บท 454: Gilgamesh
There were two reasons why Arkhan refused the summoning from Gilgamesh.
First, he was summoned as a Grand Servant.
Once he accepted the summoning, it would definitely burden Gilgamesh greatly. If he went all out, he might even turn Gilgamesh into a dried-up husk.
Back in the previous world, he responded to the world's summon, so he didn't have to worry about the magical energy supply too much. But for a single individual, maintaining the magical energy supply for a Grand Servant was a huge pressure.
Although in the Nasuverse, dying and coming back to life wasn't all that rare, even Gilgamesh himself had already experienced death in the original work, having to keep fetching his soul from the underworld every time was just too much trouble.
Moreover, even Arkhan himself had to be cautious—imagine if he accidentally drained Gilgamesh dry during the most critical part of a battle, that would be a real disaster.
As for the second reason, he worried he might not be able to solve the trouble of this Singularity.
The Seventh Singularity's difficulty wasn't any lower than the previous Singularity.
The Seventh Singularity was set in an era that brought about a lot of uncertainties—the moment of farewell between humans and gods, at the end of the Age of Gods.
Anything could happen without surprise.
Moreover, after experiencing three worlds, Arkhan deeply doubted that this Singularity would follow the script he knew.
There might be some unexpected twists, just like in the previous worlds. Even if another Beast other than Tiamat showed up later, he probably wouldn't be surprised.
Therefore, just in case, this time he planned to go not as a Servant but as himself, descending to this Singularity with his true body directly.
Although doing so meant he couldn't use many of his Heroic Spirit's unique powers, like summoning Nidhogg or the Godslayer Knights, it also meant he could finally unleash his ultimate ace—the original and true Divine Key.
===
Uruk, Central Ziggurat.
The radiant brilliance gradually faded, leaving the intricate summoning circle empty.
If it weren't for the precious magical materials around losing their radiance, Siduri would have doubted if anything had happened at all.
Siduri, the chief priestess who was trusted and revered by the people of Uruk, turned her head to her king beside her, noticing his deeply furrowed brows, clearly taken aback by the scene before him.
Rare indeed, she seldom saw such an expression on her king's face, who was usually aloof and calm regardless of the situation. Even in the face of inevitable doom, he would resist fiercely until the last moment.
It was because of her king's encouragement that everyone was able to hold on for so long.
Shaking off all of these scattered thoughts, Siduri took a step forward and spoke with a soothing voice.
"Your Majesty, has the summoning failed?"
"Impossible!" Gilgamesh stated firmly.
If it weren't Siduri who asked him, he might have responded with 'foolishness'.
"This is a summoning ritual designed by this king personally, using the finest materials available. It should be more than enough to summon a Grand Servant."
"So... does that mean he refused your summon?" Siduri pondered for a moment before asking.
Gilgamesh fell silent.
Reluctantly, he had to admit that seemed to be the only possibility.
He didn't believe that man would refuse his summons out of cowardice, a truly ridiculous reason.
After all, that man faced the likes of someone connected to the Root and Beast VI without flinching—a true hero, even he acknowledged that man.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have invested so much effort and resources into summoning that man. After all, he was the only king above and below, one must be both courageous and powerful to deserve such treatment from him.
Could it be that man didn't like him?
No, judging from the vision he saw with his clairvoyance, that man seemed quite amiable despite also being a king, without an air of arrogance or superiority.
'Is there a problem with my summoning circle?' Gilgamesh started to doubt himself.
Nonetheless, he couldn't possibly admit that in front of Siduri; it would tarnish his image too much.
'I'll investigate more later...'
As Gilgamesh decided, he cleared his throat and pretended to be indifferent as he waved his hand.
"Forget it, even if we can't summon him, it doesn't matter. Even without him, I, as the king, will deal with those threats to Uruk... Let's proceed with the next summoning."
Although he said it like that, some materials had already been used up. After all, what he tried to summon earlier was not just any Servant but a Grand Servant. Nonetheless, the remaining materials should suffice if it was just to summon a regular Servant.
"Your Majesty, maybe... you should summon another day?" Siduri suggested prudently. "Summoning twice in a row with no response, I worry it's because your body is too tired. Perhaps after resting for a few days, the situation might improve?"
Upon hearing that, Gilgamesh couldn't help but sink again into another thought.
Could it really be because of physical exhaustion?
"Twice? So, besides me, there's another Heroic Spirit who refused your summon?"
A stranger's voice suddenly echoed in the empty throne room.
Gilgamesh's snake-like crimson eyes narrowed instantly, countless golden ripples appeared behind him, and various legendary weapons gleamed, revealing astonishing murderous intent.
"If this is your welcoming ceremony, it's a bit too grand, isn't it? Gilgamesh."
As the stranger's voice echoed through the air again, a black-haired man clad in silver armor suddenly emerged, wearing a smile of tranquility on his face as he looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar golden-haired king before him.
"It's you?"
Gilgamesh instantly recognized the newcomer with just a glance, which surprised him even more because he could sense a living aura from this newcomer.
Not a Servant, but a living, breathing human being!
"Just so you know, immediately after you summoned me, I came from beyond this world." Arkhan added, still maintaining his smile.
Truthfully, he quite liked this version of Gilgamesh, at least more than his previous edgy version.
"Beyond this world, you say...?" Gilgamesh glanced deeply at the black-haired man's eyes.
He understood that those words carried a lot of information, but in the end, he didn't care much about it. After all, as long as the man himself was here, the rest was trivial.
Moreover, who knew? Maybe this Arthur, appearing in the flesh from another world, would bring him even greater surprises?
At the same time, Siduri finally reacted and bowed her head.
"Greetings, Lord Arkhan, I am Siduri, His Majesty's aide. You can just call me Siduri."
"Greetings, Siduri, a pleasure to meet you." Arkhan nodded and smiled warmly.
His casual manner seemed completely like an ordinary elder brother, which left Siduri pleasantly surprised.
If she remembered correctly, this nobleman should be a king like her king, Gilgamesh, right?
It seemed there was quite a difference between kings.
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