Chapter 1 : The Fate

The deafening roar of artillery fire echoed in the ears of the young German soldier, Erik. The breath of war ravaged everything around him, devouring hopes and lives. At the age of fifteen, he found himself thrust into a conflict whose stakes and cruelty he did not comprehend.

Reloading his weapon with his last rounds of ammunition, he knew that the end was near for him. The news of their leader's suicide had reached his ears, shattering his hopes of resistance.

The French were already close to the trench, and Erik had only one thing left to do. He wanted to die with dignity for his country, pushing back his opponents even though he knew this war made no sense.

Machine guns rattled, shells exploded, and the earth trembled beneath his feet. Erik was engaged in the fierce battle when suddenly an enemy shot struck him head-on. The searing pain spread throughout his body as his hands trembled.

Summoning his last ounce of strength, he rose from his trench and fired at any enemy he saw. He didn't know how many lives he had taken in total, but all he knew was that his consciousness was fading as his lifeless body fell into the trench, his final thoughts with his family.

Erik Swelt (1929-1944)

When Erik opened his eyes again, he found himself immersed in a strangely peaceful environment. He was surrounded by a lush landscape, where immense and majestic trees gracefully danced in the gentle breeze. Sunlight pierced through the leaves, creating enchanting patterns of light.

As he tried to comprehend where he was, a mysterious presence materialized before him. It was a tall, imposing figure adorned in gleaming golden armor. He could feel the noble presence emanating from the person standing before him, and he instinctively lowered his gaze in their presence.

All he knew was that he was dead, and perhaps this person was an angel sent to retrieve his soul.

"I am Gilgamesh, the King of Kings," resonated the powerful voice. "Erik, your courage and determination on the battlefield have caught my attention. I have chosen you as my heir, as the vessel for my essence. We shall merge our souls, and thus, you shall become the bearer of my power," the voice said with arrogance and disgust toward the figure in front of him.

Erik was perplexed. What was this person talking about? King of Kings? Soul merging? What kind of fantasy was this?

Erik, overwhelmed and oppressed by Gilgamesh's presence and aura, felt an invisible force permeate through him. Golden sparks swirled around him, intertwining their energies. The boundaries between their two beings began to blur.

The fusion of souls was a transcendent experience. Memories, knowledge, and powers from Gilgamesh flowed into Erik like a torrent of information. Every fiber of his being was imbued with the legendary essence of the king.

When the energy finally dissipated, Erik opened his eyes to find himself in a new body, clad in mysteriously radiant armor. He held a sword of unparalleled beauty in his hand. He had become the living vessel of Gilgamesh.

Suddenly, the sword and the fluctuating energy around him disappeared, leaving only the static young man lost in deep thought.

His memories were still somewhat chaotic, but overall, he had a new identity. The fusion of the soul of a feared legendary king and a courageous young soldier was quite special.

The young man still didn't know why Gilgamesh had chosen to merge with his soul. There must be another reason, but he didn't have access to all the memories.

The person took on the appearance of a teenage Gilgamesh, his beautiful golden hair flowing as he looked. The simultaneous traumatic memories of the young soldier and the legendary king flooded his mind. As he erased the sounds of shells from his head, he didn't take much time to analyze his situation; he had been chosen as a vessel.

"I am neither Erik nor Gilgamesh, but a fusion of two distinct souls. However, I will embrace the identity and legacy of Gilgamesh because it is through him that I can embrace my destiny."

This world was neither the world of war nor Gilgamesh's world, or rather, it was a far distant era from his own. He could sense a form of energy in his surroundings that didn't resemble magic.

Speaking of which, his abilities were sealed, complicating matters for the new entity. His current strength was feeble, not possessing even an ounce of magic.

He couldn't access the Gate of Babylon or any of its weapons. Essentially, he was nothing more than a simple human, which frustrated the young man's ego.

Going from a glorious king to this, even his time as Erik was more impressive. What a pity.

Taking a deep breath, the young man entered into personal reflection :"I shall be called Gilgamesh. I do not wish to tarnish his heritage and identity. If I have been chosen, it is probably because he saw something in me. Thus, my goal will be to surpass my predecessor."

Gilgamesh, a fusion of Erik's and the legendary king's souls, took a few moments to immerse himself in his new environment. The majestic trees and the gentle breeze caressing his face offered him a sense of calm he hadn't experienced in a long time. However, his attention quickly turned to the mysterious energy that permeated this place.

He focused on sensing this energy more closely. It seemed to be everywhere, a subtle force vibrating in the air and saturating the surrounding nature. It wasn't magic as he had known it in his own world, but something different, inherently linked to this unknown reality.

Intrigued, Gilgamesh began to explore his surroundings. He followed the winding trails through the lush vegetation, occasionally pausing to observe the creatures that inhabited this world. Birds with vibrant colors gracefully flew between the branches, delicate-winged butterflies danced in the air, and strange, harmless animals, halfway between reality and fantasy, frolicked in the clearings.

As he continued his exploration, Gilgamesh started noticing peculiarities about this place. The plants seemed to pulsate with an enigmatic energy, and he could sense a deep connection between nature and this mysterious energy. It was as if every plant, every animal, was connected to this invisible force.

Around a bend in the path, Gilgamesh discovered a small crystal-clear stream meandering through the forest. He approached the edge and knelt down to quench his thirst. When he touched the water with his hands, a sensation of warmth and vitality coursed through him. He could feel this mysterious energy mingling with the water, giving it an almost magical quality.

The young man stayed there for a while, lost in his thoughts. He wondered what role he would play in this new world, what the significance of his fusion with Gilgamesh was, and how he could harness the energy that surrounded him.

Suddenly, an idea sprouted in his mind. Perhaps this energy was the key to unlocking his full potential, to transcend the limitations of his current body and become more than just a mere human. If Gilgamesh had chosen to merge with him, there must be a reason, a purpose to fulfill.

Driven by this newfound determination, Gilgamesh stood up and resumed his exploration. He decided to delve deeper into understanding this energy, to learn how to channel and harness it to his advantage. He knew it wouldn't be

easy, that it would require patience and perseverance, but he was ready to embrace the challenge.

As the sun slowly set on the horizon, Gilgamesh paused in his tracks and took the time to analyze this energy. Indeed, it was somewhat denser than magic. It took him some time to understand its workings, but overall his body had already absorbed this "magic."

This magic coursed through his veins, which was different from the magic he knew from his memories. The only problem was he didn't know what to do with it.

His physical form remained above that of a mere human; this magic hadn't affected his physique.

That's when he got the idea to channel this magic to use his Noble Phantasm. If it worked, it would be a stroke of genius on his part.

The first attempt was a failure, but after several tries, he could feel a connection with this energy. It wasn't impossible.

He would have to wait until the next day to further study this. He needed to spend the night in this dense forest. Despite everything, Gilgamesh felt weak in his body; he didn't want to be so vulnerable, even as a new vessel.

What he didn't know was that he had just discovered the energy that fueled this world and that he was a monster for feeling an affinity with it in less than a day...