Enkidu pressed his lips into a small smile. "You… you've always been too arrogant. I warned you before."
Gilgamesh rolled his eyes, brushing the words aside. As the oldest king, arrogance was not merely a trait—it was his very nature. Without arrogance, without that fierce domination, how could a mortal king have stood shoulder to shoulder with the gods themselves and ruled over Sumer?
One by one, the Heroic Spirits were liberated by Alaya and Gaia.
Except for those tainted by corruption, nearly all of them were legendary figures—heroes with talent, strength, or the charisma to move nations. Each one, in their own way, had shaped the histories of humanity.
At this moment, the Protoss had gathered them all into the Eternal God's realm.
The supreme planet stood apart, radiating majesty, but even among the countless worlds, this plane shone with the greatest potential. Too many strong beings lived here. Too much fate flowed through it.
Lin Qing'er stepped forward, Aogan at her side. She raised her voice, her presence commanding. "An oracle has been issued! All of you, kneel and listen."
The gathered heroes dropped instantly, their knees pressing into the ground as one.
They listened.
"The God has decreed: those who made contributions to mankind in their lifetimes will be granted a second existence, and the power of the divine. But pride must not cloud your hearts. Spread His doctrine well.
As for Gilgamesh—" her eyes shifted toward the golden-haired king "—if he desires to alter the path of his history, he may apply for divine agency. God's Domain contains a portal that can send him back to the Sumerian era."
Gilgamesh froze.
His crimson eyes flickered as he raised his head toward the divine radiance. "My Lord God… what does this mean?"
Lin Qing'er's tone was cool, matter-of-fact. "It is simple. In other timelines, your nation faces collapse. Can the Chaldean Organization alone offer hope to mankind?"
Realization struck him like a thunderbolt.
The God wanted him to return. To walk among his people again—not as the king of arrogance, but as the Eternal God's chosen herald.
The same soul. The same destiny. Compatible across timelines.
Gilgamesh's lips curved. "I understand. Thank you, Lord God."
"Do not misunderstand," Lin Qing'er replied. "All of this is the will of God. And so—if there are others among you dissatisfied with your endings, you too may travel to alternate timelines. You may walk to the Moonlit World and reshape your fates.
But remember this: history can be changed, yet everything that has already happened cannot be undone."
Her gaze lingered for a moment on Artoria Pendragon.
The blonde girl lowered her head, cheeks faintly pink. Lin Qing'er's heart stirred—this flower was delicate, born amidst snow and hardship. Pitiful. A king, yet so fragile.
At that moment, Nero Claudius stepped forward, her fiery dress swaying, pale green eyes alight. She thumped her chest proudly.
"My Lord God! I, Nero, hold no desires save one—that I may serve You. May I?"
If death no longer bound her, then naturally she would devote herself to the divine.
But beneath that vow lay her own secret thoughts.
Nero had always compared herself to Venus, goddess of beauty. To her, only the most perfect existence was worthy to stand at her side.
And in all the worlds, who could compare to the Eternal God?
Lin Qing'er studied her carefully, then smiled faintly. "Very well. You will accompany me. And you will serve alongside the little one over there."
Her finger indicated Artoria.
The King of Knights blushed furiously. To be commanded so openly, before her knights and peers—how utterly mortifying!
Yet none dared mock her. Instead, the gathered heroes wore warm, almost relieved smiles.
For the Knights of the Round Table, their king's happiness was their greatest wish.
Elsewhere, Sakura Tohsaka and Karen both bowed their heads, pledging service. Illya clung to her mother's side, sobbing with joy—their family, long broken, had been made whole. Alice's form was new, reshaped by the system, but her spirit was the same.
Lin Qing'er turned to Rin Tohsaka.
"As chief priestess of this rite, your reward is the status of a five-star goddess. You will also be granted the power of a one-star goddess. Do not grow arrogant.
Additionally, your mother, Aoi Tohsaka, has been resurrected."
Rin's breath caught. She had thought herself forgotten, overlooked amidst the grand workings of gods. But this—this was her reward.
Tears welled in her eyes. She dropped to her knees, her proud composure shattering. "Thank You, God! Thank You, Sister! Thank You so much…"
Since childhood, she had longed for family. Her father had betrayed her. Her mother had lain comatose. She had hidden her pain beneath layers of tsundere bravado.
But now… she had love again.
A soft whisper brushed her ear, divine and gentle:
"The God says, if you wish to serve, you may come to My shrine. Bring your sister."
Rin's face blazed crimson. So direct. So shameless.
And yet… as chief priestess, was it not her duty?
Her heart raced—embarrassment, pride, fear all tangled together. Had she been chosen because she was worthy? Because she had caught the God's eye?
In the end, Rin gathered Sakura and her resurrected mother, and together they walked the path to the Eternal Shrine.
There, they joined Artoria and Nero—the two "dumb kings"—in service to the divine.
Karen, though restored, was tasked as a full-time priestess. Only after sufficient contribution could she enter the shrine. Her black-bellied smirk showed she hardly minded the challenge.
Shirou Emiya, meanwhile, had already chosen his path.
Having saved five hundred people, he had ascended as a Heroic Spirit. Without hesitation, he volunteered as a messenger, returning to the Moonlit World armed with divine power.
His vow was simple: to save even more.
In the Eternal Domain, Liu Che sat upon the throne, his chin resting on one hand.
He watched as Gilgamesh and Enkidu departed through the time portal, returning to Sumer.
Nero and Artoria received their lessons in etiquette outside—Nero arguing with her usual flamboyance, Artoria quietly enduring. Kikyo, ever serene, looked beyond the palace at the vast expanse of creation.
"Lord God," she asked softly, "have You not already seized this world? Why then does another planet appear?"
Liu Che smiled faintly. "What I collected was a fragment. Not the entire plane. For instance, that king travels now to another timeline—what mortals call an alternate history."
Kikyo's brows furrowed. "Then… had my sister and I not met You, what would have become of us?"
He raised his hand, conjuring a golden sphere.
Inside shimmered the true history of the Inuyasha world.
Kikyo's eyes widened as she saw it.
Kagome trapped in the Warring States period.
Herself and her sister—alone, broken, pitiful.
She, bound to Naraku's schemes, dying only to be reincarnated again and again by the Shikon Jewel's curse.
Her sister blind, suffering.
Even as an old woman, still alone.
No divine power. No strength. Only fragile spiritual gifts, easily manipulated.
The scenes cut like knives.
She turned her gaze away, unwilling to watch further.
That is not me, she thought. My soul, my body—both belong to God. Not to that half-demon.
When at last the vision faded, Kikyo bowed her head. "Thank You, my Lord. Without You, our fates would have been cruel indeed."
Lin Qing'er tilted her head curiously. "What did you see?"
"…Some unpleasant experiences," Kikyo replied.
Nuwa Qing'er's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Can I see mine too?"
Liu Che chuckled, handing her another sphere.
The fragments of her fate played out before her eyes.
She watched as her mother gave Xu Changqing the power of Nuwa, sacrificing her own daughter's divinity. Powerless, she died alone.
Later, under her aunt's arrangement, she was married to the Witch King of Southern Xinjiang. But he proved a fool, listening to slander, and put her to death at the urging of the Moon Worshipper.
Crack.
Qing'er crushed the bubble in her hands, fury flashing across her face.
"Damn them all… Shushan's so-called immortals, the emperor—none of them worth the dust beneath our feet. Fortunately, I have God. Otherwise I'd have been destroyed by such betrayal. Hypocrites… liars!"
Her cheeks flushed with indignation.
Beside her, Kaguya shook her head vehemently. She wanted no part in such visions. The others' fates had been tragic enough—why twist the knife into her own heart?
Meanwhile, in the Moonlit World's alternate line—
Gilgamesh stirred awake upon his throne.
Reports arrived of other cities falling beneath the onslaught of monstrous beasts.
Siduri stepped forward, bowing. "My king, what shall we do?"
Gilgamesh smirked. "Simple. I will handle it myself."
"But Uruk—"
"Fear not. I'll return swiftly. In the meantime, send your messengers to summon the troublesome goddess to me."
"You mean… Ishtar?"
Siduri blinked, astonished. Normally her king had no patience for that goddess. To summon her now?
Gilgamesh chuckled bitterly. He already knew.
That idiot goddess would one day lose the Bull of Heaven. She would fail at a critical moment.
But this time was different.
This time, he carried the Eternal God's power.
This time, he had returned to his prime.
"This time," he murmured, rising into the sky, "Uruk needs no Chaldean aid. For I am the Eternal God's agent."
He flew across the heavens, arriving at the beleaguered city within moments.
Raising one hand, he pointed forward.
Monsters erupted into bursts of light, annihilated instantly.
Even he was momentarily stunned.
"So this… is the power of God? It is overwhelming…"
A shadow streaked down from the sky.
Enkidu descended beside him, his green eyes shining.
The consciousness of Jin Gu, once intertwined with him, had been utterly crushed. Only Enkidu remained.
"Old friend," Gilgamesh said, lips curving into a true smile, "let us fight together once more."