Anu was a deity symbolizing the sky, the chief god of Babylonian mythology.
Residing in the highest layer of the celestial realm, he rarely descended to the mortal world.
Seated quietly upon his divine throne in his temple, he slowly opened his eyes, their depths shimmering with an eerie light, as though countless bolts of lightning converged within.
Today marked the tenth day since Ishtar had borrowed Gugalanna. Why hadn't she returned it yet?
Of course, Anu knew why Ishtar had taken it—she had been insulted by a human and sought to punish them.
Though the human had spoken the truth, what right did mere mortals have to scorn the gods?
Thus, he had lent Ishtar the Bull of Heaven to descend and chastise that arrogant human, to teach them the majesty of the divine.
Of course, it was also time to rein in Ishtar's unruly behavior somewhat.
She mustn't cause too much chaos in the mortal world, lest she trespass into the domains of other pantheons and bring ridicule upon their own.
He would summon the Bull of Heaven, Gugalanna, back.
So, Anu issued the command to the Bull of Heaven.
Hmm? What was this? He couldn't establish a connection with the Bull of Heaven?
This inability to connect didn't mean the Bull of Heaven was ignoring his commands, but rather that his orders couldn't reach the celestial beast at all—as if the Bull had left the communication range entirely.
Frowning, he wondered if it had truly wandered into another god's domain. That would complicate matters.
With a wave of his hand, another image appeared before him. He needed to check the situation where the Bull of Heaven had descended to deliver punishment.
As the image sharpened, a city of immense grandeur—by human standards—came into view: Uruk.
Hmm? The temple had collapsed?
On a massive altar, seemingly repurposed for sacrificial rites, a giant cauldron stood, boiling something.
Beside it, seated on a throne, was a figure who exuded arrogance—likely the human king of Uruk.
What was he gnawing on? Eating... beef?
A cow?
Inside the bubbling cauldron, there appeared to be an entire bull.
The camera zoomed in, revealing Anu's face turning dark with rage, veins bulging at his temples as if they were about to burst.
Crack!
In his fury, he crushed the armrest of his divine throne before rising to his full, imposing stature. A terrifying aura erupted explosively, sending violent tremors through the entire temple.
The entire structure shook violently, groaning as if on the verge of collapse.
"How—how dare they—!"
They had slain his divine envoy.
Mere humans had slaughtered Gugalanna and even cooked and devoured him!!!
What an unforgivable, heaven-defying crime.
"Wh-what's happening?"
"Lord Anu is enraged?"
"Who could have provoked the chief god?"
The surrounding deities turned their stunned gazes toward the highest temple, where the air itself twisted under the weight of his wrath.
Weaker gods froze in place, petrified like frogs under a serpent's gaze, too terrified to move.
So, who had angered the chief god of their pantheon? It had been ages since such fury had been witnessed.
Meanwhile, in another temple, a certain inner chamber echoed with suggestive sounds—until the sudden divine fury rippled through, startling its occupants.
A strikingly alluring goddess, none other than Ishtar, rushed out in a panic.
Though unsure of the exact reason for the chief god's rage, she knew it was time to end the debauchery.
By the time she reached Anu's temple, he was already gone—descended to the mortal realm?
"Lord Anu hasn't set foot in the lower world for centuries. Why now?"
"Did some foolish human provoke him?"
"But if it's just a human… how could they incite such wrath?"
The gods murmured among themselves before following to the mortal world to investigate.
Now hovering above the earth, Anu, the Sky God, cast his icy gaze upon the city of Uruk.
Countless humans trembled under his divine might, their hearts gripped by fear, barely daring to breathe.
One by one, they buckled under the pressure, knees bending as if to kneel—
"Who gave you permission to kneel without my command?"
Though not loud, the voice reached every human in the city, halting their descent.
The tone was calm, yet it carried an absolute authority that defied divine oppression.
As if emboldened by the words, the fear on the faces of Uruk's people faded, replaced by resolute courage.
One after another, they dared to meet the gaze of the chief god—earning his begrudging respect even as it stoked his fury.
His lightning-filled eyes then turned to the one seated upon the throne—Gilgamesh, the King of Uruk.
Gilgamesh showed not a trace of fear, casually tearing into a piece of meat as if Anu's arrival meant nothing.
Such arrogance. Such audacity.
Did he not understand the nature of gods? Was he truly so ignorant?
Could he not see the divine power on display?
How could he remain so unshaken?
"I am Anu, the Sky God!"
The divine voice that made the very atmosphere tremble spoke, while slightly raising the sacred staff in hand. The radiance emanating from it instantly dispersed the rolling black clouds that had obscured the sky.
The stars that had lost their light now shone again, creating a dazzling and beautiful night sky.
Yet this starry sky felt even more dangerous than the apocalyptic scene moments before.
Upon closer inspection, the glowing stars grew increasingly bright and large, giving the impression that the firmament itself might come crashing down to earth.
"King Gilgamesh of Uruk, do you know—"
"I don't!"
Before the Sky God could finish, an impatient voice interrupted. The figure seated on the throne cracked his neck as he stood up.
The corners of his lips curled into what could only be described as a sinister smile, while the fierce glow from his crimson eyes seemed to overpower the starlight itself, forcing the celestial bodies to dim before his intensity.
Then he spoke these words:
"Could you just roll down here? It's tiring for this king to keep looking up."