To Become a King and a Magician 711-715

Title: The Sea of Flowers in the Underworld

Finally, after answering ‘Ereshkigal,’ Naoki and Ishtar were permitted to pass through the Gate of the Underworld, as well as the six gates that followed.

After crossing the final gate, Naoki let out a soft sigh: “That was such a hassle. They asked seven times in a row which was better, Ishtar or Ereshkigal—is that what you call a just and rational gate?”

Though he had anticipated the situation would be like this, Naoki felt a bit irritated. Ereshkigal was truly competitive with Ishtar, even though he hadn’t even met her yet, and the situation was already this heated.

“How would I know?” Replied Ishtar, now shrunken to the size of Naoki’s palm, with a resigned and annoyed expression as she perched near his ear.

The questions she faced when descending to the Underworld back then were completely different. The only possibility was that Ereshkigal had used her authority in the Underworld to alter the Gate of the Underworld’s mechanisms or directly intervened in the gate’s judgment.

In either case, it showed her rejection and resentment toward Ishtar.

(I shouldn’t have come to the Underworld this time… But still, I can’t leave now.)

Having passed through the seven Gates of the Underworld, Ishtar’s Authority and Divinity had been completely stripped. She could only return to her original form if Ereshkigal restored them. Even for her own sake, Ishtar had to stick with Naoki until the end.

Flying and landing on Naoki’s shoulder, Ishtar patted his cheek: “From now on, I’m completely useless. You have to fight on your own and protect me with all your strength.”

“You should also watch out for your own protection.”

“Then what do I need you for?”

Ishtar casually treated Naoki as her personal bodyguard. At that moment, another massive chain shot out from somewhere, striking directly at Ishtar, startling her and causing her to dart into Naoki’s clothing.

*SMACK!*

Shattering the chain with a punch, Naoki frowned: “Since earlier, I’ve been meaning to ask—are these chains also part of the Underworld’s punishment mechanisms?”

In his memory, the Underworld shouldn’t have mechanisms like this. Moreover, the pattern of these chains’ appearances was odd. Except for the first hit he took, the other chains only appeared when he and Ishtar were bickering, and they always targeted Ishtar.

It felt like an attack specifically aimed at her.

The more he saw these chains, the more familiar they seemed to Naoki—not just visually familiar, though there was a slight resemblance, but more in the sense of familiarity upon contact, as if he had once been very close to these chains… or to the person using them.

But this was the Underworld; there shouldn’t be any acquaintances of his here.

Besides, the seven questions from the Gates of the Underworld earlier were also strange, with parts that appeared abruptly, as if hinting at something.

“How would I know?”

Ishtar, peeking out from Naoki’s collar, shook her head: “At least I’ve never seen chains like these. They don’t seem to be a product of the Underworld itself. But since they’re attacks aimed at me, I’ll keep hiding here to avoid getting whipped out of nowhere.”

“Instead of getting whipped, you might get torn apart—Don’t bite me, that hurts.”

“Hmph!”

Ishtar snorted coldly, then pointed into the distance: “Keep following this path, and we’ll reach the deepest part of the Underworld. Ereshkigal is there. Though all Goddesses build their own temples, she probably doesn’t have one, so you don’t need to worry about her being overly strong. Finish her off quickly and cleanly.”

All Goddesses had their own temples, whether to gather faith or to strengthen themselves. Especially at the end of the Age of Gods, temples helped Goddesses wield their authorities more effectively.

However, Ereshkigal had no temple of her own because she was the Queen of the Underworld. In the Underworld, she was already an invincible existence and didn’t need a temple’s enhancement. If anything, the Underworld itself was her temple.

Thus, the deepest part of the Underworld was always barren, with nothing there. Even when Ishtar reached the deepest part of the Underworld before, it was empty—only a gloomy Goddess was there alone, creating a prison of spears and imprisoning souls to toy with.

Logically, that’s how it should be.

Due to the limitations of the Underworld’s nature, Naoki’s perception abilities as a fairy were hindered, insufficient to sense the actual situation in the deepest part of the Underworld.

Thus, Naoki could only rely on his knowledge of the deepest part of the Underworld to speculate.

However, just as they arrived at a point where they could see the deepest part of the Underworld, the sight before them left both of them stunned in place.

“Flowers?”

Ishtar’s tone was filled with disbelief.

The base of the Underworld, which should have been empty, was now covered with a vast, endless sea of flowers?

How could this be? Could Ereshkigal have created it using her authority? But aside from the fact that she wasn’t a Goddess of Vegetation and lacked the ability to make the Underworld bloom, the fundamental issue was that Ereshkigal had no knowledge of flowers whatsoever!

She was a being who, since birth, had been made the foundation and dedicated to the Underworld, never leaving it for thousands of years. She knew nothing of the upper world, and naturally, she didn’t know what flowers were.

An Ereshkigal like that couldn’t possibly create such a vast sea of flowers in the Underworld.

“This sea of flowers…”

Like Ishtar, Naoki was momentarily shocked upon seeing the sea of flowers. But his shock wasn’t just because the flowers were in the Underworld—it was because he recognized this sea of flowers.

Or rather, he had seen, even visited, this sea of flowers before.

More than ten years ago, in a dream world suspended beneath the Crimson Moon, he had accidentally stepped into this sea of flowers, and there he made first contact with one of the most important people to him.

“Arcueid…?”

Naoki unconsciously uttered the name.

In the next moment, amidst the sea of flowers, a blonde girl in a long white dress slowly revealed herself. Under Naoki’s gaze, she gradually shifted to her familiar appearance—the girl next door in a white top and black skirt, smiling and waving at him.

“Yup, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, silly Naoki.”

“Long time no see~~~”

-

Title: Ereshkigal, Who Can’t Even Put on a False Face

Arcueid Brunestud.

The Princess of the True Ancestors, an Earth Fairy, the Moon Princess dubbed the White Princess (Shirohime).

The last time Naoki met her was eight years ago during the Wallachia Night. After that incident, she returned to the Millennium Castle, which she created through Imaginary Manifestation, to seal herself and sleep in order to suppress her vampiric urges.

Eight years had passed. Though for both of them, eight years was but a fleeting moment, and even a thousand years wouldn’t change anything about them, eight years was still not a short time to be apart.

Yet, her presence here still shocked Naoki.

Leaping down from the path and landing in the sea of flowers, Naoki looked at Arcueid: “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be in the Millennium Castle?”

“Straight to questions? I thought you’d give me a reunion hug after being apart for so long.”

Arcueid pouted but quickly smiled again: “Well, the reason’s simple. Given the situation out there right now, everything’s been burned to ashes, including my Millennium Castle. Though I normally can’t die, being constantly burned is really unpleasant. So, just before my Millennium Castle was incinerated, I used Imaginary Manifestation to escape at full speed to the place with the densest mystery I could sense.”

Because of the Human Order Incineration?

It made sense—even Arcueid couldn’t stand against the Human Order Incineration. The result was that she fled to this Singularity Point for her own safety and ended up in the Underworld?

“You really ran quite far.”

“Not that far. My bed is in the mountains of Western Europe. If I run at full speed, it doesn’t take long to get here.” Arcueid explained with a laugh.

Seeing how familiar the two were, Ishtar poked half her head out: “What, is she an acquaintance of yours?”

“Yeah, she’s someone very important to me.” Naoki smiled. “Let me introduce her: this is Arcueid, Arcueid Brunestud, a True Ancestor. And Arcueid, this little one is Ishtar.”

“I know her. Nice to meet you, tiny Goddess.”

Arcueid laughed as she flicked the head of the miniature Ishtar, causing her to panic and duck back into Naoki’s clothing.

(True Ancestor… Fairy… What kind of monstrous people does this guy know?)

With Ishtar’s perception, she could naturally see Arcueid’s true nature. It was understandable that they knew each other as two beings who were sensors of the Planet, but it was still shocking.

After all, beings like fairies had essentially vanished from the surface world, retreating to the Inner Side of the Planet. Naoki, who acquired his fairy nature later, was understandable, but Arcueid, a natural fairy still lingering on the surface, was truly unexpected.

After teasing Ishtar for a bit, Arcueid suddenly turned to the side: “Oh, almost forgot—Eresh! Come out, stop hiding!”

“Ugh—!”

A slightly trembling voice suddenly came from somewhere in the sea of flowers. Then, near two pillars in the sea of flowers, another figure slowly emerged amidst the blossoms.

As Naoki had expected, she was a girl who looked very similar to Ishtar. However, unlike Ishtar’s revealing attire, the beautiful blonde Goddess before him wore an extravagant black outfit with a black cloak over it, looking exceptionally cool.

Yet, the awkward and shy expression on her face completely undermined that cool demeanor.

She was the Goddess of the Underworld, the target of Naoki’s journey—the Queen of the Underworld, Ereshkigal.

Running lightly to Ereshkigal’s side, Arcueid laughed: “Let me introduce you, Naoki. This is Eresh, Ereshkigal, my friend. She’s the kind-hearted Goddess who took me in!”

When Arcueid first arrived at this Singularity Point, she landed directly in the Underworld. The one who helped her, a stranger to this place, was Ereshkigal. Though the Underworld wasn’t a pleasant place, she tried hard to help Arcueid settle in.

After interacting for about half a year, the two had become good friends. Arcueid also often told Ereshkigal stories about the surface world.

Naoki smiled and extended his hand toward Ereshkigal: “Hello, Goddess Ereshkigal. I’m Natsukawa Naoki. I’m deeply grateful for your willingness to take care of Arcueid all this time. She tends to be troublesome and must have caused you some difficulty. I sincerely apologize.”

“Hey! Silly Naoki! Who’s troublesome!” Arcueid poked Naoki angrily. “You’re the troublesome one! Even while I was asleep, I instantly knew everything about you when I woke up! You super problem child!”

“Are you one to talk?”

The two naturally fell into their familiar banter routine.

Seeing Naoki’s outstretched hand, Ereshkigal, having been told about the surface world by Arcueid, understood his gesture. However, she didn’t take it. Instead, she lowered her voice slightly and asked, feigning coldness: “You must know I’m a member of the Three Goddess Alliance, don’t you? What’s the meaning of showing kindness to me?”

“Eh? Ah… That’s true, isn’t it?”

Naoki smiled: “But the fact that you’ve taken care of Arcueid is real, isn’t it? For that, I truly have to thank you, Goddess Ereshkigal.”

“Besides, regarding the Three Goddess Alliance, I know all about your situation—you’re different from the Magical Beast Goddess (Gorgon or Tiamat). You’re not a Goddess who truly wants to destroy humanity but a kind-hearted Goddess who plans to save humanity in your own way, just like Quetzalcoatl.”

“Eh? How do you know…”

“Because Naoki once reached the Root.” Arcueid explained with a laugh. “No, more accurately, he came into contact with the Root. At that time, he gained all sorts of knowledge and memories from countless parallel worlds, which should include knowledge about you, Eresh. Right, Naoki?”

Naoki nodded: “More or less. So, please don’t continue your disguise and pretense, Goddess Ereshkigal. I know everything you’ve done.”

“And, as a representative of Uruk and Chaldea, I formally request of you, noble-hearted one—would you lend us your strength to face the greatest enemy that will surely come next?”

-

Title: Chains of Heaven: The Shadow Dies Twice

Goddess Ereshkigal.

In mythological records, she is a somber Goddess who imprisons the souls of the dead in her spear cages, toying with them by her side, ensuring they can never be reborn—a rather cold and cruel Goddess.

As someone who was once harshly punished by her, Ishtar strongly affirmed this.

However, the reality was quite different.

Ereshkigal was a very gentle Goddess.

Her attitude toward souls wasn’t cold. She created spear cages not to imprison but to provide a comfortable resting place for souls with nowhere else to go. After all, the Underworld was a barren place, utterly devoid of comfort. To ensure the souls of the dead could rest in peace, Ereshkigal busied herself daily crafting spear cages, carefully considering whether the souls might feel uncomfortable.

She was truly a kind-hearted Goddess, deeply considerate and gentle toward souls.

Her reason for joining the Three Goddess Alliance was also rooted in her own pride and care for humanity.

No matter how hard they fought, humanity would be eradicated. If that was the case, then while the Underworld of the Age of Gods still existed on the surface, she would bring as many human souls as possible to the Underworld for protection.

This was why Ereshkigal joined the Three Goddess Alliance: it was the only way she could protect souls in a relatively safe and reasonable manner.

Initially, Ereshkigal intended to keep this from everyone. After all, there was no one in the Underworld she could talk to, and despite being the Goddess of the Underworld, she lacked the ability to communicate with souls.

She was prepared to continue enduring in silence, misunderstood and alone, as she had for thousands of years.

But now, aside from Arcueid, who appeared out of nowhere as an exception, another person who understood her had emerged.

“You… are as strange as Arcueid said.” Ereshkigal sighed after a moment of silence.

“Not being afraid of things that should be feared—Arcueid said it was the same when she officially met you.”

At that time, Arcueid had been split into seventeen pieces. Normal people wouldn’t dare approach her; just seeing her would make them flee in terror. Naoki’s act of bringing her back and piecing her together was utterly unreasonable, making one wonder if his brain was broken.

Naoki smiled: “Because I already know what kind of people you are, don’t I? And if I know, there’s no need to be afraid. Living beings only fear the unknown. Once the unknown becomes known, fear diminishes greatly.”

“Haaah… such a weird guy.” Ereshkigal sighed again. “Back to the main point. You want me to lend my strength to… help you fight Gorgon? Sorry, based on the Three Goddess Alliance’s agreement, we’re not allowed to attack each other. Breaking it would cause me significant losses.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

Naoki shook his head: “A Goddess like Gorgon? I can handle her myself. Plus, now we have Arcueid, and Uruk’s combat strength is sufficient. Gorgon is no longer a threat.”

“I’m hoping you’ll join us to fight the real enemy sleeping in the Persian Gulf—the true Magical Beast Goddess, Tiamat.”

“What did you say?!”

Before Ereshkigal could respond, Ishtar shot out from Naoki’s clothing: “Mother is in… the Persian Gulf?! No way, Mother has been—“

“Banished to the Imaginary Number Space, right?” Naoki continued. “That was true before, but now Goddess Tiamat has returned from the Imaginary Number Space… Most likely, it was the Magecraft King who did it. He sent the Holy Grail to this era himself and awakened Goddess Tiamat.”

“But that’s not the point. The point is what Goddess Tiamat will do after waking up.”

In mythology, Tiamat deeply loved her children, tolerating all their behaviors, but in the end, she was abandoned and killed by them, banished to the Imaginary Number Space by a world that no longer needed her.

Now, through the collapse of Human History and the power of the Holy Grail, she had returned to this world.

At the same time, driven by hatred, anger, sorrow from being mercilessly abandoned, and her instinct to reshape Earth’s ecosystem, she decided to follow her instincts, beginning to sweep through and destroy humanity.

“Mother wants to destroy humanity… It’s hard to believe, but it’s not that hard to believe either.”

Ishtar let out a long sigh.

“So, you plan to stop—no, you plan to defeat Mother?”

“Yes.” Naoki nodded. “Regardless of the old issues from the mythological era, I absolutely don’t agree with the destruction of humanity, nor do I agree with the Human Order Incineration. So, I’ll do everything I can to stop Tiamat.”

“But how do you stop her? That’s Mother, you know. In terms of divinity, she’s on a completely different level from us.”

Ishtar considered herself all-powerful, but even she was aware that her level of Divinity was vastly inferior to Tiamat’s.

Naoki gently patted her head: “Don’t worry, I have knowledge from parallel worlds about how to defeat Goddess Tiamat. And for that, Goddess Ereshkigal’s power is absolutely essential.”

As he spoke, Naoki extended his hand to Ereshkigal once more: “So, will you help us, Goddess Ereshkigal?”

“Not yet.”

Ereshkigal shook her head: “It might sound harsh, but—I don’t trust you, even if you’re Arcueid’s friend. Besides, right now, your claim that Mother has returned is just your word, with no convincing evidence.”

“If you want my help, give me convincing proof first.”

“Hmm… So, you’d be willing to help if Goddess Tiamat really appears?”

“You could understand it that way.”

Naoki could understand Ereshkigal’s concerns. After all, he didn’t expect her to trust him immediately upon their first meeting. It was enough that they could communicate well.

“I understand. Then let’s discuss this after I successfully defeat Gorgon.”

“So confident. As a warning, Gorgon isn’t alone out there.” Ereshkigal hinted. “There’s another one with her—“

“Enkidu, or rather, Kingu, right?”

Naoki said: “King Gilgamesh already told me and asked me not to hesitate to completely destroy him when I meet him… Well, that’s what he said verbally. I don’t know what he’s actually thinking.”

“But no matter what Gilgamesh thinks, what I’m going to do won’t change.”

“—I will definitely bury Enkidu for the second time, along with his soul.”

-

Title: Ishtar’s Remarkably Nice Rear

After that, Naoki continued discussing various matters with Ereshkigal.

For instance, about the souls she protected, or the fact that she didn’t need to bear everything alone… Though it was their first meeting, thanks to Arcueid, Ereshkigal’s only friend, the two conversed very amicably.

At least it wasn’t like Quetzalcoatl, who wanted to test his strength and fought him all afternoon.

And finally—

“My answer remains the same as before.”

“Whether you’re asking me to help fight Mother or to release the souls in these cages and work with Uruk, my answer is we’ll wait until everything you’ve said comes true.”

“If Mother truly descends, I will definitely provide assistance. After it’s all over, I’ll release the souls to return to the surface as promised.”

That was Ereshkigal’s bottom line.

The dignity and duty of a Goddess, which she had upheld until now, didn’t allow her to stop halfway just because of someone else’s words.

Sitting on Naoki’s shoulder, Ishtar let out a soft sigh: “You’re still the same as ever. Aren’t you tired of carrying everything alone…?”

“Don’t compare me to a jewel-brained fool like you!”

“You—Who’s the jewel-brained one?!”

Perhaps fated to be at odds, the two sister Goddesses started bickering again after just a sentence or two.

Ignoring the awkward sibling duo, Naoki looked at Arcueid: “My task in the Underworld is done for now. I’m planning to return to the surface. Arcueid, are you coming with me?”

“No, no need~~~”

Arcueid shook her head: “I told you, I wanted to meet you alone, Naoki. If I go back with you, there are too many people up there, especially those two annoying Incubi.”

“Besides, I can’t leave Eresh alone in the Underworld!”

Arcueid was Ereshkigal’s first friend. Though their meeting was full of surprises, Ereshkigal deeply valued her only friend, so Arcueid didn’t want to leave her right away.

“But don’t worry, Naoki. If we have to fight Tiamat later, I’ll come to your side immediately to face her! After all, it’s a situation where only I can help you!”

That was true.

If the opponent was Tiamat, only Naoki and Arcueid could confront her directly. As fairies, they could gain support from the planet itself, boosting their power to a level capable of facing her.

Others… even Rei wouldn’t quite measure up.

Naoki smiled: “Alright, see you later then. In the meantime, be a good girl here and don’t trouble Ereshkigal.”

“I don’t trouble anyone! I’ll get mad if you keep spouting nonsense like that, Naoki!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah~~~”

Pulling back Ishtar, who was arguing with Ereshkigal, Naoki continued: “Time to head back, Ishtar—Goddess Ereshkigal, could you restore Ishtar’s Authority and Divinity?”

“Oh, right, I almost forgot.”

It wasn’t just almost forgetting—Ereshkigal had genuinely forgotten about it. After all, stripping Ishtar’s Authority and Divinity wasn’t something she actively did; it was a passive manifestation of Ishtar’s mythology. Ereshkigal didn’t care much about such things.

Soon after, as her Divinity and Authority were restored, Ishtar, who had been the size of a palm, instantly reverted to her original form!

However…

Since she had been in Naoki’s palm before, when her Divinity and Authority were restored, the situation immediately turned into Ishtar, now full-sized, being lifted with her rear supported by Naoki’s hand!

(The texture’s pretty nice—)

Just as that thought unconsciously crossed Naoki’s mind, Ishtar, her face flushed with embarrassment and anger, broke free from his hand, covering her rear, and turned to kick him!

*SMACK!*

Catching the sudden kick, Naoki explained with an innocent expression: “Though I know why you kicked me, this could be called an accident, right?”

“An accident? Then what about you pinching me just now?”

“Oh, that was just a reflex, nothing to do with my personal desires.”

Ask the wicked women at his house who made him accustomed to this. After all, similar situations happened every night, and a behavior repeated over thirty times becomes a habit—let alone Naoki, who had been doing it for ten years.

It had become instinct. Basically, his hand would start moving on its own when placed in the right position.

“Besides, why are you overreacting? In mythology, you’re a Goddess who loves everyone she meets—you should be used to this kind of thing. You even seem fine flying in the sky with that revealing outfit; why weren’t you embarrassed then?”

“That has nothing to do with this! You’re looking at me with that kind of gaze? What’s even in that brain of yours?!”

“Before you ask me that, change your clothes, will you?”

“…”

Watching the two suddenly start bickering for some reason, Ereshkigal asked Arcueid in confusion: “Arcueid, what are they…?”

“Hmm, so Naoki prefers that type?”

Arcueid completely ignored what Ereshkigal said, instead seriously recalling the earlier situation.

After arguing with Ishtar for a bit about their respective mindsets, Naoki let out a heavy sigh: “Haahhh… Forget it, I won’t argue with you. I’m heading up.”

“Eh?”

“See you again during the fight with Goddess Tiamat, Arcueid, Goddess Ereshkigal. Until then, please guide me.”

With that, Naoki soared into the air with wind beneath his feet.

Seeing this, Ishtar hurriedly flew after him, heading toward the hole she had blasted into the Underworld.

Just as Naoki was flying upward—

“Hmm? That’s…”

A platform surrounded by spear cages caught his attention.

It looked like a tomb, but the ground had been dug up, as if the tomb had been robbed.

“What are you looking at?”

Ishtar, flying to Naoki’s side, asked: “Is there something special there?”

“No, nothing, just a bit curious.”

(A dug-up tomb… that must be Enkidu’s.)

(If there’s a chance later, after defeating Kingu, I’ll rebury him properly.)

-

Title: Chains of Heaven at Night

The Persian Gulf.

After flying out of the Underworld’s hole in Kutha, Naoki headed straight here.

Accompanying him was Ishtar.

“What are you doing here?”

Ishtar asked, leaning on Ma’anna.

Naoki pointed to a nearby observation post overlooking the Persian Gulf: “Gilgamesh asked me to investigate the water quality here—since Tiamat is sleeping in the Persian Gulf, analyzing the water might tell us something.”

“More importantly, why are you following me? Shouldn’t you be heading back to your Mount Ebih?”

“Got a problem with that?”

Ishtar smirked and raised an eyebrow: “Besides, going back to Mount Ebih now would be so boring. I’d rather tag along with you. My instincts tell me that wherever you go, something interesting is bound to happen.”

“Call it a spice for my dull life.”

In this regard, Ishtar was right.

Though things had calmed down recently, Naoki was still prone to getting dragged into all sorts of strange events. Even when he stayed at home, trouble would find him. The situation had only slightly improved since he joined Chaldea.

Was it because she was a Goddess? With just one glance, she could see the oddity in Naoki’s nature.

Sighing softly, Naoki landed in front of the observation post: “Do whatever you want, just don’t cause me trouble—I’m going into the observation post to meet the researchers. What about you?”

“I’ll wait outside. The people inside would probably be scared half to death if they saw me. After all, I’m a Goddess.”

“Fair enough.”

After saying that, Naoki walked into the observation post. Once he was inside, Ishtar dropped her smile, turned around, and sat on Ma’anna directly above the Persian Gulf.

Saying she wanted to tease Naoki was only one reason. More importantly, Ishtar wanted to confirm the truth of Naoki’s words.

Tiamat was now sleeping beneath the Persian Gulf.

“It’s hard to believe… that Mother has returned.”

Ishtar had always thought she was the only Sumerian divine being present in Mesopotamia, but unexpectedly, Ereshkigal and now Tiamat had appeared…

“Mother wants to destroy humanity.”

Gazing at the last rays of the setting sun nearly swallowed by the horizon and the deep Persian Gulf under faint light, Ishtar felt a heaviness in her heart.

The situation was truly becoming troublesome.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Time passed quickly, over an hour.

As the sky turned completely dark and the moon hung high above.

On a beach by the edge of the Persian Gulf.

“So, you’re here.”

Naoki’s voice came from a distance.

Ishtar, who was napping under a tree, looked at him irritably: “I waited forever. Are you done? By the way, why are you carrying so many cans?”

“Oh, these?”

Naoki shook the cans in his hands and explained: “They’re filled with Persian Gulf seawater to take back to Uruk. The water quality investigation here seems to be a routine task. Gilgamesh sends people here every so often.”

“But Gilgamesh didn’t tell me specifically what to do before I came—he just said to come here. Luckily, the researchers at the observation post knew what to do, or I’d have been completely clueless.”

Sending someone here without specific instructions—Naoki wasn’t even sure if this could be called Gilgamesh’s trust in him or not.

Setting the cans down and sitting beside Ishtar, Naoki looked out at the Persian Gulf in the distance: “What did you see here?”

“Nothing, just passing the time. Though I could go straight back to Mount Ebih, I said I’d wait for you outside, so it’d be rude to just leave.”

“You care about things like that?”

“Ugh—!”

A vein pulsed on Ishtar’s forehead: “I’M ASKING YOU! Do you think I’m some idiot who doesn’t care about others’ feelings at all? Sure, my original divine self might’ve done something like that, but the me influenced by this body wouldn’t.”

“So, you’re a Goddess who actually understands others’ feelings but doesn’t necessarily bother to consider them?”

“It’s more like there’s no one worthy of me bothering to consider. After all, I’m a Goddess—why should I cater to the thoughts and feelings of ordinary humans?”

As she spoke, Ishtar added an explanation: “But you’re a special case. Feel honored—you’re the first person whose feelings I, Ishtar, am willing to consider. Remember to pass this down to your descendants as a divine decree.”

“Is your attitude a family heirloom?”

Naoki gave a wry smile: “But thanks for considering my feelings—So, what’s your impression after observing Goddess Tiamat?”

“Not much of an impression.”

After a brief pause, Ishtar said casually: “Why, are you planning to ask me to fight Mother too, like you asked Ereshkigal?”

“Half and half.” Naoki smiled. “Once Goddess Tiamat appears, I probably won’t have any free time. But besides Tiamat, there are also countless Lahmu. I don’t have the extra energy to deal with them. I’m hoping you can help me handle them when the time comes.”

Lahmu?

The children born from Mother.

“That’s not a problem… How do you plan to fight Mother? You seem to have something planned. Do you really have a plan to take on Mother?”

“Of course.”

“You actually do!?”

Seeing Ishtar’s shock, Naoki smiled: “Well, it’s just an idea for now. There’s still a lot of preparation to do. Only after all the preparations are complete and there’s enough time will it be possible to defeat Goddess Tiamat—Honestly, I’m just trying to do what I can.”

In a way, Naoki was similar to Ereshkigal, but unlike Ereshkigal, who wanted to bear everything alone, Naoki had learned to share the heavy burden on his shoulders with others.

After all, saving the world wasn’t a one-person job.

Plus, he couldn’t save the world in the truest sense anymore.

(Until all preparations are complete, I’ll do my best to hinder Goddess Tiamat’s progress, and after that—)

“—!”

At that moment, a strong Mana reaction suddenly appeared within Naoki’s perception range. It came from a figure moving at high speed, heading straight toward him and Ishtar.

After a brief moment of thought, Naoki stood up: “Sorry, Ishtar, please watch these water cans for me.”

“Huh? What are you going to do?”

“Just going to greet an unexpected visitor.”

As he spoke, Naoki looked up at the sky.

Under the pitch-black night sky, a figure floated high in the air, gazing down at the two below.

Long green hair, a beautiful face that didn’t seem male or female, a flowing white robe, and crystal-like purple eyes—

“Didn’t expect we’d meet in a place like this. Is this what they call fate?”

“Kingu.”