"I see—so Gilgamesh wasn't summoned like I was. He was guided to Uruk under special circumstances."
Enkidu studied Hakuno Kishinami with curiosity as they chatted.
"But to stand in for Gilgamesh as the King of the Moon, and even be acknowledged by him as a Master... that's no small feat."
"A lot happened," Hakuno replied, briefly brushing a hand against her cheek.
"It couldn't have been easy. After all, we're talking about Gilgamesh," Enkidu said seriously. "His temper can be... unpredictable."
"You're one to talk," Gilgamesh snorted with amusement. "Your own temper's like a blade with no guard—always cutting wherever it pleases."
Enkidu chuckled. "Since this is a rare opportunity, why not ditch Gil and form a contract with me instead?"
"Oh? You're poaching in front of me? We're in Uruk—you really want to settle this with another round, like the one in the plaza?" Gilgamesh grinned.
"Sounds like a good idea. Let our Master compare our abilities firsthand before making a decision," Enkidu said in agreement.
Hakuno squinted, waving her hands to cut them off. "You two just want to fight, don't you? At least spare a thought for Uruk. Besides, I've already made a contract with Gilgamesh. I'm not planning to form another—not even with someone on par with him."
"Hmph..." Gilgamesh looked like he was trying not to laugh.
"I see. What a shame," Enkidu said, spreading his hands—whether disappointed over missing a fight or losing a chance to experience another Master, it wasn't clear.
With the Singularity close to being repaired, time for casual conversation was running out.
He glanced at Shiomi, thinking, What kind of farce is this?
Then Shiomi connected to Romani in Chaldea.
"Doctor, how long until the Rayshift to return to Chaldea begins?" he asked.
"In about ten minutes, the shift will start automatically. Until then, take your time saying your goodbyes," Romani replied in an unusually relaxed tone.
With the final Singularity nearly restored, the Human Order Incineration was at last approaching its end.
"That's good to hear."
Just then, a figure rushed out of the Divine Tower, carrying something in her hands.
It was Siduri.
"Everyone from Chaldea—please wait a moment!"
Though the departure hadn't begun yet, Siduri wasn't aware of the timing and hurriedly called out to stop them.
"What is it, Head Priestess Siduri?" Shiomi asked.
Siduri stepped forward and presented the item she was holding. "King Gilgamesh has instructed me to personally deliver this, in recognition of Chaldea's efforts in saving Uruk."
That said, with only Gilgamesh and Siduri remaining in Uruk, the King—having concluded his journey and returned to his throne—had no one else to send.
"This is…"
Shiomi paused as he took in the item.
"The Great Cup of Uruk. That King of Heroes really did have a bold spirit, even in life," Morgan teased him knowingly.
Nearby, the Servant Gilgamesh chimed in. "This King and Hakuno spent over half a year toiling for Uruk. Isn't there something for us, too?"
"About that…" Siduri gave an awkward smile.
"I bet it's something like, 'It's all coming out of the King's own treasury, so I'll cover it myself,'" Enkidu guessed confidently.
As Gilgamesh's oldest friend, he hit the mark perfectly.
All Siduri could do was nod.
"But Gilgamesh refusing to come out and say goodbye—won't that leave everyone feeling a little down?" Enkidu said.
Gilgamesh replied, "The 'King' over there lost the freedom to speak to you the moment he returned to the throne. After all, it was your death that made that 'King' into the 'King of Men.'"
"That's true." Enkidu nodded.
It was a little lonely not being able to say farewell, but he understood.
"There's one thing I forgot to mention—thank you for dealing with Ozymandias for us during the Sixth Singularity," Shiomi said, looking at Hakuno Kishinami and Gilgamesh.
"It was just a detour to check out that abnormal Singularity," Gilgamesh replied, clearly not expecting any gratitude.
Hakuno merely spread her hands in a resigned gesture.
Then, the retreat of the Servants began.
Enkidu's form started turning transparent, and both Hakuno and Gilgamesh were enveloped in light—Gilgamesh's departure more closely resembled Rayshifting.
It made Shiomi feel vaguely uneasy, but he had no time to ask about the true meaning behind the title "King of the Moon."
Because just like Enkidu, the goddesses within the Singularity also began to fade away.
Except for Ereshkigal, whose descent had taken on a physical form, the others—including Ana—were beginning to vanish.
There was one person Shiomi still needed to say goodbye to.
He quickly moved past the others and ran toward Artoria, who stood apart from the group.
"There's no need to say goodbye." As he took her hand, she calmly shook her head. "The next battle is against the King of Magecraft—a final confrontation in his temple. Even if I'm not permitted to be there, I will come to aid you, Master."
"You're still calling me 'Master'? I thought our relationship was more equal than that," Shiomi asked.
"...We'll see each other again very soon, Tenkei." It was the first time she'd called him by name. She glanced briefly at Scáthach behind him. "Though I'm a little different from your teacher."
"You all really like lending a hand in person, huh," Shiomi said, relieved, unable to resist a small jab.
"Because doing it this way carries more meaning. Wouldn't you agree, Queen of Winter?" Scáthach asked, turning to Morgan.
Morgan crossed her arms and gave a rare nod of agreement. "Indeed."
A breeze swept across the plaza before the Divine Tower of Uruk, as sunlight spilled into the quiet city.
Everyone looked up toward the rising sun.
From atop the palace on the Divine Tower, Gilgamesh watched his companions disappear and saw the people of Uruk returning from the north.
"I didn't expect Beast II to be resolved like this," said the Magus of Flowers. "Even the Grand Servant system prepared by the Counter Force wasn't needed. 'She' was slain by Tiamat, and I rushed over as soon as she faded… but in the end, I was only needed to witness this Good End."
"The evils of mankind are also its love. Faced with something that wasn't born of malice, that man chose to respond with love—and even the Mother of Creation could be moved by that. Especially since Tiamat loved humanity from the very beginning," Gilgamesh said.
"Indeed. If Beast II can be resolved without conflict, perhaps the other Beasts can too—"
"At least, that man won't be so easy to deal with," Gilgamesh said. "The one who calls himself the King of Magecraft... and the will behind him guiding his every move."
"The nature of 'gods' is truly beyond comprehension. No wonder you led mankind to sever its ties with them…"
Another breeze passed through.
By the time it faded, the Magus of Flowers was already gone—leaving behind only drifting petals and a voice fading into silence.
And the king stood alone, waiting for the return of his people.