I am Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes.

"……you……"

“Impossible… Traveler… There’s no way around it.” Shubi looked at the Traveler. “That arm… was clearly… overloaded…”

"...Ha, so don't underestimate the potential of humankind."

The traveler said this, his eyes gleaming with a different kind of light.

"I've had enough of those god-like beings... I'll make them experience despair." The traveler looked into Rick's eyes. "If sacrificing just me could end this war..."

His eyes gleamed with intense light. "Then I'm willing to give it a try, even if there's only a one percent chance!"

“Shubi calculated that the success rate of the Traveler’s plan could not exceed 0.01%... Even so…” Like Rick, Shubi began to dissuade the Traveler.

“Yes… even so, I want to give it a try… then—let the game begin…” A smile appeared on the traveler’s face.

Rick clicked his tongue. "Tch, fine." He released his grip. "I got it."

“Then, I’ll help you,” Rick said.

"...No, not to help me." The traveler held out his fist. "I'm here to help you."

"what?"

“Go with your plan, but I need to make some changes—” the traveler grinned. “Let’s go.”

……

After Rick finished explaining everything, in a makeshift secret base far from the settlement, he was still directing the evacuation until the very end, and thus lost his life—those who were nominally considered dead, now include Rick, Shubi, and the Traveler, a total of one hundred and eighty [Ghosts], who are now gathered around a round table.

After looking around at each member, Rick slowly spoke, "The final battle that will come one day—I have decided to stop waiting for that [future that will never come]."

Everyone fell silent upon hearing this, but Rick continued in a forceful tone: "To flee for one's life in such a hopeless world, to pray for the end of the war—to whom to pray?"

Rick blurted out all the things he had wanted to say but could never bring himself to say.

"Those destroyers who call themselves gods!? Or the heavens, or some other being, that even they can't stop!? In this damned world, we'll just eke out a living until the war ends—and then what!? And then what!?"

Rick waved his hands dramatically, shouting as if venting his emotions, "I heard they're fighting for the throne of the One God. Whoever wins this war, can we expect them to bring a better future than we have now?"

Then, his tone shifted, his voice lowered, and he said in a cold tone, "It's about time we admitted it, isn't it? There's no hope in this world."

Faced with this fact that they had long known, yet which, once acknowledged, would cause their souls to crumble, the ghosts lowered their heads.

Just as their faces showed deep sorrow, Rick said, "That's right—hope can only be created by our own hands."

Upon hearing Rick's powerful announcement, everyone raised their heads.

"There is one method. It is mental instability, insane behavior, which, in common sense, can be called arrogance."

That kind of strategy that even he himself could only manage a bitter smile.

"We are [ghosts] - people that no one cares about, people that no one will notice."

Rick looked at the girl standing next to him.

“We are the ghosts—but even if no one recognizes us, we are still those who carry on the legacy and move forward by will.”

Even so, those red eyes made him feel that it was possible.

He looked at the traveler, who nodded in response. Composing himself, he continued.

"That is proof that we still exist, proof that the world has not ended."

Rick regrouped, his expression tense.

"Stop pretending to be smart; we humans are stupid creatures."

Then he said decisively, "Therefore... let's fight."

Fighting is not about running away, it's about fighting.

Upon hearing Rick say those words clearly, all 177 people focused their attention on him, and Rick smiled slightly.

"Yes, we must fight. Whoever stands in our way, whoever they may be, we must use our power—that is, [foolishness]—to deceive them all, to gain the upper hand. We must act like the weak, employing every trick in the book, even at the cost of shame and honor. Even if being flattered is despicable, being praised is worthless, being lauded is vile—!"

"We must also achieve victory."

“A defeat that has been repeated endlessly until now can be transformed into a meaningful defeat, thereby erasing a single victory.”

Rick said the opponent he was going to fight was the being that had repeatedly reduced humanity and civilization to nothingness.

If they so desire, they can turn mountains into craters, oceans into land, and even shatter planets.

The emotion that enveloped the room was a forced smile.

Just as everyone was stunned and burst into laughter, Rick laughed too.

"Yes, we're going to challenge those monsters—and then win. Isn't it ridiculously absurd and laughable that such a stupid thing is so laughable?"

Yes, of course I want to laugh; how can anyone not laugh? And that's precisely...

"That is proof of our humanity, proof of our foolishness. Our last chance to exist."

After saying that, Rick looked around at the faces of the 177 people and then told them, "The end of the great war is the victory we need."

To end the eternal war of the gods in human form.

Seeing Rick speak with such certainty, the 177 people—no, even Shubi next to him—widened their eyes in disbelief.

The only traveler who already knew all this chuckled softly.

Yes, the great war will eventually end.

I myself will not let any of them die... absolutely!

"As for the conditions for victory... even to be conservative, they are still so difficult they'd make you faint..."

But Rick looked at the condition with the smile of a child who had just pulled off a prank—then he remembered...

When he was a child, he thought the world was simpler.

There are no unwinnable games, hard work will be rewarded, and nothing is impossible.

The thoughts that arise from a child who knows nothing, is ignorant and foolish, after seeing the world with innocent and pure eyes—those thoughts—

"This world... is indeed simple, just a game..."

Sure enough, my thinking back then was correct.

"It's just that the gods are pursuing the Star Grail at will, playing a game without any rules."

"In that case, we'll just create the rules as we like."

Rick said, fiddling with a chess piece in his hand—then looking at Hugh.

Hugh said she wanted to know the answer that Rick's "heart" led to.

"Then I'll answer you," Rick said, and seeing Shubi nod in response, he revealed a bold smile—declaring the "rules."

First, no one is allowed to kill.

The rationale is that killing will lead to being killed. The underlying thought is that no one wants to kill.

Second, no one can die.

The rationale is that if someone dies, he will die too. The underlying thought is that he doesn't want anyone to die.

"Third, you must not let anyone find out."

The reason is that if they are discovered, they will die.

Fourth, no method is considered cheating.

The underlying thought is that as long as it's not discovered, any form of cheating (fraud) doesn't count as cheating (fraud).

Fifth, ignore those guys' rules.

The logic is that if they were on the same stage, they would inevitably lose. The inner thought, however, is, "Let's just kill each other and eat shit!"

"Sixth, any violation of the above shall be considered a defeat."

The principle is that rules that cannot be fully enforced are meaningless.

The inner thought is that the victory gained by violating these rules feels worthless.

Do whatever you want...

Rick's answer, derived from his "heart," is as follows: Rick surveys the 177 people gathered around the round table.

"We are the [Ghosts], encompassing all races, including the divine race. We do not kill anyone, nor are we even detected. We simply [guide the battle to the very end] to end this war."

Rules that prioritize emotions are tantamount to "childish capriciousness."

However, if the war is to end with humans, then there is no other way.

To end the war in human form is, in itself, “childish whims.”

"It goes without saying that failure means total annihilation, and all the insurance measures will probably be in vain. There are talking monkeys manipulating the battle—once those guys find out, then it's truly over."

"It's a gamble where it's either end or perish; it's either all or nothing. There's no draw, and you can't just give up."

Then Rick revealed his true nature, a truth no one present had ever seen before.

"The enemy is a god, a violence that burns heaven and earth, the embodiment of despair. Victory lies far beyond. Since victory depends on the success of all clandestine operations, even if we triumph, we will not remain in anyone's memory, in any record, or be discussed. We are [Ghosts], and [Ghosts] do not speak, but if—"

"If we actually win this game—"

He pointed to his chest with his thumb and declared loudly, "We can tell ourselves that we lived a very cool life, and then we can die proudly. Don't you think so?"

"Only those who want to start that kind of [game]—stay here."

After telling him everything, Rick closed his eyes and waited for the person who was leaving to depart.

The traveler smiled.

He raised his hand and smacked Rick on the head hard.

"Shut your eyes, my foot!" the traveler laughed. "Well then, here, I will help everyone, everyone—"

"To help you complete your mission and guide the course of the war flawlessly!"

Rick was somewhat puzzled by the traveler's behavior, but—

He looked down at the 177 people below.

No one ran away, no one left.

“…Ah, I’m going to tell you the truth now?” Rick said to them.