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In the following days, Shirou meticulously combed through Fuyuki City and the Emiya household once again, but his efforts yielded no results.

He also discovered from Scathach that this information had been relayed to her by Merlin. Interestingly, ever since Shirou's return over a year ago, Merlin had never directly contacted him. Any communication or messages were always delivered through Scathach. While Shirou found this a little strange, he decided not to dwell on it too much.

But in order to address this matter, Shirou realized he needed to reach out to Merlin and ultimately contact Zelretch.

Reading between the lines had always been one of Shirou's skills, and he had developed a proactive approach to dealing with potential crises.

Rather than passively awaiting the arrival of a crisis, he preferred to take the initiative and nip it in the bud.

However, since this issue involved parallel worlds, he lacked the ability to directly interfere with them. So, he sought to contact Zelretch, who possessed extensive knowledge in this field.

Just because Merlin hadn't reached out to him didn't mean that Shirou had no means of contacting him.

The simplest method to get in touch with Merlin was to use "Clairvoyance EX."

Clairvoyance EX" was a must-have qualification to become a Grand Caster. What made it even more fascinating was that those who possessed this ability could sense each other's presence across different dimensions and times.

Take Shirou, for example. Once he activated his "Clairvoyance EX" and focused his attention, he found himself inexplicably connected to the perspectives of three other individuals. One was chilling in the ancient city of Uruk in Mesopotamia, another was dwelling in the ancient Kingdom of Israel, and the last one was tucked away in a secluded tower, far removed from the rest of the world.

Shirou could hear their conversations and witness their actions as if he were right there with them.

Right now, for instance, he caught a glimpse of a foul-mouthed, wise king munching on an apple and peering at some kind of tablet in Uruk. It seemed like he noticed Shirou watching him and even let out a chuckle.

And this was what they called the "Clairvoyance Chat Group."

But Shirou had an advantage over Merlin and the others - his "Clairvoyance EX" skill could be turned on and off at will. This meant that he had the freedom to enter and exit the Clairvoyance Chat Group whenever he pleased.

However, unless he had some free time on holidays, Shirou didn't usually participate in the Clairvoyance Chat Group. Every time he logged in, he would encounter people who seemed to enjoy picking fights with him and throwing insults his way.

Just like now—

"Oh? Didn't you go educate your subordinates today, you mongrel?" sneered Gilgamesh, the king of distant Uruk in the past. The people seated beside him, his subordinates, were no longer surprised; they knew that their king was talking to someone.

"Go do your chores, you shameful bastard!" Shirou shot back.

Just as Shirou could sense Merlin and the other two, these three individuals could also sense and observe him.

However, to those on the outside, this kind of observation and conversation across different dimensions and time would appear as if they were talking to thin air, making them seem completely insane.

Luckily, whether it was Gilgamesh's loyal subordinates, Scathach watching him, or those who had some awareness of "Clairvoyance EX" skill, they all remained unfazed.

"How audacious! Such disrespect towards a king is enough to warrant a thousand deaths, Eternal King!" Gilgamesh snorted, a smirk playing on his lips.

Shirou's expression turned disdainful as he replied, "Hmph. You may be defiant now, but I hope you won't come begging to me when the time comes, King of Heroes."

He rarely joined the Clairvoyance Chat Group in his daily life because every time he logged in, he would inevitably get caught up in a war of words with Gilgamesh, who seemed to have an endless supply of insults. But on weekends or holidays, Shirou found some peace by getting lost in deep sleep, where his dreams were filled with nothing but verbal sparring sessions with Gilgamesh.

During these exchanges, even the famously foul-mouthed king had to momentarily set aside other matters to focus on their banter. As Gilgamesh grew older, he became more rational and mature, while Shirou, not exactly a professional "insulter," usually kept his exchanges light-hearted. Only when they both had ample time on their hands would they engage in a day-long verbal sparring match.

In simple terms, they can be considered "roasting buddies."

When it came to the other two individuals, King Solomon remained unresponsive, appearing almost like an empty vessel devoid of human consciousness whenever Shirou observed him. Despite informing Solomon about the incineration of humanity, he received no response from him.

As for Merlin, based on Gilgamesh's account, he used to have frequent interactions with him before Shirou joined the group. However, as soon as Shirou entered the scene, Merlin fell into silence, refraining from participating in the conversations.

"Hmph. King of Heroes, I have more pressing matters to attend to. I'll entertain your nonsense another time."

"Dare to utter those words to me, you filthy mongrel? It's a crime in itself!"

Shirou chuckled, brushing off Gilgamesh's remarks, and instead reached out to Merlin.

Merlin, trapped within his stone tower, displayed a look of helplessness.

"Merlin, I need your help in contacting Zelretch."

"I understand, my king," Merlin replied. "Once I establish the connection, I'll have Scathach relay the message to you."

Shirou nodded in acknowledgment.

"Hey! Eternal King!" Suddenly, Gilgamesh interjected.

"What is it, King of Heroes?" Shirou responded.

He refused to stoop down to Gilgamesh's level.

As the Eternal King, he stood tall, bringing an end to the Age of Gods and ushering in the next era. He didn't bow before any other king.

In truth, Shirou found the Clairvoyance Chat Group rather fascinating.

Gilgamesh represented the king who bid farewell to the Age of Gods. Solomon represented the king who hastened its demise. And the Eternal King represented the one who definitively brought the Age of Gods to a close. As for Merlin, he was the magus who aided in the termination of the Age of Gods.

Based on this, it could be said that those who currently possessed "Clairvoyance EX" were all connected to the demise of the Age of Gods.

It was precisely because of this shared connection to the the Age of Gods that Gilgamesh regarded Shirou as an equal, and their interactions lacked the typical air of dominance. Perhaps this was also attributed to the transformation that Gilgamesh had undergone, having returned from the underworld and attained enlightenment regarding the philosophy of life. The once arrogant and unrestrained youth had matured into a wise king.

In his wise king state, Gilgamesh had witnessed the events of the Fourth Holy Grail War and even observed the actions of the young Shirou, who had become a Servant after his death.

However, Gilgamesh remained oblivious to the fact that his roasting buddy, the Eternal King, was none other than the very same young Shirou who had tormented him.

This lack of realization might be connected to what Merlin had mentioned – Shirou's black mud served as a shield, preventing him from being seen through by "Clairvoyance EX" or similar skills.

"So, you're currently in the Shadow Land, the future where the Holy Grail War has taken place, am I correct?" Gilgamesh asked.

"To be precise, it's the year 2003."

"I need your help in locating someone. It's Caster, who took part in the Holy Grail War. Normally, deceased person cannot interfere with reality, and since you're also deceased, you might be of some use in this matter," Gilgamesh explained.

Shirou chose not to reveal that he was, in fact, the very Caster Gilgamesh was looking for. Instead, he asked, "What message do you want me to deliver?"

"I was searching for... a tablet. But I seem to have forgotten about it for now. We'll discuss it another time," Gilgamesh replied casually.

Shirou couldn't help but sneer, "As forgetful as ever. You really do have a knack for embarrassing yourself, Gilgamesh."

"That was from the time when I had just returned from the underworld. It's too distant for me to be bothered by such trivial matters, you mongrel."

After a brief pause, Gilgamesh continued with a mocking tone, "Do you believe everyone should be as meticulous as you, handling every little thing yourself?"

Shirou sarcastically retorted, "You know nothing! If you had even the slightest inkling of organization, you wouldn't struggle to find things! I keep my belongings in impeccable order, and I have never encountered such a situation. You truly are disgraceful, you mongrel!"

Growing increasingly annoyed, Gilgamesh retorted, "I was discussing matters of the afterlife with you, and you choose to bring up this nonsense?"

"Hmph," Shirou scoffed. "You're just trying to deflect the issue when it comes to organization, aren't you? This conversation is pointless to me, you mongrel!"

After engaging in a back-and-forth exchange of insults with Gilgamesh for a while, Shirou felt satisfied and decided it was time to log out.

However, in that moment, Solomon unexpectedly spoke up.

"Eternal King..."

"Oh? How strange, the mongrel can actually speak," Gilgamesh jeered.

"What is it, King Solomon?" Shirou replied.

"I would like to meet you face to face," Solomon stated.

Shirou smiled and replied, "Perhaps another time, when the opportunity presents itself."

With that, he closed "Clairvoyance EX" and left the Clairvoyance Chat Group.