"Homunculus Roy, what is your wish?"
Gilgamesh looked down at Roy from above.
A serpentine glint flickered in his eyes, holding an unfathomable, indescribable meaning.
"It shouldn't be something as boring as saving the world, right? If it really is, then this king will kill you right now. But it shouldn't be destroying the world either—otherwise, with your Mystic Eyes, there's no reason you'd have waited until now… To be honest, this king is very curious about your wish!"
"If you tell this king now, and manage to entertain him, then that magus over there won't even be useful for his final flash of light and heat."
He was extremely interested in Roy's answer.
But he didn't intend to comment on it. He wasn't looking to judge or advise—he simply saw it as a source of amusement, a pleasure for himself.
"The great King of Heroes understands me this well?"
Roy didn't respond directly to Gilgamesh's intrigued attitude. Instead, a trace of wariness flashed in his eyes.
In his limited memory, he had never met Gilgamesh before. Even with Kotomine Kirei, their first meeting had been just a few days ago at City Hall.
So why did Gilgamesh speak as if he knew him well? How did he know about the ability of his Mystic Eyes?
Most importantly, why would this proud and lofty King of Heroes care so much about someone like him?
"Hahahaha! This king knows far, far more than you imagine!"
Gilgamesh let out a wild, arrogant laugh.
Roy's guard went up even more.
This Golden Sparkle was indeed the genuine Golden Sparkle.
But he also felt… different from the one Roy knew.
Given Gilgamesh's character, if Roy had answered his question with a counter-question instead of a direct response, he should have already opened the Gate of Babylon and pierced Roy's limbs with Noble Phantasms, pinning him to the ground, then smiling cruelly as he continued his interrogation.
But he didn't do that.
Instead, he boasted about his vast knowledge, showing unexpected patience.
Roy couldn't quite see through him.
Unfortunately, in this messed-up world, even Golden Sparkle had changed.
So—was this a slightly more serious Gilgamesh?
Or a Gilgamesh who already knew something?
Either way… he was far trickier than expected.
"Enough—answer this king's question!"
Gilgamesh had laughed enough, and his blood-red serpent-like eyes narrowed once again.
"What is your true wish?"
Roy fell silent for a moment.
He understood Gilgamesh's intent—leaving Uemon alive was merely a bargaining chip to hear his true wish. If Roy shared it, Uemon would be irrelevant and disposed of as he pleased.
Roy had never intended to hide his wish. There was no reason not to say it.
That's right.
Just as Gilgamesh said, Roy's wish was neither to save the world nor destroy it.
No—in truth, deep down, he did have a desire to destroy the world. Of course, "world" referred to humanity—he bore no grudge against the world itself.
But that impulse had been suppressed.
Saving the world? That was completely out of the question. If he already wanted to destroy it, how could he possibly want to save it?
He respected ideals like Rin's, but he stayed out of them. If someone asked him to join in such a cause, he'd only snort and then laugh, asking: "What does the world have to do with me?"
In the end, what he respected wasn't the wish to save the world—it was Rin's character, Rin Tohsaka herself.
So then, what exactly was his wish?
Roy remained quiet for a while. Gilgamesh, surprisingly patient, waited.
Jeanne and Okita Alter also perked their ears.
"To sum it up in one phrase—'reset,' I suppose."
Roy deactivated his Mystic Eyes, rubbed his temples, and after maintaining them for so long, a trace of fatigue settled across his face. But in the end, he gave his answer.
"Hoho, reset?"
Gilgamesh perked up, nodding repeatedly with interest.
"You want to reset this world? Or reset humanity itself? Tear everything down and start over? Destroy the current race and create one that surpasses mankind?"
That was interesting too.
Not that the wish was "right"—but it could bring him great entertainment.
No. Wait.
If Roy's wish was to reset humanity, then at the very least, on the path to destroying the current human race, he'd share a similar direction with Angra Mainyu. Collaboration wouldn't be out of the question.
But Roy had flatly rejected Angra Mainyu—without the slightest hesitation. That meant their goals weren't just different—they were completely parallel, never intersecting. There was no room for cooperation.
Jeanne was startled.
Reset humanity?
Was Roy's wish really that dangerous?
She quickly looked over at him, seeking some kind of confirmation.
"No, why would I want to reset humanity?"
Roy shook his head, muttering to himself—unclear whether he was answering Gilgamesh or speaking to his own heart.
"Humanity is indeed an unpleasant, flawed species… but who can guarantee that what comes after a reset won't be even worse? Even if the new race is superior to humans—superior doesn't guarantee survival. You should know this too, Hero King—sometimes being too exceptional only leads down a dead end, and the exceptional become the ones abandoned.
And if the new humans are only marginally better—neither here nor there—then what's the point?"
"Determinant phenomena… You're quite knowledgeable for a mere magus."
Gilgamesh nodded approvingly.
At this point, he was starting to appreciate Roy.
Roy's attitude toward humanity was very similar to his own.
Those disappointed in humanity might reject the old and create something new; others might become recluses, hiding from society; still others might desperately seek to change mankind, trying to instill new traits to combat its inherent flaws.
But Roy—and Gilgamesh—did none of that.
They wouldn't abandon flawed humanity, nor would they try to change it.
Instead, they coldly observed from the sidelines—belittling mankind's shortcomings as they watched dispassionately.
Jeanne let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Thank goodness Roy wasn't completely twisted.
"Then, what kind of reset do you mean?"
Gilgamesh pressed further.
His eyes narrowed dangerously, releasing a serpentine menace. He seemed to have thought of something.
"Surely it's not something dull like resetting time to save your suffering past self?"
That would be even more boring than saving the world!
If Roy said even a word of affirmation—
He'd be turned into a pincushion instantly.
"Hmm? That's an interpretation too?"
Roy was actually surprised.
Judging by his tone, it really wasn't about changing a tragic past.
Gilgamesh noticed this and seemed somewhat pleased.
"Insolence!"
Suddenly, Gilgamesh's expression darkened. A dangerous aura filled the air.
Golden ripples shimmered in the sky, and from them shot forth golden weapons—swords, spears, blades… Each one ornate, each one steeped in mystery—every last one a Noble Phantasm of legendary caliber!
Jeanne and Okita Alter instantly went on alert.
But to their surprise, Gilgamesh's target wasn't them.
The golden weapons flew like arrows—not toward Roy and his companions, but in another direction entirely.
"Ughhh!"
Uemon was pierced through the limbs by several golden weapons, nailed to the ground.
Agony shot through his body, and he screamed in pain.
***
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