Outside the Persian Gulf, in the chaotic sea.
At the edge of Mesopotamia's world, the stars were hidden. Time was immeasurable, space imperceptible, and all around stretched a vast and endless void. The raging Ether storm tore and twisted everything into irregular masses of matter.
The farther they pressed on, the greater the instability. Cracks widened and grew more vicious, while the chaotic waves of the Sea of Imaginary Numbers surged endlessly.
Yet even in this brutal environment, where colossal ancient sea beasts could not survive, a fully enclosed warship etched with glowing magical patterns pressed forward against the waves.
Inside the cabin, cedar planks reinforced with layers of Magecraft groaned and creaked. Overhead, a lantern glimmering with pale-blue light swayed with the rocking of the ship.
Samael leaned against one side, his fingertips brushing the increasingly transparent purple-red membrane beside him. Warmth and a faint smile flickered in his eyes as he patiently wrote the voyage log on a clay tablet.
The journey was destined to be long and monotonous, and at times he questioned himself.
He had abandoned the idle life of a shepherd king in Mesopotamia, turned away from the goddess who had favored him, bid farewell to comrades who had stood with him through life and death, stepped out of his comfort, and set sail into the chaos of the sea. It seemed a fool's errand.
But whenever he thought of that figure before the Temple of Ea—the one who had cast aside divinity and exiled herself—every stray doubt in Samael's mind vanished.
Because there are always some people in this world worth loving.
And there are always some things worth doing.
Even if it takes a thousand or ten thousand years, humanity lives for persistence—for holding fast.
Buzz!
The ship suddenly lurched, breaking Samael from his thoughts. In his palm, a purple scale gave off a faint, ghostly glow.
It's here! The true land of nothingness!
The world of Mesopotamia had been the first to sever itself from the Age of Gods, sinking toward the earth's surface. Like a vessel fixed in shape, it could no longer withstand changes beyond its limits.
Even now, not even Ishtar or Ereshkigal in their complete forms could bear such weight, let alone the full power of the Goddess Tiamat.
Thus, only by finding another Age of Gods still undefined could the plans within his heart possibly be realized. Yet with the World Egg that bore civilization sealed off by the Sea of Imaginary Numbers, to discover a new World Egg in the ancient past meant embarking on a great voyage—breaking through the endless chaos.
Ordinarily, such a task was no less difficult than fighting and winning a battle of creation itself. This was why the flourishing age of Mystery was ill-suited for great discoveries.
But by chance, someone had already assembled the conditions needed to cross the Sea of Imaginary Numbers and reach another World Egg.
A new anchor point...
A captain able to adapt to the Sea of Imaginary Numbers…
And a navigator strong enough to withstand the chaotic waves, steer Noah's Ark, and reach the far shore...
Samael's expression hardened. He gripped the purple snake scale tightly, rose, and stepped out of the cabin. His lips moved rhythmically, sending rippling vibrations into the spreading chaos.
"Aaaaa!!!"
A piercing song rose from the boundless waves, and a towering figure, both fierce and elegant, crawled toward the Ark as it teetered on the edge of nothingness.
The Ark shuddered as it was enveloped and dragged forward by a vast and protecting force.
Samael clenched the scale in his hand, raised his arm before his eyes, and gazed into the chaotic waves through its crystal clarity, whispering softly.
Raise the sails. Set forth!
Bang!
Blinding light burst forth. Upon a golden-white divine throne sat a colossal figure, wreathed in flames, thunder, storms, and rippling waters.
The throne trembled violently as pale fingers suddenly clenched, crushing the shattered remnants of Marduk's axe into dust—discarding the Divine Construct once and for all.
Damn it! Damn it!
Marduk's face twisted as he recalled his humiliation, grinding his teeth while the winds and thunder around him roared.
After a long breath, his fury settled, though his brow remained furrowed.
Whether due to the damage to the Tablet of Destinies or the emergence of a fate-defier, the future before his eyes was no longer clear.
Hmph!
Even so, just as mortals could never erase the gods' influence, these ants would never prevent the rebirth of the world!
My great work, my ideal, will surely reshape this star. And with it as my vessel, I shall sail toward the Origin!
Marduk sneered coldly. In his palm appeared the golden Holy Grail, bearing fragments of the Tablet of Destinies.
It was time to enact the next stage of revelation.
The King of Kings propped his chin with one hand, focused his divine will, and let it pierce across the Sea of Imaginary Numbers, through the dimensions of time and space, to descend upon another place.
...
In the wilderness, half-man-tall grass rustled and fell to either side.
A young man in tattered clothes, bloodied but still carrying traces of nobility in his bearing, ran while glancing behind him. The shouts and curses of pursuers, along with the barking of hounds, chilled him with terror.
In a rash moment, he had killed a man. Now hunted, he was no match for mounted riders and their dogs. Two legs could not outrun four.
It was only a matter of time before he was caught and executed.
God, if you can hear my prayer, please show mercy.
Crouched behind the grass, the young man clasped his hands, trembling as sounds closed in from all directions.
Just then, a breeze stirred, and the entrance to a hidden cave shimmered before him, faint light glowing from within.
Could this be God's will?
Overjoyed, he stumbled inside. At the tunnel's end, a radiant flame blazed, sacred and imposing.
With no sign of pursuers at the cave's mouth, the young man collapsed to his knees before the flame, pleading.
"God, please have mercy. We cannot go on living in this land."
The flame flickered, revealing a towering, majestic form. A voice resounded from within.
"I am the god who shelters you. I can lead you out of this land of slavery.
Those who believe in me shall be saved."
Overcome, the young man fell prostrate.
"But before that, you—sinners—must make a covenant with me. Only by following these ten commandments can you escape your suffering."
The voice was solemn, its tone crackling with the weight of thunder. The young man nodded again and again.
They had been driven here, crushed under oppression and slavery. Perhaps it was only by enduring such trials and cleansing their sins that they could be granted salvation.
Before the divine throne, Marduk crooked his finger, and the soil within the Holy Grail dissolved into nothing.
Then countless fragments of clay flew from the cave's flame, gathering in midair into a tablet inscribed with ten divine laws, hovering before the young man.