Era of Heroic Spirits: I Was Exposed by Alaya

The terrifying Heavenly Bull, a monstrous entity akin to an apocalyptic demon king, had been destroyed—just like that!

Everyone found it somewhat hard to believe.

This had been the gods' dreadful punishment upon humanity, an attempt to utterly annihilate mankind.

With a single step, it had made the entire world tremble.

Countless buildings in Uruk had collapsed in an instant.

The ground had split open with jagged fissures.

Yet now, this invincible divine beast had been slain by the combined efforts of three individuals!

On the screen, the once densely packed barrage of cheering messages fell into abrupt silence.

It took a long pause before the crowd erupted into frenzied celebration—

-[Damn, they actually killed it?!]

-[Insane! Just moments ago, the god-king Anu had decreed the Heavenly Bull as humanity's punishment, and now they've turned around and slaughtered it. Talk about a slap in the face!]

-[I thought this would be an impossibly grueling battle, but Nameless and the others practically one-shot it!]

-[Don't celebrate too soon—the gods are still watching from above!]

-[We're doomed. This is definitely going to enrage the gods. No one can stand against them now!]

...

Just as countless people feared,

an even more terrifying divine retribution descended!

The resplendent figure of Anu, King of the Gods, appeared before the masses for the first time.

He wore a radiant crown, draped in golden robes, wielding the divine scepter that ruled the heavens.

All the gods stood behind him, ready to deliver their final judgment upon the faithless humans.

"I declare—you are guilty!"

The King of Gods spoke, and an overwhelming pressure crashed down like a tidal wave.

Under his crushing divine might, both Nameless and Gilgamesh felt as though a mountain weighed upon their heads, forcing them to their knees, prostrate on the ground.

They couldn't breathe. Couldn't escape. Couldn't resist.

It was as if the entire world rejected them, as if all existence stood in judgment against them.

Such was the power of the gods who governed the laws of creation!

"This king—is innocent!"

Gilgamesh gripped the Sword of Rupture, Ea, his expression icy as he glared at the divine ruler.

No matter how the god-king wielded his authority, no matter how the world itself pressed down upon him—he would not bow. He would not admit guilt.

With arrogance surpassing even that of the divine king, he declared:

"In all of heaven and earth, I alone am the true king. Even you, so-called King of Gods, are nothing but a mongrel who stole the world's laws!"

The moment these words left his lips, the gods erupted into fury.

One after another, they roared in condemnation—

"Gilgamesh, you are but a dog we raised! You court your own destruction!"

"Sinner! You shall suffer eternal punishment! You shall witness the ruin of your kingdom with your own eyes! You shall writhe in endless regret!"

"All your struggles are in vain!"

...

The voices of the gods thundered across the heavens and earth.

All mortals fell to their knees in even greater terror, their faces twisted in despair.

To them, the gods were supreme—inviolable, untouchable.

"To expect humans to remain forever rational is indeed a futile hope."

The King of Gods' majestic voice resounded as he delivered his final verdict.

"Gilgamesh, for your sins, Uruk shall be destroyed! All shall be drowned beneath the deluge!"

"Enkidu, divine weapon born of clay—return to the earth from whence you came!"

"Nameless, traveler from beyond time—we shall trace the threads of your existence back to your world and erase all that you hold dear!"

...

The gods had begun their true annihilation of the world.

A deluge of floodwaters appeared on the horizon, poised to annihilate all of Uruk!

But that wasn't all.

The divine weapon fighting alongside them also began showing cracks across its body.

Like a sun-dried clay figurine, it was on the verge of crumbling into dust!

The gods who forged it could naturally destroy it as well.

Nameless held it in his arms: "Little En..."

"Nameless, don't grieve for me. I'm grateful you gave me a 'heart,' allowing me to truly live."

Enkidu's emerald eyes shone with radiance, smiling with extraordinary beauty.

Originally a mindless weapon, under Nameless's influence, it had become a true person.

It was happy.

It cherished this journey of the "heart."

Even if the time was short, even if it wished to continue this experience, even if there were still countless things left undone.

But it was enough.

This life was too extravagant, every minute and second priceless.

Enkidu broke free from Nameless's embrace and unleashed its final form once more—

"O humanity, bind the gods—Enuma Elish!"

Brilliant golden chains rose from the earth, reaching up to the heavens.

With these chains, it sought to bind the sky and earth together.

No,

This was its true form—to shackle the celestial realm and the mortal world, never to part!

"Nameless, it's time to act according to plan. The loss of a weapon isn't defeat; we will ultimately achieve victory!"

Enkidu's smile grew even brighter. "Come, sever me!"

"Little En..."

Nameless sighed heavily and reached out to the king beside him. "Goldie, lend me Ea."

"But I refuse! I, Gilgamesh, particularly enjoy saying no to presumptuous fools like you!"

Gilgamesh snorted without hesitation. "The king shall bear all burdens! You two idiots just stay put!"

His expression turned furious, as if he had suffered the gravest insult.

As the proudest of kings, how could he tolerate others paying the price in his stead?

Yet.

Nameless paid no heed to his anger: "As king, you must bear the weight of this world and the future of all its people—don't even think of running away! Or do you want me to handle the headaches of governance for you, you bastard?"

Nameless strode over and forcibly snatched Ea from him.

"You truly are an utter bastard!"

The King of Heroes raised his hand to stop him, but ultimately let it drop.

He was the king, bearing the weight of the entire world—and now the future his two dearest friends had entrusted to him!

Above in the heavens.

The gods suddenly fell into panic.

At this moment, they finally realized what these mortals intended to do!

"Lowly insects, cease this at once!"

These fools sought to completely sever the connection between heaven and earth!

Millennia ago, when terrifying entities from beyond descended, the Age of Gods began to wane.

The celestial realm where gods dwelled and the mortal world of humanity began rapidly separating.

Thus the gods created the [Heavenly Wedge] as an anchor.

And the [Chains of Heaven] as its tether, seeking to bind sky and earth together.

Yet.

Both the Heavenly Wedge and Chains of Heaven slipped from divine control.

Now the gods sought to annihilate humanity entirely and cultivate new, obedient anchors and chains!

And now, these mortals dared take it upon themselves to sever the connection between gods and men!

"I know we can't win, but I must stand my ground here. If even the last hope is abandoned, who else can oppose the gods?"

Nameless gripped the Sword of Rupture, gazing up at the gods in the heavens. "With this strike, I shall sever the connection between gods and men! This is my final—"

[Enuma Elish!]

Unlike how the King of Heroes wielded it.

This time, he transformed himself into the ultimate fuel, unleashing the full power of this Noble Phantasm capable of splitting the world apart.

To truly cleave the world asunder!

Nameless swung his sword toward the firmament: "Arrogant gods, behold humanity's final rebellion!"

His entire body began to burn, transforming into a golden miniature sun that illuminated the world shrouded in divine shadows.

BOOM!

A brilliant pillar of light surged along golden chains, piercing straight through the heavens.

CRACK~

The golden chains shattered!

CRACK~

The final link between heaven and earth was severed!

With a single strike, the connection between gods and men was cut—the divine and mortal realms forever separated!

From this moment onward, heaven and earth, gods and men would remain in their respective worlds, never to interfere with each other again!

***

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