He was in a daze even after she had spoken, and it was only when her expression shifted in concern did he realize that he was trembling.
He swallowed, immediately forcing his body to stop, yet unable to calm the storm within him. Ever since Saber had faded away at the end of the Fifth Holy Grail War, he had never once given up on his promise. He searched for her, knowing his efforts were in vain yet doing so anyway in hopes of a miracle.
As such, he had worked tirelessly, drowning himself in the ideals he had fought for while remaining resolute. YGGDRASIL had only been a means to help him cope by seeing her physical form again, but now, seeing the life in her eyes and hearing the distinctness of her voice, he was starting to imagine that she really was here.
But it was impossible.
He had already resigned himself to the hope that they would eventually meet in the next life, and yet, and yet-
"Master?"
A hand placed itself on his shoulder, forcing him out of his thoughts to stare directly at a pair of clear teal eyes, the concern within them bringing him back to the night he had last seen them.
"I'm fine," he shook his head, forcing the emotions down and entering a work-like state.
Like it or not, there were things that he had to understand, and losing himself in the emotions welling up from inside him would do him no good at present.
Moreover, Arturia wasn't the only one in the room.
Numerous gazes were focused on him. Some indifferent, others friendly, but the majority of them had expressions that belied their inner feelings.
He gradually became guarded, but he focred his expression to remain neutral. Of the various NPC's he had created that had become Raid-Bosses or Sub-Bosses in their specific realms, there were those whose personalities were considerably hard to deal with.
Based on what Arturia had just demonstrated, the NPC's of YGGDRASIL that he had created appeared to have actual life and feelings. They were in no way similar to the mere script and data cubes that they had once been before, and this was where the problems may occur.
If one had life and the strength of thought, one would have the power to make their own decisions and choices. With the various personalities and character traits he vividly recalled programming into the NPCs scripts, it was of vital importance to understand their stance regarding him. More so for the blond-haired man standing with his arms crossed at the corner of the room, golden-plated armour gleaming amidst the flowing red cloth hung at the waist.
Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes.
A man whose arrogance could know no bounds, but also a man that had earned the right for said arrogance through the legend he had left behind.
Shirou had created Gilgamesh not for any particular reason other than one that was purely selfish. The Fifth Holy Grail war had passed many years ago, and to recall the exact events that had occurred in only two weeks was an all too difficult endeavor. Yet seeing familiar faces let him recall such events far easier. The basis was the exact same as seeing the face of an acquaintance one had not met for a certain time and suddenly recalling all the information related to that person.
This was the exact premise behind Gilgamesh's creation as well as the others of the Fifth Holy Grail War. Only when he had created them in YGGDRASIL, he didn't expect for them to become animate.
Fortunately, the proud expression on Gilgamesh's face softened when he was nudged at the side by another individual. This man had long flowing green hair that parted on the forehead and wore a simple white gown.
Enkidu, Gilgamesh's only friend and an individual Shirou only had the chance of understanding after glimpsing the chains stored within the Gate of Babylon.
He steeled his expression as he took one last time to survey those in front of him before speaking.
"Who am I to you all?"
He had to be certain of their views, even if it meant asking them a question that caused their brows to furrow. Yet in the end, the answer was the same even for the most arrogant of individuals in the room.
"You are my Master," was the reply. After all, for everything that was said and done, it was undeniable that he had the put time and effort into making them. He was their creator and as such, their loyalty and bond level to him were already at a certain point without him having to work tirelessly for it.
Shirou immediately sighed in relief, understanding that the worst situation didn't occur. Only he knew how difficult it would have had been if those in front of him became disagreeable. If the exact game mechanics of YGGDRASIL transferred over to whatever 'this' situation was, then there was a reason why some of the NPCs currently in the room had titles like 'World Enemy.'
Gilgamesh, the Cheat Boss of Babylonia of the Flowing Sand in Jotunheim was a prime example.
Shirou had equipped Gilgamesh with his name-sake, the Gate of Babylon in which he had a copy of all available World Items in YGGDRASIL inside his vault.
All of them.
Words could not describe how overpowered that was in YGGDRASIL. To understand why however, one would first have to understand the significance of World Items. In short, they were YGGDRASIL's most powerful and legendary items capable of changing the balance of the game itself.
The fact that Gilgamesh had all of them had led many players to curse him even in their sleep. The forums alone were always filled with different players frustrations. There were numerous accounts about how Gilgamesh could crush a full hundred-man party with a mere swing of a sword. To make matters worse, when players tried to prepare for his dungeon, there was no guarantee that Gilgamesh would use the same World Item.