In the center of Snowfield City, neon signs shone as brightly as daytime even late at night.
The green-haired beauty stood on the road, staring fixedly at the blue-haired figure gradually moving away beside the convenience store, as if piercing through the dense crowd.
If his memory was correct, that woman was indeed…
Even if her appearance had changed slightly, even if she intentionally hid her aura, Enkidu—who had once been the weapon of the gods and the representative of the earth—would never misjudge the primal tremor that touched the soul.
But why would she appear in this small-scale Holy Grail War?
At that moment, a tremendous storm raged within the heart of this sacred weapon.
It was a terror he had not experienced since the end of the Age of Gods.
Even he, a child created by the gods and a being at the pinnacle of heroic spirits, felt an unprecedented shock before the true Mother of All Things.
"Woof… (Should I follow them?)"
The synthetic silver wolf sensed that the Servant's emotions were spiraling out of control and let out an uneasy growl.
Enkidu's fingertips trembled slightly.
But before he could make his next decision, an incredibly fierce and powerful magical force suddenly poured down from the northern desert!
The aura was far too arrogant and flashy, as if declaring to all of Snowfield City: "I am here, you Mongrels! Look up at me!"
Enkidu was slightly surprised. However, upon sensing the familiar aura, his tense expression gradually relaxed.
He closed his eyes and let out a helpless sigh.
"Gil, you really can't endure even for a moment… Coming at a time like this…"
"Fine. Since you've already prepared a feast, if I don't go, you'll probably flip the entire desert over, won't you?"
The green-haired beauty whispered softly. In the next instant, his figure transformed into a streak of green light and flew toward the golden flames burning in the northern direction!
...
Snowfield City was a miracle city forcibly built by capital and modern engineering in the barren desert of the American West.
Its foundation was buried deep in the endlessly spreading dry yellow sand, but in just a few years, enormous wealth had flowed into this western wilderness like a torrent, giving birth to a dazzling neon oasis.
Matou Yuu walked through the neon-lit night streets of the city together with Tiamat.
The night before the Holy Grail War began, a Master and Servant pair wandering aimlessly through the city with their Servant… Surely we're the only ones doing this?
Matou Yuu couldn't help sighing inwardly.
He turned his gaze to the blue-haired woman beside him.
She was still wearing that deep blue long dress created by magecraft. Although the skirt cut was extremely modest, the form-fitting dress perfectly enveloped her breathtakingly beautiful figure, exuding an indescribable ascetic atmosphere.
Her ample breasts stretched the hem of the dress into astonishingly beautiful curves. The slightly cinched waist highlighted her mature, extremely seductive body shape.
Under the city's dazzling neon lights, her waterfall-like blue hair gently swayed in the wind, breathtakingly beautiful.
Her beautiful red eyes quietly observed the surrounding environment, as if filled with curiosity toward modern society.
"This place… is very prosperous. Even more prosperous than Uruk in the past," Tiamat suddenly said.
Indeed, as the Goddess of Creation, Tiamat always emanated an aura of dignity and tyranny. Even without intentionally releasing that pressure, she was an existence that inspired awe.
Yet at this moment, her curiosity toward the outside world made her appear more approachable and adorable—like a little girl curious about a new world. At the same time, she was extraordinarily gentle and graceful.
Suddenly, Tiamat stopped.
She looked up with slight confusion and asked, "Why are there so many magnificent buildings here?"
She stared at a particularly eye-catching golden building at the end of the street.
It was a magnificent fortress that could be called the pinnacle of luxury. Pure gold glass curtain walls emitted the dazzling brilliance of the new rich floating in the night sky. Huge hologram projections continuously changed patterns of playing cards and chips in the air. Luxury cars came and went endlessly before the gates, illuminating the surrounding night sky as brightly as day.
"That is called a casino. It is the backbone industry of this city," Matou Yuu explained in a low voice. "Simply put, it is an amusement park where greed and desire are exchanged for money. People squander their fortunes there, trying to create the miracle of becoming rich overnight through probability games."
"Due to strict federal regulations in each U.S. state, it is actually extremely difficult to open truly large-scale casinos in bustling urban centers."
"To circumvent gambling prohibition laws, many shrewd capitalists choose to build casinos in the frontiers that enjoy autonomous rights and are not bound by state laws. The sudden emergence of a modern metropolis centered on gambling in a wilderness like Snowfield City is extremely unusual."
After listening to Matou Yuu's explanation, Tiamat gazed thoughtfully at the blinking neon lights. She seemed to understand somewhat, but not completely.
At that moment, a familiar deep blue virtual screen quietly appeared before Matou Yuu's retina.
[Gulp!]
[Side Quest "Witness of the Era" Completed!]
[Mission Summary: You and your "Sea Spirit larva" caught your first glimpse of the neon wonders of modern capitalism and gained a slight understanding of this era filled with iron and greed.]
[Task Reward: Attribute Points +1 (Free)]
[Bonus: The target "Tiamat's" settlement level in the present world has increased by 5%. Current settlement value has risen. Note: As the settlement level increases, the mana cost to maintain the spirit form in the present world will decrease significantly.]
[System Notification: Special Function "Young Spirit Observation Diary" is now officially available!]
[Young Spirit Observation Diary (Function Description)] Record all "first experiences" your Sea Spirit larva encounters in the human world (e.g., tasting modern food for the first time, encountering modern technology for the first time, understanding human emotions for the first time, etc.). Each new record unlocked grants a small amount of mana or random items, deepening bonds and the contract.
…
Feeling the faint glow of the [Free Attribute Points] before him, Matou Yuu's eyes wavered slightly.
This time, he did not add it to his personal panel as usual.
He stared at the attribute points and pondered quietly. Could these free attribute points only be applied to himself? Or, in special situations in the future, might they have other wonderful uses—or even be directly applicable to a Servant?
"In any case, I'll keep them as trump cards for now," Matou Yuu decided inwardly.
Just then, Tiamat beside him seemed to sense something.
Her red eyes, which had been fixed on the casino's neon signs, moved slightly and unconsciously looked toward the northern part of the city.
"What's wrong?" Noticing the subtle change in her emotions, Matou Yuu immediately lowered his voice and asked.
Tiamat frowned, looked up in a certain direction, and said with slight confusion, "Over there… there seems to be a very familiar aura."
Matou Yuu's heart skipped a beat. He followed Tiamat's gaze.
Immediately, a hint of hesitation appeared on his face.
If his memory was correct, the northern end of Snowfield City should have been an endless barren desert.
Could it be… that a Servant had descended in that desolate land?
...
At the same time.
This location in the northern part of Snowfield City was a desolate desert area far from the hustle and bustle of the city and neon lights.
The night wind violently swirled up sand.
In the middle of the desert, a king clad in golden armor like a burning sun proudly manifested in this barren land.
Gilgamesh slowly opened his eyes.
The dazzling night sky was reflected in his crimson eyes, which stood straight like snakes.
This Hero King, who was always extremely arrogant and looked down on all living beings as lowly ants, was now strangely excited and immersed in nostalgia.
It was a joy only a king could have—a joy the king could not let go of.
"Now, my beloved friend!"
Gilgamesh crossed his arms, tilted his head back, and laughed loudly toward the empty, desolate night sky. His arrogant laughter echoed across the desert.
"After a thousand years of separation, such weak words hold no meaning at all! The only way to show the highest respect to each other's souls is to fight with all our strength and clash!"
"In this long and ridiculous era, as a servant serving this world, are you still the sacred weapon capable of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with me? Let me confirm it myself!"
Along with the Hero King's world-shaking declaration, the dark void behind him instantly… boiled like hot water as hundreds, thousands of dazzling golden ripples spread!
Bzzz—!
In an instant, the sharpness of thousands of divine weapons erupted all at once.
Swords, spears, halberds… Treasures of countless shapes and sizes emerged from the Gate of Babylon, emitting the light of the divine era. A dense golden halo instantly covered the entire desert night sky, turning the world as bright as day.
And almost simultaneously, dazzling golden light burst forth, directing killing intent toward the sky.
BOOM—!!!
The thick clouds high in the sky were instantly torn apart by tremendous force.
A dazzling green light carrying the life force of the entire planet, like a meteor, pierced the sky with terrifying power capable of pulverizing mountains and rivers, and violently crashed toward the golden sea in the desert!
…