"So moving. This is what a true hero is!"
Tears shimmered in Kirina's eyes.
Anyone could see that if Heracles had simply given up protecting Illya, he might have stood a chance to defeat the King of Heroes.
But—
Not even once did Heracles abandon her.
He would rather endure the onslaught of Noble Phantasms than let Illya be harmed.
From beginning to end, he fulfilled his ultimate mission of protection.
He even surpassed his own mythology and broke free from the Chains of Heaven!
It was the height of tragedy and glory—a final, transcendent self-sacrifice that burned everything he had.
"Berserker… Shirou…"
Tears streamed from Illya's eyes.
In that moment, all her memories returned.
She remembered her brutal, yet warm and precious past.
That boy—clearly still young and naive, yet stood bravely and fearlessly in front of her.
Why did she forget?
Had the entire world been rebooted, wiping everyone's memories?
"All misfortune in this world stems from the individual's lack of strength."
Countless memories churned through Sanjiro's mind.
As a regular guy who had transmigrated here, he realized he was now in the Nasuverse and a participant in the Holy Grail War.
He tried to escape—he even went to abroad for a while—but discovered that escape was impossible.
It all felt like destiny.
So, he returned to Japan, continuing his life as a high schooler, hoping to end the Holy Grail War using his foresight.
Unfortunately, a Reality Marble is akin to True Magic—it demands a final, spiritual metamorphosis to activate.
You can't unlock it easily—it takes years of grinding.
But the butterfly effect had already been triggered. Gilgamesh, early in the Grail War, was already planning to rip out Illya's heart.
He didn't leave any time!
—In the video—
Gilgamesh's expression grew more and more scornful.
The opponent's mana was pitifully low. Even the projected Noble Phantasms looked cheap and shabby.
Gilgamesh could hardly keep from laughing.
"This? This? THIS?"
"I know no one has any expectations of me. I know better than anyone how weak I am!"
The young Shirou stared straight at his opponent, fists clenched. "But I still must fight you! Even if I can't win—I must stand here and fight! This isn't about winning or losing. I have to stand here! I'm not a hero, but I will never run away!"
His words landed like thunder.
Filled with unyielding resolve—even in the face of certain death, he had no regrets.
"Hahaha, clown! If you don't want to die, scram!"
Gilgamesh laughed heartily.
The battle erupted.
The King of Heroes stood atop the rooftop, his demeanor impossibly arrogant, looking down upon his foe like a god gazing at insects.
His blood-red eyes were full of ridicule, as if staring at a pitiful worm.
But Shirou stood firm, unwavering.
In his hands, once again, he projected Kanshou and Bakuya.
His actions made one thing clear—if Gilgamesh wanted Illya's heart, he'd have to step over his dead body.
Buzz—
Behind the King of Heroes, ripples of golden light shimmered, and in an instant, over a dozen golden vortexes appeared.
From each vortex emerged a weapon.
[Gate of Babylon]
Gilgamesh possessed the key to the "Golden Capital," allowing him to freely summon treasures stored within.
Inside was a collection of all mankind's treasures!
And this wasn't just a metaphor—Gilgamesh had claimed the blueprints of all technologies of his era.
Rather than calling them his possessions, it was more accurate to say these were the original sources of human wisdom.
"How utterly boring and filthy, you cheap faker." Gilgamesh's tone grew more maniacal as he sneered,
"Let me show you the true difference between real and fake!"
Gate of Babylon fully unleashed—a barrage of swords blasted forth like unstoppable cannon fire.
This was how the oldest King fought: overwhelming with sheer force.
Weapon after weapon launched without end, like a torrent of golden missiles.
Shirou could only frantically dodge.
There was no way to resist!
This was the gulf between a mere human and a Heroic Spirit!
"Ha! A lowly mongrel dares challenge this king? Who gave you that courage?" Gilgamesh mocked him further. "You don't seriously think you can win, do you?"
In that overwhelming barrage, Shirou's body was soon covered in horrific wounds.
His face was slashed open, blood pouring freely.
"Humanity's song is a song of courage! Humanity's greatness is the greatness of courage!"
Wiping the blood from his face, Shirou glared at Gilgamesh. "I don't have to win—but I cannot lose!"
"Trace—On!"
He projected new weapons, continuing to fight against the endless storm of Noble Phantasms!
Dodging with all he had under the rain of weapons, he had no hope of victory in sight!
Countless viewers watching the video were left breathless—
HistorianWithWifi-[Clearly, the Unlimited Blade Works timeline happens before The Oldest King, no wonder Nameless hated Gilgamesh at first sight!]
ConstipatedProcrastinator-[Maybe Alaya revealed this video to show us how Nameless transformed!]
YaoiBreed-[If it were me, I wouldn't dare fight Gilgamesh at all!]
IDigBigClock-[No matter the hardships, face them with a smile. The best way to overcome fear is to face it—hold on, and you'll succeed! Let's go!]
ICastFart-[But seriously—how do you beat Gilgamesh?]
...
"You idiot!"
Rin Tohsaka, watching the video, had tears flowing down her cheeks.
He could've escaped so easily—so why confront the King of Heroes?
You want to save everyone… but why don't you save yourself first?
What a hopeless idiot…
In that moment, she finally understood why Nameless had said those things to Jeanne back in The Witch of Vengeance.
Clearly, he saw his younger self in Jeanne.
—On the screen—
Gilgamesh's expression was growing more relaxed: "Where's your Saber?"
"She's gone to do something more important!" Shirou gritted his teeth.
A mortal… fighting a Heroic Spirit!
He would use this desperate battle as a forge, refining his soul into shape, completing his ultimate transformation.
"Haha, did you send her to destroy the Grail?" Gilgamesh sneered. "Too bad—I've already stationed guards. She'll never succeed."
Buzz—
He summoned a massive illusory screen, deliberately showing the scene of the Holy Grail.
A gigantic black hole hovered in the sky, spewing endless black mud.
Just looking at it sent chills down the spines of countless viewers.
Below it, Artoria, clad in knightly armor, was battling other Heroic Spirits.
"The insatiable greed of mankind poured into the Holy Grail, festering until it gave birth to a singular curse—the embodiment of humanity's darkest impulses, known as All the Evils of This World!"
Gilgamesh laughed cruelly. "This king shall bring catastrophe upon the world. Let's see how many people are left once the trash has been culled. Isn't that amusing?"