With clenched fists pressed against her chest, Göll watched her sister Brunhilde nervously.
Brunhilde had activated the summoning system, preparing to call forth the first of thirteen participants for the battle against the gods.
The first candidate was determined to be the king of Uruk from the Early Dynastic period of Sumer—Gilgamesh.
This was the man who had slain the Bull of Heaven and cooked it, showing no reverence for the gods. This was the human who had killed Anu, the Sky God of the Babylonian pantheon.
A man who casually committed deicide without hesitation—Göll was terrified that the moment he was summoned, he might immediately attack them since they were part of the divine system as well.
To prevent humanity's extinction, Sister Brunhilde was risking her life to summon King Gilgamesh.
Equally concerned about the possibility of Gilgamesh suddenly turning violent, Brunhilde instructed Göll to stand by the door.
If anything went wrong, Göll was to leave the room immediately.
Those summoned abruptly wouldn't be able to interact with the outside world without special permission.
"Haaaah~~~!"
Standing before the summoning system, Brunhilde took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
From all indications, Gilgamesh harbored intense hatred toward the gods, so Göll's fears might very well become reality.
Good—the spatial-temporal coordinates were adjusted. Staring at the holographic panel in front of her, Brunhilde extended her hand, fingers splayed.
Summon confirmed!
At that moment, the panel began to glow. When the light reached its peak intensity, an overwhelming regal aura filled the room, one that compelled involuntary submission.
Under this pressure, Brunhilde instinctively tensed and took a few steps back.
She kept her gaze fixed, wary of any sudden chains that might be thrown her way. After all, those were chains capable of restraining even the chief gods. As a mere Valkyrie—a demigoddess—she had no illusions about being able to resist if caught.
The next second, a brilliant flash of light erupted, and a figure materialized before her.
A golden-haired, crimson-eyed young man appeared, exuding an air of lazy arrogance.
Momentarily taken aback by his sudden change of surroundings, he soon began observing his environment with amused interest.
When his gaze finally settled on her, Brunhilde grew even more tense.
Those scarlet eyes, like ominous stars illuminating the night sky, seemed to radiate a palpable, weighty killing intent.
The moment she was targeted, Brunhilde instinctively assumed a defensive stance, a primal reaction born from her body's sense of crisis.
"Hey, hey, why so tense? Shouldn't it be me who's nervous?"
The summoned King Gilgamesh spoke in a relaxed tone, as if engaging in casual conversation.
He appeared harmless, yet Brunhilde felt the weight of the murderous intent he exuded only grow heavier.
"Suddenly appearing here like this has given me quite a shock."
A shock? It was hardly evident.
"What? Are you checking to see if there's anything dangerous about me? You look like you're afraid I might suddenly attack."
Gilgamesh, who said this with a playful expression, leaned back in the office chair beside him, propping his feet up in a leisurely manner.
Was this carefree demeanor a sign of overconfidence?
"Sorry, but I really am afraid of what you, King of Uruk, might do."
"Are you implying that I'm a murderer?"
Gilgamesh's teasing tone continued as he regarded the straightforward and strong-willed woman before him.
From her demeanor, she seemed like a valiant warrior who had emerged from the battlefield, a Valkyrie of sorts.
A Valkyrie? A deity? Interesting.
He had originally been stepping into his next role when he was unexpectedly summoned here, and it had indeed startled him a bit.
Meanwhile,
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The system provided such a prompt, meaning if he agreed, he would be pulled away from here immediately.
So he refrained from making a decision right away and chose to observe instead.
This summoning didn't seem to come with malicious intent; otherwise, he would have been treated differently.
It was unlikely they thought of him as a dangerous individual to be subdued at first sight.
Of course, the woman across from him clearly regarded him as a potential threat, but he sensed no hostility.
Oh, and there was also a little girl at the door who, upon catching his gaze, immediately began sucking her thumb in fear.
His attention returned to the woman before him.
"Are you a deity? I sensed something watching me earlier; it was you two, wasn't it?"
After saying this, Gilgamesh's red eyes seemed to flicker with a dangerous light, causing cold sweat to bead on Brunhilde's forehead.
That gaze was overwhelmingly oppressive; despite being human, it felt as if she were facing the sharp gaze of renowned deities.
"Apologies, King of Uruk, we did not intend to spy on you; it was out of necessity. Right now, all of humanity is facing an unprecedented apocalyptic crisis, and we hope to receive your assistance."
"Oh?"
This piqued Gilgamesh's interest. Humanity facing an apocalypse? They needed his help?
"So? You still haven't answered my question."
"My apologies. I am Brunhilde, the eldest of the Valkyries."
With one hand over her chest, she leaned slightly forward and introduced herself.
"Norse Valkyries?"
How intriguing; how did figures from Norse mythology end up here?
"What is the crisis facing humanity that even the gods cannot handle?"
"On the contrary, the gods can handle it, for this crisis facing humanity originates from... the gods themselves!"
At this point, Brunhilde's expression darkened, and her eyes sparkled with hostility towards the gods.
So the crisis stemmed from the gods, which meant they knew he had slain deities and had come to seek his help in continuing that path?
"The gods have long held meetings every thousand years at the Valhalla Council to decide humanity's fate, voting on whether humanity should be allowed to continue for another thousand years... On this day, in the year 20XX, during the meeting, a unanimous decision was reached—grant humanity the 'End.'"
Brunhilde explained the situation while observing the king's expression.
His demeanor was remarkably calm, as if he were listening to a mundane story that had nothing to do with him.
Then, after yawning, he uttered something that left Brunhilde astonished.
"To be honest, I would also like to cast a vote for humanity's destruction."
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