NOVEL NEXT Chapter 488: Who Took the Holy Grail?
Shortly afterward, Ishtar opened her eyes, her face showed confusion upon her return.
"What just happened?"
Pitifully, nobody paid her any attention.
"What about this guy?" Morgan pointed to Kingu inside the magic circle. "Are we just going to leave them here like this?"
Arkhan glanced at Kingu and pondered for a while before answering.
"Since the Holy Grail has been taken, even if we maintain the magic circle, it won't change their inevitable fate... But there might be a way."
"Please, you have to help save Lord Enkidu!" Siduri hurriedly pleaded.
Although Kingu was not actually Enkidu, in her heart, they were still Enkidu.
"You're asking the wrong person." Arkhan looked at Gilgamesh. "Among us, only one can save him."
Siduri hesitated briefly, then turned to Gilgamesh.
"Your Majesty..."
Gilgamesh silently observed the familiar face of his friend, and after a moment of silence, he reached out and took a golden cup from the Gate of Babylon.
He crouched down, placing the cup on Kingu's chest.
After a gentle glow, Kingu's wounds swiftly began to heal as the cup merged into their body.
"Wait a while, they should wake up soon." Gilgamesh stood up and said calmly.
As he predicted, a few minutes later, Kingu's vital signs stabilized, and their eyes slowly opened.
When Kingu saw the room full of people, they immediately sensed something was amiss before coming to a realization and glancing at Arkhan.
"Why did you save me? I am your enemy..." Kingu's expression turned complex.
"You should ask him that question." Arkhan pointed toward Gilgamesh with his chin.
Kingu blinked their eyes slightly before looking at Gilgamesh with a mix of emotions in their heart.
"Answer my question first, Kingu." Arkhan squatted down, his deep black eyes fixed on Kingu's. "Who took the Holy Grail?"
Kingu bowed their head, staying silent.
Arkhan didn't rush them, but instead, continued.
"Do you know that... Tiamat has awakened."
"Mother has awakened?!" Kingu's eyes widened slightly. "But why haven't I—"
"Why haven't you heard her voice?" Arkhan's tone remained calm. "It's simple. Tiamat now has children who are more worthy of her affection. She doesn't need you anymore."
"I... see... so that's how it is..." Kingu smiled bitterly.
Although they had sensed this possibility, hearing it directly from Arkhan's mouth still pained them deeply.
After a long silence, Kingu spoke again.
"The one taking the Holy Grail is the same one who gave it to me."
"His name is... Goetia."
===
"Absolutely disgusting..."
Gilgamesh muttered as he stared out from a floating, radiant ship crafted of gold and emerald above the black sea, with grotesque monsters emerging from it. His face displayed undisguised disgust and disdain.
"Are you sure it's okay for you to leave Uruk like this?" Arkhan stood to his right, questioning. "You didn't have to come along. I could handle it here."
"Don't be ridiculous. This is Uruk's time to shine." Gilgamesh scoffed. "How could I shrink away at such a time? Besides, isn't Siduri still in the city? I trust in her abilities."
"Fine, it's your turf after all."
Arkhan shrugged his shoulders, then turned to the green-haired figure on Gilgamesh's left.
"And what about you, Kingu? Are you really sure to oppose Tiamat?"
Upon hearing his question, Kingu clenched their fists, their face flickering with hesitation, doubt, fear, and unrest.
Despite being Tiamat's child, they now found themselves preparing to battle for humanity, opposing their mother. Even though she had abandoned them, their heart remained conflicted.
"No more hesitations." Gilgamesh said calmly, gazing ahead. "Do what you feel you must. No one has the right to command you anymore."
After a moment of silence, Kingu took a deep breath, their eyes gradually sharpening.
"Let's be clear—I'm not fighting for humanity. I'm just a discarded child seeking answers from my parent."
Seemingly unconcerned with whether Kingu's words were true, Arkhan smiled briefly before speaking.
"Then let me reiterate our objectives—due to Tiamat's power, the three of us alone cannot defeat her. Our goal is to delay her advance, prevent those Lahmu from reaching the land, secure refuge for Uruk's people in the city, and buy time for Ereshkigal to move the underworld."
Not only did the name 'Lahmu' have two meanings in Mesopotamian mythological systems—earth and mud—but it was also the name of Tiamat's first child with Abzu, used aptly to describe these monstrous beings emerging from the black mud.
Each Lahmu was unrestricted by the black mud, free to slaughter and advance across Uruk's lands.
Under Morgan's control, a massive magic circle now covered Uruk, the only sanctuary for its people.
Ishtar, Quetzalcoatl, and Jaguarman were busy rescuing civilians, while Siduri maintained order in the city.
Arkhan and several others had come to the frontline to relieve pressure on the rear, buying precious time for others.
Standing on the radiant ship known as Vimana, they looked down at what was once the magnificent Persian Gulf, now eerily covered in black mud due to Tiamat's influence.
The grotesque creatures called Lahmu spread across the waters, their mouths occupying most of their bodies, their legs adorned with barbs, and their long tails swaying in the mud as they surged toward the land.
An endless horde of Lahmu rode the waves, forming a terrifying tide reminiscent of countless demons escaping from hell, bringing terror and sin to the earth.
Kingu stared silently at the creatures below, created personally by Tiamat.
Their brows couldn't help but furrow, feeling somewhat speechless. Clearly, these creatures seemed capable of speech, but it appeared to be understood only by Tiamat's creations.
With every passing second, Kingu's complexion grew darker.
"If the world is overrun by these monsters in the future, it'd be better off destroyed sooner rather than later." Gilgamesh sneered mockingly.
In the next second, he raised his hand, and countless golden ripples quickly appeared in the air, illuminating the pitch-black sky.
Hundreds and thousands of cold blades extended from the ripples and shot down with great force.
*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*
*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*
In an instant, thunderous rumblings echoed through the heavens and earth. Blinding flashes of continuous explosions made it impossible to keep one's eyes open.
Legendary weapons that left their mark in history fell like a torrential downpour, stirring up waves several meters high that swallowed the ugly, deformed monsters below.
At the same time, Vimana also unleashed its full firepower, magical beams descending toward the ground one after another.
Muscles tore, bones shattered—Gilgamesh unleashed his firepower without restraint, not bothering to aim precisely. After all, these Lahmu were everywhere, so random aiming would still hit them.