[Faced with your intention to leave, Ereshkigal expressed considerable reluctance.]
[However, she did not try to stop you. Instead, she told you the fastest and most convenient route, proving herself to be a truly considerate and sweet girl.]
[After bidding farewell to Tiamat and Ereshkigal, you emerged from the depths of Mount Ebih.]
"Phew... Finally, the human world."
Mount Ebih, the highest peak in Mesopotamian mythology, held special significance, much like Avalon in Britain.
Within Ereshkigal's Underworld, there was a passage from the deepest abyss leading directly to this highest mountain.
Fertility, harvest, majesty, hope... these were the mountain's symbols. It was once even admired by the gods.
Unfortunately, Mount Ebih had now become synonymous with desolation.
Because a certain lawless goddess had once come here, driven her weapon through the mountain's core, and killed the mountain spirit.
This naturally led to a series of severe consequences.
In Mesopotamian mythology, whether god or human, what mattered was Divinity, the existence known as the 'Spirit'.
Beings with strong Divinity were powerful, and those without were weak. For example, the first and second-generation gods possessed strong Divinity. The second-generation god Marduk was particularly powerful, even surpassing the first-generation king Anu.
It was he who played the decisive role in the battle against Tiamat, leading to her sealing.
Among the remaining gods, the third-generation goddesses Ishtar and Ereshkigal were prominent, comparable to second-generation gods, while the other third-generation gods were relatively weaker.
The affiliated gods, products of generations of reproduction, were merely average.
Of course, they were still much stronger than humans.
For the other races, it depended on innate talent. Gilgamesh possessed unparalleled talent, and his power reached its peak in the human world. If he were to ascend to godhood, he would jump to the very top.
The Myriad Races varied. Dragons were naturally powerful, surpassing even gods, but their numbers were few.
Races like Elves, Youkai, and Fairies each had their strongest individuals, holy artifacts, magical beasts, lands, and cities. Divinity was both a shackle and a source of power.
Having been born at the world's dawn, Mount Ebih initially possessed great Divinity. But now, it was merely a dead mountain.
Walking on the mountain, Ryuya could sense its aura. Although he hadn't carried the Fairy of Avalon talent in this simulation, he could still feel the mountain's emotions.
Contrary to his expectations, the mountain didn't radiate the pain and sorrow of death. Instead, there was an indescribable sense of liberation, as if death was a release for it.
[You sensed a feeling of relief from Mount Ebih, not the anger, despair, or roar one would expect from a mountain killed by a goddess. Remembering Ereshkigal's behavior in this world, you began to wonder what the goddess named Ishtar was really like.]
[Was she the arrogant, willful, life-disregarding figure from most myths? Or was she more like the version from the Absolute Demonic Front, influenced by humanity… somewhat greedy, outgoing, sentimental, and caring towards those who worshipped her?]
[Holding this question, as you were about to leave Mount Ebih, you sensed a powerful surge of mana… a sharp sonic boom. The rapidly forming mana tide was even capable of tearing cracks in the sky.]
"Aaaaaah! Move out of the way!"
Something was approaching at high speed!
Looking up, Ryuya saw a figure rapidly descending. It seemed to be aiming right for him.
"As you wish, I'll move."
Prudently evading the figure, Ryuya wasn't afraid of being hit, but since she told him to move, he couldn't exactly ignore her request, could he?
"It's over... I'm going to hit! Move!"
"I am moving. You're the one actively coming at me."
Boom!
He had genuinely tried hard to dodge the falling figure, but it was useless. Ryuya was still struck directly by the figure that had just broken through the atmosphere.
The immense impact force came, and even with his A++ parameters and the Sun-Crowned King's nearly maxed-out physique, Ryuya was forced back two steps, barely managing to catch her.
"Didn't I tell you to move out of the way?"
"Ouch, ouch, ouch..."
A face almost identical to Ereshkigal's nearly made Ryuya think the Underworld Goddess had followed him out.
But the black hair, the robe of gold, silver, and white, and the crown similar to Ereshkigal's but styled for bound hair...
The goddess beloved by all of Mesopotamia rubbed her throbbing forehead, struggling to push her upper body up in Ryuya's arms.
"I was moving. You're the one who crashed into my arms."
Looking at the twin goddess almost identical to Ereshkigal, Ryuya recognized her as the Venus Goddess, Ishtar.
"I crashed into your arms? Don't joke around, human! Who do you think I am? I'm a goddess, the most beautiful goddess in the world!"
Widening her eyes, Ishtar retorted loudly, indignant that Ryuya dared suggest she did it on purpose.
However, her face was slightly flushed, as if her words lacked conviction.
"...Fine. My apologies, Goddess, for the accidental collision."
[You had genuinely tried hard to dodge, but Ishtar's descent seemed almost intentional. You felt this goddess might have some unspoken motive.]
[Unsure why your emergence from the mountain had drawn Ishtar's attention, you decided to probe her a little.]
"My apologies, Goddess. If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way now."
Brushing the dust off his clothes, Ryuya prepared to head for Uruk.
"Hey, hey, hey! You! You touched my body without permission just now! That's a crime..."
[Confirming your suspicion, a proud goddess like her normally wouldn't pay any mind to a human. But she seemed intent on holding you accountable, clearly indicating she had crashed into you on purpose.]
"So, Goddess, what would you have me do?"
[Being new to the human world and considering Ishtar was a treasured goddess in the eyes of the pantheon, you were somewhat concerned about whether your presence had been noticed by the gods. Thus, you asked calmly.]
"What would I have you do? Hmm..."
Ishtar didn't actually have such convoluted thoughts. She had come to Mount Ebih simply to pay respects to the mountain spirit who had once begged her to kill him.
Spotting Ryuya from mid-air was unexpected, and her instincts told her to approach this man.
Tilting her head as she scrutinized Ryuya, even Ishtar's proud nature had to admit the man before her was incredibly captivating.
His presence was even comparable to that arrogant fool in Uruk. Both were natural-born kings, attracting everything around them.
Purely influenced, perhaps subconsciously, by her twin sister Ereshkigal's existence, the more Ishtar looked at Ryuya, the more pleasing she found him. For the first time, she felt an intense, specific desire to possess someone… an impulse she had never experienced before.
Under the influence of this feeling, she widened her eyes and declared, "In that case, you shall become my divine attendant!"