A golden sword-shadow swallowed Ereshkigal's figure in an instant.
This colossal golden blade, which seemed to connect heaven and earth, had now appeared before Gilgamesh for the third time, yet only now did he truly observe it up close.
The sensation of death breathing down his neck made his hair stand on end.
He was certain—this power did not belong to this world, but came from somewhere beyond it.
Then he remembered: the Phoenix Celestial was, after all, a Heroic Spirit born from fictional tales, and that thought eased his mind somewhat.
Still… that was the scent of imaginary space. This could turn troublesome…
At the same time—
Down on the ground, Merlin, who had been watching the battle with an easy expression, suddenly paled. The backlash striking his true self was now affecting this illusionary projection as well.
The Herrscher of Sentience and Quetzalcoatl both sensed the disturbance and broke off their own fight, strolling over casually.
Neither held much fondness for Merlin. Seeing him injured stirred no sympathy in them, and they quickly fell into discussing their recent spar.
"I'm surprised—you haven't existed long, yet you're plenty strong. I wonder what the Phoenix would look like going all out," Quetzalcoatl remarked with a smile.
"You're not so bad yourself," the Herrscher of Sentience puffed out her chest, offering a compliment before quickly adding, "For someone so ancient, you've held up well. But let's be clear—when it comes to martial arts, your wrestling can't hold a candle to our Taixu Swordplay."
She paused, then added proudly, "And don't get the wrong idea—I'm nothing like that old fossil. If she and I fought, who's to say who'd come out on top?"
"Oh? True enough, I suppose. You are her, after all—just another side of her."
Quetzalcoatl nodded thoughtfully.
"Hey! I am not her!"
The Herrscher of Sentience shuddered in protest. "I was going to be generous—you only lost by thirty moves, but I was gonna let you tell people it was fifty! Now you get the honest count, no discounts!"
"I don't really mind," Quetzalcoatl replied, her smile unchanging.
She wasn't limited to wrestling, of course. Though each stroke of the Taixu Swordsmanship was exquisitely refined, she was a deity who had stood at the world's peak for millennia—her skills were equally profound, honed to a state of pure simplicity.
This bout had felt less like a true contest and more like she was simply cutting loose and having fun.
So she didn't much care about who won or lost—it was just refreshing to go all out.
"You two!"
Merlin's strained voice cut through their chatter. "Find Ana! Deal with the Demonic Beast Goddess! There's no time left!"
"!"
Quetzalcoatl understood instantly. "I see… so you really are just an illusionary double!"
"It would be best if the Axe of Marduk remains intact, but Kingu will surely try to destroy it. In that case… I must stay in Uruk…" Her expression darkened, and she turned to the Herrscher of Sentience.
"How confident are you against the Demonic Beast Goddess?"
It wasn't that she couldn't defeat Gorgon herself.
Even with the Three Goddess Alliance pact's backlash, her divine power was great enough to force a victory. But her strength would be crucial in the crises to come—she couldn't afford to waste it recklessly.
So she had to place her hopes in the Herrscher of Sentience.
"Hah? Are you looking down on me?"
The Herrscher of Sentience scowled. "There's no 'confidence' needed against someone like her. Beating her would be a piece of cake."
"But she possesses a top-tier immortality. It's best to bring Ana along," Quetzalcoatl nodded, then dashed off toward Uruk. "I'll leave that side to you, then!"
Merlin's body had already begun dissolving into spirit particles, his face a mask of strain. "Ana should be near Nippur… I can still maintain the illusion restraining Tiamat for a while, but beyond that… I'm afraid I can't be of any more help."
The Herrscher of Sentience almost snapped that she didn't need assistance, but on second thought, she really didn't have a way to deal with immortality.
If she could get her hands on that noisy, flashy Noble Phantasm, maybe she could give it a shot.
"Fine, fine. The great Herrscher of Sentience is no rigid fool. I'll take the kid along. I don't really get what's going on, but you—try not to die too quickly, alright?" Though still somewhat confused, she didn't press further.
A fight was a fight, and she hadn't had her fill yet anyway.
Watching the two depart, Merlin coughed up another mouthful of blood.
"The backlash is worse than I imagined… Just what is happening in imaginary space?"
--+--
On a lush, vibrant island.
Countless humans and animals played and frolicked everywhere, their lively noises and movements filling the air. The whole island teemed with a vitality that defied belief.
This was an illusion.
Amber, who wielded the Fenghuang Down, immediately recognized the unreality of this place.
As she observed the beings around her—who noticed her but soon returned to their own affairs—she walked steadily toward the heart of the island, the core of this illusory realm.
"A song?"
A faint, elusive melody grew clearer as Amber advanced. The dense forest gradually thinned, opening into a wide, grassy clearing.
Unlike the rest of the island, this meadow was serene—not because it was empty of life, but because all the creatures were sitting together, dozing or listening intently to the woman seated at the center, singing.
There were no lyrics, no instruments—only a pure voice that seemed to convey the singer's very heart.
It was joyful, yet sorrowful; tender, yet filled with a resolve ready to sever all ties with the world at any moment.
The singer was a woman with massive horns and long blue hair. Amber recognized her: Tiamat, the Mother Goddess of the Earth, the creator deity of Mesopotamia, affectionately called "Tia Mama" by some.
Noticing Amber, Tiamat stopped singing and turned her gaze to the "intruder."
Her face instantly bloomed into a smile—like a mother spotting a long-lost child returning home. Though Amber had never seen such an expression before, she felt sure: this being loved her deeply.
"Tiamat…"
"Come… here…"
Tiamat's words were slow and somewhat unclear, yet Amber felt no impatience. However long it took for her to speak, Amber was willing to wait quietly.
Why am I here? Why is Tiamat here? And just where is this place?
These questions flitted through her mind, but she still stepped forward until she stood before Tiamat.
The woman seated on the grass, her expression overflowing with tenderness, tried to rise, but her massive horns made it difficult to find her balance.
Without thinking, Amber reached out to support her, then waited for her next move.
"Good… child…" As if it were the most natural thing in the world to be helped by someone she'd just met, Tiamat's smile grew even more maternal. She reached out and gently touched Amber's cheek. "Do not… fear…"
"Mother… will… be out… soon…"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.