Siduri faithfully stopped by the Heroic Spirit dormitory every evening, but tonight, she had brought along another mysterious guest.
"Mmm, mmm, mmm... Uruk's lamb is still as succulent and delicious as ever."
Gilgamesh sat cross-legged in the middle of the dining hall, devouring his dinner with gusto and paying no attention to anyone around him.
"This King merely caught the scent of something unusual while inspecting the streets at night, so I came to investigate personally."
"Hmph. To think it was you lot holding a barbecue feast."
Standing behind him with a broad smile, the Head Priestess said, "Shirou-sama used a special cooking method that allowed the seasoning to penetrate more deeply than before. What do you think, Your Majesty?"
"Stop asking questions when you already know the answer, Siduri! Can you not read this King's expression?"
"Honestly... It does appear to be every bit as delicious as the rumors claimed."
"It is almost regrettable that Uruk remains so primitive and barbaric in the culinary arts..."
"The food this fellow prepares has somehow exceeded even the foresight of these eyes that see through all reality."
"Hmph... But in the end, it is merely good food! Mmph!"
Gilgamesh continued grumbling indignantly, but neither his fingers nor his mouth stopped moving for a moment.
Even a king who naturally believed his nation to be the greatest and most advanced in human history had no choice but to lower his proud head before Shirou's modern cuisine.
At the sight, Tomoe Gozen, Ushiwakamaru, Musashibō Benkei, and King Leonidas, who had returned from the front lines, could not help but smile.
"Oh! King Gilgamesh actually admitted defeat of his own accord! Is the world going to end tomorrow, Ushiwakamaru-sama?!"
"Don't say such ominous things, you idiot monk!"
Dinner continued in a cheerful atmosphere.
Gilgamesh glanced at the red-haired boy seated across from him and spoke.
"Shirou, you have been in Uruk for more than half a month now, have you not? What do you think of this King's nation?"
"Setting aside its king, who gets carried away far too easily, the city and the people who live here are wonderful."
Unfortunately, Shirou could not actually set the king aside.
Gilgamesh declared proudly, "Hmph. Naturally. Not a single traveler who has visited Uruk has ever dared to speak ill of it."
Shirou muttered, "Did everyone who spoke badly of it get physically eliminated...?"
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
Shirou looked toward the Head Priestess standing behind Gilgamesh.
"Siduri-san, getting back to what we were discussing earlier, did you say my next mission was to travel to the Underworld and investigate Enkidu's remains?"
"This King shall explain."
Gilgamesh had just finished eating. As he wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, he turned toward Shirou.
"You must have heard the rumors during the past few days while you were resting in Uruk."
"This King has recently received numerous reports of someone claiming to be Enkidu wreaking havoc."
"Just as you reported earlier, the witnesses claim that this individual possesses an appearance and fighting style identical to Enkidu's, and that he is leading Magical Beasts in attacks against the surrounding cities."
"Have you seen him yourself, Gilgamesh?" Shirou asked.
Surely it would be best to have the person who knew Enkidu most intimately confirm his identity.
The Golden King turned his face away and answered in an uncharacteristically flat tone.
"This King is extremely busy. I have no time to concern myself with such trivial matters..."
It seemed he had yet to prepare himself mentally.
Shirou thought, So even you have days like this.
Gilgamesh frowned slightly. "This King senses an air of grave disrespect."
"You're imagining things."
Shirou continued, "What did you mean when you said I should go to the Underworld to investigate Enkidu's remains?"
Gilgamesh answered, "As you know, Enkidu was killed by the gods."
"The gods who created Enkidu destroyed his soul, but the body into which they had poured their divine Authorities remained unharmed. Or rather, even the gods themselves could not destroy it."
"Enkidu's remains, as a weapon of the gods, could not simply be left upon the earth. Therefore, this King requested that Ereshkigal place them in the Underworld."
"Enkidu had entered the Underworld while still alive and paid the goddess the proper respect, so Ereshkigal accepted his remains."
As he spoke, a shadow fell across the Golden King's eyes.
"This King believed that if Enkidu were laid to rest in the Underworld, no one would ever touch him, and he would finally know peace. But..."
Gilgamesh had probably already inferred part of the truth from the reports.
Even Shirou believed that the Enkidu he had encountered possessed power comparable to Gilgamesh in his prime, so Gilgamesh's suspicions were likely correct.
That man did not appear to be a Servant.
Gilgamesh had therefore formed a hypothesis, but he still needed proof.
The King proclaimed loudly, "Shirou! Enkidu's tomb lies within the Underworld. Your next task is to journey there and confirm whether Enkidu's remains are still intact!"
"I refuse."
"Excellent! As expected of the hero chosen by this King! Once the task is complete, this King shall reward you with... Wait. What did you just say?!"
Gilgamesh's eyes widened.
Shirou replied, "Doesn't going to the Underworld mean dying? Why should I have to die just for this?"
"Find someone else for a request like that. No, actually, you should go yourself."
Tomoe Gozen and Ushiwakamaru immediately voiced their agreement.
"Exactly! King Gilgamesh, isn't this mission far too dangerous?!"
"If Shirou-dono absolutely must journey to the Underworld, then please allow me to accompany him as his bodyguard!"
"Huh? Shirou-sama is my Lord. This is no concern of yours, Yoshitsune!"
Ushiwakamaru puffed out her modest chest and declared proudly, "I am stronger than Tomoe Gozen-dono. If Shirou-dono requires a bodyguard, then naturally, the stronger warrior is the more suitable choice."
"Heh... Are you still clinging to those outdated assumptions from the past, Yoshitsune?"
"I am far stronger now than I was in life. Perhaps I should let you experience that for yourself?"
With Shirou caught between them, Tomoe Gozen and Ushiwakamaru began trading verbal blows.
Siduri said, "My King, since Shirou-sama is unwilling, perhaps we should abandon this commission after all."
She had opposed Gilgamesh's proposal from the very beginning.
Now that the Age of Gods had ended and Ereshkigal, the goddess who ruled the Underworld, had vanished, recklessly entering the Realm of the Dead was far too dangerous and unpredictable.
"Hmph."
Gilgamesh stared fixedly at Shirou.
He knew that the red-haired boy was no coward. There was no possibility that Shirou would refuse a mission merely because he feared death.
Shirou's true intention was probably to force Gilgamesh to stop avoiding the matter and investigate the truth for himself.
What had become of his dearest friend, Enkidu?
That was not something Gilgamesh should learn from another person. He needed to see the truth with his own eyes.
Shirou's expression seemed to be silently admonishing the King.
"..."
As irritating as it was, Gilgamesh truly had no excuse.
Still, a king was a king, and sometimes being shameless was simply part of the role.
"Oh...? You are afraid, Shirou."
Gilgamesh narrowed his crimson eyes, revealing a seductive and sinister smile that Shirou had not seen in a very long time.
Shirou rose with his empty plate and said dismissively, "Say whatever you like. Go yourself."
Gilgamesh stroked his chin as he watched Shirou walk toward the sink, then spoke slowly.
"Have you never heard the tale of this King's quest for immortality?"
Shirou fell silent.
The boy stopped in his tracks.
Gilgamesh continued with a contented expression, "This King journeyed to the ends of the world in search of the Herb of Immortality."
"I crossed the Underworld and entered the Abyss, where I ultimately obtained the Herb of Eternal Life."
"Looking back, although the result was somewhat regrettable, it was still a thoroughly exhilarating adventure."
Shirou remained silent.
The boy's forehead twitched.
Gilgamesh continued smiling maliciously.
"After all, only great heroes such as this King and Enkidu could accomplish the miracle of returning from the Underworld."
"For an ordinary man like you, such a responsibility must simply be too great."
"Shirou, you must not take this King's earlier words to heart..."
"We only need to confirm the condition of Enkidu's remains, right?"
The red-haired boy appeared before Gilgamesh with his plate in hand.
"Heh."
The Golden King gave him a cunning smile.
Shirou knew perfectly well that Gilgamesh was goading him. Even so, there were moments in a man's life when he simply could not back down.
"Then I shall leave it to you, Shirou. This King will await the good news of your triumphant return here in Uruk."
"You talk too much, Gilgamesh."
...
Long ago, Enkidu had also traveled to the Underworld on King Gilgamesh's orders and reported back on its condition.
When Shirou attempted to learn more about that incident, Gilgamesh gave him a stiff smile.
It was the sort of smile someone wore when they realized the situation was turning against them and intended to remain silent until the matter passed.
Shirou caught Gilgamesh as he tried to escape and asked Siduri to explain what had happened.
Apparently, King Gilgamesh had once become obsessed with a newly invented musical instrument and held a banquet for three days and three nights without pause.
Ereshkigal, who still ruled the Underworld at the time, became furious at the excessive noise from the surface and opened the gates of the Underworld slightly.
However, the King of Uruk was already thoroughly drunk from the feast and accidentally dropped his instrument into the opening.
Gilgamesh panicked, and Enkidu, unable to bear watching any longer, volunteered to enter the Underworld himself.
No matter how mighty a hero Enkidu was, once he entered the world of the dead, he was no different from an ordinary person.
The Underworld contained a System that nullified Divinity and Authorities. Within it, only Death and its mistress, the goddess Ereshkigal, reigned as absolute and invincible rulers.
Once there, no matter who they were, even the tyrannical War Goddess who ravaged the Spirit Peaks could do nothing but meekly submit to humiliation.
According to legend, Enkidu witnessed the Underworld firsthand, paid the proper respects to the goddess Ereshkigal, and returned safely to the surface.
Enkidu had been received by the merciless Queen of the Underworld and returned from the Realm of the Dead, accomplishing an unparalleled feat.
Compared to him, Gilgamesh came across as little more than a clown...
"Damn it! In the end, this was all because that Ishtar started crying, 'There's a snake in the Huluppu Tree! Save me!'"
Gilgamesh ground his teeth. "If this King had not cut down that tree, I would never have made that musical instrument (Ellag)!"
"Oh? So something like that really happened."
Shirou had gained yet another piece of leverage over Gilgamesh.
...
The next morning, the party bound for the Underworld departed from Uruk.
Besides Shirou, the group included Tomoe Gozen and Ushiwakamaru, who would accompany him to the destination as escorts but would not enter the Underworld, as well as Siduri, acting as King Gilgamesh's representative.
Their destination was the ruined city of Kutha.
"So this is Kutha... the city that fell silent overnight..."
Kutha had been the first city struck by disaster when the Three Goddess Alliance declared war on humanity.
The entire city had been destroyed in a single night, and every one of its citizens had mysteriously vanished.
It was not the work of the Goddess of Magical Beasts in the north, nor the Goddess of the Southern Jungle. It did not appear to be the handiwork of the Goddess of Heaven either.
The cause of the city's destruction remained a mystery to this day.
Because Kutha might have become a nest for Magical Beasts, Tomoe Gozen and Ushiwakamaru had been assigned to accompany them as guards.
"The damage is severe. Could Magical Beasts have attacked after all the residents died...?"
Ushiwakamaru gripped the hilt of her sword warily and surveyed their surroundings.
Shirou shook his head. "It doesn't look that way. There are no signs that Magical Beasts ever made their nests here."
"In fact, it's the exact opposite. We barely encountered any serious attacks on the way here, did we?"
"That means the Magical Beasts are unconsciously avoiding this city, almost as though they're afraid of Kutha."
Tomoe Gozen swallowed nervously. "I cannot sense any signs of life. There is only this frightening silence. It could almost be called the stillness of death."
"All right. Let's begin preparing for the descent into the Underworld."
As Siduri spoke, she took out the Mystic Code Gilgamesh had entrusted to her.
The King had already told her how to enter the Underworld.
Shirou alone would venture into its depths. Siduri, Tomoe Gozen, and Ushiwakamaru would remain in Kutha.
The preparations appeared to take a considerable amount of time. Siduri repeatedly drove weapon-like Mystic Codes into the ground.
As Shirou waited, he suddenly felt someone watching him.
...Again.
He had spent most of his time in the dormitory lately, so he had rarely sensed those prying eyes.
No. This felt different from before.
And whoever it was, they were close.
"My Lord, where are you going? I will come with you."
Tomoe Gozen noticed Shirou preparing to leave and hurried after him.
"I need to use the restroom," Shirou said.
"I... I see."
Tomoe Gozen lowered her flushed face.
After using the excuse to slip away from Tomoe Gozen and the others, Shirou headed in the direction from which he had sensed the gaze.
He made his way through the deserted, silent streets until he eventually reached a dead end.
"I definitely sensed it here..."
Shirou frowned, deep in thought.
From the moment he first entered the city, he had sensed an eerie presence unlike anything he had ever encountered.
According to Siduri, Kutha was the city closest to the Underworld, and its people had once worshipped the goddess Ereshkigal as their city deity.
Having remained connected to the world of the dead for so many years, the land itself had taken on similar qualities.
But this presence was far too intense.
A sudden thought occurred to Shirou.
Could it be...?
At that moment, a terrible chill enveloped him.
It was not a simple drop in temperature. The cold pierced directly into his soul.
Shirou spun around.
In the next instant, he lost consciousness.
...
When Shirou opened his eyes again, he found himself in an unfamiliar place.
It did not seem to be a dream.
An endless wasteland stretched out around him.
Was this... beneath the city of Kutha?
A world that could not possibly exist according to either geography or physics now lay before him.
There were no flowers or grass, and no trees.
There were no temples and no sky.
There was no sunlight and no northern wind.
There was nothing beautiful at all. Only frigid air, darkness, and a silence that smothered everything.
Shirou noticed countless points of light suspended in the air.
Looking more closely, he realized that they were not merely drifting freely.
Each one was imprisoned inside a slender cage resembling a birdcage.
Tens of thousands of ornate cages, each containing a point of light, were embedded in the rocky ground, creating an eerie and unnatural spectacle.
The true nature of those cages and points of light was...
They were the Spear Cages of Ereshkigal, goddess and mistress of the Underworld.
The lights imprisoned inside them were the souls of humans who had died on the surface.
A soul confined beneath the earth could never return to the world above.
Once the body had completely died, the soul would gradually fade until it eventually vanished.
Ereshkigal, however, refused to allow that.
It was said that the cruel and wicked goddess imprisoned the souls of those she favored inside these cages, keeping them beside her and toying with them for tens of thousands of years for her own amusement.
The imprisoned souls had no freedom whatsoever.
Without a body, humans felt cold. Unbearably cold.
In a state consisting of nothing but the soul, their hands and feet would begin to freeze until they eventually became living blocks of ice.
The agony was so intense that they would rather cease to exist.
Yet the souls imprisoned within the cages could not disappear.
They would continue suffering forever, until Ereshkigal finally grew tired of them.
At least, that was what Shirou had heard from the citizens of Uruk.
The sheer number of Spear Cages was astonishing.
Could all these souls really have been left behind before Ereshkigal vanished?
Shirou found that difficult to believe.
Which meant...
"You're here, aren't you?"
The red-haired boy drew a deep breath, raised his head toward the depths of the Underworld, and called out loudly.
"O goddess Ereshkigal, Queen of the Gallû Spirits who gaze upon the darkened sky."
"..."
A long silence settled over the depths of the earth.
For some reason, Shirou did not sense solemnity in the silence, but a strange air of awkwardness.
At last, as though to break that awkward mood, an ancient and solemn voice echoed across the wasteland of the abyss.
"Fear. Pray. Fall into despair, human."
"!"
The same chill that had struck Shirou in Kutha descended upon him once more.
The temperature of the air had not changed, yet the cold he felt plummeted sharply.
Appearing before the boy was a massive skeletal specter with a terrifying form straight out of a horror film.
"I am the Ruler of Death. Mistress of the Underworld, She Who Tramples the Sacred Mountain, Ereshkigal."
Was that truly the goddess Ereshkigal's real form...?
Shirou could not help narrowing his eyes.