Mother and Child

"Honey, come home soon!"

The two stood in front of the door and watched Rovey walk away.

——

——

"Although we're supposed to be searching, when I think about it carefully... it seems like we're completely clueless?"

Having understood his mission, he left the house with a dashing air, leaving only a handsome silhouette for the two of them, before setting off to find Kingu's Rovey, who was currently wandering aimlessly in the wasteland.

Because Kingu was using Enkidu's body, as a child of the earth, her aura was almost integrated into the earth, making it impossible to find any trace of him. In the end, all that could be done was for Rovey to wander aimlessly in the places where Kingu often appeared.

However, after searching for a long time without any results, he began to think about what he should do now.

"Oh, right, Tiamat left behind a scale amulet in a wooden box. It has a very strong Tiamat aura on it. If we use that to fish, Kingu will definitely come looking for us..."

After a frantic search, Rovey suddenly remembered the scale amulet that Tiamat had left him.

Although he didn't know what the skincare effect of the scale was, given its strong Tiamat scent, Jingu, whose nose was more sensitive than a dog's and who couldn't resist the Kingu of Tiamat, would definitely rush over immediately. So he prepared to try and lure Kingu out with this, but just as he was about to take it out, he was interrupted by a very familiar voice behind him.

"That thing was indeed left to you by your mother, but it wasn't for you to use to find me. That amulet has a more important purpose."

Behind them, a neutral voice, neither clearly male nor female, came from behind.

"Kingu..."

Following the sound, Rovey turned around to look.

The figure that appeared behind him was a familiar face with long green hair, and Rovey, who had met her before, immediately recognized her.

"What a pathetic sight you are, human—the way you're forcing yourself to endure the pain now makes you look like a wild dog chasing after the stars. It's quite laughable, but I have to admit, your old foolishness suited you much better than how you are now."

Upon their first meeting, the other party made no attempt to hide Kingu displeasure with Rovey. Her disdain and sarcastic tone were evident on her face. Aside from not directly swinging the chains at Rovey, she acted exactly the same as when they first met.

However, this time, Rovey did not argue or fight with Kingu, and he was too lazy to even refute her. Especially when he heard her mention Tiamat, he took a step and covered several meters to stand in front of Kingu, and then reached out and grabbed Kingu's wrist.

"What... what are you doing!?"

Kingu had not expected Rovey to do this. She tried to pull her hand back, but it wouldn't budge. So she looked at him with growing disgust as hundreds of weapons made of mud at her feet locked onto Rovey's body.

"If you want to fight or are looking for a beating, you're welcome to join me anytime. Even if you just want to vent your anger, that's fine too."

Seeing himself surrounded by hundreds of earthen weapons, Rovey did not immediately dodge. He still held Kingu's wrist and continued to ask, "In short, tell me quickly where Tiamat went?"

"If you like self-torture, go find Ereshkigal in the Underworld. I don't have that fetish, anyway..."

Upon hearing this question, Kingu disgustedly disarmed himself and then withdrew his hand from his palm.

Just like Rovey in front of her, Kingu wasn't in a good mood either. That's why she immediately expressed her displeasure and sarcasm upon seeing Rovey. Although she sometimes acted this way when she was in a good mood, however—

"——"

Looking at Rovey behind her, Kingu recalled her mother's instructions. She adjusted her expression, forcibly calmed herself down, and then spoke.

"Anyway, if you really want to know the truth, then you'd better come with me."

"Although I'm very unhappy that I have to rely on someone like you, I have no room for further complaints now."

After saying that, Kingu turned around and walked into the depths of the forest without looking back.

Rovey: "..."

Watching her departing figure, Rovey frowned slightly. Although Rovey didn't know what had happened, at this moment, Kingu, as the head of Tiamat's offspring, was the only clue he had that could connect him to Tiamat. He was sure he could get some useful clues from her, so he quickly followed after her.

Similarly, although Kingu was walking in front, almost instinctively disliked Rovey following behind her, she also clearly understood that this guy was closer to her mother than she was, and he also possessed miracles that she could not replicate. These were qualities that she currently lacked. If she really had to answer who else in this Singularity could help her save her mother, then the only person she could think of was the guy in front of her.

Disgusting guy...

The Root of the trouble was that his mother went to such lengths because of him.

However, the person who should be unforgivable and torn to pieces is precisely the one his mother protected, and also his mother's last hope.

That damn guy—

Kingu silently turned around and glanced at Rovey, who was following behind him, and his feelings gradually became more complicated.

They walked in silence, with Kingu quietly leading the way and Rovey following quietly as well.

Finally, after the two entered the forest and arrived at a place that Kingu considered relatively secluded, Kingu slowly stopped moving forward.

"This will do."

"Tiamat, is she here?"

Seeing Kingu stop, Rovey immediately asked, "Is she... still in this world?"

Despite the slim chances, Rovey still held onto a sliver of hope.

"... Did you receive the things your mother left you?"

However, Kingu did not answer his question directly. Instead, he first asked Rovey if he had received the things Tiamat had left for him.

"Blackened bread, and an amulet?"

"Well, at least you didn't lose it."

Hearing Rovey's answer, Kingu nodded and then said, "I still don't understand why Mother valued you so much, to the point that it was as much as my love for her. She even wanted to leave you an heir for me to raise. However, my brothers and sisters stopped her because of the turmoil caused by another side of Mother."

She was referring to Tiamat's attempt to force herself on Tiamat that night, but was stopped by the Eleven Children's beast tide, since Kingu was also one of the Eleven Children.

"Give me a piece of bread made by my mother."

After making a remark, Kingu suddenly reached out to Rovey and said, "You couldn't possibly have eaten it all, could you?"

"Um."

Rovey nodded, then handed the charcoal-flavored black bread to Kingu, who unceremoniously stuffed it into his mouth with a "crunch!" sound.

"Hmm, as expected of Mother's food, it tastes just like the stones in the forest, it's really delicious."

Kingu offered his praise.

Rovey: "..."

He didn't know how to comment on this.

And should I tell her that she shouldn't use such words to describe how delicious the cake is?

Seeing her genuine expression, Rovey seemed to understand who Tiamat had tasted for her cooking. It was all because of this tasteless person that her cooking skills had gone so astray. It was only natural for Kingu, in his current clay doll-like body, to eat stones.

"In short, besides the bread, the most important thing is that amulet. That amulet is not just a simple souvenir. It was specially left for you by your mother. It contains her last bit of power, and it is also a weapon."

"...arms?"

"That's right, a genuine divine artifact, and one made by Mother herself. That amulet was created using the heart-protecting scales of Mother's dragon body and her magic, possessing her highest authority. In other words, because that stone contains the power to counter Mother's Nega-Genesis, it also possesses the ability to seal Mother again, or even kill her. It's her trump card left for you,"

"...?!"

"Why are you giving me this? Are you implying that she was already prepared to be sealed away again, or even to die?"

"That's right, Mother... she's not coming back."

Kingu slowly turned his head, his purple eyes calmly looking at Rovey in front of him.

"They're not coming back?"

"Ah, it depends on how you interpret it. If it's Tiamat herself, then Mother is still lurking in the Imaginary Space, preparing to return to the earth and cleanse everything with her rage. The previous Eleven Children, including one of my imposters, were the embodiment of her anger. But if you're referring to the mother who clung to you, loved you, and spent sweet times with you, then she has completely fallen into slumber. As a constraint of the [Beast], she has been suppressed by her beastly side."

This time, Kingu's tone was unusually cold, completely devoid of her usual joking demeanor. She had already told Rovey the truth, as her mother had entrusted to her.

Tiamat intended to use this to make Rovey give up on the idea of redeeming her and kill her with his own hands.

"..."

Upon hearing this, Rovey clenched his fists and remained silent, a reaction that surprised Kingu somewhat.

She thought that given human nature, Rovey would also lose control of his emotions after hearing this news, but she didn't expect him to be able to remain calm.

"It seems you're not so stupid after all. You didn't consider this before, but now you understand and realize what your mother's appearance means. That's right—the reason your mother revealed her self-sealed side, her reason and love, was her final farewell!!"

"The reason she appeared outside wasn't to see the scenery or enjoy the world, but because she used her last bit of will and strength to deliver the key to victory for you guys! She wanted you to personally put an end to her story! So—why are you here?! Why did you contact Mother?! Are you satisfied with this ending?! You stranger!!"

"Because of you, everything is ruined now!!"

At this point, Kingu suddenly turned around, and his chain-bound fist slammed into Rovey, falling in mid-air and creating a lot of sparks.

Clang!

As the golden chains collided with the red palms, a dazzling spark illuminated their eyes. They were both gazing intently at each other, their different colored eyes reflecting their distinct emotions.

Have you made enough of a scene?

After blocking Kingu attack, Rovey also asked in a suppressed tone.

"—What do you think?!"

As if to reflect his state of mind, the light in Kingu's hand became even more dazzling the moment he finished speaking.

Chapter 267 Mother and Child

In a forest not far from Uruk.

"You damned human! It's all because of your interference that things have turned out this way—you're poison to Mother!"

A blinding golden light mingled with a blue halo, and Jingu, his hands wrapped in golden chains and his body radiating terrifying Kingu power, roared angrily at Rovey in front of him.

Whoosh!

Accompanied by a golden arc of light, an attack imbued with powerful magic swiftly struck him.

"..."

Rovey did not answer, but calmly summoned his crimson right hand to catch the attack launched by Kingu, and then quietly met her eyes.

As the red and gold lights collided, the sparks that erupted briefly illuminated their faces.

——

Kingu vaguely remembered that it must have happened not long ago, during the day.

Because of her mother's request, she stayed in the city called Uruk. However, in order to avoid the woman who always called her Enkidu and whose name was Siduri, she continued to walk away from the crowds and observed the world from above in her own way, as well as this human city that had once rejected her mother but was now admired and loved by her mother.

I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand...

"How foolish..."

Standing on a street corner, quietly watching the Uruk citizens who, despite not knowing what they were about to face or being destroyed, could still chat and laugh on the street, Kingu uttered this sentiment.

Seeing these people who were about to die but could still laugh, she felt a sense of contempt for their ignorance. She believed that the reason they could still laugh was because they were completely unaware of their current situation, and it was their ignorance and stupidity that allowed them to laugh.

Similarly, she didn't understand it either.

How could a city that lacks a sense of crisis and can't even see its own future withstand the Demonic Beast attack it launched earlier?

Because of Enkidu's influence, she had never wanted to get close to Uruk before. So she always thought that Uruk was an extremely strict, well-organized, and dangerous city where everyone was a soldier. She never expected that what she saw with her own eyes would be like this. The whole city was exactly the same as the outline in Enkidu's memory. It still exuded humanity, just like always...

"How foolish."

With a sigh, Kingu prepared to leave.

"Aaa~"

Just as she passed a corner, a familiar voice suddenly came to her ear, followed by a soft touch on her back and a pair of white hands gently covering her eyes.

"Aaaaa~"

Tiamat imitated how Merry teased Rovey and asked Kingu to guess who she was.

However, there was no need to detect her presence; the answer was revealed the moment she opened her mouth.

Similarly, Kingu didn't understand this kind of game that belonged to humans. If it were Rovey, he might have pretended to think and teased Tiamat, but she would have easily given the correct answer.

"Mother, why are you here today?"

Kingu asked, somewhat surprised.

After all, Tiamat usually spends all her time with those annoying humans and that guy's women and almost never Independent Action. So, the fact that she walked into this corner by herself today and even greeted him made Kingu feel surprised.

"Aaaaaa..."

Tiamat thought for a moment, then pointed to the basket in her hand, which contained the groceries she had just received from the vendors, just like the other women in Uruk. She then made a chopping motion, pointed in the direction of the bakery, and told Kingu she was going to cook for the children.

Unfortunately, besides the bakery, there was also a temple in Uruk in that direction, and Gilgamesh happened to be there. Coupled with her chopping vegetables just now, Kingu suddenly clapped his hands and then realized what was going on.