Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover

Dressed in a sleek black jacket layered over high-quality casual trousers, even his hairstyle had become more in line with that of a normal person. The overwhelming arrogance he exuded seemed to have diminished somewhat.

To be honest, judging by his attire alone, Gilgamesh had quite a refined sense of style.

"Archer, Gilgamesh…"

Saber immediately tensed up, stepping forward to shield the others behind her.

"Why are you here?"

"This king is merely inspecting the lives of the common folk, yet I happened to hear some mongrels spouting nonsense."

Standing across the street, the golden-haired king in his biker jacket spoke with his usual overwhelming arrogance.

"Clearly, you're just wandering around aimlessly, right?"

Sakatsuki muttered under his breath.

"At least this time, you're not standing on top of a streetlight. Seems like you do have a shred of shame."

Hearing this, Archer crossed his arms and replied with a haughty expression.

"Foolish! To reign from the throne and guide the people is the duty of a king. But if one is merely enjoying the world, then what need is there to appear in a kingly manner?"

So in other words, he doesn't see anything wrong with standing on streetlights…

Irisviel and Miyu had black lines on their faces, while Gilgamesh shifted his attention to Saber, who was dressed in casual clothing. Narrowing his crimson eyes, he remarked.

"Sensing magical fluctuations, this king came to see if there was anything entertaining… but I never expected to witness such a fascinating sight, Saber."

"You're too kind, King of Heroes."

Saber remained vigilant, but it was Sakatsuki who responded instead.

"It seems my aesthetic sense is not too bad after all."

"A mere mongrel, and yet you dare to bark? Did this king ask for your opinion?"

For some reason, Gilgamesh's expression darkened slightly, and golden ripples appeared behind him.

"Oh my, the great King of Heroes actually dares to start a fight in broad daylight?"

Sakatsuki returned a provocative smile.

The pedestrians had long since fled, leaving only the two men staring each other down in a suffocating atmosphere, their wills clashing like drawn swords.

Saber, focused entirely on protecting Irisviel, was completely unaware of who had actually sparked this tense encounter. Miyu only half-understood the situation, while Irisviel seemed thoughtful—but wisely chose not to laugh out loud.

Recognizing that neither would back down easily, Gilgamesh scoffed and was the first to avert his gaze.

"As an opponent in battle, you are surprisingly willing to support another's Servant. If you've already given up on the fight, this king does not mind having another dog grovelling at my feet."

"Since we have no personal grudges and are merely fighting for the same wish, there's no harm in conversing outside of battle. Or… are you telling me that the great king of Uruk lacks even that much magnanimity?"

Sakatsuki paused but refrained from adding, 'No wonder that mud puppet perished because of you.'

Had he said that this would have truly become a life-or-death confrontation.

"Hmph, boring. Without pride, there is no king."

The golden-haired king scoffed at Sakatsuki's remark.

"Since ancient times, I have had only one true friend. The rest are merely jesters for my amusement."

"Oh?"

Sakatsuki narrowed his golden eyes, probing.

"Even the high priestess Siduri?"

"Siduri… So even after thousands of years, there are still those who remember her name."

For a brief moment, something flickered in Archer's eyes, and his usual aggressive aura softened slightly.

"Verbal battles are meaningless, mongrel. There's no need to rush—I shall personally display the majesty of a king to you tonight."

"I'll be waiting, Archer."

Sakatsuki blocked Saber, who was itching to act."Let's go. I still need to make lunch."

"Lunch?"

Watching them leave, Archer pondered.

"If that chef personally prepared it…"

***

"Why did you stop me, Sakatsuki?"

Once they were out of Gilgamesh's sight, Saber couldn't hold back her frustration.

"He's arrogant, overbearing—a tyrant! Archer's idea of kingship is completely flawed!"

"Flawed, is it?"

Crouching by a store entrance, carefully selecting ingredients, Sakatsuki didn't even lift his head. His voice was calm.

"And so what? He is not like you. He is merely an echo of a hero walking through the river of history—a portrayal of Gilgamesh at a certain point in time. What exactly do you want to prove to a tyrant like him? And what do you hope to gain from him?"

At the unprecedented coldness in his tone, Artoria froze.

Had the King of Conquerors, Iskandar, been here, he would have simply laughed off anything Gilgamesh said, no matter how outrageous.

After all, Alexander the Great spent his entire life celebrating domination, trampling over the world. Countless kingdoms and rulers fell before his iron hooves—precisely why he understood that the path of kingship could only be shattered, and conquered, but never swayed by mere words.

Otherwise, it was not true kingship, but merely a thin, perilous road walked by a slave burdened with a "nation."@@novelbin@@

But Saber was different. She felt anger. She would loudly denounce such behaviour as wrong.

As if someone had struck a wound that would never heal.

Since their objective today was different, Sakatsuki didn't discuss the matter further. After finishing his ingredient selection, he led the group to a wooden lodge on the beach.

It was originally a tavern, but Sakatsuki had rented it for the day, keeping it closed to the public. They were quietly awaiting a party of four—

No, five.

A golden-haired man leaned against the lodge entrance. As they approached, he opened his snake-like eyes, full of displeasure.

"You're late! You dare make this king wait so long?"

"Archer! You again?!"

"What are you doing here?!"

"Uh… All-Knowing, All-Powerful Star? Isn't that a bit much…?"

Faced with the group's outburst, Gilgamesh smirked devilishly, pushed open the tavern door, and walked inside.

"Enough chatter. Chef, I'm hungry!"

"If you're going to freeload, at least have the proper attitude, damn it!"

The title of 'mongrel' had now been upgraded to 'chef' as Sakatsuki carried his ingredients, loudly protesting.

His voice was loud, but it never reached the ears of a Gilgamesh who had no interest in listening.

***

Though the tension between Saber and Archer remained high during the meal, once Sakatsuki placed dish after dish on the table, the ancient king of hunger forgot all else and indulged in the feast.

To prevent the certain golden-haired menace from antagonizing Saber further, Sakatsuki made the ultimate sacrifice—coaxing and persuading Gilgamesh to move to another table, inevitably roping himself in as well.

"So, what exactly do you want, King of Heroes?"

Sakatsuki sat down, frowning at the king who had insisted on staying.

"I'm simply interested in you, chef."

For some reason, after their brief separation, Gilgamesh's attitude seemed to have improved. Even when Sakatsuki deliberately showed impatience, the king merely tapped the bento box beside him, a dangerous smile playing on his lips.

"You actually want this king to bring food to Kirei Kotomine? You've got some nerve, chef."

"Flattering me won't change anything."

Sakatsuki rolled his eyes.

"Just tell me—yes or no?"

"Do not mistake this king's tolerance for indulgence, chef."

Crossing his legs leisurely, the Gilgamesh sneered.

"Explain your reasoning, and this king may grant you this favour. Why, after harbouring the intent to kill him and eliminating his Servant, are you now doing this? Do you think it will ease your conscience?"

"Ease my conscience? King of Heroes, are you misunderstanding something?"

Leaning back in his chair, Sakatsuki chuckled coldly.

"Why can't you see it as a provocation? A declaration of war?"

"Deception means nothing to this king."

Gilgamesh let out a cold laugh as if he had lost patience.

"My eyes can see through all things. Lies are nothing but ugly comedies before me. Stop trying to amuse this king."

Then, with a piercing certainty, he spoke the truth.

"You don't actually care whether Kirei Kotomine lives, or dies, do you?"

***

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