Two years later.
Kuoh, Japan.
Morning light filtered gently through the tall windows of a grand mansion in Kuoh, spilling across silk curtains and polished floors.
Within one of its many rooms, a young man slowly opened his eyes.
Sunlight brushed against his form, illuminating a figure that seemed almost unreal.
He appeared to be between sixteen and eighteen years old, standing just over six feet tall. His golden hair rose like a living flame, framing a face so impossibly handsome it bordered on the divine. His eyes—deep crimson, like polished rubies—held a mysterious glow that could not be mistaken for anything human.
His body was perfectly proportioned, as though sculpted according to some sacred golden ratio. A quiet majesty radiated from him, so overwhelming that even the faint motes of light drifting through the room seemed hesitant to approach. Deep within him, his very soul glimmered with gold.
Calling him beautiful felt insufficient.
His supernatural appearance alone could leave gods and goddesses of beauty speechless. Any woman—human or supernatural—would feel her body betray her simply by standing in his presence.
"Another day," the young man murmured, his voice smooth and resonant.
Even his voice carried power. A single word from him could soften the coldest heart; merely hearing him was enough to make even divine beings falter.
As his crimson eyes fully opened, their radiance spilled into the room. Any woman who met his gaze would feel herself drowning in desire.
Yet those who truly looked deeper would notice something else.
Behind those ruby eyes lay an abyss.
An endless, crushing power—vast beyond comprehension—coiled in silence, dormant only because its master had not yet called upon it.
Anyone with even a shred of instinct would understand:
This was no ordinary man.
This was someone born to rule.
Someone who could become the greatest king the world had ever known.
That man was Gilgamesh.
The King of Heroes.
.....
Two years had passed since his battle with Sairaorg, the acquisition of Longinus [Regulus Nemea], the rescue of Valerie, and his unexpected meeting with Seraphim Gabriel.
That encounter with Gabriel had changed many things.
Most notably, Heaven had taken a deep interest in him—especially after learning that Gilgamesh had recreated the Evil Pieces system in the form of Brave Saints, allowing humans to be reincarnated as Angels.
Needless to say, the Devils were furious.
But there was nothing they could do.
For a time, Gilgamesh had worked alongside both the Church and Heaven.
At first, he had refused. He had no intention of becoming entangled with any faction.
However, after personal requests from Gabriel and Michael, he eventually relented.
The Church had been stunned.
They had effectively gained the cooperation of a descendant of the King of Heroes—someone who also possessed a Longinus-class Sacred Gear.
Naturally, this caused division.
Half of the Church celebrated, grateful to have such overwhelming power on their side.
The other half viewed Gilgamesh with distrust, unwilling to accept a demigod who did not worship the God of the Bible alone.
During his time there, Gilgamesh developed a close friendship with Gabriel, who was almost constantly at his side.
He did his best to teach her about human culture—travel, customs, everyday life.
Unfortunately, most of it went in one ear and out the other.
Some things, he decided, were simply immutable.
More than once, Gilgamesh found himself wondering what God had been thinking when He created Gabriel.
She had a devilish face.
A devilish body.
And devilish charm.
Yet her personality was innocent, clueless, and occasionally infuriating.
For him—and every man alive—it was the worst possible combination.
Gabriel also persisted in trying to reincarnate Gilgamesh as an Angel so he could live in Heaven with her.
Every time, he refused.
He had been born human.
And he would die human.
Even Gabriel understood that… though it never stopped her from trying.
.....
During this period, Gilgamesh also formed strong bonds with Xenovia and Irina, both trained by Griselda Quarta—one of the strongest female exorcists alive.
Gilgamesh himself trained under Griselda for a time.
He helped Xenovia refine her mastery of Durandal and assisted Irina with Excalibur.
He also led his own Church squad.
Surprisingly, its core members were Siegfried and Jeanne.
Gilgamesh maintained a fierce rivalry with Siegfried—the heir of the hero who slew Fafnir—mostly due to Siegfried's habit of ignoring orders.
A few beatings usually corrected that.
Jeanne, on the other hand, was trouble-free. She followed Gilgamesh faithfully and went wherever he went.
Together, they functioned almost like a family.
Ironically, both Siegfried and Jeanne would later betray the Church shortly after Gilgamesh left.
.....
While working with the Church, Gilgamesh accumulated several titles.
One was Paladin, also known as Holy Knight, earned because he frequently fought in holy armor while wielding a sacred blade.
That blade was Excalibur.
The expressions on the clergy's faces when he revealed its identity had been priceless.
Naturally, the Church demanded he surrender it.
Naturally, they failed—because Gilgamesh was under Gabriel's protection, and by extension Michael's.
Another title was The Golden Beast of Destruction.
He earned this after annihilating a massive force from the Old Satan Faction.
That faction had gathered an army ranging from Upper-Class Devils to Satan-class beings, supported by Fallen Angels and rogue Youkai, intending to assault Church headquarters.
Even Serafall Leviathan would have struggled against such numbers.
Heaven had been sealed by enemy magic.
The Church stood defenseless.
Then Gilgamesh arrived.
Alone.
He obliterated the entire army.
It was during that battle that he first unveiled the Balance Breaker of Longinus [Regulus Nemea], crushing everything that dared approach him.
Another title soon followed:
The Golden Wizard.
This came from his invention of multiple original spells, many of which were adopted worldwide. His magical innovations even earned him a fan club.
Yet his greatest title was undoubtedly—
The Strongest Exorcist.
He earned it by defeating Vasco Strada.
Since their first meeting, Gilgamesh had deeply respected Vasco.
Vasco Strada possessed no Sacred Gear.
Yet he was a human whom even the Top Ten Existences acknowledged.
During this time, Gilgamesh trained personally under Vasco's guidance.
.....
And now—
Two years later.
Gilgamesh stood at the edge of a new chapter.
.....