[Chapter 6]
When Naruto stepped out of the hole connecting his dimension and the student council room, what welcomed him was Genshirou Saji himself. There's no one else around. The clock pointed that the school had ended about a half hour earlier. It meant that the other members were still doing their job. His clone—the one he left in the room—was not there. He had sent it to meet Sona as soon as the clone attending the class returned his memories to him.
"Senpai, may I see your Sacred Gear?"
Naruto blinked at the sudden question. But, remembering Tsubaki's words yesterday, it became apparently clear. Genshirou Saji was in love with Sona. He was reincarnated with four pawns, he believed himself to be strong enough to be with Sona. The confident was further strengthened by his rather strong sacred gears. So, when suddenly he met another Sona's peerage that was stronger than him, his reaction was natural. And, comparing his expression at the moment to yesterday, it seemed he had become calmer and accepting. Tsubaki did a splendid job talking to the blond.
"You want to confirm whether it is true that my sacred gear is stronger than yours?" Naruto asked as he walked and sat up on the sofa right in front of the second year student.
"Yes," admitted Saji. "I have heard many things about you from Tsubaki-senpai. From the fact that you are Kaichou's very first peerage to the very fact that Kaichou bores love for you, I know about all of it, Senpai. I have experienced how much energy you have. So, for me to let you become a man that Kaichou can rely on, I have to see for myself how superior your sacred gear is."
Okay, there was a single point where Naruto couldn't follow: Sona…loved him? What was the kid blurting out? Was it…true? Did Sona really….
Honestly, Naruto didn't know how to react. However, remembering every moment he spent with Sona… It was hard to deny what Saji had just said. Moreover, Sona insisted they lived in the same apartment. If that was not due to love, then, what? It could be argued that she viewed him as real family, but, was that really the case? Naruto wanted to say yes, but his heart screamed no.
"Tsubaki told me that you have a crush on Sona." Naruto said after a while. "Are you fine with giving up so easily?"
"Ha-ha-ha, you are being funny, Senpai. Do you think there's a man who will give up so easily toward a woman they deeply love? There is none! Any man will do anything for their woman. Giving up is not an option. But, what can we do if the woman we love already set her eyes on someone way better than us?"
Naruto saw how frustrated Saji was, but he did not comment.
"The smile Kaichou gave me and the one she gave you…anyone can tell that I stand no chance."
"Do you know what Tsubaki-senpai told me?" Saji continued, but didn't wait for response. "'I will not forgive you if you let your feeling grows deeper.' She said that with a face so serious that I can't offer any words to retort. 'Forget your love for Kaichou, you will only hurt yourself.' That time is the first time that I know how it feels to have your heart broken. So, Senpai, please help me. Let me see your sacred gear."
Saji's love for Sona was genuine. Naruto could see that. Remembering his old days when he was craving for Sakura's attention…. Naruto understood that his naivety back then was not something deserved to be called "love". He was just looking for attention, mainly due to his jealousy toward that bastard Uchiha—and a little loneliness, perhaps.
As a man, the only response to give was showing what Saji wanted to see—that's a form of respect toward the blond.
However, the meaning behind that was not something trivial. By showing what Saji wanted to see, it was the same as admitting that he'd be a man Sona could rely on. That was not something Naruto could do. Sure, he had no problem helping the Sitri's Heiress—he had planned to be of help to her to begin with. But, he would eventually leave the world….
Even so—
"Alright."
—Naruto couldn't help it.
Numerous golden ripples rifted the space inside the student council room. From the corner to another corner, golden ripples filled the space. The number easily exceeded a thousand. From within each of them, a tip of weapon showed itself—swords, spears, axes, and more. And all of them were not normal in nature. Some were shrouded by holy aura, some gave of evil aura, some radiated divine aura, and a couple of them smelled dragon.
"Genshirou, i can rain this whole city with weapons ‒ this is my sacred gear, Gate of Babylon."
—somewhere in Iraq—
Tower of Babel ‒ Bible said that was the reason the Lord scattered human from their union.
However, what unknown to majority of human was that the tower was meant as declaration of war from Mesopotamian Pantheon to the Biblical Pantheon. Though, Biblical God ignored the provocation. He even used that as a reason to divide human from unity. Human who at the very beginning spoke the same language, they became scattered with many languages. That is the answer to the question "why are there many languages in the world".
Upon realizing their plan failed miserably, Gods/Goddesses of Mesopotamian Pantheon decided to bring the tower into their divine dimension. They left a cheap imitation of it to remind the human of the event. They then proceeded to help the Sumerian Queen, Semiramis, to build another art which would gather the Biblical God's attention. That art was known as Hanging Garden of Babylon ‒ a place that once called heaven on earth, the garden that was floating in the sky.
However, their attempt resulted with another failure. Biblical God's attention was focus solely on his own pantheon. Toward the others Pantheons, he took a neutral approach. It was not wrong to say that he was a pacifist. The war the Mesopotamian Pantheon wanted was forever remained a wish. So, just like the Tower of Babel, the Hanging Garden of Babylon was brought into their divine dimension—leaving only the cheap and poor imitation behind.
At the top of the ruin of the great Hanging Garden of Babylon (the cheap imitation that is left in the human world), an androgynous green-haired being who was sitting in a lotus position opened his eyes in surprise.
"What is it, Enkidu?"
That question came from a black hair pointed ears woman who was sitting upon a magnificent throne—a throne that was not a part of ruin of the cheap imitation of the Hanging Garden of Babylon.
"My Heavenly Chains resonate in me… This feeling…it is similar to that time. There is someone who has my chains. Quite far in the east ‒ I can sense it, Gil…no, rather, someone who has connection to Gilgamesh."
"Gilgamesh is dead. Before Tiamat resurrected you, I witnessed her calling upon Gilgamesh's soul. Unlike me who quickly pledged my loyalty to the primordial goddess, Gilgamesh refused. Tiamat destroyed his soul that it would be impossible for his existence to remain in the world. Therefore, I see no reason that has something to do with Gilgamesh. However, if there is another Heavenly Chains..."
"Are you implying the remnant of that Gilgamesh I feel is not from this world ‒ a parallel world?"
"Perhaps. But, it will not be impossible for Biblical God to have created something like your Heavenly Chains. Gilgamesh used your chain after your death, so it is likely the new Heavenly Chains contains a small portion of Gilgamesh's essence. He was the one who blessed human with Sacred Gear after all. Well, you can try getting the answer by yourself. The east, isn't it?"
Enkidu closed his eyes, ignoring the last question of Semiramis.
"What is this about? Did you just speak about that arrogant bastard who already dead for good?"
"Ishtar, refrain yourself from insulting Gil—he is my one and only best friend." Enkidu threatened without opening his eyes. "Mother will not mind it if I discipline you for good reason."
"Why are you coming here, Ishtar?" questioned Semiramis before the goddess of beauty—good harvest, war, lust, discord and fertility—could manage to retort toward Enkidu's insolent threat. "Didn't Ereshkigal forbid you from leaving the netherworld?"
"Hmph, escaping the netherworld is child-play for a goddess as great as me. Well, it is not like I blackmailed one of her servant to forcefully allow—ehem! Nevertheless, that is not important. I will ignore your previous nonsense, Enkidu, so tell me what were you talking about? It has something to do with Gilgamesh, has it not?"
—back inside student council room—
Not long after Saji left the room, the door once again opened. Sona and "Naruto" came without any greeting. Sona spontaneously furrowed her eyebrow, seemingly annoyed about something. "Don't tell me that the one next to me is a clone…."
Naruto didn't give any verbal response, but the "Naruto" next to Sona puffed out into white smoke.
"Well, that is a nice idea, Sona." Naruto said right a few seconds after his clone disappeared. "So, will you return to Underworld by yourself?"
-xxXxx-
This fiction is an AU version, it contains Fate element. I think I have written it in the very beginning.
