My mother's love song

"These are Ereshkigal's prisons, holding the souls of those who died on earth.

Only the state of the soul is extremely painful, so painful that it would rather disappear, but the soul imprisoned in the gun prison will never disappear.

Ereshkigal will amuse herself with this until she tires of it, and the souls of the dead will suffer in this way forever."

"I sense a deep personal grudge from your words..."

Rhodes thought about it, but didn't say it out loud.

Ishtar continued, "Glittering should be at the deepest part, right? But even if we find him, it will be useless. We can't return to the surface unless we defeat Ereshkigal."

While chatting, the two arrived in front of a huge iron gate.

"These are the seven gates to the underworld. Through these seven gates, you can reach Ereshkigal's Fever Temple in the underworld. However...

From the story that Meili told you before, you should understand what will happen next without my introduction, right? "

Already understood, everyone nodded.

According to the story of Inanna's Descent into the Underworld, their power diminished with each gate they passed through.

By the time the invaders arrived before the goddess, even though she was the goddess of heaven, she was already as weak as an ant.

"After passing through the seven gates, Ereshkigal's Fever Temple is right there. Since she is a goddess who cannot leave that place, all we have to do is get there."

Mashu blinked and asked in surprise, "Huh? In other words, she is... imprisoned there? The goddess Ereshkigal is also imprisoned there?"

"Humph! Who knows? This seems to be decided by the gods, but I can't control it."

Ishtar hugged her chest and turned her face away.

When the four of them arrived in front of the gate to Hades, the gate made a sound.

[Answer it, answer it. ]

【The living who have fallen into the underworld, please answer the question about the existence of their souls. 】

“The Gate of the Underworld is a fair and rational gate that questions the soul about good and evil.

Good and evil are equal, there is no absolute right, so no matter what answer you give, you will be punished, just with different degrees of severity. "Ishtar explained.

【Ask the sinner Rod.】

Hearing this, Ishtar frowned. "What? You actually designated someone to answer...?"

[Although the standards of beauty seem to vary, there are still absolutes. 】

[Black can conquer white, and earth can conquer heaven. In that case, Ereshkigal or Ishtar. Who is the more beautiful goddess? ]

"Wait a minute, this is different from when I came here!?"

"Ereshkigal is more beautiful."

The boy didn't hesitate for even a moment.

"Wait, Rod! What's wrong with you?"

Seeing Rhodes answer immediately, Ishtar was so surprised that her mouth dropped.

Even Ritsuka and Mashu were dumbfounded: Even if it's true, you can't say it out loud!

Rhodes smiled bitterly and pulled the goddess aside. They bowed and said, "Ishtar, this is Ereshkigal's conspiracy. You understand. Although I think you are more beautiful, if you answer like this, you will definitely encounter an accident when you pass through that door!"

Haha...is that so?

Rod thought I was more beautiful, and he had to say something against his will for my safety... huhu

Ishtar was delighted. "That being said..."

Rhodes winked at Lixiang, who immediately understood.

"Goddess Ishtar, you must be patient here. You don't want to be killed by the goddess of death again in front of Rhode, do you?"

"Ugh...!"

Ishtar nodded hesitantly. "Indeed... If I praise Ereshkigal here, the punishment will be weakened... That's true, but why do I feel so bad..."

Rhodes patted her shoulder to comfort her, and then the four of them walked through the first door.

"etc……?"

Ishtar looked down and found that her body had shrunk.

"Why did I become smaller? This is different from before!"

She turned to look at the others and found that there was no change in their bodies.

"Am I the only one who has become smaller!?"

"It seems so." Li Xiang said.

Rhodes touched his legs and nodded.

"You now fully understand your own folly, Ishtar."

Suddenly, a cold voice echoed in the empty valley of the underworld.

"Your descent into the underworld has failed. As long as this mythical fact remains, you cannot escape the curse of the underworld.

In the past, you once entered the underworld with the seven treasures [powers].

The symbol of the wilderness crown. The reed measuring stick. Glass jewelry. The beaded necklace. The gold bracelet. The enchanting brooch. And finally, the lady's clothing.

These seven treasures blocked my curse for you, but this time you came empty-handed, so you will have to bear the punishment yourself.

Every time you pass through a door, your size becomes smaller and one-seventh of your divinity is taken away.

Until in the end you will become a powerless insect... a pathetic butterfly that I can crush with one hand."

"What bad taste! You've become even more twisted, Ereshkigal!"

The goddess of the underworld responded to her sister's rebuke with a tone that was devoid of any emotion.

“Since the moment you brought a living person in, you and the humans over there should have fallen to the bottom of the underworld.

But since you are willing to accept the seven tests, according to the rules of the underworld, your answers must be verified.

As long as you can pass through the seven gates safely, I will then welcome you as the master of the underworld."

The ethereal voice disappeared.

"let's go."

Rhodes held the hand of the goddess of heaven, "You have no intention of retreating, am I right?"

The girlish Ishtar not only did not back down, but was full of fighting spirit: "Of course! I won't accept being played around by her like this!"

"As expected of my most noble goddess, you are both beautiful and brave."

“Rod…!”

Ishtar moved closer to the boy with a big smile on her face.

"Hehe, why are you so sweet today?"

"Umm, it's nothing... I'm just telling the truth."

Rhode glanced at the infatuated-looking goddess beside him: The flattery went smoothly, and it was okay to continue answering Ellie in the next few levels.

The four of them arrived at the second gate.

[Answer it, answer it]

【The distribution of property is fluid, but there is only one person who deserves to own it. All the wealth on earth should be entrusted to one person for safekeeping.】

[Ereshkigal and Ishtar, who is the goddess worthy of entrusting wealth to? 】

The Goddess of Heaven thought: No matter how I answer, my power will be taken away, so I decided to let Rhode answer...

"Ereshkigal!" Rhodes said without hesitation.

Ishtar: “………………”

Mashu quickly tried to smooth things over.

"Ah... I see. This is a deliberate attempt to entrust wealth to Ereshkigal so that the family will be impoverished!"

The goddess walked through the second door with a sad face, and then her body changed into the size of a 1.3-meter-tall little girl.

"Let her incompetence be exposed in broad daylight, and make clear the gap between her and me... Can I believe this is the plan?!"

Rhode looked at the goddess who was half a head shorter than him, and said calmly, "Of course, my goddess...you can always trust your loyal child."

“Hahahahahahahahahahaha! You all worked hard to come greet me!”

A hearty and rude laugh was waiting for them in front of the third door.

"Uh!"

Hearing this voice, Ishtar felt a chill all over her body: the person she least wanted to be seen in such a miserable state appeared.

"King Gilgamesh! Why are you here? Aren't you imprisoned by Ereshkigal?" Mash asked in surprise.

"Humph. The underworld is just my backyard. I am naturally very familiar with it. After all, I have been here many times.

Although I died accidentally, before the arrival of the Garula spirit, I hid in the dark, held my breath and entered into meditation to block the breath EX.

I escaped perfectly from under their noses, and you showed up while I was thinking about my next step."

Rhodes raised his eyebrows. He was not surprised at the appearance of Gilgamesh.

"Did the king predict that I would come?"

"……Well?"

Gilgamesh was stunned for a second, then burst into laughter.

"Of course... Ahahahahahahahahahaha! Well, without further ado, let's pass through the gate to the underworld and teach that despicable Ereshkigal a lesson!"

The group set off laughing and joking.

Until now, they still don't know what kind of tragic end is waiting for them at the bottom of the underworld.

Chapter 180 If you don't abandon me, I will be your stepmother! (Surrender to the enemy)

"Answer me, answer me...my comrade who fights by my side, the goddess who I trust, respect, and deserve victory is..."

Rhodes interrupted impatiently: "Ereshkigal!"

"Good guys are all quick to answer."

“Gu…!” Ishtar’s eyes were filled with tears.

Having successfully joined up with Gilgamesh, Rhodes continued the adventure that Ereshkigal had prepared for him.

Each door asked a question: "Ishtar or Ereshkigal?", and Rhodes answered without hesitation, "Ereshkigal!"

In the atmosphere of chatting and laughing as if on a picnic, they quickly visited all seven gates.

Of course, it was not easy for Ishtar, whose power and body were constantly shrinking.

Ishtar, who passed through the seventh door, lay on Rhodes' head with a sad face.

"Wow, it's finally the size of a palm... I'm so embarrassed that I can't even cry...

If my father saw me like this, he would lament so much...

Of all the Sumerian gods, no, in all Mesopotamian mythology, I am not the only one who has suffered such a tragic fate! "

"You'll still be cute even if you become the size of a palm, Ishtar," Rhodes comforted her.

"But, do you still dare to call yourself this kid's mother?"

Gilgamesh bluntly added insult to injury, "I've never heard of an Earth Goddess that's the size of a palm."

"Please, please don't add fuel to the fire, King." Mashu tried to smooth things over.

"Ugh...! If you defeat Ereshkigal, I'll be back to my original state...right?"

Although she consoled herself in this way, Ishtar actually had no confidence in her heart.

I have an irreconcilable feud with Ereshkigal, and I'm afraid she would sacrifice her own life to keep me like this...

"No, how can we know if we don't try?"

Ishtar flew in front of the boy's face and said with a flattering smile, "Rod, even in this state, I can still bless you to victory, right?"