"Load Maanna's bow cannon with tidal cluster rounds! Set the output to one-third lapis lazuli, second-order isosceles!"
The commanding voice of the Goddess of Venus echoed through the streets of Kutha.
The heavenly boat Maanna, shaped like a drawn bow, began to rotate at its mistress's command. The golden Mana gathering around it illuminated the entire sky.
Ishtar gracefully swept her right arm downward.
"Be shattered, Gate of the Underworld! An Gal Ta Ki Gal Šè: Kindling of Venus that Shook the Mountains!
"In other words... blow the ground apart and blast open a huge hole!"
The heavenly boat Maanna fired a beam of light.
A golden meteor with a long, comet-like tail tore through the streets of Kutha, leaving behind a bottomless crater.
Ishtar looked upon the destruction she had caused with satisfaction.
"Excellent, it worked! As expected of me! The Underworld is right beneath us."
"Let's go, Shirou... Wait! Why are you pressed so close to Mash?"
While Ishtar was forcibly blasting open a passage to the Underworld, Shirou had taken shelter behind Mash's shield.
"That's because you were being far too reckless... Are you all right, Mash?"
"Yes... I'm fine. I barely managed to block it with my shield. Are you all right, Master?"
"I'm fine too."
The girls answered, still shaken by what had happened.
Thank goodness Shirou-san had already won Ishtar over completely. Otherwise, we would have had to confront this rampaging goddess head-on...
After that, the group said goodbye to Quetzalcoatl and Merlin and prepared to enter the Underworld.
The Mesopotamian Underworld was governed by absolute laws.
Even a being with supreme Divinity like Quetzalcoatl would be powerless there. She would only become a plaything for the Goddess of the Underworld.
She and Merlin would remain on the surface.
Should the others become trapped in the Underworld, the two of them would have to negotiate with Ereshkigal on their behalf. That was their final measure of last resort.
The group entered the Underworld.
"So this is the realm of the dead from the Age of Gods... It's physically connected to the living world instead of existing in some separate dimension?"
The girls looked around in wonder.
"Of course. In the Age of Gods, Heaven, Earth, and the Underworld all existed upon the same woven scroll."
"The afterlife and the celestial realm only became metaphysical existences after the world entered the Human Order."
Ishtar began explaining how the Underworld had worked during the Age of Gods to Ritsuka and Mash.
Goddess-sama seems unusually animated today. She's probably trying to hide how nervous she is, Shirou thought.
Before long, the group reached a plain filled with countless Spear Prisons.
"What are those? There are countless points of light floating inside the cages..."
Ishtar raised an eyebrow.
"...You'd better not get too close. Those are the souls of humans who died on the surface."
"!!"
The Goddess of Venus continued, "Ereshkigal imprisons human souls inside those Spear Prisons."
"Once trapped inside, those souls can never return to the surface."
"After the body dies completely, the soul should gradually fade away until it finally disappears. But Ereshkigal refuses to allow that."
"She locks away the souls of humans she takes a liking to, keeps them beside her, and toys with them for tens of thousands of years for her own amusement."
"Of course, the imprisoned souls have no freedom."
"Without a body, humans feel cold. Terribly cold."
"As souls, they begin freezing from their hands and feet."
"Eventually, they become living blocks of ice. The suffering is so intense that they would rather disappear entirely."
"But the souls imprisoned in those cages cannot disappear."
"They will continue suffering like that forever, until Ereshkigal finally grows tired of them."
"So the souls of the people who weakened and died on the surface are here too?"
Ishtar nodded.
"Most likely. There are more Spear Prisons than there used to be."
"They must have increased after she joined the [Three Goddess Alliance]... Is she trying to build a kingdom of the dead?"
"She was never supposed to be such a cruel goddess."
"Gilgamesh's soul isn't here."
Shirou said this after looking across the Plain of Spear Prisons.
"You can tell, Shirou-san?" Ritsuka asked curiously.
Ishtar answered in his place.
"It's him, after all. Even as a disembodied soul, he'd probably be glittering gold for no reason. We would spot him immediately."
Having found nothing on the Plain of Spear Prisons, the group decided to head toward Ereshkigal's temple.
To reach it, they would have to pass through the seven stone gates of the Underworld.
Shirou had heard the myth, but during the three months he had been imprisoned underground, the Gates of the Underworld had never troubled him...
Ere must have secretly let me pass.
This time, however, Shirou was not alone, so the Gates of the Underworld were properly performing their duty.
"Answer."
"Answer."
A cold female voice came from within the gate. It seemed to echo directly through the depths of their souls, sending a chill down their spines.
"O fool who once betrayed the goddess, fled the Underworld, and now shamelessly returns."
"Answer according to the nature of your soul."
"Hmm? It sounds like she's questioning Shirou."
Ishtar blinked, looking somewhat pleased.
"She even specified who has to answer. It looks like Ereshkigal holds a grudge against you!"
"Mm... It seems that way."
The red-haired boy swallowed.
Is Ere angry?
"But don't worry. I'm on your side! Let's conquer the Underworld together!"
Ishtar happily wrapped herself around the boy's arm and pressed her soft chest against him.
"You'll be given a question with two possible answers."
"The Gates of the Underworld are fair and rational. They judge whether a soul is good or evil."
"Good and evil have equal value. Only the worth of the human making the choice will change... So neither answer is necessarily correct."
"No matter what you choose, you'll be given some unpleasant trial. Just pick whichever option seems easier."
"I understand." Shirou nodded.
"First Gate. A question for the deeply sinful Shirou."
"First Gate. Though the standards for choosing a wife may seem varied, there remains an absolute truth."
"Black may triumph over white, and earth may triumph over heaven. Therefore..."
"Between Ereshkigal and Ishtar, which goddess is better suited to become a wife?"
"Hold on! That's nothing like the questions from before!?"
Ishtar's eyes widened.
"Wait, Shirou! There must be something wrong with this gate..."
"Ereshkigal, obviously!!"
Shirou shouted his answer without the slightest hesitation.
"Betrayed at the very first gate!?"
Ishtar let out a piercing scream.
"Shirou-san didn't hesitate at all."
"Yes. As expected of Shirou-san, he showed no mercy."
The girls whispered among themselves, gaining a deeper appreciation for Shirou's sadistic side.
"Haa... haa... haa... Oh, I see. I understand now! This is psychological warfare, isn't it?"
Ishtar violently shook the shoulders of her prospective husband.
"Th-that has to be it, right?
"If you flatter Ereshkigal, the enemies will become weaker... That's how it works, right!?"
"......Of course," Shirou answered.
"Then why did you hesitate!? Where did all that confidence and decisiveness from a moment ago go?"
While Ishtar continued pestering him, the stone gate of the Underworld slowly opened, releasing a large horde of evil spirits from the other side.
The spirits were weak, nowhere near as powerful as the ones Shirou and Ana had defeated.
Just as Ishtar had guessed, giving the "correct" answer reduced the strength of the enemies.
Mash and Ritsuka swept them away with ease.
"All right, let's move on to the next gate... Is something wrong, Ishtar-san?"
"Ugh... Do I really have to pass through the gate?"
Ishtar's expression stiffened.
Her previous journey into the Underworld had clearly left her with terrible memories. Even now, the thought of passing through one of its gates filled her with dread.
"It's all right. There doesn't seem to be any trap... Nothing happened to me when I passed through."
The shield-bearing girl spoke from the other side of the gate.
"Fine."
Ishtar drew a deep breath, closed her eyes as though preparing for death, and flew through the stone gate in one burst.
Then...
"Eek!?"
The Goddess of Venus, floating in midair, suddenly jolted. Her face flushed bright red as her entire body trembled.
"Ishtar-san!? What's wrong? What happened!?"
"Shirou-san... This really isn't the time to fool around," Ritsuka said, pouting unhappily.
Shirou frowned.
"What did I do?"
"It hurts! Aaaah... Hm? Actually, it doesn't hurt that much. It only feels a little numb..."
Ishtar had thought she had been struck by lightning and was about to die, but quickly realized that was not the case.
"I'm fine. I just felt a strange electric shock when I passed through the gate."
"Nothing actually happened... Nothing... Wait, doesn't something feel strange?"
Ishtar looked down at her body.
"My body... Did I shrink?"
While everyone stood there in confusion, a voice rang out.
"Exactly. You finally understand the depth of your own foolishness, don't you, Ishtar?"
The shadow of a gigantic Gallû Spirit appeared above them.
"!!"
A terrible chill suddenly swept over the group, penetrating even their souls.
The girls, seeing the enormous Gallû Spirit for the first time, immediately understood.
"Is that the Goddess of the Underworld... Ereshkigal...?"
"That's right. That's Ereshkigal, the hideous goddess of plants and decay..."
The Goddess of Venus shouted as though confronting her greatest enemy.
"What did you do to me, Ereshkigal!?"
The shadow of the gigantic Gallû Spirit spoke.
"Ishtar, your invasion of the Underworld ended in failure. As long as that mythological truth remains, you cannot escape the curse of the Underworld."
"The Crown of the Wilderness. The Reed Measuring Rod. The Lapis Lazuli Ornament. The Beaded Necklace. The Golden Bracelet. The Alluring Breast Ornament."
"And finally, the Lady's Garment. In the past, I took those seven treasures from you."
"That law remains in effect even now."
"Since you have already lost the powers corresponding to those treasures, your body must bear the debt instead."
"Do you understand? Each time you pass through a gate, your body will shrink."
"Each gate will strip away one-seventh of your Divinity."
"After passing through the second gate, you will become a low-ranking Divine Spirit."
"After passing through the fourth, you will become a spirit lower than even a Gallû Spirit."
"And in the end, you will become a powerless insect. A pathetic butterfly I could crush in one hand."
Ishtar ground her teeth and shouted at the fading apparition.
"What awful taste! You've become even more twisted, Ereshkigal!"
"But if you think this is enough to stop me, you're badly mistaken."
"I prepared myself for something this minor long ago... Let's go, Shirou!"
Ishtar took the boy's hand.
Shirou was somewhat surprised.
In fact, he had been surprised from the moment she charged so boldly into the Underworld.
The Ishtar of myth was a self-centered Goddess of Heaven. She would never challenge an opponent if she believed she might lose.
Had she grown after leaving her father?
Tokiomi, even you manage to do something decent once in a while.
After that, the group successfully passed through the remaining six gates.
None of the questions asked by the stone gates possessed even the slightest trace of objectivity or fairness.
They asked things like, "Who is more beautiful, Ereshkigal or Ishtar?" and "Who is more worthy of being entrusted with your life, Ereshkigal or Ishtar?"
No matter how one looked at it, the trial had turned into a competition between the two goddesses.
Mash considerately chose not to point that out.
In response to every question, Shirou naturally gave the "correct" answer, Ereshkigal, and cleared each trial with ease.
Since his answers determined the strength of the enemies they would face, Ishtar was powerless to object, no matter how frustrated she felt. Like an incompetent wife, she could only watch helplessly as Shirou repeatedly called out another goddess's name.
And that was not the only blow she suffered.
Every time she passed through another gate, she was struck by an electric shock and her body shrank further.
Even using all her remaining Mana and divine energy to defend herself accomplished nothing.
In this dark and freezing realm of the dead, no one could defy the Mistress of the Underworld.
"Waaah, I've finally shrunk to the size of a palm... I'm so humiliated I can't even cry..."
Ishtar looked utterly dejected. "Of all the Sumerian gods, no... In all of Mesopotamian mythology, I can't possibly be the only one who's ever suffered such a miserable fate...!"
"You'll return to normal once we defeat Ereshkigal, right?" Ritsuka said reassuringly.
"I hope so. Knowing her, though, I'm afraid she might sacrifice her own life just to keep me like this... And if that happens, I'll have no choice but to drag the entire world down with her..."
Ishtar sat on Shirou's shoulder with her knees hugged to her chest, having sunk completely into a gloomy, pessimistic state.
"Hmph. Even after ending up in such a pathetic state, you still haven't learned your lesson? Why not use this opportunity to become a little more virtuous?"
"Yeah... To start with, I should stop being so wasteful... And I should be kinder to everyone... This whole ordeal has helped me understand the position of the weak a little better. I've also realized how wonderful it feels to be protected... Huh? Who's talking to me?"
Everyone turned toward the voice and saw a figure still gleaming with golden light in the pitch-black depths of the Underworld.
"King Gilgamesh!?" Ritsuka and Mash exclaimed, both surprised and delighted.
"Hahahahahahahahaha! You have done well to come and welcome me!!"
Gilgamesh stood atop the Seventh Stone Gate with his arms crossed, looking down at everyone below.
"What is it, Shirou? Is that sour expression how you greet this king? Hahaha! Were you secretly hoping for some grand tale where you rescued me like a captive princess? Fool! How could this king ever fall so low as to require your rescue? The Underworld is merely one of the gardens under this king's dominion!"
Perhaps because he was no longer confined to his elderly physical body, King Gilgamesh had become remarkably carefree.
Mentally, he had reverted to the Archer mode Shirou remembered so well.
"Though I happened to die, before the Gallû Spirits arrived, I concealed myself in the shadows, held my breath, and entered Meditation (Presence Concealment EX). After slipping past them flawlessly, right beneath their noses... Wait! Shirou! What are you doing all of a sudden, you mongrel!? Why are you shooting at me without a word!?"
A Projection Sword struck Gilgamesh and knocked him from the stone pillar.
Shirou smiled. "Sorry, I forgot to turn off the auto-aim... My sword identified you as an enemy (evil spirit) on its own."
The King of Heroes flew into a rage. "You mongrel... You did that on purpose, didn't you!? If my soul had been destroyed as well, I truly would have been completely dead this time!"
"That's why I apologized."
"Do you think this is something a simple apology can settle!?"
King Gilgamesh certainly was energetic, even after dying...
The girls watched Shirou and the King of Heroes bicker, whispering among themselves.
As expected of the two men who had returned alive from the Underworld. They really were close...
"Anyway... you two, that's enough chatting. We should get moving."
"Indeed. You have already passed through all seven gates of the Underworld, have you not? One look at Ishtar's condition tells me as much."
Gilgamesh continued, "The Queen of the Underworld's palace lies in the open space ahead."
"Come to think of it, what is Ereshkigal's palace like?"
Mash asked curiously as they made their way toward their final destination.
She and Ritsuka had once accepted Shirou's invitation to visit Ishtar's palace.
It was a structure every bit as magnificent as King Gilgamesh's Divine Tower, and the luxury within had been breathtaking.
Ereshkigal was the other half of Ishtar and the queen who ruled the Underworld. Surely her palace would be just as extravagant.
"Well..."
Gilgamesh paused, a complicated expression crossing his face. "Then you will likely be disappointed, Mash. This is the Underworld. It is a realm utterly devoid of life and splendor. Unlike that pampered Goddess of Heaven over there, Ereshkigal has nothing but a desolate, ruined wasteland. It is no different from the scenery we have seen along the way."
"I see..."
"Ereshkigal is one of the pillars of the 'Three Goddess Alliance,' an enemy who must be defeated at all costs. With this king lending you his aid, victory is naturally assured. That need not even be said. However... Prepare yourselves. A difficult battle awaits us."
This was the first time the girls had heard Gilgamesh speak in such a serious tone. They could not help growing tense, swallowing hard.
After several more minutes of walking, they finally reached their destination, the temple.
"Huh...?"
The scene before them was completely unlike anything else they had seen in the Underworld.
It was a garden blanketed in blooming flowers.
The vast space, which should have been barren and desolate, overflowed with vivid blossoms of every color.
White, gold, and multicolored flowers shimmered beneath the faint light trickling down from the pitch-black sky, forming a radiant sea.
Mash stared in disbelief. "Weren't you saying this was supposed to be an empty wasteland?"
"Do not ask me!" Gilgamesh shouted. "How should this king know what happened here!?"
"But you said the Underworld was one of the gardens under your dominion!?" Ritsuka protested.
It was not only Ritsuka and Mash who were stunned. Gilgamesh and Ishtar were equally dumbfounded.
The two of them had visited this palace before, yet the sight before them left them utterly speechless.
No plants should have been able to grow in the sunless Underworld, a realm saturated with death. Yet the flowers were no illusion. They were real, beautiful, living things.
"What in the world... happened here...? Wait, who's that?"
Only then did everyone notice a girl standing among the swaying clusters of flowers.
The girl had been facing away from them, but she turned around and revealed her face.
Flowing golden hair and vivid red eyes.
Her refined features were delicate and graceful, and she carried herself with calm confidence.
"......Huh?"
Ishtar froze.
Why did this girl look exactly like her?
Wait, could she be...?
As an ominous feeling rose in the Goddess of Heaven's heart, the blonde girl ran toward them.
"!?!?"
Mash hesitated, unsure what to do.
Should she prepare to fight, or...?
"Shirou!"
The blonde girl, Ereshkigal, ignored everyone else and threw herself into Shirou's arms.
"You finally came to see me!!"
***
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