"Hmph! Not bad at all, beating this king to the punch and wiping out those repulsive creatures."
Standing atop the divine tower, Gilgamesh gazed at the surging Sea of Chaos below and the vanquished eleven children, a faint smile curling his lips.
He soon noticed Roy's gaze from afar. Raising his crimson eyes, he met Roy's ice-blue stare across Uruk's expanse for a moment, his smile widening.
Though he grumbled, Gilgamesh was, of course, pleased and proud of Roy and everyone's efforts.
"Well done! Warriors from different eras and Masters who've come this far! Your efforts and the time you've bought have not been in vain! Leave the countless Lahmu in the sky and the encroaching Sea of Chaos to this king!"
"The king acknowledges, the king bears, the king carries this world!!"
His exhilarating voice rang from the divine tower's peak, echoing across the chaotic battlefield.
At that moment, Gilgamesh, the King of Uruk, unveiled his meticulously prepared secret weapon. Countless golden ripples shimmered around him as an array of dazzling cannons, mounted on the city walls, aimed at the darkened sky.
With his radiant entrance, amplified by the golden horn in his hand, Gilgamesh instantly lifted the spirits of Roy and the others rushing toward him.
"As expected, King Gilgamesh is as flamboyant as ever…"
Roy shook his head with a wry smile.
"Ahem… Listen well, all of you! This king now declares to all survivors in Uruk and the warriors from foreign lands!"
Amplified by the ancient golden horn, Gilgamesh's voice reached every corner of Uruk.
Whether it was the soldiers who stayed to fight alongside Uruk or the white Ascenders still battling as non-human entities, all listened intently to their king's call.
Even Siduri and others fighting in Kutha watched Gilgamesh through the mirror gifted by the Underworld Goddess.
"My king…"
This time, King Gilgamesh shed his usual arrogance, refraining from calling anyone "mongrels." With his Clairvoyance, he had seen all that transpired in this era.
Smiling faintly at the outcome, he said, "No matter how many lives remain, you've done well to survive this long. Seeing you persist on this wretched land fills this king with unparalleled joy."
"Though I once said Uruk's fall and the collapse of the Demonic Front were inevitable, and that my subjects could choose to fight with weapons and conviction or lament their fate and plunge into the Underworld's abyss, I would not force you."
"But… knowing the end was near, you chose to defy fate and stand firm until today. As your leader, this king is immensely pleased and proud!!"
Standing proudly atop the divine tower under the heavens, the King of Uruk smiled, his face and eyes brimming with unmasked pride.
For the people of Uruk, for humanity fighting this world, he, as king, was rightfully proud.
With utmost solemnity, he continued, "As I said before, Uruk's fall is inevitable, an undeniable fact, a destined fate. But we need not fear. Why, you ask? This king will answer plainly-"
"As long as one person survives to witness the dawn of victory, our way of life will be etched in their heart."
"Even if we perish, even if we leave no heirs, our will shall pass from person to person! That is the essence of human strength!! It is the crystallized knowledge passed through bloodlines, the chain of life! Uruk's fall is not our end. We shall meet the dawn of victory and shine!! Let that light be passed through generations!!"
"Now, hear this, my elite warriors-"
Gilgamesh waved his hand, his eyes blazing with fervor as he looked ahead.
"At this moment, humanity no longer needs divine protection or submission to fate. This is your choice, and it is mine as well."
"Now is the time to deny the Primordial God and usher in the era of humanity! It is our final trial! So, children of man, cast aside the past and embrace the future!!"
"This battle is our true farewell to the gods! The final war to forge the future! Offer your golden lives to your great king!!"
"For the sole purpose of passing Uruk's glory to future generations!!!"
With his final, rousing declaration, Gilgamesh's crimson eyes locked onto Tiamat's dragon form leading the Sea of Chaos, commanding with steady authority: "All Ascenders, heed this king's order! Unlock all cannons!!"
Receiving the command, the Ascenders on the walls deftly operated the 360 pre-set Dingir cannons.
"The king permits, raise the weapons before you! Show our defense with the supreme wealth of Uruk! Let the flames searing the earth be our resolve and rebellion! Let the Primordial God witness it!! King's Signal Cannon (Melammu Dingir)!!"
At Gilgamesh's command, dazzling golden beams tore through the black sky, restoring humanity's light to the blood-red, mud-covered land.
Countless trajectories launched from the cannons atop Uruk's walls, crossing the battlefield and forming a dense web of fire that sealed the heavens, targeting the swarming Lahmu.
Boom boom boom boom boom!!
Relentless explosions battered eardrums, blinding light stung eyes, and immense mana sent hearts racing. The earth wailed under the barrage, trembling violently. The Sea of Chaos began to evaporate and shatter under the golden beams' heat, with dust and mud forming a natural barrier before Uruk.
The torrential rain of light slowed the Lahmu and the Sea of Chaos's advance.
But it was far from over…
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
As the frenzied Song of Destruction echoed over Uruk, the final enemy, the Mother of Genesis, revealed her visage amidst the endless black tide.
Boundless rage surged, and dark clouds loomed over Uruk's walls.
The sky's light was wholly engulfed by infinite darkness, heralding endless calamity.
The Beast of Regression, surging with black tides, roared. Countless self-proclaimed new creations, non-human beasts (Lahmu), spawned and charged from the chaos.
"Is that the Beast the Doctor mentioned? So terrifying…"
The oppressive aura of the impending battle left Mash Kyrielight breathless.
Tiamat's crazed, hateful visage sparked uncontrollable fear in her.
Facing the Mother of Genesis, denying the origin in this creation war, the apocalyptic scene felt like divine punishment from myth.
Though fear and sorrow were hard to suppress, Gilgamesh's stirring words set Mash's restless heart ablaze.
Mash, beside her, gripped her trembling hand, nodding slightly.
"Senpai, don't be afraid. I'll protect you."
"Yes, Mash, let's fight together."
Not just in Uruk, the soldiers fighting in Kutha, hearing Gilgamesh's rousing speech through the Underworld's mirror, ignited with fervent conviction.
The resounding war cries of the Sumerians echoed across the battlefield.
Indeed, their choices stemmed from their own will.
Today's Demonic Front and surviving embers weren't divine gifts but the fruits of their effort and struggle.
Humanity's will birthed this prosperity.
With the aid of the King of Uruk, the King of Ur, and countless heroes, alongside the selfless sacrifices of this era's warriors, they achieved this glory.
Uruk, Ur, and all of Mesopotamia, humanity no longer needed to cling to gods to survive.
Even by their own strength, they could sustain the flame and pass down their will and civilization.
This was the final war to deny and rebel against the gods, to showcase human will, the final chapter of parting with divinity.
At this moment, all of Mesopotamia's people burned with resolve, their fighting spirit at its peak.
Under the radiant rain of light, Gilgamesh laughed with unrestrained joy.
Though Uruk lay in ruins, the Demonic Front had collapsed under the Lahmu's assault, and the Sea of Chaos ravaged his kingdom, it didn't matter.
The Mother of Genesis Tiamat destroyed only the physical Demonic Front and worldly kingdom.
The Demonic Front in people's hearts would never fall, and the ideal Uruk would endure forever.
This legend and legacy would live on, a glorious chapter in human history.
"Since the battle has reached this point, let this king cast everything he has into it."
There was nothing to fear now.
Gilgamesh's lips curled, his mana surging anew. The clay tablet in his hand flipped rapidly, unleashing unprecedented power.
All around Uruk, the Melammu Dingir, under his control, blazed with even brighter light.
With no intent to hold back, Gilgamesh poured his entire Gate of Babylon into the cannons, loading every treasure he'd crafted, polished, and tuned into these massive crossbows.
The golden arrows weren't mere ammunition like later eras' concepts. Each was a treasure, a piece of his collection.
He launched the treasures and weapons from his Gate of Babylon, emulating Shirou Emiya's Broken Phantasm from the Fifth Holy Grail War, using the Noble Phantasms' immense mana as explosive ordnance for one-time detonation.
Unlike Shirou's projected imitations, the "Ammunition" for the King's Signal Cannon was genuine, mythical treasures from the Golden City collected by Gilgamesh himself.
Each volley from the 360 cannons drained his treasury significantly.
Though the cannons' power was immense, such consumption pained even Gilgamesh, who claimed to possess all the world's wealth.
But with the war at this stage, the King of Uruk could only laugh through the heartbreak and press on.
He couldn't falter at this critical moment…
"Watch closely, Tiamat! This is the supreme wealth of this king, humanity's strongest counterattack in this era, and my proud secret weapon, King's Signal Cannon (Melammu Dingir)!!"
With Gilgamesh's fervent shout, the roar from the 360 cannons intensified, unleashing a larger barrage of light than before.
Golden arrows rained like a tempest, tearing through clouds, shattering despair, and denying divinity. The golden rain became a nightmare for the Lahmu in the sky and black mud.
Each volley saw countless Lahmu struck and reduced to ash.
The storm of light covered every inch of land, golden pillars exploding across the earth and Sea of Chaos, obliterating everything, space, stone, soil, life, even the chaos and Lahmu.
The world-swallowing Sea of Chaos shattered and evaporated under the cannons' barrage, its advance and the Lahmu's assault halted. Under such fierce firepower, the black tide was immobilized.
At this critical moment, the King of Uruk, who had bided his time, finally shone, single-handedly stalling the Sea of Chaos and Lahmu, delaying until Tiamat's arrival.
"Hahahahahahaha!!"
Laughing heartily, his majestic figure stood like an immortal monument atop the divine tower, exuding kingly dominance.
Yet, for some reason, Mash and Ritsuka thought they saw a glint of tears in Gilgamesh's eyes.
"Oh, is this the King of Heroes? Truly remarkable, not just this terrifying fire net, but that brief speech got this Onee-san's blood pumping~ What an exceptional king."
Witnessing the scene, gazing at the scarred, smoke-filled land, Quetzalcoatl praised, her eyes brimming with delight.
"Radiant as gold, dazzling as stars, shining even in despair, how could I not love such beautiful humans…"
"But these are some terrifying weapons. I never expected the King of Heroes to hide such a secret arsenal. After the battle, I must buy some of these cannons for my Mictlan Underworld."
Tezcatlipoca's eyes gleamed at the stylish, era-defying cannons. Unable to resist such weaponry, his trading heart burned.
Determined, he vowed to take some of these cannons!
But unlike Quetzalcoatl, captivated by human will, and Tezcatlipoca, enthralled by the firepower, Roy frowned at Gilgamesh.
Though not atop the tower, he could tell,
"King Gilgamesh, are you alright? Your hands have been trembling since the start."
Atop the divine tower, Ritsuka and Mash asked with concern, worried that controlling so many cannons was straining Gilgamesh.
"Fools! How could this king be unwell? In this situation, you'd be writhing in pain and crying!!"
For the oldest, most extravagant King of Heroes, no problem was unsolvable with his Gate of Babylon.
His treasury held countless treasures, useful in any situation.
With such vast reserves, he could afford extravagance, but today's reckless expenditure,
Even his Gate of Babylon couldn't sustain this for long…
After just a few volleys, he felt his treasury draining like a flood.
The golden arrows didn't just shatter the Sea of Chaos and Lahmu, they broke his scorched heart.
"Hahaha… This mere loss is nothing to my treasury. Increase the power and fire!!"
Radiant golden streams pierced the sky, illuminating the dark world and the tears glinting in Gilgamesh's eyes, as well as…
Ishtar, clutching the Key of the King's Law in midair, crying out in anguish.
"Aaahhh!! My treasures!! They're gone, all gone!!!"
___
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