When Rozen stepped out of the divine tower, night had already fallen.
In Uruk, the once-constant clang of blacksmithing had also stopped, leaving the streets with a faint sense of quiet.
Standing on the steps at the gate of the divine tower, Rozen gazed over the entire city of Uruk.
At this moment, within Uruk, hundreds of thousands of citizens were engaged in their own activities. Though the sound of hammering was gone, the city still appeared lively.
For someone unfamiliar, this lively scene would surely evoke the incredible charm of an ancient night—partly beautiful, partly warm.
Yet it was indeed remarkable that such beauty and warmth could exist at this moment.
Outside Uruk, countless Laḫmu were still attacking. Even looking up at the night sky, one could see shadows streaking across the darkness. If not for the glowing barriers holding them back, Uruk would have already fallen into a city besieged by monsters.
And in two days, Tiamat would arrive in Uruk to launch her final assault on humanity of this era.
If she could not be stopped, all would die.
Remarkably, Gilgamesh had concealed none of this, having Siduri inform the citizens clearly.
In other words, the entire population of over a hundred thousand in Uruk knew the apocalypse was coming.
Soon, perhaps, all of them might die.
Yet, despite knowing this, the people of Uruk showed not the slightest fear or terror. They accepted their fate calmly and lived their lives as they always did.
In the modern world, such a scene would be impossible.
Only in this age of the gods—where humanity had grown accustomed to hardship and suffering—could people accept everything so calmly.
After all, disasters were not unknown to people of this era.
Once, the bull of heaven Gugalanna ravaged the land, nearly driving humanity to extinction.
Once, Gilgamesh abandoned Uruk to seek the herb of immortality in the underworld, leaving Uruk desolate, nearly reduced to ruins.
And with Ishtar's frequent assaults on Uruk, combined with other disasters told in legends, humanity had survived countless crises, enduring until now.
Thus, even with the apocalypse looming, even with the Evils of Humanity manifesting, they would not give up hope for the future, nor abandon their love and desire for life.
Truthfully…
"Coming to this Singularity, the ones I admire most are not Heroic King Gilgamesh, nor the Great Sage Merlin, but you—a group of ordinary, unremarkable humans."
Rozen muttered these words unconsciously.
And they were echoed in agreement.
"I think the same, Senpai."
Hearing this, Rozen immediately regained focus and turned his head to look beside him.
There, a familiar figure was waiting.
"So you're here… Mash."
Rozen was somewhat surprised.
It was Mash.
Mash had changed out of her combat outfit, now wearing the exotic Sumerian attire like when she first arrived in Uruk.
Apparently, Mash had returned briefly to the embassy, then come to the divine tower and waited for Rozen.
"Everyone had a day of battle. After returning to the embassy, they rested soon after. Only I… couldn't sleep."
Mash walked to Rozen's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.
She occasionally stole glances at his expression, and after some thought, spoke.
"Altera is at the embassy as well. Though she hasn't appeared, I can sense her presence."
In other words, Mash had come to find Rozen knowing that no one else was there with him.
"She went back to the embassy?" Rozen nodded, murmuring, "Well, that's fine."
Otherwise, just having learned Altera's true origins, Rozen would not have known how to face her emotionally.
Mash had likely sensed from the situation and Rozen's demeanor that both he and Altera had matters weighing on their hearts.
It pained Mash to see this.
If possible, she wished to share Rozen's burden.
For Rozen bore too much.
The future of humanity depended on him.
The survival of human order depended on him.
The redemption of human history depended on him.
Even the crises, dangers, and evils born from humanity's original sin and beastly nature of this era depended on him.
Rozen carried too much.
Even Mash understood that Rozen did not aspire to be a savior, nor did he aim to save the world at any cost. He simply walked this path for the people he cared about, for what he wanted to do.
Yet undeniably, Rozen had worked hard to grow for many reasons, to reach this point.
Becoming Rozen's familiar, Mash knew how special he was, destined to stand out in countless worlds.
Yet this exceptional nature did not make him detached from humanity. Rather, his relationships across various worlds had given him more bonds, more expectations, and more hope placed upon him.
This made Mash both proud and heartbroken for Rozen.
He had not come from a privileged background, yet had forced himself to grow to this point—it had not been easy.
Now, the burdens on his shoulders continued to grow heavier.
Under such circumstances, Mash truly wished she could ease some of Rozen's burden.
(Because of Senpai, I can see the blue sky.)
(Because of Senpai, my life has been redeemed.)
(Because of Senpai, I can raise my shield and fight to this day.)
For Mash now, only Rozen could bring light and meaning to her life.
Therefore…
"Senpai."
Mash lifted her eyes to look at Rozen.
"Hm?"
Rozen turned to meet her gaze.
Seeing this, he froze.
Mash stared straight at him without hesitation, her eyes full of determination.
"No matter what happens, I will stay by your side."
She spoke these words clearly.
"So please remember, whatever occurs, I will always be here."
Her words penetrated directly into Rozen's heart.
Rozen stared at Mash in silence, slowly regaining composure.
He could grasp and accept the intent behind her words.
A heavy weight lifted slightly from his heart, like a warm current flowing through him.
"Thank you, Mash."
Rozen reached out and embraced her.
Mash, no longer shy or hesitant, snuggled into his arms.
The two of them, before the divine tower, embraced in the heart of Uruk, gazing at the bustling city.
In that moment, both thought of the same thing.
"We must succeed."
"Yes."
That night, the last warmth flowed across the land, becoming the beauty of this era.