Due to the White Titan's descent seven thousand years ago, piercing through the very foundations of the gods' presence on Earth, the Age of Gods had steadily declined. Though the gods still dwelled in heaven, they had long since lost the ability to manifest their true forms in the mortal realm.
Yet even diminished, the Age of Gods had not fully ended.
Just as Ishtar could descend by possessing a human body, other gods—though rarely finding suitable vessels, or at best briefly inhabiting bodies like Aruru—still retained various ways to meddle in human affairs.
Their previous use of the "Eye" was one such method.
Now, unleashing the greatest Divine Beast and the mightiest Monster upon the world was another.
"A bunch of mongrels who can only skulk in the shadows, employing cowardly tactics!" After hearing Ishtar's "warning," Gilgamesh sneered disdainfully. "If you have guts, come down and face this king yourselves!"
Ishtar: "..."
If they could come down themselves, they'd have done it long ago, you know?
"That's why I said, I'm just here to warn—wait, why are you restraining me?!"
Ishtar shifted her gaze from Gilgamesh to Rovi and Enkidu, both clad in simple linen robes opposite her.
Specifically, she stared at Rovi—
The goddess squirmed, causing the chains binding her body to jingle crisply.
She had been captured.
Bound head-to-toe by the [Chains of Heaven], she could barely move, only her head peeking out amidst long, black hair.
Despite coming purely to deliver a warning—or, in her words, "declare war"—she was immediately bound by Enkidu's [Chains of Heaven] and dragged inside like a prize catch.
Had Ishtar possessed her original divine form, Enkidu, who had yet to fully master the [Chains], couldn't possibly restrain her.
But unfortunately, she was merely a spirit possession—thus, helplessly dragged inside.
Dragged in like a captured pig…
Ugh! If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have bothered coming!
No good deed goes unpunished!
"En, let her go." Rovi glanced at Enkidu beside him. "She means no harm."
"Right, Ishtar?"
"Come to think of it, this king did find it peculiar earlier." Gilgamesh interjected at once, inspecting the goddess up and down with his scarlet, serpent-like eyes. He then smirked widely. "Turns out you've been overtaken by the human personality of your vessel!"
"Hahaha... Is this truly the so-called goddess? Pathetic enough to amuse even this king!"
Ishtar's face instantly flushed crimson, yet she couldn't muster a rebuttal.
"But…" Gilgamesh unexpectedly paused. "Admittedly, your current self is far more pleasing to the eye than that obnoxiously arrogant goddess."
Clatter... At that moment, Enkidu obediently retracted the [Chains of Heaven] at Rovi's request.
Ishtar collapsed onto the ground, her crimson coat folding around her gracefully, revealing slender legs curled awkwardly beneath her.
Drawing in a deep breath, she lifted her scarlet eyes—but before she could relax, she met a pair of clear, emerald-green eyes staring coldly back at her.
"You carry an unpleasant scent." Enkidu, seated beside Rovi, smiled gently yet chillingly.
A little scary… Ishtar shrank back involuntarily.
"But there's another scent on you that isn't so bad." Enkidu withdrew her gaze, calmly continuing, "As long as that scent remains dominant, I won't harm you."
Though seemingly reassuring, why did those words feel even more unsettling?
The Divine Construct named Enkidu always spoke bluntly about what she disliked, without hesitation or mercy.
"So now, can we talk clearly?" Rovi interrupted, dissipating the oppressive atmosphere surrounding Ishtar. "Mistress of Heaven—what exactly did you mean earlier?"
"Exactly what I said!" Ishtar exhaled sharply, regaining her composure. She glanced toward Rovi, Enkidu, and then Gilgamesh, but quickly shook her head. "No—wait, I'm clearly here just to declare war! Why should I tell you so much?"
She even shot a glare at Rovi. She'd specially changed into attire reminiscent of Eresh's style, hoping to impress him—but this guy hadn't reacted at all, even allowing the [Chains] to wrap her up... utterly infuriating!
Suddenly, gold coins clattered to the floor. Rovi withdrew his hand, watching as the treasure from Gilgamesh's [Gate of Babylon] scattered at Ishtar's feet.
"Now, care to explain clearly?"
If Rovi recalled correctly, Ishtar's human vessel—"Rin Tohsaka"—was famously greedy for money.
Naturally, Ishtar, influenced by Rin, shared that greed.
Sure enough, Ishtar's eyes lit up, hands instinctively sweeping all the coins into her lap.
Catching Rovi's smug, knowing expression, the goddess blushed faintly, forcibly sitting up straight. Her explanation sounded extremely unconvincing: "Ahem…don't misunderstand! I-I wouldn't be tempted by mere coins! This is purely the mercy of a goddess, not wanting you to perish without knowing why!"
Finally, Ishtar took another glance at the three people before continuing:
"Earlier, you openly defied the gods, didn't you?"
"Now, at the suggestion of my true form, the gods have decided to punish you—or rather, the entirety of Uruk."
"So they've dispatched the strongest Divine Beast and the strongest Monster simultaneously?" Rovi interrupted excitedly.
"Yes." Ishtar nodded, puzzled by Rovi's sudden enthusiasm.
Of course he was excited!
In the original Epic of Gilgamesh, both Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven were formidable foes that Gilgamesh and Enkidu barely defeated together.
Especially Humbaba—before Enkidu became human, as a being of clay, she'd lived alongside Humbaba for some time, even learning much of her combat instincts from it.
But now, thanks to the "butterfly effect" Rovi himself had caused, both appeared simultaneously.
A catastrophe for others—but for Rovi, the perfect opportunity!
Under such an overwhelming crisis, surely survival would be difficult even if he fought with all his might!
But obviously, he couldn't say that openly. Taking a deep breath, he feigned worry. "Seems the gods have firmly resolved to eliminate us…"
Indeed, the simultaneous appearance of Mesopotamia's mightiest Divine Beast and Monster spelled unprecedented disaster.
Representing natural calamities, even among gods, few could match their raw power.
Not just now—even in the future, when Gilgamesh and Enkidu fully mastered their powers, handling even one of them was already difficult enough.
"Anu declared clearly," Ishtar continued, faithfully acting as an informer, "of the [Key of Heaven], [Wedge of Heaven], and [Lock of Heaven]—only two may remain."
The gods had learned from their previous encounter that these three individuals together had the potential to shake the foundations of the Three Realms, posing an enormous threat.
Thus, only two could remain.
"Then let me go negotiate with the gods…" Rovi immediately seized the chance to propose sacrificing himself, preserving Gilgamesh and Enkidu's legacy—
To be remembered in epic poetry as a tragic hero…
Exactly what he wanted.
But before he finished, Gilgamesh interrupted harshly:
"...A pack of mongrels dares dictate affairs within this king's garden?"
"Return and tell your gods—wash their necks and await this king's blade!"
Gilgamesh swept his arm out imperiously.
"We three will one day drag every last god down into the mortal realm!"
Okay…but could you at least let me finish? Rovi sighed inwardly, his speech completely derailed.
But noticing Ishtar's shocked expression and feeling Enkidu's determined gaze behind him, Rovi paused briefly—then smiled faintly.
Fine.
This way works too.
If war broke out, surely dying wouldn't be hard at all.
Then…
Let it be this way!
Rovi turned to Ishtar—or rather, directed his voice toward the gods themselves.
"Those who wish to die—come!"
His voice echoed powerfully through the room, reverberating to the heavens. Yet in the end, he whispered softly, words only he could hear…
But please, don't hesitate to crush me just because I'm such a delicate flower.