Chapter 4
"Hooo…the first hero you said?" Hermes asked, his curiosity has been piqued
"Indeed, the first man who received the title of 'Hero' and would reign over the other heroes that will come after him!" Zelretch grinned
"The only person that has the right to wear the title 'King of Heroes'"
The King of Heroes
The weight of that title cannot be underestimated
That title signifies that no others can surpass him
Had such person existed in this world, the gods would have had punished him for his arrogance
But for Bell Cranel…
His eyes are sparkling, his curiosity regarding the man intensified
"He must be so heroic…" Bell whispered
Those who heard him smile, especially those who knew of his obsession regarding heroes
As a vampire, of course Zelretch heard him as well
'You'll see' the vampire thought as a scene starts playing in the mirror
The entire landscape was burning…no, it is as if the entire world itself is burning
Cities and Civilizations destroyed, reduced to nothing
Countless people died, their corpses littering the uninhabitable land
"These…" Freya muttered
Everyone watching is disturbed by the scene shown to them
"Yes…these scenes…it's almost the same as the Dark Era" Herman said
'The Dark Era…' Bell thought
If the boy remembered correctly, it's the term used to describe the condition of the world before the first of the gods descended from their thrones in heaven and sealed off the dungeon. The era when endless waves of monsters came out of the dungeon, invading the surface world.
There are figures in the distances standing upon the top of a hill
Although their figures can't be seen clearly, they're exuding great power
The gods
Facing them is a massive figure, white in color with a tint of blue from its stomach to its legs
It has an appearance of a beautiful woman with long flowing white hair, red eyes and disproportionately large hands.
The White Titan
The Devourer of Civilizations
Sefar
The 'woman' and the gods clashed with the clear intent of killing each other.
The gods were annihilated, their physical bodies gave out as they disappeared in sparkles of gold light.
The 'woman' did not show any signs of joy of 'her' victory, and instead continuing on with 'her' rampage. Soon, more gods and goddesses felled by the 'woman'.
"…what?" Loki said with a dumbfounded expression shared by her fellow deities
For the mortal occupants of the room, their expressions are one of horror. In this world, the killing of a deity is heinous act which is frowned upon. Yet these 'woman' had just killed countless of them with her own hand. Not to mention that the deities shown in the scene were clearly not powerless as they're able to inflicted massive collateral damage by using their Divine powers in their battles against the 'woman'.
"…We should be glad that this creature doesn't exist in this world" Ouranos muttered
"Oi, Zelretch isn't it? What is that creature?" Loki asked
Zelretch's stroking his beard before replying to the goddess
"Her name is Sefar, the White Titan. An otherworldly being if you want to call it that"
"With you standing here right now…I assume that…Titan was stopped?" Freya asked, her right hand twirling her silver lock
"Indeed, Sefar was defeated by a hero wielding a very SPECIAL sword…one that I won't show as it has no relation whatsoever with the King of Heroes"
'Oo, I thought he's a hero because he defeated that woman…' Bell thought
"And you showing all that…is relevant?" Hestia asked dubiously. Haruhime and Lili seems to be in the same opinion as her as they nodded at her words.
"Of course! Perhaps it is my fault that you got confused because I forgot to explain the exact nature of my world…" Zelretch said as a chair suddenly appeared for him to sit
"The timeline of my world can be divided into 3" Zelretch said as he held up 3 fingers
"The Age of Gods, the Age of Faeries, and the Age of Man. As of right now, the Age of Gods and Faeries had long ended in my world"
"The Age of Gods was an era where the deities reigned supreme over the world. Gods and Goddesses existed in physical forms, mythical beasts that resembled the monsters in your dungeon still plenty and walk in the same realm as humanity"
"And I assumed that Sefar was a major factor in the ending of that Age?" Hermes pointed out
"Correct god Hermes. Sefar destroyed the majority of the world and killed the majority of the gods in my world, causing the deterioration of that Age as the gods started to lost their power...but she's not the one that gonna put the end of that era" Zelretch said cryptically
"What do you-" Riveria was about to asked
"No more question! Or we'll never finish watching this" Zelretch said as the mirror shows another scene
The land had returned back to normal as civilizations start to flourish once more
It's a massive city with buildings made of stones, its residents seems happy as they're doing their daily activities
In a room, a man with imposing figure and bronze skin stood beside a bed…his expression is joyful while stroking his black beard.
There on the bed, lay a woman of great beauty with a short blonde hair that reach her shoulder and red ruby eyes.
The King of Uruk, Lugalbanda and the Goddess Ninsun
In the goddess' arms laid a baby boy with golden hair and red eyes that resembles the goddess embracing him
"Wait wait! That goddess has a child with a mortal!?" Loki said as she stood up a little while slamming her hand on the table in front of her. She got pulled back to the sofa by Riveria.
"For some reason, she reminds me of Ninsun…" Hermes muttered
"The answer is a yes for both of you. That goddess is Ninsun. And yes, gods and mortals can have children together in my world" Zelretch confirmed
Everyone looks equally surprised by that revelation. While relationships between a deity and his/her children sometimes happened, it won't results in anything. To think that in other world, such relationship could results in a child…was astounding.
Freya, for some reason, looks intrigued. Her eyes darting to Bell without anyone noticing.
"The children of deities and mortals are called Demigods in my world. There were so many of those overpowered children running around during the Age of Gods…and many of them inherited the power and trait of their divine parents" Zelretch said
"Behold, the birth of the First Hero!"
"My son…the one that would connect the gods and humanities…Uruk is truly blessed by your birth!" Lugalbanda said as he clean his tears
The goddess Ninsun only chuckled as she kiss the baby's forehead
"You will grow strong, Gilgamesh" she whispered
The scene change, showing a golden haired boy with red eyes, no older than 10 years old, walking along the street of Uruk among the cheers of its people
"We have the best king ever!"
"The future of Uruk is secured!"
"Cheers for king Gilgamesh!"
The boy just cheerfully waved his hands while flashing a bright smile that makes his people even more joyful
"He's so cute!" Tiona muttered. Even Tione agreed with her
'He acts like Bell…' Aiz thought
"Well, the future seems bright for the city" Hermes said
The boy soon grew up and changes started to appear
The wise and benevolent boy king was no more
Now he's nothing more than a tyrant
A cruel and selfish king who treat his subjects as if they are nothing than toys. His only joy is collecting treasures, whether it be weapons or wines.
Absolutism, oppression, duress, levies, and the utmost decadence from self-interest
His subjects laments the change of their king
"What had happened to our king?"
"Ooo, how he had changed!"
"Gods! Please free us from this oppression!"
Even the gods in heaven were flabbergasted by the change
"How Disgusting…" Ryuu muttered, her eyes glaring at the smirking golden king currently sitting on his throne
"...He's a hero?" Bell questioned weakly
The man shown in the mirror is the farthest thing from a hero. It's more fitting to call the man a villain.
"Are you joking with us?" Hermes glared at the aged vampire sitting under the mirror
"Is this your definition of a hero?" the messenger god asked
"Our interpretation of what a hero is… very different, Zelretch" Finn calmly said
"Just continue watching" Zelretch said dismissively
The golden king is sitting on his throne, his lady-servants serving him food and drinks. The moment was interrupted when a soldier storm in, looking tired as if he just run from the gate of the city to the throne room in minutes.
"You have 10 seconds to explain before I end your life, mongrel" Gilgamesh growled as he stood up, a sword in his right hand
"M-my king, someone claiming to be the envoy of the gods wants to see you" The soldier stammered
"Th-the envoy said that he's here to punish you" the soldier cowered, as if he's expecting to be killed the moment he said that
The king said nothing, a frown in his face before exiting the throne room. In front of a temple, a person with long green hair stood wearing nothing but plain white cloth. The person is neither male nor female. Soon, the golden king meet this envoy.
"You intend to punish me?"
"That's right. I'm going to set your arrogance aright with my own hands" the envoy said
The King snarled as he launched himself at the envoy
The battle lasted days until the 2 fighters found themselves in the middle of the valley.
The envoy was a formidable fighter, able to freely transform into all creation…be it spear, axe, sword, and beast.
"You – how can a mere lump of earth rival me!" Gilgamesh said
For the first time, the king encountered his equal. Against this opponent, he used everything available to him…even the treasures that he held so dear. At first, he did it out of necessity, because he was cornered. But as the battle went on, he was throwing all the treasure in his possession joyfully without holding back.
Soon, both combatants exhausted everything they had. There's nothing left inside the king's treasury while the envoy had used up all of his clay, one that change shape to match everything Gilgamesh had thrown.
"That was intense!" Gareth said
"Luckily you don't invite Hephaestus here Ouranos, she would have a heart attack if she had seen all of those weapons recklessly used like that!" Hestia chimed in
The goddess of forge would be raging and swearing if she's here. Welf is looking like he's about to fainted, seeing all of those high grades weapons wasted by Gilgamesh.
Ignoring that, the battle between those 2 truly something to see. The scale of their battle far surpasses anything the occupants of the room had seen. Even Ottar doubted his chance should he ever combat any of those two, although he would never admit that.
Gilgamesh burst into laughter as he collapsed to the ground face-up. His opponent also fell to the earth.
"Both of us have only one move left. If we don't defend as well, then I suppose we'll be two foolish corpses lying here in the end" the king said
A short silence follows
"Don't you regret using up all that treasure?" the green haired one said
"What? Why shouldn't I use them for an opponent who requires it" Gilgamesh cheerfully said
The battle ended in draw
The envoy, now named Enkidu never leave the king's side
It is as if their battle bonded them together as a friend
Then there's a beast called Humbaba, residing in the Cedar Forest. A beast that resembles Enkidu, yet also different. Its presence preventing the people of Uruk from gathering food, thus it needs to be removed. The beast was a divine beast of the gods, but it was defeated by the combined power of Gilgamesh and Enkidu.
"A Divine beast?" Finn muttered
"Does such being exist in this world, goddess?" Bell asked of Hestia
"Hmm, I don't think we have such creature…as far as I know" Hestia replied, shaking her head
"Can the 3 Grand Quests be considered as divine beasts?" Riveria asked
"No, the 3 Grand Quests are irregularities…extremely powerful monsters but there're nothing divine about them" Hermes answered the elf's questions
The scene change, with both Gilgamesh and Enkidu standing on the top of a massive building while overseeing the celebrations by the people of Uruk for the defeat of Humbaba.
"My king" Enkidu said, snapping Gilgamesh from his trance
"What's the matter? Did the banquet put forth by my people already end?" the king asked in turn
"That will continue until morning" Enkidu said before continuing on
"Why did you decide that you were going to defeat the Divine Beast? It wasn't an order from the gods, and though it did devastate your Uruk, you didn't do it for your people, did you?"
"No, it was truly to save Uruk. If I don't defeat the evil residing on Earth, my people will starve to death"
"Ooo, so he do care" Bete said, full of sarcasm
"Indeed, he's contradicting himself…He claimed that the beast was an evil that needs to be destroyed to save his people, yet he's the one that brought the greatest suffering" Riveria said.
As a member of elven royalty, she cannot imagine herself acting like the golden king
"But why you?" Enkidu asked
"What do you mean?"
"Your tyranny has caused much suffering to your people. So why are you worried about your people?"
The king did not directly answer that question, and he gave his friend a small smile
"There are different kinds of protection. Just guarding things from danger is not protecting…At times, you need something like the northern wind. It is the duty of the King to establish the future of this planet"
"The duty of the king?" Enkidu asked, not understanding what Gilgamesh means by that
"That's right. I'm the king! I live as the king! Since I've decided as such, I'll play along with humans, with the future of humans, until the very end of the world"
"…Why won't you tell the people those words? At the rate you're going, not one person will understand you. You'll be all alone to the very end" Enkidu said to the king who's smiling at his celebrating peoples
"…I'm not alone. There's someone I'm telling the story to now"
Enkidu did not say anything, staring at Gilgamesh with his mouth slightly open
"Though, it's not a story that can be told to the general populace, I've mumbled it out to you, a non-human"
A smile appeared on Enkidu's face
"Yes. I'm a tool. Tools need not the northern wind or the sun. That's why I can be at your side until the end of the world" Enkidu said as he joined Gilgamesh watching the celebration currently happening at the Uruk's plaza
"Fool…Fool!" The king said, making Enkidu confused
"Live together and fight together. That's no longer human or tool" Gilgamesh said, and with a smile he continued
"Listen here, Enkidu…That is called a…friend"
Enkidu gasped a little but he smiled at that word, as if he had gained something special
"Come now, let us rejoin the banquet" Gilgamesh said as he walks back toward the throne room
"I'll be there…I want to enjoy this view for a while" he got a nod as a response
When he is sure that Gilgamesh is no longer near, he spokes
"I understood why he preferred isolation… It was because the path he had chosen was the one he had to walk alone…He said he was protecting a distant future he could see. That's why, he had to be alone…hating gods and men. The more he loved the future of humanity, the less he could be involved with anyone"
Then he continued
"When he was born, this conclusion was already made. He was alone, a creature neither god nor human. With the characteristics of both sides, his viewpoints ranged so wide and so far…not even the gods could understand the things he saw
"An excess of power leads to an excess of loneliness…even then, he did not give up his place as king…he did not flee the purpose he had given himself.
"He earnestly respected the gods, and loved humans. It was just that, in conclusion, he had chosen the path of abandoning the gods and hating humans
"Arbitrator and reaper…he obtains only the results. There was no way he, who was more than human, could intervene in this glorious process from which such results are born"
He stopped his self-talk and headed toward the throne room
"I'll never leave you…my friend"
"…That…is deep" Riveria muttered
"Though I could not understand as I'm not his position…he's not wrong, not really" Finn said, agreed with Riveria assessment
"Well, I had to admit that Enkidu is correct" Hermes said as he swirled the wine glass on his hand
"What do you mean, Lord Hermes?" Asfi asked her god
"We, deities, have a completely different nature from you children" Hestia is the one that answered her
"Correct, Gilgamesh have both the characteristics of a god and a mortal…the way he viewed things would be different" Hermes said
"It is because he sees things from the mixed perspective…his dual nature allowed him to do so" Freya supplied her own thought
"…Even so, it still doesn't justify the sufferings he had dealt to his people" Gareth said
"It doesn't" Loki confirmed
"But from his perspective, his methods of rule would protect the future that only he could see"
"Does it mean…he can see the future?" Mikoto wondered
"It's highly possible, thanks to his dual heritage. Miach's child, Cassandra, has the same ability isn't she?" Hermes asked. All members of Hestia Familia nodded in confirmation
"Can see the future, massive collection of powerful weapons, great endurance…man, this Gilgamesh is so damn overpowered!" Welf said, receiving some chuckles from the other adventurers.
"I wonder what level he would be if he's here…" Finn muttered
"Well, we can't confirm that just yet…we haven't seen the end of his journey, isn't that right Kischur?" Loki said as
"Indeed goddess Loki" Zelretch chuckled
"Let us continue"
Gilgamesh is sitting on his throne, Enkidu standing next to him along with a young woman, half of her face covered by a veil.
Standing in the center of the room is definitely a goddess, one of great beauty with her long golden hair and red eyes. All of the soldiers guarding the throne room are entranced by her.
"King Gilgamesh, I would like to propose a marriage between us" the goddess said with a smile, her alluring voice is almost bewitching
"…I don't know why, but I got annoyed just by looking at her" Freya muttered, her eyes twitching
"You recognized her, my lady?" Ottar asked
"Never seen her before…but she feels familiar"
"I see"
Hermes whistled
"Having a beautiful goddess proposing to him? What a luck man!"
The demigod raised a single eyebrow
"What made you brought this up, goddess Ishtar?"
"THAT'S ISHTAR!?" Loki and Hermes yelled
"…she looks different" Freya simply said
Bell is blushing red, that name triggers a memory that he wished to buried away
The 2 girls sitting next to him are confused by his reaction
"Come now, King Gilgamesh…your power and influence had reached the point where even the gods could no longer you. And I must say, you're a perfect match for me!" The goddess giggled
"Just imagine how beautiful and powerful our children would be!"
Just imagining bunch of little Ishtars running around made Freya's skin crawled
'That…should never be allowed to happen' the goddess thought
"Interesting proposal I must say so myself…marrying and having children with a goddess that presides over love and sex? Many men would kill for that chance" Gilgamesh said
The goddess smirked
"Is that an acceptance that I just heard?"
"Alas…" the king drawled
"Your track records…are lacking" the goddess raised an eyebrow at that
"Huh?"
"Therefore, I must rejected your offer" Gilgamesh said, his tone leaving no room for argument
"You had proven yourself to be unfaithful to your past suitors, you're a cruel goddess who likes to manipulate and corrupt the hearts of men. That's my reason, goddess Ishtar"
"You…" Ishtar is trembling with rage, her divine power is leaking from her form
The goddess disappeared in a flash of light without saying anything more
"…my king, is it wise to angered Lady Ishtar like that? After all, she's the patron deity of this city" The veiled woman, Siduri, asked
"I have no intention of insulting her. What I said was the truth, what she thinks of it is all on her" Gilgamesh said with bored tone
"My opinion of him just drastically increased" Freya said with a chuckle
"Heh, even though it's not the same Ishtar…it still very satisfying to see her got rejected in such callous manner" Loki said
"…that's not good" Finn said. Gareth who's sitting next to him nodded in agreement
"Eh, why's that Captain? If what he said was true, seems like he avoids something troublesome" Tiona asked
"It's never a good idea to anger a deity" Ouranos answered Tiona
"Indeed. We may not look like it but we're quite petty, TIona Hiryute" Hermes said "And I guessed the same thing applies for deities on that world too"
Not long after the incident, a great disaster struck the land of Sumer
A massive bull, even bigger than a mountain appeared
Gugalanna, the greatest of Divine Beasts in Mesapotamia was released by the god Anu with Ishtar urging.
The divine beast of the gods, clad in storms, brought massive flood and dark clouds with it as it unleashed its power. The result was a 7-year famine and destruction that threatened the existence of Uruk itself. It is a threat that could no longer be ignored and thus must be removed.
"Damn…" Even the usual loudmouthed Bete can't help but amazed by the sight of the Divine Bull
"A beast that covers the entire world with dark clouds for years?" Bell squeaked
"Look at the size of that…and the storms as well.." Tione said
"Ouranos…" Freya said to the aged god
"That beast…it's far larger than any of the 3 Grand Quests. Its abilities alone put it above the Behemoth and Leviathan. Although we must see its true power first before comparing to the One Eyed Black Dragon" Ouranos said grimly
Aiz' hands clenched when Ouranos mentioned the dragon, something that was noticed by Bell
'Aiz…' Bell thought worriedly
It's either a battle or face destruction. Gilgamesh and Enkidu set forth to stop the beast once and for all.
The battle soon ensues
It was a long and hard fight. The Divine Bull had proven that its title as the Greatest of Divine Beasts is not an exaggeration. Its durability and destructive power compensate its oversized body that became the target of Gilgamesh' attacks.
Countless chains erupted from Enkidu, binding the Bull tightly to the point where it can't even move any parts of its body.
Gilgamesh stood, his golden armor shines brightly even though the storms covered even the sun. His right hand is open as if he's waiting for something.
A golden portal appeared, ejecting a weapon directly into the king's hand
It has a weird shape. The weapon has a golden grip and handguard like any other swords. But…it's tip was shaped like spiral and dull, resembling a drill with 3 different segments
The king lifted the weapon high to the sky, causing the drill to spin with each segments spinning into the opposite directions of each other. The sound generated by the weapon is terrifying, as if it signaling an incoming doom.
The king started to speak
"I shall offer this one strike as the ceremony of separation!
"I speak of the beginning. Heaven and Earth are divided and nothingness celebrates Creation.
"My Sword of Rupture rends the world apart.
"The vortex that turns the stars. This heavenly hell signifies the end of the eve of genesis.
"Subside with death!
"Enuma Elish!"
The weapon unleashed its power, a wild yet extremely powerful beam of red light struck the Bull of Heaven, enveloping its massive size entirely. The beast roared in pain as the red light slowly destroying its body. In less than a minute, there's nothing left remaining of Gugalanna.
The Bull of Heaven has been slained
Ishtar's revenge has been thwarted
Yet, the dark clouds and rains persisted
"Holy hell…" no one knows for sure who said that as all of them (except for Zelretch) still cannot believe what they had just seen
"…well, Ouranos?" Freya once again asked, her voice slightly trembled
"…it is even more powerful than the dragon in my opinion" Ouranos sighed
None of the adventurers' present can believe what they're hearing
According to Ouranos, Gugalanna is more powerful than the One Eyed Black Dragon
The Dragon that had destroyed Zeus and Hera Familias, two of the most powerful Familias that ever existed. Those 2 Familia had a Level 8 and a Level 9 captain respectively.
And yet…
Gilgamesh and Enkidu alone managed to destroy the beast that are stronger than the dragon.
'Just how powerful are those two!?' that's what the majority of them think
"…I would put them at around Level 12 or 13" Ouranos said, garnering the attention of everyone
"L-level 12 or 13!?" Loki sputtered
"No one had ever reached Level 10 before, but judging from the feat they had just shown…"
"…what's with those strange weapon anyway?" Welf asked
"Crozzo's correct, the amount of power unleashed by that 'sword'…was just absurd" Gareth chimed in
"I doubt that dragon could survive that…" Hermes muttered
Aiz's heart was clenched hard
'If…if only I could be that powerful…'
'Aiz…' Riveria thought worriedly as she's taking a glance of her ward. She cannot move freely to comfort the young woman as it would risk drawing the attention of everyone in the room which would lead to uncomfortable questions.
Aiz no longer listening to any of the conversations that currently happening in the room, she clenched her hands so hard it might draw blood…then she felt someone grasping her right hand.
It was Bell
Bell did know what's going on but he can sense Aiz's pain…so he did something that he could think of. Grasping her hand to comfort her.
It was a small gesture of kindness, but the meaning behind such act cannot be underestimated.
She gave him a grateful smile that caused the shy boy to blushed
They had won
The beast that threatened Uruk's existence had been defeated
And yet…
Enkidu fell to the ground with Gilgamesh quickly rushing to his friend's side and held him in his arms with all his might
Enkidu's falling apart
"…this!" Gilgamesh cursed
"…it was a great sin to slain a beast of the gods with the body of a human…this is my punishment" Enkidu said while small pieces of him fell to the ground
"I won't allow this. Why do you have to die? If someone must be punished, it should be me! All of this was my own selfishness!" The king shouted
The sky rains even harder, as if it was weeping
"You don't need to be sad. I'm a weapons…just one of all those treasures you have. You'll find countless treasures after this, much better than I am. You see, there's nothing so valuable about me that gives you reason to drench your cheeks like this" His broken friend counseled him
Yet the king would not accept such words
"You have value! Value no one else has! I declare it here and now. In all the world, I have only one friend. So – that value will never change, for all eternity!"
Yet his friend not able to give him any response
"Ridiculous
"You lived with me, spoke with me, fought with me. That's not a person, nor a tool, that's called a friend, Enkidu"
What left of his friend is nothing but crumbling pieces of the earth.
Gilgamesh can't do anything but stood up and staring up to the heaven without any emotion in his eyes
For the first time in his life, he feels completely defeated
He had won, he protected his city and people, yet the price of that was too big
Bell doesn't realize it but tears are streaming from his eyes, drenching his cheeks wet
"Bell…" It was Ryuu who snapped him out and he hurriedly wiped his tears away with his arms while it's now Aiz's turn to put a comforting hand on his shoulder
"That is indeed a tragic tale" Freya said with a cup of wine in her hand
Everyone in the room cannot help but pitied the prideful king, for he had lost the only person in the world that truly understands him…a friend that can't be replaced by anyone.
"…that beast was sent by Ishtar right?" Hestia asked Zelretch
"Yes, the goddess Ishtar beg to the god Anu to released Gugalanna as a punishment for insulting her" the vampire answered
"Even in another world, Ishtar still gave people reasons to hate her" Loki said
"…what a useless goddess"
"Hmm, who said that?" Hermes asked
Nobody give him any response
Gilgamesh returned to Uruk as a broken man
The people did not celebrate the defeat of Gugalanna, for they had lost something as great
For the first time ever, Gilgamesh feared death
Watching someone who was his equal reduced to nothing in the face of death was truly terrifying
He cannot accept that! He had tasked him to watch over humanity until the very end, being dead means escaping from the mission that he had imposed upon himself.
He left his city days later, trying to find a way to overcome death, to become an immortal like the gods
He left for the underworld, Ereshkigal, and met an immortal sage named Ziusudra who told him about the Herbs of Immortality, a spirit herb of perpetual youth and eternal life.
He spent decades in the wilderness, trying to find the Herbs, discarding his pride, power and authority as both a hero and a king, groveling along pathetically while thinking nothing other than not wanting to die.
"It's almost too pitiful to look at..." Riveria said with Lefiya nodding in agreement
"Right now, he's neither a hero nor a king…just an ordinary man that tries to overcome the impossible. Not even a child of a god can escape Death" Ouranos plainly said
"But still..." Bell muttered
He has come to respect the golden haired man in the mirror, seeing the prideful hero lowering himself like that..is not pleasant
Later he meet Utnapishtim in the realm of the dead, who had gained longevity by joining the ranks of the gods, becoming a half-plant in the process. Gilgamesh rejected such form of immortality as he desired to become an immortal with his human desires intact. Utnapisthim told him another way of becoming an immortal without seeking mercy of the gods…by collecting the root of a herb that grew in the deep.
Gilgamesh collected the herb and returned to the surface. His face is full of joy
"Umm, he looks happy?" Lefiya commented
"Why wouldn't he? If u remember, he had always everything given to him or taking anything without any efforts. This is the first time that he managed to gained something through his own struggles" Riveria said
"Yup, even I can sense his pride and joy from here" Loki said
Wanting to return to his city in his full glory, Gilgamesh rested himself at a spring to recover from the accumulated fatigue over decades of searching. In a moment of carelessness, he left the herb lying on the ground at the edge of the spring.
The smell of the herb drawn the attention of a hungry snake which consumed the herb, while a panicked Gilgamesh emerged from the spring to stop it…it was too late. The snake gained the property of shedding.
"Damn…" Bete winced
"Decades of searching…only to have his reward snatched away by a hungry snake" Finn commented with a small smile
"Wait…the snake is shedding its skin. Does it means that the herb only granted the power of restoration and not immortality?" Tiona asked
"Hmm, it does looks like it" Hermes muttered
"You should never trust something as suspicious as that anyway" Hestia pointed out
The King was struck with laughter at the event, the absurdity of the conclusion in all he stood to gain and all he took pride in being 'naught'. He can't help but laughed at his own foolishness. He laughed away the theft for some time…and smiled while staring at the sun.
For the first time, he had experienced the fleeting moment of human joy
He then made his journey back to Uruk…only to find it in ruin.
The city had fallen into decaying state due to his negligence with almost nobody left in the city
A stunned Gilgamesh enters the ruins of his city through the main gate
"King Gilgamesh!" it was a voice that he had not heard for a long time
"Siduri…" The king said as he watched the woman running toward him
"You're waiting for me?"
"Of course! I would not leave until I got the chance to complain to you!" The woman said, tears in her eyes
The King cannot help but chuckle
"You'll have plenty of time for that…" He said as he walk past her
"Come, Siduri! We've got lot of works to do" Gilgamesh said, a small smile on his face
"Understood!"
Thus, Uruk was once again prospered under the rule of a more matured king. Though he's still severe, he's calmer and wiser. Once again the people proclaimed him as a great and wise king.
"You no longer seeks immortality my king?" Siduri asked her king
The king is currently reading some reports about the city written in stone tablets
"Nay, I have no need of immortality…these eyes of mine can see far away into the distant future. I had seen what I wanted to see" Gilgamesh replied without taking his eyes off from the stone tablets
"But…perhaps I will collect that herb once again to complete my collection…after I'm done with all this"
Siduri chuckled
"Please don't overworked yourself to death, king Gilgamesh"
"Huh! As if I would die from something like that" Gilgamesh scoffed
Note:
Finally finished with this chapter! As always, I apologized for any grammatical/structural errors in this chapter (English is my 2nd language)
Most of the scenes between Gilgamesh and Enkidu was taken from the translated work of 'Fate Extra CCC: Gilgamesh Secret Garden' uploaded by ZVN in Youtube. Please check out his/her channel!
Some scenes like the ones with Sefar, Ninsun, and Ishtar were made up by me as I can't find any information about that. Regarding Ninsun and Ishtar description, I remember reading/hearing something that said all Mesapotamian Gods have golden hair and Red eyes like Gilgamesh (a demigod).
I also don't know whether Gilgamesh used EA during his battle against Gugalanna, so I just make it happen to show EA's capability.
The last scene between Gilgamesh and Siduri was inspired by FGO: Babylonia story line.
The next chapter would be a break for Danmachi characters, so it will mostly be interactions between the characters and their thoughts on Gilgamesh. For the next story, it would either be Heracles, Achilles, or Karna as I'm still not sure which one should go first.
Either way, yes I'm planning to continue to story until it reaches the Holy Grail War (Fate/Zero) and FSN (either UBW or HF).
The next chapter would be late as I need to finish the next chapter for my other story hahaha. Thank you all for your support!
Sincerely, Dante.