"Ngh—!!"
"Phew! You're awake, Hijikata-san! When you passed out with that ghastly face, I thought it was over!"
"Okita, huh? Me, go down easy? Nah, Kondo-san," Hijikata replied.
"What?! I believe in you—wait, Hijikata-san?"
"That bastard's back to his dojo days, full of life. Must love this place. I saw something good. Okita Souji, laughing at our losses, right here."
"Uh, Hijikata-san? Who're you talking to?!"
"Kondo-san. At my end, I saw something good. I can die content… A poem: 'Plum blossoms, even one blooming… a plum is a plum.'"
"Why're you reciting your Sengoku Zero death poem?! You called it a dark past! Hijikata-san!!"
Detour!
After the Gaul battle, the group headed back to Rome's capital.
Rumors from towns and villages caught their ears:
"An old god was seen on a small island."
"Fourth report. Too consistent for coincidence or prank," Nero said.
Her doubt was valid—too many matching stories to dismiss as nonsense.
"It's near the Mediterranean. We could check…" Mash mused.
"A god… tied to the Grail?" Romani wondered.
"But that contradicts Caesar's intel," Mash pointed out.
"Right. Maybe a madman claiming godhood on an island?"
Gods, huh?
The 'voice' that reincarnated my soul into Gilgamesh—a god, no doubt. No human could do that. Process of elimination.
"Hey, Gil. Are gods real?" Ritsuka asked.
"'Were' or 'existed' is more accurate. The Age of Gods, where they wielded power freely, ended long ago. The world stabilized under human physics. What you call gods are now exiled to the world's reverse, mere ghosts gazing emptily," Gilgamesh explained.
So gods no longer exist in this world.
"Gods split into two types. Post-AD 'gods' are religious systems, idols for self-punishment—tools to collect faith, powerless beyond their face value. Your prayers yield no miracles because of that."
"I pray daily!" Ritsuka protested.
"The other type: gods born from natural phenomena or human faith and fear, like Mesopotamia's. I severed those from humanity," Gilgamesh said.
Which was that 'god' who answered my cry?
"Manifesting divine spirits is impossible. The world belongs to humans now; no room for gods' interference, even as Servants. It's like humans failing to tame nature. Even minor gods are too much—none can exist here. Their era ended thousands of years ago, trampled ignobly," Gilgamesh declared.
Very specific for a metaphor. What happened millennia ago?
"Ugh, why must I explain?! That's your job, Romani!"
"You're the Age of Gods' witness! You know more than me!"
Gods destroyed, yet one exists. What does it mean?
"Alright, decided! Get a ship, let's meet this 'god'!" Nero proclaimed.
"Is that okay?" Mash asked.
"Of course! A rare being calls for a look! Don't worry, I can steer. I'm a universal genius!"
"Meeting a god? One warning: discard all illusions and reverence. Gods lack any human virtues," Gilgamesh cautioned.
His words drip with disdain and contempt.
The king who severed gods from man. Are they truly irreconcilable, as he once said?
"No way! Romulus, the divine ancestor, became a new god in lightning! Good gods exist!" Nero countered.
"Hmph. Never seen one. Fine, let's see this filth. Prepare the ship," Gilgamesh said, smirking. "Master, you're fond of Pegasus, right?"
"Yeah! I wanna ride one someday…" Ritsuka beamed.
"Then, Nero, you and the army take the ship."
"Huh?"
"They have their own ride."
"Yahoo—Pegasus!!" Ritsuka cheered.
"So… high!" Mash gasped.
High above, the vast sea sprawled below.
A golden ship and winged Pegasus soared.
"Thanks, Medusa! Riding Pegasus was my dream!" Ritsuka said.
"Tch… thank you. First time for this…" Mash added.
"Glad you're pleased…" Medusa murmured.
"What's wrong, Medusa? You look like a sacrifice facing a demon," Gilgamesh teased.
"You're cruel…"
"Unfair! I fulfill the Master's wishes, a model Servant. Who knows what's on that island? Protect them well. Hahaha!"
"…I want to return to the Throne…" Medusa sighed.
Below, Nero's ship drifted, jumped, and spun wildly.
Glad I'm not on that…
What awaited on the island of the old god?
Cooking with prayers for everyone's happiness.
Their feedback on my dishes brings me joy.
In these small moments, I find happiness.
"Here, try my special Mapo! May it bless you!"
"Please… eat it all. I'd be happy! Hehe…"
Extreme Spicy Mapo Manifestation
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