Nineteen: Nine Deaths, No Regrets

For this moment, this scene, Rovi had rehearsed it countless times in his heart.

Saying that was somewhat unkind.

But in the days since encountering Enkidu, Rovi had actually been anticipating this very moment all along.

As a transmigrator, he also knew that this scene was bound to appear.

Because Heaven's Chain and Heaven's Lock were destined to meet.

And as for himself—

He had long been prepared to intervene in their battle.

Rovi tugged at the iron chains extending from the Treasury of Babylon, swinging and moving swiftly through the forest just as before, but faster, more agile, his entire form darting among the trees like a lightning bolt folding and leaping.

The battle between Gilgamesh and Enkidu had already begun.

The closer he got, the more naturally Rovi could feel the immense power radiating from the King of Heroes and the human-shaped Divine Construct.

The ground trembled, dust flew, and from afar, the world seemed submerged in a tapestry of interwoven gold and green.

Rovi inhaled, then exhaled.

"Hahaha... though you are a mongrel, to actually possess power capable of contending with the great king is rare indeed!" came the unrestrained laughter of the King of Uruk from ahead. "But you have committed a transgression that even my star-sea-like magnanimity cannot forgive, you man-made weapon!"

"Here and now, meet your end!"

The king in golden armor stood high upon the Vimana, looking down with those crimson eyes upon the 'maiden' with fluttering green hair below.

Behind the king, golden ripples spread layer upon layer.

The gates of the king's treasury had opened by the hundreds, densely packed blades emerging from within, like an inverted steel forest suspended in the air, pointing from afar at Enkidu, who manipulated the earth and soil into countless weapons.

Both exchanged fire with blades at range—

In a sense, Gilgamesh and Enkidu's fighting styles were extremely similar, and their strength was evenly matched.

So the King of Heroes did not stint on his praise.

His crimson eyes carried a hint of appreciation.

Though angered that his vassal had been 'killed,' after truly crossing blows with this green-haired maiden-like messenger of the gods, Gilgamesh understood her essence—merely a weapon forged by the gods.

A weapon does not kill.

The one who wields the weapon does.

Thus, the king's hatred had been aimed at the gods from the very start.

But that did not mean he would let this clay puppet off.

Only by shattering her here could he make his will clear to the gods—his dignity as the King of Uruk, never to be violated.

Yes, at this moment...

The gods themselves were watching this battle.

The clash of Heaven's Chain and Heaven's Lock.

As the forgers of Heaven's Lock, they naturally cared whether it could fulfill its duty to correct Heaven's Chain.

Rovi halted his steps atop a shrub and looked up.

Above the firmament, light blazed brilliantly.

Pairs of divine eyes manifested in the high sky.

Relying on the perception gained from touching the Root as a priest, Rovi could clearly see the shadows of the gods.

This truly was a grand performance.

But if it were interrupted... what would happen?

Rovi felt a hint of anticipation.

"You are powerful as well... but until I see my friend, I will not fall here." Amid the lush cover of the forest, Enkidu replied thus, her emerald-like eyes beneath her green hair shining with resolve.

She bent slightly, pressing her slender, pale hand against the ground.

The earth and sand rose up.

The clay doll personally created by the Creation Goddess Aruru possessed, like her Mother Goddess, a powerful creative force.

She could turn ordinary soil into divine weapons.

No less than the blades in Gilgamesh's treasury.

And truly inexhaustible—as long as she stood upon the earth, the energy sustaining her battle would never run dry.

Of course, neither Gilgamesh nor Enkidu had yet reached the peak state Rovi remembered.

Gilgamesh's Treasury of Babylon was only half-complete; he had not yet obtained his own world-splitting divine artifact.

Enkidu had yet to fully display the power of her chains as 'Heaven's Lock.'

But whether it was he or she, the might they manifested here was already no less than that of gods.

Now, this was the strongest, decisive blow.

The lush forest on the ground

contended with the hanging steel jungle in the sky.

Viewed from afar, the upper and lower fangs gradually closed in, biting together, like the slowly shutting jaws of a colossal beast, about to devour the entire world within them.

Gilgamesh stood solemn, arms crossed, atop the Star Vessel.

Enkidu's plain white robe billowed, her delicate and lovely face pressed into a tight-lipped expression.

Who would win? Who would lose?

They did not know.

The observing gods were even less certain of the superiority between Heaven's Chain and Heaven's Lock.

It was at this very moment that Rovi, on the edge, finally moved.

He slowly gripped the iron chains hanging from the open Gate of Babylon above his head, pulling himself toward the heart of the clash, the node where the fangs were closing!

"You two, stop!"

The emotion brewed in an instant burst forth as Rovi roared, panic flashing across his handsome, youthful face.

"Rovi?" Enkidu looked up, stunned at the sight of Rovi suddenly charging into the center.

"This guy isn't dead?"

Gilgamesh, seeing this, was also taken aback for a moment.

First came a flicker of joy.

Then his expression abruptly turned even more severe and serious.

Rovi's appearance indeed confirmed that he had not died before.

But that was then.

Now, both Enkidu and Gilgamesh had poured all their strength into their confrontation.

Exerting force was easy.

But pulling it back was often extremely difficult, so difficult it was nearly impossible.

After all, a fist thrown might be withdrawn, but how could an arrow already loosed be taken back?

The power of Heaven's Chain and Heaven's Lock far surpassed that of an arrow!

"Fool, get out of the way!" Gilgamesh barked in anger, his scarlet pupils contracting as serpentine shadows swelled and leaped.

"Rovi, dodge!" Enkidu also shouted.

They strained to rein in the power they had unleashed.

But clearly, it was a drop in the bucket.

The 'bite' continued, the howling gale like a torrent of a beast devouring the world.

'Is that the 'Heaven's Key' acknowledged by us gods?'

'Why is he so impulsive?'

'A rare... pawn...'

'Pity, he's still weak and can't withstand such an impact... It seems we can only discard him here?'

'Can we try using his death to awaken Heaven's Wedge?'

The gods' exchanges drifted into Rovi's ears on the wind.

The deities likely didn't know he could hear them, so their words were unguarded in their intent.

Cold, with a lofty malice.

But Rovi didn't care about them now.

Settling scores after the autumn harvest—

there would be plenty of opportunities later.

For the Present Moment, he simply hung in the air, facing the pressure from above and below, his expression stern, as if he were ready to die a martyr's death to stop those dear to him from slaughtering each other.

Rovi spread his arms.

As if embracing heaven and earth—

In the unnoticed glow of the light, he revealed a carefree smile.

It's coming, it's close!

Death is near!

Rovi believed that in later ages, someone would surely record this.

Record that there was once a man who faced the momentum that swallowed thousands of mountains and seas... though he faced death nine times, he still had no regrets.

If you can't find the book by its title, try searching by the author—maybe it just changed names!