Even with her sky-high pride, Ishtar was fully aware of Ereshkigal's intentions, yet she refused to give the other goddess even the slightest advantage.
Because she was accustomed to obtaining everything she desired, she naturally believed that all things—including friendship—rightfully belonged to her.
This mindset might have been suppressed when dealing with others, but when facing Ereshkigal—who was like her other half, yet her polar opposite—the feeling surged to its peak.
And so, after passing through the seven stone gates, Ishtar's body—along with her divinity—had been diminished to one-seventh of its original size.
Literally to the point where Ereshkigal could easily crush her.
"Well, well. I originally found this amusing, but now it's getting hard to watch." Gilgamesh, whom they had met at the third gate, wore a grim expression.
"There's no denying her combat power has dropped drastically. If Ishtar remains this incompetent, the situation will turn dire."
"Huh? But we have the Celestial with us…" Mash turned to look at Amber.
"Hmm… In terms of strength, the Phoenix Celestial may very well be at the peak even among standard Servants—truly a top-tier existence, even compared to Divine Spirits."
Gilgamesh's voice grew solemn. "But the enemy we face is trickier than Quetzalcoatl—no, even more troublesome than her."
"Just how powerful is Ereshkigal's divinity? Stronger than Ishtar's?" Romani seized the chance to gather information.
"She is the goddess who was sent to the underworld as its cornerstone at the moment of its creation—because a god was needed to rule over it." Gilgamesh explained, "For millennia, she has remained in the underworld, never setting foot on the earth or in the heavens… But in return, while in the underworld, Ereshkigal is invincible. Even the gods cannot defy her laws."
"But if she were outside the underworld, her divinity would only be mid-tier at best."
"So… we have to find a way to lure her out of the underworld to fight?" Romani frowned.
"That's impossible."
Ishtar rejected Romani's idea. "She doesn't leave the underworld not because she doesn't want to, but because she can't. Whether by her own will or not, she is bound to this place."
"This…" Ritsuka and Mash exchanged a look. Didn't that make her undefeatable?
If they wanted to bring King Gilgamesh out of the underworld, they needed the goddess's permission. But they couldn't stake everything on her goodwill. Without a way to counter the goddess, they had no bargaining power.
"It's not entirely hopeless."
Gilgamesh interjected, "If the opponents are living beings, they won't be bound by the law of 'must kill.' That means within the underworld, Ritsuka, Mash, and the Phoenix are outside the reach of her laws. Even with her own power amplified, at least they won't be instantly eliminated."
"So that's how it is…" Now Romani and Ritsuka understood why Ishtar had insisted on bringing Amber along.
They weren't particularly surprised that Amber, a living being, had appeared here as a Servant. After all, Merlin was much the same. For top-tier heroes like them, rules had never been set in stone.
Besides, as an ageless, immortal Celestial from Shenzhou—though not a god—it wasn't strange that she had lived to the present.
As they spoke, the group arrived at the lowest layer of the underworld—a 'palace' surrounded by a sea of void.
"Though it's called a palace… it feels more like a wasteland… If this is what counts as a palace, it's just too… saddening." Mash felt a pang of sorrow as she gazed at the barren stone ground and the few stone pillars—not a single proper structure in sight.
"Such is the nature of the underworld."
Gilgamesh's expression remained equally impassive. "There is no splendor here—only eternal solitude, and the ever-roaring sea of void."
"You sound like quite the expert, half-divine king."
A voice, identical to Ishtar's yet far gloomier, rang out as they surveyed their surroundings.
When they turned, Ereshkigal—clad in a crimson cloak, with long golden hair—stood at the center of the palace.
Her voice carried a sorrowful tone, a far cry from Ishtar's flamboyance: "So you've finally come. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the mistress of the underworld, the one who tramples the spirit peak, one of the three goddesses of the alliance—Ereshkigal."
Ereshkigal's gaze fell upon Amber and Ritsuka. "Let me make one thing clear: I will not allow you to take that king away. Not only him—all of you must remain here as well. Then, I will claim Uruk's Holy Grail, and with it, bring an end to the world of humanity."
"In other words, you plan to imprison us, is that it?" Ishtar mocked. "How fitting of you. As the one who gathers all that is ugly unto yourself, such a graceless act is only to be expected."
"You! All you ever do is run your mouth! Once you fall into my hands, you'll remember the terror of the underworld!"
Hearing herself belittled in front of her friends, Ereshkigal flared up in anger.
"What are you getting so mad about? You're the one acting like it's a fight to the death!" Ishtar retorted, exasperated.
"Wait, allow me to interject." Gilgamesh cut in.
Ereshkigal, already annoyed at being interrupted mid-retort, grew even more irritated. "What is it, King of Uruk? The one who fell down here on his own before I even planned to deal with you?"
"Heh, still in denial, aren't you? You clearly need my Holy Grail quite badly." Gilgamesh chuckled. "Just as childish as that Ishtar over there."
"What do you mean, 'just like her'? I'm nothing like that shameful girl!" Ishtar refused to accept the comparison.
She'd never considered destroying humanity, after all—and what was the meaning of grouping her together with such a filthy, wretched goddess?
Ereshkigal snapped. "Where exactly am I shameful?! I am the terrifying goddess of death! You're the one who was so easily manipulated by humans for the sake of treasure! Unthinkable for a goddess!"
"Ha!?" Ishtar bristled.
"Enough! The Uruk comedy hour ends here! Take your bickering somewhere I don't have to see it!"
Gilgamesh cut off the two goddesses once more. "Ereshkigal, as the city god of Kutha, you have colluded with the other two members of the Three Goddess Alliance. This sin far surpasses that of any other goddess. Though I am now among the dead, by the authority of kingship, I hereby pronounce judgment upon you."
"Invaders are repelled by force, but the betrayal of one's own is adjudicated by the world itself. You know this well—such is the power of kingship."
"Indeed. In this world where divine authority is granted by humanity, a king of men like you could punish a god—if you were willing to sacrifice everything. But so what? Would you stake your life to destroy me?" Ereshkigal's expression darkened.
While this move of Gilgamesh's would be useless against the other two goddesses, as a local deity, she was bound by this constraint.
"That depends entirely on your answer, Ereshkigal."
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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