“Another highly distinct Gil?”
Enkidu stood beneath an ancient oak tree, quietly observing the blonde youth stepping into the open clearing.
Initially, Enkidu was quite puzzled.
Could this bizarre Holy Grail War somehow summon variants of Gilgamesh from different periods within a single ritual?
Was that why an unprecedented clash between two independent Kings of Heroes had occurred?
But following their previous collisions—particularly when Li Xiang unleashed that dense wave of deathly energy back in the canyon—Enkidu executed a much deeper sensory reading.
They instantly understood one thing: the individual before them was not a Gilgamesh from a specific era of history, but rather an entirely distinct manifestation of a possibility derived from an alternate timeline.
And now, this fundamentally unique possibility stood tangibly right before them.
Enkidu’s emerald eyes, capable of peering into the baseline truth of all creation, scanned Li Xiang with absolute precision.
Across their androgynous, beautiful features, an expression of profound curiosity and anticipation emerged.
They could genuinely sense that a deathly aura, heavy enough to choke a normal entity, was wrapped securely around this “Gil.”
Enkidu desperately wanted to know what kind of spectacular, soul-stirring epic this alternate world’s “friend” had experienced across his lifetime to possess such a dense shroud of death, all while maintaining a free-spirited, effortless posture that looked completely past mortality yet remained intensely in love with life.
Sensing Enkidu’s absolute thirst for knowledge, Li Xiang offered a faint smile.
He naturally divined exactly what the Clay was curious about.
“Since you want to understand it so badly…
rather than explaining it with words, it’s probably better to just let you see it for yourself.”
Li Xiang stroked his chin, subsequently elevating his right hand with absolute deliberation.
Deep within his soul, the half-measure of authority belonging to the Master of the Underworld generated an immensely powerful resonance with the Mistress of the Dead.
Just as the True Saber, Richard the Lionheart, could manifest physical illusions of his non-Heroic Spirit companions due to an incredibly potent bond, Li Xiang and Ereshkigal were a married couple who had crossed the boundaries of life and death, supporting one another through long centuries as the sole keepers of each other’s souls.
Paired with Li Xiang’s own rule-breaking magical energy reservoir capable of sustaining a Divine Spirit’s parameter configuration, a massive magical vortex interwoven with dark red and brilliant gold began coalescing beside his frame.
Across the clearing floor, the lush green grass instantly withered into a pale ash-gray, and several blanched blossoms symbolic of the underworld quietly bloomed at the dead center of the swirling magical storm.
In the next fraction of a second, beneath Enkidu’s thoroughly astounded gaze, a tangible, physically absolute silhouette solidified into existence amidst the sea of pale flowers.
It was a goddess possessing dazzling blonde hair, her beauty exquisitely regal and profound.
She was draped in a black-and-red gothic gown unique to her underworld domain, her hand lightly gripping a divine lance tip that radiated absolute sovereign authority over death.
Having just been pulled across dimensional parameters into the physical world, Ereshkigal displayed a brief moment of bewilderment regarding the sudden teleportation sequence.
However, the exact moment her eyes caught her husband standing beside her, she instantly suppressed her surprise, realigning her posture into that of the dignified, immensely authoritative Mistress of the Underworld.
“Allow me to formally introduce her.”
Li Xiang looked toward the Enkidu before him, the corners of his mouth curving into an incredibly proud grin: “This is my wife, Ereshkigal.”
“…”
An absolute, deathly silence descended upon the forest layout.
The breeze locked completely, the foliage ceased its rustling, and even the massive silver synthetic beast resting beneath the tree forgot to wag its tail.
Enkidu, who had consistently maintained an effortlessly composed smile throughout the war, suffered a total facial deconstruction.
Their eyes went completely wide, their mouth hung slightly open, and their pupils were currently undergoing an unprecedented, level-ten tectonic earthquake.
If a mirror were present on the field, Enkidu would have realized that their current facial expression was a literal carbon copy of the one Gilgamesh had displayed the previous evening when he heard the exact same declaration.
(O口O?!)
Please don’t tell a joke that isn’t funny in the slightest!
That arrogant monarch who declared himself sole sovereign over heaven and earth, the one who viewed every treasure across the globe as his personal property—that Gilgamesh had actually…
tied the knot?!
And the bridal counterpart was none other than the reclusive Mistress of the Underworld, who spent eternity brooding inside a dark subterranean domain, oozing a bleak presence?!
Yet, after repeatedly utilizing their sensory capabilities to read the absolute, unforgeable spiritual bond shared between the two, Enkidu was forced to let out a silent sigh deep within their heart.
So this is truly the nature of parallel worlds?
When the timeline parameters expand far enough, absolutely any anomaly can manifest.
Looking at the alternate friend currently undergoing a total existential crisis, Li Xiang and Ereshkigal traded a brief smile, requiring zero words to communicate their amusement.
Having delivered a minor dose of “pure love shock” to this alternate world’s closest friend, Li Xiang released Ereshkigal’s hand and redirected the dialogue back toward tactical realities.
He engaged in a lively conversation with Enkidu, directly stating the true objective behind his approach to this forest sector: an alliance.
“My objective for coming here is remarkably simple—I want to enjoy a spectacular, completely unreserved battle sequence.”
Li Xiang suppressed his grin, his gaze turning deep and hyper-focused.
“However, inside this specific Holy Grail War, a few highly undisciplined, downright nauseating heavyweight entities have integrated themselves into the matrix.
For example, that Ishtar who is entirely obsessed with regressing the world back to the Divine Age, or a specific Dead Apostle skulking about in the dark.”
“When I am savoring a high-end feast, I absolutely despise having such parasites pop out to ruin my dining table.”
Li Xiang crossed his arms, tossing out his core proposition: “Consequently, to prevent such an unpleasant scenario from materializing, I intend to take some time out of my schedule to completely liquidate those factions first.”
“And before we sweep away that irritating garbage, why don’t we all agree to a temporary ceasefire?
Once the stage is thoroughly cleared, we can clash to our hearts’ content.
What do you think?”
Faced with a proposal brimming with such kingly magnanimity and flawless logic, Enkidu recovered from their initial shock, their emerald eyes flashing with computational thought.
Before Enkidu could voice a definitive response, Li Xiang suddenly canted his head, throwing his gaze toward two independent vectors deeper within the forest canopy.
“Well?
What do you say, my golden friend with the red highlights over there, alongside Miss Assassin concealing herself inside the shadow of the branches?
Are you two interested in this proposition?”
“Hahaha!
Splendid!
Truly expected of a hero possessing a monarch’s character!
Such extraordinary perception is nothing short of admirable!”
Accompanied by a burst of boisterous, thrilled laughter, a youth possessing blonde hair tipped with blood-red streaks stepped out confidently from behind a gargantuan tree.
It was the True Saber—Richard the Lionheart.
Following closely behind him was a blonde, spectacle-wearing Eastern woman, Ayaka Sajyou.
This Master, who had been forcibly dragged into the war parameters, was currently shivering violently behind Richard’s cape, clearly traumatized by Li Xiang’s casual invocation of a literal Divine Spirit moments ago.
Concurrently, within the shadow of the canopy along a different vector, the ambient air rippled like a disturbance across water.
A stunningly beautiful woman possessing a devilish physique and draped in black robes materialized out of the vacuum like a phantom.
The False Assassin—the Zealot.
The gaze she directed at Li Xiang was laden with extreme weight and absolute caution.
She had originally been tracking the Dead Apostle, Jester Karture, and was drawn to this location by the residual shockwaves of the canyon clash, completely failing to anticipate that the moment she arrived, her concealment parameters would be pierced effortlessly by this man.
Surveying the multiple factions present on the field—which essentially constituted half the total assets of this Holy Grail War—Li Xiang paid no heed to Richard’s excitement or the Zealot’s hostility.
He reached out to hold his wife Ereshkigal’s hand once more, his crimson eyes flashing with an unchallengeable authority as he issued a formal invitation to everyone present on the field:
“My proposition remains valid.
Once we deliver that toxic goddess who attempts to domesticate humanity, along with that Dead Apostle, straight into my wife’s underworld, we can figure out a way to slaughter each other to our hearts’ content.”
“Deal?”