On the chaotic battlefield, Humbaba's demise unleashed Ishtar, a top-tier Servant, shifting the balance.
The once-stalemated situation now had a crack for a breakthrough, and Gilgamesh was in high spirits.
The counterattack's opportunity had arrived.
From the divine tower, Gilgamesh used his Clairvoyance to meticulously observe every battlefield, issuing precise orders at critical moments, ensuring Servants and warriors maximized their roles in the complex fray.
Current status: Humbaba and the Demon God Pillar were dead, Tiamat sealed in a small world.
However, their key asset, Quetzalcoatl, was comatose. Though given healing elixirs, her divinity's permanent damage wasn't easily mended.
Her participation in the final battle remained uncertain.
With Humbaba gone, their main threats were the Lahmu and Karna.
Arjuna's magical energy and condition had shifted dramatically, his Saint Graph showing signs of alteration. The cause was unclear, but the battle wasn't favoring him. He might lose to Karna, perhaps even die in their fated duel.
Though Gilgamesh had promised Arjuna not to interfere, there was no reason to let a threat like Karna walk free. So, as soon as Ishtar defeated Humbaba, he ordered her and Jaguar Man to head to Arjuna's battlefield.
He instructed, "If Arjuna is alive or defeats Karna, do not intervene. If Arjuna dies, strike Karna down with overwhelming force. He must not become a wildcard on the battlefield."
Ishtar had no objections. She knew the white-haired Lancer's formidable strength, rivaling her current state. His crimson thunder spear was especially deadly against divine spirits, a force that could sway the battle. Eliminating him was logical. Though she disliked taking orders from that gaudy golden king, for the war's victory, she was willing to make the sacrifice to neutralize this threat.
It'd be even better if, afterward, that annoying guy thanked her and groveled at her feet.
[What's with her obsession with foot-licking?]
Jaguar Man eagerly accepted the task.
Though the white-haired Lancer was terrifying, and they'd have no chance one-on-one, Arjuna wasn't weak either. As Karna's fated rival, even if Karna won, he'd be far from unscathed. If two Divine Spirits ambushed a weakened demigod and got counter-killed, they'd be the laughingstock of other gods.
Giggling mischievously, the two quirky goddesses headed to Karna and Arjuna's battlefield.
"…"
Seeing these less-than-sane goddesses take the task seriously, Gilgamesh sighed, a trace of relief in his eyes.
At least the situation was stabilizing…
Thanks to the heroic sacrifices and Roy's Third Magic-converted Ascendant Warriors, the seventh singularity's dire state had left Gilgamesh ample room to maneuver.
These white-light warriors, pseudo-immortal through the Third Magic, could recover from decapitation or pierced hearts unless utterly destroyed.
Ordinary mortal soldiers, no matter how trained, would be lambs to the slaughter against Lahmu born from the primordial tide, their weapons ineffective.
But the Ascendant Warriors were different. Fearless, they faced the Lahmu's grotesque, robust forms. A spear of pure magical energy would pierce, melt, or cleave them, no exceptions. Well-utilized, a few dozen could hold off thousands of Lahmu.
Moreover, these warriors could adapt their weapons to the battlefield's needs.
In melee, they wielded light swords; at range, they hurled light spears, incredibly versatile.
"Excellent. Three hundred warriors have escorted Siduri to Kutha. The Lahmu target Uruk, but with Leonidas and three hundred Ascendant Warriors, they can't breach in the short term, now, we just need to fend off the bugs swarming Uruk."
Assigning tasks, Gilgamesh sat on his throne, his calm demeanor belying the chaotic situation, directing Ascendant Warriors to guard Melammu Dingir nodes while counterattacking Lahmu.
He also leveraged Ereshkigal's underworld skeletons and volunteer spirits, coordinating with ranged-mode Ascendant Warriors for an ancient infantry charge, merging with Li Shuwen and Red Hare to wipe out the Lahmu.
Simultaneously, he completed tuning in Uruk, ready to fire the Melammu Dingir for the decisive chapter.
Additionally, Gilgamesh deployed capable warriors on Quetzalcoatl's pterosaurs for battlefield shuttling and intel delivery, analyzing the situation to guide Ascendant Warriors in rescuing stranded mortals, preserving civilization's embers. Every battlefield segment operated smoothly under his command, with unprecedented multi-species coordination emerging.
"How's it going, King Gilgamesh? What's the battlefield status?"
Dr. Romani's projection appeared in the divine tower.
"Hmph, who do you think I am? A battlefield of this level is easily within my grasp. With Clairvoyance, I can monitor every front and adjust in real-time. Information relay is a hassle, your communication devices are pitifully few. But pterosaur messengers barely suffice. The situation is under control."
"That's good…"
Relieved by the news, Dr. Romani exhaled.
"Romani Archaman, if you've nothing to do, find something useful. Staring at me helps no one. Even Ritsuka is out fighting bravely, yet you, the instigator, loiter here. Don't you feel ashamed?"
While directing Ritsuka and Mash to encircle and hunt Lahmu infiltrating the city, Gilgamesh issued orders to Romani without looking back.
"Get back to work, mongrel."
"Ah! I get it, I was just checking the situation…"
"Go research Tiamat's legends. Find weaknesses or breakthroughs in later myths."
"This stalemate won't last. Killing Lahmu is meaningless, our true enemy is Tiamat."
"Got it, I'm on it!"
Understanding the order's implicit dismissal, Dr. Romani rallied, returning to Chaldea's instruments to work with Da Vinci, scouring ancient texts for Tiamat's lore.
As Romani's projection vanished, Gilgamesh, alone on the throne, rubbed his temples and chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"A bunch of mongrels, none sparing me any peace… But this command experience is novel, though the workload is daunting. I've half a mind to join the underworld."
"Uruk's, I'll do my utmost to buy you time. The rest is up to you, succeed."
…
…
On the other battlefield, the fated duel of the Indian brothers raged on.
Unlike their earlier clash of sun and thunder, the thunder was gone. A profound, inky shadow surged under Arjuna's command, rapidly encroaching on the suspended sun.
Where the shadow passed, matter and life disintegrated at breakneck speed.
"Karna!!!"
"Hahahahahahaha!!!"
"What's wrong? Afraid to clash head-on now?"
Arjuna laughed maniacally, his arm sweeping as the terrifying shadow behind him expanded, blotting out the sky.
Exhilaration, pure exhilaration, this intoxicating battle, this enthralling slaughter, Arjuna hadn't felt in ages.
Arjuna,
Born the son of Indra, king of gods, one of the Pandava brothers.
His noble lineage, divine and royal, marked him as a Kshatriya, a great hero, a heaven-blessed warrior.
Under the expectant gazes of all, he strove to maintain a diligent, honorable, upright image.
He allowed no flaws, or dared not show any, fearing he'd disappoint others.
Thus, his true nature was gradually buried under the persona he played for years.
The real Arjuna? No, he was merely a perfect hero acted by Arjuna.
His perfection, his noble and grand demeanor, won not only his father's favor but the gods' affection, earning him many boons.
To honor his nobility, Agni, the fire god, secured a divine bow from Varuna, the sea god, and gifted it to him.
But was he truly as noble as he appeared? Was he flawless? Was he the hero fulfilling the gods' and people's ideals?
Perhaps he was, as his actions followed the gods' plans and met public expectations.
Yet perhaps not, for Arjuna knew deep within him lurked another self, a hidden side.
He cared little for wealth or status. What he craved was honor and battle.
Upholding the Kshatriya name and heroic principles mattered most to him.
But, unthinkable to all, even himself, this seemingly flawless warrior, when his honor was at stake, might cast aside propriety and resort to underhanded tactics.
This was his hidden side, his dark side.
When contemplating vile tactics, Arjuna's heart wavered, tormented by pain. But when his other self emerged, his demeanor turned extreme, his wicked grin shocking those who knew him.
Who could imagine such a noble warrior hid such a dark, despicable, revolting side beneath his diligent, honorable facade?
Thus, Arjuna guarded this secret fiercely.
Anything else was fine, but this persona, this hidden side, he'd never let anyone see or allow anyone who knew it to live, ensuring the secret's safety.
Even allies or his summoning Master, if they saw this side, Arjuna would kill without mercy to bury the truth.
He called this evil, painful persona "Krishna."
A loathsome yet inseparable existence.
Unlike his radiant, noble exterior, this Krishna was vile, cunning, unscrupulous, the embodiment of all he despised.
How could such a filthy being arise from his persona?
Arjuna didn't know or understand.
He knew, in his final battle with Karna, this persona, this evil named Krishna, tempted him, goading him to fire the fatal arrow.
It plunged him into endless guilt and self-reproach.
Thus, Arjuna loathed it, loathed his other self, constantly suppressing its existence.
He always upheld his Kshatriya and heroic titles, maintaining composure and grace in any peril or battle.
As Indra's son and a Pandava, he permitted no stains on his honor.
Thus, he never truly regarded this dark side, believing his willpower could suppress it.
Until, in tension and doubt, evil arose, and this dark side resurfaced, goading him to slay Karna.
The cruel truth hit him: No, you didn't suppress it or defeat the darkness within.
You merely ignored it, tried to deny it.
You played the hero under the gods' and people's expectations, cloaking your heart in a false guise. You reveled in this role, adept at it, your comfort zone.
But in desperation, stepping out of that zone, you instinctively shed that heroic guise, revealing your true nature… Krishna.
Krishna and Arjuna were one, interdependent, neither truly defeating the other.
When needed, they called upon each other, casting aside propriety… revealing the true Arjuna.
Now, witnessing the Master and Aztec gods' triumph on the sea, seeing their radiant resolve, Arjuna no longer fled. He faced the ultimate darkness within, finally accepting his other self.
With all warriors giving their all, how could he not fight desperately?
He could lose to anyone.
But not you!
Never you!!
"Karna!!!"
This was his obsession, his drive to press forward.
That radiant sun, though scorching, captivated him, making him…
Yearn to tear its brilliance apart, to see if its hidden essence matched his own!!
His grin grew wilder. Vibrant, inky shadows coiled behind him. With a lift of his left hand, the relentless destructive force launched its final assault on Karna.
Shadows eclipsed the sky, dimming the sun's hue.
This time, the shadow would devour the sun!!
___
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