Episode 232: The Priestess · Big Sister Departure
『 "Mash, let's do this!" Fujimaru Ritsuka's voice rang out in the air, his tone filled with determination and courage.
"Mash, by my Command Spell, I order you." There was no hesitation in Fujimaru Ritsuka's words, as if he were executing a plan decided long ago.
At this moment, the Command Spells on the back of Fujimaru Ritsuka's hand began to flicker incessantly. The complex and mysterious symbols emitted a dazzling light, declaring that he was unleashing some kind of power with all his might.
"Protect the dignity, the choice, and the will of the Goddess Ereshkigal!" This was the order he gave to Mash, and also his most sincere sentiment toward Ereshkigal.
Upon receiving the call of the Command Spell, Mash's entire Spirit Origin form was equipped almost instantly, ready to face everything that was about to come.
"Manifest yourself, LORD CAMELOT—!"
⦍Now is a Castle of Distant Ideals⦎
Mash roared out the phrase, then slammed her massive shield violently against the ground.
Accompanying her shout, countless walls suddenly rose from the ground, forming a gigantic barrier that protected everyone.
"BOOM—!"
A loud noise resounded through the clouds; it was the sound of battle erupting.
In the standoff between the two, Ereshkigal gradually fell to a disadvantage. Although her attacks were powerful, she could not break through the defense erected by Mash.
"BANG—!"
With the sound of a massive explosion, the terrifying pile of white bones instantly vanished without a trace, replaced by a woman whose appearance closely resembled Ishtar standing there.
This transformation shocked everyone present.
Ereshkigal finally revealed her true face at this moment. No longer appearing before everyone as the Queen of the Dead, she had reverted to a form much closer to that of an ordinary human.
Under Fujimaru Ritsuka's tireless efforts and patient persuasion, Ereshkigal finally agreed to become a part of Uruk's combat force.
This decision not only signified a major turning point in Ereshkigal's attitude but also marked the complete rupture of the so-called alliance between the Three Goddesses. What awaited them in the future was an even more unknown path. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail): "That god on the other side actually joined our side too." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "That's great! Now our combat power is even stronger." ]
[ Mash Kyrielight (Type-Moon): "Yes, it's wonderful, Senpai." ]
[ Fujimaru Ritsuka (Type-Moon): "Very good. Like this, we should be able to complete this Singularity very quickly." ]
[ Fujimaru Ritsuka (Type-Moon): "Our goal can also be advanced further." ]
[ Kiryu Sento (Kamen Rider): "Congratulations." ]
[ Belial (Ultraman): "Are things that couldn't be done before suddenly achievable because someone joined that side?" ]
[ Ultraman Ken (Ultraman): "Belial!" ]
[ .....]
『 "It looks like our team's combat power has improved again, King Gilgamesh," Fujimaru Ritsuka said, turning to Gilgamesh, who was watching the changes quietly from the side.
Hearing this, a trace of a satisfied smile appeared on Gilgamesh's face, and he nodded slightly to show his approval: "Fujimaru Ritsuka, you have done very well."
"Thank you for the King's praise! This way, we'll have a better chance of winning when facing Gorgon," Fujimaru Ritsuka responded with a smile, his heart filled with gratitude, while also fully prepared for the upcoming great battle.
After the group returned to Uruk, they immediately began planning the strategy to resist Gorgon.
After a series of complicated and detailed preparations, the appointed day finally arrived as scheduled.
Fujimaru Ritsuka and his party decided to take the initiative. Instead of waiting for Gorgon to come and attack, they chose to actively set out to find this powerful enemy and engage in the final decisive battle.
However, in this fierce battle, at the very last moment, Ana chose to perish together with Gorgon, losing her Spirit Origin along with her.
Her sacrifice bought precious time for her teammates.
Just at this critical juncture, Kingu, who arrived a step too late, unexpectedly discovered the dead Gorgon and Ana lying on the ground.
Through this scene, Kingu's identity was finally confirmed—it was she who harbored the crucial Holy Grail within her body.
But at this moment, everyone was plunged into even greater confusion…
"Why, since Gorgon has been eliminated, does the Singularity, which should have vanished, still exist?"
Then, immediately after, shocking news came from Chaldea: "The Mesopotamian world is experiencing a spatial rupture phenomenon!"
Unexpectedly, at this tense moment, the originally spirited Merlin suddenly felt weak and collapsed feebly just like that.
Merlin struggled to speak his thoughts, "This is bad… so things have developed to this point…"
As he gradually regained clarity, Merlin understood that everything was actually proceeding according to the opponent's plan. In this process of open strife and veiled struggle, it was obvious that Kingu had held the advantage and won the victory.
But unfortunately… even knowing the truth now, it was already too late.
It turned out that the Dreamlike Charisma magic Merlin had once cast only briefly delayed Tiamat's awakening;
And because Gorgon, who possessed the powerful authority of the "Mother of Demonic Beasts," had died, Tiamat naturally reawakened.
Only then did everyone realize that Gorgon was actually just a substitute, a tool to divert everyone's attention. Unfortunately, this discovery came too late.
This meant that the real decisive battle had only just begun.
The power that could devour the foundation of human civilization, known as one of the "Seven Deadly Sins," the existence representing the primordial life form—the Beast of Original Sin, Beast II, had officially made its appearance.
Not only that, but with Tiamat's resurrection came an endless stream of new demonic beasts, their numbers constantly increasing.
And Merlin himself completely disappeared, leaving behind only a huge question mark.
At this moment, the situation had truly become extremely dire; one could even say there was no room for maneuver.
However, this was not the full extent of the disaster. According to reports from the distant base at Chaldea, the city of Uruk had been successfully invaded by the army of demonic beasts.
Upon receiving the emergency notification, Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others responded quickly: immediately stop all activities at hand and rush back to Uruk as soon as possible to aid the residents in resisting the demonic beast invaders.
When the team returned to the skies above Uruk, which was covered in dark clouds, they saw black mud beginning to spread, and tens of thousands of demonic beasts recklessly destroying the ancient city. A deep sense of despair shrouded the hearts of every survivor.
Uruk… was burning.
The fires of Uruk soared into the sky, the flames seeming as if they would swallow the entire city.
The soldiers also immediately recovered from their shock, quickly adjusted their state, and launched a counterattack against the demonic beasts.
Fujimaru Ritsuka and his companions also returned to the city at this time, beginning the tense and dangerous work of protecting the safety of the citizens.
But… the massive disadvantage in both individual combat power and numbers made them feel a despair they had never felt before.
Every step of the battle seemed incredibly difficult, as if every step was leading into a dark abyss.
Despite this, those originally ferocious demonic beasts suddenly all retreated. This unexpected change left people in brief confusion.
However, Uruk at this moment was still shrouded in chaos and panic, and the depths of the residents' hearts were still filled with fear and unease.
Inside the temple, the atmosphere was unusually heavy. Gilgamesh, Fujimaru Ritsuka, and the others were gathered before the magnificent yet heavy throne, urgently discussing the various preparations needed for the war ahead.
Only… unlike the previous gatherings, this meeting gave a feeling of inexplicable absence, as if some important existence was missing.
However, in this environment fraught with urgent danger, everyone focused their attention on the imminent matters, and no one immediately noticed this unusual point. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Oyama Mahiro (Onimai): "Is something abnormal? Hasn't that King or whatever been rescued?" ]
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "Yeah, exactly." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "But, I just feel like something isn't quite right." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "But I can't quite put my finger on it." ]
[ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail): "Oh right, it seems like someone is missing." ]
[ Shinomiya Kaguya (Love Is War): "..." ]
[ .....]
『 Until…
"Siduri… no, Captain."
When he heard Gilgamesh switch the form of address almost unconsciously, even though the change was very fast and subtle, it did not escape Fujimaru Ritsuka's sharp eyes, making him sense the unusualness hidden within.
Doubts involuntarily rose in Fujimaru Ritsuka's heart, "??"
At this time, he began to feel a slight wariness.
Siduri had always been assisting the King in handling various affairs. At this critical moment, her figure had actually disappeared without a trace.
This made the always attentive Fujimaru Ritsuka sense a hint that something was wrong.
"Captain… henceforth, refer to that group of mass-produced monsters as the Lahmu, and convey this to all relevant departments."
Once these words came out, the heaviness in Fujimaru Ritsuka's heart deepened even further.
Although on the surface, Gilgamesh still maintained his usual calm and composed attitude, trying to cover up the fact that Siduri was no longer there, this did not fool Fujimaru Ritsuka, who had experienced countless life-and-death trials. An indescribable confusion gradually spread in his heart.
As the Captain agreed and left the temple, Fujimaru Ritsuka slowly walked forward, and Gilgamesh's face also slowly turned toward Fujimaru Ritsuka.
"What is it… Fujimaru Ritsuka, do you have something you want to say to this King?"
Gilgamesh's tone was still as calm and unhurried as ever.
But…
Today's Gilgamesh was behaving extremely abnormally.
For a moment, the temple was filled with a subtle atmosphere. This atmosphere seemed to condense into a heavy pressure, slowly settling upon Fujimaru Ritsuka's chest.
"King… Miss Siduri… where is she…?"
Unexpectedly, Gilgamesh acted as if he hadn't heard, continuing to discuss tactical issues with others in a serious manner.
"Hmm… let's talk about how the remaining forces can better deal with the Lahmu…"
However, the more he pretended not to know anything, the more abnormal it appeared. Now, everyone realized this and began to get nervous.
"King! Where is Siduri right now!"
Thinking of the worst possible scenario, Fujimaru Ritsuka's heart shook violently, and his voice involuntarily rose a few octaves. His excitement was obvious enough to drown out Gilgamesh's voice.
"….."
After a moment of awkward silence, facing this brave and straightforward young man, Gilgamesh finally spoke slowly to answer:
"Regarding the matter of Siduri… in order to ensure the safe evacuation of the residents within Uruk, she was unfortunately abducted by the enemy Lahmu and taken to the ancient city of Eridu. That is the situation."
When the fact he feared most deeply in his heart was confirmed, Fujimaru Ritsuka's heart instantly became even more anxious and restless.
"Something like this… why didn't you tell us sooner!"
"Such an important matter....."
At this time, Ishtar, who had been standing aside listening quietly to the conversation, also frowned, showing strong dissatisfaction; meanwhile, Fujimaru Ritsuka shouted with almost all his strength at the King, who sat high above, expressionless.
"Because under the current situation, there is no time to care about the safety of any single individual. Rather than wasting this precious time discussing how to rescue an innocent civilian, we should be discussing how to effectively formulate a strategic policy to counter the enemy."
Facing the aggressive questioning, Gilgamesh, whose posture had never wavered in the slightest, responded calmly and composedly.
"Or perhaps, Fujimaru Ritsuka, are you questioning the rationality of this King's decision?" 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Tokiwa Sougo (Kamen Rider): "Did this first King also make a decision like this?" ]
[ Woz (Kamen Rider): "This is the decisiveness required of a King, my Demon King." ]
[ Tokiwa Sougo (Kamen Rider): "…" ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "But, but, doing this… why?" ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "That person was clearly someone close to him." ]
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "In a war, everyone must give their all." ]
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "Including the higher-ups." ]
[ .....]
『 "Of course, we have to go save her!" Fujimaru Ritsuka showed no fear, resolutely speaking his mind.
"Tsk…"
Hearing Fujimaru Ritsuka's words, Gilgamesh couldn't help but reveal an expression of impatience. The determination and persistence revealed in that voice made him feel a complex emotion.
And in his heart, a gradually forming thought slowly surfaced.
Yes… We should go save Siduri.
But… it is not that simple…
Just then, scenes from not long ago slowly surfaced in Gilgamesh's mind.
" In the memories of the past "
"King! We are short-handed… like this, there is no way to evacuate the citizens."
The Captain reported the situation truthfully, and at this moment, Uruk seemed to have fallen into an unprecedented predicament.
The soldier standing before Gilgamesh shook his head helplessly, but still looked at him firmly. However…
The voice Gilgamesh was most familiar with rang out at this moment.
"King… let me go…"
Siduri turned her head resolutely, looking at Gilgamesh sitting on the throne with a determined gaze.
"I forbid it! Siduri!"
As the King of Uruk, after hearing Siduri's words, Gilgamesh's voice unconsciously rose a few degrees, even startling her. He rarely revealed a trace of nervous expression.
Siduri quickly sensed Gilgamesh's unusualness, then stopped looking him in the eye, simply lowering her head silently.
If that's the case… ah…
The King who possesses eyes that can foresee the future, has he already foreseen my future…
At this moment, such a thought involuntarily welled up in Siduri's heart.
Then… no matter how I struggle… I will eventually die like that…
In that case…
As if she had made up her mind, Siduri slowly raised her head and returned a gentle smile to Gilgamesh.
Even… even if I know my future, I must do everything I can before then.
At this moment, the two just looked at each other gently. Through each other's eyes, they seemed to be recounting feelings that could not be put into words.
"Is that so… go then…"
Sensing Siduri's determination, Gilgamesh forced himself to calm down, trying his best not to let his emotions show.
"Then."
Siduri took one last look at Gilgamesh sitting on the throne and nodded slightly.
"Thank you… King…"
"Your subject takes her leave…"
Siduri… still turned and left… leaving the temple where she had worked for half her life, and leaving the Uruk she loved deeply.
Gilgamesh sat on the throne just like that, staring blankly in the direction Siduri had gone, watching the assistant who had always been by his side slowly disappear into the corridor.
Siduri.
The last person accompanying the King… had finally departed too…. 』
『 .....』
( Translator-kun: ..... Incoming knife )