"So, I have to spend the next few days sleeping on top of this giant Sumerian grave in the Underworld?"
Gilgamesh's mouth twitched slightly, his expression darkening.
Suppressing the annoyance of nearly having his throne usurped, he weighed the pros and cons and gave a solemn nod.
"Fine! Do as you wish!"
"After all, this is your responsibility—atonement for the havoc you wreaked as one of the Three Goddesses!"
He lifted his head with a light scoff, pretending to agree, though his arrogance didn't falter. In the end, he still couldn't resist taking a jab at the goddess of the Underworld.
"Hmph! Whether it's collecting souls or shielding Uruk, I'm acting out of my own will!"
"You conceited idiot. Try not to get yourself killed again. Next time, I won't take responsibility!"
As a seasoned tsundere, Ereshkigal wasn't about to back down. She coldly countered, barbing her words right where it hurt—the King of Heroes' pride.
"Um, Ere does have a point. The king just recovered… it'd be better if he took care of himself."
Seeing tension rise between his master and the King of Uruk, Samael quickly cleared his throat to ease the mood. Still, given that he resided in the Underworld, it was obvious where his bias lay.
That said, the closing note of his rambling carried a rare tone of sincere concern.
"King Gilgamesh, don't stay up too late. Drink more hot water. Sleep early and wake early—good habits make a strong body."
For some reason, though, the ancient serpent's expression looked as if he wanted to laugh but didn't dare.
"Enough! Next!"
Mentioning his embarrassing past—dying from exhaustion under the corrosive air of the Underworld—again and again left the demigod feeling utterly humiliated.
"In the end, the plan is a two-pronged assault in three days."
With the idle chatter finished, Samael's expression turned serious as he spoke with gravity.
"I suggest one force use Uruk as bait to draw the Magical Beasts out of the Cedar Forest. Then we can rely on Babylonia's fortifications to pin them down."
"The other group will flank them, moving through Mount Ebih, skirting around the northern wasteland, and striking deep into the Cedar Forest to decapitate and destroy the core of the Blood Fort!"
Merlin, who once followed King Arthur through twelve dynastic wars, raised a hand to object.
"But the question remains—can we even lure those Magical Beasts out in the first place?"
At that moment, Siduri picked up the intelligence brought back from the ruins of Babylon and responded to the Magus's concern.
"That won't be difficult. The Eleven Offspring created by Gorgon lack reason and are extremely aggressive."
"Without direct control from a superior, they instinctively scour nearby areas, hunting humans and beasts to supply raw material for the Blood Fort's constructs."
"So as long as we send out a few teams of soldiers with bait—maybe scatter some blood or something else that triggers their frenzy—we can draw out roughly fifty to seventy percent of the Magical Beasts."
"Besides, Uruk's veteran hunters carry secret potions to lure them out."
"The effects vary, but if necessary, I can have the Sacrificial Grounds produce them in bulk."
Finishing her explanation, the Head Priestess gave a wistful glance at Samael's reflection in the mirror.
Come to think of it, this was information he'd retrieved from the ruins of Babylon—and now, it was proving useful after all.
"Even if they're all hiding in the Cedar Forest, it's no problem!"
Ishtar stepped forward, cracking her knuckles with confidence.
"If the Magical Beasts are bunched up, I just need to fire off Maanna a few times—my Noble Phantasm will wipe them out!"
"And hey, fire works too! I'm good at that!"
Yes, yes, of course. Who in all of Mesopotamia doesn't know how great you are at starting trouble?
The group, already quite familiar with her antics, exchanged subtle looks. They all nodded with polite agreement, while inwardly letting out a collective sigh.
"There's no longer any disagreement about luring the enemy."
"If things go smoothly, we hope to tie down over eighty percent of the Magical Beast army."
"What remains now is how to divide our forces."
Samael let out a long breath. His demeanor grew increasingly calm and composed, his words steady yet commanding, gradually giving off the air of someone firmly in control of the overall strategy.
"Here in Uruk, King Gilgamesh stands as a clear symbol. Since we're using him as bait to draw out the Magical Beasts, it's better for him to remain still for now."
"If necessary, we can deploy him later."
"Leonidas goes without saying—without him, it's questionable whether Babylonia's defensive line can even hold."
"Kukulkan was just injured, and her divinity has dropped by more than half. Entering the Cedar Forest might even be considered a betrayal of the Three Goddesses' covenant."
"So, it's best for both of them to remain stationed at the northern wall in support."
Everyone nodded slightly in agreement. No one objected to the proposed arrangement.
Sensing the genuine concern behind the words, the warm-hearted Maya goddess couldn't help but flash Samael a radiant smile.
"Then, the members of the assault team will be me, Merlin, Jaguar Warrior, and Ishtar…"
"Ereshkigal is bound by the constraints of the Underworld and can only stay behind, but in a pinch, she can still act as backup for Uruk."
Samael finally turned his gaze toward the purple-haired girl eagerly waiting in the corner. After a brief hesitation, he spoke softly.
"As for Ana, she'll remain in Uruk on standby…"
Ana bit her lower lip, her expression tinged with disappointment. She looked as though she wanted to speak, but held back.
"Actually… we do need a mobile unit—someone who can be deployed to any battlefield in case of emergencies…"
"In short, your mission is the most critical."
Seeing her hesitation, the ancient serpent spoke with solemn seriousness as he entrusted her with the role.
The little girl's downcast face quickly brightened into a beaming smile, and she nodded with renewed enthusiasm.
Still, a shadow lingered in Samael's eyes.
Because it wasn't just him—everyone present knew the truth.
The Gorgon defending the northern wall and the one within the Blood Fort were not the same.
Taking her down inside the very temple where she was empowered by the Goddess of Demonic Beasts would be exponentially harder.
Especially since this Avenger, after devouring countless lives, had not only greatly enhanced her divinity but had also absorbed part of the power split from Tiamat, the Mother of Genesis.
And then there was the matter of whatever was hidden in the Cedar Forest—a situation still wrapped in uncertainty, with no solid intel on the strength or number of Magical Beasts inside.
Which meant, with just their current lineup, the odds weren't in their favor.
Not to mention, Gorgon's immortality was a serious problem.
As if things couldn't get worse, they'd even lost Marduk's axe.
If they couldn't come up with a better plan within three days, then no matter how much Samael wanted to keep Ana out of harm's way, he'd be forced to bring her along when the moment came.
The adults, who had long developed a wordless understanding, exchanged glances and nodded, silently shelving the issue for now, allowing the girl to enjoy a few more carefree days.
...
With that, the two-hour strategy meeting came to a close.
Everyone went off to carry out their assigned tasks.
The once bustling Divine Tower of the royal palace quickly fell silent, leaving only Gilgamesh and Merlin behind as the atmosphere turned cold and still.