Bang!
At the last possible moment, a Wyvern forced its way through the shattered stone pillars. As the collapsing hall gave way beneath them, it snatched Ishtar by the shoulder and dove sharply, slipping beneath Apsu's descending claws.
"Samael? Are you insane? Why haven't you left yet?!"
Ishtar stared into those familiar cross-shaped pupils, unsure if what she felt was relief or frustration.
So this was the power of origin that had appeared in Uruk several times?
Mockery? You dare mock me?!
Unforgivable. Absolutely unforgivable.
The Great Dragon of Ether fixed its gaze on the figure beating its wings before it, trying to flee into the sky, and loosed a roar of pure fury.
Its massive jaws gaped wide, sucking in the surrounding ether particles in a violent rush. A growing vacuum vortex twisted the air, space itself buckling under the pull.
Samael unleashed all the divine power he had stored, but even as his wings beat furiously, he couldn't break free. Inch by inch, he was dragged toward that abyssal maw.
At the same time, a vast Magecraft array unfurled before Apsu. Hundreds of purple-black spheres crackled with a suffocating aura of destruction.
Not far away, the three Noah's Arks—freshly boarded with survivors—were caught squarely within its targeting range.
I will snuff out the last spark of mankind. Struggle all you like, ants—you are only fit to crawl in the dirt. You do not even have the right to look up at the sky!
The Ether Great Dragon's face twisted into a snarl, its mind brimming with murderous rage.
Buzz!
In a single instant, the air quaked. Thousands of thick mana beams gathered to a blinding point.
Die!
Half the sky, already lashed by wind and rain, was stained a sickly, demonic purple-red.
Whether it was Samael and Ishtar trapped in the crushing vacuum, or the crews of the Noah's Arks staring up at certain destruction, every last soul shut their eyes in despair.
Boom!
The earth sank. A tsunami roared. The city of Uruk dropped into an endless abyss, and the Ether Great Dragon—perched upon its collapsing ground—staggered, then fell backward.
Thousands of those purple-red beams went wild, streaking skyward in chaotic volleys. Each one burst into dazzling patterns of light, scattering like fireworks across the heavens.
And the Father of Creation was slammed into the jagged rock of the abyss's rift, pinned tight beneath layer after layer of shifting plates.
From below, a figure emerged—gold hair cascading from beneath a black, imposing crown, spear-wheel in hand. She rose from the abyss and stood upon a newly formed rise above the floodwaters.
"Ere?! How did you get out?"
Samael, still in Wyvern form and shaken but alive, could not hide the surge of joy in his voice.
"I hollowed out the earth beneath us. With Uruk's entire landmass sunk, the authority of the Underworld can now pass freely between realms."
"This place… is now part of the Underworld."
Ereshkigal's gaze fell upon the three Noah's Arks laden with survivors, her eyes a mix of sorrow and quiet relief.
Sometimes, fate is nothing but absurdity.
She had abandoned her plan to collect human souls and conquer Uruk. Yet in the end, it was by sinking the city and rising herself to the surface that she saved the last essence of Sumerian culture.
Roar!
The moment of bittersweet triumph did not last. From deep within the abyss came the beast's bellow.
The rift meant to trap Apsu suddenly burst open, shadows thrashing and rising.
"Go! He's too strong—I can't hold him for long!"
Ereshkigal pressed the spear-wheel downward with all her might, forcing the earth's power to weigh upon the world-ending dragon. Her voice was dry, urgent.
"Set sail! Now!"
Samael flared his wings and shot toward the three arks, shouting at full force.
But as soon as they began to move, the Ether Great Dragon roared again—a sound as cold as the deep.
A black tide surged from the ground's fissures. The pale halo on the water's surface shattered like a soap bubble.
Onboard, Merlin—maintaining the Illusion Arts—spat blood, his form flickering in and out of existence.
"Geh… humans… kill them!"
"Geh… humans… kill them!"
The awakened Laḫmu ground their teeth, bodies swelling grotesquely under the push of the black tide, cackling as they hurled themselves toward the three Noah's Arks.
Barely over a thousand warriors remained, split evenly between the vessels. Against the sheer mass of Laḫmu, they could be swallowed by a single crashing wave.
The arks, slowed to a crawl, shuddered under each blow. The Magecraft barriers outside the decks flickered with each impact, panic spreading like wildfire among the passengers.
In the cabins, children clung to their elders, muffled sobs breaking out in waves.
Bang!
The last Magecraft array on the portside ark was smashed apart. The cedar planks above were ripped open with brutal force.
A Laḫmu, head cocked and grinning with a jagged laugh, raised its claws high. Inside, the elders covered the children's eyes, sparing them from having to witness the nightmare rushing toward them.
"Get out of here!"
A furious roar erupted from the water's surface as a dark blue shadow surged upward, snatching up the Laḫmu and plunging into the flood.
"Grandpa… hold…"
In the arms of a woman, a baby blinked its bright, watery eyes, pointing a tiny finger toward the figure thrashing in the torrent, giggling with delight.
Ignoring the hands trying to hold her back, the woman leaned out over the rail in disbelief, staring down at the water below. In an instant, she covered her mouth to stifle her sobs, tears streaming down her face.
From the depths, pale-blue specters rose one after another—each shaped like the shadow of a human in life—grabbing at the Laḫmu covering the water's surface and dragging them down into the abyss.
"Go to hell, you mongrels!"
"I'm coming with you—you're not running anywhere!"
As the Laḫmu around him were pulled into the flood like dumplings into a boiling pot, Samael stood at the gunwale, looking at one familiar face after another, his lips trembling.
"Yo, Samael, we meet again. Looks like we made it in time, huh?"
"We couldn't save the people of Babylon, but at least we made it this time!"
A general in full armor waved to him, thousands of spear-and-shield-bearing spirits saluting in unison from behind.
"Well done! I saw my own kin out there! Haha, next time I'm buying you a drink!"
The old blacksmith, swinging his great hammer, glared with wide, bullish eyes, swearing he'd bring out the finest wine to honor the man who had cared for his descendants—and definitely not that swill some families brew that tastes like horse piss.
"General Tareel…"
"Old Um…"
In the shadow of despair, the ancient serpent's voice was a quiet murmur, heat welling in his eyes.
Ereshkigal's spear-wheel touched the water's surface, her voice ringing out in a sharp command. Waves of the Underworld's authority rippled outward, washing over every ghost rising from below.
"Blessing of the Underworld!"
The blessed spirits condensed into half-physical forms, like Gallû Spirits, wielding blades forged from death's essence as they clashed with the surrounding Mysterious Children.
Tareel led a charge of Gallû Spirits at the front, cutting a path through the enemy. Memories, emotions, and souls burned away, consumed as fuel for the fight.
The brilliant azure glow spreading over the river forced back the churning black tide that carried the Laḫmu forward.
"Go! Don't stop!"
At the same time, a graceful, green-haired figure draped in gauzy silk landed lightly on the deck, shaking the Soul Cage in his hand.
From the darkness, the guardians of the Underworld rose, pushing the Noah's Arks forward, cleaving the waves aside.
Teacher…
Samael's lips tightened as he whispered the word, then he turned his head away and poured all power into the Magecraft arrays, driving the ships to their maximum speed.
Watching it all unfold, Ishtar, goddess of fertility and war, pressed her lips together, raising her right hand to her chest in an ancient warrior's salute.
In this moment, life was no longer celebrated by the living alone.
In this moment, decay placed its hope in rebirth.
In this moment, the living drew strength from the dead.