Chapter 780: Congressional Waltz
Once again, they gathered together.
It felt like returning to the past—even livelier than when everything had just begun. The heroes chatted and laughed softly, paying no mind to the lingering traces of underworld spirits on their bodies. The King of Uruk sat high upon his throne as always, the corners of his lips curling upward as he took in the long-missed scene.
Yet, there were those who hadn't returned.
"So, in the end, she chose this path..." After listening to Sakatsuki's report, Gilgamesh fell silent for a moment. "Quetzalcoatl... truly worthy of being the pinnacle of benevolent gods."
Even on the brink of death, she had dealt Tiamat a painful blow before her complete destruction, buying precious time for Uruk.
"The Beast Goddess's choice was expected, but I never imagined the Sun Goddess would depart in such a heroic manner. Sigh... Now, the [Three Goddess Alliance] truly exists in name only."
A figure emerged from behind the throne, golden hair cascading like a waterfall, framing a breathtakingly beautiful face. A black-and-gold coat hugged her shapely hips, while her delicate, alluring calves remained exposed. With each graceful step, her noble and composed aura was unmistakable.
Staring at that familiar face, Ishtar's eyes widened in shock. "Y-You... What are you doing here?!"
"Goddess Ereshkigal!" Fujimaru exclaimed in delight.
"It's been a while, Fujimaru." Ereshkigal smiled elegantly. "Have you been making good use of the Class Card I gave you?"
"Yes! I can't thank you enough!"
After exchanging brief pleasantries with Fujimaru, the Underworld Goddess turned her gaze toward the young man nearby. Seeing him still casually playing with the winged serpent, she pouted her rosy lips.
"Even after witnessing this goddess's divine descent, you still refuse to crawl over and prostrate yourself before me, my High Priest?"
Laughter erupted instantly. The Servants who had once walked through the Underworld whistled in amusement. Fujimaru, having long suspected the unusual nature of their relationship, couldn't help but cast a knowing, gossipy glance at Sakatsuki when hearing the Underworld Goddess's rare, domineering declaration.
To actually charm a Mesopotamian goddess within a Singularity... As expected of you, Sakatsuki!
At the center of the storm, Sakatsuki was clearly not one to be flustered. With a shameless grin, he tossed the winged serpent to Anna and strode forward, wrapping his arms around the stunning goddess in one swift motion!
At first, the goddess blushed furiously, clenching her small fists in stubborn resistance. But when Sakatsuki pinched her earlobe and whispered something mischievous, she shot him a look—half-scolding, half-delighted—before obediently nestling into his embrace, pressing her cheek against his chest like a delicate, lovestruck maiden.
The sight made Ishtar rub her thighs uncomfortably, feeling a thousand and one kinds of awkwardness.
She and Ereshkigal shared a twin-like bond. Beyond the deeper aspects of divinity and function, the most obvious similarity was their nearly identical appearances and figures. When one's divinity slumbered, the other could even take their place.
In a way, their sensations were interconnected. Watching Ereshkigal and Sakatsuki being so affectionate, Ishtar felt as though she were the one being held in someone's arms!
Unbearable! Absolutely unbearable!
With long strides, Ishtar stomped over to the pair, forcibly separating the shameless couple. She then gently supported her dear sister Ereshkigal with both hands, whispering, "How can you be out here? Aren't you supposed to remain in the underworld?"
"Look closely, I haven't actually manifested in person." Ereshkigal lifted her swan-like neck, allowing Ishtar to glimpse the subtle markings above her chest. "This body is just a puppet."
"Let me guess..." Ishtar narrowed her eyes. "That guy made it?"
"What do you mean 'that guy'? He's my High Priest, you shouldn't speak of him like that."
Seeing Ereshkigal's lovestruck expression, Ishtar suddenly realized something and covered her face with her hand.
This is bad. There's no saving her.
The mighty Lady of the Earth, completely wrapped around the finger of some mere human!
"You're not thinking something terribly rude, are you?" Ereshkigal mimicked Ishtar's squinting expression. With the underworld thriving and her burdens lightened, she felt less antagonistic toward her sister. A faint smile played on her lips. "Don't forget we're spiritually similar. If I'm interested in a human, that means you—"
"Impossible!" Ishtar reacted violently, shooting a startled glance at the young man nearby before quickly looking away. She pressed her face close to Ereshkigal's, teeth gritted. "This goddess would rather spend time with that golden naked man than develop any interest in this guy!"
She hadn't forgotten how Enkidu, wearing Sakatsuki's face, had swung a several-dozen-meter-tall pillar at her!
"Oh? Is that so?" Ereshkigal blinked, choosing not to argue. If anything, she seemed pleased with this development.
Sakatsuki is mine. No one's taking him away!
Perhaps Ishtar had spoken too loudly in her agitation, or perhaps they'd strayed too close to the throne. When her words reached Enkidu's ears, he couldn't help but chuckle and turn his head.
Sure enough, his prideful best friend's eyebrow had begun twitching.
"Don't worry, at least I don't mind you being naked," the green-haired beauty offered insincerely.
"Hmph." Gilgamesh snorted through his nose and irritably steered the conversation back. "Hey, cook, your report isn't finished yet."
"As you command." Sakatsuki had been keeping track of time. The wounds Quetzalcoatl inflicted on Tiamat would eventually heal—they needed to complete all preparations before then.
Facing Tiamat with her Spirit Origin reverted to the Jurassic era, even he couldn't claim certain victory.
"First, I believe everyone's most pressing concern is the 'resurrected' Servants among us." With just one sentence, Sakatsuki captured everyone's attention.
Lancer·Leonidas I, Ruler·Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, Rider·Ushiwakamaru, Berserker·Shuten Douji, Assassin·Fuuma Kotarou... Throughout the prolonged campaign, the Servants summoned by Gilgamesh had fallen one after another, only to miraculously reappear at this critical juncture.
Could it be that even deceased Servants could be revived in the underworld?
"Regrettably, the Servants were not resurrected after death—they never died in the first place," Sakatsuki explained. "At the time, I had no choice. Knocking them unconscious and bringing them to the underworld was the best I could manage."
"Then what about the markings on their faces?" Gilgamesh asked. While he knew the Servants hadn't died, their exact condition was unclear. "If I'm not mistaken, these individuals now possess strength far beyond their previous capabilities, correct?"
Even Fujimaru Ritsuka couldn't help but nod at this point.
After all, Tomoe Gozen had struggled against just one Lahmu, let alone participating in the battle when seven Baal Lahmu attacked.
Yet when reinforcements from the underworld arrived, Ushiwakamaru and Shuten-Douji alone had already decapitated dozens of Lahmu, even eagerly preparing to clash blades with the Baal Lahmu.
Their combat prowess was on an entirely different level!
The Servants with black markings on their faces exchanged glances and smiled, about to speak, when Kingu, who had crossed his arms, snorted impatiently:
"It's Mother's black mud, isn't it?"
"Bingo, correct answer." Sakatsuki snapped his fingers. "After Fujimaru split my head open with an axe, I finally broke free from Mother's influence. I used that opportunity to harmonize the powers of rebellious spiritrons and primordial mud, managing to awaken the Servants and perform EX-rank physical modifications—all voluntary, of course."
"We still wanted to be a force protecting humanity's order," Ushiwakamaru said with a smile. "Though we didn't expect the modifications would lead to several days of hard labor in the underworld."
"Ahem, the underworld was short on manpower for construction," Sakatsuki coughed awkwardly under the gaze from the throne. "As for the deceased soldiers of Uruk, with Ereshkigal's help, they can be revived indefinitely. But being human, they can hardly play a decisive role."
Against a battle of mythical proportions, even Servants struggle—let alone humans.
"Understood. Regardless, the underworld's reinforcements are indispensable forces," Gilgamesh nodded slightly. "Now, what were the results of this reconnaissance? We know of Quetzalcoatl's sacrifice, but what about Mother Tiamat? What was her reaction after the bounded field was broken?"
"Well..." Sakatsuki drew out his words, "There's bad news and good news."
"The bad news Anna already knows—Tiamat remains in a state of inactivity."
"Why?" the doctor in the command room asked. "With the bounded field destroyed, Tiamat should be unable to suppress her instincts and would advance toward Uruk."
Anna pursed her lips. "That's because chains are binding Tiamat—chains created by Mother's own authority."
Hearing this, everyone immediately turned accusing eyes toward the young man who had started whistling innocently.
Well, of course it was you!
It's not like Tiamat would tie herself up. This had to be one of Sakatsuki's schemes from back then.
And this meant Tiamat would employ the simplest yet most unstoppable tactic to ravage every inch of Uruk's land!
Sakatsuki, you've really outdone yourself this time!
"Wait, hold your attacks for now." The King of Uruk raised his hand, stopping the eager crowd. "This cook still has some good news to share. Let him finish before we proceed."
"Sakatsuki, this is your last chance," Fujimaru couldn't help but remind him.
Under everyone's gaze, Sakatsuki flashed a brilliant smile, planting his hands on his hips with immense pride.
"The good news is—as expected of me! Hahahahaha!"
The palace echoed with the young man's hearty laughter, while Gilgamesh on the throne remained expressionless and waved his hand.
"Pummel him for me."
With a collective shout, whether sincere or simply eager for chaos, everyone rushed forward, piling onto Sakatsuki like a human pyramid. In the end, even the Goddess of the Underworld rolled up her sleeves and gleefully jumped into the fray, mercilessly tormenting her own high priest.
After the intense 'exchange,' Sakatsuki knelt in the corner, holding a clay tablet inscribed with the words "I Am the Greatest Sinner in History," his face twisted in misery. The Goddess of the Underworld squatted beside him, poking at him with malicious delight.
Gilgamesh had long since averted his gaze, his tone solemn as he declared:
"Now, let us begin the meeting to discuss our strategy against the Mother Goddess, Tiamat."