"Before we go, can I ask one last thing, Ereshkigal?"
Just as she was about to lie back on the grass—softer than Dumuzid's fleece—and enjoy a well-earned rest, the goddess of the Underworld heard Shiomi's voice. She instinctively stiffened, straightening into a dignified sitting posture.
Even if her authority had been shaken, she still had her pride.
"What is it? As long as it's something I can answer, go ahead and ask. Are you looking for intel on the other two members of the Three Goddess Alliance?" She gave a flawless smile.
"That can wait until after our agreement is fulfilled." Shiomi turned slightly, and the three walking ahead of him glanced back as well. "I heard from Gilgamesh—after Enkidu died, he entrusted you with the burial in the Underworld. Said you were to guard his remains."
"That's right... I remember burying Enkidu somewhere along the path." Ereshkigal raised her hand, and a faint ghostly flame flickered to life, drifting upward through the trees. "Follow that flame—it'll lead you to the spot."
It was something Ereshkigal had never thought to double-check.
When she saw Kingu—who looked exactly like Enkidu—she simply assumed he was an imitation doll crafted in Enkidu's image.
Now that Shiomi brought it up, another possibility struck her.
"I see."
With that second crucial piece of information secured, Shiomi didn't linger. He and the others followed the path out of the Underworld.
...
Along the way, they investigated the burial site. What they found was a conspicuously large pit.
There was no doubt—whoever had taken the remains hadn't just forgotten to re-bury them. They knew the site would be investigated eventually, and simply didn't bother to hide their actions.
"So now it's clear," Shiomi summarized as they exited the Underworld. "Enkidu's corpse was stolen. A Holy Grail was implanted inside it as an extraordinary magical core, and it was reanimated as Kingu."
"If Enkidu's body was taken," Morgan said, "then Gilgamesh's disappearance is probably connected too."
"Possibly," Scáthach added, shrugging. "But we won't know until we confront that Kingu guy. He's already exposed the Holy Grail and Demon Pillar powers, yet still failed to wipe out us or Uruk. I doubt he'll show himself again so easily."
Shiomi was already mentally prepared. "Either way, our next step is to thoroughly check Kutha and see what turns up—"
...
When they returned to the surface, the massive pit they had fallen through was gone, and the sky was already nearing dusk.
But it wasn't the time that made Shiomi pause.
It was what they saw next.
A clay tablet, covered in cuneiform, lay discarded by the side of the road, right next to a collapsed house.
Had they missed it during their earlier search?
No—it looked more like someone knew they'd come back and deliberately left it there.
Shiomi approached warily and picked it up. It was still unclear whether it was the Tablet of Destinies, but its unusual aura was undeniable. He would have to bring it back for Gilgamesh to confirm.
Just then, his and Sakura's communicators began to ring, sharp and urgent.
He answered—and heard Romani's anxious voice on the other end.
"Shiomi! Are you all okay? Your life signs disappeared for a while—I thought you were under attack!" Romani's voice rang out in alarm.
"No, we just—" Shiomi realized the cause and was about to explain.
It was likely because they'd entered the Underworld without notifying Chaldea, causing a false alarm on the radar.
But the situation didn't allow much time for clarification.
"We'll explain later—they're coming!" Sakura darted forward, activating a magical barrier alongside Morgan.
Moments later, a torrent of attacks slammed into the barrier. Shiomi had to retreat quickly inside its protection to avoid being caught in the blast.
He raised his hand to reinforce the barrier with his own Magecraft and looked up.
"Spirit Origin reading! It's the goddess Ishtar!" Romani reported through the comms.
Shiomi blinked in surprise.
"You were snooping around asking the ranchers about me, weren't you? This is your punishment!" Ishtar looked furious. "Trying to investigate a goddess's vacation? Have you no shame?!"
Coming out to lash back just because her mischief was being exposed—Shiomi couldn't help but wonder who was truly shameless here.
Still, it wasn't the time for a pointless argument.
Dusk had already fallen, and it wouldn't be long before the sun vanished completely.
Ereshkigal, who shared divinity with Ishtar, should be sensing the shift in time by now.
Shiomi had originally thought they'd rest the night and head to Mount Ebih's divine temple in the morning to fulfill the deal with Ereshkigal.
But now that the "negotiation target" had shown up on her own, even he couldn't suppress a sly grin.
"So this 'vacation' of yours involves wrecking the pastures of innocent herders and robbing them afterward?" Shiomi pulled out a rune stone and gripped it in his palm.
"Taking payment is completely reasonable! If we save humans for free, they'll just grow weak and degenerate!" Ishtar shot back, utterly unapologetic.
"How noble of you," Morgan said coolly. "Truly, gods are all cut from the same cloth."
"Oh? Then let me show you just how terrifying a goddess can be when she gets serious!"
Ishtar raised her right hand, forming a gun shape with her thumb and index finger—not to shoot magic from her fingers, but to signal her weapon.
The great bow floating behind her, Maanna, began charging with power. The Boat of Heaven Maanna could both carry Ishtar through the air and function as a weapon, launching projectiles by compressing and firing the concept of Venus itself.
It was one of the highest-tier conceptual armaments of the Age of Gods.
As she spoke, a massive magic shot, like a falling meteor, blasted forward. Though the barrier held, the surrounding buildings were completely leveled.
"Interesting! I only meant to give you a little scare, but since you're so stubborn, I guess it's time to show you what I can really—"
Ishtar suddenly noticed something odd.
Despite her attack, not one of them was harmed.
She'd been hesitant earlier because of the purple-haired girl, but now that she realized they were tougher than expected, her fighting spirit surged. She began preparing for a much larger attack.
Then, a small stone flew toward her face, cutting her off mid-sentence.
"Eh?"
The rune-etched stone exploded right in front of her. It couldn't penetrate her Magic Resistance, but the flash severely disrupted her vision.
Being a goddess, she adjusted within seconds and regained her sight.
Just in time to see Shiomi leap right in front of her.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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