Chapter 730: Encounter, Ambush
The stars shone, but the sun was nowhere to be seen.
This world seemed eternally silent.
The earth trembled, countless particles of dust silently rising, reflecting the cold light as they danced soundlessly in the darkness.
Within the solemn structures, the sound of shattering crackled incessantly. The stored heat was released in an instant, transforming into billowing mist that surged into the void, embracing the chill of the night.
Then, it all vanished without a trace.
Only grotesque creatures, stepping through viscous bodily fluids, staggered to their feet. In the blink of an eye, their eyes took on the same crimson hue as their mother's, their heads shaking violently as they let out mindless growls.
Then, as if summoned, they dashed out of the temple without a backward glance, hurling themselves toward the distant iron and fire, charging headlong toward their fated deaths.
So reckless, so valiant—yet not a single glance or word of gratitude was spared for their mother.
And this "great" mother had long grown accustomed to it.
After callously expending every last trace of divinity, she calmly closed her eyes and sank back into her long slumber.
Only to be abruptly awakened by a presence she had once adored.
"You've come again..." Her violet eyes opened as she let out an irritated sigh. The temple doors swung wide, and a youth clad in a plain white robe, his emerald hair flowing like pine waves, stepped forward barefoot, a faint smile on his lips.
"You are not welcome here. Leave before I lose my temper."
"Now, now, am I not also your child?"
"Even if you say it a hundred times, a thousand times—I will never abandon my hatred," the goddess who birthed the demonic beasts declared. "How unforgivable it was to be deceived—neither you nor anyone else could possibly understand."
"Please don't be like this, Mother." Kingu pressed a hand to his chest, his gaze sincere. "Can my love bring you no comfort at all? Can my promises not put your heart at ease?"
"Love? Promises?" The massive beast-like shadow coiled within the temple seemed amused as it leaned down. "Between you and me? Two monsters?"
Sensing the undisguised killing intent, Kingu's expression remained unchanged. "I swear to love you as I love Tiamat. I promise to protect you forever, even if I must stand against my own kin... This is my vow. As a new human, I am not like those flawed old ones—full of deceit and empty words."
The androgynously beautiful youth spoke softly, keenly aware of the hesitation flickering in the Beast Goddess's eyes, the struggle that inevitably gave way to a trace of softness.
The more monstrous and tormented the creature, the more it yearned for love—for mercy that could never be.
So foolish, yet so... impossible to look away from.
Kingu gazed at the stunning goddess, about to speak again—when a crudely transmitted mental message shattered the atmosphere he had painstakingly crafted.
"Oi, oi, Kingu, where the hell have you run off to, you idiot?"
"Who knows? Maybe he's gone crawling back to that tool goddess for hugs and comfort?"
This was followed by a burst of mocking laughter, making Kingu's temples throb as he silently clenched his fists.
Though he could understand his mother Tiamat's desire to bolster their forces, Kingu was utterly reluctant to admit that these two monsters embodying malice itself were his brothers...
After all my efforts to pacify Gorgon, you two ruined everything with just a few words!
Kingu looked up, and as expected, the Avenger had already risen and withdrawn to the top of the temple upon hearing Baal Lahmu's words, her gaze icy.
The writhing, serpentine locks of hair spoke volumes of her suppressed fury.
And of course, Kingu's brothers were born to exemplify the saying 'misfortunes never come singly': "Hey hey, if that's the case then hurry up and make that tool produce thousands more demonic beasts. Several annoying little insects have crawled out tonight!"
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Kingu frowned, his tone turning sharp. "Ever since Mother awakened, her scattered authority has weakened. Even invoking divinity wouldn't allow endless production now..."
"Enough with this charade. Don't forget who your mother is, you clay doll—doesn't she still have lives to expend?"
Baal Lahmu's cold command made Kingu's eyes widen, his face immediately turning ashen: "You bastards..."
No response came—the mental link had been severed.
But Kingu knew full well he couldn't pretend ignorance, lest these enraged brothers come tearing Gorgon—or even himself—to pieces.
Mother... the brothers you created for me are truly troublesome...
A cold laugh echoed from the temple's peak. Looking up instinctively, Kingu heard Gorgon's mocking words:
"'I swear to love you as I love Goddess Tiamat. I promise to protect you forever, even against my own brothers'... Such were your vows, Kingu?"
"I..." Kingu was left speechless.
Even if he hadn't voiced agreement, sometimes silence itself was betrayal.
"I'm sorry."
"You've nothing to apologize for, nor will I accept it." For some reason, Gorgon's tone grew flat. "Don't struggle with your conscience. Rest assured, I won't refuse."
A rumbling sound followed as the Demonic Beast Goddess drew a pained breath, reactivating her authority to create beasts. Nourished by their mother's life force, one after another, the creatures soaked in venomous embryonic blood crawled forth from human remains, greedily eyeing Uruk in the distance.
"Perhaps this is fate—to be used and scorned, in life and death alike..."
With Gorgon's barely audible sigh, the demonic beasts stirred their strengthening limbs, moving silently yet hostilely into the distance.
Like an approaching storm.
Meanwhile, the Baal Lahmu had severed communication not out of reluctance to speak—given time, they'd gladly torment their own with vicious words for amusement.
But compared to utterly unresisting tools, crushing rebellious little insects was far more exhilarating...
Grinning soundlessly, they hovered midair, looking down as a party of four emerged from the rainforest into their view.
Closer... closer still...
Their prey walked on, oblivious, drawing nearer step by step.
"So this is the Axe of Marduk." With Jaguar Warrior as their guide, the group quickly arrived at Eridu, successfully avoiding the patrolling half-jaguar warriors (made in Sumer), and laid eyes on their final objective—the Axe of Marduk.
Everything had gone far too smoothly.
It was as if after defeating the gods, the entire jungle had become warm and welcoming to them.
"Strange, where are Quetzalcoatl and that weirdo in the black robe?" Jaguar Warrior looked around but couldn't spot the two familiar figures. Only the deep craters and fissures left behind indicated they hadn't been gone for long. "Ah well... they probably got carried away and fought all the way to the bay."
"Finally, a successful infiltration mission. I thought we'd get exposed like always..." Fujimaru had been tense the entire way, only now letting out a sigh of relief. "Merlin, the rest is up to you."
"Got it. A bounded field for Presence Concealment is already in place. Though it can't hide our forms, even a chief god wouldn't be able to detect our presence."
While he was little more than a cheerleader in battle, when it came to disguise and escape, Merlin's skills were truly of Grand Caster caliber. "All we have to do now is shrink the Axe of Marduk and sneak away. Easy-peasy."
"...Sakatsuki?" Anna, however, noticed the young man's expression. While everyone else was relaxed and at ease, he alone stared at the sky with a grave look, as if troubled by something.
—Just like her, for some reason, her eyelids wouldn't stop twitching.
"You know, right now I feel like a general on a stage," Sakatsuki sighed. "With flags planted all over my back."
Faced with Sakatsuki's sudden remark, little Anna looked bewildered. At that very moment, Merlin proudly announced, "Done."
Guided by his staff, the now shrunken divine axe floated toward Fujimaru's outstretched hand.
And right at that moment—the night wind carried a piercing alarm, and the premonition of death screamed—
A black light, cleaving heaven and earth, was already upon them!