"Let's do our best together, Ana~"
"...Mm."
The hooded girl gave a small nod, then quickened her pace.
While waiting for the Axe of Marduk to be transported to Uruk, Shirou had not been sitting idle.
His assignment that afternoon was to eliminate the enemies appearing in Uruk's sewers.
Since Merlin had forced the mission on him, Shirou had not been particularly motivated at first. But the sight of Ana's small figure somehow stirred him into action.
...Was it just his imagination?
Ana seemed much colder toward him than she had been before.
When he tried asking her about it indirectly, she replied, "Shirou, you've been getting a little carried away lately. You've lost your sense of urgency... Gaining new power and being pursued and admired by all those goddesses must feel wonderful."
"...Guh!!"
From beneath her hood, the purple-haired girl glanced at the pale-faced boy beside her, whose thoughts she had seen straight through, and calmly continued.
"It's not that I can't understand how Shirou feels. After accomplishing so many incredible feats, there's nothing wrong with being a little proud."
"But... I still prefer the Shirou from before."
"......"
Shirou froze for a moment. Once he understood what she meant, he smiled.
"Sorry for making you worry, Ana."
"Don't worry. I'm still the same person I've always been. Nothing about me has changed."
"And I'm not going to let a god's blessing go to my head and lead me down the path to ruin."
Ana had noticed that Shirou had received the highest rank of [Favor of Quetzalcoatl].
To an ordinary person, that might have seemed like an extraordinary blessing and honor. But to a girl from Greece, it was clearly an omen of destruction and corruption.
In Greek mythology, countless great heroes had met tragic ends because of the favor and blessings of the gods.
Ana was probably worried that Shirou might meet the same fate.
Her concern, however, was unnecessary.
Long before receiving a goddess's favor, Shirou had already been cursed by a certain possessive witch who intended to claim him even after death.
"Your worry may be unnecessary, but thank you anyway, Ana."
Shirou reached over and rubbed the girl's head through her hood.
"...It's nothing."
Ana lowered her head and quickened her pace, as though trying to hide her embarrassment.
After that, the two entered Uruk's sewers and eliminated the enemies lurking within.
"Good work... That should be all the evil spirits haunting this area..."
Ana softly exhaled.
"If I had come alone, they would have all run away... So, thank you."
Shirou looked around, still somewhat surprised.
"It's astonishing that there are so many empty passages beneath Uruk, but the number of undead we encountered was just as incredible."
"They must have been gathering in a place like this to cause trouble..."
"Ana, did something happen while I was away from Uruk?"
The girl explained, "Recently... a deadly illness has been spreading through Uruk."
"It first affects people whose bodies have grown weak, causing them to fall into an eternal sleep."
"Those spirits must be connected to it. So I thought that if we eliminated them, perhaps fewer weakened people would die..."
That explained why Ana had been even more determined than usual today.
"Ereshkigal is behind it, isn't she?"
When Shirou said that, Ana nodded.
The culprit behind this string of deaths disguised as natural causes had been obvious from the beginning.
"In the Age of Gods, the death of the body and the death of the spirit are separate things."
"Even if the body remains unharmed, a person will die if their soul is taken away by a god of death."
"However, having one's soul taken is not considered 'death,' but 'sleep.'"
"If the body remains intact, retrieving the stolen soul will allow the person to awaken."
"In the Age of Gods, 'bringing the dead back from the Underworld' is a common form of healing."
Although Shirou had already returned from the Underworld once, this distinction between life and death still seemed incredible to him.
Even if someone's heart stopped, they could still be brought back to life as long as their body was properly preserved...
"However, if the soul is destroyed before it falls into the Underworld, resurrection becomes impossible."
"In that case, the body will share the soul's fate."
"Its life functions will cease, and it will eventually return to the earth."
In other words, if the stolen soul itself lacked a strong will to live, then nothing could be done to save it.
As Shirou considered this, Ana asked, "Do you have some time afterward?"
"Yeah. What is it?"
"Could you come with me to the flower shop on the main avenue?"
"You mean the one run by that old lady?"
"You know it too?"
"I helped out there a few times when I happened to pass by."
"That's just like Shirou. I should have realized..."
Ana nodded with an expression of complete understanding.
The flower shop was not far from the mission site. After half an hour's walk, they reached the usually deserted store.
Something was strange, however. The shop, which rarely had any customers, had a crowd gathered outside today.
Ana seemed to realize what had happened. Her expression darkened, and she rushed inside.
"Who are you?"
Several men and women inside turned toward Ana and Shirou as they entered. A few recognized Shirou, who had become one of Uruk's heroes.
"We know the elderly woman who runs this shop. We sometimes come by to help... What happened?"
"I see. So you're the two my mother mentioned..."
A middle-aged man looked toward the adjoining room.
"My mother passed away early this morning."
"!!"
Ana's eyes widened.
"I was talking to her just yesterday evening! How could this happen?"
"I understand how you feel, but this is simply what happens when people grow old..."
Ignoring the relatives who tried to stop her, Ana rushed into the room where the body had been placed.
The old woman lay peacefully on the bed. Her serene expression reminded Shirou of the words of a German poet.
Death is a cool summer night.
Compared to those killed by Magical Beasts, perhaps such a peaceful death was a rare blessing.
The old woman's son approached Shirou and explained, "We're preparing to take my mother to the cemetery outside the city for burial..."
"Wait... Please wait!"
Ana suddenly embraced the old woman's cold body.
"Grandmother isn't dead yet! Please don't bury her!"
"......?"
Everyone stared at her in confusion.
Clinging tightly to the old woman, Ana spoke haltingly.
"Grandmother... isn't dead yet... A god of death has only taken her soul... I'll..."
"Shirou will take responsibility for bringing Grandmother's soul back from the Underworld... So please, wait a little longer! Don't bury her yet!"
At a loss, the relatives all turned toward Shirou.
"I'm asking you as well. Please preserve her body carefully for now."
To make his request more convincing, he added that he would discuss the matter with King Gilgamesh and the Head Priestess.
After leaving the flower shop and returning to the street, Ana seemed dejected.
Just as Shirou was trying to think of something comforting to say, she spoke first.
"I'm sorry, Shirou."
"Why are you apologizing to me?"
Ana fidgeted awkwardly.
"Because... I used your name without asking..."
Shirou will take responsibility for bringing Grandmother's soul back from the Underworld.
That was what she had promised everyone.
When she heard that the old woman was about to be buried, Ana had panicked and used the name of Uruk's hero as a guarantee.
Now that she had calmed down, she felt terrible about it. What right did she have to make a promise on someone else's behalf?
"It's all right. Even if you hadn't said it, that was what I intended to do."
"But..."
Ana still looked deeply guilty.
"This is exactly when people should help one another."
Shirou smiled.
"And it isn't only me. Ritsuka and the others feel the same way."
"Ana, you're always reluctant to form connections with other people. Why not try accepting someone else's kindness once in a while?"
"......Mm."
After a moment of hesitation, the girl gave a small nod.
"If you say so... then I believe you, Shirou. You're different from the heroes I know."
"I'm honored, though I wouldn't really call myself a hero... All right, let's go. We'll head to the Divine Tower and discuss this with Gilgamesh."
"Let's go."
It was definitely not his imagination.
Beneath her hood, Shirou saw a faint, sweet smile appear on the adorable girl's face.
...
Although Shirou had confidently assured the citizens that he would discuss the matter with King Gilgamesh, unfortunately...
Gilgamesh was dead too.
"......"
The Audience Hall of Uruk's Divine Tower was frighteningly silent.
"Pfft! Ahahahahaha!"
Could the hall truly become this quiet without the Golden King's laughter?
"Ahahahahaha! He died from overwork! That's hilarious! Ahahahahahahaha!"
Well, aside from Ishtar's mocking laughter, the atmosphere was fairly solemn.
"When I returned, the King had already fallen into an eternal sleep..."
Siduri covered her face.
"The body has no visible wounds."
Ritsuka Fujimaru pretended to hold a pipe as she examined the scene of King Gilgamesh's death, namely, his throne.
"There is no doubt about the conclusion. His cause of death is identical to the recent series of deaths from physical decline throughout Uruk."
Dr. Roman's voice immediately erupted from the communicator.
"No, no, this is far too absurd! I can't simply overlook someone dying from overwork!"
"We're talking about King Gilgamesh! If this were enough to kill him, he would have died countless times already!"
Shirou nodded.
"Exactly. This wasn't a simple case of death from overwork. Gilgamesh weakened his body by working too hard, leaving an opening for his life to be taken."
"Without a doubt, this was Ereshkigal's doing."
"Gilgamesh kept turning a blind eye to Ereshkigal's actions, and in the end, the disaster fell upon him."
"Goddess Ereshkigal took the King's life... Shirou-sama, what should we do now?"
With King Gilgamesh gone, Shirou was the only person Siduri could rely on.
"Leave it to me, Siduri-san... I'll take responsibility for bringing Gilgamesh's soul back from the Underworld."
"Shirou-sama...!"
When Siduri threw herself into his arms, Shirou felt Ana's disdainful gaze boring into his back.
He decided to ignore it for now.
"W-wait a minute! You've all been saying something very strange. Ereshkigal? Why is that girl's name coming up?"
"......"
Everyone looked at Ishtar as though she were an idiot.
"Huh? So... Goddess Ishtar really doesn't know?" Mash asked in surprise.
"Know what?" the Goddess of Venus shot back.
"Ereshkigal, the Mistress of the Underworld, has also manifested here in Mesopotamia."
"Y-you, you, you... What did you just say!?!?!?!?!?"
The Goddess of Venus's scream echoed across the top floor of the Divine Tower.
Shirou had returned from the Underworld to Uruk on the evening of his funeral.
Although Ishtar had attended Shirou's funeral, she had not stayed until the end. As a result, she had not immediately learned of his resurrection or heard anything about the Underworld.
Later, Gilgamesh had restricted all information concerning the return of the Goddess of the Underworld to prevent unnecessary panic and a collapse in morale at the front.
Naturally, Ishtar had remained completely unaware.
Quetzalcoatl looked utterly exasperated.
"Didn't you ever wonder how Shirou-kun came back from the dead?"
"W-well... that was because..."
When Ishtar saw Shirou alive again, she had been so overjoyed that she completely forgot to wonder how he had been resurrected.
She stammered, "Because Shirou received my blessing... or something?"
"Wouldn't Goddess Ishtar's blessing only bring ruin to humans?"
"Hehe. That was a very interesting thing you just said."
The Goddess of Venus gave the orange-haired girl a devilishly beautiful smile.
"By the way, come to my bedchamber at Inanna later, Fujimaru."
"I'll make you experience something even more terrifying than the Underworld♡"
The truth finally came to light.
Ishtar was not actually a member of the [Three Goddess Alliance]. Ereshkigal, who shared the same Spirit Origin as her, was.
"So the one who spoke to us back then was actually Goddess Ereshkigal..."
At Mash's words, all color drained from the Goddess of Venus's face.
"Wait, what is going on? Are you saying that girl has been using my body all this time? And I never noticed!?"
"That's because you go through life in a complete daze," Quetzalcoatl added mercilessly.
"Guh...!"
"All right. Now let's decide who will travel to the Underworld to rescue King Gilgamesh."
Merlin clapped his hands and smiled.
"Ritsuka Fujimaru, Mash, and our two experienced Underworld travelers, Shirou and Ishtar. Those four will..."
"Ah, Ishtar has run away."
Realizing that the situation was turning against her, the Goddess of Venus had promptly attempted to slip away.
Although Ishtar usually acted as though she stood above everyone else, even the Mistress of Heaven had things she could not handle.
In Sumerian mythology, Goddess Ishtar had once traveled to the Underworld for no particular reason.
Although she had gathered powers meant to counter Ereshkigal beforehand, the seven gates of the Underworld stripped away her Divinity one layer at a time.
In the end, the completely naked Mistress of Heaven was dragged before the Queen of the Underworld and mercilessly pierced a hundred times with a spear.
Ever since then, she had suffered severe trauma whenever the Underworld was involved.
"Don't worry. I'll bring her back."
Quetzalcoatl walked to the entrance of the hall, then launched herself into the sky like a cannonball.
A dozen seconds later, she returned with the desperately struggling Ishtar trapped in a joint lock.
"Hey, you absurdly strong Latin goddess~~! Let go! Let go of me right now!"
"Dumuzid isn't there anymore, you know!? If you die this time, you won't come back! Why are you all so determined to send me to that awful Underworld!?"
The goddess's screams echoed beneath the dome of the Divine Tower, but no one paid her any attention.
Amid all the noise and chaos, the members of the expedition to the Underworld were decided without further dispute.
"It's been a long time since I last formed a team with Shirou-san. I look forward to working with you."
"Likewise. I look forward to working with you too, Mash."
Shirou had sensed this might happen when he left, but...
After three months, was he finally going back to the Underworld?
Even though he had been meeting Ere every night.
"Shirou~~~"
Ishtar floated over to the boy, wearing a pitiful expression.
"You'll protect me when we reach the Underworld, won't you?"
"......Of course."
"Why did you hesitate?"
***
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