Chapter 745 The Heavenly Wedge and the Chains of Heaven...Plural
Night enveloped the Persian Gulf, its shimmering surface resembling a deep black satin as starlight danced upon the gently undulating waves.
A cool sea breeze brushed against the shore as Gilgamesh stood alone before the tide, his gaze lifted skyward.
Whether he was lost in thought or simply waiting, none could tell.
The soft sound of footsteps approached, the rolling waves reflecting the blurred silhouette of white robes behind him. Gilgamesh's pupils flickered slightly as he spoke without turning.
"How are things?"
"According to the observations from the past month... not optimistic." Sakatsuki shook his head. "The energy levels of Mother—Tiamat—sleeping beneath the sea continue to rise. It's beyond mere 'recovery' at this point."
"Hmph. The awakened embryo of the Beast, frantically reclaiming its primordial form." The Wise King sneered but said no more.
Empty words were useless. To break free from suffocating maternal indulgence, the children of humanity had no choice but to raise their blades and part ways with their mother in the most decisive manner.
The increasingly brutal war against the demonic beasts was proof of mankind's resolve.
Silence fell between them once more, broken only by the soft lapping of waves against the shore. The white-robed youth stared at the Wise King's unwavering figure, emerald light swirling in his eyes.
Though mere steps separated them, the distance felt vast—an endless, wordless void.
He knew full well that with Gil's wisdom, the truth had likely been apparent long ago. The reason he didn't press further was simply due to a king's dignity and self-restraint, unwilling to show even a hint of hesitation.
Or, as his Master would say... tsundere?
Tsundere. What an apt and amusing description.
The corners of the youth's lips curled imperceptibly, though his voice remained unaffected. "Are you pushing them too hard?"
"What? Oh." For some reason, Gilgamesh immediately grasped the subject. "You mean the people of Uruk?"
"Humans resisting the demonic tide—even with Servants leading them—will inevitably suffer heavy casualties." The white-robed youth blinked, starlight glimmering faintly in his eyes. "As the King of Uruk, can you truly bear to see your people wiped out?"
Even in mighty Uruk, where all stood united, dissenting voices were inevitable.
Setting aside the cowards and deserters, when wives waited only to receive their husbands' bloodstained armor, when elderly parents buried their children one last time, when happy families were torn apart overnight—how could those drowning in grief not resent the king seated high upon his throne?
Though their voices may be faint, they were not to be ignored.
Faced with the youth's probing question, the King still did not turn. "There are different kinds of protection. Sheltering them blindly is not true guardianship. Sometimes, the harsh northern wind is necessary... That said, this spring feels impossibly distant."
So distant that even an ancient and flourishing civilization like Mesopotamia was nearly frozen in this merciless winter.
"Still, if it's you, you could always run if things go south, couldn't you?"
"Absurd!" The Wise King scoffed at the young man's jest. "Having chosen to live as a king, one must naturally persevere to the end. I was born as humanity's guardian. Building this planet's civilization and future is my responsibility."
The youth was taken aback.
These words should have been a king's declaration to his people, yet here above the Persian Gulf, there was no audience. The king stood both far from his people and closest to them.
"Why have you never spoken these words to your people? If this continues, you'll die misunderstood, remaining alone until the very end."
Gilgamesh suddenly turned: "I am not alone."
His movement was so swift that the emerald light hadn't even faded from the youth's eyes before surprise surfaced.
At this moment, even the most oblivious person would notice the subtle shift in atmosphere. The white-clad youth opened his mouth several times, hesitating to speak, while the Wise King pressed his lips together, his gaze profound.
Then came the sound of something tearing through the air from afar.
"Die, you damned impostor!"
The Chains of Heaven shot forth like lightning—against any ordinary Servant, this sudden attack would have reduced them to pulp. But neither man on the beach was ordinary, both leaping back nimbly to evade the strike.
With a thunderous crash, the sand cratered, seawater rushing into the hollow. Gilgamesh and Sakatsuki simultaneously turned to see a plainly dressed youth with flowing green hair, his face twisted in hatred as he glared at... the young man beside the Wise King.
Noticing his puzzled expression, Kingu turned his cold gaze to Gilgamesh. "What are you doing? Why are you so close to this impostor?"
One bore a dear friend's face, yet his soul was entirely different.
One had lost his original body, yet his soul remained unchanged.
Facing the furious Kingu, with the gradually unsmiling 'Sakatsuki' behind him, Gilgamesh froze, inexplicably breaking out in a cold sweat.
The battlefield of carnage—activated!
Before he could gather his words, 'Sakatsuki' frowned. "Who are you calling an impostor?"
"You, of course," Kingu sneered. "Everyone knows we have the real one in our custody. How shameless of you to wear his face in Uruk... Even I feel embarrassed for you!"
"You're the one who should feel ashamed," the youth's expression turned icy. "How does that body suit you?"
"You—!?" Caught off guard by the pointed remark, Kingu's eyes widened, but 'Sakatsuki' had no intention of continuing the argument.
An enemy was to be eliminated!
Raising his hand, the glow of projection magic flashed as even the earth itself surged like waves. In an instant, countless swords materialized, forming an encircling storm that shot toward Kingu.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
The Chains of Heaven danced wildly, sparks flying everywhere. Kingu quickly composed himself, snorting as he lightly tapped the ground.
The earth heeded the clay puppet's call, erecting massive earthen walls that blocked the incoming storm. When the dust settled, Kingu—his violet eyes gleaming eerily—spread his arms with a cold laugh.
The fully unleashed Chains of Heaven pierced the sky, crisscrossing as they descended upon both Gilgamesh and Sakatsuki!
The Wise King stepped forward to intervene, but 'Sakatsuki's' flickering gaze stopped him.
["Speaking of which, although the Chains of Heaven are useful, they ultimately belong to the same category as whips and naturally share similar weaknesses."]
["What do you mean...?"]
["Hmm, once they entangle, they become difficult to retrieve."]
Recalling their casual conversation, Sakatsuki pressed his fingertips together and murmured softly.
"Grand Magecraft: Displacement."
Hum, hum, hum!
Prismatic spaces unfolded one after another, precisely capturing the trajectories of the Chains of Heaven like fishing nets, ensnaring them within successive displacement spaces before releasing them elsewhere.
"What is this?" Kingu frowned, instinctively urging the Chains of Heaven into motion, but his pupils soon contracted in shock.
"This is... How is this possible?!"
A grating, teeth-chilling sound erupted as the Chains of Heaven twisted around each other like restrained dragons, forming one knot after another until the chains were hopelessly entangled, immobilized.
This was the first time anyone had countered the Chains of Heaven in such a way!
Seizing Kingu's moment of stunned hesitation, the white-clad youth took a deep breath, the struggle in his eyes fading.
It was time.
There was no need for further pretense. If he could just kill the enemy before him, the demonic beasts would lose their leader, and victory could still be seized.
So, call upon it—
The true power that belongs to me!
"Now awakened is the breath of the stars. I shall march forward, side by side with humanity!"
"What?!"
Shock rippled not only through Kingu but also through Gilgamesh, who stood beside Sakatsuki. The golden king's eyes widened as he sharply turned his gaze.
Emerald hair fluttered, stunning the King's vision.
At some point, the enigmatic chef had been replaced by a youth of striking beauty, as though time had reversed—that unforgettable face had returned to his side, never having left.
Though his gaze was cold, when he looked at Gilgamesh, it was with the same gentle expression of old.
And the true name he invoked was identical to the King's own treasured weapon.
"O people, lash upon the gods (Enuma Elish)!"
The white robes dissolved into light as divine radiance surged into the heavens. Under Gilgamesh's unwavering stare, the god-forged golden chains reappeared upon the land of Mesopotamia.
And once more, they danced—to protect humanity!
"The Chains of Heaven... How...?" Kingu muttered, still unable to believe what he was seeing.
"You're an imposter of Sakatsuki... No, you are the Chains of Heaven... No, no, I am the Chains of Heaven, Mother's child, the new humanity... So why do you also wield them...?!!"
His voice grew louder, crimson warning lights flooding his eyes as calculations and analyses spiraled into errors and endless agony. Clutching his head, Kingu howled like a cornered beast.
"If you are Sakatsuki, then who is he?!"
"If you are that clay puppet—then who am I?!"
Amid his roars, Kingu arched his back as countless gleaming chains erupted from the earth behind him, merging together. In a cold, mechanical voice, they coalesced into massive chains identical to his opponent's.
"Mother's wrath trembles—hear now the tide of annihilation! O Mother, I shall call upon the voice of origins!"
The earth shattered, the heavens wailed. The tides of the Persian Gulf were repelled by an unseen force, and the storm clouds dispersed in an instant. All around, it seemed only two towering Chains of Heaven remained, stretching endlessly between sky and earth.
Like towering serpents, the two Chains of Heaven arched their bodies before roaring forth with a deafening sound.
BOOM!!!
In the explosion, blinding light swallowed everything. Flames spread, turning the beach into charred black, with faint glimmers of glass-like sheen. Molten rock splattered, flung in all directions by the tempest.
The rising storm of destruction threatened to obliterate the surrounding mountains and lakes.
Yet when the calamity subsided, amidst the devastated world, only one corner remained untouched—serene as if untouched by time.
Under the astonished gaze of Kingu and the relieved eyes of Sakatsuki, the figure at the storm's center stood with tranquil composure.
It was a man.
A king with radiant golden hair, crimson serpentine eyes, and adorned in resplendent robes.
The wise king of Uruk, the keystone binding gods and men, and the cherished friend of one who was no longer human.
The King of Heroes—Gilgamesh.
And so, before that solitary, towering keystone, all the Chains of Heaven withdrew.
No longer the instruments of wrath they once were.