At that critical moment, the earth heaved, and tens of thousands of thorns burst from the ground, piercing the soul cores of the Fallen Ghosts with pinpoint accuracy and striking down two-thirds of the Laḫmu.
It was the Goddess of the Underworld who had intervened—so the Underworld hadn't fallen completely!
Kukulkan, supported by the city's defenders, breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Hope flickered in her eyes.
At the same time, a breakthrough emerged on the northern wall.
A white-haired Incubus riding a Quetzalcoatlus was flung from the sky with a sharp whistle.
Merlin scrambled midair to avoid a face-first landing, hastily adjusting his posture while chanting a Celtic incantation fluently using high-speed divine speech.
In an instant, his staff pointed toward the black tide, releasing ripples of pink and white. Illusory dream flowers bloomed and intertwined, quickly covering the ground and spreading toward the cedar forest—the source of all evil.
Bang!
Landing safely, the great sage patted his chest in relief and muttered under his breath.
Thank goodness... thank goodness...
Then he looked up to see Samael leaping onto his Quetzalcoatlus, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Do the job if you have to, but isn't this a bit much?
Just as Merlin was grumbling, deep growls echoed around him. As he looked down, he saw Magical Beasts that had narrowly escaped the black tide regrouping once more.
I'm a Magus! Don't you beasts have any sense? Who's going to protect me?!
His expression darkened. Cursing under his breath, he swiftly swapped his left hand for the Holy Sword, adopting a smooth stance that blended magic and swordsmanship.
But to his surprise, the regrouped Magical Beasts didn't attack him. Instead, they surged past and charged into the Laḫmu army, engaging the bizarre Mysterious Children in brutal close combat.
"Leave the ones down here to Ana and me! You go into the city and protect the people!"
Samael swooped down on his Quetzalcoatlus and landed before the line formed by the Fangs of Napishtim, issuing a firm command to Merlin.
The old swindler instantly noticed the eyes meeting his own—patterns interlacing like a radiant cross-star, an invisible pressure radiating outward.
That presence resonated with the same pulse now emanating from the Magical Beasts.
Damn... Beast Mastery?!
Excited, Merlin smacked Samael on the shoulder. His heart, finally steadied, let out a small sigh of relief before he resolutely obeyed and rushed into Uruk to purge the Laḫmu.
The ancient serpent glanced at Ana, who stood at his side with a tense, focused expression, and felt reassured.
After stripping Gorgon of the Mother of Genesis's authority, he'd barely digested the power and could now just manage to control the beasts born from it.
But it had all happened too quickly, and his Spirit Core had limited capacity. Even with everything he had, he could only maintain control for a short time.
That meant raising a beast army to fight the Laḫmus over the long term was out of the question.
Now, Samael was pouring everything he had into making sure as many of these so-called "siblings" as possible died in battle against Laḫmu.
Since you've brought terror and pain to this world, use your lives to pay for it.
Sensing the Magical Beast army spreading out and the weakening resonance that held them together, the ancient serpent opened his mouth and let out a melodic syllable.
"Aaaa..."
The beasts born from the Mother of Genesis responded with absolute obedience. Their bodies swelled, madness overtook them, and they charged viciously toward the Laḫmu.
Though born of self-degraded power and individually no match for Laḫmu, they fought without fear, swarming in overwhelming numbers. In suicidal fury, they managed to wipe out nearly two-thirds of the Mystery Children born from the black tide...
"Mother... gaga..."
"Kill them all... gaga..."
The few remaining Laḫmu at the front tilted their heads, tongues lolling out as they stared in Samael's direction. Their expressions were confused, yet their twisted, eerie laughter echoed with demonic malice.
At last, with only a handful of Magical Beasts left, the rest arrived swiftly to assist after finishing the sweep of Laḫmu within Uruk.
Then, a strange tremor rippled out from the abyss. The Mysterious Children, both in the skies and on the ground, as if responding to a signal, leapt into the retreating black tide.
That devastating deluge, as though restrained by some unknown dread, left behind a wreck-strewn battlefield before drawing back into the pitch-black depths of the Cedar Forest.
In its wake, the storm above intensified, sheets of rain pouring down onto this calamity-stricken land, as if trying to wash away the blood and filth left behind.
Finally... we made it through...
Samael, having pushed himself like a machine, was completely spent. The moment he allowed his body to relax, the world spun around him, and he nearly collapsed.
Thankfully, Ana caught him in time, supporting the ancient serpent and helping him onto the Quetzalcoatlus.
Leaving the remaining cleanup to the north wall's defenders, the great beast flew ahead toward the embassy with Samael mumbling under his breath.
Stumbling up the stairs, the ancient serpent made his way into his room. He knelt and crushed a hollowed-out floor tile beneath his bed, retrieving from the narrow compartment the Holy Grail he had received from Gilgamesh.
To these fallen gods, the Holy Grail was an exceptionally potent magical energy reactor—carrying one around was like walking around with a giant beacon.
Fully aware of his own limits, the ancient serpent had no intention of tempting fate by parading it openly.
With the Underworld's recent instability, Uruk had seemed like the safest place available after much deliberation.
That decision had nearly doomed the city—but ironically, it had spared the ancient serpent from the gaze of the Father of Origin, saving him from becoming a bite-sized snack.
Didn't you see how desperate Apsu was? He tore out the heart of Kingu, the very one who had awakened him.
In a way, this sibling had taken the hit for him—all thanks to the Holy Grail.
Still, even holding the Grail now, Samael leaned wearily against the bed, hesitation clouding his mind.
In Mesopotamia's current state, there were only two Holy Grail magical energy cores.
One had been swallowed by Apsu. Failing to seize Uruk, he was likely biding his time in the shadows, digesting and waiting for his power to return.
The other—the one still in his hand—had already drawn the attention of that Abyssal god.
According to history, this Grail should've been handed by Gilgamesh to Kingu, reigniting the power of the defunct Divine Construct and turning him to humanity's side.
One Holy Grail for a top-tier warrior. A fair trade, on the surface.
But... was that really the choice he wanted to make?
Samael stood by the window, turning the Grail slowly in his hand, brows tightly furrowed.
As the ancient serpent sank into thought, the steady patter of rain outside stirred him from his daze.
His vertical pupils, marked like cross-shaped stars, slowly lifted to the thunderclouds roiling overhead. Then, his gaze swept over the blood-stained streets and the moans of the wounded echoing all around. His expression hardened.
Samael tucked the Holy Grail into his robes, turned to Ana, and spoke with quiet gravity.
"Gather all decision-makers. We're heading to the Divine Tower at the royal palace—now."