"Who goes there?"
A youthful voice, much like Ishtar's, echoed through the underworld.
On the other side of the underworld's gate stood their target: Ereshkigal, the Mistress of the Underworld.
"Ruler of love and harvest, wealth and beauty, the Venus goddess, daughter of the moon, Mistress of Heaven, Ishtar! It's me! Open the door quick, Ereshkigal, or I'll blast it to pieces!"
Ishtar pounded on the gate, shouting with wild abandon.
Even facing her sister, the Mistress of the Underworld who once taught her a painful lesson, Ishtar's innate pride and superiority shone through unabashedly.
"What an idiot…"
"She's got some guts."
Roy covered his face, while Tezcatlipoca stared at her like she was a fool.
In the underworld's domain, facing its mistress with such insolence and arrogance, they couldn't fathom where Ishtar found the courage.
Even Enki and Anu showed Ereshkigal some respect in the underworld. Where did this goddess, once speared and hung at the underworld's gate, get the nerve to challenge Ereshkigal again? Was she not afraid of being skewered into a pincushion with a single thrust?
"Open the door! Open it now!! Ereshkigal, I know you're in there! I'm not here to mess around this time, open the door and let me in!!"
Ishtar kept yelling.
But contrary to expectations, the scene of Ereshkigal erupting in fury over Ishtar's insolence didn't materialize.
"…"
The voice beyond the gate fell silent, as if pondering something significant. After a long pause, it spoke slowly, "Very well, come in then, Ishtar. I'm… looking forward to our meeting."
"Huh? You're being that cooperative?"
Ishtar blinked, clearly unprepared for Ereshkigal to agree so readily.
Creak!!
The heavy underworld gate was pushed open by some unseen force, releasing a thick wave of underworld aura. The scent of decay and death made Roy, a living human, and Ishtar, accustomed to the heavens, wrinkle their noses.
"As expected, this place is as dreadful as ever…"
"But since you're being so sensible this time, I'll let our last encounter slide."
With the gate open, a smug grin spread across Ishtar's face. She glanced back at Roy, patted her chest, and boasted, "See? A mere underworld gate is nothing to this goddess."
"…"
Roy clutched his head, his expectations for this goddess's intelligence and tact utterly shattered.
She could've mentioned Enki's name outside the gate to let Ereshkigal know their purpose, leaving it to her to decide whether to let them in. At the very least, Tezcatlipoca, a fellow underworld deity, could've opened the gate. Instead, she chose the most foolish, most violent approach to a simple problem.
And was she sure Ereshkigal was intimidated or being sensible? Opening the gate so readily screamed of a trap!
He could already picture it: Ishtar steps inside, the gate slams shut, and Ereshkigal gives her a thorough thrashing.
Roy deeply regretted traveling with Ishtar.
He should've left this useless goddess dangling in the abyss and retrieved her only after everything was settled.
"Haha… Master, is it too late to back out of this contract?"
Seeing the ominous situation, even Tezcatlipoca let out a nervous chuckle, half-joking, "I've got a bad feeling about this. It's gonna be trouble."
"When we get back, I'll request blueprints from Chaldea to build you an airplane and a yacht. Deal?"
"Airplane? Yacht?!"
Tezcatlipoca's eyes lit up, and he nodded decisively.
"Hahaha, just kidding, Master. I'm a god of contracts, how could I abandon a job halfway?"
He gave Roy a reassuring wink. "Don't worry. If things go south, we'll ditch this useless goddess. With my strength, I can get you out of the underworld, even if Ereshkigal tries to stop us."
"Alright, I'm counting on you."
"Hey! What are you two whispering about back there? Are you coming or not?"
Ishtar spun around, shouting at the two still murmuring behind her.
She was completely oblivious to the fact that she'd already been sold out in their plans.
At that moment, Ereshkigal, who had been focused on Ishtar, noticed Roy and Tezcatlipoca.
"Ishtar…" Ereshkigal spoke again. "Who are those two behind you? Why bring a living human into the underworld?"
"Oh… they're…"
Ishtar hesitated, about to blurt out that they were here to storm the underworld too, but Roy cut her off,
He wasn't about to let her make things worse with her reckless mouth.
"Greetings, Lady Ereshkigal, Mistress of the Underworld."
Roy offered a polite bow and introduced himself. "My name is Roy, a traveler from another world, a Magician of the Third Magic, and a king of Ur and Uruk. I've come to the underworld to seek your aid."
"You seek… my aid?"
The voice on the other side sounded surprised.
Such a request was unheard of. Humans facing hardship always sought the aid of the heavenly gods, never had anyone come to pray to her, the goddess of the underworld.
"Indeed. Mesopotamia, and the entire world, faces a grave crisis. The prophesied final calamity will devour all living beings."
"To defeat this ultimate disaster, your power is indispensable. That's why I'm here, to request your help."
"I see. Well then…"
"Hey, hey, hey! Are you nuts? Just laying out your request like that? This meddlesome, trouble-loving goddess won't just hand you what you want! I got thoroughly trashed by her last time…"
Before Ereshkigal could respond, Ishtar, standing in front, shouted in shock and began slandering her sister right to her face.
Recalling her last venture into the underworld, where she was skewered without warning, Ishtar shivered.
Her impression of her sister Ereshkigal was now a mix of pity and fear.
"Quiet, Ishtar."
Roy ignored her outburst, shaking his head slightly and addressing the voice. "I must secure your aid. Feel free to test me to determine if I'm worthy. If you have conditions or tasks, name them. I'll do everything in my power to meet your demands in exchange for your assistance."
"You want me to test you?"
"Hmm… that's an interesting proposal, human." Ereshkigal said calmly. "Indeed, compared to that self-important, oblivious goddess over there, I find your perspective and demeanor far more appealing."
"Very well, let's put you to the test…"
At that moment...
The underworld gate rumbled.
"A question-"
Something was coming!!
Sensing an unknown force, Tezcatlipoca and Ishtar went on high alert, while Ereshkigal's tone grew tinged with amusement.
As the dark gate trembled, a terrifying Authority began to emanate from the depths of the underworld.
The mere presence of that fearsome power made Ishtar's body tremble.
She knew that sensation all too well, it was the same overwhelming Authority that had pinned her down before Ereshkigal turned her into a pincushion.
"Oh? Intriguing."
Tezcatlipoca, meanwhile, recognized the nature of this Authority.
It was undoubtedly on par with the terrifying power of Hades or himself in his divine state, the Authority of an underworld ruler.
If the heavens were the greatest domain above, that rule didn't apply here.
In the underworld, there was no sky.
The underworld's ruler was the ultimate law.
Even a God-King wouldn't claim to defeat an underworld deity in their own domain.
"What do you want, Ereshkigal?!"
Faced with this terrifying power, Ishtar, once brimming with bravado, now looked petrified.
Like a frightened rabbit, she instinctively hid behind Roy, clutching his arm tightly, warily scanning her surroundings for the dreaded spear cages from her memories.
But Ereshkigal wasn't about to punish Ishtar right off the bat.
Instead, seeing Ishtar so reliant on the young man, she asked with keen interest, "Human who dares enter the underworld, tell me: who is more beautiful, me, Ereshkigal, or Ishtar beside you?"
"Ha…"
As expected, that question.
Roy sighed, as if he'd anticipated it.
This question was a running gag in the Seventh Singularity, dubbed the underworld's ultimate exam question. He never thought it'd actually fall to him one day.
But while it might stump Ritsuka, it was no challenge for him. There was nothing to hesitate over.
"Hey, you're as tricky as ever, but this is obvious, no need to think!"
Hearing the question, Ishtar jumped out from behind Roy, confidently declaring to the underworld's sky, "Obviously, it's me-"
"Lady Ereshkigal, you are more beautiful. At least, that's what my heart tells me."
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
Without a moment's hesitation, his eyes brimming with sincerity and his tone free of any deceit.
This question, which baffled the sages and gods of the Mesopotamian plains, Roy answered with ease.
The response stunned both Ishtar and Ereshkigal.
One was shocked that this clueless guy had unhesitatingly chosen an unseen underworld goddess over her, standing right there!
The other was floored by Roy's earnest gaze and tone.
In the underworld, as its mistress, she could see through anyone's state. No lie or deception could escape her eyes.
If Roy had given such an answer just to curry favor or out of fear of her power, she wouldn't be pleased, she'd punish him.
But… why?
They'd never met, yet he seemed to know her, his eyes so sincere, his words devoid of falsehood.
Did he truly believe she was more beautiful than Ishtar?
"Ohohoho, my Master, you've got some nerve! Hitting on the Venus goddess wasn't enough, you're aiming for the underworld goddess too?"
Tezcatlipoca burst out laughing.
"I like it, though. If you pull this off, we underworld lords will have plenty to talk about."
"Are you blind?! I'm the goddess of love and beauty, standing right here, and you pick someone else?!"
"Quiet, Ishtar. I'm serious this time."
Roy wasn't playing around with Ishtar. His pupils shifted to an icy blue, and a single glance, laced with formidable mana, silenced her mid-tantrum.
"You…"
This time, he had no patience for Ishtar's antics. To defeat Tiamat, Ereshkigal's aid was essential, and he couldn't afford any mistakes.
"I know why you're silent about my choice and suspect I'm saying this just to gain your help."
"But please believe me, this comes from my heart."
Roy looked up at the underworld's sky, declaring loudly, "Be it human or god, beauty isn't just skin-deep. The beauty of the heart matters just as much."
"I know who you are and understand your thoughts. After careful consideration, I can say with certainty: you are the flower blooming in the underworld, the most beautiful goddess in my eyes."
"The… most beautiful goddess… Are you serious?"
Ereshkigal's voice suddenly trembled, laced with nervousness and a hint of shyness.
Roy could almost picture her blushing on the other side of the gate.
"Yes, I'm serious."
"W-Well… fine. You've got good taste. You pass the first test. Come in…"
The restrictions on the underworld gate vanished.
A smile spread across Roy's face.
"Thank you for your generosity."
…
"Aaaaaaah!! He's serious! He's actually serious!! Someone really thinks I'm the most beautiful goddess, not some gloomy, decaying monster…"
Deep within the underworld, in a land studded with countless spear cages, a girl with long golden hair, draped in a short red cape and wearing a golden crown, hid her face in her hands.
Her head was bowed, golden bangs covering her face, but a radiant, shy smile shone through.
She was clearly overwhelmed by Roy's words.
Born to be sacrificed to the underworld, she was its mistress, its deity.
In this dark, silent underworld, no one ever visited her. The scenery was eternally unchanging darkness, a prison.
She was its prisoner, forever confined, without a life of her own, not even her existence truly hers.
As the underworld's mistress, she worked tirelessly for the world's stability, yet all she received was fear and hatred from the living.
The outside world mocked her as a wicked goddess of death and decay, a monster imprisoned by the gods, devouring human souls, tormenting life, and envying the joys of the living.
That was Ereshkigal.
A monster of the underworld, despised by the world, a fearsome goddess to the gods, a pitiful soul dutifully managing the underworld for millennia…
The only god who dared visit her, naming her directly, was that infuriating Ishtar.
Wearing her seven dazzling Divine Constructs, Ishtar came to the underworld to show off, talking about showing her the wonders of the surface and spouting absurd nonsense about abandoning the underworld to go play.
Wasn't that mockery? It had to be mockery.
Blatant mockery.
So she'd harshly disciplined Ishtar and driven her out.
Though, she later regretted it.
After all, Ishtar was the first goddess to seek her out, the first to talk to her so much.
But she'd driven her away, and her fearsome reputation only grew…
Still, it was Ishtar's fault for saying such irresponsible things, for flaunting her splendid attire in her face.
Yes, she was jealous of Ishtar.
Jealous of her freedom, her ability to soar through the skies, to see the beauty of the earth.
So when she saw Ishtar return to confront her again, she was surprised.
Why come back? Wasn't she afraid of being punished again?
She didn't understand…
And this time, she brought an unfamiliar god and a human?
Seeing Ishtar lean on him, Ereshkigal felt her jealousy flare again.
So that's how it was?
Bringing a new lover to show off.
Very well, how very Ishtar.
This time, she'd not only strip Ishtar of her divine construct but take her lover too, humiliate her, teach her a lesson, and ensure she'd never dare offend her again.
But Ereshkigal, harboring such thoughts, was caught off guard by Roy's earnest words.
Especially when she realized he wasn't saying this to curry favor or seek her help.
He was serious. He truly believed she was more beautiful than Ishtar.
He genuinely liked her, understood her?
"Aaahh!! So embarrassing!!"
Ereshkigal, blushing and shy, suddenly thought of something, her expression turning sorrowful,
How could anyone understand her?
He probably only understood the version of her in his mind. If he saw the real her, this gloomy, terrifying goddess, he'd surely be disappointed…
…
On the other side, Ishtar, who'd followed Roy through the underworld gate, pouted unhappily. "Hey, you talk like you actually know what kind of goddess she is, when you've never even seen Ereshkigal."
"Don't you dare toy with her feelings just because she's naive! Or I'll show you how terrifying a goddess's wrath can be."
"Never seeing her doesn't mean I don't understand her."
Ignoring Ishtar's flailing protests, Roy raised his hand, conjuring a pink glow in the air, and smiled. "If the underworld's darkness is the earth, then to me, Ereshkigal is the most beautiful flower blooming within it."
"Her beauty is truly unmatched, surpassing any god."
___
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