Wrapped in a deep, absolute slumber, a day and a half quickly passed for Takumi.
The Underworld.
Ereshkigal remained exactly as she had been from the very beginning. Humming a cheerful, unknown tune, she looked down at Takumi resting in her lap, her crimson eyes practically sparkling with absolute delight.
Every now and then, she would reach out to gently stroke his hair, poke his soft cheeks, or lightly brush her fingers against his lips and slightly long eyelashes...
As for taking things a step further? The Goddess of the Underworld clearly didn't possess that kind of courage. Gently cradling him in her lap and offering a few chaste pokes was her absolute limit. She was the type who didn't even dare to steal a secret kiss while he slept!
Right at that moment.
Sensing a sudden, massive influx of souls plummeting into the Underworld all at once, Ereshkigal snapped her head up, her brow furrowing in genuine confusion:
"Dozens of souls just fell down here simultaneously... and they arrived incredibly quickly. Did something catastrophic happen on the surface...?"
Such a massive, rapid influx of souls had only occurred back when Gorgon and Kingu were actively launching coordinated massacres. But ever since Takumi had brutally broken both of their metaphorical spines, those two had essentially vanished from the board. Consequently, the daily death toll across Mesopotamia had returned to its relatively normal, "peaceful" baseline.
Her curiosity piqued, Ereshkigal immediately dispatched several of her Gallu Spirits to the surface layer to quickly investigate the situation.
***
The Surface.
"The Persian Gulf... turned completely black?!"
Standing atop a ridge and looking toward the distant horizon, Ushiwakamaru—who was currently orchestrating the evacuation of the citizens of Umma—couldn't help but stare in absolute horror.
Just a few short minutes ago, the waters of the Persian Gulf had still been their natural, vibrant azure blue. But in the blink of an eye, the entire ocean had been dyed a sickening, abyssal black that instilled a primal sense of dread just by looking at it.
And it wasn't just the color. Relying on her superhuman vision—well, actually, she didn't even need superhuman vision. Even the ordinary citizens could clearly see it. A dense, unimaginably massive swarm of... things, resembling a sky-blotting plague of black mosquitoes, was endlessly erupting from the blackened sea.
The swarm immediately fanned out, flying aggressively in every direction across the Mesopotamian plains.
"What—what in the world are those things?"
Although she fully understood why Gilgamesh had ordered her and Leonidas to immediately begin evacuating the surrounding populace, witnessing this apocalyptic, world-ending plague firsthand still left Ushiwakamaru utterly stunned.
Even if they had no idea what the actual combat capabilities of those flying "mosquitoes" were, just the sheer, suffocating numbers alone were enough to make any sane person's blood run cold!!
Without wasting another second, Ushiwakamaru and Leonidas frantically urged the massive crowd of civilians forward, desperately rushing toward the nearest fortified stronghold.
There was no other choice. Based on a quick visual estimate of the black swarm's flight speed, the vanguard would intercept them in less than fifteen minutes. Following their original evacuation route, there was absolutely no way they could outrun them.
Within the dense jungle surrounding Eridu and Ur.
The Goddess Quetzalcoatl stood atop the summit of her massive sun temple, staring grimly at the encroaching "mosquitoes" descending upon the land like a suffocating black cloud.
"The Lahmu... So they have finally arrived, have they?"
Muttering to herself, Quetzalcoatl suddenly felt a profound headache coming on.
As one of the supreme, highest-ranking deities in Central and South American mythology, the Spirit Origin she was utilizing for this manifestation was completely incomparable to that of a standard Servant. Her raw destructive power was utterly unquestionable. However, that was exactly where the problem lay: if she actually went all-out to fight them, the entire jungle she had manifested with her would be instantly incinerated in the crossfire. And if the jungle burned, the fragile humans seeking refuge within it—who possessed infinitely less vitality than the trees themselves—would undeniably be instantly vaporized.
But if she didn't go all-out, there was absolutely no way she could successfully defend the humans within her territory against the encroaching tide of thousands upon thousands of Lahmu. But going all-out meant indiscriminately annihilating the very humans she was trying to protect. It was completely putting the cart before the horse.
She was undeniably caught between a rock and a hard place...
After a moment of rapid calculation, Quetzalcoatl could only issue an urgent order for all the citizens to immediately seek shelter deep within the subterranean levels of her temple. Compared to normal human architecture, her divine temple could likely withstand the Lahmu's assault for at least a full day.
Meanwhile, she would personally rush out to intercept the vanguard on their direct path, attempting to see just how many of these swarming "mosquitoes" she could manually swat out of the sky.
***
—The human population across the Mesopotamian plains was rapidly plummeting under the relentless massacre of the Lahmu—
***
"Waaah! Why are so many people dying all at once?! Put this one over there! This one goes here! And this one..."
Within mere minutes of the initial dozens of souls arriving, before Ereshkigal could even process the report from her Gallu Spirits, an absolute tidal wave of souls began pouring into the Underworld like water bursting from a broken dam. Having not seen a death toll like this in ages, Ereshkigal panicked. She frantically began scrambling around, desperately trying to assign the incoming souls to their proper sectors.
While Ereshkigal was completely distracted by her divine duties, she failed to notice that Takumi—who was still resting on her lap—had deeply furrowed his brow.
[Against monsters like this, the simple concept of 'courage'... really is quite useful! Haha!]
[You want us to slaughter each other?! The only thing my spear will ever pierce is you freaks!][Death... When you get down to it, it's just falling asleep and never waking up! If I died putting on a pathetic, cowardly display, I'd end up hating myself in the afterlife!]
[Sumerian Expletives! Why won't these bastards die when I stab them?!]
[Keep pushing forward! I refuse to believe we can't kill this thing if we just throw enough bodies at it!]
[Just you wait!! King Gilgamesh and Lord Takumi will definitely come and exterminate every last one of you—!!]
[Die, you monsters!!] ...
A chaotic torrent of intense emotions—boundless courage, desperate prayers, and blazing fury—flooded directly into Takumi's heart. Driven by these profound connections, the boy—whom the Goddess of the Underworld had forcibly plunged into a deep, peaceful slumber—began to physically struggle in his sleep. The [Heart of Fire] enveloping his soul suddenly flared violently, surging and churning like a stormy sea.
Eh—! Is he waking up?!
Ereshkigal, who hadn't been able to bring herself to move him to a proper stone slab, gasped in absolute panic.
If he wakes up and sees me like this... will he think I'm a completely frivolous, shameless Goddess who takes advantage of sleeping men?! No, no, no! I need to put everything back to normal, right now—!
In her sheer panic, Ereshkigal scrambled to lift Takumi and transfer him onto the cold stone slab before standing up.
"Eresh?"
A young man's slightly surprised voice suddenly echoed out.
Hearing that voice, Ereshkigal froze completely solid. She instinctively looked down, her eyes locking directly with the boy's. For the first time, she was able to gaze directly into those eyes, witnessing the brilliant, mesmerizing, glass-like flames burning within his pupils up close.
So incredibly beautiful...
Ereshkigal, who had already thought his sleeping face was peerlessly handsome, finally realized the absolute truth: Takumi's eyes were undeniably the most stunningly beautiful feature he possessed.
"Waaah—!"
W-w-what the heck am I thinking right now—!
The very next second, Ereshkigal's brain caught up with reality. Her face instantly flushed an impossible shade of crimson, the blush spreading all the way to the tips of her ears. Letting out an embarrassed shriek, she violently tossed Takumi—who was still half-resting on her lap—straight onto the floor. She then instantly scrambled away and squatted defensively in the corner of the room.
"Huh?"
Severely startled by Ereshkigal's sudden, dramatic reaction, combined with the lingering grogginess of sleeping for far too long, Takumi failed to react in time and was unceremoniously dumped onto the hard stone floor below the "bed."
Staring up at the pitch-black, eerie "ceiling" covered in massive, jagged stalactites, Takumi's consciousness rapidly cleared, and he quickly deduced his current situation.
He had finally decided to take a proper rest, only to be unexpectedly hijacked and dragged into the Underworld by Eresh. While he knew he would eventually have to come down here to speak with her, he definitely hadn't anticipated their meeting happening exactly like this.
Wait, does this mean I actually 'died' once?
Picking himself up from the cold floor, Takumi looked down at his own hands, carefully analyzing his current state of existence.
I have to say, this actually feels remarkably different from being physically alive!
Having experienced a conceptual "Death," Takumi couldn't quite articulate the exact mechanics of it, but he could clearly sense that his fundamental understanding and proficiency with [Death Perception] had deepened significantly.
Takumi quickly gathered his thoughts. He turned his gaze toward the corner of the room, where Ereshkigal was squatting and occasionally sneaking nervous, embarrassed glances at him. He spoke tentatively:
"Umm... Eresh?"
"Ugh... Don't just casually use such an intimately affectionate nickname—Ahem! Ahem! I mean, I suppose I can magnanimously allow you to address me with such a title! It's not completely unacceptable!"
Hearing him call her by that nickname again, Ereshkigal shot up from her squat, instinctively snapping back with embarrassed indignation. But the moment the words left her mouth, she furiously coughed twice and immediately changed her tune.
She really is exactly as cute as I expected...
Seeing Ereshkigal acting exactly like a flustered maiden in love, Takumi couldn't help but marvel internally.
Both Ereshkigal and Ishtar had inherited portions of Rin Tohsaka's signature tsundere personality. But in Ereshkigal's case, the tsun (harsh/arrogant) aspect was barely present; she was almost entirely dere (sweet/affectionate).
Hearing Takumi's unabashed, sincere internal praise perfectly broadcasted via the Heart of Fire, Ereshkigal instantly reverted to her "Steam Engine" mode, continuously letting out incredibly cute, flustered whimpers.
Uh, is she perhaps a bit too prone to embarrassment?
Watching Ereshkigal basically short-circuiting, Takumi scratched his head. He only dropped completely straightforward compliments because he literally couldn't hide his thoughts even if he tried! If he actually had the ability to conceal his inner monologue, he was absolutely confident he could harbor a massive crush on someone without them ever realizing it.
Sensing that Ereshkigal wouldn't be recovering from her "Steam Engine" state anytime soon, Takumi took the opportunity to stretch his stiff limbs.
Wait a minute, the body I'm currently occupying isn't actually my physical body, is it?
"Man, that was an incredible sleep..."
Feeling his mind completely clear and his spirit fully rejuvenated, Takumi couldn't stop himself from letting out a massive, satisfying stretch.
Ever since he was forcefully drafted into this "Save Human Order" suicide mission, this was genuinely the most comfortable sleep he had ever experienced. It was honestly even better than the time he had slept leaning against Jeanne d'Arc.
Well, it wasn't necessarily that Eresh's lap was inherently superior to Jeanne's. It mostly came down to his state of mind. Back in France, Takumi had been plagued by constant anxiety and stress. Now, his raw strength had skyrocketed, giving him vastly more confidence and peace of mind than before.
"Speaking of which, exactly how long was I asleep? Why do I feel like the plot progressed ridiculously fast while I was out?"
After finishing his stretches, Takumi suddenly felt a pang of genuine confusion.
"Since you arrived in the Underworld... it has been roughly a day and a half..."
Having somewhat recovered her composure, Ereshkigal answered in a very small, timid voice.
"It's been that long?! No wonder the situation deteriorated to this point... Sigh. I suppose unforeseen disasters never truly give you a warning, do they~"
And of course, the massive disaster decided to strike right when I was asleep—though considering how much time has passed, it really was about time for the final boss to make her grand entrance.
"I apologize... It's probably my fault you ended up sleeping for so long..."
Seeing Takumi's sudden, grave expression, Ereshkigal—who had been continuously abusing her Authority as the Goddess of the Underworld to ensure he slept longer—fidgeted with her fingers, apologizing with a mix of extreme guilt and anxiety.
She just wanted him to stay with her a little bit longer, so she couldn't help but add a bit of "extra spice" to his slumber...
Sensing the profound anxiety gripping Ereshkigal's heart, Takumi froze for a second. Then, a brilliant, reassuring smile broke across his face:
"There is absolutely no need for you to apologize for something like this! In fact... I should be the one thanking you, Eresh! Thank you so much for giving me the chance to finally get a proper, deep rest. And... you are honestly even more beautiful in person than I ever imagined!"
The Underworld may have been an eerie, desolate place, but the embrace of its Goddess was unexpectedly warm and soft.
Knowing that Takumi had definitely heard her accidentally slip up and call him "beautiful" earlier, Ereshkigal's face, which had only just returned to a normal hue, instantly flushed bright red again. Unable to handle the direct eye contact, she violently turned her head away, nervously twirling a lock of her blonde hair as she muttered in a voice softer than a mosquito:
"I-I'm really not that beautiful..."
But even though she verbally denied it, Takumi continued to blatantly violate all the rules of fair play by aggressively broadcasting "She is gorgeous. So incredibly cute. Absolutely beautiful" directly into their "private comms channel." The poor Goddess was left completely overwhelmed by a mix of extreme embarrassment and sheer delight.
"Eresh!"
Takumi suddenly called out her nickname, his expression turning completely serious as he looked her dead in the eyes.
"W-What is it? Why are you suddenly looking at me so seriously...?"
Severely startled by the abrupt shift in tone, Ereshkigal's fidgeting hands moved significantly faster, perfectly conveying the sudden spike of nervous anticipation in her heart.
Looking at me so seriously at a time like this... Don't tell me he's actually going to confess his love to me right now?!! Waaah—!
Ereshkigal thought, her mind spiraling into a completely different, wildly romantic scenario.
And then, she heard:
"Come with me to save the world!"
"...Eh?"
Ereshkigal completely blanked out.
But a split second later, she remembered the horrifying intelligence she had just received: Tiamat had fully awakened and manifested in the Persian Gulf.
Realizing this was the actual reason behind Takumi's sudden serious demeanor, Ereshkigal almost used her absolute Authority to carve a hole directly into the floor so she could bury her head in it and die of embarrassment.
"I know it's incredibly presumptuous of me to ask this right now, but if we want to actually defeat Tiamat, your power is absolutely indispensable, Eresh!"
Sensing Ereshkigal's wildly derailed thoughts, Takumi scratched his head awkwardly. He tactfully ignored her romantic misunderstandings and continued his pitch with absolute seriousness.
"M-Me?"
Having forcibly managed to regulate her emotions, Ereshkigal pointed a finger at her own nose. Feeling the absolute sincerity radiating from Takumi, she was completely bewildered.
While being relied upon so heavily definitely made her happy... her? Fighting Tiamat? Was he seriously joking right now?
"Exactly! It has to be you! Without you, defeating Tiamat is fundamentally impossible!"
Takumi quickly outlined the grand strategy: they needed to drop Tiamat directly into the Underworld, forcing her absolute Immortality to develop a conceptual flaw.
"I understand the theory behind it, but... exactly how are you planning to drop 'Mother' into my Underworld?"
Ereshkigal nodded slowly, voicing the most critical, glaring flaw in the plan.
"It's simple! You just need to systematically shift the physical location of your Underworld until it is situated directly beneath Uruk! Tiamat's absolute priority is destroying Uruk. Once you've moved the Underworld into position, those of us on the surface can easily drop her down to you."
No, no, no! No matter how you try to spin it, there is absolutely nothing 'simple' about that! Do not underestimate the sheer, monumental difficulty of physically relocating an entire Underworld!
"Even if I start digging furiously right this exact second, factoring in all the preliminary work I've done over the past few months, there is absolutely no way I can move the Underworld beneath Uruk in time!"
Ereshkigal explained helplessly, highlighting the brutal logistical reality.
"It's fine. Just start shifting it in that direction. We will handle the rest on the surface."
"In short: come with me and let's save the world together, Eresh!"
Takumi took two steps forward and firmly grasped Ereshkigal's hands. His glass-like, fiery pupils stared deeply into the Goddess's eyes, overflowing with intense expectation and earnest pleading.
Foul! That is absolutely foul play—!
"I-I understand! I'll do it! Just please stop staring at me like that..."
Ereshkigal violently whipped her head away, her face burning, desperately trying to escape Takumi's gaze—a gaze that felt like it was staring straight into the deepest depths of her soul.