"Mo...der...red..."
At Su Yun's home, Artoria couldn't help tensing up.
When she learned the Berserker's true identity...
No, even before that, the moment she saw the Berserker, the girl had inexplicably been overwhelmed by heartache, sorrow, anger, and helpless guilt.
The memories inherited from King Arthur left her with complicated feelings toward Mordred, to the point that her delicate body trembled slightly.
Seeing this, Su Yun reached out and took Artoria's hand. When she instinctively turned to look at him, he smiled and said, "Don't agonize over it. Since they've appeared in the Light Screen, it's clear that the king in this Holy Grail War will settle things with Mordred himself. All we have to do is watch."
At his words, her trembling body gradually relaxed. She silently nodded, eyes fixed on the Light Screen. She wanted to see what happened next.
On the Light Screen, the furious Gilgamesh summoned dozens of Noble Phantasms in an instant. His gaze burned with boundless rage and murderous intent as he glared at Mordred. "You dare bare your fangs at the king—and even commit the grave offense of attacking him? How bold! Mad dog! Your death will appease my wrath!"
As he spoke, a rain of Noble Phantasms came crashing down. Berserker Mordred immediately roared, and the knight's sword in her hand erupted with dark-red magical energy like lightning. She displayed terrifying strength and speed, desperately warding off the barrage of Noble Phantasms.
Though she was a Berserker, she didn't simply meet every attack head-on. She sprinted and dodged, knocking aside with her sword any incoming Noble Phantasms she couldn't evade.
At the same time, an explanatory subtitle silently appeared.
[Berserker, theoretically the Servant with the greatest strength and agility among the seven classes. By abandoning reason, they gain the most powerful strength and speed. Of the seven classes, they place the greatest burden on their Master's magical energy, endlessly draining it in exchange for the ability to fight freely.]
This brief explanation informed people in the real world of the Berserker class's basic characteristics.
Meanwhile, beneath Berserker Mordred's frenzied, magic-charged strikes, the Noble Phantasms unleashed by the King of Heroes were knocked aside one after another, each one damaged by the tremendous force.
Metallic explosions rang out without pause as shards of Noble Phantasms scattered through the air. The King of Heroes fired his Noble Phantasms like a machine gun, relentlessly pursuing Mordred. Some even curved through the air like homing missiles.
Under the terrifying impact of their power, the earth crumbled and rubble filled the sky. This time, flames also scattered everywhere, setting the entire port ablaze.
At this point, it was impossible to keep ordinary people in the dark. Fire alarms were already blaring, and ambulances, fire engines, and police cars were all working overtime in Fuyuki City in the middle of the night.
Before long, ordinary people would arrive.
Seeing this, everyone present knew that tonight's Holy Grail War would have to end here.
But Gilgamesh, who had let his anger get the better of him, didn't care. The furious King of Heroes kept up his relentless barrage, looking determined not to stop until Mordred was dead.
The endless barrage of Noble Phantasms made countless people's scalps tingle.
At that moment, the narrator's voice rang out.
[The Holy Grail War must be kept secret from ordinary people. Even during the battle at the port, a spell was used to drive away bystanders, causing ordinary people to leave the area without realizing it.] [However, the extensive destruction could no longer be concealed. The ordinary people on their way here were a sign that tonight's Holy Grail War was about to end.] [But the enraged King of Heroes only wanted to kill the Berserker who had attacked him from behind. He no longer cared about the rules of the Holy Grail War.] [Even in his fury, the King of Heroes was doing no more than trying to "crush this bug for good." From beginning to end, even when Assassin had nearly taken his life, the proud King of Heroes had never considered taking things seriously, much less using his full strength.] [Because if he did, it would be a tremendous humiliation for this proud king, something harder for him to accept than death.] [For the mighty King of Heroes, taking part in the Holy Grail War was not about obtaining the Holy Grail. It was merely a game to pass the time.]
The narrator's explanation, paired with Gilgamesh's furious expression and the destruction all around, left countless people in the real world speechless.
And this...
Wasn't even his full strength? He wasn't even taking things seriously?
What the hell?
Just how powerful was this most ancient King of Heroes, who had been killed by Li Shuwen in their first encounter?
And...
He'd rather die than use his full strength or take things seriously? What was that about?
Was there something wrong with the King of Heroes' head?
So taking things seriously was worse for him than being killed?
In an instant, countless people formed a new opinion of the King of Heroes: MDZZ.
Normal people couldn't begin to understand his way of thinking.
At Su Yun's home, Artoria furrowed her brow. "This Gilgamesh is far too arrogant. It's infuriating that he treats the Holy Grail War—a battle where others stake their convictions and even their lives—as a game."
Su Yun smiled. "It can't be helped. The King of Heroes is too powerful, and he's been through too much. His perspective is beyond what ordinary people can understand. And with the wisdom of the gods, he also has insights that mere mortals cannot comprehend."
Artoria considered this. "Do you mean his divinity outweighs his humanity?"
Su Yun shook his head. "No, quite the opposite. He is human, and nothing but human. He's also one of the kings who best represents humanity."
"?" Artoria didn't understand.
Su Yun continued in an unhurried voice, "Once, a man became afraid of death after losing his close friend. He dreamed of overcoming death, and journeyed to the underworld in search of the herb of immortality."
"He didn't go as a king or as a hero. He went as an ordinary man, setting out on the only journey of his life—and its longest."
"After completing a journey longer than his own lifespan, the man finally found the herb. His sense of accomplishment, fulfillment, and joy was so powerful that you could say he had discovered the meaning of life."
"But on the last day, just before he was to bring the herb home, he decided to bathe in a pool so he could return home a changed man. While he was bathing, a snake stole and ate the herb."
Listening to Su Yun, Artoria thought for a moment. "That sounds like Gilgamesh's story, doesn't it? The legend says he found the elixir of immortality, but a snake ate it. From then on, snakes gained the ability to shed their skin. But I imagine the real story was different?"
Su Yun asked, "Then do you know how the King of Heroes reacted?"
Artoria answered without hesitation. "He must have been furious and done everything he could to destroy the snake."
She was thinking of Gil-chan on the Light Screen, raging so fiercely that he would stop at nothing to kill Mordred.
Su Yun shook his head. "No, the king didn't get angry. In an instant, the fulfillment of life, the joy of being alive, and the glory of living on forever all vanished without a trace."
"But that man didn't roar in anger. He didn't even feel angry."
Artoria froze, staring at Su Yun in disbelief.
Su Yun continued, his gaze distant, as if he could see the king through the endless passage of time. "He laughed, his heart truly light, and burst into laughter. Because, over the course of his life, he had gained everything, only to lose it all in the end. And even after losing everything, he still had to face tomorrow."
"At that moment, without a doubt, he represented humanity's defiant stance against the world. And as he neared the end of his life, he finally understood humanity in its entirety."
"To him, humanity meant having infinite room to grow, and that remained true even one second before life ended. Until the very last moment, people continued to accumulate what mattered to their hearts."
"After reaching that realization, the King of Heroes sealed away his greatest power. When he returned to his homeland, he used his wisdom and benevolent rule to lead his people, becoming a great Wise King."
After hearing all this, Artoria looked astonished. When she turned her eyes back to Gilgamesh, they held a trace of respect. "So Gilgamesh went through all that... But, um, what's with him now? I can't see any trace of the Wise King you described—the one who saw through life, death, and reincarnation."
Su Yun shrugged. "Lia, you have to understand that a Servant is only a Heroic Spirit's avatar, representing one aspect of them. The King of Heroes in the Holy Grail War is the side of him that was a tyrant in his youth. So you get it. Even the most outstanding people have a dark history. Even Gilgamesh himself hates this phase of his life—he'd want to kill himself for it."
"C-can that really happen?" Artoria's look of admiration immediately turned complicated, as if she were watching a chuunibyou boy showing off.
Before you continue