[3rd POV]
Enkidu is dead.
Gilgamesh had prepared for this, but why did it still hurt?
Where was this anger coming from?
He was born into this world as something extraordinary, and his confidence allowed him to treat both mortals and gods as equals.
For Gilgamesh, the only way he judged others was by their soul.
Enkidu was the second person he'd encountered with a soul so pure. Even though Enkidu was merely a tool created by the gods, Gilgamesh had been willing to call him a friend.
As for the first...
A blazing Ether beam cut through the air, and an arm severed cleanly and fell to the ground in front of him.
"That's quite the audacity."
Gilgamesh remarked, his voice carrying both disdain and understanding.
It was just a severed arm, but he understood the meaning behind it. Even though both he and Shadow were Wedge of Heaven, they each had their own strengths.
Shadow excelled in martial prowess and the uncanny ability to hide or conceal his attack intentions.
In one-on-one combat, Gilgamesh might not win. However, it would be useless with so many gods around and his serious injuries.
This was Gilgamesh's battlefield.
The Chains of Heaven seemed to sense something and placed the severed arm on Gilgamesh's wound.
Then, it searched through the King's Treasure chest and finally found a healing potion to pour on the wound.
Instantly, the arm that originally belonged to someone else began to take connect on Gilgamesh's body.
"Are you rejecting me?"
The pain was unbearable, even for Gilgamesh, and he felt the arm rejecting him.
Although Kyouya intended for Gilgamesh to attach his arm and regain his peak battle strength, there was more than just his will inside his body.
These were the voices of the people he oppressed, the echoes of those who had suffered under his tyranny.
"Tyrant, you dare seek our power? Aren't you supposed to be invincible?"
"When you trampled upon us, did you ever think about that day?"
"We can't help someone who once tormented us."
...
The voices of many souls filled Gilgamesh's mind, and the arm that was once attached began to bleed again.
If he couldn't conquer these wills, no matter how good the healing potion was, he wouldn't be able to attach the arm properly.
"You insolent fools, you cannot even fathom this king has seen... you—"
"But you did hurt them, didn't you?"
Kyouya's voice rang out.
This place was where the people's souls gathered, and it was only natural for his voice to echo here.
"Humanity is ignorant, and they need the guidance of a king. The king holds the power to rule the world, and with that power comes a corresponding duty."
Power and duty are like twin siblings. If one side is removed, the other becomes a distorted version of itself.
He had once found a balance between the two, but now he was completely unbalanced.
However, this imbalance was something Gilgamesh had deliberately chosen.
"You want to say that this king is wrong?"
Gilgamesh stared at him, who stood among the people in this mental space.
The people's souls had shifted to this point, something Gilgamesh had intentionally created, but now he felt a bit unwilling.
Without realizing it, he was all alone.
"Gil, you've never been alone. No matter who you stand against, I will always be by your side."
A voice echoed in Gilgamesh's ear—it was Enkidu's voice.
"I have always been with you, no matter what choices you have made. Gil, you don't need to hide the kindness in your heart anymore."
The ethereal figure of Enkidu appeared from behind and embraced him.
Gilgamesh acknowledged him because Enkidu had a pure soul, and Enkidu recognized him because he could see through all the facades and glimpse the kindness hidden beneath his arrogance.
"Kindness? I am not kind. I am just as selfish as the one standing there."
Gilgamesh said as he approached the illusion of Kyouya. He could sense the core of his soul, still filled with "selfishness."
"You refused to hear the cries of suffering, so you became my enemy. You didn't want the gods to abuse their power over others, so you joined forces with me. Your ego is entangled inside the fate of the people; you are both the king leading all beings and their guide."
Gilgamesh spoke the truth about Kyouya's current state, born from absolute "selfishness" into absolute "selflessness."
"Since you can do it, there's no reason why I can't."
Gilgamesh said as he shattered Kyouya's illusion with a single blow.
He looked at the soul of the people, and just a glance made them tremble.
The old Gilgamesh had finally returned.
"I don't need you to understand. The mistakes have already happened, but I will make up for them in the future, and now I need your strength."
Gilgamesh still refused to explain himself. After all, the people didn't need to fully understand the king's affairs.
They just needed to feel it.
"Give me your strength, and I will give you a better future. In that future, there will be no gods demanding protection from us and no tyrannical kings oppressing you. This is my promise, and the guarantee for all of it is..."
Gilgamesh pointed at himself.
"This is a promise from me, Gilgamesh. A promise I made with my own words."
A promise from Gilgamesh.
They all who Gilgamesh had hurt had once been his subject. They understood the cruelty of this king, but they also understood his pride.
The words he spoke were ones he would fulfill, even if it meant death.
"Damn arm, attach yourself to me already!"
He focused his intention on the arm that didn't belong to him. Thanks to the healing potion, it is finally... attached.
The oppressive feeling, a pressure so immense that even the gods feared it, washed over him.
After reattaching his arm, Gilgamesh was now three times stronger than before... no, five times stronger.
"Is this how you feel?"
The sudden surge of power didn't make him arrogant. Instead, he silently felt the strength within that arm.
This arm seemed to connect him to the souls of all people. The joys, anger, and sadness of those far away surged inside him.
In an instant, Gilgamesh appeared in front of Anu with a grim expression, and the overwhelming pressure caught Anu off guard.
"Gilgamesh, can we make peace?"
"Bastard, do you think you deserve peace with me?"
Gilgamesh raised his hand and swung Ea like a club, striking Anu's head with a powerful blow.
To be continued...
...
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