Chapter 781 The World-Famous Painting, "The Tohsaka Family Precepts"
"Lahmu's movements can be divided into two types," Gilgamesh carefully analyzed Tiamat's troop deployment before suddenly asking, "Romani Archaman. Nearly half a day has passed. The analysis of Goddess Tiamat should be complete by now, correct?"
"Of course, I'd say it was completed long ago," came the doctor's somewhat heavy voice through the communication bracelet. "But are you sure you want me to say it?"
"Of course!"
"Very well." The doctor sighed in resignation. "A mobile living factory, magical energy reserves sufficient for interstellar travel, vast primordial seeds of life stored within her body, a divine ark that humanity won't achieve for centuries, and now having regressed to a prehistoric Jurassic form with immunity to nearly all Noble Phantasms... This is the true nature of Goddess Tiamat."
"I see. Well done. Oh, ohhhh."
The next moment, with a thunderous "Bang!", Gilgamesh slammed his hand on the armrest: "Damn it! Are you on Tiamat's side?! There's absolutely nothing written about weaknesses or such!"
"Of course I'd love to write one or two strategies! But this is reality! She's a perfect existence with no physical or mythological weaknesses! We simply can't oppose her!"
Da Vinci chimed in: "Though this hypothesis might lack consideration, Tiamat was born without the concept of 'death.' As the mother of life, our very existence proves hers. As long as there is 'living' life on earth, Beast II Tiamat cannot die. She is the woman of origin and terminus."
"Then... we truly can't defeat her. No, it's meaningless."
"Fujimaru." Ishtar looked worriedly at Fujimaru Ritsuka, who was biting his fingernails anxiously.
"To defeat Goddess Tiamat, humanity would have to... all life on Earth would have to perish first. But our goal is to restore the Singularity..."
"Exactly. That's why I had no choice but to report that she's invincible."
The doctor and Fujimaru's reactions greatly affected everyone's morale. Even those who didn't think much could keenly sense the despair in their voices.
Yet amidst this despair, someone chuckled lightly.
"Invincible? The last one who claimed to be invincible has stopped thinking."
Everyone turned to see Sakatsuki smoothing his hair back, declaring with utmost coolness:
"With me here, who dares claim invincibility? Who dares speak of being undefeated?"
In the palace, the group stared blankly. The Servants were stunned, hardly believing what they'd just heard. Sakatsuki was being outrageously arrogant to speak like this.
But upon reflection, his words weren't wrong at all.
The interdimensional traveler named 'Sakatsuki' was indeed the unrivaled powerhouse in Uruk. Even before Fujimaru arrived, he had nearly cleared this hellish scenario single-handedly. Though he ultimately fell short, he completely severed the influence of the Demon God King and left the draconic Tiamat severely wounded, near death—only now has she barely recovered.
Without his presence, this war would have been unimaginably more difficult.
Just as everyone began to look convinced, Gilgamesh merely glanced at Sakatsuki and 'kindly' reminded him: "The tablet I gave you has fallen on the ground, chef."
Instantly, the young man's smug expression froze. He looked down with difficulty at the tablet on the floor as Gilgamesh's nightmarish whisper reached his ears.
"Kneel for an extra hour."
"What? No—!"
Ignoring the now despondent Sakatsuki, Gilgamesh turned back: "Though this chef spouts nonsense, there's one thing he didn't say wrong."
Recalling that legendary battle from years past, the King's lips curled slightly: "He has the ability to impose 'death' upon Goddess Tiamat."
"Then the plan is settled, Gil." Enkidu, ever Gilgamesh's closest friend, shared his thought process perfectly. "Since Mother won't come to Uruk, we'll take the initiative to approach her."
"The chef will impose the concept of death upon Tiamat, and then we'll fight her to the death." Gilgamesh finalized the decision.
The palace buzzed with murmurs as Servants exchanged glances, clearly surprised by this plan.
Everyone knew how much effort Gilgamesh had poured into protecting Uruk. Even now, with monsters running rampant and the apocalypse approaching, the mere sight of this mighty city brought a sense of security.
This city would never fall. That belief was etched into everyone's hearts.
Yet now, the King had decided to abandon the city and charge straight into the enemy's stronghold...
"My King, forgive my impertinence." Merlin stepped forward. "Even if we move at night, the number of Lahmu is beyond imagination. If we force our way through, we'll likely be exhausted before we even face Tiamat."
"Hmm, you're not wrong." Gilgamesh crossed his arms, not looking troubled at all—instead, he smiled confidently and glanced toward a certain spot in the palace. "But it's fine. We can already see the path to victory."
"Eh?" The intense gaze made Ishtar squirm uncomfortably. "W-why are you looking at me?"
"The solution is you, Ishtar!"
"..." Ishtar's eyes turned into dots as she pointed at herself. "Me?"
In response, the King laughed heartily and walked over to vigorously ruffle her hair.
"Ahahaha! To think you'd know how to play your trump card. How hateful, how hateful."
"Stop it... Fujimaru, help me!"
But after a moment of thought, Fujimaru's face lit up with the same delight as Gilgamesh's: "It's Gugalanna!"
"Huh?!"
"The divine beast serving Goddess Ishtar, the greatest in Sumer—the Heavenly Bull, Gugalanna!" Amid the King's demonic laughter, the doctor's relieved sigh came through the communication bracelet. "We'll use that to carve a path forward!"
"Gugalanna..."
"Gugalanna, huh..."
"That thing could even drink the Tigris dry..."
"With that on our side, success is only natural..."
"Truly worthy of the Heavenly Goddess Ishtar..."
The Servants began murmuring among themselves, their eyes lighting up with hope. At this critical juncture before the final battle, any advantage was crucial—let alone a legendary weapon like 'Gugalanna,' renowned across the ages.
We're saved! With Gugalanna, how can we lose?!
Amid the jubilant atmosphere, no one noticed Ishtar's increasingly horrified expression. Her muttered protests—"Gugalanna isn't that amazing," "That thing wouldn't even be useful against Goddess Tiamat"—naturally vanished beneath the group's cheerful laughter.
"Hey, what's wrong? You're acting strange." Gilgamesh smirked at Ishtar's fidgeting. "Normally, you'd be laughing triumphantly and bragging about Gugalanna, even though it's not even your own power—"
"It's gone."
The dark-haired goddess turned her head away and blurted out the words at lightning speed.
"...Hah?" Gilgamesh wore the most bewildered expression of his life. "What did you say?"
"Yes, Gugalanna is gone." Ishtar's voice was so light it felt like a dream.
Huh?
The palace fell silent, save for the oblivious Jaguar Warrior clapping and spinning in circles, chanting Gugalanna's name.
Finally, Ishtar exploded in the silence.
"It's gone! Lost! I don't know where it is!"
The goddess grabbed Fujimaru's shoulders, looking utterly miserable: "No matter how many people in Mesopotamia I ask, there's not even a trace of Gugalanna!"
"Lost..." Fujimaru hesitated, suddenly recalling his first conversation with Ishtar.
Ah... So it was already like that back then...
As a certain King gritted his teeth, the still-unaware Jaguar Warrior was dragged away by the other Servants. While Fujimaru was being shaken violently by Ishtar, Gilgamesh finally erupted:
"You idiot goddess! Do you even know why I brought you into this alliance?!!"
Under the King's furious scolding, Ishtar-Rin burst into tears, crouching defensively with streams of noodle-like tears, completely stripped of her dignity and human rights as a goddess.
Amid the sobs echoing through the control room, the staff collapsed into their chairs. The doctor looked utterly burned out, while Da Vinci mechanically turned away:
"I'll go... make some coffee..."
The World-Famous Painting—"The Tohsaka Family Precepts"