What was happening on Rozen's side was something Enkidu remained unaware of.
He simply continued explaining.
"What exactly occurred back then—only the gods themselves would know. But the first signs of the gods' weakening began from that point, gradually bringing the Age of Gods to an end."
Enkidu's voice echoed softly in the air.
"Perhaps the gods of Mesopotamia devised a way to preserve their era through their own methods. To keep humanity bound tightly to the divine and prevent human advancement from accelerating the decline of mystery, they created a king born from both man and god—a half-human, half-divine being, intended to serve as the Wedge of Heaven."
That half-god was none other than the King of Heroes—Gilgamesh.
However, Gilgamesh's actions ultimately betrayed the mission the gods had given him. Rather than helping the gods restrain humanity's growth, he ruled over mankind and ushered in a flourishing era for them.
Due to Gilgamesh's rebellion, the Mesopotamian gods gradually lost their power and vanished from the earth.
From that moment on, the gods were no longer present.
They ended their duties, vanished from this world, and ascended to a higher dimension—remaining only as intangible spirits watching over the world.
"This is that era—the late Age of Gods, around 2600 BCE, as you would describe it. The twilight of divinity. The time of parting, when the gods began to disappear."
Enkidu's tone grew solemn.
"From that point forward, only faint traces of the gods would remain in the world. And barring some unexpected event, even those remnants would fade completely within a thousand years—eventually becoming mere legends in the minds of mankind, and then disappearing altogether. That's why, even in this era, encountering a living god-body is something that should not happen."
That explained why Rozen had questioned Enkidu earlier—whether gods still walked the earth in this time.
Even though it was technically still the Age of Gods, it was already at its end. Divine powers and traces might linger, but living deities should no longer exist.
The gods had become distant beings—just like how heroes had become Heroic Spirits. They should no longer manifest in the mortal realm without cause.
And yet—
"The Incineration of the Human Order… it seems that this crisis has summoned forth three divine goddesses, who have now descended into this world."
Enkidu gestured toward the earth below, where magical beasts could be seen everywhere.
"These magical beasts were born from one of those goddesses—the Goddess of Beasts."
Upon hearing that, Rozen finally lifted his head.
"Goddess of Beasts?"
He couldn't help but speak.
"Don't tell me… Tiamat?"
——Tiamat.
One of the primordial deities in ancient Mesopotamian mythology.
According to legend, the gods were born from the union of Apsu, the freshwater deity, and Tiamat, the saltwater deity.
But their offspring, the gods themselves, rebelled against Apsu and seized control of the world. Tiamat, although initially accepting of her children's actions, was ultimately betrayed and persecuted by them. In her sorrow and grief, she gave birth to eleven magical beasts and waged war against the gods—only to be defeated in the end. Her body was split in two, used to create heaven and earth. Thus, the human world came into being.
It was a mythic act of creation—a divine deed.
And as the central figure in that ritual, the goddess who birthed all things, Tiamat was revered as the Mother of Life, the Primordial Sea, and due to giving birth to beasts capable of rivaling the gods themselves, she was also called the Goddess of Beasts.
Enkidu's explanation naturally led Rozen to think of her first.
If it truly was that goddess, then they were facing serious trouble.
After all, Tiamat stood as one of the highest-ranking deities in Mesopotamian mythology. A creator god, the mother of all deities—facing her might be more terrifying than even confronting the Mage King Solomon.
As a divine construct himself, Enkidu was fully aware of Tiamat's threat. He shook his head as he replied.
"Whether or not it's truly Tiamat, we haven't been able to confirm. All we know is that the Three Goddess Alliance has manifested in this world. They've formed a pact to eradicate humanity—to sever the human race from its future and obliterate history itself. Each one is now devastating Mesopotamia using her own methods. The most destructive of them is the Goddess of Beasts."
The magical beasts born from her overran the land, destroying fortified cities one after another, massacring humans, and reducing the region to the desolation they now saw.
The other two goddesses were also slaughtering humans, persistently wiping them from the earth.
"In order to resist the invasion of the Three Goddess Alliance, the Sumerian Kingdom, centered around Uruk, has established a defensive line. Under the leadership of the King of Uruk, they've managed to hold out for half a year."
That statement genuinely surprised Rozen.
Even though this was the Age of Gods, and Gilgamesh himself was leading them, for a mere human kingdom to withstand three goddesses for half a year—that was nothing short of a miracle.
But perhaps this was simply the nature of this age.
Living side-by-side with the gods and enduring the calamities and trials they brought—humans had grown resilient. That level of strength might not be so strange after all.
The real question was—
"Why do the goddesses want to destroy humanity?"
That voice—filled with confusion and emotion—came from Mash, echoing from the air beside them.
To that, Enkidu remained unmoved.
Because—
"That's what it means to be a god."
With a single sentence, Enkidu defined the gods.
And that sentence carried weight.
Wasn't that what it all came down to?
"Gods are capricious."
"Gods are unfathomable."
"They might turn the world upside down over the pettiest things—or bless it for equally petty reasons. But at their core, humans are nothing more than laborers to the gods. The gods of Mesopotamia created mankind simply to craft something that could work in their place."
"To the gods, humans may be something they protect—but they're not something they love. Whether a golden age or a collapse occurs, it all hinges on their whim."
"In that respect, King Gilgamesh is the same. He too believes that it's he alone who should determine the world's rise and fall. Perhaps that's why he rejected the gods and denied divine authority in favor of royal authority."
For some reason, Enkidu's words carried a tone of mockery.
"This current catastrophe may simply be the result of the goddesses finally reaching the limit of their patience with humanity's rebellion."
Then, Enkidu's tone suddenly shifted.
"In truth, aside from the high priestess's request to escort you—Chaldea's representatives—to Uruk, I also have another objective in coming out here."
At that, Rozen's gaze immediately turned toward him.
"You have another objective? You want to take out one of the goddesses?"
Rozen raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Enkidu said in a strangely calm voice. "I have a certain personal connection with one of them. And according to reliable intelligence, she's been appearing alone in this area often. I intend to take this opportunity to eliminate her."
"You have a connection…?" Rozen murmured, seemingly understanding something. "Don't tell me…"
Enkidu nodded.
"The very one who once caused my death—the goddess Ishtar."