"Be prepared, clown. I will seriously help Rin achieve revenge."
Gilgamesh issued a declaration of war on behalf of his Master.
This is the pride of the Hero King. He can play with bastards however he wants, but for those he recognizes, his pride will not allow him to play dirty tricks. He will declare war, fight, and win in an upright manner.
The evaluation of Shinji as a "clown" is a kind of recognition, especially since this clown has successfully plotted against him once.
"I'll be prepared and waiting."
The recognized "clown" responded with a fearless smile. Behind the smile is the common trait of all strong people - self-confidence.
Indeed, Rin, who had taken the golden apple, was on the same starting line as himself in terms of quality. Coupled with the full armour of the "King's Treasure", he was a very strong opponent no matter how you looked at it. But so what? Would he shrink back? Physical quality and equipment were only two of the factors that determined victory or defeat, not all of them.
What's more, his ultimate goal is to end the eternity of the immortal Queen. If he shrinks from such a challenge, he will never be able to go to the Kingdom of Shadows and will never be qualified to stand opposite the real her.
"That's a good reaction." Gilgamesh commented, and turned his gaze to Luvia. "The source of this little girl's vitality is very interesting. It's similar to a god or a fantasy. Even I have never seen it before. That's not yours, Karna."
Karna shook his head: "No."
Shinji guessed the answer after hearing this.
The True Crimson Fruit was the fruit of the countless blood and flesh that Fuhailin Anashu had absorbed over the past eight hundred years. Although it was born in a different way from the Golden Apple, it was also the crystallization of the essence of life.
Among those who have been strengthened by the fruit, Luvia and Gray consumed the most, each consuming nearly one-tenth of the amount - in fact, in terms of quality alone, Lorelea's demand should be the greatest. However, the Barthelmero family where Lorelea is located is not short of treasures. They have been strengthening the children of the family in various ways since childhood, so the remaining space is limited.
Such a large amount of life essence cannot be absorbed in a short period of time without the assistance of drugs of the same level, so Luvia has a similar reaction to Rin.
After a brief explanation, Karna breathed a sigh of relief, then stopped talking, put away the God-killing Spear, and stood quietly aside.
Gilgamesh also put away the Sword of Separation, stopped pretending in the air, and fell back to the ground, asking pointedly: "Matou Shinji, have you ever thought about doing something while they are unconscious? Even if you have a history with them and don't attack them personally, you can still get rid of me and Karna at once by severing the contract - don't tell me that you haven't thought about it."
"I have thought about it, of course. Punching Gilgamesh and kicking Karna, how could I not think about such cool things?" Shinji neither concealed nor defended himself, but replied with a smile, "But it's just a thought, to satisfy my mind. If I really want to do it, I can't do it."
"Why?"
"There are many reasons. For example, the Master will not be happy. Although she didn't say it, I know she is looking forward to the duel with you. When I go back and tell her about Karna's existence, she will probably have the same reaction. She is simply more belligerent, and the two of you combined probably can't beat her. If I spoil her fun, it's not a big deal to be beaten to death or maimed. She may even say in a rage that she will fight all the remaining Servants by herself, making the situation a mess. It's not impossible."
"Hahahaha, that sounds like something she would do." Gilgamesh laughed. "What else?"
"And Rin and Luvia won't be happy either. If the feud between the Tousaka family and the Edelfeldt family is not resolved once and for all here, it will be difficult to resolve it later."
Shinji turned his head and glanced at the familiar face gently. Only when they lost consciousness would their expressions be so peaceful.
"It started with the Holy Grail War, and it can only end with the Holy Grail War. If you think about it, fate probably wants everyone to end it here. Rin and Luvia are roughly equal, and you and Karna can also be evenly matched. This way, no matter which side loses, they will look for the reason in themselves, instead of saying that I was not prepared or I did not choose the right servant, and then continue to plan the next Holy Grail War, allowing the chain of grudges to continue. Even if both of them are exhausted and the battle is interrupted, it is actually quite good. When they wake up, they should both recognize each other in their hearts. Of course, it is impossible for them to admit it on the surface."
"The same reasoning applies to the dispute between you and Rin," Gilgamesh said calmly.
"Yes." Shinji nodded, "And one more thing, this is Rin's only chance to defeat me. I'm not bragging, with my current strength, without your help, Rin and Luvia together would not be my opponent - the Noble Phantasm is almost unsolvable for modern magicians. If I miss this opportunity, this knot may never be untied. I have to go all out, she won't be willing to give up, and she might go looking for various secret treasures, leading to a detour and wasting her talent. If I hold back on my strength, she will think I'm really playing tricks on her. To be honest, I really hope you can give her full armor and completely offset my advantage in this area.
"You really think about her in every way. Why do you go to this extent?"
"Because she is Sakura's sister and my childhood sweetheart. Her mother is the one my uncle loves. Our two families have been inseparable for a long time, and no one has ever thought of separating them. Besides, you and Karna are both responsible for my becoming so strong."
"Oh?" Gilgamesh raised his eyebrows.
"Karna gave me his Brahma treasures because of a great hero's request. And you - do you remember that you threw four treasures against that sea demon ten years ago, and you didn't retrieve them?"
"That's right. Because it was contaminated by that disgusting thing, I don't want to take it back and pollute the treasury. You mean, you took back the four treasures?"
"That's right. Sometimes I really doubt whether you did it on purpose. Those four treasures include attack and defense, and can deal with almost all situations against people, cities, and armies. Without their protection, I may not be able to get to where I am today.
"Why did you tell me this?" Gilgamesh's voice turned cold. "Just because I gave up a treasure doesn't mean others can touch it at will. Aren't you afraid that I will punish you for it?"
"You're saying it as if we can get along fine if I don't tell you. There can only be one winner of the Holy Grail War. If you want to punish me, you have to get past my master first."
Shinji rolled up his sleeves and revealed his Command Seal, his attitude extremely straightforward - if you want to take action, I will call for help right away.
"Hehehe, hahahahaha." Gilgamesh laughed instead of getting angry, "Interesting, very interesting, your remarks as a clown. Well, since you have successfully pleased me and are so honest, these four treasures are officially awarded to you. In return, you must play the role of Rin's target well—until you die!"
"Okay, until we die!" Shinji laughed.
Amidst the double dose of devilish laughter, the two men reached a consensus.
Ps: It is better not to associate the Great King with the decline of the Age of Gods. The Great King destroyed all civilizations indiscriminately. Whether you are a god or a human, you will be destroyed. If the planet had not forged the Holy Sword, the surface of the earth would have been destroyed. Everyone suffered the same trauma. In other words, it was not the era that she destroyed. It was the planet.