"Thousands of years have passed," Enkidu said, looking up at the stars, "but this world has not lost its beauty…"
The sky was lit with millions of stars, a band of them, representing the galaxy, cutting it midway.
Under the brilliant sky, Enkidu sat on a stone by the lake, light wind playing with his long, green hair.
"Only you find this repulsive world beautiful…"
Enkidu didn't need to look away from the stars to recognize the owner of that voice.
"I don't understand…" Enkidu said, smiling. "Why do you hate it… Why do you hate these humans so much… Gil?"
Gilgamesh, donning his golden armor, stood a few feet behind Enkidu, his gaze resting on the stars as well.
"You have not spent years among these pesky creatures," Gilgamesh replied. "They reek of greed. Insolent fools don't learn from their history and repeat the same mistakes over and over again… How can anyone like them?! No… These humans — they are beyond redemption."
Enkidu shook his head, letting out a sigh. "What's your solution, then?"
"Isn't it obvious?!" Gilgamesh grinned. "I will create everything anew. I will burn this world down, and, from its ashes, create a new kingdom. A kingdom where even the common man will prosper under my rule. Just like it once had."
Enkidu looked over his shoulder, his gaze landing on his friend. "You don't mean that…"
Gilgamesh brought his eyes down and met Enkidu's stare, losing his grin. "I don't find these insects worthy enough to lie over."
Enkidu felt a headache coming as he saw Gilgamesh's serious expression.
He shook his head before looking away. "Let's say that's your desire…" he said, looking at his reflection in the lake. "Still, you must agree that we need to eliminate the girl, right? There will be no prosperity or absolutely anything if you burn the entire world and, yet, its Sins survive…"
Angra Mainyu was All The World's Evil. Its Will had manifested itself as The Shadow, but that wasn't Angra Mainyu's true body.
Once the Greater Grail manifested at the end of the Holy Grail War, and if Dark Sakura survived till then, then such a tainted Grail would give birth to the true Angra Mainyu.
It didn't matter if the Counter Force summoned more Ruler-Class Servants then.
"… there will be nothing left," Enkidu pointed out gravely. "If you somehow survived, then you will be ruling a world of corpses, Gil. Who will prosper under you, then? Ashes?!"
For the first time, Gilgamesh frowned. "I have a plan for that," he told Enkidu. "Also, I don't need you to deal with the girl. Leave her to me. How about you stay here and enjoy the stars and the sky till then? Once it's over, I will come to you, and we can share a few laughs over drinks. Like we used to."
Enkidu found his reflection smiling in the lake. "I don't drink," he said, laughing. "You know that…"
Gilgamesh's frown deepened. "You are not my match."
"I have unlimited Mana to fuel myself," Enkidu countered.
"And once the Counter Force is done with you, it will erase your existence!"
Enkidu stood up from the rock and lifted his hands to feel the wind. "Then, I will thank it for giving me this opportunity, Gil. To let me feel the joy of meeting an old friend…"
Suddenly, both Enkidu and Gilgamesh's heads snapped to their left.
"I knew it couldn't hold itself back anymore," Enkidu smiled. "There's a reason all people are born with good and evil within them."
Enkidu's gown-like white dress flailed against the wind as he took a step in that direction.
Gilgamesh shifted his stance behind him, lifting his hand, a golden circle appearing behind his head like a halo.
"… Why?" Enkidu asked without looking back.
"I already told you," Gilgamesh said, hundreds of more golden circles joining the first one. "I have a plan."
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
Golden lightning thundered as hundreds of Noble Phantasms-like weapons shot at Enkidu.
All around Enkidu, the entire earth and the lake lit up in reply, the tips of hundreds of chains coming out from golden circles as well.
Cracks, Rumbles, and Hisses rang through the entire forest as the weapons collided.
The earth gave way instantly, dozens of craters blinking into existence. Tsunami-like waves rose from the lake, flooding those craters.
Enkidu's feet let out a brilliant green glow as he boomed into the sky at a speed many times greater than sound.
Another boom echoed behind him as Gilgamesh chased him, holding Ea, the very space breaking into chunks around the mythical weapon.
Gilgamesh raised the sword, a red tinge appearing around its cylindrical surface.
Enkidu's right hand gained a thundering appearance. In a fraction of a second, he changed direction and appeared in front of Gilgamesh, hacking at him.
A bang rippled the space as the weapon of pure lightning met Ea, both Heroic Spirits smiling.
"Let's dance, then," Gilgamesh roared, grinning, "Enkidu!"
"Very well," Enkidu replied with a grin of his own. "Gil."
With a screeching hiss, the two separated.
In the next moment, the entire sky lit up with golden circles — their number rising to many hundreds.
The earth under Enkidu's feet glowed as well as a golden circle, many hundreds of feet in diameter, appeared there.
From above, fire, rain, lightning, weapons, creatures, and even concepts descended, booming across the space toward the target.
From the earth, thousands of chains rose together, coiling around each other.
For a moment, even the millions of stars failed to stand against the brilliant display of power as the two forces met midair, thousands of multicolored, rumbling explosions littering the space.
When the show ended, and the blinding explosions let the stars reign again, Gilgamesh and Enkidu were staring at each other, separated by miles.
"Hahaha…" Gilgamesh broke out with laughter.
Enkidu couldn't help but chuckle as well.
Gilgamesh closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Sing for me…" he said, raising the sword high, the entire sky bleeding red over him, "… Ea!"
"Oh, Mother Earth…" Enkidu lifted his hands in prayer, and the tip of a golden skyscraper-sized blade manifested behind him. "… I give you the Cry of Beginning!"
A brilliant redness met dignified gold —
— shattering the reality between two friends.
*****************
AN: Original Image of Enkidu and Gilgamesh by the lake is available
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