"…"
Seated on the throne in Uruk's divine tower, Gilgamesh gazed at Roy through the mirror, his expression somber.
The prior tension between them made the atmosphere awkward.
Gilgamesh admitted he'd been overly emotional, driven by prolonged stress and responsibility, leading to irrational behavior.
As a worthy king, he wouldn't shy from his mistakes.
Apologizing to a commoner was tough for him, but with an equal, it was simpler.
He'd often apologized to Enkidu after upsetting him in the past.
Roy, however, wasn't bothered.
His unilateral use of the Third Magic to transform thousands would've tested anyone's patience.
He found Gilgamesh's anger understandable and accepted his apology calmly.
Neither was petty or clung to the past. With a nod, they began discussing details.
Siduri and Quetzalcoatl, watching their reconciliation, sighed in relief.
They stayed silent, listening to Roy's account.
Quetzalcoatl, however, bristled slightly seeing her old rival, Tezcatlipoca, beside Roy at the fire.
"Hey, what are you two doing sitting by a fire in broad daylight? Is it cold today?"
Ishtar zeroed in on an odd detail.
Roy glanced at Tezcatlipoca, unsure of the fire's purpose but sensing his companion preferred the ambiance.
"Probably for the mood…"
"Mood?"
Roy nodded, avoiding further debate with Ishtar, and began recounting his observations and plans.
Some time later,
"So, those damned Demon God Pillars are audacious enough to target Tiamat, are they?"
Confirming Roy's intel aligned with Ishtar's, Gilgamesh fell into thought.
Propping his chin, he nodded after brief reflection.
"If that's the case, I understand. If the Mother of Genesis returns at full strength, our chances are slim. I'll deploy suitable forces to assault the Blood Fort Andromeda. We can't let them succeed."
"Master, need my strength? Don't worry, I'm ready."
Grasping the situation, Quetzalcoatl brimmed with enthusiasm, eager to fight at Roy's command.
"Yes, I'll need you soon. I'll use a Command Spell to summon you and Ishtar to my side."
"No problem, I'm on standby."
Quetzalcoatl flexed her arms, signaling readiness.
"I grasp your plan, and it seems sound, but…"
Gilgamesh pointed at the mirror, where Ereshkigal, wearing a construction helmet, was shifting the Underworld toward Uruk, shouting, "What's she up to?! Are you moving the Underworld beneath my Uruk?!"
"Huh? Me? King Gilgamesh? Oh, and Roy… Roy!"
Spotting Roy, Ereshkigal dropped her shovel, bounding over excitedly. "Master! I'm so glad you contacted me. Don't worry, I'm nearly done with your task. Uruk's relocation is halfway complete. Two more days, and…"
Her amber eyes sparkled, her expression like a small animal craving praise.
"Good work, Ereshkigal."
Roy didn't stint on praise for the diligent, dutiful goddess.
Especially seeing Merlin behind her, frantically digging with a magic wand.
"Merlin?"
"Oh! Roy!! Thank goodness, you found me! Save me, I'm enslaved by the Underworld goddess!"
Hearing Roy, Merlin froze, then scrambled to the mirror, tearfully pleading.
"Wait, you idiot, your snot's on the mirror!"
Ereshkigal kicked Merlin away.
"What's going on, Ereshkigal? Why's Merlin there?"
"Well… Merlin saw Miss Ereshkigal among the flowers, teased her, and got locked up as a laborer."
Mash and Ritsuka, suddenly appearing, explained.
Their original mission was to find Ishtar and bribe her with Gilgamesh's jewels, but they found her temple empty.
Returning to Uruk, Gilgamesh gave new orders: Merlin was to lead them to the Underworld to retrieve souls taken by Ereshkigal and search for the Tablet of Destinies in Kur.
With Uruk's ample forces, Gilgamesh wasn't as overworked as in the original timeline.
Sensing the Underworld's call, he resisted Ereshkigal's summons with his demi-god willpower.
But when Merlin and Chaldea reached Kur and the Underworld, they just missed Roy and Ishtar.
Entering the Underworld, Mash and Ritsuka saw a white sun and endless flower fields, doubting if they'd come to the right place.
Even Chaldea's Dr. Roman was shocked by the Underworld's transformation, finding no records of a sun in Sumerian myth.
Then Merlin, the old rogue, saw Ereshkigal working diligently in the flower sea and, thinking her gullible, tried flirting with her…
The result: Ereshkigal detained him to help relocate the Underworld.
Mash, Ritsuka, and Ana felt no pity for Merlin.
They even thought he deserved it. After learning Ereshkigal had freed the souls, they went to Kur to search for the Tablet, leaving Merlin to dig.
"Merlin… what can I even say? Your guts are unreal, flirting with a goddess…"
"I couldn't help it! How could I not be charmed by such a beautiful Underworld flower? But…"
Merlin glanced at Ereshkigal, giddy since seeing Roy, sighing helplessly. "You beat me to it, you heartbreaker. Watch out for those two back home with their hatchets!"
"You've got no right to call me a heartbreaker, you creep."
Unwilling to argue, Roy instructed Ereshkigal, "Keep Merlin locked up as a laborer, he's useless free. Also, the Underworld relocation needs two more days, right?"
"No! Who works overtime in the Underworld?!" Merlin wailed.
"Yes, two days should do it."
"Got it."
Roy nodded.
Scrutinizing Ereshkigal, he confirmed something troubling her had vanished.
The Three Goddess Alliance oath no longer bound her.
"Was it King Hassan?"
"King Hassan?" Ereshkigal blinked, then answered nervously, "You mean the old man calling himself Ziusudra? He appeared suddenly and struck me with his sword."
"I couldn't react, thought I was dead. But after the strike, I was unharmed, and the oath was severed."
Ziusudra… the Sumerian flood survivor's name, King Hassan's alias.
So the old man had acted?
"You okay, Ereshkigal?" Roy asked, concerned.
"I'm fine, don't worry."
Ereshkigal beamed at his concern. "I'm strongest in the Underworld. That old man's strike left a shadow, but I'm okay."
"Thanks to Ziusudra, I'm free of the oath. I can do more than support, I can fight by your side."
"And he said he'd help at the decisive moment."
"He promised to help?"
"Yes, why?"
"Nothing, just relieved. Good work, Ereshkigal."
"Hehe… I didn't do much."
King Hassan's aid eased Roy's mind.
With the old man's help, Tiamat's immortality wouldn't be an issue.
Though the Seventh Singularity was dire, two Grand Servants kept it manageable.
"Hey, enough flirting, mongrel. I don't meddle in your love life, but shouldn't you explain your hidden plans? Moving the Underworld under Uruk with the goddess, what's that about?"
"Like your plan, or that Servant hiding so long, say, the Grand Berserker beside you?"
"Haha, my cue?"
Tezcatlipoca rose from the plain's rock, taking the mirror from Roy and greeting Gilgamesh.
"First meeting, King of Heroes. I've heard of your deeds while racing across this land. I'm a Servant summoned by my Master, crossing time and space with a Grand Saint Graph, tasked with facing that Beast, the original sin left by your Sumerian gods."
"The ultimate calamity hidden at the sea's end."
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