The goddess named Aruru was momentarily stunned by what she saw.
As the deity entrusted by the gods with shaping Enkidu's final form, Aruru naturally possessed the corresponding power—she was the goddess of creation, a mother goddess among the gods of Mesopotamia.
She was especially adept at creating life and giving it appropriate forms.
But up until now, no matter what methods she tried, Aruru couldn't get the divine clay—already showing signs of awareness—to react.
If not for that, she wouldn't have been so troubled.
But now, something she'd failed to do had been accomplished by a human who appeared out of nowhere.
The clay surged forward, putting itself between Aruru and Rovi, almost as if it had just met a long-lost relative.
After the initial surprise, Aruru looked again at Rovi and instantly understood.
"The Key of Heaven?" she murmured, startled.
When Rovi heard Aruru's words, he realized the cause of this sudden development.
Gilgamesh was the "Wedge of Heaven," maintaining the link between gods and mortals, while Enkidu—created to bind Gilgamesh and steer him onto the right path—was the "Chains of Heaven."
Originally, there were only these two.
But as it happened, before setting out, Rovi had received the "Key of Heaven" from the High Priest.
A chain and a key naturally shared an innate affinity.
In this very moment, the not-yet-shaped Enkidu possessed no wisdom, but instinctively sensed that closeness.
Realizing this, Rovi pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling that once again… things were getting out of hand.
With a last flicker of hope, he looked toward the Mother of Creation, who was still standing there.
What he got was an enigmatic smile.
Aruru suddenly understood everything—
As one of the gods, she naturally knew what the Key of Heaven was.
The Key of Heaven was recognized by the gods.
How could someone so recognized possibly be disrespectful toward the gods?
That gesture just now hadn't been directed at her, but at the divine clay… feigning disdain, but with deliberate intent.
The true purpose was to provoke a reaction from the divine clay.
And provoke it, he had.
To be rejected by one so close was something the immature "Chains of Heaven" simply could not accept.
To erase that rejection, the Chains of Heaven would shape itself in the image of its "close one."
It would gradually become "human."
And not just any human—but one perfectly suited to its essence, fully able to bear its power.
"So, one acknowledged by the gods… It seems I've misunderstood you." Aruru's expression grew gentle, almost proud. "You truly are remarkable…"
"???"
What are you saying?
I understand every word, but why can't I make any sense of the whole sentence?
Rovi looked completely lost.
"Then from now on, I'll leave this child to you!"
Aruru flicked her long, dark hair, her ruby lips curving as she stretched luxuriously in the warm sunlight. Her radiant body shimmered, and in a flash of light, she soared into the sky, vanishing from sight.
Rovi didn't even have time to stop her.
He could only watch the clearing as the goddess disappeared, leaving behind only scorched earth and lush green all around.
The divinity was gone, but her presence lingered.
The magical beasts, naturally, remained prone on the ground.
Rovi let out a long sigh.
He knew for certain that the goddess had misunderstood… She'd thought his earlier mockery was, in fact, intentional benevolence.
That was why she'd entrusted Enkidu to him.
Why does it always turn out like this… Rovi scratched his head in frustration.
Just then, a clear, childlike cry caught his attention.
He looked ahead.
The divine clay that had just landed in front of him was—just as Aruru had said—changing.
Because of Rovi's fleeting "disdain," it now felt a powerful sense of dissatisfaction.
In this moment, it instinctively responded to the shape within Rovi's heart.
It was drawn toward whatever image he held in his mind.
The black clay quickly solidified, shedding its original color. Under the dappled sunlight, it gleamed with an ivory sheen.
First arms, then legs, then a head…
Rovi's eyes went wide, as if watching an invisible hand sculpt a masterpiece before his eyes.
"Mm…" A soft sound finally escaped from those newly formed, vividly red lips.
The being shaped from clay opened its eyes.
It looked just like the Enkidu Rovi remembered from Type-Moon.
Long, emerald-green hair, lush as the forest itself. The delicate face beneath those locks was beautiful and androgynous, the eyes a vibrant, lively green. The features were finely chiseled, lips petal-soft, a slender white neck arching gracefully to a chest that rose and fell ever so slightly.
Enkidu's arms spread, limbs slender, though the thighs were just a bit fuller; the legs pressed modestly together, hips curving upward, the waist slender as a vase.
Everything exactly as Rovi imagined.
The only difference… was perhaps a few more feminine features than expected?
Rovi fell deep into thought.
He admitted, in his mind, Type-Moon's Enkidu always felt more feminine…
Even though, as a divine weapon, Enkidu technically had no gender.
As a divine construct, Enkidu could take any form.
But because of Rovi's subconscious, Enkidu's first, most fundamental form appeared just like this before him.
"Yaya…?"
Like a child learning to speak, Enkidu opened those damp, rosy lips and reached out with both arms, swaying on a branch near where Rovi stood. That exquisitely beautiful face was filled with longing, a craving for closeness.
A yearning for intimacy.
Rovi finally understood the odd feeling in his heart—
In later generations, the epic of the Hero King Gilgamesh recorded the story of Enkidu's transformation.
Enkidu was born in an ancient, secluded forest.
At first, he was formless and innocent.
Until one day,
A pure, saintly maiden, led by the gods, entered the woods.
Enkidu, childlike and naive, was captivated, and spent seven days and nights with her in the forest.
In the end, he awakened to humanity, gained self-awareness,
And from then on, walked the earth in the form of that beautiful girl.
But now, Enkidu had taken shape.
There was no maiden in the forest.
The only person here with a direct connection to the divine… was Rovi himself.
In other words—
Did I just become the "holy maiden"… No, the "holy man"?
Rovi pondered, but found no answer.
He couldn't make sense of it,
But at this moment, he was utterly, thoroughly shocked.
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T/N: GAHHHH I WISH I WAS THAT BEAUTIFUL GIRL