A cave complex on the northern outskirts of Snowfield City.
The area was filled with the sll of blood.
A small girl nad Tiné knelt piously in a corner. Right beside her, a man lay collapsed in a pool of blood. His eyes bulged, his right sleeve was empty, and thick red blood still seeped from the wound.
"Archer, you are my servant… Kill her! Kill this little girl right now!"
The man let out a beast-like shrill scream. His turbid eyes moved wildly, filled with resentnt.
He had sched for years to summon this Hero King, even using the "Key of the King's Law" as a relic, all to obtain this most ancient wonder in his own hands.
Yet who could have imagined it would all be in vain!
Moreover, he had been injured by the little girl he had looked down upon.
Fortunately, he had already summoned this Hero King… As long as he was here, a few magi ant nothing.
"Hurry up! I am your Master!"
The man raised his face and looked up at the golden king seated on the throne as if sitting higher than anyone else.
Gilgash ignored the man's howls and played with the "key" that had summoned him.
"The Key of the King's Law… Hmph."
He finally spoke. His voice was cold and arrogant. "I never imagined humans of this era would find such a thing. To stage such a farcical power struggle against , who has only just manifested in this world… Is this your first greeting to ?"
The golden king's voice was full of arrogant superiority. His crimson eyes looked down at the girl nad "Tiné" kneeling on the ground.
"However, such boring entertainnt is far too disappointing for ."
Faced with the Hero King's dignified question, the girl nad Tiné did not flinch.
She kept her head deeply bowed and spoke in an unusually calm, respectful voice. "O great Hero King, I have no intention of disrupting your enjoynt. What I did was rely purge a 'parasite' from this land. That man was unworthy of you, and this land will never accept arrogant outsiders filled with plunder and selfishness."
"Archer… what are you waiting for! Quickly kill this insignificant beast!"
At that mont, the man with the severed hand scread in terror and distortion.
He had already sensed sothing was wrong. His dominance as "Master" was rapidly weakening, and even the golden king no longer paid him any attention.
However, Gilgash simply rested his chin on his hand and spoke with a cold yet intrigued smile. "Oh? You call him a parasite?"
"Indeed, that ugly Mongrel crawling on the ground begging for rcy is not even worthy of being your footstool. But…"
Gilgash's gaze suddenly turned icy. He said slowly, "On what basis do you think you can replace him and stand behind ?"
Tiné lowered her head even further and said respectfully, "Your Majesty… I do not desire the Holy Grail. I rely wish for you to witness how the rightful owners of this land drive away arrogant invaders."
"Parasites who only know how to pursue the Root have no right to bear your glory."
A brief silence fell over the cave.
The light from the bonfire flickered on the rock walls, casting shifting light and shadow on Gilgash's dignified face.
The man who had been furiously shouting earlier now broke out in cold sweat, sensing danger. "Hero King, you are the servant I summoned, you are—"
"Hahaha… Hahahaha!"
The next mont, a low, arrogant laugh cut off the man's voice.
The Hero King raised his hand, pressed it to his forehead, and revealed a wild smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Pursuing the empty fa of the 'Root'? Indeed, magi who only know how to drool over old magecraft books are more worthless than trash. Compared to such servile creatures, your ambition suits my taste a little better, girl."
He extended his hand to the girl beside him with a regal expression full of joy and intimidation. "This whimsical contract is sowhat unpleasant, but since it is an invitation from the 'territory,' I shall temporarily permit you to watch the farce known as the Holy Grail War from the front row."
"If the script you present is sufficiently interesting, this king will not hesitate to bestow this Holy Grail upon you."
The Hero King who stood at the pinnacle of Heroic Spirits and was considered the top favorite to win in every Holy Grail War spoke with unshakable confidence.
"If nothing unexpected happens, this Holy Grail War will be quite interesting."
After saying this, he slowly raised his head and looked in a certain direction. An extrely excited smile appeared on his face.
"I can feel his presence here as well."
"Him…?"
Tiné was stunned.
Under the girl's dazed gaze, Gilgash slowly uttered that world-shaking na.
"My beloved friend… Enkidu."
"That man has already left footprints on this land and made no attempt to hide them…"
Gilgash slowly rose from the throne. In the dark cave, his golden armor clinked sharply.
The mad smile on his lips grew even stronger, as if at this mont the entire Holy Grail War held no aning for him except that na.
"Your Majesty, are you going out…?"
Tiné, standing at the side, looked up in surprise.
According to the common sense of magi in the Holy Grail War, a Servant who had only just manifested should hide their presence and secretly observe the enemy's situation. Yet she had not expected this king to begin preparing to march the mont the contract was established.
In response to the girl's puzzled question, Gilgash did not turn around. He walked toward the wilderness outside the cave.
"Naturally, it is to attend a 'reunion' that has been overdue for thousands of years."
The Hero King proudly raised his head. The wind fluttered his mantle, and his voice echoed into the night sky, filled with unquestionable dominance.
"Before this monotonous and boring entertainnt begins, it would be rude not to greet my best friend!"
...
Snowfield City, city center.
The bustling streets were intertwined with dazzling neon sign lights.
A stunningly beautiful person with brilliant green hair and androgynous features walked lightly through the crowd.
He tilted his head slightly, gazing at the towering steel buildings and cars speeding by. Calm emotions dwelled in his clear jade-like eyes.
"Without relying on the miracles of the gods, humanity has transford this land this far using only wisdom and hands… The progress of humanity in this era is truly astonishing."
A low growl…
Through the magic contract circuits, a deep, cautious roar rippled like waves into Enkidu's heart.
It was the synthetic silver wolf—the Master hiding in a dark corner of the city—reacting to his emotions.
"Ah."
A faint smile appeared on Enkidu's lips. His gaze pierced through the bustling cityscape and turned toward the distant north. "And… I didn't expect Gil to be here too. This Holy Grail War looks quite interesting."
As a weapon created by the gods, Enkidu's very existence was contact with the earth.
Unless that extrely arrogant Hero King intentionally hid his magecraft, that dazzling sun-like arrogant magical power could not escape his perception.
The human and the wolf casually conversed through the contract.
After a while, Enkidu quietly shifted his gaze and whispered, "It's about ti to head back."
The reason he had gone on this short excursion was precisely to see with his own eyes how humanity had changed the land in this era.
Now that the observation period had ended, the countdown to the official start of the Holy Grail War was almost here.
Since his best friend was also on this land, he would surely take this matter very seriously.
However…
Knowing Gil's personality, he was probably already itching to take action, wasn't he?
Thinking this, a smile mixed with nostalgia and anticipation appeared in the green-haired beauty's eyes.
He shook his head, turned around, and prepared to hide his presence and disappear into the shadows of the city.
But the mont he turned—
He suddenly caught sight of a couple passing by the convenience store on the street corner from the edge of his vision.
Click.
The green-haired beauty suddenly froze in place without warning.
In the blink of an eye, his relaxed body stiffened as if he had seen a ghost. He dazedly stared at the receding figure of the blue-haired woman.
"Woof? (What's wrong?)"
The synthetic wolf, whose emotions were strongly tied to his, imdiately let out a low growl full of vigilance and unease.
Even his own soul, standing at the pinnacle of heroic spirits, felt a faint tremor.
Enkidu did not answer.
He simply stared dazedly at the seemingly ordinary blue-haired woman. His erald pupils sharply contracted, as if at this mont his entire worldview had been completely overturned.
"How is this possible… How is this possible…?"
Yet as the representative of the planet, his perception was absolutely correct.
That primal aura that instinctively commanded obedience from all things.
Even the slightest leakage would be enough to suffocate all life in the Age of Gods.
That woman was—
After a short silence, Enkidu's lips trembled slightly as he murmured.
"…Mother?"
…
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