I FOUND IT
That said, it hasn't been edited or beta'd, so it's quality ain't that hot. Still, enjoy!
Gilgamesh looked at the games in his hand, a rare smile plastered on his face. It had taken far longer than expected to arrive, and not even all the threats he’d hurled over the phone had sped up the process. Once he found where the ‘Customer Support’ of the import company was, he’d burn it to the ground. No-one there would have a place in his world.
He’d waited weeks for this. And he hated waiting. The fact that the reviews for the trilogy ‘Baldur’s Gate’ had made him interested only made it worse.
But they were here now, and he felt his rage cooling. The mongrels had even promised to deliver the next item free of charge, which showed that they at least knew how to beg for mercy. Perhaps he’d only decimate them. The King’s mercy was boundless after all.
He settled down at his PC, inserting the disk. After a moment, the installation window popped up. It took only a few minutes for the game to install, and then he repeated the process with the sequel and it‘s expansion. He’d considered installing ‘mods’, but tainting the purity of the actual game with the works of lesser artisans was a concept that repulsed him. No matter how good these ’modders’ were, they could never rival the simplistic beauty of the true creators…
He switched the game on, and created his character quickly, a human fighter by the name of Gilgamesh. And then he met his first obstacle.
Randomised stats.
Obviously, only a flat 18 in all six stats could hope to match his magnificence. But this proved impossible to get, with even point total of 90 or above being a rare occurence. Nevertheless, he persisted
After the seventh hour drew to a close, he looked at his score.
STR: 18/02
DEX: 18
CON: 18
CHR: 18
INT: 15
WIS: 17
It wasn’t quite what he’d wanted, but it would have to do. Even a King sometimes had to accept that the world did not bend to his whim…
He stopped at that thought, horrified. Had the game done through attrition what even the tainted grail could not!? Had it weakened his kingly pride!? That would not be allowed!
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Forty two hours later, Gilgamesh leaned back, a satisfied smile on his face.
STR: 18/01
DEX:18
CON: 18
CHR:18
INT:18
WIS:18
Yes, he decided. The magnificence of the King knew no bounds.
Finally satisfied, he started his game. And stared. The graphics were… not quite as he’d hoped.
A quick search on Google offered the solution. A mod that allowed the game to run on the same engine as it’s sequel.
He was still torn at the idea of using a mod, but after a moment, he decided that his enjoyment was more important than the work of an artist. After all, all things only existed to amuse him anyway. Why shouldn’t he do with them as he pleased?
T
hat done, he examined the new graphics and nodded in satisfaction. Yes, it had truly been a wise decision on his part. He laughed. Of course it had been a wise decision! When did he not make a wise decision?
“Onii-san, you’re laughing to yourself again.” Shirou complained from the couch, where’d he’d been reading a book.
“Shut up, brat.” He replied absentmindedly, not deigning to spend any more attention on his ‘little brother’ than need be. Then he paused. Even if his so called sibling was a mere brat, shouldn’t he take this opportunity to teach him the joys of video gaming? Apart from a few games with that Tohsaka brat-girl, he’d shown a deplorable lack of interest in gaming. And Baldur’s Gate was multiplayer…
“You. Here.” He picked the boy up and dropped him next to the other PC, his backup. “Install these, then these mods, then make a character. I don’t care what.”
“What?” Shirou asked, giving him a dumbfounded look. “But I’m reading-”
“No.” Gilgamesh said firmly. “You’re not.”
He took a break, reclining in his chair regally. After an hour, Shirou sighed. “Alright, Nii-san, how’s this?”
The King of Heroes glanced over at the screen, and froze.
Name: Shirou
Class: Mage
STR: 18/01
CON: 18
DEX: 18
CHR:18
INT: 18
INT: 18
“Brat,” He said slowly, “Is this you first try for your stats?”
Shirou nodded.
“YOU BAAAAAAASTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD!”
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Five hours later, Gilgamesh looked at his character with satisfaction. As expected, even at this low level, his character was completely outperforming his brothers Mage, despite that… fluke.
He gave his brother a smug smile. That would show the brat who was truly responsible for their successes in their journey.
“Hey, Nii-san,” Shirou said. “I’ve just memorised a Sleep spell. Should I try it on those Gnolls over there?”
“Why not?” Gilgamesh responded, his superior air still strong. “I’m sure it won’t do much, but you might as well try. I’m enough for them anyway-”
“They’re all asleep, Nii-san.” Shirou said calmly, interrupting his monologue. The Servant did a double take, The entire horde had in fact been downed by a single spell. They didn’t even awaken when his character pounded them to death with a sword.
“Well, maybe you’ve some use.” he admitted grudgingly. Beating up an enemy that had no possible way to resist was strangely refreshing. It was like he was actually in the game.
---------------------------------
Ten hours after that, Shirou gave a yawn.
“Nii-san, I’m really tired…”
“No, you’re not.” Gilgamesh said, not even taking his eyes from the keyboard.
“But-”
“Brat, we haven’t even reached the Bandit Camp yet.” He snapped, fixing the boy with a glare. “Sit. Down.”
Shirou sat.
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Now 20 hours into their session, things were beginning to deteriorate. Shirou’s spell casting was getting sloppy, his area spells clipping Gilgamesh more than once. They hadn’t had to reload yet, but it had come dangerously close too many times. Eventually, he gave in.
“Fine, brat. Go have a coffee or something.” He said angrily, yet with a trace of pride. To allow his brother to take a break, even when he wanted to play a game; truly he was the greatest brother in all existence.
“You mean I don’t get to sleep?” Shirou asked, blinking his eyes wearily.
Gilgamesh snorted. “Of course not!”
“But I’ve got school tomorrow…”
“Don’t care!”
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Gilgamesh gave a nod of satisfaction. It had taken more than forty hours, but they’d completed Baldur’s Gate and the Tales of the Sword Coast expansion.. And frankly, he was satisfied. He’d discovered that his character was a Demi-god (which just showed that this game had been completely designed for him) and he’d acquired a truly formidable collection of magical items. The game engine meant he couldn’t use them all at once, but he had them, which was what mattered. And they hadn’t died even once. There’d be close shaves, but flawless teamwork had seen them through.
And just in time too. By the looks of things, the brat was about to collapse. Even so, he’d gotten into it admirably, seeming genuinely pleased by his growing magic power, and the artefacts he’d picked up over the course of the journey. Towards the end, his Mage had actually vied with Gilgamesh’s warrior for the title of most useful party member.
“Tell you what, brat,” He began. “We’ll just start the second game, then save. After that, you can pack it in.”
He still wanted to play of course, but he’d been impressed by his brothers growth and determination over the game. As a magnanimous gesture, he would allow him a night’s rest. And after a mere forty hours near constant gameplay.
He nodded sagely. Yes, he truly was the King of Brothers…
Now to import their characters and load the game…
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A few minutes later…
“WE GOT KIDNAPPED IN A CUTSCENE!? THEY TOOK ALL OUR BLOODY EQUIPMENT!? MONGRELS! MONGRELLING MONGRELS! WOMAN AND CHILDREN MONGRELS! PUPPIES AND BITCHES!” Gilgamesh howled. He whirled on his brother. “Brat, we have to destroy this ‘Irenicus’! For daring to steal our-”
He paused. Shirou was hunched over, almost like he was sleeping. Giglamesh opened his mouth to awaken his brother, when Shirou spoke.
“They took it…” He whispered, and Gilgamesh paused. “They took my Robe of the Neutral Archmage…”
He shot up, and for a moment Gilgamesh swore that he was taller, with a vast black shadow in his wake. Shirou spun, facing his brother. His eyes were bloodshot, but fierce and cold. “LET’S HUNT THOSE FUCKING MONGRELS DOWN!!” He roared.
Gilgamesh nearly produced a single tear out of pride.
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Goki Hina took in a deep breath of fresh air as she approached the Church. She’s been a full-fledged teacher for only a short time and frankly, she was nervous. This was her first home visit.
Still, she decided, it was necessary. Shirou had been absent for five days, with no explanation given. As a teacher, it was her duty to investigate such a thing. Resolve steeled, she approached the foreboding building.
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“She’s a tough one.” Gilgamesh admitted, watching his dropping health bar in worry. The final boss of Baldur’s Gate: Throne of Bhaal, the demigoddess Amelissan, was proving the most dangerous foe yet. “You might have to finish her off without me.”
The admission would have grated little more than a few days ago. It was the admission of weakness in one who had none, an impossible event and certainly one that none should know of. But his brother had surpassed all expectations. He had shown the spark of a true gamer, that avid power gaming that showed one who bent the rules to his will, and not the opposite. He could be given a measure of respect.
“Don’t say such a stupid thing, Nii-sa- No, Aniki!” Shirou growled, We’ve come this far. We’ll break this enemy, just like we have all the others! Our's are Bag's of Holding that will pierce the heavens!”
Gilgamesh gave a cocky smirk. And now he was being given a speech by the brat. Best not to let his younger sibling get too cocky. “Hmph. I know that, obviously.”
As if reacting to his newfound spirit, his fighter landed a critical hit, the immensely powerful blade carving though the divine flesh of Amelissan. She recoiled in pain, and was driven only further back by a spell of Horrid Wilting catching her head on, stripping away much of her health. Almost simultaneously, a second spell struck, just as the blade reversed it movement, cutting through her throat.
She perished. Their movement stopped, shock written across their faces.
They had come far. They had fought foes beyond imagining. They had battled monsters and demons, abominations and assassins. They had struck down Jon Irenicus, perhaps the greatest mage of the Elven people, and certainly the most vile. They had slain their darker brethren and fought their way to the Throne of Bhaal itself. And there, they had done the impossible. They had defeated a nascent goddess, right on the prink of her birth.
And they hadn’t slept in more than a hundred hours.
“We BLOODY DID IT!” Shirou howled, running around the room in a feverish excitement. His eyes were bloodshot, and his face frenzied.
Gilgamesh just gave him another smirk. “Of course we did, brat. How could any game stand before the majesty of the King, and…” He paused, reluctant pride forcing itself to the surface. “his brothe-”
There was a smash, and Gilgamesh paused.
Ah.
It appeared that Shirou had jumped through the window.
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Hina screamed as a figure leapt out the window to her right. It took only a moment for recognition to sink in. She blinked. Her student was wearing some rather dishevelled clothing, and screaming something about how the ‘Pretender Goddess had fallen‘, and that ‘The world was next’.
She shook her head. The boy was plainly delirious. As a teacher, it was her duty to help such an unbalanced child. She took off after him.
He was surprisingly fast though, and she only caught up with him next to a large tree, more than a hundred years from the church.
“Shirou! It’s me, Hina-” She froze. A sword had embedded itself in the tree trunk in front of her, a sight repeated as dozens of weapons launched themselves into the surrounding terrain. A chain swept by her, grabbing Shirou and yanking him back past her. She turned to keep him in sight. Or tried to.
Unfortunately, yet another blade struck the tree at that point, and the already battered wood simply gave up as yet another wave of prana swept through it.
The explosion levelled everything within twenty feet.
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Kotomine stared down at the unconscious form of the girl. As much as seing another human being in suffering brightened his day, the fuss this would cause would take some time to sort out. He’d have to find someway to convince the woman that the tree had been detonated by a lightning strike. And that Shirou had actually been ill for a whole week. He gave a mournful sigh. And he couldn’t even directly lie about it either. That would be beneath his dignity as a man of the cloth. Still, perhaps in the process of doing so he could convince her that her parents never loved her, or some such thing. That would make the whole process less tedious. Still, it was annoying.
“Can I not leave you two for even a few days without something going horrible wrong?” He asked, turning to face his two ‘son’s’.
No answer came. Mainly because Gilgamesh wouldn’t deign to answer him, and Shirou was… well, he was fast asleep.
“Bloody dragons… Can’t do shit against my +5 Staff of Ass-kicking….” The boy murmured, deep in sleep.
Gilgamesh gave a small smile, and patted him on the head. “I’m so proud of him…”
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Originally Posted by Hymn of Ragnarok
