"And how exactly can you prove that?"
Kingu's voice was calm, but the magical energy within his body began to boil. At any moment he could unleash his Noble Phantasm and strike the man down in a single blow.
If there truly was a problem, then even at the cost of his life he would use his Noble Phantasm to kill this man.
He absolutely could not allow anyone to interfere with the awakening of the true Mother, Tiamat.
At the same time, Gorgon fixed her gaze upon the reincarnator.
A faint glow gradually lit up inside her pink eyes, and the snake heads woven through her hair slowly turned toward him.
If he failed to provide a convincing explanation today, he would not be leaving this place alive.
Yet faced with such a deadly atmosphere, the reincarnator acted as if he noticed nothing. His arrogant expression remained unchanged.
"Proof? I stand here full of righteousness—brave, just, stepping forward when needed—and yet you still doubt me and question my intentions. Heh. Where's your sense of shame?"
It had to be said, this man's arrogance truly knew no bounds. Even in the middle of such a dangerous situation, he remained utterly contemptuous of everything around him.
It was difficult to imagine how someone like this had survived in the reincarnation worlds.
Or perhaps… it was precisely this arrogance that kept him alive.
Just like now.
Hearing his words, Kingu gradually calmed the magic surging within his body and exchanged a glance with Gorgon.
Although this man's nonsense contradicted itself every other sentence, the current situation suggested that keeping him alive would bring more benefits than killing him.
For now, it might be best to let him live a little longer.
But Gorgon did not think the same way.
"You are quite noisy, human."
A strange light flickered within her crystal-clear pink eyes.
"!"
The reincarnator had just turned his head to continue speaking when he suddenly realized something was wrong.
His body was stiffening.
Even his open mouth could no longer close.
His skin gradually turned pale gray like stone, the petrification spreading upward at a visible speed.
And just like that, under the watchful eyes of Gorgon and Kingu, the reincarnator became a statue.
"Mother, next time please allow me to handle this."
Seeing the petrified figure, golden ripples appeared beside Kingu. A chain shot out and shattered the stone statue into fragments.
"Until the Day of Rebirth arrives, please take care of your health."
"…"
A faint smile slowly appeared on Gorgon's beautiful face.
It was unclear what exactly amused her.
"Don't say that. It was merely a bit of exercise."
With those words, she lowered her body again, preparing to return to sleep.
But before closing her eyes, she looked deeply at Kingu.
She was well aware that she was not the real Tiamat.
She also knew that the Enkidu before her was not truly her child.
She understood perfectly that she was being used as a pawn.
Yet even so, she accepted it willingly.
As long as she could take revenge upon the humans she hated…
As long as she could destroy the humanity she despised…
She was willing to pay any price.
Even if that meant becoming a false Tiamat.
Meanwhile.
Inside the Divine Tower of Uruk.
"Well done, Tarnished. What reward would you like this king to grant you?"
Leaning lazily against his throne, Gilgamesh studied the Tarnished and Quetzalcoatl standing beside him.
No matter how he thought about it, he had never expected one of the Three Goddess Alliance to turn out to be the Feathered Serpent God from South American mythology—a chief deity in her own pantheon.
And all of this during the Incineration of Human History, when he could not observe the future of South America through his Clairvoyance.
But the man calling himself the Tarnished impressed him even more.
Defeating Quetzalcoatl was already remarkable.
Pulling her into their side afterward was an even greater surprise.
Yet the Tarnished did not see it that way at all.
For some reason, everything Gilgamesh said just sounded… strange.
"Forget it. You can answer that when you actually have time."
He waved his hand dismissively and glanced at the towering stacks of clay tablets beside the throne.
From the moment he entered the palace, Gilgamesh had been constantly busy. Even now, the king had only managed to spare a tiny moment of free time.
Most importantly, beside the throne there were mountains of clay tablets.
To the left was a pile of completed ones.
To the right—and behind—were even larger stacks, nearly as tall as the throne itself.
Those were clearly all unfinished tasks.
Was that really just one day's workload?
Handling that many affairs… wouldn't someone literally die from overwork?
The Tarnished couldn't help feeling a bit impressed.
But the ones truly shocked were Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash Kyrielight.
Based on what they had heard, King Gilgamesh should have been a cruel tyrant.
They had even prepared themselves for the worst.
Yet the man before them was nothing like that.
He was a diligent and wise king.
"Very well. I will remember that for now."
Gilgamesh's gaze then shifted toward the two people behind the Tarnished.
"Next…"
[Group Notice: A reincarnator has been eliminated. Please submit the mission within 48 hours and return to your original world.]
The sudden notification made both the Tarnished and Gilgamesh freeze for a moment.
A reincarnator had been eliminated?
What happened?
Their eyes instinctively turned toward the small figure standing beside Siduri, playing with a tiny toy airplane and making buzzing noises.
Northern Princess was here.
So who exactly had done it?
Inside the group chat, confusion spread just as quickly.
Chika Fujiwara: Huh? The reincarnator was eliminated all of a sudden? But Mr. Tarnished and Uncle Gil are together…
Chika Fujiwara: Could it be… @NorthernNorthernNorthern Northern-chan, was it you?
NorthernNorthernNorthern: Not me. I didn't. Don't make things up.jpg
Chika Fujiwara: If it wasn't Northern-chan, then who was it?
Aizen: Miss Fujiwara, please remain calm. It may have been the local forces in Mr. Gilgamesh's world. We have encountered similar situations before.
Chika Fujiwara: Really?
Although Aizen's explanation seemed plausible, she still had doubts.
Normally, reincarnators were assigned to worlds based on their strength. It was extremely rare for them to be defeated by local forces—unless they were beginners.
But how could a beginner appear in Uncle Gil's world?
That world literally had real gods.
Still, compared to that, she cared more about something else.
Chika Fujiwara: @Oldest King Uncle Gil, the reincarnator has been eliminated, so Mr. Tarnished and Northern-chan will return to their original worlds. Will things be okay on your side?
Oldest King: Fool. What do you take this king for? One pillar of the Three Goddess Alliance has already fallen. Moreover, the Tarnished has retrieved Marduk's Axe. The so-called Primordial Mother Tiamat is nothing to fear!
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife: About Marduk's Axe… let's talk tonight when we have time. @Oldest King
"King Gilgamesh?"
Siduri noticed her king had gone silent for quite a while and seemed slightly distracted, so she gently called out to him.
Siduri—the overseer of the Oldest King.
"Mmm… Siduri, arrange lodging for the Tarnished. Then you may withdraw."
Gilgamesh slowly rose from his throne, his eyes fixed on Anna, Mash Kyrielight, and Ritsuka Fujimaru.
"King Gilgamesh? Don't tell me…"
Siduri looked surprised.
In her memory, the king rarely left his throne.
Especially after the Three Goddesses appeared, he had practically lived there, handling endless affairs day and night.
He barely even rested.
And now…
He had stood up.
Which meant—
"It is exactly what you think. This king will slightly defile this throne for a moment. I am busy and have no time to confirm your identities in detail. Therefore, battle is the fastest way to determine whether you are genuine or not, magician of the observatory."
At this point, Siduri could say nothing more. She stepped back with Northern Princess.
Meanwhile, Merlin, the guide who had brought them here, had already slipped away to the perfect viewing spot in the corner.
There he watched the upcoming battle together with the Tarnished—who was currently munching on chunks of meat like snacks.
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