Arrogant King

Imaginary number is a type of magecraft based on imaginary elements, defined in the magical world as "which is not possible, but materializes," standing in contrast to the attribute of "Hollow." This means imaginary number magecraft deals with the concept of possibility itself.

To Sakatsuki, the most useful ability within imaginary number magecraft should be this one.

"Imaginary Number Space."

With a short chant, invisible particles swept through the air, and from a tear in space, the void within was revealed.

Sakatsuki observed the space no one else could see, casually tossing a nearby cup into the void. With a simple wave, the imaginary particles flowed over it, as if zipping up a zipper, sealing the pocket.

He then lightly illuminated the tip of his finger.

"Displacement Magecraft."

His first attempt at the magic failed, as the displacement magic couldn't reach the imaginary space. On his second attempt, however, Sakatsuki simply exchanged himself for a spot on Fuyuki Bridge.

The damp, chilly sea breeze brushed against his face. Standing at the top of the bridge, Sakatsuki's golden eyes glowed as he reached into a non-existent space and retrieved the cup, undamaged.

The tea inside the cup rippled as if it had never been in the eternal silence of that space.

Possessors of the imaginary element can freely open the imaginary space and place items—or even living beings—inside. Only others with the same attribute or those who know the method can open it. This space is timeless, making it ideal for exiling enemies.

Until Sakatsuki encountered the right enemy, the imaginary space functioned like a portable storage, with near-infinite capacity. It was far more useful than displacement magecraft.

Unlike displacement magecraft, which disregards time and space and exchanges things to a safe location, the imaginary pocket can be accessed anytime, unaffected by the outside world. Displacement magecraft, however, is dependent on the destination remaining safe and undestroyed, otherwise, the items stored would be lost.

"Now, for the second ability."

Sakatsuki closed his eyes, and even for him, he had to use this ability with care.

"Imaginary Infiltration."

As the imaginary particles flowed, Sakatsuki's figure slowly became enveloped, sinking into the imaginary space. To the outside world, it seemed as if his figure flickered, like a bad signal, then returned to normal. He bent down, panting heavily, as he had just narrowly escaped the dangers within the imaginary space.

"Ha… Ha… Ha… What was that situation inside the imaginary domain? The difficulty just increased greatly. Was there interference in this space?"

Just as he finished speaking, a voice responded, cold yet composed, more arrogant than the King of Conquerors, Iskandar, and crueler than a serpent lying in wait.

"While I do enjoy watching court jesters perform, unwanted mongrels will only ruin the mood for tonight."

A voice echoed, clear and slow. The moment he heard the words "mongrel," Sakatsuki immediately realized who the voice belonged to. When he looked up, the golden light reflected in his eyes confirmed it—he was facing none other than.

"Archer, Gilgamesh, the servant of Tokiomi Tohsaka."

Gilgamesh was the fifth king of the ancient Sumerian city-state of Uruk. He is the protagonist of humanity's oldest epic, The Epic of Gilgamesh, and the "King of Heroes. " He possessed a divine nature of "two-thirds god, one-third human."

Of course, Sakatsuki didn't vocalize this. He focused on the armoured golden-haired man, who radiated an aura of arrogance, as Sakatsuki's imaginary particles dispersed and were replaced by his twin blades Kanshou Bakuya.

Under normal circumstances, anyone caught by another during magecraft experiments would immediately go on guard. However, the golden-haired servant, as if offended, narrowed his red eyes and started to exude a brutal killing intent.

"Not only do you fail to kneel and beg for forgiveness, but you even raise a weapon against me? It seems this era's humans are truly beyond saving!"

As Gilgamesh finished speaking, space around him distorted like a mirage, and in the next moment, a brilliant spear appeared in the void.

The spear was beautifully adorned, and it emanated a powerful magic aura, indicating that it was no ordinary weapon. It was undoubtedly a Noble Phantasm.

"Die and redeem your sins."

Gilgamesh coldly declared as the spear shot forward.

The moment the spear closed in, Sakatsuki was still thinking about other things.

As described in the original work, Gilgamesh, as an Archer, possesses a high level of independent action, equivalent to an A rank. This allows him to maintain his present form in the world and even appear as a helpful civilian in Fuyuki City. So, it wasn't unexpected that Sakatsuki and Gilgamesh would cross paths tonight.

While Gilgamesh is the most powerful Servant in this Holy Grail War, Sakatsuki still doesn't feel the same level of crisis as when facing Iskandar—this was due to his frequent battles with Angelica Ainsworth, whose full power could sometimes even surpass Gilgamesh's in certain aspects.

With this in mind, Sakatsuki casually stepped backward, dodging the explosion of light caused by the spear.

For a brief moment, Gilgamesh's face stiffened, but soon, his murderous intent resurfaced.

"Very well, continue to amuse me, mongrel!"

Golden ripples expanded around Gilgamesh, revealing a total of eight Noble Phantasms, each radiating a terrifying aura of death.

There were swords and spears, as well as axes, hammers, and bizarre weapons of unknown origin.

Each weapon was polished to a mirror-like shine and imbued with incredible magical power. They each represented an element of divine mystery, and none of them were ordinary weapons.

To any other Master witnessing this scene, it would be nothing short of a shock, because the Noble Phantasms of a Servant are a manifestation of their legend—akin to the nuclear weapons of a nation. Even a few of them would be considered overwhelming.

Yet, this "King of Heroes" seemed to possess an endless supply of them, continuously drawing one after another from the void.

Sakatsuki, upon witnessing this spectacle, didn't lose his composure. Instead, he sighed as if seeing a child showing off their toys.

He was used to it.

Out of a desire to conceal his true strength, Sakatsuki refrained from using projection magecraft to counter the weapons and instead turned to his newly acquired ability.

The dual blades of Kanshou and Bakyua fell, and Sakatsuki lowered his gaze as his white hair was swept by the magical currents.

"The night is silent, and my shadow shall cover the world."

In an instant, the young man's shadow twisted and stretched, becoming an ominous giant before Gilgamesh.

Imaginary particles flowed, and Sakatsuki, his golden eyes filled with negative emotions.

"Shadow of the Imaginary Numbers!"