I'm in Type-Moon, how can I let you bully me?

The soul was startled at first, then terrified.

"We have no treasure!"

"what are you talking about?"

Ishtar frowned, recognizing this soul as the one who served as a miko at the usual ceremonies.

Under the invasion of the breath of the underworld, the soul will be gradually worn away.

This is also the reason why Ereshkigal wanted to build the spear threshold, because the spear threshold can effectively ensure the integrity of the soul.

Knowing the reason, Ishtar did not blame him, but asked with rare patience.

"As a witch serving me, why are you so frightened when you see me?"

The soul was startled at first, then said, "My time in the underworld has confused my mind, but I am not afraid of the goddess Ishtar. It's just that every time I offer sacrifices to you, I have to collect treasures from the people."

"Over time, the people will resent us and become dissatisfied with you. What I fear is the tasks you demand and assign. What I fear is the disgusted looks of the people."

"..."

I didn't ask why no one ever expressed dissatisfaction, nor did I make things difficult for a confused soul.

Ishtar just doesn't use her brain and is unwilling to think deeply, thinking only of pleasure. However, she still knows that there are answers to such things that can be found by just thinking about them.

Suppressing the complex emotions in her heart, Ishtar continued to ask.

"Have you ever seen a living person fall into the underworld?"

"Living people..."

After thinking hard, the soul gave the answer.

"Before, the Queen of the Underworld came to this wilderness, and it seemed that there was a living person beside her."

24. I’m here to save you!

Is he actually next to Ereshkigal?

Thinking of this, Ishtar felt a little unhappy.

He had been praising Ereshkigal in her temple, and now that he had truly arrived in the underworld and seen Ereshkigal's true face, he actually stayed by Ereshkigal's side.

Am I really inferior to Ereshkigal in his eyes?

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

As soon as this idea came to mind, it was rejected by Ishtar.

She's obviously very popular...

Glancing at the soul beside her that had been in a daze, Ishtar realized something and stopped thinking about it.

With mixed feelings, she boarded the sky boat and flew above the underworld.

The underworld was too vast, and no one knew where Ereshkigal had taken Lugalbanda.

Ask another soul?

Ishtar didn't want to do this. She didn't want to hear from other souls that they didn't like her.

Is there any other solution besides this?

Relying on the intuition between the twins to find Ereshkigal?

It is possible, but if she does so, Ishtar will always feel a little awkward, as if she and Ereshkigal have a good relationship.

do not care!

The more Ishtar thought about it, the more irritated she became. Ever since she heard the words of that soul, she had felt a sense of frustration that was difficult to describe.

If you can't find them, just ask them to find you.

This is the demeanor that a goddess should have!

This is what the goddess of Venus should do!

He burst out with his divine power and announced his arrival to the entire underworld.

Ereshkigal, realizing his divine power, would undoubtedly come!

The majestic vitality suddenly erupted in the sky above the underworld, and the warmth within it made every soul take notice.

That is the instinctive desire of life, an ability that does not appear in the underworld.

The Mistress of Heaven cried out with all her might at this moment.

"Lugalbanda! Where are you? I'm here to save you!!!"

......

"Na——"

Ereshkigal looked at Russell, who was pinned down by gravity and unable to move, with satisfaction and asked softly.

"Can you tell me why you have such a strong scent of Ishtar? Even to the point of being protected..."

"..."

Russell couldn't speak, but just looked at Ereshkigal with the same confused look.

Unfortunately, when the repressed goddess nature is revived because of suspected deception, it is difficult for her to be gullible again.

only......

A trace of struggle flashed in Ereshkigal's eyes.

After all, she had watched carefully when Russell fell into the underworld.

At that time, there was no trace of Ishtar in him.

There is only the protection of the underworld and myself.

Could it be a mistake?

Such thoughts kept appearing in Ereshkigal's mind over and over again.

Facing happiness that was within reach, everything seemed so beautiful, except for the breath of Ishtar. Ereshkigal wanted to believe it.

She stretched out her right hand, feeling the strong, steady heartbeat coming from Russell's chest, and said with some regret.

"Maybe I was wrong."

Russell breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, Ereshkigal was not unreasonable.

If he was misunderstood to the point of being furious, he would probably have to reopen the business.

As for the possibility that someone would come to rescue him, Russell would never even think about it.

In the original myth, the gods feared what Ereshkigal would do impulsively—open the gates of the underworld and allow the dead to devour the living.

Why would they take such a risk to rescue an ordinary king like him?

In mythology, Ishtar descended to the underworld, but why she went there is unknown.

You can't be here to save him, right?

"Lugalbanda! Where are you? I'm here to save you!!!"

The crisp yet coquettish cry resounded throughout the underworld, causing Russell's breathing to stop.

The pain in his chest and the sudden distortion of the goddess's face made Russell realize the extent of Ereshkigal's anger.

Bitter!

Russell was in tears.

No, Ishtar, are you really going to the underworld for me?

But not at this time!

Isn't this just a failure at the critical moment?

Could it be that......

The reason why Ishtar in her servant form would choose Rin Tohsaka as her possession is because she has the physique that fails at critical moments, so she attracted Rin Tohsaka who has the same physique?

It's not impossible...

Ereshkigal suddenly raised his head and looked at the sky above the underworld in the distance, with the breath of death rolling in his eyes.

The air of the underworld solidified the moment she raised her head, and the pale soul fire that was originally wandering around froze collectively.

She tapped the ground with her toes, and in her anger, she couldn't control the force, causing the obsidian floor to shatter like glass.

Russell seemed to be able to hear the wailing of millions of dead souls in his ears.

But the next moment, the wailing of the dead stopped, and only Ereshkigal's voice rang in his ears.

"It doesn't matter, even if you have a relationship with Ishtar, as long as you stay by my side. No, I will let you stay by my side forever."

Frightened by the goddess of gravity...

Russell struggled, trying to speak.

However, Ereshkigal still did not give him this opportunity.

Although he didn't think there was anything wrong with being with Ereshkigal, the trial had rules.

The trial will end when one is imprisoned, sealed, or dead, when there is no future development, or when one wishes to end it.

This means that if Ereshkigal makes this choice, then at the moment Ereshkigal makes his decision, unless there are other factors affecting him, his trial will be over.

And the trial may affect reality, and how desperate and sad it would be to lose Russell's goddess.

Russell didn't want to think.

At this time, the goddess' voice was no longer as ethereal as before, but was distorted by anger.

"As for Ishtar—"

A change occurred.

The aura of the underworld was vibrating, responding to the goddess in the distance who was overflowing with divine power.

The obsidian crown exuded a strong sense of terror at this moment. The divine power of death, disease, and decay was completely stirred up at this moment.

"Are those seven surrounding artifacts her trump cards? After all, why was she born to have a better life than me? Why was she born to be favored, while I have to stay in the underworld? Why..."

At the last moment, Ereshkigal looked at Russell, his eyes dark and unclear.

"Why do you want to take away what is finally mine?"

Russell's eyes went dark and he lost consciousness.

......

At this time, a Garula spirit appeared beside Ishtar.

Ishtar understood what the Galula spirit was conveying.

"The great goddess Ishtar, the queen of the underworld, is aware of your arrival. However, according to the rules of the underworld, you need to answer seven questions and pass through seven gates before you can meet her."

25. Arrogant!

"Insanity!"

Ishtar glanced at the Garula spirit beside her and scolded.

"I have to complete all these rules before I can see her? What a joke! She should be the one seeing me!"

Willfulness is written in Ishtar's genes. How could she possibly listen to Ereshkigal's words?

However, Ereshkigal seemed to have thought of this as well.

The Garula spirit in front of her was controlled remotely by her.

Ereshkigal had expected Ishtar to react this way.

She manipulated the Garula spirit and spoke.

"I'm sorry, Goddess Ishtar. The living cannot enter the underworld at will. This is the rule of the underworld itself, not set by the Queen."