Awaken, Ea!

The silver chains were gilded by the golden ripples, gleaming as they watched Sasuke's Susanoo from every direction like living creatures.

At that moment, Gilgamesh stood with his hands in his pockets, watching Sasuke as if victory were already his.

"To possess this power while still alive as a human..."

"I have to say, I admire you."

"But joining a war that has nothing to do with you is exceedingly foolish."

"And you, who dare stand in my way, are a fool beyond measure!"

"Still, since you've entertained me, I'll tell you why I came here."

"Consider it a chance to die with your eyes open."

Gilgamesh continued, his expression haughty:

"As you can see, I too am now a Heroic Spirit, one of the Servants those mages speak of."

"After the last Holy Grail War ended,"

"I didn't disappear. Instead, I remained in this world."

"I am also the only Servant ever to bathe in the Holy Grail."

"The body I have in this era was obtained ten years ago."

"Come to think of it, the one who helped make me what I am today was Saber, the King of Knights."

As he spoke, the corners of Gilgamesh's mouth lifted in delight:

"She was also a participant in the last Holy Grail War."

"But ten years ago, when I was just one step away from obtaining the Holy Grail,"

"Saber stopped me, and she cut the Holy Grail in two."

"What spilled out of it turned into flames and burned the surrounding streets to the ground."

"Standing beneath the Holy Grail, I was naturally swept up in that flood. That was when I learned the Grail's true nature."

"It was utterly boring."

"But though it was boring, it still had its uses."

"Among all weapons, none can kill on that scale!"

"The Holy Grail is the gate to hell. Once opened, tens of billions of curses will pour out of it!"

"It is a polluted Holy Grail, a cup of desire that fell into darkness because of you humans."

"It is a manifestation of human sin, one that only amplifies the power to curse and kill humans!"

"So this is something only I can dispose of!"

As though delivering a victory speech, Gilgamesh raised his chin and looked down on everything as he declared:

"I will use it to wipe out the humans of this era in one fell swoop."

"Though this era is indeed delightful, it is also beyond saving. The countless mongrels who sing the praises of life are an affront to the King."

"I don't want these mongrels. I want those who can survive even in hell. Only then would they be worth ruling."

"Even if you bow your head to me now, it won't erase the sin of daring to obstruct the King!"

"So die!"

At Gilgamesh's command, the chains of Enkidu, already poised to strike, instantly lashed toward Sasuke's Susanoo!

A few seconds later, Enkidu's chains had bound Sasuke's Susanoo.

The more divine the person bound by Enkidu, the more absolute its control. Even a god could not break free!

But from beginning to end, Sasuke's expression had not changed in the slightest. Not even now.

After a brief silence, Sasuke suddenly gave a contemptuous snort. His Mangekyō Sharingan stared coldly at Gilgamesh:

"Gods?"

"Such an insubstantial thing is nothing more than a species unique to your world."

"In the era I truly belong to, I could rise above all creation with nothing but a human body."

"And I can do the same now."

In an instant!

The Susanoo, which had originally consisted of only an upper body, grew a pair of legs as its skeleton took shape, their feet planting on the earth. Its massive form continued to rise!

Clad in a dark purple body, Susanoo towered far above the castle!

Sasuke, who had been beneath Susanoo, had now moved to the center of its forehead!

As for Enkidu, it had long since been flung away.

Sasuke didn't care about what Gilgamesh had just said. It made no difference to him.

Sasuke wouldn't let Gilgamesh live long enough to see that day.

The Mangekyō Sharingan in Sasuke's eyes glimmered a dark red, his gaze as cold as ice:

"You think you can bind the Uchiha with something from your world?"

As he spoke, the corners of Sasuke's mouth lifted slightly:

"It's been a while since I got to stretch like this."

"What else have you got?"

"If you can't even force me to bring out my Complete Body Susanoo..."

"What can you do, you self-proclaimed king?"

As Sasuke spoke, his Susanoo had already drawn its bow and nocked an arrow. The enormous purple arrow shot free a moment later!

The purple arrow flying toward Gilgamesh was like a massive pillar falling from a celestial palace in the sky!

The Noble Phantasms Gilgamesh hastily fired in response were utterly ineffective against the enormous purple arrow. They couldn't even budge it!

This was the first time Gilgamesh had chosen to dodge.

The instant the enormous arrow struck the ground, a massive explosion erupted!

The force was enough to destroy any building, and the ground itself shattered, surging outward in every direction!

But the rising dust couldn't conceal Susanoo's form. Sasuke stood within it, utterly calm, his Mangekyō Sharingan already locked onto Gilgamesh!

[Blaze Release: Kagutsuchi]

Dozens of black-flame arrows plunged from the sky into the dust below, and the surrounding temperature soared!

Gilgamesh was in a sorry state now. He burst out of the dust and frantically unleashed Noble Phantasms to stop the black-flame arrows from closing in on him!

The moment these Noble Phantasms touched the black flames, they melted. The lower-ranked ones couldn't even stop them!

He possessed such power, yet Enkidu had no effect on him at all!

How could this be!?

Gilgamesh used a host of Noble Phantasms to put distance between himself and Sasuke, but the explosions around him never stopped!

Though he looked somewhat battered, Gilgamesh's scarlet eyes brimmed with delight!

A golden ripple appeared around him, and Gilgamesh gripped a huge golden key in his hand.

The next moment, it was as if the entire sky had been dyed red!

Scarlet circuits spread from the golden key like a canopy across the heavens.

It was as though they were analyzing this world.

The next moment, a weapon radiating a blood-red glow appeared in Gilgamesh's hand.

It was a cylinder made of three connected sections, its tip twisted into a spiral-shaped blunt blade!

The three cylindrical sections slowly rotated against one another, like the threads of a screw!

Gilgamesh stared at Sasuke in the distance, as if he had forgotten everything else. He was completely immersed in the battle!

Gilgamesh raised the strange weapon in his hand and roared:

"I have to say, you've earned the right to behold Ea!"

"Awaken, Ea!"

"A stage worthy of you has appeared in this world once more!"