Chapter 3

//Age of Gods//

Klein waited until Gilgamesh prayed, the fog of the sefirah castle seeped into reality as a figure emerged with clarity. Gilgamesh noted that this appearance was the human aspect of The Fool. "You are Mr Fool correct?" Klein nodded, "Nice to meet you young Gilgamesh." Gilgamesh gazed upon the outfit of The Fool and deemed it a bit too out of place.

Gilgamesh snapped his fingers as his servants came in and presented him with Uruk robes. Gilgamesh looked upon Klein and suggested "Mr Fool, I think perhaps your current clothing is a bit too out of place to fit in. Perhaps this set of the finest robes Uruk has to offer will be good for you to wear.

Klein nodded a veil of mist descended and in an instant he had changed into the black colored robes with gold accents that had been provided. Gilgamesh smiled "I took into account the phrase in your prayer. King of Black and Yellow." Klein smiled as he thanked Gilgamesh. "How strange. You're more like a human with a lot of power than a God."

Klein nodded "That's essentially true because for beyonders, the moment we lose our humanity and lose control. We become monsters no better than beasts." Gilgamesh nodded before guiding Klein to see Uruk. Klein marveled at the fact that an ancient civilisation was capable of this level of technology. He gazed at the young ruler before nodding in respect. 

Klein noticed that the clouds above contained some gods that were hiding. From underneath his robe a single sinister tentacle poked out and pointed towards his gaze. In an instant, the gods who hid in the clouds retreated even further away from his gaze.

Gilgamesh chuckled as he asked Klein "Hey Mr Fool, why do the gods fear you so much? As far as I know they all act arrogant and powerful to some extent. But the moment you look at them, they hide like rats." Klein thought for a bit before making a statement that Gilgamesh thought to be a joke. "I can make a supernova." 

"Nice joke Mr Fool... Wait it's a joke right?" 

Gilgamesh swung his head to look at Klein who only put a finger to his lips and hushed secrecy. Gilgamesh paled even further but upon thinking about it. Klein wouldn't blow up part of the galaxy with a supernova. 

Klein continued to visit Uruk every few days as the years passed by and the young king he knew gradually grew up into the tyrant that everyone knew. Although he still maintained the respect for Klein that was instilled since childhood. And the fact that Klein was once human and retained his humanity even when faced with overwhelming madness. This time however, Klein was disguised once again as a hunter without a name, simply called the Good Hunter. 

Gilgamesh had invited him as a guest for a banquet however the king was more busy due to numerous affairs popping up within Uruk. One of the scouts suddenly ran in with a panicked face. 

"King Gilgamesh, Lady Ishtar has been spotted coming in the direction of the Ziggurat." Gilgamesh looked at Klein before sighing "I apologise, it seems that harlot has come for me." Klein stared at the incoming goddess as she burst through the wall in the nude. Immediately the guards standing within that had gazed upon her nude body were immediately killed. Her eyes turned to Klein who was currently under the guise of the Good Hunter.

A surge of magical energy made it's way towards him, and Ishtar for the first time in her life witnessed something so absurd that she could not make any sense as to how it had happened. The magical bullet had hit the hat of the man and somehow diverted by a small margin. Somehow richochet off the wall and hit her instead. 

Klein lampooned inside while thinking "This Ishtar couldn't have once been a man could she?" The thought of Roselle's diary entry still stunned him to this day. 

"The taste of a demoness isn't bad" - Emperor Roselle, Black Emperor Sequence 0

Klein subtly removed the grafting that he had applied in advance as he took of his hat that had a hole in it. Gilgamesh was stunned, he could vaguely guess what had happened from what Klein had told him about the authority of fooling. But watching it was ridiculous, it was almost as if logic had failed and stupidity became the new law. Gilgamesh quickly recovered before Ishtar decided to ignore Klein due to her intuition. 

"Become my husband!" 

Gilgamesh's face darkened "I refuse! I'd rather marry a hostess than a harlot like you. You think I don't know what happened to your previous husbands you whore!?" Gilgamesh was furious "I refuse, now get out of my sight harlot." Ishtar immediately bubbled in anger however a single glance from that hunter made her rethink. Something was off about man. The strange elderitch god had disappeared ever since Gilgamesh started growing up. But those eyes gave her the shivers. 

Klein continued on as eventually he made his way back to the world above the grey fog as he'd rather not be caught up while taking a walk when Enkidu and Gilgamesh fought. Before taking a small nap he decided to ask the mirror about something. 

"Arrodes, how are my family doing?" 

The mirror immediately waved "Great MASTER! Your family is doing well and Melissa has become a beyonder. Are you going to sleep again great master?" 

Klein nodded "Yes, I'm going to wait a few years."

And just like that a few years passed as Enkidu and Gilgamesh became great friends. Enkidu however was more interested in this Mr Fool that Gilgamesh had mentioned. He had only been told that he was a deity that other gods feared. 

Gilgamesh frowned as he realised that Ishtar had done something idiotic. She had unleashed the Bull of Heaven. Normally it wouldn't be too much of an issue. He and Enkidu could most likely take on that divine beast. But Ishtar herself was getting involved, perhaps she feared that the strange hunter might be present.

Gilgamesh grit his teeth before he and Enkidu focused on the Bull of Heaven alone while Ishtar watched and amused herself in their efforts. After numerous days they had finally defeated the bull and Ishtar was about to finish off the tired duo. Only for a chuckle as Gilgamesh had long drawn out a symbol. A pupiless eye with intertwined lines, "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era. Get your ass down here and I'll make sure the title of God of Poverty no longer exists."

The Good Hunter emerged from the fog as it seeped into reality. Ishtar recognised the good hunter as the facial features and clothing of the entity shed itself to what Klein had always looked like. 

His veil draped over his coat and suit. A cane in his right hand and his black gloves, from under the cloak, tentacles emerged with sinister aura. One of the tentacles carried a mask as Klein stared at Ishtar. Fear enveloped her as she asked for help from the heavens above. 

The queen of heaven. How laughable, when faced with the The Fool, Lord of the Mysteries, they all hid. Reluctant to even indirectly help Ishtar. It was at that moment Ishtar met eyes with Klein as she screamed in pain during her fall to the ground. Her body writhed in unimaginable pain as she had attempted to see Klein's core. She had touched upon forbidden knowledge. She clawed at her eyes and dug them out as Enkidu and Gilgamesh watched. Gilgamesh gave a sigh of relief realising that Mr Fool had saved him from the same fate before. 

The two eye balls had long been clawed out. Yet, Ishtar continued to howl and writhe in pain as she clawed at her empty eye sockets. She started to hear the ravings of The Fool. Eventually the ravings stopped. Ishtar's timely look away had minimised her descent to madness. She laid trembling on the sand of the battlefield. Klein easily took control of the threads as Ishtar easily submitted without having any strength. 

Gilgamesh had long realised what had happened as even he was terrified now. A might goddess had been turned into a simple puppet for The Fool. 

Truly Gilgamesh felt relief. 

"Praise the Fool."