Fate always had to have different plans.

Shirou, looking much more mature in appearance, had a small scowl on his face. He wore dark leather pants and a golden cloak that was draped over his shoulder, covering a white tunic with golden accents. As of now, he stood at the entrance of the throne room where his younger brother would usually be seen doing numerous works to renovate his kingdom.

Or at least, when he bothered to actually do his work.

Next to the golden throne were a pile of tablets. Each of them were etched with numerous complaints and charts that ranged from monster attacks to the number of crops that the farmers have managed to produce yearly. In the past, the pile would usually be gone at the end of the day. Now though... they only continued to pile up.

Shirou felt his shoulders sag as he stood over the pile. He never really understood how this happened. It was so abruptly, so sudden, that he couldn't come up with any plan to stop what his younger brother had become.

His younger brother, his sweet younger brother, had turned into what he had originally feared the most. A tyrant who ruled with an iron fist who prided power and his words over all. He constantly slacked on his duties, leaving the kingdom in the hands of the squabbling advisors who tried their hardest to keep everything in order and tend to the needs of the people.

Nobody could figure out how this happened. Gilgamesh's personality had suddenly switched overnight without warning. Of course, Shirou thought that it was a phase that he was going through. After all, it wasn't too uncommon for growing teens to act more unruly than usual. With time, they eventually grew with their maturity.

Turns out, it wasn't a phase. It has been four years since this had all started, yet Gilgamesh didn't bother to try and correct himself. It was like he saw no problem in what he was doing. He didn't even listen as much to his dear older brother, often brushing off his advice like he was swatting a gnat. He still loved him, but he has long since claimed independence.

It hurt everyone to see what he had become. It was only thanks to the love they had for him as a child that nobody tried to revolt or attempt to overthrow the hierarchy. There was also the fact that he tended to act in various bursts of violence when someone disagreed with him, often threatening to execute those who he deemed as wrongdoers. Luckily, no executions have taken place despite this.

The only thing anyone could do right now was to stay clear of him while they tried to keep things together, and the events that had unfolded several days ago were starting to enforce that fact.

Three days ago, Gilgamesh had just unleashed more power than he had ever released before. A green haired individual had confronted the king of Uruk after casually strolling through all of the guards who attempted to stop him. The situation wouldn't have been as bad at any other day, but yesterday just so happened to be the wedding day of one of the officials of Uruk. Now, as per newly decreed custom, Gilgamesh would sleep with the bride on the night of the wedding before the man. It was an incredibly odd rule to everyone, but Gilgamesh had claimed that everything was his property. As such, he would do with his property as he pleased.

It was incredibly inhumane, but nobody was going to try and stop him. After all, his strength and stature were far above even the greatest individuals Uruk has to offer. With one hand, he could rip the strongest beast. With the other, he could move the tallest of mountains. Well, at least that's what he proclaimed. Even so, it didn't seem like a bold claim. With his status as a being closest to the gods, nobody could really doubt him.

So that's why everyone was terrified when they were proven wrong.

The green haired individual had confronted Gilgamesh when he was heading to meet with the bride in her chambers. He stood in front of the door like a pillar, completely unmoving despite Gilgamesh's anger. They simply yelled at each other for what felt like an eternity, filling Uruk with the sounds of their argument. Everyone had hunkered down in their own rooms, their argument causing the ground to shake like that of an earthquake.

So when the fight started, that earthquake quadrupled in effect. The two of them had engaged in a straight up fist fight, throwing themselves around like sacks of potatoes as they tore through buildings and houses. Eventually, the two of them made their way outside of the city, where the spacious environment would allow them to fight seriously.

Whoever the green person was, they were extremely powerful. The earth bent to his will, transforming into shields and sharpened blades that he threw around like arrows. They were so numerous, that even Gilgamesh was being forced back at a quick rate. So, in a desperate attempt to regain his superiority, he opened his treasury.

His treasury, containing the numerous weapons and technology that Shirou had created or collected, flowed out like a torrent of gushing water. Each polished spear, each hard blade, smashed against earth as their attacks countered each other perfectly. It was a terrifying, but incredibly jaw dropping sight to behold. Still, Shirou couldn't help but groan in annoyance as he watched each of his beautiful weapons get tossed around like trash. They weren't meant to be used like that, but he couldn't deny that the method was effective.

Their battle raged on for several days, though it only felt like several minutes. As soon as the two of them realized that they could no longer defeat each other as they were currently, they had seemingly decided to unleash their ultimate attack.

Gilgamesh pulled out his ultimate weapon, the man simply glowed with an ethereal light. The gift in Gilgamesh's hand, filled with his power, began spinning at a fast pace as the winds howled in accordance. Red light streaked in the sky, cutting apart the world and twisting space as the weapon unleashed its true glory. For a moment, Shirou feared that his brother may have gone overboard and would have wiped Uruk off of the earth in his rage.

Thankfully, it did not happen. Their two attacks had collided, cancelling each other out in a flurry of destruction and divine wrath. In that moment, their fight had long since left the realm of men and transcended into the world of the gods. The entirety of Uruk, the greatest kingdom in the world, would be the lucky ones who bear witness to this event.

When the lights died down and the fighting stopped, the two fighters collapsed onto the ground. Completely devoid of energy, the two of them could only lie motionless as daybreak approached.

"Ahaha! Truly, this is a truly a predicament... There is only one chance to strike for the each of us, and without any means of defense, it will only end up with two foolish corpses."

Shirou sighed as he remembered his brother's defeated claim. Indeed... it had been the first time in years that his younger brother had laughed like that for anyone other than him. Perhaps it was because he finally met someone who could match him, but he didn't know for sure.

"Um... Lord Shirou?"

Shirou turned towards one of the side doors to see a young woman who was garbed in the robes that the priestesses of Ishtar would wear. Her skin was fairly tan, with her hair being a light shade of brown. Hanging in front of her was a thin veil, which gave her an ethereal look despite the fact that it was meant to cover her face.

He smiled tiredly at the woman. "Good morning, Siduri."

The temple priestess bowed respectfully in a nervous manner. "U-um... Good morning, Sir. I have come to gather some of the tablets for work."

Shirou grimaced in slight annoyance. Siduri was one of the youngest priestess of Ishtar, but she was also one of their hardest workers. Every day, she came into the throne room to help assist with the affairs of the people. The only reason why tablets didn't litter the entire throne room was because she was always there to pick them up herself along with the others.

She was quiet and soft-spoke, a really gentle person at her core. Even so, everyone else always listened to her whenever she had something to say. Except Gilgamesh of course, but that was to be expected.

"Work... Right." Shirou shook his head before he turned back to the pile. "Well, then take five. I can handle the rest."

"Eh?" Siduri frowned as she stared at the pile. "O-only five, sir? But there's more than thirty pieces of requests that need to be carried out! Perhaps you could finish twelve in the next hour or so, but it'll be much more efficient if you left the rest to-"

"Siduri... Loose that stutter of yours." Shirou said softly, though it was enough to shut her up immediately. He grabbed five small tablets and held them out to her, offering her a small smile. "Everyone is tired, Siduri. You've all worked so hard to keep everything intact, and I truly am proud of that. However, I believe that a break is required every once in a while. Rest for a while, and only then shall I allow you to resume your regular work."

Despite his offer, Siduri's face held a protesting look. "But Sir... You are just one man! At least let me take a few more..."

"I am the older brother of your king, Siduri. I can handle myself just fine. If anything, I'd be better at handling these tasks than anyone else." He glanced at the tablets in his hand. "Well if you won't take it, I'll just go ahead and do them my-"

"No!" Siduri cut in quickly, snatching the tablets from his hand and holding them close like a possessive child with a toy. "I'll do it. You can count on me, sir."

"Good." Shirou laughed, quietly content that this was all it took to convince her. Usually she was much more stubborn when it came to matters like these. "If you ever need any help, don't hesitate to ask me. You're still just a rookie, kid. As your senior, It is my duty to help you." He smiled. "I'm not too worried about it, though. You're a smart cookie. You'll be fine."

He inwardly gushed when he saw her blush at his compliment. Truly, he has gotten old. It reminded him of his days with a much younger Gilgamesh, only this time it was with a girl instead of a boy.

"Thank you, lord Shirou..." She mumbled, her eyes drifting towards the floor.

"No problem, kid. Now go and quickly take care of those tablets so you can enjoy the rest of your day."

Siduri quickly bowed and left the room with haste. Once she had gone, Shirou sighed and returned back to the pile at hand. Picking up the nearby tablet, he grimaced once he read what was on it. Apparently a nearby monster had begun staking claim in a nearby forest. It was a seemingly new breed of monster, though it was proving to be more troublesome than most. The forest it had taken root in was where the primary source of Uruk's wood came from, causing problems for many men who went to harvest the wood. As such, they needed someone to quickly get rid of the monster for them.

Shirou sighed and threw his tablet to the side as he quickly began walking to the door. If anything, monster exterminations were one of the main problems and concerns that the citizens of Uruk had. There were no shortage of these problems, but there were far more than usual these days.

...Damn it all, Gilgamesh.

Shirou approached the outskirts of the city and frowned as he came across the sight of his brother and his opponent on the ground, having not moved from their position since last night.

"Ah... brother. You finally decided to check up?"

Gilgamesh looked up at him from his sprawled out form on the ground. His body was covered in bruises and dust, but he looked otherwise unharmed. His clothes looked no worse for wear, only having some small rips and tears here and there.

"I'm out to go take care of a monster that's preventing us from gathering any good wood." Shirou said with a deadpan tone as he stared down at him. "Have you done nothing but lay here? It was quite cold last night."

"Please, the cold does not bother the king." Gilgamesh snorted. "If anything, this annoying stiffness in my shoulder is intolerable."

"Well, don't be surprised if that cold gives you a cold." Shirou grumbled as he glanced at the green haired individual who laid motionless a few feet away from them. Their eyes were open, but he had remained silent as he watched them talk. "Who are you?"

"...Enkidu."

The being answered quietly without moving. It was incredibly odd to see the two of them together, despite the fact that they were both trying to kill each other not too long ago.

"Huh... nice name." Shirou said as he glanced at Gilgamesh. "Any particular reason why the two of you haven't killed each other yet?"

"Hah! It would have been foolish of us to try. Each of us will end up dead the second we tried to do so. Instead, I, the king, have declared my royal decree!" He pointed at the green haired being. "This person has proved to be my equal in combat. Thus, it is only natural that the both of us are to be friends!"

Only Gilgamesh could possibly come to this kind of logic.

Shirou turned back to Enkidu with raised eyebrows. "And you're totally fine with this?"

"Friendship is an interesting concept. I would like to give it a try." Enkidu said with a small smile.

Shirou had to refrain from pinching his nose. This... was the weirdest thing he has ever experienced. The thought of Gilgamesh proclaiming someone else to be his friend sounded incredibly foreign to him.

Then again... Gilgamesh never had a friend before.

"Fine... Then get up and head back to the castle, Gilgamesh. I already had a bath prepared for you since I suspected that you would be in... less than savory appearances."

A flicker of annoyance passed Gilgamesh's face. "Brother... do you dare imply that I, the king, am in a state other than perfect?"

"Yes." Shirou said simply, ignoring Gil's continued look of annoyance. "You're dirty, smell, and don't look anything like a king. If anything, you look like a street rat like your new friend." He cocked his head at Enkidu, who was oddly rolling around in the dirt like a child. "Now hurry up and take that bath or else it'll be cold by the time you get back."

"Shi-"

"Now, Gil. Or else I won't make you your favorite snack when I get back." Shirou declared with a glare, making the golden king freeze. If there was anything his younger brother loved the most, it would be the magnificent cuisine that Shirou created. Ever since Shirou's abnormal talent in cooking alongside crafting, he would always cook his meals 24/7. They were so divine, that simply eating anything else didn't seem to register with Gilgamesh.

As such, that threat was almost 85% guaranteed to work on him depending on what he wanted. It's not like he could do anything to force Shirou to cook for him. Nothing short of torture will probably do him in, but the two of them were still brothers and Gilgamesh still had a large amount of respect for him.

So that left only one option...

"Fine! The king has decided to return. The water meant for the king must not be put to waste!" Gilgamesh declared, standing up immediately as if the fatigue and soreness had vanished. "Enkidu!"

"Hm?" Enkidu looked up from the ground.

"We leave posthaste! There are important matters the king must attend to! After my bath, I shall show you personally around my wonderful kingdom!"

"Yeah... The kingdom that you're failing to rule." Shirou thought with a shake of his head. Bending downwards, he pulled Enkidu up before a frown came to his face.

"Hey Enkidu, are you a man or a woman?"

He just couldn't quite put his finger on it. Its voice sounded androgynous, and its physical appearance held an otherworldly beauty to it. Neither male nor female could properly judge it unless they held a similar kind of beauty. Then again... Its appearance did appear familiar somehow...

"Um..." The being looked down at itself with a thoughtful look on its face. "Well... I was originally a mound of dirt for a while... Then I took the appearance of this really beautiful lady who I met in the wild. Her name was Shamhat."

"The prostitute?" Shirou blinked. He turned to Gilgamesh, who had an equally confused look. "I haven't seen her the past few weeks or so. Don't you usually keep in touch with her?"

"Really? I never noticed." Gilgamesh frowned, fondly remembering the sacred prostitute. She was an especially fine woman, equally generous and kind, but damn was she good in bed. It was probably why he always made a point to call her any chance he got.

Perhaps she snuck away when he was with another woman? He did tend to be quite preoccupied with that a lot.

After shooing the two individuals away, Shirou continued on his merry way. The forest wasn't too far from Uruk, so he could most likely be back in time to make Gil his lunch. He did get particularly grumpy if food wasn't served on time, but he had a feeling that he could be a little bit later than usual.

After all, he would certainly be too busy with his new friend.

He didn't personally mind, so long as it kept his younger brother out of trouble. Perhaps with a little work, Gilgamesh can upgrade from his use of the word 'mongrels' to that of 'peasant'. Not like that was any better, though.

When he came across the forest, he gritted his teeth at the large amount of overgrowth that seemed to have sprouted up. It was like a wall of brambles and bushes, giving the image of a mound of shrubbery instead of a forest. It was so thick, not even the fine wood could be seen from inside.

"How troublesome..."

Shirou casually reached behind him and grasped the golden twin blades that were strapped to his back. With two casual swings, he began to carve a hole as he waddled through the overgrowth to reach the center of the forest. By his guess, the demon who was supposed to be here should be at the middle of all of this mess. That was where the magical energy was at its thickest, which equalled to more food for whatever lived here.

Which begged the question... what exactly lived here?

As he continued to wade through the vines, that thought circulated through his head at an alarming rate. Monsters weren't very subtle creatures. They boasted strength far above any man, and had the savagery to boot. Most of the time they leave large amounts of destruction in their wake, especially when they got hungry. But even after walking around for several minutes, he had not come across anything that could have indicated that a monster had been here.

Then again, this was supposed to be a new breed of monster. As far as the reports go, nobody had an actual description on the monster that attacked them. The only thing that they all had in common was that it was very fast, snatching people away before anyone could react.

*Whoosh*

Shirou immediately spun around as he detected a disturbance in the air. His trained eyes, perceiving the events in slow motion, zeroed in on a green vine that was swinging itself towards his head like a whip. Acting quickly, he jumped backwards to quickly get out of the vine's striking range.

*SNAP!*

He couldn't help but flinch at the sound. If he had been a second too late, that strike would have smashed his head wide open like a vase. Or at the very least, it would have ripped his face off.

Quickly sliding to a stop, he narrowed his eyes as he tried to identify what exactly the threat was. The vine continued to wave sporadically in the air like a snake, darting randomly like it was trying to desperately reach him.

▃▃▅▅▃▃ー！！

He held his blades in front of him as a roar tore through the green. As if becoming agitated by it, the entire forest began to shift like it was some sort of living organism. More vines sprouted out of the ground, flailing around and tearing up chunks of earth as they became uprooted.

"A plant monster?" Shirou muttered as he began dodging the new vines that threatened to entangle him. Spinning in a circle, he cleanly bisected the numerous plants that were beginning to swarm him. As he did so, he tried to identify where the monster was. If he could destroy it, theoretically the forest should go back to normal.

He grunted as a vine smashed directly into his chest, sending him through several trees. Skidding to a stop, he gritted his teeth and quickly slammed his blades together to form his bow. Once the golden string appeared, he quickly plucked the string and began firing arrows in whatever direction he could. Destroying the forest wasn't his goal, but a large amount of destruction would be required to flush the creature out.

The earth was torn asunder under his calculated destruction, sending splinters of wood everywhere. Within a minute, a large swath of the forest had been flattened and destroyed.

▃▃▅▅▃▃!

A sharp pain came from Shirou's side as something large smashed into him like a club. Crashing to the ground, he quickly rolled to the side as another large object smashed into the spot he had been a millisecond before. Crawling to his feet, he found himself face to face with a sight that made his skin crawl.

The figure in front of him was most certainly not human, yet it had a similar shape to a humanoid. Though it stood atop two appendages that seemed to act like legs, it was vaguely alien in nature. It's entire body was dark green, composed of decaying plants and wildlife that seemed to barely hold it together. Its arms were horribly mismatched, with each being a different length and size than the other. At its naval was a small thing tube of sorts, feeding directly into the ground like some sort of umbilical cord.

"What... are you?"

Shirou quickly shook himself out of his shock and raised his bow. Sensing his attack, the monster immediately raised one of its arms as it surged with sudden growth to become as large as a nearby tree. Quickly reacting, he jumped as the arm was swept sideways and watched as it passed harmlessly beneath him. Taking his hand, he plucked his string a couple times and released a barrage of arrows before the creature could react.

▃▃▅▅▃▃ー！！

He counted at least 8 arrows that had impaled themselves within the beast. Each of them had struck a vital spot that was meant to impair movement, yet it only served to make the beast stumble a little. With a loud grunt, a surge of magical energy began seeping into the monster as it began to swell up. Its form bulged like muscles, and the arrows were forced directly out of its body as dead plants fell off.

"Shedding?" Shirou thought as the beast's outer layer fell apart and the wounds vanished along with them. Narrowing his eyes, he stared at the cord at its center with a scrutinizing gaze. Whatever act the monster did was clearly running on magical energy. If he could cut off the source, he could stop it from regenerating.

"I see... So that's how it is."

The richest form of magical energy came from mother earth itself, especially in a place such as a forest. The tube was obviously siphoning off the energy within Gaia, transferring it to the main body so that it could be used. A useful tactic, but it was also a double edged sword. Being at the center of the beast, it would be an easy target to strike.

All he needed was a window of opportunity.

Rushing forward, he once again shot several arrows towards the beast which it promptly deflected with its left arm. However, they were merely the opening act. With its left arm occupied, he slid to his knees as the monster swiped with its right hand. He felt his skin crawl as the appendage missed his head by mere millimeters, but he ignored it as he reversed his grip on the bow.

Shifting his knees, he spun in a circle as he moved forward with the edge of his bow. The edge of the bow had just enough momentum to slice directly through the naval cord as he moved between the creatures legs to safety.

▃▃▅▅▃▃!

The effect was almost immediate. As the cord fell to the ground, the monster roared once again in pain as a greenish fluid began spilling out of its naval. It was like a torrent of water, with the monster becoming smaller and smaller as the magical energy needed to sustain it began to vanish back into the earth. It writhed in pain, but its moans of agony began to become quieter and quieter until finally, it crumbled away into dead vegetation.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Shirou disconnected the swords and sheathed them back into the straps on his back. Looking around, he noticed that the overgrowth in the area was starting to crumble away as well without the monster's influence to support them. He could also see just how much damage his fight actually caused, with large swaths of the forest having numerous trees uprooted.

"How wasteful..." He muttered.

He would need to order someone to make some early trips. It would be a shame to let such fresh materials go to waste.

Shirou trudged back through the halls of the palace, his face marred with slight annoyance. His clothes were slightly ragged and covered with dirt from his battle. They were quite expensive, and he knew it would be quite painful for the cleaners to bring it back to pristine condition.

Even so, the palace staff bowed politely towards him as they passed by. Of course they did it with Gilgamesh all the time, but there was a certain amount of fear depending on the individual. Clearly, as the wiser of the two, he deserved most of their love.

He stopped one of the nearby servants in the hallway. "Excuse me, do you know where my brother is at?"

"Lord Gilgamesh? He... um... hasn't left his bath yet." The servant muttered, pointing in the direction of the king's private lounge. Shirou frowned at that. Gil usually didn't spend long amounts of time in the bath. He hated it when his perfect skin got wrinkly.

"I see... Thank you."

He expertly navigated his way through the palace halls until he found himself in front of Gil's room. Pushing the doors without bothering to knock, Shirou blinked in surprise when he noticed that the room was surprisingly vacant of one certain goldie.

Enkidu sat at the foot of Gil's bed, a thoughtful look plastered on its face. A simple white cloth was the only piece of clothing it wore, yet it felt fitting somehow. Along with that perfect body, expensive clothes would only be too much.

"Hello, Enkidu." He greeted the being politely, earning its attention from its inner thoughts. "Gil wouldn't happen to be in the bath, would he?"

Enkidu smiled. "Ah... indeed he is. He has been in there for the past hour or so. Truth be told, he invited me to join him. It was an interesting experience."

"I hope it was pleasant, at least." Shirou chuckled as he entered the room and shut the doors behind him. He walked over to the nearby dresser and removed the top of his cloak, neatly folding it for wash. "I trust no one has treated you unpleasantly?"

"Oh no. Not at all. The citizens have been quite kind to me. It is quite impressive that they haven't fallen into a state of barbarism, seeing as their king is as violent as Ishtar." It glanced at him with a small twinkle in its eyes. "Then again... I believe they would have you to thank for that."

"Hmph... My little brother doesn't really harm Uruk, though it's more like he just leaves the duties to me while he goes out and 'indulge in the values of a king' as he says." Shirou sighed, his eyes holding a sense of forlorn. "He used to have a much better work ethic when he was a kid."

Enkidu chuckled. "I know. I saw."

Shirou paused. "Saw?"

"I'm older than you'd think, mortal. The gods engineered me ever since your younger brother ascended to the throne. You could call me... an insurance policy." Enkidu revealed with an apologetic smile. "I'm designed to be his equal in every way. The gods knew how dangerous he could be if he were to go out of control, so they molded me out of clay and gave me dominion over the earth. If Gil hadn't used his weapons as ammunition, I may have very well killed him in our bout."

Shirou winced. The vault that stored all of Gil's treasures wasn't actually a huge room in the basement of his palace. Rather, it was a dimensional storage space that was created through their mother's magic to better organize his belongings. Opened with a specially made key, it allowed him to physically interact with its contents. Using the vault as a launcher had never crossed his mind before, though.

"So why haven't you killed him yet?" Shirou asked carefully, watching the being's eyes for any sign of its intentions. "He's weakened... and he clearly sees you as a friend. Taking him by surprise would be a trivial matter."

"Because that would be against the wishes of the gods." Enkidu declared as it placed its hands on its lap. "They asked for punishment, not murder. He is their bridge that connects their world to the mortal world. If I were to destroy him... they would no doubt be furious."

"I see..." Shirou murmured as he sat down on the bed. "That's a relief, I guess."

*BANG*

The two of the suddenly looked up as the bathroom doors flew open, revealing Gilgamesh in all of his naked glory. A golden ray of light illuminated from his crotch, ultimately covering the area as it shone with brilliance.

"I have finished my bath! Now, it is time for us to feast!" Gil declared with a grin as he strolled in without bothering to grab a towel. He suddenly blinked when he saw Shirou. "Dear brother! You have finally returned! I was beginning to get bored waiting for you! Have you finished cooking yet?"

Shirou closed his eyes and stood up. "No. I just got back. Wait another hour."

"Eh?!" Gilgamesh gaped at him as if he had been punched in the gut. "So you're saying you haven't started yet?!"

"No."

"Bah! Then what am I supposed to do until you're finished?!" Gil complained while Enkidu watched with raised eyebrows, looking back and forth between the two of them.

"Did you give Enkidu a tour of the city? Or did you immediately come here after I asked you to?" Shirou asked, earning pause from the king. He sighed. "There, you have your answer. Give Enkidu a few rounds around the city. The food should be done by the time you get back."

"It better be..." Gilgamesh grumbled before grabbing Enkidu's hand to pull it along as he ran out the door. The lump of clay looked quite surprised by this action, but made no attempt to break out of it.

"Come! I shall show you all the wonders this city has to offer!"

Shirou groaned as he watched the two of them go.

"He didn't even put on any pants..."