The allied forces charged toward the city of Uruk all at once.

  The remaining soldiers inside the walls resisted by firing arrows and hurling stones, but it was far from enough to stop the enemy’s momentum.

  The allied army brought up battering rams and began smashing the gates, while at the same time raising ladders and climbing the walls.

  Amid that fierce battle, the five siblings finished reorganizing in order to infiltrate the city.

  When Elaton lifted Ella, who was possessed by Riana, into his arms, Tamar’s vines wrapped around them all.

  Tamar grinned and said,

  “Ready? From here on out, it’s really life or death.”

  When everyone nodded, the vines spun like a siege sling and hurled them all over the wall.

  They flew over the battlements and landed on the stone ground inside the city, each using their own landing technique.

  Soldiers rushed at the intruders, but Elaton knocked them all aside with the shield in his left hand.

  “It’s the Black Citadel! Gilgamesh is there!”

  From the black fortress that towered arrogantly toward the sky, a sinister aura was pouring out.

  The group all sprinted toward it.

  ***

  Thalia gathered the priests in a secret chamber of the Black Citadel.

  Inside a vast red ritual circle, Gilgamesh sat, while hundreds of priests chanted sacred words and repeatedly bowed toward the king.

  Their incantations soon reached a climax, and the ritual circle began to glow red.

  Like a living thing, it extended tentacle-like forms that wrapped around each priest one by one.

  Even as their life force was drained in an instant, none of the priests fled or stopped.

  The same was true of Thalia herself. She, too, was offering her life force to the ritual.

  The hundreds of priests collapsed one after another, turning into corpses.

  When all had met death, Thalia tried to complete the ritual with every last ounce of her strength.

  At that moment, a loud crash echoed from outside the chamber.

  The enemy had already broken in. Shouts from guards and the sound of doors being smashed rang out.

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  Thalia did not waver. Red tears streamed from her eyes as she poured everything she had into the ritual.

  Then the final door was smashed apart with a thunderous crash.

  A flaming arrow shot toward Thalia like lightning.

  The arrow was caught in the hand of a giant—it was Gilgamesh.

  Crushing the arrow, he cast a cold gaze toward the intruders.

  At last, the grand ritual was complete.

  The violent unrest of the vengeful spirits had fully subsided, and his body and expression looked calm.

  He slowly walked over and picked up his sword.

  Within that calm, an overwhelming pressure bore down on the five siblings.

  After unhurriedly donning his armor, Gilgamesh spoke in a composed voice.

  “Will you fight here? You’ll be at a disadvantage in many ways.”

  Azael, tense, probed his intentions as he replied,

  “Your city is already on the verge of falling, and only one general remains.”

  After finishing putting on his armor, Gilgamesh lifted a corpse that lay sprawled on the floor.

  “Not even one remains. A fleeing general is of no use to me.”

  The corpse was Abarkash. His neck was twisted at an unnatural angle, his death gruesome.

  “Follow me. There is a place suitable for fighting.”

  Thalia staggered after the king as he calmly walked out the door.

  The five siblings had no choice but to follow them.

  ***

  The place Gilgamesh led them to was a ruined outdoor sacrificial site.

  Before the kingdom was founded, when the people lived on the grasslands, it had been a primitive sanctuary where they offered worship to the gods.

  “Before I founded the kingdom, we were nothing more than shepherds raising sheep and goats on the plains. We used to hold rites here.”

  The abandoned altar was overgrown with weeds. When the wind blew, the grass swayed forlornly.

  Eshiel tossed out a mocking remark.

  “You’ve gotten talkative all of a sudden. That kingdom is collapsing right now.”

  Gilgamesh’s pale face twitched as he smiled, then he continued.

  “Five hundred years. The years I lived, rising from a shepherd to a king and wearing the crown upon my head. And now… at last, it ends.”

  Gilgamesh slowly drew his sword from its scabbard.

  “I proclaim this to all humans and gods. I will conquer them all and force them to kneel, down to the very last one.”

  His eyes slowly turned red.

  “This is my declaration of war. Those who resist will witness a burning world through severed heads.”

  The invincible king swung his sword in a flash of light.

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