[…My mood is very unstable.]
"…"
Ophis didn't respond.
She knew her mood swings were affecting her decision-making.
But, after all, she had only lived a little over a hundred years, and those years were spent in a dimensionless gap with nothing around her.
For someone like her, who might be fine if she completely ignored her surroundings, encountering and processing new information from the outside world could greatly affect her emotions.
With only a year of experience in the outside world, no matter how calm she usually was, it was impossible for her to match the composure of those ancient beings.
…Especially after seeing a close friend's body being taken over by an unknown entity.
She had seen this in her destiny before.
But seeing it with her own eyes was a different experience.
Thinking of this stirred the immense energy within Ophis and drew on the nearby magical sources.
But eventually, she managed to calm herself.
Such emotions were unhelpful in the current situation. Ophis could still distinguish priorities.
Her approach had always been to handle what needed to be done without acting on impulse.
[Some problems can't be solved no matter how powerful you are... Hmm... Unless you're truly omniscient and omnipotent, does such a state really exist?]
"Does Qi not know either?"
[Haha, even if you achieve the omniscience and omnipotence you seek, how can you be sure it's true omniscience and omnipotence? Such questions are paradoxical and ultimately unresolvable. It's pointless to dwell on them.]
"…"
Ophis realized that Qi had brought up this topic.
[So, what should we do next? Should we eliminate 'Enkidu'?]
"No... As long as she doesn't cross the line, I won't attack her."
Ophis shook her head.
She saw that 'Enkidu' was using the real body of Enkidu.
Although the body had turned to mud before Ophis's eyes, it could be reconstructed as long as there was enough power.
Enkidu was a weapon. The most important part of a weapon is its functionality. For Enkidu, that was his physical body... or his 'machine body.'
In terms of weapon composition, even if the soul is replaced, as long as the strength of the new soul meets the threshold, the body's abilities remain unchanged.
Ophis viewed Enkidu as a close friend and recognized her value as the "soul" of a weapon, but she would not disregard the weapon's value itself.
To Ophis, treating a weapon as anything other than a weapon was foolish. If it is a weapon, it should be used as such and its function maximized. This is the best way to show respect.
Unless Enkidu rejects being used as a weapon first, Ophis will persist.
Therefore, Ophis would not destroy the body.
Destroying it would mean losing the value of the weapon.
[This is your choice. I'm not surprised at all. But I don't dislike it either... And you said it yourself, didn't you? Just like Enkidu of the past, this 'Enkidu' is also an unqualified weapon.]
"But for now, she is still a weapon that can only be wielded by others."
Ophis shook her head.
"Let's move on... What do you think about the singularity and Chaldea, Qi?"
[Well, there's no need to delve into the singularities. It's likely someone with nothing better to do trying to destroy humanity... If I were at my peak, I could correct this kind of fate deviation with a mere flick of my finger... But I must say, the other party's method is quite clever.]
"Not only that, but the technology is also highly advanced."
[Indeed, being able to disrupt seven era points in this manner, their knowledge and power must be impeccable.]
If Ophis were to handle it... she would probably only have a method like using the Sword of the End to accumulate energy for seven days.
The result might be pushing back the flood with a whole team of light cannons.
[In short, let's address the immediate problem first. The one pulling the strings behind the scenes won't be easy to reach.]
"So, what about Chaldea?"
[You probably won't care about any extra information. Anyway, based on my infallible intuition, it's an organization you can trust... Whether it will be useful, you'll have to see for yourself.]
"Um..."
"King!"
At that moment, Siduri rushed over.
"Is it done?"
Ophis frowned. It wasn't unusual for Siduri to convey orders, but her quick return to investigate the witch's house was unexpected.
"My king, if I may, something quite serious has happened."
In a way, it was expected?
"…Go ahead."
"According to a recent report from Kuta City, it seems that... all the people in the city died silently overnight! The report stated there were no signs of death beforehand, and the deceased looked quite peaceful, as if they were merely sleeping."
Ophis rubbed her brows again upon hearing this.
"I understand. Continue with your previous task. I will handle this matter."
"Yes!"
Siduri hurried off again.
[You don't look surprised at all, do you?]
"Yes, I've encountered something like this before."
[…Really?]
"Does Qi not know either?"
[There's not enough information to be certain.]
With such an answer, Ophis could only sigh helplessly.
[However, while Kuta City's overall strength may not be great, there are still a few strong individuals who could maintain the city's stability. According to the priest, all the people in Kuta City died overnight without any disturbance. If it wasn't caused by a new, powerful monster with special abilities, it must be the work of gods, right?]
"God…?"
This was becoming increasingly troublesome.
"Could such a power invade Uruk?"
[I'm not sure. As a precaution, you should prepare thoroughly.]
Ophis sighed again.
What else could be done? Preparations were necessary.
Imagining the power of gods as an adversary...
It was a huge task.
In that case... she would need to make some minor preparations for the end times...