"Ziusudra? Isn't he the old man believed to be the origin of the Noah story?"
After the old man disappeared, the four of them resumed their journey, sorting through the new information as they walked. Scáthach was the first to speak.
"In Sumerian mythology, the last person to survive the world-ending Great Flood?" Shiomi chuckled.
Sakura looked over at him. "But Dad, you seemed to know that old man pretty well."
"My husband, making friends with cryptic old men now? And here I thought it was only women he attracted," Morgan teased.
"...Don't make it sound like I go around flirting all the time," Shiomi protested, scratching his head. "He helped me out before. That's how I recognized him."
It all sounded a bit roundabout, but Sakura nodded like she understood.
Morgan and Scáthach just exchanged amused glances. Since he wasn't an enemy, there was no need to press him for details right away. They trusted Shiomi, and for now, left it as a mystery to be unraveled later in their journey.
"Anyway, more pressing than that old man is the fact that Ereshkigal has also appeared," Shiomi said, raising four fingers. "I thought this was supposed to be the Three Goddess Alliance? Are we seriously adding a fourth now? Is that supposed to be normal?"
"That's not possible. Only three divine signatures were detected in Mesopotamia," Morgan replied. "Unless... has the Underworld always been like this?"
"Three pillars... but four individuals, and only three divine reactions," Shiomi muttered, then paused. "Wait, I remember—in some Sumerian myths, Ishtar, the goddess of the sky and Venus, is Ereshkigal's sister, who rules over the earth and the Underworld. They're two sides of the same coin—"
Scáthach reached out and gently pushed down one of Shiomi's fingers. "It's not unheard of for multiple deities to share the same divinity. Take Indian mythology—Parvati, goddess of the snowy mountains, can become Kali, the furious goddess of war, through certain rituals. The latter is said to be one aspect of the former."
While not a perfect comparison, it did suggest the possibility that Ishtar and Ereshkigal shared the same divine pillar.
"Back at the Phragmites Prairie camp, we said the priestess of Uruk summoned Ishtar. If Ereshkigal is her opposite, maybe she was pulled in as well," Shiomi mused, rubbing his chin. "But since there's only one vessel, Ishtar manifested in our world, while Ereshkigal, bound to the Underworld like in the myths, remains unseen."
"That's probably the most likely explanation. Still, the only way to be sure is to reach the lowest level of the Underworld and confirm the goddess's presence ourselves," Sakura said earnestly, committing every point of the discussion to memory.
As they descended deeper into the Underworld, the once branching maze of paths gradually narrowed into a single zigzagging road.
"So, my dear disciple, what do you plan to do when you meet the goddess of the Underworld?" Scáthach asked with a sly smile. "Going to sweet-talk her into helping us like you did with the Lion King?"
Morgan chuckled in amusement. "Oh?"
"..." Shiomi shot the two of them a quiet, resentful look, silently pleading: "Sakura is right here, could we not talk about stuff like that? Give me a little dignity as her father."
Though honestly, he wasn't sure he had much of that left.
"...A gate..."
Just then, Sakura pointed ahead.
A stone gate with animal carvings on its pillars had appeared in front of them.
Shiomi immediately raised his hand to signal a halt. He stepped forward and tossed a Rune Stone toward the gate.
Crackle!
A special barrier shattered the stone instantly. Not a shred of Mana could penetrate it.
If someone tried touching it, they'd likely be scorched on the spot.
In mythology, Ishtar once descended into the Underworld for personal reasons, passing through seven gates before reaching Ereshkigal.
And this gate...
"Answer me Answer me, O living being who steps into the Underworld... answer how your soul exists."
The patterns on the gate glowed faintly, and a ghostly voice echoed.
"The form of a soul's existence..." Scáthach stroked her chin. "A moral trial, perhaps. We'll leave it to you to answer, my dear disciple."
"I'm just an innocent fairy from paradise. Can't help you with questions like this," Morgan said leisurely, clearly dodging responsibility.
"Good luck, Dad!"
There was no doubt that, in this moment, his wife, teacher, and daughter had reached a perfect unspoken agreement—they were all waiting to see Shiomi squirm under the Underworld goddess's interrogation.
"Fine, ask away..." Shiomi scratched his head.
"Responsibility—be it divine or mortal—is a burden borne beyond oneself. When no one understands or agrees, and one stands alone in that duty, are their actions worthy of praise?"
A weighty question—so solemn that even Morgan and the others, who had been waiting for a laugh, began to sober up.
Responsibility.
A broad word, heavy with meaning.
As Queen of the Land of Shadows.
As the Queen of Winter.
And even simply as someone's daughter.
Each of them carried their own kind of responsibility—different in weight, in nature, and in meaning.
Just like now. All of them… all of Chaldea still bore the monumental burden of "saving the world."
"Just speak the answer you believe in, my beloved disciple." Scáthach placed a hand on Shiomi's shoulder.
Morgan's hand rested on his other side. "No matter how you answer—whether this Underworld accepts it or not—I believe your answer will be the right one."
Their encouragement brought a faint smile to Shiomi's face.
He turned calmly to face the gate.
"Fulfilling responsibility isn't something done to earn praise. That duty might be vast, or it might be something as trivial as everyday family matters. Whatever the case, I don't think doing my duty gives me the right to be praised. Because... I'm simply doing what I, as a person, should do at this moment. Even if it helps someone, many people, or even the whole world—it doesn't change what it means to me."
His voice wasn't loud, but every word rang true.
The Incineration of Humanity was never his burden to bear. He could've taken the easier path—accepted the King of Magecraft's offer.
But he couldn't bring himself to do it. That was all.
"Sounds exactly like something you'd say." Morgan crossed her arms, unsurprised.
A deep silence spread around them. In this Underworld, not even the faintest breeze stirred.
After a long pause, the gate slowly creaked open.
The first question had been answered.