To Become a King and a Magician 706-710

Title: I’ll Break Her Legs

After informing Ritsuka and the others that he was heading to Kutha, Naoki and Merlin set off.

Considering the distance between Uruk and Kutha, walking might take a full day. Moreover, since Naoki and Merlin departed in the late afternoon, they would likely arrive around midday the next day.

Thus, when night fell, the two decided to find a large tree by the roadside, set up a simple camp and tent beneath it to spend the night, and continue their journey to Kutha at dawn.

According to Uruk’s records, Kutha was a place connected to the Underworld. If they went there at night, they might accidentally stray into the Underworld, and returning would be troublesome.

*CRACKLE…!*

The campfire burned quietly, letting out soft crackling sounds one by one in the silent night.

Naoki and Merlin sat on opposite sides of the fire.

After scooping a bowl of creamy mushroom soup from the pot hanging over the campfire and taking a sip, Merlin let out a satisfied hum: “Mmm~~~ Your cooking is delicious, Natsukawa. My decision to camp with you was absolutely right.”

“Glad you like it. By the way, don’t Incubi not need to eat? You and Merry feed on human dreams and emotions.”

“True, that’s generally the case, but I won’t refuse tasty food either, since it makes me happy too.” Merlin laughed. “Delicious food can make people smile, right?”

Naoki agreed with that.

After taking a sip of his own soup, Naoki asked: “Alright, it’s time for you to talk. This afternoon, you kept dodging the topic. What exactly did you want to say about Merry and Lia?”

Since Merlin had said he wanted to discuss something slowly on the road, Naoki had agreed to walk to Kutha with him. But during the afternoon journey, Merlin only talked about irrelevant things.

Merlin gave a faint smile: “Well… Fair enough, let me think. First, let’s talk about Lia—this is more important.”

“Straight to the point—when are you planning to marry my Lia?”

“POOF—!”

Naoki spat his soup right onto Merlin’s head.

What else could he do? The words Merlin suddenly blurted out were just too shocking.

Wiping the soup from the corner of his mouth, Naoki frowned and asked: “Why are you suddenly asking this? Who said I was going to marry Lia?”

“Because you said you liked Lia.” Merlin said, wiping the soup off his face. “When you confessed your love to that samurai in the Tokyo Singularity, you also said you had feelings for Lia. We in Avalon were actually watching the live broadcast.”

(Oh, that was during the fight with Souji.)

Understanding the context, Naoki calmed down: “You really love spying.”

“It’s called enjoying a good story. After all, my only hobby is Observing the Present.” Merlin laughed. “So, when exactly? I could go to the trouble of playing Lia’s father, you know.”

(If you did that, Lia would definitely kill you first.)

Naoki sighed softly: “Now’s not the time to talk about this… And honestly, even though I love Lia just as much as I love Merry, there’s really nothing between me and Lia. We’ve been good friends for ten years. Suddenly jumping to marriage talk is just inappropriate.”

“Besides, I don’t know what Lia’s intentions are. Your meddling in other people’s love affairs is pretty bad behavior.”

(Hmm… So that’s how Natsukawa is. Even if he likes someone, he won’t push if the other party isn’t willing. He’s the type who prefers to be approached first.)

Except with Merry, Naoki was passive in other situations, pure as wood in matters of romance—outwardly passive but inwardly aggressive.

“Speaking of which, why did you suddenly bring this up?”

“Because it’s pretty interesting.” Merlin laughed. “I’m an Incubus; fundamentally, I don’t have human emotions like you do. Though I keep trying to understand them, I ultimately can’t—Lia is the one exception.”

Artoria was someone Merlin watched grow up from childhood. He considered himself half a father to her. Initially, his attitude toward Artoria was nothing special; he just saw her as a tool for his amusement.

But when Artoria died, he genuinely felt regret from the bottom of his heart.

“I feel deep guilt toward Lia, that’s the truth. And driven by that feeling… I hope she can have a better ending. Honestly, it’s like a parent hoping their child lives a better life.”

Artoria had been in the real world for ten years.

During those ten years, Naoki had continuously cared for her, providing her shelter, satisfying her enormous appetite, teaching her how to survive in the modern world… and freeing her from her desire to save Great Britain.

Honestly, seeing the Knight King let go of all her burdens and live carefree in the modern world deepened Merlin’s sense of guilt. The old him could only watch her head toward destruction without doing anything… He really deserved a hard slap.

“So, can I ask you to take care of Lia, Natsukawa? Also, it seems she likes you too. She was so shy her face turned red when she heard you liked her, and she asked me how she should respond to you~~~”

“Of course, that’s no problem.” Naoki smiled and nodded. “I’ve been taking care of her for ten years; there’s no harm in continuing to do so. Besides, she’s still my Servant for now. It’s only right that I take care of her.”

“As for the marriage you mentioned… Let’s talk about it after the Human Order Incineration is resolved. I still have a lot of unresolved issues in that regard. I plan to settle them all at once later.”

(Ah, it must be those women…)

Merlin gave a sly smile: “As someone more experienced, I must warn you, Natsukawa—getting too close to multiple women makes it easy to get chopped up, or at the very least, jailed for women’s calculations, like me.”

“You think I’m like you? I’m not like you, fooling around everywhere.”

Naoki, who considered himself a loyal, good man, declared that he was absolutely not on the same wavelength as the lecherous Merlin.

“Alright, Lia’s matter is settled. Now what about Merry? What’s going on with her?”

“Ah~~~ Yeah, it might just be my speculation.”

Merlin pointed at himself: “As you know, I left her before Lia reached her end. My other self seems to have done the same, leaving her before Arthur Pendragon reached his end. I think my reasons and his were similar.”

“Even though you and she are now practically a married couple, maybe one day, she’ll suddenly leave you, just like she and I did before.”

Perhaps before Naoki faces a certain powerful enemy, or before his potential runs out—if Merry feels she can no longer find amusement in Naoki, she’ll definitely make the decision to leave.

She’s absolutely capable of that.

Merlin didn’t like seeing bad, tragic endings. If possible, he still hoped to see Naoki reach a happy and successful conclusion, especially since he was the one who freed Artoria. Merlin didn’t want his life to end shrouded in darkness.

“The possibility of Merry leaving? It’s not impossible. But even if she leaves, I’ll catch her again.”

Naoki laughed: “No matter where she escapes to, even if she flees across countless parallel worlds, even if she runs to the edge of the universe, I’ll catch her back to warm my bed.”

“No, more accurately—if she dares to run, I’ll break her legs.”

“Is that so… Good.”

Merlin gave a wry smile, opening his palm where a flower bloomed.

“For these past ten years, I’ve been watching your journey. I’ll keep watching you in the future. I truly hope the ending you reach will be beautiful, Natsukawa.”

-

Title: This Is the Resolve of a Great Magus

The next day, around two in the afternoon.

Naoki and Merlin finally arrived at the city.

“What a quiet and desolate city.” Naoki commented, sensing the surroundings, which felt utterly lifeless.

Merlin explained the situation of Kutha from behind: “This place was destroyed without warning after the Three Goddess Alliance appeared. One day, communication from Kutha suddenly stopped. When Leonidas led his team there, not a single living person remained in the city.”

“No signs of resistance, no blood, no wounds, no traces of anything. All the residents died as if they were asleep.”

“That must be the work of the Three Goddess Alliance.” Naoki said. “A large-scale mass death like this… it could only be the Goddess right beneath our feet now.”

In the Age of the Gods, the upper world, the Underworld, and the heavens were actually on the same plane, all on the surface of the world, until they vanished after the Age of the Gods separated from humanity. Thus, one only needed to dig into the ground to reach the Underworld.

And in this Mesopotamian land, the entrance to the Underworld was located in Kutha.

“The Goddess beneath our feet… You mean the Mistress of the Underworld, Ereshkigal?” Merlin frowned. “The only Sumerian God left in the world today is Ishtar, and she’s joined the Three Goddess Alliance… Ah, so that’s how it is.”

“Exactly.”

No need to spell it out. When dealing with someone like Merlin, a small hint was enough for him to piece together the whole picture.

In Sumerian mythology, Ishtar was the Mistress of the Heavens, while Ereshkigal was the Mistress of the Underworld. Though they were sister Goddesses, they could also be considered two sides of the same God.

Ishtar manifested as a Pseudo-Servant by possessing Tohsaka Rin, arriving in this Singularity for unknown reasons. When she manifested, Ereshkigal, her other half, also manifested and joined the Three Goddess Alliance, returning to the Underworld to begin her Human Destruction Plan.

And the first city she destroyed was Kutha.

“So, we’ve been mistaken all along. Ishtar isn’t actually one of the Three Goddess Alliance?”

“Yeah, but given her behavior, it’s an understandable mistake.”

After all, she was a foolish Goddess who occasionally came to cause chaos in Uruk, and Ishtar herself had no intention of clarifying. As a result, she was completely misunderstood.

“After we return, I’ll ask King Gilgamesh to make an announcement. Now…” Merlin tapped the ground with his staff. “Since one of the Three Goddess Alliance is underground, don’t you want to deal with her now? Like you did with Quetzalcoatl.”

Ereshkigal was invincible in the Underworld. Both Servants and Gods would lose their powers there. This was a privilege Ereshkigal gained from being forcibly bound to the Underworld since birth.

The only one who could face her was a living being. Naoki qualified for this. And in terms of divinity and authority, her power was mid-tier among Gods. Against Naoki, who could even challenge a Main God, she would likely fall quickly.

That way, two pillars of the Three Goddess Alliance would be crushed. All that would remain was the Magical Beast Goddess beyond the Northern Wall.

“That makes sense… After we find the Tablets of Destiny, Merlin, you take them back first. I’ll open a gate to send you back. Then, I’ll head to the Underworld alone to visit the Underworld Goddess.”

“Oh?” Merlin stroked his chin, then grinned like a mischievous friend eager for a show: “Don’t tell me… Natsukawa, are you planning to flirt with this Goddess too? You really don’t discriminate.”

“Get lost!” Naoki immediately flipped him off. “Gilgamesh gave us three days, and we also have to go to the Persian Gulf to investigate the water quality. We need to find the Tablets of Destiny and send them back today. Then I have to rush to the Persian Gulf after dealing with the Underworld matter. The schedule’s tight.”

Merlin laughed: “Haiz, that’s what they call ‘the capable get more work.’ Gilgamesh really trusts you. The Persian Gulf… you’re not crazy enough to go straight there and defeat ‘that one,’ are you?”

“I know my limits. That one isn’t a target I can defeat alone.”

Naoki gave a wry smile: “Besides, she’s not a target I can defeat. Ten years ago, maybe, but now I can’t.”

The Evils of Humanity are evils that will be defeated by humans. Only humans can defeat them.

But Naoki is a fairy.

As the price for becoming a fairy and gaining great power like Imaginary Manifestation, he lost his human identity, and with it, the qualification to truly save the world.

That’s why Goetia said, when they first met, that Naoki’s hands could never touch him.

“So, do you regret it?” Merlin asked. “You, who once had the potential to save the world, have now completely lost that qualification.”

“No way. If I regretted it, I wouldn’t have chosen to become a fairy ten years ago. I’m very satisfied with my current state, without a shred of regret. Besides, saving the world isn’t something I have to do alone.”

Fujimaru Ritsuka.

In the final battle of the Human Order Incineration, Naoki would do everything in his power to create an opportunity for her to defeat Goetia. He wouldn’t let Roman sacrifice himself, Mash sacrifice herself, or Fou lose his intelligence.

“My thoughts are the same as yours, Merlin. Rather than a Bad Ending (BE), I prefer a Happy Ending (HE). I’ve already seen one BE, and now I want to rewrite that BE into an HE. For that, I’ll do everything I can.”

Naoki had made this decision ten years ago.

“Alright… let’s start searching for the Tablets of Destiny. We’ve been talking about irrelevant topics. Time’s limited. Let’s split up and move. I’ll share my sensory abilities with you through Magecraft so we can search faster.”

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

Merlin followed Naoki’s lead.

When the other party had already made all their decisions and preparations, an observer like him, who had stepped back, didn’t need to do anything more. He just needed to watch quietly as always until the end and provide help when necessary.

For example, tying up his other self, who might run off at any moment, and tossing her onto Naoki’s bed.

(Hmm, I’ll keep an eye on my other self like that from now on.)

Merry, far away in Uruk, had no idea she was being set up like this.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

“She’s coming. A bit slower than expected.”

[Won’t you go meet her? She’s your friend.]

“No need. She’ll come on her own. You heard it too. Just wait. Besides, I’m looking forward to her expression when she sees me.”

[You mean the surprise?]

“Yeah.”

[In that case… I’ll greet her first. Is that okay?]

“Sure, but wait until that troublesome guy leaves.”

[Good point.]

-

Title: Ishtar Descends to the Underworld

Before him stood a pristine white temple.

Naoki gazed at the structure in front of him, knowing exactly where he was.

The Final Singularity, the Grand Temple of Time, Solomon.

The final battlefield he would inevitably reach in the future.

(Why am I here?)

The question arose in Naoki’s mind. As it did, the figure sitting upright on a pure-looking throne in the distance caused his expression to turn serious.

King Solomon.

Or rather, Goetia, occupying his corpse.

The greatest enemy he had fought for twenty years, the one he would face soon.

The day of their decisive battle was approaching. The second round of their fight, which he had waited ten years for. This time, he had to settle it, no matter what. That would truly be the end of everything for him.

“Keep waiting on that throne, Goetia.”

Naoki extended his hand and clenched it tightly toward the figure on the throne.

“I… no, we will defeat you soon.”

“It won’t be long.”

As the declaration ended, Naoki’s consciousness faded in the next moment.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Inside an empty house in the city of Kutha.

Opening his eyes under the glow of the setting sun, Naoki sat up from his earthen bed, clutching his head: “I… what happened?”

“You’re awake?”

Merlin, sitting near the window, turned and laughed: “You fell asleep the moment you got the Tablets of Destiny. Were you influenced by the ‘future’ recorded on them?”

The Tablets of Destiny.

Naoki looked at the clay tablet he was clutching in his arms.

Right, he remembered that after parting with Merlin, he spent about two hours searching for the Tablets of Destiny in Kutha. After that, he seemed to have passed out.

The tablet was written in a language Naoki couldn’t understand. Even with the three or four languages he had mastered, deciphering Sumerian script from this period was far beyond his reach.

“Was the future Gilgamesh saw recorded here, and did I accidentally synchronize my consciousness with it?”

“Something like that.” Merlin nodded. “What did you see?”

“Goetia, sitting proudly in the Grand Temple of Time, waiting for his plan to succeed.”

As he spoke, Naoki tossed the Tablets of Destiny to Merlin and got off the bed: “You take this. It’s already evening. I’ll send you back to Uruk, then head to the Underworld to see if I can deal with Ereshkigal. After that, I’ll go to the Persian Gulf to complete the water quality investigation—report it to Gilgamesh like that.”

“You’re really busy. I’d say you’re taking on too much work alone, but since it makes things easier for me, I’ll leave it to you.”

Merlin laughed as he spoke, confidently stepping into the spatial tunnel Naoki manifested. On the other end was the outskirts, about three hundred meters from Uruk’s city walls. Due to Uruk’s barrier, he could only teleport there.

Gilgamesh had originally given them three days. It was now the evening of the second day since they set out, about one and a half days having passed.

“One and a half days left? The Persian Gulf might only take half a day, which means…”

Naoki had one day to descend to the Underworld and deal with Ereshkigal.

(I recall there’s an underground tunnel leading to the Underworld beneath one of the houses in Kutha… Or should I mimic Ishtar and blast a huge hole in the ground to head straight to the Underworld?)

Leaving the house, Naoki hesitated slightly as he looked at the ground beneath his feet.

And at that moment—

*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*

Multiple sounds of piercing air came from the distant sky.

It was a barrage of Magecraft attacks from someone—Naoki could sense it.

Turning to face the volley of magical projectiles shot toward him, he raised his hand and summoned a layer of ice to block them all. Naoki’s gaze fell on his attacker: “Is it normal to just attack without saying a word?”

“Tch, it failed…”

Ishtar, riding Ma’anna, muttered softly as she descended into the air above Naoki: “It was just a simple greeting. It’s only natural to give a little punishment to an impudent guy sneaking into my territory without permission. Besides, it’s you—even my full-power attack wouldn’t matter.”

(If it wasn’t me, you’d have killed them on the spot.)

Naoki grumbled inwardly.

“So, you came all the way from Mount Ebih just to greet me?”

“No way. I just saw you while coming back from a stroll and stopped by to say hi.” Ishtar waved her hand casually. “You, on the other hand—just a few days ago, you had a massive fight with the Sun Goddess in the dense forest, and now you’re here in my territory. Are you planning to fight me too?”

Because Naoki and Quetzalcoatl’s battle was so massive, most of the Goddesses in the Mesopotamian land had noticed it to some extent, and they all realized one thing—a foe capable of matching them had appeared.

Naoki smiled: “What if I said I was?”

*BOOM—!*

A magical cannon blast instantly fired from Ma’anna’s muzzle, only to be deflected by Naoki, soaring far into the sky.

Ishtar sighed softly: “I thought that’d work. Your reactions are just outrageous. But now you know—if you really want to fight me, I won’t hold back, even if you have a connection with this vessel.”

(After that, I’ll win gloriously and use the victor’s rights to order her to erase all my debts!)

Seeing Ishtar’s expression, as if she were scheming something, Naoki smiled: “I’m here only at Gilgamesh’s request to find something. I found it earlier and sent someone to deliver it back. Now, I’m planning to head to the Underworld.”

“Eh?”

Ishtar froze: “You’re going to the Underworld?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Why, you ask… Why would a living being like you go to the Underworld? Are you trying to kill yourself? You’re a fairy—you can’t die. If you die, you’ll just reappear as a new you.”

Naoki laughed: “It’s nothing much, just to deal with the Three Goddess Alliance’s matters. Quetzalcoatl’s attacks are no longer a concern. After I deal with Ereshkigal, two pillars of the Three Goddess Alliance will be neutralized, and we can fully focus on the Magical Beast Goddess.”

“Wait—Wait, wait, wait! What did you just say?!”

Ishtar immediately flew in front of Naoki, bringing her face close to his and demanding in a shrill voice: “You said you’re going to deal with who?! Who?!”

“Ereshkigal… Oh, you didn’t know?”

Naoki briefly explained the conclusion he and Merlin had reached to Ishtar.

The chain summoning of Goddesses, two sides of the same divinity…

After listening, Ishtar’s face cycled through shades of green, purple, and white before she let out a heavy sigh, as if she couldn’t bear it: “Haaaah… Damn it, I didn’t expect this situation to happen… She was summoned and manifested too, or whatever—there’s no worse news than this.”

“No, what’s worse is that she’s actually a member of the Three Goddess Alliance. What was that idiot thinking—Hey, Natsukawa, if you’re going to the Underworld, I’m coming with you.”

The sudden proposal surprised Naoki slightly: “You want to go to the Underworld too? Why?”

“No big reason, just a whim. Besides, if what you said is true, Ereshkigal might occasionally use my body to act. I need to go settle the score with her.”

“She dares to use my body without permission—I’ll teach her a lesson she deserves.”

-

Title: You Can Always Trust Naoki’s Aesthetic Sense

As mentioned several times before, in the Age of the Gods, the Underworld was physically located underground. One only needed to keep digging to reach it.

In the city of Kutha itself, there was a path leading to the Underworld.

Initially, Naoki planned to use that passage, but since his companion, Ishtar, found it too troublesome, in the end—

“Can’t you stop being so reckless?”

In a dimly lit space, Naoki descended slowly with the wind to the ground, looking at Ishtar, who was also floating down, with some frustration.

Yes, just like in the original story, Ishtar had blasted a hole in the ground, forcibly entering the Underworld with Naoki.

“What’s the problem? This is faster.” Ishtar laughed. “You’re quite strange. You’re incredibly strong, but sometimes you do things so methodically.”

“Because I’m constantly warned not to act recklessly. If I did, the world’s order could fall into chaos.”

For example, the moon scattering across the sky or a Hyakki Yagyō happening at any moment… Such scenarios weren’t impossible. Considering the secrecy of mysteries and the stability of world society, Naoki was always monitored by his beautiful adopted little sister to avoid causing trouble.

Gray was very strict about this.

After landing, Naoki surveyed the underground space they were in: “This is the Underworld?”

Stone walls surrounded them.

The temperature was extremely low.

There was no light at all, only ghost-like flames floating up and down.

Naoki stood on what felt like a stone bridge, flanked by cliffs on both sides. The bottom of the cliffs was shrouded in darkness, but an intense cold emanated upward.

Not far away stood numerous stone pillars, as if supporting the earth above to create space for the Underworld to avoid collapsing.

This was a dim, lightless world of death.

After carefully sensing the Underworld’s atmosphere, Naoki said: “Ishtar, I understand why you said coming here is like suicide. This environment is indeed very hostile to living beings.”

The Underworld was the realm of the dead, filled with an overwhelmingly dense aura of death. For living beings, it was a deadly poison. Ordinary people would weaken and die after being here for just a short time.

Only a God and Demi-Servant like Ishtar, or a fairy like Naoki, could move freely here. However, even calling it “freely.” Naoki could feel his condition weakening slightly, as if afflicted by a debuff.

(The Underworld’s suppression of living beings?)

This was an ironclad rule of the Underworld, one even Naoki couldn’t break.

“If that’s the case…”

Naoki’s clothing emitted a dark gray glow, then transformed into an extravagant black-based dress, giving the impression of a raven.

Ishtar frowned: “What’s this?”

“A kind of illusion. Since the Underworld suppresses living beings, I just need to make the Underworld recognize me as dead. This clothing continuously emits the aura of the dead, disguising me as truly deceased. That way, the Underworld’s rules won’t apply to me.”

This was also one application of Self-Modification.

However, this illusion could only counter the Underworld’s mechanisms, not necessarily Ereshkigal herself. After all, the mechanisms were inanimate, while a God was alive.

But it was better than nothing. The presence of this clothing could save a lot of trouble.

“Hmph~~~ You’re impressive, but you’ve got a lot of tricks too. Can you make one for me?”

“Huh? What do you want?”

“Just make it, why so many questions!”

Ishtar was truly unreasonable. Even after assimilating with Rin, she was like this. If she used her original personality, Naoki might have obliterated her on the spot.

Even so, Naoki used Imaginary Manifestation to create a women’s dress for Ishtar, based on the clothing she was already wearing.

Receiving the dress, Ishtar twirled her finger: “Turn around. I’m changing. Don’t peek.”

“Honestly, I’m not interested in your flat chest. Your legs are more tempting—Don’t suddenly shoot me with Ma’anna!”

“You need to die, you insolent jerk! How dare you say such impudent things to a Goddess like me! You really don’t know your place!”

If she didn’t know she was no match for the man before her, Ishtar would have blasted him full of holes by now.

(By the way, this guy’s aesthetic sense is pretty good. The design of this dress is quite beautiful… but why is there a leg garter? And the stockings are asymmetrical—Is this how future clothing is?)

Ishtar rarely accessed her vessel’s memories; she wasn’t interested in the future. After all, she couldn’t go there. Rather than looking and getting curious, it was better not to look.

So, she didn’t know what future clothing was like, but she was certain it wasn’t as sensually charged as the dress in her hands.

(In her memories, this guy seems to live a lavish life, often partying with several women. Does that mean this is the kind of clothing he gives to those women for their… activities?)

In a sense, Ishtar’s guess was correct, but the truth was reversed.

When it came to clothing, Naoki didn’t offer any suggestions. Instead, it was Rei and the others who daily wore some sort of legendary costume to boost his attack speed, armor penetration, and adaptive strength.

“Hey, aren’t you done changing yet?”

Naoki’s voice rang out.

Glancing at the figure with his back turned, Ishtar snapped her fingers, shedding her minimal clothing and donning the dress in her hands, which perfectly highlighted her features.

Spinning in place to enjoy the dress’s actual effect, Ishtar laughed as she assessed it: “Hmm, it feels nice. Your taste in this is pretty good. This dress suits me perfectly.”

“Good to hear.”

(Hmm, it is beautiful. Though part of it is because Ishtar is already gorgeous, this is indeed a design worthy of Crane’s modifications… Truly perfect.)

Especially the delicate black stockings wrapping Ishtar’s hips and legs, the garter outside the stockings, and the curves from her thighs to her hips and waist…

(Thank you, Crane.)

Suppressing the praise in his heart without showing it, Naoki said: “Alright, let’s continue downward. Ereshkigal is in the deepest part of the Underworld.”

“Yeah, but there’ll be some unavoidable obstacles along the way. Watch out for yourself. You know my legend in the Underworld—I can barely help you.”

“You mean the legend where you were stripped of all your powers and clothing, brought before Ereshkigal, and then stabbed until you were riddled with holes like a beehive?”

*BAM—!*

Naoki’s response was to block a magical shot fired by Ishtar in anger and embarrassment.

-

Title: The Just and Rational Gate of the Underworld

The journey to the Underworld was uneventful. Though it was the Underworld, perhaps because Naoki was wearing clothing that disguised him as one of the dead, there were no obstacles along the way.

Aside from Ishtar’s occasional chatter, their descent to the Underworld could be described as smooth.

Until now.

“So, this is the Gate of the Underworld?”

Naoki gazed at the stone gate standing before him and asked Ishtar: “Did you fail because of this gate when you descended to the Underworld before?”

“Though I hate to admit it, yes.”

Ishtar nodded reluctantly.

In Sumerian mythology, Ishtar, the daughter of the Sky God, felt invincible after conquering Mount Ebih. She then descended to the Underworld with burning ambition, ready to conquer it as well.

However, the result was that her seven authorities were stripped away during the descent, she lost all her divinity, was brought naked before Ereshkigal, and was ultimately pierced with spears until she was riddled with holes.

“I remember you were cursed from that moment on—passing through the gate would cause you to lose your authorities and divinity… It’s impressive that you still dared to come with me to the Underworld.”

“Don’t you know too much? I never told anyone about the curse from the Underworld and Ereshkigal.” Ishtar frowned. “But so what? Do I look like someone who’s scared? Besides, the body I’m using now is your acquaintance. Are you planning to let me die?”

She was using Rin’s body to her advantage.

Naoki gave a wry smile: “You’re bold because you have a shield.”

“It’s called wisely utilizing resources—So, do you need me to explain the Gate of the Underworld?”

“No, no need, I know.”

The Gate of the Underworld.

A gate that questions the virtue and vice of a soul.

Through multiple-choice questions, it assesses the composition of a soul based on the respondent’s answers. If the gate deems the soul virtuous, nothing happens. But if it deems the soul wicked, the soul receives Divine Punishment from the Underworld’s mechanisms. It is a just and rational gate.

There are seven gates in total.

When Ishtar descended to the Underworld before, she was immediately judged as the most wicked soul for answering all seven questions incorrectly, resulting in her authorities and divinity being completely stripped.

And now, it was Naoki’s turn to face these gates.

【Answer~ Answer~】

As Naoki arrived before the Gate of the Underworld, the carvings on the stone gate emitted a faint glow, and along with the light, a long, authoritative female voice echoed through the vast Underworld.

【O living being who has fallen to the Underworld~~~ Answer the nature of your soul~~~】

“Multiple-choice questions are coming. You need to answer carefully, or you’ll have your powers stripped like I did, and facing Ereshkigal later will be troublesome.”

Ishtar warned with good intentions—if Naoki answered incorrectly, she would immediately leave the Underworld!

【Then~ a question for the sinful ‘Natsukawa’~】

“It even specifies my name? Though I expected as much… What’s the question?”

【Though standards of beauty vary, they remain absolute~~~ Black can surpass white~~~ Earth can surpass Heaven~~~ The Moon can surpass the Flower~~~】

【So, Ereshkigal or Ishtar~~~ Which Goddess is more beautiful?】

(As expected…)

Naoki’s expression suggested he already knew. Though the question’s content was slightly different, it was broadly the same.

Now, he just needed to answer Ereshkigal.

“Wait!”

Ishtar suddenly interrupted Naoki as he was about to speak: “This isn’t the same question I got when I came here! Shouldn’t the gate’s questions be the same?”

“Really? But the answer’s still the same. Choosing one of the two Goddesses.”

“Even if you say that, it’s kind of annoying.” Ishtar stomped her foot. “Whatever, just answer the question. The answer’s obvious—just say my name loudly.”

Ereshkigal was the Goddess of Vegetation and Decay. Ishtar was the Goddess of Beauty and Harvest. Logically, without knowing the actual situation, everyone would likely choose Ishtar.

After all, she was a Goddess explicitly designated as the ‘Goddess of Beauty’ in her authority, the prototype for the Roman Goddess of Beauty, Venus, and a true embodiment of the word ‘beautiful.’

Honestly, Naoki also found Ishtar very beautiful and charming, especially after wearing the clothing he gave her.

But—

“Saying your name might not work.”

“Huh?” Ishtar frowned: “Are you saying Ereshkigal is more beautiful than me? That gloomy figure?”

“I’m not saying that. It’s just, considering the actual situation, you two should be equally matched right now. After all, the body you both use as a vessel for your Pseudo-Servant is the same.”

Ishtar possessed Rin’s body to manifest as a Pseudo-Servant. When she manifested, Ereshkigal was also summoned through Chain Summoning, and due to this, Ereshkigal should currently be influenced by Rin as well, including her appearance and personality.

In other words—

“My appearance and Ereshkigal’s are the same right now?”

“Probably. The details might differ, but overall, they’re about the same.”

Naoki continued: “So, it’s not appropriate to compare which of you is more beautiful right now. Besides, we’re in the Underworld. Morally and logically, I should consider the host’s feelings. What kind of guest visits and doesn’t praise the host?”

“Ugh~~~~”

Ishtar understood Naoki’s point, but even though she understood, she was extremely unwilling to admit that Ereshkigal was more beautiful than her.

“So, you’re going to say her name?”

“No, we need to use a compromise method here.”

Thanks to years of being surrounded by women, Naoki had mastered a few tricks for dealing with them. In a situation where two women ask you to choose which is more beautiful, the best solution is…

“In my opinion, both Goddesses are equally beautiful—”

*CRASH!*

As soon as Naoki finished speaking, a massive chain appeared out of nowhere and whipped his body, sending him flying into a nearby stone pillar. Ishtar also added a magical blast for good measure.

Though she understood, Ishtar felt it was absolutely necessary to harshly punish Naoki’s neutral approach of trying to please both sides.

“Ow, ow, ow…”

Climbing out of the stone pillar, Naoki brushed off the small rocks from his clothing: “That hurt. Is this the Underworld’s punishment? That chain looked a bit familiar…”

“That’s not important. What’s important is your answer.” Ishtar pressed. “Just say Ereshkigal, short and simple. I’ll hold back a bit—after we get back up, I’ll beat you up.”

“Then I’ll kick you flying in return.”

“Hey! What’s wrong with me venting a little!”

Naoki raised two fingers: “You’re not my family, and you’re not my wife. Why should I be your punching bag? If you’re stressed, go smash Mount Ebih randomly—why hit me?”

“You—Hmph!”

After hesitating several times, knowing she might still need this man to protect her later, Ishtar could only swallow her frustration.

She’d settle this with him later!