[Faced with your love, the pure Tiamat clearly couldn't comprehend it fully, but what she understood was that you would not leave her.]
[Expressing her happiness, the Creation Mother Goddess, following by your side, fell in love with you all over again, even starting anew.]
[While continuing to search for Uruk's World Barrier in the Sea of Imaginary Numbers, you also taught Tiamat how to conceal her true Saint Graph. Having experienced the previous simulation, you had gained much more experience.]
[In fact, if you wished, you could allow Tiamat to appear on the earth without any restraint, undetectable even by the gods.]
[As time passed, feeling love from you, Tiamat regained her wisdom and personality. Together, you descended once more into Uruk's world.]
[In the gloomy, dim Underworld, the little angel named Ereshkigal took two steps back upon seeing you and Tiamat appear suddenly, clearly flustered.]
["Eresh..."]
[Looking at the golden-haired goddess before you, you recalled the times Ereshkigal had cautiously accompanied you and Tiamat.]
[Though she herself was lonely, though she had been trapped in the Underworld since her birth, the girl named Ereshkigal still gave all her tenderness and hope to humanity.]
[Even knowing humanity would eventually be purged by the gods, she never abandoned them, protecting everyone. Even in the final battle, she was the only deity besides Tiamat who stood by your side.]
["Ryu, meeting you was my happiness."]
["Encountering you was my happiness."]
["Waiting for you, missing you, those silent, protracted times were also my happiness."]
["In this lifeless Underworld, it was you and the Mother Goddess who ended my loneliness. This is my happiness, one that no one can share, and no one can take away."]
[Leaning against the land of the Underworld, facing the gods before her, the goddess named Ereshkigal refused their demands.]
[Like the most devout believer, the maiden professing love, her heart filled with feelings of happiness, vanished like a fading flower.]
[This was Ereshkigal's Blossoming Underworld.]
…
"Mother Goddess, Ryu, is this tasty?"
After Ryuya brought Tiamat to the Underworld, the previously monotonous, lonely life finally saw change. Easily won over by Ryuya and falling deeply in love, Ereshkigal's affection blossomed completely.
Although the concept of food didn't really exist in the Underworld, and what was 'eaten' was more like the essence of the Underworld itself, with Ryuya's magecraft, both Tiamat and Ereshkigal could briefly leave the Underworld for periods.
In the Fever Temple, Ereshkigal, who is diligently practicing her culinary skills, could now be considered an all-around little chef.
Feeding a piece of pastry to Ryuya, the little angel Ereshkigal asked.
"It's tasty, but definitely not as tasty as Ryu's."
Speaking more frequently now, Tiamat ate the pastry in her hand, her gaze towards Ryuya and Ereshkigal incredibly complex.
One was her beloved, the other her nominal 'daughter'. Although there was no concrete blood relation, she still found the situation a bit strange.
Hmph, she definitely wasn't upset because Ryuya spent less time chatting with her lately, and she definitely wasn't lonely because Ryuya was busy studying magecraft formations and didn't talk to her as much. Definitely not!
"Eh? But Mother Goddess and Ryu taste the same, don't they?"
Wide-eyed, the straightforward Ereshkigal actually thought the one Tiamat held wasn't as tasty as Ryuya's.
"Silly Eresh, Tia is teasing you."
Laughing, Ryuya stood up, gently wiping the crumbs from the corners of Tiamat's and Ereshkigal's mouths, then smiled reminiscently; "This taste is the best."
"Mmm..." *2
Even though they were already together with Ryuya, facing this level of teasing, both Tiamat and Ereshkigal were a bit overwhelmed.
Tiamat handled it slightly better, but Ereshkigal was completely dizzy, like a steam-powered maiden.
After a while, when her emotions stabilized a bit, the adorable Ereshkigal finally looked up from Ryuya's embrace; "Ryu, are you... leaving soon?"
Trying hard to keep the disappointment in her crimson eyes minimal, not wanting the man to see her upset, Ereshkigal's expression was clearly unnatural as she spoke.
"Leaving? Who did you hear that from?"
Playing with Ereshkigal's golden locks, twining them around his fingers, Ryuya noticed her hair quality was excellent… perhaps he could explore another use for it at night?
"Didn't hear it from anyone. But both Mother Goddess and I can feel it. Recently, you've been setting up more and more magecraft formations in the Underworld. You're clearly planning something, right?"
Different from the last simulation, this time Ereshkigal fell in love with Ryuya much earlier and learned about the gods' affairs sooner. Unhesitatingly supporting her beloved and the Mother Goddess, Ereshkigal's choices never wavered.
"Ryu, if you want to do something, just go ahead and do it."
As Ryuya's one and only, Tiamat usually had a low presence by his side. She lacked Gilgamesh's pride, Siduri's gentleness, and Ereshkigal's cuteness. But what Tiamat possessed was an all-encompassing love. She was like the final shield, the crucial presence supporting Ryuya.
"Ah, so you both noticed after all."
Wryly shaking his head, Ryuya thought he had been quite discreet, but it seemed he couldn't hide anything from his loved ones.
"Tia, Eresh, I am planning to go out."
"To Uruk?"
Shifting to a more comfortable position nestled in Ryuya's embrace, Ereshkigal asked.
"No, this time I'm not planning to go to Uruk, at least not initially."
Because he appeared earlier in this simulation than the last, the timeline Ryuya was in now was also earlier than his previous simulation.
Shaking his head, he lightly traced his fingers through the air, sketching out a map of Mesopotamia.
"Eresh, Tia, look."
Pointing at the map filled with various tribes, Ryuya said, "If current Mesopotamia is a mountain forest, and the gods are the hunters, then the Demon Tribe is the tiger guarding the mountain, the Beast-kin are the battle-ready lions, the Youkai are the fierce bears, the Elves are the agile leopards, the Fairies are the far-sighted eagles... Each tribe has its role. Alone, they cannot stand against the hunters. They must cooperate, abandoning the food chain's cycle."
Gently manipulating the symbols representing each tribe, Ryuya had already figured out his approach this time.
"Ahh, different animals? Then what am I... and Mother Goddess?"
Not fully understanding Ryuya's analogy, Ereshkigal knew the man was very confident.
Looking at Ryuya eagerly, she wanted to know what she represented, 'Could I play a significant role?'
"You and Tia? You two... are the salty fish?"
Simply picking up both Tiamat and Ereshkigal, one in each arm, Ryuya laughed.
Tiamat: "?????"
Ereshkigal: "?????"
"Just kidding, just kidding!"
Unable to resist the adorable, confused expressions on his two partners' faces, Ryuya gently kissed each of them.
"You two are cats. Clingy cats."