The vast land and sky, with a huge city standing in the distance.
This is the first thing it sees upon its creation.
To those witnessing it for the first time, it should be an awe-inspiring sight.
Yet, in this moment, it lacks the rationality to appreciate the scenery.
It has no soul.
In this state, it can only follow its primal instincts, darting through the wilderness and forests like other wild beasts.
It senses something, some presence, calling from the direction of that distant city-state.
It feels that this presence needs it.
But at this moment, it is unable to respond.
Then, a woman appears before it.
She might have been sent by the great being that created it, or perhaps she merely crossed its path.
In this state, it's impossible to discern.
The appearance of sentient life for the first time prompts it to mimic her.
Gradually, it gains wisdom and understanding, learning the truths of the world on its own.
A soul awakens within it.
She learns the woman's identity: a messenger sent by the gods to complete her.
She copies the divine figure's appearance and forms her own body.
Recognizing modesty, she dons her clothes.
"Enkidu."
For the first time since her creation, she murmurs the name given to her.
Enkidu gazes at the city-state that stands resilient in the distance.
She understands her mission and her responsibilities.
God's punishment was meant for the king who failed in their role as the 'wedge.'
This is her purpose, the reason she was created as a weapon, as a 'lock.'
...Or so it was supposed to be.
Yet, Enkidu continues to feel the pull from the city.
This calling isn't just a summons but a deep resonance from her very soul.
She senses the presence of the King of Uruk... Ophis.
For the first time, she experiences curiosity.
She wishes to understand why this pull exists and what kind of being Ophis is, someone who defies divine commandments.
With this thought, she races toward Uruk at meteoric speed.
Born from the gods, she possesses extraordinary abilities and skills. Using these, she easily infiltrates the hall, arriving behind the king who has his back turned.
Unlike others, the king senses her presence but shows no surprise, turning around calmly.
When Enkidu first sees the king's face, it isn't the exquisite features that captivate her but the silver-gray eyes.
Clear, yet devoid of soul.
— This person might be even simpler than I was when I was newly born?
Such thoughts cross Enkidu's mind.
Throughout her existence, there was no one to guide her. She could only reach out to grasp an unreachable goal, lost in her own world...
A solitary existence.
Why does she feel so lonely?
Enkidu can guess the reason.
She cannot determine what kind of life Ophis leads, but she knows it's neither human nor god.
There is divinity but not the true divine essence, and human traits are entirely absent.
In a world dominated by humans and gods, there exists a being that is neither.
Moreover, the goal hidden in her eyes is something even she herself denies.
An existence distant from everyone, pursuing something even more distant.
No one around her can understand this girl.
So...
Enkidu lowers herself slightly.
This is the preparatory stance many wild animals take before attacking or fighting.
"You, do you want to kill me?"
Ophis tilts her head, observing Enkidu.
Her voice is cold and lonely.
— Of course, she knows this well.
Seeing Enkidu's stance, which seemed to confirm the question, Ophis shakes her head.
"I don't understand. But you can't kill me."
— This person might be beyond my reach.
But...
Just as this lonely girl wanted to pursue an unreachable goal, she, too, wished to reach out and pursue it...
With this in mind, Enkidu attacks Ophis.
She realizes that her attacks likely won't affect Ophis. Given Ophis's nature, she might simply ignore the attack.
Yet, Enkidu cannot remain indifferent to this existence.
In the hall, even Ophis refrains from using her magic cannon to crush her opponent, avoiding massive destruction.
Moving her rarely used body, Ophis struggles to recall various martial arts techniques and clumsily waves her hands to defend against Enkidu's strikes.
Enkidu's fighting style, unlike her holy and beautiful appearance, resembles that of a wild beast.
Even so, it's a divine skill, and Ophis, who usually relies on bursts of energy, struggles to handle it.
Constantly pressed and beaten, Ophis becomes somewhat irritated and retrieves two swords from her treasure vault, hoping to turn the battle in her favor.
However, the difference in close combat skill cannot be overcome merely by switching from fists to swords.
Despite being overwhelmed in battle, Enkidu cannot inflict lasting wounds on Ophis.
— That's not entirely accurate. While wounds were inflicted, no blood spilled. Instead, the wounds healed within seconds.
Throughout the battle, Ophis integrates knowledge and uses her superior dragon-like physicality to gradually turn the tide.
Enkidu, however, does not intend to let Ophis escape easily.
She transforms into mud and then into countless swords, spears, shields, and fierce beasts, launching a relentless assault on Ophis.
In response, Ophis can only summon the treasures she has collected.
The battle endures for several days.
Finally, Enkidu exhausts almost all her resources, losing even the clothes symbolizing her wisdom and modesty, and collapses.
This must be an embarrassing state, right?
Enkidu smiles ruefully.
Holding her last sword, Ophis repairs her clothes with energy and approaches Enkidu, looking down at her.
For Ophis, the physical exhaustion over these days is trivial. Other matters deserve more attention.
"Why?"
She asks.
Is it about why Enkidu attacked? No, Ophis doesn't care about such details.
So, you ask yourself why you tried so hard?
Enkidu ponders.
"Ah... I don't know either..."
Maintaining a faint smile, Enkidu responds softly, seemingly indifferent to her current state.
"But... seeing you like this, I feel... a little sad... I keep thinking, it would be nice if I could be with you... like this..."
A glimmer of understanding appears in Ophis's eyes, but she does not swing her sword. Instead, she turns, takes a few steps, and sits down.
Although the roles and processes have shifted significantly, the fate of 'King' and 'Lock' ultimately intersects.
This encounter changes the future direction of Ophis completely.