Recollections of Babylon: Part Fifteen (Part Two)

Merlin says it’s time. They need to leave. An hour later, the entire garrison will sortie out. Whether or not Gorgon takes the bait remains to be seen, but this will surely lure out the monsters, given how strong their intent of “taking revenge on humanity” is.

Meanwhile, Mashu and everyone will rush towards Gorgon’s temple. Quetzalcoatl will guard the wall with Taiga, and Ishtar, Mashu, Ana, and Merlin will help Gudako to go to the temple.

Romani gives Quetzalcoatl three Shivas to observe the situation at the northern wall.

“Marduk Blitzkrieg, begin!”

---

After rampaging through the first batch of monsters, Merlin asks Romani how the battle is doing. Romani says that the battle is beginning. The monsters just rushed past the ruins of Nippur, and they will engage in about five minutes. Kingu is at the forefront of their ranks.

Uruk Soldier: “First rank, set your stances! It is time to put King Leonidas’ teachings to use!”

“Listen well, at most you will safely fight for fifteen minutes. We cannot match the monsters with pure brute strength, so if you are tired, retreat to the fourth rank! Rest up, and swap your spears! Once your breathing is calm, await the next sortie!”

“Contact, contact!”

“Now it’s time to see the strength of this defense line. Your majesty, please inspect us at your leisure. All units, prepare for battle!”

Taiga is excited too. She says that since the soldiers gave her delicious meat to eat as soon as she had arrived, she’s not going to leave them to be slaughtered.

Quetzalcoatl says that for once, she agrees. The monsters have lost their ability to reproduce in order to become stronger, so they’re doomed to die after this battle anyways.

Quetzalcoatl: “I don’t know if this is actually good or evil, but compared to “those that have no future,” I choose those that do!”

Kingu shows up. “Well, I thought there were other servants, but if it isn’t Quetzalcoatl. Am I right to assume that the Goddess Alliance has fallen apart? We haven’t seen each other since mother’s throne.”

“Yup, Ereshkigal and I both decided to work with Uruk. We’re friends of humanity now.”

“…Is that so? How disappointing. You were a goddess full of wisdom, you know. Ignoring Ereshkigal for a moment, I thought you would understand mother’s sadness.

The civilization that you brought up personally, the one that was destroyed by those barbaric invaders. What happened to the goddess that said I’ll kill each human individually? I thought you were someone who could take on the world, the personification of murder? What happened to that?”

“OH, you mean this face? Right here!”

(You guys know the Quetzalcoatl >:) face that’s kind of scary?)

“…Ugh!”

“Haha! Just~ Joking~

Seriously this is the last time I’ll joke around~

Prepare yourself, Kingu. Gorgon’ll meet your fate as well. I will charge ahead and take the heart of the one pretending to Tiamat. Just call it a thank you – my style!”

“Thank you? What do you have to thank?”

“Of course! I’ve got two things to thankful for.

She never fought me. That’s the first.

I got to meet a super awesome Master. That’s the second. Hmm hmm, you know, for her, I’m even willing to ignore the pact of the goddesses! So, I’ll be taking your head!”

“…You have a body full of idiotic strength, but your brain is idiotic too. I am wholeheartedly disappointed, Quetzalcoatl. The new world does not need a goddess whose brains don’t function properly. I will make sure those dinosaurs tear you apart.”

Across the other side…

Romani says that it looks like Quetzalcoatl is fighting Kingu, and Merlin says that she’s really good at taunting.

Ana says that it’s just a lie, meant to rile Kingu up. Mashu doesn’t understand which part is lying, and Ishtar answers that it’s the bit about ignoring the pact from the goddesses.

“Of course it’s that. Quetzalcoatl has greater divinity than Gorgon, so if she says she’s going to defeat Gorgon even if it meant her death, Kingu can’t ignore that!”

Mashu: “A-ah! Is that so, I guess that must be it…

I thought she was absolutely serious about that, since it’s only sensible that you do that, so I didn’t notice…”

Anyways, the party rushes through the Cedar forest to arrive in front of the temple. Romani warns everyone to stop, as there is a strong divinity reaction in about three hundred meters.

“Signal Quetzalcoatl, Merlin! Now!”

“Okay! Leave it to me!

I will begin by chanting the (ultimate) British Spell: “Arturia, it’s time to eat!”

Gudako: Could you please explain the name of that spell –

Ishtar: “Idiot! We haven’t gotten out of the way yet. Something that big crashing here, shouldn’t we get out of the way as well?”

Merlin: “Ack, my bad. My hand slipped. Oops.”

“Ah!” (Mashu)

“Wait?!!!” (Ishtar)

“Merlin, go die!” (Ana)

Romani is confused. “Hey, everyone, what’s going on? What happened?”

Merlin threw his staff “accidentally” at the Blood Temple…

“SU-I-CI-DA!!!!?!!!” (Quetzalcoatl)

Mashu: “Even here I can hear Ms. Quetzalcoatl’s loud scream… That… I think we …”

Merlin: “Ah, come on, my hand slipped. It’s not my fault. I didn’t think that I would have gotten that axe to home in on a place it’s not supposed to. My bad, my bad.

Well, the axe of Marduk didn’t land here, but instead, it plunged itself into Gorgon’s temple. Well, thanks to it, everything’s still okay!

Everyone!

Do not let Quetzalcoatl’s sacrifice be in vain! There are things we have to do! Come on, it’s time for the final battle!”

Fou noises

--

(Over on the other side, Quetzalcoatl sees the signal)

“Game over, Kingu!”

“…The Axe of Marduk. To get that thing from Eridu to here, but …

You idiot, how in the world do you think you’re going to hit anyone with that kind of a hit! Don’t you know you save your trump cards for times when the enemy has already lost his ability to move!”

“How rude, I should stick your head into the ground, but I’ll spare you for now. As we’ve planned, that Axe is simply en route, and I’m just a messenger who –“

(Merlin’s trolling occurs)

“SU-I-CI-DA!!!!?!”

Taiga helpfully says that Quetzalcoatl has turned into the roasted chicken, and also, Suicida is Spanish for suicide. Quetzalcoatl’s divinity levels have dropped by half as she was punished by the gods. However, she’s probably safe because it wasn’t due to her own will.

“Merlin! Just you remember! I will. I definitely will~ treat you to the ultimate techniques of Lucha libre!”

Kingu notices that Gorgon’s divinity levels have dropped as well. He guessed that the temple must be destroyed. He asks if Quetzalcoatl is truly so extreme, that to be humanity’s friend she has gone to such great extents.

“Yeah, well, even though I didn’t plan to go this far, it’s where we’re at, right? But relax, Kingu. My aid ends here. I will not attack Gorgon personally. That is humanity’s job.”

Kingu then notices…

“Oh no, that goddess’ youthful form isn’t here! How could this be? That Servant, that’s no good.

…I have to rescue her. Rescue Gorgon…

You’re lucky, Quetzalcoatl. I’ll come take care of you after I save Gorgon!”

Kingu leaves. Quetzalcoatl muses that it’s now up to Gudako to see how good her luck is. To her surprise, Kingu really does care about Gorgon’s well-being.

“Even though he’s using her, is that child really loving her as a child would?”

---

(Inside the temple)

Mashu notices that there are a lot of cocoons on the wall. Ana is silent, and Merlin says that it’s best that she doesn’t look, since it won’t make her feel happy.

Mashu asks them to wait. The shadows are –

Ishtar interrupts, and says that it’s best to kill Gorgon.

“I don’t have the right to criticize the other goddesses, but this is too much. To get revenge on humanity and to pursue the ability to give birth to more than humans, that’s just not right.”

Gudako tells Mashu to get going too, they need to find Gorgon.

“But, but! They’re alive! Even if they’re transformed, they’re still all alive!”

Romani: “Mashu, Gudako. Please, hurry. Kingu has left the frontlines and he’s rushing towards here now. We cannot hope to win if it’s both of them.”

Ana: “…I’ll lead the way. I know where her bed is.

…Sorry, Mashu. Even so, I would like to rely on you. This is a time for battle, so please lend me your strength.”

The party arrives in the depth of Gorgon’s temple. Merlin loudly asks Gorgon to come fight, and Gorgon replies.

“And I thought it was something else, if it isn’t the bugs that I released earlier. How loud, humans. Do you not know this is the bed of Tiamat? Then why are you so rude?”

Mashu angrily asks Gorgon why she did all of that.

“Why, Goddess Gorgon? You said you want to take revenge on behalf of all the animals of the land whose lives were stolen by humanity. But is that … really what you’re doing? If you want to do battle against humanity, to conquer land and to build kingdoms, no one will deny you that right.

But, to combine humans and monsters together, that. Nobody will be saved if you do that!

Just what kind of a revenge do you want to have?!”

Gorgon answers that revenge has no goal, and it doesn’t matter how revenge is given form.

“Who’ll be redeemed, who’ll be recompensed, those are the ways of man. Only someone who can stand up again can think like that. For those that have lost everything, all that awaits them is more pain in their redemption.

So if you return our treasures or lands, so what? We have nothing. Everything we have loved have slipped by our hands. Everything we have protected have disappeared.

Even I became consumed by the world. I have nothing that I want. All I want, if such a thing exists, is to take my revenge.

To kill everything. To crush everything. To kill the entire world and to kill all of us. That is an avenger. That is what I want.

I will destroy Uruk. I will destroy humanity. My hatred, that was your gift to me.

That little girl (Mashu) doesn’t know how evil humanity is, she’s still spending all of her days in happiness.”

Mashu balks, and says that indeed, she did grow up in plenty…

“That little girl is not worthy of talk, but you, Gudako, you understand.

My creator. A human that created this avenger. If you think what I’m saying makes sense then nod. If you can bend to my will, I could keep you as my Master. That wouldn’t be a bad thing, wouldn’t it?

If this time disappears, humanity’s world will reach its end. No, it has ended already. You are already the last of humanity.

Without a reason to fight for the humanity of this time – Hahaha, truly, this is the capriciousness of a goddess. I will exile you alone in these barren lands after everything has been destroyed!”

(Gorgon, at least by my reading, is pretty insane. Her points doesn’t really… make sense, if that makes sense, so hope someone else who likes her or reads her more would do more on this bit.”

Gudako says that she has no reason to rage. Gorgon is angry, but Mashu says that’s exactly right.

“Even if you are born of humanity, even if you have the right to take revenge, I will not recognize you or agree with you! Your ugly body is evidence of your heart.”

Ishtar quips that Gorgon has no retort, and that she only became a goddess because of the Grail.

“As a fake who became a goddess due to the power of the grail, you’re about a thousand or so years behind Tiamat if you want to call yourself her!”

“That little girl who cannot manifest herself without a human vessel, you say that I’m a fake?”

“Of course. You’re nothing compared to Tiamat. Tiamat would not need other creatures to give birth to monsters, she can create a world on her own. She’ll never use someone who wants revenge, she’s not that kind of a goddess.”

Ana nods. “…Ishtar is right. Gorgon, you aren’t Tiamat. You’re just a monster who can’t see yourself for what you are.”

Gorgon is shocked.

“…You, you –

What is this coldness? What –

My body is shaking. The composite divinity cannot be maintained. Sanity, my sanity is returning…

What is going on, Kingu, Kingu! Where did you go!

Who is that Servant! I haven’t seen a servant that ugly like that! Take her away from my sight! I don’t want to see her! Someone, anyone, kill her! Kill that monster!

Remove her from that temple!”

Ana: “…So that’s it, huh. You can’t see me, Gorgon.

If you could, maybe there is a tiny bit of redemption for you.”

Gudako: “…Is that really alright with you, Medusa?”

“…Ah, yes.

I’ve always said that to myself. I cannot stay alive. I can’t stay here. I can’t smile.

But everyone disagreed with me. I lived. I stayed here. I smiled. In the end, what have I created? Me, who is also her. To be able to notice that, Gudako, thank you so much.”

Merlin: “…So is that it? Ana? Are you going to release your divine powers now?”

Ana: “Yes. Merlin, you have my permission now! The answer is here, the one who was tricked by your flowery words!

Gudako, Mashu, please lend me your powers. I will disable her mystic eyes with my own!”

Gorgon: “I don’t know you. I don’t know you, don’t know you, don’t know you. I don’t know you!

Die, die, die! Die you monster! Do not appear before me, you shameful creature!”

(Battle)

“This isn’t over!

It can’t be over! It won’t be over!

I will take my revenge! I will erase all of you, those that dared to abandon me!”

Mashu says that Gorgon is still standing. Even though she can’t maintain her throne, she’s still struggling. Ishtar interrupts and says that it’s because of her undying traits. Her wounds are slowly healing.

“Of course, how can you defeat me?

I am the primordial goddess! Tiamat! I should be, Tiamat!

Listen to that voice, the voice of mother, crying, how can I not take revenge on her behalf!”

Mashu is worried. The temple is collapsing, and if this continues on everyone will be buried.

Ana:

“…No.

You’re nothing more than a monster, Gorgon.

The monster of nameless island, the killer of heroes, Gorgon.

Your revenge…I will not let you take it beyond that island.”

Mashu: “Miss Ana? No, come back!”

Gorgon: “You! Stop, don’t come near me.

Don’t look at me! I, I, I –“

(Graphical effects)

Ana: “…Yes, let’s face our destruction together, Gorgon. That is why I was summoned here, after all.”

Gudako screams for Ana to take her hand, but Ana smiles, and …

---

Romani notes that Gorgon and Ana both disappeared. Ana’s weapon is a scythe that prevents regeneration, so it’s the one thing that can kill an undying body. Her final attack destroyed Gorgon’s immortality.

Gudako wants to give the flower wreath to Ana.

Ishtar says that it’s sad, but at least it would be good for Ana to have it. (She wouldn’t be lonely then.)

Mashu agrees.

Just then, Romani notices that something’s wrong.

There’s no reaction from the Grail. That’s not right, since Gorgon should have had the Grail…

Merlin says that then it makes sense. Gorgon recovered some of her divinity thanks to the Grail, but if she doesn’t have it, then it must be in the hands of Kingu.

Just then, Kingu arrives. He muses that he’s too late, and that the Grail couldn’t have protected her. That little goddess (Ana) probably disappeared along with her.

“Hmph, even if she’s a goddess, she’s still part of the old world. So naturally she does not deserve to live in the new. She lacks the beauty.”

Merlin asks what he meant by that. Outer beauty or inner beauty?

Kingu tells Merlin to shut up, and that for the first time, he feels hate. He used to kill humans out of duty, but just this once, he’s going to kill because he is angry.

Ishtar: “If you want to fight, we’ll fight, but you’re not Enkidu. Even to the end, that one maintained his principle that he is a weapon. He never killed once out of emotion. That mother or whatever, is she that important to you?”

Kingu says that it’s really sympathy. He loves Tiamat and Tiamat loves her creator. He prepares for battle and explains that Tiamat’s monsters are going to self-destruct.

“This battle is over. You’ve won, but – I will not allow you to taste your victory!

You heroic types that destroyed our fearsome revenge, are you satisfied now that you saved so many people?

Then for that, you will die here!”

Romani warns that he’s changed his class to avenger, and the battle begins.

(Battle)

Romani:

“My observation has ceased. Shiva has gone dark, Gudako, what’s happened! Gorgon is gone, but why is the singularity still persisting?”

Kingu: “…So this is the end? Looks like I was too hot-headed. Is this because we finished this one day too early? She did do her best. After all, I had wanted her to live a little longer, at least before mother awakes…”

Romani: “Shiva #2, #6, #9 are destroyed!

This isn’t some localized event we’re seeing. It’s a temporal quake! Something has gone wrong in the entire world of Mesopotamia! What’s happening?”

Just then, Merlin collapses.

Mashu: “Mr. Merlin!”

“…Aw, oh no. So this was it?

To think that the I, trickster got out-tricked…”

Kingu: “That’s exactly it you foolish Incubus. You locked mother in a cage of dreams and you dragged out her reawakening, but she gifted me the grail and I became her firstborn.

So, my job then is a natural one. How do I awaken mother from her sleep? It’s easy. If she’ll sleep for the rest of her life, then I’ll just kill her once.”

Merlin: “…Gorgon had Tiamat’s authority, that wasn’t a copy, but rather, it was shared?”

Kingu: “That is correct. Gorgon is dead now, That death was shared by Tiamat, and she was freed from her deep sleep. So, you exposed yourself in her dreams, and now, you will be pitifully crushed by her.

And so, finally, the delays by the Three Goddesses are now complete.

Look at the body of our true god, and look upon the body of the original sin!”

---

(I don’t want to summarize this next part, because it’s the Urukian observers at the observatory (the one watching the sea) seeing the Chaos Tide for the first time. They all become corrupted, and that they kill each other. It’s the first time we’ve seen the Lahmu at work, and we find out that they just … attack and reconstruct humanity. The scene ends with the last observer presumably going insane and laughing that instead of being remade, he’d rather be eaten or die, but he could only laugh instead.)

Romani notices large number of magical energy responses from the Persian gulf. The numbers are endless, and it’s still increasing. Each individual energy is stronger than even the Ugallu. He panics, and says that this sort of thing is beyond what Chaldea or humanity can deal with.

Merlin jokes that it’s so numerous, it’s like the passenger pigeon. Funny, too, that the pigeon was eradicated by humanity.

Kingu says that nothing can stop her. Not the gods, not the King of Magic, but he reassures everyone that they will be extinct, but humanity wouldn’t be. The things that are covering up the entire world, those are the “perfect” humans that Tiamat had designed.

“So, farewell, for real this time.

The old humanity will be abandoned and rendered obsolete, and this planet now belongs to us.

Quietly welcome your end as they cover the earth.”

Kingu leaves, and Ishtar thinks to herself about the Lahmu, Tiamat’s last divine offspring. She wonders if mother has truly returned.

Mashu says that Kingu had escaped from the cavern, and she asks Romani that Merlin –

Merlin: “…My miscalculation. I’ve been defeated.

I thought we could save a few things, but this has accelerated matters greatly, hurry and return to Uruk. Even if it’s been awakened, it hasn’t started moving yet.

… Maybe total destruction isn’t unavoidable, but we still have counter plans in motion. Just tell this to King Gilgamesh.

“The beast that only the seven Grand Servants could counteract the thing that devours humanity…

… The sea of life, the primordial mother, one of the “Seven original sins,” the beast of sins, has awoken.”

---

(I apologize for the poor quality of this summary. My account has been closed because they could not verify my quartz payments, and so I am operating off of memory and screenshots I've taken. In future chapters I may try to use video or something, but not for this one. It's definitely not, in my opinion, one of the better ones of this particular chapter.

This chapter was why I didn't roll Merlin, but I did have a maxed level Ana. I get that they tried to give him a bit of the "tsundere" bits like Gilgamesh, but I guess he really didn't make much of an impression on me, and this is coming from someone who read Garden of Avalon as well.

Gorgon was kind of meh. Kingu was a generic villain and made no particular impression. However, Ana is adorable, and that's made all the more sad because of what we know of both Gorgon and her much better fleshed out counterpart, Rider.)