Seventh Refinement Completed. Splendid Heroic Chronicles of Gilgamesh: Absolute Victory.
"What? Why? Uruk!" — The hardest part of the Singularity (Rayshift Difficulty Level).
Inside the Chaldea Briefing Room, the heroes who sought to restore the Human Order had gathered. They stood in solemn silence, awaiting the order to embark on their final Grand Order.
"..."
"..."
"..."
It was a silence born of shared resolve, each person mentally preparing for the unprecedented difficulty and danger of the Rayshift ahead.
Ancient Uruk. The heart of the Age of Gods, a time when deities, demons, and the land of the dead were part of the natural order. A world of mystery and the unknown, yet to be deciphered by modern humanity. This was a place where optimism and carelessness were death sentences—or at least, that was meant to be the reason for the heavy atmosphere.
Meant to be. There was, however, another factor contributing to the silence. A reason words were failing them.
And that reason was...
"It's time for Me!" shouted the half-clad, exceptionally cheerful King.
"And Me!" added his friend, wearing a beaming smile and a stylish dress.
""To present: WHAT? WHY? URUK!!~""
Standing before a chalkboard and hand-painted signs, the two of them were running a high-spirited orientation—and it was this bizarre sight that truly defined the "unusual" air of the room.
—"I outdid myself with the set this time! Fou and I stayed up all night building it!"
Air beamed, feeling a surge of pride at the handmade yet heartwarming props.
（Once we started, we just couldn't stop! It couldn't be helped!）
Behind the scenes, the two "production staff" responsible for the captions and the pointing sticks—Fou and another assistant—shared a high-five over the chalkboard, reveling in their success.
"Alright! Everyone, please join me as we learn from Big Brother Gilgame exactly what kind of place Ancient Mesopotamia is! Let's call him out together! Ready, and—!"
""BIG BROTHER GILGAME~!!"" Rikka and Mash shouted, playing along with Enkidu's request.
"What is this energy? Marie, do you understand what's happening?" Roman asked with a strained smile.
"Big Brother Gilgame~!" Olga Marie shouted back, fully committed.
Roman sighed. "Ah, so you're on that side too..."
"I'm here!! Buhahahaha!! When it comes to Uruk, no one knows more than I! It is I, the Splendid King of Good Moods, Big Brother Gilgame! Today, I shall explain the genesis of Uruk—no, of all Mesopotamia!"
Donning a festive hat and letting out a booming laugh, our "Good Mood King" took up the teaching pointer. The Hero King, whose name echoed through the ages, began his lecture with gusto.
"Searing my words into your brains! Let us begin! You are about to sprint through the dawn of human civilization! A time before the world fragmented into diversity, when humanity began its walk within a narrow, singular recognition of reality!"
"A mother-world formed in the basins of the Tigris and Euphrates, influencing countless cultures. One of the oldest civilizations in existence—arising almost simultaneously with the earliest periods of Ancient Egypt! Wow, amazing! For you magi, it's the number one 'Wonderful Demon Realm' you'd love to visit but never return from! And its name is... Drumroll please!"
—"Now! Flip the board!"
（Hyah!）
With a flourish, the two flipped the chalkboard. At the same instant, the King raised his voice.
"2600 BC! Ancient Mesopotamia, following the Ubaid period! The dawn of the Sumerian culture! It is good! I allow it! Be moved! Give praise! Buhahahaha!!"
（How can he get this hyped over a geographical introduction...?） Roman wondered, while the other three clapped enthusiastically.
"Woo! Our Hero King!"
"The rustic set is lovely!"
"Keep that high energy going!"
"Buhahahaha! Good! Very good! But stay back—there is more to explain! In response to your cheers, I shall continue the lesson!"
While the King tapped the chalkboard in delight, Enkidu was busy doodling a running Fou in the bottom-right corner.
"The word 'Mesopotamia' originates from Greek. 'Meso' meaning middle, and 'Potamia' meaning rivers. It refers to the civilization that flourished between the Tigris and the Euphrates as they flow toward the Persian Gulf. ...By the way, a sunset cruise on the Euphrates overlooking Uruk is truly magnificent. If there is time, I shall let you experience it!"
（Enkidu, that Fou is way too buff!）
"Doesn't it look just like him?"
—"It's... robust..."
Ignoring the chaos of the three side-characters, the Hero King pressed on.
"Though it is often called Babylonia, that name wouldn't come until much later. —Even within 'Ancient Civilization,' the scale is vast and deep. There is a world of difference between 5000 BC and 2000 BC, wouldn't you agree? You are challenging the Early Dynastic Period of 2600 BC—the era where I reigned! There isn't a single factor of defeat to be found! We've already won! Surely, we've won!"
—"King! I feel like that's the kind of confidence that jinxes things!"
"Forgive me, buhaha!" the King laughed as Enkidu updated the chalkboard with new drawings to match the flow.
"From the perspective of you magi, this was the era where gods and men first parted ways. The reason for the schism? It needs no explanation! It is because I was born and deemed the gods unnecessary! From the moment of my birth, I realized that gods—who could do nothing but threaten—were no longer needed for protection. I chose to guard human civilization myself, and thus, I tore humanity away from the divine!"
"The gods must have been shocked... They created a King with the perspectives of both gods and men, hoping he'd bring humanity back to their side—only to be dismantled by him instead."
"The gods could create Gilgamesh's body, but they couldn't create his soul," Enkidu added with a smile, sketching a picture of the King standing alone. "Because he chose the path of the Arbiter."
—"The path of the Arbiter. The way of a King who established himself as the sole, absolute standard to judge the value of the distant human civilization..."
"Hmph. You know this all too well by now. It may be tedious, but listen closely. Don't you dare fall asleep."
—"Never. The King's words are worth a thousand gold pieces. I am listening with my whole soul!"
Satisfied with the diligent attitude, the King continued.
"From this point, the power of the gods began to wane, and the Age of Myths would eventually close due to the actions of that idol-otaku over there. ...But the gods don't matter right now. We are focused on the present. ...To put it simply, the act of 'going there' is a trial in itself."
—"The act of going there?"
"Rayshifting to the BC era is a troublesome affair. The further back you go, the more unstable time becomes. Physical laws lose their grip, and in the heart of the Age of Gods, common sense is utterly useless."
Enkidu demonstrated by turning his body into a wobbly, amorphous blob of clay.
"The Age of Gods is incompatible with modern observation or measurement. Why? Because it was a time when 'powerful beings swinging their might around' was the norm. It was the era of 'My Rules,' used whenever and however they pleased. There's no way it could be stable. Yep, very dangerous."
"I see... By the way, Enkidu, are you okay like that?"
"Fine, fine. I'm made of clay, remember?" He popped back up, momentarily transformed into Rikka, then snapped back to his true form.
"Rest easy. No matter how difficult the navigation, you have the four geniuses—the Elite, the Scholar, Sibanyan, and Solomon—at the helm! I guarantee everything will be 'A-OK'! You two can just enjoy the tour of my hometown!"
"Please provide a detailed report on every little thing~❤️ I'll be compiling it into a definitive book on the Age of Gods, so let's make a killing on the royalties! Right, Roman-sama?❤️"
"Y-Yeah... living expenses and child support... they can be expensive, I guess."
"Phew, you've finally decided to settle down... I'm relieved," Olga Marie said, shaking her head as she sipped her coffee. "Muniel, this is sweet."
"That's black coffee, damn it!! Romani Archaman, you traitor!!"
"Maybe I should make a medicine that gives Servants 'that time of the month'? ♪"
"Please do! ❤️"
A relaxed, easygoing atmosphere filled the briefing room.
[Hey, Master! Got a sec!]
An easygoing voice echoed directly into Rikka's mind. It was Angra Mainyu.
（This guy is talking directly into my brain!）
[Yeah, yeah, "one Famichiki please." So, you're finally tackling the Age of Gods? Nice, real nice! Good job, Master! In that era, you and I can go all out. If you need a hand, just say the word. I'll show 'em something that'll blow their minds! Hehehe!]
Rikka, puzzled by the "Evil Spirit's" glee, asked what he meant by "all out."
[It's obvious, isn't it? I mean going all out as the [Evil Dragon]. The Age of Gods is basically a "no-holds-barred" zone. If you're strong enough, the rules don't apply. If I use your body as a medium... [Our local Evil Dragon] can finally show its face.]
（...You mean you can become Azi Dahaka?）
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