The Life of a Chuunibyou Flash Disliked by Themselves

"Mord... red..."

In Su Yun's home, Artoria could not help but tense up.

Before she even knew the true identity of the Berserker...

No, even before that, the moment she laid eyes on the Berserker, a strange sense of heartache, distress, anger, and guilty helplessness had welled up within the girl's heart.

The inheritance of King Arthur made her feelings toward Mordred incredibly complex, to the point where her delicate frame trembled slightly.

Seeing this, Su Yun reached out and took Artoria's small hand. As she instinctively turned to look at him, he smiled and said, "Don't struggle with it. Since they have appeared in the Light Screen, it is clear that in this Holy Grail War, that King will resolve the grievances between herself and Mordred. We only need to bear witness."

Hearing this, the girl's trembling body calmed down. She nodded silently and fixed her gaze on the Light Screen, wanting to witness what would happen next.

On the Light Screen, a furious Gilgamesh summoned dozens of Noble Phantasms in an instant. His eyes were filled with infinite rage and murderous intent as he glared at Mordred: "To dare bare your fangs at the King, and even strike at the King with such disrespect—how bold! You mad dog! Let your death appease the wrath of this King!"

As he spoke, a rain of Noble Phantasms crashed down. Berserker Mordred immediately let out a wild roar, her knight sword erupting with dark red, thunder-like magical energy. Displaying terrifying power and speed, she began to frantically deflect the barrage.

At the same time, despite being a Berserker, she did not merely take the hits blindly; she sprinted and dodged, hacking away at the incoming weapons she could not evade.

Simultaneously, an explanatory caption appeared silently.

[Berserker, the Servant class that theoretically possesses the highest Strength and Agility. By discarding reason in exchange for supreme power and speed, it is the class that places the greatest burden on the Master's magical energy, demanding an infinite supply to sustain combat.]

The brief caption informed the people of the real world about the basic nature of the Berserker class.

Meanwhile, under the wild, magical slashes of Berserker Mordred, the Noble Phantasms unleashed by the King of Heroes were deflected one after another. Every time one was parried, it suffered damage from the sheer force of the impact.

For a time, the sound of metal clashing was constant, and fragments of Noble Phantasms flew everywhere. The King of Heroes fired his weapons like a machine gun, pursuing Mordred relentlessly; some even curved in mid-air like homing missiles.

Under the impact of such terrifying power, the earth crumbled and stones filled the air. With flames splashing everywhere, the entire harbor was set ablaze.

At this point, it was impossible to hide from ordinary people any longer. Fire alarms were already blaring, and the ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars of Fuyuki City had begun their late-night overtime.

Before long, civilians would arrive at the scene.

Seeing this, everyone present knew that tonight's Holy Grail War had to come to an end.

However, Gilgamesh, having truly lost his temper, ignored all of that. The furious King of Heroes continued his relentless assault, looking as if he would not rest until Mordred was dead.

The sheer volume of Noble Phantasms being fired made countless viewers' scalps tingle.

The narrator's voice sounded at this moment.

[The Holy Grail War is not to be known by ordinary people. Even when fighting at the harbor, a spell to disperse bystanders was used, causing civilians to stay away from this place without realizing it.]

[However, the massive destruction can no longer be concealed. The civilians currently rushing toward the scene are the signal that tonight's Holy Grail War is coming to an end.]

[Yet, the angry King of Heroes only wishes to kill the Berserker who ambushed him, completely disregarding the rules of the Holy Grail War.]

[But even in such a rage, the attitude adopted by the King of Heroes is merely 'I must crush this bug.' From beginning to end, even when he was nearly killed by the Assassin, the proud King of Heroes never once considered taking things seriously, let alone unleashing his full power.]

[Because to do so would be a great humiliation to this proud King—something even more unacceptable to him than death.]

[To this powerful King of Heroes, participating in the Holy Grail War is not for the sake of the Holy Grail; it is merely a casual game to pass the time.]

The narrator's explanation, combined with Gilgamesh's angry expression and the ongoing destruction, left countless people in the real world speechless.

This...

This wasn't his full power? He wasn't even taking it seriously?

What the hell?

Just how strong is this oldest King of Heroes, who was nearly killed by Li Shuwen at first sight?

And...

What is this nonsense about preferring death over using his full power or taking things seriously?

Is this King of Heroes brain-damaged?

Is it really true that taking things seriously is more painful for him than being killed?

In an instant, countless people gained a new understanding of this King of Heroes: he was a complete lunatic.

Normal people simply could not comprehend his logic.

In Su Yun's home, Artoria frowned deeply: "This Gilgamesh is far too arrogant. It is truly detestable, this attitude of treating the Holy Grail War—where others stake their beliefs and even their lives—as a mere game."

Su Yun smiled and said, "It cannot be helped. This King of Heroes is too powerful, and he has experienced too much. The perspective from which he stands is beyond the understanding of normal people. Moreover, possessing the wisdom of the gods, he holds insights that mortals cannot grasp."

Artoria was thoughtful: "Do you mean his divinity outweighs his humanity?"

Su Yun shook his head: "No, quite the opposite. He is human, and he will only ever be human. He is one of the kings who best represents humanity."

"?" Artoria did not understand.

Su Yun said softly, "Once, there was a man who feared death because of the loss of his dearest friend, and he harbored the delusion of transcending it. He traveled to the underworld in search of the herb of immortality."

"Not as a king, nor as a hero, but simply as an ordinary man, he embarked on the only and longest journey of his life."

"After ending this journey, which was longer than his own lifespan, the man finally obtained the herb. The sense of achievement, fulfillment, and joy was incredibly intense—one could even say he had discovered the meaning of life."

"However, on the final day, as he prepared to bring the herb back and return home, he decided to bathe in a pool to refresh himself. And while he was bathing, a snake stole and ate the herb."

Listening to Su Yun, Artoria thought for a moment and said, "That sounds like the story of Gilgamesh, doesn't it? Legend has it that he once found the elixir of immortality, but a snake ate it, and ever since, snakes have gained the ability to shed their skin. Though, I imagine there are discrepancies with the truth?"

Su Yun asked, "Then do you know how the King of Heroes reacted at that time?"

Artoria didn't even hesitate before saying, "He must have been absolutely furious, using every means at his disposal to destroy that snake."

Her point of reference was the Gilgamesh in the Light Screen, who was so enraged that he was desperate to obliterate Mordred.

Su Yun shook his head. "No, that king was not furious. In an instant, the fulfillment of life, the joy of existence, and the glory of living forever vanished into thin air."

"Yet, that man did not let out a roar of rage; he did not even feel anger."

Artoria froze, looking at Su Yun in disbelief.

Su Yun continued his narration, his gaze profound, as if piercing through endless time to see that king. "He laughed. He laughed heartily, his mood genuinely becoming very cheerful. Because, having spent his entire life obtaining everything, he had finally lost it all. And even after losing everything, he still had to face tomorrow."

"At that moment, he undoubtedly represented the defiant stance of humanity facing this world. As he stood on the verge of death, he finally understood everything about humanity."

"To him at that moment, humanity was defined by its infinite room for growth—a fact that remained true even in the second before life ended. Until the very last moment, one must continue to accumulate the essence of the heart."

"Having reached this realization, the King of Heroes sealed away his greatest power. Upon returning to his kingdom, he used his wisdom and sagacity to lead his people, becoming a great wise king."

After hearing these words, Artoria could not help but show a look of surprise. When she looked at Gilgamesh again, there was a hint of respect in her eyes. "So Gilgamesh had such an experience... Hmm, but what is going on with him now? I can't see any trace of the wise king you described who saw through life, death, and the cycle of reincarnation."

Su Yun shrugged. "Lia, you have to understand that a Servant is merely an avatar of a Heroic Spirit, representing one specific facet of them. The King of Heroes in this Holy Grail War is the side of him from his youth as a tyrant. So, you understand—even the most excellent people have dark histories. The King of Heroes from this period is someone even he himself despises, to the point where he wants to kill his own self."

"Is, is that even possible?" Artoria's look of admiration instantly shifted into something subtle, as if she were watching a teenager suffering from middle-school syndrome trying to act cool.