Chapter 66: The Holy Grail is Obtained!
At this moment, Kingu exuded an aura that made everyone present tremble with trepidation.
With her absolute power, there was no one in this place who could hope to defeat her—not even Gilgamesh himself.
Though she was not the original Enkidu, Gilgamesh was also no longer the tyrannical king of the distant past.
Vwoom—
All around the Ziggurat, golden ripples began to manifest in the air. In an instant, countless lengths of the Chains of Heaven emerged from every direction, weaving through the space like divine serpents.
With just a single thought from Kingu, these chains would erupt, skewering everyone present in a heartbeat.
Seeing the sheer density of the Chains of Heaven surrounding them, Gilgamesh let out a small, heavy sigh. He slowly withdrew the magical staff he had summoned from the Gate of Babylon.
If a full-scale battle were to break out here, Uruk would undoubtedly be reduced to ash. For the sake of his people who still drew breath, he could not afford to go on the offensive.
Furthermore, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash could not be allowed to die here. While he hadn't fully acknowledged them yet, there was no denying that they were the ones currently shoulder-to-back in the fight to save human history.
Six Singularities had already been resolved by the pair; such an achievement was an indelible fact that could not be erased.
"Gilgamesh, hand over the Holy Grail, or Uruk becomes history."
Kingu's words were bone-chillingly cold. To make matters worse, the opponent possessed a face that was a ninety percent match to his own dearest friend. The sensation left Gilgamesh feeling deeply unsettled, yet he was backed into a corner with no other choice.
"You already possess a Holy Grail and have offered it to our Mother to aid her awakening. Why do you still seek another? Is it for the magical energy?"
"No. This is something Onii-chan wants," Kingu replied. "And right now, Onii-chan is in a state of danger. I must obtain this Holy Grail for him."
"Danger? What happened to him?"
"After Mother awakened, her consciousness became blurred; she is acting solely on instinct. Onii-chan was severely injured while helping her."
"Her consciousness is blurred? You mean to say... Goddess Tiamat was being controlled?"
"No one can control Mother," Kingu snapped. "She was simply trapped by a coward."
The coward she spoke of was none other than Goetia.
For Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash, this was unexpected information. They hadn't imagined that Tiamat had been ensnared by 'Solomon.' If that were the case, was there a possibility of making her an ally?
This wasn't just a flight of fancy for Ritsuka. Looking back at their journey across the eras:
* First Singularity: Orleans
* Second Singularity: Septem
* Third Singularity: Okeanos
* Fourth Singularity: London
* Fifth Singularity: E Pluribus Unum
* Sixth Singularity: Camelot
In each of those six Singularities, whether they were humans, Heroic Spirits, gods, or other existences, they had all eventually formed a bond with Fujimaru Ritsuka.
In this world, if they could somehow pull the Mother Goddess of the Earth to their side, it would be an overwhelming advantage.
"Now then, Gilgamesh. Give me your answer."
As Kingu's voice trailed off, the tips of the Chains of Heaven adjusted their aim, pointing directly at Gilgamesh's heart. If he refused, Kingu would strike without a second thought.
"Since he was injured while stopping 'Goddess Tiamat,' then Uruk considers itself in his debt. Using a single Holy Grail to settle that score is only fair."
Hummmm—
Behind Gilgamesh, within a shimmering golden ripple, a 'great cup' slowly drifted outward.
The Holy Grail of Uruk had finally appeared. With a casual toss from Gilgamesh, the artifact fell directly into Kingu's waiting hands.
The suddenness of it left Kingu slightly stunned. It had happened far too easily.
One had to remember that the Three Goddess Alliance had spent over half a year trying to seize Gilgamesh's Holy Grail to no avail, and yet here it was, handed over without a struggle.
Kingu, who had been fully prepared for a bloody battle, found herself momentarily confused about what to do next.
"So, now that you have the Holy Grail, is there anything else you require?"
Despite having surrendered the treasure of Uruk, Gilgamesh immediately began to see his guest out—though Kingu wasn't exactly a welcome guest.
Kingu looked down at the 'great cup' in her hands, said nothing, and began to hover into the air.
"Lord Kingu, then we shall..."
"Withdraw. Currently, Onii-chan is still unconscious. Waiting for his orders is the only thing you need to do."
"Understood, Lord Kingu..."
After casting a long, deep look at Mash, General Ikazuki slowly sank into the shifting shadows of the floor.
At the same moment, in the eight corners of Uruk, the eight generals standing guard also submerged into the darkness, followed by the entire Shadow Legion as they retreated in unison.
"Consider yourself lucky, King of Uruk. According to the original plan, Uruk and the entire world of Mesopotamia were to be swallowed by Mother's Chaos Tide. But because of Onii-chan, that plan has been halted."
"You mean... Goddess Tiamat will not consume this world?"
"Assuming nothing unexpected occurs, yes. Onii-chan has no intention of letting Mother take over this world. Instead, he wishes to create a new world with her—a world where she will never be abandoned again."
"..."
Hearing Kingu's parting words, Gilgamesh fell silent. He understood exactly what she meant.
Thousands of years ago in the primordial age, as the goddess of creation and the mother of all life, Tiamat was opposed by her own children and ultimately slain.
Her body was split in two to create the current heavens and earth, and after she had been used for her purpose, she was exiled from this world entirely.
Gilgamesh, possessing the gift of Clairvoyance, understood the deep-seated sorrow of that mother all too well.
Kingu departed, but she left behind a wealth of information.
Having secured the 'great cup,' Kingu immediately sped off toward the Persian Gulf, for that was where Akira and Tiamat were located.
Meanwhile, beneath the dark, deep sea...
Within the depths, there was a specialized, isolated area. Inside, a man and a woman resided together.
Tiamat, in her role as the mother, was gently stroking Akira's hair. A certain part of her massive form was currently held in Akira's mouth.
Perhaps driven by life's most basic instincts or some other primal reason, Akira was currently absorbing nourishment directly from Tiamat.
Tiamat gazed down at her 'big child' with a feeling of immense happiness. Her desire of many years had finally been fulfilled.
She had found a child who was willing to stay by her side forever—and more importantly, a child who truly cared for her.
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