Chapter Summaries

After Uruk's soldiers returned from war, Gilgamesh ordered Kaderki to lead hunters against the growing Demonic Beast threat in the Cedar Forest. Annanu and Enkidu offered to help, but Gilgamesh refused, then asked Siduri about their recent activities and her brother Ruslan.

• Kaderki warned Gilgamesh that Demonic Beasts in the Cedar Forest had grown more numerous and powerful.
• Gilgamesh gave Kaderki a longbow and ordered him to form a hunter squad to clear the forest.
• Annanu and Enkidu offered to investigate the Cedar Forest, but Gilgamesh told them to remain in Uruk as guests.
• Siduri told Gilgamesh that Annanu observed returning soldiers while Enkidu taught shopkeepers on Barter Street.
• Gilgamesh learned that Siduri's brother Ruslan had gone to work in the kitchens because he feared Annanu and Enkidu, and let him stay there.

Annanu reflected on humanity while walking outside Uruk, where the goddess Nanshe spotted him and became captivated by his appearance. Meanwhile, Kaderki recruited warriors to hunt Demonic Beasts in the Cedar Forest, and Adekate agreed to join the expedition.

• Annanu wandered along Uruk’s outskirts and decided that humanity was both beautiful and ugly, and should not live under the gods’ protection.
• Nanshe saw Annanu and abandoned her plans to meet Gilgamesh and find the monster, wanting instead to learn everything about Annanu.
• Kaderki arrived at the military camp and asked Adekate to help assemble a hunting party to fight Demonic Beasts in the Cedar Forest.
• Adekate agreed to choose twenty strong warriors and accompany Kaderki, who left to buy longbows while the soldiers trained.

Annanu tried to question the hunter Kaderki about the Cedar Forest, but the tavern patrons fled after hearing him address Gilgamesh familiarly. That night, Annanu and Enkidu sensed the goddess Nanshe approaching Uruk and flew to intercept her.

• Annanu found Kaderki drinking in a tavern and asked to speak with him as Enkidu’s brother.
• When Annanu called the king “Gil,” Kaderki and everyone else in the tavern panicked and fled.
• Annanu told Enkidu what had happened, and they discussed checking on the Cedar Forest after their planned fight with Gilgamesh.
• That night, Annanu, Enkidu, and Gilgamesh sensed divine power near Uruk, which Annanu and Enkidu recognized as Nanshe’s.
• Annanu and Enkidu flew toward Nanshe as she cautiously approached Uruk’s walls.

Nanshe approached Uruk hoping to settle at a nearby spring, but Enkidu, Annanu, and Gilgamesh detained and questioned her. After convincing them she meant no harm, she recognized the Chains of Heaven and fragments of the Key of Heaven as creations of Utu.

• Nanshe emerged from the water and prepared to enter Uruk, but Enkidu and Annanu bound her with the Chains of Heaven and fragments of the Key of Heaven.
• Gilgamesh arrived and demanded to know why Nanshe had come to Uruk.
• Enkidu and Annanu withdrew the restraints so Nanshe could explain herself.
• Nanshe said she only wanted to settle at a nearby spring and showed them its location on a map.
• Nanshe realized that the chains and fragments were the creations Utu had made.

Nanshe brooded over her attraction to Annanu, while Gilgamesh decided to let her live near Uruk and avoid making an enemy of Enki. Gilgamesh, Annanu, and Enkidu shared their belief that humanity should stop living under the gods’ protection, leaving Gilgamesh alone in the great hall after his companions teased him and fled.

• Nanshe realized that Annanu and Enkidu were the Key of Heaven and Chains of Heaven, and wondered how she could have fallen for Annanu.
• Enkidu asked whether Gilgamesh was comfortable letting Nanshe live near Uruk, and Gilgamesh objected to being called “Gil.”
• Annanu recalled how Ishtar had tricked Enki and stolen more than a hundred decrees from him.
• Gilgamesh said he would let Nanshe stay because she was weak and he had no wish to antagonize Enki.
• Gilgamesh, Annanu, and Enkidu shared the view that humanity should no longer live under the gods’ protection.
• Annanu and Enkidu teased Gilgamesh, then ran off with Siduri, leaving him alone in the great hall.

Gilgamesh learned that Annanu’s blow had left a permanent scar and reflected on whether he could oppose the gods. The scar became a reminder of humanity’s need to resist, and Gilgamesh began to consider Uruk’s future as a king; Siduri noticed his change, while Ruslan reacted uneasily to the names Annanu and Enkidu.

• Kaderki led Adekate and a dozen warriors toward the Cedar Forest to face the Demonic Beasts.
• Gilgamesh questioned Annanu about the scar on his abdomen, and Annanu explained that his unrestrained power against divinity had caused it.
• Gilgamesh declined Annanu’s offer to fight and wondered whether he could ever stand against Enlil and the other gods.
• Gilgamesh decided to keep the scar as a warning and began thinking about the future of Uruk and humanity as their king.
• Siduri noticed that Gilgamesh was taking his administrative duties more seriously, while Ruslan showed a complex reaction to Annanu and Enkidu’s names.

Kaderki’s squad killed an Uridimmu, while Gilgamesh met Annanu beyond Uruk for a fight. Annanu revealed the Key of Heaven’s powers and charged Gilgamesh, leaving their battle underway.

• Adekate killed an Uridimmu, and Kaderki gave him grass juice to conceal the blood scent before they prepared to eat the beast.
• Gilgamesh agreed to fight Annanu, but Annanu flew to their old battleground before Gilgamesh finished warning him.
• Gilgamesh followed Annanu beyond Uruk after informing Siduri, and Annanu revealed the Key of Heaven and summoned weapons from golden ripples.
• Annanu split the Key of Heaven, drove part into his chest, and attacked Gilgamesh while Enkidu stayed out of the fight.
• Gilgamesh clashed with Annanu’s weapons, but fragments of the Key of Heaven blocked his path as Annanu thrust the key toward his face.

Gilgamesh and Annanu escalated their duel, trading blows and magical attacks before both unleashed their ultimate weapons. The chapter ended as Ea’s Enuma Elish clashed with the Key of Heaven’s answering surge of mana.

• Gilgamesh and Annanu clashed with Ea and the Key of Heaven, and Annanu’s defenses gave him the advantage.
• Gilgamesh set Ea’s first two blades spinning and charged Annanu, who countered with magical blasts from his mouth and eyes.
• Gilgamesh began spinning Ea’s third blade and challenged Annanu to stop its full power.
• Annanu pulled the Key of Heaven from his heart as Gilgamesh raised Ea and invoked Enuma Elish.
• Annanu hurled the Key of Heaven forward, and its surge of mana met Ea’s attack in a violent clash.

After a fierce spar left Gilgamesh and Annanu injured, Annanu and Enkidu decided they wanted to stay in Uruk, which they had come to admire. The chapter ended with Kaderki and his group preparing to move while tracking a powerful Dragon Kind Demonic Beast.

• Gilgamesh and Annanu recovered from their fight, and Gilgamesh admitted that Annanu and Enkidu fought in different ways that were difficult to compare.
• Annanu and Enkidu helped each other recover and discussed whether to remain in Uruk.
• Annanu and Enkidu agreed to stay because they liked the city and doubted the gods had told them the whole truth about it.
• Kaderki warned his companions not to split up as they watched a powerful Dragon Kind Demonic Beast in the darkness, then ordered them to prepare to move.

Kaderki’s hunting party killed Bashmu at the cost of two lives and several injuries, confirming that demonic beasts were growing more common near the Cedar Forest. Meanwhile, Nanshe formally visited Uruk to find Annanu, leaving Gilgamesh stunned when she named him.

• Kaderki and the hunters ambushed Bashmu, but two warriors died and most of the party suffered injuries or poison.
• Kaderki decided to take the survivors to his cabin, and he and Adekate recognized how dangerous the Cedar Forest had become.
• Nanshe entered Uruk secretly at night but realized she had no idea where Annanu lived, so she decided to ask Gilgamesh.
• Nanshe visited Gilgamesh formally and asked to see Annanu.
• Gilgamesh nearly spat out his wine when Nanshe named Annanu.

Nanshe visited Uruk to sort out her feelings for Annanu, but left more confused and returned to fishing. Meanwhile, Kaderki prepared to scout the area around the wounded group for Demonic Beasts to prevent further casualties.

• Nanshe asked Annanu how he felt about living in Uruk, then tried to decide whether she still liked him after learning his appearance came from Enkidu and Shamhat.
• Nanshe left Uruk, returned to her temporary residence, and fished while considering whether to seek advice from her father in Eridu.
• Gilgamesh questioned Annanu about Nanshe's visit and wondered whether she had come to investigate the Chains of Heaven and the Key of Heaven.
• Kaderki finished tending to the wounded and asked the uninjured to join him on a scouting trip to locate nearby Demonic Beasts.

Kaderki and Adekate struggled with unnatural weather in the Cedar Forest, while Shamhat visited Nanshe to learn whether she would reveal the Key of Heaven and the Chains of Heaven. Nanshe warned that Gilgamesh must be ready to become an enemy of the gods, then decided to write a love letter to the weapon she liked.

• Kaderki and Adekate noted that bizarre storms and other disasters had disrupted their hunt in the Cedar Forest and made the hunters ill.
• Shamhat greeted Nanshe on behalf of King Gilgamesh and removed her veil at Nanshe's request.
• Nanshe said she was not on the Anunnaki's side and would not tell them about the Key of Heaven and the Chains of Heaven.
• Nanshe warned that Gilgamesh must be prepared to become a true enemy of the gods, and Shamhat asked whose sake the warning was for.
• After Shamhat returned to Uruk, Nanshe wondered why she had warned Gilgamesh and decided to write a love letter to the weapon she liked.

After Adekate reported that nearly the entire expedition had died in the Cedar Forest, Gilgamesh decided to investigate the forest with Annanu and Enkidu. Back in their room, Annanu and Enkidu found a floating stone slab above a bubbling pool of water, apparently meant for Annanu.

• Adekate returned to Uruk with only three other survivors and told Gilgamesh that the rest of the expedition had died in the wilderness.
• Gilgamesh ordered rewards for the survivors and rites and compensation for the dead warriors’ families.
• Gilgamesh questioned Annanu and Enkidu about the Cedar Forest, then declared that he would travel there to investigate.
• Annanu and Enkidu agreed to accompany Gilgamesh, and Siduri asked them to protect the king on the journey.
• Annanu and Enkidu returned to their room and found a floating stone slab above a bubbling pool, which Enkidu said appeared to be for Annanu.

Annanu treated Nanshe’s love letter as a writing exercise, rejected her feelings, and transformed into a woman to boast that he was more beautiful than her. The next morning, Gilgamesh set out for the Cedar Forest with Annanu and Enkidu, while Siduri stayed behind to manage Uruk.

• Annanu and Enkidu realized that the stone tablet was a love letter from Nanshe, and Annanu decided to teach her how to write one properly.
• Annanu flew to Nanshe, startled her awake, and corrected typos in her confession instead of returning her feelings.
• Annanu transformed into a woman, rejected Nanshe, and left her fainting in the water with the tablet.
• Gilgamesh prepared to travel to the Cedar Forest with Annanu and Enkidu, leaving Siduri in charge of Uruk.
• Gilgamesh asked Annanu and Enkidu to fly him to the forest, but they suggested he could not fly, so he chose to walk.

Gilgamesh, Annanu, and Enkidu traveled toward the Cedar Forest as unnatural storms struck their route. That night, Annanu and Enkidu suspected Humbaba was behind the disaster and recalled that he had once asked who they were.

• Gilgamesh shared bread and beer with Annanu and Enkidu, then asked how far they were from the Cedar Forest.
• Gilgamesh worried over the reports of disasters and disease, though he knew he could not defeat Annanu or Enkidu.
• A violent storm struck, and Gilgamesh recognized that the abnormal weather confirmed what Adekate and the others had reported.
• After Gilgamesh fell asleep, Annanu and Enkidu privately identified Humbaba as the likely cause and wondered why he had appeared in the Cedar Forest.
• Annanu and Enkidu recalled Humbaba's question, "Who... are you?", as a sense of loss and bitterness surrounded the key, the lock, and their white flower wreath.

Gilgamesh, Annanu, and Enkidu reached the Cedar Forest, where Humbaba’s grief had become a destructive vortex that filled Gilgamesh with fear. Annanu and Enkidu charged into the rampaging vortex, and Gilgamesh summoned the Gate of Babylon as it went berserk.

• Gilgamesh felt an unfamiliar, intense fear as the three approached the Cedar Forest, while Annanu and Enkidu sensed Humbaba’s pain and followed it into the woods.
• A violent magical vortex erupted in the forest, destroying the surroundings and blasting Gilgamesh and the creatures nearby.
• Annanu and Enkidu stood firm against the storm and asked Humbaba if she remembered them, showing her the flower crowns they had placed on their heads.
• The vortex paused briefly, then resumed its rampage, and Annanu and Enkidu ran into it despite Gilgamesh’s attempt to stop them.
• Gilgamesh struggled to his feet and opened the Gate of Babylon as the vortex went berserk after swallowing Annanu and Enkidu.

Annanu and Enkidu entered Humbaba to search for the friend they remembered, but they could no longer reach her through the storm of lament. After Humbaba violently cast them out, they told Gilgamesh that Humbaba was their first friend and could not be saved, while her cries showed she was in pain.

• Gilgamesh unleashed his mana and braced himself against Humbaba's storm while Annanu and Enkidu searched inside for their lost friend.
• Annanu and Enkidu realized they could no longer find the girl or the way to reach her, and Annanu tried to touch Humbaba.
• Humbaba erupted with a shockwave that blasted Annanu and Enkidu out beside Gilgamesh.
• Gilgamesh shielded the two from the reversing vortex and demanded to know what Humbaba was.
• Annanu and Enkidu told Gilgamesh that Humbaba was their first friend, that their original forms came from her, and that she could not come back.

Annanu, Enkidu, and Gilgamesh fought Humbaba after accepting that the girl they once knew could not return. Their attacks failed against Humbaba’s catastrophic power, while the tiny possibility of their past meeting remained within the weeping creature.

• Annanu and Enkidu accepted that Humbaba could no longer return and prepared to fight it as a monster unleashing disaster.
• Gilgamesh unleashed Ea’s Enuma Elish, but Humbaba blocked the blast without being harmed.
• Annanu attacked with fragments of the Key of Heaven while Enkidu tried to bind Humbaba with the Chains of Heaven.
• Humbaba repelled their attacks and struck back with lightning, while Gilgamesh joined the battle.
• The three continued attacking, but Humbaba manifested disasters that their combined strength could not overcome.
• Within Humbaba, the girl who remembered meeting Annanu and Enkidu wept as the creature attacked them.

Annanu and Enkidu fought Humbaba as it unleashed a devastating flood and spread freezing ice, while Gilgamesh was swept unconscious into the water. They restrained Humbaba and, grieving the creature that had once guided and befriended them, said they would never forget it as they prepared to kill it.

• Annanu, Enkidu, and Gilgamesh attacked Humbaba, but its shockwave knocked them back and left Gilgamesh badly injured.
• Humbaba unleashed a flood that swept Gilgamesh away, then spread ice toward him as Enkidu tried to restrain it.
• Annanu rescued the unconscious Gilgamesh and joined his Key of Heaven with Enkidu's chains to bind Humbaba.
• Annanu and Enkidu remembered how Humbaba had once guided them and taught them to smile, and struggled with the need to stop it.
• Annanu and Enkidu told Humbaba they would not forget it as they prepared to kill it.

Humbaba reunited with Annanu and Enkidu in the depths of their consciousness as she faced death. She left them a red flower alongside their white one and disappeared, asking them to remember her and find happiness.

• Humbaba embraced Annanu and Enkidu and thanked them for stopping her and helping her remember them.
• Annanu and Enkidu admitted that they felt sorrow, and Humbaba explained that she grieved because she had to part from them again.
• Humbaba asked whether the flower in their records remained, and Annanu and Enkidu showed her the white flower.
• Humbaba changed her own white flower to red and gave it to Annanu and Enkidu to keep in their memories.
• Humbaba faded into specks of light after wishing Annanu and Enkidu happiness and asking them not to forget her.