Upon arriving at the Ziggurat, Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash Kyrielight noticed the recently returned Alaric, but under the circumstances, they couldn't greet him with their usual smiles. Their faces were heavy with concern, and they began explaining the situation to Alaric.
However, before Fujimaru could explain, Alaric had already taken in the scene: the golden king, Gilgamesh, in eternal slumber upon his throne, and Siduri's anguished cries echoing through the tower. It didn't take much for Alaric to piece together what had transpired.
"Wait… Gilgamesh? That ancient Heroic King Gilgamesh… died suddenly? At his post?"
Alaric could hardly believe his eyes and ears, but the golden king on the throne before him, devoid of any signs of life, left no room for doubt. Even when Alaric activated his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, all he saw were dense patterns of death, indicating that Gilgamesh had truly passed away.
To think that mere hours ago, when he had left Uruk, Gilgamesh was very much alive, and now… he had collapsed. No, not just collapse—he had died from overwork.
The idea of death by overwork struck Alaric as utterly absurd.
Suppressing his shock, Alaric furrowed his brows. The moment he had stepped into the tower, he had sensed a faint yet familiar scent in the air—a fragrance unmistakably tied to death. And in Mesopotamia, there was only one being who could exude such a scent: the ruler of the Underworld, Ereshkigal.
This wasn't Alaric's first encounter with Ereshkigal's authority. He recalled a prior incident where she had attempted to wield her divine power, unsuccessfully, to drag the souls of an entire city's population into the Underworld. However, this time, the deathly aura was localized entirely within the Ziggurat, seemingly targeting Gilgamesh, who had been pushing himself to his limits.
'Looks like I'll have to make a trip to the Underworld.'
Alaric sighed inwardly. Ereshkigal had used her powers to confine the deathly influence within the tower, likely amplifying its potency to ensure Gilgamesh's soul would be dragged into the Underworld. He couldn't help but recall their previous conversations—the joy on Ereshkigal's face under the moonlight, followed by her sorrowful expression when their talks ended.
Even after seeking her out nightly for three consecutive days, Alaric had failed to meet Ereshkigal again. If anything could have prompted her to act prematurely and forcibly claim Gilgamesh's soul, it might have been that night's rejection. Though uncertain about the specific trigger, Alaric knew one thing for sure: to revive Gilgamesh, they would need to venture into the Underworld and retrieve his soul from Ereshkigal herself.
Without Gilgamesh, the city of Uruk would falter. Though humanity's progress could endure without him, it was impossible to sever ties with the divine at this crucial juncture. As the linchpin in the fight against the gods, Gilgamesh was indispensable.
"Brother Alaric! You're back! Things are a disaster right now!"
Merlin, having recovered from his initial shock, strode toward Alaric with urgency. "We can't afford to lose Gilgamesh! Without him, everything will fall apart!"
Everyone in the room understood Gilgamesh's importance, and the weight of the situation pressed down on them, filling the air with a palpable sense of urgency.
"What now?" Merlin asked, his voice tense.
"Merlin, you should already know who's responsible for this—Ereshkigal. She uses her Gallu spirits to claim the souls of those who've exhausted their strength."
Alaric's voice remained calm, but his gaze carried a hint of reproach as if chastising Merlin for failing to see the obvious. He continued, "If we retrieve Gilgamesh's soul from Ereshkigal in the Underworld, he can be revived."
At the mention of Ereshkigal's name, everyone froze. Merlin stroked his chin thoughtfully, a look of realization dawning on his face. Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash were similarly stunned.
"Ereshkigal?" Fujimaru echoed.
During their time together, Alaric had shared much of his knowledge with Fujimaru and Mash, including details about Mesopotamia's goddesses—excluding Tiamat. Naturally, they were aware of the Underworld's ruler, Ereshkigal.
Back in Chaldea, Romani Archaman immediately began analyzing the situation. ["Ereshkigal, the ruler of the Underworld… If it's her authority, then yes, she could forcibly drag Gilgamesh's soul into the Underworld. As long as we retrieve his soul before his body decays, we should be able to perform a miracle and bring him back to life. Though… technically, it wouldn't be a true resurrection."]
Just then, a clear voice rang out from above.
"What was that? Ereshkigal?"
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, the goddess Ishtar made her grand entrance, descending through the broken ceiling of the tower. Her snow-white skin glowed brilliantly in the sunlight, exuding an air of divine majesty. A dark light emanated from her, instantly disintegrating the falling debris and preventing any harm to the people below.
This action inadvertently drew Ishtar's attention toward Alaric. Spotting him, she landed before him and demanded, "What's this about Ereshkigal?"
Alaric raised a hand and pointed toward the throne, where Gilgamesh lay in eternal slumber.
Following his gesture, Ishtar finally noticed the lifeless king. Her brow arched in mild surprise. "So that golden idiot is dead?"
With her divine sight, Ishtar quickly discerns Gilgamesh's current state.
"Indeed," Alaric said. "And it's the work of Ereshkigal. We're planning to go to the Underworld and retrieve his soul to bring him back."
He then turned to Ishtar with a solemn expression. "We'll need your assistance to descend into the Underworld, as you've done so before."
Among everyone present, only Ishtar had prior experience entering the Underworld and meeting Ereshkigal. Even Alaric himself had only ever lingered at the entrance to the Underworld before retreating.
Given the suddenness of Ereshkigal's actions, Alaric hadn't had the time to gather sufficient information about the Underworld. Originally, he had planned to investigate after dealing with Quetzalcoatl and her divine pact, but Ereshkigal's move had forced his hand. Now, they had no choice but to rely on Ishtar—or venture blindly into the depths of the Underworld.
"Hmph, so you've come to beg me?"
Hearing this, Ishtar crossed her arms, her proud nose tilting upward. "Helping you isn't impossible, but you'll have to offer a reward as generous as what that magician gave me!"
"A reward?"
Alaric glanced at Merlin, who was pretending to whistle innocently, and immediately realized that the reward this guy had hidden for three days was no simple matter.
Redirecting his gaze, Alaric smiled and said, "As for the reward for the rescue mission—hmm, you can ask King Gilgamesh for it later. After all, he has a treasury full of gemstones, so I'm sure he'll offer a suitable bonus for you, goddess Ishtar."
Whether Gilgamesh would agree or not, Alaric wasn't certain. But to persuade Ishtar to guide them, he had no choice but to bluff for the time being.
Future me, I'm counting on you!
"Huh? You said it!"
When Alaric made his bold promise, Ishtar let out an elongated sound of satisfaction. Her face lit up with joy as she lightly tossed her hair and said, "Then this goddess will reluctantly accompany you to meet Ereshkigal."
"What are we waiting for? Miss Siduri, please take care of King Gilgamesh's body."
Without even having time to mourn Gilgamesh's death, Alaric immediately set out for the underworld.
Siduri, her sorrow somewhat alleviated, nodded gently and said softly, "Then, Lord Alaric, please bring back the king's soul. I will await your return here."
"Sir Alaric, we'll go with you too!"
Seeing Alaric about to leave with Ishtar, Fujimaru Ritsuka quickly spoke up, "Please take us with you!"
Even Mash chimed in, "That's right, Sir Alaric. Please let us join you. We're sure we can help!"
Hearing this, Alaric hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright, let's go together. Merlin and Ana, what about you two?"
Given the risks of entering the underworld, having more allies was certainly better.
From Alaric's perspective, forcibly retrieving Gilgamesh's soul from the underworld likely meant a tough fight with Ereshkigal. As the goddess of the underworld, possessing all its powers, she was practically invincible within her domain. Even for someone like Alaric, defeating her would be no easy feat.
Bringing Fujimaru Ritsuka along might offer more potential solutions to the problem.
At that moment, Merlin spoke up. "I'm not going, of course!"
Ishtar scoffed. "There's no need for him to come. If we do get captured by Ereshkigal, at least Merlin will be able to negotiate with her to get you or Fujimaru Ritsuka out."
Her tone is indifferent, Ishtar added, "It's not like you're important anyway. Fujimaru Ritsuka, as humanity's last Master, is far more valuable than a nobody like you."
Ishtar, who had encountered Fujimaru Ritsuka during the Northern Wall incident, already knew of her role.
Because of this, Ishtar didn't underestimate Fujimaru Ritsuka or Mash. Compared to Alaric, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, their journey was being watched over by the gods themselves—so much so that even the highest deities of various pantheons were observing in real time.
"Exactly! That's what I meant. As for Ana, she'll stay here to protect me!"
Merlin chuckled mischievously and said, "After all, as you can see, I'm just a useless magician!"
He then turned to Alaric and added, "By the way, you've already secured an alliance with Quetzalcoatl, right?"
The fact that Alaric had returned so decisively meant his mission had succeeded. Quetzalcoatl could now be considered an ally. If Ereshkigal did detain Alaric and the others, Merlin could call on Quetzalcoatl to intervene.
"Of course, I succeeded!"
Alaric smirked with pride, mirroring Ishtar's usual demeanor. "I worked super hard these past few days!"
"Then we'll wait here for good news!"
Merlin pulled out a handkerchief from who-knows-where and waved it dramatically as if bidding farewell to someone departing on a long journey. "Good luck out there!"
Ignoring Merlin, Alaric turned to the silent Anna and smiled. "I'll leave this guy to you."
"Mm, I'll take care of him."
To his surprise, Ana looked directly at him and said softly, "Be careful on the way."
After bidding farewell to Merlin and Ana, Alaric, Fujimaru Ritsuka, and Mash followed Ishtar toward the city of Kutha, where the entrance to the underworld lay.
In this age when gods and humans were not yet fully divided, even the underworld was on the same plane as the surface world.
...
One hour later.
They arrived at the massive chasm created days ago when an embarrassed Ishtar had blasted Alaric into the underworld in a fit of rage.
"Down there is the underworld. Fujimaru, Mash, make sure you're prepared. Walking in the underworld drains your life force, so you can't linger too long."
Alaric peered into the dark abyss below. The thought of meeting Ereshkigal again made his heart beat faster.
"Let's go!"
Fujimaru, holding onto Alaric, cheerfully waved her hand. Her optimistic and open-hearted demeanor remained unchanged. "I can't believe the underworld is right beneath Kutha!"
"Indeed, Senpai. The final resting place of the dead, which should exist in a different dimension, is connected to the soil of the real world."
Mash sounded just as amazed.
As it was their first time encountering the realm of the dead, both Fujimaru and Mash couldn't help but feel curious.
Not far away, Ishtar smiled faintly. "Of course. In the Age of Gods, the heavens, the earth, and the underworld were all woven together on the same tapestry."
After their brief conversation, Alaric and Ishtar plunged straight down, boldly entering the underworld from the realm of the living.
As Alaric re-entered the underworld, deep within its recesses, a solitary goddess suddenly looked up, her eyes focusing on the future she had longed for yet could never grasp.