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It was a calm day, free from the ceaseless hectic adventures Chaldea always found itself in, when the Master of humanity’s oldest hero paid him a visit in his room.
“Must you force upon me more of those bothersome embers?”
So Gilgamesh said, but the tone of his voice was as light as the noon sky. And as someone who’d known him for so long, Ritsuka could easily pick up that he was only teasing. “I need to make you the strongest! To show off Your Majesty’s power to everyone, right? You reached max ascension a while ago, but we got a new grail recently, so I thought maybe I’d give you even more power…”
Gilgamesh closed his eyes and gave a smirk so wide it hurt to look at. “Of course! It’s only natural to want to increase my shining brilliance.” He snatched the bag of embers from Ritsuka’s hand. “Hmph, though there are much more efficient ways to strengthen a Servant. What a pity it is that this place has no such methods other than feasting upon raw mana. It is no fault of my own that Chaldea is unable to summon Servants at their full might. You’ve done well to restore me to full strength. Rejoice, for it is an honor to assist me!”
Ritsuka beamed at him. “I had to! You’re my king after all!”
At her smile, Gilgamesh’s hand paused as it moved to place the embers in his mouth. For some reason, he felt a tightness in his chest. It was like the metaphysical fire which alighted in him as he consumed the strengthening materials, only before he’d yet to take a bite.
“Is something wrong? Are you okay?”
“Not at all,” Gilgamesh replied, swallowing a handful of the pieces of magical energy. It was a bit of a lie, but—No, it wasn’t a lie. Of course not. He was absolutely fine. He was the King of Heroes after all!
But Ritsuka continued to stare at him, tilting her head. “Hm…”
But, of course, she did not possess eyes which could see through all as he did. So there was no way he could possibly tell that his heart had skipped a beat.
Not that it had done so, obviously.
Though she still looked a little confused, Ritsuka changed the subject. “How do they taste?”
“My tongue has long since dulled to their tang,” Gilgamesh replied. “They are as bitter as unripened herbs, yet lacking the subtle notes which scent dry wines. A hint of spice also lines their aftertaste, one which warms the throat. Not suited to my palate, but not a taste beyond my range of curiosity.”
“Ohh!” Ritsuka nodded along. She knew that Gilgamesh wasn’t a fan of spicy food, so it couldn’t be that strong.
As Gilgamesh continued to eat the embers, he felt the power surge through him. He was already the greatest of Servants. This only increased that level even higher. With this, no one could stand before him if he used his full might. He could protect this silly mongrel even at her lowest points.
That thought as well made him feel a rush of fondness. This girl before him had been through so much, proving herself to him time and again. From the way she’d gained his other self’s trust in Uruk, to how she’d stood against the false King of Mages. Even then, as she’d journeyed down the tragic path he’d seen for her since the beginning, she never gave up. What a stubborn mongrel indeed.
It was this elation which once again flushed him to his core, even as he continued to deny it to himself. Respecting a worthy human was normal for him. He was simply proud of her accomplishments, and full of how his strength made her gleeful.
And she did look so excited. Her cheeks were puffed up with joy, eyes wide and shining. As his Master, she could surely feel how strong he was becoming. It must have taken quite some time to gather this many embers. And though such tasks were far below him, Gilgamesh himself joined occasionally on those missions. It was completely on a whim, just days he felt bored with nothing better to do.
Finally, he’d finished the last of the embers. By now, his power radiated so brilliantly everyone in Chaldea could tell he was a step above the rest (even more than usual).
“Oh, I know,” said Ritsuka, pumping her fists. “How about we celebrate your new max ability?”
“Not a bad idea,” Gilgamesh smirked. He summoned some wine and a few glasses.
Many years now had passed since his initial summoning, and by this point his Master had reached the “legal drinking age” or whatever such nonsense she spoke of. Though even then, she was still relatively new to the whole concept. She pursed her lips at the bitterness of the first sip, but still went back to take another.
There were a few others in Chaldea worthy of being Gilgamesh’s drinking partner, but having her, the one who bound him to this world, able to sit and enjoy his finest collection like this was quite welcome. She wasn’t his equal, but she was someone who shone so bright in his vision, who left him waiting until they could go on their next excursion together.
He hadn’t forgotten, of course, how they’d fought together to take back Manhattan from that insolent Space Ishtar. Even when they’d been on opposite sides and he was defeated the year before, it was all in good fun.
As Ritsuka sipped her wine, Gilgamesh glanced at the finer points of her face and the way it had changed over time. Her cheeks were a little less round, her eyes a bit more firm. She didn’t always wear her hair with a scrunchy as she used to every single day. No longer a girl, she’d truly become a woman.
“Hm?” She set down her cup and looked at him. “You’ve been looking at me a lot. Is there something on my face?”
He shrugged. “Not at all. I was simply admiring how your beauty has grown.”
She nearly dropped her cup as her face quickly grew the color of its contents. “My what?”
Gilgamesh paused. Why was she…? No, it’s not like he’d misspoke. He always meant what he said. “Don’t misunderstand,” he said, brows arching. “I was simply stating an obvious fact.”
Her expression didn’t let up, in fact she only looked more flustered.
And that, in turn, was making Gilgamesh himself grow confused. It’s not like he was trying to say anything more with it. He was just mentioning something he’d noticed for quite some time.
Wait. Had he always found her beautiful? He searched his mind, combed through his memories of being summoned here. Was it only now, only recently that her beauty and courage made his heart grow fond whenever he looked at her? Or maybe he just hadn’t noticed.
No! Of course not! He saw through all, he could see into the truth of all he gazed upon.
Though, admittedly, sometimes a mongrel would exceed his expectations and follow a path he hadn’t expected they’d take. In those cases, he would admit he’d underestimated them and reconsider his opinion. So while maybe he’d dismissed her originally, now her mind and body were—
“I… It goes without saying a man would appreciate a woman of your caliber.” Right. Of course. He could admire beautiful women with a calm and discerning eye. Not such a big deal. But, right now he didn’t feel particularly calm.
“Uh… my king. Do you, um, like me?”
“What sort of silly idea is that?” he said, standing up. But at this point he didn’t even believe himself.
Her face, blushing a bright pink, made him want to squeeze her cheeks and play with her hair. And before he knew it he was doing just that.
“Wah…!” Ritsuka’s head wobbled as Gilgamesh touched her face. “That tickles…”
No, it wasn’t just that he found her desirable as a woman. He found her cute. The way she drank her wine, the way she called him by name, the way she led him in battle, the way she walked through the halls. Each and every moment, each and every action, had his fondness for her grow.
“Mongrel…”
He looked at her with her yellow eyes wide and felt his affection soar.
“Gil, are you blushing?”
He opened his mouth to deny it, but found he couldn’t, because he was. His face felt hot, in a way that was impossible to argue.
“Damn you.”
“Huh?”
“For taking my feelings as your own. What a selfish girl you are,” he said, pulling her close. With her up against his bare chest, he could feel her warmth.
“Don’t kill me for this, but I don’t think you of all people should be calling other people selfish.”
Gilgamesh chuckled. “No, you are quite right. It is I who will take you as my own.”
He looked down to Ritsuka, saw how hopeful her beautiful face was, then brought their lips together.