Ishtar left the room in stunned silence.
She had never expected—
Even when facing the gods' merciless display of power, whether it was Gilgamesh, Rovi, or even that divine-made clay doll, none of them showed even a hint of fear.
Weren't they afraid?
Admittedly, they'd always been recklessly audacious—but now, it was different.
The two mightiest "Beasts" of the Mesopotamian plains—the divine beast, the Bull of Heaven, and the monstrous Humbaba—represented the highest level of interference the gods could exert upon the mortal world at this very moment.
As the current incarnation of the Mistress of Heaven, Ishtar-Rin trembled inwardly at the mere thought.
I just hope they'll hold out...
Sunlight splashed onto the streets of Uruk. Pausing briefly, the goddess glanced back, anxiety stirring beneath her crimson cloak as her bare feet shifted restlessly.
Oddly enough, she found herself hoping Gilgamesh's group would prevail.
Perhaps it was because of Rovi's uniqueness.
Or perhaps...the lingering influence of Rin Tohsaka refused to bear witness to a mortal world turned into a scorched wasteland filled with corpses.
"I'd better give the Netherworld Goddess a heads-up..."
With that thought, Ishtar-Rin finally departed from Uruk.
---
Meanwhile, inside the room.
After her exit, a long silence descended.
No one spoke. On the surface, it appeared as worry.
Yet in truth, Rovi was deep in contemplation, trying to decide...
Exactly how should I stage my dramatic death?
Would it be better to challenge the Bull of Heaven or Humbaba alone?
Or perhaps...he should fully incarnate himself as the [Key of Heaven], and meet a different sort of demise?
What could Rovi be thinking...? Enkidu blinked softly, uncertain of what to say when Rovi remained silent.
Quietly, Enkidu extended a slender hand, gently clasping Rovi's palm.
Startled back to reality by the sensation of soft warmth brushing his fingers, Rovi turned—and found Enkidu's flawless face startlingly close, jade-green eyes shimmering like starlight, ruby lips slightly parted in gentle reassurance.
Enkidu...?
What's she doing...?
The young "vizier" couldn't immediately process the situation.
Instinctively, his gaze drifted downward, inadvertently tracing through the translucent folds of her pristine robes—catching glimpses of fair, supple curves beneath. Her slim waist dipped gracefully into slender hips, and her long legs, smooth and delicate, gently shifted toward him, offering an intimate view of a hidden, captivating landscape.
The sight was breathtakingly beautiful,
yet oddly comforting.
"Rovi, it's alright. There's no need to worry," Enkidu murmured earnestly, clasping his hand firmly. Her voice was warm and reassuring. "We'll definitely win."
"No matter what happens...I'll always stand beside you."
"After all, we're friends, aren't we?"
I don't recall having any friends like this before… Rovi cast a sidelong glance at the tempting softness mere inches away.
Of course, the worldly-innocent Enkidu had no impure thoughts—she was genuinely concerned, assuming Rovi was worried about the gods' impending assault.
"Bwahahaha, exactly right!" Gilgamesh laughed heartily. One had to admit, there was something magnetic in that laughter—either aggravating or oddly comforting.
Lounging in his chair, arms crossed, Gilgamesh's crimson eyes glinted sharply beneath his golden hair.
"As recognition for the honor of fighting by my side, this king grants you the privilege of being named my friends!" Gilgamesh declared grandly. "From now on, this king will not permit anyone to harm his companions!"
"Siduri!" he shouted abruptly.
"I'm here, my King!" responded a clear voice from outside. Siduri stepped into the room with graceful composure, her veil fluttering lightly.
After a day's rest, the young vizier looked considerably refreshed.
"Tell them what preparations I've already made!" Gilgamesh waved his hand dismissively.
"Understood!" Siduri diligently carried out her duty—though from Rovi's perspective, she was more like Gilgamesh's caretaker, tirelessly managing his endless whims.
"Following the king's orders, I've dispatched scouts east and west," Siduri began, glancing briefly toward Gilgamesh for approval. "The king's wisdom foretold that if the Bull of Heaven and Humbaba appear, they'll manifest in these two locations."
"The East—where the sun rises—is the place of divine beginnings. The West—where the sun sets—is the boundary close to death."
"As supreme divine and demonic beasts, both require substantial mana-rich environments to materialize suitable physical forms. These two places are ideal."
"The moment either appears, our scouts will report immediately."
"And meanwhile—"
"And meanwhile," Gilgamesh continued, "this king has dispatched envoys to the Temple Priests, delivering my response to their gods—that I am considering their demands."
"Those decaying fools will undoubtedly believe it, temporarily easing the strength behind the beasts' manifestations."
"So this buys us more preparation time, right?" Surprisingly, it was Enkidu who smoothly finished the thought rather than Rovi.
"Precisely! As expected of a companion acknowledged by this king!" Gilgamesh affirmed confidently. Seeing Rovi still deep in thought, he continued regardless, "Though both are formidable, Humbaba—imprisoned by the gods deep in the dark forests atop celestial mountains—is far more troublesome than the Bull of Heaven."
"So this king proposes—we defeat the Bull first, then deal with Humbaba afterward."
"Though this king loathes to admit it, even one as magnificent as myself—alongside companions worthy of my radiance—will find both beasts challenging. Hence, I'm also seeking alliances to divide and weaken the gods!"
"Those rotting fools were never truly united!"
For instance, the Sun God Shamash—Gilgamesh's grandfather—opposed Anu, the current ruler of Heaven.
And Gilgamesh's mother, the all-knowing goddess, could also be leveraged.
Indeed, Gilgamesh's strategic clarity was impeccable, utterly befitting the ruler of a nation—
If only he'd cut back on the arrogance...he'd be quite reliable.
Yet Rovi's thoughts wandered in another direction.
According to Gilgamesh's plans, they still had time. The young Uruk king believed careful preparations could yield victory against these beasts.
But this wasn't what Rovi wanted.
After several failed attempts at courting death, Rovi had finally learned his lesson.
If you want a spectacular death, you must first achieve something spectacular!
Having received Ereshkigal's protection, normal methods of death no longer applied. Therefore, at this instant, his thoughts no longer lingered on the beasts.
Instead, he aimed higher.
A direct, definitive showdown with those arrogant gods who believed they held dominion over everything.
Previously impossible...
Even now, difficult with just the three of them.
Yet, if he could unite all the forces on the Mesopotamian plain, gathering the strength of the entire ancient civilization...then add their trio, plus the Netherworld goddess Ereshkigal's support—
Maybe it was achievable.
Faced with annihilation, humanity would surely unite.
The Bull of Heaven and Humbaba were perfectly suited catalysts for this unity.
Turning this crisis into an advantage was indeed possible.
Yes.
At this moment, what Rovi sought was to use the [Key of Heaven] as the gate, the [Chains of Heaven] as the cord, and the [Wedge of Heaven] as the path, wielding the combined might of mortals and the Netherworld.
To accomplish what had never before been done:
Shaking the heavens to their very foundations.
Dragging the gods themselves down into the dirt.