The world sank into silence as if all things in creation had perished. Only faintly glowing soul flames illuminated the stillness of the underworld. Returning to the Underworld after several days, Alaric immediately sensed the faint gaze emanating from the depths of the underworld.
And in this subterranean world, only one person existed.
'...'
Tap, tap.
Alaric landed steadily, taking a few steps forward with Fujimaru to counter the inertia. Behind them, Ishtar retracted Maanna, her bare feet stepping unapologetically onto the ground of the underworld.
Mash Kyrielight, who had also disembarked from the Heavenly Vessel, followed Alaric and Fujimaru Ritsuka, her curious gaze sweeping across the surroundings of the Underworld.
To visit the land of the dead in a living body—it was an entirely novel experience.
As Alaric, Fujimaru, and the others officially entered the Underworld, Chaldea began its observation of the Underworld.
["Great, we successfully established a connection! When I heard we were descending into the Underworld, I thought we'd lose contact!"]
Dr. Roman exhaled a long sigh of relief, smiling. ["I guess I was worrying for nothing!"]
["After all, this is just beneath Kutha… I must say, the Age of Gods is extraordinary!"]
"It truly is astonishing, Doctor! I never imagined the Underworld would be connected to the soil of reality!"
Mash exclaimed in surprise as she examined the underworld.
"Of course it is—"
Walking ahead, Ishtar flipped her hair. "The world of the dead and the celestial realm only became metaphysical concepts after humanity entered the Common Era.
During the Age of Gods, the world was still one unified whole."
Hearing this explanation, Fujimaru nodded in realization, but her gaze was soon drawn to the countless cage-like structures scattered across the landscape.
"This is…?"
Fujimaru stared at the faintly glowing soul flames by the roadside. The cold light of the flames captivated her attention, with countless points of light drifting within.
"What are these? There are so many glowing points, and…"
Mash seemed to hear faint wails emanating from the cage-like structures.
The two were mesmerized by the sight until Alaric's actions interrupted Fujimaru's line of sight.
Raising a hand to block Fujimaru's view, Alaric shifted their gaze toward Ishtar. Ishtar, too, was looking at the faint soul flames, her tone carrying a hint of emotion:
"These are the souls of those who died on the surface, imprisoned in spear cages, forbidden even from vanishing.
Souls trapped in the spear cages are not allowed to return to the surface. When the body dies, the soul gradually dissipates, but Ereshkigal does not permit that.
Ereshkigal… She keeps the souls she takes a liking to by her side, playing with them for tens of thousands of years."
"Of course, imprisoned souls have no freedom. Without a body, humans feel cold—an unbearable chill. In this state, the soul begins to freeze from the hands and feet, until the entire being becomes an ice block, suffering to the point of wishing for annihilation.
But souls in the spear cages are not allowed to disappear. They will endure eternal suffering until Ereshkigal tires of them."
Ishtar glanced at the hills covered in faint soul flames. After a brief pause, she continued:
"Judging by the number of souls, it doesn't seem to have increased much for now. But if Ereshkigal continues like this, many humans on the surface may be dragged into the Underworld.
Is she trying to establish a kingdom of the dead? She wasn't always such a cruel goddess!"
Hearing Ishtar's explanation, Fujimaru and Mash grew visibly more somber. Mash hesitated before asking:
"Then… could King Gilgamesh's soul also be imprisoned here?"
"Hah, if that golden idiot got locked up in one of Ereshkigal's cages, I'd laugh myself to death."
Ishtar waved dismissively. "But in this underworld, divine authority is forbidden. Ereshkigal is undoubtedly the strongest here. Even that golden fool, reduced to a mere soul, wouldn't be able to resist her."
"The suppression of divine authority…"
Hearing this, Alaric's gaze subtly shifted as he looked at Ishtar.
Upon entering the Underworld, Alaric had already noticed the absence of Ishtar's divine essence—not as if it had willingly subsided, but as if the use of her divinity had been fundamentally denied.
This brought to mind Ishtar's first journey to the underworld.
"Miss Ishtar, you seem very familiar with the Underworld!"
While Alaric silently pondered this, Fujimaru spoke with a cheerful smile: "Not just the location of the Underworld, but you also know a lot about what goes on here!"
"Now that you mention it, that's true…"
Mash struck her palm with her fist as realization dawned. "Miss Ishtar does know quite a bit!"
"That's because Ishtar has been here once before. According to myth, the goddess Ishtar, who conquered Mount Ebih, once stormed into the Underworld, attempting to bring the goddess Ereshkigal—who had been consigned to the underworld since birth—back to the surface. But challenging Ereshkigal in Underworld is nothing like climbing Mount Ebih."
Alaric explained absentmindedly as he continued to think.
Ishtar, her expression caught somewhere between a smile and a grimace, reluctantly added:
"That's right. After conquering Mount Ebih, I was brimming with confidence. I even ventured into the Underworld, hoping to bring Ereshkigal out. But the result? All the divine artifacts my father bestowed upon me were confiscated, I was stripped of my clothes, turned into a pincushion, and thrown in front of that woman. I lost all my dignity."
Bringing up this embarrassing tale, Ishtar showed no trace of shame. Instead, she seemed a little wistful.
Ereshkigal…
As idle chatter filled the air, Alaric, Fujimaru, and Mash followed Ishtar deeper into the Underworld.
"Where exactly is the goddess Ereshkigal?"
After walking for over ten minutes, Fujimaru finally couldn't suppress her curiosity and asked.
"Over there, on the other side of that narrow cliff path. Beyond the seven gates lies Ereshkigal's palace."
Ishtar raised a hand and pointed toward the end of the path. Seven stone gates stood silently, blocking Alaric and Fujimaru's way.
"Ereshkigal is over there. She's the kind of goddess who cannot take a single step away from that place."
Hearing this, Mash looked astonished. "You mean… she's… imprisoned there? Is the goddess Ereshkigal also confined?"
"Who knows? It seems to have been a decision made by the gods, and it's none of my business."
Mentioning this, Ishtar's expression turned sour. She quickly changed the subject:
"Alaric, Fujimaru Ritsuka, I'll leave the rest to you. Break through the first gate first, and you'll understand the rules of the Underworld!"
Alaric, snapping out of his thoughts, waved his hand decisively. "Let's move!"
"Let's get closer first!" Fujimaru and Mash chimed in.
A few minutes later, Alaric and the group finally stood before the first gate.
As Alaric approached, the ancient stone door emitted a strange, familiar voice:
["Answer—]
[Answer—]
[O living beings who have fallen into the Underworld—]
[Answer the essence of your soul's existence—"]
Hearing this vaguely familiar voice, Alaric raised an eyebrow. But before he could think further, Ishtar offered a quick reminder:
"Be careful, Alaric, Fujimaru. The questions will soon present two choices!
The gates of the Underworld judge the morality of souls with impartiality and reason. Good and evil are given equal weight, and only the values of the one making the choice will determine the outcome.
So there's no correct answer. Whatever you choose, there will always be some annoying consequences. Just pick the option that seems easier to deal with!"
Unconcerned with answering herself, Ishtar waved nonchalantly. "Anyway…"
At that moment, the voice from the stone gate rang out again:
["Now, a question for the most sinful one—Alaric."]
"What?! Is it targeting a specific person? That's not how it worked before! Did they update this thing?!"
Ishtar frowned, suddenly sensing that things were taking a turn for the worse.
["The standards of beauty may seem diverse, but there is always an absolute. Black can triumph over white, and the earth can overcome the heavens. If that's the case—"]
["Ereshkigal or Ishtar, who is truly the more beautiful?"]
"?"
Upon hearing the solemn stone door pose this question, Fujimaru immediately raised an eyebrow and said, "That's quite the dilemma."
"It is a tough one!"
Mash wore a serious expression, as if deeply contemplating who was more beautiful.
Meanwhile, Alaric rubbed his chin and scrutinized Ishtar, trying to imagine the difference between her and the unseen Ereshkigal.
"Hold on a minute! This isn't like the questions before, is it?"
Ishtar was visibly flustered and quickly yelled out.
Roman's voice followed, carrying a faint chuckle: ["Come on, it's an irrational question anyway. Which one would you choose, Sir Alaric?"]
"Of course, I'd choose Ereshkigal!"
Without hesitation, Alaric turned to the stone door and declared, "I choose Ereshkigal."
Ding!
A sound reminiscent of a game completion jingle echoed strangely.
"What?! Betrayed at the very first door—? Oh, I see, I must've misunderstood! This must be psychological warfare. Flattering Ereshkigal to weaken the enemy's strength—right?!"
Stunned by Alaric's decisive response, divine golden light flickered deep within Ishtar's eyes. But soon, she turned a shade of embarrassed red, trying to convince herself otherwise.
"Looks like we've passed this door. Let's keep going. Now I'm curious about the next question!"
At this moment, Alaric seemed to foresee what kind of questions awaited them, brimming with curiosity and enthusiasm. He was visibly eager to proceed.
Beside him, Fujimaru mirrored the same anticipation, grinning as she said, "This is getting interesting, Sir Alaric!"
"This is a cruel question. I hope the next ones aren't all like this," Ishtar muttered, her face clouded with worry.
"No, it's just a coincidence, Ishtar. You and Ereshkigal are the goddesses of heaven and earth. The simplest basis for evaluation is bound to be something like this!"
"Let's hope so. Either way, we still have to pass through the doors—"
Ishtar's expression was full of anxiety, her emotions welling up with nowhere to vent.
With such a mood, they walked straight through the stone door.
"The first door was passed smoothly. It doesn't seem like there's a trap," Mash said after successfully crossing the door. She noticed Ishtar hadn't moved and smiled reassuringly: "See, Ishtar, nothing happened to me when I passed through."
Standing behind Mash, Alaric stared at Ishtar, who was about to step through the stone door. Although he couldn't grasp her concerns, Alaric thought to himself that Ereshkigal wouldn't let Ishtar pass so easily.
As Ishtar stepped through the door, dazzling lightning quietly burst forth.
Boom!
"Ahhh!"
Lightning sprang from the void, filling everyone's vision. Only Ishtar's scream lingered.
When the blinding light faded, Ishtar reappeared before Alaric and the others—completely charred, with thin wisps of black smoke rising from her body. But that wasn't even the most concerning part.
"Miss Ishtar, what happened to you?"
Seeing Ishtar inexplicably struck by lightning, Mash's face filled with worry as she quickly asked, "Are you okay?"
"It hurts! Ugh, it's just a little tingly."
Ishtar shook her head and quickly regained her composure, replying, "I'm fine, I just—"
Halfway through her sentence, Ishtar fell silent. She exchanged awkward glances with Alaric.
"Wait a second. Isn't something off?"
Ishtar asked in disbelief, "Why does it feel like—"
"You've shrunk, Ishtar."
Witnessing everything that had just happened, Alaric couldn't help but laugh as he said, "It seems something quite extraordinary has occurred. The Underworld has stripped you of your divinity."
The now-miniature Ishtar looked oddly amusing.
Alaric could barely hold back his laughter.
"I knew it! I've shrunk!!"
Realizing the change in her perspective, Ishtar froze in shock, as though she could foresee the trials awaiting her.
["That's right. Do you now deeply understand your foolishness, Ishtar?"]
A voice from an unseen specter rang out, a voice Alaric recognized as belonging to Ereshkigal.
["You failed to descend to the Underworld successfully. As long as this myth remains true, you cannot escape the curse of the Underworld.]
[The crown that symbolizes the wilderness, the reed measuring rod, the glass jewelry, the string of beads, the golden bracelet, the alluring chest ornament, and finally, the gown of the noblewoman—these seven treasures were all taken from you in the past.]
[This rule still holds. Since you've already lost the divine authority tied to these treasures, you must pay the price yourself.]
[Do you understand? Each time you pass through a gate of the Underworld, you'll shrink further, losing one-seventh of your divinity.]
[When you pass through the second gate, you'll become a lower-ranked deity. By the fourth gate, you'll be reduced to a spirit weaker than a Galura. In the end, you'll become a powerless insect, a pitiful butterfly crushed by my hand."]
"Your taste is the worst! You've become even more twisted, Ereshkigal!"
Hearing Ereshkigal's mocking tone, Ishtar's voice rose several octaves.
["Not at all. I'm already being quite considerate—"]
The specter continued, ["Normally, bringing mortals into the Underworld would result in falling to the very bottom of it. But since you've chosen to face the trials of the Seven Gates, according to the rules of the Underworld, your answers must be tested."]
"I see. Ereshkigal, this time, I'll meet you."
Having listened silently, Alaric stared at the specter and smiled. "This is the first time we've met so formally, isn't it? I felt it was a shame we didn't meet before—"
["If you can pass the trials of the Seven Gates, then yes, I'll welcome you as the mistress of the Underworld."]
With that, the specter disappeared after leaving behind those words.
Only Alaric, Ishtar, and the others remained, exchanging glances.
"In that case, Ishtar won't be able to continue, will she?"
Understanding the dire situation awaiting Ishtar, Mash's face filled with worry as she spoke.
"No, I'll keep going. It's just divinity being stripped away."
Ishtar shook her head, rejecting Mash's concern. "This is nothing. I'm already mentally prepared. Whether it's me, you, or Goldy—so long as we're in the Underworld, there's no escape. If we don't defeat Ereshkigal and leave before we're consumed by the Underworld's cold, Uruk will be destroyed."
"In that case, we'll have to give it our all!"
'Wait, how did I leave the Underworld before?'
At this moment, Alaric noticed something odd. How had he left the Underworld previously?
If Ereshkigal hadn't agreed, he logically shouldn't have been able to leave at all.