"Huwawa, the Cedar Beast... Gugalanna, the Bull of Heaven..."
"Looks like this wasn't just a one-off."
Merlin rubbed his chin, his expression serious as a heavy silence fell over the chamber.
"Um... I've got something to report too... but I'm worried Kuku's gonna beat me up…"
At the edge of the courtyard, the Jaguar Warrior looked uneasy, her tone hesitant, anxiety flickering in her eyes.
"Don't worry. I'll handle her."
Samael stepped forward and gave the Jaguar Warrior a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
With that promise from someone clearly favored by Kukulkan, the Jaguar Warrior finally relaxed and casually activated the Magecraft array.
"This is it!"
Bang!
A grotesque head, several meters tall and shaped like a serpent or dragon, rolled into the royal court. Judging by the clean, twisted break at the neck, it had been torn off with brute force.
"Abgalu—the water monster!"
Siduri's eyes widened in disbelief as she recognized the creature's face, one that had been recorded in the ancient texts of Eridu.
"Yeah... Kukulkan ran into it while transporting the Solar Calendar Stone down south."
"This thing was no joke—the waves it stirred up flooded both Eridu and Ur."
The Jaguar Warrior hung her head, her voice dropping, tinged with a complex sadness.
"Only the first group that made it into the Mayan pyramids survived. The rest… all gone."
"So many people…"
"Kukulkan was furious. She chased it for two straight days and nights before she finally twisted its head off."
"If not for that, she wouldn't have been delayed this long getting back."
Samael cast a grim look toward the southern lands, now nearly fully overrun. His expression turned cold, his gaze laced with dark sarcasm.
"As if one Apsu wasn't enough, they had to throw in three legendary Divine Beasts to play enforcers..."
"Should we be flattered by the favoritism?"
Siduri, still holding onto a shred of reverence for the Divine Spirits, couldn't find the words to respond.
"I mean, aren't these mongrels even a little worried that after Apsu wipes out humanity, he'll just turn around and butcher them too?!"
"Maybe… they really aren't afraid."
Merlin glanced toward Samael, who had fallen into bitter sarcasm and was beginning to lose his composure. He lifted his eyes and murmured quietly,
"They're acting with impunity. That makes it even harder to deal with."
The ancient serpent furrowed his brows, his anger slowly subsiding as he looked down at the sand table and muttered to himself.
At the same time, Samael looked over at the now darkened Magecraft array and shook his head.
Now he understood why Gilgamesh used to call them "mongrels" so often.
Perhaps, to someone like him, these supposedly noble half-divine hybrids were just plain revolting.
Chirp chirp!
Just as the atmosphere in the Divine Tower turned heavy, a small Quetzalcoatlus flapped its wings and dove into Samael's arms.
"Message from General Tim!"
The ancient serpent's eyes lit up as he spotted the bamboo tube tied to the little pterosaur's leg. He quickly pulled out the parchment inside and tossed a few pieces of fresh mutton to the messenger as a reward.
"Five days left?"
"It's the third day since Apsu sank underground. If he fully digests the Holy Grail and bursts forth on schedule, we'll have to endure at least one blackout period—about one day."
Samael strode to the sand table, cranking through projections and recalculations, his brow growing heavier.
It was messy. Three threats, not one. Even Huwawa, the cedar beast, was no joke—killed only through the combined efforts of Enkidu and Gilgamesh. That showed how ruthless whoever was pulling the strings truly is.
And the fragile holding pattern they maintained? That was only because Kukulkan defeated Abgalu, easing pressure from the southern hinterland while delivering the Piedra Del Sol.
But taking down the legend sent by Ea to hunt Ishtar took a heavy toll on her too. That's why she wasn't here today.
The ancient serpent glanced around, his eyes strangely devoid of his South American sister's warm smile. He let out a quiet sigh.
Then Samael stiffened and quickly laid out orders:
"Siduri, from tomorrow, urgently raise and reinforce walls all around!"
"Merlin, watch the heavens constantly. Dispatch more Casters and shrine maidens to scan for underground risks beneath Uruk."
"Jaguar, take a squadron of Quetzalcoatlus to the Mayan pyramids. Escort the refugees from Eridu and Ur. If you encounter creatures on the level of these divine beasts, evade if you must—the people's safety comes first!"
"Ishtar, keep your eyes on Mount Ebih. Guard your bull closely!"
"And finally, the sacrificial grounds, the priestess's shrine, and the Astrology Tower—ramp up preparations for the supply list I mentioned before. Everything must be ready before Apsu breaks ground!"
They all nodded, tension etching their faces.
Samael raised the parchment confidently.
"Hold strong until day eight—that's our window!"
"Win? How do we win? Apsu commands land and fresh water—basically invincible. He's the abyssal and freshwater god."
Merlin rubbed his temples, sighing.
"If he's unbeatable on land, we'll draw him somewhere else..."
Samael traced his fingertip down the sand map to the rivers' mouth.
Ishtar, clutching the clay tablet, leaned in, her heart racing.
"The Persian Gulf! Yes!"
"Draw freshwater Apsu into the salty sea—cut his link to the land waters completely!"
"Well, well done, Samael."
Merlin raised an arm, dampening the praise with a reality check.
"We thought of that too, but how do we lure Apsu to the sea?"
"And with Uruk still here, the moment he bursts up, he'll tremble Mesopotamia thrice over!"
Samael nodded, satisfied their logic aligned—a reassurance that fueled his resolve.
He handed the parchment to Merlin, lips curling in quiet pride, his eyes deep.
"So, we need to last until day eight... Only then will Tim and his team's secret preparations deliver a turning point!"
Merlin opened the scroll. His pupils contracted at the sight.
"Incredible... What is that?"
"The man commissioned—an old fellow named Ziusudra—called it…"
"Noah's Ark!"
Samael spoke slow and proud.
"You built something like this behind everyone's back!"
Merlin, suddenly energized, jabbed him in excitement, pacing around the chart like he'd been possessed.
"Yes! Exactly!"
"We load Uruk's people onto Noah's Ark, sail downstream via the rivers, straight to the Persian Gulf."
"By then, Apsu will be in salty water and weakened."
"If we don't chase him, we stay safe and wait for the volume of flood to recede."
"And maybe, a freed freshwater god with no target will redirect his destruction elsewhere."
The Great Sage gazed out the window at the brooding sky, lips curling into a smug smile.
"Ha—these people really are lucky."