For those who cannot sleep—
A thunderous roar.
Opening their eyes,
A boundless sky and earth unfurled before them.
A vast world stretched endlessly into the distance.
Overwhelmed, they squinted against the illusion of infinity. The breeze teased their skin, carrying the scent of soil. The piercing blue sky stretched above.
This was France…
"Mash, Gil, you there?"
The Master stirred, glancing around restlessly.
"I'm fine, Senpai. The King of Heroes is here too," Mash replied.
"The divine aura is faint, but the view is splendid," Gilgamesh said. "It reminds me of Uruk's starry vistas. An era still unmarred by excess…"
"The Rayshift… incredible! Our journey starts here!" the Master exclaimed.
"Let's do this, Senpai!" Mash added.
"Fou!" (I'm here too!)
"Fou-san!?" Mash blinked, startled. Why was that pristine creature here?
"Fou, fau!" (I'm planning to publish a book—Chaldea's Great Adventure Diary. I came along to gather material on-site!)
"Is that okay, Roman?" the Master asked.
"Hmm, should be fine," Roman's voice crackled through. "Fou's got a knack for popping in and out like it's nothing."
"It's too late to send him back now," Olga Marie chimed in. "Mash, keep an eye on Fou, please."
"Understood, Director Marie. I'll take care of Fou-kun," Mash said.
"Mash! Gil! Look at that!"
Rikka pointed skyward, her voice ringing with excitement.
A massive band of light streaked across the sky, radiating immense heat even from a distance.
"That light band…" Olga Marie's tone sharpened. "Romani, any records of such a thing in 1431?"
"None," Romani replied. "I'd wager it's some kind of magical construct on a satellite orbit."
"Roughly over North America, maybe?" Olga Marie mused. "Pass the data to the analysis team for decoding."
"What is that?" the Master asked. "Gil, any ideas?"
"Who knows?" Gilgamesh shrugged. "But I'll say this: nothing on the ground could match that heat."
"No way…" the Master trailed off.
"If we're talking hypotheticals, that is," Gilgamesh added with a cryptic smirk.
As usual, the King seemed to know more than he let on, but as usual, he kept the full picture just out of reach. If that thing didn't belong in this history, they'd have to leave it be for now.
"Don't get lost in pointless thoughts," Gilgamesh said. "Move your feet."
"Oh, one more thing," he added, his voice taking on a weightier tone.
The Master paused. What now?
"I am indeed a Servant, bound to support you," Gilgamesh began. "But don't expect me to pave your path with perfect clarity. Don't be so foolish as to think I'll brute-force your trials with my power."
The Master's eyes widened.
"I've cast aside carelessness and hubris this time," he continued. "But I'll only unleash my full strength when you stand at the crossroads of conquering a Singularity—when you've found the Grail, exhausted your efforts, and secured a way back. Only then will I unveil my full arsenal."
"Don't shy away from hardship. Don't squander time aimlessly. Think of me as a battleship that only moves at the critical moment."
"I'll judge your efforts," he said, his voice low. "I won't say it aloud, but if I deem your journey dull, I'll claim your head as payment for disappointing me."
His words hung heavy in the air.
'Think for yourselves. Act for yourselves. Don't rely on me to escape every challenge, or I won't forgive you.'
It was a warning from a king who needed no one when he unleashed his full might.
"King of Heroes…" Mash murmured.
"You'll be fine, Rikka, Mash," Olga Marie's voice cut through. "You've always managed without him. He's a stroke of luck, not a necessity."
"Servants alone can't change the future," she continued. "Only you, standing there, can do that. That's no surprise by now."
"We've got your back," she added. "We won't let you look pathetic by leaning on him too much."
"So, let's do this. You're our representatives, after all."
"…That's what the Director says," the Master said with a grin.
Gilgamesh chuckled, his lofty threats boiling down to a simple warning: 'Don't get careless or arrogant.' His grandiose way of saying it was, oddly, a little endearing.
If it came to it, the Master would keep things in check. They'd protect the future—Mash and Rikka—even from the King of Heroes himself.
"Got it," the Master said. "This journey's about feeling and thinking through everything, right?"
"Exactly, Senpai," Mash said. "We'll give it our all."
"That's the spirit," Gilgamesh said, placing a hand on their heads. "My vassals, don't bore me. Understood, Mash, Master?"
"Yes!" they replied in unison, nodding vigorously. Adorable, the Master thought.
"Good answer!" Gilgamesh grinned. "Let's kick off this tour!"
With a flourish, he summoned a golden object.
A gleaming golden body, polished armor, equipped with a sidecar—it was a flamboyant motorcycle.
"A bike!?" Romani's voice squawked. "What are you planning!?"
"Walk across this vast expanse? Absurd!" Gilgamesh scoffed. "I'll save Vimana for later. This is the supreme iron steed I mastered in a city race long ago!"
He struck a pose. "Behold, 'The King's Resplendent Iron Steed'!"
"A motorcycle!?" the Master gasped.
"It's got a sidecar! Three of us can ride!?" Mash exclaimed.
"Mash, take the sidecar. Master, behind me," Gilgamesh ordered. "I'll show you the pinnacle of my driving technique!"
"Already spoiling them!?" Romani groaned. "What happened to your grand lecture!?"
"This isn't spoiling!" Gilgamesh shot back. "I ride because I want to! Now, get on! We'll become the wind!"
"Mash, let's go!" the Master cheered.
"Y-Yes!" Mash stammered.
The engine roared to life as they climbed aboard.
Back in Chaldea, I tore up the circuit with this thing, the Master thought.
"Fou!" (Initial G… too dated a reference?)
"Master, Mash, don't fall off! You'll die!" Gilgamesh warned.
"Eek!?" the Master yelped.
"I've got Fou-san!" Mash said, clutching the creature.
"Hold tight!" Gilgamesh roared. "Here we go—King of Heroes, Class Change!"
He twisted the throttle, and the massive machine roared, ether blasting as it hit 110 km/h in an instant, tearing across the landscape.
Gone was his heavy armor—somehow, he'd swapped it for a sleek rider's suit, reborn as a true biker.
"Wooooah!" the Master screamed.
"It's fast! Incredibly fast, King of Heroes!" Mash shouted.
"Fauuu!" (To the other side of speed!)
The Gilgil-Machine accelerated, hitting 200 km/h, roaring relentlessly onward.
"We'll race until we spot the locals!" Gilgamesh declared. "Don't underestimate my riding skills!"
"King of Heroes!" Romani's voice crackled. "You vanished from Chaldea to mess around with this!?"
"Marching on foot? Pathetic!" Gilgamesh retorted. "Speed is everything in war! 'Time is money'? Fool! Money buys time!"
"GIL!" the Master yelled.
"So faaaast!" Mash cried.
"No way! He's actually switched to Rider class!?" Romani gasped. "Is that even allowed!?"
"It's allowed because it's him," Olga Marie sighed. "The King of Heroes, after all."
"The Director's been corrupted by the king!" Romani wailed. "What have you done to our spineless Director!?"
"Fuhaha! That's more like it!" Gilgamesh laughed. "As long as I'm here, peace and boredom are strangers!"
The wind felt exhilarating, clouds whipping past in a thrilling blur. The unobstructed freedom of the motorcycle tour filled the Master with a refreshing clarity.
"Riding skills good enough to become a Rider!?" Romani demanded. "What have you been obsessed with in Chaldea!?"
"Everything!" Gilgamesh roared, laughing wildly.
The golden machine, driven by an exuberant king, thundered across the French landscape, its rider's voice echoing triumphantly.
Motorcycle touring… it was addictive.
The Master was already starting to adapt to the thrill.
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