I hate myself.
Sometimes, I want to strangle myself to death.
——The powerless me, who had no choice but to exile Sita. That is why I am summoned in the form of a boy.
In the form of those days when just thinking of Sita was enough to fulfill me——
Aiming for the conclusion of the Ramayana——a new mythology——
"Now, time is precious. We must treat you precisely and quickly have you perform work befitting your status, or it will hinder our journey."
In a room of a private house, the Great Hero of India, Rama, lies on a bed as golden ripples unfold.
"Ah...! Of course. With just the reinforcements of Gilgamesh, the oldest King of Heroes equivalent to Vishnu's aid, I would have no worries...! Actually, seeing Cú Chulainn chilled me to the bone... but as an ally, there is no one more reassuring. I understand his terror with my own body, after all..."
——King of Heroes, what kind of hero is Rama?
Ea, with her innate curiosity showing on her face, asks the King who is giving him the highest evaluation, wondering about the hero they will soon stand shoulder to shoulder with.
"The King of Kosala, Rama. The gods, having dug their own graves by granting the blessing of invulnerability against all gods to the Demon King Ravana—a habitual practitioner of asceticism and training—were trampled by said Demon King. Unboundedly unsightly and pitiful, they cried to the Supreme God Vishnu, and the existence reincarnated as a human is this hero called Rama. In terms of 'Martial Arts', having fought the Demon King for ten years leading an army of monkeys over his partner called Sita, he is a peerless talent without equal."
——R-Reincarnation of the Supreme God!? A-A hero with a tremendous history...! Amazing!
(Ea's simple impression.)
Fou, just outside the room, sends telepathy.
"Naturally, in his country, he boasts the highest level of fame and popularity. The point he is evaluated on above all is virtue. Praised as the ideal and supreme King who ruled benevolently and valued his people, his passionate and tragic love story with Sita strikes hearts. In India, he possesses peerless valor to the extent that those skilled in martial arts are praised as 'Like Rama'."
——To think such a wonderful person is in such a cruel state...
Although hidden by bandages, his chest has been mercilessly gouged open, a gruesome sight exposing the internal organs beneath the skin. In particular, 90% of his heart has been blown away, turning into a cursed organ sending pain and curses throughout his body.
"It is not as bad as a bucket with the bottom falling out, but if not constantly treated, the collapse of the heart will begin immediately."
『It's the curse of Cú Chulainn's spear, the Demonic Spear of Death Thorns. Normally, it would be strange if he wasn't dead long ago.』
No sooner had Solomon spoken than a gunshot was fired at the monitor.
"Dr. Roman. Please refrain from careless remarks. He is trying to live. Words like 'die' are inappropriate."
Nightingale glares with eyes filled with anger, as if to say she'll kill him if he says it again.
"You are a genius at enraging others. Why did you wish for human emotions?"
The King looks at him with exasperation and pity.
『I'm sorry! B-But it's true, really! He is reversing the fate of death with spirit and will! He is enduring lethal wounds and swallowing the curse with just that aura!』
——Human will has that much power...! Truly amazing! He really possesses a heart befitting a Great Hero!
I can't suppress the excitement in my chest. This is a hero, this is the spirit of one who goes far beyond humans and carves their name in history...!
(We've reached the realm of 'He won't die even if you kill him'. India is truly crazy.)
"Fufu, right? I am amazing... Guh!!"
Just moving slightly causes pain and curses to assault Rama. His face dyes the white of a dead person, and the bandages wrapped around his torso are dyed completely in fresh blood.
"Rama-kun. Rest quietly. You are strictly supposed to have no visitors and be on absolute bed rest."
She slowly lays him down and attaches a respirator.
"Pathetic... but also reasonable... Standing before Cú Chulainn without the will to kill, this was the inevitable outcome..."
"A Mad Dog as expected. ...Collecting the strays quickly was the correct answer."
Snap, he takes out the Curse Removal and Transcription Noble Phantasms from the golden ripples and lines them up nearby.
"Truly good work on the selection of treasures, Ea."
——I am happy if I could be of use to the King! We did it, Fou! We were prai... Ah, right now... he's outside...
(Ah, Ea! I'm sorry!)
Fou is sealed in a rainbow-colored card. However, Ea cannot see it.
"Nightingale. I will now begin the procedure on this fellow. Leave the room."
He gives a short instruction to Nightingale. Nodding, she organizes the set of medical instruments and stands up with discipline.
"I entrust him to you, King of Heroes. Please do not let his desire to 'want to live' come to naught."
"Do not worry. Leave it to the High-Spirited King of Universal Peace."
She bows politely and leaves the room.
"Is this yours? You dropped it."
Whoosh, Nightingale tosses Fou, who had turned into a playing card, over. Gilgamesh catches it with two fingers.
"You thought this through, Beast."
(Nightingale would kill me otherwise. I'm in this sterile room playing card.)
——Welcome back! Fou!
(I'm home, Ea!)
"Now then, shall we get started?"
"...I appreciate it. With this, I too will be able to fight..."
"Before that, there is one thing I must ask you."
Before taking the Noble Phantasm in hand, the King's gaze pierces Rama.
"Ask...?"
Breathing faintly, Rama tilts only his head.
"Ea, for a moment, I shall speak as a King. Step back a little."
——Yes, King. Let those words be spoken freely.
"Umu. My apologies."
She immediately hands full authority to the King and enters semi-dormancy.
"——I have grasped the location of the partner you seek, Sita."
"Is that true!?"
"She is imprisoned in a prison surrounded by the sea, Alcatraz or something. Do not worry, it is the truth. For I have glimpsed it with my own eyes."
Hearing that report, Rama's face fills with relief and joy.
"Ah, Sita...! Finally, I can..."
"You understand best the karma that prevents you from meeting. ——The curse eating away at your body is not cheap."
At the King's point, Rama looks down in sorrow.
"...Yes. The curse of separation that tears me and Sita apart. As long as that exists, I cannot reunite with Sita."
——Curse of separation...?
(It's a curse Rama received in life. A curse shouldered in a battle with a monkey possessing divinity called Hanuman.)
"This fellow cut down an enemy from behind to save his own army's monkey. The enemy monkey's wife, unable to forgive that, spat out, 'Though you save your wife, you shall never share joy with her' as a parting shot."
(Because of that, they are never summoned to the same place. Since the hero 'Rama' includes both Rama and Sita, if one is summoned, it counts as Rama being summoned. Not even the excuse of different classes is allowed. ——Normally, no matter what they do, it is a destiny where they can never meet.)
——I see... Even though they love each other enough to chase for ten years, never...
...If you say it's reaping what you sow, then I suppose it is.
If you say it can't be helped, then I suppose it is.
Even so... that could never be a reason to stop the sadness welling up in my chest.
"Then——why do you fight? To intoxicate yourself reciting tragic love? or to escape into the great cause of saving the world, expecting to meet her by chance?"
"Wh-What are you——! Guh...!"
His injuries stop Rama from baring his fangs and trying to grab him. Groaning as he rolls off the bed, Rama does not avert his gaze.
"If it is for such a trivial reason, I have no need for you. You are not worth using my treasures on. Die right now and begone."
——...
I never interject in the King's words.
He told me he would speak as a King. Interfering with sentimentality is not allowed.
...But, I want to let him lie on the bed...
(Patience, patience.)
"Tell me a motive that convinces me to wield my treasures. Otherwise, you will only die like a dog here."
"——Die..."
At Gilgamesh's words, Rama mutters blankly.
"Die, die... For what do I fight? It is decided. I dedicate this life for the people, for the world, for the future, for the Human Order..."
"——Abandoning the one you love, huh. As a hero, you pass, but it is a choice that results in nothing but a mundane tragic love with no amusement."
"!!!"
Rama collapses in shock.
"That is not it. ...Speak. State your true desire. I, the King, shall hear it. I, the King, shall forgive it."
Bending his knee, the King of Heroes brings his gaze level with Rama.
"State your true wish. A wish based on 'Self-Interest' is what I respect, hear, and grant."
"————I... I want...——"
Shedding tears at those words, he clenches his fist and slams it down.
"——I want to see her! I want to see her! I want to see Sita, to see Sita! Just once is enough, just one more time, I want to walk holding hands! That is all I need!"
Shedding large tears, Rama slams his fist down repeatedly.
"If I can see her, that is all I need! I want to save her, I want to see her! I want to hug her one more time! I want to talk to her, that is my only wish! ——Even though Sita is in this world! Even though I finally, finally! Became certain that I could meet her!"
Like a young boy, he releases the wailing of his soul.
"Without even apologizing for my mistake...! To be separated forever and ever again——! I don't want that——!! Ah, aaaaaah...! Uwaaaaaaah...!!"
『Sita, who was abducted by the enemy for 10 years, has she not lost her purity?』
What awaited the two who returned in triumph after defeating Ravana were the voices of the people doubting Sita's chastity.
She had, of course, protected her chastity. She claimed she was pure.
Rama knew it too. He understood with his very being that she was pure.
...But, shackles tear apart their mutual understanding.
To quell the unbearable suspicion of the people, there was no choice but to exile Sita from the country.
Because unless he did so, he could not convince the country or the people.
『Forgive me, forgive me, Sita. I am powerless, a foolish king.』
Rama grieved and wept continuously on the throne.
『It is fine, it is fine, Rama.』
Sita gently embraced such a Rama.
『I love you. Really, truly. I love you——』
...That was their final parting.
Sita demonstrated her purity, was embraced by the earth, and left this world.
Rama grieved deeply, deeply, and left this world without taking a wife even once in his later years.
Even though they loved each other deeply, deeply. Just as the prophecy said. What awaited them... was a sad separation.
"——That scream. I was waiting for that wailing."
Grinning, the King pours oil on Rama's head.
"Eh...?"
"I shall grant your wish. Shall I not settle your lifelong regret?"
From Rama's body, anointed with the Savior's oil, the curse of the spear vanishes in an instant, becoming treatable.
"King of Heroes...?"
"I am shallow, and yet I prefer greed. Above all, the 'Self-Interest' that produces it is desirable. The shallowness, the dirty desire to live, wanting to embrace a partner even while putting the world aside. ——All of it is self-interest and wishing worthy of granting. ——The current me intends to understand your feelings somewhat, you know?"
"——Have you also found someone to love?"
"I have obtained a soul worthy of watching over and witnessing its end."
The King of Heroes laughs while looking down to hide his embarrassment.
(Fufu, good for you, Ea.)
——Sob, hic... Rama-kun... good for you... Sita... wait for him...! Rama-kun is coming to see you now...!
(Ah——)
Seeing Ea crying uncontrollably with emotion, Fou explodes into seven-colored leaves.
"I-I am happy for your feelings...! B-But Rama and Sita have the curse of separation..."
"I care not for a monkey's sour grapes. I am the King. The Golden King of Heroes who stands far above Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma. ——I shall take on your curse."
"——!?"
"I (Ishtar whom I hate) shall shoulder your curse. I shall transcribe the curse of separation (which is nothing but a blessing to me) onto myself (Ishtar whom I find annoying) and shoulder it forever."
Shoulders shaking with Yorokobe (Rejoice) and delight, the King of Heroes declares while stifling his laughter.
(Don't laugh! You'll ruin the moment!)
"Likely I shall never meet the one I think of (in a murderous sense) forever. Specifically, a permanent summoning ban to Chaldea and separation from wealth (eternally broke) on her main body. ——But I was moved by your mutual love! For that sake, I shall generously shoulder a curse or two! (I didn't say I would shoulder the curse of separation) I am the man who swallowed All the World's Evil! If you want to dye me, bring three times that amount!! Fuhahahahaha! Grind your teeth, wife of Vali! Here your curse is overturned!!"
"——King of Heroes!! Thank you! ...Thank you!!"
Grabbing the King's hand, Rama bows his head repeatedly.
"I won't forget...! I won't forget this debt! ...Someday, I will invite you to Kosala and pass this story down for all eternity...!"
"It is too early for thanks. It is just that the arrangements to meet are in place. Whether you can crush the obstacles and rescue your partner depends on your martial arts."
"Rest assured, King of Heroes! If I know I can see Sita! I won't lose! Absolutely, absolutely——!!"
"Do not forget that vow——"
Thus, Rama's treatment, curse removal, and transcription proceeded without delay.
With the Savior's oil, the curse piercing the heart is lifted, and with the healing lyre, the heart is completely repaired.
"Ideally, I wanted to give this to Ishtar as well, but..."
(Don't do it, don't do it. Even something like that has its uses. Like Gugalanna, or Gugalanna.)
"Umu. It is an eyesore to see her writhing around with a crushed heart, after all."
As for the curse of separation, the curse Gilgamesh should have borne was canceled by the Savior's Cross, and all curses were concentrated on the Ishtar doll.
(Thank you, Johnny Depp of Tachikawa!)
Specifically speaking, 'Ishtar' and 'Jewels' will never meet forever. No matter how much she saves, the curse that wealth immediately leaves her pocket will be eternally on the 'Main Body in the Throne'.
Furthermore, a powerful curse is placed on Chaldea as well. As long as this Ishtar doll exists, Ishtar will never be summoned to Chaldea.
『I desire eternal separation』 — A terrifying curse that makes even a painfully sad friend smile will now continue to tear Gilgamesh and Ishtar apart forever...
"Ah, truly, terrify—ng————ghhhhh~~~~"
(Stop trying to hold back your laughter wwww)
And so, the Great Hero liberated from the karma of his previous life stands up.
"——Thank you. ...I'm sorry. Um... I can only think of these words..."
"It is fine. Show your gratitude with your work... and the smiles of you and your partner."
"——Ah! King of Kosala! Rama!! I am fine! Leave everything to me!!"
Smiling brightly, the adventure tale of the hero of the Ramayana has begun——!
——Sob, hic, sniff... Fou... King of Heroes... Let's be together forever... okay. Forever, forever...
"Your feelings have been fully conveyed. So will you not stop crying? Your tears do not make the wine taste better. Stop crying, Ea."
——I'm so—I'm sorry... But, but...
(...Just saying you don't want to part is enough, Ea. Let's journey without losing anyone.)
——Yeah! ...Waaaaah! Sita-chan, wait for us! Rama-kun is coming now——!
"Good grief. If she doesn't calm down, I cannot even ask Ea for the next policy... Fine. Shall I wait a while for Ea to stop crying..."
(Man, the curse of separation was a formidable enemy...)
[Thou shalt not pass here for all eternity]
"Eh, wai... Wh-Why——!!?"
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