Thunder crashed down with overwhelming force, like spears hurled from the heavens into the earth.
There was no need for words. Gilgamesh and Enkidu knew what it was.
Neither of them was ordinary, so naturally, neither had been affected by the hangover.
But Enkidu suddenly twitched her nose, glanced at Rovi suspiciously, and asked in confusion, "It feels like something came through here?"
Rovi shifted his gaze aside, feeling inexplicably guilty.
Was that really what they should be focusing on right now?
Gilgamesh merely grinned.
"Let us go!" He rose to his feet. "Follow behind me, my friend—it is time to accomplish the great undertaking of the three of us!"
Enkidu rose without further thought.
Rovi also let out a breath and stood up.
The thunder in the distance still roared and shook without pause.
Since ancient times, no matter the region or pantheon, thunder had represented the wrath and slaughter of the gods.
And at this moment, countless humans and nonhumans beneath the sky truly felt that utterly undisguised killing intent.
The gods would show no more mercy to those who dared defy them—
A lowing bellow rang out east of Uruk. By the Euphrates River, the prison formed from the black aura of the underworld shattered with a deep hum. A golden-wreathed hoof descended from the sky, while enormous horns hung a thousand meters overhead, reflecting rippling gold and sacred radiance.
At the same time, west of Uruk, at the border of the Monster Forest, the earth trembled and roared as the chains Enkidu had left behind to seal the strongest monster snapped apart.
Black mist surged up from the ground. Massive, elongated vines burst from the earth and spiraled outward. Great trees shook violently, transforming in an instant into a dense, pitch-black Cedar Forest.
The Bull of Heaven, Gugalanna, and... the Cedar Forest, Humbaba.
By the command of the King of Gods... they manifested at the same time beneath the dim light of heaven.
They were two entirely different beings—one sacred, one terrifying—yet both cast equally colossal shadows. Towering thousands of meters high and piercing the clouds, even the slightest movement could overturn the entire earth.
And at this moment—
One from the east and one from the west—or rather, one from the left and one from the right—they advanced upon Uruk City-State at the center.
Even from a thousand miles away, their enormous forms could still be clearly seen.
"So those are... the monsters the king said the gods use to destroy the world?"
Upon the Great Wall of Uruk, armored soldiers looked up at the shadows cast across the distant sky and could not help swallowing.
Shock. Fear...
It was not only the soldiers at the borders. Even women, elders, and children within Uruk City-State began to panic.
At this moment, people understood that what they were about to face was different from the countless monsters before.
Though the monsters had been numerous, humanity's forces had been no less formidable.
But now, the approaching figures were so vast that humans, tiny as dust by comparison, could only despair.
Could ants defeat giants?
Could mosquitoes cross the sky?
The answer was obvious...
"Hahaha!" A thunderous laugh suddenly rang out beside every person's ears.
That voice came from behind the soldiers of Uruk, from the center protected by the masses, from the palace at the heart of the royal city—the highest and most distant palace in this Present Moment.
It also came from the three who had just returned.
Gilgamesh slowly ascended the steps and reached the gates of the royal palace.
Rovi and Enkidu followed closely behind.
The three stood together beneath the sky.
The three stood together within the hearts of all the people.
"My people!" Gilgamesh crossed his arms and swept his gaze across the city beneath him, from near to far. His scarlet, serpentine eyes fell upon every person.
"Are you—afraid?" The king's voice reached every ear.
In the streets of Uruk City-State, people stopped and looked up. An elderly man with white hair and beard had been trembling all over, but upon hearing that voice, he involuntarily calmed down. Women holding the hands of young children emerged from their homes, only to look toward that figure high above.
The Uruk soldiers at the borders also took deep breaths and steadied themselves.
The king's prestige was deeply rooted in every heart.
Of course, Gilgamesh, Rovi, and Enkidu all understood that this alone was not enough to truly give people the courage to confront the Bull of Heaven and Humbaba.
It merely calmed them for the moment.
Once those two strongest and most vicious beasts drew close, whatever courage they possessed now would vanish beneath the overwhelming disparity in size.
The courage of the Present Moment was only temporary...
But temporary did not mean unreal.
They had come here now precisely for this moment.
To guide this courage...
And use it to impede the advance of the Bull of Heaven and the Cedar Forest!
"Hahaha!" Gilgamesh laughed loudly again. "Are you pretending to be calm? Putting on brave faces? Do you think you can hide it from the great me, who commands all things in heaven and on earth?"
"Vermin—"
Gilgamesh took another step forward before the palace gates.
He stepped to the edge of the stairs leading down to the city's main avenue. Golden armor already covered his upper body, his shining hair swept back to reveal a sharp, handsome face.
He spread his arms, wild and overbearing. "I am the King of Kings. I am the ruler of all creation. Under my rule, all order shall be kept in perfect array. Even the most useless thing shall have its proper place."
"And now, I shall pass the highest judgment upon all things in this world—upon you!"
The king's voice fell into every ear.
The king's will spread throughout Uruk.
"Advance and fight, my subjects!"
"You may die. You may be unable to endure this catastrophe that will destroy the world."
"But I make this promise here."
"Your deeds shall be recorded by future generations. Your glory shall be sung by those who come after. Your existence shall be engraved in the annals of history."
"For this is a battle to protect your homeland—"
"I shall remain here, standing with you all!"
"This battle shall be acknowledged by the king, permitted by the king, and borne by me!"
The people were indeed afraid.
But they had long known that beneath the trampling of those colossal monsters capable of destroying the world, no one could escape.
Fear? Or courage?
In truth, neither mattered.
What mattered was... that they stood in Uruk.
Their homeland.
The one they defended was the former King of Uruk.
The one who bore, permitted, and acknowledged everything they did—their king!
"Now, raise your roar to the heavens!"
Gilgamesh swept out his hand.
In that instant, thousands of Magic Cannons along the giant walls surrounding Uruk slowly turned, under the soldiers' control, toward the vault of heaven indicated by Gilgamesh's finger.
BOOM!
Ten thousand cannons fired in unison, roaring at the sky.
Rovi stepped forward, flickering keys appearing in his eyes.
The power of the Key of Heaven manifested.
Intangible concepts emerged from opened, invisible gates and merged with the cannon fire.
At this moment,
What filled those cannons was no longer merely the magic power of the earth's veins, and what erupted was no longer merely an outpouring of energy.
It was humanity's resistance.
It was humanity's courage.
At the same time, Enkidu closed her eyes. As her Pure White Robe billowed, the power of the Lock of Heaven manifested in an instant.
Invisible chains spread outward from her, linking every person and every spark of flame.
She made those flames rise.
Then made them—
Fall from the sky.
Sweeping toward the giant beasts that would destroy the world.
The Divine Construct praised them aloud:
O children of man,
Sing to the gods!
Let the gods know that humanity's hymn is a hymn of courage!
Gilgamesh laughed loudly at the same time.
Rovi raised his eyes. Reflected in the faint light of the keys, he watched the fire of humanity descend.
He knew that at this moment, it was not only humans. The gods in the heavens were watching as well.
Their eyes had appeared again.
Amid the chaos, they no longer feared being shattered by the impact.
And by now, Rovi had long stopped placing his hopes for his own "death" on methods the gods could use across worlds.
Ordinary death would only lead him to the underworld.
With Ereshkigal there, he still could not die.
So Rovi placed his hopes on completely enraging the gods, on forcing out the last of their power.
Thus, at this moment, Rovi smiled as well. He raised a hand toward the gods in provocation—
"Got the guts? Come down here?"
The gods: "..."
Damn it, how many times had he pulled this trick already?
What the hell was wrong with him?
Before you continue