The Three Preconditions for Defeating Gorgon.
The First Precondition: Kinqu possessing the Holy Grail must not remain by Gorgon's side. If Kinqu were present, not only would it be the combined might of two god-level beings, but more importantly, Gorgon would receive Kinqu's blessings.
A Gorgon empowered by the Holy Grail is on an entirely different level compared to an unblessed Gorgon.
The Second Precondition: Those capable of defeating Gorgon must be present. Both Alaric and Ana possess the ability to sever Gorgon's immortality. Alaric, wielding the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, can foresee the ultimate reality of death inherent in all things, bringing about the collapse of all phenomena.
Ana, on the other hand, not only shares the same origin as Gorgon but is armed with weapons specifically designed to counter immortal monsters—granting her the ability to cut through immortality.
The Third Precondition: The destruction of Gorgon's Temple of Blood. At first, Alaric doubted whether he could destroy the temple without testing his strength in battle. He even considered using the Axe of Marduk, stored in Eridu, which, according to myth, was the weapon that severed the goddess Tiamat's neck. The Axe of Marduk was undoubtedly the best choice for destroying the Temple of Blood.
However, after a probing battle at the northern wall, Alaric confirmed his power was sufficient to destroy the Temple of Blood, dismissing the idea of using the Axe of Marduk. Instead, he resolved to personally crush the Temple of Blood.
The Holy Judgment, transformed into the Light of the End, is unstoppable—even against divine-class barriers. However, this leads to another prerequisite: if Alaric is to destroy the Temple of Blood, he must completely prevent interference from Kinqu, as Kinqu is fully capable of blocking even the Holy Judgment.
"Leave it to me!"
After Alaric explained the plan to everyone, Quetzalcoatl gave a cheerful thumbs-up and smiled. "Leave it to me! I'll hold off Kinqu—you all go ahead to Gorgon's location."
Quetzalcoatl's divinity was so high that even the Chains of Heaven, which specialize in binding divine beings, could not restrain her. In her eyes, the Chains of Heaven were merely slightly durable shackles, nothing more.
However, even so, Kinqu, empowered by the Holy Grail, was strong enough to match Quetzalcoatl—or even overpower her—unless Quetzalcoatl was willing to fight recklessly at the cost of damaging her spiritual core, fully unleashing her divine power to demonstrate the majesty of the supreme god.
After entrusting Kinqu to Quetzalcoatl, Alaric turned to Ana, Fujimaru Ritsuka, Mash Kyrielight, Ishtar, and the ever-idle Merlin.
"While Quetzalcoatl holds off Kinqu, Fujimaru Ritsuka, you and your group will move in to defeat Gorgon after I destroy the Temple of Blood!"
To avoid being detected by Kinqu or Gorgon, Alaric could not accompany Fujimaru Ritsuka's group into the black cedar forest. He couldn't even set foot on solid ground.
But Alaric was confident in his plan. The probability of success had already reached 98%!
With such a formidable lineup, even Alaric might struggle to prevail, let alone Gorgon and Kinqu.
"The soldiers at the northern wall will assist Quetzalcoatl in launching a feint to draw Kinqu out and keep him occupied. Meanwhile, you will boldly proceed to the Temple of Blood and defeat Gorgon!"
After hearing Alaric's plan, Gilgamesh made no amendments. With a wave of his hand, he provided everything Alaric requested.
"So be it. King Gilgamesh, we'll take our leave now."
Having finalized the plan, Alaric and the others wasted no time, departing swiftly from the Ziggurat and heading toward the northern wall.
Merlin, who had been nodding along with Alaric's explanation, walked at the rear. With his usual elegance, he bowed toward the king who had returned to his throne, and smiled. "Farewell, King Gilgamesh. Although there were a few minor hiccups, our mission has finally reached its conclusion."
"Indeed. Once you recover the Holy Grail, this singularity will collapse, and humanity's survival will no longer be threatened."
Standing atop his throne, Gilgamesh paused, turned toward Merlin, and spoke in a calm tone:
"These past days must have been exhausting for you. But the days ahead will be anything but peaceful. Until this planet meets its end, take care of yourself, Flower Magus."
"Of course—"
Merlin understood clearly what Gilgamesh was alluding to. However, that was a problem created by his own king, and he could only guide things forward as though caring for a child.
...
As Merlin left the tower and followed Alaric to the northern wall, a wave that would engulf Mesopotamia began to rise.
This was the wave that symbolized the separation of gods and humanity—a tide not only of divine seas but also of human wisdom.
"Prepare for battle!"
With Gilgamesh's orders relayed, every soldier and Heroic Spirit stationed at the northern wall obeyed without hesitation. Together with Quetzalcoatl, they stepped beyond the defensive line and launched an attack on the wild beasts roaming the wasteland!
Thus began an all-out war. The people of Uruk had long suffered under the tyranny of these beasts, and with the king's command, they finally turned the tide, erupting with astonishing fighting spirit.
Marching alongside the King of Sparta, the battle drums thundered, shaking the heavens!
The appearance of Quetzalcoatl, a supreme divine spirit, naturally attracted the attention of the new humanity hidden deep within the black cedar forest.
A streak of blue lightning pierced the sky, landing directly before Quetzalcoatl!
"Quetzalcoatl, so you've chosen to side with Uruk after all—"
Kinqu's expression darkened, and he raised his hand as though it were a blade, clashing against Quetzalcoatl's great sword!
Faced with the supreme god Quetzalcoatl, Kinqu's mechanical body reached extraordinary levels of performance, allowing him to stand toe-to-toe with her in combat—or even slightly overpower her.
"Of course, my dear!"
Quetzalcoatl was about to strike back and repel Kinqu when, in an instant, Kinqu unleashed a burst of power so great that even Quetzalcoatl couldn't resist, sending her flying!
At that moment, while Kinqu was occupied by Quetzalcoatl—
From the skies, far beyond Kinqu's awareness—
"You've left Gorgon's side—
Kinqu, do you understand the consequences of this action?"
Alaric gazed at the clash of blue lightning and sunlight with a pleased expression.
At this moment, Alaric eagerly anticipated the events to come.
Casually raising the holy lance Rhongomyniad, Alaric aimed at the massive crater deep within the black cedar forest.
The crater, destroyed by Alaric's Holy Judgment and the residual shockwaves from Kinqu's Noble Phantasm, was a death zone that neither Gorgon nor Kinqu could repair.
Thus, the Temple of Blood stood conspicuously at the center of the crater, without any nearby cover or concealment.
This made Alaric's aim all the easier.
[Holy Judgment—Fire!]