The massive Gorgon stood in silence. Following the defeat of the composite divinity, her spiritual essence had been passed back to the Medusa who had been her counter-summon.
But in this form... she couldn't enter the city. No, she mustn't. She would only scare the people. And more than that... she was afraid she would grow to fear humans again.
As she tried to slip away unnoticed...
"My, you still have things to do, Medusa."
"That's right. Where are you going, you useless Medusa?!"
She turned to see the voices she loved. "Sisters..."
"I understand how you feel, but you must settle your accounts. Say your goodbyes properly."
"Exactly! What kind of goddess has no manners? I'm pouting!"
"But... in this form..."
"Goodness. 'Grandmother,' would you please say something to her?"
"Eh...?"
From behind her sisters, the old woman from the flower shop appeared, supported by Medusa's sisters.
"...Ah. I can see. I can see you... Little lady, it's you, isn't it?"
"—Your eyes..."
"She is a goddess. She can grant a blessing of that level," Euryale said.
"Yes. Sister can do it if she tries. She's the best Assassin as long as she lands a hit..."
"Did you say something, you useless Medusa?!"
"No, nothing at all!"
"...Old woman."
"Ah, you've grown so much... I knew it..."
"Grandmother...!"
"You really were the most beautiful girl in the city."
"Grandmother—!!"
The Great Goddess and the old woman she had saved embraced each other with a strength that was both powerful and infinitely gentle.
The Underworld's Spring
In the Underworld, where the peace of death had returned...
"...Everyone is going home. To the places they belong, to the future they're meant to have. And I'm alone here once again." Ereshkigal sighed to herself as she knit a new spear.
Thinking back, the Underworld had never been this noisy. Souls coming and going, a King who visited without an invitation, the journey down the levels that left her doubled over with laughter, Ishtar buzzing around like an insect, and the final, real battle...
"...Hehe." Her cheeks softened at the memories. A radiant, irreplaceable treasure. "Ah—it was fun."
It really was. Working together, fighting the Mother, saving the world.
"...Thank you, Rikka. I won't forget you. Not until I fade away. Never."
And then... Air. She looked so cold in that outfit so similar to the Wise King's.
"Don't catch a cold. I gave you the recipe, so the Mapo Tofu should turn out fine."
She had done everything she could. Now, all that was left—
"GAAAAAAAAA!"
A roar shattered the silence as the golden Heroic God appeared!
"Wha—?! What is it?! ...Brother?"
There was no pilot; it seemed to be operating autonomously. Why was he here?
『...——』
Marduk slowly extended his left hand.
"—!"
Inside were a pair of knitted gloves and a muffler with a note: 'Don't catch a cold.'
And a Fou-kun strap: 'With respect and gratitude for your hard work.'
"Rikka... Air... Brother, you came all this way...?"
『...——』
But Marduk wasn't finished. He stood tall and...
『GuuuuuuAAAAAAAAAAAA————!!!』
He filled the Underworld with his own Authority!
"Kyaa?! This is—?!"
The temperature of the freezing Underworld began to rise, turning soft and warm. The barren mud that could grow nothing shifted into rich, fertile soil.
"This... Brother's two Authorities?!"
The aspects of Marduk as a God of Agriculture and a Sun God. He had detached them and gifted them to the Underworld—to her.
"Brother... no way, this is..."
『—My sister. My crimson flower.』
"Hwah?!" Marduk's divine voice shook the realm.
『Take this half of me as a foundation for your Underworld. That is my wish, as your brother.』
"Brother—"
With this, seeds would sprout. Flowers would bloom. Souls would no longer freeze. The peace of the dead... would become something warm. This was more than the Authority of the Sun she had once wanted from Nergal.
『(Thumbs up)』
"B-B-Brother~~~~~~~~!!!"
Ereshkigal collapsed into a heap of tears, overwhelmed by her brother's kindness and overflowing with gratitude.
The Forest of Promises
In the Cedar Forest...
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