Chapter 46. The Eighth Servant, Gilgamesh the King of Heroes!
"Aki Tomoya, you're a damn beast, a scumbag, a sick monster steeped in sin and blood…"
Witnessing every one of those scenes—from Aki Tomoya's hypocritical smile, to him laughing and feigning kindness, and finally to the moment when all his crimes were exposed—
Kasumigaoka Utaha also furrowed her brows, a silent fury welling up within her.
Accompanying it was an overwhelming disgust that she could not shake off—directed toward the real-world Aki Tomoya.
She had once encountered this classmate at Toyogasaki Private Academy. He seemed like a harmless, friendly-looking otaku. She'd even considered talking to him, maybe asking for his opinion on her new novel.
But the reality was…
"Urgh~"
She gagged dryly, her stomach churning. Just the thought of the name "Saint Aki Tomoya" was enough to make her feel revolted.
Maybe the Aki Tomoya of this world was a decent person, but Kasumigaoka Utaha had no intention of interacting with him any further.
...
"...Disgusting."
Eriri almost vomited too, her face pale as a sheet, body trembling all over.
After seeing the crimes of Aki Tomoya from the parallel world, she had made up her mind to cut all ties with him forever.
What if she ended up kidnapped by him and got her kidneys stolen in that "theme park"?
…
And then, under the watchful eyes of the masses, came the traitorous backstab of Medea the Witch of Betrayal.
The events flashed by like light—each scene vividly detailing the progression.
[Before confirming he could switch to a new Servant, Aki Tomoya continued making full use of his false benevolence, smiling gently while conversing with Medea, as if he were a wise monarch who treasured the talented.]
[However, behind her back, he secretly sought out the "Holy Church" in Fuyuki City.]
[There resided someone who claimed to be neutral—the overseer of the Holy Grail War, Enoshima Junko.]
[Before long, Aki Tomoya received the answer he had hoped for.]
[As long as he severed his contract with the Caster-class Servant, he could acquire a much stronger Servant.]
[A peerless ancient king who could not be rivaled!]
[He wielded a legendary sword capable of tearing apart the fabric of the world, and possessed a treasury of unimaginable wealth.]
[Summoned from the Fourth Holy Grail War and forcibly sustained for ten years.]
[His name was Gilgamesh, from the tale recorded in cuneiform on Mesopotamian clay tablets—the Epic of Gilgamesh. He was the fifth king of ancient Uruk, the oldest "King of Heroes" in existence!]
[Two-thirds god and one-third human—a demi-god with an arrogant nature, once claiming himself to be an unmatched tyrant.]
[If he could establish a contract with this Servant, then victory in this Holy Grail War was practically guaranteed!]
"Holy shit, it's the King of Heroes Gilgamesh?!"
People across European nations were stunned—they never expected to witness the descent of such an ancient king.
"Uh… something's off this time… isn't this already the eighth Servant?"
Someone stammered with a trembling voice, their whole body shaking.
He remembered clearly that the rules stated seven Servants would battle, and the last one standing would obtain the Holy Grail.
This time…
This time the holy church themselves had broken the rules—personally kicking off the chaos.
"It must be some kind of special case…"
Someone murmured with a thoughtful frown.
Surely not every Holy Grail War could have someone break the rules, right?
…
["Greetings, King of Heroes. I shall now take my leave. Upon my return, I promise to bring good news."]
[Inside the Holy Church, Aki Tomoya knelt respectfully before the golden-armored king, his demeanor humble and proper. Only after completing his formal salute did he turn and leave with a calm gait.]
[As the image of his hypocritical figure gradually faded into the distance...]
[Not far away, a girl with fluffy light-pink twin tails narrowed her eyes and smirked slyly, her tone both mocking and amused.]
["Someone as great as you, King of Heroes… do you truly intend to choose him as your Master?"]
["Hmph~ Just another mongrel."]
[Gilgamesh replied with disdain: "If he can bring even a shred of amusement to this king, then letting his rotten, putrid soul flicker with a bit of light is no issue at all."]
[The ancient king sneered, his words dripping with scorn.]
[He had seen through Aki Tomoya's true nature in just a single glance.]
["I may offend you by saying this, but… Aki-kun will never return."]
[Enoshima Junko smiled, eyes narrowed: "That's the Witch of Betrayal from ancient Greek mythology. If a Master betrays her, she will absolutely betray them in return. The so-called Command Spells won't help in the slightest."]
["Then it seems this king has lost another toy to play with."]
[Gilgamesh raised an intrigued eyebrow and let out a carefree, booming laugh.]
[As long as nothing interfered with his ultimate "judgment" upon all of humanity, losing a bit of amusement was a minor detail.]
Upon hearing this, people across the world suddenly felt a wave of unease.
"Judgment? What judgment?"
"Did… did humanity do something wrong?"
"Uh… why does it feel like this Hero King is actually the final boss of everything?"
"Lurking in the shadows beneath the raging storm, the eighth contender off-stage… he really does feel like the endgame villain."
"Anyone here know who Enoshima Junko is?"
"Insider info: in our world, Junko is an S-Class wanted criminal."
"Eh? What did she do?"
"—Plotted to bring about a world-scale despair event. If she succeeded, all humanity would be in grave danger."
"Never heard of that before. Is this real or just rumor?"
...
Meanwhile, at a remote school in Hokkaido, thick storm clouds loomed over the sky. Countless evil spirits surged with violent energy, roaring in fury as they slammed against the exorcist seals binding them.
None of them were weaker than grade B, and among them were many grade A spirits—and even more terrifying entities baring their fangs, eager to break free of captivity…
"Oh? I have appeared too?"
Enoshima Junko raised her eyes toward the Celestial Curtain in surprise.
She hadn't expected that her counterpart in the parallel world would also be stirring up a storm.
"Then let's see whose plan succeeds first."
Her eyes sparkled; the corners of her mouth curled into a wickedly satisfied grin.
Graceful, composed, brimming with confidence—who would have guessed that such a soul harbored an abyss of sheer, extreme madness within?