The Degradation of the Gods

"—The time of birth has come, thus correcting all things (Ars Almadel Salomonis)."

Rovey spoke silently, uttering the name of the weakened version of the Human Order Cannon he had just unleashed. At the same time, he raised his hand, dissipating the heat he had just generated. However, his palm was still burned by the force of concentrating his power, causing a wisp of white smoke to rise.

After obtaining the Ten Commandments, he had been analyzing and deducing, and finally, outside the Temple of Time, he grasped some information about the energy manipulation of the Light Wheel his head. The occasion just now was the perfect opportunity for this Noble Phantasm to come in handy, and the result did not disappoint him.

As long as something exists on this planet, its authority has a limit. In the face of absolute heat, even the weakening power of the Underworld and immortality can be broken. This is what is meant by "great strength makes bricks fly."

He barely managed to mobilize the magical energy in one corner of the Light Wheel to launch it, and the effect was comparable to releasing hundreds of Excalibur at the same time, directly demonstrating to the Underworld goddess in the countryside what heat is like.

It's just a pity...

Without the support of the Demon God Pillars and the Temple of Time, and lacking a beast-like body, directly manipulating this heat through his own body in the outside world was too risky. Even that small amount of heat had given him a burning sensation, like being near the sun; expanding it further would undoubtedly be dangerous. Fortunately, even a single band of light contained enough power to shock Ereshkigal for centuries.

"Are you alright, Rovey?"

Merlin examined his palm and was somewhat worried to see that the flesh was almost cooked. However, he was relieved when Rovey quickly used Magecraft to heal him and said that he was fine.

Afterwards, Rovey wiped his hands, and the Light Wheel behind him completely disappeared. He glanced at Ereshkigal, who was standing beside him and had just broken free from Merlin's restraints when the gates of the Underworld opened. He smiled slightly and then stood there quietly watching her.

"Hmm..."

As Ereshkigal looked at the figure in front of him who had wiped out his entire army in an instant, he couldn't help but swallow hard. He then silently picked up the pink rope he had just broken free from and quietly lowered his head to re-tie himself around the waist.

"Hmm, very obedient, Goddess Ereshkigal."

Rovey nodded at her performance, feeling quite satisfied.

"Thanks to you this time."

When Merlin saw that Rovey could actually use the power of the Light Wheel, he couldn't help but pat him on the shoulder.

It's incredibly reliable.

He was already ridiculously strong, and then he inherited Solomon's legacy, making him a complete Solomon second generation, possibly even stronger than the original Solomon.

Solomon possesses the Temple of Time, the Light Wheel, and the power to control the 72 Demons. He himself is an absurdly powerful near-godlike being, making him a true trump card. It is precisely because of Rovey's presence, with someone to back him up, that he is able to fully utilize his initiative and continuously strive to bring the team closer to victory.

After completely eliminating the enemy, Rovey turned to Ereshkigal and asked kindly, "Goddess Ereshkigal, could you now hand over Gilgamesh's soul and the Holy Grail to us?"

"Ha?!"

Ereshkigal asked with a pained expression, "Are you robbing me?"

Rovey answered without hesitation, "Yes."

Ereshkigal: "If I don't give it to you, will you go in and take it by force?"

What do you think?

Rovey gave a very kind smile.

Ereshkigal: "..."

Chapter 254 The Descent of the Gods

Time: Nighttime in the Mesopotamian plain.

Location: An underground tunnel in the Underworld.

All they could see were skeletons and terrifying spirits everywhere, which meant they were getting closer and closer to the Underworld.

As they continued to advance, countless dead creatures continued to emerge from the ground, making this already gloomy and dark world even more terrifying. The surrounding scenery and colors were filled with the stereotypical image of the Underworld in human imagination.

Da da da—!

Rovey and the others walked up and began heading towards the deepest part of the Underworld.

"Lord Ereshkigal, why don't you release Gilgamesh? I know you're not an evil goddess, and you only put souls into the Underworld to protect them before disaster strikes. Rovey and the others are also trying to protect this world, so there's no need for us to do this."

Nitocris, who was in charge of guarding Ereshkigal, led her along while trying to persuade her superior to cooperate. That way, she wouldn't be in such a dilemma.

"Traitor! Nitocris, you big traitor! I treated you like my best friend, my sister, and this is how you repay me! You traitor!"

Because he was now captured by humans, and the undead army he had painstakingly created underground, squeezing out time after work to build, had been destroyed.

Not only did she lose face, but thousands of years of hard work also went down the Underworld. Ereshkigal gritted her teeth and shouted angrily at Nitocris. This was the first time in thousands of years that she had been so angry. Apart from the time Ishtar broke into the underworld, she had never been this angry before.

"I'm sorry, Lady Ereshkigal..."

Nitocris, feeling sympathy for her boss's plight and knowing that her actions were indeed a betrayal, and also saddened to learn that Ereshkigal was not an evil god, began to politely apologize.

"Ah... aren't you going to argue with that?"

"Why should I argue? This time, it was I who wronged you."

Seeing Nitocris so readily lower her head to apologize, Ereshkigal opened her mouth, wanting to say something more, but seeing the other's disappointed look, she couldn't help but wonder if she had gone too far. After all, Nitocris was her subordinate and also a rare friend, and there was nothing wrong with her choice. After all, she was just a dark and terrifying goddess, while on the other side were Nitocris's family. Didn't she already know how to choose?

Only...

Seeing that things had turned out this way, Ereshkigal couldn't apologize to her directly. In the end, she could only vent her anger on the two who had caused her to be transferred from the Underworld to Ishtar, cursing inwardly:

'Damn it... If that darn teleportation array hadn't sent me straight out of the Underworld, I wouldn't have encountered this! My hard-earned Underworld army wouldn't have been destroyed so easily. And, and...'

She looked at Rovey's back with some resentment, feeling distressed about her own negligence, his cunning, and his ruthless subordinates.

After all, she was quite apprehensive when she met him on Mount Ebih, but after getting to know him, she found that Rovey was indeed a very kind human being. That night, she sat by the fire and heard many stories from Rovey about the world beyond, and he also shared many tips on how to grow flowers well and how to make friends. Considering his relationship with Nitocris, she really liked him.

Although she realized after that conversation that her plan to absorb all Mesopotamia life into the Underworld for protection would never be accepted or understood by him, and might even turn him into an enemy, she didn't hold a grudge against Rovey. Instead, she thought that after killing him, they could take his soul to the Underworld together, and she could share some of her divine duties with him, making him her subordinate god. That way, the Underworld wouldn't be so lonely anymore.

But when he actually met him and was tricked, Ereshkigal realized how despicable he really was.

They seem so kind, but why are they so cunning?

He actually used beautiful flowers to attract her attention and deceive her, and then took the opportunity to place a soul seal on himself, preventing her from leaving Ishtar's body and returning her soul to the Underworld.

Moreover, his words reveal that he already knew he wasn't Ishtar last time.

If that's the case, then what was all that I did on Mount Ebih last time? A one-man show? Wasn't it incredibly stupid of me to direct and act in everything, trying my best to portray Ishtar? And—

If that's the case, does it also mean that he actually knew that the leg he was lying on last time was his own?

'Ugh...! Humans are so despicable, toying with a goddess like this!'

Thinking of this, Ereshkigal's cheeks flushed red like an apple, and then she glared at Rovey with secret annoyance.

He's so mean, but there's nothing I can do about it, so all I can do is glare at him!

"Um?"

As for Rovey was walking ahead, he seemed to have noticed the almost tangible resentment emanating from the blonde goddess. He smiled helplessly at her, then took out a rose and placed it in her blonde hair, hoping that she would cooperate again.

Although he also wanted to resolve the issue peacefully with Ereshkigal, since she wasn't a bad person, judging from her recent destruction of so many figurines ( of the Underworld army) and her betrayal by her subordinates, Rovey knew that persuading her with words alone would be too difficult. Even if he could fool the naive girl, it would take a long time, and they couldn't afford to wait. So, they should wait until they found Gilgamesh before discussing anything further.

"Ugh... Damn it, are they trying to use flowers to interfere with my will again? I won't fall for it this time!"

Looking at the blue rose tucked in her hair like a hairpin, Ereshkigal's gaze was irresistibly drawn to it. Just like Ishtar, who was easily swayed by money, she had no resistance to such beautiful flowers. However, when she suddenly remembered that this was exactly how she had been tricked and captured, Ereshkigal resisted the temptation, and her expression turned gritted teeth.

"Damn it! Don't think you can reach the end of the Underworld so easily. Without my guidance, you will never be able to get out of the Underworld labyrinth!"

To prove his resolve, Ereshkigal said fiercely, "Either release me, or you'll remain lost in the Underworld forever!"

Then, no sooner had she finished speaking than she saw it—

Merlin, who was walking ahead, suddenly turned around and asked, "Um, goddess Anubis, which way do we go next?"

Nitocris: "First go to the left, then go straight, then take that hidden path on the right to go around to the main road of the Underworld."

Merlin asked Nitocris and easily got the answer from her. Then, as if to mock her, he even turned around and gave Ereshkigal a bright, wide smile, making a "V" sign with two fingers.

'That's so, so despicable!'

This scene completely enraged Ereshkigal, who had been feigning composure and being somewhat stubborn. She was truly disgusted by Merlin's despicable behavior.

"Stop fooling around and lead the way."

She wasn't the only one who got the short end of the stick. Because he couldn't stand Merlin's hate-inducing behavior, Rovey kicked him to the front of the group to continue clearing the way, while Artoria stood behind him with her Holy Lance to supervise his progress.

"Lord Ereshkigal, more than that... I'm curious whether there are other gods in the Underworld? What are these other gods of the underworld that Grand Servant spoke of?"

Nitocris suddenly spoke up, trying to change the subject.

"Huh? What god of the underworld...? How come I didn't know there were other gods of the Underworld? You're the only god of the underworld I've seen in all this time. And the way you're treating me now, do you think I would tell you even if I knew?"

Ereshkigal thought about the question for a moment and then gave an answer.

This wasn't a lie; she genuinely didn't know where the other underworld gods came from.

"So... you didn't even know you were hiding someone else in your own home?"

Merlin, who was walking at the front, suddenly spoke again.

"..."

Ereshkigal was speechless. She glared fiercely at Merlin, who had repeatedly undermined her and was merciless in his words. Her previous dissatisfaction with Rovey was immediately diverted.

—This guy is so annoying!

Black Lancer Artoria glanced at Merlin, who was still being disobedient while leading the way, and poked him with his Holy Lance, signaling him to shut up and continue leading the way. Meanwhile, Rovey gained a new understanding of just how annoying Merlin was. Seeing this, he understood why Vivian and Morgan all wanted to kill him in Avalon. While the goblins and Morgan's unpredictable temper certainly played a part, the majority of the reason was definitely that this guy had brought it on himself—he'd done it, and then dared to mock him so openly.

Meanwhile, Ereshkigal, who had been repeatedly angered, returned to the Underworld and regained some of his magic power. He then secretly used Hades' authority to summon powerful allies.

'I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget.'

As her mind stirred, a chilling wind suddenly swept through the once silent Underworld. Immediately afterward, numerous blue lights ignited along the road ahead, and accompanied by the eerie blue flames, a large number of white souls flew out from the abyss below, then coalesced in mid-air, unleashing a powerful wind of death that swept wildly in.

"What a huge skeleton!" everyone exclaimed.

"It's finally here..."

When Ereshkigal saw the enormous, pale white figure overhead, a smile involuntarily appeared on his face.

This is a monster that exists only in the Underworld. Its body is Skeleton Queen, pieced together from countless bones, Soul Flame Lantern, and the souls of the dead. It contains the remains of countless monsters that have died on this land over thousands of years, including even the bones of Demonic Beast from the first era of the distant Age of Gods. Its power is immense; it usually serves as its shell in the Underworld to scare away intruders. Now, it has flown up here, naturally because it sensed that Ereshkigal was in danger and came to its rescue. And indeed, this is a means of escape that Ereshkigal has summoned for itself.

"Roar--!!"

The darkness began to distort, and the moment the white figure appeared, the giant Skeleton Queen emitted a terrifying, eerie blue magic. Immediately afterward, a large amount of bones and death energy condensed around her, instantly transforming into two enormous bone claws.

Accompanied by a deafening roar, the aura emanating from her massive body was extremely cold and terrifying. Judging from her aura alone, this Skeleton Queen was already a monster that had reached the realm of gods.

Upon seeing it appear, Ereshkigal smiled, secretly chuckling to himself.

You blasphemous bastards are finally intimidated, aren't you? After all, this is nothing like those mass-produced skeleton soldiers. Even you lot will be held back by it. And then, I can...

"Lily."

"Leave it to me."

However, upon seeing this thing, Rovey calmly patted Black Lancer Artoria the shoulder.

Immediately afterwards—

Upon receiving Rovey's order Black Lancer Artoria raised his Holy Lance without hesitation and unleashed a dark red Holy Lance storm, carrying a fierce wind as it shot towards the Skeleton Queen in the sky. With a deafening roar, the giant hand on the right side of the skeleton was instantly shattered.

Then, a giant red hand appeared on Rovey's right and grabbed at the Skeleton Queen's left hand, followed by a burst of crimson light behind him.

Whoosh!

The next moment, a flash of red light illuminating the entire Underworld suddenly appeared.

In the blink of an eye, the Skeleton Queen's left hand, upon touching the Holy Hand, melted rapidly like ice meeting fire, then vanished. Even the eerie blue flames and swirling ghosts on her body were instantly shattered by Rovey. Losing its original power, it turned into a pile of broken bones, falling into the bottomless, dark abyss below.

"Boom!!"

All that remained in my ears was a series of explosions.

"No, that can't be..."

Seeing this, Ereshkigal, who had been lost in her fantasies, was almost completely Aqua, her eyes filled with disbelief. After all, that was the skeleton shell that she had spent thousands of years constantly strengthening and patching up, now whose strength was comparable to that of a god.

Although she knew how strong these guys were, she didn't expect to be able to defeat them with the Skeleton Queen, but she shouldn't have been so easily killed, right?

She had planned to escape while the skeleton held them back, but this scene shattered her escape plan once again.

"As expected, they are as powerful as ever, no matter what. They are both so reliable."

Watching Rovey and Black Lancer Artoria simultaneously, Nitocris, who had witnessed each other's strength in the Sixth Singularity, sighed. Then, glancing at Ereshkigal beside her, who was beginning to question her existence and wondering if there was something wrong with their fight, she said, "Let's hurry, Lady Ereshkigal. We're already in the latter half of the journey. Please stop trying to pull any more tricks, or Rovey will tell Ishtar about your capture tonight."

"Waaah..."

Upon hearing this, Ereshkigal shrank back, letting out a fearful groan. Then, gritting her teeth, she asked Rovey, "Are you people really righteous allies here to repair the Singularity? Why are you so adept at threatening others... huh?"

Why would she, the Queen of the Underworld and the mastermind behind the scenes, be reduced to this state and forced to become a traitor who leads the way?

This is clearly a case of being threatened!!