A Friend's Teasing

A dazzling fireball continued to expand between the two parties, yet the two individuals responsible for this scene—which would have instantly killed any ordinary person—simply smiled at one another, letting the violent winds buffet their bodies.

"What's wrong, Enkidu! Are you holding back because of your Master?"

Gilgamesh stood high in the sky, looking down at Enkidu on the ground, and laughed aloud.

"Ah, well, I was only just summoned, and you found me so quickly, Gil. It would be quite impolite to be too excessive right away."

Enkidu smoothed his hair, smiling up at Gilgamesh in his golden armor, and then extended his hand.

"Though, it seems my Master is indeed a very strong person."

His words piqued Gilgamesh's interest. The oldest king in the world turned his gaze toward Li Ke, and his red, serpentine pupils contracted sharply. He subconsciously tightened his grip on his sword, preparing to unleash the Noble Phantasm capable of cleaving heaven and earth.

However, before resorting to his world-destroying treasures, he first activated another of his abilities.

The Star of Omniscience and Omnipotence—a skill that allowed him to see the truth of all things, even the future.

Generally, he would voluntarily deactivate this skill for the sake of amusement, but in the moment he sensed Enkidu, his eagerness to reunite with his friend had caused him to forget.

He had also unleashed an attack equal to that of his friend.

Thus, after deploying that equally terrifying Noble Phantasm, he set his mind at ease. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he turned his gaze back to his friend.

"As expected of you, Enkidu, to encounter such a... mongrel... It seems this so-called Holy Grail War will come to an abrupt end."

At this moment, Gilgamesh did not feel that this Holy Grail War could proceed as intended. The moment Enkidu's Master entered the fray, the so-called Third Magic and the long-cherished wishes the mages hoped to achieve through it all became trivial.

Or rather, utterly meaningless.

Because to face an Enkidu with such a Master, he would have to go all out; as for the Heroic Spirits of other eras, they were worthless in their presence.

"Although it will cause destruction to nature, Gil, it has been a long time since I've seen you like this!"

Enkidu's fighting spirit soared. Heroic Spirit Summoning was a fascinating thing; the same person could be summoned in different ways, resulting in different manifestations.

You could summon the ignorant, innocent youth full of infinite possibilities; the ambitious, driven young man; the middle-aged man who recognized reality but still strove forward; or the elderly man who had seen through everything and returned to simplicity.

Depending on the mindset, the Class, and even the ideals and thoughts, the manifested form, Noble Phantasms, and abilities would all differ!

The beauty of Heroic Spirits lay in meeting those from history, clashing with them in their most charismatic eras, letting heroes fight at their peak, allowing them to display their absolute strongest selves, and determining the strongest, smartest, and most tenacious among them—that was the beauty of the Holy Grail War!

Everything else was merely secondary, mere window dressing!

And at this moment, Gilgamesh was exactly the version of himself that Enkidu most wanted to fight: the tyrant who ignored the counsel of gods and men alike, following only his own path!

Therefore, this battle was a reenactment of a mythic struggle!

Enkidu knew very well that his Master did not care for the Holy Grail; the desires of such a person were not something a mere cup could satisfy, and the burning will he possessed was certainly not something that could be reached by the weak wishes of mages!

Moreover, with just one glance, he knew that he and Li Ke could definitely become excellent partners!

"Master, my apologies, I am going to use my full strength."

Through the connection between Master and Servant, Enkidu reached out to Li Ke and made his request.

Li Ke did not hesitate. The moment he saw the scene of the explosion, he forgot his fear and everything else, a thrill stirring in his heart that he had never felt before.

"Of course! Enkidu! Can I join in?!"

At this moment, Li Ke did not realize how incredible it was for a Master to participate in a Heroic Spirit's battle, but—

"Oh my, I am sorry, Master, but I must defy you. The battle with Gil is mine. If you join in... Gil will be angry."

Enkidu refused with a smile. A sense of regret rose in Li Ke's heart, but it quickly subsided, for he sensed the arrival of other Heroic Spirits.

His hands trembled slightly, but he could not suppress the smile on his face.

"Then make sure you don't lose."

As his words fell, vast amounts of magical energy poured into Enkidu's body. The nine Magic Circuits within Li Ke's body operated at full capacity, continuously converting his immense vital energy into magical power, manifesting strength that transcended humanity.

Scathach, standing beside Li Ke, looked at the aura of magical energy radiating from him and fell into a brief silence. But Li Ke, oblivious to this, kept his eyes fixed on the battlefield.

"Yes, Master, I will do my best, but please stay far away from this mountain range... because the map of this area is likely to change."

After Enkidu finished speaking, he used Li Ke's magical energy to launch an attack against Gilgamesh across the earth—

Across a range of several kilometers, golden points of light continuously emerged from the ground, from which flower buds sprouted. Each of these buds contained violent magical energy. Seeing this, Gilgamesh laughed and spread his arms wide. Countless golden ripples appeared in the sky, completely obscuring half the heavens!

Deep within the Tohsaka residence, Tokiomi Tohsaka collapsed to his knees, trembling as he looked at the Command Spell on his hand.

Merely by forgetting to cut off the magical supply to Gilgamesh, the vital energy within his body had been almost instantly drained!

Yet, even he could see the golden ripples unfolding in the sky at this moment and feel the violent magical energy radiating from the distant wilderness.

The mage's habit of acting in secrecy made him want to recall Gilgamesh, but it was clear that Gilgamesh would not heed his commands at this moment, so he pinned all his hopes on the Command Spell.

However, the moment he activated the spell, countless points of light plummeted from the sky, while countless others shot up from the earth. Roaring explosions unfolded continuously between the ground and the heavens.

Thunderous sounds echoed through the sky, and the violent golden fire lit up the heavens. The shockwaves of the explosions rippled in all directions, and the storm of churning magical energy even caused the clouds in the sky to shift.

The entire Fuyuki City could see this scene, which resembled an attack by a rocket force. Some of the older residents, reminded of the American bombing raids, began to scream in terror.

This was what a Heroic Spirit was; a mere greeting was enough for others to mistake it for war!

Humanity was bewildered in the face of such immense power. Some stared blankly at the exploding firelight in the sky, watching as Mount Enzo gradually collapsed under the relentless bombardment. Terrified, they struggled to flee their homes, rushing in panic onto the streets.

This was why Enkidu had taken Li Ke to the wilderness the moment he sensed Gilgamesh; once the two of them struck, the very earth would be reshaped.

Fighting within the city would result in an astronomical number of casualties!

However, both combatants were well aware that this battle was nothing more than child's play between the two of them. If they truly wished to defeat the other, there was only one way to do it!

"Hahahaha!!! Enkidu!!"

Gilgamesh continuously summoned his treasures, and at some point, a cylindrical greatsword appeared in his hand!

By now, the armor on his body had long since shattered, and his bare upper torso was entwined with crimson markings.

Tokiomi Tohsaka's mana supply was, of course, no longer enough to support him, but his other Noble Phantasm, the Gate of Babylon, contained the original prototypes of countless crystallizations of human wisdom.

Simply put, his treasury held every treasure from throughout history; even an atomic bomb, so long as it was recognized as a treasure, existed within his vault!

This was the amplification a Heroic Spirit received—as long as your legend was widespread enough, you could receive endless enhancement!

Thus, at this very moment, Gilgamesh was using the Holy Grail—the ultimate prize sought by the mages participating in the Holy Grail War—to provide himself with mana!

Enkidu, meanwhile, was squandering the mana Li Ke channeled to him without restraint, for he could feel that the more he used his Master's mana, the more vibrant and healthy his Master's body became!

This feeling was simply wonderful!

To be able to do exactly as one pleased without worrying about dragging others down, and to have growth that could be seen with the naked eye...

This feeling was wonderful!

"I never imagined we could continue our past battles at a time like this, comparing the merits of our performance... It's wonderful, Gil. I'm going all out!"

Seeing the crimson light that shone brilliantly amidst the sky full of golden motes, Enkidu, knowing his dear friend had already unleashed his full power, also exerted his own full strength at this moment.

Embracing the sentiment of having found a new companion, Enkidu called out Gilgamesh's name!

"Gil!!"

Both of their Noble Phantasms were revealed once more!

Golden lightning and crimson lightning gathered rapidly in the atmosphere. The entire Fuyuki City trembled, and a typhoon formed by a mana vortex began to unfurl above their heads, bringing the natural disaster that the Japanese feared so much to this very place!

The crimson light and the golden light began to churn with a heavy and immense aura, and as both men sought to make their techniques even more resolute and vast, they displayed an unparalleled seriousness.

Wielding Ea, Gilgamesh looked at Enkidu and chanted the origin of the sword in his hand.

"Let the heavens tell of the beginning, when the world was split asunder, and even the void offered its congratulations. With my Ea, I shall tear the world apart; fortune shall be swept away, and what is called heaven and hell is but the end of the eve of creation..."

Violent mana gathered around him, turning the sky into a vision of hell!

Enkidu did not fall behind; looking at Gilgamesh, he spoke slowly.

"What is revealed here is the breath of the stars. I shall walk alongside humanity..."

Countless flowers bloomed around Enkidu, the golden light a manifestation of life itself!

And in the next moment!

"Enuma Elish!!!"

"Enuma Elish!!!"

This time, the result was completely different from the last, for the moment the two released their Noble Phantasms, Scathach instantly stood before Li Ke, extending her hand as countless Runes manifested to resist the aftermath of their collision.

The violent impact produced an effect similar to a nuclear explosion in an instant, yet it was far more ferocious.

The entire Mion River was sent flying into the sky, and Mount Enzo was shaved away by more than half in a single moment. From a space station above, one could see the distinct typhoon clouds and the crimson light produced by the explosion!

An unprecedented power slammed into the land of this island nation, causing the already unstable earth and sky to trigger a chain reaction.

A violent typhoon took shape, and the ground beneath their feet began to tremble from the impact! Earthquakes occurred as well.

There were even small volcanic eruptions on the seabed, causing the ocean to churn even more turbulently!

But—

"I command with a Command Spell! Hero King, cease your hunt for now!"

Tokiomi Tohsaka activated a Command Spell to issue his so-called remonstrance. In that instant, Gilgamesh's body stiffened.

This could not force the fully committed Gilgamesh to return to Tokiomi Tohsaka's side, but this brief interruption caused Gilgamesh's mana supply to falter for a split second.

In that very moment, the golden light instantly overwhelmed the crimson torrent. Upon realizing this, the golden torrent tore through the crimson flow, bypassed Gilgamesh, and surged into the sky, shredding a piece of the planet's atmosphere.

It was not that he was holding back; even if this strike had hit Gilgamesh, it would not have posed a fatal threat to a serious Gilgamesh, nor was it the result his Master desired.

However, such an anomaly in Gilgamesh was highly unusual.

Thus, he looked at Gilgamesh, whose face was so enraged that he could no longer maintain his handsome composure, and asked.

"What is it, Gil? Did a problem arise?"

Gilgamesh, who had originally intended to burst into a tirade, looked at Enkidu, and his impending outburst softened slightly. Yet, his towering rage was clear to anyone with a sound mind.

"It is merely that I have had the misfortune of encountering a rude and reckless fool who claims to be my subject, yet completely fails to understand the value of a King's grace! Enkidu, let our final battle wait until after we have eliminated the other meddlers... It seems the so-called Holy Grail is nothing more than a boring game, aside from the fact that it allowed us to meet again!"

He glanced at the exposed Greater Grail, snorted coldly, and slowly dissolved into motes of light, returning to punish his subject.

He was in a truly foul mood, and because he had lost face in front of his dear friend, he couldn't even reminisce! Such anger required someone to bear the brunt of it!

Far away, at the Holy Church responsible for handling the disturbances caused by the Holy Grail War, Kotomine Kirei looked at the scene that resembled a nuclear detonation. Holding a phone used to contact government officials in one hand, he looked toward his astonished father and asked.

"Are we still going with the 'gas explosion' explanation for the cleanup this time?"