hadn't yet encountered any Heroic Spirits from ancient China in the Hall of Heroes, a man still had to have dreams.
Dreaming of the day when he could be a hands-off emperor while all the greats worked for him, Iori made his way step by step to his final destination.
"Bastard, that aura... You're the rat who's been spying on us all this time, aren't you?" Gilgamesh said arrogantly. He sat in a chair, a wineglass in one hand, his eyes full of disdain.
"Heh. Two-thirds god and one-third man—you're the bastard here, aren't you?" Iori wasn't about to put up with that. Gilgamesh might be powerful, but what did that have to do with him?
Hearing that, Gilgamesh's eyes widened and his face turned livid. "Very well. You've got some nerve, provoking this king like that. Then die!"
Enraged, Gilgamesh took out Bab-ilu, the key to the Gate of Babylon, and unleashed its full power.
In an instant, countless golden ripples appeared in the air, and Noble Phantasms rained down like drops of water.
[Analysis initiated. Identifying material.]
Activating his Sharingan, Iori projected Gan Jiang and Mo Ye and pretended to be struggling as he continually deflected the incoming attacks.
Watching his weapon arsenal grow ever fuller, he suppressed a laugh and kept up his serious-looking defense.
Seeing Iori struggle to hold his ground, Gilgamesh burst into laughter. "This is what happens to bastards!"
After pouring in more magical energy, he filled the sky with even more golden ripples. "Die! You can be proud to die at this king's hands, clown!"
One minute, five minutes, ten minutes passed. Iori maintained his tottering defensive stance the whole time, yet not a single weapon managed to hit him.
Sensing that something was wrong, Gilgamesh angrily crushed his wineglass. "Bastard, I don't know what you're up to, but you've truly angered me!"
"Enkidu!" Countless chains shot from the golden ripples, seeking to bind Iori.
"Let's test the second effect of my ocular technique today. Majestic Attire: Susanoo—Armored Form." Black flames burst from Iori's body.
A moment later, the flames died away, revealing a black asura before Gilgamesh. Its savage armor and fearsome demon mask were terrifying, and its six arms moved so swiftly they formed a curtain, batting away the chains.
Iori took a moment to adjust to his current state. As a Servant, he no longer needed to worry about damaging his ocular power and could unleash the full might of his Mangekyo.
He was now far stronger and faster than before, and the advantage of having six arms let him display his swordsmanship to its fullest.
"You've had your fun, Gilgamesh. Now it's my turn to attack." Iori gave a cold laugh and charged.
He didn't even bother with Noble Phantasms below Rank A, only using his blades to deflect those of Rank A and above.
Faced with Iori's charge, Gilgamesh didn't retreat. He merely looked displeased, drew two swords from his treasury, and began fighting Iori.
Surprisingly, although Gilgamesh's swordsmanship was inferior to Iori's, he was still formidable. With weapons and shields fired from the Gate of Babylon to back him up, Gilgamesh didn't fall behind.
"You're really impressive. I never expected you to keep up with me in close combat for so long. You truly are the legendary King of Heroes."
Though Iori disliked Gilgamesh's personality, he acknowledged his strength.
"Hmph. I must admit, you're no ordinary piece of trash. Without my ultimate treasure, I might not be able to defeat you. Very well, I shall grant you the privilege of beholding it."
Gilgamesh formed a series of golden ripples across the ground, forcing Iori back with a continuous barrage of Rank A Noble Phantasms.
His expression turned stern. He extended one hand to the side, and a golden ripple appeared above it.
A strangely shaped sword slowly descended from the ripple.
Perhaps it shouldn't even be called a sword. It was made of three rotating, cylindrical blades, and had existed before the concept of a sword.
It was the clay tablet of creation from Mesopotamian and Babylonian mythology.
"Take pride in this: my ultimate treasure will be your funeral!" Gilgamesh declared.
After being driven back, Iori had stopped moving. He hadn't killed Gilgamesh right away because he'd been waiting for him to draw Ea.
As Ea appeared, an uncontrollable smile spread across Iori's face beneath Susanoo.
"Since this is our final battle, try my strongest attack—one that burns away everything I have!"
"Trace On. Appear, my Ea." As Iori spoke, an identical Noble Phantasm appeared in his hand.
Although it was less powerful than the original, after Iori burned away his Spirit Origin, its destructive force was already on par with it.
"Damn thief! You damn counterfeit!" Seeing his ultimate treasure in someone else's hands, Gilgamesh turned red with rage, as if someone had stolen his wife.
"So that's what you were planning? I'll reduce you to ashes!" He raised the sword in his hand toward the sky. Its blades spun in alternating directions as a violent gale tore the world apart.
Terrifying magical energy distorted the world's appearance and dragged the two of them into its inner side.
Iori wasn't about to back down. "Then let's see whose power is greater."
They chanted at the same time. "Tell of the beginning. Heaven and earth parted, the void was opened, and the world was cleft asunder by my Ea."
"A vortex where the stars dance; the inferno above, the end of the eve before creation. Let your death bring peace to all—Enuma Elish!"
Both swords came down at once, their magical energy surging like a raging flood and tearing the world apart.
The collision of their powers let out a deafening roar, as if heaven and earth had returned to the primordial Chaos before creation.
The gale raged. Heaven and earth split apart, and the world was reborn from the void.
Boom!
After losing his Master and fighting the King of Conquerors once, Iori had fallen behind in magical energy, even with the Command Spell replenishing it.
When the storm subsided, both men were standing on the ground once more.
One of Gilgamesh's hands had vanished, and his armor had shattered across the ground, but he still stood tall as ever.
Iori's Susanoo had been smashed to pieces. Though his body showed few visible wounds, he had burned himself out and no longer had the strength to remain.
"Counterfeit, tell me your name. You've earned the right to be remembered by this king." Gilgamesh took a potion from his treasury and drank it. As it took effect, his wounds healed rapidly.
"Uchiha Iori. Until we meet again, King of Heroes." Iori answered calmly. As soon as the words left his mouth, his figure turned into points of light and faded into the air.
Gilgamesh watched the points of light disappear. "I'll remember you, Uchiha Iori." Then he turned and headed for the final destination, where he would await the Holy Grail's arrival.
"Sakura, what kind of Magecraft do you want to learn?" the head of the Edelfelt House asked.
"Necromancy. I want to recreate the Heroic Spirit Summoning ritual. There's someone I want to see again." Sakura Edelfelt answered firmly.
She held the Holy Shroud in her hands, her eyes full of resolve and longing.
Without you, dawn has no meaning to me.
Enkidu
It takes the form of a silver chain with differently shaped wedges attached to both ends.
Its true name is Enkidu. It is the chain that once captured the Bull of Heaven, which plunged Uruk into a seven-year famine.
Its ability is "Divine Restraint." The higher the divinity of the one it binds, the harder the Noble Phantasm becomes. It is one of the few anti-divine weapons.
Conversely, against a Servant with no divinity, it is merely a sturdy chain.
Enuma Elish
Rank: EX
Description: The sword Gilgamesh possesses, said to be capable of "cleaving the world."
It releases layers of pressurized wind that form a simulated spatial rift and crush the enemy.
Its true name comes from the Sumerian "Epic of Creation," Enuma Elish.