The Holy Grail and Me, You Can Only Choose One

"Ereshkigal, I hope to stand on the side of humanity and share in the cheers of victory with you, so that the underworld may bloom with flowers!"

Samael solemnly extended his hand to his former owner, making a sincere invitation.

However, despite experiencing the highs and lows of emotions, this seasoned, proud, and pessimistic individual has his own principles.

The goddess hesitated, her eyes flickering, and a hint of unease appeared on her upturned pretty face.

"Humans cannot defy fate, I'm worried..."

Gilgamesh, who was always decisive, was displeased and wanted to speak sarcastically.

However, when the king saw Merlin's index finger pointing to his lips, the corners of his lips curled up slightly.

Oh, you did a great job, Ju Yun has won over the entire King's crew.

When his gaze fell upon Ishtar, who was bound by Anna's chains and hidden in her sleeve under the guise of protection, his smile widened.

Shepherd Priest? Haha, that woman really got herself into trouble. It's good that you're handling it.

Enjoying a farce in your spare time is a good form of entertainment.

Yes, it needs a little more fuel to make it even more interesting.

The Heroic King raised an eyebrow, his right hand reaching deep into the Gate of Babylon to explore, while he pondered with amusement.

"Young man, you have repeatedly earned merit for Uruk, and today you personally entered the underworld to rescue the King of the Underworld. It's time to distribute the reward together."

"You will definitely need what the King gave you."

Immediately, a large golden cup with mysterious patterns engraved on its outer wall was thrown from Gilgamesh's hand to Samael, who was negotiating with the goddess.

The ancient snake's eyes bulged, and it felt the gaze of its owner behind it like thorns in its back, while the object in its hand became hot.

Now, Gilgamesh dead, the underground of Uruk is about to be hollowed out by Ereshkigal, and the Holy Grail is also within reach.

It can be said that with just one more step, this God of the Underworld will become the true winner in the Triple Goddess Alliance and carry out his own ideas.

Samael, who had painstakingly created the right atmosphere, saw that the wind was turning against him and the boat might capsize, so he cursed inwardly.

Holy crap! You're such a glutton, you really don't mind making things worse!

And that wasn't all; the Heroic King continued to add fuel to the fire.

"Alright, the Holy Grail is yours. What you do with it is none of the King's business."

"Furthermore, you are currently acting as the acting head of Uruk's government..."

"The dead have no right to interfere in the affairs of the living. What you do next is up to you."

You think so highly of me? I'm so grateful!

Samael's eyes were filled with resentment, and his teeth were grinding.

If it weren't for the need to appease Ereshkigal, he would have grabbed this pleasure-seeker by the collar and thrown him to Siduri, so that the High Priestess and Gilgamesh "talk" about their life ideals.

Ereshkigal shifted uncomfortably, her gaze fixed on the Holy Grail, her voice filled with anticipation.

"If you agree to hand over the Holy Grail of Uruk to me, your body can go into the underworld to hide for a while, and perhaps the calamity will pass."

"As long as the Age of Heaven begins, humanity may be able to survive on Earth again."

Samael gripped the Holy Grail tightly and shook his head firmly.

"Ereshkigal, you know very well that the Underworld is a forbidden place for the living. Without the protection of magic, only ghosts can enter!"

"Having abandoned their homes and extinguished the legacy of their civilization, they can only hide underground and wait for their reason to dissipate!"

"Is that kind of living still considered living?"

"Do those kinds of humans even deserve to be called humans?!"

In each increasingly escalating interrogation, Ereshkigal remained speechless, yet she still harbored her own stubbornness and fear.

This is not the future of humanity! Nor is it the answer I'm looking for you!

"The flower of civilization may take root in the dark and corrupt mud, but in the end it will proudly bloom on the ground and bask in the sunlight!"

"This is the kind of Sumer civilization that deserves the favor of the gods!"

"These are the Sumerians who deserve your protection!"

Then the ancient snake gripped Ereshkigal's fair wrist tightly, its words ringing out, constantly eroding her resolve.

"Besides, if I can't even protect the flowers on the ground."

"Then what right do you have to defy the divine order, to let the underworld bloom! To let you roam freely on earth, basking in the sunlight!"

The goddess was stunned, then lowered her head and murmured softly.

"I just... wanted to protect you in my own way..."

"Ereshkigal!"

Samael raised his voice, tilted his head back, and stared down at his former owner with sharp eyes.

"Kusa has become a dead zone, the souls of the people are imprisoned, but their hearts still beat! Their blood still flows!"

"Nippur and Babylon have both fallen. Ask those who died in the Spear Cage if they regret it!"

"Eridu and Ur are occupied by dense forest. When we arrived, the soldiers were still busy training. They had not given up the fight!"

"Even if those places have been completely swallowed up, my Uruk will still exist here!"

Looking at that impassioned figure, Ereshkigal felt a sense of shame and inferiority, as if she were a child who had done something wrong, and lowered her head.

Samael slammed his right fist into his chest, his words ringing out like the clang of metal on metal.

"Ereshkigal, don't you understand?"

"Whether it be dense forests, monsters, or death, have the Three Goddesses truly conquered us?"

"As long as the flame of Sumer civilization remains unextinguished, humanity will live on in glory!"

Immediately, a crisp tinkling sound rang out. Ereshkigal raised her head slightly, and He Tong saw the Holy Grail, filled with flower seeds, being pushed in front of her.

"Then, my goddess, I have made my choice, it's your turn!"

"You continue to cling to your divine arrogance, using the name of protection to slaughter the entire Uruk!"

"I am still willing to bow down to the humans I love, and fight alongside them under the sun until the very last moment!"

Faced with relentless questioning, Ereshkigal was thrown into disarray. She bit her cherry lips and remained silent for a long time before slowly extending her fingers and palm toward the Holy Grail.

Everyone sighed helplessly and slowly closed their eyes. Samael's heart sank to the bottom.

A moment later, the crisp clinking sound coming from inside the Holy Grail interrupted everyone's thoughts.

One by one, colorful flower seeds fell through Ereshkigal's fingers, while the Holy Grail remained standing in its place.

"Do you think the flowers that bloom in the underworld will be even more beautiful than those on earth...?"

"Yes, I promise!"

Samael looked into those eyes that held a hint of playfulness amidst the melancholy, and a smile crept onto his lips.

Giving up the Holy Grail and choosing flowers means that the owner is going all out for the beauty of this world!

After going through countless hardships, even sacrificing himself to one side of the scale, Samael finally persuaded Ereshkigal. Relieved, he collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted.

Since the battle of the Absolute Demonic Beast Front, he has been like a clockwork, never having a moment of rest.

Even with an immortal body, one cannot withstand such torment.

Therefore, seeing that the situation was settled, the Ancient Serpent waved listlessly to his teammates who were watching the show behind him, leaving the remaining tasks of making a contract with Ereshkigal and negotiating countermeasures to them.

The gentle goddess, harboring strange thoughts, blushed as she prepared to help Samael up.

Whether snake or human, all she longed for was recognition of her own soul.

The rest is not important at the moment.

Suddenly, a petite figure darted in, roughly shoving aside Ereshkigal, raising the ancient serpent's left arm, revealing the crown mark, and triumphantly shouting.

"Hmph! So what if you strike first! He's my Shepherd Priest!"

"You can only look at the things belonging to the goddess, you can't touch them!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the ease on Gilgamesh and Merlin's faces froze instantly. They immediately covered their faces and foreheads, grabbed Anna who was walking blankly forward, and hurriedly retreated to the edge.

Meanwhile, Samael, who was standing between the two goddesses, felt a chill run down her spine. Ereshkigal, with her head bowed before her, was surrounded by a terrifying, enormous shadow.

"Buzz!"

In an instant, the dark red skull containing the [Seventeen Plagues] rose from the ground, carrying a long spear of light with terrifying power, and swept across rapidly.

Ishtar, suspended in mid-air, was locked onto by the sinister power of death, her face turning deathly pale, tears welling up in her eyes.

Why did I provoke her for no reason?! Oh no! Am I going to die again?!