Demise

A massive amount of magical energy signatures is emerging from the Persian Gulf.

And they are spreading across all of Mesopotamia at incredible speeds.

What about Uruk!? How long will it take them to reach Uruk!?

Excuse me for cutting in, Ishtar. I'm Chaldea's supervisor, Da Vinci.

Romani is going to concentrate on analyzing these life forms, so I'll be in charge now.

Oh, really? Nice to meet you! But no more pleasantries! Just tell us what's going on!

Okay. We've observed close to a hundred million of these life forms. Only a fraction of them have emerged from the ground.

A rough search shows us that there are about 100,000 right now. Of those, around 20,000 are heading for Uruk.

ETA is under three hours. At this rate, Uruk will be under attack in less than half a day.

Eridu has already been attacked. Ur has about an hour.

Assuming some of them drop in on Lagash, Girsu, and Umma along the way, I estimate about 10,000 will reach Uruk.

10,000! 10,000 monsters at Ugallu's level... Uruk can't hold up against that in its current state!

Fujimaru, I'll go on ahead. If I pull out all the stops, I'll be there with time to spare!

Let's regroup in Uruk! Have Quetzalcoatl pick you up along the way!

Ishtar just left for Uruk on her own! I can hear her breaking the sound barrier!

But what should we do? Without Merlin, Ana, and Ishtar...

Many people helped us along the way, but now it's just us...

You guys should head for the Northern Wall. That's where Quetzalcoatl and Jaguar Warrior are.

Also, right now the Northern Wall is ironically the safest place in Mesopotamia, since it's furthest from the Persian Gulf.

I bet a lot of people will be gathering there.

Who knows how many people will arrive, but the Northern Wall will remain the most important fortification. We have to protect it.

Right...! Master, I'll carry you and we'll return there as fast as we can!

Merlin disappeared. I believe his true body was killed.

As an incubus, he was one of the few mages who could meddle in the collective unconscious of intelligent beings while they were sleeping.

I bet Merlin used that ability to stay in Tiamat's slumbering mind for a long time.

He was probably keeping her asleep. Only an apparition of him was with you, Fujimaru.

But now his true body has been killed.

He would've been more or less invincible in a sleeper's deep dream, but that ability has one fatal flaw: REM sleep.

If the sleeper's consciousness becomes partially awake, all of the dream world will turn against the invader.

When Gorgon died, that consciousness stirred. Half-awake, it was able to capture and obliterate Merlin.

...Merlin...

？！

You two are safe! That is fortunate, yes! Where is that incorrigible Merlin!?

...Merlin is no longer with us. And Ana perished defeating Gorgon.

Ishtar has gone ahead to Uruk. What are you doing here, Quetzalcoatl!?

We came to meet up with you, yes! The Demonic Beasts at the Northern Wall are mostly decimated, with survivors fleeing into the forest!

The battle with Gorgon is over. That's why we came here.

...So Merlin is gone. I want to say something, but I'll hold my tongue...for now.

We also detected a disturbance from the sea. You won't make it to Uruk in time on foot.

So hop aboard my serpent. It will be a wild ride, but much faster than traveling on the ground.

Oh, you are too kind! Calling me the fairest goddess of them all makes me blush...!

I didn't hear anything of the sort, but I see that you weren't a member of the Three Goddess Alliance for nothing!

She has some sort of goddess complex! ...Oh...

It's useless now, forget about it, yes! Forget! When the Blood Fort was destroyed, it lost its Divinity.

And I lost about half of my Divinity, too! And I was ready to tear Merlin a new one for that, yes!

You're just as guilty, Fujimaru! You were right next to me, but didn't stop it! So prepare for an earful later!

？！

Skree! Skreeee!

Fou!?

Oops. We don't have time for a long chat. Now both of you get on that serpent over there.

All right, straight onward to Uruk! Hold on tight!

Aieeeeeee...! What is this!? What is thissss!?

I thought we were going to be spared! I thought if we submitted to the goddess, we wouldn't be killed!

Everyone, get outside...! Run! Run awaaaay...!

Escape to Uruk, hurry! There are no more warriors left in Ur! They were all sent to Eridu as sacrifices!

Hurry! Get away now...Aaaaaaaaaah!

...Huh? Wh-wh-who are you?

...I have no name. I am a vagabond who has nowhere to go. I just kill and kill and kill the Demonic Beasts of the wasteland.

You gave a night's lodging and a meal to a man who had forgotten even human speech...to a madman.

...This is my repayment. You should escape, quickly. These demons are my prey. I will not let anyone else slay a single one.

Don't worry. I am just an idiot with a one-track mind, waving a lance around.

Dueling to the death with demons from hell is a fitting ending for me!

Hahahahahaha! But what's this!?

Is this the result of devouring Demonic Beasts 24 hours a day!? New kinds of prey!?

Good. I wouldn't have it any other way! This hell is fitting for a man who has become an animal!

I can no longer live! I was unable to give up worldly desires and attachments, and I was not even able to reach the state of Musashibou!

There is no meaning in trying to attain a state of perfect spiritual concentration! It did not change this man's nature at all!

Fwahaha, hahahahaha...! Despicable! You demons are as ugly as me!

Kill this beast of a man if you can! After that, you are free to eat these fleeing people to your heart's content!

What's wrong, you gibbering mob!? Didn't the mouth of hell open up?

Why don't you all come at me at once!? Picking you off one at a time is unsatisfying!

Very courageous, Benkei. That's a lot of yelling for a coward.

Is your blood flowing fast? Or has your old sense of humor returned?

Either way, you're still a noise that should be silenced.

Humph, who the devil are you!? Do not speak to me as if you know me

...Impossible. Are you...

You are in the way. Don't put a damper on our fun.

Fool. Didn't you say you wanted to die? I shall kill you, just as you wish.

No! No! ...Arrr Aaaaaaaaaah...!!!

Master, we're over Uruk! The city... Uruk is burning!

What's with these things!? They're endless! And they're diamond-hard! Why are they so sturdy!?

What, Fujimaru!? You got here faster than expected.

It's all me, yes! I went to pick them up! I'm just a big sis who is cleverer than you by half☆

Is that so? Well, whatever, I'm glad you're here! There was only so much I could do sniping from the sky!

Land in the city and intercept them! Take out as many as you can! Hurry!

？！

...You look pale, yet you still go in recklessly. You're a big help, though. Thanks.

After you land in the city, secure a path to the ziggurat, so the citizens can flee to safety there.

Also, prepare yourselves. The creatures down below are like nothing you've seen before.

Be careful not to lose your nerve before you start fighting.

Aaah, stay back! Get away! Somebody help! Somebody!

...s@4r;f@eeyw@ruit@s@k94i4b@ewe?

Ow! It hurts! Aaaaaah! Stop! Stop it! Please, no more!

It's...it's ripping me apart! Haaaugh, wh-why!? It...it hurts...Aaaargh

! uyq@b4e3bst<u.-s@<u.-@s!

Ghaaaaah! Aieeeeeeee!

(Panting)

utj utj w@fue...? 6d5w 6d5w uit@ e7uk

Ohhh, ohhh, ungh...! Unhhh...!

H-huhhh... Ah, aaaaah! No Please, stop! Somebody, help!

! 4b@eq<4b@eq!

b;f? b;m 6ud@ MONO? 6md

Aaah! Are they here!?

Wh-why!? I didn't move! I didn't move at all! I forced myself to stay perfectly still, so why!?

It's him! It's because he ran away!

Don't run away! Fight! If we don't stop them here, we won't stand a chance!

Everyone, attack together! Let's kill them one by one, together!

qkde qkde! g@'ffffffffffffffffffffff!

It's no good... We're not even making a dent! Our spears and arrows just bounce off of them! What are these creatures!?

qkde! Qkde! g@'ffffffffffffffff!

？！

Right...! Commencing combat with these unknown life forms, Master!

The enemies are multiplying as we fight them! Even one of them is almost too strong! If this keeps up...

There's a limit to how many we can handle! They're just overwhelming... Huh?

... tzs@4d(4l)4.

The enemies are all just walking away... Did they reach their active limit?

It didn't look that way... But it didn't look like they had a chain of command either.

It's like one of them got bored, and the others saw it and followed.

They looked like soldier ants, with no intellect or individuality...

But either way, this gives us a little bit of breathing room. Let's go to the ziggurat.

Gilgamesh should know what's going on. Let's talk to him first.

Move the surviving citizens beyond the Northern Wall! We'll use Nippur as a temporary refugee base!

Again, there's no need to recruit soldiers from the refugees. Only those who were born warriors need to stay in Uruk.

At last, the day of destruction is upon us. We have two more days at most.

That fool Merlin hastened the destruction I foresaw for Uruk by a full day!

But there is no need for you to die along with Uruk. If you can make it to Nippur, perhaps you can survive.

Those who wish to live, head towards the Northern Wall. If you wish to fight, then die for Uruk's sake.

You have until evening. Say your farewells to your friends and family.

...King Gilgamesh...

So you're back, Chaldeans? Looks like you succeeded in defeating Gorgon.

Hmm? You don't look so good. Are you tired, or have you seen too many things you wish you hadn't?

...Will you rest a little? No one will object to that.

？！

I see. Very well then.

Ishtar. Quetzalcoatl. And Jaguar Warrior, who I've heard so much about! Fwahaha! So, you're Jaguar Warrior!

I don't know how to handle this sudden pawpularity! I'm having mixed feelings about this warm welcome!

Heh. Don't say that. It's been tough here recently. I needed something to laugh at.

Now I'm even more confused! Should my feelings be hurt?

Give me your report, Fujimaru. Tell me everything that happened at the Demonic Front.

I see. So Merlin's dead.

Undefeated in real life, he was crushed inside a dream. That's a fitting ending for him.

"Evils of Humanity"... Is that definitely what Merlin said?

Yes, he said that the Mage King summoned one of the Seven Evils of Humanity to this land.

...Um, King Gilgamesh, what is an Evil of Humanity? And...there are seven of them?

What, you're not aware of them? I had thought you'd found the answer to that in your journeys.

The Seven Evils of Humanity, as the name suggests, are humanity's stigmas. A series of disasters that destroy humanity.

The more humanity develops, the stronger they become, like a cancer eating at society from within.

You could call them stagnant pools within human history.

Do you mean those who seek revenge, like Gorgon? Beings who would destroy humanity through animosity?

The opposite, beautiful one.

The Evils of Humanity are not evils that destroy humanity. They are evils that humanity destroys.

Evils that humanity destroys?

Indeed. Humph. I'll let the appropriate person explain when the time comes.

Just know they are disasters that threaten human history. Humanity's self-destruct system and safeguard...and the basis for Heroic Spirit summoning.

The Seven Evils of Humanity manifest and exist as Spirit Origins. They are seven disasters, created by humanity's bestial nature.

Thus, their class is Beast. This is what the Mage King has awoken. One of them, at any rate.

Hold on. The primordial sea could only mean Mother.

Are you saying this abnormality wasn't caused by the mother of gods...by the goddess Tiamat?

Fool. I'm telling you that Tiamat is one of the Beasts. Our foe is quite literally a primordial god.

A Beast-class... The Seven Evils of Humanity... So that's our foe now?

Indeed. It's a name for all the Beasts of Disaster.

The Beast in this land does not seem to have awakened completely. You have no readings on it, right, Chaldeans?

Yeah. King Gilgamesh is right. I don't see a Spirit Origin signature that terrible anywhere.

As for possibilities, you know... I probably shouldn't have to tell you where it is.

I bet it's inside that darkened Persian Gulf, yes. We could see it from the sky on our way to Uruk.

There were so many strange things coming out of the black sea. What are those, Gilgamesh?

I have no idea! Every one we captured just melted away!

Thus, I'll turn to you instead! How about it, Romani Archaman of Chaldea?

Hmm... Sheesh. I just finished my analysis. Though it's within the limitations of what I can do from here.

We're short on time, so I'll just get to the conclusion. They're made from what you'd call the base for the Mesopotamian world

Sand and soil of the Age of Gods... The Mud of Gods. These beings don't exist in our genealogical tree.

Since there's no difference between males and females, we can assume they reproduce asexually instead of sexually.

From their internal structure, it seems that they're currently in a larval state. Meaning they're going to change even more.

They emit so much magical energy because their Magical Circuits are those of beings from the Age of Gods. Think of them as mass-produced Enkidus.

So, I've named them Laḫmu. It was the name of Tiamat's first child, and means "mud."

(...Wait, is he actually good at his job? He even got the name Laḫmu right...!?)

Humph. Laḫmu, eh? I was thinking the same thing. We're on the same page, Doctor.

(And then there's this idiot trying to take all the credit!)

We shall now refer to these creatures from the sea of mud as Laḫmu! Sidu No, you, captain.

Inform everyone of the name Laḫmu. It will make communication easier later on.

？！

Forget about Siduri. We need to deal with the Laḫmu now.

They've spread across Mesopotamia and attacked many cities. They're not just slaughtering, but kidnapping too.

Our reports show that those kidnapped by the Laḫmu were taken to Eridu.

The Laḫmu have taken advantage of Quetzalcoatl's absence to make a nest in the jungle.

...Veo. I'll need to file a complaint about them personally. Was Ur taken over as well?

So it seems. I don't know why, but after attacking Uruk, they left for Eridu.

The Demonic Beasts had a tendency to sleep at night. Perhaps they're the same.

Whatever the reason, that's their nest. But we can ignore that. Our target is that blackened sea.

If Tiamat awakens, it's over. ...Well, actually, it's over already, isn't it?

That's fine. Everyone has accepted that this is the end.

?

Master of Chaldea. If Uruk falls, the Foundation of Humanity will completely collapse.

Even the Singularity will burn to ash, and Chaldea will disappear in the flames as well.

If you don't want that to happen, then fight on to the end. Go to the observation point near the sea, and investigate

？！

...

If you're worried about Siduri, she attempted to protect the people from the Laḫmu and was captured. That's all.

King Gilgamesh, why didn't you tell us!?

We understand your position, King Gilgamesh, but if Siduri was taken away, then we need to hurry...

？！

Well said, fools! Then I order you to investigate Eridu!

I cannot leave this place, so have Jaguar Warrior be your messenger!

You have one day! Finish things in a day and return to me here!

Huh... H-huh? King Gilgamesh...!? We...you're letting us save her?

Don't be so arrogant, foreigners! I've said from the start that your lot were unnecessary!

I never considered you part of Uruk's forces! If you can't be used, then it doesn't matter!

I was planning on sending an investigation team to Eridu anyway, and now you've saved me the trouble!

Oh? If you don't consider us part of your forces, then what were all those orders you gave us?

Humph. That's a different matter. I'm a king. Kings give orders. It's only natural.

Now hurry! I leave it up to you how to handle my kidnapped citizens.

Go to Eridu and find out what the Laḫmu want! It may help us defeat Tiamat somehow.

...What's going on, Solomon? Mother awakened. So why hasn't she appeared at the surface?

The seal. There's a seal over her, Kingu. She is bound, bound by that great sea.

You elevated the stray Gorgon to godhood, and the chain summoning brought Quetzalcoatl.

And then there was Ereshkigal, summoned by the Sacred Temple of Uruk. You brought them all into a rivalry through an alliance,

and at the same time kept the king of Uruk at bay. Splendidly done. You are indeed worthy of praise.

But it's not enough. Your job isn't done, Kingu.

Humanity is destroyed, but its history remains.

Break the seal on Tiamat and wipe out all the life forms in Uruk. If that happens, even the Singularity itself will disappear.

Human history will end there, in that era, even without my intervention.

At last I have the light bands from all of time and space. All that's left is for you to drop the crushing blow upon humanity.

Yes. As promised, we will take this era.

Only humanity will be destroyed. Mother will make a new world, and I will take over as the first new human.

That was the one wish of Tiamat after she was abandoned by humanity.

...Wonderful. I hear your conviction, Kingu, and you have the power to make your words reality.

I will support you. But...

But only if that's what she really wants.

...If that's what she really wants? Don't be stupid. Of course it is.

That's why Tiamat created me. That's why she trusted me and gave me the Grail.

Stop it...Stop, please, stop

zg@kiy:@yq,qkd]! 0o4 0o4 0o4

3dtofd@/94,rd@~cb@4. fd;.t,nwnge.

Kiki, kiki, ki kikikikikikikiki!

It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! I can't do it! Humans can't move that way!

...They killed another one? Is that how they think observing humans is done?

They don't know how to control themselves. They're lower than Demonic Beasts. They toy with and destroy them, and grin with those teeth...

The noise they make is like human laughter. How crude. Why did Mother create such things...?

Kikiki, ki!

...Well, it doesn't matter. They're merely soldiers. I am all the world needs.

I don't need companions, or family. ...Not even friends.

For I am the one true and complete new man. But...

...It's no good. I can't hear Mother's voice.

Before, I was able to hear her sobbing when I closed my eyes, but since the sea turned black, I can't hear anything...

Then I will have to break the seal, just like Solomon said.

...But... Who on Earth has the ability to bind the Primordial Mother?