Although Gilgamesh, the one who originally belonged to this era, had been found, the situation was far from optimistic.
After leaving Uruk in search of the Elixir of Immortality and never returning, Gilgamesh was now lying inside a transparent container that resembled a coffin.
"It was such a pain hauling this thing out of that creepy temple and lugging it all the way back to Uruk," Jaguar Warrior said as she rolled her shoulders, clearly exhausted.
"Thank you for your hard work, Jaguar Warrior. I'll arrange a thank-you celebration for you later as an offering."
"No need to be so formal—it was nothing!" she said with a thumbs-up, then dashed off to rest.
After the battle on the Demonic Beast Front ended, she'd been assigned to investigate the Gorgon's Blood Fort. She hadn't been too keen on going, but if she refused, Quetzalcoatl would have punished her, so she went while grumbling.
What she hadn't expected was a major discovery. With the Goddess of Demonic Beasts no longer receiving offerings, the temple's barrier had faded, and its original functions ceased. While simply scouting, Jaguar Warrior had found Gilgamesh in the temple's deepest chamber. Trusting her instincts, she brought him back.
"This isn't an ordinary coffin. The person inside isn't dead—just sealed," Morgan explained after analyzing it. "This container is the cornerstone used to deny the concept of 'Gilgamesh as king' within the Singularity."
Hakuno Kishinami placed a hand on the transparent lid. "This feels weird."
The Servant Gilgamesh stood nearby, while the real Gilgamesh lay inside the coffin.
"Idiot. Servants are beings that transcend time—don't lump us together." The Servant Gilgamesh flicked Hakuno's forehead.
At that moment, Siduri asked, "So, can the seal be broken, Lady Morgan?"
"The seal was originally made possible through the Holy Grail, the temple, and Gilgamesh himself. Now, with the Holy Grail in Tiamat's hands and the Gorgon destroyed," Morgan said with a calm smile, "only the real one remains. Even a beginner-level Magus could break this seal now."
Shiomi let out a thoughtful hum. "Hold on. If the seal can be undone... does that mean—"
He gave Gilgamesh a subtle look.
"Pointless question. My Master has held the throne in my stead long enough. Now, it's time for me to take over," Gilgamesh declared proudly.
He made no effort to hide that he intended to join the fight against Tiamat.
"With the living Gilgamesh added to the mix," Morgan said, "that should help close the gap in combat strength."
Siduri voiced her concern. "But King Gilgamesh has been sealed for so long... and now we're sending him straight back to the battlefield?"
"So, are you trying to stop the living 'king' from returning to battle, Siduri?" Gilgamesh asked.
"No, that's not what I meant," Siduri replied. "If returning to the battlefield is the king's will, I won't stand in his way."
Given how things stood, it was only a matter of time before Tiamat reached Uruk. But if they could defeat her in the end—
With the surviving people of Uruk and their king returned from his journey, surely Uruk could be rebuilt.
Even if the outcome remained uncertain, Siduri couldn't help but think about what would come after the crisis.
"That's enough," Gilgamesh said with a faint smile.
Behind her veil, a gentle, understanding smile appeared on Siduri's face.
At that moment, the seal on the transparent coffin was undone. Gilgamesh, the one native to this era, was still in a dormant state.
Siduri quickly ordered the Divine Tower guards who remained to assist. Together, they carried King Gilgamesh, along with the now half-intact coffin, to the royal bedchamber.
"Now that the real King Gilgamesh has returned, I don't have to keep bearing the title of Moon King and sit on the throne anymore." Hakuno finally let out a breath of relief. "Not that there's anything left for me to do now, anyway."
"What's the matter, Hakuno? Not satisfied with ruling Uruk?" Gilgamesh laughed heartily. "Greedy little girl, aren't you? Hahaha!"
"That's not what I meant..." Hakuno couldn't be bothered to respond.
Shiomi was preparing to connect with Chaldea. Once the others arrived, they could begin the final operation meeting—but something struck him.
"Come to think of it, it's strange that the King of Magecraft would go so far as to seal away Gilgamesh and use that as the foundation for generating the concept of 'denying the existence of King Gilgamesh' within the Singularity... It's a bit unexpected," he said.
Gilgamesh turned to look at him. "What are you trying to say, Chaldea's man?"
"I met the King of Magecraft once. That man only seemed concerned with completing the Incineration of Humanity—and what came after. He went as far as sealing the Gilgamesh of this era to realize that concept, yet once you all arrived, he didn't bother to patch up the conceptual loopholes…"
Shiomi suddenly turned, locking eyes with Gilgamesh's crimson gaze.
"It's almost as if someone suggested he act that way."
Of course, he wasn't suggesting Gilgamesh had orchestrated it himself. As hard as the man was to predict, he wasn't so petty or bored.
"Then you'll have to go to the King of Magecraft's temple yourself to find the answer," Gilgamesh replied, clearly unwilling to say more. "With the other farsighted ones still listening, it wouldn't do you any good to hear the rest."
"Is that so."
Understanding what Gilgamesh meant, Shiomi didn't press further. He stepped outside the hall and activated the Chaldea comms.
"Doctor, let the others know—it's time to gather at the palace for the operation meeting."
"Understood, I'll notify them… But what about you?" Romani checked in. "The report said Tiamat had a serious impact on you. And we haven't been able to properly analyze your condition from Chaldea's side. If your current state—"
"I'm fine," Shiomi replied firmly. "I can't say I've fully recovered, but I'm fit for combat. Morgan and the others have agreed."
"Even if they didn't, what could they do? Once the battle with Tiamat begins, who has the time to babysit you and keep you off the front lines?" Scáthach, sitting on the steps outside, spoke up with a helpless smile. "You've even picked up your mentor's bad habits. Honestly…"
"Even if it's master, you've never faced a battle like this," Shiomi said. "If I don't want you in danger, does that mean you just won't fight?" Shiomi asked.
"Well… I guess not," Scáthach admitted, visibly conceding the point.
Morgan, who had followed him out, and Artoria, already seated nearby, joined in the shared laughter with Shiomi and Scáthach.